26 Feb 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

www.kuwaittimes.net

RABIA ALTHANI 4, 1433 AH

Kuwait National & Liberation Days

40 PAGES

NO: 15371

150 FILS

See Pages 4 & 7

Revellers brave rains to mark National Day Wet weather pours cold water on open-air parades

Max 17º Min 10º High Tide 02:19 & 14:41 Low Tide 08:13 & 20:38

By Nawara Fattahova

Taleban ‘down’ US drone, Laden compound razed MIRANSHAH, Pakistan: A US drone may have crashed yesterday in North Waziristan, not far from the Afghan border, Pakistan intelligence officials said, and Taleban militants said they had shot it down. Taleban militants led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur said they had collected wreckage of the destroyed drone and would provide its pictures to the media yesterday. Pakistani security officials, however, said they did not know what caused the drone to crash.

“A drone aircraft was seen going down in Machikhel and flames were seen,” a Pakistani intelligence official said. “We don’t know what caused it to go down. We are investigating.” Another official said the drone had gone down in an area controlled by militants, about 30 km from the Afghan border. “The local Taleban have the wreckage,” he said. A US official later denied Taleban claims that the militants shot down the drone, but declined further comment.

“The drone today in Machikhel was flying at low altitude and our fighters fired at and shot it down,” a local commander of the Taleban said. “We have trained people for such type of job.” He said his men had been collecting the wreckage when the Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: Hundreds of revellers turned out on Gulf Road yesterday to celebrate the National Day despite pouring rain and the cancellation of a number of parades.

Families gathered along the seafront to watch passing cars decorated with Kuwaiti flags and pictures of HH the Amir, some huddled under tents put up by the public.

Children, seemingly affected by the weather, sprayed passing cars with water from their toy guns. People also gathered at the Youm Al Bahar Village on the seaside near Shuwaikh. In general, no foam sprays were noticed during the celebrations after these were banned and not sold officially.

An outdoor show that was supposed to be held at the Salam Beach in Shuwaikh was postponed to today due to the rainy and windy weather, as the stage was full of water and it was not possible for the performers to present the show. Another parade that was planned in the afternoon on Gulf Road - starting from the Military Officers Club towards the Kuwait Towers - was canceled as well. In this parade, vehicles of different state authorities were supposed to participate in addition to cartoon characters.

Continued on Page 13

TO OUR READERS

KUWAIT: Young boys in festive masks celebrate the National Day along the Arabian Gulf Road yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat (See Page 2)

Palestinians clash with Israel troops at funeral AL-RAM: Palestinians and Israeli troops clashed on the edge of Jerusalem for a second day yesterday after the funeral of a protester killed the previous day.

“Rocks, fire bombs and burning tyres were hurled at soldiers,” a military statement said. “After exhausting all other means, rubber pellets were used.” At least nine Palestinians were injured in the clashes following the funeral in the West Bank neighbourhood of Al-Ram, adjacent to Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, an AFP photographer reported.

About 2,000 mourners, some firing automatic rifles into the air, marched with the body of Talaat Abdel-Rahman Ramiya, 23, who was killed on Friday by the army in Al-Ram. That clash was one of a string between Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters angry over violence in the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque

compound in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Mourners carrying Palestinian flags and banners of the Fatah movement of president Mahmud Abbas yesterday escorted Ramiya’s body to a cemetery in Al-Ram, a few hundred metres north of the Jerusalem city limits. “Millions of martyrs will march on Jerusalem,” they chanted.

Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad condemned the killing of Ramiya. “ The Israeli government bears full responsibility for this crime,” he said in a statement, adding that that the international community’s lack of pressure on Israel made it complicit in the violence.

“The international community’s silence... contributed to further Israeli undermining of our people’s lives and committing this crime. “This situation gives the international community direct responsibility Continued on Page 13

AL-RAM: Relatives of Palestinian Talat Ramiya mourn during his funeral in this West Bank town near Jerusalem yesterday. (Inset) A Palestinian stone-thrower kicks a burning tyre during clashes with Israeli security forces yesterday. — AP

Mandela admitted to hospital in South Africa

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41 civilians killed on eve of Syria referendum

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Blast kills 26 as new Yemen prez sworn in SANAA: A suicide bomber blew up a vehicle outside a presidential palace in southeastern Yemen yesterday, killing 26 elite troops and overshadowing the swearing in of the first new president in Sanaa since 1978. AlQaeda claimed responsibility and said the attack had been carried out by a “Yemeni jihadi”. A military official said the bombing in the Hadramawt provin- SANAA: Yemeni presidentcial capital Mukalla elect Abdrabuh Mansur bore the hallmarks of Hadi takes the oath of Al-Qaeda, as office during a swearing-in Abdrabuh Mansur ceremony at the parliaHadi took the oath to ment yesterday. — AFP succeed strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh and pledged to press the battle against the jihadists.

Militants loyal to Al-Qaeda have exploited the decline in central government control that accompanied 10 months of deadly unrest, that forced Saleh to cede power, and seized large swathes of southern and eastern Yemen. “A pick-up truck driven by a suicide bomber exploded at the entrance of the presidential palace in Mukalla,” the military official said. He said the attack “carries the fingerprints of Al-Qaeda,” adding that the bomber “could be Mohammed Al-Sayari,” a Saudi originally from Hadramawt.

“The bodies of 20 soldiers were taken to the mortuary and there are many others wounded,” said a medic at Mukalla’s Ibn Sina hospital. Another medic said later that “six others have died of their wounds”, The military source said no high-ranking officials were in the palace when the bomber struck.

Continued on Page 13

‘The Artist’ shines at French film awards

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Kuwait Times’ offices will be closed today on account of Liberation Day. Hence there will be no issue published tomorrow (Feb 27, 2012). Heartiest wishes to our readers on these national holidays!

US advisors killed in Afghan ministry KABUL: A gunman killed two American military advisors inside a heavily guarded government building in the heart of Kabul yesterday as protests over the burning of the Holy Quran at a US base raged across the country for a fifth day.

The Taleban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for the Quran burnings, and the NATO commander recalled all international military personnel working in Afghan ministries in the capital. US officials said the assailant remained at large and a manhunt was under way.

An apology from President Barack Obama has failed to quell public outrage over what NATO insisted was an accidental desecration of the Quran. At least 28 people have been killed and hundreds wounded since Tuesday, when it first emerged that Qurans and other religious materials had been thrown into a fire pit used to burn garbage at Bagram Air

Field, a large US base north of Kabul.

Among those dead were two US soldiers who were killed Thursday by one of their Afghan counterparts while a riot raged outside their base in the eastern province of Nangarhar.

Gen. John Allen, the commander of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan, said he recalled all NATO personnel from the ministries “for obvious force protection reasons” but the alliance remains committed to its partnership with the Afghan government. He said NATO is investigating yesterday’s shooting and will pursue all leads to find the person responsible for the attack. “The perpetrator of this attack is a coward whose actions will not go unanswered,” Allen said.

NATO forces have advisers embedded in many Afghan ministries, both as trainers and to help manage the transition to Afghan control and foreign forces Continued on Page 13

MIHTARLAM, Afghanistan: Afghan demonstrators help a wounded man during a protest against the desecration of the Holy Quran in the capital of Laghman province yesterday. — AFP

Relief for Villas-Boas as Chelsea down Bolton

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LOCAL

KUWAIT: Kuwaitis and expatriates celebrate the Gulf state’s 51st Independence Day yesterday, and the 21st anniversary of the liberation of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation today. Even though day long rain affected the celebrations, hundreds of people went out to the Gulf Road and took part in the celebrations.

—- Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat and Fouad Al-Shaikh

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

LOCAL

News

in brief

Fish farming KUWAIT: Kuwait has succeeded in farming a new kind of fish which is the product of two species merged together, said Director of Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Dr. Naji Al-Mutairi. Al-Mutairi said Kuwait has succeeded at fish farming, and many species of fish are successfully bred in local fish farms. He explained that no country in the world except Kuwait has succeeded in farming pomfret, (Zubaidi). This has been achieved through the invention of some types of food which is given to the pomfret and makes it capable of facing challenges it encounters in fish farms. $15 oil price increase KUWAIT: Kuwaiti oil prices increased by 13.8 percent since the beginning of this year, according to official statistics. The $106 per barrel rate recorded on Jan 3 has now increased to a $120.7 per barrel rate recorded Feb 24. The $15 increase means that Kuwait receives a $360 million income every day by producing 3 billion barrels of crude with a $120 per barrel sale rate. This means national income increases by KD100 million every morning. These figures are inaccurate however given the fact that a portion of the produced oil is consumed locally, while part of it is reserved.

Lunar days KUWAIT: Researcher Yasmeen Al-Saber, Space and Astronomy Director at the Scientific Club, said she is the first Kuwaiti woman to study Astronomy in a specialized academic way and demands to teach this subject at Kuwait University. She said very shortly the moon will be sighted in Kuwait, and she wishes that Kuwait has a committee to observe the moon in cooperation with neighboring states. She called for special care to Al-Ujairi Observatory, which has been greatly affected by noise and light pollution. She added that stars become teenagers, youths and get old. Then the star dies. She said the moon affects humans, especially on days 13, 14 and 15 of each lunar month. People get nervous and crimes increase during those three days, she said, therefore the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) recommended Muslims fast on those three days.

Scientific research in drawers KUWAIT: A number of academics have criticized the government and organizations for not caring to form a supreme council for scientific research. They say it should be formed under the umbrella of the Council of Ministers in order to unify efforts by researchers at Kuwait University, the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research and the Environment Public Authority to develop fields of research in Kuwait compatible with the Government growth plan. They say there is a shortfall in the scientific research budget which keeps research in drawers without benefiting from its suggestions. They say there are fake researchers who aim to obtain promotions by preparing research when the only thing they want is the financial support. They do not consider the needs and problems in society.

Strategy to fight breast cancer KUWAIT: Dr. Khaled Al-Saleh, Deputy Chairman of the National Campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness, said an international strategy to fight breast cancer is an important start, and a new one in fighting the fatal disease. Adopted by heads of states and Prime Ministers at a United Nations meeting last September, the strategy stressed the importance of early detection of the disease to become easier to fight it. He said a cure for the disease in its first and second stages is 80 percent guaranteed and even more than that, which emphasizes the importance of awareness and education about breast cancer and early detection of the disease in all countries of the world.

Kuwaiti society distributes aid to Syrians TRIPOLI, Lebanon: Kuwait-based International Al-Rahma Society for Relief, affiliated to Islamic Society for Social Reform (Al-Islah Al-Ijtmaee), revealed yesterday that it has distributed relief aid to Syrian displaced in Lebanese villages bordering Syria.

In a press statement, AlRahma Society Chairman Bader Bu-Irhama, who visited the makeshift camps of the Syrian displaced in Northern Lebanese villages, said the Kuwaiti aid included foodstuff, blankets, tents and cash money.

Bu-Irhama said a delegation from the society has toured hospitals and visited Syrian uprising victims and their families who fled their homes to Lebanon.

Latest statistics estimated Syrian refugees in Lebanon at about 15,000 people.

He pointed out that the Society delegation has visited Syrian refugee camps in Jordan, Lebanon and will travel to Turkey soon to distribute aid and visit displaced there.

Bu-Irhama expressed s o l i d a r i t y w i t h Sy r i a n people in their distress, adding that the society is mobilizing its efforts to help ease their suffering. — KUNA

Kuwaiti society still ‘male dominated’ Women’s society holds symposium

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The 2012 Parliament is without any woman MP. This is a disappointment for most people, especially as the last Parliament had four women MPs, which was a historical record in Kuwait. Women only got their political rights in 2005. To discuss the reason behind the failure of women in the last elections, the Women’s Cultural Society held a symposium on Wednesday titled ‘Who is Behind the Woman’s Absence in the 2012 Parliament’.

Dr Rana Abdulrazzaq expressed her disappointment at not having even one women candidate pass the elections.

“If we compare the performance of male MPs and female MPs, the women were much more productive. They were attending committees in Parliament, they proposed law drafts, their dialogue was more polite, and they carried out many projects. Women MPs participated in passing a law in favor of women, especially the housing care law,” she stated.

She spoke about the reasons that women failed from her point of view. “Although some female candidates were competing with male candidates and achieved a good number of votes, none of them passed. This is due to the general atmosphere of the elections. Women candidates did not participate in the tribal or sect coalitions. They did not use impolite dialogue and shouting like the men did.

We witnessed some new young candidates who won, and this was due to their coalition with the Salafi faction,” added Dr Rana.

Ibraheem Al-Mulaifi said any analysis after resolving Parliament is not accurate. “We need psychological analyses more than election analyses in this issue. The change is

KUWAIT: Dr. Ali Al-Zoubi, Dr. Khadeeja Al- Mahmeed, Shamael Al-Sharikh, Ibraheem Al-Mulaifi and Dr. Rana AlAbdulrazzaq are seen during the symposium. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

not only in Parliament but in the Government as well, as there are no women ministers. At the end, their failure was the choice of the people and we respect the opinion of voters who have chosen their candidates,” he said.

He agreed with Dr Rana that the women MPs were more productive and attended more sessions in the last Parliament. “Women participated in political life even before getting their political rights. Maasouma AlMubarak, for instance, was a minister in 2003, and Nouria Al-Subeih was a minister as well. I think there is a general ignorance of the issue of women in the community. I won-

der where are those who were defending women’s rights. I advise women to go to protest at Determination Square as they have no place in Parliament with the complete absence of women MPs,” Al-Mulaifi added.

Dr Khadeeja Al-Mahmeed insisted that Kuwaiti society is still a male dominated society. “I see the main reason for the failure of women in this Parliament as the male culture.

The way is still long for us women, as the community still preserves old social traditions which prefer and empower men. I think that this is an experience and woman here should not stand. She should be optimistic,” she stated.

Setback in resolving midterms dilemma

‘You Can Still Contribute While Abroad’

By Hassan Abdulbani KUWAIT: A raffle for air tickets and other cash prizes was conducted for participants in a recent campaign titled ‘You Can Still Contribute While Abroad’, organized by the Egyptians in Kuwait website ( www.egkw.com) The raffle was conducted under the auspices of the Egyptian ambassador to Kuwait, Abdul Kareem Sulaiman, and the founder of the Egyptians In Kuwait website, journalist Osama Jalal. The campaign was meant to support Egypt’s deteriorating economy in the aftermath of the January 25 revolution by increasing the amount Egyptians in Kuwait sent back home through a local money exchange company.

The company gave senders special coupons entitling them to enter the draw for each money transfer. The event was held at the Egyptian embassy premises and was attended by participants and members of the media.

— Photos by Joseph Shagra

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education (MoE) is currently dealing with a new problem created over the high school midterms dilemma. After readjusting students’ records, 200 students received lower grades than they originally complained of.

A recently released report indicated that the MoE is set to release new midterm reports to high school students. They take into account marks and test results as per the old grading system, in which midterm results make up 70 percent of a student’s grade point average (GPA). Students blame a new system introduced this year, which bases 90 percent of a student’s GPA on their test results, for the low midterm results recorded late last month.

According to MoE insiders on Friday, recalculating marks have already helped significantly improve grades for a good number of students, but also resulted in 200 cases in which students recorded lower marks than those they were protesting.

The ministry is currently investigating the reasons why the GPAs of these students dropped following recalculations, said the sources who spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to speak to the press about the subject.

The recalculation process is made as per recommendation of a committee formed specifically by Minister Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf to resolve the dilemma. According to the same sources, the committee will continue meetings with undersecretar y Tamadher Al-Sadairawi to find radical solutions for all students’ cases as per strict instructions of Minister Al-Hajraf. — Al-Jarida

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

LOCAL

Three-member gang in police custody for thefts from cars Fight in Jahra restaurant KUWAIT: Three suspec ts responsible for multiple theft charges, in which they targeted contents of parked vehicles, were recently arrested by Sabah Al-Salem investigators.

Police first arrested a stateless male resident following investigations into a KD230 theft case repor ted by a citizen. He explained that the money was taken via his credit card that was stolen from his car. During investigations, the suspec t admitted to stealing the card by break ing into the complainant’s car. He also admitted responsibility for several similar thefts reported in the area. He said he was helped by stateless and Iraqi accomplices. The other two suspec ts were soon placed under arrest and referred with their accomplice to the proper authorities to face charges.

Teenager dies A 17-year-old boy died on Friday inside the intensive care

unit at Jahra Hospital where he was admitted a month ago following a brutal assault. Four suspects held in the case face murder charges af ter the teenager’s death. The victim was found in a critical condition inside a hole, where he was thrown following a brutal assault at a camp north of the countr y. Police eventually arrested the perpetrators, who confessed to kidnapping and assaulting the victim over previous disputes. One of the suspects was reportedly under the influence of narcotics during the assault.

Pedestrian hurt An expatriate man was seriously injured after he was run over by a car on the Fahaheel Highway recently. The victim was rushed to Mubarak Hospital in an ambulance.

Meanwhile, an American citizen responsible for the accident refused to step inside the patrol vehicle to be held for

investigations. The man identified himself as a member of the US Army. He was soon joined by his supervisor, who personally reported with him to the nearest police station to undergo investigations. He was recently released on bail.

Fight in Jahra One man was severely injured and four others were arrested following a fight that took place recently at a restaurant in Jahra. Police and paramedics rushed to the scene af ter a fight between three expatriates against two Kuwaiti citizens was reported. One of the expatriates was hospitalized with a deep stab wound to the abdomen, while the four others were held to face legal charges.

Family freed A mentally unstable man was detained after holding his mother and sister hostage inside their Kaifan home recent-

ly. Police headed to the location after receiving an emergency call from the man’s sister, calling for help for her sick mother. The man was placed under control after violently resisting apprehension. One police officer was injured. It was revealed that the suspect suffers from schizophrenia. He was taken directly to the Psychiatric Hospital following his arrest.

Drunk driver A drunk driver arrested recently in Mahboulah was referred to authorities to face new charges, in addition to previous charges pressed against him. The suspect was placed under arrest after he was pulled over for reckless driving. Patrol officers soon realized that he was drunk. A half empty liquor bottle was found inside his car.

The police learned, after checking the suspect’s identity, that he faces insult charges pressed on a previous occasion.

—Al-Anbaa, Al-Rai, Al-Watan

Syrian commits suicide

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A Syrian expatriate in his early 20s hanged himself in his Jleeb residence yesterday. Friends said that he was suffering from psychological problems due to events in his country.

Two Kuwaiti children, aged 12 and 14, were injured when a car hit them near Salmiya cooperative. The children are in stable condition and being treated for fractures. The driver who ran them over is a citizen.

Road accidents A 26-year-old Kuwaiti was injured and broke his pelvis during an ATV accident in Julaiah area. He was taken to Adan Hospital. A 14-year-old Kuwaiti broke his right arm and lacerated his face when a car hit him in Salmiya on Corniche Street. A unknown person sustained multiple fractures and a cardio-pulmonary arrest following a car accident on Wafra Road. He was rushed to Adan Hospital.

Kuwait urges honoring of Syrian people’s legitimate demands TUNIS: Kuwait has called for adopting “swift and immediate” actions towards honoring the legitimate demands of the Syrian people, and in a way that guarantee security and stability of Syria and the entire region.

“Prolonging the Syrian crisis will only further complicate it and result in larger human losses,” Deputy Premier, Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah told the Friends of Syria Conference.

Sheikh Sabah hoped the conference would result in an international commitment to meeting the legitimate demands of the Syrian people.

He called on the international community to create the suitable grounds to reach solutions that would ultimately achieve security of Syria and whole region.

Sheikh Sabah, representing Kuwait to the Friends of Syria Conference, said the Syrian crisis has entered into a “sensitive and critical” phase which required solidarity with the Syrian people to honor their aspirations.

He said the Arab plan of action for Syria was the only option that would meet demands of the Syrian people.

The conditions of the Syrian people “are a source of great concern,” said Sheikh Sabah and cited the curfews, prevention of entry of relief aid and siege.

“Today’s situation is the biggest challenge for the brotherly Syrian people, “ said the Kuwaiti top diplomat, “through the formation of a government of national unity grouping all segments (of the Syrian people) with its commitment to respect international human rights conventions.”

The state of Kuwait, he said, has contributed with its GCC sisters and within the Arab League to ending the violence in Syria and protection of the Syrian people.

Kuwait, he added, backed the appointment of Kofi Annan as the UN-Arab League envoy to Syria. —KUNA

KUWAIT: On the occasion of the Russian Federation Armed Forces Day, the Military, Air and Naval Attache Col Vladimir Kurchenko hosted on Thursday a reception at the Russian embassy’s premises. It was attended by a large number of diplomats and other dignitaries. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Municipality hopefuls stress traffic, environment as key issues KUWAIT: A number of candidates for Kuwait’s Municipal Council fourth constituency by-elections have underlined traffic and the environment as key issues they seek to address, if they were to gain office.

While Kuwait seeks to transform itself into a leading commercial and investment hub in the region, its traffic problem continues to be neglected, Faisal AlSowayyih said yesterday.

This calls for new roads to be placed and strategies to be devised for a new railway and an airport, he added.

Al-Sowayyih also highlighted the environment as a global issue, which does not gain enough significance domestically.

Yaser Al-Jafar said that the environment would gain the utmost importance on his agenda, noting to solutions to the problem of accumulating waste in the country.

NBK Public Relations Team celebrating with children

He called on the government to give the Municipal Council a more decisionmaking role, instead of the supervisory role it has been confined to over the years.

Abdallah Al-Jaser said this role would allow the Municipality to locate further space for housing blocks in the country, to answer to the ever-increasing demand which comes with the growing population.

And if Kuwait intends to go through with its development plans, further roads have to be constructed to accommodate this growth.

Walid Sanad urged the need to implement draft laws on providing more housing blocks and for the development of the Kuwaiti capital, which is in a deteriorating state. Kuwaiti islands need a complete make-over, with tourist resorts built on each in order to attract visitors to the country, he added. —KUNA

NBK Public Relations Officer, Yaqoub Al-Baqer and a child drawing Kuwaiti flag.

NBK shares happy moments with children at hospitals KUWAIT: On the occasion of Kuwait’s independence and the anniversary of liberation, National Bank of Kuwait’s (NBK) Public Relations team and staff paid a visit to NBK Hospital and Ibn Sina Hospital at Sabah Medical district to share happy moments of Kuwait’s national celebrations with children suffering from permanent and incurable ailments.

NBK Public Relations Officer, Yaqoub Al-Baqer said “NBK staff in general and the PR team in par-

ticular have always devoted a considerable part of their time to comfort the children and present them with felicitations and gifts as part of NBK’s corporate social responsibility program.”

“We are proud that NBK devotes such attention to supporting Kuwait society and those in need, including sick children. NBK’s commitment to shoulder its corporate social responsibility was the basic motive that led NBK to build its children hospital at Sabah Medical district many

years ago,” Al-Baqer added. The visits to the hospitals were emotional and overwhelming for both the children and NBK staff.

NBK’s visits to hospitals and care centers reflect the Bank’s high sense of duty and responsibility towards all those in need from different sectors of society. It is a well rooted tradition that has been carried out by NBK each year in its efforts to continuously have an active role in the Kuwait society.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

local

Undersecretary to cooperate with parliamentary probe Transfer of public funds

Ben Garcia, senior reporter, (right) receives award for the Kuwait Times.

KUWAIT: A senior government official confirmed willingness to cooperate with a parliamentary committee in investigating allegations that the former prime minister transferred millions of dinars from public funds to personal accounts he owns abroad.

Statements of Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Khalid Al-Jarallah came one day after MP Musallam Al-Barrak announced Thursday that he will be among senior state officials to be called to testify to the panel that is expected to be officially formed on the parliament’s session Tuesday.

“I’ll be at the committee as soon as I’m asked to”, Al-Jarallah said moments after Al-Barrak indicated in a statement that charges will be pressed against any state official who refuses to cooperate with the parliamentary investigation.

The Cabinet had announced Thursday that the State Audit Bureau was assigned to probe the allegations which became a key factor in the campaign launched by the opposition in the previous parliament against former premier Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah. Al-Barrak, on the same day, expressed reservations on the step and insisted that it should not come as an alternative to the parliamentary investigations committee.

“If a parliamentary probe case is formed... I will be the first to attend if summoned, and will say everything I know about the case”, Al-Jarallah indicated. Kuwait’s ambassadors in Geneva, New York and London, as well as to ex-governor of the Central Bank Sheikh Salem Al-Sabah are expected to be questioned as well by the committee according to Al-Barrak, who added on Friday that the panel will have the authority to summon any person for investigations.

In other news, MP Dr Khalid Shukhayyer announced plans to submit a request on Tuesday to form an investigation committee “to probe malpractices committed in police investigation authorities”, adding that it will look into “cases of drug overdose fatalities reported since 2008”. He further explained that the committee will have the authority to “summon any Ministry of Interior official regardless of their rank”.

Meanwhile, at least ten requests for forming temporary committees are set to be discussed on the parliament’s session Tuesday, with voting results seen as the first indication for what the relationship between the cabinet and the parliament will be like. The majority coalition in the parliament

are expected to easily pass requests endorsed by its 35 MPs, but how the cabinet votes - especially regarding investigation committees - should give an idea about how they plan to cooperate with the parliament. On that regard, MP Adnan Al-Mutawa’a criticized the “mythical number” of temporary committees requested to be formed at once, saying that their work is going to hinder that of permanent panels.

In another development, MP Nabil Al-Fadhl submitted a proposal to assign the Constitutional Court to interpret Articles 108, 110 and 111 of the Constitution which deal with MPs’ immunity. “This step aims to provide the true explanation for objective immunity and limits of parliamentary practice”, Al-Fadhl indicated in a statement on Friday.

In the meantime, financial and economic committee member MP Riyadh Al-Adasani announced that the panel will not adopt the third fiscal plan of the development plan “until the first two fiscal plans are completed”. He further indicated that studying fiscal years’ data indicate that all obstacles the government faced in implementing projects were created by the government itself. — Al-Rai, Al-Jarida, Al-Qabas

Hugh Fernandes, Al-Muzaini Exchange Marketing Manager —Photos by Arthur Saclolo

KUWAIT: The Kuwait motocross championship 2012 in progress. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Motocross championship ‘a success’

By Nawara Fattahova

Maxxy Santiago, TFC correspondent, receives award from FBC.

KT receives Pinoy’s choice award

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The Filipino Badminton committee (FBC) organized a gala dinner and recognition night for the just concluded 27th Founder’s Cup Tournament, which was part of their month-long celebration marking their fifth year founding anniversary. The event, held on Friday night at the Holiday Inn Salmiya, was graced by Philippine Vice Consul Shiela Monedero.

The evening began with the singing of Kuwait and Philippine national anthems followed by the invocation, led by Father Ben Barrameda and FBC’s distinguished leaders.

The newly composed FBC hymn was sung in unison by the group, led by Dr Christine delos Santos.

Aside from the handing over of trophies and prizes for the winners, another highlight of the evening was a presentation of awards to the top three Filipino choice companies in Kuwait. The awards were introduced during the pre-fifth anniversary celebration held at Shaab Park last February 17, attended by numerous Filipinos. They voted and selected the company of their choice, a company that influenced most Filipinos in Kuwait.

The top three company choices of Filipinos are: Kuwait Times, Al-Muzaini Exchange Company and The Filipino Channel [TFC]. Kuwait Times was unanimously voted the Best newspaper in Kuwait, followed by the Arab Times and Al-Watan Daily. AlMuzaini Exchange, was selected as best remittance and exchange company among other nominees including Dollarco, Etimadco and Global Money Exchange. The Filipino Channel [TFC-Kapamilya] was chosen as Best Filipino Television network followed by GMA Pinoy TV[ Kapuso] and TV5 [Kapatid].

The FBC is the most active Filipino organization in Kuwait, which gained approval from

the Philippines’ Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently. The FBC also surprised attendees with the video message of Philippine Vice President, Jejomar Binay, who wished not just the FBC family but the entire Filipino community in Kuwait on the happy occasion.

“I am happy that you are organizing this event to be with one another. In this way, the spirit and culture of Filipinos are highlighted which can pass on through generations from your children,” he said. “I am pleased to congratulate the FBC for their vision to protect and uphold the welfare of Filipinos, not just in Kuwait and their families here, but also Filipinos in need back home. I always hope that you will continue what you have started.”

Meanwhile, chief guest Sheila Monedero reminded the Filipinos on how the sacrifices transcribed by ‘our great national hero and pride Dr. Jose Rizal’. He was known as the first Filipino who travelled overseas during his time to arm himself with the necessary education to free the Philippines from Spanish colonization. Monedero stressed that, like Rizal, modern day Filipinos [OFWs] are conquering the world today to free themselves from poverty and help their families and loved ones, but at the same time share their respective skills needed by the world.

“The FBC is just one excellent example for a noble Filipino organization in Kuwait, that are always trying to persevere and relive the tradition and culture of Filipinos through sports, but ever ready to help their countrymen in need,” she added.

The evening was capped with the handover of awards for the winners of the 27 FBC Founder’s Cup tournament followed by ballroom dancing. The glittering presentation was hosted by Ricky Laxa, Jane Nolasco and Lyka, hosts of the ‘Good Morning Kuwait’ magazine show on the web.

KUWAIT: The Quarter Mile Motorsports Club (QMMC) held the first stage of the Kuwait motocross championship 2012 on Friday afternoon. It was held at the QMMC racetrack in South Kuwait, behind the Nuwaisib Fire Station. The event was attended by a huge number of motocross fans and some officials including QMMC Secretary General, Sheikh Ali Al-Fawaz Al-Sabah, Director General of KT, Essa Hamza, and others. The 35 competitors participating in this race were divided into four categories. After announcing the results of the first stage, Sheikh Fahad Naser Al-Sabah, Head of the QMMC Motocross Committee, awarded the first three winners of each category.

Before registration, the organizing committee of the QMMC conducted technical checking of participating motorcycles to ensure their condition, in

Justice Bloc ‘performing a religious duty’ KUWAIT: MP Bader AlDhahoon, Justice Bloc member, announced that his group intends to propose amending the second article of the Constitution “so that Islam becomes the basic source for legislation”. AlDhahoon told reporters that the Justice Bloc is performing a religious duty, and a popular wish which AlDhahoon said is welcomed by some MPs. MP Abdullah Al-Barghash said he will sign the suggestion prepared by Justice Bloc. MP Mubarak Al-Waalan said “I wish to be the first one who signs this suggestion, as I did on the suggestion of MP Mohammad Hayef before as our religion is the best source for legislation and is suitable for every time and place”.

‘Do your job or resign’ KUWAIT: Senior officials at the Public Authority for Housing Welfare reportedly received instructions from the State Minister of Housing Affairs to submit their resignation before their qualification to remain in office is reviewed within two months.

According to a report quoting an official source familiar with the issue, four deputy directors already resigned Thursday while three others contemplate taking a similar step this week. PAHW General Director Ali Al-Fawzan is also mulling the option of resigning as per the minister’s request, said the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Minister Shuwaib AlMuwaizri reportedly explained to PAHW officials that he will decide on whether to accept or decline resignation based on quality of their performance as per reports they attach to their resignation letters. — Al-Rai

addition to ensuring the health and physical capability of the biker to participate in the race. The winners: In the first MX1 category, Moath Al-Ansari won, second was Naser Al-Rabia, and third was French competitor Frank. In the MX2 category Mohammed Jaffar won, followed by Tariq Al-Hattab, and Abdullah Al-Shatti was third. In the third category for beginners, Fahad AlRaqei won, French competitor Kevin was second, and third was Ahmad AlRifai. In the fourth 85cc category, the winner was Abdulatif Al-Khana, second ranked was Fawaz Al-Hattab, and Ahmad Al-Ghanim was third. “The competitors are satisfied with the organization of this race, especially as the international rules of FIA (International Federation for Motorcycles) were applied in this race. This improved level of the race is really encouraging for us to continue in this sport and improve our skill to reach international standards,” said winner of the MX1 category, Moath Al-Ansari.

6

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

LOCAL Letters to Badrya

Local Spotlight

Stop being hypocrites!

National holidays!

Hi Badrya, So nice of you to present such a meaningful article in Kuwait Times. I really appreciate your hard work, keenness in selecting the topic and presentation skills.

I would suggest you please emphasize food safety issues, food hygiene and security in a similar way too.

Best Regards Mona Nair

Muna Al-Fuzai

Hi Friend, I read your article about ‘2 million ignored’. Great thinking and nice usage of language.

Hats off to you.

Cheers Kiran Mithra Hi Badrya, I read your article in the newspaper and am so proud of you that you have the ‘guts’ to speak out on behalf of the poor street cats and dogs living in Kuwait. We are a very small minority who care for the welfare of these animals. I live in Shaab and, as much as I can, I collect street cats, have them neutered, vaccinated against cat flu and I look after them at home until they are ok to be put back on the streets. This is extraordinarily costly, but my fear is that if their numbers go up they will be poisoned and die a painful and slow death.

I continually get verbal abuse for giving cats dry biscuits and water and recently one man said he would put an electric current around his car to stop cats jumping onto it and leaving dusty footprints. It was an amazing response from one who considered himself to be a humanitarian.

I used to live in India, where the Government sponsored a program whereby street dogs were gathered, neutered, looked after for a week and then put back in exactly the same place as they were picked up from. If a country like India can have a program like this, how come Kuwait with all its money resorts to such cruel methods of controlling numbers? After all, they did bring them here originally to control the rat population!

I constantly have to remove dead bodies of these lovely cats from the street outside my apartment, where some speeding driver has hit them and left them there to die.

This is on a suburban street where you can see what is on the road 300 meters ahead.

My heart aches for these animals and I am very interested to hear as to whether you got any response from your article because without people like you, bringing awareness to the situation, these animals will continue to be brutalized.

With kind regards, Anna Hi, I have just read your article about the authorities poisoning animals to death in Kuwait.

Thank you for speaking out on the issue. I especially liked the fact that you mentioned the hijacking of religion and its application only when it suits. That’s why law should be secular and religion private, of course.

It’s far too easy to manipulate people, using religion.

The cruelty to animals situation will only change when the Kuwaiti Government introduces a proper, liberal charity system (which at the moment is so restricted, it’s laughable) and introduces strictly-enforced animal welfare laws. In the United Kingdom, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has no actual powers as such, but upon learning of animals being kept in inhumane conditions, for example, they contact police who raid the property WITH the RSPCA to take the animals into their care. The owner is then prosecuted accordingly.

Kuwait has political issues which many would say take precedent over the issue of animal welfare. This is an excuse.

There is NOTHING stopping lawmakers from introducing animal welfare laws immediately. A competent Parliament can take care of more than one issue at once, after all.

This is a great quote on the issue and quite thought-provoking: “The greatness of a society and its moral progress can be judged by the way it treats its animals.” - Mohandas Gandhi Regards, Michael Stubbs

muna@kuwaittimes.net ue to some private commitments this year, I was forced to stay in the country during the long days of the national holidays. I have not much to do except stay close to my computer following the news around us in the world!

I have not had time to go anywhere during the evening because of the traffic and I was not really interested in sitting in the car for so much time. So the best part of this holiday was about having more quality time to do some writing and a radio interview. I gave two radio interviews, one on the reason behind this holiday and the other on what makes 25th and 26th February days to be marked. These, of course, were not the only topics. I also mentioned many other issues about national unity and what makes it essential right now!

In fact, I like radio interviews because it takes away all the hectic preparations with makeup etc.. I feel so content sitting in a small studio and having a nice quiet chit chat with another person with nothing to bother me and no camera around! I would love to have my own radio channel one day.

I guess I would love to have a private English radio channel that only conducts political interviews and brings the latest news. When Kuwait was invaded in the year 1990, London Arabic radio channel was the hit for all Arabic speakers who could not understand English and would rather hear the news in Arabic. Until today this channel is a real success and an asset to many Arabs. I am one of those people.

Now, I believe that the love for my country is not about having a long restful holiday but how to interpret this sentiment into real work. The majority of Kuwaitis are working in the public sector, that for me is a negative indicator! I know some claim that there is no security or insurance in the private sector, but I would agree that any hard working person with some dedication and knowledge would add value to any company local or not. That is one way of seeing how this country can be developed. Loving a country is not only about taking and not giving!

That applies to the typical thinking among people on what national celebrations are because national holidays are not about foam or songs! I think we need to develop the public perception about that and involve schools in debates, competitions, contests etc. to activate and provoke the national spirit. This national holiday will pass I guess with lots to remember about what we have done rather than what the lesson was that we learned, and should mark our thinking and actions all year long.

D

kuwait digest

Journey in Al-Wasmi’s mind

By Dr Mubarak al-Therwa o one can deny an MP’s constitutional right of exercising political accountability tools they are entitled to use, including grilling motions. Likewise, no one should question an MP’s true intention behind filing an interpellation, without providing proof to support their claim.

MP Obaid Al-Wasmi’s name made headlines a few days ago after announcing plans to file a grilling against the prime minister. His step moved him directly at the frontlines of the opposition during the parliament’s early age, and also garnered him criticisms with regards to its timing as well as its true motives. But going back in AlWasmi’s political and academic careers perhaps give us better understanding to why he was so adamant to go through with his plan even if he had to do it all by himself.

I’m pretty sure Al-Wasmi still remembers the day when he was told he doesn’t have a place at the Public Prosecution Department shortly after graduating with honors from the Kuwait University. Al-Wasmi believes that his tribal descent was crucial in his exclusion decision.

Regardless of whether that’s true or not, the feeling of discrimination left huge effect in shaping his future ideologies and behavior. This feeling, building up within since the time he was a fresh college graduate, spurred his ambition to work on eliminating double standard approach he sees is committed by the government in dealing with citizens of different social categories.

Al-Wasmi’s journey to finish his higher studies included stops at the United Kingdom where he witnessed commitment to the law at its finest example, and at the United States where he got to live what it feels like to be free and equal with everyone else. Within a few years of higher education, Al-Wasmi’s identity is shaped up on the basis of decent living and equal opportunities he experienced at the societies he lived in.

After that, Al-Wasmi returned home with hope to see a Kuwait where law and justice prevails;

N

only to be disappointed soon enough. He was expecting to see a society where the law is implemented on all, and where hard work and competency are the only criteria by which people are hired and promoted. He was able to become a lecturer at the Kuwait University, but eventually found himself being beaten by police among citizens who took part in an allegedly unlicensed gathering (reference to events at MP Jamaan AlHarbash’s diwaniya on December 2010).

A year later, Al-Wasmi feeds off the popularity he gained following that day in order to become a parliament member, with hope that this time he has a better chance to help change the local reality to something similar to what he experienced during his senior studies’ days. He went so high with his ambitions as to run for the parliament’s speaker post. Yet, he was let down by colleagues he thought were on the same page with him. Even when he tries to become a member in the interior and defense committee, the parliament’s majority gave more votes to their bitter rival MP Mohammad Al-Juwaihel than him. The feelings of exclusion Al-Wasmi first experienced as a fresh graduates were starting to build up yet again at this point. These feelings provided the fire that ignited Al-Wasmi’s ambitions to grill the prime minister, when he chose to jump to the rescue of detained young men he feels are victims of the same discrimination he always felt and despised.

Filing the interpellation was the climax of AlWasmi’s story when he decided it’s time that the government is held accountable for failing to realize the same kind of justice and equality he felt in Western societies. It was his time to stand up for fellow citizens he felt are victims of injustice, and get some retribution for what he suffered from and still shape painful memories in his head.

Obaid Al-Wasmi’s story is the story of a society that is suffering. The only difference is that he stood up and said “respect us so that we also respect you”. —Al-Rai

Congratulations from Poland Dear Mrs. Muna, On the occasion of the upcoming Kuwaiti National Day as well as the Liberation Holiday, I would like to express my wishes of good luck to the Kuwaiti nation.

I am wishing you all the best at work and in your private life. I want to mention that I spent many years in Kuwait and my family worked there in the national health service .

Today I attended a party organized in the Warsaw Sheraton Hotel by the Kuwaiti ambassador to Poland.

Happy National Days, Yours faithfully Bohdan Poland muna@kuwaittimes.net

kuwait digest

kuwait digest

kuwait digest

Kuwait future in hands of youth

Need for scrapping loans

By Waleed Al-Rujaib

By Nadia Saqr

By Abdul Aziz Al-Kandari oung men do not require much praising due to their refusal to the reality they are living in, or the oppression that falls on them and the nation. But it is the production of national activities and their keen insistence to protect the national interests and due to the size of corruption which they see in front of them.

Youths had an outstanding role in the past period, through their adoption to reform demands, and they refused the millions deposited in MPs accounts and they persisted to fight corruption. The result was positive for them, their future and the country in general. They have to give several great sacrifices.

Youths were working very hard without any one asking them to do so, they organized themselves and presented their demands in astonishing ways. Organization was done very well with a high level of professionalism. They were from different sections of society but their activities led to dissolving the National Assembly. The election brought new MPs, as the youths and public wanted.

Today, youths are demanded to organize themselves in a different and greater way. They should form a shadow government and it is to be a ìkitchenî for different suggestions and projects to be delivered to the MPs. They should lay down special agendas for reform and work for it too — even if they have to hold a national conference or adopt a youth document 2012. This is something to be commented on by MP Faisal Al-Yahya, who adopted this document.

Personally I am not happy about the majority of MPs jumping over the rules or youths. They keep their roles in the margin by not listening to their point of view and what issues worry them. They want the majority to adopt them inside the National Assembly. Youths have to be aware first and find channels to express their opinions, views and suggestions to the MPs in a direct and correct way.

The most dangerous thing is a showdown between the youths and the majority of MPs. This is what the youths will feed on due to the fact that MPs will be busy in daily Parliament work, and the committees. If the youths demands are not contained, then a showdown in thoughts is on its way definitely. MPs are demanded to be aware of youth issues more than before, as things have changed so much. The opposite might be right, and here is the problem and danger at the same time. —Al-Anba

Y

Socialism more accepted today

The result: a citizen with a KD1000 monthly any Kuwaitis suffer today from the problem of cumulative bank loan interests that they salary who takes a KD30,000 loan to finish building struggle to repay. As a TV show host, I dis- his home with a KD300 monthly repayment procussed this topic with numerous personalities; gram, would years later find out that he repaid more many of whom strongly objected the notion of than KD20,000 only in interests, while the actual scraping interests or a solution by which the sate amount of the loan is still not touched. Eventually, purchase citizens’ loans. Some of them explained the citizen in this case would struggle repaying his that a citizen must bear full responsibility for taking loan which would’ve doubled in size and continue increasing every day. a loan to buy a new car or for Is this situation logical? a vacation outside.

It should be noted that Kuwaitis have Here we have to ask our- been taking consumer loans for Why can’t banks be more clear in explaining to people what selves; how many of struggling indebted citizens actual- decades without facing serious prob- would be waiting for them the ly took loans to buy a new car lems. It was at a time in which inter- moment they sign to take a or to go on a fancy vacation? ests were not madly high, and banks loan? A citizen who puts a plan to finish repaying his Chances are the number is a lot less than what people explained all information about loans loan within five years, finds think it is. I don’t understand to citizens clearly. Everything, includ- out eventually that he spent however why this example is ing the amount of loan, the interest that period only repaying interests, while his original generalized on all indebted rate and monthly payment were fixed loan is still intact. There’s clearcitizens.

It should be noted that and explained clearly to customers. ly an error in the current loanKuwaitis have been taking However, things changed starting ing process, and I’m not sure exactly why the Central Bank consumer loans for decades without facing serious prob- from the period between 2003 and failed to do anything about it lems. It was at a time in which 2004 when a citizen would have to so far.

The parliament previously interests were not madly high, sign a large number of different docutried to solve the problem via and banks explained all information about loans to citizens ments containing extreme number of a draft law to scrap citizens’ clearly. Everything, including complicated details that many people loan, but it failed to obtain the amount of loan, the inter- wouldnít find time to read before the necessar y number of votes to pass. This spread est rate and monthly payment were fixed and explained obtaining their loans. This led many frustration among debtors clearly to customers. However, citizens to fall in a trap made by pres- who see the government refuse to help them while at things changed starting from tigious banks they had full trust in. the same time spend millions the period between 2003 and 2004 when a citizen would have to sign a large of dinars in allowances, pay increases and projects. number of different documents containing extreme The government needs to understand that this number of complicated details that many people problem is not only financial, but also has social wouldn’t find time to read before obtaining their repercussions that include increase in divorce rate loans. This led many citizens to fall in a trap made by and number of citizens wanted to authorities for indebtedness. —Al-Qabas prestigious banks they had full trust in.

M

local daily published a report on Thursday quoting opinions of senior economists and CEOs around the world which varied between supporters and opponents of the capitalist and free market system.

At one hand, some people say that capitalism cannot be blamed for human greed, and can be credited for helping humanity get out of thousand years of recess through encouraging creativity and competition. On the other hand, some people argue that capitalism is based on the state favoring companies and investors, adding that seventeen rich capitalist countries are seeing drop in equality rates among their citizens.

It’s worth mentioning that following the global economic crisis in 2008, debate has been ongoing on which is better between the capitalist and socialist systems amid attempts to find solutions for crises created by the capitalist system.

Many American academics published articles and books about Karl Marx and his predictions to these crises, mentioning solutions he provided based on adopting socialism as they call for realizing social justice. Social justice can be noticed as a common demand for public movements in several countries around the world, including the United States.

These movements criticize the free market and privatization policies, seen as the reason which drove Greece and other countries to crippling debt crises which in turn increased poverty and unemployment rates.

Many articles in recent years focused on Marxism and Karl Marx’s publications, especially his book ‘Das Kapital’ (Capital) which predicts that socialism will eventually replace capitalism as the world’s most adopted economic system. In turn, many media networks around the world mainly those owned by the Zionist lobby - were active in criticizing the Marxism theory and blame it for the collapse of the Soviet Union. According to statistics released by the Pew Research Center on Dec 28, 2011, 49% of Americans aged between 18 and 29 expressed a positive impression for the word ‘socialism’, compared to 43% who express a negative position from the same word. The same survey showed that 46% of Americans of the same age group have a positive impression towards the word ‘capitalism’, while those who share a negative position from the word reached 47%. Such statistics are very interesting given the fact that America has always been one of the fiercest enemies of socialism, and could be an indication that socialism is becoming more accepted among Americans suffering from results of the capitalist system. —Al-Rai

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

UK suspect in missile plot extradited to US

Don’t ignore Russia growing military, Putin warns US

Page 11

Page 10

US bolsters defenses along Hormuz Pentagon to modify ship weapons systems

TEHRAN: Iranian children play on top of a tank, displayed next to the graves of soldiers, who were killed during 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war, at the Behesht-e- Zahra cemetery. — AP

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has notified US lawmakers of plans to bolster US defenses in and around the Strait of Hormuz to be prepared for a military response against Iran, a report said. New mine-detection and clearing equipment as well as improved surveillance capabilities are part of the planned build-up, said the Wall Street Journal, citing defense officials briefed on the requests. The Pentagon also wants to modify ship weapons systems to best deal with Iranian attack boats in the Strait, said the report. The moves highlight efforts to boost US militar y capabilities amid heightened tension with Iran and rising speculation of a strike from Israel over Iran’s nuclear program. The United States, France, Britain and Germany accuse Iran of seeking to build a nuclear bomb, but Tehran says its nuclear drive is peaceful.

In January the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln passed through the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran threatened to close the strategic shipping route.

Iran’s military and political leaders had earlier warned they could close the straita key transit route for global oil suppliesif increased Western sanc tions over Tehran’s suspect nuclear program halt

Iranian oil exports. Further ratcheting up pressure on the program, the UN atomic agency on Friday said in a new report that Tehran had substantially boosted uranium enrichment. I nternational Atomic Energy Agency said it “continues to have serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions” to Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran has yet to clarify a discrepancy in uranium quantities at a Tehran research site, a UN nuclear watchdog report said, after measurements by international inspectors last year failed to match the amount declared by the laboratory. The United States has expressed concern the material may have been diverted to suspected weapons-related research activity.

UN inspectors have sought information from Iran to help explain the issue after their inventory last August of natural uranium metal and process waste at the research facility in Tehran measured 19.8 kg less than the laboratory’s count.

Experts say such a small quantity of natural uranium could not be used for a bomb, but that the metal could be relevant to weapons-linked tests. “The discrepancy remains to be clarified,” said the latest quarterly report on Iran by the UN

International Atomic Energy Agenc y (IAEA), issued to member states on Friday evening. The 11-page IAEA document also showed that I ran had sharply increased its uranium enrichment drive.

The report’s findings, which added to fears of escalating tension between Iran and the West, sent oil prices higher.

Iran says it is enriching uranium only as fuel for nuclear power plants, not atomic weapons, but its refusal to curb the activity has drawn increasingly tough sanctions aimed at its oil exports. In discussions with Iran this month about the discrepanc y at the Jabr I bn Hayan Multipurpose Research Laboratory (JHL), the IAEA said it had requested access to records and staff involved in uranium metal conversion experiments from 1995 to 2002. “Iran indicated that it no longer possessed the relevant documentation and that the personnel involved were no longer available,” the UN agency’s report said. The IAEA said Iran had suggested the discrepancy may have been caused by a higher amount of uranium in the waste than had been measured by the UN inspectors. “In light of this, Iran has offered to process all of the waste material and to extract the uranium contained

therein,” it said. The IAEA said it had also begun taking additional analysis samples of the material involved. Iran’s envoy to the Vienna-based UN agency, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, last year dismissed the reported discrepancy as “absolutely not an issue.” But a senior US official said in November it required “immediate” resolution, citing information indicating that “kilogram quantities” of natural uranium metal had been available to Iran’s military program.

Enriched uranium can be used to power plants, which is Iran’s stated aim, or provide material for weapons if refined much further, as Western states suspect is Iran’s ultimate aim. Last November, the IAEA presented a stash of intelligence indicating that I ran has under taken research and experiments geared to developing a nuclear weapons capability, prompting Western states to ratchet up sanctions on Tehran. Friday’s IAEA report also gave details of its mission to Tehran this week where Iran failed to respond to allegations of research relevant to developing nuclear arms - a blow to the possible resumption of diplomatic talks that could help calm worries about a new war in the Middle East.— Agencies

Frail Mandela hospitalized JOHANNESBURG: Former South African leader Nelson Mandela, increasingly frail at 93, was admitted to hospital yesterday with a long-standing abdominal complaint but is said to be “in good spirits”. “President Jacob Zuma wishes to advise that former president Nelson Mandela was admitted to hospital today, February 25 2012,” a statement from the presidency said. “Madiba has had a long-standing abdominal complaint and doctors feel it needs proper specialist medical attention.” The health of the beloved anti-apartheid icon, who is affectionately known as Madiba, sparked national fears after he was hospitalized early last year for an acute respiratory infection.

Presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj told the private eNews channel that Mandela was admitted yesterday morning and was doing well. “I can assure you that the former president is in good spirits and well,” he said. The name of the hospital to which Mandela has been admitted has not been made public. “I do not want to go into any of those details because we wish to ensure privacy for president Mandela’s family and himself,” said Maharaj. Mandela returned to his Johannesburg home last month from his rural home village in the Eastern Cape, some 800 kilometers from Johannesburg, where he moved after his last hospital scare.

However he is rarely seen in public with his last appearance at the final of the football World Cup hosted by South Africa in July 2010.

He was shown on television in October when census counters visited him in his village home. “We wish him a speedy recovery and assure him of the love and good wishes of all South Africans and people throughout the world,” the statement from the presidency said.

“We request that all respect the privacy of Madiba and that of his family during this period.” Rumors over Mandela’s health flare up periodically on social networking sites. The whispers inspire outpourings of grief for the national hero who is regarded locally and abroad as an icon who walked out of an apartheid prison to lead the nation into freedom. In December, a local television station aired archive footage of his January 2011 hospitalization which spurred a series of tweets mistakenly announcing new ill health concerns. The presidency had to issue an assurance of his health to quell the rumors. Mandela was released from 27 years in prison on February 11, 1990, and oversaw South Africa’s path to its first democratic vote in 1994 when he was elected its first black president after decades of white-minority rule. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and served one term before stepping down in 1999.— AFP

News

in brief

15 die as bus crashes BEIJING: At least 15 people were killed yesterday when tourist bus plunged off a highway into a ravine in northern China, a state news agency reported. The official Xinhua News Agency says the accident happened Saturday morning when the bus, carrying 33 people, crashed on a highway in Shanxi province. Xinhua says the bus was not full, but it did not immediately give any further information. State television showed video of the crumbled bus at the bottom of the rocky ravine.

Road safety is a serious problem in China, with many accidents caused by poorly maintained roads and bad driving habits.

Boko Haram kills 14 KANO: Suspected Boko Haram Islamists razed a police station and killed 14 people, whose bodies were found burned, in an overnight raid in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Gombe, witnesses said yesterday. The city was put under lockdown, with no residents allowed in public, after the gun and bomb assaults where attackers also tried to break into a prison in a failed attempt to free the inmates, witnesses and local radio said. Boko Haram, responsible for a wave of recent raids in northern and central Nigeria, have repeatedly claimed its members are being illegally held in state prisons and have demanded their release. Many of Boko Haram’s recent attacks have targeted the police.

‘Bin Laden’ in plane PORTLAND: A 19-year-old from Saudi Arabia who authorities say forced a plane to make an emergency landing when he lit an electronic cigarette, mentioned Osama bin Laden and tried to hit fellow passengers pleaded not guilty Friday to interfering with a plane crew. A lawyer for Yazeed Mohammed A Abunayyan told a judge his client suffers from unspecified mental health issues that require care at the Multnomah County Detention Center. US Magistrate Court Judge Janice Stewart ordered Abunayyan held in jail as a flight risk and set a trial date of April 24, saying she believes Abunayyan’s mental health issues will be dealt with “in due course.” According to court records, an attendant aboard a Continental Airlines flight to Houston on Tuesday asked Abunayyan to stop smoking an electronic cigarette, but he refused.

Carjacker killed in LA LOS ANGELES: An hour-long chase of an armed carjacker in Los Angeles ended with police gunfire that peppered the stolen car with bullets and killed the suspect just a few feet from a motorist pumping gas at a Koreatown gas station, investigators said Friday. The dramatic conclusion of Thursday evening’s pursuit was broadcast live from a news helicopter, with the video showing officers firing on the Saturn, blowing out the car windows and killing the man in the Shell gas station.

A man pumping gas ducked for cover during the fusillade.

South African former President Nelson Mandela

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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

Israel nixes solar energy for Palestinians WEST BANK: Electricity from solar panels and wind turbines has revolutionized life in rural Palestinian herding communities: Machines, instead of hands, churn goat milk into butter, refrigerators store food that used to spoil and children no longer have to hurry to get their homework done before dark. But the German-funded project, initiated by Israeli volunteers, is now in danger. Israeli authorities are threatening to demolish the installations in six of the 16 remote West Bank communities being illuminated by alternative energy, arguing the panels and turbines were installed without permits.

The German government has expressed concern and asked for clarifications - a rare show of displeasure from Israel’s staunchest defender in Europe. The dispute is more than just a diplomatic row. It goes to the core of mounting international criticism of Israel’s policies in the 62 percent of the West Bank that remain under full Israeli control two decades after Palestinians were granted self-rule in a patchwork of territorial islands in the rest of the land. The division of jurisdictions was meant to be temporary, but has been frozen in place as repeated peace talks deadlocked. The Palestinians claim all the West Bank, along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, for a state.

International monitors have warned

that Israel is suppressing Palestinian development in the West Bank sector under its full control, known as “Area C,” while giving preferential treatment to Israeli settlements. Most of the international communi-

WEST BANK: A Palestinian woman and children walk in front of solar panels in the Al-Thala community, north of the West Bank city of Hebron. — AP ty considers Israel’s settlements in the West Bank illegal. Israel’s more than 300,000 settlers are already double the number of Palestinians in Area C, which would form the heart of any Palestinian state. If Israel’s policies are not stopped, “the establishment of a viable Palestinian state ... seems

Yemen’s new president: warrior of consensus SANAA: Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, who was sworn in yesterday as Yemen’s president, is a career soldier with no popular or tribal base but who has emerged as a consensus figure in the strife-torn country. Hadi pledged to “preserve the country’s unity, independence and territorial integrity” as he took the oath of office in parliament, ahead of a formal handover of power by veteran strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh. Official results released from a Tuesday presidential election in which Hadi’s name was the only one on the ballot paper gave him 99.8 percent of valid votes cast. A major general from the restive south, where separatists boycotted the election for failing to meet their aspirations, Hadi had been Saleh’s deputy since 1994 and secretary general of the ruling General People’s Congress party.

But he never played a top role in politics before taking Saleh’s powers in June last year, when the 69-year-old former president was wounded in an attack on his presidential compound and spent more than three months receiving treatment in Saudi Arabia.

During Saleh’s absence, the once fiercely private vice president of few words gained the respect of Yemen’s political parties, including the opposition. Hadi also played a crucial role in convincing Saleh to sign a UN-backed power-transition plan in November, which marked the beginning of the end of the embattled president’s 33year-rule.

“The way he handled the negotiations for the settlement plan, and above all the way in which he convinced Saleh to go along with it, proves that he is very savvy,” a Western diplomat said, on condition of anonymity. The Gulf-brokered deal gave Saleh and his closest aides immunity from prosecution and made him

honorary president. It also stipulated that Hadi become the next president of Yemen for an interim two-year period following Tuesday’s vote. Unlike Saleh, however, Yemen’s new president has “no tribal, familial, regional, or partisan base and has no real experience in power,” said the diplomat. “He stands above all these conflicts and this is what gives him his strength,” he added.

Born on May 1, 1945, in the village of Dhakin in the southern Abyan province when it was a British protectorate, Hadi graduated from a military academy in formerly independent South Yemen in 1964, before receiving military training in Britain and Egypt.

His hometown is now a hotbed of AlQaeda activity. Hadi was a low-profile figure in the freedom struggle of South Yemen, which won independence in November 1967. But he rose to prominence in his military career in what was the only Marxist nation in the Arab world, a state with close ties to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. He remained loyal to South Yemen’s president Ali Nasser Mohammed, who was forced in January 1986 to seek protection in neighboring North Yemen, a country Saleh had ruled since 1978.

A unified Yemen was proclaimed on May 22, 1990, four years after Hadi had joined the northern camp. The southerners tried to break away in May 1994, sparking a bloody civil war during which Hadi closed ranks with the northerners to crush the revolt. During the civil war, Hadi was appointed defense minister. With the defeat of southern forces five months after the conflict erupted, he was promoted to vice president and held on to the post despite a series of political, sectarian and tribal crises. He has two daughters and three sons, and has written several books, including one on the military defense of mountain areas.— AFP

Main points in Tunis declaration on Syria TUNIS: Here are the main points from the final declaration of the Group of Friends of the Syrian People gathering more than 60 countries in Tunis, which called for an immediate end to violence and new sanctions against Damascus.

CONDEMNATIONS The Friends’ Group expressed “strong condemnation” of the Syrian regime’s “ongoing, widespread and systematic human rights violations” including “the killing and persecution of peaceful protesters; and sexual violence and ill-treatment of thousands of detainees, including children.”

It found “particularly reprehensible” the use

by Bashar Al-Assad’s regime of heavy artillery and tanks “to attack residential areas of cities and towns.” The group said “the atrocities committed ... amount in some cases to crimes against humanity.” It underlined the need for an “immediate end to all violence” and noted the Arab League’s request to the UN Security Council to form a joint Arab-UN peacekeeping force.

SANCTIONS; STEPPING UP PRESSURE The group “set out its determination to continue to take relevant political, diplomatic and economic measures to press the Syrian regime to stop all acts of violence.”

Participants “committed to take steps to apply and enforce restrictions and sanctions on the regime and its supporters as a clear message to the Syrian regime that it cannot attack civilians with impunity.” The statement called on the international community to implement travel bans on members of the regime, freeze their assets, cease the purchase of Syrian hydrocarbon products, reduce diplomatic ties and pre-

more remote than ever,” European Union diplomats warned in an internal report last year.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said the division of authorities was

vent arms shipments.

HUMANITARIAN AID The group expressed its “strong concern” about the humanitarian situation in Syria, “including the lack of access to basic food, medicine and fuel” as well as “threats and acts of violence to medical staff, patients and facilities”. The Friends’ Group called on the Syrian government to “allow free and unimpeded access by the UN and humanitarian agencies to carry out a full assessment of needs”. The group said it would deliver humanitarian supplies immediately if the regime ended the violence.

SOLVING THE CRISIS The declaration called for a “political solution” to the crisis, backed the proposals of the Arab League and called for an end to all violence. It also demanded the release of all persons arbitrarily detained and a withdrawal of armed forces to their barracks.

agreed to by the Palestinians in the interim deals of the mid-1990s, and that Israel is ready to move forward. “We of course want to continue with the negotiations, to reach further agreements with the Palestinians, but they have not been willing to do so,” he said. The Palestinians have said they won’t

resume talks without a freeze in settlement building, which they argue grabs lands they want for a state.

More than 90 percent of the West Bank’s Palestinians live in the self-rule areas run by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

The economist has won international praise for building institutions of a state like police and courts in the areas he governs. Fayyad has tried to branch out into Area C, but hit a wall of Israeli rejections.

Palestinian government spokesman Ghassan Khatib said the donors are increasingly aware of the problem, but that “unfortunately, there isn’t yet action, such as holding Israel accountable.”

Perhaps the most vulnerable Palestinians in Area C are the goat and sheep herding families scraping a living from barren hills of the West Bank. Israel does not recognize their tiny communities, saying the herders are in the area illegally. Residents say their roots go back generations. The hamlet of Al-Thala, a community of 80 in the southern West Bank, had no electricity until last August when the German aid group medico and Comet-ME, a group of pro-peace Israeli scientists, set up solar panels there as part of a campaign to provide 30 communities in the area with solar and wind power.

In Al-Thala, 41-year-old Hakima Elayan used to spend four hours a day churning

Syria votes on constitution amid a bloody crackdown Opposition calls for a boycott

DAMASCUS: Syrians are to vote today on a new constitution that could end five decades of singleparty rule, although the opposition has called a boycott amid a bloody crackdown on dissent. The newly proposed constitution was drafted as part of reforms promised by President Bashar Al-Assad’s government in a bid to calm an 11-month uprising against his regime that began with democracy protests. It is unclear how the ballot can go ahead in parts of the country hit by violence as government forces move in on protest hubs and rebel strongholds such as the besieged central city of Homs.

But posters and billboards calling on people to vote are displayed across Damascus, with state television airing non-stop programs from around the country about the new constitution. “This is the first time that messages are limited to inviting citizens to go to polls without urging them to vote (yes or no) for the constitution,” Information Minister Adnan Mahmud said. The opposition has urged voters to stay away and to go on strike, while demanding Assad’s ouster and an end to the crackdown that monitors say has killed more than 7,600 people since March 2011.

“We call for a boycott of the referendum because, by doing this, the regime is trying to hide its crimes,” said the Local Coordination Committees, an opposition activist network that organizes protests.

“We also call for a general strike today throughout the country,” it said in a statement this week. On a main square in Damascus, Sana Nasser, a woman dressed in military battle fatigues, distributed copies of the new constitution to motorists passing through the busy roundabout. “The president met with everyone to ask about people suffering, and to get their grievances. It is because of that he has given instructions to draft a new constitution,” said the woman in her forties.

KAFAR TAHARIM: Supporters of the Free Syrian Army ride a motorcycle with a rocket-propelled grenade in Kafar Taharim, Syria. — AP But an unemployed 31-year-old woman who only identified herself as Salma said she would not vote.

“Since I was born, there have not been democratic elections in this country, and now this will change nothing. We do not have the right to express our opinions, and there are still political prisoners,” said Salma. “There should have been an election of a pluralist constitutional assembly to draft the constitution so at least I could have the impression that I have given my opinion,” added the sociology graduate.

In today’s referendum, more than 14 million people over the age of 18 are eligible to cast ballots at 13,835 polling stations. Sunni Muslims account for 75 percent of Syria’s population of 22 million, with the rest made up of minorities, including 12 percent for the Alawite community that Assad hails from. They are being asked to vote on the constitution framed by a

committee of 29 members appointed by the Syrian president. One of the main changes in the newly proposed charter is to Article 8. It now says Syria’s political system will be based on “pluralism,” dropping its previous declaration that Assad’s Baath Party is “the head of state and society.”

This effectively ends the monopoly on power the Baathists have enjoyed since taking over in 1963 following a coup d’etat. Al-Baath, the newspaper of the ruling party, said in an editorial this week that the change to Article 8 “does not represent a loss for the party and just keeps up with political and social evolution.” While the new text drops all references to Syria being a socialist state, Article 60 maintains that “half the deputies must be workers and peasants.” But under the new charter, the president would maintain his grip on broad powers as he still names the

prime minister and government, and in some cases can reject laws.

Article 88 states the president can be elected for two seven-year terms, but Article 155 says these conditions only take effect after the next election for a head of state set for 2014. This means that, in theory, Assad could stay at the helm for another 16 years. Another provision that has alerted secular groups and religious minorities is Article 3, which stipulates the president should be Muslim, and that “Islamic jurisprudence is a main source of legislation.” But Syria specialist Thomas Pierret said that regardless of the changes, the type of political system was of little relevance in a country “dominated by the intelligence service.” “Nothing indicates that this would change under the current regime,” said Pierret, lecturer on Islam and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Edinburgh.—AFP

Iraqis mark deadly demo anniversary BAGHDAD: Dozens of Iraqis in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square rallied yesterday to demand reforms, on the first anniversary of demonstrations in which 16 people were killed in clashes with security forces. The number of protesters was a far cry from the turn-out a year ago, when thousands took to the streets of Baghdad and at least 16 other cities to decry official corruption,

poor basic ser vices and high unemployment. This year, just two demonstrations were held in major cities-the other being in the Shiite holy city of Najaf.

In the capital, around 50 demonstrators held signs with slogans such as “oil is for the people, not for thieves,” and “Maliki’s government is a failure,” referring to Prime Minister Nuri Al-Malik i. Some also held up

SUPPORT FOR THE OPPOSITION The group recognized the Syrian National Council, the main opposition coalition, as “a legitimate representative of Syrians seeking peaceful democratic change.” It called on the Arab League to convene a meeting with the SNC and other opposition groups to put in place a mechanism for political transition.

RECONSTRUCTION The participants declared a firm commitment to contribute “substantially” to rebuilding Syria in the process of transition and to support the future economic recovery of the country.—AFP

butter by hand. Now a machine does it for her, leaving her more time for her children and other household chores. “It’s as if we are living the city life,” she said. “I can’t live without it,” she added as three of her young daughters watched a soap opera on TV. Her neighbors have also bought refrigerators, washers, TVs and butter churners. But last month, Israel’s Civil Administration - a branch of the military dealing with Palestinian civilians - issued “stop work” orders, a precursor to demolitions, targeting solar panels and wind turbines in Al-Thala and five other communities. The installations were set up illegally, without anyone having requested a permit, the Civil Administration said, adding that the cases will be reviewed by a committee.

“International aid is an important component in improving and promoting the quality of life of the Palestinian population but this does not grant immunity for illegal or uncoordinated activity,” said Maj Guy Inbar of the Civil Administration. Elad Orian, a physicist at Comet-ME, said the group didn’t ask for permits, feeling it would have been futile because Israel considers the communities illegal. He believes demolition is still months away, and hopes political pressure by Germany, which gave more than 400,000 euros ($520,000), will save the projects.—AP

BAGHDAD: Iraqis march during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of protests across Iraq. — AFP

small empty barrels to represent demands to distribute revenue from Iraq’s rich oil resources.

Security forces were heavily deployed in Tahrir, surrounding the area where the protesters were and searching people as they entered. “It has been a year since the first protest, and during this period, none of our demands have been met,” said Siham al-Zubaidi, a 42-year-old NGO worker.

“Our demands are simple safety, electricity and more jobs.”

“This protest is organized by simple Iraqis and by a group of hungry people. We will keep protesting every Friday until we go to the Green Zone and take them (the officials) out of it,” she said, referring to the heavily fortified area across the river from Tahrir where Iraq’s government is based. Iraq “is a rich country with poor people,” she said. Naama Wahid, a 47-year- old unemployed man, sid “the security forces are not here to protect us, but to protect the Green Zone and whose who live in it.” “We call on Iraqis to wake up and to demand their rights.” According

to an AFP photographer, the demonstrators had marched from the Mutannabi Street area of central Baghdad to Tahrir.

About 40 activists also turned out in Najaf, calling for more basic services and better ration provisions in a protest that lasted about two hours.

There were no demonstrations in the provincial capitals of Salaheddin, Babil, Anbar, Basra, Kirkuk, Diyala, Sulaimaniyah or Wasit provinces, all of which were rocked by them last year.

On February 25, 2011, 16 people died and more than 130 were wounded in clashes with police across Iraq. Two days later, Maliki gave his cabinet 100 days to improve the delivery of services to Iraq’s people or face “changes,” but no one was ever fired. In January, Human Rights Watch said Iraq is falling back into authoritarianism and headed towards becoming a police state.

“Iraq cracked down harshly during 2011 on freedom of expression and assembly by intimidating, beating and detaining activists, demonstrators and journalists,” HRW said.— AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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NY mayor defends intelligence-gathering on Muslims NEW YORK: New York’s mayor served notice Friday that his police department will do everything in its power to root out terrorists in the US, even if it means sending officers outside the city limits or placing law-abiding Muslims under scrutiny. “We just cannot let our guard down again,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned. The mayor laid out his doctrine for keeping the city safe during his weekly radio show following a week of criticism of a secret police department effort to monitor mosques in several cities and keep files on Muslim student groups at colleges in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and upstate New York.

Several college administrators and politicians have complained that the intelligence-gathering - exposed in a series of stories by The Associated Press - pried too deeply into the lives of innocent people. With about 1,000 officers dedicated to intelligence and counterterrorism, the New York Police Depar tment has one of the most aggressive domestic intelligence operations in the US. Its methods

have stirred debate in legal circles over whether it has crossed the line

NEW YORK: Students watch statements by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg during a round table discussion at the Islamic Center at New York University on Friday, Feb 24, 2012. — AP and violated the civil liber ties of Muslims.

In perhaps his most vigorous defense yet of some of the NYPD’s

Senegal gripped by uncertainty DAKAR: Senegal was gripped by uncertainty yesterday on the eve of its most troubled election since independence in which 85-year-old President Abdoulaye Wade is seeking a controversial third term in office. No clear frontrunners have emerged out of 14 candidates after an election campaign marred by violent protests which left six dead and shook the west African nation long seen as a beacon of stability and democracy.

The national elections commission has said it is ready for the election, however concerns remain over more than 450,000 voters cards which have not been collected by some of the nation’s 5.3 million registered voters.

After weeks of opposition protests against Wade’s candidacy, the rapperled youth movement “Fed Up” urged voters not to boycott the poll, but to go fetch their voters cards and vote massively against the incumbent. “The struggle must continue and will continue at the ballot box. We have been sharpening our weapons, your voters cards. The time has come to use them,” the movement said in a statement late Friday. The electoral commission vice president Pape Sambare Diop said all voters cards not collected by yesterday “will be sealed and could not be used in the election,” national news agency APS reported. Among the main contenders taking on Wade in the open electoral race are former prime ministers Idrissa Seck, Macky Sall and Moustapha Niasse, and socialist leader Ousmane Tanor Dieng. The opposition, who feel Wade tricked his way into running in the election, have already raised fears he will try to steal the vote.

Wade has already served two terms in office, a limit he introduced into the constitution. However, he argues changes to the constitution in 2008 extending term lengths to seven years allow him to serve two more mandates. A decision by the country’s highest legal body on January 27 validating his candidacy sparked riots which

spread around the country with days of consecutive clashes in downtown Dakar. Observers say Wade needs to secure a first-round victory while the field is still wide open as he would fare badly in a two-horse race. Paul Melly, an analyst with London-based Chatham House said if Wade wins in the first round more of the same violence could be seen. “There is a real possibility that a declaration of a first round Wade win could produce a further upsurge in protest and anger on the streets; but whether opponents could sustain a civil disobedience campaign is less certain.”

The opposition has been divided over strategy and busy lobbying for votes individually, preventing a massive resistance campaign from getting off the ground. Emerging market analyst Samir Gadio of London-based Standard Bank said an outright Wade win was unlikely given his drop in popularity as he was elected with 55.9 percent in 2007 at his peak. The former French colony is one of the continent’s pioneer democracies which boasts an unbroken series of elections since independence in 1960 and is the only nation in mainland west Africa never to suffer a coup d’etat.

However the political crisis is putting its democratic credentials to the test and both the United States and France have urged Wade to retire.

Wade was first elected in 2000 to great euphoria as he unseated the Socialist Party from 40 years in office. His supporters praise him for an infrastructure boom, but his detractors say he has focused on prestige projects while the average Senegalese battles rising food prices and crippling power cuts.

Infuriating the opposition are signs he is lining up his son Karim Wade to succeed him. Despite its years of stability, much of Senegal remains poor. The country’s economy is concentrated on fishing, tourism and groundnut production, with limited mineral resources and a narrow export base.— AFP

White supremacist found guilty in Arizona bombing PHOENIX: A white supremacist was convicted in a 2004 bombing that injured a black city official in suburban Phoenix, but his identical twin brother was acquitted.

The federal jury Friday stopped short of finding Dennis Mahon guilty of a hate crime. The 61-year-old twins from Illinois were on trial for six weeks as dramatic testimony came from the bombing victim and a female government informant dubbed a “trailer park Mata Hari” by defense attorneys. The jury found Dennis Mahon guilty of three charges in the bombing but found Daniel Mahon, also a white supremacist, not guilty of the one charge he faced: conspiracy to damage buildings and property by means of explosives.

The verdict came nearly eight years to the day since the Feb 26, 2004, bombing that injured Don Logan, who is black and was Scottsdale’s diversity director at the time. Logan was hospitalized for three days and needed four surgeries on his hand and arm. The bombing also injured a secretary.

Logan said that the verdict was bittersweet for him. “It’s not illegal to be a racist but it is illegal to act upon that racism, especially when you injure people,” he said. “This, to me, is a hallmark case that reached that racial discord, that hate.”

During the trial, prosecutors argued that the Mahon brothers bombed Logan on behalf of a group called the White Aryan Resistance, which they say encourages members to act as “lone wolves” and commit violence against non-whites and the government. They played surveillance

anti-terrorism efforts, Bloomberg said it is “legal,” “appropriate” and “constitu-

tapes of the brothers referring to Logan in racial slurs and a voicemail that Dennis Mahon left at the diversity office just months before the bombing in which he angrily said: “The white Aryan resistance is growing in Scottsdale. There’s a few white people who are standing up.”

Defense attorneys said that someone working for the city of Scottsdale was a likelier candidate because Logan’s job made him unpopular. They also heavily criticized the use of 41-year-old Rebecca Williams as an informant, giving her the “trailer park Mata Hari” nickname - a reference to the Dutch exotic dancer who was convicted of working as a spy for Germany during World War I. Investigators recruited the former stripper to act like a government separatist and racist. She wore revealing clothes and sent racy photos to the brothers to win their trust.

Williams met the brothers in January 2005 after investigators set her up in a government-provided trailer at a campground in Catoosa, Okla., where the brothers were staying at the time. Over the years, the three mostly spoke over the phone, but they got together in person on several occasions. While apart, she sent the brothers several revealing photos of herself, including one of her from behind wearing chaps, a Confederate bikini bottom and a black leather jacket. Another photo showed her in a white bikini top with a grenade hanging between her breasts as she posed in front of a pickup truck and a swastika.—AP

tional” for police to keep a close eye on Muslim communities that terrorists might use as a base to strike the city.

And he said investigators must pursue

“leads and threats wherever they come from,” even across state lines. “It would just be naive to think we should stop following threats when they get to the border,” Bloomberg said. Critics have said it isn’t appropriate for the police to spy on citizens without reason to believe they committed a crime.

The American Civil Liberties Union issued a statement Friday accusing the NYPD of turning the city into a “surveillance state.” Faiza Patel, codirector of a civil rights program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University ’s law school, said guidelines in federal court rulings do not allow the department to hold on to files detailing the conversations of mosque worshippers “unless the information relates to potential terrorist or criminal activity.”

Bloomberg said the NYPD would continue to do “everything that the law permits us to do” to detect terrorists operating in the US before they have a chance to act. He warned of dire consequences if the city fails to detect plots, citing the Sept 11, 2001,

terror attacks on New York and Washington, DC, and the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, which was carried out by followers of Omar Abdel-Rahman, a radical sheik who recruited jihadists from Brooklyn mosques. “We are not going to repeat the mistakes that we made after the 1993 bombing,” the mayor said. “We cannot slack in our vigilance. The threat was real. The threat is real. The threat is not going away.”

Newark Mayor Corey Booker was among several New Jersey officials who said they were surprised and concerned to learn that the NYPD had broadly monitored Muslims and mosques in that state. Bloomberg acknowledged that Booker himself hadn’t been briefed by the NYPD, but said the Newark police department had been informed. In any case, he said, it is “100 percent legal” for city police officers to operate in other states. “You have to also remember an awful lot of the 9/11 hijackers stayed in New Jersey for extended periods of time, training, planning their attacks,” Bloomberg said.— AP

Spanish duke mired in corruption case King’s son-in-law in court on fraud charges MADRID: The king of Spain’s sonin-law appeared in court yesterday on charges of fraud and embezzlement in a case which threatens to tarnish a royal family credited with steering the country from dictatorship to democracy. The court in Palma de Mallorca ordered Inaki Urdangarin to testify in an investigation into alleged misuse of millions of euros in public funds at the non-profit Noos Institute, which he ran from 2004 to 2006.

“I appear today to demonstrate my innocence, my honor, my professional activity. For all these years I have discharged my duties and taken decisions properly and transparently,” Urdangarin told reporters before entering the court. Streets were cordoned off and security tightened to allow former handball player Urdangarin to enter the court in the Mediterranean holiday island’s capital. Hundreds of noisy protesters gathered chanting slogans against the monarchy and waving flags used when Spain last had a republican government, from 1931-39.

Urdangarin was given the title Duke of Palma after he married King Juan Carlos’s daughter Princess Cristina.

The case against Urdangarin is one of several big fraud scandals in Spanish courts, most dating from a property and urban development boom when local governments went on spending sprees before the global financial

bubble burst. Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria declined to comment on the case on Friday, saying the government respected the courts’ independence. Spain’s royals sidelined Urdangarin from official events shortly before he was charged at the end of 2011 and then disclosed details of their income for the first time.

Urdangarin moved with his wife and four children in 2009 to Washington, DC, where he represents Spanish telecoms group Telefonica.

In an apparent reference to the case, the king said in his traditional Christmas speech that “all are equal before the law ”. “ When untoward conduct arises which is not in keeping with the law and ethics, society naturally reacts.

Fortunately we live by the rule of law and any unworthy act must be judged and penalized,” he said.

Spain’s royals do not normally receive the same intense media interest as their British counterpar ts, but coverage has increased since Urdangarin was charged. “We are trying to lead a normal life and you won’t let us, that ’s the problem,” Princess Cristina told repor ters in a Washington supermarket when they asked about her husband.

The king was named successor

by Francisco Franco, but shortly after the dictator’s death in 1975 he turned power over to Spain’s first freely elected parliament in decades.—Reuters

PALMA DE MALLORCA: The son-in-law of Spain’s King Juan Carlos, Inaki Urdangarin arrives at a court in Palma de Mallorca yesterday. — AFP

I Am not West’s ‘yesman’, Putin warns Don’t ignore Russia’s growing military SAROV: Vladimir Putin said yesterday he sees no new chill in ties with Washington, but warned that Russia would not let the United States gain nuclear supremacy and had no intention of playing “yesman” to the West on global issues. Nine days before a vote almost certain to hand him a six-year presidential term, Putin was chiseling his image as a tough leader of a resurgent Russia prepared to stand up to the United States when necessary.

After a campaign in which he has rounded on Washington, accusing it of encouraging the biggest opposition protests of his 12-year rule, Putin suggested his rhetoric did not mean there was any kind of new Cold War. “I don’t think

there is some kind of chill,” he said in a meeting with security analysts near a research centre for Soviet and Russian nuclear weapons programs.

But Russia’s veto of a UN resolution condemning President Bashar Al-Assad’s crackdown of dissent in Syria showed it could take a firm stance against the West when it wanted, he said.

“I think our position on the Syrian issue in the UN Security Council shows that we do not intend to play along with anyone,” Putin said when an analyst suggested it was time “for Russia to stop playing along with the Americans on everything.”

As Western and Arab states met in Tunisia to discuss Syria, Putin said he opposed Western

NIZHNY TAGIL: Workers leave the Uralvagonzavod tank factory in Russia’s industrial Urals town of Nizhny Tagil, with a famous Soviet made tank T-34 on the right. Vladimir Putin is expected to draw strong support from blue-collar workers in towns like Nizhny Tagil during the presidential elections on March 4. —AP

moves to depose governments they did not like in places like Damascus and Tehran. “So, they changed regimes in North Africa, and what will they do now? ... It’s unclear what kind of regime Egypt will have and what they are wreaking in Syria is unclear,” he said. “They are trying to take the situation under control but how it will end nobody knows, including them.”

Putin also vowed he would stand his ground in a dispute over US plans for a European antimissile shield, which the Kremlin says could upset the balance of power between the two nations with 95 percent of the world’s nuclear arms by increasing capability to shoot down Russian missiles.

“They do not want to discuss this with us seriously,” Putin said of the United States. “In our view, an attempt is being made to destroy this balance and create a monopoly - for themselves - on invulnerability.” Russia and the United States signed a landmark treaty in 2010 to put new limits on long-range, offensive nuclear weapons such as Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs), but the dispute over missile defense has clouded relations since then and made further reductions in nuclear weapons unlikely.

Russia wants the United States to offer legally binding assurances that its missile shield could not be used to weaken Russia’s offensive arsenal, a demand that is a non-starter in Washington.

Putin has pledged 23 trillion roubles ($790 billion) over a decade to modernize Russia’s weaponry and said Russia’s growing might should give it a stronger voice in negotiations on issues such as missile defense - one Washington should not ignore. “We do have something that it seems to me should nudge our colleagues and partners toward more constructive work than we have seen so far,” Putin said.— Reuters

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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Conservatives fret GOP candidates veer too far right WASHINGTON: Amid the heated primary fight, conservative analysts are warning Republican presidential contenders against pegging campaigns to social and religious issues that could cost the party at the November polls. At a time when many voters thought the 2012 campaign would be a referendum on President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy, Republicans have seized on issues like abortion, birth control and gay marriage to mount strident attacks against his administration.

Even some conservatives worry the focus on these “values issues” could alienate moderate and independent voters, whose backing is central to wresting the White House from Obama in the November 6 election. “It’s hard for me to see, at least at this point, social issues trumping the economy,” said Karlyn Bowman, from the conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI). “At least in this election, the economy I would say is the number one, two, three, four and five issue in American politics,” Bowman said. Henry Olsen, another conservative political analyst at AEI, agreed that Democrats were set to benefit if social issues become the defining Republican themes of their election plan.

“Taken as a whole, the Democrats would rather fight this campaign on social issues rather than economic issues,” he said. “To the extent that all of the social issues combined become a defining issue, that is bad for the Republicans.” The focus on morals and values reached a crescendo ahead of key Republican nominating contests next Tuesday in Michigan and Arizona, where religion and values-tinged themes have played well with conservative voters. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, who in November suggested that poor inner-city kids should be employed as school janitors to learn

the value of hard work, this month declared at a conservative forum that Obama wanted to “wage war on the Catholic church.”

Meanwhile Mitt Romney, a Mormon former Massachusetts governor who has generally tempered in his remarks on religion, accused the president at a debate last week in Arizona of undermining “religious conscience, religious freedom, religious tolerance.” Romney’s closest rival, former US senator Rick Santorum, has been most aggressive in his rhetoric on social and religious themes. Last week he accused Obama of promoting a “phony theology” with his environmental policies. A late Thursday poll by Rasmussen Reports showed Romney with 40 percent support among Republicans in Michigan, his home state, which the millionaire entrepreneur considers a must-win.

Santorum was within striking distance with 34 percent support.

A series of polls showed Romney well ahead of Santorum in Arizona. Santorum-a fierce opponent of birth control and abortion who in January was endorsed by a coalition of powerful evangelical Christian leaders-has however vaulted to the top of many surveys following victories this month in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado. A devout Catholic who educated his seven children at home, Santorum also raised eyebrows last week when he referred to public schools as “factories” and called government support for American schools “an anachronism.”

Perhaps most controversial were comments Santorum made in 2008 that emerged this week, in which he tells an audience at a Catholic university that “Satan has his sights on the United States of America.” Republican primary campaigns have

traditionally seen presidential hopefuls shift to the right as they compete for support from the conservative party faithful who vote in such contests.

But it’s a delicate balancing act, since the winner must then be able to move to the political center and reach a broader population in the general election.

“You appeal to the narrow base, and they’ll applaud the daylights out of what you’re saying,” said Pat Robertson, a staunch Christian evangelical who ran for president himself in the 1980s. “Then

you hit the general election and they say, ‘No way!” and the Democrat will play these statements to the hilt,” Robertson said on his “700 Club” television program. Other Republican operatives have been warning for weeks that the focus on contentious social themes is likely to backfire. “You don’t want these candidates moving so right in the Republican primary that it becomes impossible for them to win the general election,” said Karl Rove, who masterminded the successful campaigns of former Republican president George W Bush. — AFP

ARIZONA: Republican presidential candidates Ron Paul (left), Rick Santorum (2nd left), Mitt Romney (2nd right) and Newt Gingrich listen to the national anthem in Mesa, Arizona. The Arizona and Michigan primaries are scheduled to be held February 28. — AFP

UK suspect in missile plot extradited to US Businessman ‘plots’ to sell missile components to Iran

MICHIGAN: Republican presidential candidate and former US Sen Rick Santorum (left) greets catholic nuns after he unveiled his “First 100 Days Economic Freedom Agenda of the Santorum Administration” at a rally in Lincoln Park, Michigan. — AFP

Santorum benefiting from mistaken religious identity WASHINGTON: Rick Santorum’s political good fortune in the Republican presidential primaries has come about in large part because of his appeal to evangelicals. A Roman Catholic, he is a beneficiary of more than two decades of cooperation between conservative Protestants and Catholics who set aside theological differences for the common cause of the culture war. Doctrine - and anti-Catholic bias - once split Protestants and Catholics so bitterly that many evangelical leaders worked to defeat John F Kennedy because of his religion.

When Kennedy sought to confront suspicion about his Catholicism, he made his now-famous faith speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, a group of evangelical Protestants in Texas. Five decades later, when some prominent evangelical leaders gathered at a Texas ranch to discuss backing a 2012 GOP candidate, Santorum was their choice. Now running about even with Mitt Romney, Santorum has nearly doubled his support from white evangelical Republicans, from 22 percent last month to 41 percent two weeks ago, according to surveys by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life.

An Associated Press-GfK survey conducted more recently, Feb.16-20, found Santorum leading Romney among white evangelicals, 44 percent to 21 percent.

White Catholics also preferred Santorum, 38 percent to 29 percent, in the AP-GfK poll. The high regard extends to Santorum’s personal life. His seven children have been home-schooled, a practice much more common among conservative American Protestants than Catholics, who have a network of parochial schools built over centuries. His concerns - opposing gay marriage and abortion, promoting traditional roles for women - contribute to that appeal. The Christian Post, an evangelical media outlet, published an article this week called “Catholic Politicians You Thought Were Evangelical,” with a short list of the most-often misidentified, led by Santorum.

The former Pennsylvania senator’s pointed rhetoric questioning the authenticity of other Christians can make him sound more like a preacher than a politician, but it draws support among many conservative Christians. He said recently that President Barack Obama, also a Christian, holds a “phony theology,” then insisted he wasn’t attacking the president’s faith but his environmental views. The Obama campaign condemned his remark.

Also drawing attention is a 2008 speech to Ave Maria University in Florida, a private Catholic school established by the Domino’s Pizza founder. In it, Santorum warned that Satan has been waging a spiritual war against the United States and has infiltrated academia, liberal Protestant churches and politics. “Satan has done so

by attacking the great institutions of America, using those great vices of pride, vanity and sensuality as the root to attack all of these strong plants that have so deeply rooted in the American tradition,” Santorum said, in a video posted by Right Wing Watch, a project of the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way. “We look at the shape of mainline Protestantism in this country and it is in shambles. It is gone from the world of Christianity as I see it.” Romney, Santorum’s main rival for the nomination, struggles with conservatives not only because he once supported legalized abortion, which he now condemns, but also from distrust of Mormon teaching among some Christians.

He rarely speaks directly about his faith or any other.

Bill Portier, a Catholic theologian and historian at the University of Dayton in Ohio, said many in the United States have come to identify conservative religion only with evangelicalism. A growing number are describing themselves as “spiritual, not religious” and aren’t affiliating as closely with a particular denomination. Portier said his students at the Catholic university are often shocked to learn about a Catholic teaching on a social or moral issue that differs from a conservative Protestant view.

“It’s their default, what evangelicals say,” he said. “It kind of comes to them from osmosis through our culture.”

One of the best-known efforts to bring the two Christian traditions together came in the 1994 statement “Evangelicals and Catholics Together.” The authors were Chuck Colson, the Watergate felon turned born-again Christian, and the Rev. Richard John Neuhaus, a Lutheran who converted to Catholicism and was also often mistaken for an evangelical. In 2009, Catholics, evangelicals and Orthodox Christians again pledged their unity on moral issues in a document called the “Manhattan Declaration,” in which they promised civil disobedience if any laws are enacted that violate their conscience.

Some political veterans warn Santorum that what fires up the base can be a losing strategy in the general election. Peter Wehner, a Republican who served three presidential administrations, most recently under George W Bush, said in an article about Santorum that social conservatism must be discussed in positive terms, as promoting human dignity, “rather than declaring a series of forbidden acts that are leading us to Gomorrah.” Wehner is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank where Santorum was a fellow after he lost his US Senate seat. “A wise observer told me years ago,” Wehner wrote on Commentary magazine’s website, “that for a politician to be seen as the aggressor in the culture wars is the quickest way to lose them.”— AP

EL PASO: A retired British businessman accused of plotting to sell missile components to Iran arrived in the US late Friday to face charges after failing to overturn an extradition order.

Christopher Tappin faces charges in El Paso, Texas, that he tried in 2006 to buy specialized batteries for Hawk missiles for $25,000 from undercover American agents with the intention of exporting them to Iran. According to the US Attorney’s Office, Tappin arrived at the city’s airport Friday night accompanied by US Marshals, though he was able to slip by reporters. His first court appearance is scheduled for tomorrow.

The 65-year-old Tappin faces up to 35 years in jail if convicted.

He fought extradition for two years until last month when he was denied a petition to take the case to Britain’s Supreme Court. A subsequent appeal to the European Human Rights Court was also rejected. Tappin denies any wrongdoing, saying he was the victim of a sting operation. The order to deport Tappin sparked a debate in the UK, where critics claim the country’s extradition treaty with the US does not provide equal protection for British and American citizens. Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to carefully review the treaty and a recent independent study on its balance. That report, conducted by Lord Justice Scott Baker, largely endorsed the treaty and the overhaul demanded by many of the deal’s critics doesn’t appear to be in the cards.

US Marshalls took Tappin into custody Friday morning at London’s Heathrow Airport. He complained to reporters that he was receiving harsher treatment than Abu Qatada, a radical, Jordanian-born cleric accused of ties to al-Qaida who recently received bail in London. “I have no rights,” Tappin said as his wife looked on in tears.

“Abu Qatada is walking the streets of London

LONDON: Retired British businessman Christopher Tappin (right) speaks to the media next to his wife Elaine before presenting himself at Heathrow police station in London to be extradited to the US to face a charge of conspiring to sell missile parts to Iran. — AFP

today and we cannot extradite him. He has more rights than I have. If I was a terrorist, I would not be going to America. I think it’s a shame, a disgrace.” Tappin’s attorney, Houston based attorney Dan Cogdell said he will aggressively seek bond. “He is not a flight risk, not a terrorist, not a danger,” Cogdell said. He declined to comment further.

Tappin was accused in a 2007 three-count indictment of scheming to export the batteries to the UK without a license. Court documents show that a cooperating defendant provided

Lawmaker quits over sexy texts TALLAHASSEE: A Democratic lawmaker has resigned over suggestive and harassing text messages he sent to a married federal prosecutor using a hidden identity. Rep Richard Steinberg said his resignation is effective immediately and asked for privacy while he deals with his personal affairs. The 39-year-old from Miami Beach is married and has a young daughter. He left the Capitol after The Miami Herald reported the story Wednesday and issued an apology. “The events of the past week have been difficult for my family, for me and for everyone involved,” Steinberg said in a written statement. “As I did earlier this week, I want to once again, very directly and sincerely, apologize to everyone I have hurt.”

Steinberg, a state representative since 2008, admitted sending unsolicited texts to Marlene Fernandez-Karavetsos, an assistant US attorney in Miami. Federal authorities were investigating the messages as a possible stalking case, an offense that carries a maximum one-year jail sentence. “We’re all concerned about him. We care about him but I think that his family comes first and he made a decision based on his family and the fact that he wanted to just bring all the speculation to an end,” said Rep Perry Thurston, D-Plantation. “He was one of our best members. He was one who was committed to the process and everyone in the caucus loved and loves him.” Fernandez-Karavetsos, 37, is married to George Karavetsos, also a federal prosecutor and chief of the Miami US attorney’s narcotics section In a meeting with investigators, Fernandez-Karavetsos said she knew Steinberg “in a professional non-intimate way” and provided screen shots of the numerous messages on her phone. According to the warrant filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, investigators traced dozens of text messages sent under the user name “itsjustme24680” to Steinberg’s home in Miami Beach. —AP

computer files that demonstrate Tappin intended to then send the batteries to a Tehran-based company and that he and the cooperating defendant had illegally sold US technology to Iran in the past. Two other men have already been sentenced to prison times for charges stemming from the indictment. Robert Gibson, another British national, pleaded guilty in April 2007 and was sentenced to 24 months in prison.

Robert Caldwell, from Oregon, was found guilty in July of that year and received a 20 month sentence.— AP

Tornado season looms, forecasting a challenge WASHINGTON: Tornado season is starting, but don’t ask meteorologists how bad it will be this spring and summer. They don’t know. They’re having a hard enough time getting a fix on the likely path of storms expected in the next 48 hours, from the Ohio Valley to the Southeast coast. The very nature of tornadoes makes them the wildcard of weather disasters. It’s just hard to figure when and where they’ll appear.

On Wednesday night, one hit Rome, Ga, the National Weather Service said, with winds of 95 mph, leaving a 3-mile swath of destruction.

It’s not the first one of the year. In January two people were killed by separate twisters in Alabama. Preliminary reports showed 95 tornadoes struck last month, compared with 16 in January 2011, a particularly stormy year. The season usually starts in March and then ramps up for the next couple of months, but forecasting a seasonal outlook is even more imprecise than predicting hurricane seasons. Tornadoes are too small and too short-lived. They don’t develop like blizzards and hurricanes, which are easier to project.

They pop in and pop out. The storms that give them birth may last only a few hours.

Hurricanes and blizzards are lumbering beasts that spend days moving across the satellite maps. When a hurricane approaches, coastlines get days to evacuate. With a tornado, if the weather service can let people know 20 minutes in advance, it’s considered a victory.

The deadly Joplin, Mo, tornado “wasn’t violent until just about the time it got to the hospital,” said Harold Brooks, a research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Severe Storms Laboratory, in Norman, Okla. “Even when you’re in the field, there are still times when you’re surprised by the intensity of the event

and how quickly it started.”

The federal storm center says 158 died in that storm; local officials count 161. If a forecast for a hurricane or blizzard is off by a mile, it’s still bad weather. But a mile difference means no damage in a tornado, Brooks said: “It’s so much finer in time and space on the tornado, it does make it a harder problem.” It takes a piece of debris only a few seconds to fly around an entire tornado; it takes hours to circle a hurricane. Yet tornadoes, though smaller, can have stronger winds. Since 1950, there have been 58 tornadoes in the United States with winds exceeding 200 mph; six last year alone. Only three hurricanes have made US landfall with winds more than 155 mph.

And forecasters are telling the Southeast and Midwest to get ready again. “It looks like this week we’re moving into a slightly more active dynamic pattern,” said warning meteorologist Greg Carbin at the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, also in Norman, Okla. The percolating Ohio Valley/Southeastern storm is proof of how hard meteorologists have it. On Tuesday evening, Carbin said, “We’re kind of expecting it to be a fairly significant event” and the storm center’s website had a small red swath for potential severe storms with tornadoes. By Wednesday afternoon, the storm prediction center massively expanded its Thursday watch area to include 14 states from Florida to Indiana. By Thursday afternoon, it was down to mostly Kentucky and Tennessee with parts of neighboring states. “A lot of things have to come together at once to have a tornadic storm and the skill at forecasting all those things is near zero,” said Howard Bluestein, a professor at the University of Oklahoma. “They are definitely more unpredictable.” —AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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Shanghai dialect fights to survive in modern China SHANGHAI: When Professor Qian Nairong published his dictionary of the Shanghai dialect in 2007, he was in some ways documenting a dying language. The number of people speaking the rapid-fire language-a badge of identity for residents of China’s commercial capital of more than 20 million people-is shrinking. As the government maintains a decades-old drive to promote Mandarin Chinese as the official language, banning dialects from media broadcasts and schools, many young people are unable to fluently speak-or fully understandthe native Shanghai tongue.

An influx of migrants from outside Shanghai and the city’s drive to become more international have also combined to water down the local patois. “A language is like a living thing, after it gets old, it must die,” said Qian, a retired professor of language studies at Shanghai University. “People born in the 1990s cannot really speak Shanghai dialect.”

Shanghai is not alone. China’s southern province of Guangdong has announced plans requiring broadcasters to get special permission to use the Cantonese dialect in programs from March 1, causing a storm of controversy. But there are signs that Shanghai’s residents will not give up on their language that easily. Shanghai comedian Zhou Libo has helped revitalize interest in the dialect with his witty routines, which often mock outsiders. “The weakening of dialects means the weakening of local culture. Why must our children speak (Mandarin) Chinese? Shanghai people who cannot speak the Shanghai dialect. What stupidity!” he said on a talk show.

City buses have recently introduced announcements in Shanghainese, and there are plans for the metro system to follow suit to cater to older people, especially those with no formal education, who do not understand Mandarin. Shanghai Airlines has just added an announcement about the city’s attractions to market the unique features of Shanghai. But the airline had to train young

flight attendants to pronounce the words. Not long after the Communist Party took power in 1949, it made Mandarin Chinese the official language to promote unity.

Discouraging their use-the government has been unable to stamp out local dialects, but it has discouraged their use, barring them from the classroom in most cases. Although millions of people-

SHANGHAI: Three Shanghai residents relax on a street in Shanghai. — AFP

mainly those aged from their 40s-still speak the Shanghai dialect, the version Qian heard in the 1980s is now found only in the mouths of elderly people and in the city’s distant suburbs. Qian, 66, laments the disappearance of words and changes in pronunciation as Shanghainese borrows from dominant Mandarin. “As soon as the sounds combine, a group of words change,” he said.

Also lost to time are colorful curse words like “corpse floating on the river” and “ghost of an executed criminal” which were once common insults in the Shanghai dialect. In the 1990s, the local government pulled radio and television broadcasts using the Shanghai dialect as part of a national campaign. A popular Shanghai radio show “A Fu Gen” which featured discussions of current events was among the victims. Xiao Ling, a host for the show, struggled for 10 years before a sympathetic official revived the program. Xiao is one of only two hosts at the radio station who have formal broadcast training in the Shanghai dialect.

Last year, the program was forced to hold open auditions to find candidates with Shanghai language skills to fill open positions. “My colleagues joke that we are giant pandas,” said Xiao.

Shanghai’s prestigious Tongji University organized a voluntary class in the dialect, after finding student volunteers were unable to communicate with elderly Shanghai people, teaching basic phrases like “nong hao” (hello). Tongji also offers a class for foreign students. “We thought it was good to have people from outside the organization and even outside the school to join the class,” organizer Shen Yiwen said. — AFP

N Korea threatens ‘sacred war’ over US-South drills ‘Unpardonable war hysteria’

LAGHMAN: Afghan policemen march towards an anti-US demonstration in Mehterlam, Laghman province east of Kabul, Afghanistan yesterday. — AP

Six Afghan police die while defusing bomb Afghans storm UN complex in Quran burning protest KABUL: Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense says six Afghan soldiers have been killed and 16 others wounded while trying to defuse a roadside bomb. The ministry says the soldiers died yesterday in Mukar district of Baghdis province in western Afghanistan.

In other parts of the country, rock-throwing protesters attacked a UN compound and clashed with police in northern Afghanistan on yesterday, as a fifth day of protests over the burning of Qurans left one person dead.

Thousands of demonstrators surrounded the UN complex in Kunduz as violence broke out across the city, witnesses said, raising the death toll from protests at the burning of the Islamic holy book by NATO troops to 25. Police at the UN building fired into the air before turning their guns on the demonstrators, witnesses said.

Officers had so far managed to stop the crowd from entering the compound, police spokesman Sarwar Husaini said, adding that reinforcements were being sent to protect the complex. “They’ve burnt several shops and cars in the city,” he said, with witnesses describing columns of smoke hanging over several parts of Kunduz. The city’s central hospital recorded one death and eight injuries, a hospital doctor named Mangal said. Twenty-nine injured people were being cared for in a centre run by Medecins Sans Frontieres. There were protests in at least five different provinces of Afghanistan Saturday over the incineration of Quranswhich prisoners were allegedly using to

pass messages-at the US airbase at Bagram near Kabul.

The Quran burning has inflamed antiWestern sentiment already smoldering in Afghanistan over abuses by US-led foreign troops, such as the release last month of a video showing US Marines urinating on the corpses of dead Afghans. There were violent protests yesterday in Mihtarlam, in the central province of Laghman, where hospital officials said 15 protesters had been brought in with gunshot wounds. Rallies elsewhere in Afghanistan were largely peaceful, however, authorities said. A demonstrator in Mihtarlam, named only as Abdullah, put the crowd there at “around 2,000” and said: “The protesters turned violent and were throwing stones at the governor’s palace. “Gunshots were fired by the security forces.”

A police spokesman in the town said: “The police have been able to disperse the demos in the city, but there are still some bunches of protesters around.” Government and local police sources in the eastern provinces of Logar and Nangarhar, and the central province of Sari Pul, said rallies were also being held in those locations but were largely peaceful so far. In Sari Pul, demonstrator Mohammad Sadiq said “around 5,000” people had gathered at the Pul-eKhishti mosque. “They condemned the holy Quran burning,” he said. “It is not violent yet.”

Authorities were not immediately able to confirm the size of the crowd. — Agencies

8,000 perished in last year’s Sri Lanka war COLOMBO: Nearly 8,000 people, including 550 children below the age of 10, were killed in Sri Lanka’s war-torn north during a final offensive to crush Tamil rebels, the census department said yesterday. Another 6,350 people went missing after government forces finally crushed the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009, the department said in an 80-page report.

The figures are in stark contrast to estimates by international rights groups, which say up to 40,000 civilians perished in the final months of the civil war and have heavily criticized Sri Lanka’s treatment of civilians.

The census report said 6,858 people were killed in the first five months of 2009 when fighting peaked just before the military claimed victory in its noholds-barred offensive. The census did not cover security forces killed in the war zone, but the military had previously said 6,000 personnel were killed in the final

stages of the war. The department had carried out the census between June and August last year, but disclosed the figures only over the weekend. There was no immediate comment from international rights groups to the latest Sri Lankan census report.

The report described the 7,934 deaths in the Northern Province in 2009 as being due to “extraordinary circumstances”, but did not identify those responsible or whether Tiger combatants were included in the statistics. Much of the deaths occurred at a time when civilians were ordered to move into what was supposed to be a “no fire zone” as the military tightened its grip on the territory controlled by the rebels. About a fifth of those killed in the first five months of 2009 were below the age of 19 years, according to the census department which said 552 children below the age of 10 years and another 952 between 10 and 19 years were killed. —AFP

SEOUL: North Korea yesterday threatened a “sacred war” over US-South Korean joint military drills next week as a US envoy urged Pyongyang’s new leadership to engage in dialogue with the outside world. The North’s National Defense Commission (NDC) denounced the annual joint exercises as a “silent declaration of war,” describing them as “unpardonable war hysteria.” Key Resolve, a computerized command post exercise, will start tomorrow and continue until March 9. Separately, the joint air, ground and naval field training exercise Foal Eagle will be held from March 1 to April 30.

“Key Resolve and Foal Eagle are unpardonable war hysteria kicked up by the hooligans to desecrate our mourning period and an unpardonable infringement upon our sovereignty and dignity,” the NDC said in a statement. “Our army and people will foil the moves of the group of traitors to the nation and warmongers at home and abroad for a new war with a sacred war of our own style,” the NDC said, indicating it would stage a counter exercise.

The threat is the latest instance of Pyongyang taking a hostile tone towards Seoul since Kim Jong-Un, the youngest son of the late leader Kim Jong-Il, took over after his father Kim Jong-Il died of a heart attack on December 17.

Last week the North vowed “merciless retaliatory strikes” if any shells landed in waters claimed by Pyongyang during a live-fire artillery exercise near the disputed Yellow Sea border.

But in the event it took no military action in response to the drill. “War manoeuvres... are, in essence, a silent declaration of a war. The declaration of the war is bound to be accompanied by a corresponding physical retaliation,” the NDC said yesterday. “Now that a war has been declared against us, the army and people are firmly determined to counter it with a sacred war of our own style and protect the security of the nation and the peace of the country,” it added.

It accused “US imperialists” of intensifying moves to ignite a war, and implied that the North had the capacity to strike against the US mainland. “Nuclear weapons are not the monopoly of the US. We have war means more powerful than the US nukes and ultra-modern striking equipment which no one has ever possessed,” it said. “The US is sadly mistaken if it thinks it is safe as its mainland is far away across the ocean.

There is no limit to the striking intensity and

PAJU: Foreigners and North Korean defectors of North Korean Peace Foundation prepare to release balloons carrying about 1,000 warm socks and messages of hope and love toward North Korean people near the Unification Observatory Post near the Demilitarized Zone in Paju yesterday. — AFP range of our army and people to wipe out the aggressors.” Professor Kim Yong-Hyun of Dongguk University in Seoul said the North’s statement was aimed at increasing pressure on the US and South Korea over the exercise, while at the same time seeking solidarity among its own people. “However, it is unlikely for the North to commit militarily provocative actions as it needs to push forward with dialogue with the United States,” he said.

US and North Korean officials this month resumed negotiations aimed at reopening sixparty talks on dismantling the North’s nuclear program in return for diplomatic and economic gains. Pyongyang walked out of the processwhich is chaired by China and also brings together the two Koreas, the US, Russia and Japan-in 2009 before carrying out a second nuclear test, but now wants to return, albeit without preconditions. Glyn Davies, coordinator for United States policy on North Korea, said in

India shuts aid groups it says rally nuke protests NEW DELHI: India has shut down three aid organizations it says were diverting foreign funds toward rallying protests against a Russian-built nuclear plant in the south, but at least one group yesterday denied any involvement in the protests while another said its funds were homegrown. Activists opposed to India expanding its atomic energy portfolio have argued that the Japan Fukushima nuclear disaster caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami in March showed such plants were vulnerable to natural disaster.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh insists that India needs nuclear power to help fuel its booming economy and that Indian installations are safe. After months of protests against the new plant in Tamil Nadu, the prime minister last week accused unnamed foreign interests - mainly in the United States and Scandinavia - of stirring anti-nuclear sentiments without understanding India’s electricity needs. On Friday, a day after the Russian and Indian foreign secretaries held talks in New Delhi, the Indian government said it was canceling the licenses of three aid groups it accused of illegally funding protests that had delayed plans for firing up the first of two Russian-built 1,000-megawatt reactors in December.

It did not name the groups or give details on where exactly the funding was suspected of coming from, saying only that a Home Ministry investigation showed overseas funds meant for helping the physically handicapped and eradicating leprosy were instead being used for anti-nuclear protests in the state’s Kudankulam region. “The people who are agitating near the plant ... are being brought there in trucks from various villages. They are being given food,” Union Minister V. Narayanasamy said Friday. But one group, the Tuticorin Diocese Association, said it had been unfairly targeted in the crackdown despite having no involvement in protests that have blocked highways and featured public fasts to demand the plant’s closure. — AP

Seoul it was “significant” that the North decided to reengage in talks “in a relatively short period of time after the change of leadership” in the North.

“We hope and we expect that the DPRK (North Korea) will choose to go down the path for a greater engagement and indeed ultimately a greater cooperation,” he told journalists after briefing South Koreans on two days of discussions with North Korean diplomats in Beijing.

Earlier in Seoul, he said there was still a “long way” to go before the six-party talks could resume. Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies said Pyongyang was seeking to add an element of urgency to the discussions about the six-party talks. “Basically, it is telling the United States, ‘You’d better not miss this opportunity’. Otherwise, we will further build up our nuclear deterrence including ICBMs,” Yang said, referring to intercontinental ballistic missiles. — AFP

Indian space scientist quits over blacklisting BANGALORE: A top Indian scientist said yesterday he had resigned from the nation’s Space Commission to protest the government’s blacklisting of four scientists over alleged irregularities in a satellite deal. The resignation by Roddam Narasimha, 78, from the highest space policy-making body in India is the latest development in a controversy that has rocked the top echelons of the country’s scientific establishment. Narasimha, who sent his resignation to Premier Manmohan Singh, said the treatment of the scientists could “demoralize” the nation’s scientific community.

“I have requested the prime minister to permit me to relinquish my membership of the Space Commission,” Narasimha, the longest-serving aerospace scientist on the commission, said in a statement. The Space Commission directs the nation’s space programs and monitors projects of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) that have included the 2008 landing of a lunar probe on the moon’s surface. Narasimha objected to the treatment of the four scientists barred last month from holding any government office. The government took the action against the scientists in connection with a 2005 deal between ISRO’s commercial wing, Antrix Corp, and a private company, Devas Multimedia, to lease satellite radio wave

space. The government last year scrapped the $300-million contract amid allegations ISRO allocated the spectrum without following a proper bidding process-a move media reports say could have caused large losses to the exchequer. A government report said there had been “collusive behavior on the part of certain individuals,” in connection with the contract, but it made no suggestion that the individuals received any kickbacks or favors. The four scientists blacklisted over the deal include former ISRO chief G Madhavan Nair, who has described the government order as “discriminatory and unfair” and said: “We are being treated worse than terrorists.

In his resignation statement, Narasimha said the actions against the scientists “could demoralize the ISRO scientific community and adversely affect its ability to take the kind of technological initiatives... that are the hallmark of an innovative organization. The other three to be blacklisted were K R Sridhara Murthi, A Bhaskar Narayana and K N Shankara. The allegations involving allocation of satellite spectrum by the space agency come as Premier Singh’s government is already grappling with a mobile telecom licensing scandal that may have cost the treasury up to $39 billion. Singh holds overall charge of the Department Space. — AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

NEWS

41 civilians killed on Syria referendum eve DAMASCUS: Syrian forces killed at least 41 civilians yesterday on the eve of a referendum on a new constitution called by the regime in the face of an 11-month uprising, as the Red Cross failed to agree a deal to evacuate wounded Western journalists. Embattled President Bashar Al-Assad’s forces resumed shelling the Baba Amr district of Homs after an apparent pause to allow in relief teams, more than three weeks into a deadly assault on rebels in Syria’s third largest city.

They also attacked elsewhere, killing at least 41 civilians nationwide, including 19 in Homs, said the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

And 16 soldiers and security force members died in explosions and clashes with rebels. Police also fired on

a demonstration of some 4,000 people in Aleppo city’s Sayef al-Dawla district, at the funeral of a civilian killed on Friday.

In Homs, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had been in talks to resume evacuations from Baba Amr where two wounded Western journalists are trapped along with the bodies of two others killed on Wednesday. But the negotiations with the Syrian authorities and opposition groups ended in failure yesterday, the ICRC’s Saleh Dabbakeh told AFP. The “ICRC and Syrian Arab Red Crescent have been negotiating since this morning with both the Syrian authorities and opposition groups in Homs. The discussion has yielded no concrete result today.

Unfortunately, therefore, no emergency evacuation will take place today,” he said. “The ICRC and the SARC will continue to negotiate with the authorities and opposition in an attempt to enter Baba Amr and carry out life-saving evacuations,” he added.

Dabbakeh earlier confirmed that the Red Cross and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) evacuated seven Syrians wounded in shelling on Friday, as well as 20 sick women and children. They were taken to Homs’ Al-Amine hospital. A Western diplomat confirmed that the ICRC and SARC were still negotiating on the evacuation of the two wounded Western journalists and the bodies of two others. France also said on Friday it was intensifying diplomatic efforts to res-

cue the wounded journalists. “We are pursuing our efforts more than ever to obtain a secure medical evacuation of the foreign journalists,” foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told AFP. The Red Crescent said on its Facebook page that “in addition to the seven wounded, it also evacuated 20 women and children” on Friday. Eleven ambulances and other vehicles drove into Baba Amr, but only three ambulances left with hurt Syrians, although Dabbakeh said earlier the operation would also include the journalists. American reporter Marie Colvin and French photojournalist Remi Ochlik were killed on Wednesday when a rocket hit a makeshift media centre in Baba Amr, a rebel stronghold. — AFP

Israeli hit on Iran to pull US into new war Iran: Attack will lead to Israel’s collapse

KUWAIT: A car with festive decorations drives during National Day celebrations in Shuwaikh along the Arabian Gulf Road yesterday. — AP

WASHINGTON: An Israeli preemptive attack on Iran’s nuclear sites could draw the US into a new Mideast conflict, a prospect dreaded by a war-weary Pentagon wary of new entanglements. That could mean pressing into service the top tier of American firepower - warplanes, warships, special operations forces and possibly airborne infantry - with unpredictable outcomes in one of the world’s most volatile regions. “Israel can commence a war with Iran, but it may well take US involvement to conclude it,” says Karim Sadjadpour, a Middle East specialist at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

An armed clash with Iran is far from certain. Diplomacy backed by increasingly tough economic penalties is still seen by the United States and much of the rest of the world as worth pursuing for now, not least because the other options going to war or simply doing nothing - are considered more risky. Israel, however, worries that Iran soon could enter a “zone of immunity” in which enough of its nuclear materials are beyond the reach of Israeli air power so that Iran could not be stopped, or perhaps could be stopped only by superior American firepower. If Israel’s American-made strike planes managed to penetrate Iranian air space and bomb Iran’s main nuclear facilities, some of which are underground, then Iran would be expected to retaliate in any number of ways. That possibly could include the firing of Shahab-3 ballistic missiles at Tel Aviv or other Israeli targets. Iran might take a less direct approach, relying on its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon or Hamas militants in Gaza to hit Israel with missiles from closer range.

Iran also might block the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for the world’s oil tankers. It could attack nearby Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. In either of these scenarios, the US military almost certainly would hit back, possibly with strikes against the Iranian navy or land targets. Michael O’Hanlon, a defense analyst at the Brookings Institution, sees a chance that the US could largely stay out of the fight if Israel struck first. If Iran’s air defenses managed to knock down an Israeli fighter pilot, however, US special operations forces might be sent to rescue him, he said. If the US spotted Iran preparing to fire a ballistic missile at Israel in a retaliatory act, “it’s possible we would decide to take that missile out,” O’Hanlon said. “I would bet against most other direct American involvement.”

Iran’s response to an Israeli pre-emptive strike is unpredictable. Iran’s defense minister, in a warning broadcast Saturday on state-run television, said a strike by “the Zionist regime will undoubtedly lead to the collapse of this regime.”

Gen Ahmad Vahidi did not say what type of action Iran would take should Israel attack. Uncertainty about Iranian retaliation,

as well as the cascade of potential consequences if the US got drawn into the conflict, is at the core of US officials’ rationale for publicly casting doubt on the wisdom of Israeli military action now.

Gen Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, bluntly made the point last weekend. He told CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS” that the retaliation equation is “the reason that we think that it’s not prudent at this point to decide to attack Iran” and “that’s been our counsel to our allies, the Israelis, wellknown, well-documented.” He said he doubts Israel has been persuaded by Washington’s pleadings.

Depending on the type and scale of the Iranian reaction to an Israeli strike, and whether it included attacks on US forces or bases, President Barack Obama would be under enormous domestic political pressure to come to Israel’s aid. His prospective Republican challengers for the White House have tried to portray Obama as insufficiently loyal to Israel and overly tolerant of Iran. Obama could decide to provide Israel with extra missile defense systems, such as the Patriot, to help defend its cities. He could choose a more aggressive course, ordering follow-up air strikes on Iranian targets such as military bases and its remaining nuclear facilities.

“That’s kind of the nightmare scenario,” says Charles Wald, a retired Air Force general who argues nonetheless that the best hope for stopping Iran from getting the bomb is to strengthen the credibility of threats to use US or Israeli military force. Such threats, he argues, could change Iran’s course. The US has two aircraft carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Carl Vinson, and other warships near Iran’s shores, as well as a wide array of warplanes at land bases on the Arabian Peninsula, and thousands of troops in Kuwait. It also has special operations forces near Iran’s eastern border, in Afghanistan.

Wald is co-leader of the Bipartisan Policy Center, which warned in a Feb. 8 report that Iran is “fast approaching the nuclear threshold.” While not advocating an Israeli pre-emptive strike, Wald’s group said the US should provide Israel with 200 advanced GBU-31 bombs capable of reaching targets buried deep underground and three KC-135 refueling planes to extend the range of Israel’s strike jets. The US has no immediate plans to provide Israel with new military aid. The consensus view among U.S. intelligence agencies is that Iran is not building a nuclear bomb now but is developing a capability to do so in the future. A critical question is how long it would take Iran to assemble a bomb, once a decision was made to proceed, and how much additional time it would need to affix the bomb to a missile or other means of delivering it beyond its own borders. — AP

Taleban ‘down’ US drone, Laden compound... Revellers brave rains to mark National Day Continued from Page 1 Pakistani army showed up and chased them off. “We got hold of half of the wreckage and were looking for the remaining parts when the Pakistan army troops arrived there and then we decided to leave. The troops fired heavy search lights and are looking for wreckage of the drone,” he said. A security official near the site of the wreck said two of the drone’s missiles exploded when it crashed, but no one was injured. He said the Pakistanis stopped the search operation because US drones were still in the area and they feared they would be attacked.

Separately, Pakistani security forces yesterday began demolishing the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed in a covert US raid in May in the northwestern garrison town of Abbottabad, police and witnesses said.

“Two bulldozers are engaged, the demolition work is in progress, it is being done by security forces, including troops,” a police official on the spot told AFP by telephone on condition of anonymity. The compound where bin Laden lived for several years has been under the control of the security forces since the Al-Qaeda leader was killed by US Navy SEALs. “I am on security duty, I can see dust is coming out of the building,” the official said. Police have been deployed at the outer cordon and army troops are around the compound, manning the inner cordon, he said. “We have received orders to be here,” another police officer,

Sameen Jan, said, confirming that the “compound is being demolished”. Witnesses said troops blocked access to the compound, brought heavy machinery and barred journalists from taking pictures or coming close to the site.

The drone campaign has angered Pakistanis, who say it is a violation of sovereignty and causes many civilian casualties. The United States says the strikes are very accurate and the number of civilian deaths is minimal.

The campaign was paused for about two months following a Nov 26, 2011, attack by NATO helicopters on two Pakistani border posts that left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead. The incident infuriated a vulnerable government in Islamabad and prompted Pakistani officials to signal, in more emphatic terms than they had previously, that they would no longer accept the US drone strikes.

While Pakistani politicians frequently criticise the strikes in public, in private Pakistani leaders have long supported and even encouraged the strikes, provided they steer clear of certain areas and targets. Spotter networks run by Pakistan’s spy agency, the Directorate of Inter-Services Intelligence, continued to provide targeting information to the Americans. Pakistan has signalled it is ready to resume its relationship with the United States, a senior US official said on Thursday, after talks between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar in London. — Agencies

US advisors killed in Afghan ministry Continued from Page 1 prepare to withdraw by the end of 2014. The Afghan Interior Ministry oversees all of the country’s police, so has numerous NATO advisers. Two Afghan officials said the ministry shooting did not involve any Afghans. One of the officials noted that the American officers were found dead with gunshot wounds inside a secure room at the heavily fortified ministry that Afghan staff do not have access to. “There is CCTV there and special locks.

The killer would have had to have the highest security (clearance) to get to the room where they were killed,” the source told Reuters. NATO confirmed that two service members were killed, but spokesman Lt Col Jimmie Cummings said “initial reports say it was not a Western shooter.” He declined to provide further information. A US official in Washington confirmed that the two killed were Americans.

Tensions between the Afghans and the Americans already were high following the Quran burnings. AntiAmerican sentiment has been on the rise in the warweary country, and several foreign troops have been killed by Afghan soldiers in recent months. Some of those shootings have been blamed on personal hostili-

ties, while others have been attributed to Taleban infiltrators. In a statement, Taleban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the gunman was an insurgent named Abdul Rahman. He said an accomplice inside the ministry helped him get inside the compound. He said the killings were a planned response to the Quran burnings.

“After the attack, Rahman informed us by telephone that he was able to kill four high-ranking American advisers,” Mujahid said. The Taleban frequently exaggerate casualty claims.

In Kunduz, the capital of Kunduz province in northeast Afghanistan, more than 1,000 protesters demonstrated against the Quran burnings. At first they were peaceful, but as the protest continued they began throwing stones at government buildings and a UN office, said Sarwer Hussaini, a spokesman for the provincial police. He said the police were firing into the air to try to disperse the crowd. Dr Saad Mukhtar, health department director in Kunduz, said at least three protesters died and 50 others were injured during the melee. The UN confirmed in a statement that its Kunduz compound was attacked, but said all its staff in Kunduz and in the rest of the country were unhurt and safe. — Agencies

Continued from Page 1 Amidst the cancellations, a parade of SUVs and sports cars licensed by the Ministry of Interior kicked off from Anjifa beach in Messila towards the Kuwait Towers in the morning.

But indoor events were in full swing. A traditional

musical evening was held at the Avenues Mall presented by the Kuwait TV musical band, while another traditional festival was held at the 360 Mall in the evening as well, along with various other festivals and exhibitions.

Huge crowds of people are expected to throng the Gulf Road today as well on the occasion of Liberation Day, inclement weather notwithstanding.

Palestinians clash with Israel troops...

Continued from Page 1 for the continuation of such attacks,” it said. Unrest broke out Friday in Al-Ram as stone-throwers battled Israeli police in the Al-Aqsa compound and neighbouring districts. The army said that a soldier apparently opened fire with live ammunition, hitting Ramiya in the shoulder. “An initial investigation suggests that a Palestinian man fired fireworks at soldiers from several metres away, putting the soldiers’ lives in danger,” a spokesman said. “The soldier responded by firing, injur-

ing the Palestinian in his shoulder.”

At Al-Aqsa on Friday, there were clashes between riot police and “hundreds” of Palestinian stone-throwers, police said. Four Palestinians protesters were arrested during Friday’s clashes, police said. They said that the unrest had been fuelled by web postings by Israeli rightists urging Jews to visit the mosque compound and assert Israeli sovereignty over the site, one of the most sensitive in the Middle East. It is referred to by Muslims as Al-Haram Al-Sharif and considered the third holiest site in Islam. — AFP

Blast kills 26 as new Yemen prez sworn in Continued from Page 1 The palace is guarded by the elite Republican Guard, a unit under the command of Saleh’s son Ahmed that played a key role in the strongman’s deadly crackdown on the uprising against his rule before finally signing in November a transfer of power deal.

In an address to the nation after being sworn in to succeed Saleh, Hadi vowed to fight against Al-Qaeda and restore security across his impoverished nation, ancestral homeland of slain jihadist leader Osama bin Laden. “It is a patriotic and religious duty to continue the battle against Al-Qaeda,” he said. “If we don’t restore security, the only outcome will be chaos.” Hadi said he had the political legitimacy to meet the huge challenges facing the country after winning overwhelming endorsement in a Tuesday election in which his name was the only one on the ballot paper. The new president vowed to “turn a new page in the building of a new Yemen which unites all its citizens”.

Official results released late Friday gave Hadi 99.8 percent of valid votes cast in the election in which turnout reached 60 percent nationwide. But in a sign of the country’s divisions, the turnout was by no means uniform. In the formerly independent south, from which Hadi himself hails, it was less than 40 percent in most provinces in the face of attacks on polling stations by secessionist militants. In the far north where Zaidi Shiite rebels called for a boycott, it was below 50 percent.

The Mukalla bombing was followed by an exchange

of fire between the soldiers and gunmen, the military official said. Residents of the city told AFP gunfire was heard from the area around the Ibn Sina hospital as a medic said that Republican Guard troops were turfing out civilian patients to make room for their wounded.

“Republican Guard troops have surrounded the hospital to guard their men,” the military official said.

Violence also spread to Aden yesterday where two soldiers were killed in a gun battle that erupted when troops moved in to dismantle a tent camp of southern militants, medics said, adding that three people were wounded. A military official said that 17 activists from the separatist Southern Movement were arrested. Aden is a stronghold of Southern Movement militants demanding either autonomy or outright independence for the south, which was a separate country until 1990.

Yesterday’s parliamentary swearing-in is to be followed by a ceremony at the presidential palace in Sanaa tomorrow at which the veteran strongman is to formally hand over the reins of power to Hadi. Saleh, who has been receiving treatment in the United States, flew into Sanaa earlier yesterday urging Yemenis to give their support to his successor. Under the UN-backed Gulf-brokered transfer of power deal, Hadi is to serve as president for an interim period of two years, after which there will be a contested presidential election along with parliamentary polls. During that period, Saleh is to remain at the helm of his General People’s Congress party, stoking suspicions within the protest movement that he has not finally renounced his long grasp on power. — AFP

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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Washington Watch

Romney and GOP in trouble

By Dr James J Zogby hether or not former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney wins Tuesday’s primary contests in Michigan and Arizona, he is in trouble, and both he and the Republican Party leadership know it. During the past month, the topsy-turvy Republican presidential contest took another turn, catapulting former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum into the lead over Romney. On one night two weeks ago, Santorum won three contests (in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri) giving him sufficient enough media exposure to push his poll numbers ahead of Romney’s in most national surveys.

Only those who underestimated the strength of the “anybody but Romney” sentiment among grassroots Republicans were surprised by this turn of events. And at this point, it is that sentiment, driven by ideological purists from the party’s religious right and Tea Party activists, that is responsible for the craziness of this year’s presidential contest. As I have noted before, it was the Tea Party and their ilk that kept more credentialed Republicans from entering the race - leaving the field open to the likes of Donald Trump, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Texas Governor Rick Perry, and Pizza mogul Herman Cain. And while the GOP’s establishment galvanized around Romney, seeing him as the “best of the bad options” in the race, they have not been able to win the day for their “chosen one.”

One by one, the strange cast of characters running for the Republican nomination played “leap frog” with one another taking the lead for a few weeks before either collapsing under the weight of their own inadequacy, flaws in their make-up, or the destructive power of negative ads run by the well-financed Romney campaign. First, it was Bachmann’s turn as frontrunner, followed by Perry, and then Cain. Just one month ago, Gingrich’s took the lead. He had won South Carolina and was leading in national polls. New life was breathed into the Romney effort by wins in Florida and Nevada. But then along came Santorum.

At that point, the party’s establishment made a determined effort to boost Romney by helping him win a highly publicized but informal straw poll of attendees at a gathering of conservatives in Washington. State party leaders also “fixed” a Romney win in Maine’s caucus election. By not reporting all the votes, they announced to the media that Romney had defeated Congressman Ron Paul. While neither “victory” meant very much (the Washington straw poll doesn’t count for anything but one day “bragging rights,” and Paul will ultimately win Maine anyway), these actions merely served to stop the media hemorrhaging that was hurting Romney. What they also highlighted, however, was Romney’s and the establishment’s desperation.

What the Tea Party and the religious right want is a candidate who is ideologically “pure” (and they believe Romney is not), while what the GOP leadership wants is a candidate who can win control of the White House and not hurt the party’s chances to take control of both Houses of Congress (and they believe none of the other candidates are able to accomplish either objective). And so what I have called the “fratricidal embarrassment” continues. It was on display during Wednesday’s televised Republican debate as the candidates focused their nasty attacks more on each other than on President Obama.

As a Democrat, I suppose I could take perverse delight in the GOP’s self-destruction, but as an American, and a citizen of the world, I am concerned. The result of all this has not merely been a weakening of all the candidates involved, but a dangerous escalation of rhetoric as each of the remaining contestants move further to the right to demonstrate their bona fides to the party’s hard core base. And here is where it becomes a danger to the country.

By now, the Republican field has locked themselves into the most extreme positions imaginable on economic, social, political, and foreign policy matters - reinforcing the most reactionary instincts of Republican voters. This is the same crowd who brought us the “birther” and “Obama is a Muslim” movement, the anti-Park 51 campaign, and that argued that Obama advocated setting up “death panels” as part of his health care plan. Now they want to send troops back to Iraq, support a new war against Iran (while we are still cleaning up the mess from the last two unfinished wars), and chide Obama for “throwing Israel under the bus.”

This is not your grandfather’s Republican Party. This is a new creature, one that neither Romney nor the party’s establishment appear to be able to lead or control. And so, whatever the outcome on Tuesday, this long drawn out contest will continue, with more blood being drawn and more ill-will being created within the party ranks.

Dr James J Zogby is the President of the Arab American Institute

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The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.

Syria envoy Annan has near-impossible job

By Louis Charbonneau and Patrick Worsnip he UN-Arab League envoy on the Syrian crisis, Kofi Annan, brings global stature and experience in conflict resolution to his new job, but averting a long and bloody civil war that could further destabilize the Middle East might be impossible. Annan, UN secretary-general from 1997 through 2006, was appointed by his successor Ban Ki-moon and Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby on Thursday after the UN General Assembly last week called for naming an envoy to push an Arab peace plan that asks Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to step aside.

University of Notre Dame professor George Lopez said the choice of the Ghanian statesman over the other main candidate, former Finnish President and fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari, was “a bold choice”. “Mr Assad has already been visited by high level diplomats - foreign ministers of Turkey and Russia, for example, and Arab League officials and he has been unresponsive,” he said. “It is significant that Kofi is a level higher who can - and will look Assad in the eye and speak some truth to Assad’s power.”

Annan has no vested interest on either side of the conflict, he said, making it difficult for anyone to claim he has an agenda other than securing an end to Syria’s 11month crackdown on anti-Assad demonstrators that has killed thousands of civilians and brought

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the country to the brink of civil war. In Stanley Meisler’s 2007 biography of Annan, the only reference to Assad and Annan conversing is a 2002 telephone call in which the UN chief urged Assad to vote in favor of a Security Council resolution on the return of UN weapons inspectors to Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Assad, a strong ally of Saddam, dropped his objections and joined the other 14 council members to vote for the resolution.

During his time at the helm of the United Nations, Annan successfully mediated a number of conflicts, including Nigeria’s border dispute with Cameroon over control of the oil-rich Bakassi Peninsula. Annan persuaded Nigeria to accept a World Court ruling that awarded it to Cameroon. After leaving the world body, Annan helped negotiate an end to violence in Kenya that killed 1,220 people after the African nation’s Dec 2007 election. But the escalating conflict in Syria, which the United Nations says has killed over 5,400 civilians, will likely prove much more difficult than Kenya or the Nigeria-Cameroon dispute.

Western diplomats say the United States and Europe appeared to favor Ahtisaari, who oversaw negotiations on Serbia’s former province of Kosovo, which seceded in 2008. But they added that Western capitals had no problem with the choice of Annan. US State Department spokesman Mark Toner described Annan as an “outstanding choice”.

UN

spokesman Eduardo del Buey said Annan was selected for “the high esteem in which he’s held in the international community, and his impeccable knowledge” of the region.

One of the chief political hurdles Annan will have to confront is a deadlocked UN Security Council.

Russia and China twice joined forces in a double veto of resolutions condemning the Syrian crackdown and calling for an end to the fighting. It remains unclear whether Annan can persuade Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, widely expected to return to the presidency after elections next month, to stop shielding Assad, whom Moscow sees as a key ally in a country that hosts Russia’s only warm-water naval port outside the former Soviet Union.

Annan will also have to confront the fact that some states are not only turning a blind eye to efforts to arm Syria’s opposition but are openly supporting it. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud AlFaisal said at a “Friends of Syria” meeting in Tunisia that arming the rebels was “an excellent idea”.

Anne-Marie Slaughter of Princeton University said Annan can only succeed in getting a political settlement that ends the conflict if there’s a “credible threat of the use of force against Assad absent a deal”. “Annan is only likely to succeed - a long shot under the best of circumstances - if the Russians use his presence as a cover for pushing very hard on Assad and his followers behind the scenes,” she said.

Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi was also pessimistic about Annan’s chances of success: “Frankly I doubt it,” he said, adding that Assad’s government was “still too strong, (and the) opposition too weak and divided”. UN diplomats who followed Ban’s search for an appropriate envoy said his priority was to find an Arab, but that this was not possible in the end.

Late last month, Elaraby said he was in talks with prominent Arabs, including Egyptian diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei, about becoming an Arab League envoy.

Earlier this week, a senior Western diplomat in New York said ElBaradei was not in the running for the post, though it was not clear whether this was because the former head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency was not interested or because of opposition from certain countries.

ElBaradei, like Annan, is a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Several Western diplomats said privately that there was little enthusiasm in the West for ElBaradei, who they feel strove to undermine a US and European push for UN Security Council sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program. Another reason for choosing a non-Arab, diplomats said, is that the Arab League is itself divided between Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which support arming the rebels and toppling Assad, and others who fear that ousting Assad would spark sectarian violence that spills over into Lebanon and Iraq.

The late US diplomat Richard

Holbrooke once famously referred to Annan as “the international rock star of diplomacy”. The softspoken diplomat, however, ran afoul of the United States in 2003 when he described the US-led invasion of Iraq as “illegal”. In 2006, Annan said he feared he would end up being remembered only for the oil-for-food program for Iraq, saying blame for that financial scandal was misdirected.

But allegations of UN mismanagement of the $64 billion Iraqi humanitarian program, which Annan said were “exploited to undermine” the United Nations, were not the only criticisms Annan faced during his long UN career.

The force commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, Romeo Dallaire, described in a book how Annan, then head of UN peacekeeping operations, took no action on Dallaire’s warnings about an impending massacre of Tutsis and moderate Hutus or his urgent request for more troops. If Annan fails in Syria, diplomats and analysts say, Western and Gulf Arab countries may decide that all diplomatic avenues for resolving the crisis at the negotiating table have been exhausted - which in UN vocabulary is a prelude to war. Lopez said black spots on Annan’s record like oil-for-food would not impede his work as the UN-Arab League envoy. “Oil-for-food comments might be made mockingly by Syrians, but they will be of no relevance here,” he said. —Reuters

Murdoch challenge: Keep scoops, hold sleaze

By Raphael Satter he challenge for Rupert Murdoch’s new Sunday tabloid: Keep the scoops, drop the sleaze. News Corp’s The Sun on Sunday launches today, promising the same irreverent attitude that has kept The Sun tabloid at the top of the British newspaper market, even as its proprietor fights to limit the damage caused by the longrunning phone hacking scandal. Can Murdoch win while keeping it clean?

Tabloid veterans say yes. “There’s a dangerous misconception that the News of the World or tabloids generally can’t break major stories without resorting to illegal or unethical practices,” former News of the World executive-turned PR professional Paul Connew said in a telephone interview.

“The rivals are going to be sweating.”

The News of the World closed in July after an advertising boycott led Murdoch to pull the 168-year-old paper. Britons were disgusted by revelations that the paper had routinely hacked into the phones of those in the public eye - including, most notoriously, a missing schoolgirl whose murder had shocked the country. It was long rumored that Murdoch would try to reclaim the gap in the lucrative Sunday market.

And the Australian media tycoon appears to be throwing his weight and enthusiasm behind the launch, buying up broadcast advertising and putting up posters to promote his latest venture into the newspaper business.

There’s already been the inevitable controversy. News vendors are upset over the low, 50 pence (roughly 75 US cent) cover price, a Labour parliamentarian has report-

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edly pulled out of a planned column under pressure from his colleagues, and mediawatchers have been whispering about the possibility that new arrests of journalists could eclipse the paper’s launch. Assuming no hiccups, the paper will have a huge initial run - perhaps as many as 3 million copies. It’ll be under the direction of Sun editor Dominic Mohan. His deputy, Victoria Newton, a veteran of the News of the World, is also expected to play a key role.

Incentives offered to keep Sun staff working through the weekend, while new columnists have been brought in.

There have been all kinds of rumors as to the paper’s content, although the traditional staples of tabloid reporting campaigns, stings, and undercover investigations - will doubtless stay in place. And it seems reasonable to assume that the Sun on Sunday would keep paying tipsters for stories - a practice generally shunned by US journalists. Still, Britain’s new anti-bribery law and sensitivities surrounding the ongoing investigation into the corruption of public officials - means that reporters will be far more careful about paying contacts.

Jules Stenson, former assistant editor of the News of the World, said that would free up money for big feature stories. “I think they’ll have lots to spend,” he said.

He predicted the paper’s culture would be a Sun culture, which he described as “softer, not as hard an investigative edge, not as in-your-face” as the News of the World.

He said it was “subtler, more newsy, more fun ... saucier”.

That said, The Sun’s topless “page 3 girls” won’t grace the paper’s Sunday pages - they’re already absent from the Saturday edition.

Some former News of the World journalists had worried that the paper needed its own journalistic identity to fight its way through the fiercely competitive Sunday market. But Stenson, who now works in public relations, said that launching a new paper under The Sun brand would do it a world of good. “It was one of the biggest challenges at the News of the World: Converting more Sun readers into News of the World readers,” he noted.

Stenson predic ted that the Sun on Sunday ’s circulation would settle at around

1.8 million. That would be far less than what the News of the World was selling when it was shut - about 2.7 million copies a week - but it would be roughly comparable to its rivals, the Sunday M irror and the Mail on Sunday.

Newspaper circulation is far high in tabloid-hungry Britain than in the United States, where even Murdoch’s top-selling The Wall Street Journal falls well short of The Sun’s daily reach.

Media research firm Enders Analysis said Murdoch’s new tabloid wouldn’t bring in the same kind of cash as the News of the World. “We estimate that even a triumphant launch would likely generate half to two-thirds of the income of the closed title,” the group said in a research note released earlier this week.

Advertising doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Murdoch said in an upbeat message posted to Twitter Wednesday that the paper was “completely sold out”. Major advertisers seem favorable. Supermarket retailer Tesco said it was reviewing the situation, while rival Morrisons said it expected to advertise in The Sun on Sunday. Even brands whose boycott of the News of the World helped force its closure were open to the idea of supporting its successor.

Major gas and electricity supplier Npower - which pulled its ads from the old tabloid - suggested it was still on the fence about promoting its brand in the new title. “It was only after careful consideration we decided to cancel advertising in the News of the World,” the company said in a statement. “We will give careful consideration on whether to advertise in any subsequent replacement.” —AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

sp orts Miyaichi poised for Japan debut TOKYO: Bolton Wanderers winger Ryo Miyaichi is set to make his international debut against Uzbekistan next week after being called up by Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni yesterday. The 19-year-old Miyaichi scored a fine goal in his first start for Bolton last weekend in an FA Cup tie at Millwall following his loan move from English Premier League rivals Arsenal.

“He has not been involved in the Japan under-23 (Olympic) team so he was a good option,” Zaccheroni told a news conference before Wednesday’s dead rubber World Cup qualifier in Toyota.

“He has a lot of quality and has been catching the eye at Bolton. That’s why he’s been called up.” Zaccheroni called up 11 Europe-based players after relying solely on selections from the J.League for Friday’s 3-1 win over Iceland in Japan’s first match of 2012. However, the Italian insisted he would not fly Miyaichi all the way from Europe simply to warm the bench during Wednesday’s Group C match.

“Miyaichi did very well last season when he was playing in Holland (at Feyenoord on loan from Arsenal),” Zaccheroni added. “He is showing his quality again at Bolton, so he has a good chance of playing.” —Reuters

Ramirez intents to show he can still play

Miller tops Hall of Fame list NEW YORK: Reggie Miller, one of the greatest clutch scorers in National Basketball Association (NBA) history, headlined the list of 12 finalists for the 2012 class of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday.

Miller, a smooth-shooting fivetimes All-Star who spent his entire 18season career with the Indiana Pacers, retired in 2005 and ranks second on the NBA’s all-time list for three-point field goals made.

Selected 11th overall by Indiana in the 1987 NBA Draft, Miller ended his career as the team’s all-time leader in points after averaging 18.2 points per game and captured an Olympic gold medal with the United States in 1996.

Rick Pitino, the only coach in men’s history to lead three different schools

to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four appearances, was also named as a first-time finalist for the Hall of Fame.

Two-times NBA Coach of the Year Bill Fitch and two-time Olympic gold medalist Katrina McClain were the only other first-time finalists named.

Previous finalists being included for consideration again this year are Maurice Cheeks, Bernard King, Dick Motta, Don Nelson, Hank Nichols, Ralph Sampson, Jamaal Wilkes and the All American Red Heads.

The Class of 2012 will be announced on April 2 in New Orleans prior to the NCAA men’s championship game. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election. — Reuters

PHOENIX: Manny Ramirez arrived at the Oakland Athletics training facility Friday to begin his return to baseball and said he was intent on demonstrating “I can still play.” The A’s are hoping he can return to the level that made him one of the most feared hitters in baseball. Ramirez got off to a good start.

After taking batting practice, in which he hit seven home runs off A’s coach Mike Gallego, Ramirez addressed the media accompanied by his wife, Juliana, and two sons, Manny Jr. and Lucas. “I was kind of nervous coming to the stadium,” Ramirez said. “I’m here because God brought me here. I know a lot of people are, ‘Oh, he’s not going to play anymore,’ but you know something? When God says that they’re going to open the door for you, no matter what anyone says, the door is going to open. That’s why I’m here.” Juliana occasionally put her hand on Ramirez as he spoke about difficulties - he did not address specifics - he’s endured since telling Major League Baseball he was retiring a week into the 2011 season.

He was arrested last September for allegedly hitting his wife during a domestic altercation.—AP

NHL results/standings Vancouver 2, New Jersey 1; NY Islanders 4, NY Rangers 3 (SO); Washington 4, Montreal 1; Colorado 5, Columbus 0; Buffalo 2, Boston 1 (SO); Dallas 4, Minnesota 1. (SO denotes shootout win) Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W

L

OTL

GF

GA

PTS

NY Rangers

38

15

6

164

122

82

New Jersey

35

21

4

169

164

74

Pittsburgh

34

21

5

186

160

73

Philadelphia

33

20

7

198

183

73

NY Islanders

26

27

8

144

179

60

Northeast Division Boston

36

20

3

195

136

75

Ottawa

32

22

8

190

185

72

Toronto

29

25

7

182

186

65

Buffalo

27

27

7

152

177

61

Montreal

24

28

10

161

171

Southeast Division

BUFFALO: Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask, of Finland, watches the game-winning goal bounce out of the net by Buffalo Sabres’ Derek Roy (not shown) after a shootout in an NHL hockey game. — AP

Canucks edge Devils NEWARK: The Vancouver Canucks overcame flight delays and the New Jersey Devils, winning 2-1 on Friday to take over the lead in the NHL standings.

The Canucks didn’t arrive in New Jersey until 3:30 a.m. because of snow-related delays. They weren’t at their best, but still won thanks to goals from Aaron Rome and Mason Raymond and 30 saves by goaltender Cory Schneider.

David Clarkson scored for the Devils on a play in which the puck deflected into the net off his skate. After a review, officials upheld the score.

Islanders 4, Rangers 3 In Uniondale, New York, PA Parenteau scored twice in regulation and linemate Matt Moulson netted the winner in a shootout as the Islanders edged the Rangers in the allNew York clash. Parenteau scored in the first and second periods after Moulson had opened the scoring as the Islanders grabbed a 3-1 lead. But the Rangers shook off their sloppiness and got even through goals by Marc Staal, Marian Gaborik and Derek Stepan.

It wasn’t enough as Evgeni Nabokov, back from illness, stopped three Rangers in the shootout to secure the win.

Sabres 2, Bruins 1 In Buffalo, Derek Roy scored the decisive shootout goal in lifting Buffalo over Boston. Andrej Sekera scored in regulation for the Sabres.

Zdeno Chara scored the tying goal in the third period as the Bruins salvaged a point. Boston lost despite not being called for a penalty for the first time in a game since 2004.

Stars 4, Wild 1 In Dallas, Tom Wandell scored twice as Dallas beat Minnesota and took sole possession of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Kari Lehtonen stopped 28 shots while Loui Eriksson and Eric Nystrom added goals for the Stars, who improved to 68 points, two ahead of Calgary, Colorado and Los Angeles.

The Stars earned their 1,500th victory in franchise history, 742 coming since the team moved to Texas in 1993.

Dallas has won 16 in a row at home against the Wild, with Minnesota’s last victory there coming in 2002-03.

Capitals 4, Canadiens 1 In Washington, Alex Ovechkin returned from an injury

to combine with Jason Chimera on a pair of goals 16 seconds apart that set Washington up for victory over Montreal.

The Capitals came in with three straight losses, but went ahead in the first period through Mathieu Perreault.

Chimera made it 2-0 in the second, and while the official detail was still being announced, Ovechkin made it 3-0.

Ovechkin missed the previous game with a lower-body injury. The two-time MVP is having what might wind up as his worst NHL season, with only 25 goals and 21 assists so far. Rene Borque pulled a goal back for the Candiens before Joel Ward added an empty-netter with 35.1 seconds left to complete the scoring.

Avalanche 5, Blue Jackets 0 In Columbus, David Jones scored twice and had an assist as Colorado produced an authoritative road performance to beat lowly Columbus.

Semyon Valamov turned away 28 shots for the shutout while Gabriel Landeskog and Steve Downie each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche and Matt Hunwick also scored. — AP

Winnipeg

30

26

7

161

178

67

Florida

27

20

12

146

165

66

Washington

30

26

5

165

174

65

Tampa Bay

27

27

6

169

201

60

Carolina

23

26

12

160

184

58

Western Conference Central Division Detroit

41

18

3

194

145

85

St. Louis

37

17

7

155

123

81

Nashville

35

19

7

170

158

77

Chicago

33

22

7

192

182

73

Columbus

18

36

7

142

203

43

Northwest Division Vancouver

40

16

6

201

151

86

Calgary

28

23

10

146

165

66

Colorado

31

27

4

160

169

66

Minnesota

27

25

9

135

160

63

Edmonton

24

30

6

161

178

54

San Jose

32

172

149

71

Pacific Division 20

7

Phoenix

31

21

9

161

154

71

Dallas

32

26

4

162

169

68

Los Angeles

27

22

12

129

135

66

Anaheim

26

25

10

157

173

62

Court case over, ‘relieved’ Hamm looking to London NEW YORK: His legal troubles behind him, Paul Hamm is looking forward to focusing all his attention on what he does best. The 2004 Olympic champion said Friday he is “happy” and “relieved” that charges stemming from a September altercation with a Columbus, Ohio, taxi cab driver have been resolved. Hamm pleaded no contest Thursday to two reduced charges, both misdemeanors. A misdemeanor assault charge was dismissed.

“It definitely weighed on my conscience the past five, six months,” Hamm told The Associated Press. “In the end, what I learned is I don’t need to be doing those things, going out and getting into situations that can cause potential harm.

Focusing on what’s important is what I learned, and right now, that’s training for the Olympics.”

Hamm is leaning toward a move to Houston, where he would train alongside two-time Olympic medalist Jonathan Horton. Hamm spent two and a half weeks there last month before Winter Cup and said he felt he made “a ton of progress.”

“I’m hoping Houston can be the place for me to train and make the last push for the Olympics,” he said. “In the weeks leading up to Winter Cup, I was hitting routines on a daily basis, and they were good routines. So I know I’m capable. It’s just getting in the right environment and don’t do anything to injure myself.”

Hamm is perhaps the best gymnast the US has had, the only American man to win the world and Olympic title.

Despite taking a few years off after the Athens Games, he had established himself as a serious threat for another gold in Beijing before breaking his hand in an accident at the US championships.

He earned a spot on the Olympic team, but the hand and an injured shoulder forced him to withdraw a few weeks before the games. He announced another comeback in July 2010 but tore his right labrum and rotator cuff in early 2011.

Just as his shoulder was on the mend, he was arrested in September, accused of hitting and kicking a cab driver, damaging the taxi’s window and refusing to pay a $23 fare.

It was an embarrassing episode for Hamm, whose discipline and composed focus was as much his trademark as his superb skills. In a video of the arrest, he sat handcuffed in the back of a cruiser and asked officers to let him go, saying, “I

don’t understand. I’m going to kill you guys.” He also can be heard telling officers he had about eight drinks.

“The initial reason to come back was to leave the sport in a more positive way, and I sort of screwed that up,” said Hamm, who lost his coaching job at Ohio State. “Now I have even more work to do to leave the sport in a positive way. I do have the motivation to get back out there and show everybody what type of athlete I am.”

Winter Cup was Hamm’s first competition since 2008, and he struggled so badly he didn’t even make the finals.

Although he won’t blame his legal woes for the uncharacteristically poor performance, he acknowledges they were always on his mind.

“I wasn’t sure what the outcome of the case would be; I wasn’t sure if there would be civil case,” said Hamm, who can’t say much about the case because the possibility of a lawsuit remains. “(Resolving the criminal charges) is going to clear my head and give me a fresh start.”

Though his days of being an all-arounder are probably over - “I just can’t imagine myself being able to do rings” Hamm still thinks he can be an asset to the Americans in London. Pommel horse remains a weak spot for the US. Not only is that one of Hamm’s best events, he’s consistent on it.

He also has the potential to put up big scores on vault, parallel bars and floor exercise, and could do high bar if needed.

“There are other gymnasts in the country that have higher start values on pommel horse than me. But I don’t believe those gymnasts are also going to be able to do three or four other events at the same level as me,” Hamm said. “That’s where my strength is going to lie. I can do pommel horse at a high level and also do three or four other events at a high level, as well.”

Hamm knows some people look at him differently now, and he knows he’ll face more questions about the case as he gets closer to London. All he can do is move forward and let his actions show the kind of person he really is.

“People in general are forgiving. Though some may have a tough time forgiving you, most will usually be kind and understand that people will make mistakes in their lives,” he said. “I have to get used to the fact that it’s something that happened and move on.” — AP

LAS VEGAS: Olympic champion Paul Hamm competes on the pommel horse during the Winter Cup Challenge gymnastics competition in this file photo. — AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

sp orts

Shipperly lifts Reds to victory over Waratahs SYDNEY: Winger Dom Shipperly streaked down the right touchline as the siren sounded to score a last-gasp try that snatched a 25-21 victory for the Queensland Reds over the New South Wales Waratahs in their Super Rugby match in Sydney yesterday.

With the final seconds ticking down, Shipperley, standing in for injured regular winger Rod Davies, received the ball wide and slipped past a tackle from Brackin Karauria-Henry before charging 60 metres to plant the ball behind the posts.

The try broke the Waratahs’ hearts after the home side appeared to have victory sewn up following a 70th minute try to new recruit Sarel

Pretorius. “The Waratahs put a lot of pressure on us at the breakdown and we were a bit sloppy in contact so we’ve got plenty to work on but very, very happy that we came here and got four points,” Reds skipper James Horwill said in a pitchside interview.

Although dominated for large stretches, the Reds were unflappable in the first game of their title defence, defending stoutly and capitalising repeatedly on the Waratahs’ ill-discipline.

Laser-sharp Mike Harris filled the breach at flyhalf for the injured Quade Cooper with aplomb, slotting six penalty goals and the final conversion for a 20-point game. The Waratahs conceded seven

penalties to three in a scrappy first half to trail 12-8 at the break and the deficit could have been worse but for a fortuitous try to number eight Wycliff Palu in the 38th minute.

Former Cheetah Pretorius dispossessed Will Genia as the Wallabies scrumhalf attempted to run the ball out of defence and Palu scooped up the spilled ball and trotted two metres over the line at the left corner.

Flyhalf Halangahu missed the tricky conversion kick and a late penalty after the siren gave Harris a straightforward kick in front from the 22-yard line.

Trailing 15-11 into the last quarter, the Waratahs were denied a try by an over-zealous touchline

judge, after Tatafu Polota-Nau scooped up a loose ball and sprinted half the length of the field to plant the ball at the right corner.

The referee ruled the ball the front-rower had picked up had been tapped forward in an aerial contest, although television replays suggested otherwise. Halangahu’s third penalty brought the Waratahs within a point before Pretorius sniped the ball from a few metres out to cross for the late try. Halangahu’s conversion made it 21-15, but the Waratahs conceded another penalty in the 73rd minute with a collapsed scrum that Harris duly slotted to give the Reds’ hope of stealing the match. — Reuters

Highlanders stun Chiefs with second half blitz

DUBLIN: Ireland’s Tommy Bowe (right) is tackled by Italy’s Leonardo Ghiraldini during their Six Nations Rugby Union match at the Aviva Stadium. — AP

Bowe brace inspires Irish to easy victory DUBLIN: Two tries from Tommy Bowe helped Ireland maintain their 100% Six Nations record over Italy here at Lansdowne Road, with a crushing 42-10 victory yesterday.

Bowe’s double — taking his tally to 22 in 46 tests — Keith Earls, Tom Court’s first for his country in his 26th appearance and Andrew Trimble crossed the line to give the hosts a deserved first win of this season’s tournament.

It was also a landmark day for Ronan O’Gara who came on in the second-half for his 118th cap to make him the all-time most capped Irishman. Italy skipper Sergio Parisse’s converted first-half try had briefly drawn the two sides level at 10-10.

New Italy coach Jacques Brunel had hoped it would be lucky no.13 against Ireland since their tournament debut in 2000, but despite an encouraging first half, the Azzuri could not halt their losing streak. As has happened so often before, the scoreline did not fully reflect the performance of the visitors.

They went in 17-10 behind at the break, and while that scoreline appeared harsh, a blistering second half show by the Irish ensured they go to Paris next Sunday for the re-arranged fixture with the French in confident mood.

Brunel made four changes to the side that lost to England last time out, while Declan Kidney kept the same team that he had intended to start in the aborted match in Paris a fortnight ago.

Having lost the lost last three test matches at Lansdowne Road Ireland wanted a per-

formance that would bury the memory of the narrow loss to Wales in the opening round.

If Italy had had a more reliable fly-half, there could have been even greater anxiety in Dublin, with South African-born Tobias Botes missing three relatively straightforward kicks.

The Treviso player missed his very first opportunity in the second minute, but then traded penalties with Jonathan Sexton in a muted opening 10 minutes.

Kidney would have been pleased with the manner in which Keith Earls assumed the heavy burden of replacing the injured legend Brian O’Driscoll in the centres and he added lustre to it with their first try. After good work

by Gordon D’Arcy brought Ireland into the Italian 22, the ball eventually found Earls, who punched a hole through the weak defence of Botes and Luke McLean.

Italy fought back quickly and after Alberto Sgardi went close, there was no stopping Parisse, who ran home after Botes’ dummyand-pass gave the Italian skipper a try on a plate. Ireland were rattled, but they ensured a half-time lead after some good work by the impressive Stephen Ferris, who sent his former Ulster team mate Bowe in unopposed.While Kidney made no changes in personnel at half time, the 25-0 second half scorecard tells its own story. Ireland simply pummeled the Italians into submission with tries from Bowe taking his tally to three in this season’s tournament - replacement Tom Court and a great solo break by Trimble right at the death ensuring a convincing full-time score. — AFP

GENT: (Left to right) Belgian Tom Boonen of team Omega Pharma — Quick Step, Belgian Sep Vanmarcke of Garmin-Cervelo and Spanish Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni of Sky Professional Cycling Team celebrate on the podium of the 67th one day cycling race ‘Omloop Het Nieuwsblad’, 200.3 km from Gent to Gent. The Omloop is the first road cycling race of the season in Belgium. — AFP

Women’s WCup downhill canceled BANSKO: A women’s World Cup downhill was canceled because of strong winds blowing across the Banderitsa course yesterday.

The decision to scrub the penultimate women’s downhill of the season was made after the original start time was postponed three times due to winds gusting up to 120 kph (80 mph.)

American team head coach Axel Hoedlmoser said the decision was justified.

“Sometime gusts came from behind, sometime there was headwind, so it for sure wouldn’t be fair and not safe either,” he said. The FIS said there was no possibility of rescheduling the race. It was the last downhill of the season on the women’s tour, meaning that the current top 25 in the standings will go on to compete in the

World Cup finals in Schladming, Austria next month.

“It is financially impossible to reschedule the race for Monday,” said FIS women’s race director Atle Skaardal. “Also, according to travel logistics and the weather forecast, it’s not possible.”

In both training sessions on Thursday and Friday, Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch led overall World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn of the United States. The super-G is still scheduled to be held today, when the wind is expected to die down.

After five races and two more to go, Vonn leads the super-G standings with 313 points. Austria’s Anna Fenninger is in second place, just 10 points behind. Julia Mancuso of the United States is third with 269 points. — AP

HAMILTON: The Otago Highlanders scored two tries in five second-half minutes to overhaul the Waikato Chiefs 23-19 in a bruising Super Rugby season-opener in Hamilton yesterday that proved costly for both sides.

The Chiefs led 19-9 into the last quarter but were stunned by tries to replacement scrumhalf Aaron Smith and inside centre Phil Burleigh and were shut out repeatedly by desperate defending in the final minutes.

“The boys showed some spirit... We knew the Chiefs boys really wanted to step up with their forward pack and we managed that and it turned out to be quite a good game of footy,” Highlanders captain Jamie Mackintosh said in a pitchside interview.

“The way the boys hung on ‘til the end, that’s a bit of character and something to build on.” The Chiefs lost winger Lelia Masaga to an apparent knee injury sustained in a tackle in the second half and scrumhalf Brendan Leonard came off soon after, clutching his hamstring.

The Highlanders also lost flyhalf Chris Noakes to a leg injury in the final minutes. The Chiefs’ All Black flyhalf Aaron Cruden was dominant early, setting up a try and slotting four penalties to drive Awikato to a 16-9 lead at halftime, but made a howling mistake under pressure that ultimately cost the game.

Attempting to clear the ball deep in defence, Cruden’s kick was charged down by replacement hooker Jason Rutledge, who calmly collected the spilled ball and offloaded to a charging Burleigh.

The centre cantered over the line in the left corner for the Highlanders’ second try in the 65th minute. After Noakes’ second conversion, the Highlanders protected the lead grimly to the end.

Masaga scored the Chiefs’ only try in the 13th minute following a blistering run down the touchline from Cruden, who offloaded to outside centre Richard Kahui.

Kahui was stopped five metres from the line but the ball was quickly recycled and spread wide to winger Masaga, who barged through left of the posts.

Following the Chiefs’ second-half injuries, the Highlanders raised the pressure with a brilliant team try in the 61st minute.

Flanker Adam Thomson offloaded to outside centre Tamati Ellison, who burst through in front of the posts before handing off to Smith to barge over the line for his first try in Super Rugby. — Reuters

A break from Lin to put focus back on Howard ORLANDO: Orlando waited 20 years to host All-Star weekend again, and Dwight Howard wants nothing to spoil the party. So forget that trade request, Magic fans.

Ignore the rapidly approaching deadline for deals. “All the other stuff can wait,” Howard said Friday. “I just want people to have fun and enjoy themselves. This is All-Star weekend. This is a time of celebration for guys who’ve had great first halves and guys who have never even seen this.” Jeremy Lin has been the NBA’s biggest story this month, but the focus shifted back to Howard, where it began this season, with the NBA’s midseason event in the city he insists he loves but wants to leave.

That meant a wall of reporters and cameras surrounding him, asking the same questions Carmelo Anthony was peppered with last year during All-Star Friday, just before his trade request from Denver was granted. “Thank you, Dwight!” Anthony yelled when he spotted the swarm. “It’s your turn!”

Howard has asked for a trade, but he’s still here and there’s no telling for how much longer. The Magic could deal their center before the March 15 trade deadline, or hold onto him all season and risk losing him while getting nothing back in July.

Howard’s table was between Anthony and LeBron James, two of the league’s best-known stars. Yet neither had anywhere near the attention of Howard, and Anthony was glad to yield the spotlight after his status overshadowed last year’s festivities in Los Angeles.

“I’m glad it’s not me anymore,” Anthony said. James went through the free agency circus the season before, and acknowledged that it wore on him.

“Yeah, absolutely,” James said. “I know exactly what he’s going through. It’s a tough situation but he’s going to handle it. He’s a man. He’s going to handle it. He’s going to do what’s best for him.”

Lin wasn’t forgotten, even after James and the Heat on Thursday forced him into the worst game since he became the Knicks’ starter earlier this month. Many AllStars were asked about Lin, who was playing only in Friday’s Rising Stars Challenge featuring rookies and second-year players yet was given his own evening press conference to accommodate the large media interest.

Howard said every time he watches TV, he sees something about Lin, the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. He was asked if there was anything that could stop the undrafted guard from Harvard.

“Uh, he hasn’t gone up against the Great Wall of Orlando yet,” Howard said. This wall may be moveable.

The Magic have given Howard’s agent permission to discuss deals with the Nets, Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, and there was plenty of speculation he could be dealt even before the season began, just as Chris Paul was. That would have created an awkward All-Star reunion.

Howard literally towers over this city, his face pictured on billboards overlooking the interstate and on a giant Adidas ad high atop the outside of the Amway Center.

This region caters to visitors, but didn’t have to consider how it would have welcomed Howard. —AP

CARDIFF: Wales’ Ryan Jones (top in red) wins a lineout from Scotland’s Richie Gray during their Six Nations international rugby union match. — AP

Raich clinches World Cup super-G CRANS-MONTANA: Austrian veteran Benjamin Raich got his first World Cup victory in more than two years on Saturday, winning a super-G as pre-race favorite Didier Cuche finished third. “I never gave up and that is very important, if you are a sportsman or in life,” Raich said.

Raich showed that all his technical skills have survived a serious knee injury one year ago, mastering a tough middle section as he clocked 1 minute, 34.37 seconds on the Nationale course. Adrien Theaux of France was runner-up, 0.24 seconds back, and Cuche trailed Raich by 0.36.

“After my accident last year and my injury, and after the two years without victory, it’s great,” Raich said. “I was sure that it was possible (to win again) but you never know. I worked really hard.”

Cuche, who won Friday’s super-G when Raich was third, praised his old rival who was criticized by some Austrian media over his early-season results. “Nobody had enough patience to let him do what he is able to do,” Cuche said. “But with Benni you can be sure that if he has no trouble, no pain, he will be back sooner or later.” Cuche helped attract 23,000 spectators to see him race in Switzerland for the final time this weekend before retiring.

Swiss teammate Beat Feuz, who is nursing knee pain, was 10th and missed another chance to take the overall standings lead from Austrian Marcel Hirscher.

Hirscher, defending overall champion

Ivica Kostelic of Croatia and Feuz, are separated by just 15 points. Hirscher sat out yesterday’s race to prepare for his specialist giant slalom event on Sunday, and Kostelic is expected to race again in two weeks after knee surgery.

Bode Miller was sidelined for a second straight day to help his left knee heal after undergoing minor knee surgery in the United States this week. Miller could race the GS today. Raich’s 36th World Cup victory, sixth on the all-time list ahead of Miller, was his first in super-G. The former World Cup overall champion, who will be 34 on Tuesday, last won in December 2009 at a super-combined event at Val d’Isere, France.

Raich’s injury sustained at the 2011 World Championships in GarmischPartenkirchen, Germany, ended his season one year ago, but he has come back strongly since January. His three podium finishes this season have all been in Switzerland. Despite supporting Cuche, the knowledgeable Swiss crowd generously applauded Raich when he crossed the line after an impressively clean run on the soft snow. Cuche lost his ideal line after a jump and was slowed by venturing into soupy snow at the side of the course. “I knew that I was able to win again but you have to bring it from the top to the bottom. It cost me all the speed because I had to push into the soft snow,” the 37-year-old Swiss star said. —AP

SWITZERLAND: Austria’s Benjamin Raich speeds down the slope on his way to win an alpine ski, men’s World Cup super-G, in Crans Montana. — AP

17

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

SPORTS

King wins wild Truck Series race at Daytona DAYTONA BEACH: In a matter of minutes, rookie John King went from wrecking the leader to celebrating in Victory Lane. One was way more enjoyable than the other.

King turned leader Johnny Sauter around on the second of three attempts at a greenwhite-checkered finish and later held on to win a wild Truck Series opener at Daytona International Speedway on Friday night.

It was King’s first NASCAR victory in eight starts and just his third career win in any feature race. He previously won a late-model race on a dirt track and a late-model stockcar race - both in Virginia. “It’s unbelievable, a dream come true,” King said.

Timothy Peters finished second, giving Red Horse Racing a 1-2 finish in the series opener. Justin Lofton was third, followed by Travis Kvapil, Jason White and Todd Bodine.

The race had several wrecks, none more harrowing than the final one when Joey

Coulter went airborne and hit the fence between the track and the grandstands.

Coulter’s truck lifted off the ground, hit the mesh fencing and then spun back across the track.

Coulter emerged a few minutes later unharmed and bowed to the crowd. A track spokesman said two fans sustained minor injuries from debris.

Earlier in the night, Miguel Paludo slammed head-on into an inside wall and walked away unscathed. King’s reputation might not fare as well.

He punted Sauter without any assistance from anyone around him, setting off an 11car melee behind him. King sat in his truck during an 11-minute red-flag stoppage and was upset with what had just unfolded.

“I’m a rookie,” King said afterward. “I’ve never pushed in my life. This is my first time at Daytona or any Superspeedway. I apolo-

Westwood and McIlroy advance, Kaymer exits MARANA: Lee Westwood, oozing confidence, reached the last eight for the first time at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship while Germany’s Martin Kaymer became the biggest casualty in Friday’s third round.

World number three Westwood never trailed on his way to a 3&2 victory over American Nick Watney but Kaymer, beaten by Luke Donald in last year’s final, was ousted 4&3 by American Matt Kuchar at Dove Mountain’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

Hunter Mahan completed another upset when he stunned U.S. Ryder Cup team mate and world number five Steve Stricker 4&3 after a sizzling display in the Sonoran desert and Northern Irish world number two Rory McIlroy beat Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez 3&1.

Kuchar became the first player to reach the quarter-finals, coming from one down after three holes with a rocksolid performance as Kaymer perpetually struggled on the tricky, heavily contoured greens at Dove Mountain.

“Matt played very consistently,” Kaymer told reporters. “He didn’t make any mistake really, but I made a few today unfortunately.

“I hit a lot of good quality golf shots today, especially the first nine. I didn’t miss any golf shots really, but I just couldn’t make the putts.”

World number 14 Kuchar struck his tee shot to within two feet of the cup at the par-three sixth for a conceded birdie to go one up before his lead was doubled when Kaymer three-putted from six feet to bogey the par-five eighth.

The consistent American then birdied the 10th and 11th to go four up before sealing the win with a matching par on the 15th green.

Westwood, who would return to the top of the world rankings if he wins Sunday’s final, was delighted to beat Watney, having lost to the American in the second round in 2010 and again last year.

“I knew it was going to be a tough match against Nick,” the Englishman

smiled. “It was nice to not make that hattrick and to win, get through to tomorrow and see what happens on the weekend.”

In-form Mahan piled up nine birdies in dazzling sunshine, the last of them conceded by Stricker from just two feet at the driveable par-four 15th to end their third-round encounter.

“I felt good with my game,” said Mahan, who will face Kuchar in Saturday morning’s quarter-finals. “Irons, driving, everything, putting, chipping ... I just had a lot of confidence in it.

“Boy, it’s nice to get off to a good start and get ahead early. I just played solid from there and made a nice little bomb on 12,” the American said of his 50-foot birdie putt at the par-three hole.

“That was a momentum changer.”

McIlroy, who like Westwood would depose Donald at the top of the world rankings by winning the World Golf Championships title on Sunday, was delighted to produce his best form of the week.

“I’m not saying I played terrible the first two days, but it wasn’t like my best,” the 22-year-old Northern Irishman said after never trailing in his match against Jimenez.

“I definitely saw a glimpse of my best golf out there today. I was really pleased when I had to hit good shots coming down the stretch, I was able to produce them.”

McIlroy is also bidding to become the youngest ever winner of the Match Play Championship, Tiger Woods having set the record with his 2003 triumph aged 27.

American Mark Wilson reached the last eight for the first time with a 4&3 victory over big-hitting compatriot Dustin Johnson and Martin Laird beat 1999 British Open champion Paul Lawrie 3&1 in all-Scottish encounter. In other matches, Swede Peter Hanson advanced with a 5&3 win over American Brandt Snedeker while South Korea’s Bae Sangmoon won a tight tussle with Australian John Senden one up. —Reuters

Three stay tied for lead at HSBC Women’s Champions SINGAPORE: Americans Katie Futcher and Angela Stanford and South Korea’s Jenny Shin all shot 1-under 71s yesterday to stay tied for the lead after three rounds of the $1.4 million HSBC Women’s Champions.

Futcher led almost the entire day, jumping ahead with a birdie on the second hole. But a bogey on 18 - just her sec-

SINGAPORE: US golfer Katie Futcher watches after tee-off during the third round of the HSBC Women’s Champions golf tournament in Singapore. —AFP ond of the tournament - allowed Stanford and Shin to regain a share of the lead at 9under 207.

“I’m very pleased with the consistency of the way I’ve been playing,” Futcher said.

“Hitting greens, hitting fairways, and making some putts. So I feel very good going into tomorrow.”

China’s Shanshan Feng shot a 69 and was two shots behind the leaders while South Koreans Jiyai Shin (70) and Na Yeon Choi (71) were tied with top-ranked Yani

Tseng (67) of Taiwan three shots back at Tanah Merah Country Club.

Tseng struggled during the first two rounds this week, but had four birdies on the front nine Saturday and two more during the rest of the round to put her in contention to win a tournament that has eluded her since it began in 2008.

“I was much better than the last two days,” Tseng said. “I make some putts today, I hit the ball better and I’m having fun out there.”

The 23-year-old Tseng dominated women’s golf last year and is off to a strong start in 2012 with her victory at last week’s LPGA Thailand.

“I think I’d have been more surprised if she (Tseng) hadn’t made a move,” Stanford said. “It’s not a three-person tournament. There are some really good names pretty close behind.”

Tseng solidified her hold on the top ranking with seven LPGA Tour victories last year, including major victories in the LPGA Championship and Women’s British Open. She had 12 worldwide victories last season and the five-time major champion has 33 career worldwide professional wins.

Co-leader Shin, who moved to the Los Angeles area as a child, turned professional in 2010 and has yet to win a tournament.

“I’ve never been a co-leader going into a last round,” 19-year-old Shin said. “I wasn’t too nervous today, but I can feel some nerves coming in.”

American Michelle Wie had another disappointing round with a 75 and was 28 shots behind the leaders. The tournament featured a field of 63 golfers, including 18 of the 20 top-ranked players when play started Thursday.

However, American Paula Creamer, the No. 5-ranked player, withdrew after the second round for family reasons. Pat Hurst of the United States also withdrew after the second round. —AP

gize to him from the bottom of my heart. It wasn’t my intention at all. I couldn’t get off of him.”

Crew chief Chad Kendrick spent several minutes trying to calm down his driver, getting him refocused on the final restart and the checkered flag. King responded better than anyone could have imagined, staying in front of Peters until the final caution.

“I’m telling you, this is probably one of the nicest did guys you’ll ever meet,” Kendrick said. “When the caution came out, you could hear the concern in his voice, like he was truly almost sad about wrecking Johnny. I told him we’d worry about it at the end of the race. We had a race to run; we still had laps to go. At that point, we were legitimate contenders. That was Daytona. That happens at Daytona. It’s happened a million times. It will happen again.

“So we both hate it for Johnny. But it was

a racing incident.” King’s best finish in seven previous starts in the Truck Series was 15th.

Team owner Tom DeLoach surrounded King with series veterans, hoping for the best.

“We kind of put a big warm blanket around John and tried to maximize his ability,” DeLoach said. “Folks, you see what happened tonight.”

Truck racing at Daytona usually involves wild wrecks and can be anyone’s race to win, and this one was no exception.

Paludo was running third when he just lost control of his truck. He turned left and slammed into the inside retaining wall head on - a violent crash that caused his truck to spin like an out-of-control helicopter. All four tires left the ground and the engine caught fire before Paludo eventually came to a stop.

He climbed out a few seconds later and was unharmed. “It was a hard hit for sure,” Paludo said. “I lost my breath.” The drivers

raced three wide early on, and not surprisingly, didn’t make it 20 laps without an accident.

On lap 19, rookie Paulie Harraka lost control in turn four, made contact with Chris Cockrum and then slammed Jason Leffler into the outside wall. Leffler’s truck was totaled, taking out one of the favorites in the 36-truck field. Rookie Dakoda Armstrong also was collected in the wreck that prompted several drivers to turn down pit road to avoid the mess. “It’s a bummer,” said Leffler, who finished last.

Another rookie, Cale Gale, was caught up in a wreck on lap 62. Gale was running in the middle of a three-wide pack when TJ Duke moved up the track and caused Gale to hit the wall. Series veterans Matt Crafton and Mike Skinner also were involved. “You can’t teach patience,” said Skinner, the 1995 series champion.—AP

Patrick on pole for Nationwide race DAYTONA BEACH: In about 24 hours, Danica Patrick went from her biggest crash to her biggest moment in a stock car.

The former IndyCar star won the pole Friday for the season-opening Nationwide Series race at Daytona, becoming the first woman to secure the top qualifying spot in NASCAR’s second-tier series since Shawna Robinson at Atlanta on March 12, 1994.

It came a day after she wrecked on the final lap of a qualifying race for the Daytona 500. “It’s a good turn of events,” she said. It also set off a flurry of Twitter traffic that included words such as “Dansanity,” “Danimosity,” “Danimite,” and “Dantastic.”

“I really don’t think about it from a girl perspective,” she said with her proud parents standing a few yards away. “I’ve been taught from a young age to want to be the best driver. ... It was about being the best driver and not the best girl.”

Patrick won just once in 115 IndyCar starts. She had seven podium finishes, and two of them came when she began dabbling in NASCAR two seasons ago. She moved to NASCAR full time this season, and is scheduled to drive 10 Sprint Cup races for Stewart-Haas Racing and run every Nationwide race for JR Motorsports.

She will make her Sprint Cup debut in the Daytona 500 today. The Nationwide race is late yesterday. She has three top-10 finishes in 25 Nationwide races over two years.

She has felt some pressure since leaving open wheel for stock-car racing. And now, after securing the pole, everything has been ratcheted up a notch.

“When you sit on the pole, you’re the fastest car, so if you don’t win the race, then I just wasted the fastest car,” she said. “So, yes, it adds a lot of pressure and I now feel nervous. Thanks a lot, pole position. You’ve made me nervous already, but it’s a good problem to have and I don’t mind being nervous.

“It tends to bring out some good things in me, so I’m not bothered by that. But expectations, sure, yeah, anybody who sits on the pole is going to expected to do well because they obviously have a good car.” Patrick turned a fast lap of 49.250 seconds around the high-banked speedway, averaging 182.741 mph.

Defending Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne qualified second, followed by Elliott Sadler, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Austin Dillon. And there was little, if any, animosity about the qualifying results - err, Danimosity.

“I think it’s got a good shot for No. 1 on SportsCenter,” Bayne said. “That’s always good for our sport. We look for these kinds of moments.

NASCAR keeps talking about star power, and these are the kinds of moments that are going to help our whole sport. Not just Danica or our team, but our whole sport. The more eyeballs, it’s all better for us. ... Even though we’re just a second-place guy at this point, it’s really cool. I think it is good all the way

around.” Sadler was equally complimentary, but made it clear that results will matter more than poles.

“This is good for the sport,” Sadler said. “It’s going to bring more people, more attention. All the

attention because of her good looks and those sultry television commercials for sponsor GoDaddy.com. She can mute most of that with early success. And it will start at the front of the pack late yesterday.

DAYTONA BEACH: Jason White, driver of the No. 23 GunBroker.com Ford, leads the field during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway. —AFP attention she’s getting, she still has to race. It’s cool the extra attention she’s bringing, but that won’t give her one extra point at all. It’s just going to bring a lot of attention to the sport.”

Patrick was trending on Twitter after earning the pole, no surprise since she’s somewhat of a polarizing figure in the auto racing world. Some question her talent. Others believe she gets way too much

“That’s so cool for her to start off the season that way,” Bayne said. “She’s looking for that boost, and that’s a good kick in the butt right there to be on the pole for the first race of the season. That’s the momentum you need to build on. It’s going to take those kinds of moments to build up her confidence. She’s done a good job of holding her own here.” —AP

The Gulf Bank team

Gulf Bank retain top spot KUWAIT: The Gulf Bank maintained their lead of the KBC Football League standings with a dominant 8-0 win against the International Bank in week six competitions, which also saw the Kuwait Finance House defeat Al-Ahli Bank 4-0.

With this win, the KFH remains in third

place behind the Boubyan Bank. Al-Ahli United and the National Bank of Kuwait played to a 2-2 draw in other week six competitions.

The Gulf Bank looks to continue its dominant performance when it goes against the NBK on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 in week seven competitions which feature a showdown

between second and third place holders Boubyan Bank and the KFH the day before.

Week seven kicks off next Sunday with a match between the International Bank and AlAhli United. The tournament is organized by the Kuwait Banks Club at the Ministry of Information Stadium.

18

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

SPORTS

Arbitrator decides Braun is clean enough NEW YORK: Ryan Braun said he was clean and the only guy whose vote mattered agreed that he was clean enough. Case closed. Or not. But that’s all Braun will be from now on: clean enough.

He called the decision Thursday by arbitrator Shyam Das overturning his 50-game suspension “the first step in restoring my good name and reputation.” Good luck with that. Because it doesn’t matter how carefully Braun chooses his words when he meets with reporters at Brewers camp Friday, or how he parries the inevitable questions about juicing for as long as he plays. People made up their minds on this one the moment word leaked out in December that he tested positive for elevated testosterone levels, just like they did with Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, et al., guys who passed plenty of drug tests in their careers, too.

The decision leaves Braun and his supporters free to maintain his inno-

cence. It leaves everyone else, including Major League Baseball, free to insist that he got off on a technicality.

With the almost-certain exception of Commissioner Bud Selig, how close you live to Miller Park in Milwaukee is probably as good a predictor as any about which side you chose at the outset - and where you’re likely to remain.

The centerpiece of Braun’s appeal challenged the chain of custody after he gave his urine sample to Comprehensive Drug Testing Inc. on Oct. 1, the Saturday the Brewers opened the NL playoffs. Instead of dropping it off that same day with FedEx, as set out in the drug agreement, the collector decided it would be more secure at his home in a refrigerator over the weekend than in a drop-off box. Nearly 48 hours later, he sent it to a World Anti-Doping Agencycertified laboratory in Montreal. That may be all Das needed to hear.

Yet some people on Braun’s side are hinting that timing wasn’t the only

problem the arbitrator had with the chain of custody, although that won’t be known until Das releases his written opinion sometime within the next 30 days. Some other people couldn’t wait that long, already claiming to know who the collector is and that he had easy access to a lab. Whatever.

What is undeniable is that Braun’s lawyer raised enough doubts about the process to make the results irrelevant. In doping circles, that’s scored as a “W.” US Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart, whose month got off to a bad start when federal prosecutors in Los Angeles closed their investigation of seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong without bringing charges, labeled the Braun decision “a real gut-kick to clean athletes.”

But plenty of baseball people, including a few in Braun’s NL Central neighborhood - where the phrase “competitive balance” really means something - had no problem with him

being able to play on opening day.

“You never want to see a guy go down,” said Dusty Baker, manager of the rival Cincinnati Reds. “I would never be happy about a guy being suspended.”

Baker might actually believe Braun was clean, or he might just be relieved one of the game’s rising stars beat the system, same as Baker would be if one of his guys claimed innocence, then beat long odds and became the first ever to win an appeal. People in the game decided long ago that performance-enhancers are an occupational hazard only if you get caught.

And either way, the game metes out its own version of frontier justice.

Braun is coming off an MVP season with a big contract and without slugging partner Prince Fielder, who departed for Detroit. No matter what else happens, a big drop-off from the numbers Braun posted last year - .332 with 33 homers and 111 RBIs - will be treated in the court of public opinion

the same as an admission of guilt.

The folks at MLB headquarters, meanwhile, must be viewing the whole episode with mixed emotions.

The system worked, maybe not the way it always has previously or even the way they envisioned.

“As a part of our drug-testing program, the commissioner’s office and the players’ association agreed to a neutral third-party review for instances that are under dispute,” executive vice president Rob Manfred said in a statement. “While we have always respected the process, Major League Baseball vehemently disagrees with the decision rendered today.”

As consolation, baseball gets to ke e p t he b i g d r a w B r a un ha s become and the momentum in a market that’s just beginning to show signs of life again. And so long as Braun holds up his end of the bargain on the field, they can say with a clear conscience, too, that their game is clean enough.—AP

Radwanska lifts Dubai title

WELLINGTON: South Africa’s JP Duminy bats in front of New Zealand keeper Brendon McCullum during the first one day International Cricket match at Westpac Stadium.—AFP

South Africa crush NZ WELLINGTON: South African captain AB de Villiers compiled a superb century to lead his side to an easy six wicket win over New Zealand in the opening oneday international at Westpac Stadium yesterday.

De Villiers, in deft touch, was not out for 106 with Faf du Plessis on 66 as South Africa overhauled New Zealand’s 253 for nine with 28 balls to spare.

On a ground with a history of favoring the side batting second, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss, elected to bat first and never seriously threatened from there as his batsmen failed to gain momentum.

Although the target was not immense, South Africa wavered at the start of their innings with Hashim Amla (8), Graeme Smith (9) and Jacques Kallis (13) falling in quick succession to be 35 for three by the 10th over.

But from there de Villiers steadied the run chase and they slowly and surely reeled in the New Zealand total although the South African captain played down the comprehensive nature of the win.

“We did really well in the field to restrict them to 250. They had a couple of partnerships going but they didn’t extend them and we kept picking up wickets at the right times,” he said.

“I thought I constructed my innings quite well which was important in the conditions on this pitch. “We finished up with a win but, feet on the ground, we have two more big games to come” McCullum said he had “no regrets” about batting first but “they kept picking up wickets at regular times against us and we couldn’t get that partnership we needed. The way AB came out certainly took the game away from us.”

De Villiers combined with JP Duminy (46) in a 90-run stand for the fourth wicket which was broken when Rob Nicol tossed up a full delivery and was rewarded with a simple caught and bowled

opportunity.

South Africa were then 125 for four in the 31st over when Faf de Plessis joined his skipper and they dismantled the New Zealand bowling attack with apparent ease, compiling 129 runs over the next 14 overs.

They poked and prodded for singles when the field was spread and then effortlessly found the boundary when the fielders were brought in.

De Villiers came to the wicket in the fifth over with South Africa at 17 for two and faced 151 balls for his 106 which included three fours and four sixes.

He reached his century with a single off Doug Bracewell at the start of the 44th over and du Plessis marked the occasion with a six and two fours off the next three balls. Du Plessis’ 66 in 72 balls included nine fours and a six.

The New Zealand innings was built around a 79-run stand by McCullum and Kane Williamson for the third wicket after the hosts had started slowly, creeping to 75 for two in the first 20 overs.

The next 75 runs took less than 13 overs but the loss of McCullum, and the quick departure of big-hitting Jesse Ryder (6) soon after put the brakes on the New Zealand charge.

McCullum had a charmed life and was saved three times by television replays on his way to 56 off 67 balls. Williamson, who was content to look for the singles, appeared intent on batting through the innings and reached his 55 in 69 balls when he had an uncharacteristic slash at Lonwabo Tsotsobe and was caught behind.

Opener Rob Nicol made 30 while James Franklin added 32 in the middle of the innings. Tsotsobe was the most economical of the South African bowlers with two for 41 and Peterson and Kallis both finished with two for 45. The second match in the series is in Napier on Wednesday.—AFP

SCOREBOARD WELLINGTON: Scoreboard after South Africa beat New Zealand by six wickets in the first one-day international at Wellington Regional Stadium yesterday: New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat.

New Zealand R. Nicol c Kallis b Peterson 30 M. Guptill c de Villiers b Tsotsobe 7 B. McCullum c Peterson b Kallis 56 K. Williamson c de Villiers b Tsotsobe 55 J. Ryder c Smith b Kallis 6 J. Franklin c Amla b M. Morkel 32 A. Ellis b Steyn 20 N. McCullum b M. Morkel 15 D. Bracewell st de Villiers b Peterson 0 K. Mills not out 4 T. Southee not out 4 Extras: (w-7, nb-3, b-4, lb-10) 24 Total: (for nine wickets, 50 overs) 253 Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-58, 3-137, 4-153, 5-194, 6-211, 7-230, 8-234, 9-249 Bowling: Tsotsobe 10-1-41-2 (nb-3, w-1); M. Morkel 9-0-49-2 (w-2); Steyn 9-0-37-1 (w-2);

Peterson 10-1-45-2 (w-1); Duminy 5-0-22-0; Kallis 7-0-45-2 (w-1).

South Africa H. Amla b Southee 8 G. Smith c Ryder b Mills 9 J. Kallis c Williamson b Bracewell 13 JP Duminy c&b Nicol 46 AB de Villiers not out 106 F. du Plessis not out 66 Extras: (w-5, lb-1) 6 Total: (for four wickets, 45.2 overs) 254 Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-17, 3-35, 4-125 Did not bat: Albie Morkel, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe Bowling: Mills 7-0-27-0; Southee 10-0-64-1 (w-2); Bracewell 10-1-61-1; N. McCullum 7-025-0; Nicol 5-0-43-0; Ellis 5-0-26-0; Franklin 10-5-0; Williamson 0.2-0-2-0 (w-1).

DUBAI: Agnieszka Radwanska broke into the world’s top five for the first time after beating Germany’s Julia Goerges 7-5 6-4 in the final of the Dubai Championships yesterday.

The 22-year-old Pole will move up to fifth in the world rankings when the new standings are released on Monday after claiming her eighth WTA singles title.

Trailing 5-4 in the first set, Radwanska won seven of the following eight games to go a set and 4-1 up in the second, ultimately sealing a comfortable win against the surprise finalist Goerges.

Radwanska had won their only previous meeting, routing Goerges 6-1 6-1 in the last 16 of this year’s Australian Open and the towering German seemed overawed at first, losing her serve in the opening game.

Both players preferred to slug it out from the baseline, with Radwanska solid, if unspectacular, as she took a 4-3 lead.

Goerges, 23, was the bolder player, clubbing a series of blistering shots from the back of the court to earn her first break point with a forehand winner.

The world number 19 failed to convert that chance, slugging a backhand long. She was given a second opportunity after Radwanska scuffed a straightforward forehand into the net and this time she succeeded, dispatching a fierce forehand down the line that Radwanska could only hit into the net to square the set at 4-4.

Radwanska missed two chances to break back immedi-

DUBAI: Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska holds the trophy after she beat Julia Goerges from Germany during their final match at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.—AP ately, Goerges saving the first with an ace and then the second with a forehand crosscourt winner.

Goerges’s aggressive approach had brought her level, but she was often too hasty in attempting winners and that ultimately cost her dear.

At 5-5, she had four chances to serve out the game, but fluffed them all to give the dogged Radwanska a break point after

ambling forward to scoop a forehand long. Goerges then took on a volley mid-court and blasted it wide when she could have let it bounce first for a safer shot.

Radwanska served out to take the first set 7-5.

In the second set, Goerges surrendered her serve with a wide forehand as the errors piled up, giving Radwanska a 2-1 lead and the Pole broke again to go 4-1 ahead.

But Goerges was

unbowed and pulled one break back. She then had a break point to square the second set with Radwanska serving for the match at 5-4.

The German came round onto her forehand to dispatch a sizzling forehand crosscourt, but it was just long and her chance had gone. Goerges saved a first match point, but another shanked backhand gave Radwanska the title.—Reuters

Melzer upsets Isner in Memphis quarterfinal

MARSEILLE: France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga plays with his racket during the Open 13 tennis tournament.—AP

Tsonga and Del Potro reach Open 13 semis MARSEILLE: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Juan Martin del Potro both earned the 200th win of their careers on Friday to set up a semifinal between the two at the Open 13.

The top-seeded Tsonga beat Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 7-5 in the quarterfinals, while Del Potro edged Richard Gasquet 7-5, 7-6 (5). Tsonga served 14 aces and saved 10 break points in an all-French match. Tsonga dropped serve in the opening game but broke back in the sixth. He hit 18 winners to 11 for Roger-Vasselin to take the first set when his opponent netted a forehand volley.

Roger-Vasselin double-faulted at 6-5 in the next set to give Tsonga two match points.

Tsonga converted the first on a forehand error from Roger-Vasselin.

“I didn’t play better than him today,” said Tsonga, the 2009 champion. “But I was stronger in my head in the key moments.”

Del Potro served 15 aces in a tight match that saw him win just one more point than Gasquet - 78 to 77. The fourth-seeded Argentine led 3-1 in the last set but Gasquet, a former top-10 player, broke back in the eighth game. Del Potro then saved a set point

at 6-5 to force a tiebreaker before clinching victory with a diving backhand volley.

“It was really close,” Del Potro said. “For a 250 tournament, it’s not like a quarterfinal.

This match could be a semi or a final, for sure.

Now I will play Tsonga and it’s still semifinals.

You can see how tough is this tournament.”

The 2009 US Open champion whipped a forehand winner to take the first set. He saved two set points at 5-4 with a forehand winner and an ace. In the next game, Gasquet missed a smash to drop serve.

Third-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia beat Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 6-4, 6-4, and will next play Michael Llodra, who downed qualifier Albano Olivetti 7-6 (5), 7-5 in an all-French quarterfinal. Tipsarevic did not face a break point and broke Ljubicic’s serve in the opening game of the first set before breaking for a 3-2 lead in the second. Tsonga was the player with the most aces on the ATP Tour last season, although France has found another hard-serving player in 20-year-old Olivetti.

Olivetti lost to Llodra, but has still left an impression on the home crowd after beating Mardy Fish on Thursday.— AP

MEMPHIS: Jurgen Melzer, playing with a broken big toe on his right foot, upset top-seeded John Isner 6-3, 7-6 (6) on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships.

The Austrian, who broke his toe a week earlier in his hotel room, has won three straight matches at The Racquet Club to reach the semifinals. He will next play Radek Stepanek, a 7-6 (5), 6-0 winner over American Sam Querrey. Defending champion Milos Raonic of Canada also moved into the semifinals with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Belgian Olivier Rochus. Raonic, who has already won two titles this year, will be favorite to win his semi against Benjamin Becker of Germany who beat Poland’s Lukasz Kubot 7-5, 7-6 (5).

On the women’s side, Marina Erakovic of New Zealand beat Vera Dushevina of Russia 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 and will play Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden in late yesterday’s Memphis International final. Arvidsson defeated Alberta Brianti of Italy 6-3, 7-5. Arvidsson is a previous winner in Memphis while Erakovic will be looking for her first WTA-level title.

Isner came in as the top seed in a tournament for only the second time in his career. He was 6-2 this year and ranked 13th in the world, and the 6-foot-9 American had served up 48 aces while winning his first two matches. Now, he’s leaving Memphis still looking for his first title of 2012. “I don’t feel like I lost this match today,” Isner said. “He won it. He was better than me, and he deserved it. He played really well. That’s all there is to it. I just ran up against a guy who’s clicking on all cylinders.”

Melzer has three titles in his career and is working his way back toward a top-10 ranking after back troubles last year. He’s playing well enough this week that not even the toe he caught up in a bedspread is bothering him. “It’s very nice to beat the top seed, but for me it’s more important that my game is getting better,” Melzer said. “My body holds up. ... I had a lot of troubles with my back last year.

It’s nice to be able to play pain-free on the court, putting the toe aside. OK, that’s going to heal, and going out there especially when there’s an important point. I have been playing well this week. That’s what made me top 10 in the world and (I’m) trying to do that again.”

Melzer broke in the first and last games of the opening set to win the opening frame comfortably, but it was a tighter struggle in the second. Isner saved two match points down 4-5 and trailing 15-40, serving three aces to hold and keep the match on serve. Having won all his tiebreakers this year, Isner would have been confident of levelling at a set all, and he did have a set point but could not close it out. —AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

S P ORT S Soccer results/standings English Premier League results yesterday: Chelsea 3 (Luiz 48, Drogba 61, Lampard 79) Bolton 0; Newcastle 2 (Cisse 6, Gutierrez 18) Wo l ve s 2 ( J a r v i s 5 0 , D oy l e 6 6 ) ; Q P R 0 , Fulham 1 (Pogrebnyak 7); West Brom 4 (Odemwingie 3, 48, Morrison 41, Andrews 90) Sunderland 0; Wigan 0, Aston Villa 0, Manchester City 3 (Balotelli 30, Aguero 52, Dzeko 81) Blackburn 0.

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

Division One Bournemouth 0, Milton Keynes Dons 1; Bury 1, Leyton Orient 1; Carlisle 3, Yeovil 2; Charlton 2, Stevenage 0; Colchester 0, Rochdale 0; Huddersfield 2, Exeter 0; Notts County 1, Chesterfield 0; Oldham 1, Tranmere 0; Preston 0, Walsall 0; Scunthorpe 0, Brentford 0; Wycombe 5, Hartlepool 0.

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

Scottish Premier League results Celtic 1 (Hooper 59) Motherwell 0; Hearts 0, Dundee Utd 2 (Daly 41, Gunning 85); Kilmarnock 1 (Shiels 83) Hibernian 3 (Soares 17, 66, O’Donovan 46); St Johnstone 3 (M.Davidson 33, C.Davidson 35, Croft 78) Dunfermline 1 (Burns 73); St Mirren 1 (Hasselbaink 57) Aberdeen 1 (Vernon 59).

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

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

Third Division Alloa 1, Clyde 0; Berwick 0, East Stirling 2; Montrose 2, Elgin City 3; Peterhead 3, Annan Athletic 2; Queen’s Park 3, Stranraer 2.

German league results FC Augsburg 3 (Oehrl 61, 63, Ndjeng 90+2) Hertha Berlin 0; Mainz 05 4 (Zidan 2, Szalai 17, N. Mueller 30, Choupo-Moting 74) Kaiserslautern 0; VfB Stuttgart 4 (Harnik 12, 82, Kazaki 21, Boulahrouz 63) Freiburg 1 (Diagne 27); FC Cologne 0 Bayer Leverkusen 2 (L. Bender 16, 50); VfL Wolfsburg 1 (Helmes 69pen) Hoffenheim 2 (Roberto Firmino 2, Schipplock 84).

Played Friday: Moenchengladbach 1 (Hanke 45) Hamburg 1 (Arslan 56)

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

Fulham do the double as QPR crash again QPR 0

Fulham 1

LONDON: Pavel Pogrebnyak bagged the second goal of his short Fulham career to send 10man Queens Park Rangers slipping ever closer to the relegation zone yesterday after a 1-0 defeat.

Russian striker Pogrebnyak, a late January transfer window signing following the departure of Bobby Zamora to Rangers, pounced on seven minutes to settle a tense encounter between the two west London rivals.

Fulham had already seen an Andy Johnson effort disallowed for offside before they took a deser ved early lead. Belgian international Moussa Dembele conjured up a deft back heel to feed Pogrebnyak, who coolly rounded Paddy Kenny to finish.

QPR had been humiliated 6-0

by Fulham in the earlier fixture between the teams this season, but their hopes of avenging that reverse were dealt a hammer blow on 33 minutes when debutant Samba Diakite was sent off.

Diakite received his marching orders after picking up his sec-

LONDON: Queens Park Rangers’ Jamie Mackie (right) competes with Fulham’s John Arne Riise during their English Premier League soccer match.—AP

ond yellow card of the match for a clumsy challenge on Br yan Ruiz. It was the third time in four home matches that Rangers have had a player sent off and the dismissal meant Mark Hughes’ side were always struggling in their bid to improve a home record that has seen them

win at Loftus Road only twice this season.

More significantly, Rangers have now just recorded only one win in 14 games and only goal difference separates them from the relegation zone.

The victory saw Fulham edge closer to safety, with Martin Jol’s

Wigan, Villa in drab draw Wigan 0

Aston Villa 0

WIGAN: Aston Villa’s England striker Darren Bent suffered what looked like a serious injury in an otherwise unremarkable 0-0 draw against fellow Premier League tailenders Wigan yesterday.

The draw did little to help Wigan who remain bottom of the table, though just a point off safety, while Villa cannot breathe easily just yet.

They are eight points clear of the bottom three but defeat against Blackburn Rovers next weekend could see them dragged into a battle for survival.

Wigan - whose winless streak now stands at 11 but at least kept only their second clean sheet in 23 Premier League games - had outstanding Omani ‘keeper Ali

Al-Habsi to thank for them going in at halftime on level terms.

Al-Habsi, who was also pivotal in Wigan retaining their elite status last term, made crucial saves. The best came off Bent, the England striker being set up by Irish veteran Robbie Keane, who was making his last appearance on loan before returning to the LA Galaxy.

The hosts dominated possession, playing the fluent style that coach Roberto Martinez favours, but Jordi Gomez, Franco di Santo and Antolin Alcaraz were all wasteful when in good positions to beat Shay Given.

The second-half produced little in the way of chances and ended on a worrying note for Villa manager Alex McLeish as Bent had to be stretchered off after going down following a clean tackle by Alcaraz.

It was all Wigan as the game entered its closing stages with Hugo Rodallega having two chances, the first flying high over the bar and the second forcing Given into a save. The fact that it was his first of the match said everything about the accuracy of the hosts’ shooting.—AFP

Matches on TV

GERMANY: Leverkusen’s Stefan Kiessling (front) and Cologne’s Kevin McKenna of Canada challenge during the German First Division Bundesliga soccer match.—AP

Leverkusen blank Cologne BERLIN: Midfielder Lars Bender staked his claim to start in Germany’s friendly against France on Wednesday with two goals as Bayer Leverkusen moved up to fifth in the German league with a 2-0 win at Cologne.

With Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund hosting Hanover, and third-placed Bayern Munich at home to Schalke today, Bender struck as Leverkusen claimed bragging rights in the Rhine derby.

Having lost 4-1 at home to Cologne last September in the league, Bender said this was pay back time for Leverkusen.

“A derby win like that is always special. We needed to make amends after the home game,” said Bender, whose team hammered Augsburg 4-1 last weekend. “We deserved the win at the end of the day. It was important to build on the Augsburg win.” The 22-year-old, whose twin brother Sven of Borussia Dortmund is also in the Germany squad to face the French in Bremen, netted either side of half-time as Leverkusen moved past Werder Bremen, who host Nuremberg later yesterday.

Bender’s display was timely as Germany coach Joachim Loew is missing first-choice midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Goetze and Lukas Podolski for Wednesday’s match. “We were looking to move the ball forward from the first minute and we had the game wonderfully under control,” said

Leverkusen coach Robin Dutt. “My only criticism would be that we didn’t score more goals.” Mainz continued their impressive form to go 10th with a 4-0 hammering of Kaiserslautern as Egypt star Mohamed Zidan scored for the fourth time in four games since his winter break move from Dortmund. The 30-year-old has been in stellar form for his new club and needed just two minutes to put his side ahead.

Ex-Greece coach Otto Rehhagel, who took over last Sunday, got off to a losing start as Hertha Berlin were beaten 3-0 by fellow relegation candidates Augsburg.

Two goals in two minutes from striker Torsten Oehrl put Augsburg ahead before Cameroon midfielder Marcel Ndjeng scored the third in the 92nd minute as Berlin slumped to their sixth straight defeat.

The defeat sees Berlin drop into the relegation zone. Stuttgart are up to eighth after their 4-1 win at home to bottom side Freiburg as Japan striker Shinji Okazaki scored for the third time in three league matches. On Friday night, Borussia Moenchengladbach missed out on joining Dortmund on 49 points at the top of the table after a 1-1 draw with improving Hamburg. Mike Hanke gave Lucien Favre’s hosts the lead with a header from a Juan Arango freekick on the stroke of half-time but Tolgay Arslan equalised 11 minutes after the restart. —AFP

side now safely in mid-table on 33 points. A disappointing afternoon for Rangers finished on a sour note when Hughes got embroiled in an altercation with Jol, the Welshman appearing to ignore the Dutch manager ’s offer of a handshake on the whistle.—AFP

Albion outclass Sunderland LONDON: Sunderland’s form took a sharp downward dip yesterWest Brom 4 day when Martin O’Neill’s rapidly improving team were outclassed 4-0 at West Sunderland 0 Bromwich Albion.

The O’Neill Effect has seen Sunderland climb to ninth in the Premier League table, and they knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup last weekend, but they came unstuck against a West Brom side who had previously won only two games at home all season.

Nigerian forward Peter Odemwingie, who scored a hat-trick in the recent 5-1 demolition of Wolverhampton Wanderers, broke the deadlock with an early goal and James Morrison added a second four minutes before half-time.

Odemwingie took his tally to five goals in two games with the hosts’ third at the start of the second half, before Keith Andrews completed a victory that lifted Roy Hodgson’s men to 12th in the table.

Sunderland’s resurgent form has catapulted them into the top half but they fell behind after only three minutes at The Hawthorns when Odemwingie stole between two defenders to head home Youssef Mulumbu’s driven cross from the left.

Recent Ireland call-up James McClean squandered an opportunity to level when he failed to capitalise on an inviting Sebastian Larsson cross, before Morrison tested Simon Mignolet at the other end with a rasping shot from the edge of the box.

The Scotland midfielder would not be denied a second time, however, and on 41 minutes he planted Jerome Thomas’ centre past Mignolet with a downward back-post header to double the hosts’ advantage.

O’Neill introduced Nicklas Bendtner and new England call-up Fraizer Campbell at half-time but any hopes of a Black Cats comeback were shattered within three minutes of the second period.

West Brom goalkeeper Ben Foster launched a counter-attack with an intelligent long throw that allowed Morrison to feed Marc-Antoine Fortune, whose lay-off eluded Morrison but was dispatched in crisp fashion by Odemwingie.

Thomas curled a shot against the crossbar moments later, and Fortune had an effort cleared off the line, while Sunderland’s best chance saw Michael Turner head over from Wayne Bridge’s free-kick.

Andrews completed O’Neill’s misery in the last minute, burying a Graham Dorrans cut-back and sealing Sunderland’s heaviest Premier League defeat since a 5-0 reverse at Manchester City last April.—AFP

Celtic edge Motherwell to inch closer to SPL title GLASGOW: Celtic continued their relentless pursuit of the Scottish Premier League title with a narrow 1-0 win over Motherwell yesterday that moves them 23 points clear at the top with nine games remaining.

With the chance to close in on Rangers in second place, visitors Motherwell started the match in determined fashion and frustrated their hosts for the majority of the match.

However, despite already holding a formidable lead over their Old Firm rivals, Celtic showed no signs of easing up and made the breakthrough in the 59th minute thanks to a superb finish from top scorer Gary Hooper.

Crisis-stricken Rangers, who were docked 10 points for entering administration earlier this month, play the first of two games in hand over the Hoops against Inverness on Sunday. But there seems to be no stopping Celtic, who have won 17 in a row in the SPL, as they close in on their first title in four years and remain on course for a clean sweep of trophies this season. “It was a great performance and a great result. It’s another three points and another clean sheet,” said Celtic manager Neil Lennon. “I thought we were in the ascendancy for the majority of the game. At 1-0 it is always a bit tense but I don’t remember my goalkeeper having to make a save of note.”

His Motherwell counterpart, Stuart McCall, said he was proud of his players. “We switched off from a long throw-in and that was the most disappointing thing,” he said.—AFP

Radwanska lifts Dubai title

18

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

Fulham do the double as QPR crash again

19

King wins wild Truck Series race at Daytona

Page 17

LONDON: Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero (center) celebrates after scoring past Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson (on the ground) during their English Premier League soccer match at The Etihad Stadium.—AP

City five clear as Rovers swatted Man City 3

Blackburn 0

MANCHESTER: Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko scored the goals as Manchester City maintained their imperious home form to move five points clear of Manchester United with a 3-0 win over Blackburn.

City have now won their last 18 Premier League games at home, dating

back more than a year, and equal Newcastle’s record of starting a season by winning each of their 13 home matches.

Balotelli put Roberto Mancini’s side in front with his ninth Premier League goal of the season with just under half an hour gone. Aguero added a second with his 16th - and 21st in all competitions - just after half-time.

Dzeko came off the bench to head a third as City coasted to a comfortable victory that moves them five points ahead of United, who have an away game at Norwich today.

The result left Blackburn firmly rooted in the relegation zone, where only two points separate the bottom five. Balotelli was making his first Premier League start

since the goalless draw at West Brom in December following a four-match ban.

But he took just a minute to cause Blackburn problems, latching on to an Adam Johnson cross and forcing an impressive low save from Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

Rovers went into the game having lost just half of their 12 away matches and soon produced a threat of their own when a Morten Gamst Pedersen free-kick fell for Grant Hanley and his close-range effort deflected wide off Joleon Lescott.

The visitors were pinned back deep into their own half and were grateful to goalkeeper Robinson for keeping them in the game. When Aguero swung a pass over to right flank, Johnson burst forward

and had a long-range strike pushed away by the former England goalkeeper and Robinson also got a hand to the Pablo Zabaleta cross that followed.

As City continued to probe, Balotelli had a bending free-kick pushed away by the Rovers goalkeeper. But just before the half hour Balotelli made the breakthrough in some style.

Making his first Premier League appearance since returning from African Nations Cup duty with Ivory Coast, Yaya Toure started a counter-attack with a clever pass to David Silva.

The Spaniard clipped the ball left for Aleksander Kolarov, who whipped in a cross that gave Balotelli an easy tap in at the near post. The Italy striker displayed a

Relief for Villas-Boas as Chelsea defeat Bolton Chelsea 3

Bolton 0

LONDON: The pressure was lifted off Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas after his side moved back into fourth place in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory at home to Bolton Wanderers yesterday.

Goals from David Luiz, Didier Drogba and the recalled Frank Lampard were enough to move Chelsea above Arsenal and into fourth place, the final Champions League qualification slot.

The result also left Bolton in the relegation zone as Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich watched from the stands.

Villas-Boas had been forced to admit his team selection for the 3-1 defeat at Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday night had left him open to plenty of criticism.

Abramovich had demanded an explanation after Lampard and Ashley Cole were left out of the starting line-up, which had not been popular with the majority of supporters either.

Both England internationals were recalled for this game, as was Michael Essien, and defender Gary Cahill started against the club that had sold him in January.

Drogba was also picked to lead the front line, which meant Fernando Torres, who had been omitted from the most

recent Spain squad, had to be content with a place on the bench. Bolton manager Owen Coyle made one change with Darren Pratley replacing Mark Davies in midfield.

Chelsea dominated the first half without being able to get the better of Adam Bogdan, the goalkeeper who had been so poor when Chelsea had won 5-1 at the Reebok Stadium in October.

Bogdan’s save to deny Daniel Sturridge early on was not too convincing as he let go of the ball before retrieving. But he did well to hold up Lampard after the midfielder had burst into the box and, having ridden a tackle, tried to take the ball round the Hungarian.

A defender got in the way of that one and that was also the case when Chelsea forced a number of set-pieces.

There was nothing sub-standard about Bogdan’s save to deny Sturridge, who had cut in from the right to unleash a low drive. Drogba was full of invention and intention and the Bolton backline had great difficulty keeping him at bay.

They were grateful therefore to Branislav Ivanovic for effectively tackling his team-mate when Drogba was just about to shoot.

The half ended with Pratley booked for a dive as he tried to win a penalty as Essien challenged and Ryo Miyaichi, the on-loan Arsenal midfielder, firing just over from a good position in stoppage time.

Chelsea needed just two second half minutes to take the lead however and it was defender Luiz who scored it.

The Brazil international had been involved in the build-up and when the

“Raffaella ti amo (Raffaella I Love You)” tshirt, aimed at girlfriend Raffaella Fico as he celebrated his opening effort.

City continued to press for a second goal, and Robinson had to be at his best to deny Silva, who was played through by another intelligent pass from Kolarov.

Robinson pulled off another fine stop from a Vincent Kompany flick from Kolarov’s corner before Toure failed to divert the rebound on target.

Argentina forward Aguero also failed to take two opportunities just before the break, lifting well over the bar and also missing from a narrow angle.

The pattern continued after the break, with Johnson having a low effort deflected wide of goal. But from the Silva corner

Wolves rally to hold Newcastle Newcastle 2

Wolves 2

LONDON: Chelsea’s captain Frank Lampard celebrates his goal against Bolton Wanderers during their Premier League soccer match at Stamford Bridge.—AP ball broke to him in the Bolton penalty area he cut inside neatly before firing past Bogdan.

Nigel Reo-Coker might have equalised soon afterwards but was unable to hit the target from the edge of the Chelsea penalty area.

Luiz almost made him pay for that miss by getting on the end of Juan Mata’s corner delivery to the far post but a combination of Bogdan and Miyaichi saw the ball deflected behind for a corner.

A second goal was coming though and Drogba was the man who scored it just after the hour mark, nodding home a Lampard corner. Miyaichi was perfectly positioned on the line once more to stop it but could not.

Drogba took a knock and was replaced

by Torres with 14 minutes remaining.

Lampard made it 3-0 after Mata had picked him out at the back post, with the midfielder’s run having not been picked up by the Bolton defence.—AFP

that followed, Robinson flailed at the ball and Aguero stabbed in City’s second. Even Zabaleta was attempting to score and the Argentina defender saw his effort fly sideways straight into Aguero and wide of goal. As Blackburn attempted some sort of response, Canadian winger Junior Hoilett broke forward and shot only to see his effort bounce away off Yakubu.

Balotelli had a header deflected offtarget by Bradley Orr but City seemed satisfied with their margin of victory. With just under 10 minutes left, Dzeko beat two Blackburn defenders to thump Kolarov’s cross past Robinson.

Yakubu finally forced a save from Joe Hart deep in injury time but it was a comfortable outing for the leaders.—AFP

NEWCASTLE: Wolves manager Terry Connor made an instant impact as his side climbed out of the relegation zone after fighting back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Newcastle yesterday.

Connor was handed the Wolves job until the end of the season on Friday at the conclusion of a chaotic search for a successor to Mick McCarthy, who was sacked following a 5-1 defeat against West Bromwich Albion earlier this month.

The likes of Steve Bruce, Walter Smith and Alan Curbishley were all linked with the job, but when those deals fell through McCarthy’s assistant Connor was appointed to widespread dismay among the club’s supporters.

Connor looked set for a chastening debut as Newcastle surged into a twogoal lead thanks to first half strikes from Papiss Demba Cisse and Jonas Gutierrez.

But Connor’s half-time team-talk clearly breathed new life into his struggling team and Matt Jarvis reduced the deficit before Kevin Doyle grabbed the equaliser.

That was enough to lift Wolves out of the bottom three at Blackburn’s expense and dent Newcastle’s challenge for a topfour finish.

Alan Pardew’s side had taken the lead in the sixth minute when Yohan Cabaye, back from his three-match suspension, caught Christophe Berra in possession and crossed for Demba Ba to audaciously back-heel a shot towards goal.

Wayne Hennessey pulled off a fine save to deny Ba, but after the ball was only half cleared, Cisse was perfectly placed to poke home from Cheick Tiote’s pass.

Hennessey kept Newcastle at bay when he tipped Danny Simpson’s searing drive over the bar, but he was beaten again in the 18th minute.

Doyle’s clearing header dropped to Gutierrez and the Argentinian took a touch before rifling a shot into the top corner from 25 yards. Cisse was denied his second goal when Stephen Ward covered superbly to block a shot in front of goal just before half-time.

The momentum shifted back to Wolves in the 50th minute when they enjoyed a slice of the sort of good fortune they will require to survive.

Jarvis cut inside from the left and fired in a shot which clipped full-back Simpson and looped high over goalkeeper Tim Krul and into the net.

Suddenly Wolves were playing with some confidence and Ward cut inside to test Krul with a deflected shot. Pardew responded by sending on Hatem Ben Arfa and Danny Guthrie, but Wolves were level within seconds of their introduction in the 66th minute.

Mike Williamson headed Jamie O’Hara’s free-kick straight at Doyle, who reacted first to the rebound to prod the ball into the bottom corner.—AFP

US, Saudi maneuver to contain Iran oil threat Page 22

WB chief says US should lead some global bodies Page 25 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

Greek farmers offload crops at cost price

KSE price index gains on positive sentiment Page 24

Page 23

HONG KONG: Pedestrians walk along a street in a busy shopping district of Hong Kong yesterday. Hong Kong’s economy could shrink in the first quarter of 2012 due to weak export markets, before rebounding to post growth of 1.0-3.0 percent over the year the finance secretary said in early February. — AFP

Euro-zone ‘split’ on size of bailout German opposition still remains strong MEXICO CITY: Euro-zone leaders may not be able to meet international demands to ramp up their own funds for bailing out the bloc’s debtors when they meet next week because Germany is showing no sign of dropping its opposition to the plan, euro-zone officials said.

A bigger European fund is a condition for major non-European economies before they lend more money to the I nternational Monetary Fund to provide an even bigger wall of cash to fight the crisis that has already claimed three euro debtor countries and now threatens the much bigger economies of Italy and Spain.

“I would not bet on a positive outcome by the end of the March 1-2 summit,” one eurozone official said. “German opposition to a deal is still very strong.”

Euro-zone leaders are set to review the 500 billion euro ($675 billion) limit on the joint lending capacity of their temporary and permanent bailout funds, known by their acronyms EFSF and ESM, at the March 1-2 summit.

If they decide to merge the funds, they would create a firewall of 750 billion euros which would help convince markets that

they were committed to bringing the crisis under control. The European Central Bank supports such an increase as do policymakers around the world who are considering more than doubling the IMF’s resources by $600 billion.

“Everybody says there is a pre-condition that Europe makes more efforts first,” South Korea’s central bank governor Kim Choongsoo said before a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers of Group of 20 leading economies in Mexico City. But Germany, the euro-zone’s biggest economy, insists Europe’s current bailout arrangements are more than sufficient and that increasing them would send a signal to markets that the euro-zone it expects more trouble ahead.

German officials say countries would lose the impetus to carry out badly needed belttightening reforms. “It makes no sense, and is rather harmful,” said one German official.

Others in Berlin argue the extra obligations under the combined bailout funds could increase the risk of further credit rating downgrades for some euro zone countries.

And the sense of urgency is dissipating because Italy and Spain are paying less to borrow on markets.

Officials from other countries warn that argument is premature.

“The current improvement in markets is very fragile, so we need to be careful not become complacent,” a second euro-zone official said. “Most euro-zone countries are ready to move now, but I am afraid that Germany will need more time to agree to the increase, mainly to be able to better manage the Bundestag,” the official said.

The country’s parliament is due to vote on Monday on the agreement to provide Greece with a new financial lifeline, agreed earlier this month despite much opposition from German taxpayers.

A draft set of conclusions prepared ahead of next week’s summit showed that euro zone leaders will call for an international deal to increase IMF resources in April, implying a deal within the euro zone on its bailout funds in March. Yet this was unlikely to come as soon as next week, officials said.

“What we can expect, at most, is a reference in the conclusions suggesting Germany is not closing the door,” one senior euro zone official said.

The United States has said it will not participate in any IMF funding boost. Canada is

reluctant too, unless the euro zone makes a bigger effort. That leaves China and Japan as the two biggest candidates for increasing IMF resources through bilateral loans. One G20 official said there were hopes that China, the world’s second-biggest economy, could contribute some $100 billion to the IMF and Japan another $50 billion.

Both countries said last Sunday that the euro zone must move first. Three euro zone officials said a decision on the size of the euro zone bailout funds could be taken after next week’s summit, but still during March.

One of the officials said: “The leaders said they would review the adequacy of the funds’ resources in March. March 1-2 is just the first opportunity.” Another of the officials said Germany first wanted to see the outcome of Greece’s debt swap which Athens wants to conclude by March 12 when eurozone finance ministers are due to meet.

“From this point, we believe there is a small window of opportunity to get a deal done, before the IMF board meeting in mid-March,” one of the euro-zone officials said.

An extra euro zone summit after March 12 may be necessary to approve the changes to the ESM and EFSF. But this would still allow

Vedanta merges Indian units to create $20bn metals giant

Obama: No magic bullet to bring down gas prices WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama says there is no easy answer to the problem of rising energy prices, dismissing Republican plans to address the problem as little more than gimmicks. “We know there’s no silver bullet that will bring down gas prices or reduce our dependence on foreign oil overnight,” Obama said yesterday in his weekly radio and Internet address. “But what we can do is get our priorities straight and make a sustained, serious effort to tackle this problem.” Oil prices are approaching last year’s highs as tensions increase over Iran’s nuclear program. The rise pushed gasoline prices Friday to a national average of $3.65 a gallon, the highest ever for this time of year. A spike in gas prices is normal in spring, but it came earlier than usual this year in large part because of world fears that the growing confrontation with Iran will crimp oil supplies.

Iran is the world’s third-largest crude supplier. Rising oil prices weigh on the economy, pushing leisure and business travel costs higher. Every 1cent increase in the price of gasoline costs the economy $1.4 billon, analysts say. Obama said Republicans have one answer to the oil pinch: Drill.

“You know that’s not a plan, especially since we’re already drilling,” Obama said, echoing his remarks earlier in the week. “It’s a bumper sticker.”

Obama is pushing what he calls an

“all-of-the-above” approach to the problem of limited energy resources, meaning an attempt to seek out alternative energy sources while reducing consumption of traditional fuels.

In the Republican address, Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison blamed the rise in gasoline prices partly on the Obama administration, which she said has blocked some potential new sources of oil and gas. “We can’t slow down global demand for oil and gas, but we can do a lot more here at home to assure that we have the energy we need and to halt skyrocketing costs,” she said. “President Obama’s policy has resulted in an unprecedented slowdown in new exploration and production of oil and gas.” For all the political claims, economists say there’s not much a president of either party can do about gasoline prices.

Certainly not in the short term. But it’s clear that people are concerned - a new AP-GfK poll says 7 in 10 Americans find the issue deeply important - so it’s sure to be a political issue through the summer. The price of gasoline, which is made from crude oil, has soared with oil prices. The national average jumped by nearly 12 cents per gallon in a week, with state averages above $4 per gallon in California, Alaska and Hawaii. At $3.65 per gallon, gasoline is still below last year’s high of $3.98 and the record $4.11 set in 2008. — AP

time for the April increase of IMF resources to take place, a fourth euro zone official said.

A key factor for Berlin may be the level of opposition or support for the Greek rescue plan over the following two days not only in Germany’s parliament on Monday, but also in the Netherlands and Finland. The three countries have all retained their top AAA credit rating and led demands for austerity in debtor countries.

“Our view is that an informal agreement between a few key euro zone countries could be enough for IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde to go to the IMF board and ask for increased commitments for Europe,” the official said. For Germany, rather than quickly combining the temporary and permanent funds, one of the options could be to allow the permanent European Stability Mechanism to reach its full capacity of 500 billion euros more quickly than over five years from July 2012, as envisaged now.

Germany would be ready to pay its contribution to the ESM’s 80 billion-euro paid-in capital more quickly than in five tranches or even make all its payments in two steps, officials said. But not all euro-zone countries are ready to follow. — Reuters

TEHRAN: Iranian workers load scaffolding onto a pick-up truck, to transport it for the clients, at an iron market on the southern outskirts of Tehran yesterday. The International Monetary Fund estimates that Iran’s 2011 GDP was $480 billion at the official exchange rate, around 2.5 percent higher than the previous year. — AFP

SWIFT ready to expel Iran CB from network WASHINGTON: The world’s biggest electronic banking system is ready to block Iran’s central bank from using its network to transfer funds, a US congressional aide said after a briefing from the Belgium-based group earlier this week.

Such a move by SWIFT, or Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, would prevent Tehran from sending payment orders electronically around the world and give the West another tool in its effort to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Tehran maintains its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful purposes. Under pressure from the United States to stop Iran’s banks from using its global network, SWIFT has said it was prepared to block Iranian transactions. Expelling the Iranian central bank, which acts as the clearinghouse for Tehran’s

oil revenues, would essentially cut off the country’s most powerful vehicle to move funds electronically.

The United States has already imposed sanctions on the largest Iranian state-owned banks and is getting ready to punish countries and their institutions if they continue to deal with the central bank of Iran.

European Union governments may agree in coming weeks on rules to push Iranian banks from SWIFT - regulations that SWIFT said it was waiting for in order to block Iran’s banks.

In meetings with US lawmakers and their staff about US legislation that would force SWIFT to act, its general counsel said the company was hoping the European Union’s law would include banning the Iranian central bank, the congressional aide involved with the talks said.— Reuters

NEW DELHI: London-listed mining heavyweight Vedanta announced yesterday it was combining its two main Indian subsidiaries into a metals giant that will have a market capitalization of over $20 billion.

Under the restructuring to streamline Vedanta’s complex operations and cut costs, metals producer Sterlite Industries will merge with iron ore miner Sesa Goa, creating one of India’s biggest firms with annual revenues of $14.2 billion. The new company, to be known as Sesa Sterlite, will create an “Indian natural resources champion”, said Vedanta’s billionaire chairman Anil Agarwal, known as “the metals king,” who started his career in Mumbai as a scrap dealer. “This transaction is a natural evolution, leading to simplification of the group’s structure,” Agarwal told a televised news conference in Mumbai, India’s financial hub. “We will have one company, Vedanta, which will be the holding company and have one operating company, which will be Sesa Sterlite,” said the Britain-based mining magnate who grew up in India.

“This is the new baseline.” The transaction will be carried out through an all-share deal in which three Sesa Goal shares will be issued for every five Sterlite shares, the company said in a statement. Investors have long complained that Vedanta’s structure with over a dozen subsidiaries is too fractured and demanded an overhaul to produce economies of scale.

But a similar attempt to streamline Vedanta’s operations four years ago failed after investors objected to valuations of some of the company’s assets. Sesa Sterlite, whose activities will straddle all major resources from oil, iron ore, aluminum, copper, zinc and lead, “is well placed to create value for all shareholders,” Agarwal added. The new corporate behemoth is expected to be the seventh largest global natural resources company by earnings and its shares will be listed in India and in New York. The merger will create “significant synergies” generating cost savings of $200 million a year and the new company will have a market capitalization of $20 billion, Vedanta group chief executive M.S. Mehta said. The restructuring is expected to be completed by the end of 2012, subject to regulatory approvals, Mehta said.— AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

BUSINESS

US, Saudi maneuver to contain Iran oil threat Saudi exports up sharply last week WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: Saudi Arabia has raised oil exports and the United States is considering releasing crude from its strategic reserves as oil prices hit nine-month highs and concerns deepened over Iran’s nuclear program.

Brent crude surged to over $125 a barrel after the United Nation’s nuclear watchdog issued a report flagging the potential military nature of Iran’s nuclear program, following an aborted UN inspection mission to Iran this week.

The report heightened fears of a supply disruption and could stoke worries in Israel, which has threatened Iran with pre-emptive strikes on nuclear sites. That would send shockwaves across the region and almost certainly drive oil prices even higher. Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia increased exports over in the past week and offered additional crude to its biggest customers to tame runaway prices, industry sources told Reuters on Friday.

US sanctions on Iran’s oil buyers, as well as a European Union oil embargo to begin July 1, have already forced its customers in Europe and Asia to curb purchases from the world’s fifth-largest crude exporter. The Saudi move comes as the Obama administration studies tapping crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve among possible measures to offset any Iranian supply disruptions, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told CNBC on Friday there may be a case for using the reserve.

“Obviously Iran can do a lot of damage to the global economy,” Geithner said. “We are working very carefully to try to minimize that risk.”

The fear of tightening supplies, including a threat from Tehran to close the Strait of Hormuzthe main Gulf oil shipping lane-have lifted oil prices 11 percent this year, putting political pressure on President Barack Obama, who is running for re-election in November.

Prices at the US gasoline pump are the highest on record for February. They hit $3.65 a gallon on Friday, up 13 percent from last year, according to AAA. That has raised concern that any oil market disturbance could hoist them well over $4.00 during the US summer driving season-when demand in the world’s largest oil consumer tends to be highest. The International Monetary Fund has also warned higher oil prices are a rising threat to the global economy.

“It’s clear that Washington is holding its regular fire-drill on $4.00 gasoline. This means going through the laundry-list of policies they could use, including an SPR release,” said Bob McNally, a former White House energy adviser who now runs energy consultant Rapidan Group.

“Iran is the added twist. The odds Washington places on an Israeli attack on Iran are higher than the odds given by the oil markets.”

The appetite for a coordinated opening of reserves by the United States and other nations may not be as high as last June, when Western nations which are members of the International Energy Agency agreed to release a total of 60 million barrels of oil in response to supply disruptions from Libya. Angel Gurria, secretary general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, said releasing reserves now would not help dampen oil prices driven up by concerns over geopolitical tensions rather than an actual interruption of crude flows.

“My concern is that the hike in the price today does not derive from a fundamental imbalance of supply and demand,” he said at a Group of 20 meeting in Mexico City. The comment echoed those of Germany’s Economy Ministry earlier this

week, which said the government has no plans to release any of its strategic oil reserves. “By law, the oil reserves can only be released in the event of a disruption of the oil supplies and there is nothing of the kind at the moment,” the spokeswoman said.

Analysts have noted that the actual supply losses seen this year from Syria, Yemen, Sudan that have heightened market concerns are slight compared to the disruptions from Libya last year that prompted the release of the IEA’s reserves.

While Europe would suffer more directly from the cutoff of Iranian crude than the United States, which does not buy oil from Tehran, the knock on effect of a disruption would drive up prices across the globe. The US SPR has the capacity to hold 727 million barrels, enough to cover US needs for nearly 40 days. The government has tapped the reserve in the past during times of supply disruptions, most recently after Libya’s civil war.

An SPR release during the 1991 Gulf War coincided with a 12 percent fall in US gasoline prices.

One in 2005 was followed by a price-drop of 19 percent, while last year’s release coincided with a US pump-price drop of around 6 percent, according to Department of Energy figures.

Saudi Arabia has repeated publicly it would prime its pumps to meet any shortfall in exports from fellow OPEC member Iran. Industry sources told Reuters on Friday the Kingdom had boosted exports to just over 9 million barrels per day last week, compared with an average of about 7.5 million bpd in January, although it was not clear if the export numbers were the start of a longer Saudi supply addition or a temporary uptick.

“Those export numbers are very reliable but they’re only for a week so they don’t tell you whether or not they’re going to sustain these levels,” said one industry source.

If Riyadh were to maintain exports at 9 million

bpd it would imply record volumes from OPEC’s leading producer of 11 million bpd, up more than a million bpd from last month. Saudi currently is using about 2 million bpd domestically. Other sources at oil companies who buy Saudi crude said that Riyadh was offering extra oil both in addition to existing long-term contracts and on a one-off “spot” basis.

Saudi Arabia earlier this year identified $100 a barrel as a fair price and Riyadh is sensitive to the concerns among consumer countries about high fuel prices slowing economic recovery.

As well as extra Saudi oil, Iran’s top European customers are seeking more from Iraq, Libya and Russia, but Saudi Arabia is the only country that holds significant volumes of spare capacity.

European Union countries import about 700,000 bpd of Iranian oil.

Concerns over Iran’s nuclear program reached a fever pitch after the UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Friday Iran had sharply stepped up its uranium enrichment drive.

The IAEA also reported its failed mission to Tehran this week that aimed to get Iran to respond to allegations of research relevant for the development of nuclear weapons-a serious setback to the possible resumption of diplomatic talks.

“The Agency continues to have serious concerns regarding possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program,” the Vienna-based UN body said in a quarterly report about Iran issued to its member states. Israel, which has threatened Iran with pre-emptive strikes on its nuclear sites, had no immediate comment on the report. Germany, which has backed tough new sanctions on Iran, said it was further cause for concern.

Tehran says its nuclear program is exclusively for civilian purposes and denies it aims to make atomic weapons. — Reuters

Kuwait revenues up to KD 24.16bn: Report KUWAIT: Kuwait state revenues for the first 10 months of FY 2011/2012 jumped to KD 24.1689 billion by the end of January 2012, an economic report said yesterday.

The report, issued by Al-Shall Economic Consultants, based its conclusion on a report by the Ministry of Finance. The state revenues have achieved more than-expected growth in the past months.

“Until 31/01/2012 (10 months of the current fiscal year 2011/2012), total received revenues scored about KD 24.1689 billion, which is 79.8 percent higher than estimated total revenues for the current fiscal year at KD 13.4453 billion, with a rise of about 42.9 percent over total received revenues during the same period of last fiscal year 2010/2011 in the amount of KD 16.9087 billion,” the report reads.

It explained that the bulletin estimates actual oil revenues until 31/01/2012 by KD 22.8328 billion, which is 85.5 percent higher than the estimated oil revenues for the entire current fiscal year in the amount of KD 12.3071 billion and forms about 94.5 percent of total received revenues due to the rise in

oil prices and production.

“As such, achieved oil revenues in the first ten months of the current fiscal year were higher by KD 7.0402 billion, 44.6 percent higher than its value during the same period last fiscal year. An amount of KD 1.3361 million, or a monthly average of KD 133.610 million, was received from non-oil revenues (KD 1.1382 billion estimated for the entire current fiscal year). Thus, the realized amount will be higher by KD 465.1 million than the estimated amount assuming that non-oil revenues would continue at the same monthly average amount.”

With regard to the performance of Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) for the last week, the report described it as more active than the previous one. “All the major indices, including the general index, showed an increase. Al Shall Index (value weighted) closed at 450.8 points at the closing of last Thursday, showing an increase of 2.2 points or about 0.5 percent compared to previous week’s closing, and an increase of 0.6 points or about 0.1 percent compared to the end of 2011,” it disclosed. — KUNA

MUMBAI: Indian passengers stand at a Kingfisher Airlines reservation counter at the domestic airport in Mumbai. Kingfisher Airlines has received offers of funds from two Indian investors to help it tide over its cash crunch, the company’s chief was quoted yesterday as saying. — AP

India’s ailing Kingfisher offered help: Report ing its bank accounts for not paying tax arrears. The company’s net loss widened sharply to 4.44 billion rupees ($88 million) in the three months to December from a loss of 2.54 billion rupees a year earlier. Its debt totals at least $1.3 billion.

A consortium of banks led by state-run State Bank of India was expected to meet next week to discuss whether to extend fresh loans to Kingfisher, based on a new feasibility report, domestic media said. The banks already own about a quarter of Kingfisher through an earlier debt-for-equity swap, and bankers have said they would like to see the airline get cash injections from other investors before they put in more money.

Mallya has said closing Kingfisher “is not an option”. India’s cabinet is next month expected to approve allowing foreign airlines to take up to a 49 percent stake in domestic carriers.

Analysts have mentioned IAG, parent company of British Airways, and Etihad Airways, flagship carrier of the United Arab Emirates, as firm that might be interested in a Kingfisher stake. — AFP

NEW DELHI: India’s debt-crippled Kingfisher Airlines has received offers of funds from two Indian investors to help tide it over its cash crunch, the company’s chief was quoted yesterday as saying.

Kingfisher chairman and brewing magnate Vijay Mallya said the carrier was examining the offers, according to the Economic Times, a leading Indian financial daily. The chosen investor would pick up a 24 percent stake in the Bangalore-based carrier if a deal was reached, Mallya said, declining to identify the candidates.

“They are large investors, and I would leave it there,” he said. The company owes suppliers, lenders and staff millions of dollars but Mallya said no agreement had yet been reached with the airline’s existing bank lenders on its requests for more funds.

Kingfisher has scrapped scores of flights with only 28 of its fleet of 64 aircraft in operation. Many of its planes have been reclaimed by lessors or are awaiting spare parts. The airline, India’s second-largest until earlier this year when its cash woes deepened, has blamed its latest problems on officials freez-

UAE’s Air Arabia Q4 profits up 7% DUBAI: UAE budget carrier Air Arabia reported a seven percent rise in fourthquarter net profit, as it introduced new routes despite a challenging environment with ongoing regional unrest.

Air Arabia earned a net profit of 78.7 million dirhams ($21.4 million) compared with 72.27 million dirhams a year earlier, the company said in a statement yesterday. “ The year 2011 saw ongoing political unrest in the region, as global fuel prices also surged,” Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani, chairman of Air Arabia said in the statement. “While these challenging market conditions continue to impact the performance of the aviation sector... we have focused more keenly than ever on ensuring the highest level of operational efficiency.”

The earnings fell short of a forecast by SICO Bahrain, which expected a profit of 125 million dirhams. Revenue for the quarter was 638 million dirhams compared with 544.8 million dirhams in the prior-year.

Net profit for 2011 was 274 million dirhams, down 13 percent. The airline’s board proposed an annual dividend payout of 4.5 per cent of capital, equivalent to 4.5 fils per share. The company paid dividend of eight fils per share during the year-ago period. The airline received six new A320 aircraft from Airbus in 2011 as part of an order for 44 jetliners placed in 2007. It expects to receive another six planes in 2012. Middle East carriers are slowly recovering from the impact of regional unrest in countries such as Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Tunisia which forced them to cancel flights and delay growth plans.

Air Arabia, headquartered in the emirate of Sharjah, also has hubs in Egypt and Morocco.

The airline, which competes with regional low cost carriers such as flydubai and Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways, delayed plans to establish a fourth hub in Jordan earlier this year. It introduced two routes to smaller cities in Saudi Arabia in 2011. — Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2730000 .4350000 .3640000 .3010000 .2760000 .2930000 .0040000 .0020000 .0752550 .7331860 .3830000 .0710000 .7187560 .0040000 .0430000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2772000 .4353980 .3693970 .3063660 .2783410 .0496720 .0418710 .2968400 .0357410 .2210700 .0034590 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0755000 .7355710 .0000000 .0739400 .7202810 .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.598 5.667 3.154 2.436 3.341 213.250 35.672 3.580 6.336 8.873 0.271 0.273

.2805000 .4450000 .3730000 .3120000 .2840000 .3040000 .0070000 .0035000 .0760110 .7405540 .4000000 .0760000 .7259800 .0072000 .0500000 .2793000 .4386970 .3721950 .3086870 .2804500 .0500480 .0421880 .2990880 .0360120 .2227450 .0034850 .0057140 .0023510 .0030880 .0034320 .0760720 .7411440 .3950500 .0745000 .7257370 .0065750

GCC COUNTRIES 74.150 76.402 722.230 738.540 75.715

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal/for 1000 Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira/for 1000 Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 47.500 46.282 1.272 189.860 392.670 1.865 6.003 33.814

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 277.950 Euro 370.650 Sterling Pound 431.930 Canadian dollar 268.420 Turkish lire 153.940 Swiss Franc 300.620 Australian dollar 277.000 US Dollar Buying 277.750

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

234.600 1.804 50.000 723.280 3.160 6.860 77.030 74.350 222.760 38.590 2.653 440.700 42.500 310.100 4.200 9.420 198.263 75.920 278.800 1.310

10 Tola

GOLD 1,831.580

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

233.100 723.100 3.070 6.515 76.600 74.350 222.760 38.590 2.343 438.700 308.600 4.200 9.350 75.820 278.400

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 438.700 278.400

Sterling Pound US Dollar

GOLD 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

315.500 159.000 81.500

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees

SELL CASH 300.300 740.540 3.600 282.400 546.900 45.400 50.200 167.800 47.580 373.200 36.600 5.810 0.032 0.167 0.243 3.570 394.890 0.188 94.170 46.500 4.280

SELL DRAFT 298.800 740.540 3.377 280.900

222.800 46.125 371.700 36.450 5.655 0.031

COUNTRY Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

SELL DRAFT 302.71 283.22 313.27 375.04 441.17 3.51 3.399 5.671 2.335 3.556 3.068 75.78 740.53 46.12 396.07 723.54 76.77 74.34

SELL CASH 302.00 284.00 310.00 373.00 444.00 3.70 3.550 5.790 2.625 4.250 3.200 76.50 74.05 48.00 394.60 728.00 77.25 74.70

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 394.570 0.187 94.170 3.550

Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

305.980 736.575 75.705 76.350 74.135 391.535 46.084 2.346 5.671 3.066 3.338 6.519 682.290 3.585 9.130 5.855 3.635 92.040

Selling Rate 278.150 281.530 442.270 369.580

Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 278.400 3.064 5.665 2.355 3.385 6.545 75.930 74.415 740.400 46.085 444.900 3.190 1.550 374.100 274.100 3.690

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 278.550 369.000 443.000 280.800 3.570 5.675 46.170 2.347 3.340 6.530 3.070 741.750 75.850 74.350

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

BUSINESS

G20 wants action from Europe before new IMF cash MEXICO CITY: World economic powers told Europe it would have to do more to fight its financial crisis before they agree to provide back-up in the form of a bigger IMF war-chest.

Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 top economies are gathering in Mexico City with Europe hoping that China, Japan and others will soon commit to giving the International Monetary Fund more money so it can help eurozone countries which suffer a cash crunch.

But many G20 countries are insisting that Europe needs to take the first step by bolstering its own bailout funds. “I expect no decision at the G20 summit on boosting the IMF’s resources,” said Jens Weidmann, head of Germany ’s central bank and a European Central Bank (ECB) Governing Council member.

The host of the weekend’s meetings, Mexico’s finance minister, Jose Antonio Meade, said it was “still early in the process” to discuss specific amounts and ways that G20 nations

could commit more money. The world’s rich countries have used the G20 to coordinate their response to the financial crisis that erupted in 2008 after the collapse of the US housing bubble and then spread to Europe where many countries are saddled with heavy debts.

As the crisis has dragged on, however, divisions over how to tackle it have deepened. The IMF wants to raise as much as $600 billion in extra resources to help deal with fallout from the euro-zone debt crisis, but the plan faces resistance from countries including the United States and Canada.

The United States has told Europe to do more on its own and also made clear it will not provide more cash to help the IMF handle the crisis.

“What we don’t want to see is the IMF substitute-and it really cannot substitute-for a stronger European response,” US Treasur y Secretar y Timothy Geithner told CNBC television.

Even if it wanted to, President

Barack Obama’s administration would have little or no chance of getting Congress’ approval in an election year to send more cash to help out Europe.

US reluctance has put the onus on Europe’s richest countries plus China, Japan and others to raise the funds.

EU leaders will meet next week to discuss boosting their own bailout funds.

Even G20 countries that are willing to help are unlikely to promise more money until Europe proves it is acting to help itself. “The problems many countries are facing today have a solution if they act decisively and in time,” said Mexico’s central bank governor Agustin Carstens. “If this is done sooner rather than later we will see a promising future for the global economy.”

Germany has come under pressure with critics saying it could do more to help its struggling European partners and that its insistence on fiscal belttightening risks plunging Greece even deeper into crisis. Weidmann hit back on Friday, saying Germany was already financing a “disproportionately large share” of rescue efforts to date and

that its insistence on budgetary discipline was aimed at ensuring a stable monetary union.

He said there was a popular misconception that Germany had managed to “dodge the flames of the current crisis ... (and) ... is now selfishly refusing to come to the aid of the stricken countries by acting as chief firefighter.”

Mark McCormick, a currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman in New York, said the long-term answer to Europe’s problems would require further progress on a common approach to running national budgets.

“Money from the G20 via the IMF buys them a bit more time,” he said.

Some member countries will push the G20 this weekend to at least outline the mechanisms it would use to help. “Since we might not be able to finalize any numbers, money pledges by individual countries, we should not waste the opportunity to move forward,” said Paulo Nogueira Batista, Brazil’s representative at the IMF. The next opportunities for the G20 to agree on more funds for the IMF are

most likely to be in April, at the twiceyearly Fund meetings, or in June, when G20 leaders meet in Mexico.

While policy makers squabbled over whether and how to boost the IMF’s firepower, a group of international bankers joined calls for the G20 to work harder to boost growth, warning that the euro zone crisis threatens to hit the global economy.

Governments should also take a slower approach on tough new financial rules, the Institute of International Finance said on the eve of the G20 meeting here.

The IIF welcomed the progress Europe has made in addressing its sovereign debt problems through an emergency bailout fund, central bank liquidity, and toughened fiscal rules.

But it cautioned that budget cutbacks in weaker countries like Greece and Spain could severely damage longterm growth prospects. “While necessary, fiscal austerity will in the short term weigh on already sub-par growth,” it said. “Mitigating the impact of fiscal austerity is key.” — Reuters

Greek farmers offload crops at cost price Families join movement to cut out middlemen

LONDON: City Police stand and look at the ‘Occupy London Stock Exchange’ demonstration outside St. Paul’s Cathedral in London yesterday. — AFP

Frankfurt airport workers to resume strike as talks fail FRANKFURT: Air field workers at Frankfurt Airport will resume their strike after their representatives and airport operator Fraport failed to reach a pay deal late on Friday, trade union GdF said yesterday.

“It is not a question of whether or not, but one of when. That is the only opportunity we have. We will do that relatively soon,” GdF spokesman Markus Siebes told Reuters TV. Frankfurt airport is Europe’s thirdbusiest after London-Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle, with about 1,300 flight movements per day, more than half of them by Lufthansa.After the pay talks collapsed on Friday, Fraport dismissed

GdF’s demand as unjustified and nacceptable, while GdF countered by blaming Fraport for making an offer lower than the original one from before the mediation process. Lufthansa, which accounts for more than half of flights at the airport, was the worst hit by the strikes that started on Feb. 16 and ran until Feb. 22 with a break over the weekend. The strike had been due to run until Friday, but was broken off on Wednesday after Fraport wrote to the union offering fresh talks.

The workers affected were around 200 ground crew who guide aircraft to parking positions. The GdF is required to give 24 hours notice of any strike.—Reuters

FDIC closes small banks in Georgia, Minnesota WASHINGTON: Regulators on Friday shuttered small banks in Georgia and Minnesota, bringing to 11 the number of US bank failures this year. By this time last year, regulators had closed more than twice as many banks - 23. All told, 92 banks were closed in 2011, representing a sharp decline from the two previous years, when banks were working their way through the bad debt accumulated in the recession.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. closed Home Savings of America, based in Little Falls, Minn., with $434.1 million in assets and $432.2 million in deposits. The FDIC did not find another lender to take over the bank’s operations, so it will mail out checks to depositors in the amount of their insured funds. The agency said it needs to obtain information from Home Savings customers to determine the number of uninsured deposits at the bank, which also had three branches in California.

The FDIC insures up to $250,000 per depositor. Regulators also closed Central Bank of Georgia, based in Ellaville, which had five branches, $278.9 million in assets and $266.6 million in deposits.

Ameris Bank, based in Moultrie, Ga., agreed to assume Central Bank’s deposits and essentially all of its assets. The two bank failures are expected to cost the deposit insurance fund $106.3 million. 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 around $23 billion. The FDIC has said 2010 likely was the high-water mark for bank failures from the Great Recession. In 2009, there were 140 bank failures that cost the insurance fund about $36 billion, a larger sum than in 2010 because the banks involved were bigger on average. Twentyfive banks failed in 2008, the year the financial crisis struck with force; only three were closed in 2007. From 2008 through 2010, bank failures cost the fund $76.8 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. By Sept. 30, the end of the federal government’s most recent fiscal year, it stood at $7.8 billion. — AP

Vietnam’s runaway inflation eases HANOI: Vietnam’s inflation fell for a sixth consecutive month in February to the lowest level in almost a year, according to official figures, following government efforts to concentrate on economic stabilization.

Statistics released Friday showed that the country’s consumer prices rose 16.44 percent year-on-year in February-still a high rate, but the nation’s lowest for 11 months and down from 17.27 percent in January.

Last year, the communist nation’s runaway inflation was among the world’s highest, peaking at 23 percent in August.

Vietnam refocused its efforts from economic growth to stabilization to deal with the price rises and other challenges, includ-

ing dwindling foreign reserves, a yawning trade deficit and downward pressure on the dong. But a senior banker in Hanoi, asking not to be identified, said more needed to be done to curb inflation.

“There are signs of a lower credit lending rate by commercial banks to promote business and production,” she told AFP. “However, it’s still difficult to say whether the economic picture of the country will be better in the coming months.” Vietnam’s economic growth slowed to 5.9 percent in 2011, falling just short of the government’s target of six percent. Hanoi said it aims to achieve growth in gross domestic product of 6 to 6.5 percent in 2012. —AFP

KATERINI, Greece: Hammered by the financial crisis that has led to ever diminishing income, a group of residents in northern Greece have joined forces with potato farmers to slash consumer prices and ensure producers can get their crop to markets by cutting out the middle man.

Hundreds of families turned up yesterday in this northern Greek town to buy potatoes at massively reduced prices, sold directly by producers at cost price. They lined up in cars and with bicycles, on foot and with scooters to collect their bags of spuds from a truck that flung its doors wide open and was doing a roaring trade in the parking lot of a local courthouse. Farmers say it costs about 20 cents ($0.27) to produce a kilogram (2 pounds) of potatoes, but that wholesalers will only buy them for 10-12 cents to get the crop to supermarkets, where they sell for about 60-70 cents a kilogram. Faced with making a loss, many producers say they have been unable to even get their products to the market.

Greece’s severe financial crisis, now entering its third year, has seen pensions and salaries slashed and led to skyrocketing unemployment of over 20 percent. More and more people have been turning up at soup kitchens run by the church or local aid groups, and homelessness has been increasing.

Faced with an ever deepening recession, some local groups have begun coming up with novel ways to beat the financial crunch. Ilias Tsolakidis, 54, part of a volunteer group in northern Greece, said he contacted a potato farmer in northern Greece last week and posted an advertisement on the internet offering consumers the chance to order directly from the producer at cost price. He was overwhelmed by the response: by Wednesday, all

KATERINI: Farmers unload a truck with sacks of potatoes for sale at cost price in the northern Greek town of Katerini, Greece yesterday. Farmers in northern Greece have joined forces with local residents to provide cheap produce to people whose family budgets have been slashed by the financial crisis, and also to help producers who say they are being squeezed by middlemen. — AP 24 tons of potatoes on offer had been sold, with 534 families putting in orders.

His motive, Tsolakidis said, was “to cover a financial gap in the family budget. You know, the situation in the financial crisis has become very difficult. We help producers (from the local area) on the one hand, and also the families of consumers.”

Kiki Pantelopoulou couldn’t agree more. “I didn’t only do this because it’s in my interest,” said the 42-year-old as she loaded a sack of potatoes onto her bicycle.

“My main concern is how to stop this situation. This way, we favor Greek products and therefore producers can at least make the cost price.” Tsolakidis said that with demand so high, his group

of volunteers would set up another sale next weekend, buying another 24 tons of potatoes from a different farmer this time.

Konstantinos Karanikos, 67, said his son helped him order sacks of potatoes from Saturday’s sale over the internet, but could only secure half the amount he wanted because the demand was so high. “We will order again next weekend,” he said. “The important thing is for the producer to be satisfied and the consumer to have cheap potatoes.”

With the crop being sold at cost price of 20 cents a kilogram, Lefteris Kostopoulos, the farmer who put his spuds up for sale Saturday, didn’t make any profit on the transaction. But, he said, at least he managed to break even

and sell more than half of the produce he had stored up in a warehouse.

“This group’s move was very good. It helped us shift the amounts we had in the warehouses, and we didn’t give them to the wholesalers who are asking for 10-12 cents per kilo,” he said. “We might not make money here, because we’re essentially breaking even, but at least we aren’t making a loss.” Kalypso Skouba, 44, said she hoped the new movement spread to other products soon, so she could buy more vegetables or fruit directly from producers.

“I bought potatoes today just to show that it can’t only be the middlemen who make money,” she said. — AP

El Paso Corp to sell oil, gas assets for $7.15bn HOUSTON: El Paso Corp said Friday that it is selling its oil and gas exploration and production business to an investor group for $7.15 billion. The deal calls for El Paso to sell EP Energy Corp to affiliates of Apollo Global Management LLC, Riverstone Holdings LLC and Access Industries Inc, among others.

The transaction is subject to the closing of Houston pipeline company Kinder Morgan Inc’s proposed acquisition of El Paso for $20.7 billion. That deal is expected to close in the second quarter of this year, as is the sale of EP Energy. Kinder Morgan plans to use most of the proceeds of the EP Energy sale to pay down debt it has taken on to fund the El Paso acquisition.

“We are pleased that this pending sale will allow the El Paso exploration and production assets to be kept intact as a single entity,” said Kinder Morgan Chairman and CEO Richard D. Kinder.

Kinder Morgan will more than double the size of its pipeline network by purchasing El Paso.

The new pipeline system will stretch 80,000 miles long enough to wind around the globe three times.

Kinder Morgan’s pipelines in the Rocky Mountains, the Midwest and Texas will be woven together with El Paso’s expansive network that spreads east from the Gulf Coast to New England, and to the west through New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California.

Shares of Kinder Morgan ended regular trading up 92 cents, or 2.9 percent, at $33.24. The shares added 33 cents to $33.57 in aftermarket trading. Apollo Global Management shares slipped a penny in extended trading to $14.15. The stock ended regular trading up 23 cents at $14.16. —AP

TEHRAN: Iranian workers offload waste plastic, collected from Tehran, from a pick-up truck on the southern outskirts of the Iranian capital yesterday. — AFP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

BUSINESS

KSE price index gains on positive sentiment 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 1.83%, while the weighted index raised by 0.65% compared to the closings of the week before. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover increased by 13.05%, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 61.81 million, whereas trading volume average was 854.60 million shares, recording increase of 24.20%.

The price index was able to end the week closing above 6,000 point level, supported by the purchasing power that included a vast number of stocks in most sectors. In addition, the overall speculative behavior, that has been prevailing on the market and concentrating on small stocks and investment groups, resulted in a limited speculation to the general index.

Also, leading and operating stocks had contributed to the positive market performance, especially at the beginning of the week, where the market closed realizing the highest gains in a year; however, the market was affected lat-

er on by the selling pressure which limited its weekly gains. Moreover, some stocks witnessed some profit taking operations caused it to decline in price, especially in Banking sector, which was the only sector ended the week in red zone, putting a pressure on both indices, and pushing the weighted index to lose many points.

Furthermore, the purchasing power witnessed by the market at the beginning of the week caused the trading indices to record a relatively high volume and value levels compared to the preceding week, as the number of traded stocks broke the billion stock limit in some sessions, due to the dramatic increase in liquidity witnessed by the market, which reached at some sessions its highest limits in more than a year.

Meanwhile, most of the listed companies did not declare its financial results for 2011, despite that almost two thirds of the legal declaration period has passed. The total number of companies declared its results as of mid last

Thursday reached 52 company or 25% of the 205 total listed companies in the official market.

By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,091.8 points, up by 1.83% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.65% weekly gain after closing at 408.61 points.

Sectors’ Indices All of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the green zone except for one sector. Last week’s highest gainer was the Real estate sector, achieving 4.85% growth rate as its index closed at 2,238.2 points. Whereas, in the second place, the Investment sector’s index closed at 3,897.2 points recording 3.33% increase. The Non Kuwaiti Companies sector came in third as its index achieved 2.58% growth, ending the week at 6,207.3 points. The Services sector was the least growing as its index closed at 13,508.3 points with a 0.42% increase. On the other hand, the Banks sector was last week’s

only loser as its index declined by 1.29% to end the week’s activity at 11,174.4 points.

Sectors’ Activity The Investment sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 1.37 billion shares changing hands, representing 32.01% of the total market trading volume. The Services sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 27.27% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 1.17 billion shares. On the other hand, the Services sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of K.D. 84.67 million or 27.40% of last week’s total market trading value. The Investment sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 81.96 million represented 26.52% of the total market trading value.

Market Capitalization KSE total market capitalization grew by

0.68% during last week to reach KD28.60 billion, as all of KSE’s sectors recorded an increase in their respective market capitalization except for one sector. The Real estate sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD 1.81 billion, increasing by 3.48%. The Non Kuwaiti sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 3.02% increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 1.86 billion. The third place was for the Investment sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 2.11 billion by the end of the week, recording an increase of 2.86%. The Services sector was the least growing with 0.38% recorded growth after its market capitalization amounted to KD 7.02 billion. On the other hand, the Banks sector was last week’s only decliner as its total market capitalization decreased by 0.47% to reach, by the end of the week, KD 12.61 billion. —Prepared by the Studies & Research Department, Bayan Investment Co.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

BUSINESS

Rally to be put to test after S&P 500 advance WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: A rally on Wall Street will be put to the test next week, with the S&P 500 at its highest level since before the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008.

The broad index is up 8.6 percent for the year, closing at 1,365 on Friday. The S&P 500’s close was the highest since June 6, 2008, a few months before Lehman Brothers went bankrupt as the global credit crisis spiraled out of control.

While the swiftness and magnitude of the gains have created concerns that the market is due for a pullback, a break above 1,370, which was 2011’s intraday high, could trigger more buying as investors fear missing out on further gains. “We have reached an exhaustion point and an inflection point. The sentiment is bullish and the money flow has gotten bullish, and that’s freaking people out a bit,” said James Dailey, portfolio manager at TEAM Asset Strategy Fund in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

“What’s more likely, or normal, would be a 5-7 percent decline (from current levels), but if we move above 1,370, that could be the next leg up.” The S&P 500 has struggled to climb above 1,370, but the level has thrown up strong resistance in the past week.

For this week, the Dow Jones industrial average and S&P rose about 0.3 percent and the Nasdaq Composite added 0.4 percent to close at its highest since mid-December 2000.

Oil prices will also be in focus after Brent crude futures closed at $125.47 per barrel on Friday, the highest since last April, on fears of worsening tensions between Iran and the

West. “The S&P and crude oil prices have been showing a correlation so far. But oil at where it is now is a big deal,” said Ben Schwartz, chief market strategist at Lightspeed Financial in Chicago.

Schwartz explained that if oil keeps rising, it will threaten consumer confidence and pressure the stock market. The movement in the euro will also be closely watched for hints about markets’ appetite for risky investments.

The euro on Friday rose to its highest in more than two months against the dollar and hit its strongest versus the yen in nearly four months before the European Central Bank is expected to make available another round of cheap money next week.

The ECB’s three-year, long-term refinancing operation (LTRO) could help the euro’s cause. Estimates suggest that the LTRO would draw bids of anywhere between 500 billion and 1 trillion euros, setting risk appetite on fire.

Mexico hosts a two-day meeting of the Group of 20 leading economies’ finance ministers and central bankers at the weekend. The meeting will likely be dominated by discussion of the European debt crisis, with euro zone countries pushing for their G20 partners to commit more money to the International Monetary Fund to help victims of the crisis.

Economic data due next week includes durable goods orders on Tuesday and revised fourth-quarter gross domestic product on Wednesday. Weekly jobless claims and ISM manufacturing data will be released on Thursday. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Traders celebrate on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange after the Dow ended the day above 10,000 points for the first time in history. When it comes to Wall Street, big, round numbers make people take notice. Dow 13,000, reached earlier this week for a few brief minutes, was the latest example. —AP

WB chief says US should lead some global bodies Zoellick to leave as World Bank president in June

NEW YORK: A board on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shows the Down Jones Industrial average as it crosses 13,000 shortly after the market opened on Friday. The Dow Jones industrial average is pushing closer to 13,000 at the opening of trading, and other stock indexes are opening higher ahead of reports on new home sales and consumer sentiment. — AP

Dow 13,000 is a big number, but it’s just a number NEW YORK: Big, round numbers are hard to ignore. That’s why we pay attention when the odometer clicks over to 100,000 miles, and why the world threw a party at the dawn of 2000 instead of the technical start of the millennium in 2001.

It’s no different on Wall Street. When the Dow Jones industrial average briefly crossed 13,000 this week, a milestone it hadn’t reached since before the financial crisis, people took notice.

Some observers said it was a sign of a stronger US economy. Casual investors wondered whether it was time to get back into stocks after fleeing to bonds or just stuffing their money under the mattress in the terrifying economic meltdown.

But a word of caution: 13,000 is just a number. It gives politicians something to talk about. It gives regular people something to measure against. It can stir up excitement, but it doesn’t change the elements of the economy, like the number of people out of work or the number of empty houses.

The Dow also isn’t the best measure of the stock market. It follows 30 companies important ones, household names, but only 30. And it’s weighted so just a handful of the most expensive stocks carry the most weight. If Apple, whose stock has skyrocketed this year from $405 to $522, had been added to the Dow on Jan. 1, it would already be above 14,000, according to estimates this week from ConvergEx Execution Solutions.

And the Dow is certainly not the best measure of the economy. It can rise even when jobs are falling or the economy is shrinking. “Psychologically it matters,” says Dan McMahon, director of equity trading at Raymond James, who was underwhelmed by the Dow’s short foray above 13,000 this week. “Technically and fundamentally, not so much.”

It’s the same mind game when people turn 40. They’re only a day older, but it feels more significant. Retailers understand this trick, too. That’s why they slap $99 on a price tag instead of $100. That one dollar feels like a lot. For the Dow, “whether it’s 12,999 or 13,000 is just arithmetic,” says Mark Lehmann, president of JMP Securities in San Francisco.

Keep in mind also that the market is a fick le barometer. Some institutional investors, such as hedge funds or privateequity firms whose employees follow the market for a living, will consider the 13,000 mark a signal to get out, not in.

And 13,000 may not last. The fire-sale discounts for stocks appear to have come and gone. The companies that make up the Dow are trading at about 13.9 times their past year’s earnings per share, a popular measure of how expensive stocks are.

Just last month, that figure was 13.2. At the Dow’s low during the Great Recession, it was 8.2. So the Dow is approaching the average of about 16 over the past two decades, according to Birinyi Associates, a stock market research firm. And though

this sounds obvious, it can be hard to remember in the headline rush of 13,000: You want to buy stocks when prices are low. The stock market is perhaps the only place where shoppers rush in when prices go up.

“Human beings are pattern-seeking animals,” said Brian Gendreau, market strategist at Cetera Financial Group. “We find patterns even when there are none.” The Dow has climbed back slowly since its 2009 low of 6,547.05, and its other milestones have also generated a frenzy of attention. But as motivations for investment, their record has been mixed: On Oct. 14, 2009, about 10 years after the first time the Dow hit 10,000, the average hit the mark again. Traders passed around baseball caps labeled “Dow 10,000 2.0” on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Mutual funds didn’t think the milestone was a good time to invest: They pulled $216 million out of US stocks that day, according to TrimTabs Investment Research. A week later, the Dow was down about a half-percent. Three weeks after that, though, it was up 2.7 percent from its Oct. 14 close.

On April 12, 2010, the Dow crossed 11,000. This time, the Dow climbed in the following week, up 0.8 percent. Three weeks after that, it was down 2 percent.

On Feb. 1, 2011, the Dow crossed 12,000. A week later, it was up 1.6 percent.

Three weeks after that, it was virtually flat.

Experts say investors should keep in mind that the surest way to profit in the stock market is to invest for the long term.

Buying for just a week or a month at a time is a risky bet. Beyond talk of milestones, there’s also the question of whether the Dow is even an accurate measure of the economy. Besides being made up of just 30 companies, it’s weighted so that the few with the highest stock prices carry the most heft. So a small percentage change in the stock of IBM, which is trading around $198, sways the index much more than a large change in the stock of Bank of America, which is trading around $8.

Last year, the Dow rose 5.5 percent. But strip out IBM and McDonald’s, the two stocks with the highest prices last year, and it rose just 1.8 percent, according to calculations by Birinyi.

Plenty of analysts say the Standard & Poor’s 500, given its much broader list of companies, is a better measure of the market. While the Dow would need a 9 percent rally to reach its all-time high of 14,164.53, the S&P 500 is still 15 percent away. It did close Friday at 1,365.74, a 3 1/2-year high and about 200 points from its all-time high in October 2007.

“The Dow has only 30 members,” says John Manley, chief equity strategist for the Wells Fargo funds group. “Sometimes their individual stories bury the message that the economy is trying to send us.” So in a way, it will be a bigger deal if the S&P breaks 1,400. But nobody makes baseball caps for that. — AP

SINGAPORE: A solid US candidate to head the World Bank would be good for the United States and the bank because the world’s largest economy should be represented in top international bodies, outgoing President Robert Zoellick said yesterday, while emphasizing he has no role in the selection process.

In an interview in Singapore, Zoellick also said he did not believe Spain, Italy or Portugal needed bailouts to ease massive debt burdens but that reforms needed critical support of Germany and other European leading nations and expressed cautious optimism that the global economy would sustain growth this year.

The World Bank last week launched the nomination process to select a new president to succeed Zoellick when he steps down in June, inviting names from any of its 187 member countries. The Obama administration has said it would open the process to competition.

Zoellick noted however that Americans did not hold top posts at the United Nations, World Trade Organization, regional development banks or International Monetary Fund. “I want the United States to feel a sense of responsibility to the international system. So in that sense if you get the right American candidate I think that can be good for the United States and the bank.”

So far, two people most often mentioned as possible successors are both American: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former White House economic adviser and former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers. The State Department has insisted that Clinton would not be taking the job.

Much like in 2011, when

Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as managing director of the International Monetary Fund, officials from countries such as Brazil and the Philippines said it was time to break the decades-old pattern of putting an American in charge of the World Bank and a European atop the IMF. Agustin Carstens, Mexico’s central bank governor, who had made an unsuccessful bid to head up the International Monetary fund last year, said on Wednesday the World Bank presidency should be open to a wide field of candidates.

Zoellick said the latest Greek bailout totalling 130 billion euros would merely buy time.

“It’s too early to know, partly it depends on the actions the Greeks have to take,” he said.

“I think that the European Union has dealt with Greece as one element but the core elements are really going to be the success of some of the bigger countries, such as Italy and Spain.”

But he said bailouts weren’t necessary for these two countries or Portugal. “Each country’s situation is different and you really have three interconnected problems. For some it’s the size of the sovereign debt, for some it’s the effect on the banking industry, and for some it’s their competitiveness,” he said adding that “Spain and Italy need time to make the reforms.”

“But I do think that all this is harder to accomplish when there is a recession in Europe.”

Support from other European nations was also crucial. “What I’ve tried to suggest, given the politics of reform in some of the Mediterranean countries, (is that) it will be important for Germany and other leaders in the process to show some prospects if the reforms are taken and how they will be supported by the other European countries.” Zoellick heads next to China for the release tomorrow of a major economic report by the bank and a Chinese government think tank,

Outgoing World Bank President Robert Zoellick

Brazil to boost cane output for ethanol SAO PAULO: Brazil said Friday it planned to boost sugarcane production over the next four years for use as ethanol fuel in light vehicles. The federal government said a strategic plan to increase sugarcane output during the 2012-2015 period was being developed to firm up ethanol’s role as the leading fuel for Brazil’s fleet of light vehicles.

Since 1976 the government made it mandatory to blend anhydrous ethanol, containing a maximum one percent of water, with gasoline, fluctuating between a 10 percent and 22 percent ratio, for use in light vehicles. The new plan would raise the proportion of anhydrous ethanol to gasoline to 25 percent and the share of light vehicles using hydrated ethanol-with seven percent water-to between 50 and 55 percent.

Among the measures being envisaged to meet growing national demand and the potential for ethanol export is the renovation of 6.4 million hectares (15.8 million acres) until 2015 at a cost estimated at $29 billion. Another is an investment of around $8.5 billion to increase the number of processing factories. According to industry statistics, most of the sugarcane processing facilities are operating below capacity.

A third is to increase the areas under sugarcane cultivation to 3.8 million hectares at a cost of $23 billion. Funding for the plan will come from the Brazilian Development Bank, a federal public company associated with the ministry of development, industry and foreign trade. Ethanol, made mostly by using sugar, is widely used in Brazil as a cheaper alternative to gasoline for motor fuel.

Brazil is the second-biggest producer of ethanol in the world, after the United States, and the biggest exporter of the biofuel. It sustains a large domestic market using ethanol through the sales of cars whose engines can take either gasoline, ethanol or a mix of the two. —AFP

looking at economic opportunities and challenges to the year 2030.

China and oil Zoellick said that prospects for global economic growth this year remain guardedly positive with much hinging on Europe stabilizing and China reaching a soft landing, with oil prices a wildcard.

“I have a cautious optimism about the international economy.

Our forecasts are that growth might slow down a little bit this year. What I see is that the US economy has got some momentum,” he said.

“If Europe is able to continue to stabilize the situation, that’s a big if, but that’s an important part. And I think China has issues in the real estate sector but my own guess is they are on the process for a soft landing.

“The two big question marks to me are energy prices with the political risk and Europe being able to maintain things.” Brent crude futures settled near a 10-month high above $125 a barrel on Friday, posting a fifth straight weekly gain as heightened concerns over tensions with Iran about its nuclear program and cuts in supply sent oil prices up on both sides of the Atlantic.

The crude oil price spike has prompted speculation the International Energy Agency may again call for the release of oil stocks, or the US may release strategic petroleum reserves.

Zoellick said oil prices remain a concern, though the World Bank is only an observer in any decision to release strategic oil stocks. “Not my call,” he said, adding that “I don’t think one should rush into that but the reason that the strategic reserve was created was for use in emergency situations.” — Reuters

SEC charges ex-Noble CEO, two others with bribery WASHINGTON: Federal regulators have charged a former CEO of Swiss oil services company Noble Corp and two other executives with bribing Nigerian government officials to get permits for drilling rigs in that country.

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday filed civil charges against the three executives of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act from 2003 through 2007. They are former CEO Mark Jackson, former controller and head of internal audit Thomas O’Rourke, and James Ruehlen, who is the director and division manager of Noble’s Nigerian subsidiary.

O’Rourke settled the charges by agreeing to pay a $35,000 fine. Ruehlen is disputing them.

An attorney for Jackson didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment. Noble, which has operations worldwide and an office in Sugar Land, Texas, was charged with criminal and civil foreign-bribery violations in November 2010 as part of what the government called a “sweep” of the oil services industry. The company cooperated with government investigators and wasn’t prosecuted. It also agreed to pay about $5.6 million in restitution and a $2.6 million criminal fine.

The SEC’s charges were the latest action in the government’s efforts to combat overseas corruption in international business. A

number of US and foreign companies have been charged in recent years with violating the anti-corruption law, which makes it illegal to bribe foreign government officials or company executives to secure or retain business. In its civil lawsuit filed in Houston, the SEC said that Jackson and Ruehlen bribed Nigerian customs officials to process phony paperwork showing that Noble’s oil rigs were moved in and out of the country even when they weren’t. The purpose of the scheme was to save the company substantial costs of exporting rigs from Nigeria and then re-importing them with new permits. O’Rourke helped approve the bribes and allowed the payments to be falsely recorded as legitimate operating expenses for Noble, according to the SEC. “These executives knowingly authorized and paid foreign officials to process false documents, and they consciously concealed the scheme from Noble’s audit committee,” Gerald Hodgkins, an associate director of the SEC’s enforcement division, said in a statement. Ruehlen’s attorney, F. Joseph Warin, said it was his client who initially raised the issue within the company. Ruehlen “fully cooperated throughout the investigation and always acted in an ethical and transparent manner,” Warin said in a statement. “The claims against Ruehlen are wrong and they will be proven so at trial.” — AP

26

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

business

Toyota launches new re-designed 2012 Land Cruiser in Middle East Newly designed rugged exterior design with a modern taste KUWAIT: Toyota Motor Corporation’s Middle East and MNSS has announced the launch of its new re -designed 2012 Land Cruiser in the Middle East. The 2012 Land Cruiser features a number of changes inspired by the new demands of its customers and continues the legacy of one of its most popular cars as the king of off-roading in the region. With changes to the exterior and interior design of the vehicle it continues to convey a rugged yet luxurious image while delivering high performance and durability, with new technology for advanced off-roading.

Commenting on the launch of the new Land Cruiser, Sadayoshi Koyari, Chief Engineer, Product Planning Group, said, “The new Land Cruiser is a vehicle that continues its 60-year history of strength, durability and reliability while adding multiple new technologies and features. With changes to the interior and exterior and a refined sense of luxury, we have kept a lot of what made our existing customers trust

and love the Land Cruiser, while adding more to the legend of this vehicle” The 2012 Land Cruiser features several changes to the exterior, yet also manages to reflect the heritage of the Land Cruiser identity.

The front bumper has been redesigned with enlarged overhangs, creating a much thicker front bumper that expresses the Land Cruisers Power. The radiator grill has been redesigned to create a much rounder surface; a design which creates a powerful and finely-crafted image. The headlamps have been modified with HID low beams and integrated LED lights in the front of the vehicle. The 2012 Land Cruiser changes include LED side turn signal lamps, chrome finished sides, a Garnish Top and wider wheel flares.

Interior design The interior has also been revamped, with a new brighter design that further enhances the quality and luxury feel of the Land Cruiser as the

flagship SUV in Toyota. The Center Cluster has been revamped with Chrome-Plated ornamentation and the Instrument Panel has been redesigned with an emphasis on volume to express a sense of security and enhanced visibility. The AC vent is also plated creating a more luxurious atmosphere, and it includes a larger transmission shift knob, door handles and audio switches. Air Conditioned Seats have also been added.

Excellent driving performance The 2012 Land Cruiser will be available in the Middle East with the choice of a 6-speed automatic or a 5 & 6 speed manual transmission coming with a 5.7L V8 Engine, a newly developed 4.6L V8 Engine, an improved 4.0 V6 Engine and a V8 4.5L Diesel Engine, options that demonstrate the high power and performance of the Land Cruiser with an ability to tackle some of the toughest terrains around. The suspension of the Land Cruiser has been

revamped, with a new independent double wishbone type front suspension, and a new coil spring has been inserted to enhance riding comfort and the strength to withstand the most rigorous use. The new Land Cruiser is also equipped with Turn Assist System, an unprecedented feature, will be available for the new Land Cruiser. The new system enhances turning ability and minimizes the driver’s effort in tight U-turns where K-turns are necessary, by applying the brake on the inside rear wheel.

Advanced utility features The 2012 Land Cruiser also has a USB/AUX Terminal for external audio devices, advanced Bluetooth communication compatibility and a hands free feature for safer driving, a rear seat entertainment system and a back and clearance sonar that notifies the driver of obstacles around the vehicle. The all-new 2012 Land Cruiser was revealed at the 360 Mall and displayed for one week from Feb 23, 2012.

Jet Airways clocks over 3m hours on CFM engines

MEA operates its new A320 MSN5000 on first commercial flight to Kuwait KUWAIT: Airbus delivered the A320 with manufacturer serial number (MSN) 5000 to Lebanon’s national carrier, Middle East Airlines (MEA). With this delivery MEA will operate one of the most modern fleets in the region.

On this occasion MEA ChairmanDirector General, Mohamad El Hout declared, “We are honored to become the operator of this brand new A320 with its distinctive serial number 5000 during the 25th anniversary year of the first flight of the A320 as a single-aisle aircraft and the most modern, fuel efficient in its category, we have not only benefited from the outstanding operational efficiency of the aircraft but were also the first airline in the Middle East to introduce our wide-body cabin product on a

single-aisle aircraft, thus offering our customers state of the art on-board entertainment with Audio/Video On Demand as well as a superbly comfortable and spacious cabin experience that has greatly contributed to MEA’s success.”

Close to 8,300 A320 Family aircraft have already been ordered and more than 4,900 delivered to more than 350 customers and operators worldwide reaffirming its position as the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family.

The A320neo has over 95 percent airframe commonality with the current A320, making it an easy fit into existing fleets while offering up to 500 nautical miles (950 kilometers) more range or two tons more payload at a given range.

Burgan Bank’s airport branch resumes normal working hours during national holidays KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced that its airport branch will resume normal working hours during the upcoming national holidays, from Feb 24 until Feb 27, 2012. The branch will commence operations from 8:00 am to 10:30 pm, in an effort to accommodate banking requirements for travellers during the holidays.

For more information on any products or services, customers are required to contact Burgan Bank’s call center 1804080 during the holiday.

On this occasion, Burgan Bank extends its best wishes and greetings to the public on the arrival of the Kuwait’s national festivities.

KUWAIT: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, yesterday achieved a major milestone with the successful completion of over three million operating hours on CFM56 engines. This milestone came barely a few months post the airline inducting its 100th aircraft into its fleet. Incidentally, Jet Airways was the first airline to introduce the best-inclass-technology CFM56 engines to India and more importantly even in Asia, as early as 1993. Over the past two decades, Jet Airways has continuously collaborated with CFMI to improve operational efficiencies and bring in technological advancements in engines to power its fleet and provide the best service to its customers.

Nikos Kardassis, CEO of Jet Airways, said, “The completion of over 3 million operational flying hours on CFM engines without any incidents is a major milestone for Jet Airways. The airline has always chosen to utilize the very best in next generation technologies to ensure superior quality, reliable service and above all customer satisfaction. A case-inpoint being the fact that we were the very first airline in India and indeed Asia to adopt the technologically advanced CFM56 engines.

We are very happy to have worked closely with CFMI as a partner since 1993 and look forward for more fruitful affiliation in the years to come as Jet Airways plans to expand its domestic and international network.”

Commenting upon the achievement, JeanPaul Ebanga, President & CEO, CFMI Engines said, “CFMI is proud of its association with Jet Airways through the years and is especially happy about the achievement of the airline having clocked over three million operational

flying hours on CFM engines. This achievement bear’s testimony to the reliability of the CFM56 engines which coupled with huge efficiencies have proven to be the trademark of CFMI. We look forward to achieving many more important milestones with Jet Airways in the years to come.”

Interestingly, CFMI is currently developing ultra high technology engines for the Next

Shell making engineering competitive through ‘Balsa Bridge Design’ KUWAIT: After a successful first year, Kuwait Shell closed registration successfully for the “Kuwait Annual Engineering Design Competition” on 31 January 2012. The competition in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Energy Center for Engineering Consultancy, targets high school students who are interested in the field of science and engineering. The theme of the competition for 2012 is designing “Balsa Wood Bridge.”

Forty four representing public and private high schools in Kuwait have submitted their “Balsa design proposal report” to the judges committee which comprises of university professors and industry experts.

The judging committee members will review the proposals and test the strength of the Balsa Wood Bridge design at the “contest day” planned to be held on 3 March 2012 from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the Australian College of Kuwait. The participating teams will showcase their projects in the presence of their families and three winners will be announced on 7 March at the “competition awards ceremony” under the patronage of Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Managing Director of Government, Parliament, Public & Media, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. All three winners will receive cash prizes, trophies, and participation certificates.

On the sidelines of the judging committee meeting, Ahmad Atallah, Chairman & Managing Director for Shell Companies in Kuwait said: “Shell is powering progress with the State of Kuwait. We are honored to be working with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries on various projects.

Most important, we are proud to be contributing to the development of the local youth skills in the areas of science and engineering and helping them explore their team spirits through the Annual Engineering Design Competition. We look forward to recognizing the winning team excellence and creativity on 7 March 2012”

Generation Aircraft, based on the concept of Green Engines which will help reduce fuel burn and thus, significantly bring down carbon emissions. As an environmentally conscious corporate citizen, Jet Airways is closely working with CFMI to deploy these next generation and best-in-class technology propulsion systems to power its fleet of aircraft in the future.

Gulf Bank winners of 7th Al-Danah weekly draw KUWAIT: Gulf Bank held its seventh Al-Danah weekly draw on February 19, 2012, announcing a total number of ten Al-Danah weekly prize draw winners, each awarded with prizes of KD 1,000.

The 7th Al-Danah Weekly Winners are: Abdulaziz Abdulmohsen Al-Herz, Adnan Khasaf Tuamdh, Yousef Mohammed Hussein, Raed Abdullah Al-Roughani, Rajaa Aoun Al-Motawa, Fadela Hasan Mohammad, Fatma Jasem Al-Homr, Hussain Abdullah Ashkanani, Ahmed Ali Busakhar and Saad Abdulaziz Al-Masoud.

Gulf Bank encourages everyone in Kuwait to open an Al-Danah account 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 AlDanah 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 55 branches, transfer on line, or call the Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance.

Customers can also log on to www.egulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s website, to find all the information regarding AlDanah or any of the Bank’s products and services or log on www.e-gulfbank.com/aldanahwinners, to find out more about Al-Danah and who the winners are.

27

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Rocket lifts off with 3G military communications satellite CAPE CANAVERAL: An unmanned Atlas 5 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station yesterday carrying the first satellite in a new military network designed to give cellphone-like 3G communications to troops on the move.

The 20-foot(6-metre)tall Atlas 5 rocket, the most power ful launcher in the US inventory, lifted off at 5:15 p.m. EST (2215 GMT ), darting through sunny skies as it soared over the Atlantic Ocean to deliver the Navy ’s first Mobile User Objective System satellite into orbit.

The spacecraft, called MUOS-1, is part of a planned five-satellite network that will operate like cellphone towers in space to significantly boost communications capacity for the US militar y and partner countries, including, for the first time, UHF satellite communications for mobile users.

“Right now, our units have to be sitting in one place, stationary, with antenna up pointing straight at a satellite to be able to use narrow-band satcom (satellite communications),” program manager Paul

Ghyzel told reporters before the launch.

“As we bring MUOS online, we bring up the capability that allows them to move around the battle space and be able to continue communicating beyond line-ofsight (of the satellite),” he said. The system is “basically like a cellphone tower in the sky,” added Mark Pasquale, MUOS program manager and vice president with satellite builder Lockheed Martin.

“You can think of the handheld user terminals as robust, rugged smartphones,” he said. MUOS voice, video and data serv-

ices will be available to users whether they are in vehicles, ships, submarines, aircraft or simply on foot, though that cell phone -like capability probably won’t come until next summer.

General D ynamics C4 Systems, the prime contractor for the handheld user terminals, is still working on the technology needed to communicate with MUOS’ 3G-like system. Until then, users can tap the satellite’s heritage narrow-band communications system, which is similar to what is currently aboard the Navy’s aging

UFH Follow-on satellites.

Overall, MUOS is designed to provide military users 10 times more communications capability over existing systems, including simultaneous voice, video and data. Weighing nearly 15,000 pounds (6,804 kg), MUOS-1 is the heaviest satellite launched to date by an Atlas rocket, which is built and flown by United Launch Alliance, a par tnership of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The MUOS network, including launch vehicles, will cost the US military more than $5.3 billion. —Reuters

Kim Dotcom’s party is on hold A wild online ride hits the digital piracy wall

CALIFORNIA: This undated screen grab provided by Mike Trang shows a warning message on the screen of his iPhone that he received from AT&T advising he was in danger of having his data speeds throttled. A judge in Southern California on Friday awarded $850 to iPhone user Matt Spaccarelli because AT&T Inc. reduced his download speeds in an attempt to manage usage on its network. Spaccarelli filed a small claims case against AT&T in January, arguing the communications giant unfairly slows speeds on his iPhone 4’s unlimited data plan. —AP

Apple CEO hints company will part with some cash CUPERTINO: Apple CEO Tim Cook says he believes the world’s most valuable company has more money than it needs.

H is nex t challenge is to figure out whether Apple should break from the cash-hoarding ways of his predecessor, the late Steve Jobs, and dip into its $98 billion bank account to pay shareholders a dividend this year.

During a question-and-answer session Thursday at the company’s annual shareholders’ meeting, Cook indicated he and the rest of Apple’s board are nearing a decision. The board and management are “thinking about this very deeply,” Cook said. “This isn’t a case where 100 percent of people are going to agree with what we do.”

The question of how to handle Apple’s cash stockpile is a touchy one, partly because company co-founder Jobs had steadfastly brushed aside suggestions that the company restore its quarterly dividend. Apple stopped making the shareholder payments in 1995 when it was in such deep trouble that it needed to hold on to every cent.

Things got so bad that Apple turned to rival Microsoft Corp. in 1997 for a $150 million infusion to stay afloat. Microsoft came to the rescue at the same time Apple named Jobs as its CEO - a decision that turned out to be one of the smartest business moves ever made.

Haunted by memories of Apple’s grim times, Jobs kept accumulating cash even as the company’s fortunes soared during the final decade of his life. Cook, though, appears willing to return some of the cash to shareholders since he succeeded Jobs as Apple’s CEO last August. Jobs died Oct. 5 after a long battle with cancer.

During Thursday ’s meeting, Cook dropped his strongest hint yet that Apple will par t with some of the money.

“Frankly speaking,” Cook said, “it’s more than we need to run the company.” One Apple shareholder, Asif Khan of Sugar Land, Texas, urged Cook to resist committing to a dividend every three months. He said he thinks it makes more sense for Apple to pay a one-time dividend later this year before the expiration of a provision that limits the federal tax rate on dividends to 15 percent.

If Apple opts for a regular quarterly dividend, Khan is worried it might be misinterpreted by some investors as a

sign that Apple is losing confidence in its ability to keep propelling its stock price higher as the company churns out hit products such as the iPhone and iPad. During the past year, Apple’s stock has surged 50 percent to create about $160 billion in shareholder wealth. Apple now has a market value of $480 billion - more than the combined value of Microsoft and prominent rival Google Inc. Apple shares gained $3.35 Thursday to close at $516.39. The high price sparked a question Thursday about whether Apple plans to split its stock to make it more affordable to buy. Cook indicated it’s unlikely to occur, saying the board has studied the history of other companies that regularly split their stock and concluded “it does nothing” for long-term returns. Apple last split its stock seven years ago. The shares have increased 11fold since then.

Although most of those gains occurred under Jobs’ leadership, Apple’s stock and financial results have remained stellar under Cook, Job’s hand-picked successor. Cook has worked as a top Apple executive since 1998.

Given how well Apple has been doing, shareholders had little reason to complain at Thursday’s hour-long meeting.

While shareholders waited in a 40-minute line to get inside the meeting at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters, a few protesters carried signs urging the company to ensure that workers building its products in Taiwanese and Chinese factories are paid more and treated humanely. “Stop iSweatshop,” one sign implored. Another stated: ‘iWant an ethical phone.” No questions about the conditions in Apple’s overseas factories were posed during the meeting.

In other matters, Apple agreed to adopt a proposal from the public pension fund Calpers that will require all of the company’s directors to receive a majority of shareholder votes to remain on the board. The proposal was backed by more than 80 percent of the shareholder votes counted in the preliminar y results announced by Apple Thursday.

All eight of Apple’s current directors were re-elected with at least 81 percent of the shareholder votes in the preliminary results, so the switch to majorityvoting rules wouldn’t have changed this year ’s outcome if the new rules had already been in effect. —AP

WELLINGTON: On his way up, he fooled them all: Judges, journalists, investors and companies.

Then the man who renamed himself Kim Dotcom finally did it. With an outsized ego and an eye for get-rich schemes, he parlayed his modest computing skills into an empire, becoming the fabulously wealthy computer maverick he had long claimed to be.

Now his wild ride may be over. Last month he was arrested in New Zealand for allegedly facilitating millions of illegal downloads of songs and movies through Megaupload, his once-popular website, now an important focus of the entertainment industry’s war on online piracy.

US prosecutors are seeking the 38-year-old German’s extradition in what they say could be one of the largest copyright cases in history.

Dotcom, who denies the charges, was freed on bail Wednesday after a month in jail, and authorities have seized, among other things, his twin giant TV sets, massive statue of the “Predator” movie monster and Rolls-Royce .

His story is one of breathtaking audacity that spans both the globe and the modern computing era. Interviews conducted by The Associated Press and a review of court documents and other records indicate that Dotcom was able to create a legendary past, trade upon it by manipulating the news media and avoid serious consequences when he broke the law.

Dotcom makes for a larger-than-life defendant in almost every respect: US court papers describe him as about 1.95 meters (6 feet, 5 inches) tall and weighing 146 kilograms (322 pounds). At various times, he has depicted himself online as a playboy surrounded by beautiful women, fast cars and guns; a terrorist hunter and a technology martyr ready to commit suicide.

Now he is confined to his home, has refused through his lawyers to grant interviews, and is forbidden to log on to the Internet. Born Kim Schmitz in the German coastal town of Kiel, Dotcom grew up with an alcoholic father. As a teen, he created a mystique for himself that led the Sunday Telegraph of London to call him a “superhacker.”

German hackers interviewed by the AP, however, say he did little of what he claimed. “He was trying to make half a buck on every occasion offered him,” said Dirk Engling, spokesman for the Chaos Computer Club, which eventually banned Schmitz from attending any of their events. “Not having some real skills of his own, he was always using other people’s inventions to attack systems and then claim he did it.”

Engling said Schmitz ended up putting club members in legal jeopardy through his recklessness, but some wanted to work with him anyway because he radiated the social ease they lacked.

One of his first schemes, according to Engling, was selling pirated software from an online mailbox.

In 1998, a Munich court convicted Schmitz and an accomplice of computer fraud and of buying and selling stolen phone cards. They got off with a fine and probation for what the judge called “youthful foolishness.” Schmitz came to court wearing a black suit and sunglasses, saying he loved “feeling like a spy.”

Three years after his first conviction, he had resurfaced as a high-flying venture capitalist. He told reporters his company was worth $200 million and that he was rescuing the struggling online startup company “LetsBuyIt” with an initial cash injection of up to four million euros ($5 million) and a promise of another 50 million euros ($65 million).

Reporters published his bogus story, sending the stock skyrocketing. On the first day, LetsBuyIt leaped from 19 cents to 27 cents a share. The next day, it was up to 77 cents. He appeared in an online video depicting himself living it up on a superyacht in Monaco, with beautiful women draped on his arms: “Kim Schmitz is a PR man’s nightmare and a journalist’s dream,” wrote the Telegraph.

A German court would hear later that he had pulled a textbook “pump-and-dump” move, borrowing money to buy Letsbuyit shares, and then quickly selling them to those who swallowed his investment story, gaining himself a quick profit of 1.1 million euros ($1.4 million).

But before authorities could catch up with him on the LetsBuyIt scam came the Sept. 11 attacks, and he captured fresh headlines by offering $10 million for the capture of Osama bin

Laden. He claimed to have formed Yihat - Young Intelligent Hackers Against Terrorism - to wage cyberwar against banks harboring terrorist money.

That one backfired on him when hacker pranksters calling themselves Fluffy Bunny posted a lewd picture on his website. Sought by German authorities over the LetsBuyIt scam, he fled to Thailand In January 2002, writing on his website that “A German high-tech fairy tale is to end.”

He then posted a troubling message suggesting he would commit suicide on his 28th birthday: “Enough is Enough. Kim Schmitz will die next Monday. See it on this website live and for free. When the countdown is over, Kim steps into a new world and wants you to see it.”

Authorities got to him first, arresting him at a Bangkok airport a few days before his birthday.

He had meanwhile posted another strange message to his site: Henceforth he would answer to the title of “His Royal Highness King Kimble the

them,” Craig Labovitz of Arbor Networks, the Internet security provider, told the magazine.

“Almost every teenager has.” The sites, Forbes said, were open to anyone with little or no money to download songs, TV shows or movies.

His notoriety again on the rise, Dotcom nevertheless managed to secure New Zealand residency in 2010, under a scheme to attract wealthy investors to the country. He invested 10 million New Zealand dollars ($8.4 million) in government bonds and sponsored a fireworks show in Auckland, the main city, to the delight of many including the mayor.

He leased one of the country’s plushest mansions, worth $24 million. He also appeared to be settling down, having married Mona, a Filipino, and had three children with her.

In early 2011, US porn site Perfect 10 sued Dotcom and Megaupload, claiming he was running a pirate site engaged in massive copyright infringement. Megaupload responded that it operated a virtual locker service, and had no

AUCKLAND: In this Feb. 22, 2012 file photo, Kim Dotcom, the founder of the file-sharing website Megaupload, comments after he was granted bail and released in Auckland, New Zealand. On his way up, he fooled them all: journalists, judges, investors and companies. Then the man who renamed himself Kim Dotcom finally did it. With an eye for get-rich schemes and an ego gone wild, he parlayed his modest computing skills into a mega-empire, becoming the fabulously wealthy computer maverick he had long claimed to be. —AP First, Ruler of the Kimpire.”

In May that year he was back in a Munich court, convicted of manipulating stock prices in the LetsBuyIt scam. Again he got lucky, avoiding jail but drawing a fine of 100,000 euros ($130,000). He also claimed to have learned something about the perils of the spotlight. “My mistake was that I embraced the media and gave them the stories they wanted,” he wrote on the filesharing-news website TorrentFreak.

But it didn’t take him long to get back in the fast lane. George Gurley, a reporter writing for Vanity Fair magazine, came across him at the 2004 Gumball 3000 rally, an unofficial European road race for jet-setters, driving at 250 kph (155 mph).

“He’s a controversial figure here, part buffoon, part Dr. Evil, but a skilled and very fast driver,” the reporter wrote. The next year he launched his most significant venture, registering Megaupload.com in Hong Kong. And he reinvented himself, legally changing his name first to Kim Tim Jim Vestor, then to Kim Dotcom.

“Hong Kong, what an awesome place to do business and to host my new phantom persona,” he wrote on TorrentFreak. “People there leave you alone and they are happy for your success.”

It took a few years before authorities began paying attention to Megaupload. In 2009, Forbes magazine wrote that little-known Carpathia Hosting had increased its business 100-fold almost overnight, and was suddenly generating 0.6 percent of all online traffic, at the time twice the bandwidth consumed by Facebook. It was because the hosting site had some new clients: Megaupload.com, Megarotic.com, Megaclick.com, Megavideo.com.

“Forbes readers probably haven’t heard of

control over what its users uploaded. The company added that it routinely removed any offending content whenever it received a notice of infringement.

The case was settled out of court. But Dotcom’s problems were not over. Kevin Suh, the senior vice president of content protection at the Motion Picture Association of America, said the association filed a detailed complaint against Megaupload in 2010, which triggered a federal investigation. Prosecutors claim the “mega conspiracy” netted Dotcom and others $175 million in illicit advertising revenue and download fees.

“He is the biggest copyright infringer in the world,” Suh said to the AP. Megaupload’s lawyer, Ira Rothken, said the claims are without merit and will be fought vigorously.

He called the case an unwarranted show of force by authorities desperate to prove they are serious about battling copyright fraud. If federal authorities had a problem with Megaupload, Rothken said, they should have sued first in civil court rather than having people thrown in jail.

Dotcom now faces a series of charges in the US, including copyright fraud and money laundering. The racketeering charges alone carry a maximum sentence of 20 years. In New Zealand last month, 10 years after threatening to kill himself on his 28th birthday, Dotcom planned a big celebration for his 38th. After all, those youthful fantasies of wealth and notoriety had come true.

But police were ready. On Jan. 20, the day before his birthday, they swooped down in helicopters onto the grounds of his mansion and cut their way into a safe room where they found Dotcom hiding. They also arrested three of his colleagues. The party is on hold. —AP

Top Indian space scientist quits over blacklisting BANGALORE: A top Indian scientist said yesterday he had resigned from the nation’s Space Commission to protest the government’s blacklisting of four scientists over alleged irregularities in a satellite deal.

The resignation by Roddam Narasimha, 78, from the highest space policy-making body in India is the latest development in a controversy that has rocked the top echelons of the country’s scientific establishment.

Narasimha, who sent his resignation to Premier Manmohan Singh, said the treatment of the scientists could “demoralise” the nation’s scien-

tific community. “I have requested the prime minister to permit me to relinquish my membership of the Space Commission,” Narasimha, the longest-serving aerospace scientist on the commission, said in a statement.

The Space Commission directs the nation’s space programmes and monitors projects of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) that have included the 2008 landing of a lunar probe on the moon’s surface. Narasimha objected to the treatment of the four scientists barred last month from holding any government office. The government

took the action against the scientists in connection with a 2005 deal between ISRO’s commercial wing, Antrix Corp, and a private company, Devas Multimedia, to lease satellite radio wave space.

The government last year scrapped the $300-million contract amid allegations ISRO allocated the spectrum without following a proper bidding process-a move media reports say could have caused large losses to the exchequer.

A government report said there had been “collusive behaviour on the part of certain individuals,” in connection with the contract, but it made

no suggestion that the individuals received any kickbacks or favours.

The four scientists blacklisted over the deal include former ISRO chief G. Madhavan Nair, who has described the government order as “discriminatory and unfair” and said: “We are being treated worse than terrorists.

In his resignation statement, Narasimha said the actions against the scientists “could demoralise the ISRO scientific community and adversely affect its ability to take the kind of technological initiatives... that are the hallmark of an innovative organisation. —AFP

28

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

health & science

New family of legless amphibians found in India India is a hotbed of amphibian life

PENNSYLVANIA: Kimberlie McEvoy collects some of her well water as it comes from her kitchen sink on Feb 23, at her home in Evans City, Pa. McEvoy is one of at least 10 households in western Pennsylvania that fears their drinking water has been ruined by natural gas drilling. State officials say tests don’t show that.

Residents say Rex Energy Corp. has sent letters notifying them it will no longer deliver drinking water to the households after Feb 29. — AP

Chemicals in drinking water in drilling area EVANS CITY: A woman says state environmental officials refused to do follow-up tests after their lab reported her drinking water contained chemicals, but it’s unclear where the pollutants came from.

At least 10 households in the rural Woodlands community, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, in western Pennsylvania, have complained that recent gas drilling impacted their water in different ways.

The Department of Environmental Protection first suggested that Janet McIntyre’s well water contained low levels of only one chemical, toluene, a paint thinner. But a review of the DEP tests by The Associated Press found in her water four other volatile organic compounds that can be associated with gas drilling.

After this story was first published, drilling firm Rex Energy Corp. provided a list that shows none of those chemicals was used at its nearby well with a procedure known as hydraulic fracturing, which involves blasting chemical-laced water deep into the ground.

That suggests that Rex may be getting blamed for problems that are not its fault, even as another mystery remains: Others in the community have complained of water that became discolored, smelled and had higher levels of minerals and solids after recent drilling.

Further complicating the situation, other companies have older wells in the same area. Some anti-drilling activists have suggested that there are major problems in the Woodlands area, but one expert said that the low concentrations shown in the test may not be a health threat and may be unconnected to gas drilling.

Dr. Bernard Goldstein, professor emeritus at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, said the lack of follow-up tests by the DEP doesn’t make sense. “DEP cannot just simply walk away,” Goldstein said. DEP spokesman Kevin Sunday said on Friday that the low chemical concentrations were not a health risk, and he suggested that the contamination may have come from the agency’s laboratory or from abandoned vehicles on or near the property. But Sunday didn’t answer why the DEP

failed to do follow-up tests if it suspected that its own testing process was contaminated.

Sunday said the agency had conducted enough tests to make an informed, rational decision that the compounds did not come from drilling activity.

McIntyre and other residents say the water problems started about a year ago, after Rex, based in State College, drilled two wells. But a map Rex provided also shows gas wells from other companies in the area, and it noted that the people who have complained are uphill from the nearby gas wells.

Rex has been supplying drinking water to many households but has sent letters notifying them it will no longer deliver water after Feb. 29. In a statement, Rex said that the wells of residents who have complained are from 2,100 to 4,600 feet from its drilling locations. The company noted that many other homeowners in the area haven’t raised complaints or concerns.

Rex also said there are old oil wells in the region that could impact some ground water and there were “no notable differences in water chemistry between pre- and post-drill water quality tests of the water wells in question.” McIntyre’s water showed detectable levels of t-Butyl alcohol, acetone, chloromethane, toluene and 1, 3, 5trimethylbenzene. Some are commonly used in households and other industry, such as toluene.

Goldstein said the multi-chemical mix is what is so unusual, since it suggests either multiple sources of contamination or an industry that uses many different chemicals. “Where would you get such a strange mixture?” Goldstein asked, adding that if DEP’s own laboratory was even a potential source of the chemicals, the agency had the obligation to follow up.

“You’ve got to pursue the finding,” Goldstein said, since if the lab was at fault the variety of chemicals that showed up “makes no sense at all, except a really sloppy lab.” Sunday said an independent peer review of the DEP laboratory found it to be “a well-managed, efficient and highly functional laboratory” that is “driven by a culture of customer service.” —AP

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, center, greets delegates at the Polio Summit 2012 in New Delhi, India, yesterday. India officially won its battle with polio as it was removed from the World Health Organization’s list of countries plagued by the crippling disease. — AP

NEW DELHI: Since before the age of dinosaurs it has burrowed unbothered beneath the monsoon-soaked soils of remote northeast India - unknown to science and mistaken by villagers as a deadly, miniature snake.

But this legless amphibian’s time in obscurity has ended, thanks to an intrepid team of biologists led by University of Delhi professor Sathyabhama Das Biju. Over five years of digging through forest beds in the rain, the team has identified an entirely new family of amphibians - called chikilidae - endemic to the region but with ancient links to Africa.

Their discovery, published last Wednesday in a journal of the Royal Society of London, gives yet more evidence that India is a hotbed of amphibian life with habitats worth protecting against the country’s industry-heavy development agenda.

It also gives exciting new evidence in the study of prehistoric species migration, as well as evolutionary paths influenced by continental shift. “This is a major hotspot of biological diversity, but one of the least explored,” Biju said in an interview with The Associated Press. “ We hope this new family will show the importance of funding research in the area.

We need to know what we have, so we can know what to save.”

His first effort in conserving the chikilidae was to give it a scientific name mirroring what the locals use in their Garo language. The chikilidae is a caecilian, the most primitive of three amphibian groups that also include frogs and salamanders.

“We hope when the locals see the name, and their language, being used across the world, they will understand this animal’s importance and join in trying to save it,” Biju said. “India’s biodiversity is fast depleting. We are destroying these habitats without mercy.”

The chikilidae’s home in long-ignored tropical forests now faces drastic change under programs to cut trees, plant rice paddy, build roads and generate industry as India’s economic growth fuels a breakneck drive in development. More industrial pollutants, more pesticides and more people occupying more land may mean a world of trouble for a creature that can be traced to the earliest vertebrates to creep across land.

Biju - a botanist-turned-herpetologist now celebrated as India’s “Frogman” - has made it his life work to find and catalog new species.

There are too many cases of “nameless extinction,” with animals disappearing before they are ever known, he said. “We don’t even know what we’re losing.”

Amphibians are particularly vulnerable, and have drastically declined in recent decades. The same sensitivity to climate and water quality that makes them perfect environmental barometers also puts them at the greatest risk when ecological systems go awry. Biju, however, is working the reverse trend. Since 2001, he has discovered 76 new species of plants, caecilians and frogs - vastly more than any other scientist in India - and estimates 30-40 percent of the country’s amphibians are yet to be found.

Within the chikilidae family, the team has already identified three species, and is on its

NEW DELHI: In this Monday, Feb. 20, 2012 photo, Delhi professor Sathyabhama Das Biju displays an adult chikilidae in his laboratory in New Delhi, India. Biju and his team of biologists have identified an entirely new family of amphibians, called chikilidae, endemic to the region but with ancient links to Africa. Their discovery, published Feb 22, 2012, in a journal of the Royal Society of London, gives yet more evidence that India is a hotbed of amphibian life with habitats worth protecting against the country’s industry-heavy development agenda. — AP way to classing three more, he said. The chikil- going food for some 50 days. When the eggs idae’s discovery, made along with co- hatch, the young emerge as tiny adults and researchers from London’s Natural History squirm away.

They grow to about 4 inches (10 centimeMuseum and Vrije University in Brussels, brings the number of known caecilian families ters), and can ram their hard skulls through in the world to 10. Three are in India and oth- some of the region’s tougher soils, shooting ers are spread across the tropics in Southeast off quickly at the slightest vibration. “It’s like a Asia, Africa and South America. There is rocket,” Biju said. “If you miss it the first try, debate about the classifications, however, and you’ll never catch it again.”

A possibly superfluous set of eyes is shieldsome scientists count even fewer caecilian ed under a layer of skin, and may help the families.

Because they live hidden underground, chikilidae gauge light from dark as in other and race off at the slightest vibration, much caecilian species. DNA testing suggests the less is known about them than their more chikilidae’s closest relative is in Africa - with famous - and vocal - amphibious cousins, the the two evolutionary paths splitting some 140 frogs. Only 186 of the world’s known amphibi- million years ago when dinosaurs roamed ous species are caecilians, compared with what was then a southern supercontinent more than 6,000 frog species - a third of called Gondwana, since separated into today’s which are considered endangered or threat- continents of Africa, Antarctica, Australia, ened. Even people living in northeast Indians South America and the Indian subcontinent.

Biju’s team worked best during monsoon misunderstand the caecilians, and rare sightings can inspire terror and revulsion, with season, when the digging is easier and chikilifarmers and villagers chopping them in half dae lay eggs in waterlogged soils. Gripping out of the mistaken belief that they are poi- garden spades with blistered hands, the researchers along with locals they hired spent sonous snakes.

In fact, the chikilidae is harmless, and may about 2,600 man hours digging for the elusive even be the farmer’s best friend - feasting on squigglers, usually found about 16 inches (40 worms and insects that might harm crops, centimeters) deep.

“It was backbreaking work,” said research and churning the soil as it moves underfellow Rachunliu Kamei, who even passed out ground.

Much remains to be discovered in further in the forest once, and some days found not study, Biju said, as many questions remain even one specimen. “But there is motivation about how the creatures live. So far, Biju’s in knowing this is an uncharted frontier,” said team has determined that an adult chikilidae Kamei, lead researcher and main author of will remain with its eggs until they hatch, for- the study paper. — AP

Are pythons overrunning the Everglades? Experts say no ORLANDO: Reports that Burmese pythons are devouring almost entire populations of mammals in the Florida Everglades are premature, according to some exotic species experts and a co-author of a widely quoted study.

The idea of pythons annihilating the Everglades made headlines after a Jan. 30 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science said researches found severe declines in the population of small and mid-sized mammals.

The study presented data supporting its hypothesis that “Burmese pythons have severely reduced populations of several species of formerly common mammals” in the Everglades. “Do I think we have an impending disaster? I don’t think so,” said Scott Hardin, exotic species coordinator for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“That study should have never made it to

the light of day,” said Florida herpetologist Shaw Heflin, known to many as host of National Geographic’s “Python Hunters” show. “I don’t see anything thus far to point to the fact that these pythons are causing serious harm.”

The study compared sightings of animals along park roads before and after the year 2000, which is when the authors say pythons were recognized as being established in the park. It found a 99.3 percent decrease in obser ved raccoons and a 98.9 percent decrease in observed opossums, the two most frequently encountered species, as well as decreased sightings of white-tailed deer, bobcats, rabbits and foxes. Sightings of rodents, coyotes and Florida panthers increased. “The magnitude of these declines underscores the apparent incredible density of pythons in the Everglades National Park,” the study concluded.

Everglades National Park spokeswoman

Linda Friar said park biologists have “no hard science” demonstrating there has been a dramatic reduction in mammal populations.

Most of the 1.5 million-acre (607,000 hectares) park is inaccessible wilderness. The size of the python population is unknown with estimates ranging from a few thousand to tens of thousands, according to Friar.

Many pythons are believed to have succumbed from the cold during the 2009 and 2010 winters, according to Heflin and Hardin.

Heflin criticizes the authors of the study for failing to fully investigate and dispose of other factors that could account for their obser vations, including a decade -long drought, cyclical population fluctuations, increased development and pollution.

“There’s almost always some other factors going on and certainly in the Everglades, we know that hydrology and water levels plays a huge role in animal abundance,” Hardin said. — Reuters

Scientist admits taking, leaking think-tank papers WASHINGTON: In the field of climate science, when someone - especially skeptics - did something ethically questionable or misrepresented facts, scientist Peter Gleick was usually among the first and loudest to cry foul. He chaired a prominent scientific society’s ethics committee.

He created an award for what he considered lies about global warming.

Now Gleick admits that he posed as a board member to get and then distribute to the media sensitive documents from a conservative think tank that is a leader in denying mainstream climate change science.

And ethicists are criticizing the man who took others to task for what they say was stepping way over the ethical line. The think tank, the Chicago-based Heartland Institute, is considering legal action against him.

Gleick, who won a MacArthur genius award and is co-founder of the Pacific Institute for

Studies in Development, Environment and Security, was chairman of the American Geophysical Union’s ethics committee. He also had a column at Forbes.com where he criticized climate skeptics and trumpeted the resignation of a scientific journal editor who published a disputed study. He admitted taking Heartland documents last Monday night in a blog on The Huffington Post.

Gleick resigned chairmanship of the ethics panel last week. “What a mess,” said Mark Frankel, head of scientific responsibility for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s leading scientific society, which also had Gleick as a panel member on some committees. “It’s compounded by the fact that he was chairman of the ethics committee of a professional society. ... It’s an ethical morass that he finds himself in.”

And Gleick’s actions cast unwarranted doubt

on the work of other scientists, Frankel said. Last week, someone identifying himself as “Heartland insider” sent 15 media members and others six documents, purportedly from Heartland. They included a fundraising document, a budget and a two-page “climate strategy.” They showed the think tank receiving millions of dollars - more than $14 million over six years from one anonymous man - in big contributions with plans to teach school children to question mainstream climate science. It also showed funding of scientists who are climatechange skeptics.

Heartland said the two-page strategy document was a fake and the others were stolen. The Associated Press, which received the documents, was able to verify the accuracy of several of the most sensational parts with the individuals named. The documents caused a stir, mirroring the hacking of climate scientists’ emails two

years earlier from a British research center.

“My judgment was blinded by my frustration with the ongoing efforts - often anonymous well-funded and coordinated - to attack climate science and scientists,” Gleick wrote.

“Nevertheless, I deeply regret my own actions in this case.” Not good enough, Heartland president Joseph Bast said in a press release: “It has caused major and permanent damage to the reputations of The Heartland Institute and many of the scientists, policy experts and organizations we work with.”

The issue is about deception and there are only a few things that could possibly warrant that - and embarrassing Heartland isn’t one of them, said Dani Elliott, who teaches ethics at the University of South Florida. The geophysical union, a scientific society, said in a statement that Gleick’s actions are “inconsistent with our organization’s values.” — AP

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health & science

Plans to drug test welfare recipients get momentum CHEYENNE: Conservatives who say welfare recipients should have to pass a drug test to receive government assistance have momentum on their side. The issue has come up in the Republican presidential campaign, with frontrunner Mitt Romney saying it’s an “excellent idea.”

Nearly two dozen states are considering plans this session that would make drug testing mandatory for welfare recipients, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. And Wyoming lawmakers advanced such a proposal this week.

Driving the measures is a perception that people on public assistance are misusing the funds and that cutting off their benefits would save money for tight state budgets - even as statistics have largely proved both notions untrue.

“The idea, from Joe Taxpayer is, ‘I don’t mind helping you out, but you need to show that you’re looking for work, or better yet that you’re employed, and that you’re drug and alcohol free,’” said Wyoming Republican House Speaker Ed Buchanan on Friday.

Suppor ters are pushing the measures despite warnings from opponents that courts have struck down similar programs, ruling that the plans amount to an unconstitutional to search of people who have done nothing more than seek help.

“This legislation assumes suspicion on this group of people. It assumes that they’re drug abusers,” said Wyoming Democratic Rep. Patrick Goggles during a heated debate on the measure late Thursday.

The proposals aren’t new, according to the NCSL. About three dozen states have taken up such measures over the years. But as lawmakers seek new ways to fight off the effect of the recession on state budgets and Republican politics dominate the national discussion as the party seeks a presidential nominee, the idea has sparked political debates across the nation.

This year conservative lawmakers in 23 states from Wyoming to Mississippi - where lawmakers want random screening to include nicotine tests - are moving forward with proposals of their own. Romney, in an interview this month in Georgia, supported the idea.

“People who are receiving welfare benefits, government benefits, we should make sure they’re not using those benefits to pay for drugs,” Romney said to WXIA-TV in Atlanta.

Newt Gingrich addressed the topic with Yahoo News in November, saying he considered testing as a way to curb drug use and lower related costs to public programs. “It could be through testing before you get any kind of federal aid - unemployment compensation, food stamps, you name it,” he said.

In Idaho, budget analysts last year concluded that such a program would cost more money than it would save, prompting lawmakers to ditch the idea. Also, recent federal statistics indicate that welfare recipients are no more likely to abuse drugs than the general population.

Data show that about 8 percent of the population uses drugs. And before a random drug testing program in Michigan was put on hold

by a court challenge, about 8 percent of its public assistance applicants tested positive.

In years past such legal challenges had a chilling effect on state legislatures, but that seems to have thawed. Michigan’s program was halted after five weeks in 1999, eventually ending with an appeals court ruling that it was unconstitutional.

For more than a decade, no other state moved to implement such a law. “The biggest piece that has held up action now and in the past are the constitutional questions,” said Rochelle Finzel, the Children and Families Program manager at the NCSL. But Florida last year passed legislation that was eventually halted by a federal court ruling that cited constitutional concerns. Finzel said some states are trying to avoid court challenges by requiring drug tests only in cases where there’s reasonable cause to believe there’s substance abuse, instead of requiring everyone to take a test.

Missouri took that approach in passing a law last year that hasn’t gotten tied up in court, but which has touched off an attempt at political one-upsmanship from a statehouse Republican who introduced a bill this month that would require his colleagues at the state Capitol to take and pass the same test.

In Wyoming, the Republican-controlled state House handily approved a welfare drugtesting bill after a fiery debate Thursday. The plan sailed through a second vote Friday and needs only one more reading before heading to the solidly-conservative state Senate, where a key leader supports the concept.

In Colorado, a testing plan is expect to fail because Democrats who oppose it control the state Senate - but Republicans have succeeded in starting a conversation on the issue.

“If you can afford to buy drugs, and use drugs, you don’t need” welfare, said Republican Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, who is sponsoring a bill this session. Sonnenberg said his bill also seeks to help drug users get clean because applicants must complete rehab to qualify for government aid again.

Sonnenberg’s critics said the idea feeds off the negative - and unsubstantiated - stereotype that low-income communities are more likely to use drugs. Sonnenberg said he’s not picking on any group, and pointed out that the legislation would likely have a narrow effect.

“The five percent, or the four percent, or whatever that percentage is that is on drugs, will have a choice to make. They will either do what they can to get clean, or not have their ( Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) funds,” he said.

In Wyoming, Republican Rep. Frank Peasley, a co-sponsor of the testing bill, said the measure is an effort to rein in a welfare system run amok. “We are going broke,” he said, But Linda Burt, director of the ACLU in Wyoming, said this week it’s possible her group would challenge the testing program if it’s adopted in Wyoming. “We challenged it in Michigan. We challenged it in Florida. Both of those cases found that singling out this particular group of people for drug testing was unconstitutional with absolutely no cause.” — AP

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Greetings

W H AT ’ S O N

Happy Birthday LIDIA On your 16th birthday God bless you Studying in Carmel School, Class 10, Khaitan.

Blessings from: Bro Emaneul, Bro Joshua, Sis Rachel & Daddy David, Mother Anna & blessings from Evangelical Church, Kuwait City.

Wataniya Telecom sponsors French School of Kuwait football tourney

S

M

ohammad Rafiq an Indian artist has specially decorated his car on the occassion of Kuwait Liberation and National Days.

This car is placed for general viewing behind the parking lot at Jleeb Police Station.

Announcements 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 Tulu speaking classes Here’s a great opportunity for parents who always wished their children could learn Tulu. Tulu Koota Kuwait, in its objective towards promoting Tulu language and culture, is pleased to announce the opening of Tutu Speaking Classes “Tulu Siri” at Indian Public School Salmiya @ 11:30 am. For more details kindly contact Ramesh Kidiyoor97204716/99596457,Shalini Vijay 66502369,Tharendra P. Shettigar 66757979,Jayalaxmi Karkal - 66958848, Sathyanarayana Salian - 66585077,Vanitha Dias94996459. And our Website: www.tulukootakuwait.org Email: info@tulukootakuwait.org Music festival On March 1, 2012, the “Blend Music Festival,” a mellow acoustic get-together of several local musicians, will take place in Bayt Lothan, the official sponsor, host, and curator of the event. This event will be FREE of charge and open to everyone to attend. We hope to see you all there, and here’s to a great start to 2012! The “Blend Music Festival” will be the first of many concerts to be held; there are a handful of musicians on board, and more will be added to the sets at a later stage. Here is the program for March 1st: 1- Ali Sleeq with Gary Ruston & Kevin Owen = JAZZ; 2Hadi Sarieddine, Bader Nana, & Sarj = ROCK; 3Lewis Chapman - FOLK / ROCK. Free Arabic language course IPC and all its branches are opening free Arabic language course for ladies accessible in beginners and advanced levels. Class will commence on March 2, 2012. Islamic and Quran courses are also presented in different languages.

Registration is on! Call the nearest IPC branch: Rawdah: 22512257 / 97290278; Salmiyah: 25733263 / 97533263; Mangaf: 23723002 ext.

124/123; Jahra: 24558830 / 97533948; Khaithan: 24730137.

Balakrishna to visit Kuwait Prominent Telugu film Hero Nandamuri Balakrishna coming to Kuwait on 5th April 2012 for 2 days upon the invitation of Pravasaandhra Telugu Desam, NBK seva samithi. Nadamuri 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. He then starred in many critical and commercial films and established himself as one of the leading contemporary actors of Telugu Cinema. In addition to films, Balakrishna is associated with several philanthropic and social organizations activities.

temming from its continuous encouragement and support to all sports activities, and based on its strategy to motivate all age groups and especially the youth, Wataniya Telecom has announced its recent sponsorship of the French School of Kuwait football tournament.

The football tournament took place on February 18 between 8 am and 12 noon at the Salmiya Sports Club.

Students from the French school participated in the tournament and were divided into different categories competing against each other. At the end of the tournament, medals and valuable prizes were given to winning teams during a ceremony attended by both the school and the club officials.

Commenting on the sponsorship of the sports event, Abdolaziz Al Balool PR Director confirmed that such activities

are integral ones to Wataniya’s social responsibility program which primarily aims at supporting the athletic sector in Kuwait and especially the youth.

Al Balool also added: “The sponsorship of the French School’s football tournament comes in as part of a series of schools sponsorships Wataniya has participated in. We are proud of the company’s influential and valuable record in supporting athletic activities in Kuwait

and hoping our contribution will help in raising Kuwait’s name in the athletic sector both locally and internationally.”

To learn more about Wataniya’s latest initiatives and sponsorships please visit www.wataniya.com, or follow Wataniya on Twitter www.twitter.com/wataniyatelecom, or check latest updates on www.facebook.com/wataniya or get the latest news on their blog www.wataniya.com/blog.

DPTM holds spectacular annual club contest

D

esert Pioneers Toastmaster Club (DPTM) held its second leg of spectacular Annual Club Contest on 10th February at America Creativity Academy. This time it was International Speech and Table Topic Contest. About 17 contestants participated in this Annual Club Contest.

Division I Governor DIM Grace and Area Governor TM John Joseph graced the occasion with their presence.

In each categories there were 3 winners: First, Second and Third place winners. In International Speech Contest there were 11 speakers. It was a very tough competition because most of the participants were seasoned Toastmasters who took part in it. All 11 speakers spoke from their heart and from their personal experiences, but only 3 speakers were able to impress the 5 judges, who were judging the speech contest. You can witness the event in http://www.facebook.com/dptmclub The 3 winners in International Speech are: First Place Winner: Sukdeb Chatterjee. Second Place Winner: Xavier Muthu. Third Place Winner: Mohan Krishnan.

In Table Topic Contest, six contestants participated and following 3 were the winners: First Place Winner: Anil Lobo, Second Place Winner: Krish Prabhakar, Third Place Winner: Xavier Muthu.

Congratulation to TM Sukdeb Chatterjee for winning the first place in

International Speech Contest. Sukdeb has won totally 2 trophies in this Annual Contest. (1st Prize in both International and Humorous speech) Also congratulation to TM Ani Lobo for winning the first place in Table topics. Totally TM Anil won two first prizes in this Annual contests (1st Prize in Table Topics and Evaluation) Both TM Sukdeb and TM Anil will be representing DPTM at Area level contest to be held on 16th March 2012 (Friday) at Al Yousif conference hall. All the best TM Sukdeb and TM Anil.

Though in Xavier’s speech, he said, “My speech is not to take one of those trophies home, but my speech is for you all to take a message home so you could share that with others.”

However, he not only took one trophy, but two trophies home in the contest.

Congratulation TM Xavier, for winning total of 3 trophies in the Annual Club Contest. (3rd Prize in Evaluation, 3rd Prize in Table topics and 2nd prize in International Speech) In Toastmaster, those who take to podiums are winners. So, congratulation

to all participants in the Annual Contest.

President Mohan thanked all Judges, contest chairs, role players and fellow Toastmasters for playing a crucial role in making this event a huge success. This was a team work and he give the credit to all club members who whole heatedly supported him to make this event a successful event.

President Mohan ended his speech by thanking the Management of merican Creativity Academy for providing the great venue with all facilities and thanking TM Bobbi Hoxit.

Celebrate Kuwait Liberation Days at Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel & Resort

T

he Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort, part of the Millennium & Copthorne Hotel group, is to celebrate the 51st Kuwaiti National Day and 21st Liberation Day with a special programme for children’s entertainment.

On Saturday 25 February and Sunday 26 February, children from all over Kuwait will be welcomed to the Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort to take part in a two-day programme of fun. In cooperation with Kuwait’s premier children’s entertainment store, Baroue Let’s Play Co, kids will be able to play games to win exciting prizes and enjoy all the fun of the fair with professional face painting.

Families can take advantage of a special family weekend offer in celebration of National Day and Liberation Day; with the Family Time Package families can take the weekend to celebrate in two inter-connecting rooms. The package includes a whole host of added extras for all the family: * 4 free tickets to Doha Entertainment City plus complimentary transport * 1 free ticket for the Kuwait Shooting Range (redeemable for 25 bullets) plus complimentary transport * Complimentary family breakfast at Taima’a restaurant * Free high speed internet * Free access to the temperature-con-

trolled swimming pool and kids playground * Late check-out to 4:00pm Dani Saleh, General Manager at AlJahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort said: “This coming National Day and Liberation Day weekend is a great opportunity to celebrate with the family.

Our programme of events at Al-Jahra Copthorne will ensure that there is not a

dull moment for the children, giving parents the time to relax and enjoy our great Kuwaiti nation.”

Part of Millennium & Copthorne Hotels, one of the world’s largest hotel companies with more than 120 owned and managed hotels across 20 countries, the Al-Jahra Copthorne Hotel and Resort is located in Al Jahra - a growing town within driving distance of the Saudi

Arabian border, 25 minutes from the international airport and 20 minutes from Kuwait City Centre. Part of the ‘Slayil Al Jahra Tourist Resort’, the hotel has access to a shopping mall, theme park and numerous restaurants nearby.

It offers an attentive, personal service as well as boasting business and convention centre services and an outdoor pool.

31

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy

marketing symposium with a difference held at GUST

P

Barry

ro Vision Marketing and PACE (Center for Professional Development and Continuing Education) jointly organized and hosted the MarketSense Symposium, a marketing event that focused on creating a platform for marketers and people connected to the marketing field in Kuwait to share their knowledge and experience with their peers. The event was held at the GUST (Gulf University for Science & Technology) campus in Mishref.

It focused on topics like branding, new-age marketing, social media and loyalty marketing to name a few. The speakers were individuals with strong connections within the local community and experience in various sub-components of marketing. Featuring content rich topics, some presentations showcased live examples of how technologies have changed to help markets and business people cope with the increasing demands of managing business successfully.

“We are at the beginning of a new era, not only in the media industry but in the way we do business in general” said Rasheed Al Abduljader, Chairman of Pro Vision marketing in his opening address.

“The way things are going, the future looks very promising. We hope after attending this event, you will leave with a better understanding of how things work.”

MarketSense was attended by a variety of people including marketing professionals from leading companies in Kuwait, business owners and consultants as well as the students and faculty of GUST. “Our main aim was to deliver content driven presentations and ensure that attendees learned something substantial out of the event” quoted Barry Rodrigues, Marketing Director at Pro Vision and one of the presenters. “All our speakers did an excellent job and we look forward to collaborating with them and doing similar events in the future.”

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

The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency. � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF BANGLADESH The Embassy will remain closed 26 and 27 February 2012 on the occasion of National Day and Liberation Day of the State of Kuwait. � � � ��� � �

Rasheed

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, AlMutawakel 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. The Canadian Embassy will be closed Sunday February 26, 2012, on the occasion of Kuwait Liberation Day. The Embassy will resume its duties on Monday February 27, 2012. 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. � � � ��� � �

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 � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on the following dates during the month of February 2012.

National Day of Kuwait - Feb 25, - Saturday.

Liberation Day of Kuwait - Feb 26, - Sunday. � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy will move 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 from 26 January, 2012. Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, e-mail:myankuwait11@gmai1.com � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF SRI LANKA The Embassy of Sri Lanka will be closed for public from 25th to 27th February, 2012 in lieu of “Liberation day & National Day” of Kuwait. � � � ��� � �

EMBASSY OF SOUTH AFRICA On the occasion of the Liberation Day of the State of Kuwait, the South African Embassy will be closed on Sunday, 26 February 2012. The Embassy will resume it’s normal working hours on Monday, 27 February 2012, from Sunday to Thursday. Please note that the Working hours will be from 8h00 to 16h00 & the Consular Section operation hours will from 8h30 to 12h30. � � � ��� � �

Bloggers night At Ruby Tuesday Kuwait An evening to remember

R

uby Tuesday Kuwait hosted its first Bloggers Night at the Sharq branch which was attended by almost 30 Kuwait Bloggers in addition to the team of Ruby Tuesday. This evening was celebrated with our Ribs Festival campaign, serving them the best ribs in town in a unique and refreshing ambience and service.

A part from the special set menu Ruby Tuesday’s Ribs were the highlight of the evening. The Ribs are slow cooked in low temperature ovens for hours until they are fall-off-the-bone tender served with your choice of fresh chef’s vegetable, steamed broccoli and mashed potatoes.

The bloggers were introduced to Bill

Robinson the International Director of Franchise Operations & Development at Ruby Tuesday, Vijay Elantholy the Chief Operating Officer, Yousef Al Bannai Human Resources and Purchasing Manager, Adel Al Kayed the Director of Operations and the Marketing Manager Hussein El Sayed .

The evening ended on a fun note

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. � � � ��� � �

with all the bloggers taking part in Bonker Box Photobooth capturing the most impulsively crazy moments of the gathering.

Leading with the leaders of the Social Media, Ruby Tuesday is looking forward to converge on the power of social media and its effect on brand communications and marketing.

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.

Al Boom: A restaurant to savor!

T

he Radisson Blu Hotel, Kuwait is proud to announce that it’s Al Boom steak and seafood restaurant was listed amongst the Top 50 restaurants in the Middle East, for the Second Consecutive Year by Esquire Magazine, Middle East in February 2012.

Al-Boom, named after the largest class of dhows that once plied the waters of the Gulf, was the brainchild of

founder Husain Marafie. The handmade vessel, built by shipbuilders and master craftsmen in Calicut, India took three years to construct, finally being completed in 1979, just in time for the hotel’s opening in 1980. The painstaking care taken with every detail of the vessel’s construction is truly awe-inspiring, with the list of materials used giving some small hint of the magnitude of the task; which includes 17,500

cubic feet of the finest teak, 8,800 handmade iron nails and 2.5 tons of copper. Another daunting statistic is the 35,000 man hours that went into the Al Boom’s construction.

Renowned as one of Kuwait’s finest restaurants, the Al-Boom restaurant is a perfect link between Kuwait’s maritime heritage and its contemporary status. It is an ideal place to impress your loved ones or business partners while

indulging in a charcoal-grilled steak & seafood, accompanied by a full salad & Mezzeh bar and finished with a plated desert, Arabic Dates & Coffee served in the Captain’s Diwaniya. Opulent yet traditional with its gold-leaf dÈcor, the Al Boom restaurant gives a unique legendary vibe to any dinner celebration.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

TV PROGRAMS 21:10 Antiques Roadshow 22:00 Masterchef 23:45 Cash In The Attic USA 00:20 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer 00:50 Animal Cops Houston 01:45 Untamed & Uncut 02:40 Seven Deadly Strikes 03:35 Karina: Wild On Safari 04:30 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer 05:25 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 06:20 Escape To Chimp Eden 06:45 Dolphin Days 07:10 Animal Cops Houston 08:00 Monkey Life 08:25 New Breed Vets With Steve Irwin 09:15 Crocodile Hunter 10:10 Panda Adventures With Nigel Marven 11:05 The Really Wild Show 12:00 Gorilla School 12:25 Project Puppy 12:55 Corwin’s Quest 13:50 Daniel And Our Cats 14:45 Kingdom Of The Elephants 15:40 Wildlife SOS 16:35 Ned Bruha: Skunk Whisperer 17:30 Must Love Cats 18:25 America’s Cutest Pet 19:20 Big Five Challenge 20:15 World Wild Vet 21:10 Weird Creatures With Nick Baker 22:05 Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous...

23:00 Wild France 23:55 Killer Crocs

00:00 00:50 01:40 02:00 02:30 03:15 04:00 04:20 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:05 05:25 05:36 05:50 06:10 06:20 06:30 06:45 06:50 07:10 07:20 07:35 08:05 08:50 09:35 10:10 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:45 13:35 16:05 16:50 17:20 17:50 18:40 19:10 20:00 20:50 21:40 Tests 22:35 23:25

00:50 01:45 05:30 07:15 08:00 08:20 12:50 18:00 19:40 20:20

Lee Evans Big Tour Born and Bred Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show Supernova Doctor Who The Weakest Link Me Too! Charlie and Lola Gigglebiz Bobinogs Poetry Pie Fimbles Little Robots Forget Me Not Farm Me Too! Charlie and Lola Gigglebiz Bobinogs Poetry Pie Fimbles Little Robots Forget Me Not Farm Big Top The Weakest Link Doctor Who After You’ve Gone Casualty Chimp Family Fortunes Big Top The Weakest Link Lark Rise to Candleford Doctors Doctor Who Big Top After You’ve Gone Monarch Of The Glen Chimp Family Fortunes Lark Rise to Candleford Jekyll Waking The Dead The World’s Toughest Driving Red Cap The Weakest Link

Masterchef Bargain Hunt Masterchef Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic USA Masterchef Australia Antiques Roadshow Gok’s Fashion Fix Cash In The Attic USA Antiques Roadshow

00:40 Samurai Jack 01:30 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 02:20 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 03:10 Best Ed 04:00 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 04:25 Adventure Time 04:50 Generator Rex 05:15 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 05:40 Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy 05:55 I Am Weasel 06:55 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 07:20 Powerpuff Girls 07:45 Angelo Rules 08:00 Casper’s Scare School 08:55 Angelo Rules 09:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:20 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 11:05 Gumball 11:30 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 11:55 Adventure Time 12:20 Courage The Cowardly Dog 13:10 Ben 10 14:00 The Grim Adventures Of Billy & Mandy 14:50 The Amazing World Of Gumball 15:15 Generator Rex 16:05 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 16:30 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 16:55 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 17:45 Adventure Time 18:35 The Amazing World Of Gumball 19:00 Regular Show 19:50 Generator Rex 20:40 Courage The Cowardly Dog 21:30 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 22:20 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 23:00 Ben 10 23:50 Courage The Cowardly Dog

00:20 01:10 02:00 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:25 06:45 Cody 07:10 07:35 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:32 09:40 10:05 10:30 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:00 14:25 14:50 15:15 15:30 15:55 16:20 16:45 17:10 17:30 18:00 18:20 18:45 19:10 19:30

Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Stitch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Suite Life Of Zack And So Random Fish Hooks Timon And Pumbaa Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Have A Laugh Shake It Up A.N.T. Farm Cheetah Girls Fish Hooks Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie A.N.T. Farm Recess Timon And Pumbaa Wizards Of Waverly Place So Random Fish Hooks Shake It Up Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie My Babysitter’s A Vampire Fish Hooks A.N.T. Farm Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Recess So Random Cheetah Girls: One World

20:55 21:05 21:25 21:50 22:15 22:40 23:05 Cody 23:30 23:55

Have A Laugh Wizards Of Waverly Place My Babysitter’s A Vampire Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Fish Hooks The Suite Life Of Zack And Hannah Montana Forever Sonny With A Chance

00:15 Pair Of Kings 00:40 Phineas And Ferb 01:05 Zeke & Luther 01:30 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 01:55 I’m In The Band 02:20 Kid vs Kat 03:00 Programmes Start At 7:00am KSA 10:00 Kid vs Kat 10:10 Pokemon: Black And White 10:35 Phineas And Ferb 11:30 Kick Buttowski 12:00 Rated A For Awesome 12:30 Pair Of Kings 13:00 Kickin It 13:25 Zeke & Luther 13:55 I’m In The Band 14:20 Phineas And Ferb 14:45 Rekkit Rabbit 15:10 Kick Buttowski 15:35 Pair Of Kings 16:00 Den Brother 17:35 Kickin It 18:00 Pair Of Kings 18:25 Phineas And Ferb 18:50 I’m In The Band 19:15 Rekkit Rabbit 19:40 Zeke & Luther 20:05 Pair Of Kings 20:30 Kick Buttowski 20:55 Rated A For Awesome 21:20 Kickin It 21:45 Phineas And Ferb 22:10 Pair Of Kings 22:35 Pokemon: Black And White 23:00 Zeke & Luther 23:25 Kick Buttowski 23:50 I’m In The Band

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:50 03:15 03:40 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:15 05:40 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:00 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:55 09:20 09:50 10:40 11:05 11:30 12:20 12:30 14:00 14:25 14:50 15:40 Doo 16:05 16:30 17:20 17:45 18:10 18:40 19:30

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 Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races The Flintstones 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 Scooby Doo Where Are You! Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries Tom & Jerry Wacky Races Scooby Cinema Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Looney Tunes Scooby-Doo And ScrappyA Pup Named Scooby-Doo Puppy In My Pocket Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Tom & Jerry Kids The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You!

BRIGHTON ROCK ON OSN CINEMA

00:40 Track Me If You Can 01:35 Ross Kemp On Gangs 02:30 How It’s Made 03:00 How Does It Work?

03:25 How It’s Made 03:55 How Does It Work?

04:20 How It’s Made 04:50 How Does It Work?

05:15 How It’s Made 05:40 How Does It Work 06:05 How It’s Made 06:35 How Does It Work 07:25 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 08:15 Fifth Gear 09:10 Wheeler Dealers 10:30 Auction Kings 12:20 Border Security 14:35 Cash Cab Us 16:55 Cake Boss 19:10 Nextworld

00:40 Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention 01:35 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 02:25 The Tech Show 02:50 What’s That About?

07:10 Science of Star Wars 08:00 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 08:55 Head Rush 08:58 Sci-Fi Science 09:25 Weird Connections 09:55 Smash Lab 10:45 Scrapheap Challenge 11:35 What’s That About?

15:45 Head Rush 15:48 Sci-Fi Science 16:15 Weird Connections 16:45 The Tech Show 17:10 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 18:00 Science of the Movies 18:50 Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention 19:40 Meteorite Men 20:30 The Science of Fear and Lust 21:20 Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman 22:10 Tech Toys 360 23:00 Meteorite Men 23:50 The Science of Fear and Lust

00:15 World Cafe Asia 00:40 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 01:05 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 01:30 Good Eats 01:55 Sandwich King 02:45 Food Network Challenge 03:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:25 World Cafe Asia 04:50 World Cafe Asia 05:15 Kid In A Candy Store 05:40 Good Eats 06:05 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 06:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 06:50 Food Network Challenge 07:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:00 Food Network Challenge 08:50 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 09:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 09:40 Good Eats 10:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 10:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 10:55 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 11:20 World Cafe Asia 11:45 30 Minute Meals 12:10 Unwrapped 12:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 13:00 Good Eats 13:25 Guy’s Big Bite 13:50 Aarti Party 14:15 World Cafe Asia 14:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 15:05 Healthy Appetite With Ellie Krieger 15:30 Unwrapped 15:55 Paula’s Best Dishes 16:20 Andy Bates Street Feasts 16:45 Chopped 17:35 Guy’s Big Bite 18:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 18:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 18:50 Aarti Party 19:15 Good Eats 19:40 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 20:05 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 20:30 Food Network Challenge 21:20 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 22:10 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics

00:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 00:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 00:40 Special Agent Oso 00:55 Little Einsteins 01:20 Timmy Time 01:30 Jungle Junction 01:45 Handy Manny 01:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 02:20 Special Agent Oso 02:50 Jungle Junction 03:15 Little Einsteins 03:40 Higglytown Heroes 04:10 Jo Jo’s Circus 04:30 Special Agent Oso 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:25 Little Einsteins 05:50 Higglytown Heroes 06:20 Jo Jo’s Circus 06:40 Special Agent Oso 07:10 Jungle Junction 07:25 Jungle Junction 07:35 Little Einsteins 08:00 Higglytown Heroes 08:30 Jo Jo’s Circus 08:50 Jungle Junction 09:15 Higglytown Heroes 09:45 Handy Manny 10:00 Special Agent Oso 10:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:40 Timmy Time 10:55 Little Einsteins 11:20 The Hive 11:30 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 12:00 Jungle Junction 12:10 Handy Manny 12:25 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 12:45 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 12:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 13:15 Mouk (Cema) 13:45 Art Attack (Cema) 14:00 Handy Manny

14:15 Imagination Movers 14:40 Lazytown 15:05 The Hive 15:15 Mouk (Cema) 15:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:15 The Hive 16:25 Timmy Time 16:35 Special Agent Oso 16:50 Handy Manny 17:05 The Hive 17:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 18:05 Mouk (Cema) 18:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:50 Jungle Junction 19:05 Handy Manny 19:20 Lazytown 19:45 Art Attack (Cema) 20:10 Imagination Movers 20:35 Little Einsteins 21:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:15 Handy Manny 21:45 Jungle Junction 22:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 22:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 22:25 101 Dalmatians 22:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 23:20 The Hive

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 Beauty Queens Gone Wrong 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Then And Now 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Extreme Close-Up 09:45 E!es 12:35 THS 15:30 E!es 16:30 Behind The Scenes 17:30 E! News 18:30 THS 19:30 Kendra 20:00 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 21:00 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 22:00 Countdown To The Red Carpet

00:00 X Games Heroes 00:50 Aiya TV 02:30 M1 Selection 2010 03:20 Dragrace High 05:00 Carpocalypse 05:50 AMA Motocross 2011 07:30 Ride Guide Snow 2008 08:30 Tread BMX 09:00 Ticket To Ride 2010/11 10:40 X Games 16 2010 11:30 Summer Dew Tour 2010 12:20 AMA Motocross 2011 14:00 Mantracker 14:50 Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Ride 15:40 Fantasy Factory 18:10 Cowboy U 19:00 Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Ride 19:50 AMA Motocross 2011 21:30 Mantracker 22:20 Ed’s Up 23:10 Pinks: Lose The Race, Lose Your Ride

00:40 A Haunting 01:30 Mysterious Journeys 02:15 The Haunted 03:05 Ghost Lab 03:50 A Haunting 04:40 Mysterious Journeys 05:25 On The Case With Paula Zahn 06:15 Disappeared 07:10 Mystery ER 08:50 Forensic Detectives 09:40 Murder Shift 10:25 Mystery ER 11:10 Real Emergency Calls 11:35 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

11:55 On The Case With Paula Zahn 12:40 Disappeared 13:25 Murder Shift 14:15 Mystery ER 15:00 Real Emergency Calls 15:25 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

15:50 On The Case With Paula Zahn 16:35 Disappeared 17:20 Guilty Or Innocent?

18:10 Forensic Detectives 19:00 Murder Shift 19:45 Real Emergency Calls 20:10 Mystery ER 20:55 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

21:20 On The Case With Paula Zahn 22:10 Disappeared 23:00 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 23:50 Kidnap And Rescue

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 Earth 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 Earth 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 Wild Rides First Ascent Danger Men Word Travels Word Travels Race To The Bottom of The Don’t Tell My Mother Departures Wild Rides First Ascent Danger Men Word Travels Word Travels Race To The Bottom of The Don’t Tell My Mother Departures Meet The Amish Young Global Hotshots Young Global Hotshots Bondi Rescue Endurance Traveller Long Way Down The Best Job In The World Travel Madness Earth Tripping Meet The Amish Young Global Hotshots Young Global Hotshots Bondi Rescue Endurance Traveller Long Way Down The Best Job In The World

SWEET HOME ALABAMA ON OSN MOVIES COMEDY

00:00 Clive Barker’s Book Of Blood-18 02:00 The Alphabet Killer-18 04:00 Smoke Screen-PG15 06:00 Returner-PG15 08:00 Last Breath-PG15 09:45 Winning Time-PG15 11:15 2012-PG15 14:00 Last Breath-PG15 15:30 Odysseus: Voyage To The Underworld-PG15 17:15 2012-PG15 20:00 Bloodrayne: The Third ReichPG15 22:00 All Star Superman-PG15

01:15 Brighton Rock-PG15 03:15 West Is West-PG15 05:00 Gasland-PG15 07:00 16 To Life-PG15 09:00 Freestyle (2010)-PG15 11:00 The A-Team-PG15 13:15 Freakonomics-PG15 15:15 Freestyle (2010)-PG15 17:15 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star-PG15 19:15 The LXD: The Uprising BeginsPG15 21:00 The American-18 23:00 Bloodworth-18

00:00 The Adventures Of Don Quixote-PG15 02:00 Rh+ The Vampire Of Seville-U 04:00 Turtle Hero: Part II-FAM 06:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil-PG15 08:00 The Enchanted Mountain-PG 10:15 Ice Age-FAM 12:00 The Prince Of Dinosaurs-PG 14:00 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG 16:00 Zorro And Scarlet Whip Revealed-PG15 18:00 Ice Age-FAM 19:45 Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader-PG 22:00 The Prince Of Dinosaurs-PG

01:00 03:00 05:00 05:45 06:15 14:15 14:45 15:15 15:45 18:00 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 22:30

Super Rugby Super Rugby Futbol Mundial ODI Crickert Highlights Live Cricket ODI Volvo Ocean Race Highlights Futbol Mundial SPL Highlights Live Scottish Premier League Trans World Sport ODI Crickert Highlights Volvo Ocean Race Highlights Futbol Mundial Scottish Premier League Super Rugby

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 20:00 23:00

WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line UFC 144 Countdown Live UFC 144 Prelims Live UFC 144 WWE SmackDown WWE Experience WWE This Week Power Boats UIM WWE Experience WWE Bottom Line UFC 144 Countdown UFC 144 Prelims UFC 144 WWE SmackDown

01:00 03:00 06:00 07:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:30 20:30 22:30 23:00 23:30

Scottish Premier League Sevens World Series Trans World Sport Super Rugby Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial Super League Super Rugby Super Rugby ODI Cricket Highlights Volvo Ocean Race Highlights Trans World Sport

00:00 The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle-FAM 02:00 Whatever Works-PG15 04:00 I’ll Be Home For Christmas-PG 06:00 Sweet Home Alabama-PG15 08:00 Big Fat Liar-PG 10:00 For Love Or Money-PG 12:00 The Country Bears-PG 14:00 Kung Fu Dunk-PG15 16:00 The Adventures Of Rocky And Bullwinkle-FAM 18:00 Mr. Wrong-PG15 20:00 Killing Bono-18 22:00 The Lonely Guy-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 20:00 20:30 21:30 22:00

Pro 12 Celtic League Super League Super League Volvo Ocean Race Highlights Futbol Mundial Scottish Premier League Pro 12 Celtic League Super League Premier League Darts ICC Cricket World Asian Tour Golf Show European Tour Weekly Scottish Premier League ODI Cricket Highlights Trans World Sport Futbol Mundial Super League

01:00 Blue Valentine-18 03:00 Mean Girls-PG15 05:00 The Social Network-PG15 07:00 Charlie St. Cloud-PG15 09:00 Secretariat-PG15 11:00 It’s A Wonderful AfterlifePG15 13:00 How The Grinch Stole Christmas-PG 15:00 Remember Me-PG15 17:00 Secretariat-PG15 19:00 Burlesque-PG15 21:00 Faster-PG15

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00

Engineering An Empire Ancient Discoveries The Crusades America: The Story Of The Us Monumental Challenge Modern Marvels Engineering An Empire Ancient Discoveries The Crusades America: The Story Of The Us Monumental Challenge

03:00 The Simpsons 03:30 2 Broke Girls 04:00 Dharma And Greg 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 06:00 Malcolm In The Middle 08:30 The Simpsons 12:00 Malcolm In The Middle 12:30 Dharma And Greg 14:00 2 Broke Girls 18:00 Friends 18:30 Friends 19:00 Two And A Half Men 19:30 Hot In Cleveland 20:00 Whitney 20:30 Wilfred 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

01:00 The Wolfman-18 03:00 Smoke Screen-PG15 05:00 Mirrors 2-18 07:00 Attack On Leningrad-PG15 09:00 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course-PG15 11:00 Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief-PG15 13:00 The Lost Future-PG15 15:00 The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course-PG15 17:00 Friday Night Lights-PG15 19:00 Game Of Death-PG15

11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Modern Marvels Engineering An Empire Ancient Discoveries The Crusades America: The Story Of The Us Monumental Challenge Modern Marvels Engineering An Empire Ancient Discoveries Mud Men Pawn Stars Storage Wars Ancient Aliens The Universe

00:05 01:00 02:00 02:25 02:55 03:50 04:20 05:15 06:10 07:05 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:55 11:50 12:50 13:50 14:45 15:45 16:40 17:35 18:30 19:25 21:20 21:45 22:15 23:10

Clean House: New York Wicked Fit Homes With Style Open House Videofashion Daily Videofashion News How Do I Look?

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 Clean House: New York Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Wicked Fit Giuliana & Bill How Do I Look?

Fashion Police Elements Of Style Tia And Tamera Giuliana & Bill

01:25 Panther-18 01:25 PANTHER 03:30 Nashville Beat-PG 03:30 NASHVILLE BEAT 05:00 Avanti-PG 05:00 AVANTI 07:20 Mad Dog Coll-PG 07:20 MAD DOG COLL 09:00 Salt And Pepper-PG 09:00 SALT AND PEPPER 10:40 Hornet’s Nest-PG 10:40 HORNET’S NEST 12:30 Kidnapped-PG 12:30 KIDNAPPED 14:10 Gun Moll-PG 14:10 GUN MOLL 15:50 Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM 15:50 MGM’S BIG SCREEN 16:05 Man Of LA Mancha-PG 16:05 MAN OF LA MANCHA 18:10 Charge Of The Light Brigade 18:10 CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Planet Sports 02:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 03:00 Secrets Of Ancient China 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 Third Class Traveller 12:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 Cruising The Amazon 15:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 16:00 The Ethical Hedonist 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Planet Sports 19:00 Cruising The Amazon 20:00 Globe Trekker 21:00 Essential 21:30 4real 22:00 Tokyo Revealed 23:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides

Classifieds SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines AFR QTR JZR KAC JZR JZR ETH THY UAE QTR DHX MSR FDB ETD RJA GFA JZR KAC DHX FCX CLX JZR JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD FDB IRA GFA FCX IRC JZR IRA RBG MEA SYR MSR JZR RKM KAC GFA KAC KAC FDB UAL QTR SVA RJA ABY KAC JZR KNE KAC QTR JZR JZR ETD KAC UAE GFA SVA ABY JZR ALK JZR RBG FDB KAC KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC FDB KNE JAI OMA KNE AFG AXB MLR KAC DHX GRF MEA GFA QTR UAE KAC JZR AIC KAC KNE JZR FDB JZR UAL DLH

Arrival Flights on Sunday 26/2/2012 Flt Route 6708 PARIS 138 DOHA 185 DUBAI 154 ISTANBUL 267 BEIRUT 539 CAIRO 620 ADDIS ABABA 772 ISTANBUL 853 DUBAI 148 DOHA 370 BAHRAIN 612 CAIRO 67 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 189 DUBAI 544 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 792 LUXEMBOURG 555 ALEXANDRIA 529 ASSIUT 157 LONDON 412 MANILA 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 382 DELHI 352 COCHIN 302 MUMBAI 676 DUBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 284 DHAKA 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI 55 DUBAI 603 SHIRAZ 213 BAHRAIN 203 DUBAI 6801 AHWAZ 165 DUBAI 615 SHAHRE KORD 3553 ALEXANDRIA 404 BEIRUT 341 DAMASCUS 610 CAIRO 561 SOHAG 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 672 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN 744 DAMMAM 774 RIYADH 57 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 123 SHARJAH 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 843 JEDDAH 550 SOHAG 134 DOHA 535 CAIRO 213 DEIREZZOR 303 ABU DHABI 1782 JEDDAH 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 127 SHARJAH 777 JEDDAH 227 COLOMBO 177 DUBAI 3557 ALEXANDRIA 63 DUBAI 502 BEIRUT 542 CAIRO 787 RIYADH 786 JEDDAH 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 166 PARIS 102 NEW YORK 562 AMMAN 61 DUBAI 989 JEDDAH 572 MUMBAI 647 MUSCAT 945 JEDDAH 405 KABUL 389 KOZHIKODE 1407 COLOMBO 512 TEHRAN 372 BAHRAIN 81 BAGHDAD 402 BEIRUT 217 BAHRAIN 136 DOHA 859 DUBAI 172 FRANKFURT 135 BAHRAIN 981 CHENNAI 678 MUSCAT 943 JEDDAH 239 AMMAN 8057 DUBAI 179 DUBAI 981 BAHRAIN 636 FRANKFURT

Time 0:10 0:20 0:20 0:35 0:45 0:50 1:45 2:15 2:35 2:55 2:55 3:00 3:05 3:10 3:10 3:15 4:00 4:40 5:15 5:30 6:00 6:00 6:20 6:40 6:45 7:40 7:45 7:50 7:50 7:55 8:00 8:05 8:15 8:30 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:20 9:40 9:55 10:30 11:10 11:20 11:35 11:35 11:55 12:35 12:55 13:00 13:10 13:20 13:25 13:25 13:45 13:50 14:05 14:20 14:30 14:40 14:45 14:50 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:25 16:25 16:45 16:50 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:40 17:45 18:10 18:15 18:25 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:10 19:15 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:50 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:30 20:30 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:40 21:45 21:55 22:05 22:05 22:15 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:50

Airlines AFB UAL AIC BBC JZR DLH AFR ETH THY FDB UAE DHX MSR ETD QTR QTR JZR JZR GFA RJA CLX FDB BAW KAC JZR KAC KAC JZR KAC JZR UAE ABY ETD KAC FDB QTR KAC IRA GFA KAC KAC FCX KAC IRC RBG JZR KAC IRA MEA KAC SYR KAC JZR MSR RKM GFA FDB KAC KAC UAL ABY KAC RJA SVA KAC JZR KNE KAC QTR JZR QTR ETD JZR KAC UAE GFA ABY JZR SVA JZR JZR RBG ALK FDB JZR KAC KAC FDB KNE DHX KAC JAI OMA KNE MLR KAC DHX MEA GFA FCX QTR KAC JZR UAE KAC KNE KAC JZR FDB KAC KAC AFG

Departure Flights on Sunday 26/2/2012 Flt Route 394 KOCHI 981 WASHINGTON 976 GOA 44 CHITTAGONG 528 ASSIUT 637 FRANKFURT 6708 DUBAI 621 ADDIS ABABA 773 ISTANBUL 68 DUBAI 854 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 613 CAIRO 306 ABU DHABI 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 164 DUBAI 212 BAHRAIN 643 AMMAN 792 IALAM 54 DUBAI 156 LONDON 549 SOHAG 256 BEIRUT 671 DUBAI 171 FRANKFURT 534 CAIRO 787 JEDDAH 212 ALEPPO 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 302 ABU DHABI 117 NEW YORK 56 DUBAI 133 DOHA 773 RIYADH 602 SHIRAZ 214 BAHRAIN 743 DAMMAM 1781 JEDDAH 204 DUBAI 541 CAIRO 6802 AHWAZ 3558 ALEXANDRIA 776 JEDDAH 103 LONDON 614 SHAHRE 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 342 ALEPPO 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 311 RAS ALKHAIMAH 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 561 AMMAN 673 DUBAI 982 BAHRAIN 124 SHARJAH 677 MUSCAT 641 AMMAN 503 MADINAH 617 DOHA 786 RIYADH 940 JEDDAH 511 IMAM KHOMEINI 141 DOHA 238 AMMAN 135 DOHA 304 ABU DHABI 538 CAIRO 1783 JEDDAH 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 178 DUBAI 511 RIYADH 266 BEIRUT 134 BAHRAIN 3554 ALEXANDRIA 228 DUBAI 64 DUBAI 184 DUBAI 283 DHAKA 361 COLOMBO 62 DUBAI 980 JEDDAH 171 BAHRAIN 351 KOCHI 571 MUMBAI 648 MUSCAT 946 JEDDAH 1407 COLOMBO 543 CAIRO 373 BAHRAIN 403 BEIRUT 218 BAHRAIN 102 BAHRAIN 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 554 ALEXANDRIA 860 DUBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 944 JEDDAH 343 CHENNAI 502 LUXOR 8058 DUBAI 415 KUALA LUMPUR 411 BANGKOK 406 DUBAI

Time 0:05 0:45 0:50 1:00 1:10 1:20 1:55 2:45 3:15 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:00 4:00 4:40 5:40 6:20 6:55 7:00 7:10 8:00 8:25 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:00 9:05 9:15 9:25 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:10 10:25 10:40 10:40 10:45 11:10 11:45 12:00 12:10 12:15 12:15 12:30 12:35 12:55 13:00 13:35 13:40 13:50 13:55 14:10 14:20 14:35 14:45 15:05 15:20 15:25 15:25 15:35 15:45 15:50 15:50 15:55 16:25 16:30 17:15 17:25 17:35 17:40 18:10 18:10 18:15 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:45 19:05 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:55 20:15 20:20 20:40 21:00 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:30 23:35 23:40 23:45 23:55 23:59

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

ACCOMMODATION Required sharing accommodation with separate toilet for a small Sri Lankan family, within Abbassiya or near Indian Central School.

Contact: 66552905.

(C 3883) 26-2-2012 Accommodation available with separate attached bathroom for couple, decent lady or decent bachelor with kitchen, drawing satellite facilities in C-A/C flat new building in Salmiya, Amman Street.

Contact: 99678634.

(C 3878) Room available in Salmiya near City Center for a decent bachelor. Rent KD 75/-. Contact: 99959140. (C 3881) 25-2-2012 Sharing accommodation available in a C-A/C flat in Abbasiya for 2 Christian bachelors or Christian couple from 1st March.

Contact: 65625804.

(C 3876) 20-2-2012

LOST I lost my State Life Insurance paper, with policy number 633000205 of M. Younas. Anyone who has found it, call: 60741774. (C 3882) 25-2-2012

SITUATION VACANT Wanted housemaid in Farwaniya area, full time.

Contact: 97514390.

22-2-2012

FOR SALE Double bed 2x2m with side tables + full size wooden cupboard in excellent condition available for sale.

Contact: 97358878. (C 3877) 21-2-202012 2005, Chevy Trail Blazer XL, 7 seater, maroon, good condition, lady driven, brand new tires, KD 2500. Call 67005485.

(C 3875) 19-2-202012 Chevrolet Optra 2009 is on immediate sale for KD 2,350/- as expat leaving Kuwait. Showroom maintained and in excellent condition. Contact: 99754454.

(C 3867) 11-2-2012 A 2008 white, 1600 CC Nissan Sunny. Price KD 1700. Tel: 99553221 A 2008 dark blue 6 cylinder Toyota Prado with Beige sued interior, low mileage, touch A/C, CD, cruise control, front and rear sensors for sale. Price KD 6650. Tel: 99275550 A 2009 white, 6 cylinder Toyota Prado with 40,000 mileage touch A/C, CD, cruise control, front and rear sensors for sale. Price KD 7850. Tel: 9747750855809093 A 2009 YUKUN Suburban GMC XL with low mileage and beige sued interior, electric seats, cruise control, super headlights, rear camera, remote recording and rear sensors. Price 8550. Tel: 99301914

MATRIMONIAL Australian man, 50 years divorcee, living in Kuwait, Lebanese born, seeking alliance from Kuwait, single lady, divorcee, widow no problem, must be God fearing and love to travel and going out. Contact: Email: dadogeorge@hotmail.com (C 3879) 22-2-2012 MISCELLANEOUS TUITION

Business management teacher with doctoral degree for universities, institutions, corporate & all student levels. Over 10 years experience. Call 66495951. (C 3817) Mathematics teacher, Intermediate and secondary Exams models, Easy method, Exams from past years with solutions.

97301901 English teacher (3) years experience, looking for a job and ready to start with all educational stages.

55963993 Mathematics teacher for Universities, Institutions, Foreign Schools, Administra-tive, American, English, Australian, Bahrain, Electric and Gulf Sciences, Algbra Prel, Mathematics, intermediate, gmat, sat college, math98, 110 pre calculus geometry. 97619261 A Syrian Arabic language teacher. Masters in methods of teaching and follow up of 10th grade and 11th grade students. 97934291 Islamic education teacher for elementary and intermediate stages.

Experienced in Kuwait curricula. Easy explanation, and summary of the subject, training for exams.

66292985 Syrian Arabic language teacher for elementary and intermediate stages.

Experienced in following learning difficulties, and those weak in reading and writing. 97264100 Female senior Mathematics teacher with more that 30 years experience in Kuwait, to teach secondary, intermediate and elementary stages.

Religious and applied, communications and navigation institutions, special courses and secretariat institution. 97926737 Computer teacher for secondary and intermediate.

Practical on laptop, power point projects, front page, visual basic data, universities and applied institutions. 50603063

No: 15371

Original guaranteed Palestinian virgin olive oil, large black and green olives for sale. Tel: 66517417 Whole Floor or small villa needed for rent in Shaab, Mansoriya, Nozha, Abdullah Al-Salem or Shamiya. Direct contact with owner. Tel: 9989018-99169016 A camp for rent in Kabed including five tents with all services. Complete privacy + game arcade. Tel: 97177714 Size 36 air pressure gun for sale in addition to a scope, safety lock. Shooting range 350 meters +bag+25 shots.

Price KD 70. Tel: 97790478 A 3700 watt, 2012 model ASTRA generator for sale.

Japanese parts assembled in China with pressure and gas meters. Price KD 85. Tel: 60066891 For rent in Hawalli a one bedroom (4x4m) and a 7x3.5 m reception+ terrace, fully equipped kitchen and bathroom. Tunis street, behind Al-Andalus pharmacy. Tel: 99683200 For rent a two storey villa and a basement in Mangaf including 8 rooms, laundry room, yard, parking. Rent value KD 1000. Tel: 97996900 A storey and half for rent in Mangaf including two 3 bedroom apartments with 2 baths, reception, kitchen, driver room each. Tel: 66989887 For rent a ground floor in Qurain comprising of four rooms, large reception, 5 baths, maid room, courtyard, parking. Rent value KD 550. Tel: 66989887 A fully central air-conditioned two room annex in Mangaf with separate exit and shaded car parking for rent to expatriates. Tel: 67753557 For rent in Ashbelia: two apartments with 3 bedrooms, bath, kitchen and maid room each plus a yard in between. Tel: 90001594 A 2005 Mini Cooper for sale. Tel: 99224855

FOR RENT For rent at Salmiya, Apt 3 BR + 3 toilets + hall + kitchen + satellite, excellent location. Foreigners and expats only, no mediators.

Tel: 66060299. (14183) For rent commercial Apt at the sea, excellent location, 190 square meter, suitable for (beauty saloon, consulting office, lawyers office).

Tel: 66060299. (15004) For rent Apt at Salmiya 2 BR + 2 toilets + maid room + hall + kitchen and balcony for families only. Rent KD 280/-. Tel: 66980123.

(15007) For rent basement at Hawalli, excellent location, plastic floor, C-A/C, for serious only, please call: 66980123. (C 25997) Furnished Apt for rent in Salmiya 2 BR + hall + kitchen + satellite & DSL + parking, families only. Rent KD 450/-. Tel: 66297171. (C 14941) For rent, one floor in a commercial complex in Salmiya, at main street suitable for Coffee Shop or Restaurant for serious only call: 66980123. (15006) For rent floor at South of Surra, 4 BR + maid room + 4 toilets, hall and elevator. KD 800/-. Tel: 66604095.

(15041) For rent complete floor at Jabriya, 5 BR out of which 4 are master BR + 5 toilets + hall and elevator KD 750/-.

Tel: 66604095. (15103) For rent new elegant Apt at Al-Shaab for newly Weds, 3 BR + maid room + 4 toileets + hall + elevator. KD 650/-.

Tel: 94097080. (14899)

34

s ta rs CROSSWORD 600

CALVIN & HOBBES

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) A friend that may need your help today has your attention. This could mean that someone is moving or is ill and may need a bit of care or attention . . . perhaps a cooked meal, hot tea, a listening ear or perhaps a pat on the back. Being in touch with ideas and people on a grand scale keeps your mind busy this afternoon. Broadening your intellectual and spiritual horizons takes on high priority. You are intent on seeing the big picture and getting to the point. You may decide that working for a travel agency or airline will help get you around the world.

A revision in your resume may help you move in this direction. Finding new ways to make your dreams come true is essential. Stay with those who share your views.

Bubbles are in order this evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. (prefix) Opposite or opposing or neutralizing.

4. Involving the entire earth.

10. A drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

13. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan.

14. Medium-sized tree-dwelling monkey of the Amazon basin.

15. Of or relating to a member of the Buddhist people inhabiting the Mekong river in Laos and Thailand.

16. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

18. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

19. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh.

21. (formal) By means of this.

23. A public promotion of some product or service.

25. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

26. Informal terms for a mother.

27. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

29. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

33. A branch of the Tai languages.

37. part of the peritoneum attached to the stomach and to the colon and covering the intestines.

39. An unforeseen obstacle.

41. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

42. A legal document codifying the result of deliberations of a committee or society or legislative body.

43. A French abbot.

44. A pointed tool for marking surfaces or for punching small holes.

45. Lacking or deprive of the sense of hearing wholly or in part.

49. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank.

51. A master's degree in business.

53. The act of killing yourself.

57. Make less active or intense.

61. Relating to or near the ulna.

62. (usually followed by `to') Having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something.

65. An informal term for a father.

66. The portion of the vertebrate nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord.

67. In a foreign country.

69. Kidney disease characterized by enlarged kidneys containing many cysts.

70. Headdress that protects the head from bad weather.

71. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

72. The chance to speak.

DOWN 1. A unit of resistance equal to a billionth of an ohm.

2. Greek mythology.

3. A relative position or degree of value in a graded group.

4. Of or related to the genital and urinary organs or their functions.

5. Made of or resembling lace.

6. A Turkish unit of weight equal to about 2.75 pounds.

7. A small cake leavened with yeast.

8. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

9. Either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye.

10. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

11. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

12. Fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period.

17. Of or like a cecum.

20. Lower in esteem.

22. A flexible container with a single opening.

24. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

28. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

30. Type genus of the Rutaceae.

31. A bachelor's degree in science.

32. An amino acid that is found in the central nervous system.

34. The sixth month of the civil year.

35. King of England who was renounced by Northumbria in favor of his brother Edgar (died in 959).

36. Informal terms for money.

38. (informal) Of the highest quality.

40. A unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns.

46. A tax on employees and employers that is used to fund the Social Security system.

47. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

48. Extremely pleasing.

50. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

52. English monk and scholar (672-735).

54. The inner and longer of the two bones of the human forearm.

55. In or of the present month.

56. A British peer ranking below a Marquess and above a Viscount.

58. A system of one or more computers and associated software with common storage.

59. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

60. Founder of Christian Science in 1866 (1821-1910).

63. A long thin fluffy scarf of feathers or fur.

64. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research.

68. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Indulge your curiosity because today your creativity is at its best.

New ideas are easily understood and bring interesting and exciting rewards. Make the most of this exciting day. Close relationships have a big impact on your life this afternoon. The contributions you make to a group are very important now. You give of your time, energy and money to help with a good cause. A partner has a mesmerizing impact on you . . . very compelling, perhaps too much so. Higher education, publishing, broadcasting or advertising could play an unexpected role in setting new directions. You may even find yourself in some sort of class offered by the community schools or library with regard to publishing. You could even teach a class.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Your emotions are so close to the surface today that anyone could read them from across the room, which means you can read them too. Some kind of healing process is at work in your life: you isolate what doesn’t work, eliminate it and move forward. Today, your sensitivity to the needs of others is acute; making this a super day to work with people. If you are a salesperson, you should double your quota for the day! This evening someone may want you to help with his or her project. It would be best for you to not take on extra projects at this time—stress levels and personal needs may need to be taken into consideration. A fear of asserting yourself can hold you back—as can coming on too strong. The trick is an ever watchful eye on the art of balance.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

There are plenty of positive energies available today that will help make you feel uplifted and give you great confidence in yourself.

Whatever you attempt to accomplish for yourself now will have great success. You may discover the impossibilities of trying to please everyone. You will quickly learn to balance this out, or you will discover that there is no peace in compromise—and this can be tough on close relationships. You, however, could come up with new solutions. You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others just now and are in a good position to communicate concerning groups and society in general. This is a great time for romance. Lady Luck is with you in some personal endeavor this evening.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

ZITS

Figuring out how to organize projects and people is apt to become a topic of special interest—and a challenge. Involvement with ideals and idealistic groups enhances your sense of purpose and mission. This could all involve the workplace, but more than likely it will be a volunteer need that you have willingly rushed in to fill. You can demonstrate a sensitivity to the needs of others and you are in a good position to communicate concerning groups and society in general. You create harmony all around you and people love to be around your influence. Your life is going to be extremely busy for a while—there may be little time to rest—grab a moment when you can and take a deep breath . . . smile. You truly make the world a better place!

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You may find yourself teaching young people your organizational skills, discipline and the ability to be objective. Whatever you put into motion today is bound to lead to success. A larger vision comes when you think of the world in the hands of the next generation. Family and security are things that rattle your chain more than ever now. These are the things you want to help others build upon—a good foundation. Your passion is catching and your words help others to understand more about the importance of a strong family unit. These are areas where you make new beginnings and bold moves, things you are willing to fight for . . . things in which it pays to be careful. The restlessness you are feeling this evening will calm.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

It is a good time to assess what changes or improvements you would like to make within yourself, but especially with the good of others in mind. This is the uppermost consideration. You may be given additional challenges today. Go for it! Your physical energy is high and your batting average at turning the negative into a positive is also at a high. This is a great time to reflect and understand your own situation—just how you feel about yourself. Your emotions, as well as the feelings of those around you, may be very clear. This is a nice time. You can expect a little boost, some sort of extra support or recognition. You may feel that you are in touch with those around you and the lines of communication are open.

Support is available.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) 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 period should give you a burst of energy that could keep you going forward through next month! This strong pull of energy is also useful in helping you to get a lot accomplished. Close relationships gain your attention this afternoon. This could be a time when you and your friends are together in some sort of game tournament—perhaps a shopping expedition or some sort of sports activity has gotten your attention. A series of give and take conversations will end up with everyone laughing and having fun this evening.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Focus on getting ahead in some way. Your vigor and confidence are strong. Those around you are watching and you will probably receive verbal credit for your good deeds; even though you are not seeking credit.

You feel generous toward your loved ones and this will reflect back on you. This is a good day for making plans, because your mind is clear. An older person in the family may seek you out for advice and counsel regarding very personal and emotional issues. You will be able to be understanding and handle any difficulties. You appear perhaps more charming than usual this afternoon. Now could be the time to ask someone out on a date, or otherwise make yourself known. Cupid’s arrow is aimed at your heart tonight.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Because someone questions your beliefs or words today, you are able to better understand them yourself—you work to create a focus of understanding. Today you may feel like a character in a murder mystery, except that you are not sure whether you are the hero, the bad guy or the victim. Try to keep your feet planted as firmly as you can in reality. You may have more interaction with friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbors than usual. A minor domestic problem will be easy to solve—all you have to do is try. Look at some new ways to relax or interact with loved ones—perhaps a sporting hobby or a walk through the neighborhood. A child or lover may come to mean everything. There may be an opportunity to help a child with school work this evening.

Yesterday’s Solution Aquarius (January 20- February 18) After juggling projects at work, the ones at home may or may not seem like the projects you will want to spend time with this evening. A little extra energy is available, however, to sort out some of those unfinished, ongoing projects. This could mean new wallpaper, paint, floor staining, etc., etc. Do not hesitate to call on others to help you—it is their space as well. If others know what the work is like, they will most likely help to take care of it. Perhaps you are going to sell, have company or just want to finish the project—all will go well.

Deal with the stress as it comes up and welcome the help of others. You have a clear vision into your own inner sense of values, how you appreciate and love. This evening, relax and enjoy a book or listen to some new music.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

An emphasis on close relationships and a preoccupation with ideas of fairness and harmony are part and parcel of the mental cycle you have just begun. The intellectual and communicative talents of those close to you take on greater importance: any shortcomings of this kind stick out like a sore thumb. Intensity rules! Colors are brighter, images sharper, music more moving.

Emotions run deep, especially with loved ones. Previously bland relationships could now border on intensity. You can control this, so enjoy the good parts while you can.

Parts of your day not spent with anyone with whom you have a bond will more than likely be spent in some sort of intensive creative project—measuring and sculpturing may be part of this activity.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

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

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION 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

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

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Ahmadi

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Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

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Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

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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

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Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

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(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

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Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

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Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

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Dr. Mousa Khadada

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

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Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

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36

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Dev Patel’s not cool playing the lead he ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ star describes his time on M. Night Shyamalan’s flop ‘The Last Airbender’ “horrendous” and admits he prefers working as part of an ensemble in smaller movies such as his latest project ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’. He said: “Working on something that big and trying to get heard as an actor is tricky.

You feel so diluted and worthless. “I would happily shape my career doing great low-budget indies like that. I’m not that hero-type dude, so I’m never going to be playing the handsome lead character.” Dev feels like he is still growing up and says that is one of the reasons he was attracted to the character of Sonny in ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’. He told Empire magazine: “That’s another reason why Sonny is so related to me - this guy is growing a man. He has a saying, ‘Everything will be alright in the end. But if it’s not alright then it’s not yet the end.’ “

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Lindsay Lohan is ‘only going up, up, up’ he troubled actress - whose career has floundered amid a series of legal problems and spells in rehab - insists she is putting her bad times behind her and is focused on getting her life back on track. Responding to a twitter follower who described her as “forever my childhood crush”, she posted: “omg! really? that’s so cool hahaha thank you xoxo - sorry for the ups and downs... only going up up up from here! “i’m a tough cookie! a focused tough cookie! :) (sic)” Lindsay - who is currently undergoing com-

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munity service at the Los Angeles County Morgue as part of her punishment for breaching probation - also revealed she has gotten into a regular routine to be prepared for her unpaid work, and has cut down on her use of social networking websites in order to tackle domestic tasks at home. She tweeted: “i actually watch the news every single morning when i get up for community service, starting at 5am :) “i’m only on [twitter] for quick moments at a time lol... i’m actually cleaning - was at community service all

day (sic)”. Lindsay’s positive attitude comes as she was praised by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner, who told her she seems to be getting her “life back on track” during a progress hearing. The ‘Mean Girls’ star has 14 more days of community service and five counselling sessions to complete before March 29, and then her probation will be over.

Mark Wahlberg knows who’s going to win at the Oscars he ‘Contraband’ star will be in Paris today when the Academy Awards will take place, but already knows the winners through his connections. He predicts the ‘The Artist’ will take the coveted Best Picture prize - the biggest of the night - while its lead male, Jean Dujardin will beat competition from Demian Bichir, George Clooney, Gary Oldman and Brad Pitt to take the Best Actor prize. He told The Huffington Post UK: “It’s not a matter of who I want to win, it’s who I know is going to win.” When asked by the website how he knew the results, he replied: “Because I’ve got a friend at PriceWaterhouse,” referring to PWC, the professional services company which provides auditing services to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, meaning it is the certifier of votes for the Oscars, a role it has held since 1934. Mark went on to say ‘The Help’ will be a big winner with Viola Davis winning Best Actress and Octavia Spencer winning for Best Supporting Actress. He added: “Christopher Plummer will win for Best Supporting Actor and the team behind ‘Transformers’ will win for best sound editing, and ‘Hugo’ - they will win Best Costume, Production and Cinematography.”Film fans will be able to find out if Mark is bluffing or not when the Oscars take place at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood tonight.

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Gerard Butler is ‘in good health’ he Bounty Hunter’ star was in the Betty Ford Center in California, receiving treatment for substance abuse over the last three weeks, but was discharged on Friday. His representative, Rupert Fowler, said: “Gerard has completed a successful course of treatment and has returned home in good health.” Gerard had entered the facility after realising he was becoming dependent on prescription drugs. His problems were allegedly triggered by the physical demands of shooting ‘300’ in 2006 when he started taking painkillers to cope with numerous injuries he got while shooting the action film. The problem got worse when the 42-year-old actor was badly hurt in a surfing accident when filming ‘Of Men and Mavericks’ which tells the true life story of late surfing icon Jay Moriarty - in December. The Scottish star got caught in a 12ft swell at the infamous big-wave Northern Californian surfing spot Maverick’s. After being pulled from the water onto a jet ski, he was taken to shore and driven to Stanford Medical Centre where he was kept under observation for one night.

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Eva Longoria gets stronger every day he ‘Desperate Housewives’ actress split from Tony Parker after three and a half years of marriage in November 2010, and says she gets stronger every day now the relationship is behind her. Eva - who is now dating Eduardo Cruz - told Hollyscoop.com: “You know what, every day I strive to be happy. So yeah, I think every day is another victory!” She has also recently praised 26-year-old Eduardo - brother of Penelope Cruz - for helping her through such a difficult period in her life. She said: “The truth is, I should be angry, resentful and disillusioned about relationships. But I’m not. I was very lucky to find Edu.” As well as changes in her personal life over the last year, Eva has also been taking on a different role professionally, appearing behind the camera to direct short film ‘A Proper Send Off’, and she is looking forward to carrying on that side of her work more this year. Speaking at her pre-Oscars party in Hollywood, she added: “I love being behind the scenes. And I love producing, and I’m going to do more directing, so yeah, I like it!”

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Simon Cowell is creating an American boy band he music mogul - who has his own record label Syco is in the early stages of putting together a pop group to conquer the US market and has been in talks with a number of producers and songwriters to create the right sound. A source told JustJared.com: “Simon is really excited to form a group of guys from America. He’s done such a fine job with British boys, so he’s ready to try his hand in America. He’s looking for the right people to team up with and create their sound.” Meanwhile, Simon’s UK and Irish boy band One Direction - who were formed on UK TV show ‘The X Factor’ - are enjoying success in the US with their debut single ‘What Makes You Beautiful’, which has placed at 28 on the Hot 100 chart. Their PR company Hackford Jones tweeted: “One Direction have debuted at No.28 in the US Hot 100 chart.

It’s the highest US chart debut for a UK act in over 14 years.” The group, comprised of Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, have been making a name for themselves in America where recently filmed a guest appearance on Nickelodeon’s ‘iCarly’ and are set to support Big Time Rush on tour. — Bangshowbiz

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Jennifer Aniston looked like a ‘battered burn victim’ he ‘Wanderlust’ star admitted she’s undergone the procedure to help her get rid of sun spots, but it left her with flaky skin. Referring to the procedure as “laser porn,” she told talk show host Conan O’Brien: “I did this thing called like, a peel. It’s extremely intense - you don’t realise you look like a battered burn victim for a week “Then the skin from your face just kind of falls off - for eight days!” The host was quick to quip back: “I hope you saved the face afterwards - that is eBay gold!” Suggesting she could sell her dried skin on the internet. Fans will be able to see lots more of Jennifer’s skin in coming weeks when ‘Wanderlust’ comes out.

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37

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

LIFESTYLE F e a t u r e s

Dance instructor Bobbie Fields (front left) with seniors learning line dancing in a class presented by Universal Nursing Services, Inc., at the Lawton Community Center, in Akron, Ohio. —MCT

Passionate seniors hey move oh-so-elegantly, swiveling their hips and rolling their shoulders to the soulful music. Some wear sneakers, others don high heels. They are a fun lot and don’t shy away from much, unless it’s revealing their ages. Most only grimace when asked how old they are, but those who qualify readily admit to being great-grandmoms. With the sultry moves they’ve mastered on the dance floor, they’re sexy senior citizens. Some line dance just for fun; others do it to keep their hearts beating. Watching Carolyn Bell move across the floor, it’s hard to imagine that doctors once wanted to amputate her legs. There’s no shuffling in her step and she lifts her petite feet off the floor. And though she’s in pain, she doesn’t let on, wearing a grin as she keeps up with the beat.

“The arteries in my legs, from my feet to my hips, are clogged. They’ve put stents in, twice.

They got some blood flow, but very little,” Bell

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Elsie Colley dances with seniors learning line dancing in a class. —MCT

dance for fun and health

said. “Doctors said to me, ‘The only thing we can do to get rid of the pain is to amputate.’”

“That’s completely out of the question,” she told them. After all, she had already survived three heart attacks and cancer. Instead, she reasoned that beyond her aerobics workouts, dancing might help with circulation. So back in November, Bell decided to take up line dancing at the Lawton Community Center in Akron, Ohio. The free classes, offered by Universal Nursing Services Inc., meet each Wednesday morning.

Just to be sure, she explained, she asked God whether it was a good idea for her to be doing such a thing. “He answered ... ‘Dance for me.’” Bell isn’t the only one with health issues in the crowd of nearly three dozen who attend each week. After each dance, Alisa Harris, for instance, slips into a chair and nonchalantly places an oxygen tube beneath her nose and behind her ears. But before the first beat of the

next tune, she takes her place back in line. “I’m going to dance until I can’t do it anymore,” said Harris, who has pulmonary fibrosis. “I just refuse to give up.”

During the weekly sessions, assistant instructor Hilda Craig illustrates a dance before the others give it a try. She uses her shoulders to make sultry moves. As the others watch, they hoot, howl and applaud her strut. Though she’s been dancing since she was a youngster, about a decade ago the 62-year-old started to do it for her health. Her sister had a leg amputated because of complications from diabetes, so Craig began dancing more often to avoid similar health issues.

“I can’t say enough about this program,” she said after a lesson at the center. “I’m so glad that these women are coming in here rather than sitting at home ... dying.” Gloria Rookard is the president and chief executive of Universal Nursing Services, a business she

began some 30 years ago. Today, about 300 people are employed in offices in Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. She said her company goes into neighborhoods that are underserved. And the dance lessons are one way to give back to a community that has been kind to her over the years.

The octogenarian credits Alan Manley Sr., her nephew and marketing director of the company, for suggesting the program. “I thought that coming up with a program that would incorporate physical fitness that was fun ... would be a good marriage,” Manley said.

“Line dancing is a trend that is growing. It’s a good way for them (senior citizens) to get into a physical fitness activity without the aerobics.”

Rookard, the first African-American to graduate from the School of Nursing at Akron General Hospital, then known as Peoples Hospital, was a recipient of the Beacon Journal Extraordinary Women award in 2005. At the

time, Rookard said she absolutely could not take all of the credit for her success. “I didn’t do it alone,” Rookard said, grinning. “It’s me and Jesus.” When Elsie Colley’s family was home for the holidays, she decided to give everyone a little sample of what she had learned in dance class.

At least one of her three sons had been teasing her about being a rockin’ mama who was learning to dance with 30 other senior citizens. “This I’ve got to see,” joked her son, Lawrence Colley, a first sergeant in the U.S. Army. So on Christmas Eve, a skeptical bunch gathered in the den of her Akron home. They sat on chairs, the floor and jammed into the doorway as she did the Wobble line dance.

While the others shouted and squealed, Colley’s husband, Jerry, simply grinned. “I don’t believe it,” someone said. Grandma was putting on quite a show ... and she was proud of it. —MCT

Will teen actor become next celebrity chef? t takes some serious talent to make carrots cool, but actor Reed Alexander of Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” thinks he has the juice to pull it off.

And it’s all part of the 17-year-old’s plan to transform himself from tween TV star to food celebrity. It may sound like a stretch for a kid barely old enough to have graduated high school, never mind have a culinary degree. But Alexander’s efforts to motivate kids to eat right and lose weight already are earning him surprising props from some high-profile foodies. Why all the attention on a kid with little food cred?

To Lee Schrager, director of the South Beach Food Festival, it’s simple.

Alexander exudes charisma and confidence. He’s passionate about food and healthy eating. And, most importantly, he has the ability to reach a demographic everyone wants - young people. “That is someone to watch,” said Schrager, who this year invited Alexander to do a cooking demo at the annual festival, a much sought after gig that puts him in the company of established food names such as Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray. He wants to be the Justin Bieber of cooking. Besides starring in numerous television and big screen productions, he also has appeared on countless morning shows and cooking segments sharing some of his favourite healthy recipes. Alexander - who began his acting career doing commercials and has appeared on “iCarly” since 2007 - considers himself to be

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A relative holds a newspaper beside Nepalese Chandra Bahadur Dangi, 72, who says he’s only 22 inches (56 centimetres) tall inside a room of a guesthouse where he is presently staying in Katmandu, Nepal. —AP

Nepalese man, 72, claims to be world’s shortest e has never worked outside the home or seen a doctor, and until Wednesday, he had never left his remote mountain village in western Nepal. So 72-year-old Chandra Bahadur Dangi only recently learned he might be the world’s shortest man. Dangi says he’s only 22 inches (56 centimetres) tall - about the size of a toddler - and he’s hoping to claim the title. Guinness World Records said in an email Wednesday that its officials would arrive in Nepal’s capital today to measure Dangi. Dangi took his first trip outside his village and his first trip on a plane to reach Katmandu on Wednesday.

“I am very happy to be in Katmandu for the first time in my life. I am here so I can take the Guinness title,” Dangi told reporters at the air-

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port. Dangi, who has never been married, lives with his eldest brother and his family in Rhimkholi village, about 250 miles (400 kilometres) west of Katmandu. Because of his height, he has never worked outside the house, doing only household chores. His five brothers are of average size.

His family is not sure when he stopped growing, and Dangi said he has never been checked by a medical doctor. He attended a few classes in the village school, but soon dropped out. Dangi eats mainly rice and vegetables, and occasionally meat, but in small portions. Since the village is so remote, it was only recently that Dangi gained notice. A forest contractor cutting timber in the village met him and informed local media after Dangi’s height was measured.

Dangi’s nephew, Dolak Dangi, said that before the contractor’s visit, the family did not know his uncle’s exact height, and that he was shorter than the world’s shortest man. Guinness currently recognizes Junrey Balawing of the Philippines, who is 23.5 inches (60 centimetres) tall. Another Nepalese man, Khagendra Thapa Magar, was known as the world’s shortest man, at 26.4 inches (67 centimetres), before Balawing took over the title on his 18th birthday in June.

In December, Guinness recognized an Indian teenager as the world’s shortest woman. Jyoti Amge is 24.7 inches (62.8 centimetres) tall and wants to attend university and become a Bollywood star. Aside from a Guinness certificate, the titles do not come with any cash award. —AP

“just a kid,” but his grown-up role in the kitchen has captured the attention of many in the food industry.

Getting kids to eat healthy is something Alexander understands - he started with himself. “I was really overweight and I was lazy and lethargic...

My eating was out of control. I didn’t have the knowledge and I just wasn’t feeling great,” Alexander said in an interview Friday. “I wanted to be able to find an answer that would work for me, but there just wasn’t anything out there from a kid’s point of view.”

So Alexander, a longtime foodie and fan of the Food Network who loved to tinker in the kitchen (what he calls his science lab), got to work creating recipes and tips. In time, he lost 15 pounds and gained a passion. “In order to ensure that I was really satisfied, I was experimenting, swapping out ingredients, creating my own recipes, making them easier, making them lighter, making them more delicious, more flavourful and good for me,” he said.

At that point, he gathered what he’d learned and the recipes he’d created - such as sunny oven-roasted citrus chicken or chopped guacamole salad- and put them on a website, KewlBites.com, to help families and children eat and feel better. “It was about having self-confidence and the ability to feel my best,” he said. “I think I really get it in that respect in terms of what kids are going through and hopefully vice versa and they’ll see what I’m doing is designed to reach out to people who have been in the

same boat.”

He has since produced videos on Rachael Ray’s website that encourage kids to get involved in cooking. He also visits schools across the country as a spokesman for the non-profit organization Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a partnership of The William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association to help fight childhood obesity. He’s also created healthy lunch recipes that are available to school lunch programs in the U.S. with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

Part of his appeal as a spokesman for healthy eating is that kids “are such avid viewers of iCarly,” he said. At one school he recently visited in West New York, New Jersey, Alexander was asked what his favourite vegetable was - carrots. For the rest of the week the students at the school wanted to eat carrots during lunch. The school chef had to order more to keep up with demand. “These questions are an insight into what they are focusing on,” he said. “It proves they care, there’s a curiosity.” Alexander went to a brick-and-mortar school until the seventh grade. He now attends a virtual school. Though he is no longer lining up at the cafeteria for lunch, he said he still can relate to the younger generation. “I still have a sensibility of what these kids are facing,” he said.

“This is something I understand.” —AP

Roy Lichtenstein work to be auctioned work by Roy Lichtenstein is going on the auction block in New York City.

The presale estimate is up to $40 million. “Sleeping Girl” has been exhibited only once before - at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles in 1989-90. It’s among a series of sexy comic book-inspired images Lichtenstein created in the 1960s. It shows a woman with closed eyes and flowing blond

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hair The work will be offered at Sotheby’s on May 9. It’s from the estate of Beatrice and Phillip Gersh of Los Angeles. Another Lichtenstein sold for $43.2 million at Christie’s in November. It’s called: “I Can See the Whole Room! ... and There’s Nobody in it!” The price was a record for the artist. —AP

Actor Reed Alexander is shown during an interview Friday, Feb. 24, 2012 in Miami Beach, Fla. —AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Models display creations as part of Etro Fall-winter 2012-2013 collection.

Milan runways buzz with off carpet news T here was more buzz off than on the runway Friday, with the fashion crowd digesting the news of designer Jil Sander’s return to the fold, and a preview peek at a much anticipated exhibit juxtaposing two of Italy’s most influential female designers. It was business as usual on the runway, with shows confirming the look for winter 2013 promises to be a mixture of military discipline, Victorian virtue and a lot of sexy spice. Army accents abound from epaulette shoulders to gold buttoning, to any number of military booties - not to mention silvery armour. The 1960s pant suit, one of the first forms of power fashion, also makes a comeback. Wasp waistlines, high collars, puffed sleeves, ruched hemlines and bustle skirts evoke Victorian times, but the sheer fabrics and strategic cut outs and embroidery reveal much more than the queen would ever have allowed.

Next winter promises to be another dark season, at least where colour is concerned. Although most shows along with fall hues of brown and green offer some very bright - mainly purple, pink and yellow shades - the favorite backdrop continues to be black.

Sander will be making her second comeback to the eponymous, minimalist label she launched in 1968, following the departure of Belgian designer Raf Simons. Simons last runway show for the label will be yesterday - and then it’s anybody’s guess where he will turn up next.

Sander said in a statement that her return “feels like coming home after a brief journey.” Her last exit was eight years, when her company was under Prada Group ownership. Her new bosses couldn’t be more thrilled with her decision. “It’s almost too good to be true,” said Jil Sander Group CEO Alessandro Cremonesi, praising her entrepreneurial spirit and passion. Miuccia Prada appeared at a presentation for

Models display creations as part of Blumarine Fall-winter 2012-2013 collection.

the fashion exhibit “Impossible Conversations” at the New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, which will feature pairings of her creations with those of her designing compatriot Elsa Schiaparelli, who died in 1973. The exhibit, which will run from May 10-Aug. 19, contained pairings of the two designers’ dresses, showing apparent similarities that fade when their techniques and inspirations are considered.

ETRO Paisley prints revisited are the name of the game at Etro for next winter. Veronica Etro, womenswear designer for the fashion house and family that established paisley printing on the Milan runway in the 1980s, was inspired by an old shawl found at the bottom of their fashion closet. “The rest came naturally,” she said. The Etro brand, which also manufactures its own materials, is famous for incorporating bright colours and kaleidoscopic patterns, above all paisley, into their young and trendy styles. This round, there were a series of unique treatments, from laser cut patchworks to decorative trompe l’oeil, giving the traditional pattern a contemporary twist. Worked into black tulle or sheer netting, the pattern creates a body tattoo effect.

The basic winter silhouette is sexy Victorian, which at Etro is not a contradiction in terms. Corset details like lacing and paneling are strategically placed to show off the body. Demure ruching, which forms ruffles or petals, finds it way on to an edgy leather biker jacket, while wool or leather bustles give a flip look to gowns and skirts. Materials do the rest. Rich velvets, jacquards and tweeds are bound together to create sophisticated three-dimensional patchworks, while patent leather embroidery is used to form a film over

a paisley background on a full-length gown.

Handbags like many of those seen on the current runway are rigid and medium-sized. Footwear too reflect the latest favorites: stiletto pumps with lace up ankles and pointy toe booties.

BLUMARINE Every season Anna Molinari offers a fresh interpretation of what she calls “young and naughty,” for her fun-filled Blumarine label. Next winter, the designer ups the ante with a sassy, sexy wardrobe, perfect for disco Barbie or a Paris Hilton moment on the red carpet. Animal printing from head to toe, super-bright sequining and shimmery metallic leather all combine to create a super flashy look, where the adjectives demure or romantic, frequently used to describe the winter wears currently on display on the Milan runway, have no place. Hot pants, tight fitting jeans with matching jacket in shiny silver leather, silk graffiti painted leggings, hip hugging emerald green sequined skirts and sparkling tops, all worn with high-heeled booties zipped at the back, and oversized hoop earrings, spoke of naughty days and even naughtier nights. The incessantly repeated refrain from the runway’s disco beat soundtrack summed up the show. “Bad girls,” it said, “do it better.” — AP

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Sri Lanka Fashion Week

Sri Lankan models display creations designed by Dimuthu Sahabandu at the annual Colombo fashion week on February 24, 2012.

Versace corners chainmail market D

onatella Versace must have the chainmail market cornered.

Versace’s womenswear collection for next winter, previewed during Milan Fashion Week on Friday, was heavy on garments in some way adorned with silvery chains or mesh in every imaginable weight and density. The heavy metal looks would be ideal for a futuristic galactic gladiator even one who wanted to show her vulnerabilities as much as defend herself against adversaries. The bustier, often fortified with chainmail that was first introduced to label by the late Gianni Versace in the 1980s, was the centrepiece of the collection, forming breast plates that were built into figurehugging dresses and that topped slim pencil skirts.

Versace adorned her creations with Byzantine crosses, often bejewelled, another of her brother’s favourite motifs. At times she enhanced the look with silver accents on the hips - creating a streamlined silhouette. As much as creating shields, Versace also sought to be revealing. She used beads to create an open mesh that she worked into dresses or used as overlays on top of nude sheaths. For the devil-may-care rocker, there was a backless black dress covered with what appeared to be shredded white ribbon.

The colour scheme was mostly black and white, but Versace can never resist bold colours and this time reached for yellow and orange. Models wore short bangs and long flowing hair. The short skirts were often paired with high-heeled knee boots, themselves covered with crystals and beads, and worn with fishnet stockings. The silver chains, crystals and jewel beading reflects any sliver of light, creating a fantastic nighttime effect, but meaning the wardrobe ultimately would not work well on a sneak attack. Gladiators, beware. — AP

Models wear creations as part of the Versace Women’s Fall-Winter 2012-13 fashion collection, presented in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 24, 2012. — AP/AFP photos

Nepalese man, 72, claims to be world’s shortest

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2012

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(From left) French actor Jean Dujardin, French director Michel Hazanavicius’ film “The Artist”, French actress Berenice Bejo, French actor Omar Sy, Spanish actress Carmen Maura, French actress Clotilde Hesme and French actress Naidra Ayadi pose with their trophy at the end of the 37th Cesar Awards ceremony on February 24, 2011 at the Chatelet theatre in Paris.

‘The Artist’ shines at French film awards

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ilent movie “The Artist” shone at home on Friday, netting best film and a string of other awards at France’s annual Cesars, held two days before the Oscars in which the black-and-white film is a top favourite. Michel Hazanavicius won both best film and best director for his tribute to Hollywood’s golden age, about a silent movie star struggling after the arrival of the “talkies”, at the 37th Cesars ceremony at the Chatelet Theatre in Paris. His partner the actress Berenice Bejo was visibly moved to accept the best actress Cesar for her part as an up-and-coming starlet in the movie, two days before competing for the best supporting actress Oscar in Hollywood.

“The Artist” also picked up best score for the 1920s and 30s-inspired soundtrack by composer Ludovic Bource, as well as best set design and best cinematography. Already crowned with awards at the Golden Globes, the British BAFTAS and the Spanish Goyas, the film is contending for a whopping 10 Oscars at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Film lead Jean Dujardin, acclaimed for his role as a fading silent film star, left the Cesars empty handed but heads to Hollywood this weekend with a chance to become the first Frenchman to win a best actor Oscar.

French cinema has had a bumper year both artistically and commercially, with a whopping 215.6 million cinema tickets sold last year in the country of 65 million. Omar Sy, co-star of “Intouchables” (Untouchables), a box office hit about a quadriplegic aristocrat and his home-help from the melting-pot Paris suburbs, was named best actor.

Rewarded for his role as a wisecracking male nurse in

the feel-good comedy, Sy becomes the first black actor to scoop a Cesar since the French answer to the Oscars was created in 1976. By comparison five African-American actors and one actress have picked up an Academy Award, starting with Sidney Poitier in 1963. Twenty five have been nominated including Viola Davis, running for best actress today for “The Help”.

Based on a true story, “Intouchables” stars Francois Cluzet as a wealthy quadriplegic whose life is turned upside down when he hires a young black man, played by Sy, just out of prison to take care of him. One of the most successful films in French history with 19 million viewers, the surprise hit from Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache made a star of Sy, in a country where nearly all the leading film thespians are white.

The actor, who comes from the gritty Paris surburb of Trappes and made a name in a comedy series on television, said prior to the ceremony that skin colour was not a

central issue for him. But he has also admitted having to turn down roles that would have typecast him as a thug or petty criminal. The Weinstein company has bought an option for the film’s US remake rights but it received an extremely frosty reception from several US reviewers including Variety which slammed it as racist. Sy’s character “is treated as nothing but a performing monkey... entertaining the master while embodying all the usual stereotypes about class and race,” wrote the magazine in a vitriolic review. — AFP

French editor Laure Gardette poses with her trophy after winning the Best Editing award for French director Maiwenn’s film “Polisse”. —AP / AFP photos

Alexandre Mallet-Guy poses with the trophy won by Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s film “Une separation” (A separation).

Actress Kate Winslet smiles with her trophy after being awarded the Cesar of Honour award.

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French director Christian Rouaud holds his trophy after receiving the Cesar for the Best Documentary Feature award for “Tous au Larzac” (All in the Larzac).

French actor Omar Sy poses with his trophy during a photocall after winning the Best Actor award for French directors Eric Toledano and Olivier Nakache’s film “Intouchables” (Untouchables)

‘Artist’ costumes a study in colours, texture

French composer Ludovic Bource holds his trophy after winning the Best Score award for French director Michel Hazanavicius’ film “The Artist”.

ven though “The Artist” was filmed in black and white, costume designer Mark Bridges says his work had to be a study in both color and texture, to create the movie’s sumptuous look and ambiance. Bridges-whose previous work ranges from “8 Mile” to “There Will Be Blood” to “The Fighter”-is up for an Oscar on Sunday for best costume design for “The Artist”, after winning several awards including a BAFTA. Creating the wardrobe for the silent, blackand-white ode to Hollywood, which takes place in the late 1920s and early 1930s, was a gamble for Bridges, who needed to stay true to period fashions and ensure they popped on screen.

Some of the costumes, on display till late April at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles along with others from about 20 films released in 2011, showcase an unexpected array of hues and fabrics.

“I had to create a real world for the actors to behave in and live and create their imaginary life in,” Bridges told AFP. “And also there was a real small chance that certain film markets in the world would want to see the film in colour.” So, the US designer considered the colours to be used as he would for

any other film, but paid even more care to the fabrics.

“I had to tell the story with the textures-lamÈs, satins or whatever-that was the language that I had to use,” he said. He also played with the contrasts for dramatic effect, in telling the story of the rise and fall of silent film star George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), and how ingenue Peppy Miller (Berenice Bejo) dragged him into the “talkies” era.

“When George is at the height of his career, there’s a lot of contrast-white, white shirt and black, black suit. That’s how we see him at the very beginning,” Bridges explained. At the start of the film, when Miller is first shown as simply a huge fan of Valentin, not the star she would later become, her clothes do not pop as much-to explain her place in the Hollywood hierarchy.

“The coral colour dress that Peppy wears at the beginning is actually very medium value in black and white,” he said. “I threw in a few contrasting things like the white collar and the white hat just to pull her out of the crowd, because she’s the leading lady.” The cut and fit of the costumes also traces the evolution of their characters, he said, noting: “As their fortunes change, so does the contrast.” —AFP