02 April 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU 40 PAGES

NO: 15406

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

www.kuwaittimes.net

JAMADI ALAWAAL 10, 1433 AH

‘Friends of Syria’ tighten screws on Assad regime Iraq slams Qatar, Saudis on arms for rebels • Fugitive Iraqi VP in Doha

ISTANBUL: Western and Arab nations called yesterday for Syria’s Bashar Al-Assad to be given a deadline to meet the terms of a peace plan as fresh clashes in a year-long uprising claimed another 40 lives. An international conference in Istanbul by “Friends of Syria” countries also urged the United Nations to act to stop the violence, but steered clear of backing opposition appeals for arms to fight the regime clampdown. In a final declaration, the conference urged Syria mediator Kofi Annan “to determine a timeline for next steps, including a return to the UN Security Council, if the killing continues”. It added: “The regime will be judged by its deeds rather than its promises. The window of opportunity for the regime to implement its commitments to joint special envoy Annan is not open-ended.”

The gathering brought together the Arab League and countries like the United States, France and Germany. Assad on Tuesday said he accepted the plan proposed by Annan, but hasn’t stopped the shelling of opposition strongholds. The six-point peace plan calls for an end to violence, a daily two-hour humanitarian ceasefire and access to all areas affected by fighting, as well as an inclusive Syrian-led political process, the right to demonstrate, and the release of people detained arbitrarily.

The Istanbul gathering, which followed one in Tunis late February, came as fighting on the ground killed more people and Damascus said it had no immediate plans to pull back its forces. Conference host Turkey warned the world would have no choice but to recognise Syrians’ right to take up arms if the UN fails to act.

“If United Nations Security Council refrains from taking on the responsibility, the international community will have no chance but to accept Syrians’ right to selfdefence,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said as he opened the conference.

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conspiracy theories

Let’s spread awareness

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

O

n Saturday, most of the world marked Earth Hour, which has been supported and publicized by many advanced countries to raise awareness about energy waste. Ironically, most of the major cities which celebrate this occasion are developed countries that have sufficient energy and water resources. In a symbolic way, they turn off electricity for an hour. For instance, there was no singing, sounds, music or acting at the Sydney Opera House.

Amazingly, in Egypt’s Tahrir Square, despite the political and economic chaos, they remembered to mark Earth Hour, and the square went dark and silent. Don’t forget the well-known Empire State Building in New York. The lights were dimmed there too but I am sure the elevators kept working. Many other capitals in the world also participated and marked this precious hour.

The media reported and covered it extensively, except in the Arab world. I haven’t heard of anywhere except Cairo that marked that hour. I wonder why.

I expected people in Kuwait at least to mention this occasion, as we have energy insufficiency. I expected us to be the first before New York or New Zealand to take it as an excuse and cut electricity for an hour, somewhere, someplace. Or at least, I didn’t see anything mentioned on the national TV or satellite channels - we have so many of these channels (mashallah).

Or maybe it is not a tribal issue; it is not a sectarian issue, so why report it? The nation is not interested.

Earth Hour should include not only electricity. For example, water is the most essential thing for living in Kuwait, and look at the way it is wasted. Just take a walk in any Kuwaiti area in the morning. Sometimes when I walk in our area, I see drivers who are left to clean, and it breaks my heart to see the waste. After the dust storm the other day, I saw domestic helpers cleaning the dust from the courtyards with power hoses and not brooms. There was nothing to help clean the streets. They were flooded just like after heavy torrential rain and the water was wasted in manholes.

Who is overseeing this huge waste? Guys, we don’t live in Sweden or Georgia (which has around 26,000 rivers, I was told by its ambassador), where they have many rivers and lakes and it rains most of the year. We are not in England where they get nine months of rain a year. We hardly get one good hour of rain if we are lucky. We all know that Kuwait depends on desalinated water from the sea.

I don’t think such behavior is suitable for a country like ours. It is a call for household heads. I don’t blame the domestic helpers. I blame the owners who employ them and then leave them unsupervised. They should guide them how to save water. They should explain that water is precious. On the other hand, the government should advertise with slogans about saving electricity and water. They should run attractive campaigns to raise awareness. They should do it at schools and public organizations so people know how to save water when they take a shower and brush their teeth, for example. It will make an effect if the ad is attractive enough and is done smartly. Please, hire good companies to do this!

It is not the government alone that is responsible.

We as people, parents, mothers, employers, employees, families and teachers all share the responsibility.

Let’s start saving water in Kuwait today. I challenge all who read my article: Let’s spread awareness.

Rebels enter Timbuktu as junta ‘restores’ constitution

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ISTANBUL: Turkish riot policemen spray teargas on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad’s supporters in front of the Istanbul Congress Center where the ‘Friends of Syria’ meeting was held yesterday. (Inset) Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during the conference. — AFP

Iran flag burner to remain behind bars KUWAIT: Police yesterday extended the detention of a Kuwaiti arrested last week for allegedly burning an Iranian flag in protest at a Kuwaiti tweeter’s apparent insult of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), a legal source said. Nahar AlHajeri, who was arrested on Thursday, was questioned and then sent to the Central Jail for three weeks pending further investigation and trial, the source told AFP. A foreign ministry official on Thursday voiced “rejection and condemnation of this irresponsible action”.

The official said the action, “made by a deviant group”, is considered a “breach of the laws and norms and greatly undermines the distinguished relations between Kuwait and its neighbour Iran.” Dozens of activists led

by Sunni Islamist MPs gathered outside the offices of the secret service police where Hajeri had been detained, demanding his release.

The original protest was staged on Wednesday night by Sunni activists and several MPs a day after authorities arrested a Shiite alleged to have made remarks on the micro-blogging website Twitter that were deemed offensive to the Prophet (PBUH), his wife Aisha and some companions. The man, identified in media reports as Hamad Al-Naqi, is in custody pending further investigation amid a frenzy of condemnation by Sunni preachers and MPs, some of them demanding the death penalty for the man. Shiite MPs also condemned the alleged insults.

Sectarian tensions have flared in Kuwait between the Sunni majority and Shiites, who form about a third of the native population of 1.17 million, reflecting rising regional tensions between the two Islamic sects. — AFP

Bieber, Swift big winners at slimy Kids’ Choice Awards

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Max 30º Min 15º High Tide 08:24 & 19:08 Low Tide 01:10 & 12:50

in the

news

Tunisia Islamist leader rules out ties with Israel TUNIS: The head of Tunisia’s governing Islamist party has said the country cannot normalise ties with Israel, the official TAP news agency reported yesterday.

Rached Ghannouchi said that “Tunisians’ problem is with Zionism, not with Judaism”, but TAP said “the president of Ennahda stressed ... there can be no normalisation with Israel.” Ghannouchi told a ceremony Saturday in the northwestern town of Beja that the only way for Palestinians to reclaim their land now occupied by Israel is through “the victory of democratic regimes in the Arab World”. He added that Tunisia’s toppled leader Zine el Abidine Ben Ali was “a collaborator with the Zionists”. Ben Ali, who clung to power through strong-arm tactics and widely discredited elections “betrayed the Palestinian cause”, TAP quoted Ghannouchi as saying. After several years of warming ties, Israeli and Tunisian authorities opened interest sections in each other’s countries in 1996 but Tunis broke off all relations in 2000 after the outbreak of the second intifada.

KAWHMU, Myanmar: Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi is surrounded by supporters and journalists as she visits a polling station yesterday in the constituency where she stood as a candidate. — AFP

Suu Kyi makes history with landmark victory YANGON: Myanmar’s opposition claimed a historic victory yesterday for pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi in her first bid for a seat in parliament, sparking scenes of jubilation among supporters. Thousands of people clapped and cheered outside Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) headquarters in Yangon after the party announced the Nobel Peace Prize laureate had won a parliamen-

Jordan play pokes fun at Arab despots

tary seat after by-elections. Some people danced in the street while others wept with joy at the news, which if confirmed would mark a stunning turnaround for the former political prisoner, who was locked up by the former junta for most of the past 22 years. “We have been waiting for this day for a long time. I’m so happy,” said NLD supporter Kalyar, who goes by one name.

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Saudis arrest 681 drug smugglers in 4 months RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has arrested 681 people over the past four months allegedly involved in the trafficking of drugs worth around $460 million, an interior ministry spokesman said yesterday. “Security services arrested 681 suspects, among them 96 Saudis and 585 from 33 other nationalities, who have been involved in crimes related to smuggling, receiving, transferring and promoting drugs,” General Mansur Turki told reporters. The value of the drugs, which include heroin, cocaine, hashish, and narcotic pills, amounted to 1.724 million riyals ($460 million), said Turki. Authorities also found more than $4.4 million with the people arrested. The Saudi government regularly seizes large amounts of drugs and foils smuggling attempts especially of captagon stimulant pills.

Last week, the authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle 1.5 million captagon pills across the kingdom’s northern border with Jordan. On March 13, the kingdom executed a Syrian accused of smuggling 169,000 illegal pills.

Stramaccioni revives Inter in nine-goal thriller

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LOCAL

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

Users claim gas attendants resell half empty cylinders Expats main victims

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Celia, an expat and a mother of two kids used to buy and replace her gas cylinder (Liquefied Petroleum Gas-LPG) every month.

She would drive to the nearest gas station whenever she ran out of LPG. But over the last few months, the gas cylinder which she uses for cooking provides enough gas for only two weeks; this has bothered her, she says, because the frequency of cooking and the recipes she has been preparing have not changed. “I was surprised one day that my gas cylinder was empty, only after two weeks of use,” Celia told the Kuwait Times. “So I suspected that maybe it was not full when I bought it in the first place,” she said.

She was right. Her cylinder was not full. It did not have a seal.

Celia turned out to be the victim of a small-scale gas attendants business who re-sell gas cylinders

exchanged by expats who are unaware that the cylinders were only half-empty. According to another expat, those filling the cylinders might not be competent, and did not do a good job filling them. Kuwait Times tried yet unsuccessfully to verify the second claim.

Her experience prompted Celia to remain on alert the next time she bought gas. “I tried weighing it with my own hand. The one that was given to me, and the other which was displayed there. The cylinder given to me was half-empty; it was obvious because it was much lighter,” she said, explaining that she was refused to exchange it.

According to her, the price of the cylinder, at 750 fils, was not the issue. “I felt cheated...now I don’t know who is a cheat, is it the gas station, owned by the government or he is doing it alone to earn extra.

How many people will he cheat in that way,” she asked.

According to an Indian man with connections in a gas station, the modus operandi of some gas station attendants is simple. “Since they knew what is empty and what is full and what was used or not, they’ll collect the half empty cylinder and re-sell them,” explained the Indian man.

“They’ll sell half-empty cylinders only to some expats but not to Kuwaitis,” he said. He went on to add that such gas attendants break some seal [guarantee mark of the cylinders] and place it on the used cylinders to make it appear full.”

LPG is a fuel that we use daily to cook our food and in some countries use to run a car. Over two million households use gas cylinders.

“A gas cylinder cost only 750 fils, but if an attendant sells 10 gas cylinders, he’ll make about KD 7.500 per day. It’s a huge sum of money and we don’t know whether he’s doing it alone or some other

gas stations are doing it as well,” he said.

Every district in Kuwait has a special LPG distribution center. This substance was never allowed to be distributed through baqalas for safety and security purposes. But most baqalas even sometimes the haris (watchmen of the building) sell them. Part-time workers, many Bangladeshis also find ways to deliver LPG at any houses’ doorstep for a few extra fils.

“I usually call them [a Bangladeshi delivery boy] to bring in some gas cylinders especially if I run out of at home. I don’t mind paying them KD 2 if they’ll bring it home fast; so in a way, they are earning extra money,” explains one expat. “I saw his mobile phone in one building in Farwaniya then I called and requested a delivery of LPG; that is of course better than carrying it myself.. plus it was full,” he said.

‘Excited to see photography rising in popularity’

By Lisa Conrad KUWAIT: Sisters Nada and Najwa Marafie are passionate about photography, which is why the pair have decided to enter the Kuwait Times’ photography competition.

“We both have a passion for photography, so we were excited when we found out about the competition,” said Najwa. She added, “We were greatly encouraged by our

parents. Our father also enjoys photography as a hobby, and our sister is getting involved, too.” Their interest in photography even led them to build a studio in their home, from which they run their business, N-studio. “Photography was at first a hobby, and now it’s a hobby and a business. We still have our day jobs, but this is our real passion,” said Nada.

Both Nada and Najwa have

KUWAIT: Sisters Nada (right) and Najwa Marafie who entered Kuwait Times’ photography competition are happy to see a rise in the popularity of photography in Kuwait. — Photos by Sherif Ismail

entered Kuwait Times’ photography competition, and said they enjoyed the challenge, “Because Kuwait must be the theme of the photographs, it’s very challenging. It’s hard to find fresh, new things to photograph here because it’s a small country.

The challenge is to find a new way to photograph them,” said Najwa. Regarding the strict guidelines on the use of Photoshop, Nada said, “Photoshop shouldn’t be used too much; it can take away from a photo.” Her sister agreed, adding “Photoshop should only be used in certain cases where it’s appropriate and can elevate the photo. In this case, it must be kept to very limited use, which is fine.”

She added, “Kuwait Times made it very challenging indeed, because December is the best month to take landscape photos, but the rules stipulated specific dates that the photos must be taken between.” This makes things especially different for the pair, who enjoy taking landscape photos, “We’re focusing mainly on landscape photos. We often have the same ideas and inspirations and ideas, and sometimes even the same angles and subjects!” said Nada.

The sisters also appreciated the efforts taken to judge the competition, adding that they are often weary of competitions in Kuwait, “Some competitions aren’t worthwhile in Kuwait. Many don’t take the competitions seriously at all, but Kuwait Times is known for their photography competition and that they judge entries properly. It takes a long time to judge photos,” said Najwa.

The pair also said that they were excited to see photography rising in popularity in Kuwait, “Photography is becoming more popular here, and we’re hoping that photography continues to become more popular in Kuwait.

It’s also becoming more affordable to take part in, as many beginners start with the smaller cameras and then go from there,” said Najwa. The competition’s top prizes include various Canon cameras, so winners can look forward to experimenting with a brand new camera if they nab a top spot. Having a camera is one thing, but the sisters suggested that people looking to improve their photography skills also invest in some classes, “When we became interested in photography, we took various courses and workshops to learn more about the subject.”

KUWAIT: The Tunisian Ambassador to Kuwait, Mustafa Bahia, hosted at the Tunisian Embassy a ceremony celebrating Tunisia’s 65th Independence Anniversary and marking the 50th anniversary of Kuwaiti - Tunisian bilateral relations. The event was attended by Minister of Commerce and Industry, Anas Al-Saleh, as well as a crowd of ambassadors, diplomats and other dignitaries. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Overcrowding at clinics KUWAIT: Long queues were seen at health clinics last week due to a shortage of doctors, and because patients have to be seen by one or two doctors. This has caused crowding, intense pressure on doctors and poor medical services provided to patients.

The rise in population in different residential areas has also increased pressure on primary medical centers, especially with the shortage of

doctors the centers are suffering from.

Many doctors are leaving the centers to work in the central administration or in technical posts, which relieve them from disgruntled patients and the problems at local health clinics.

The doctors seek supervisory titles to keep all the allowances they were enjoying either in health clinic or at hospitals, especially after the ministry decided to stop duty allowance for doc-

tors in the central administration unless the doctor has a supervisory title.

This made doctors compete for titles in those administrations to avoid returning to health clinics, which led to many doctors in the central administration without benefit. The Government has spent much to teach them and obtain higher qualifications to serve patients, not to sit behind desks doing nothing. —Al-Anbaa

Gulf Bank switches off for Earth Hour KUWAIT: Gulf Bank recently participated in Earth Hour, a global initiative to raise awareness of climate change. On Saturday March 31st at 8.30pm, the bank not only switched off all unnecessary lights, lowered AC units and turned off all non-essential electrical devices at the Head Office, but went a step further this year by also eliminating unnecessary usage of lighting in the Al-Saleh building and all 56 branches across Kuwait.

Fawz y Al- Thunayan, General Manager, Board Affairs at Gulf Bank said: “Gulf Bank is a strong supporter of the Earth Hour initiative. It is an important reminder to us all that seemingly minor actions, such as switching off a light switch can have a significant impact and benefit our environment. The Bank has a policy to use energy considerately, and over the past three years we have consistently encouraged our staff to turn off any unused systems and lights to save electricity, whilst ensuring that the safety and integrity of our operations and security systems remain unaffected. By supporting global Earth Hour, we are not only committing to this initiative, but we are committed to an ongoing lifestyle that we follow at the Bank and we encourage the community to do the same in their daily lives”.

In addition to Earth Hour, Gulf Bank also supports a number of other environmental causes, the most recent was the Green Caravan Film Festival. The Green Caravan is the first film festival of its kind in Kuwait and one of a small handful of film festivals worldwide dedicated solely to shed light on important environmental issues.

Gulf Bank strongly believes in the importance of environmental initiatives that have a direct impact on the community. The Bank encourages organizations and individuals to take part in these eco-friendly causes, helping to increase the level of awareness amongst society.

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

local

A group photo of the graduates with NBK officials

Fourth batch of NBK Academy students graduate KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) recently celebrated the graduation of its fourth batch of students completing the NBK Academy for newly hired employees. NBK Academy trains and develops the professional skills of young Kuwaitis, as part of NBK’s strategy to attract and hire highly qualified nationals.

NBK organized a special ceremony for the 25 NBK Academy graduates. The ceremony was attended by Mazin AlNahedh, NBK General Manager Consumer Banking Group, Adel Hechme NBK General Manager Human Resources Group and Emad Al Ablani NBK Assistant General Manager Human Resources,

along with a group of senior leaders from the bank.

NBK General Manager Consumer Banking Group Mazin Al Nahedh said, “NBK Academy is the first initiative of its kind in the private sector in Kuwait, and is part of NBK’s strategy to attract young Kuwaitis by offering them a range of

career and professional development opportunities.”

“I congratulate the graduates of NBK Academy and call on them to exert every effort in order to continue their path of professional excellence,” NBK Assistant General Manager Human Resources, Emad Al Ablani said. “ This program

Increasing water prices may cut consumption, future risks Ignoring water issues will reap severe consequences: Environmentalist

By Lisa Conrad KUWAIT: “The future is bleak for Kuwait,” said Dr Khaled Al-Hajeri, Environmentalist and Head of Kuwait’s Green Line Environmental Group. Speaking on Kuwait’s position as one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, in addition to its exceedingly high rate of water consumption, Al-Hajeri added, “There is a severe risk of Kuwait suffering a water crisis, but no one is paying attention.

It’s claimed that there is enough water stored for six months, but past experience tells us that water crises cannot be handled efficiently.” The problem of excessive water consumption has been a recurring issue for quite some time in Kuwait. Dr. Khaled Al-Barak, Head of the Water Science Department at KISR, said in an interview with KUNA that Kuwait managed to record the highest water consumption rates, as judged by a global scale, with approximately 500 litres per capita. The Water Stress Index 2011 released by risk analysis and mapping firm Maplecroft, also listed Kuwait as one of the world’s most water-stressed countries, along with Bahrain and Qatar, which drives up future risks even further. The Water Stress Index 2011 warned,

“... the dual drivers of climate change and population growth will combine to squeeze water resources and affect the food security of governments across the world, regardless of how water secure they may be today.” The recently released US Intelligence assessment further warned that the Middle East may face severe issues regarding water supplies, including political instability and hampered economic development. The report, which was compiled by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, did not predict a war over water supplies within the next decade, but said that it is unlikely that supplies will be able to keep up with demand by 2040.

The increasing shortages, the report warned, may lead to conflicts in the future over water sources.

Al-Hajeri noted the already fragile position of the region. “We’re in a conflict region as it stands already, so we need careful management to ensure further issues, such as water issues, don’t arise in the future and add to the list of problems.” He added, “If there is any disaster or crisis in our neighbouring countries, Kuwait will be in serious trouble because there isn’t a viable alternative water source.” According to Al-Hajeri, to avoid the

issue worsening or leaving the State in a crisis later, plans must be developed from now.

“We are now facing issues already, and they must be managed properly for the sake of the future. A water pipeline would be ideal because if Kuwait’s seawater was rendered unusable, it would give the country a viable alternative.” He added, “A GCC cooperation to form a joint plan to ensure, at least, that mineral water is shared fairly across the region would also be ideal.”

Al-Hajeri added that water consumption, waste and regulation must also change, “There is no law pertaining to the environmental and water issues in Kuwait. There must be laws regarding water wastage and water use, and these laws must be respected.” The price of water also plays a large part in the amount of excessive wastage, “The Government must rethink the price of the water. As it stands, water is extremely cheap so people overuse it, totally unaware of how excessive their water use really is. They use vast amounts of water to clean their streets; it’s abnormal.” He added, “It is not acceptable to provide water so cheaply. If the government doesn’t want to increase the prices, they should at least make sure that water

bills are taken seriously and paid monthly on time.”

“No one is thinking of society as a whole,” Al-Hajeri lamented. “By thinking of short term issues alone, the future of the country is at great risk. As it stands, there is no sustainable future. We must develop and build Kuwait.” Al-Hajeri further reiterated the importance of action. “In the future, water could become more expensive than oil.

There must be solutions from now; there must be pressure and awareness.”

Fajer Qasem, creator of the Goodwill Calendar and of the Green Habits Campaign, is more optimistic. “Kuwait is and our Government is generous enough to cater to the needs of its people by subsidizing necessities such as water and electricity,” she said.

Qasem strongly agrees, however, that change is necessary and that awareness is key. “Many of our residents aren’t aware of their wasteful habits, but I believe if people knew and were offered a solution, they would gladly comply.” Regarding Kuwait’s future, she said, “The younger generation of Kuwaitis show great promise in these matters and I have full faith in their resolution to bring about change.”

marks the start of what will be a continuing process to nurture and grow our young talent.”

NBK Academy programs run for five months and are specially tailored to provide trainees with theoretical and practical skills covering the different aspects of the banking industry.

News

in brief

Grilling sessions KUWAIT: MP Mohammad Al-Kandari said he will propose special sessions to discuss grillings, instead of using time in ordinary sessions. “Grilling is a constitutional right and we shall seek to discuss it in special sessions so that it does not delay us from making necessary legislations,” Al-Kandari said. He said there is acceptance of the proposal from some members. “We hope that it will be passed in order to work in parallel with making necessary legislation. As we have seen in the past session, the grilling took five hours of the session time,” he said, which prompted his proposal as he heard there are many grillings coming up.

Investigation committees KUWAIT: The majority of MPs, especially those MPs who are members in an investigation committee, intend to find mechanisms to solve the dilemma of officials who are called to attend those committees in conflict with their work timings in different Government bodies. Sources said the investigation committees into the millions deposited in MPs accounts, foreign transfers and diesel smuggling have taken a decision that the work of the committees can be after office hours, during the late afternoon or the start of evening, and can last until late at night.

Envoy condemns flag burning KUWAIT: Iranian Ambassador to Kuwait Roohullah Qahramani condemned the incident where the Iranian flag was burned in Kuwait. He said that it was an in appropriate act, as the flag bears the word of monotheism and the emblem that serves human beings from slavery. He hailed the Foreign Ministry’s swift response. He said that the matter should be viewed as an individual act and was carried out by fundamentalist groups.

KIA v Al-Barrak KUWAIT: Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) emphasized that MP Musallam Al-Barrak has reduced the Committee for the Protection of Public Funds to himself. “He jumped over the investigations and accused the authority without proof and before the completion of committee work.” KIA said in a press report that this is nothing strange as Al-Barrak is the one who reported the cases under discussion and he is the one who passes judgment on them. “He is the opponent and the judge at the same time,” KIA said, emphasizing that Al-Barrak has breached the principle of the secrecy of committee work, as per article 54 of the internal memorandum.

US envoy lauds Amir’s lead to Arab Summit

KUWAIT: Chairman of National Guards Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah receiving the National Guards officers who were promoted recently to higher positions.

12 killed in January fires KUWAIT: Twelve people died in 1,292 fires and rescue missions recorded in Kuwait during January this year, according to official statistics released by a senior Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD) official.

“Firefighters handled 1,292 incidents in January 2012, including 243 rescue missions in which 12 people died and 117 were injured, including eight firefighters”, said public relations and media director, Lt Col Khalil Al-Amir.

The statistics showed that 156 of the

fires reported in January were caused by children playing, while electric short circuits resulted in 135 fires last month.

Lt Col Al-Amir said investigations confirmed that arson was behind 54 fires during January.

Al-Farwaniya governorate saw the largest number of fires recorded in January with 427, followed by Hawally with 209, Ahmadi with 187, Jahra with 180, the Capital with 160 and Mubarak Al-Kabeer with 121.

Life term for murder

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A citizen was yesterday sentenced to life in prison for murdering an Iraqi expatriate in Salwa, said security sources. Case papers indicate that the citizen shot the victim in the chest in the parking lot at Salwa Co-op last Ramadan for harassing his sister.

Road accidents A 27-year-old Egyptian sustained various bruises all over in a car accident near Abdali farms.

A 43-year-old citizen was rushed to Farwaniya Hospital ICU with a serious head injury, while a 31-year-old woman

sustained chest and back pain after their vehicle turned turtle on the Seventh Ring Road.

A 39-year-old Egyptian broke his left leg in a fight with others near Um AlHaiman clinic, security sources said noting that the man was taken to Adan Hospital for treatment.

A 25-year-old citizen broke his left shoulder and a 21-year-old stateless person broke his pelvis in a traffic accident on King Fahad Highway.

A 46-year-old Egyptian sustained severe rib pain in a fight with others at Bnaid Al-Gar, security sources said noting that the man was taken to Amiri Hospital for treatment.

KUWAIT: Maj Gen Jassim Al-Mansouri, Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD) director, attended the 10th Firefighters Festival Activities, which concluded yesterday with a special ceremony and demonstration of skills by firemen in fighting fires and saving lives.— Photo by Hanan Al-Saadoun

KUWAIT: US Ambassador to Kuwait, Mathew H. Tueller, described the lead by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah of Kuwait’s delegation to the Arab League Summit in Baghdad as a “very significant step”. Ambassador Tueller said the step was “an indication of Kuwait’s efforts in leading the process of helping Iraq to restore its natural status”.

“We noticed a huge improvement in Kuwaiti - Iraqi relations following the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to Kuwait, and the participation of HH the Amir in the Arab League summit”, Ambassador Tueller told reporters covering an event at the Tunisian Embassy to celebrate Tunisia’s independence day. He congratulated the Iraqi Government for hosting a successful summit. Ambassador Tueller addressed the situation in Syria, calling the Arab League’s declaration “a strong indication to Arab countries’ demands for an end to violence, allowing international observers into Syria and the start of peaceful transition of power”.

Asked about Kuwaiti citizens Fouzi Al-Odah and Fayez AlKandari, who remain detained in Guantanamo Bay prison, the Ambassador said there are no new developments regarding the case. —Al-Qabas

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

In my OPINION

Civil or religious state?

A pioneer in Islamic charity

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

By Waleed Abdul Rahman Al-Bader

he Parliament election results reflected citizen’s desire to see an end to corruption that has spread in state departments and affected most aspects of people’s lives. The spread of corruption is an indication that no serious measures have been taken to stop the main sources from producing even more of the same.

The previous Parliament had a role in the spread of corruption in which multiple MPs were involved. During that time, Islamist lawmakers preferred not to get heavily involved in the struggle between the Opposition and the Government that eventually led to Parliament’s dissolution.

The election process that followed was dominated by the theme that Parliament needs lawmakers capable of finding solutions to the crises we suffer from and help secure a better future.

If we attempt to analyze developments in the political scene at the time, we notice that Islamist politicians played an active role in regrouping and making sure that they benefit from the situation to achieve political gain. Their election campaigns were focused on finding the best solutions to the spreading corruption, such as promptly establishing an anticorruption authority and enforcing more regulations to tackle corruption.

Today, many in Kuwait argue that citizens must benefit from the annual surplus the state gains from oil revenues, given the current oil price. This belief overlooks the fact that the state economy depends on a depleting natural wealth and overspending increases excessive consumption and nonstop squander of public funds.

While struggles between political forces are usually fueled by disagreements on management of financial income, this doesn’t mean that all members of society agree to the national wealth being spent in an ill-advised manner.

This reality doesn’t give us much reason to be optimistic about the future of a small community whose economy depends solely on a temporary source of income. It is sad that this concept is usually absent in political struggles during which groups usually focus on their personal interests.

We have reached a level today in which ideological and social differences are forced into political struggles, and people are now talking about whether Kuwait should be a religious or civil state.

I believe that Kuwait cannot succeed as a nation unless it achieves a hybrid system between the concept of a civil state and religious state. Civil development in Kuwait needs to be in line with the history and characteristics of its society.

We have to admit that improving our society cannot be achieved by importing the values of other communities, whose characteristics differ from ours. The concept of a civil state in Arab and Islamic nations is included in the teachings of Islam, which protects people from corruption and injustice. —Al-Rai

uwait recently lost one of its pioneers in Islamic charity and social reform. He was an embodiment of benevolence and humanity, the patron of orphans and the dynamic charity activist. Abdullatif Ramadhan Al-Hajri, who spent over 30 years fully Al-Hajri devoted to voluntary charity work and fulfilling the needs of underprivileged orphans in Asia which earned him the title of ‘The Father of Orphans.’ He showed great care and attention to orphanages. He was deeply concerned with Islamic issues, and was a role model for all his acquaintances.

Dear brother, if only you knew how many orphans will mourn your sad demise and how many poor will be heart-broken for your death!

I was deeply shocked to learn of your sudden departure that I was prompted to grab my pen and unleash my feelings on a piece of paper that seems so black in mourning to me and flooded with my tears.

You have, indeed, guided many people into charitable and benevolent activities, including me. I developed a love for charity following your steps. Whenever I saw you, you were deeply involved in charity work. You relentlessly worked hard without hesitation or voiced out complaints. You donated your own money and worked hard on fund-raising campaigns to distribute charity as far and wide as possible. You helped promote charity in many countries by looking after orphans and the poor. You dug wells, built medical centers or clinics, mosques, schools, universities and crafted training centers for the poor and jobless.

You were loved by all and the orphans in these countries always awaited you as a father in anticipation. You always carried loads of presents that filled your luggage. I saw this myself when we travelled together with Nasser Abdul Mohsen Al-Babtain to Kyrgyzstan to follow up with activities including the Kuwaiti-Kyrgyz University you established and supervised ever since its inception. Over 500 students from Kyrgyzstan and other independent formerly Soviet republics attend it now.

Alas, Al-Hajri passed away before he could start a new project in Albania, having asked me to arrange a meeting for him with Kuwait’s ambassador there, Najeeb Al-Bader.

He was actually a ‘bird of benevolence’ flying from one place to another spreading his love and establishing charity projects that soon turn into strong bridges of love to Kuwait. He was worth a thousand men in the effort he exerted in guiding people to the right path of faith and charity distribution.

May Almighty have mercy on your soul for hoisting Kuwait’s flag high on charity projects over many Arab and Muslim countries, for winning many awards from Arab and Muslim countries on behalf of Kuwaiti charity activists, for supporting charity organizations worldwide, for helping the needy, supporting just Islamic causes, for providing poor and orphans with medicine, food, clothes and education and for turning Kuwaiti charity projects worldwide into embassies proudly representing it.

Rest in peace, my dear friend, and know that others will continue the mission in your name.

You will be always remembered and associated with charity and orphans.

T

kuwait digest

A disaster is approaching

K

kuwait digest

Let’s protect worker’s rights

By Mohammad Al-Shaibani

A

ccording to unconfirmed reports, several companies and banks lost an estimated total of KD 140 million due to a breakdown in the operating system supplied by a software company to most organizations in the public and private sector. Many blame the Central Bank of Kuwait for failing to manage the problem which began over two weeks ago, by failing to renew the contract with the software company ever since former CB Governor Sheikh Salem AlSabah stepped down.

In comparison, a labor strike was held for a few days by General Customs Department and Kuwait Airways staff, causing an estimated total loss of KD 15 million if we take into account the announced figure of KD 4 million per day loss.

This simple comparison gives us an idea about who is mainly responsible for causing financial losses that the state suffers from every year. Millions of dinars in public funds will be wasted due to government mismanagement.

With that in mind, I wonder why the volunteers who offered to take over the jobs of customs and KAC employees, are not doing anything to address the mismanagement responsible for most losses. Why are they not volunteering to expose thieves of public funds, the same way they excitedly replaced staff members on strike! Speaking of that, what if the strike actually lasted for months? Would they also volunteer to take over for the customs and KAC staff all that long? Don’t they have other jobs to do? What exactly is their qualification when they claim that they are capable of assuming such jobs?

Labor strike is workers’ right protected by constitutions all over the world, including Kuwait. The law allows workers to stage strikes to demand their rights.

A few days ago, reports emerged about labor strikes taking place in the UK and Spain, yet no one said anything about it or ‘volunteered’ to take over for the workers on strike. The same thing took place in Greece where labor strikes have been ongoing for months. The difference is that these countries under-

stand that limiting freedom is a violation of workers’ right.

Instead of playing the role of heroes, I urge volunteers to understand why exactly workers staged a strike by. With that in mind, I hope that labor forces would follow the example of labor unions in other countries to hold scheduled strikes instead of completely paralyzing service sectors that leave civilians suffering the most. If anything, it would help avoid losing public support for their cause. — Al-Qabas

I wonder why the volunteers who offered to take over the jobs of customs and KAC employees are not doing anything to address the mismanagement responsible for most losses. Why are they not volunteering to expose thieves of public funds, the same way they excitedly replaced staff members on strike! Speaking of that, what if the strike actually lasted for months? Would they also volunteer to take over for the customs and KAC jobs all that long? Don’t they have other jobs to do? What exactly is their qualification when they claim that they are capable of assuming such jobs?

By Mohammed Ghareeb Hatem

I

t is a fact that Kuwait lacks natural fresh water resources, even the wells have saline water.

The question is, what if a nuclear radiation leak or an oil pollution takes place and halts our desalination plants? What will we do then? Will we keep waiting for a miracle while this menace threatens everybody? If we keep waiting and a leakage takes place without having a contingency plan in hand, we will be in great danger.

In case of polluted Gulf waters or water desalination plants being sabotaged, this would simply mean that a fresh water bottle might be worth KD one. That is, we have to be waiting in long queues to get it for drinking purposes regardless of the water needed to manufacture juices, beverages and vegetables produced for local market use.

Today, Kuwait is considered one of the world’s richest countries, which we should take advantage of and take possible contingencies into full consideration while planning for the future and using current wealth. The government must be prepared for water-shortage-related contingencies. After all, water is the second most important source of life support for humans after oxygen.

Yet, we are still depending on desalinated sea water. Therefore, the government, represented by the Ministry of Electricity and Water, must have an emergency plan and find a way to provide natural fresh water by entering into contracts with some international companies.

We have an old Kuwaiti saying that goes, “Prepare the medicine before your head is injured!.” This means that precaution and carefulness are to conserve our water supply, particularly since the Gulf waters are subject to an increasing rate of pollution that has killed thousands of tons of fish so far. Any disaster will definitely mean closing down the water plants, especially with the devastating global warming effects nearing.

Therefore, we urge the government to immediately chalk out a special strategy to find an alternative water resources for future use that is readily available in case of any emergency. This issue has been on top of the agendas of other GCC countries. They have already charted out their long term plans, and signed contracts with water transporting and supplying companies to draw water from international water springs and wells, just in case. So, before the disaster happens, we appeal to our government do something! — Al-Watan

kuwait digest

Kuwait penniless in 2020?

By Abdelmohsen Jumaa

R

eports are being circulated about the possibility of Kuwait going penniless in 2020, and the country’s inability to meet its commitments in that year. This is dangerous talk and no citizen can go past it. So what about officials in the government, National Assembly or any official media that is responsible for informing the citizen about basic information related to life and future? Nobody cared about this rumor and failed to comment on it. Also, MPs did not ask for a public discussion of this issue. In fact, the lack of movement by the government through instant and serious measures can tantamount to neglect of constitutional duty.

I found out that one of the reports prepared by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair about the future of Kuwait, touches on this subject. Also, there was news from an official of an international bank who commented on the rise of Kuwait government’s expenditure, and the possibility that Kuwait may face financial difficulties in 2020, bearing in mind that this employee does not represent the bank. Despite that, the mere spread of such talk about a state’s finances and its liquidity in a relatively short time, calls for a quick response from official authorities.

It also requires discussions by the legislative and supervisory authorities to find solutions for it, even if that starts with a gradual taxation system. Yet all that did not take place, rather there is the use of media by several entities that have a certain opinion about how the state’s financial authori-

ties deal with such reports. These entities promote only the first chapter of the budget, which concerns salar y payments, is the

This issue of Kuwait’s bankruptcy, as rumored by some, and the government ignoring it for certain purposes, is a dangerous and irresponsible practice. This is because, for citizens to believe that their country will soon collapse and become bankrupt, will spread destructive behavior.

The public will seek to secure their families in any shape, be it legal or otherwise, and the urge to protect the country will fade. This will have dangerous repercussions at the individual and morals levels.

largest in Kuwait’s general budget.

This is untrue because the first chapter, according to the closing account for financial year 20102011 is not more than 21 percent of the total budget. The fifth chapter was on top, with 50 percent, and this chapter has many ambiguities. It may be a very small part, and this explains the amount of political use of numbers in Kuwait. This is a constant behavior, used for a long time in the local political scenario. I am no finance specialist, but by reading numbers, the researcher can follow up financial issue to deduce preliminary indicators.

This issue of Kuwait’s bankruptcy, as rumored by some, and the government ignoring it for certain purposes, is a dangerous and irresponsible practice. This is because, for citizens to believe that their country will soon collapse and become bankrupt, will spread destructive behavior. The public will seek to secure their families in any shape, be it legal or otherwise, and the urge to protect the country will fade. This will have dangerous repercussions at the individual and morals levels. The move by the government and the National Assembly to discuss the issue, and answer the question about the collapse of the country in 2020 became a patriotic and national issue. Every MP must care for, and should bring up the issue in the first upcoming session by the National Assembly. It is also the government duty to explain all the facts to citizens and Parliament to carry out national duties! Will it do that? — Aljarida

kuwait digest

Out of place grilling

By Adbullah Al-Misfer Al-Adwani

H

is Highness the Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, made the mission difficult for himself and to any coming prime minister facing grilling in the future. He made his first grilling public, and went on defending and answering the grilling questions raised by MP Saleh Ashoor.

In truth, all his answers were convincing and logical, and the grilling finished after the prime minister stepped up to the platform and defended all of the queries raised. It did not reach a no trust or no cooperation motion. The grilling by MP Saleh Ashoor of the prime minister might have some points to which I and many people agree, but at the same time there were parts of the grilling that were out of place and did not come at the right time.

I am not here to talk about the grilling, but I am talking about the investment by Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak in the situation and his acceptance to step up to the grilling platform completely openly.

In spite of Al-Mubarak being a former government minister, he started a new system which was totally rejected by the former prime minister, which is appearing openly before the public during the grilling. By doing this Al-Mubarak gained publicity and extra positive points to his benefit.

We wish this continues to be his style in any other future grilling.

Al-Mubarak said after the grilling that we are facing big challenges that do not allow the luxury of political arguments or time-wasting. The public is frustrated due to the political in-fighting at the expense of other basic issues. If AlMubarak really works against time-wasting to solve essential cases, for sure we will not find any upcoming grillings. Lastly, we congratulate His Highness the Prime Minister and say to him “Good Luck Bu Sabah”. —Al-Anbaa

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receiving His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at Al-Seif Palace yesterday.

Hayef risks losing majority bloc support for grilling New move may distract attention KUWAIT: Lawmakers representing the Opposition majority in Parliament are trying to talk MP Mohammad Hayef out of his plan to file a grilling against the Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (MEIA), alleging that Shiite mosques in Kuwait are not monitored at the same level as Sunni mosques.

Hayef’s decision to question minister Jamal Al-Shehab came in the wake of an incident in which a man was recently arrested for posting offensive remarks against the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) on Twitter. The National Islamic Alliance, a leading Shiite political group in Kuwait, released a statement on Saturday in

which they reject the duty to defend the Prophet’s status from offense “as a pretext to garner political gain or question Muslims’ beliefs”. The ‘majority bloc’ in Parliament reportedly plans to send a team, headed by Deputy Speaker Khalid Al-Sultan, to talk Hayef into delaying his grilling of Al-Shehab who is also the Minister of Justice.

According to a source close to the bloc, MPs fear that Hayef’s grilling will distract attention away from a set of priorities the bloc agreed upon and aims to enforce in upcoming sessions.

MP Dr. Waleed Al-Tabtabaei argued that the MEIA is not authorized to monitor Hussainias, Shiite gathering halls, which he says “should

be monitored by the Ministry of Interior since they are considered public places”.

The Islamist lawmaker said Hayef “has the right” to go ahead with his grilling without permission from the majority’s bloc, but risks losing their support. Hayef’s grilling will be the third to be filed against the Cabinet of HH the Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, following a motion against the premier himself debated last Thursday, and another filed by MP Hussain Al-Qallaf against Minister of Information, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah AlMubarak Al-Sabah, which is yet to be debated. —Al-Rai, Al-Qabas

Kuwait-Iraq ties progressing BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki said yesterday that there is a joint Iraqi-Kuwaiti political will to resolve outstanding issues between the two countries, and contributing to mutual interests.

Al-Maliki expressed great optimism at the development of bilateral relations, citing “positive atmosphere with brethren Kuwaitis” and stressing that the two countries have a strong political will to end outstanding issues. — KUNA

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

local

KUWAIT: New graduates of the Army, National Guard and GCC states pose for a group photograph after their graduation ceremony conducted by the Ministry of Interior yesterday.

ALO to tackle ripples of ‘Arab Spring’ CAIRO: Meetings of the 39th session of the Arab Labor Organization (ALO) began yesterday under the chairmanship of Palestine and participation of 17 ministers and officials.

Kuwait is taking part in the meetings, due to proceed for a week, with a delegation headed by Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Lt Gen (Rtd) Ahmad Al-Rujaib, Undersecretary Mohammad Al-Kanderi, Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs Jamal Al-Dosari, Assistant Undersecretar y for Legal Affairs Mansour Al-Mansour, Director of the Undersecretary Bureau Khaled Al-Abdul Rahim, Kuwaiti ambassador to Egypt Dr Rashid Al-Hamad and a number of officials.

Conferees are due to tackle repercussions of the “Arab Spring” events namely their effects on the labor sector, social care and protection programs in shadow of soaring unemployment in the

Arab world, where the number of the jobless has reached as high as 19-20 million.

They will ponder idea of forming a league for Arab economic and social councils to limit effects of the Arab upheavals on the workers, following suit of six Arab countries, namely Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Palestine and Lebanon.

Egypt and Oman had declared intention to establish such bodies. On sidelines of the congress, a round-table seminar will be organized. It will be addressed by the labor minister of Tunisia, one of the host countries of the “Arab Spring” events, and his counterpart of Saudi Arabia, an Arab state with high number of expatriate workers. Other figures will also address the gathering, namely personalities representing youth in Egypt and Yemen, as well as representatives of the International Labor Organization. — KUNA

Drugs found in box underwater near Ohah isle KUWAIT: An investigation is underway to determine the source of drugs that were found underwater near the Ohah Island. The drugs were found concealed in a locked box and was picked up by a fisherman who immediately informed his Kuwaiti employer. Coastguard officers, who arrived at the scene shortly after the employer reported the suspicious finding, unlocked it, only to find 130 pieces of hashish, 170 drug pills and 600 grams of cannabis.

Citizen found dead Investigations are currently ongoing to determine if foul play is involved in the death of a middle-aged man, whose body was found at a Mubarak Al-Kabeer home. Preliminary examination of the 48-year-old citizen’s body revealed a bruise on the victim’s head. His family told officers he had accidently tripped and fallen, thereby losing consciousness.

Police are waiting for a forensic check report to confirm how the injury was inflicted.

Muggers in custody Three citizens were arrested in Jahra, a few hours after they mugged a pedestrian in the area. A case was filed in the area’s police station after a Bangladeshi man reported to police that three Arab men snatched his cell phone while threatening him with physical assault.

Police identified one of the suspects who turned out to be the owner of the car they used. The suspect was soon arrested by patrol officers, and eventually led police to accomplices who were soon arrested. The three are being held pending legal procedures.

Housemaid assaulted A female citizen allegedly brutally assaulted her domestic helper who was hospitalized with multiple bruises and broken bones. The victim, an Indian woman, arrived at Al-Adan Hospital unconscious following the assault. Police found out that the assault was committed by her employer. A case was filed at the Ali Sabah Al-Salem police station where officers are working toward identifying the perpetrator.

Juvenile delinquents Three teenagers were arrested for attacking a traffic police officer on duty at King Fahad Highway. The patrol officer eventually forced suspects to stop after they initially ignored his instructions to pull over for speeding. The officer was preparing to issue a traffic ticket when the driver refused to cooperate with his request to produce his license. The suspects began arguing with the policeman which escalated into a physical assault.

Security officers soon arrived at the scene after the officer ’s colleague requested backup. The suspects were taken in custody to the Mina Abdullah police station where charges were pressed.

Armed robbery Mubarak Al-Kabeer police are seeking to identify two suspects who left a shopkeeper injured in an armed robbery that was reported in Sabah Al-Salem area. The victim, an Iranian man, was hospitalized after he sustained several stab wounds.

Suspects attacked him in his baqala (small grocery store) and made away with the cash. The shopkeeper noted down the license plate number of the car, and provided it to police.

Investigators hope to use this information to help them nab perpetrators.

Work mishap Three construction workers were hospitalized with injuries sustained after falling from a height at a construction site in Al-Rai. The Asian men were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of Al-Sabah Hospital with serious injuries after being picked up. An investigation was opened to determine wither foul play is involved.

New Kuwaiti donation at ‘Friends of Syria’ meeting Full support for mission to stem bloodshed ISTANBUL: The State of Kuwait pledged a new donation of $1 million for the Syrian people during a meeting of the ongoing “Friends of Syria” conference yesterday, announced Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid AlHamad Al-Sabah. The Kuwaiti minister said this comes as part of the State of Kuwait’s decision to assign priority to assisting the Syrian people by all means possible and aims to alleviate the suffering of the Syrians in deteriorating humanitarian conditions. The sums are directed to assist in the funding of the UN’s refugees commission efforts in Syria. The minister also stressed Kuwait’s full support of the mission of the Joint UN and Arab League Envoy Kofi Annan aiming to stem the bloodshed and end violence to allow entry of aid supplies and relief agencies into the country. “ We all hope that the Syrian regime accepts fully what was stated in the Annan plan it agreed to recently.”The Kuwaiti minister added that the Syrian crisis enters its second year leaving behind thousands of people dead, injured, or rendered homeless despite all the measures that had been taken by the Arab League to urge the Assad regime to stop the violence against its people.

“Damascus failed to read the calling back of ambassadors to their home nations correctly; it failed to interpret the formation of the Arab Ministerial Committee to contact the Syrian leadership; it also failed to facilitate

the work of the Arab observers mission, which had actually come under attack. “ The scene transpiring in Syria is no longer an internal affair, due to the continued acts of violence and with the state of affairs now recognized as a humanitarian disaster that compels the international community to shed light on the Syrian crisis,” Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid said.

The official also stressed that safeguarding the unity and territorial sovereignty of Syria without disturbing peace and without any division of the country is the top priority to safeguard the stability of the region as a whole. He urged all those able to convince the Syrian parties involved to consider solutions that would spare lives and protect property and ultimately allow for the start of a political process.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Hamad AlSabah is heading the Kuwaiti delegation to the second “Friends of Syria” conference and takes part in the discussions along with foreign ministers and other representatives of 74 countries and organizations. The organizations tak ing par t include the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Arab participants are Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia, Morocco, among other Arab Asian countries.

The Kuwaiti delegation includes Foreign Ministry Arab World Department Director Ambassador Jamal Al-Ghanim, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs

Office Department Director Ambassador Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad AlSabah, Kuwait ’s representative to Arab League Ambassador Jamal Al-Ghunaim, and the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Syria Aziz AlDaihani.

A source close to the meeting said the ministers’ sideline meeting discussed proposals aiming to bring an end to the deterioration in the situation in Syria, including a Turkish proposal on recognition of the Syrian opposition council which also recommends measures to help those affected by the crisis inside Syria. “There was a discussion on creating a secure zone within Syria to accommodate those fleeing their homes and towns due to Assad regime brutality, which had previously been tabled by Turkish officials.”

According to the same source, some of the participating countries expressed reservations on some of the proposals, particularly those on arming the Free Syrian Army, out of fear such step would broaden conflict within the country and lead to all-out civil war. The counter-proposal was to continue political pressure on Damascus. The ministers finally agreed on the priority of supporting the mission of the UN and Arab League Envoy Kofi Annan, which already secured Syria’s official agreement on a plan to end the crisis. The Annan plan states on immediate halt of fire and end of all military activity in towns and cities to allow for entry of humanitarian aid and its distribution among the Syrian people.— KUNA

Kuwaiti official calls for implementing Amir’s guidelines regarding youth JEDDAH: Kuwait’s top sports official has affirmed necessity of translating guidelines of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to devote greater care for sports and youth issues into action.

HH the Amir, since coming to power, has always affirmed his concern at the youth and calling for enlarging their role in the society, and that approach has been followed up with several initiatives such the National Youth Program, said Chairman of the Public Authority for Youth

and Sports (PAYS) Faisal Al-Jazzaf after his arrival along with a delegation in the por t city of Jeddah. His arrival, late on Saturday, was for taking part in the 26th meeting of the GCC ministers of youth and sports yesterday.

PAYS plays a major and effective role for realizing the outlook of HH the Amir, Al-Jazzaf said, expressing deep gratitude to Sheikh Sabah for his fatherly care for the national sports and youth affairs. HH the Amir’s personal care for this sector will be con-

veyed to the conferees of the GCC meeting, he said, expressing hope to expand role of the youth in all the other GCC countries.

Agenda of the meeting addresses a host of topics, namely a proposal to set an internet website for the GCC sports ministers, forming a GCC parliament for the youth and amending some laws.

Al-Jazzaf called for greater efforts to make further progress in the field, but expressed satisfaction at level of cooperation among the GCC states as to swap

of expertise, among other issues.

At the Arab level, the Kuwaiti official expressed concern that political upheavals have affected youth activities and sports in the Arab countries, affirming significance of a meeting of the Arab sports and youth officials, due in Jeddah on Tuesday, adding that Kuwait would hold a conference for the Arab youth in December.

On date of Kuwaiti clubs’ elections, he confirmed that the polls would be held in October, following the London Olympic Games. —- KUNA

Contraband seized Drugs, alcohol, and unlicensed weapons were found with four youngsters’ possession. Police officers reached a location in Jahra were four people were fighting, in response to an emergency call. The suspects were arrested before they could escape, and a verification of their identities revealed that they have a history of criminal conduct. Police searched their cars before leaving the scene, were they found a total of two rifles, four imported liquor bottles and different amounts of drugs. The suspects are being held.

Residency violators Five women were arrested at a massage parlor in Ahmadi governorate where they were working without a valid work permit. Police officers first arrested an Asian woman who raised their suspicions when she was spotted walking alone along the streets, and wore revealing clothes. After verifying her identity, police discovered that the woman’s residence permit expired six months ago. During interrogations, she said that she was walking toward her workplace where she works as a masseuse for KD 20 an hour.

Moreover, she told an officer that her female employer asked her to wear revealing clothes so as to ‘lure customers.’

Police used the information to obtain a warrant to raid the place, and found four more women who worked there illegally.

— Al-Rai, Al-Anba, Al-Watan

KUWAIT: The Ambassador of Bangladesh , Sayed Shahed Raza, hosted a reception at Crowne Plaza hotel over the weekend to celebrate the 41st anniversary of his country’s independence. High ranking officials, diplomats and media persons attended the event. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

Egypt Brotherhood bids for presidency

Lifting the veil on Afghan female addicts Page 12

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VATICAN: Pope Benedict XVI attends the Palm Sunday celebration at Saint Peter’s square at the Vatican yesterday. — AFP

Christians celebrate Palm Sunday Pontiff preaches unity; Cuba grants pope’s request ROME: Pope Benedict preached a message of unity as he opened Holy Week celebrations on Palm Sunday before tens of thousands of faithful packed into St Peter’s Square. Just back from a six-day visit to Mexico and Cuba, the 84-year-old pontiff on Saturday learnt that communist Cuba had agreed to his request of declaring Good Friday a holiday this year. In a homily built on the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem the week before he was crucified, the pope said the underlying resonance of the Easter celebration was the shared destiny of humanity.

“Here we find the first great message that today’s feast brings us: the invitation to adopt a proper outlook upon all humanity, on the peoples who make up the world, on its different cultures and civilizations,” he said. Clad in a red and gold robe, the pope led the service before dozens of bishops and cardinals as well as pilgrims holding palm and olive leaves to commemorate the branches said to have been laid down before Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The German pontiff, who celebrates his 85th birthday on April 16 and who has appeared frail, now faces an intense week of church celebrations.

The celebrations on Palm Sunday, a moveable feast held on the first Sunday before Easter, mark the start of Holy Week, leading up to Easter Sunday, the most important date in

the church calendar. On Holy Thursday, he will celebrate two masses in the Vatican, during one of which he will kiss and wash the feet of 12 men, in a gesture celebrating Jesus’ humility towards his apostles on the night before he died. On Good Friday, the day which marks the crucifixion of Jesus, the pope will lead services in the Vatican before heading the traditional “Via Crucis”, the torch-lit “Way of the Cross” around the ancient Colosseum in Rome. Holy Week culminates on Easter Sunday, when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and when the pope gives his twice yearly “Urbi et Orbi” (the city and the world) blessing and message.

Palm Sunday in Jerusalem Hundreds of Christian pilgrims marked Palm Sunday in the Holy Land yesterday, holding masses and processions retracing Jesus’ triumphant return to Jerusalem. Palm Sunday marks the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem, where he was greeted by cheering crowds bearing palm fronds, according to the Bible.

The day’s events began with a mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher - revered as the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Several hundred worshippers and clergy lit candles and waved palm fronds in the dark, cavernous church. “It’s the holiest place in the world for Christians and it’s important for me to come here at least once in my lifetime,” said Etienne Chevremont, 49, a visitor from Paris who attended the Jerusalem Mass. Visitors walked down the cobblestone alleyways of the walled Old City carrying olive branches, palm fronds and crosses. A service was also held in Bethlehem’s Nativity Church, built atop Jesus’ traditional birthplace. Later, the faithful were expected to march from the neighboring Mount of Olives into the Old City behind a white donkey, following Jesus’ traditional route from 2,000 years ago. The day marks the start of Holy Week, which ends next Sunday with Easter. Orthodox Christians mark Palm Sunday next week. Israel’s Tourism Ministry said it expects 125,000 visitors during Holy Week and 300,000 throughout April, when Jews celebrate Passover - a 5 percent increase from last year.—Agencies

UK spies ‘uncover’ assassination plot LONDON: Security services have uncovered a plot to assassinate exiled Chechen separatist Akhmed Zakayev in London, Britain’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper has reported. The claim comes after a gunman shot Russian banker German Gorbuntsov in the British capital on March 20. Gorbuntsov remains seriously ill in hospital. British intelligence agencies are increasingly concerned about the number of Russians in Britain who could be targeted by political or gangland killings, the Sunday Telegraph said.

The newspaper claims to have seen court

documents outlining the MI5 security agency ’s fears that Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed head of Russia’s volatile Chechen republic, wanted former rebel commander Zakayev killed. “Kadyrov, who had been responsible for the assassination of a number of his opponents, has a black list of individuals, some of whom he wished to have assassinated,” the newspaper quoted a judgment as saying. “Zakayev, a refugee living in the UK, was believed to be on this list,” it continued.

Zakayev, who fought against Russia in both

of its wars against separatists in Muslimmajority Chechnya since 1994, told the newspaper he had not been notified of the alleged plot, but was aware of previous assassination attempts. “There are more Russian spies in Britain today than there were during the Cold War,” said the prominent exile, who was granted asylum in Britain in 2003. The Sunday Telegraph claims Britain’s interior minister fought a court battle to expel a Britain-based Russian, named only as “E1”, who MI5 believed would organize the killing, but judges have allowed him to fight to stay. —AFP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

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

India’s ‘lost tribe’ dreams of return to Israel CHURACHANDPUR: In a synagogue in northeast India, a group of men pray for the chance to “return home” to a country they have never seen and which their ancestors fled nearly 3,000 years ago.

“India is not our country,” says Haniel Reuben, 72, one of the eldest members of a tiny community that claims to have descended from the Manasseh-one of the Biblical “lost tribes” of Israel exiled in 720 BC by Assyrian conquerors.

“Our forefathers migrated and settled here. Our home is Israel and we will be reunited with our people one day or another,” Reuben said. The Bnei Menashe, as the community is known, comprise around 7,200 members of the Kuki-ChinMizo tribe who live in the northeast Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur near the border with Myanmar. Their oral history tells of a centuries-long exodus through Persia, Afghanistan, Tibet and China, all the while adhering to certain Jewish religious practices, like circumcision. In India they were converted to Christianity by 19th-century missionaries and, in reading the Bible, recognized stories from their own traditions that convinced them they actually belonged to the Jewish faith. “We are the lost tribe,” insists Reuben, who lives in a ramshackle two-storey wooden home set against a scenic background of the misty, ash-colored Manipuri foothills. A lunisolar Jewish calendar hangs on the wall of his living room, while a mezuzah, or parchment, with verses from the Torah is fixed to the front door frame of the house in Manipur’s state capital Imphal. He prays three times a day with his eyes facing

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147 killed in 6 days TRIPOLI: Six days of tribal clashes in a remote desert town in southern Libya have killed 147 people, the country’s health minister said. Fatma AlHamroush said in a news conference in Tripoli that the fighting in Sabha has also left 395 wounded.

Around 180 people have been transported to the capital for emergency treatment, she said. The clashes in the oasis region some 400 miles south of Tripoli show the fragile authority of the Libyan government, particularly in the isolated settlements that dot the southern desert. With only a nascent national army and police force, Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council relies on militias comprised of former rebels to keep the peace, and the country’s vast distances make it difficult to deploy them to trouble spots. Deposed dictator Muammar Gaddafi’s 40 years in power moreover left behind a patchwork of local rivalries. The Sabha fighting pits southern Libyan Arab tribes that reportedly had close connections to Gaddafi against the African Tabu tribe, which fought against him.

Fugitive VP arrives in Qatar DUBAI: Fugitive Iraqi Vice President Tariq AlHashemi arrived in Qatar yesterday on what the Gulf nation’s state news agency called an “official visit.” The unexpected visit marks Al-Hashemi’s first foreign trip since he fled to Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region to avoid an arrest warrant issued in December. Al-Hashemi is Iraq’s highest-ranking Sunni official. Iraqi officials accuse him of running death squads against Shiite pilgrims, government officials and security forces. He denies the charges, which he says are politically motivated. Qatar has protested what it says is Baghdad’s sidelining of Iraq’s Sunni minority. Iraq’s Interior Ministry last month demanded that Kurdish leaders arrest al-Hashemi before he could flee the country. The semiautonomous Kurdish region has its own security forces, which means Al-Hashemi is effectively out of reach from police controlled by the central government in Baghdad.

Afghan general to run US prison KABUL: Afghanistan named a three star general to take over Bagram prison from the US military and with him, final say over which prisoners are released, an issue with the potential to open another rift in relations between Washington and Kabul. The issue of the release of any of the 3,200 people held in the prison at the sprawling American base, north of Kabul, is sensitive to both countries as Afghanistan assumes full security responsibilities ahead of departure of most NATO combat forces in 2014. Washington fears the prisoners, most of whom it says are mid to high level members of the Taleban, might return to the battlefield as has happened in the past, citing the case of a Taleban commander transferred from Guantanamo Bay to Afghan custody in 2007 who ended up fighting coalition forces again. “They (the United States) can have a consultative role, but not a veto,” said Aimal Faizi, chief spokesman of President Hamid Karzai.

Roadside bombs kill 5 KABUL: A remote-controlled bomb in southern Afghanistan killed a police official yesterday who had survived multiple previous attempts on his life, police said. Toor Jan, an officer in charge of several checkpoints in Uruzgan province’s capital Tarin Kot, died along with one of his bodyguards when their vehicle passed through an area where explosives had been planted, said Fareed Ayal, a spokesman for the provincial police chief. Taleban and other insurgents frequently target local officials to undermine the K abul government ’s authority. On Saturday, a roadside bomb killed two local council members and an Afghan policeman in Gizab district of Uruzgan province, Ayal said. He said two other council members were wounded when their car hit a second bomb nearby.

2007, but last July the Ministerial Committee on Immigration and Absorption, agreed to the return of the remaining 7,200 Bnei Menashe.

“It is a huge project,” said Yochanan Phaltual, the Indian representative for Shavei Israel, an Israeli-based organization that reaches out to descendants of

west “towards Jerusalem”.

Mixed identity-The ancestral claims of the Bnei Menashe-rejected by other members of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo-began to draw attention in the 1980s from Jewish organizations dedicated to identifying “lost Jews.” In the late 1990s, groups of Bnei Menashe were brought to Israel

IMPHAL: Members of the local ‘Bnei Menashe’ community offer prayers at the Beith Shalom Synagogue during a Sabbath at the Shavei Israel Hebrew Centre in Churachandpur district of north eastern state of Manipur. — AFP Jews around the world. “It is very complicated as it requires the involvement of all government departments,” Phaltual said.

The head of Shavei Israel, Michael Freund, who has lobbied hard for years on behalf of the Bnei Menashe, said he was confident the immigration would finally happen. “This is simply a bureau-

where they formally converted and settled. But the real breakthrough came in 2005 when Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar officially recognized the entire community as “descendants of Israel”-a crucial step in securing their “right of return”. The process was halted by new Israeli government policy in

cratic process, and like all bureaucratic processes, it takes time,” Freund said in an email. “I hope that we will soon hear good news, and that the Bnei Menashe will be allowed to return to the land of their ancestors.”

Living as a tiny minority poses numerous problems for people like Talya Bem, a 45-year-old widow and mother of three, particularly when it comes to observing orthodox customs and rituals. “I was born as a Jew,” Bem says. “I live in India but my heart is in Israel. “I want to go there as soon as possible. We can’t follow all the commandments of the Torah here,” she adds tearfully, comforted by her 18-yearold daughter, dressed smartly in a long black skirt and purple top. According to Phaltual, Bnei Menashe families almost never go out to eat in local restaurants or buy food from street vendors. “Nothing is kosher here. All the eateries serve pork and we fear that our food will get mixed up with that,” he said.

Manipur has a primarily agrarian economy and is one of the least developed states in India-one of only five with a per capita income of less than 30,000 rupees ($600). ‘Neither here nor there’But Phaltual bristles at the suggestion that the Bnei Menashe are motivated less by religious feeling and more by the prospect of a more comfortable, material life in Israel. “Most of our community is well-settled. It is a very wrong conception that economic considerations have fuelled our dream of return,” he said.

Phaltual and Reuben both converted to Judaism in the 1990s. “We studied the Bible the way Christians do,” Reuben said.

“But slowly as we grew up, we started discussing how some of our customs matched with the tradition followed by ancient Israelites.”

At the Churachandpur synagogue, which boasts a small “mikveh” or pond used for ritual purification, Shlomo Haokip, 26, has been giving Hebrew classes for the past four years to help people prepare for life in Israel. “Knowing Hebrew is one of the pre-requisites for formal conversion to Judaism in Israel,” said Haokip, who lives with his family in the premises of the synagogue in Churachandpur town, 60 kilometers from Imphal. “I hold classes for children during the summer vacation. We also organize Hebrew learning camps every now and then. It’s a difficult language, and even I am not an expert. But once I go to Israel, I will become more fluent.”

Some Bnei Menashe are less sanguine about the issue of return, and feel impatient about the delays in the immigration process and the religious and bureaucratic hoops they feel forced to jump through. “The British baptized us during their rule of the country and we corrected the mistake by taking up Judaism again,” said 31-year-old Moses, who gave just one name. “We are Jews, why should we undergo conversion again? No one should question our identity. We don’t feel welcome in India and we are not welcome in Israel. We are neither here nor there.” His angry outburst is cut short by the women of his family. “Justice will be done,” one of them tells him calmly. “We have waited for 3,000 years. We can wait a few years more.”—AFP

Brotherhood bids for presidency A surprising reversal of an earlier pledge CAIRO: The fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood has named its chief strategist and financier as a candidate for president, a surprising reversal of an earlier pledge to stay out of the race and a move that sets the group on a collision course with Egypt’s militar y rulers. The long-outlawed Brotherhood already controls about half of the seats in parliament and had been concerned that contesting the presidency would bring a backlash from liberals and Western countries fear ful of an Islamist takeover.

But in a dramatic shift that amounted to a political bombshell in Egypt, the Brotherhood nominated deputy leader Khayrat El-Shater on Saturday.

The multimillionaire businessman has played a key role in guiding the group through the tumultuous transition since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak in last year’s popular uprising. Because of the Brotherhood’s success in the parliamentary vote and the reach of its grassroots political organization, the candidate it nominates or backs will be considered the frontrunner in the race for the May 23-24 vote.

And if El-Shater wins, the Brotherhood would completely dominate the political arena and could push for changes such as stricter adherence to Islamic law.

A Muslim Brotherhood government could also translate into rockier relations with Israel and the United States. The decision will likely antagonize the ruling

generals, who are worried about shielding their significant business interests and other privileges from civilian oversight and are wary of too much power concentrated in the hands of a single group. “We don’t want to reach a confrontation that affects the path of the nation,” Mohammed Morsi, top leader of the Brotherhood’s political arm said.

The decision will also widen the gap with liberals and secularists, who fear that the Brotherhood - which has largely espoused moderate rhetoric in the past year - will implement a hardline Islamist agenda once it has solidified its political position. Already, Islamists enjoy a comfortable majority on a 100member panel tasked with drafting a new constitution for Egypt, which has raised serious alarm among the nation’s large Christian minority and liberals.

The candidate was announced at a Cairo news conference and ended weeks of speculation and confusion within the group.

I t split the Brotherhood’s Shura council, or legislative body, into two camps: one in favor of fielding a candidate and one against, fearing the repercussions, according to a Brotherhood official. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Mahmoud Hussein, the group’s deputy leader, said the decision to run a candidate was made in the face of “attempts to abort the revolution,” after the military council refused several

requests by the Brotherhood to appoint a government.

The group won close to half of parliament seats in the country’s first post-revolution elections in November. That victor y was largely due to the Brotherhood’s grassroots organization. ElShater, who is in his early sixties, joined the Brotherhood in 1974.

He has been jailed four times for a total of seven years on charges relating to his membership in the Brotherhood, which was outlawed more than 50 years ago.

He is seen as the iron man within the group, the one who steers talks with the militar y council, orchestrator of parliamentary elections and the negotiator with Arab Gulf countries and International Monetary Fund over loans. “El-Shater is the real power center and he is struggling to expand the group’s powers within Egypt’s system and institutions against the generals’ will,” said Khalil El-Anani, expert on Islamist movements. El-Shater will go up against other candidates with greater name recognition and a stronger television presence, such as ex-Arab League chief Amr Moussa.

Since its victory in parliamentary elections, the Brotherhood has been emboldened to press its demands. Foreign officials and diplomats flocked to its offices, and the group has even negotiated with international organizations on loans. However, the group’s power was curtailed by Egypt ’s interim constitution, which gives the ruling military

Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s top financial figure Khayrat ElShater council the sole authority to form or sack a government. After the parliamentar y victor y, the Brotherhood demanded that the military council allow it to form a new Cabinet. With the govern-

In Gaza, rumors and power cuts hamper reconciliation GAZA: A smart white villa with a red roof sits uninhabited but under close guard in Gaza City, awaiting the return of its owner, Fatah head and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

Members of the Hamas government’s security services surround the building, which fell into their hands when longrunning tensions between rival factions Hamas and Fatah boiled over into full-blown conflict in the summer of 2007. The Islamist group routed Abbas’s Fatah movement, forcing it to cede control of the Gaza Strip, including the proper ty. “ There’s no one inside,” says one Hamas guard with a close-cropped beard.

In January, Hamas announced it would return the building to Abbas, but with a reconciliation deal between Fatah and the Islamist group stalling, the chances of the leader returning to the territory to reclaim the property seem slim. “It’s ready for a visit, today if necessary,” the guard says, with a smile.

Hamas and Fatah agreed last year to reconcile, signing a deal that called for the quick formation of a consensus government, which would pave the way for presidential and legislative elections by around May 2012. But the process has hit repeated roadblocks, with the formation of the interim government proving particularly thorny.

GAZA: Palestinian children hold candles during a protest calling for power in Gaza City. —AFP

Gaza’s worsening electricity crisis, caused by a lack of fuel supplies that has plunged the territory into darkness in recent months, has soured the atmosphere further.

Charges of conspiracy are rife, and Hamas security forces have set up roadblocks and arrested dozens of Fatah members and individuals they accuse of “spreading rumors.” Fatah has protested the detention or summons to interrogation of “hundreds” of its members, including its spokesman in Gaza. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, based in the coastal enclave, said in a statement last week that it was “gravely concerned” by the summons issued to at least 80 Fatah members. “They said that they were mainly questioned on allegations of their factional role against the government in Gaza in light of the power crisis,” the centre said.

Hamas’s interior ministr y has acknowledged the arrest of more than one hundred people for “propagating rumors about the electricity and fuel shortage.” “There are people who say that official in Gaza are not suffering from this crisis, that’s not true,” Gaza’s energy authority spokesman Ahmad Abu Al-Amrin said. “ The electricity shortage in Gaza is political.” Gaza’s only power plant shuddered to a halt on March 23, just 48 hours after Israel delivered 450,000 liters of fuel paid for

by Abbas’s Palestinian Authority government in the West Bank, with Hamas denouncing what it called a “conspiracy.”—AFP

ment failing to address deepening economic and security problems, the group was concerned its own popularity might be dented now that it rose to the leading political bloc.—AP

7 troops killed ADEN: Militants killed seven Yemeni soldiers in an attack on their outpost in southern Yemen yesterday, the defense ministry said, a day after at least 20 troops were killed in a similar raid by Islamist fighters linked to Al-Qaeda. The defense ministr y ’s September 26 news portal said “seven soldiers were martyred in a treacherous terrorist attack on their outpost” near the city of Shibam, in the southern Hadramout province.

The Yemeni defense minister was due to brief parliament yesterday on a series of attacks that have killed nearly 200 Yemeni soldiers since President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi took office in February under a Gulf Arab deal with US backing. Officials have blamed an Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist group that controls swathes of territory in southern Yemen for the attacks. The militants were emboldened by chaos in the armed forces following a year of political upheaval in Yemen that saw mass protests and split the armed forces as Yemenis demanded that President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down after 33 years in office.

The United States and oil giant Saudi Arabia engineered the transfer of power that saw Hadi succeed Saleh. Hadi’s main task is to try to restore stability so that the militants have fewer opportunities to exploit central government weakness. Almotamar, an online website run by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s General People’s Congress party, said yesterday’s attack took place at dawn when militants stormed a military outpost. “The attack bears the fingerprints of Al-Qaeda,” it quoted a security source as saying without giving further details.

The attack appeared to mirror Saturday’s, in which militants raided the al-Hurur military checkpoint in the southern Abyan province, killing at least 20 soldiers, according to a senior military official. The Yemeni interior ministry put the death toll at 13 soldiers, while the militant Ansar Al-Sharia group, which claimed the attack, said about 30 soldiers had died, and seized military hardware. — Reuters

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

INTERNATIONAL

Political risks to watch in France PARIS: A bloody rampage by an AlQaeda-inspired gunman has colored the final month of France’s presidential election race, where conservative Nicolas Sarkozy is battling Socialist Francois Hollande to win a second term. Sarkozy has inched up in opinion polls, with some now giving him a 1-2 point lead for the April 22 first round vote, since the March shootings in the southern city of Toulouse, but Hollande is still 8 points ahead or more for a May 6 runoff.

Mohamed Merah, 23, was shot dead by a police sniper after a long siege during which he confessed to having killed three soldiers, a rabbi and three Jewish children in attacks that badly shook France and briefly took attention away from the economic issues that remain voters’ main concerns. A survey showed that 71 percent of the public judge that Sarkozy - a law-and-order hawk who is at his strongest in a crisis - handled the Merah affair ably, as he oversaw the police operation that tracked down and killed the gunman and ordered a crackdown on people who follow radical Islamist websites.

Yet poll gains by Sarkozy seem limited so far, as opponents ask whether there were intelligence lapses and analysts see the election debate moving back to core issues of employment, purchasing power and public finances. Hollande still needs to find a way to get back into centrestage, after treading water over the past week as he suspended his campaigning along with other candidates and was left as something of a bystander as Sarkozy dominated headlines.

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION Long the underdog in the election race, Sarkozy has inched up to his strongest position yet, narrowing the gap behind Hollande in the secondround vote to 8 points from 12 a few weeks ago. A slip in support for National Front leader Marine Le Pen suggests Sarkozy’s hardline stance on immigration has allowed him to woo some far-right voters. Since Merah’s attacks, he has warned that radical Islamists will not be tolerated in France and barred some preachers from visiting. His strategy of veering right is a double-edged sword because it could put off centrist voters who would be crucial in a May 6 runoff against Hollande.

Centrist candidate Francois Bayrou, who has not said who he would back in a second round, has around 10 percent support in polls for the first round, either in fourth place behind Sarkozy, Hollande and Le Pen, or sometimes in fifth place due to a surge by hard leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon. Melenchon, whose frank yet articulate speeches appeal to both the educated centre-left, some of whom find Hollande uninspiring, and centre-right voters concerned by Sarkozy’s move further to the right, even leapfrogged Le Pen in one recent poll to stand in third place. His participation has injected a dose of working-class rage and radical panache into the race, and could help redirect the debate back to popular economic issues such as unemployment, inequality and overpaid executives.

ECONOMIC GLOOM Sarkozy’s deficit-cutting priority got a boost at the end of March with news the 2011 budget shortfall was just 5.2 percent of gross domestic product versus an initial target of 5.7 percent. The government promptly revised its 2012 deficit

target to 4.4 percent from 4.5 percent.

The figures will help Sarkozy deliver the message that the end is in sight of three years of economic gloom. Consumer spending rose by a surprise 3 percent in February and GDP data showed that France avoided falling into another recession with growth of 0.2 percent in the last quarter of 2011, and 1.7 percent for the year.

Still, a rise in jobless claims in February to their highest level since October 1999 is casting a pall, as is sluggish purchasing power, which grew only 0.1 percent in the fourth quarter when adjusted for inflation. Sarkozy’s election campaign has made much of his leadership role during Europe’s debt crisis, and he has warned that France could have fared much worse in a less-safe pair of hands. Sarkozy is vowing to create jobs in industry by easing labor charges on companies and compensating that with a rise in value-added sales taxes.

Hollande plans to trim social charges on companies that hire young people while also retaining older workers. He also wants to create 150,000 state-aided youth jobs.

A CALMING CRISIS The focus on domestic economics is growing as Europe passes the peak of its crisis and with France now resigned to having lost its AAA-credit rating in January. Sarkozy, who has sought to paint himself as the safest pair of hands to deal with any further economic turmoil, has gone from warning in January that stormier seas could be ahead to proclaiming in recent days that the worst of the crisis is over. “A page in the financial crisis is turning,” he said on March 10, saying the euro zone’s debt woes were resolved. A new EU/IMF bailout deal for Greece has removed the immediate threat of an uncontrolled Greek default and moved the bloc from a state of emergency into a critical yet stable stage.

The deal gives a lift to Sarkozy, who has been at the forefront of crisis-resolution efforts next to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who backs his re-election campaign but has not been invited, as first planned, to appear at a campaign meeting. It also underscores his experience on the international stage next to a rival who has never been a government minister and is largely unknown outside of France.

Rather than shirking from European issues, Hollande has jumped in head-first, vowing to amend a recently agreed “fiscal compact” on budget discipline to incorporate growth clauses, a promise which is worrying some European leaders and markets.

SYRIA AND SECURITY Sarkozy’s government has led world pressure on Syria over the killing of civilians, while seeking to unite Paris-based dissidents and backing a UN peace plan.

France shut its embassy in Syria in March.

Besides Syria, escalating tensions in Iran, and Western involvement in Afghanistan, where French troops will stay until the end of 2013, remain security risks. Merah told police he killed soldiers to avenge France’s involvement in Afghanistan. The Toulouse attacks have been a reminder of the risks on French soil from Middle East conflicts and both Le Pen and Hollande have criticized Sarkozy for being lax on intelligence or too weak on security. At the same time, a survey by pollster BVA found only 8 percent of respondents said security concerns would affect their vote. —AP

Europe far-right groups seek unity in Denmark Anti-Islam activists hold rally AARHUS: Far-right anti-Islam activists struggling to throw off the shadow of Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik gathered in Denmark on Saturday, but met a protest many times bigger. The rally was attended by a few hundred far-right activists from Nordic countries, Britain, France, Germany, Poland and elsewhere to try to form a European-wide anti-Islamic movement.

Breivik, who killed 77 people in a massacre in July, said in a manifesto he posted online that he had had contact with the English Defense League (EDL), the driving force behind the meeting in a park in Denmark’s second-biggest city, Aarhus.

“This is the real birthday (of a movement), this is where it starts,” Stephen Lennon, a founder of the EDL, told reporters at the gathering. “We’ll be separate organizations under one umbrella.” The EDL has denied links to anti-Islam gunman Breivik and rejects extremist labels. Their detractors say the groups are racists seeking to exploit tensions over immigration in Europe.

A rival march organized by left-wing political groups and trade unions drew around 5,000 people just blocks away, according to a police estimate. Police, many in riot gear, arrested 83 people after small groups of youths broke away from that demonstration and scuffled with officers when attempting to attack the far-right gathering, police said. Two detainees would be held and charged with assaulting police officers, and the rest would be released but charged with disturbing the peace. The gathering was seen as a test of the far-right groups’ ability to coordinate internationally, recover from the political blow dealt to them by Breivik’s rampage and exploit revulsion at the killings of seven people this month by a Muslim of Algerian origin in southwest France.

Speaking from the flatbed of a small truck

Council staff member, said he was tired of encountering crews from NTV wherever he goes. And he suggested that his email and phone calls may be being intercepted.

“Wonder who gives them my calendar?

They wouldn’t tell me. Wonder what the laws are here for such things?” he wrote. In another, he asked, “Do they have a right to read my email and listen to my phone?” A spokesman for NTV, which is owned by an arm of the state natural gas monopoly, said the presence of crews “is explained by a wide network of informers,” according to the Interfax news agency.

On Thursday, the station showed video of McFaul and its reporters verbally sparring as he arrived for a meeting with Lev Ponomarev, one of Russia’s most prominent human rights activists. In the fiveminute clip, the reporter peppers him with questions about his meeting and after answering, McFaul complains about their following him. “Your ambassador in our country goes around all the time without this sort of thing, not interfering in his work. You’re with me everywhere, at home - it’s interesting. Aren’t you ashamed to be doing this? It’s an insult to your country when you do this,” McFaul said in Russian, smiling but clearly irritated. At another point, McFaul says: “Every time I come here, it seems like a wild country. It’s not normal.” When one journalist objected to that characterization, McFaul replied: “No it’s not normal. It doesn’t happen with us, not in England, not in Germany, not in China-only here and only with you.” —AP

Defense League to broaden out into a European-wide movement,” said Arun Kundnani, a fellow of the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism at The Hague.

Some of those at the rally held flags of Israel, as the defense leagues say they are defenders of European Jews and the state of Israel against attacks by Muslims. “The ideology

AARHUS: People from various anti-Islamic groups from all over Europe hold a rally in Aarhus, Denmark. —AP name borrowed from a leader of a football hooligan group in his native Luton. One expert said the low turnout for the rally underscored the weakness and isolation of the European defense leagues, which are fashioned after the EDL, which remains their strongest and most organized unit.

“It represents a failure for the English

that the EDL has crafted is different from the traditional neo-Nazi movements of Europe,” said Kundnani. “They have tried to break with the tradition of anti-Semitism.” “They have a Jewish division with a small number of Jewish members, and they are quite determined to present an image of being pro-Israeli,” he said. —Reuters

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US ‘unhappy’ with Russia over treatment of envoy WASHINGTON: The Obama administration has complained to Russia about harassment of its outspoken ambassador in Moscow, who has confronted television news crews and taken to social media to raise suspicions that his cell phone and email were being hacked. Michael McFaul, who has been a frequent target of criticism by state media, seemed to have relished the attention, at least at first. And he may have become a bigger target by taking to Twitter to muse about the alleged surveillance, admitting to learning on the job, correcting his “bad Russian” and engaging in exchanges with a person whose Twitter account was “prostitutkamila.”

“There’s been a number of incidents since his arrival there that have caused us to have some concerns about his security and safety,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday. “So as we would in following normal protocol, we’ve raised that with the government of Russia.” Toner said the concerns would be raised again since McFaul on Thursday tweeted that his every move seemed to be followed by camera crews from NTV, the state-controlled station. He also said his private schedule was somehow being made public. Governments like the US and Russia keep close tabs on their officials and their whereabouts. American diplomats in Moscow have complained of harassment and surveillance dating back to before the Cold War. In a series of tweets on Thursday, McFaul, a Rhodes Scholar, former Stanford University professor and National Security

and wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “The EDL hates Nazis and Islamists”, Lennon said the EDL had grown from a seed of just 30 people into a mass movement in Britain. “There has been an Islamic freight train running over Europe for 15 to 20 years - that’s over now,” said Lennon, who also goes by the alias of Tommy Robinson, a

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

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

30 years after Falklands war, visible scars remain STANLEY: Thirty years after Argentina and Britain spilled blood over these remote islands in the South Atlantic, the scars of war are still being scratched raw. Argentina’s occupation of the islands it claims as “Las Malvinas” lasted just 74 days, but the trauma extends well beyond the families of the 907 people killed. Islanders still live among land mines the Argentines planted; only light-footed penguins can step onto the beautiful white-sand beach just outside town where troops came ashore on April 2, 1982.

Islanders still feel they need an extensive military garrison, with warships and a nuclear submarine circling somewhere in the deep, to protect them from their Latin American neighbor. Arriving planes and cruise ships make some islanders worry whether Argentines on board will make trouble. Each day they steel themselves for news of another attempt to isolate them economically and diplomatically, part of the Argentine government’s intensifying campaign to pressure Britain to concede sovereignty.

Islanders will turn out for a march by the Falkland Islands Defense Force on Sunday, remembering the day their local militia mobilized just ahead of

the invasion, while Argentines hold vigil at their Monument to the Fallen, in Ushuaia, capital of the country’s southernmost province. On Monday, President Cristina Fernandez will be in Ushuaia as well, leading rallies nationwide that honor the veterans as heroes and press her country’s claim.

“Although 30 years is quite a while, on the other hand it’s yesterday.

As soon as you start making threats all that comes back again. It makes people nervous, it puts people on edge. We don’t believe they’ll use military force, but the other things they are doing aren’t helpful,” said Tony Smith, an islander who gives tours and laments the hardening positions on both sides. “Nearly every Argentine I’ve met has been perfectly all right,” he says. Argentines also see themselves as victims. Many focus their anger on Britain’s historical role as the world’s leading colonial power, even though the islands are no longer a colony, and blame the 1982 war on the military junta that led Argentina at the time, even though taking the islands by force had considerable popular support.

Polls show most remain convinced that “Las Malvinas” have always been Argentine, and are cheered by

President Cristina Fernandez’s current campaign. But looking deeper can be painful because her nationalist speeches only seem to push the islands farther from reach. “It’s a very emotional subject for us. We still teach our children that the Malvinas are Argentine. I still hope they will be,” said Marcelo Pozzo, 49, who was a 19-yearold conscript sailor when he survived the sinking of the Argentine Navy’s light cruiser General Belgrano by

British torpedoes. “We don’t know what the presidency is trying to accomplish,” said Pozzo. “It should be trying to build ties, but the islanders don’t want to be close to Argentina.

They want to live in peace.”

For Pozzo and other Argentine war veterans, emotions are even more complicated because they were drafted by a military focused on eliminating leftist “subversives” at home, then sent into a war they were unprepared

FALKLAND ISLANDS: Crosses mark the graves of hundreds of Argentine soldiers who were killed in 1982 war, many who are unidentified, in a cemetery near Darwin, Falkland Islands. — AP

for. Soldiers were abused by their own officers during the occupation, sometimes left nearly starving as supplies rotted on the docks, or freezing in foxholes in clothes meant for northern Argentina’s subtropics. Gustavo Pirich remembers the blows he received from a superior officer for stealing food from a warehouse in desperation.

Officers ate the meat and potatoes, leaving the troops with nothing but watery gruel, said Pirich, who testified that such abuses are still-prosecutable war crimes - a question now before Argentina’s Supreme Court.

Pirich still suffers from trench foot, caused by prolonged exposure of the feet to damp, cold and unsanitary conditions, as well as the panic attacks and irritability that come with posttraumatic stress syndrome. He acknowledges that “one day I looked with great love at an open window,” but says he overcame suicidal thoughts through years of therapy and medication. “ We were very young, completely innocent. Nobody thought we were going to war. We didn’t know what war was,” said Pozzo, now a systems engineer, describing the harrowing experience of surviving the sinking that killed 323 fellow sailors. — AP

Romney eyes GOP primary endgame Massachusetts ex-governor targets April 3

WASHINGTON: This series of handout frame grabs show Rep Bobby Rush, D-Ill, taking off his jacket to wear a hoodie and sunglasses as he speaks on the floor of the House on Capitol Hill in Washington. Rush donned a hoodie during the speech on the House floor deploring the killing of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, receiving a reprimand for violating rules on wearing hats in the House chamber. — AP

‘Hoodie’ jackets in focus after US teen’s shooting WASHINGTON: Until just a few weeks ago, the “hoodie” was seen as just another article of clothing, a favorite garment of rumpled American teenagers and casually clad vacationers. But the popular cloth jacket with attached hood has become a subject of controversy-as well as a badge of protest and outrage-following the fatal shooting in late February of a hoodie-wearing AfricanAmerican youth by a community watch volunteer. Since the death last month of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, there have been scores of protests across the United States-many with hoodie-wearing demonstrators-demanding justice for the slain youth.

Protesters have been calling for the arrest and prosecution of the shooter George Zimmerman, against whom police in the Florida town of Sanford have so far decided not to press charges. This past week, US Congressman Bobby Rush staged one of the most visible protests, removing his suit jacket on the floor of the House of Representatives to reveal a hoodie and lift the hood over his head. He also put on a pair of sunglasses. “Racial profiling has to stop,” he declared on the House floor. “Just because someone wears a hoodie does not make them a hoodlum,” he said, before being escorted out of the chamber for violating the congressional dress code that bars lawmakers from wearing hats on the

floor. There was a similar protest in California’s state legislature when lawmakers in the capital Sacramento donned hoodies to urge the federal government to conduct a thorough probe of the shooting.

Martin’s fatal shooting has become another flashpoint in America’s recurring debate over race and colorblindness-or the lack of it-in the US criminal justice system. Many African Americans and civil rights leaders have called it a case of racial profiling: In calls to a police emergency number on the night of the shooting, Zimmerman, 28, described a black male wearing a hoodie and looking “real suspicious.”

Geraldo Rivera, a Fox News commentator, said that Martin died because of what he was wearing. “His hoodie killed Trayvon Martin as surely as George Zimmerman did,” the journalist said, arguing that a “kid of color” wearing a hoodie ignites certain feelings of “scorn” and “menace.” California Assemblyman Steven Bradford, who took part in the protest by lawmakers there, said that a double standard is at work.

“How can a young man with nothing more than candy in his hand and a soft drink be gunned down and now be accused of causing his death simply by what he was wearing?” he said, referring to how Martin had just bought Skittles fruitflavored sweets and iced tea before the killing. — AFP

Wyoming tribe blasts US bald eagle permit CHEYENNE: The Wyoming tribe that received the nation’s first federal permit allowing members to kill bald eagles for religious purposes renewed a legal challenge against the government Friday, calling the permit a “sham” because of restrictions against killing the birds on the tribe’s reservation. The US Fish and Wildlife Service on March 9 granted the Northern Arapaho a permit allowing members to kill two eagles only outside the Wind River Indian Reservation. The Arapaho share their reservation with the Eastern Shoshone, who opposed the killing of eagles on the tribes’ shared land. Many American Indian leaders nationwide and those in the Northern Arapaho tribe initially hailed the permit decision as a victory for native sovereignty and native religions, which the federal government actively suppressed well into the last century.

However, in an amended lawsuit filed against the government Friday, the Arapaho Tribe takes issue with the permit provision that would require tribal members to kill eagles off the Wind River Reservation. The tribe states that the state of Wyoming prohibits killing eagles off the reservation while the federal permit

itself requires adherence to state law. “Any tribal member taking an eagle pursuant to the March 9, 2012, permit is subject to arrest and prosecution by the State of Wyoming, whether the take occurs on federal, state or other lands “ tribal attorney Andy Baldwin and his associates wrote in the amended complaint.

A spokeswoman for the Fish and Wildlife Service in Denver said the agency had no comment on the tribe’s amended complaint because the issue is in litigation. In its amended complaint, the Northern Arapaho tribe argues that federal government action barring tribal members from taking bald eagles for religious purposes violates their free exercise of religion. Baldwin said the tribe discussed the permit concern with federal officials before filing the amended complaint but declined further comment. Attempts to reach tribal officials weren’t immediately successful.

Bald eagles were removed from the federal list of threatened species in 2007.

The birds remain protected under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. Several Indian tribes have been allowed permits to kill golden eagles for religious purposes. — AP

WASHINGTON: With top US politicians hopping on his bandwagon and a rival conceding he will be the likely nominee, Mitt Romney is eyeing tomorrow a trio of wins to help him lock up the Republican presidential race. The ex-governor of Massachusetts is forecast to win tomorrow’s contests in Maryland, the US capital Washington and the Midwestern state of Wisconsin, extending his lead in the fierce battle for the nomination to challenge President Barack Obama in November.

Romney has begun focusing exclusively on his likely upcoming general election battle with Obama. In a campaign speech Friday in Wisconsin, Romney did not mention his Republican rivals once, opting instead to highlight his and the president’s “fundamentally different visions for America.” He cited various aspects of the slow economic recovery-stubbornly high unemployment, soaring national debt and anemic growth in new small business start-ups-to suggest Obama was smothering the American dream instead of nurturing it.

“President Obama did not cause the recession, but he most certainly failed to lead the recover y,” Romney told an audience in Appleton. “He failed to deliver on jobs, but on his goal to raise energy prices, he sure came through. All in all, President Obama prolonged the recession and slowed the recovery... His economic strategy is a bust.”

With Romney on the path to securing the 1,144 delegates needed to be the party flagbearer, political historian Allan Lichtman said the candidate was doing the right thing by “not antagonizing” his Republican opponents.

“He’s already playing the nominee, which is absolutely the right thing to do,” the American University professor said. “He doesn’t need to savage his opponents, he just needs to look presidential and make distinctions between him and Obama.” But the number two Republican in the race, arch-conservative Rick Santorum, continues to throw up roadblocks, drilling into suspicions that Romney is not conservative enough to carry the party’s core voters.

Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, attacked Romney anew for unveiling a health care plan in Massachusetts that Obama used

as a blueprint for his landmark but highly controversial health care reform law now under review by the US Supreme Court. “I think he’ll be destroyed by Obama on this issue in the fall,” Santorum told CNN. Americans need a candidate, Santorum insisted, “who’s policy is written on his heart.” Romney is ahead in the nomination race with some 565 delegates, more than twice his nearest rival Santorum.

And while April appears to be a cruel month for Santorum, with races in northeast and Midwestern states that favor Romney, he

MUSKEGO: Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov Mitt Romney, greets people during a campaign stop in Muskego, Wis. — AP claims he has no plans to drop out.

When asked if he would carry on if he lost all three contests on April 3, Santorum said: “Our plan is to take this all the way.” The Republican establishment, however, is coalescing rapidly around Romney as the inevitable nominee, notably with the endorsement Friday of Congressman Paul Ryan, who was campaigning in his native Wisconsin this weekend with Romney. The

Republicans rally against war on religious freedom JANESVILLE: Life has gone from bad to worse since Donna Sturdivant’s husband was laid off four years ago and now she feels that the thing which brings her the most comfort-her faithis under threat. “We’re starting to see our religious freedom taken away. Our Christian faith is being stepped on.

Like kids in the schools-they can’t talk about God,” Sturdivant, 60 said. “There’s something wrong in America.”

Republicans like Sturdivant are rallying against what they see as an insidious attack on Christians by Democrats in government, activist judges in the courts and secular liberals bent on eroding the country’s moral values.

The nation’s simmering culture wars have been re -ignited by the Republican nomination battle to take on President Barack Obama in the November 6 election as the White House hopefuls vie to win over the party’s conservative base. Emotions spread after Obama moved to require most employers to include contraception in their health insurance plans, prompting outrage from the Catholic

influential chairman of the House Budget Committee, whose controversial budget blueprint was approved by the House of Representatives this week and endorsed by Romney, told Fox News that Romney has “the skills, the tenacity, the principles, the courage and the integrity to do what it takes to get America back on track.”

He also said a protracted primary race could hurt Republican chances in November.

“I think we’re entering a phase where it could become counterproductive if this drags on

church and firing up evangelicals. Rick Santorum-a devout Catholic who stridently opposes abortion and gay marriage-has mobilized the conservative base with his fiery rhetoric, winning 11 out of the past 34 nominating contests.

At a recent rally in Wisconsin-which heads to the polls tomorrow-Santorum painted the upcoming election in stark terms. “The lights of freedom may well go out if we don’t win this election,” the former Pennsylvania senator said, urging supporters to pick a true conservative over frontrunner Mitt Romney.

Barry Dean, who like Santorum home schools his many children, is also deeply concerned about the direction of the country.

“Christians are persecuted in many other countries and I think this is the next one,” Dean, 48, told AFP sipping a soda after the rally.

Just a few decades ago, Dean went to a public school where the Bible and the Ten Commandments were proudly displayed. Abortion was illegal. Gays were closeted, not getting married and serving openly in the military. — AFP

much longer,” Ryan said. “And so that’s why I think we need to coalesce as conservatives around Mitt Romney and focus on the big task at hand, which is defeating Barack Obama in the fall.” Romney in recent days also earned the endorsements of former president George HW Bush and rising Republican star Senator Marco Rubio-and even got a shout out of sorts by a rival in the race, Newt Gingrich. — AFP

Fear of new war stalks S Sudan’s border state BENTIU: Mary Nyariekhah Dabuol pats her belly and says she is proud that her ninth child will grow up in independent South Sudan, even if she and many others here fear another war with Sudan. On Tuesday, a bomber plane caused widespread panic and brought back bitter memories here in the capital of the oil-rich border state of Unity, circling overhead for several hours as residents watched or listened in terror as the bombs dropped.

“When the Antonov came, I was inside my house. When I heard the sound, I ran out and hid, and then it released the bombs. We were so scared that the bombs would land on us,” Dabuol says, taking refuge from Bentiu’s punishing heat in the shade of a large tree.

She fears the planes will come back to her new nation-that split from Sudan in July after decades of civil war-and that fresh conflict will scupper the stability she had been looking forward to. The bombs fell some 30 kilometers from Bentiu but that was close enough to convince many they were returning to a state of war. “I heard the noise first, then I saw the plane circling and throwing bombs,” says Elizabeth Nyawana, who was so convinced war had returned to war that she wanted to dig a trench around the house to protect her family from the artillery fire she was convinced would follow.

Many of the two dozen soldiers at Bentiu hospital most of them admitted for gunshot wounds-talk of a return to war. So many soldiers have been admitted that the male patients spill over into the women’s wards. — AFP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

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

Lifting the veil on Afghan female addicts on a sharp rise. The UNODC says Afghanistan has around one million heroin and opium addicts out of a population of 30 million, making it the world’s top user per capita. No estimates are available on how many women are addicted to opium or heroin. Nejat estimates around 60,000 women in Afghanistan regularly take illegal drugs, including hashish and marijuana. “There has been a definite increase amongst women drug users over the last decade,” said Arman Raoufi, director of harm reduction for women at Nejat.

Smoking opium costs around 200 Afghanis a day ($4), a very expensive habit in a country where a third

ment on her own at the center. Treatment options are sorely limited. A pilot project launched two years ago

by Medecins du Monde, which gives methadone to drug addicts, is the only one in the country. The National AIDS Control Program (NACP) wants to roll it out across the country, but the Ministry of Counternarcotics has objected, saying it would introduce yet another narcotic onto the black market.

KABUL: Anita lifted the sky-blue burqa from her face, revealing glazed eyes and cracked lips from years of smoking opium, and touched her saggy belly, still round from giving birth to her seventh child a month ago. “I can’t give breast milk to my baby,” said the 32year-old Anita, who like other women interviewed for this story, declined to give her full name. “I’m scared he’ll get addicted. She was huddled with other women at the UN-funded Nejat drug rehabilitation center in the old quarter of Kabul, having sneaked out of her home to avoid being stopped by her husband from going outside alone.

With little funding and no access to substitution drugs such as methadone, treatment is rudimentary at Nejat for a problem that is growing in a dirt-poor country riven by conflicts for more than three decades. Afghanistan is the source for more than 90 percent of the world’s opium, which is used to make heroin, and more of it is being grown than ever before.

While it is not uncommon to see men shooting up along the banks of the dried of up Kabul riverbed in broad daylight, women in the ultra-conservative culture of Muslim Afghanistan are expected to stay out of public view for the most part. They often have to seek permission from a male relative or husband to leave their home, and when they do they are encased in the head-to-toe burqa.

“I am not allowed to leave home for medical checks. What can I do? I am a woman,” Anita said matter of factly. Like many of Afghanistan’s female drug users, Anita picked up the habit from her husband.

Like other women interviewed for this story, Anita asked that only her first name be used. Shrouded in stigma, female drug users is a topic that is almost never mentioned in Afghanistan. They agreed to tell their stories to a reporter only through an intermediary they trusted.

KABUL: An Afghan family walks past standing water in Kabul. — AP

CONSUMPTION ON RISE Opium poppy cultivation in a country that has been growing the plant for a thousand years increased 7 percent in 2011 from the year before, due to a spike in prices and worsening security, according to a survey sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. In 2011, the farm-gate value of opium production more than doubled from 2010 to $1.4 billion and now accounts for 15 percent of the Afghan economy, the UNODC says. Opiate consumption in Afghanistan, where it has long been a medication but in recent years has been used increasingly for recreation, is also

live beneath the poverty line. Women send their children to collect scrap and bottles to help pay for their habit, or resort to begging, extending a hand to cars from beneath their burqa on busy streets when their husbands have left home. “My husband took on a second wife and began to ignore me, so I started to smoke his powder (opium) and now must beg,” said Fauzia, 30, a petite mother of five sitting in the corner of Nejat, her embroidered floral slippers poking out from under her baggy trousers.

She said she was terrified that her husband and male relatives might discover she was seeking treat-

IRANIAN CONNECTION With her five-year-old son tugging on her unwashed burqa, 30-year-old Najia said she has

smoked opium for nine years. “It is so hard for me. I have kids. I’m poor. I’m not able to work-my husband won’t allow me,” said the raven-haired mother of four.

Najia said she picked up the habit from her husband after he returned from his job as a laborer in neighboring Iran. Raoufi at the Nejat center says the return of migrant workers and refugees, who fled to Iran and Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of the 1980s, and the bloody civil war and Taliban rule that followed, is the main reason behind the rise in female drug addicts.

Increased street prostitution since the fall of the

Taleban, which policed the trade more rigorously than the government does today, has also contributed, he said. Iran has the second highest heroin abuse rate in the world after Afghanistan, according to UNODC. Afghan addicts among the 1 million refugees in Iran have become such an issue Tehran has started to expel them. “Our relatively open borders are not doing us any favors,” said Feda Mohammad Paikan, who heads the NACP working under the Afghan Ministry of Public Health. “Most addicts get hooked in Iran, and many of these men have wives.”

PRISONERS OF HABIT Afghanistan’s female narcotics problem is now filling the country’s largest women’s prison, Badam Bagh or “Almond Orchard”, on the outskirts of Kabul. Of its 164 inmates, 64 are opium and heroin users, double what it was when the clinic started in 2008, said clinic doctor, Hanifa Amiri. “There are simply more drugs out there available to women now,” she said, waving a medical-gloved hand over a prison courtyard, where burqa-clad female relatives were bringing gifts of pomegranates and flat naan bread for the inmates.

With cropped black hair, a leather jacket and a henna tattoo of a scorpion on her hand, inmate Madina looks nothing like an ordinary Afghan woman. One of seven injecting heroin users in Badam Bagh, she lives with her teenage son and daughter in prison, where she has been for seven years since she killed her husband. She said she murdered him after he forbade her from prostituting herself to support her habit, said Madina, the only inmate at the prison who agreed to speak to Reuters. “I would love to give it all up, but how am I meant to, as a woman?” the 37-year-old mother of two said as she scratched at the scabs on her arm, dark red from recent use.

She supports her habit by selling handmade sexual aid tools stuffing compacted wool into condoms-to other inmates, several of whom have developed lesbian relationships. HIV and AIDS is becoming a more serious issue, largely spurred by injecting drug use, and could reach the general population if not tackled properly. A new strategy being rolled out by the health ministry to target more women in counseling and HIV testing is being met by opposition from the strong conservative forces in Afghan society. “HIV and drug use are viewed as evil in Muslim society, and even more so for women,” said specialist Mohammad Hahn Heddait, who works at the infectious diseases hospital under the ministry of health. — Reuters

Rebels bombard Timbuktu Coup leader ‘restore’ Mali constitution

PYONGYANG: Buildings under construction stand along the river in Pyongyang, North Korea. — AP

Pyongyang lures foreign tourists SEOUL: North Korea attempted yesterday to lure foreign tourists to the hermit country to help celebrate a major anniversary, pledging to make “every possible sincere efforts” to show visitors a good time. Preparations are under way at the scenic Mount Kumgang to arrange transport and lodging for foreigners who have apparently showed “keen interest” in visiting the communist nuclear-armed nation. There are no official figures on how many foreign tourists visit North Korea each year, but their cash-the North charges exorbitant prices for everything from beer to accommodation-is a major boon to the moribund economy.

The resort at Mount Kumgang, where a South Korean tourist was shot dead by a soldier in July 2008 after allegedly straying from the area, was developed by the South Korean giant Hyundai Asan and opened in 1998. It once earned the impoverished North tens of millions of dollars a year from South Koreans eager to see the other half of the Korean peninsula, but the tours have been banned since the fatal shooting of the South Korean

housewife. The development, which has since been deserted, “is fully open to all tourists in the blooming best tour season of April”, a spokesman for the tourism authority in the Mount Kumgang area told state media KCNA. The spokesman pledged “all kinds of special privileges” to tour firms willing to go there, stressing the North was in celebratory mood for the centenary of the birth of its founding president, Kim Il-Sung, on April 15.

“We welcome all the tourists coming to Mount Kumgang and will make every possible sincere efforts to let them spend pleasant days in the best scenic spot,” said the spokesman. The resort in the coastal Mount Kumgang was developed with South Korean money as a symbol of reconciliation between the two Koreas, who are still technically at war after the 1950-53 conflict ended only in an armistice. But the 2008 shooting there and a general deterioration in ties has seen the North and South fail to agree to find a compromise on tour groups from South Korea returning. —AFP

BAMAKO: Mali’s coup leader declared the constitution ‘restored’ yesterday after Tuareg and Islamist fighters attacked the historic desert town of Timbuktu in a bid to consolidate their grip on the country’s vast north.

Junta chief Captain Amadou Sanogo announced the reinstatement of state institutions and promised broad consultation on a political transition in a bid to solve the “multi-dimensional crisis” facing the country. Earlier, residents of the fabled city synonymous with remoteness said they heard heavy weaponry blasting Timbuktu’s military base, but the army appeared to have deserted the encampment.

“We can currently hear heavy weapons being fired at the empty military base in Timbuktu,” a nurse said by phone. At least one other resident provided similar testimony. Witnesses said some Malian troops had abandoned their posts and dumped their uniforms. Arab militiamen opposing the rebels, however, appeared ready to defend the city and took up defensive positions.

Timbuktu is the last major town in Mali’s north not to have fallen into the hands of Tuareg rebels and Islamist fighters. The town of about 50,000 residents is a United Nation’s world heritage site, nicknamed the “pearl of the desert”.

Mali’s political situation is growing increasingly chaotic after the March 22 coup by disgruntled soldiers in the capital Bamako. Coup leaders said they seized power because the government had not done enough to stem the Tuareg rebellion, rekindled in January. Sanogo has said the army would no longer resist rebels in Gao, about 200 miles west of Timbuktu, where rebels seized control Saturday. “Mali forces have decided not to prolong the fighting” around Gao because of the civilian population, Sanogo said.

“A more viable security plan will be put in place so that the whole territory of Mali will not be violated.”

It is possible troops in Timbuktu took the same tack and abandoned the town. Gao, which served as army headquarters for the entire northern region, has fallen to the rebels, an aide to the regional governor told AFP by telephone. Tuareg rebels confirmed they had taken control of Gao and said they had also surrounded Timbuktu. “The (Tuareg) MNLA (Azawad National Liberation Movement) has just ended Mali’s occupation of the region of Gao by seizing and taking control of (Gao) this Saturday,” it said in a statement posted on its website.

MNLA forces were “encircling the city of Timbuktu to dislodge Mali’s remaining political and military administration,” the statement read. Gao was rocked by heavy gunfire Saturday, though it was not known how many people were killed or injured in the fighting. The MNLA has relaunched a decades-old fight for the independence of what the Tuareg consider their homeland in the vast desert region. It has been joined by the Islamist Ansar Dine (Defenders of Faith, in Arabic) which is headed by renowned Tuareg rebel Iyad Ag Ghaly and has ties to Al-Qaeda’s north Africa branch, known as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

The MNLA’s capabilities were boosted when fighters brought weapons into Mali from neighbouring Libya after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. The

BAMAKO: A Malian soldier stands past a machine gun in the Kati military camp yesterday. — AFP assault on Gao came less than 24 hours after the strategic town of Kidal, to the north, fell into rebel hands following an attack reportedly led by the MNLA and another Islamist group. With Mali threatening to unravel, the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara, said the regional bloc had put 2,000 troops “on alert”, ready to intervene if necessary. —AFP

In Sinai, militant Islam flourishes NORTH SINAI: The group of 50 young men who had blocked off access to a small international military base in the Sinai desert would say nothing of who they were but their appearance held a few clues. Dressed in army fatigues and armed with AK47s, they wore the long beards of the hardline Islamists who are increasingly a law unto themselves in this part of Egypt. Quietly, barely noticed by outsiders fascinated by upheavals in Cairo and other Arab capitals, they are building a presence in Sinai that might offer a new haven for anti-Western militancy at the strategic junction of the Mediterranean, Africa and Asia.

When finally one of the men broke a silence that hung heavy on the barren plain, it was to explain to a reporter their demands: for the government to release five comrades jailed for bombings of tourist resorts in Sinai more than six years ago. “We are ready to die under tanks for this,” he said, refusing to give his name and saying little else beyond muttering Islamic mottos as he toured the positions the militants had established to surround the base, inconveniencing dozens of troops from the Multinational Observer Force, a unit set up in 1979 to monitor Egypt’s US-brokered peace treaty with Israel.

Under a rare rainy sky on a Thursday night in March, the men would only speak with the permission of a man they simply referred to as “sheikh”. A wolf’s cry pierced the otherwise tranquil scene out-

side the remote base that is home to foreign peace observers including Fijians, Americans and Spaniards. Not a shot was fired in anger, however, and the next day, the group lifted their eight-day siege. It was not because they feared arrest or attack by the authorities. But instead they had secured their demands. The government agreed to free the men accused of being part of a group which carried out the 2004 and 2005 attacks that killed some 125 people at the Red Sea beach resorts of Sharm El-Sheikh, Dahab and Taba.

It was a scenario unthinkable a year or so ago.

But with Hosni Mubarak’s removal from power after three decades, government authority has collapsed in much of Sinai, leaving a vacuum where Islamist militant groups are flourishing, posing a security risk to Egypt, neighbors including Israel, and the Suez Canal, the busy waterway linking Asia and Europe. In Sinai, an arid peninsula the size of Ireland but home to fewer than a million people, groups at the extreme fringe of the Islamist spectrum are expanding, even as Islamists long outlawed by the state enter the political mainstream in Cairo, where they now dominate parliament and are poised to enter government.

In towns where police stations have stood deserted since Mubarak was swept from office after a popular revolt, hardline Islamists are imposing their own authority. They are preaching a strict interpretation of Islam that has brought with it reli-

gious intolerance of a kind that shocks even some of the more conservative forces in the Muslim world.

VIOLENCE IS THE WAY For now, militant Islamist influence has been restricted to mostly impoverished towns in northern Sinai. Some are drawing on the example of groups that made Egypt a pioneer in the world of extremism as they seek to impose their vision of Islamic law. One group calls itself Al-Tawhid wal Jihad, the name first taken by al Qaeda’s affiliate in Iraq. Blamed for the Sinai bomb attacks in 2004 and 2005, the group was accused last year of launching an attack on a police station in the town of el-Arish in which five members of the Egyptian security forces were killed. Another is Takfir wal Higra, a name first heard in Egypt in the 1960s when the country emerged as a breeding ground for militant Islamist ideas that spread beyond its borders and supplied ideological fuel for al Qaeda and others.

Takfir wal Higra believes that even Muslims, if they do not share its beliefs, are infidels. The group’s influence has grown in northern Sinai in the last year, locals say. “Sometimes violence is the way to achieve your objectives,” said a man in his 30s who joined the group a year ago. He comes from a mountain village outside el-Arish, the main town in northern Sinai where residents have long

complained of neglect by the Egyptian state.

Wearing a short beard, jeans and a black jacket, the Takfir wal Higra recruit declined to be named as he recounted stories of how members of the group from one family had forced their parents to separate after declaring their father an infidel.

POLICE LEFT “The police left the city on Jan 29, 2011 at 4 pm heading to Cairo and never came back,” said Saeed Eteg, a liberal political activist from Sheikh Zuweid, recalling the day the state disappeared at the height of the uprising against Mubarak. Sheikh Zuweid is a collection of mud brick buildings connected by a network of predominantly dirt roads.

Locals say both state neglect and the collapse of traditional structures of tribal authority have allowed the spread of hardline influence. Here, clerics apply their own interpretation of Islamic law at sharia courts independent of the state.

“Decisions are for Allah alone,” declares a banner outside one of the courts. “People need someone to solve their disputes and they found the answer in religious courts,” said Hamden Abu Faisal, a Salafi cleric who doubles as a judge in Sheikh Zuweid.

A Salafi group, the Nour Party, is the second largest party in the parliament following Egypt’s historic free elections late last year. It eschews violence in pursuit of its goal of tighter application of sharia religious law in the country of 80 million. But

even the Nour Party is beyond the pale for some in Sheikh Zuweid. Mohsen Abu Hassan, a member of the party, says he was declared an infidel by one young man, a member of Takfir wal Higra, during an election campaign rally in the town last year.

“There is a phenomenon we must confront,” Abu Hassan, now a member of parliament in Cairo said.

“We shouldn’t turn a blind eye.”

WE DON’T FEEL LIKE EGYPTIANS’ Abdel Wahab Mabrouk, governor of North Sinai province, says religious groups are behind the trouble but denies the presence of al Qaeda or what he described as other “terrorist elements”. But Israel is worried. It is building a barrier along its 266 km border with the peninsula. One Israeli officer described the frontier today as “a hot border”. Last August, Israel blamed Islamist militants from Sinai for attacks which killed eight Israelis. An Israeli counterstrike which left five Egyptian border guards dead did nothing to ease tense relations.

Israeli authority held sway in Sinai after it captured the region in the 1967 Middle East war. A theatre for more tank battles in 1973, the peninsula was restored to Egyptian control by the 1979 peace agreement brokered by the United States.

One of Israel’s concerns is that its Palestinian enemies in the Gaza Strip, including the governing Hamas Islamists, could use Sinai as a back door for attacks on southern Israel. —Reuters

14

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

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Washington Watch

Steps FBI must take to remedy misinformation

By Dr James J Zogby here are times when I see a really hideous looking building and I think “that monstrosity didn’t just happen. Someone designed it. Someone approved it. It went before a board that signed off on funding it.

And a construction company was then hired to build it.”

In other words, many people, not just one architect, are to blame. That’s how I feel we must approach the continuing disturbing revelations of biased material about Islam and Arabs that have been found in instructional manuals and other resources used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to prepare agents for their work in dealing with America’s Arab and Muslim communities.

The steady flow of leaks about these materials has established that they contain shocking misinformation about Islam and depictions of the religion and culture of Arabs and Muslims that can only be characterized as bigoted. A few examples will suffice: •“Accommodation and compromise between [Islam and the West] are impermissible and fighting [for Muslims] is obligatory” • “There may not be a ‘radical’ threat as much as it is simply a normal assertion of the orthodox ideology...the strategic themes animating these values are not fringe; they are mainstream” • Zakat is characterized as “a funding mechanism for combat” • “Never attempt to shake hands with an Asian... Never stare at an Asian” • While the “Western mind” is “even keel” and “outbursts are exceptional” among Arabs “outbursts and loss of control [can be] expected.” They can have “Jekyll and Hyde temper tantrums”.

There is much more in the training manuals. Reporters have found equally troubling material in the FBI’s resource library and on the agency’s internal website. In an interview with a law enforcement official who had prepared some of this offensive material, he is quoted as saying “there is evidence to support the contention that sources of terrorism in Islam may reside within the strategic themes of Islam”.

After a year or so of these revelations, the FBI has announced that following an internal review they had removed offensive material from their programs saying that they were in “factual error...poor taste...lacked precision.” They were, however, also quick to add that in their review of over 160,000 pages of material they found only 900 pages that were problematic. Finally, they announced a new set of “guiding principles” that will henceforth govern their work in this area. This is in addition to an earlier announcement that they had “reassigned” one individual who had been responsible for one of the more anti-Islam training programs.

These initial steps to correct course are important. But I have seen nothing so far that convinces me that the highest law enforcement agency in the country understands the depth of the problem or is prepared to take the appropriate measures required to fully address this situation. It is deeper than the one individual who designed one of the programs. And it cannot simply be remedied by excising 900 pages of materials found to be “inaccurate” or in “poor taste.”

Referring back to my original point - there must have been a committee that approved the program, the leadership must have signed off on it, and, from all we know, hundreds or even thousands of law enforcement officials were trained with this material. Given all this, serious questions must be raised about the efficacy of the “internal review.” Who conducted it and how can we believe that it was not done by the very same leadership group that had approved the offensive material in the first place? And is it sufficient to simply tell those agents who were trained with the program that they are now simply to ignore 900 pages? And what of the other 159,000 pages? Can we trust that they are not equally offensive, or maybe that they are just “mildly offensive?” It is for these reasons, and more, that the Arab American Institute has said that this entire affair will not be closed until four conditions have been met. First, there must be transparency and a full public disclosure of all training materials pertaining to the Arab and Muslim communities. This material should not be treated as “secret”. It is about us and we want to know what is being taught about our history, culture, and religion. There must be accountability.

How this program was approved and who approved it is important for there to be real change.

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NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is the President of the Arab American Institute.

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

Death gets cheaper in the UAE

By Arieh O’Sullivan he government of Abu Dhabi has altered regulations that appear to encourage the use of a new emiratefunded crematorium over burial or repatriation of non-Muslim expatriates. The cost of funerals has been steadily increasing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with coffin prices nearly doubling this year alone. The families and friends of many expatriate workers who die in the UAE are also finding that the cost of shipping the bodies back to their home county is expensive because of the paperwork involved. But now steps have been taken that authorities say would ease the misery of mourners by reducing the red tape and permits required and funding the cremation of dead bodies in a modern crematorium built in Al Ain in Abu Dhabi.

“They have spent a great deal of money on this facility and it is a state-of-the-art building,” Don Fox, the chief executive of the Al-Foah Funeral Services in Abu Dhabi, told The Media Line. “No expense has been spared and it gives an aura of serenity and peacefulness to all of the people who have been here.” The facility was built on the orders of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed AlNahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and furnaces were lit up for the first time in mid January. Orders were also given to eliminate a police clearance certificate for

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natural deaths and other permits that can reportedly save up to 1,000 dirhams ($272).

The UAE, a Gulf confederation of seven mini-states, has an enormous number of foreign residents. Of the 8.3 million people living in the UAE in 2012, 7.31 million of them (88.5 percent) are expats, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Foreigner workers began arriving in the Gulf nearly half a century ago when the discovery of oil kicked off a massive infrastructure construction drive.

Europeans and Asians, as well as citizens from other Arab countries, have helped turn Abu Dhabi and Dubai from sleepy villages into an international trade and financial centers and tourism destinations. Gulf nations are heavily reliant on expatriates o do everything from pouring concrete to running locally based multinational corporations. But earlier this year, Forbes magazine reported the UAE, was an “expat unfriendly” country.

Until the crematorium was built, expats who passed on would either be boxed up in an expensive coffin to be shipped back to their native lands for burial or interred locally. The local options for non-Muslims were old, run down and poorly tended cemeteries. “This prompted the government to do something and they provided this marvellous facility,” Fox said, adding that the facility included a multi-faith church that seats 400 people and was easi-

ly accessible from all of the UAE. Flowers and other special requests, such as live transmission of funeral services or recorded on DVD, have also become available.

In Dubai, only caskets sold by the AlShindagha Trading Company are approved for transporting the deceased abroad. But that company nearly doubled the price of the coffins from 1,200 dirhams to 2,300.

The National, a local daily, reported that the Dubai Health Authority is now trying to bring down the price because poor people struggle to ship the bodies of their loved ones home. “The cost of transporting a body to a country like India comes to more than 5,000 dirhams with the new rates. It would be good news if the prices are brought down,” C P Matthew, the founder of Valley of Love voluntary organization, was quoted as saying.

Fox of Al-Foah Funeral Services confirmed that the price of caskets had doubled. He said that according to international standards of the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM), a coffin is even required for cremation. He said some of the coffins they used were custom made, but many were shipped in bulk from abroad. “Most of them are from China, which seems to be doing a very thriving business,” Fox said. Fox said the cost of cremation is considerably less than getting buried back at home. Some 2,500 human remains are estimated to be repatri-

ated from Abu Dhabi and Al Ain annually.

“To have somebody cremated here would be approximately a third of the cost of being repatriated back to their country,” he said. “The reason it’s cheaper so much is because the actual cremation in Al Ain is free. This is paid for by the UAE government.”

In a further move to ease the burial process the health authorities and police agreed that a “no objection certificate” would be required for any natural deaths, but only if buried locally or cremated. “One had to have a letter from the police department to release the body for burial or repatriation. Now for burial or cremation in the UAE that is not required if the person dies a natural death,” Fox said. “This eases things up considerably here and makes the procedure a lot faster.”

Despite the moves that will likely channel more business to the crematorium, public awareness among expats in the UAE is still low. Opened since mid-January, Fox expects business to pick up once their website becomes active. “Ninety-nine percent of the public in the UAE are not aware that this facility is available yet,” Fox said, adding that visits by the ambassadors of the US, European countries and word of mouth would also help business. “When that website comes up there is going to be quite a publicity campaign for the benefit of all the populace.” — Media Line

Goldfish endangered as Iran marks new year

By Arieh O’Sullivan t’s difficult to make heads or tails out of this fish story. As Iranians celebrate Nowrooz, or the Persian New Year, a call has gone out across the Internet not to grace their festive dinner tables with ... goldfish. According to some bloggers, millions - some say as many as five million -goldfish are destined to die, not because they will be eaten but because they are inevitably neglected or thrown out once the holiday passes. Even if it’s scaled down a bit, that’s a lot of fish to fry.

The Persian calendar entered the year1391 last week, and Iranians celebrated it from March 26 through 29.

Nowrooz, or “new day”, is a highlight of the year marked by a spring cleaning, visiting friends and family, and setting a table with seven symbols of life, health and beauty. These include candles, colored eggs and goldfish in a bowl, which are considered a symbol of a happy life.

“Fish merchants and most buyers are unaware of the meaning behind the use of goldfish at the holiday dinner, and only purchase them for their children to play with for two days. The trade and killing of fish are at odds with the tradition of Nowrooz, which symbolizes the rebirth of nature, and should therefore be avoided,” wrote Nasim Saba, an Iranian blogger who advocates animal rights.

She added that those involved in this “deadly trade” had actually adopted it from the Chinese who came to Iran in the early 20th centur y with the first tea imports.

Joining this school of thought, blogger Sepehr Salimi, is pushing the savethe-goldfish campaign even further on

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his Greenblog to include the salamanders and turtles that have begun making their appearance at the holiday dinner, too.

Both species are less common than gold-

goldfish.” This may be a load of codswallop, but the campaign to keep goldfish off the holiday dinner table appears to have a sole mate with health experts. In

Iranians picnic along a road in Tehran yesterday to mark ‘Sizdah Bedar’, on the 13th day of Nowrooz which Iranians spend all day outdoors in form of family picnics and throw green sprouts into nature. — AFP fish and their deaths constitute a more severe blow to their populations. But Salimi said he opposes a ban on buying goldfish. Instead, he suggests educating the public on how to care for goldfish and imposing stricter controls over how they are bred and sold. “Just as no one is saying that traffic should be stopped during the Nowrooz vacation to keep thousands of Iranians from dying in car accidents, we should not boycott buying

recent years the custom has come under increasing criticism due to growing awareness of animal rights, as well as health and economic reasons. Two years ago a top official in the Environment Department of the Tehran municipality claimed that the fish were held in improper conditions and could spread disease.

“I have heard some make such suggestions for years. Potk in A zarmehr, an

Iranian blogger, told The Media Line.

“There are plenty of debates as to what should be on the Nowrooz New Year table. After all, put 10 Iranians in a room and you will get 11 different opinions.” Still, he doesn’t believe in carping on the issue.

“The goldfish debate, however, is at the bottom of my priority list,” Azarmehr said. “I have kept my goldfish for seven years now and they are still very much alive and kicking. To those whose goldfish die after Nowrooz is over, I suggest they should feed their goldfish every now and then. It doesn’t cost a lot.” Azarmehr said he doesn’t believe goldfish suffer from being cramped up inside a small bowl, although he concedes he has never looked into the matter.

In fact, the popular myth that goldfish have such short memories that they forget they have already been on one side of their fishbowl by the time they have returned seconds later is not true. Scientists say they can remember things going back for months, which is long enough for them to understand their limited opportunities. On the other hand, it is short enough to prevent them from holding grudges, which may be why they have come to be a symbol of happiness.

But Iranian humans have far more serious rights issues to worry about than the fate of the country’s goldfish, said Azarmehr. Amnesty International on Tuesday cited the country as employing the death penalty more than any other country in the world apart from China. It estimated that more than 600 people were killed in 2011, including in several cases minors. “To worry about the life expectancy of a goldfish, when there is so much human rights abuse going on in Iran is just beyond me,” he added. And now the story’s fin-ished. — Media Line

NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

LAHORE: A tiger stands on a car during a protest organised by political party Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) on Saturday against widespread electricity shortages in the country. — AFP

UAE boot to West groups shows wider Gulf unease DUBAI: It could seem a bit of overreaching by a local official: Dubai’s police chief offering hardline advice to Gulf rulers about how to deal with opposition such as street protests or anti-state comments on Twitter. Yet it’s a vivid lesson in the growing unease across the Gulf as authorities target dissenting voices and pull the welcome mat out from under international groups seen as potential pro-reform sounding boards, including the USfunded National Democratic Institute whose Dubai office was abruptly closed last week.

“Be watchful,” warned Dubai’s Police Chief Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim in an interview published yesterday in Bahrain’s pro-government Al Ayam newspaper. His comments ranged from encouraging withering crackdowns on Shiite-led protesters in Bahrain to raising alarms

about Islamist groups, such as the Muslim Brotherhood, using social media for outreach. The wider message, however, reflects the hardening views among the Western-allied Gulf states as they band together to try to fend off any possible Arab Spring-inspired challenges.

Gulf leaders have endorsed closer alliances on security matters and intelligence sharing. A Saudi-led Gulf force - which came to the aid of Bahrain’s monarchy after protests erupted last year - is now viewed as an option if unrest flares anywhere from Kuwait to Oman. And the UAE - once the most receptive regional hub for think tanks and other political-minded groups - suddenly looks tough minded.

In the span of a week, the UAE closed the Abu Dhabi office of the German pro-democracy group, the Konrad

‘Friends of Syria’ tighten screws on Assad...

Continued from Page 1 US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticised Assad’s regime for launching new assaults just days after accepting the Annan plan.

“Nearly a week has gone by, and we have to conclude that the regime is adding to its long list of broken promises,” she said, adding that Assad was “mistaken” if he thought he could defeat the opposition against him. Arab League head Nabil Al-Arabi urged conference participants to demand that the UN Security Council make a binding decision to stop the violence. Russia and China have already blocked such a measure, vetoing a UN resolution on February 4 condemning Syria for its crackdown on protests.

Ahead of the gathering, Assad’s regime declared victory over rebels and again voiced support for Annan’s plan, but kept up its shelling of rebel positions and said it had no plans to immediately withdraw troops. At least 40 people were killed yesterday, among them 15 members of the security forces who died in firefights across the country, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Assad’s deadly crackdown on opponents has left more than 9,000 people dead since the uprising began in March last year, according to the UN. Damascus blasted yesterday’s meeting. “Only the naive and those who want to see through the eyes of the Americans believe that this is a conference for the friends of the Syrian people,” said Al-Baath newspaper, mouthpiece of Assad’s ruling party by the same name. Annan did not attend the conference and Russia and China, Damascus’s two remaining major allies, have also opted out. In Istanbul, a group of nearly 60 Syrians staged a protest outside the conference building.

The group waved Assad’s pictures and chanted slogans in favor of the regime. The police broke up the protest with tear gas.

The “Friends of Syria” meeting yesterday recognised the opposition Syrian National Council as the “legitimate representative” of all Syrians and the “leading interlocutor for the opposition with the international community”. The SNC on Saturday renewed calls for arming rebels, but

the final statement of the Istanbul conference did not make any reference to the pleas. An Arab League summit in Baghdad this week rejected the option of supplying arms to either side in the conflict, though members Saudi Arabia and Qatar openly called for arming the antiAssad movement. The US has ruled out arming the rebels.

As the Istanbul conference was under way, Iraq’s Shiite prime minister yesterday slammed Sunni-ruled Qatar and Saudi Arabia’s stance on arming the rebels, as Doha hosted Baghdad’s fugitive vice president who is accused of running a death squad. Nouri Al-Maliki’s remarks were the latest in a dramatic cooling of ties between Qatar and Iraq, which have sharply disagreed on how to respond to Assad’s year-long deadly crackdown on dissent in Syria.

The Syria issue has split the Arab world, with hardline states including Qatar and Saudi Arabia advocating arming Syrian rebels and calling for Assad’s departure, while others including Iraq want to see a political solution. “We reject any arming (of Syrian rebels) and the process to overthrow the (Assad) regime, because this will leave a greater crisis in the region,” Maliki said at a news conference. “The stance of these two states is very strange,” he said in apparent reference to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

“They are calling for sending arms instead of working on putting out the fire, and they will hear our voice, that we are against arming and against foreign interference. We are against the interference of some countries in Syria’s internal affairs, and those countries that are interfering in Syria’s internal affairs will interfere in the internal affairs of any country,” the Iraqi leader added. He also predicted that Assad’s regime will hang on, saying: “It has been one year and the regime did not fall, and it will not fall, and why should it fall?”

The Syria issue is fraught with sectarian tension, as its minority rulers are Alawites- an offshoot of Shiite Islam who are trying to cling to power by brutally suppressing an uprising by the country’s majority Sunnis.

Qatar yesterday welcomed Iraq’s Sunni Vice President Tareq AlHashemi, who flew out of the autonomous Kurdistan region in

north Iraq where he had been holed up since December. Baghdad had demanded that Kurdistan hand over Hashemi, who is accused of running a death squad, to face justice, but the region declined to oblige. Hashemi “arrived in Doha today (Sunday) in an official visit that will last a few days”, Qatari state news agency QNA said.

“He was received upon his arrival at Doha International Airport by the Qatari Minister of State Sheikh Hamad bin Nasser bin Jassem alThani,” QNA reported without giving further details.

A statement from Hashemi’s office said that he will meet Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa AlThani and Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr AlThani, before visiting unnamed other countries and returning to Kurdistan. Maliki earlier told the news conference that Hashemi “is wanted in a member country of the Arab League, and he should not be received, especially under the title of vice president ”, when asked about the possibility of Hashemi visiting other Arab states.

There have been other recent bumps in relations between Iraq and various Gulf countries, especially Qatar, that also involve a sectarian dimension. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad said in an interview with Al-Jazeera that “the weak representation from the Gulf countries in the Baghdad summit is a message to the government of Iraq”. He went on to accuse Iraq of “neglecting” some parts of its population, including minority Sunnis, in the formation of its government.

Kuwait was the only one of the six Sunni-ruled Gulf Cooperation Council nations to be represented by its head of state at the landmark summit in Baghdad on Thursday.

“They should be more concerned about their own political issues and human rights issues and demands of their own population for democratic reforms than to judge others,” Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Hussein Al-Shahristani told AFP. Iraq’s majority Shiites came to power after decades of Sunni rule, following the 2003 US-led invasion that forced Saddam Hussein from power. The country’s Sunnis and Shiites later did battle in a bloody civil war. — AFP

Adenauer Foundation, and the Dubai branch of the National Democratic Institute, which also had faced pressure from authorities in Egypt along with other Western rights and watchdog groups. Abu Dhabi also decided to cut ties last week with the Washington-based polling organization Gallup, which opened in the UAE’s capital to much official fanfare in 2009. Last year, the independent Gulf Research Center relocated from Dubai to Geneva after its license was revoked in the UAE, a collection of seven semiautonomous emirates that include Dubai and the capital, Abu Dhabi. At the time, the group said the UAE had objected to “various aspects” of its work, which included political analyses and studies.

“We very much regret” the closure of the National Democratic Institute’s Dubai office, said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton during a meeting of Gulf foreign ministers in Saudi Arabia on Saturday. She said the issue was raised with the UAE’s foreign minister, Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. But there has been no official comment from the UAE on the closures. “It really shows the nervousness of authorities about anything that could be seen as opposition or encouraging free speech,” said Christopher Davidson, an expert on Gulf affairs at Britain’s Durham University. “The UAE was supposed to be a place where foreign companies and groups could set up camp without fear of this type of interference. The Arab Spring changed that.”

There’s also the potential chill factor on prominent academic and cultural institutions that chose the UAE for its relative openness. State-run universities in the UAE now must get state security clearance for all outside lecturers, said Davidson, who has seen the application forms. Such measures have not been imposed on foreign-affiliated schools such as New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus. But the Paris-based Sorbonne became embroiled in a crackdown last year after one of the lecturers at its Abu Dhabi branch was among five activists

convicted and later pardoned - of anti-state crimes for joining an online petition calling for constitutional changes and free elections.

Two major museums, the Guggenheim and Louvre, plan Abu Dhabi galleries in coming years that also could test the limits of free expression. Current exhibitions around the Gulf carefully avoid works that could suggest political changes or discontent with the ruling systems.

“They have taken out any room for critical expression,” said Davidson. “This means that any criticism is seen as a loss of face for the leaders themselves.”

While closing offices can be done by just a ruler’s decree, the Web is a moving target. The Internet’s central role in Arab Spring uprisings - including Bahrain’s 14month-old unrest - has brought scattershot attempts in the Gulf to muzzle opposition outlets. Twitter activists and many political blogs remain accessible, but some have brought sharp reprisals from authorities. Since February, at least four UAE bloggers have been arrested on charges that include “spreading ideas that damage national unity or social peace.” One of the suspects was posting a comment as authorities moved in. “Dear brothers,” he wrote, “the police are arresting me now from my home.”

The Dubai police chief, meanwhile, has given a series of interviews - certainly with official blessing - claiming that the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist factions are using social media to spread calls to undermine the Western-backed leaders in the Gulf. His campaign suggests further clampdowns on the Web. “These attempts to close off free expression are a complete reversal for a place like the UAE, which invited the think tanks and other groups into the country,” said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a professor of political science at Emirates University. “Clearly, it shows the leaders are anxious. But they must explain their concerns and policies and put these guessing games to a rest.” — AP

Suu Kyi makes history with landmark victory Continued from Page 1 Suu Kyi won an estimated 99 percent of the votes in Kawhmu constituency, according to NLD official Soe Win, based on the party’s own tally. There was no independent confirmation and official results were expected within a week. The party also claimed it was on course to win all 44 seats it contested in yesterday’s by-elections, in which a total of 45 seats were at stake - not enough to threaten the army-backed ruling party’s huge majority in parliament.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in Istanbul for a meeting of the “Friends of Syria” group, said Washington was committed to supporting the nascent reforms in Myanmar that have been cautiously welcomed by the West. “While the results have not yet been announced, the United States congratulates the people who participated, many for their first time in the campaign and election process,” Clinton told reporters. Observers believe Myanmar’s new quasi-civilian government wanted Suu Kyi to win a place in parliament to burnish its reform credentials and smooth the way for an easing of Western sanctions.

A European Union official invited to observe the vote hailed “very encouraging” signs at the roughly dozen polling stations her team visited. “However, that’s definitely not enough to assume that it is indicative of how the process was conducted in other parts of the country and certainly not enough to talk about credibility of elections,” Malgorzata Wasilewska said.

Many of Suu Kyi’s supporters had earlier waited for hours in searing heat to catch a glimpse of the 66-yearold in the rural Kawhmu constituency, two hours’ drive from Yangon, where her main rival was a former military doctor with the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party. Voters, some in traditional ethnic Karen dress, queued patiently to cast their votes. In stark contrast to life under the junta, many openly expressed their support and affection for “The Lady”. “There’s only been one person for us for 20 years,” said Tin Zaw Win. “We believe in her and want to vote for her. Almost my

whole village will vote for Aunt Suu,” he added.

Some people complained that their names were missing from the voter lists, although it was unclear how many were affected. “I want to vote for Mother Suu but they haven’t given me my ballot paper so I’m here to demand it,” Zin Min Soe told AFP at a polling station.

“They can’t just lose my vote,” he said. The NLD also complained of ballot-paper irregularities, notably that wax had been put over the check box for the party, which could be rubbed off the ballot later to cancel the vote. It was not immediately clear how widespread irregularities were. “This is happening around the country,” NLD spokesman Nyan Win told AFP. “I have sent a complaint letter to the union election commission.”

In the run-up to the eagerly awaited vote, the party decried alleged intimidation of candidates and other irregularities, and Suu Kyi said the poll could not be considered “a genuinely free and fair election”. A 2010 general election, won by the military’s political proxies, was plagued by complaints of cheating and the exclusion of Suu Kyi, who was released from seven straight years of house arrest shortly afterwards. The NLD swept to a landslide election victory in 1990, but the generals who ruled the country formerly known as Burma for decades until last year never recognised the result.

The seats being contested yesterday were made vacant by MPs who joined the government. The next general election is due in 2015. After almost half a century of military rule, the junta in March last year handed power to a new government led by President Thein Sein, one of a clutch of former generals who shed their uniforms to contest the 2010 poll. Since then, the regime has surprised even its critics with a string of reforms such as releasing hundreds of political prisoners. But remaining political detainees, fighting between government troops and ethnic rebels, and alleged human rights abuses remain major concerns for Western nations which have imposed sanctions on the regime. Unlike in 2010, the government allowed foreign observers and journalists to witness yesterday’s polls. More than six million people were eligible to vote. — AFP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

sp orts

Take Charge Indy wins

Dykan doubtful for Euros MOSCOW: Ukraine and Spartak Moscow goalkeeper Andriy Dykan is in danger of missing Euro 2012 after suffering a head injury in Saturday’s Russian Premier League defeat against Zenit St Petersburg.

Spartak said Dykan “had broken multiple facial bones and suffered a concussion” after being struck in the face by Zenit striker Alexander Kerzhakov’s knee.

The 34-year-old decided to replay on following the collision with Kerzhakov early in the second half but 10 minutes later he asked to be substituted.

“Andriy has been placed under constant supervision of a neurosurgeon and neuropathologist. He is undergoing further tests to determine his condition,” Spartak said on their website (www.spartak.com). Spartak did not say when they expect Dykan to resume training.

Dykan’s injury has deepened the goalkeeping crisis in the Ukraine squad following a twoyear suspension for Shakhtar Donetsk’s Olexandr Rybka for the use of a banned diuretic.

Ukraine, who co-host June’s European Championship with Poland and face England, France and Sweden in Group D, may be forced to turn to Bohdan Shust and Andriy Pyatov given Olexandr Shovkovskiy is now their only fit experienced keeper. —Reuters

FLORIDA: Take Charge Indy booked his place in this year’s Kentucky Derby with an upset victory in Saturday’s $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.

Under the guidance of threetime Kentucky Derby winning jockey Calvin Borel, the son of AP Indy jumped straight to the lead then held off his seven rivals in the stretch to win the 61st edition of the one and an eighth mile (1800 metres) Grade 1 event.

“He showed up today and I just think he’ll gradually get better,” Borel said in an on-track TV interview. “He has the breeding behind him. And he’s just getting better and better as he matures.”

The three-year-old colt, who paid $17.40 for a $2 win bet, fin-

Oosthuizen takes Houston control HUMBLE: Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen birdied five of the last seven holes to charge two shots clear in the third round of the weather-delayed Houston Open in Humble, Texas on Saturday.

The smooth-swinging South African recovered from bogeys on the first two holes to card a six-under-par 66 at the rain-softened Redstone Golf Club in the final PGA Tour event before next week’s Masters.

Oosthuizen, who romped to a sevenstroke victory at the 2010 British Open, launched his late surge with four consecutive birdies from the 12th to post a 17under total of 199.

American Hunter Mahan was alone in second place after carding a 65, with Swede Carl Pettersson (67) and Britain’s Brian Davis (69) a further stroke back at 14 under.

For the second round in a row at Redstone, players were permitted to lift, clean and replace their balls on a course that had been saturated by more than an inch of rain on Thursday.

“I had to compose myself,” Oosthuizen told reporters, referring to his bogeybogey start. “Other than that, I hit it well and started making a few putts on the back nine.

“I was driving it well, my iron play the whole week has been really good and I just made some good putts today. “The greens here are really fast, which I enjoy.

If it’s not windy here, you feel like there

are a lot of birdies out there.”

Asked how he would approach Sunday’s final round, Oostuizen replied with a smile: “Pretty much the same as today, try and not start bogey-bogey.

“It’s always a good opportunity going in with a lead. I think it’s going to be good fun tomorrow.” Defending champion Phil Mickelson was among a group of three players tied for sixth at 11 under after shooting a three-birdie 70.

Three-times major winner Ernie Els, who needs to win the Houston Open to qualify for next week’s Masters, was at eight-under 209 after shooting a second successive 69. “I’ve just got to stick to what I’m doing,” said the South African former world number one. “I’m playing really well.

“Obviously, I would love to get a win.

I’d like to play a solid round of golf tomorrow. If it really gets going, that will be really a plus.”

Earlier in the day, American Jeff Maggert birdied three of his last eight holes to grab a one-shot lead when the weather-delayed second round was finally completed at Redstone to get the tournament back on track. The 48-year-old went on to shoot 76 in the third round to finish a long day tied for 14th at eight under par. Maggert, a three-times winner on the PGA Tour, is playing his ninth and final event this year on a major medical exemption following shoulder surgery and needs $202,609 to retain his status for next season. —Reuters

Sjodin loosens Tseng’s grip CALIFORNIA: Yani Tseng’s grip on the Kraft Nabisco Championship was loosened by strong winds and superb play by Swede Karin Sjodin in Saturday’s third round in Rancho Mirage, California.

The Taiwanese world number one, hunting her sixth major victory, ended a challenging day at Mission Hills Country Club by carding a one-under-par 71 to hold a share of the lead with the unheralded Sjodin, who fired a 68.

Tseng, who has triumphed three times in just five starts on the LPGA Tour this season, began the round a stroke in front and had to settle for a nine-under total of 207 after narrowly missing a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-five last.

The long-hitting Sjodin, seeking her first win on the US circuit, surged to the top of the leaderboard by mixing five birdies with a lone bogey as winds gusted up to 25 mph (40 kph) in the California desert.

South Korea’s Kang Haeji was alone in third place at seven under after returning a 72 in the penultimate round of the first women’s major of the year.

“My emotions came through and it wasn’t very good out there on the back nine,” 2010 Kraft Nabisco champion Tseng, who offset three birdies with three bogeys after the turn, told reporters.

“I was thinking too much, trying too hard and didn’t trust myself. But it’s good that it happened today instead of tomorrow. I know I am learning some things and tomorrow I’ve just got to trust myself more.”

Tseng, the LPGA Tour’s dominant figure who has won six of her last 12 events and four of the last eight majors, said the wind had been her biggest problem.

“I was hitting a couple of shots in the rough and I wasn’t sure if the ball was going to go low enough, that kind of thing,” the ever smiling 23-year-old added.

“Every player is trying to win this tournament and I am excited. I can’t wait to tee off tomorrow,” said the Taiwanese, who had pink tape strapped around her right elbow to help her cope with tendinitis.

Sjodin played remarkably steady golf over the back nine as the winds intensified, posting birdies at the 11th and 16th around a bogey at the 12th to stay at the top of the leaderboard.

“I just hit the ball really solid and the wind didn’t touch it much when I did, and that helps,” the 28-year-old Swede said.

“I have worked a lot on my short game, my putting and my distance control. On these greens, you are not going to get close all the time so you have to make a lot of good two-putts.”

Asked if she was up to the challenge of duelling with the world number one in the final round of a major, Sjodin replied with a smile: “Yeah, I think so.”

World number two Choi Na-yeon was three strokes off the lead after carding a 71, ending the day level with fellow Koreans Seo Hee-kyung (69), Ji Eun-hee (70), Kim In-kyung (70) and Yoo Sun-young (72). —Reuters

ished a length clear of runner-up Reveron, with the odds-on favourite Union Rags a fast-finishing third.

“Our horse ran a super race,” said Take Charge Indy’s trainer Pat Byrne. “It was a big effort from the horse and Calvin rode him super.”

Union Rags, the early favourite for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 5, was trapped on the rail for most of the race and only got in the clear when it was too late.

“It’s just one of those things,” said his trainer Michael Matz. “If he pulls up well, we’ll still be going to the (Kentucky) Derby next.” The build-up to the first leg of US racing’s Triple Crown continues Sunday with the running of the Louisiana Derby. —Reuters

Leaf arrested in Montana SALMON: Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf, once a Heisman Trophy finalist and a first-round draft pick of the San Diego Chargers, was arrested in his hometown of Great Falls, Montana, on theft and drug charges, authorities said on Saturday.

Leaf was arrested on Friday on suspicion of felony burglary and drug possession as well as a misdemeanor theft charge, authorities said.

No other details were immediately available. The arrest came just weeks after Leaf, 35, completed daily radiation treatments stemming from surgery last spring to remove a benign brain tumor.

Leaf was one of college football’s brightest stars at Washington State University in the late 1990s and was considered a pro quarterback prospect on the level of Peyton Manning. Manning went to the Indianapolis Colts with the first pick of the 1998 NFL Draft and Leaf was tabbed second, but he lasted only four years in the NFL and was rated by a recent NFL films documentary as one of the league’s biggest busts ever.

Leaf was on probation from drug charges he faced in Texas three years ago when he was arrested in Montana. He was released from the Cascade County Detention Center in Montana on Friday after posting a $76,000 bond, authorities said. —Reuters

Blackhawks clinch playoff spot NASHVILLE: The Chicago Blackhawks clinched an NHL playoff berth by beating the Nashville Predators 5-4 on Saturday, escaping with victory after having given up a 4-0 lead.

Brent Seabrook scored in the third period to deliver a win that moved Chicago within a point of the fourth-placed Predators in the Western Conference and tied Detroit on 97 points.

Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist, Patrick Sharp and Dave Bolland each scored power-play goals, and Viktor Stalberg had a goal for the Blackhawks to open a big early lead.

However Shea Weber scored twice, and Alexander Radulov and Martin Erat had a goal apiece as Nashville roared back into the contest.

The Stars have gone from leading the Pacific on Friday afternoon to being out of the playoff picture one night later. Dallas trails eighthplace San Jose by one point for the final postseason spot. The teams will meet again in Dallas on Tuesday.

Devils 5, Hurricanes 0 In Raleigh, North Carolina, New Jersey clinched a playoff berth by routing Carolina. Ilya Kovalchuk

Okposo scored for the fifth straight game, and P.A. Parenteau had two goals for the Islanders.

Coyotes 4, Ducks 0 In Glendale, Mike Smith had 44 saves in his second straight shutout and seventh of the season as Phoenix defeated Anaheim.

Ray Whitney passed 1,000 career points with a goal and assist for the Coyotes, becoming the 79th player to reach that mark.

Maple Leafs 4, Sabres 3 In Toronto, the hosts ended a team-record 11-game losing streak by edging Buffalo. Joey Crabb had a goal and an assist and Ben Scrivens made 29 saves for the Maple Leafs, while Phil Kessel, John-Michael Liles and Matt Frattin also scored.

Tyler Ennis, Ville Leino and Drew Stafford scored for the Sabres, who slipped behind Washington in the chase for the final playoff spot in

Canucks 3, Flames 2 In Vancouver, Andrew Ebbett scored in overtime to lift Vancouver past Calgary, giving the Canucks top spot in the Western Conference.

With 107 points, the Canucks also tied the New York Rangers for most points in the NHL. Max Lapierre and Marc-Andre Gragnani also scored for Vancouver, which earned its sixth straight win - all without injured scoring star Daniel Sedin (concussion) - and moved past St. Louis in the West. Olli Jokinen and Mike Cammalleri scored for the Flames, who were eliminated from playoff contention.

Senators 4, Flyers 3 In Philadelphia, Jason Spezza and Milan Michalek scored shootout goals to lift Ottawa past Philadelphia and shore up its chances of taking an NHL playoff spot. The Senators blew a 3-0 lead before Michalek and Spezza bailed them out in the shootout.

Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Neil scored first-period goals for the Senators only for Wayne Simmonds, Sean Couturier and Braydon Coburn to counter for the Flyers in the second.

The win meant Ottawa finished the day in outright seventh in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia crept within three points of Pittsburgh in the fight for fourth place and home-ice advantage in the first round of playoffs. Those two teams play Sunday.

Sharks 3, Stars 0 In San Jose, Joe Pavelski scored twice as San Jose beat Dallas to move back into playoff position.

Antti Niemi earned his sixth shutout of the season while Jason Demers also scored for the Sharks, who closed within one point of Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles and Phoenix with three games remaining.

SAN JOSE: Dallas Stars’ Ryan Garbutt (40) and San Jose Sharks’ Brent Burns fight for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game. —AP had a goal and two assists and Martin Brodeur made 22 saves in his third shutout of the season.

Petr Sykora added a goal and an assist while David Clarkson, Ryan Carter and Zach Parise also scored for the Devils.

New Jersey scored three goals in a 3:50 span and had no trouble after that while wrapping up a return to the playoffs after a oneyear absence.

Brodeur moved one victory away from becoming the first goalie in NHL history to reach at least 30 victories in 14 seasons.

Bruins 6, Islanders 3 In Uniondale, New York, playoffbound Boston ended New York’s postseason chances. Brad Marchand snapped a third-period tie with his team-leading 27th goal for the Bruins. Tyler Seguin then pushed Boston’s lead to 4-2 with 9:23 remaining and matched Marchand with his 27th goal.

Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci scored seconds apart later in the third to pad the margin.

Krejci scored twice and Chris Kelly also netted for Boston. Kyle

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Antoine Vermette and Radim Vrbata also scored for Phoenix, which is tied with Pacific Division-leading Los Angeles with three games to play.

Blue Jackets 5, Blues 2 In St. Louis, RJ Umberger scored twice as Columbus pulled off a surprise win but St. Louis still clinched the Central Division title. Jared Boll, Derek Dorset and Vinny Prospal also scored for the last-placed Blue Jackets.

David Backes and David Perron scored for the Blues, who took the Central title when Nashville lost to Chicago. It was the Blues first title since 1999-2000. St. Louis had been 13-1-1 in their previous 15 at home.

Wild 4, Kings 3 In St. Paul, Minnesota, Erik Christensen and Mikko Koivu scored in a shootout for Minnesota against Los Angeles.

Darroll Powe, Nick Johnson and Christensen scored in regulation for the Wild. Brad Richardson scored twice and Dustin Brown also had a goal for Los Angeles.

the Eastern Conference.

Capitals 3, Canadiens 2 In Washington, Matt Hendricks and Alexander Semin scored in a shootout to help Washington beat Montreal, moving the Capitals two points ahead of Buffalo for that last East playoff berth.

Mathieu Perreault and Jay Beagle scored first-period goals to give Washington a 2-0 lead, but the main attraction was top-line center Nicklas Backstrom, back in the lineup after missing 40 games because of concussion. Erik Cole and Tomas Plekanec scored for the Canadiens.

Lightning 3, Jets 2 In Tampa, Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 56th goal of the season in the first minute of overtime to lift Tampa Bay past Winnipeg.Stamkos picked up his NHL-record fifth OT goal in one season.

Ryan Malone scored twice, giving him five goals in the past two games, for the Lightning. Antti Miettinen and Kyle Wellwood scored for the Jets. —AP

Stormers edge Bulls in Super 15

JOHANNESBURG: New Zealand’s Crusaders Ryan Crotty (center) is challenged by South Africa’s Lions Elton Jantjies (left) and teammate Cobus Grobbelaar (right) during their Super Rugby match. —AP

WELLINGTON: Flyhalf Peter Grant kicked a 77thminute penalty to give the Stormers a 20-17 win over South African rivals the Bulls which left them unbeaten and atop the overall table after the sixth round of rugby’s Super 15. The Durban-based Stormers stretched their winning streak to five matches to lead the tournament by two points from New Zealand’s Otago Highlanders and Waikato Chiefs a third of the way through the regular season.

The standings represent a changing of the guard in southern hemisphere rugby as the defending champion Queensland Reds were beaten 45-19 by the 11th-place Western Force, their third straight loss. None of the current top-three teams has ever won a Super title.

The Bulls, Canterbury Crusaders and ACT Brumbies - joint holders of 12 titles - occupy the next three places on the overall championship table with matching 3-2 records, each trying to break a cycle of alternate wins and losses. Apart from the Reds, whose campaign is in tatters after successive heavy losses, the lower half of the table incorpo-

rates one other former champion, the Auckland Blues, who took four points from their sixth-round bye but remain in 14th place.

The Stormers have set the pace in the competition throughout the season, as they did early last year, and the Highlanders have matched their best start with five wins from six games to hold their place near the top of the table. The Chiefs beat the New South Wales Waratahs 30-13 for their fourth win from five games to stay level with the Highlanders at the top of the New Zealand conference. The Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs broke a chain of narrow losses when they rallied from 32-11 down to beat the Wellington Hurricanes 47-38 on Saturday for their first win in New Zealand in 17 matches. In a game of ineffectual defense, both teams had scored four tries by halftime when the score was 32-32 but the Cheetahs finished strongly.

The Highlanders also came to life after a slow start, falling behind 9-0 against the Melbourne Rebels before running in four tries in a 14-minute spell on either side of halftime. All Blacks flanker Adam Thomson scored three tries and fullback Ben

Smith two as the Highlanders notched seven tries in total in their first bonus-point win of the year.

The Durban-based Sharks beat the Brumbies 2926 in Canberra to match the Cheetahs in winning away from home and to join the Hurricanes and the Reds with 3-3 records after six rounds. The return of All Blacks flyhalf Daniel Carter to the Crusaders’ starting lineup wasn’t enough to allow the seventime champions to recover their best form and they stuttered to a 23-13 win over the Lions in Johannesburg. The Crusaders’ play this season has been error-ridden and disorganized and they look far from the team that has captured so many championships. But they take small consolation from their ability to win when they play poorly, as they have done in their last two matches against the Cheetahs and Lions.

The Reds season continues to descend into crisis as injuries rob last year’s glamor team of any semblance of form. Queensland had promised to atone on Saturday for their 61-8 loss to the Bulls in round five but, instead, produced a performance as wretched as its predecessor. —AP

17

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

SPORTS

Is sex before competition detrimental to sports performance?

By Ricardo Guerra For several decades, sports professionals have been saying that sexual activity prior to a game or sport event impairs performance on the day of competition. The urban legend, spread mainly by professional boxing coaches, is that sex before the day of the fight weakens the fighter’s legs. In fact, the greatest fighter of all time, Muhammad Ali, was known to abstain from sexual activity for several weeks prior to a fight.

Coaches in a variety of sports, including soccer, have continued to propagate some of these ideas. Yet some of these claims have never been really corroborated by scientific evidence. It would be very simplistic to just make the assertion that copulation prior to exercise is either detrimental or beneficial to exercise performance. The issue under discussion deserves a higher merit and a more elaborate response.

Why might sex prior to competition impair performance? One version of the claim hypothesizes that following sexual intercourse, testosterone levels are lowered, leading to impaired performance. The argument is that higher testosterone levels contribute to

heightened levels of aggression, which in turn is thought to improve performance on game day. Testosterone is a sex hormone primarily secreted in the testes of males and in the ovaries of females. On average, an adult human male body produces several times more testosterone than an adult human female body, but females are more sensitive to the hormone.

In men, testosterone plays a key role in promoting several bodily functions and is essential for health and well being. It has a vital role in promoting increased muscle and bone mass, regulating fat loss, expediting recovery following exercise and in increasing libido.

Studies measuring testosterone changes following sexual activity have yielded mixed results. It is inherently difficult to acquire reliable scientific data on the physiology of sex, due to the unseductive and unnatural quality of the average university laboratory. Some results have also been compromised by small sample sizes and invasive techniques. A recent study, though, has reached more conclusive findings.

Researchers from the University of Nevada conducted a study outside the laboratory that showed that male testosterone levels

increased significantly following sexual activity, contradicting the urban legend. If this is the case, then one could even argue, contrary to assumptions, that sexual activity prior to competition might confer the benefits of increased aggression, due to the higher testosterone levels. It should be noted, though, that no such connection has been shown.

Another popular claim is that sexual intercourse consumes inordinate amounts of energy leading to fatigue before competition and decreasing the athletes’ ability to perform maximally. It is important to mention that the number of studies examining the above topic is somewhat limited. There are no studies that were conducted looking at how sexual activity affects the physical performance of an athlete directly in a soccer game or another sports event. However, from the studies that have been conducted and from the information that we have in our possession we are able to reach some very convincing conclusions.

A study performed by exercise physiologist, Dr. Tommy Boone, in 1995 showed than men performed just as well on a treadmill test after they had sex as when they abstained. A more recent study by a group of Swiss investigators under the direction of Dr. Juan Sztajzel found

similar results with stationary bicycles. This last study also showed that sexual intercourse had no detrimental effect on a concentration test.

The energy cost of sex is also worth revisiting.

Reports have been made that continuous sexual intercourse to orgasm can cost 250 calories per hour, or approximately 4 calories per minute. But this assumes a constant rate of expenditure for a fixed period of an hour. The average person, for example, may have sexual intercourse to orgasm for only five minutes and spend fewer than 25 calories-about as much as would be expended walking a few flights of stairs. It is unlikely that such negligible expenditures could diminish an athlete’s performance.

Perhaps it is not sex itself that poses a problem but the activities that may accompany italcohol, a party atmosphere, and the like.

Under such circumstances, an athlete may copulate intermittently the whole night, while also drinking and getting inadequate rest.

Such a scenario is not unlikely, especially for players whose public persona includes a reputation for partying. In such cases, sexual activity with all the above-mentioned variables may very well become a liability for the athlete on game day.

Coaches obviously have no control over the lives of their players outside the premises of the training facility. The subject being discussed is more often an issue when the team is on the road, away from home. Many players have a soft spot for the party scene and enjoy going out at night.

A viable solution for coaches, whenever a team is sequestered for days or weeks in a training camp or a hotel in preparation for an important match, may be to allow players to receive the visit of a loved one for a pre-determined time. Currently several national teams and clubs already take this approach. When the game is played away some of these teams even allow the wives and girlfriends of the players to travel with the squad.

Rewarding players with perks such as a visit from a loved one may be a powerful bargaining tool for coaches looking to get the best out of their players.

For a player, being confined in a training camp without friends, family and a break from the grind can be an excruciating experience.

That practice in itself is just as medieval as the belief that sexual intercourse in moderation before the night of the game can impair physical performance.

Kostner ends Italy’s wait, champion Chan booed

NICE: Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany perform during the skating show ending the ISU 2012 World Figure Skating Championships. —AP

Kuwait Open tennis tournament KUWAIT: Kuwait’s third open tennis tournament continues at the tennis center in Yarmouk Sports Club in Mishref. Several matches were played during the fourth day of the tournament which lasts for a week.

In the men’s individual Yorosh Lukectch defeated Ghazi Al-Kazimi 6-0, 61, Adel Safar defeated Ali Nasser and Zoran Dimitrivite overcame Mohammad Twainah 9/7.

In men’s doubles Ali Al-Ghareeb and Mohammad Khaliq got past Fahad AlJassar and Abdallah Twaireesh 6-1, 6-1, Ali Hussein Al-Ghareeb and Nasser AlObaidly defeated Oscar and Olvaro 6-4, 64, 10-8. Abdelreda Al-Ghareeb and Farzad Haidary beat Franco Jermo and Ritwik Sondar 6-4, 6-3. Abdallah Al-Mashooti and Ali Mubarak defeated Abdelrahman Daalah and Mohammad Al-Mahdi 4-6, 64, 10-3. Ahmad Bu rahman and Yorosh Lukectch saw off Talal Al-Mayahi and Ali Al-Qattan 6-0, 6-1.

Dhoha Jassim

In the women’s individual Sarah Behbehani clinched victory over Mariam Seraj. Aseel Al-Kandari beat Lutchi Favrova, Fiorilla Milisinda defeated Dhoha Abdelsalam and Sibila Van Tonder sent Liah Kiglo packing.

In the pioneers event Hassan AlYousufi overcame Samuel Milkat. Majdi Al-Bitar defeated Rajish Kurian. Jarojola Chowdry got past Jassim Al-Saleem.

Fares Fawzi defeated Bader Nasser Abdallah and Adel Safar defeated Nasser Abdelaziz.

Meanwhile, Kuwait’s National team player Mohammad Abdal reached the semifinals in Qatar’s International Open for U-18 in Doha.

Mohammad Abdal defeated Qatar’s Ahmad Al-Ali 6-0, 6-2 in the first round, then beat Ukraine’s Artem Kabochek 6-3, 6-3 in the second round. In the quarterfinals Abdal rolled over Turkish Atta Hirjavinim 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, before losing to Cypriot Petros Chrisoshos 1-6, 1-6.

Mohammad Abdal

NICE: Canadian Patrick Chan crashed so hard during his free programme on Saturday that an hour later he was still holding an ice pack to his bruised body.

It was a scene all too familiar to Carolina Kostner but the Italian finally ended a decade of disappointment as she and Chan were crowned champions at the world figure skating championships on Saturday.

Kostner has long been the standout female skater in Europe, winning four continental titles in the last six years, but is equally known for some spectacular meltdowns.

None was more painful than the one she suffered a hop, skip and jump away from the French Riviera at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, when she became the butt of jokes in her country after falling on practically every jump she attempted.

On Saturday, she finally won the title with a career-best score of 128.94 in the free skate to give her a total of 189.94 as she became the first Italian woman to win the global title.

“Being here reminded me so much of Torino but this time I was determined to make amends,” Kostner told reporters.

The 25-year-old beat her closest rival, Russian Alena Leonova, by more than five points, while Japan’s Akiko Suzuki trailed in third with 180.68. “I just wanted to skate my best, straight from my heart,” added Kostner. She was true to her word.

Sporting a slinky, silver bodysuit,

it seemed as if Kostner went into a trance the moment the melodic strains of Mozart’s Concerto No. 23 started wafting around the arena.

Kostner’s many supporters, who had witnessed more falls and tumbles than they would care to remember over the last 10 years, were unable to sit still for the next four minutes.

They held their collective breath

the fans danced down the aisles knowing that the gold was finally going to Italy.

Chan’s victory was not greeted as enthusiastically. In fact the crowd booed, jeered and hissed after he was declared the winner despite crashing to the ice on a double Axel.

The crowd thought that howler should have handed the title to

NICE: Carolina Kostner of Italy poses with her gold medal after the Women’s Free skating at the ISU 2012 World Figure Skating Championships. —AP each time she launched herself into the air and roared their approval each time she landed safely.

After Kostner nailed her 11th and final jump in a sublime performance that included five triples,

2010 champion Daisuke Takahashi for his hypnotising ‘Blues for Klook’ free skate. The judges did not agree.

They rewarded Chan for being the only skater out of the 24 finalists to land two quads cleanly and Chan

topped the long programme standings with 176.70 despite incurring a two-point deduction. He won with a total of 266.11.

The boos and whistles followed Chan all the way from the kiss-andcry area to the medal ceremony but he chose to turn a deaf ear and kept his smile intact as he went off on a lap of honour.

“I didn’t actually notice the noise. I could just sort of hear it in the background,” Chan said after he became the first man since Stephane Lambiel in 2006 to win back-to-back titles. “I wasn’t sure if it was cheers or jeers but either way it was pretty cool.” As far as the audience were concerned, it was the two Japanese skaters who were ‘cool’.

Takahashi, the only skater among the top three not to tumble, settled for silver after trailing by 6.45 points.

Japan celebrated having two men on the podium for the first time as teary-eyed teenager Yuzuru Hanyu grabbed bronze on his world championships debut with his Romeo and Juliet interpretation.

The 17-year-old had not been considered a medal contender having finished seventh in the short programme but he won a standing ovation on Saturday with a fearless yet charming performance as the illfated lover which featured 12 soaring jumps, including a quad toeloop. “I put my energy into everything today. I am so pleased about what I have done,” said Hanyu. —Reuters

50 players with the Manchester United coaches

VIVA’s top 50 winners take to Man United field in Abu Dhabi KUWAIT: VIVA, Kuwait’s newest and most advanced mobile telecommunications service provider, yesterday hailed the success of its intensive ‘Manchester United Training Program in Abu Dhabi’. The 50 winners got to spend three days at Manchester United Soccer School (MUSS) in Abu Dhabi on an intensive all expenses paid coaching course between 23 - 25 March.

The best ten players from the course will then be selected for the once-in-a-lifetime chance to train with some of the world’s best football experts, as well as meeting the stars, at the Manchester United Soccer School in Manchester, England in July.

The 50 players were coached by experienced coaches, two of whom are coaches from the UK, who are qualified to deliver MUSS training programs. Both the UK coaches hold UEFA coaching qualifications, and have undergone training in emergency aid and child protection. The training program focused on different technical areas, such as dribbling, short passing, turning and finishing. The programs were also designed to develop young players in other fields, such as tactical understanding, and mental, physical and social growth.

During the training program, the 50 players were delighted to meet football legend Gary

Andrew Pallister, former Manchester United defender who played for the team for nine years between 1989 and 1998. He was also capped 22 times by England between 1988 and 1996.

Commenting on this occasion, Abdulrazzaq Al-Essa, Senior Communication Manager at VIVA said: “We are very pleased to have been able to support these young athletes in bringing them closer to their dream of becoming professional football players. VIVA is very committed to encouraging young people in the community to develop their talents and hone their skills, and the Manchester United program is just one of the ways in which we are trying to do this. We have been very pleased with the enthusiastic response to this competition and we look forward to developing similar programs in the future.” The top 10 players will be chosen by a joint judging committee consisting of MUSS coaches, a Kuwaiti team led by players from the Kuwaiti National Football team and former players from Al-Qadsiya Club who assessed the 50 players on the basis of their overall football capabilities, their talents, physical form, discipline, general conduct on and off the field as well as their communication skills amongst each other as players. The chosen players will visit Manchester to practice at Manchester United’s

Cardington training ground, and to play a game at Old Trafford, the home of Manchester United.

The Manchester United Soccer Schools have been delivering skills development courses in Abu Dhabi since October 2010. All players attending the programs, regardless of ability, are able to take part in a series of exciting and challenging coaching sessions.

In 2011, VIVA announced its sponsorship of Manchester United for five years, starting with the 2011- 2012 Premier League season. In August 2011 VIVA started to provide football fans the chance to win VIP tickets to watch Manchester United play at Old Trafford in England. To support its sponsorship, VIVA has also developed a number of exciting promotional offers and distinguished gifts, entertaining programs, interactive competitions, and organized a number of activities to provide the subscribers with chances to watch the club stars playing matches at Old Trafford.

In 2011, Manchester United broke the league record by becoming league champions for the 19th time, making the club the most successful in the history of English football. The club is currently at the top of the league and is well placed to extend this record by becoming champions of the 2011/2012 season.

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

S P ORT S

Spurs roll over Pacers SAN ANTONIO: The San Antonio Spurs made it seven straight wins by beating the Indiana Pacers 112-103 in the NBA on Saturday.

Tim Duncan had 23 points and 11 rebounds while Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili added 18 points apiece for the Spurs, who are 8-1 since making a rare plunge into midseason moves by adding forwards Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw.

Despite their hot form, San Antonio has not been able to reduce its 2-1/2 game deficit to firstplaced Oklahoma City, which is also on a winning streak. Paul George and Danny Granger each scored 18 for the Pacers, who are struggling to break out of the jammed East playoff picture and secure some home-court edge.

NEW ORLEANS: Lenzelle Smith, Jr. No. 32 of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Travis Releford No. 24 of the Kansas Jayhawks battle for the ball during the National Semifinal game of the 2012 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. —AFP

Kentucky, Kansas to meet for national title NEW ORLEANS: Top seed Kentucky will face Kansas for the national basketball championship today night after the two storied programs won their NCAA Tournament semi-final games at the Superdome on Saturday.

Kentucky (37-2) took a bold step toward winning its eighth championship by defeating bitter intrastate rival Louisville 69-61, while Kansas (32-6) knocked off Ohio State, 64-62.

“We got a game closer to our dreams, our goal,” said Kentucky freshman forward Anthony Davis, who led the Wildcats with 18 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots.

“We have to come out here Monday night and perform. We can’t come out lackadaisical. We have to come out with a lot of energy.”

Kansas, looking for a fourth title, last won the championship in 2008 when it needed overtime to defeat a Memphis team coached by John Calipari, who is now at Kentucky.

The Jayhawks trailed 59-56 with just over two minutes left but scored six straight points to take a 62-59 lead and hang on for the dramatic victory.

Louisville overcame a 13-point second-half deficit and tied the score at 4949 on a three-point bomb by junior guard Peyton Siva with just over nine minutes left.

But Kentucky reserve guard Darius Miller scored five points in an 11-2 surge that gave the Wildcats a 60-51 lead with 4:29 remaining to put the game on ice.

Miller described reaching the national championship as “emotional.”

“We’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point,” he said. “I feel like we’ve all did a great job throughout the whole year. This is what we’ve been reaching for.

“At the end of this game we have a chance to win a national championship.

It’s an opportunity that not most people get. Can’t really explain it in words. You have to experience it.”

Kentucky held Louisville to 35 percent shooting but was outrebounded 40-33, including 19-6 on the offensive glass.

“I’m proud of this team,” said Calipari, searching for his first title in his fourth appearance at the Final Four, although two appearances were vacated for the

use of an ineligible player.

“They’re coming together. They’re taking on shots and runs like Louisville did today and they’ve held their own. I’m so proud of them.”

The loss, before more than 73,000 at the Superdome, snapped Louisville’s eight-game winning streak that started with their improbable run to the Big East Tournament title.

“There are no moral victories when you’re trying to win a national championship,” said Louisville coach Rick Pitino.

“But I couldn’t be prouder. A lot of great teams did not get here.”

In a contest seen by many as a civil war in the state of Kentucky, the Cardinals, who lost to Kentucky 69-62 in December, fired blanks for most of the night but stayed around long enough to make it a game.

Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Marquis Teague are all freshman starters for Kentucky but it is unlikely they will all forego the NBA and return to Lexington next season.

“They really don’t play like freshmen,” said Louisville swingman Kyle Kuric.

“They just have maturity in just the way they play. They carry themselves with confidence. “They aren’t shy or afraid of big moments. They always step up and come through.”

Ohio State led for most of the game but ultimately fell victim to 34 percent shooting from the floor and an off night from its best player, Jared Sullinger, who had just 13 points on five of 19 shooting.

A follow-up jam by William Buford with 9.6 left trimmed the Buckeyes’ deficit to 62-61 with 9.6 seconds left but two free throws by Elijah Taylor hiked the Kansas lead to 64-61 with 8.3 seconds remaining.

A foul shot by guard Aaron Craft cut the lead to two with 2.9 seconds left but his attempt to miss the second shot on purpose failed and the Jayhawks ran out the clock.

Thomas Robinson, who paced Kansas with 19 points, said the Jayhawks, who lost to Kentucky 75-65 back in November, are at their best when they are facing defeat. “It’s just been our whole thing all year,” he said. “For some reason my team is pretty good when we’re down.” —Reuters

DORTMUND: China’s team celebrates with the cup after winning the women’s final of the World Team Table Tennis championships against Singapore. —AP

China’s women win TT gold DORTMUND: China completed the clean sweep of gold medals at the world team table tennis championship yesterday as their women’s team beat defending champions Singapore 3-0 in yesterday’s final.

After the men had downed hosts Germany 3-0 earlier in their final, the Chinese dragon roared again as the women’s team took revenge for their defeat in the world team final two years ago in Moscow with victory over Singapore.

China’s Ding Ning put her side ahead in the opening match with a 3-1 win over Feng Tianwei, while compatriot Li Xiaoxia also had few problems in her 3-1 win over Wang Yuegu. It fell to Guo Yue to seal victo-

ry and she dominated Li Jiawei with a 3-0 win in straight games.

It was the Chinese women’s 18th gold medal at the world team championships and their 2010 defeat was the only time they have lost a world team final since 1991.

Overall, China have won 36 gold medals in both the men’s and women’s world team championships since the tournament was first held in 1926.

The world championships doubles as an Olympic qualifier with London places up for grabs for the highest-ranked nation from each of the six continents and China are the defending champions in both the mens and womens events.—AFP

Stoudemire. Antawn Jamison scored 13 for the Cavaliers, who played without injured rookie Kyrie Irving.

Nets 111, Kings 99 In Sacramento, Anthony Morrow made six 3pointers and scored 24 points to lead New Jersey to its season-high third straight win, downing Sacramento.

Deron Williams had 19 points, 15 assists and six rebounds for the Nets, who had lost 12 of their previous 13 visits to Sacramento.

The Nets, now 12-16 on the road, are one of two teams - along with New Orleans - to have a better record on the road than at home. Tyreke Evans scored 23 points for the Kings, who have dropped five of their past six.

Pistons 110, Bobcats 107 In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Will Bynum’s 3-pointer with 15.7 seconds left in regulation sent the game into overtime, and Detroit went on to edge Charlotte.

The Bobcats led 93-85 with under 2:00 remaining before Detroit’s Brandon Knight made a pair of 3-pointers and Bynum sank his tying shot from the left wing. Gerald Henderson had a great chance to win it for Charlotte, but his driving bank shot missed in the final seconds.

Detroit led 108-104 in overtime but Reggie Williams’s 3-pointer with 6.4 seconds left to cut it to one. Tayshaun Prince made two free throws to put the Pistons up by three, and two Bobcats missed last-ditch 3-point attempts.—AP

76ers 95, Hawks 90 In Philadelpia, Elton Brand scored 13 of his season-high 25 points in the fourth quarter to rally Philadelphia past Atlanta. Andre Iguodala scored 18, and Brand had 10 rebounds to go with his 10for-12 shooting.

Coming off a 21-point loss to lowly Washington on Friday that knocked them out of first place in the Atlantic Division and down to No. 7 in the Eastern Conference, the Sixers earned a hardfought win against a team ahead of them in the standings. Philadelphia moved within half a game of Boston in the Atlantic Division. Josh Smith led Atlanta with 34 points.

Clippers 105, Jazz 96 In Los Angeles, the hosts won a fifth straight game for the first time in six years by beating Utah.

Chris Paul scored 26 points and Blake Griffin added 24 for the surging Clippers, who have won six straight at home and are a game behind the firstplace Lakers in the Pacific Division.

Al Jefferson’s 26 points led the Jazz, which lost its third in a row after closing within four points in the third quarter.

Grizzlies 99, Bucks 95 In Milwaukee, OJ Mayo scored a season-high 24 points to lead Memphis past Milwaukee. Rudy Gay had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who are in the midst of playing seven games in nine days. Brandon Jennings scored 24 points on 9of-18 shooting for the Bucks, who could not back up after a 37-point victory at Cleveland on Friday their biggest win in 10 years.

Lakers 88, Hornets 85 In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant hit a go-ahead 3pointer with 20 seconds left, after starting the game with 15 straight misses, as Los Angeles escaped with a narrow win over last-placed New Orleans.

It was just the third field goal of the game for Bryant, who finished with 11 points on 3 of 21 shooting. Pau Gasol had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the hosts.

Jarrett Jack had 18 points and 10 assists for the Hornets, but missed a go-ahead bank shot with 4.9 seconds left.

Knicks 91, Cavaliers 75 In New York, the hosts shrugged off the likely loss of Jeremy Lin for the season by comfortably beating Cleveland. JR Smith scored 20 points and Carmelo Anthony had 19 for the Knicks, who announced before the game that Lin would have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and could miss six weeks.

New York has won seven in a row at home, despite Lin’s loss adding to the absence of Amare

LOS ANGELES: Clippers’ guard Chris Paul (left) makes a pass as he is defended by Utah Jazz’s guard Devin Harris during the first half of a NBA basketball game.—AP

NBA results/standings LA Lakers 88, New Orleans 85; NY Knicks 91, Cleveland 75; Detroit 110, Charlotte 107 (OT); Philadelphia 95, Atlanta 90; Memphis 99, Milwaukee 95; San Antonio 112, Indiana 103; New Jersey 111, Sacramento 99; LA Clippers 105, Utah 96.

Boston Philadelphia NY Knicks New Jersey Toronto Chicago Indiana Milwaukee Detroit Cleveland Miami Orlando Atlanta Washington Charlotte

Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 29 22 .569 29 23 .558 27 26 .509 19 35 .352 17 35 .327 Central Division 42 11 .792 30 21 .588 24 28 .462 19 33 .365 17 33 .340 Southeast Division 37 13 .740 32 20 .615 31 23 .574 12 39 .235 7 43 .140

GB 0.5 3 11.5 12.5 11 17.5 22.5 23.5 6 8 25.5 30

Western Conference Northwest Division Oklahoma City 39 12 .765 Denver 28 24 .538 Utah 27 26 .509 Minnesota 25 28 .472 Portland 24 28 .462 Pacific Division LA Lakers 32 20 .615 LA Clippers 31 21 .596 Phoenix 25 26 .490 Golden State 20 30 .400 Sacramento 18 34 .346 Southwest Division San Antonio 36 14 .720 Dallas 30 23 .566 Memphis 28 22 .560 Houston 28 24 .538 New Orleans 13 39 .250

11.5 13 15 15.5 1 6.5 11 14 7.5 8 9 24

Phelps dominates to win final race in Indy INDIANAPOLIS: Michael Phelps finished at Indianapolis just the way he wanted - with another resounding victory.

On an emotional night for the 26-year-old swimmer and his family, Phelps beat his biggest rival by more than three seconds and swam the best 200 IM in the world this year, beating the previous best time by nearly two seconds. He won the race in a startling 1 minute, 56.32 seconds.

This was no ordinary race for Phelps, who made his first Olympic team in 2000 at Indy and broke two world records at the IUPUI Natatorium.

“Being able to come back and relive the memories and moments was really special,” Phelps said after presumably competing for the final time in this venue. “I’m sure my mom has cried a few times already tonight and we had a DP (Debbie Phelps) moment this week.”

His sister, Hilary, posted Twitter messages indicating there were tears coming from the family ’s familiar cheering section.

For the Phelps family, Indy has been a place where they have celebrated great victories and endured unimaginable losses. So Saturday night’s finale was one everybody wanted to savor.

Phelps’ mother and sister stood for the final 100 meters of the race, and when it ended, they hugged, clapped and shook hands with those around them. A few fans not far from the Phelps family shouted “We love you Michael” as a somberlooking Debbie Phelps covered her mouth. Phelps’ sister, Hilary, acknowledged on Twitter that there were tears in the stands.

It was a dramatic climax to a three-day meet that really didn’t match the hype. Lochte, who won five gold medals at the 2011 world championships and beat Phelps in both of last year’s head-to-head meetings, couldn’t keep up with his

rival.

The New York native and Florida resident was relegated to two consolation heats Thursday and never seriously challenged the speedy Phelps on Saturday, either. Lochte finished the race in 1:59.37 and didn’t win a single event. Darian

Olympics, I have to learn how do that back-to-back.”

Phelps, meanwhile, kept the focus simple. After winning the 100 butterfly Thursday and the 400 IM on Friday, the most decorated American Olympian withdrew from the 200 butterfly Saturday morning

INDIANAPOLIS: Michael Phelps swims the breaststroke leg in the men’s 200-meter individual medley at the Indianapolis Grand Prix swimming meet.—AP Townsend finished second in the 200 IM in 1:59.28.

Then again, Lochte has not been traditionally strong during the long in-season training regimen, and this week’s schedule certainly didn’t help.

On Saturday, he had to square off with a determined Phelps less than 30 minutes after sharing third place with Denmark’s Mathias Gydesen in the 100 backstroke.

“I think if you ask any backstroker, they’ll basically tell you it’s a leg event and it hurts,” Lochte said. “But I knew I had to do that double because if I want to do that at the

so he could finish with a flourish.

Did he ever.

Phelps led from start to finish in the 200 IM, opening with a 25.02 second butterfly leg. He spent the next 150 meters pulling away from the field.

“If I’d jumped under 56, I would have been ecstatic,” Phelps said.

“But that’s a half-second faster than my time last year. For right now, I’m very pleased.” He wasn’t the only familiar big-name swimmer leaving competitors in the wake.

Jessica Hardy posted the world’s fastest time in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.12), winning by more than

two seconds.

Caitlin Levernez finished with the world’s second-best time in the women’s 200 IM (2:09.71), defeating second-place finisher Ariana Kukors by more than a second.

And Missy Franklin, the 16-yearold Olympic hopeful, won the 100 back in a season-best 59.89 seconds. She beat her nearest challenger by 1.41 seconds and put up the No. 4 time in the world before swimming in the consolation heat of the 200 IM. “Tonight, it was a little too much back-to-back,” Franklin said with a laugh. “But the 100 back is my favorite and the 200 IM is a good event for me.”

Other winners were Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu in the 200 fly (2:07.58), Bobby Bollier in the men’s 200 fly (1:56.34), Marcus Titus in the men’s 100 back (1:00.86) and Nick Thoman in the men’s 100 back (53.95 seconds). Gillian Ryan took the women’s 800 freestyle title in 8:32.49, while Matias Koski won the men’s 1,500 free in 15:09.17.

The comeback kids had their moments, too. Brendan Hansen, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist, closed quickly over the final 50 meters to finish second in the men’s 100 breast (1:01.04), and two-time Olympic gold medalist Amanda Beard posted a 1:08.50 for second place in the women’s 100 breast.

But the big winner Saturday, of course, was Phelps and his family, who got to see Phelps win for the third time in four tries this week and see his name appear on both of the natatorium’s end walls one final time.

“I was talking to Rowdy (Gaines) this morning and waiting for coffee with Lindsay (Benko) and we were talking about how crazy it was watching our names written up there in calligraphy on this wall,” Phelps said. “It is kind of cool to think 12 years back and relieve all those memories.”—AP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

S P ORT S

Juve beat Napoli to close gap on Milan Inter win nine-goal thriller

SPAIN: Levante’s Ivorian forward Arouna Kone (left) vies for the ball with Valencia’s French defender Adil Rami (right) during the Spanish League football match.—AFP

Valencia held

by Levante BARCELONA: Valencia squandered another lead as it drew 1-1 with Levante yesterday, endangering its hold on third place in the Spanish League.

For the sixth time in its last eight games, Valencia failed to secure a win after scoring first and dropped valuable points at home.

Also, Radamel Falcao scored his 20th Spanish league goal of the season as Atletico Madrid cruised past Getafe 3-0.

Levante was the more dangerous side early on at Mestalla stadium, but its crosstown rival Valencia went ahead 10 minutes before halftime with a move started by Aritz Aduriz, playing instead of the suspended Roberto Soldado.

The Basque striker threaded a superb short pass through a trio of defenders and Sofiane Feghouli laid the ball off for Jonas to tap into the empty net. Arouna Kone equalized for Levante through a counterattack in the 54th.

After recovering the ball in midfield, Jose Barkero lofted a long ball into the area that Valdo Lopez headed down for Kone to fire in and take his league goal tally to 11 this season.

The draw left Valencia one point ahead of fourth-place Malaga and three points in front of fifth-place Levante with eight matches to play. Spain’s top four finishers qualify for the Champions League.

Atletico got going in the 24th as Eduardo Salvio continued his impressive play with the Argentine forward heading Filipe Luis’ cross high over goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya to land under the far

corner.

Brazilian playmaker Diego headed Falcao’s cross off the crossbar and volleyed home the rebound to make it 2-0 in the 62nd. Falcao guided home Juanfran Torres’ cross in the 77th minute to cap an easy victory at the Vicente Calderon stadium.

Atletico climbed within five points of fourth-place Malaga and the last Champions League qualifying spot. Getafe is three points behind its Spanish capital neighbor. Real Sociedad hosts Rayo Vallecano while Espanyol visits Villarreal late yesterday.

On Saturday, Zaragoza escaped last place with a 2-1 win over now bottom Sporting Gijon, Granada left Racing Santander in the penultimate position with a 1-0 away win, and Real Betis beat Malaga 2-1 to end its six-game unbeaten run.

Sevilla looks for its third consecutive victory at Mallorca today.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi scored from the penalty spot as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 2-0 on Saturday to remain six points behind Real Madrid who routed Osasuna 51. Barca went ahead five minutes before the break through Andres Iniesta with Messi scoring his 36th league goal of the season in the second half after Cristian Tello was felled in the box.

The Argentine is a goal behind Cristiano Ronaldo in La Liga scoring charts after the Portuguese star grabbed two against Osasuna. But Messi has 56 goals in all competitions, nine more than his rival at Real.—Agencies

Atletico Madrid 3 (Salvio 24, Diego 62, Falcao 77) Getafe 0; Valencia 1 (Jonas 35) Levante 1 (Kone 53).

Playing later Real Sociedad v Rayo Vallecano, Villarreal v Espanyol Playing today Sevilla v Real Mallorca Spanish league table after yesterday’s early evening match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): 30 30 30 30 30 30 30 29 29 30

25 3 22 6 13 9 14 5 13 6 10 13 11 9 11 7 10 9 10 9

2 2 8 11 11 7 10 11 10 11

100 86 46 44 42 35 42 37 33 31

27 22 37 43 41 46 35 39 31 39

78 72 48 47 45 43 42 40 39 39

Athletic Vallecano Real Mallorca Real Betis Granada Real Sociedad Villarreal Zaragoza Santander Sporting Gijon

30 29 29 30 30 29 29 30 30 30

9 11 11 4 9 9 10 5 10 4 9 6 7 10 7 7 4 13 6 7

10 14 11 15 16 14 12 16 13 17

44 42 31 35 28 32 30 27 23 29

42 49 37 43 46 45 42 52 45 56

38 37 36 35 34 33 31 28 25 25

Celtic edge towards title GLASGOW: Celtic took another step towards the Scottish Premier League title as they ground out a 2-0 win over a determined St Johnstone side at Parkhead yesterday.

With Rangers’ win on Saturday having ruined any chance of a title party at Parkhead, the home side looked a bit flat in the first half against a St Johnstone side who had won on their last visit.

The visitors came close with headers from Cillian Sheridan and Francisco Sandaza before two goals in three secondhalf minutes claimed three points for Celtic.

Georgios Samaras headed the first past Alan Mannus from a Kris Commons freekick before Chris Millar turned the Greek striker’s cross past his own keeper as Celtic got back to winning ways after back-toback defeats.

The Hoops, who are 18 points clear with six games remaining, now only need a point from next Saturday’s match away to Kilmarnock to clinch their first SPL championship in four years.

At Celtic Park, the home side brought in Glenn Loovens and Mikael Lustig for the suspended Cha Du-Ri and Victor Wanyama.

The first chance was carved out by Samaras who showed great ball juggling skills in the box before laying the ball off to Anthony Stokes whose header went straight to the keeper.

Jody Morris fired wide for St Johnstone after good work by Sandaza down the left wing before Commons sent a snapshot over the bar at the other end.

Stokes then played a perfectly weighted pass to Commons in the box but the Scotland international pulled his angled drive wide of the post.

Liam Craig tested Fraser Forster with a curling free-kick from 25 yards before

hit a hat-trick against his former employers, while Walter Samuel and Mauro Zarate added the other two.

Alberto Gilardino scored a brace from the spot for the visitors, with Emiliano Moretti and Rodrigo Palacioalso with a penalty-adding the others.

It was a game that had four penalties and two red cards, with Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar and Genoa’s Fernando Belluschi both dismissed.

“The important thing is that we won. Certainly it was an explosive victory, maybe even a bit too much so for (president Massimo) Moratti,” said Stramaccioni.

“It’s banal to say that it was important to win but we worked during the week only on this and we managed it.

“We were very positive today and we managed to produce a performance of quality.”

“As for me, the president has given me this crazy opportunity that I didn’t deserve but him having faith in me gives me great serenity.”

Having failed to score in seven of their last 10 league games, of which they only won one, under Claudio Ranieri, Inter were greatly helped by the league’s worst defence.

Roma’s easy victory mean they trail city rivals Lazio, who lost 3-1 at Parma on Saturday, by just four points in the

MILAN: Inter Milan’s Argentine midfielder Esteban Matias Cambiasso fights for the ball with Genoa’s defender Bosko Jankovic during their Italian Serie A match .—AFP race for third place and the final berth in Europe’s premier club competition.

Novara took the lead early on through Andrea Caracciolo but after that there was only ever going to be one winner.

Brazilian Marquinho and Pablo Osvaldo hit back before half-time, while another Brazilian, Fabio Simplicio, and Bojan Krkic struck in the

second period.

Japan forward Takayuki Morimoto scored a late consolation for the struggling visitors, who remain second-bottom and nine points from safety, before Erik Lamela put the icing on the cake deep into injury time.

Udinese could not capitalise on Lazio and Napoli’s slips as they lost 1-0 at lowly Siena and stay fifth.—AFP

Italian League results/standings Bologna 1 (Sorensen 50) Palermo 3 (Donati 68, Hernandez 76, Ilicic 86); Cagliari 2 (Conti 11, Pinilla 54) Atalanta 0; Fiorentina 1 (Ljajic 71) Chievo 2 (Pellissier 24, Rigoni 88); Inter Milan 5 (Milito 13, 27, 85-pen, Samuel 38, Zarate 74) Genoa 4(Moretti 45, Palacio 59-pen, Gilardino 80-pen, 90-pen); Juventus 3 (Bonucci 53, Vidal 75, Quagliarella 83) Napoli 0; Lecce 0 Cesena 0; Roma 5 (Marquinho 25, Osvaldo 34, Simplicio 55, Boja 61, Lamela 90) Novara 2 (Carraciolo 17, Morimoto 77);Siena 1 (Destro 70) Udinese 0.

Played Saturday: Catania 1 (Spolli 57) AC Milan 1 (Robinho 34); Parma 3 (Mariga 6, Floccari 12, 77) Lazio 1 (Scaloni 36) Italian Serie A table yesterday (played, won,drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): AC Milan 30 19 7 4 60 24 64 Cagliari 30 9 Juventus 30 16 14 0 49 17 62 Siena 30 9 Lazio 30 15 6 9 44 37 51 Bologna 30 9 Napoli 30 12 12 6 54 35 48 Parma 30 8 Genoa 30 9 Udinese 30 13 9 8 40 28 48 Roma 30 14 5 11 47 37 47 Fiorentina 30 8 Inter Milan 30 13 5 12 43 42 44 Lecce 30 6 Catania 30 10 13 7 39 38 43 Novara 30 5 Palermo 30 11 6 13 44 47 39 Cesena 30 4 Chievo 30 10 9 11 27 37 39 Note: Atalanta deducted Atalanta 30 10 13 7 33 31 37 match-fixing

10 11 9 12 9 12 11 11 7 14 9 13 10 14 9 16 7 19 six points

31 36 34 31 32 38 38 47 41 56 30 37 31 45 26 51 18 47 at start of

37 36 36 35 34 33 28 24 19 season for

Gladbach slump continues

Spanish League results/standings

Real Madrid Barcelona Valencia Malaga Levante Osasuna Atletico Espanyol Sevilla Getafe

ROME: Undefeated Juventus closed the gap to AC Milan at the top of the Serie A table to just two points with a 2-0 win over Napoli in Turin yesterday.

Leonardo Bonucci, Arturo Vidal and Fabio Quagliarella scored the goals as Juve capitalised on Milan’s 1-1 draw at Catania the day before.

It also maintained their unbeaten run this season, which now stands at 34 games in all competitions. Napoli’s defeat means they stay fourth, three points behind Lazio in the final Champions League qualification position. They also had Juan Zuniga sent off late on for elbowing Giorgio Chiellini. Their main problem, though, was being guilty of giving away too many free-kicks in potentially dangerous positions.

The opening goal came early in the second period and was due in no small part to luck, although Napoli were finally made to pay for their illdiscipline. Andrea Pirlo swung over another free-kick that Andrea Barzagli mishit, the ball falling to Mirko Vucinic, who crashed a shot off Bonucci’s chest and past a stranded Morgan De Sanctis.

Now able to hit Napoli on the counter, Juve made their visitors pay as Vidal turned Hugo Campagnaro inside out and smashed a shot across De Sanctis. Quagliarella then beat the goalkeeper at his near post with a fierce shot seven minutes from time.

New coach Andrea Stramaccioni opened his Inter Milan account with a thrilling and vital 5-4 win over Genoa at San Siro to keep alive the nerazzurri’s European qualification hopes.

With Roma romping to a 5-2 win over Novara earlier in the day, Inter needed a victory to keep in the hunt for a Europa League spot.

They now trail Roma, who are sixth and occupy the final European berth, by three points with eight games left.

At 36, Stramaccioni may be the youngest coach in Inter’s history but he turned to experience for his first game in charge, restoring the likes of Esteban Cambiasso and Cristian Chivu to the starting line-up. And the old guard rewarded him as Diego Milito

Frazer Wright cleared Charlie Mulgrew’s effort off the line after he got on the end of a Commons free-kick.

St Johnstone could have taken the lead three minutes after the break when Dave MacKay’s cross was met by Sheridan but the Irish striker couldn’t direct his header on target.

Sandaza then sent a looping header on to the roof of the net from Craig’s free-kick as St Johnstone continued to threaten.

The Hoops looked out of ideas going forward before Samaras gave them a 66th minute lead when the Greek striker rose to met a Commons free-kick and direct a downward header past Mannus.

Just over three minutes later Celtic made sure of the three points when they made it 2-0 in a sweeping counter-attack move. Samaras raced down the right wing and sent in a fiercely struck delivery looking for Gary Hooper but Millar’s attempted clearance flew past his own keeper.

Forster had to scramble to tip a Craig free-kick over the bar before the midfielder blazed a shot over with the goal gaping as St Johnstone couldn’t find a way back into the game. In Sunday’s other SPL clash, Hibernian moved six points clear of the relegation zone with a 3-2 win away to Inverness in a match where all five goals came in the final 30 minutes.

Greg Tansey scored Inverness’s first penalty of the season on the hour mark.

But Paul Hanlon equalised for Hibs four minutes later before Garry O’Connor gave the Edinburgh club the lead 15 minutes from time. Jonny Hayes then drew Inverness level equalised with an 83rd minute stunning cross-shot before Leigh Griffiths struck from 12 yards out with just five minutes left to secure a valuable win for Hibs.—AFP

BERLIN: Borussia Moenchengladbach’s slump continued yesterday as they lost 2-1 at Hanover to leave them 12 points behind German League leaders Borussia Dortmund with six games left.

This was Gladbach’s second straight league defeat and they have picked up just six points from a possible 21 in their last seven games.

Despite yesterday’s defeat Gladbach remain fourth, 10 points clear of Hanover who move up to fifth.

“We have to find the five percent that we are missing at the moment... and it will come back,” said Gladbach’s Swiss coach Lucien Favre, who has turned his team from relegation candidates last season to title contenders.

Ivor y Coast striker Didier Ya Konan put Hanover ahead when he fired home on 57 minutes after rounding Gladbach keeper MarcAndre ter Stegen.

Former Manchester United and Senegal striker Mame Biram Diouf then extended the lead with Hanover’s second through a header on 76 minutes.

Norwegian striker Havard Nordtveit pulled a goal back for Gladbach on 78 minutes to give the visitors some hope, but it was too late.

Third-placed Schalke 04 were held to a 1-1 draw at Hoffenheim as a 30th minute penalty

by Hoffenheim midfielder Sejad Salihovic was cancelled out by a second-half spot kick from Schalke’s Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.

It put him level on 23 goals with Bayern’s Mario Gomez as the league’s top scorer, but his side trail Dortmund by nine points in the table.

On Saturday, Bayern trimmed Dortmund’s lead at the top back to three points as the Bavarians’ 1-0 win at Nuremberg heated up the title race.

After champions Dortmund were held to a dramatic 4-4 draw at home to Stuttgart on Friday night, second-placed Bayern seized their opportunity with Dutch winger Arjen Robben hitting the winner.

The win was also a perfect boost ahead of Tuesday’s home Champions League quarterfinal second leg tie against Marseille where Bayern start with a 2-0 lead.

Dortmund host Bayern at home on April 11 in a showdown which could decide the Bundesliga title while the pair will also contest the German Cup final on May 12.

Hertha Berlin’s woes continued as they were drubbed 4-1 at home to VfL Wolfsburg to remain second from bottom and four points

GERMANY: Hanover’s striker Mame Diouf (top) collides with Moenchengladbach’s goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen during the German First Division Bundesliga football match.—AFP from safety as ex-Germany striker Patrick Helmes netted twice in the rout.

Freiburg stayed clear of the relegation zone after picking up their third straight win and have gone five games without defeat after they earned a 2-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen.

It was Leverkusen’s fourth straight defeat and cost coach Robin Dutt his job as he was sacked on Sunday morning to be replaced by caretaker coaches Sami Hyypia and Under-19 boss Sascha Lewandowski.

Hyypia, 38, is completing his coaching qualifications in Finland and the duo will take charge for nex t Sunday ’s game against Hamburg with his team seventh and in contention for a Europa League place.

Cologne dropped into the bottom three for the first time since August after they were beaten 2-1 at Augsburg.

Mainz are up to 10th after their 3-0 win at Werder Bremen. Hamburg enjoyed their first win in eight games to climb up to 15th and out of the relegation places with a 1-0 victory over bottom side Kaiserslautern which took the pressure off coach Thorsten Fink.—AFP

Matches on TV (Local Timings)

English Premier League Blackburn v Man United Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

22:00

Spanish League Sevilla v Mallorca Aljazeera Sport +2 Aljazeera Sport 2 HD

22:00

Iraq seeks end to FIFA home ban BAGHDAD: Iraq wants an end to a FIFA ban on hosting official matches that was imposed last year, and wants to be able to host friendlies in the interim, an Iraqi football official said yesterday. “We are seeking to convince FIFA to lift the ban on our national team playing in our stadium, and will present FIFA officials with (evidence that) will prove we are able to host games ... according to the rules of FIFA,” said

Abdel Khaleq Massoud, vice president of the Iraqi Football Association (IFA).

IFA President Najeh Hmoud is to head a delegation to meet FIFA chief Sepp Blatter in Zurich on April 13 to discuss issues related to the future of Iraqi football, Massoud said.

He added that the delegation would propose that Iraq be permitted to host friendly matches in Baghdad while the ban on official

matches remains in place. FIFA barred Iraq from hosting matches following a September 2 match in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, due to the poor administration and organisation surrounding it. In particular, the match was delayed for 10 minutes because of a power cut, and the stadium appeared to have significantly more spectators than its capacity of 12,400.—AFP

Phelps dominates to win final race in Indy

Kostner ends Italy’s wait, champion Chan booed

18

17

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

Is sex before competition detrimental to sports performance?

Page 17

Hirvonen wins Portugal Rally

FARO: Finnish driver Mikko Hirvonen went top of the world championship standings yesterday after winning the Rally of Portugal.

The Citroen factory driver, runner-up in the world championship last year, recorded his 15th career victory as he beat Sweden’s Mads Ostberg in his Ford Fiesta by almost two minutes while another Fiesta pilot Evgeny Novikov of Russia was third.

Hirvonen’s victory — his first since the Rally of Australia last September gives him a nine point lead over team-mate and eight-time world champion Loeb, who went out of the race on Thursday.

Yesterday’s win was also Hirvonen’s first as a Citroen driver and came after a dramatic weekend which not only saw Loeb come to grief, but also Ford duo Jari-Matti Latvala and Petter Solberg.

Both men fell foul of the treacherous muddy and foggy conditions on Friday and slid out of contention.—AFP

Newcastle 2 (Cisse 19, 59) Liverpool 0; Tottenham 3 (Van der Vaart 19, Adebayor 73, 86) Swansea 1 (Sigurdsson 59) Playing today: Blackburn v Manchester United.

Played Saturday: Aston Villa 2 (Collins 77, Lichaj 80) Chelsea 4 (Sturridge 9, Ivanovic 51, 83, Torres 90); Everton 2 (McAuley 18-og, Anichebe 68) West Bromwich 0; Fulham 2 (Dempsey 2, Duff 13) Norwich City 1 (Wilbraham 77); Manchester City 3 (Balotelli 43-pen, 85, Kolarov 86) Sunderland 3 (Larsson 31, 55, Bendtner 45); Queens Park Rangers 2 (Taarabt 22, Diakite 66) Arsenal 1 (Walcott 37); Wigan 2 (Alcaraz 54, Moses 90) Stoke 0; Wolverhampton 2 (Kightly 53, Jarvis 88) Bolton 3 (Petrov 63-pen, Alonso 80, Davies 84).

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): 30 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 30 30 30 31 31 31

23 22 18 17 15 15 12 11 11 10 10 10 10 10 7 9 7 7 6 5

4 5 4 7 8 8 7 9 8 9 9 9 8 6 12 2 7 7 10 7

3 4 9 7 8 8 12 11 12 12 12 12 13 15 11 19 16 17 15 19

74 75 62 56 53 46 32 36 42 39 35 42 29 36 33 36 43 35 29 33

27 25 41 36 36 42 32 33 37 42 39 49 43 43 42 60 62 54 55 68

Cisse adds to Liverpool’s woes Newcastle 2

EPL results/standings

Man United Man City Arsenal Tottenham Chelsea Newcastle Everton Liverpool Sunderland Fulham Swansea Norwich Stoke W Bromwich Aston Villa Bolton Blackburn QPR Wigan W’hampton

PORTUGAL: Petter Solberg, from Norway, and his co-driver Chris Patterson, from Britain, drive their Ford Fiesta RS WRC during the Portugal FIA World Rally Championship third stage near Vascao. —AP

73 71 58 58 53 53 43 42 41 39 39 39 38 36 33 29 28 28 28 22

Liverpool 0

NEWCASTLE: Shambolic Liverpool ended the game in disarray with 10 men as they slid to a 20 defeat at Newcastle here yesterday, with Andy Carroll suffering a humiliating return to Tyneside. Papiss Cisse scored twice as Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina saw red in the latest blow to the Reds’ rapidly disintegrating Premier League campaign.

A sixth loss in seven league games left the League Cup holders languishing in eighth place, 11 points adrift of their hosts, who drew level with Chelsea in fifth thanks to a third consecutive victory. Liverpool finished the match in embarrassing fashion after a late red card for Reina to leave manager Kenny Dalglish with a mounting list of problems after his keeper was ruled out of the FA Cup semi-final with local rivals Everton.

The Spain international received his marching orders following a bad-tempered spat with James Perch, where he appeared to aim a headbutt at the Newcastle man. With Dalglish having already used all three of his substitutes, former Newcastle defender Jose Enrique went between the posts for the last few minutes.

Carroll received a predictably frosty reception from a 52,000 St James’ Park sell-out on his first return since a £35 million move to Anfield.

The England forward, who has under-achieved in his 14 months on Merseyside, again failed to

find the net before being substituted 10 minutes from the end.

The 23-year-old’s frustration was complete as he saw Cisse take his tally to seven in six starts since a £9 million move from Freiburg in January. The Senegal international has filled the number nine shirt vacated by Carroll admirably, his impressive goal record in stark contrast to the Liverpool forward’s modest return of five goals in 21 league starts. After

minute. Hatem Ben Arfa was the architect down Newcastle’s right, cutting in past Jonjo Shelvey to send over a perfectly flighted cross for Cisse, who was lurking at the far post. The African did the rest with a powerful downward header from five yards, which found the bottom corner via the foot of the post.

Martin Skrtel sent a diving header narrowly over from a Steven Gerrard freekick, Carroll took centre-stage, but in circumstances he wouldn’t have wished. The forward found a way past Mike Williamson and Perch to surge into the Newcastle area, where, in rounding keeper Tim Krul, he fell theatrically to ground, claiming a penalty.

Well-placed referee Martin Atkinson immediately brandished a yellow card in Carroll’s direction, replays proving the official correct in his assertion the forward had dived in his attempts to claim a spot kick. Liverpool continued to press for the opening goal, and Danny Simpson, on the line, appeared to use his arm to prevent Williamson from scoring an own goal after the ball deflected off the defender from Gerrard’s corner.

The visitors paid for failing to make their dominance pay, falling behind in the 19th

Williamson nearly doubled Newcastle’s lead after half-time, heading came even closer after the break, heading against the post from eight yards. But Newcastle didn’t have to wait much longer for a second goal. Liverpool failed to clear a long cross pumped into their box, Demba Ba poked the ball across the face of goal to Ben Arfa, who kept the move going by finding Cisse at the far post.

The striker calmly cut inside keeper Reina before finding the net from a couple of yards.

Insult was added to injury for the ineffective Carroll, who was hauled off 10 minutes from time, the forward storming straight down the tunnel after aiming a foulmouthed outburst in response to Dalglish’s decision to substitute him.—AFP LONDON: Liverpool’s Jay Spearing (right) vies for the ball with Newcastle United’s Yohan Cabaye (left) during their English Premier League soccer match.—AP

Spurs revive push for Champions League spot Tottenham 3

Swansea 1

LONDON: Tottenham’s Emmanuel Adebayor (left) vies for the ball with Swansea’s Garry Monk during the English Premier League soccer match.—AP

LONDON: Emmanuel Adebayor scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur won for the first time in six Premier League matches with a 3-1 victory over Swansea that revived their push for Champions League football. Yesterday’s success at their White Hart Lane home saw Tottenham draw level on points

with third-placed north London rivals Arsenal.

And it also meant Spurs, currently occupying the fourth and final Champions League place on offer to English clubs, went five points clear of nearest pursuers Chelsea and Newcastle.

Rafael van der Vaart stylishly sidefooted in Spurs’ opener in the 19th minute before Gylfi Sigurdsson equalised in the 69th minute. But two late headers from Adebayor, on loan from Manchester City, sealed a much needed win for Spurs who’ve faltered in the Premier League ever since manager Harry Redknapp was installed as the favourite for the vacant

England job following Fabio Capello’s resignation in February.

Dashing Wales winger Gareth Bale, who caused Swansea problems throughout, nearly set up an opening goal for Spurs in the 12th minute but Adebayor could not convert his cross.

Then, in an open match, Neil Taylor went close for the visitors three minutes later but Spurs keeper Brad Friedel saved with his legs.

However, in the 19th minute the hosts took the lead when Luka Modric released Bale down the left and Ashley Williams cleared his cross straight into the path of Van der Vaart, who steered the ball past fellow Dutchman Michel Vorm.

Swansea goalkeeper Vorm then made an excellent diving save to deny Younes Kaboul.

After-half time, 40-year-old Friedel made a stunning save to tip Sigurdsson’s 25-yard shot wide. But Icelandic midfielder Sigurdsson, on loan from German club Hoffenheim, beat Friedel with a volley into the ground that looped over the American shot-stopper from 18 yards out.

Togo striker Adebayor, however, sealed all three points for Spurs.

The 28-year-old rose unopposed to head in van der Vaart’s 73rd minute corner and then, four minutes from time, nodded in substitute Aaron Lennon’s cross.—AFP

Morocco’s Islamist rulers face harsh economic times Page 22

KSE in negative territory as earnings fears grow Page 24

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

Markets wait for next ECB move

Falling exports to EU hit S Korea trade surplus Page 25

Page 23

PHNOM PENH: EU’s Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht (6th left) and economic ministers and officials from ASEAN countries join their hands as they pose at the end of the ASEAN-EU Business Summit in Phnom Penh yesterday.

Gucht attended the ASEAN-EU Summit Bussiness held on the sidelines of the 20th summit of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit. — AFP

KSE suspends trading in 19 more firms Companies fail to report earnings on time KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange said it had suspended trading in the shares of 19 more companies yesterday after they failed to report earnings on time. The companies - several involved in real estate - join 12 other firms which were suspended earlier this year.

The new companies on the list included investment group Al-Ahlia Holding and International Financial Advisors.

The list, which now totals 31 companies, already included Investment Dar, which brought half of luxury British carmaker Aston Martin for 479 million pounds ($751.7 million) in 2007 and International

Investment Group, which defaulted on a $200 million Islamic bond in April 2010.

Global Investment House, whose largest shareholders are the governments of Kuwait and Dubai, was also on the list, according to a statement on the Kuwait Stock Exchange website. Kuwait’s markets watchdog warned several companies last month that they would be delisted.

In the investment sector, these include International Financial Advisers (IFA), AlAhlia Holding Co (AINV), Coast Investment and Development Co (COAST ), The International Investor Co. (TII), Securities House (SECH), Industrial and Financial

Investments Co (IIC), International Finance Company (IFC), Kuwait And Middle East Financial Investment Co (KMEFIC), AREF Investment Group (AIG), Al-Aman Investment Company (ALAMAN), A’ayan Leasing & Investment Co (AAYAN), Global Investment House (GLOBAL), Kuwait Finance & Investment Company (KFIC), Housing Finance Co (ISKAN), Almadar Finance and Investment (MADAR), Al-Deera Holding Co (ALDEERA), Al-Safat Investment Co (ALSAFAT ), Al-Qurain Holding Co (QURAINHLD), Sokouk Holding Co (SOKOUK), Noor Financial Investment Company (NOOR), Amwal International Investment

Co (AMWAL) and Al-Masar Leasing & Investment Co. (MASAR). In the real estate sector, Grand Real Estate Projects (GRAND), Munshaat Real Estate Projects Co. (MUNSHAAT ) and Kuwait Business Town Real Estate Co (KBT).

In the industrial sector, Mena Holding Group (MENAHOLD) and Salbookh Trading Co (SALBOOKH).

In the services sector, Kuwait Commercial Market Complex Co (SHOP) and National Ranges Company (MAYADEEN). In the parallel market sector, Al-Shamel International Holding Co (ALSHAMEL). — Agencies

Saudi gains on petrochem, regional stocks upbeat MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: Saudi Arabian petrochemical stocks led gains on the bourse, which rallied for a seventh session in eight yesterday as earnings expectations buoyed confidence and most other Gulf markets rose on an upbeat global backdrop. Bellwether Saudi Basic Industries Corp. rose 1.6 percent, Yanbu National Petrochemical climbed 5.3 percent and National Industrialization (Tasnee) added 2.3 percent. The kingdom’s index rose 0.7 percent to its highest level since September 2008.

“Investors are shifting into petrochemicals because fundamentals are stronger, dividend yields are attractive and they haven’t risen as much as smaller-cap stocks,” said Muhammad Faisal Potrik, research analyst at Riyad Capital. “Expectations are that petchems will post good results.”

A positive global backdrop, high oil prices and a fresh flood of liquidity into the Saudi market are also supporting local investor confidence.

The total value of shares traded in the first quarter was 684.71 billion riyals ($182.59 billion), up 163 percent from a year earlier, according to a bourse report.

Total market capitalization at the end of the first quarter was $410 billion, up 16.7 percent in the prior-year period.

Oil rose on Friday to post the biggest quarterly gain since the beginning of 2011 as the growing threat of a disruption to Iranian exports added to supply concerns.

Elsewhere, UAE bourses rose on Sunday, taking support from the upbeat global backdrop but local investors remained cautious ahead of first-quarter earnings.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank gained 4.2 percent on the prospect of the lender expanding its loan book. State-owned investment fund Mubadala, which holds a

near-majority position in indebted Aldar Properties said it plans to transfer a 14-percent stake in the developer to secure a loan facility from ADCB. First Gulf Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank gained 0.3 and 1.2 percent respectively. Aldar ended flat. “Q1 numbers will be very good ... mainly for banks and also for real estate companies,” said Musa Haddad, head of MENA equity desk at National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

“Dubai’s property prices have been stabilizing.” Abu Dhabi’s benchmark climbed 0.3 percent, easing away from Thursday’s fiveweek low.

“Markets will be sideways for some time now and it is a good time to accumulate because there is less volatility. A breakout could happen at any time, even before the earnings, which would give strong confidence to the market,” Haddad added.

Dubai-listed Emaar Properties gained 1.3 percent and Dubai Financial Market climbed 2.6 percent. Dubai’s index ended 0.8 percent higher, extending 2012 gains to 22.8 percent. It has moved within a range of 50 points for the past two weeks.

World stock markets advanced on Friday, posting double-digit gains for the quarter, as economic reports showed US consumer spending and sentiment is still on the rise. In Qatar, the index rose 0.6 percent to its highest close since Jan. 5 and seventh straight advance.

Gainers outnumbered losers 16 to four.

Qatar National Bank climbed 1.4 percent, Industries Qatar rose 1 percent and Qatar Gas Transport added 1.1 percent. Qatar’s exchange launched two new indices on Sunday, the Total Return Index and All Share Index. It also adjusted some stocks on the existing main index and capped their weight at 15 percent. — Reuters

TOKYO: Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi (right) welcomes Jim Yong Kim, the US candidate for the next World Bank president, at the Finance Ministry in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP

China rejects Obama’s Iran oil import curbs BEIJING: China rejected President Barack Obama’s decision to move forward with plans for sanctions on countries buying oil from Iran, saying on Saturday that Washington had no right to unilaterally punish other nations. South Korean officials said they will continue working with the US to reduce oil imports from Iran, as other US allies who depend on Iranian oil worked to find alternative energy supplies.

Obama announced Friday that he is plowing ahead with the potential sanctions, which could affect US allies in Asia and Europe, as part of a deepening campaign to starve Iran of money for its disputed nuclear program. The US and allies believe that Iran is pursuing a nuclear bomb; Iran denies that.

China is one of the biggest importers of Iranian oil, and its Foreign Ministry reiterated its opposition to the US moves. “The Chinese side always opposes one country unilaterally imposing sanctions against another according to domestic law. Furthermore it does not accept the unilateral imposition of those sanctions on a third country,” the ministry said in a brief statement Saturday.

Beyond the rhetoric, Beijing has taken a twopronged approach to the US demands, insisting that China has the right to import oil from Iran or any other country while quietly reducing imports of Iranian oil.

Though the government has not explained the reductions, oil traders and industry executives have said it may stem more from a pricing dispute with Iran than as a response to US pressure.

Behind the scenes, Washington has repeatedly encouraged Beijing to seek supplies elsewhere, and Saudi Arabia offered to fill a shortfall when Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao visited Gulf countries early this year. The looming US sanctions aim to further isolate Iran’s central bank, which processes nearly all of the Iran’s oil purchases, from the global economy. Obama’s move clears the way for the US to penalize foreign financial institutions that do oil business with Iran by barring them from having a US-based affiliate or doing business here.

Obama’s goal is to tighten the pressure on Iran, not allies, and already the administration has exempted 10 European Union countries and Japan from the threat of sanctions because they cut their oil purchases from Iran. Other nations have about three months to significantly reduce such imports before sanctions would kick in. The main importers of Iranian oil that have not received exemptions from the US are China, India, Turkey, South Africa and South Korea. The administration would be loath to hit a close friend like South Korea or India, or a NATO ally like Turkey, with sanctions, and is working with those countries to reduce their imports.

Foreign Ministry officials in South Korea said Saturday that they expect to reach an agreement with Washington by late June on reducing oil imports from Iran. The officials declined to be named because discussions were still under way. — AP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

BUSINESS

NBAD’s Sarkar to rejoin Dubai lender ENBD DUBAI: Suvo Sarkar, a veteran regional banker, will return to Emirates NBD as head of its retail group after leaving Dubai’s largest bank two years ago to join National Bank of Abu Dhabi, three sources said yesterday.

Sarkar, a senior banker in the region with more than two decades of experience, will become group head of retail banking at ENBD, one of the sources said speaking on condition of

anonymity as the matter has not been made public. Sarkar was most recently general manager for consumer and elite banking at Abu Dhabi-based NBAD, the country’s largest bank by market value. Spokesmen at ENBD and NBAD declined to comment. Sarkar became retail banking head at ENBD in 2007 after the merger. He was influential in integrating the retail businesses of the two entities. “Suvo’s comeback

will be positive for the retail business,” one banking source said. “ENBD is also approaching a few other senior bankers who left the bank. There has been a lot of changes recently and I wouldn’t be surprised if more people follow Suvo’s path.”

Last month, ENBD said it will merge the management teams of its two Islamic subsidiaries and appointed Jamal bin Ghalaita, who headed of one

of the Islamic units, to lead the unified business.

ENBD, created in a 2007 merger between Emirates International Bank and National Bank of Dubai at the behest of Dubai’s ruler, has seen its earnings hit by its exposure to statelinked firms in the emirate. The bank plans to lay off up to 15 percent of its workforce, sources told Reuters in March. ENBD, which is 55.6 percent

state-owned through the Investment Corporation of Dubai, was ordered by Dubai’s ruler in October to take over loss-making Dubai Bank, which had been rescued by the emirate’s government earlier in 2011.

Last year, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman of Emirates airlines and uncle to Dubai’s ruler, was been appointed chairman of the bank. — Reuters

Morocco’s Islamist rulers face harsh economic times Rising prices, slowing growth, severe drought hit growth RABAT: Morocco’s new moderate Islamist government is facing dire economic times, caught between rising prices, slowing growth, and a harsh drought that has badly affected farming.

The nation’s 33 million people also face high unemployment, a problem that has fanned social unrest, such as recent rioting in the northeastern town of Taza. The Bank of Morocco last week lowered its estimate for growth this year to 3.0 percent, compared to 4.8 percent for 2011.

“This growth rate is the result of the international economic situation and the slowdown among partner countries, including in the European Union,” Finance Minister Nizar Baraka said for his part.

He went on to warn that the country’s budget would have to be revised. France and Spain, whose economies are stagnating amid a spiraling debt crisis in the euro-zone, are Morocco’s two main trade partners. Attracting foreign investment is also proving a challenge with both the EU and Gulf countries reducing exposure because of global economic uncertainty.

Morocco’s public deficit last year reached 6.0 percent of gross domestic product, a record brought on in part by growing subsidies, notably on food, as the government sought to

defuse a growing protest movement inspired by the Arab Spring. A new government, headed by moderate Islamists, took over late last year, but it too is now struggling in the face of financial woes. “The government has been caught out by the size of the problem. Its euphoric (electoral) campaign gave rise to widespread expectations.

Now, they have to pay the price,” economist Driss Benali told AFP. The government is finding it has little room for maneuver. The rise in oil prices has severely hit the country ’s trade balance which in February was 3.0 billion euros ($4.0 billion) in the red, a figure nearly 30 percent worse than that registered in February 2011.

And the import of cereals could more than double this year compared to last because of a bad drought that has hit farming, according to a recent government report. Morocco might have to import more wheat in 2012-13 than ever before in half a century, the US Department of Agriculture said on March 20. Wheat imports of 3.2 million tons in 2011-12 could rise to 5.0 million tons over the coming year.

Agriculture accounts for about 17 percent of Morocco’s gross domestic product, and employs nearly 40 percent the population, according to

official statistics. To dampen growing protests last year, the state nearly doubled its spending on subsidies with these accounting now for nearly 20 percent of the government’s budget.

And the drought has led to higher food prices, with oil prices expected soon to follow suit.

Morocco has no oil, but is the world’s main phosphate producer. Tourism and money transfers from Moroccans abroad account for the two other high foreign currency earners. In a bid to boost the economy, the central bank has just announced an 0.25 point drop in its base rate to 3.0 percent.

“The government has boosted expectations by buying social peace with some subsidies here, some pay increases there, and some broken promises. The cost is high,” Benali said.

“It’s an economic cycle crisis. While waiting for it to ease, the government must do more to fight corruption and the rentier economy,” he added. Morocco came in a lowly 85th place in Transparency International’s annual global ranking of corruption in 2010, behind China, Brazil and Saudi Arabia. Justice Minister Mustafa Ramid said this week that more than 4,000 cases of corruption came before Morocco’s courts last year. — AFP

After grad job slump, big hiring is back at US colleges NEW YORK: Sean Chua expected the hunt for his first job after college to be tough. After all, he watched his brother struggle to find a position when he graduated back in 2008. But his fears were unwarranted. The 21-year-old justice major at American University sent out only seven resumes before getting an offer earlier this month from IBM for an IT consulting job, making him a beneficiary of a turnaround in the labor market for US graduates.

“My mom’s first position was with IBM so she is particularly proud,” says Chua. Hiring is back in a big way on many college campuses, one of several signs a recovery in the US jobs market is gaining traction. After four years during which many students graduated to find no job and had only their loans to show for their studies, most college campuses are teeming with companies eager to hire. A survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found 2012 hiring is expected to climb 10.2 percent, above a previous estimate of 9.5 percent.

Companies such as General Electric, Amazon, Apple and

Barclays Global are looking for new staff, even if some firms remain below the pre-recession levels of new hiring. In another sign of the recovery, some first-time job seekers are receiving multiple offers. At University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, the career service office has seen up to now a 7.4 percent increase in the number of interviews of students by potential employers from last year and the number of companies seeking to recruit for full-time jobs is up 9.2 percent. Undergraduate business majors reporting full-time job offers is up about 10 percent.

Career experts at a dozen of US schools said they have seen an increase of 15 to 30 percent in the number of companies attending campus career fairs. At University of Florida, the fall career fair garnered 15 percent more companies in attendance than in 2010. And 150 companies asked to conduct interviews versus about 100 in recent years, said Ja’Net Glover, associate director of employer relations at the school.

The increase in demand was so significant that it was the first time in years the school had to use both the first and second floors of the

school’s basketball facility for interviews.

“It’s kind of like a no-brainer,” says Kathy Sims. Director of Career Services at UCLA. “The economy is better and the college recruitment market is improving.”

While the US jobless rate fell to 8.3 percent in February, unemployment among college graduates over the age of 25 stood at 4.2 percent. Historically, their jobless rate is half that of Americans with only a high school education.

Over the recession, unemployment among graduates climbed as high as 5 percent, sparking protests over the rising tuition cost of some US colleges. US unemployment data for March, due for release on April 6, is expected to show a total of just over 200,000 jobs were created in the month, keeping the overall unemployment rate at 8.3 percent.

College graduates’ earnings are also on the rebound. NACE says the median wage for first-time job seekers after college for 2012 is up 4.5 percent higher than a year ago to $42,569.

That initial pay level can resonate over the span of a career.

Several studies show that the life-

time earnings for workers who enter the labor force at time of economic recession are lower than lifetime earnings of those who are hired amid an economic recovery.

Given the tepid recovery of the economy, some caution is required. In 2008, many college graduates who had already accepted job offers were later away. After the run of lean years, many graduates are stuck in low-paying jobs and professions that never intended to follow, meaning there could be a backlog of well-educated workers who need to get their careers on track as well as new graduates. However, with a wide range of employers-from automakers to investment banks-back on campus offering internships and full-time jobs, and not just to engineering, computer science and math majors, the outlook for the Class of 2012 looks rosy.

General Electric wants to hire 5,000 interns this year, up from its usual 3,000 to 4,000. Since 70 percent of its full-time hires come from the interns pool, Steve Canale, head of global recruiting, said that uptick will also translate into more full-time jobs after graduation. —Reuters

JAKARTA: Indonesian workers pulling down a fence on a highway during a protest against the government’s plan to hike the price of fuel, in Jakarta. Weeks of protests across Indonesia have thwarted a government plan for an immediate fuel price hike, the latest failure of an Asian administration to wean its country off costly subsidies. — AFP

Indonesia’s parliament blocks fuel prices hike JAKARTA: Indonesia’s parliament voted to block the government’s plan to raise fuel prices by more than 30 percent this weekend, but it allowed for a future price hike under certain conditions.

The government was set to raise the price of gasoline from around 50 cents to 65 cents per liter yesterday. It says it has no choice but to cut budget-busting fuel subsidies, which have for years enabled motorists to fill up for roughly $2 per gallon. The 550-seat house voted early Saturday to allow a price hike only if the average price of Indonesian crude in six months soars 15 percent above $105 per barrel, to $120.75 per barrel. The average price of Indonesian crude is now $116.49 per barrel.

In a plenary session marred by interruptions, heated debates and walkouts, 356 legislators voted to approve the conditional price hike, while 82 rejected it. Led by the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of

Struggle, 93 lawmakers who reject any price hike at all stormed out as the vote was under way.

The vote came amid massive street protests in major cities against the plan, and more than 2,000 policemen and hundreds of soldiers guarded the parliament complex. Earlier, outside the complex, police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse thousands of students and workers who had blocked access to a main toll road and torn down the fences near the main gate of the complex.

Elsewhere, more than 80,000 people from 92 organizations staged rallies Friday across the country, rejecting the price hike.

With global oil prices surging, most Indonesians realize the government has little choice. But that hasn’t stopped thousands in a nation of 240 million, many of whom live in abject poverty, from taking to the streets every day for the last several weeks. — AP

Iraq March oil exports hit highest level since 2003 BAGHDAD: Iraq’s crude oil exports rose to their highest level since 2003 in March, at 2.317 million barrels per day (bpd) from 2.014 million bpd in February thanks to a new offshore export terminal, the State Oil Marketing Organization said yesterday.

Revenue from the exports totalled $8.4 billion, with each barrel of oil priced at $118, SOMO chief Falah Alamri said. Iraq opened a new offshore floating oil export terminal in the Gulf earlier this month, marking a major increase in the country’s export capacity.

“This is the highest (export) figure that Iraq has managed to achieve after 2003,”

Falah Alamri told Reuters. “The floating terminal will help us to increase oil exports for this month and next month.”

The second of four new single-point mooring (SPM) terminals is expected to come on line in April. A shipper in the south said the fourth ship had been loaded with 2 million barrels at the terminal on Saturday and was due to leave yesterday.

Alamri said Iraq shipped 1.917 million bpd from the southern oil hub of Basra in March versus 1.639 million bpd in Februar y.

Shipments from the northern fields around Kirkuk were about 400,000 bpd, up from 375,000 bpd in February, he said. - Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2730000 .4410000 .3670000 .3050000 .2750000 .2850000 .0040000 .0020000 .0752140 .7327900 .3830000 .0710000 .7183680 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2770500 GB Pound/KD .4436120 Euro .3696820 Swiss francs .3070490 Canadian dollars .2776330 Danish Kroner .0496840 Swedish Kroner .0418940 Australian dlr .2866080 Hong Kong dlr .0356750 Singapore dlr .2202660 Japanese yen .0033450 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0755000 Bahraini dinars .7351730 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0739000 Omani riyals .7198910 Philippine Peso .0000000

.2805000 .4500000 .3750000 .3140000 .2850000 .2980000 .0070000 .0035000 .0759700 .7401550 .4000000 .0760000 .7255880 .0072000 .0500000 .2791500 .4469750 .3724840 .3093760 .2797370 .0500610 .0422120 .2887810 .0359460 .2219350 .0033700 .0055200 .0021840 .0030940 .0034270 .0760320 .7407460 .3948370 .0744600 .7253480 .0065560

US Dollar Pak Rupees

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

278.200 3.069

Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

5.465 2.180 3.404 6.520 75.850 74.345 739.600 46.035 451.000 3.190 1.550 376.900 284.300 3.510

Rate for Transfer

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

278.050 373.300 444.800 281.000 3.395 5.458 46.060 2.180 3.400 6.465 3.070 740.450 75.750 74.250

UAE Exchange Centre WLL COUNTRY

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka

5.469 2.171 3.412 3.072 75.75 740.53 46.08 396.07 723.54 76.77 74.34

5.700 2.600 4.000 3.195 76.30 740.05 47.45 394.50 725.00 77.15 74.85

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

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

Selling Rate

279.050 282.725 443.005 367.850 304.965 738.960 76.950 76.595 74.375 392.800 46.252 2.226 5.556 3.081 3.412 6.502 684.499 4.340 9.165 5.875 3.555 92.335

SELL DRAFT SELL CASH

293.80 283.68 313.10 374.46 448.56 3.46 3.399

297.00 285.00 312.00 374.00 447.00 3.70 3.650

Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

282.500 546.600 45.400 51.000 167.800 47.410 375.300 36.550 5.740 0.032 0.159 0.238 3.460 394.410 0.188 92.770 45.700 4.280 231.500 1.803 50.100 723.090 3.140 6.820 77.990 74.310 222.310 38.670 2.652 449.300 43.100 311.800 4.200 9.410 198.263 75.880 278.700 1.340

10 Tola

GOLD 1,742.150

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka

SELL CASH

291.700 740.140 3.660

SELL DRAFT

290.200 740.140 3.398

Sterling Pound US Dollar

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 447.300 278.300

281.000

222.800 46.062 373.800 36.400 5.465 0.031

394.360 0.187 92.770 3.440 230.000 722.710 3.074 6.495 76.560 74.310 222.810 38.670 2.170 447.300 310.300 4.200 9.220 75.780 278.300

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

business Commodity Update

Q1 winners and losers

US economic data still beating counterparts

By Ole S Hansen

A

s the first quarter of 2012 comes to a close, we take a look at the winners and losers during the first three months. It was a quarter that was driven by geopolitical risk, sovereign debt worries and contradicting signs on the economic progress of different regions. While the US stock market roared ahead- regaining pre-Lehman levels in the process - Europe was left in the doldrums and Asian economies began to worry about the implications of an increasingly visible Chinese slowdown.

The two major commodity indices showed generally weak returns as performance began to suffer during March. That’s when it became apparent that China, which represents more than 40 percent of global consumption and more than 50 percent of global consumption growth, was slowing down.

The S&P GSCI returned1.7 percent primarily due to its 68.4 percent exposure to the energy sector excluding natural gas - while the broad-based DJUBS index lost 2.9 percent due to an overall poorer performance in agriculture and a combined 11 percent exposure to the two biggest losers, coffee and natural gas.

Speculators The general selling of commodities towards the back end of 2011 had left hedge funds and other speculative traders with much reduced positioning entering into 2012. As geo-political tensions rose and sovereign debt worries eased and drought hit key agricultural areas they began rebuilding long positions almost doubling exposure during the quarter thereby helping to move prices along. As seen below out of the ten biggest speculative positions half relates to the energy sector while the biggest mover among the rest has been soybeans. Gasoline rose by more than one quarter, supported by rising crude oil prices and reduced refinery capacity in the north eastern US, as they were not able to pass on the higher costs for crude oil onto gasoline consumers. The price of retail gasoline has nevertheless risen by 20 percent during the quarter and is currently getting close to the psychological $4 per gallon mark. With the price expected to rise further as we approach the summer and peak driving season demand, this could become a very hot topic, considering the US election is now only months away and for President Obama this could prove a big obstacle for being re-elected.

Natural gas meanwhile scraped the bottom, losing 29 percent and reaching the lowest level in more than ten years as the shale gas revolution continued to add supplies into a system where demand has been sluggish due to above-normal winter temperatures. Crude oil prices on either side of the Atlantic saw a big difference in performance as WTI crude underperformed Brent crude by nearly ten percent, which resulted in the spread between the two widening to a near record of $20. The reasons behind the poor performance of WTI are well known, and with dwindling global production and supply outages among major and minor producing countries, the true cost of oil is currently best reflected in that of Brent.

Brent crude remains stuck around $125 per barrel, with continued talks about the potential release of strategic petroleum reserves and soothing words from Saudi Arabia having only a limited impact on prices. Higher prices, meanwhile, carry the risk of slowing global demand, as consumers will begin to reduce spending. This has so far kept prices from rising further, despite continued focus on Iran and its diminishing levels of export.

Industrial metals rose strongly at the beginning of the year, due to expectations for strong demand combined with supply problems triggered by labor disputes and adverse weather. The recession in Europe and the lowering of growth projections in China stopped further advances, and sideways trading has been seen for the past few months.

Copper nevertheless managed to return a respectable 11.3 percent while the London metal index returned 7.3 percent.

Gold and silver both headed for a quarterly advance, the first in a year for silver, which finished strongly in the top three. This week gold once again jumped on the hopes for additional US stimulus, almost reaching 1,700 before sellers once again took it lower. Following a strong start to 2012, gold has been hit by several rounds of risk reduction by hedge funds as they have looked elsewhere for better opportunities. Investments through exchange traded products remain resilient, although some reduction has also been seen during March. Technically gold is trading just above important support at 1,639, which is the 55 week moving average line. This line has only been broken on a few occasions over the past ten years, and a weekly close below could signal further losses although - as the below chart also shows -every time a break has happened the price has relatively quickly managed to recover and move higher.

Corrections Corn and wheat suffered big losses this week ahead of two important reports from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) which would shed some light on quarterly stock levels and farmers planting intentions for the coming season.

The ability of the USDA to wrong foot the market probably caused much of this risk reduction, with fund managers worried that projections would prove incorrect as has been seen on numerous occasions this past 12 months. Recent mild weather has also caused some confusion as to what crop farmers would plant. Soybeans are very attractive due to high prices, but as they are planted later, farmers could be tempted to get going early which would benefit corn

NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: In the absence of major events on the financial scene and no substantial surprises on the economic front, markets overall were relatively calm and did not witness any excessive volatility.

Data in the US is still coming out better than expected and healthier than in other regions, which dictated a positive risk sentiment throughout the week.

FX markets in particular had a somewhat quiet performance, with no considerable swings in the performance of major currencies. In general, the optimistic feeling weakened the US Dollar slightly against major counterparts, which shows in the performance of the Dollar Index. The Index started the week at 79.35 and closed vaguely lower at 79.00. The euro had a positive stance but with weak momentum, not being able to break substantially higher against the greenback. After opening at 1.3270, the single currency reached a high of 1.3385 and tried to break it several times but with no success, before ending session at 1.3345. The Sterling Pound had a somewhat stronger momentum, rising from a low of 1.5800 touched on Monday to 1.6035 on Friday morning, a level not seen since November 2011. The Pound closed on Friday at 1.6010. The Swiss Franc followed suit with the euro, strengthening against the greenback from an opening level of 0.9080 to 0.9010, and closed at 0.9025. The USD was also weaker against the Japanese Yen, dropping from a high of 83.40 to a low of 81.80 on Friday, before closing at 82.85.

US economy The economy in the US grew at a 3.0% annual rate in the last three months of 2011, as previously estimated, while corporate profits climbed at the slowest pace in three years, raising the risk that business investment and hiring will cool. The increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was the biggest in more than a year and followed a 1.8% gain in

the prior period. While the report showed business spending on new equipment and software climbed more the previously estimated, figures this month indicate outlays are slowing following the expiration of a government tax credit. Consumers may be poised to take a leading role in the expansion as the biggest increase in employment since 2006 gives households the confidence and means to spend.

Pending home sales The number of Americans signing contracts to buy previously owned homes held in February

near an almost two-year high, a sign that the real estate market may be stabilizing. The index of pending home purchases fell only by 0.5% to 96.5, after a 2% increase the prior month. In fact, January’s reading of 97 was the highest since April 2010.

Residential real estate is recovering even amid the threat of more foreclosures, which are weighing on property values. A pickup in hiring, growing incomes, and mortgage rates near a record low are making houses more affordable, driving demand higher.

Unemployment Claims Fall to Four-Year Low & Improving Job Market Bolsters Confidence Claims for unemployment ben-

efits fell to the lowest since April 2008 and consumer confidence reached the second-highest level in four years, indicating the labormarket recovery is helping sustain demand.

Applications for jobless insurance dropped by 5,000 last week to 359,000, slightly higher than the forecasted figure, and lower than last week’s reading. Jobless claims have been below the 400K level since last October, showing that the labor market could be improving in the US. An improving job market boosted consumers’ confidence to the highest level since

economists. The figure adds to evidence that the European economy may struggle to gather strength as budget cuts and rising oil prices erode consumer spending and company investment.

Economic confidence in the euro region unexpectedly declined in March, signaling that the economy may struggle to regain strength in the first quarter of 2012. The index of executive and consumer sentiment in the 17-nation euro area fell from a revised 94.5 to 94.4 in February. It is not surprising to have falling economic sentiment in the eurozone, given the current sovereign

February 2011, as a growing number of Americans said that they planned to buy cars, homes and appliances. The University of Michigan consumer confidence index came at 76.2 this month, exceeding market expectations, and slightly higher than last month’s 75.3 revised reading.

debt crisis in Greece, and the potential contagion that could hit Spain and Portugal next.

German unemployment fell more than forecast in March, adding to evidence growth in Europe’s biggest economy is gaining traction as the debt crisis recedes. The number of people out of work fell a seasonally adjusted 18,000 to 2.84 million, official figures showed last week, better than the expected 10,000 drop. The adjusted jobless rate slipped to 6.7%, a two-decade low. Falling joblessness underscores Germany’s resilience in the face of the debt crisis that Chancellor Angela Merkel says may have peaked.

Business confidence in

EU inflation slows Inflation in the euro-zone slowed less than economists expected in March as rising energy costs countered the effects of cooling economic growth. The inflation rate in the 17-nation euro region fell to 2.6% from 2.7% in February. While that is the lowest rate since August, it was above the 2.5% reading forecast by

Germany unexpectedly rose to an eight-month high in March, suggesting that Europe’s largest economy will return to growth even as the sovereign debt crisis curbs Euro-area demand for its exports. The IFO business climate index, based on a survey of 7,000 executives, increased from 109.7 in February to 109.8 this month, and higher than market expectations.

The UK economy shrank more than previously estimated in the fourth quarter of 2011 as services companies from airlines to banks cut output and firms scaled back investment, amid concerns about the neighboring Euro -region debt crisis. The gross domestic product fell 0.3% from the third quarter, compared with a previously estimated 0.2% drop.

UK house prices fell the most in two years and mor tgage approvals dropped to an eightmonth low as economic uncertainty hurt demand for property and banks tightened lending conditions. Home values dropped 1% in March, the biggest decline since February 2010. The housing market may face further pressure as job cuts undermine consumer confidence, and a central bank survey published last week showed banks expect mortgage availability to decline “slightly” in the second quarter.

Japan jobless rate Japan’s national average unemployment rate fell to 4.5% in February from 4.6% in January, thanks to the first net job creation in three months and a fall in job cuts, data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed last week. The availability of jobs, measured as a ratio of job offers per job seeker, climbed to 0.75 in February from 0.73 in the previous month.

Kuwait Kuwaiti dinar at 0.27760 The USDKWD opened at 0.27760 on Sunday morning.

Markets wait for next ECB move

PHNOM PENH: Armed Cambodian soldiers stand guard along a road leading to the Convention Center, the venue for the ASEAN Summit, in Phnom Penh yesterday. Cambodia is hosting the 20th ASEAN Summit for April 3-4, 2012. — AP

China manufacturing at year high, fears persist SHANGHAI: China’s manufacturing activity rose to the highest level in a year in March, official data showed yesterday, but analysts tempered enthusiasm, saying the world’s second largest economy was still slowing. The official purchasing managers index (PMI) rose to 53.1 from 51 in February, helped by an increase in new orders, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said in a statement.

It marked the fourth consecutive month of expansion for manufacturing activity. A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 suggests contraction.

The latest figure approached a level not seen since March last year, when PMI reached 53.4, previous data showed. The number also beat an average forecast by analysts of 50.5, according to Dow Jones Newswires. “PMI tends to pick up in March every year... so it is important not to view this as a sign of outand-out strength,” Alistair Thornton, economist for IHS Global Insight in Beijing, said in a research note.

“At the very least, things are not getting worse,” he added. China’s economy is widely expected to slow this year as woes in key export markets such as Europe and the United States hit its overseas sales. The government last month set a target of 7.5 percent economic growth this year. China’s econ-

omy grew 9.2 percent last year and 10.4 percent in 2010.

Some expect China’s economy to have bottomed out in the first quarter, but others say recovery might be delayed until the second quarter. “Future economic growth will still experience a slowdown,” Zhang Liqun, a researcher at government think-tank the Development Research Centre, was quoted as saying in the official PMI statement issued by the industry group.

Analysts said manufacturing activity typically picks up in March with the arrival of spring and following an annual meeting of lawmakers during the month, which sets economic policy for the coming year. “The government’s PMI may have been affected by seasonal factors, so the reality may not be as good,” Zhang Zhiwei, chief China economist for Nomura Securities, told AFP. A separate reading of PMI also released Sunday by British banking giant HSBC showed a less optimistic picture than the official figure. HSBC’s PMI fell to 48.3 in March from 49.6 in February, marking the fifth month manufacturing activity has remained in contraction, the bank said in a statement.

“PMI results confirm a further slowdown of growth momentum,” HSBC’s chief economist for China, Qu Hongbin, said in the statement.—AFP

FRANKFURT: Financial markets are waiting to see whether the European Central Bank is ready to step up action to end the debt crisis after a recent series of unprecedented measures, analysts said. The ECB’s governing council convenes for its regular monthly policy-setting meeting on Wednesday, a day earlier than normal owing to the Easter holidays. It is not expected to announce any changes in interest rates-currently on hold at the historically low level of 1.0 percent.

But ECB watchers are keen to hear whether president Mario Draghi has any further cards up his sleeve to bring the long-running sovereign debt crisis to an end, or whether the bank is now drawing up a so-called “exit strategy” to wind down the raft of recent exceptional policy measures.

The ECB was quick to take on a fire-fighting role from the very beginning of the crisis.

It quickly reversed last year’s rate hikes to bring euro-zone borrowing costs back down to an all-time low of 1.0 percent and embarked on a hotly contested program of buying up the bonds of debt-mired countries.

Most recently, in two so-called long-term refinancing operations (LTROs) in December and February, it pumped more than 1.0 trillion euros ($1.3 trillion) into the banking system in a bid to avert a dangerous credit squeeze in the 17 countries that share the euro. In the wake of such hectic action, analysts believe the ECB will now hold its fire as it assesses what effects the moves are having so far.

Indeed, some officials already seem to be talking about an exit strategy.

Last week, executive board member Benoit Coeure insisted that “a timely exit from nonstandard measures and a return to a less accommodative stance-once the economic conditions are ripe-are essential.” Low interest rates over long periods “might fuel excessive risk-taking, leverage and asset price bubbles ... (and) might discourage banks, companies and governments from strengthening their balance sheets and therefore create a dependence on low rates,” Coeure argued.

ECB watchers, however, believe it is too early for the central bank to consider hanging up its fire-fighting helmet at this point.

Draghi “won’t entirely rule out further action to support the region’s banks should the dangers of a funding crisis” resurface, said Capital Economics’ chief European economist Jonathan Loynes. “But he may hint that the ECB is nearing the limit of what it is prepared to do and may soon start to think about how to exit some of its policy measures,” he said.

Loynes predicted the ECB would not cut interest rates again “in the current cycle and with the full effects of the first two LTROs not yet

clear, it is too early to expect the ECB to announce further such operations this month.” ECB officials insist the LTROs in particular have been a success but central bankers and analysts agree they will not be enough to solve the euro-zone’s crippling debt crisis on their own. “We must realize that all the money we put on the table will not buy us a lasting solution to the crisis,” said ECB governing

COPENHAGEN: European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, takes his seat during the informal EU-meeting for EU Finance Ministers in Copenhagen, Denmark Friday.— AP council member and Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann. “All we can buy is time, time that must be used to address the root causes of the crisis,” he said. The initial euphoria triggered by the LTROs does indeed appear to be waning.

Contrary to the ECB’s hopes, banks are not yet lending the cheap money on to households and businesses, key data showed last week. Christian Schulz at Berenberg Bank said that while the LTROs “may have averted the tail risk of euro-area banks collapsing due to liquidity shortages and stopped the spread of contagion on sovereign bond markets ... they do not yet seem to have the desired effect on lending to the real economy.”

Overall, “it seems unlikely that the ECB’s April meeting will result in any significant policy announcements or changes,” concluded Loynes at Capital Economics. — AFP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

business

KSE in negative territory as earnings fears grow GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended on negative note yesterday as Zain distributed 65 percent cash dividends for its shareholders. The scrip traded ex-dividend at the beginning of the day and closed down by 2.47 percent at KD0.790 compared with the reference price. Despite Zain’s distribution, the Kuwait’s bourse ends near-flat, slipping 0.01 percent to 6,167 points to an 18-day low. Investors are concerned over delays in companies posting fourth-quarter earnings, with many expecting disappointing numbers.

The Global General Index down by 3.06 points (or 1.67 percent) and closed at 180.13 points. The market benchmark, KSE Price Index closed almost unchanged at 6,184.1 points.

Trading activity slowed down on the KSE yesterday. Volume of shares traded was down 11.44 percent, reaching 242.32mn shares. Subsequently, value of shares exchanged on the KSE declined by 32.69 percent, reaching KD18.16mn.

The services sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 41.68 percent of total shares. The same sector was the value leader, with 36.04 percent of total traded value.

Abyaar Real Estate Development Co was the most active in terms of values of shares traded during the session, with 46.64mn shares exchanged at an aggregate value of KD2.06mn. The scrip ended the day up by 4.6 percent at KD0.0475.

In terms of top gainers, AlMowasat Healthcare Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 23.08 percent. On the

other side, Al Safwa Holding Group was the biggest loser, as its share price fell by 12.5 percent to close at KD0.0175 Sector-wise In terms of sectors performance, four sectors ended the day on a negative note. Services sector witnessed the biggest loss for the day as its index plunged by 4.52 percent.

Among the sector ’s losers were: Sultan Center Food Products Co (-8.33 percent) and

Gulf Franchising Company (10.42 percent). On the same sector front, Zain will begin paying cash dividend of 65 percent (65fils per share) as of Monday, April 09, 2012, via Kuwait Clearing Company (KCC ).

Shareholders of record on the general meeting date on March 29 are entitled to this dividend.

Banking sector followed shedding 1.23 as National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and Boubyan Bank shed 1.85 percent each. On the other hand, Real Estate sector

was the prominent gainer yesterday adding 0.47 percent. Ten out of 38 real estate companies recorded a gain in their share prices. Salhia Real Estate Company closed up by 4.42 percent at KD0.236.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of 12e crudes stood at $121.57pb on Thursday, compared with $122.25pb the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

North Sea oil exploration hit by tough access, high cost ABERDEEN, UK: The North Sea has some way to go before running out of oil but faced with falling output, unlocking new reserves is proving technologically complex and expensive, according to experts.

“There are clouds on the horizon but the outlook is bright,” said Nils Helge Sorgard, head of business development at oil and gas group Wintershall Norge AS, at a recent energy industry conference in Aberdeen, northeast Scotland. Around 100 professionals last week converged on the port city, whose economy is inextricably linked to the North Sea energy industry, to assess the future of oil exploration in the waters between Scotland and Norway.

As energy experts got down to business there was a reminder of the dangers faced by the industry, as 150 miles (240 kilometers) from Aberdeen, gas leaking from a North Sea platform forced the evacuation of more than 300 workers. French oil giant Total, which operates the stricken Elgin platform, said the leak was the most serious problem it had faced in the North Sea in a decade.

At the Oil & Gas Outlook North Sea 2012 conference, experts assessed the industry’s outlook against a backdrop of data highlighting a decline in the amount of crude brought to the surface.

Britain’s North Sea oil and gas production slumped 54 percent in the decade to 2010, while the British government estimates that it will collapse by a further 60 percent by 2030.

Norway’s output dropped 5.0 percent between 2000 and 2010. The government estimates that the area of the North Sea owned by Britain holds

roughly 7.8 billion barrels of extractable oil and 4.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe), or gas, that can be brought to the surface.

That is the equivalent to 15 years at current production rates. Norway’s government meanwhile estimates that there are still 40 billion boe that can be extracted from its North Sea waters. But none of this ‘black gold’ is easy to grab.

“The easy oil is over and now we have to exploit much (more) difficult oil here is the challenge,” said Tim Davies, Premier Oil’s exploration manager, North Sea. “We have to push the play deeper and beyond the known extent,” he told AFP. To the north of Britain and west of the Shetland Islands, a series of gas fields pose “quite significant” exploration challenges, according to Garry Dempster, commercial & business development manager at DONG Energy UK. We are talking about “very deep waters and it’s the harshest environment in the UK, with extreme waves and high winds. The development costs and technical risks are high.”

Dempster said that the LagganTormore project-a joint venture with Total required an investment of £2.5 billion (3.0 billion euros, $4.0 billion), including a contribution of £500 million from DONG Energy UK. But exploration in such remote areas is not vital, according to Premier Oil’s Davies. “Even in areas largely explored in the past, we think there are still resources to be found,” he said.

“The challenge will be to keep the existing infrastructures alive to maximize the volume in mature fields ... and continue exploration. It’s not an easy game.” — AFP

Dinar stable vs dollar KUWAIT: Exchange rate of the US dollar against the Kuwaiti dinar stabilized, standing at KD 0.277, the euro also stood at KD 0. 370, compared to Thursday’s figures, said the daily bulletin of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) yesterday.

Exchange rate of the Sterling pound increased to record KD 0.444, and the Japanese yen also remained unchanged, at KD 0.003.

Meanwhile, the Swiss franc slightly went up to KD 0.307. — KUNA

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

business

In Canada, the penny’s about to drop into history TORONTO: They clutter your dresser and cost too much to make. They’re a nuisance and have outlived their purpose. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was talking about the Canadian penny and why the Royal Canadian Mint will end its production this fall as part of his austerity budget.

“The penny is a currency without any currency in Canada, and it costs us 1.5 cents to produce a penny,” Flaherty told reporters. Responses Friday were mixed, with some Canadians saying it would make life easier, while others worried it would become an opening for sneaky price hikes.

David Berman, a blogger at the Toronto Globe and Mail, took issue with Flaherty calling the penny a nuisance. “For a government that has been warning Canadians against piling on too much debt, it seems like a contradiction to then denigrate the one-cent coin - hey, it’s still money - as nothing more than a waste of space. It isn’t.”

Flaherty said a Canadian senate committee held hearings on the penny last year and not one witness came forward to say it should be spared. A government statement said New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Sweden and others “have made smooth transitions to a penny-free economy.” It said penny production cost $11 million a year, and

that the coins, which feature two maple leaves and Queen Elizabeth II in profile, would remain legal tender until they eventually disappeared from circulation.

It said it expected businesses to round out the numbers on price tags where necessary. “Our members are not opposed to the proposal as long as the proposed system of rounding is adequately explained to Canadians.

That’s the sweet spot. We’ve got to make sure people understand what’s going on,” said Sally Ritchie of Retail Council of Canada. Ralph Moyal, President of the Retail Merchants’ Association, said dropping the penny might speed up transactions.

“Pennies are unnecessary and no longer have any function,” Moyal said.

“I haven’t heard any complaints from our retailers.”

In Toronto, Mary Pascale, who coowns a gourmet food shop, agreed the penny was a nuisance and said she already rounds out prices to the nearest 5 cents. Otherwise “it takes time to count all the change.” Theo Danilov, a web developer, said: “I am happy about having less change in my pockets.” But he had qualms about the rounding up, saying: “It’s another way for merchants to nickel and dime their customers.”

Brian Grant Duff, a Vancouver coin collector and dealer, said he’ll mourn

the penny but acknowledged there’s very little use for it. “It’s sad for collectors and history buffs. It makes you

feel too good about handing a penny to a homeless person.”

As for the US, however, he said: “It’s

OTTAWA: Pennies are shown in Ottawa. The humble one-cent piece is set to disappear from Canadian pockets, a victim of inflation. Federal budget said the Royal Canadian Mint will strike the last of the little coins this fall.

Responses Friday were mixed, with some Canadians saying it would make life easier, while others worried it would become an opening for sneaky price hikes. —AP think of all those expressions - a penny hard for me to imagine the Americans for your thoughts or having a lucky saying, ‘That’s it, we’re getting rid of penny,” he said. “I was born in the mid the penny. It’s got Lincoln’s head on ‘60’s, so even in my lifetime there has- it.’”

The US Treasury Department cited a n’t been a lot you can buy with a penny. And now if you walk down the statement from Treasurer Rosie Rios street most people would be too from earlier this year when asked ashamed to pick up a penny or would- about the Canadian decision. She said n’t bother, and they probably wouldn’t the Obama administration has looked

at possibly using cheaper materials to make the penny, which is now made of zinc.

That’s quite a difference from when candidate Barack Obama was campaigning to become president. “We have been trying to eliminate the penny for quite some time - it always comes back,” Obama said at the time. “I need to find out who is lobbying to keep the penny.”

Two separate bills calling for the demise of the penny, introduced in 2002 and 2006 by Republican congressman Jim Kolbe, failed to advance in the US House of Representatives.

The American zinc lobby has been a major opponent to suggestions that the penny be eliminated. Another advocacy group called Americans for Common Cents passionately defends the tiny coin.

“Eliminating the penny is a losing proposition because it will result in rounding to the nearest nickel and higher prices for America’s working families,” a statement on the group’s website reads.

“This increased cost to consumers will be felt in everything from the grocery store to the gas pump. Pennies add up to millions of dollars every year for charities across the country. Simply put, the penny plays an important role in our everyday lives and in our nation’s economy.” — AP

Falling exports to EU hit S Korea trade surplus Slowing sales to China affect trade

ANCHORAGE: Alaska Gov Sean Parnell (left) and Natural Resources Commissioner Dan Sullivan appear at a news conference on Friday in Anchorage, Alaska, confirming that a settlement over disputes on leases in the Point Thomson gas fields had been reached with Exxon Mobil Corp., BP PLC and ConocoPhillips. —AP

SEOUL: South Korea’s trade surplus fell in March from a year earlier due to a drop in exports to debt-hit Europe and slowing sales to China, the government said yesterday. The trade surplus was $2.33 billion, compared with $2.48 billion in March 2011. Exports fell to $47.36 billion, down 1.4 percent year-onyear, while imports also dipped 1.2 percent to $45.03 billion on falling purchases of products including memory chips, it said. “Sales to the EU have dramatically dropped in the aftermath of its fiscal crisis and sales to China have considerably slowed, limiting our export growth,” the Knowledge Economy Ministry said.

Exports to the European Union, South Korea’s second-largest trading partner after China, fell 20 percent, while sales to China grew only 0.7 percent in the same period, it said. In March 2011, exports to China posted

year-on-year growth of 9.2 percent. Overseas sales of South Korea’s flagship mobile devices dropped 32 percent from March 2011, it said.

Exports of ships also tumbled 27.6 percent as demand from major European shipping operators slowed.

Exports of home appliances including TVs also dipped 14.1 percent. “TV exports slowed as flat-panel TV markets in advanced countries are increasingly saturated... Exports to China also fell as China’s domestic firms expand presence,” the ministry said.

However, crisp overseas sales of cars, which jumped 35 percent, helped offset the drop in overall exports, the ministry said. And the surplus, an increase from $1.52 billion posted in February, was better than expected. The median forecast of nine economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires was for a trade surplus of $1.8 billion.

Chinese firm surpasses Exxon in oil production Tapping oil reserves would NEW YORK: A big shift is happening in Big Oil: an American giant now ranks behind a Chinese upstart. Exxon Mobil is no longer the world’s biggest publicly traded producer of oil. For the first time, that distinction belongs to a 13-year-old Chinese company called PetroChina. The Beijing company was created by the Chinese government to secure more oil for that nation’s booming economy.

PetroChina announced that it pumped 2.4 million barrels a day last year, surpassing Exxon by 100,000. The company has grown rapidly over the last decade by squeezing more from China’s aging oil fields and outspending Western companies to acquire more petroleum reserves in places like Canada, Iraq and Qatar. It’s motivated by a need to lock up as much oil as possible. The company’s output increased 3.3 percent in 2011 while Exxon’s fell 5 percent. Exxon’s oil production also fell behind Rosneft, the Russian energy company.

PetroChina’s rise highlights a fundamental difference in how the largest petroleum companies plan to supply the world as new deposits become tougher to find and more expensive to produce.

Every major oil company has aggressively pursued new finds to replace their current wells. But analysts say Western oil firms like Exxon Mobil have been more conservative than the Chinese, mindful of their bottom line and investor returns.

With oil prices up 19 percent in 2011, they still made money without increas-

ing production.

PetroChina Co. Ltd. has a different mission. The Chinese government owns 86 percent of its stock and the nation uses nearly every drop of oil PetroChina pumps. Its appetite for gasoline and other petroleum products is projected to double between 2010 and 2035. “There’s a lot of anxiety in China about the energy question,” says energy historian Dan Yergin. “It’s just growing so fast.”

While PetroChina sits atop other publicly traded companies in oil production, it falls well short of national oil companies like Saudi Aramco, which produces nearly 8 million barrels a day. And Exxon is still the biggest publicly traded energy company when counting combined output of oil and natural gas. PetroChina ranks third behind Exxon and BP in total output of oil and natural gas.

PetroChina is looking to build on its momentum in 2012. “We must push ahead,” PetroChina chairman Jiang Jiemin said in January. PetroChina has grown by pumping everything it can from reserves in China, estimated to contain more than 6.5 billion barrels. It drilled thousands of oil wells across vast stretches of the nation’s northern grasslands. Some of those fields are ancient by industry standards, dating close to the beginning of China’s communist government in the 1950s.

The commitment to aging fields distinguishes PetroChina from its biggest Western rivals. — AP

have much effect: Analysts PARIS: Western countries could tap their strategic oil reserves to try to rein in rising prices, as several are considering, but analysts warn it may have only a limited and temporary effect.

French officials disclosed last week that Washington had proposed dipping into stockpiles, the clearest indication yet that major consuming nations may act to counter the recent surge in prices. The comments pushed down prices but they began to climb back up on Friday as it became clear that no moves were imminent. In theory, a nation’s reserves are held in case of a major international crisis like a war or a natural disaster in an oil producing area.

But with Brent crude soaring over $125 a barrel in London at the beginning of last month, levels unseen since 2008, there are increasing concerns fuel costs could damage a still fragile global recovery. Analysts doubt however that that a coordinated release of oil stocks by major industrialized nations, which they did during the Libya conflict last year, would have a lasting effect on prices.

“A tactical use of the reserves would certainly have an impact on the market but it would be temporary because the underlying problem is an increase in demand while supply is limited by constraints on production,” said Luca Baccarini at Energy Funds Advisors.

Asia’s fuel-hungry economies are once

more gathering steam while Western sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear program are due to go into effect.

Baccarini estimated the current safety margin on crude production is on the order of 1.5 million barrels per day.

“International sanctions on exports of Iranian oil will lead to a reduction of 0.5 to 1.0 million barrels per day, which will trim the amount of spare production capacity” available, he said.

Saudi Arabia, which has most of the available spare capacity, has said repeatedly it is willing to boost output if necessary. Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi said in the Financial Times on Thursday that the kingdom would act to bring down oil prices. Saudi Arabia “would like to see a fair and reasonable price that will not hurt the global economic recovery, especially in emerging and developing countries,” the minister wrote in a column.

While the market is “fundamentally balanced,” Saudi Arabia “will use spare production capacity to supply the oil market with any additional required volumes,” the minister said.

However Olivier Jakob at Petromatrix said so far Riyadh has not pumped out more oil. “The world needs proof of barrels, not words, and Saudi Arabia for now is delivering the latter rather than the former,” he said in a market comment. —AP

Groupon says Q4 was weaker than reported PORTLAND, Oregon: Groupon Inc said that its fourthquarter loss was wider than initially reported because it needed to increase the amount of money it sets aside for refunds. The disclosure weakened the company’s first quarterly report since it went public in November, which already had disappointed investors, and added to its list of fumbles. Groupon prominently promises to refund money to any user unhappy with a deal, an important part of its business model that has made it so popular.

The need for the revision, however, indicates it might not have the controls in place to adequately keep up with its own success. Groupon said that it was selling online deals at higher prices during the period. and that put it on the hook for larger refunds. The revision lowered the company’s quarterly revenue by $14.3 million and widened its loss by $22.6 million, or 4 cents per share. The company originally reported in February a surprise loss of $42.7 million, or 8 cents per share, for the period. It said at the time that its revenue nearly tripled to $506.5 million from the same quarter a year earlier.

A landmark free trade pact with the US helped boost shipment to the South’s thirdlargest trading partner, with exports in March reaching $5.94 billion, up nearly 28 percent from a year ago, the ministry said.

“Exports to the US showed robust growth thanks to the FTA that took effect on March 15 and expectations of the US economic recovery,” it said, adding auto parts and machinery makers benefited heavily.

The trade pact, which scraps duties on thousands of items, is the biggest for the US since the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994.

The deal was originally signed in July 2007 but approved by lawmakers in both countries only late last year due to intense protests by opponents and a partial renegotiation to address US auto industry complaints. — AFP

Groupon’s auditor Ernst & Young also flagged a weakness in the company’s internal controls over its financial statement for the period in a regulatory filing on Friday.

Groupon said it is working to identify and address the underlying causes and said it may have added expenses to solve the problem, including the cost of hiring more financial staff for the quickly growing company. The company’s shares plunged in after-hours trading on the news. This is not the first time Groupon has struggled to get its financial reporting in order. The company faced federal scrutiny before its initial public offering for the way it accounted for revenue.

Groupon makes money by sending out frequent emails to subscribers offering a chance to buy discount deals for anything from manicures to ballroom dance lessons. The company takes a cut of what people pay and gives the rest to the merchant.

The company used to report all of its gross billings, not just the money it gets to keep, as revenue. After federal regulators questioned the practice, Groupon sub-

mitted new documents in September that showed that net revenue in the first half of 2011 was about half of what it originally reported.

The company’s rapid growth, financial reporting difficulties, high marketing expenses and enormous employee base have caused some IPO experts to compare its ascent to the late 1990s tech boom - and bust.

Groupon has failed to impress investors since its market debut. It started strong, pricing above expectations at $20 and raising $700 million in its offering. Its shares soared 31 percent in its first day of trading, closing at $26.11. It has fallen 30 percent since then, closing regular trading Friday at 18.38. The company has struggled with intense competition from other daily deal sites and complaints by merchants after they’ve been overwhelmed by customers using, and sometimes abusing, the company’s offers. Groupon also issued a more modest growth forecast for its first quarter as the number of subscribers signing up for its service and the number of merchants joining appears to be slowing. — AP

LAS VEGAS: Ford CEO Alan Mulally speaks during a Power Panel discussion at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Mulally’s compensation rose 11 percent to $29.5 million in 2011. It was a year in which the company reported its third consecutive annual profit but was hurt by rising commodity costs and charges for a big expansion in Asia. — AP

Ford CEO Mulally made $29.5 million in 2011 DEARBORN, Michigan: The pay package for Ford CEO Alan Mulally rose 11 percent last year to $29.5 million, or a little more than $5 for every vehicle sold. Mulally earned $2 million in salary, up 43 percent from 2010, and stock awards valued at $13.9 million, up 86 percent from the prior year. But his performance bonus dropped 42 percent to $1.8 million because Ford fell short of market share and quality targets in some areas. Mulally also received $612,587 in perks and other compensation for things like the use of a private jet, a personal car and driver and security.

Despite rising commodity costs and charges for a big expansion in Asia, 2011 was the company’s third straight profitable year. There were problems. Ford’s US quality ratings were tarnished by glitches in its touchscreen dashboard systems and shifting problems in some automatic transmissions. And while the company gained market share in Europe, its share was flat in other regions.

Mulally’s compensation was the highest since 2006, the year he was hired from Boeing Co to turn around Ford. He made $39.1 million that year thanks to a performance bonus and compensation for leaving the Chicago-based airplane maker. Mulally’s pay - which put him among the highest-paid CEOs in the US last year when he made $26.5 million - has angered some Ford factory workers. United Auto Workers President Bob King has called his compensation level “morally wrong.”

Mulally defended his pay in an interview last fall with The Associated Press, saying most of it is tied to the performance of the company’s shares. “The vast majority of my compensation is at risk, because the numbers that you see are only realizable if we profitably grow the corporation. And that’s the way it should be,” he said. Ford’s stock price fell 36 percent in 2011. — AP

26

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

business

Why equities are attractive

By Hayder Tawfik e have to admit the fact that over the past 11 years or since the burst of the Telecom, Media and Technology, equities as asset class have significantly underperformed in real term.

Other asset classes such as real estate, government bonds and commodities have performed much better. The question now we are facing is how long this trend will continue or do

W

equities have turned the corner?

We all know the reasons for equities under performance. We can argue about some such as the emergence of the BRIC hence lower labor cost, competitive environment, lower inflation hence loosing the pricing power, regulatory changes, high volatility and recently the austerity measures taken by some governments around the world.

I am a strong believer in that history always repeats itself, in different times and at different places. The events over the last decade and its impact on equities have indeed happened before. The great depression in US, the Second World War and the in the late fifties. At

some times during those events equities as an asset class underperformed dramatically then came back to life and deliver excellent performance against most asset classes. At present, I don’t see any difference from the past and I think global equities have entered a new area of very low interest and low inflation environment. Some argue and say but these are bad for investing equities. The case I am making here is not for the whole sale investment in equities but a one for investing in equities which will benefit tremendously from the wealth creation which is sweeping sonic parts of the world and some fortunate people in the developed world. The new area is about

competitive pricing, very good quality and highly technological in its nature.

If we look at the current valuations of equities we can only buy and hold them for the long term. As for the valuations of other asset classes, I am afraid the party is over. When one invests in any asset classes, valuation is a very important as a driver of return. There is no doubt that equities arc of’ course risky in the short term and your starting time is very important too. I However, we cannot deny the historical data which tells us that the prospective return rises, and probability of’ loss falls, following periods when the starting valuation is very low. Also, this can he repeated when equities

have experienced prolonged losses already.

Nowadays, it seems that investors are ignoring the cheap valuation and basing their arguments against investing in equities on purely the future economic fundamentals. However, I would like to remind them that in the eighties the economic fundamentals were poor but equities performed very well and over the last decade economic fundamentals and profit growth were very good but equities performed badly. This brings us back to the basic of equities investment which is valuation. Valuation is one of the key drivers of both absolute and relative future returns.

Former ECB chief Trichet to speak on euro crisis NBK hosts international symposium

Air Arabia increases Dammam flights to triple daily KUWAIT: Air Arabia, the Middle East and North Africa’s first and largest low cost carrier (LCC) yesterday announced the launch of additional daily flight to Dammam in Saudi Arabia. With the launch of the additional service, Air Arabia now operates three daily flights to the city of Dammam.

Effective 28 March 2012, the carrier will offer daily services to Dammam, departing Sharjah International Airport at 08:35, 17:40 and 21:45 and arriving at Dammam King Fahad Airport at 08:50, 17:55 and 22:00 respectively. Return flights will depart from Dammam at 09:30, 18:35 and 22:40 and arrive in Sharjah at 11:45, 20:50 and 00:55 respectively.

“At Air Arabia, we are dedicated to offering

customers the widest choice of value for money services,” said Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia. “The Kingdom remains an important market for Air Arabia and we are proud to see Dammam services increased to three daily frequencies. Driven by commercial needs, Air Arabia will continue to further expand its network in the Kingdom and the region providing customers with a wider choice for value air travel.”

Air Arabia currently operates 51 weekly flights covering six destinations in the Kingdom. In addition to providing non-stop services to six cities in Saudi Arabia, the airline also offers a range of value-for-money ancillary services, including hotel accommodation and car rental assistance.

Jet Airways sets record milestone with 500,000 fans on Facebook MUMBAI: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, has emerged as the first Indian airline to add over five lakh fans on Facebook, arguably the largest and most influential social networking website in the world. The airline achieved this prestigious milestone in a short span just over two years of the launch of Jet Airways Facebook community on January 19, 2010, at www.facebook.com/jetairways. Jet Airways’ presence on Facebook is aimed at providing guests with real-time news updates about flight schedules, new customer programs, route additions, services and special offers etc., besides providing them with an online forum to share their experiences and suggestions.

Jet Airways celebrated this unique milestone with the initiation of Facebook’s Timeline - an enhancement that will provide our guests with a more qualitative and interactive user experience. This new design provides for a complete transformation in the way brands communicate their social image through brand stories, milestones and marketing campaigns. It also enables guests to access past events, updates and activities with an easy to use interface.

These initiatives are part of the airline’s strategy to actively reach out to a larger cross section of guests and engage with them on a real time basis through these

social media platforms.

Commenting on achieving the unique milestone on Facebook Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways said, “Our innovative marketing initiatives with strategic use of social media tools reflect our endeavor to deliver unique opportunities to our guests. Jet Airways has been a pioneer in the Indian aviation sector in terms of recognizing and harnessing the power of social media networks to listen, engage and respond to our guests.

The journey towards reaching the 500,000 fan milestone has involved a great deal of research and analysis to ensure we understand and engage with our guests effectively. The introduction of initiatives like Jet Facts, Jet Polls, Flying Tips and Jetstinations has been well appreciated by our fans who find such information useful and engaging. Besides this, Facebook provides us with an opportunity to communicate real time with guests.”

Jet Airways also has a presence on the extremely popular LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network with more than 90 million members. Similarly, Jet Airways became the first Indian operator, to have a presence on foursquare, a locationbased mobile social networking application. Guests may create an account on foursquare and follow Jet Airways by visiting http://foursquare.com/jetairways.

Burgan Bank announces winners of Yawmi account draw KUWAIT: Burgan Bank announced yesterday the names of the five lucky winners of its Yawmi account draw, each taking home a prize of KD 5,000. Winners names will also be announced in Marina FM on a daily basis during their prime shows.

The lucky winners for the five daily draws took home a cash-prize of KD 5000 each, and they are: 1. Fatima Ali Abdul-Rahman Dashti 2. Ebtesam Abbas Bin Hussain Haidar 3. Ali Mohammad Metwaly Abdulrahman 4. Suad Hussein Ali-Abdulla 5. Abdulmohsen Khaled Abdulmohsen Albahar The newly re-launched Yawmi Account is better, easier and faster than any day before.

With its new and enhanced features, the Yawmi Account has become more convenient, easier, and faster for customers to benefit from. Now, customers will be eligible to enter the draw after 48 hours only from opening the account.

Customers are also required to deposit KD 100 or equivalent only to enter the daily draw, and

the coupon value to enter the draw stands at KD 10.

The newly designed Yawmi account has been launched to provide a highly innovative offering along with a higher frequency and incentive of winning for everyone. Today, the Yawmi account is a well understood product, where its popularity can be seen from the number of increasing account holders.

Burgan Bank encourages everyone to open a Yawmi account and/or increase their deposit to maximize their chances to becoming a daily winner. The more customers deposit, the higher the chances they receive of winning the draw.

Opening a Yawmi account is simple, customers are urged to visit their nearest Burgan Bank branch and receive all the details, or simply call the bank’s Call Center at 1804080 where customer service representatives will be delighted to assist with any questions on the Yawmi account or any of the bank’s products and services, or log on to Burgan Bank’s www.burgan.com for further information.

KUWAIT: Former European Central Bank President Jean Claude Trichet will offer insight into the euro-zone’s sovereign debt crisis at an upcoming international symposium hosted by National Bank of Kuwait.

Trichet, who is also a former Governor of Banque de France, served two terms as president of the ECB and has more than 30 years in European finance and policy. Known for his conservative approach and leadership at the ECB, Trichet has proposed the creation of a European Finance Ministry to manage the entire euro-zone financial sector.

Previously, Trichet also served as Chairman of the Group of Ten (G10) Governors and was elected President of the “Global economy meeting” of Central Bank governors and President of the Group of Governors and heads of supervision (GHOS) in Basel. He currently serves as Chairman for the powerful Washington-based Group of Thirty (G30) economic advisors.

NBK regularly invites world-recognized authorities on energy, economics and politics to Kuwait as part of its International Symposium series. Past speakers include for-

mer US Presidents George HW Bush and Bill Clinton, former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew, former US Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, Mohamed El-Erian, CEO and co-CIO of PIMCO, the world’s

Employment prospects brighten for MBA graduates KUWAIT: The prestigious business education event will take place in Kuwait City on April 9, offering an opportunity to evaluate the current situation of the MBA degree. An elite selection of international business schools will meet One-to-One with highly qualified candidates in Kuwait City. As many companies struggle to rebuild and expand their activity after the economic crisis, an increasing number have shifted their hiring focus and are now recruiting qualified MBA graduates. Two-thirds of companies participating in the latest Graduate Management Admission Council’s Corporate Recruiter’s Survey planned to hire MBA graduates for mid-level positions. This is in great contrast to corporate recruitment in 2009, when companies reduced the number of available positions by half. Experts indicate that companies are in need of dynamic MBA-educated executives to help them to build and strengthen their business for the future.

The general consensus is that MBA graduates are more qualified to take on businessbuilding tasks than employees without such experience. In the past, individuals with BAs were frequently on equal footing with MBA graduates. An MBA degree is a major asset and now almost a mandatory condition for a management position.

An event that helps candidates select the right MBA program The Access MBA Tour will take place throughout the Gulf region with international business schools that wish to recruit local MBA candidates. The event’s One-to-One for-

mat is a unique and effective way to match candidates who meet schools’ admissions criteria. When registering online, candidates provide information about their personal and professional profile. Before the event, Access MBA matches the candidates with the MBA programs that meet their needs and criteria, and at the event the candidates meet with MBA Admission Directors in 20-minute intervals. Event participants can also benefit from free orientation sessions with Access MBA’s professional consultants and GMAT test preparation advisors. “The MBA One-to-One format that we created 8 years ago has become the new standard of graduate recruitments amongst top international business schools” says Christophe Coutat, founder and CEO of Advent Group, the media agency that organizes the Access MBA Tour.

International business schools The Access MBA Tour features top ranked universities at each event, including London Business School, HEC Paris, ESADE, INSEAD, Manchester Business School, Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business, HULT Business School, IE Business School, Vlerick Leuven Gent, University of Chicago - Booth and more.

About the Access MBA Tour The Tour holds 55 MBA events annually in over 40 cities worldwide. Access MBA is a project of Advent Group, a Paris-based media agency that coordinates educational and recruiting events throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.

largest bond investment house and Dr Daniel Yergin, author Author of the acclaimed work, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power which won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize. The event will be VIP invitation-only.

Al-Tijari announces winners of Al-Najma account draw KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account draw yesterday. The draw was held under the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce & Industry represented by Saqr Al-Manaie.

The winners of the Al-Najma daily draw are:Faisal Mahmoud Mohammed Munir— KD 7000, Khaled Mohammed Mutar Al-Azmi — KD 7000, Hossam AlDeen Mohammed Ali Al-Damasy— KD 7000, Yousef Abdullah Mohammed Al-Saquby— KD 7000, Khalaf Jad Mohammed AbdulMawjood — KD 7000.

The Commercial Bank of Kuwait announces the biggest daily draw in Kuwait with the launch of the new Najma account. Customers of the bank can now enjoy a KD 7,000 daily prize which is the highest in the country and another 4 mega prizes during the year worth KD 100,000 each on different occasions: The National Day, Eid Al-Fitr, Eid Al-Adha and on the 19th of June which is the date of the bank’s establishment.

With a minimum balance of KD 500, customers will be eligible for the daily draw provided that the money is in the account one week prior to the daily draw or 2 months prior to the mega draw. In addition, for each KD 25 a customer can get one chance for winning instead of KD 50.

Commercial Bank of Kuwait takes this opportunity to congratulate all lucky winners and also extends appreciation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for their effective supervision of the draws which were conducted in an orderly and organized manner.

Marhaba unveils striking new uniform DUBAI: Dnata has unveiled a new, high quality uniform which has been created for more than 17,500 staff worldwide. Almost 78,000 garments with a sharp, modern tailored new look will be produced in the UAE for both dnata’s customer-facing staff and for all meet and assist agents of Marhaba Services. A further 168,000 uniforms for staff working out on the ramp and in the cargo and ground handling areas of the business will be tailored overseas from designs created locally in Dubai.

An investment of more than AED 25 million - double the cost per wearer compared to the current attire - will be spent on providing each staff member with a collection of individual pieces which make up the versatile new uniform.

During the design and development phase, which has taken place over the past twelve months, more than 300 staff across all areas of the business have been consulted or actively involved in the process. Team members from six of dnata’s international businesses - including London, Dubai and Manila - have been trialling individual garments in their workplaces and providing valuable feedback.

“The new uniform is an attitude. It

instills pride. This eye-catching new look and unique range of pieces expresses what dnata and Marhaba are all about,” said dnata President, Gary Chapman. “Staff will not only look good but we are confident they will be proud to wear it. We want to show staff we value the role they play in the success of the business and that we are making an investment in them”.

At the start of the journey to develop a new uniform consistent with dnata’s global brand proposition, a tender went out to ten companies

from five countries, from which four were shortlisted. After presenting a range of impressive, innovative concepts, David Sprakes, Dubai-based design manager from uniform manufacturers A. Ronai LLC was selected.

The company, which was originally established in the United Kingdom by Alexander Ronai in 1947, then worked further on the initial designs. These ideas went through almost a dozen different drafts over the next few months before the style and fabrics revealed today were eventually arrived at, ensuring the eventual

(Left to right): Dnata female uniform, Dnata male uniform and Marhaba female uniform.

design works well with all skin tones and body shapes.

“I promised staff from the outset that we would give them something head-turning, which they will love to wear. The feedback I’ve received from staff so far shows we’ve achieved that,” added Chapman. “If our staff look good and feel good they are more motivated and happy in their work and that’s great for our business and our customer service.”

The sharp, modern tailoring uses easy care, comfortable to wear fabric which features a triangular shaped pattern inspired by new dnata logo which was introduced last April. The resulting outfits not only look attractive, but are also functional and suitable for the workplace conditions.

Each staff member will receive a versatile collection of individual uniform pieces that can be mixed and matched. There is a layering option for staff working in cooler climates and a dress option worn without a jacket for warmer climates. There is even a petite range.

The final result is a testament to the collaborative effort between dnata employees, management and the design team. Staff will begin to wear the new uniforms worldwide from the end of May.

27

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Kaspersky Lab identifies mysterious language in Duqu Trojan DUBAI: Kaspersky Lab recently appealed to the programming community for assistance in solving one of the biggest mysteries of the Duqu Trojan, which was identifying an unknowncode block located inside a section of the malicious program’s Payload DLL. The unknown code section, titled the “Duqu Framework” was a portionof the Payload DLL that was responsible for interacting with its Command & Control (C&C) servers after the Trojan infected a victim’s machine.

After receiving an incredible amount of helpful feedback from the programming community, Kaspersky Lab experts have

stated with a high degree of certainty that the Duqu Framework consists of “C” source code compiled with Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and specialoptions for optimizing code size and inline expansion. The code was also written with a customized extension for combining object-oriented programming with C, generally referred to as “OO C.” This kind of in-house programming is highly sophisticated and more commonly found in complex ‘civil’ software projects, rather than contemporary malware.

While there is no easy explanation why

OO C was used instead of C++ for the Duqu Framework, there are two reasonable causes that support its use: More control over the code: When C++ was published, many old school programmers preferred to stay away from it because of distrust in memory allocation and other obscure language features which cause indirect execution of code. OO C would provide a more reliable framework with less opportunity for unexpected behavior.

Extreme portability: About 10-12 years ago C++ was not entirely standardized and it was possible to have C++ code that was

not interoperable with every compiler. Using C provides programmers with extreme portability since it’s capable of targeting every existing platform at any time without facing the limitations associated with C++.

“These two reasons indicate that the code was written by a team of experienced ‘old-school’ developers who wanted to create a customized framework to support a highly flexible and adaptable attack platform. The code could have been reused from previous cyber-operations and customized to integrate into the Duqu Trojan,” said Igor Soumenkov, malware expert. “However, one

thing is certain: these techniques are normally seen by elite software developers and almost never in today’s general malware.”

Kaspersky Lab would like to thank everyone who participated in the quest to help indentify this unknown code.

To read the full version of the analysis, written by Igor Soumenkov, please visitSecurelist.

The analysis includes the technical details of the framework, methods of identification and the knowledgeable comments Kaspersky Lab received that helped solve this piece of the Duqu puzzle.

Budding Google social network sets itself apart

BEIJING: In this March 28, 2012 photo provided by Apple, Inc., Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, visits the iPhone production line at the newly-built manufacturing facility Foxconn Zhengzhou Technology Park, which employs 120,000 people. A report released Thursday, March 29, by the Washington-based Fair Labor Association says Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the Taiwanese company that runs Apple’s factories in mainland China, has committed to reducing weekly work time to the legal Chinese maximum of 49 hours. —AP

Indie games: Crazy, inventive ideas await BERLIN: There’s never a lack of new computer games. But with so many of them coming in the form of sequels - think Modern Warfare 3; Grand Theft Auto 5 or Fifa 12 - it’s no wonder some fans are thirsting for new ideas.

Enter indie games. The good news is that they’re usually inventive and cheap.

The bad news is, they can be hard to find.

“Big publishers are going to always focus more on blockbusters than new ideas, even though a lot of players want innovative games,” says Joerg MuellerLietzkow, a professor of media organizations at the University of Paderborn in Germany.

It was that need to fill a niche that prompted the indie game movement.

“The key difference with indie games is that they are independent, produced without the support of a major publisher,” explains Thorsten Wiedemann, director of the Berlin-based indie games festival Indie Connect. Another difference? They usually have to make do with smaller budgets.

“At the same time, they’re not necessarily groomed for marketability,” says Wiedemann. “That means indies are often more experimental and creative.”

The variety is great among indie games.

There are physics puzzles like World of Goo from 2D Boy, where players have to put together gravity-defying constructions made up of bizarre creatures.

Minecraft, developed by Mojang, is one of the most successful indies of recent years. It’s a pixellated sand castle game where each player has to build his own world out of stones.

Meanwhile, Torchlight from Runic Games is almost a clone of the role-playing classic Diablo, although it includes some fresh ideas and updated technology.

And then there’s Super Meat Boy from Team Meat, which packs together chunky graphics and lots of humour to make a fast-paced jump-and-run game.

However, there are a lot of experimental games out there that could not be more different from classic games.

Flower requires players to take on the role of a petal being tossed in the wind.

Journey, also from Thatgamecompany, seems like a normal game at first. But the more it’s played, the more its crazy ideas come to light: Like a cooperation mode where partners can only communicate via

signal tones. Because there are no major publishers behind indies, they usually don’t get distributed as DVDs. But there are several download platforms, says Mueller-Lietzkow. “The online sales of games has become almost taken for granted. A few years ago, it was unthinkable.”

Mueller-Lietzkow says Steam is by far the most popular distribution platform for indie PC games. Other options include Gamersgate or Direct2Drive. Some publishers market their games directly via their websites.

Direct sales usually require buyers to have a credit card. Other platforms can work with payment methods such as PayPal or Click & Buy. Console manufacturers also make indie games accessible on their download channels like Microsoft’s XBox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network. And many indie games are available through the app stores of smartphones.

While it’s no problem to buy the game, finding them can be tough.

“For cost reasons, there’s no major marketing campaign around indie games,” says Mueller-Lietzkow. That means developers rely on the trade press and word of mouth. There are also several US online magazines and blogs that concentrate on indie games, including Indiegamemag.com and indiegames.com.

A lot of indie titles are discussed these days in PC and console gaming magazines. And many developers make free demo versions available for trial.

Another bonus is that, even if you buy an indie game and then decide you don’t like it, the odds are that you’ve done little damage to your wallet. Costs vary, but prices of 5 euros (6.65 dollars) and less are normal, especially for smartphones. Indie games for computers and consoles usually run between 10 and 15 euros. Prices of 25 or 30 euros are the exception.

A good way to test the waters is to buy a bundle of games. These bundles, put together by the indie companies, are usually time-limited offers. Mueller-Lietzkow says they are the best option for newcomers to the scene. “For about 2.50 euros a game, it’s not that big a deal if one of them is junk,” he says. After all, the same can happen with mainstream games. “You shouldn’t let it turn you off.” —dpa

BERKELEY: In this March, 28, 2012, photo, a Ritewing Zephyr II flies with a GoPro camera mounted on it flies over a waterfront park in Berkeley, Calif.

Interest in the domestic use of drones is surging among public agencies and private citizens alike, including a thriving subculture of amateur hobbyists, even as the prospect of countless tiny but powerful eyes circling in the skies raises serious privacy concerns. —AP

MOUNTAIN VIEW: Like the strong-willed youth it is, Google’s budding social network is confidently going its own way. In an AFP interview, Google+ vice president Bradley Horowitz shrugged off Silicon Valley obsession with a Facebook rivalry and focused on the Internet titan playing to its strengths with an eye on the future.

“The way we think about Google+ is not pretending that today we can compete along every dimension of every competitor that is in a space,” Horowitz said. “ The goals for Google+ are long-ranging and broad,” he continued. “ This is a reinvention of the consumer’s relationship with Google that is going to unfold over a period of years.”

The average number of people who use Google+ each month has climbed to 100 million since it opened to the public in September of last year. The figure for daily users is 50 million. “Eventually, the 100 million users today are going to blossom into 500 million and by that time you will discover that all of your friends will be there on Google+,” Horowitz predicted.

A unique Hangouts feature that lets as many as ten people at once get together for group video chats is a huge draw at the online community. Hangouts can be limited to invited friends or opened to anyone.

The US president, musician Will.i.am, Desmond Tutu and even the Dalai Lama have taken part in “On Air” hangouts in which intimate online gatherings can be openly viewed at the social network. “We think looking somebody in the eye and communicating in the normal social way we’ve learned to do over millennia is important,” Horowitz said.

“We wanted to bring that authenticity back into the equation.”

Hangouts have surprised the Google+ team. They have been used for language and music lessons. A stutterers’ support group uses them for group meetings. Hangouts are used to let bedridden people virtually explore the world. Longtime photographer John Butterill of Canada was new to Google+ when he took a sick friend on a “virtual photo walk” using a smartphone, a professional camera, and a hangout. Butterill hiked snowy woods near his home during a streamed hangout in which his friend saw through the camera lens and directed the shots. A video of the walk posted at the social network went viral.

“I came home from the walk and there it was being shared by everyone,” Butterill told AFP. “My mouth dropped open.” The friends launched a Virtual Photo Walks page at Google+ with a mission to “walk for those who can’t.” Google+ users in cities around the world have signed on to act as legs and hands

of people physically unable to venture out for themselves. A photographer in Australia freshly recovered from a broken back virtually took a woman with Multiple Sclerosis on a walk to a beach in Perth.

“She said she never thought she’d hear the ocean again,” Butterill said. “These people really know how to choke you up.” A photographer for nearly 40 years, Butterill insists that

photo walks of Disneyland. “ When we brought hangouts to market we knew we had something very special, but there was no way of telling whether this would be the next Chatroulette or something more meaningful,” Horowitz said.

“It is really delightful when a product you built changes people’s lives and you get these heartfelt stories about how it has touched

TOKYO: In this dated December 8, 2011 file photo shows Google vice president Bradley Horowitz (L) smiles with Japanese all-girl pop group AKB48 members Atsuko Maeda (C) and Mariko Shinoda as they announce plans to expand their reach to the greater Asian market via Google+, at the Google Japan headquarters in Tokyo.

Google+ vice president Bradley Horowitz shrugged off Silicon Valley obsession with a Facebook rivalry and focused on the Internet titan playing to its strengths with an eye on the future. —AFP those directing shots get credit and rights to walk images.

“I am just the arms and legs,” Butterill said.

“It is like the person on the other side is holding the camera. It’s just plain cool.”

Virtual photo walks can go beyond picturetaking to being a way for people with disabilities to attend meetings or political events or even negotiate contracts in real time, according to Butterill.

“A soldier could take his hospitalized friend virtually to a pub for beer,” he said. Butterill’s vision includes taking sick children on virtual

them.” Google is weaving its social network into offerings such as its search engine and online video-sharing stage YouTube for a synergy that could offset the edge given Facebook by its network of more than 840 million members.

“Google of five years ago had many magical products, but they didn’t sing in harmony,” Horowitz said. “We are creating a more comprehensive user experience across all of what we are doing,” he continued. “We are threading the needle very carefully to do that without spoiling the magic.” —AFP

WiFi inventors win US legal battle

TOKYO: This picture, taken on March 23, 2012 shows Japanese electronics giant Sony unveiling the new line-up of the company’s LCD television sets in Tokyo. Sharp’s announcement that it will team up with Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision on a liquid-crystal display deal is the latest example of the “tectonic changes” rippling through hard-hit Japan Inc. —AFP

Micron, Oracle settle lawsuit over chip prices BOISE, Idaho: Micron Technology Inc. has settled a lawsuit in which Oracle Corp. accused the Idaho memory chipmaker and other companies of artificially inflating prices for microchips.

The 2010 lawsuit claimed that Micron and the other companies conspired to raise prices from 1998 through 2002, in violation of federal and state antitrust laws. Micron makes semiconductor chips for computers, mobile devices, cameras and other devices.

It makes products under the Lexar and Crucial brands.

Micron announced the settlement late Thursday without providing details such as financial terms. Oracle had accused Micron and four other companies of artificially inflating prices above what Oracle’s Sun Microsystems business should have paid for them. The lawsuit that was settled did not name the other companies as defendants.

The Justice Department had investigated whether the companies conspired to manipulate the number of DRAM chips released to market to inflate prices. Micron was granted immunity because it cooperated. The investigation resulted in fines and guilty pleas from four companies Samsung Electronics Co., Elpida Memory Inc., Infineon Technologies AG and Hynix Semiconductor Inc. Micron said the settlement will result in a net loss of $58 million above what it previously reported for the second fiscal quarter, which ended March 1. That brings the total net loss to $282 million, or 29 cents per share, on revenue of $2 billion.

Micron, which is based in Boise, Idaho, said it will detail the full effects of the settlement in upcoming regulatory filings. The lawsuit has been dismissed with prejudice as part of the settlement, which means it can’t be filed again. —AP

SYDNEY: Australian government science body CSIRO said yesterday it had won a multi-million-dollar legal settlement in the United States to license its patented technology that underpins the WiFi platform worldwide.

Scientists from the agency invented the wireless local area network (WLAN) technology that is the basis of the WiFi signal employed by computers, smartphones and other Internet-ready devices around the world.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) patented the technology in the 1990s, and has been suing companies using it without a licence since 2005. In 2009, CSIRO recouped Aus$205 million (US$212 million) after settling cases against 14 companies. The agency said it had now been awarded a further Aus$220 million after reaching agreements with 23 more firms.

Australian Minister for Science and Research Chris Evans said in a statement that it was an important battle to win. “It was important that Australia protect its intellectual property, and that those major companies who are selling billions of devices pay for the technology that they were using,” he said.

Nigel Poole, a senior executive at CSIRO, said the agency was delighted with the result. “CSIRO’s commercial and legal teams on both sides of the Pacific have worked very hard over the past several years to gain a reasonable return and I would like to pay particular tribute to them for their extraordinar y efforts,” he said.

“Of course, it was the inventors, led by Dr John O’Sullivan, whose brilliance in the 1990s made all this possible.” The invention came out of CSIRO’s pioneering work in radioastronomy, with a team of its scientists cracking the problem of radio waves bouncing off surfaces indoors, causing an echo that distorts the signal.

They overcame it by building a fast chip that could transmit a signal while reducing the echo, beating many of the major communications companies around the world that were trying to solve the same issue. —AP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Congress gets rough treatment ar Supreme Court WASHINGTON: The Supreme Court left little doubt during last week’s marathon arguments over President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul that it has scant faith in Congress’ ability to get anything done.

The views about Congress underlay questions from justices who appear to be on both sides of the argument over the constitutionality of the law’s key provision, the individual insurance requirement, as well as whether the entire law should be thrown out if the mandate is struck down.

The comments were particularly striking from the conservative justices who have called on unelected judges to show deference to the actions of elected officials. Justice Antonin Scalia, who appeared strongly in favor of striking down the entire law, was the most outspoken in his disdain for the branch of government that several justices can see from their office windows.

“You can’t repeal the rest of the act because you’re not going to get 60 votes in the Senate to repeal the rest. It’s not a matter of enacting a new act. You’ve got to get 60 votes to repeal it. So the rest of the act is going to be the law,” Scalia said, explaining it might be better to throw the whole thing out.

Justice Anthony Kennedy draw laughs when he asked a lawyer describing what Congress would want the court to do, “Is that the real Congress or a hypotheti-

cal Congress?” Several justices joined in the courtroom’s laughing reaction when the lawyer leading the challenge to the law appeared to suggest Congress could pass new legislation “in a couple of days,” if the court wiped away the entire law.

The justices thus seemed to be thinking along the same lines as the public, according to polls that show Congress’ standing at historic lows. That outlook, more prevalent among the conservatives than the liberals on the court, is one reason that the Obama administration’s lawyers ran into such stiff resistance in questions from the bench. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr. repeatedly invoked Congress’ power under the Constitution to take aggressive action to deal with health care, which makes up 17 percent of the U.S. economy, and with the problem of 50 million people who lack insurance but whose health costs are being passed on to taxpayers and those with insurance.

The court, Verrilli said at the end of Tuesday’s argument session, “has a solemn obligation to respect the judgments of the democratically accountable branches of government.” Certainly, the liberal justices appeared to agree with Verrilli that Congress, then under Democratic control, did not exceed its power.

Now, Congress is essentially locked in a stalemate, with power divided between Republicans who control

the House and a Democratic majority in the Senate.

Chances are slim that Congress would act to restore any parts of the law that the court might strike down, even noncontroversial provisions.

The bleak prospect for legislation is one reason why Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg urged a cautious approach to a raft of provisions, many already in effect, that have nothing to do with the insurance requirement, including changes to benefits for victims of black lung disease. “So why should we say, it’s a choice between a wrecking operation, which is what you are requesting, or a salvage job,” Ginsburg told Paul Clement, the lawyer representing states opposed to the law. “And the more conservative approach would be salvage rather than throwing out everything.”

Put another way, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said, “Why we should involve the court in making the legislative judgment?” Kevin Walsh, a law professor at the University of Richmond who previously served as a Scalia law clerk at the court, said he was surprised by the conservative justices who revealed no apparent trepidation about getting rid of the entire law.

“That would be a very muscular exercise of judicial power,” Walsh said. Scalia has a long history of calling for restraint on the part of unelected judges, and telling people who want changes in the law to go first to their

elected representatives. “You want a right to abortion?

Persuade your fellow citizens and enact it. That’s flexibility,” Scalia said in a 2005 speech in Washington, an example of the kind of remarks he has made many times over his more than 25 years as a justice. “Why in the world would you have it interpreted by nine lawyers?” But he and Kennedy both suggested that it would be more respectful to Congress to give it a blank slate than to hand it back a massive law, with its key provisions excised. “Do you really think that that is somehow showing deference to Congress and respecting the democratic process? It seems to me it’s a gross distortion of it,” Scalia said.

Kennedy envisioned an outcome in which the insurance requirement is struck down, but the court leaves in place other requirements forcing insurers to accept people regardless of existing medical conditions and to limit the premiums for older people.

“We would be exercising the judicial power if one provision was stricken and the others remained to impose a risk on insurance companies that Congress had never intended. By reason of this court, we would have a new regime that Congress did not provide for, did not consider. That, it seems to me, can be argued at least to be a more extreme exercise of judicial power than striking the whole,” he said. — AP

New US health impact studies taking hold with challenges Health concerns include air pollution and surface water

HONG KONG: Participants take part in “laughter yoga” in a park in Hong Kong on February 12, 2012. Dick Yu, a 35-year-old trained hypnotherapist set up Hong Kong’s first laughter club in 2007, after he discovered the concept of laughter yoga — made popular as an exercise routine by Indian physician Madan Kataria in 1995. — AFP

Lower death risk with heart bypass vs angioplasty CHICAGO: Older patients with clogged heart arteries may have a little lower death risk over time if they get bypass operations instead of angioplasty and stents to fix the problem, new research suggests. It’s not the kind of study that gives conclusive evidence, but doctors say it gives a “real world” look at how people fare in ordinary practice. As such, it could tip the balance toward surgery for patients considering the choice, especially because research already shows bypass gives a better and longer lasting result for people with multiple blockages.

In a bypass operation, doctors move healthy blood vessels from other parts of the body to detour around clogged arteries supplying blood to the heart. Angioplasty treats the problem via a tube pushed through a blood vessel. A tiny balloon is inflated to flatten the clog and a mesh scaffold, a stent, is placed to prop the artery open.

Researchers compared these approaches using records on 190,000 Medicare patients with two or three blockages - the largest study ever of this issue. Death rates were similar one year after either treatment. But after four years, nearly 21 percent of the angioplasty patients had died versus about 16 percent of those who had bypass surgery.

Results were discussed Tuesday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Chicago and published online by the New England Journal of Medicine. In the United States, more than a million operations or procedures are done each year to treat clogged arteries, and the study “provides comprehensive, large-scale, national data” to help doctors and patients decide which treatment is best, Dr. Susan Shurin said in a statement. She is acting director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which sponsored the study. Comparative effectiveness studies like this one are taking on greater importance as more attention turns to the cost of health care. Researchers used databases kept by the American College of Cardiology Foundation and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons on 86,244 people who had bypass surgery and 103,549 others who had angioplasty between

2004 and 2007. They used fancy statistical adjustments to try to compensate for differences in the groups that might affect the results. They found bypass to give a survival advantage even when they considered factors such as sex, race, age, and conditions like diabetes. “Everything lines up” in favor of surgery, said study leader Dr. William Weintraub of Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Del. “We were frankly surprised by that.”

Still, researchers say differences in the overall health of people who had surgery versus the less drastic procedure could account for some of the results. They say angioplasty remains a good and safe option for many people.

“You’re not making a mistake if you still have angioplasty,” especially if you have only one or two blockages, said Dr. Kirk Garratt of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. He is a spokesman for the Society for Cardiac Angiography and Interventions, doctors who do angioplasties.

There are tests to help decide whether one treatment will be better than another, but “in general, doctors do it intuitively” based on how frail patients look, how easily they walk across the room, how firmly they shake your hand, said Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a health outcomes research specialist at Yale University.

The new study “nudges you a little closer” to favoring bypass, but because of the caveats, “in the end, it says it is a close call,” he said. The fact bypass gives a longer-lasting result is a selling point - it means fewer repeat procedures, said Dr. Michael Crawford, chief of clinical cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco.

“Some patients buy that and want to go for the long term. Others, it’s a tough sell,” he said. The real message is how safe both procedures are, said Dr. Vince Bufalino of Advocate Health Care, a 100-doctor cardiology group that serves 10 hospitals in the Chicago area. “We still think a traditional operation is excellent” for people with multiple blockages, said Bufalino, an American Heart Association spokesman.— AP

NEW YORK: Christopher Astacio reads with his daughter Cristina, 2, recently diagnosed with a mild form of autism, in her bedroom in New York. Autism cases are on the rise again, largely due to wider screening and better diagnosis, federal health officials said last week. — AP

ALBANY: While New York regulators have spent four years mulling the environmental impacts of shale gas development, the potential human health impacts have been given short shrift, according to health advocates.

Whether gas drilling impacts health has led to heated debates.

Environmentalists and people living near drilling sites say the risks include contaminated water wells and air pollution. The industry says those fears are exaggerated and that the process been used safely on tens of thousands of wells.

The Medical Society of the State of New York has called for a moratorium on natural gas extraction using hydraulic fracturing until scientific information on health impacts is available. In a letter last fall to Gov. Mario Cuomo, more than 250 doctors and other health care professionals cited studies in Alaska and Colorado as examples of what New York should do as regulators consider allowing hydraulic fracturing to begin.

“The purpose of a health impact assessment is to take what’s known and make reasoned professional judgments about what kind of health impacts could occur, and provide recommendations to mitigate those impacts before they happen,” said Roxana Witter of the Colorado School of Public Health, who led what’s called the Battlement Mesa study.

The Colorado study, the nation’s first health impact assessment related to natural gas development, was completed last year. Gina Solomon, a physician with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said health concerns include air pollution; potential contamination of ground or surface water with methane or chemicals used in fracturing fluids; fires or explosions; heavy truck traffic; and altered social conditions.

In Pennsylvania, medical professionals have complained that they have no studies to guide them in handling medical issues; with none to reference, they don’t know what to look for, much less how to treat it. Philanthropies including the Heinz Endowment are funding several new shale-related health projects, such as the Southwestern Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project near Pittsburgh. It’s a medical outreach program for people

near gas wells.

Some residents in the Pennsylvania town of Dimock have complained that fracking polluted their wells and a toxic response team from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has investigated. The Environmental Protection Agency said this month that well water tests failed to show health-threatening levels of contamination.

The National Research Council of the National Academies of Science recommends greater use of health impact assessments for major policies and projects. The

the Department of Environmental Conservation’s review began in 2008. That review is expected to be completed in several months.

DEC has proposed rules for permitting gas-drilling companies to pump water, chemicals and sand into deep, horizontally drilled wells at high pressure to release natural gas from shale, a process known as hydraulic fracturing or “fracking.”

DEC spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said the environmental study and proposed regulations thoroughly review potential adverse health impacts and put requirements in place to prevent

ALBANY: In this March 26, 2012 file photo, author Sandra Steingraber speaks during a “New Yorkers Against Fracking” news conference in Albany, NY. While New York regulators have spent four years mulling the environmental impacts of shale gas development, the potential human health impacts have been given short shrift, according to health advocates. — AP goal is not to determine if a project is approved, but to ensure that adverse health effects are minimized.

Alaska, under pressure from doctors and community activists, has begun requiring a formal health impact assessment for permitting all large developments, according to Ed Fogels, Alaska’s deputy commissioner of natural resources.

While thousands of shale gas wells have brought an economic boom over the last four years to communities in Pennsylvania, drilling in New York’s part of the rich Marcellus Shale has been under a de facto moratorium since

them. The state Health Department has declined to do an assessment, saying it wouldn’t provide significant new information.

A budget amendment proposed in the state Assembly would have commissioned a health impact assessment by a state university, but it was dropped during budget negotiations this week. A bill in the Senate would ban fracking until a health study is completed.

Brad Gill, executive director of the Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York, said the call for a health study was “part of a calculated campaign designed to frighten New Yorkers.” “There are no demonstrated cases of negative

health impacts associated with natural gas development in the United States,” Gill said. “In fact, a $1 million study, completed last August in Fort Worth, Texas, concluded natural gas development in the Barnett Shale did not lead to adverse health effects.”

That study looked only at air quality. Although it found no significant health threats beyond setback distances, it recommended additional emission-control equipment and enhanced inspection and monitoring at natural gas sites.

In Alaska, native communities opposed expansion of oil development into sensitive areas of the North Slope in 2007. Collaboration on a health impact study led to compromises, said Aaron Wernham, director of the Health Impact Project, which assists in such studies.

Studies can become mired in controversy. That’s what happened to one by the University of Colorado’s School of Public Health for the 3,200-acre community of Battlement Mesa on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains.

County officials who commissioned the study halted it before it was final, saying it was hopelessly bogged down because residents and driller Antero Resources disagreed over its conclusions and recommendations.

The Battlement Mesa study made 70 recommendations for officials to consider before permitting Antero Resources to drill 200 wells.

Antero called the recommendations baseless because there’s not sufficient data to quantify potential health impacts. The Colorado School of Public Health reported this month that potentially toxic levels of airborne chemicals, including benzene, were detected near wells in the Battlement Mesa area during three years of monitoring.

Earlier this month, Alaska published a draft of its health impact assessment for the Wishbone Hill coal mine 50 miles north of Anchorage. “In any study of such sensitive issues there are always going to be disagreements,” said Katherine Nadeau of Environmental Advocates of New York. “But if we don’t even try to get an assessment of what’s going on in other states and what New York is doing to prevent similar problems here, it’s a missed opportunity.” — AP

German brings olive oil farming to Nepal CHITLANG VALLEY: When Nepal’s first olive farm opened to produce extra-virgin oil from trees planted on the slopes of the Himalayas, the sceptics said it couldn’t be done. But 17 years later Himalaya Plantations-the country’s only producer-expects to turn its first profit, marking an unlikely success which the company hopes may one day help boost agriculture in one of the world’s poorest nations.

“All the experts told us we were mad, that it would never work because we didn’t have the Mediterranean conditions,” said Hartmut Bauder, the company’s German founder. Bauder, who grew up in southern France, spent 18 years working in Mumbai as a manager in the chemical industry before deciding aged 57 he wanted to pursue his dream-but it has not proved easy.

“When we were in Mumbai we always had to bring our olive oil from Europe. I was always asking why there was no Indian olive oil but there was none,” he said. Bauder eventually discovered an Italian olive project in northern India and took its experts to carry out feasibility studies for an olive plantation in Nepal.

He searched for a year to find suitable land for Himalaya Plantations before choosing the idyllic Chitlang valley, an ancient settlement of the Kathmandu valley’s indigenous Newar people, southwest of the capital. “It had to be 10-15 hectares (25-37 acres) maximum, not more than three hours from Kathmandu, not too far from roads, power and water, facing south and at an alti-

tude of between 1,000 and 2,000 metres because olives need cold in winter,” he said.

Bauder, who has been married for 38 years to his Nepali partner, Promila, started with 10 hectares in two separate areas, which he named Tuscany and Vinci after famous Italian olive oil-growing areas.

The couple, who live with a Daschund and a herd of alpacas in Kathmandu, began planting in 1996, with 2,300 trees, initially budgeting for an outlay of 20 million rupees ($245,000).

Costs began to spiral, however, as the company fought a long battle with anthracnose, a common fungus that is the bane of farmers around the world. “I had no idea about agriculture, horticulture or olives. I thought that you plant a tree and it grows, you harvest and you make oil. We learned the hard way that it is not that easy,” he said.

“Many foreigners came from Italy, France and Spain to see what we were doing here and they were supposed to be experts in olives but everyone tells you a different story.” Bauder was about to throw in the towel but his fortunes changed after a chance meeting with one of the world’s top olive experts.

Gideon Peleg, the Israeli technical director of a plantation in northern India, offered Bauder his services as a consultant, introducing individual drip irrigation and changing the company’s pruning and fertiliser techniques.

“We spent a lot of time and money not achieving anything but we learned from these mistakes

and after about seven years we had fruit and we made oil-between 100 and 200 litres per year,” he said.

Himalaya Plantations has at last begun to turn the corner after a bumper yield in 2010, and Bauder sees his oil, which retails at 1,150 rupees for a halflitre bottle, earning its first profit this year. “We have never made a profit until now. Hopefully we’ll do more than break even this year,” he said.

The journey to Himalayan Plantations is via narrow, rubble-strewn lanes carved into the hillside, while the site itself has beautiful rolling hills blanketed by silvery-grey olive trees. Bauder says his olives are unrivalled because three months of monsoon rain followed by abundant sunshine, with temperatures ranging from -2C to 37C (28-99F), make conditions the opposite of those on the Mediterranean.

The result, he says, is a uniquely Nepalese flavour reflecting the pristine air and soil quality in the Himalayas. Bauder started with 12 employees, which he has reduced over the years to a dedicated band of five workers and their manager.

“Two have been with us 14 years and have learned over the years how to prune and spray, and they have also learned to a certain extent how to read the trees,” he said.

He hopes to encourage a change in food culture in Nepal, where cheap, low-quality Spanish oil is popular, but says the government has been unwilling to invest in training for other farmers.—AFP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

H E A LT H

Acino gears-up after acquisition of Mepha DUBAI: Acino, the Swiss-based pharmaceutical company, announced it would be sharpening its focus on Middle Eastern markets supported by its recent acquisition of the existing Middle East business of Mepha (now “Mepha LLC - A Member of the Acino Group”), a major Swiss player with firm existing product footprints across the MENA region.

In a joint statement, Acino and Mepha said the combined entity would capitalize on the strong Swiss heritage and new opportunities in the MENA market, which is estimated to be worth US$12 billion and is growing at a CAGR of 15 per cent.

Under one umbrella, Mepha and Acino Switzerland brands will combine their forces to strengthen their common Swiss heritage and their commitment to the region. The Middle East is a key region for growth and the combined entity intends to maintain momentum through organic growth and by capitalizing on brand heritage, product technology and new product launches.

The future will see the introduction of a broad pain-management portfolio and a closer focus on drugs for GI (gastro-intestinal) diseases. Further to this Acino intends to introduce more products in the oncology field, recognized as a leading therapeutic

area outpacing even cardio-vascular in the future. Acino bought the emerging-market business of Mepha last year from Cephalon enabling the Swiss company to gain an enhanced market presence across the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asian territories.

“The acquisition has enabled the company to make a ‘quantum leap’ towards establishing a strong presence in the emerging growth market of the Middle East and Africa,” Peter Burema, CEO Acino Group said.

According to independent sources the Middle East pharma market is estimated to be worth US$12 billion and is rapidly growing with the increase in population and education levels, which will bring growth potential for multinational pharma companies and Acino and Mepha will stand to gain in this scenario. Both Acino Switzerland and Mepha (under the Acino umbrella) will continue to promote their brands separately in the short- to medium-term while in the longterm an integration process will take place allowing capitalization of the full potential of the acquisition, said Ruud van Anraat (CCO Acino Group) by both entities joining forces to invest in the latest product delivery technologies such as patches, implants and oral modified release formulations.

Brazil spots new oil leak, safety worries rise BRASILIA: Brazilian authorities identified a small oil leak off the shores of Rio de Janeiro yesterday, the latest in a series of spills that has raised safety concerns over the development of some of the world’s largest petroleum reserves.

The latest oil leak comes days after a Brazilian prosecutor said he is widening a probe into offshore oil operations in the wake of a 3,000-barrel spill in an offshore field run by Chevron in November. The new leak, which stretches for 1.2 miles (2 km), is estimated at 1,600 liters of oil (14 barrels) and remains far away from the coast, Rio de Janeiro’s state Environmental Institute said in a statement. Officials were due to test the oil to

try to determine its origin, but the leak is believed to have come from a ship in a sea route heavily transited by oil tankers.

The leak was in the Campos Basin, which extracts about 80 percent of the country’s output of more than 2.6 million barrels of oil per day. The area is believed to hold to some of the world’s top oil reserves and that has attracted major producers such as Petrobras, Anglo Dutch Shell UK-based BP and Spain’s Repsol YPF. A small leak in Chevron’s Frade field two weeks ago led the company to shut down production at the field, which has produced as much as 80,000 barrels per day. — Reuters

Dreaded citrus disease detected in California ‘Huanlongbing is world’s worst disease of citrus’ FRESNO: A citrus disease that has killed millions of citrus trees and cost growers billions of dollars across Florida and Brazil has been detected in California, despite the industry’s best efforts to keep it at bay.

After a week of testing the US Department of Agriculture confirmed at noon Friday that citrus greening was detected in a lemon-grapefruit hybrid tree in a residential neighborhood of Los Angeles County. The disease stands to threaten not only California’s nearly $2 billion citrus industry, but treasured backyard trees scattered throughout the state.

“Huanlongbing is called the world’s worst disease of citrus,” said Dr. Robert Leavitt of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “It had been present until now in all of the world’s major citrus producing areas - except California.”

The bacterial disease, also known as huanglongbing, is carried by the Asian citrus psyllid and attacks a tree’s vascular system, producing bitter fruit and eventually killing the tree. Sap-sucking pysllids that feed on an infected tree become carriers of the disease.

It is not a threat to humans. “It’s disappointing,” said Joel Nelson of California Citrus Mutual. “Now we’ll see if this great program that we believe we have in place is going to work.” Detection of the disease has been state citrus growers’ fear since the bug first crossed into San Diego County from Mexico in 2008, potentially threatening California’s fresh citrus market. Despite 25 years of worldwide research, there still are no biological or genetic controls for the disease that keeps fruit from ripening.

The disease is present in Mexico and across the southern US, but nowhere is the problem more severe than in Florida, where the disease first appeared in 2005. The University of Florida estimates it has cost 6,600 jobs, $1.3 billion in lost revenue to growers and $3.6 billion in lost economic activity.

The pest and the disease also are present in Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and South Carolina. The states of Arizona, Mississippi and Alabama have detected the pest but not the disease. California growers and state agricultural officials have been

aggressively trapping and testing bugs for the disease since the first sighting four years ago.

“This is the other shoe dropping,” said Ted Batkin of the California Citrus Research Board. “We’re prepared, and now we’ll put our game face on.” The industry group will ramp up trapping efforts and increase testing samples in an effort to keep the disease from crossing into the San Joaquin Valley, where 80 percent of the state’s citrus grows.

California growers have been contributing $15 million a year to fund efforts to fight both the psyllids and the disease on top of state and federal programs to fight its spread.

“We’ve been fortunate that we have been able to learn from the experiences of other citrus-growing areas of the world,” Leavitt said. “They didn’t know

they had the psyllid or the disease until it was too late. We have learned from their scientists and have taken a proactive approach.”

State officials are making arrangements to remove and dispose of the Los Angeles County tree, which so far is the only one found to be infected.

They also will spray all citrus trees for psyllids within a half-mile of the infected tree. Testing on tissue samples from other trees within the half-mile radius is ongoing.

As of Saturday all sales and shipments of citrus trees within a 5-mile radius of the infected site will be suspended. State officials also are working on a larger quarantine that will extend into northern Orange County. The closest commercial grove is 14 miles away. — AP

WESLACO: Plant pathologist Erik Mirkov holds an early citrus rootstock called C22 that is enhanced with the genes from spinach, in a lab at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Weslaco, Texas. Testing has shown the genetically enhanced citrus trees are immune to citrus greening, a disease that has ravaged the industry. — AP

30

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N Greetings

C

ongratulations to Mohammad Ahmad AlZabadi on your new born son Salsabeel.

Best wishes from relatives and friends.

GUST welcomes KOC for lecture on back pain prevention

T

he Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) welcomed Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Hospital staff for a health day which encompassed, Back Pain Prevention lecture, doctor and surgeon consultations, movie on back pain prevention, free BMI testing and physiotherapist consultation. The day was to raise awareness on back pain, its causes

and ways of prevention.

Dr. MobhammadArshad Ikram, Orthopedic Medical Specialist at the Kuwait Oil Company and Dr. Mohammad Al-Kandari, Physiotherapist at the Kuwait Oil Company gave a lecture on Back Pain Prevention. They discussed the risk factors including obesity, poor posture, low level of physical activity, smoking, heels and

stress. They talked about the details on how they affect the back and then instructed on the best ways to correct and avoid these factors to decrease back pain.

These steps include: doing back exercises, walking, eating healthy, quitting smoking, swimming, making sure you’re lifting heavy items correctly and watching your posture whether you’re sitting, standing

or driving. The audience benefitted immensely from the presentation as well as all the students and staff who squeezed in a few moments in their busy day to learn about BMI and its importance and received free consultations.

GUST would like to thank the KOC for their efforts to increase awareness and their visit to the university.

H

appy birthday to our dear Vidhya.

May God shower His choicest blessings on you and may all your dreams come true. Best wishes come from Subbaraju and Sireesha.

N

o matter how old you are, to us you will always be your Daddy’s little girl and your Mommy’s bundle of joy.

Happy second birthday to our dearest Sharon (Chinu).

Sports day for Special Educational Needs Department at KNES

Trip to Le Notre

T

he SEN Department at Kuwait National English School (KNES) had its annual Sports Day on Thursday, March 15. It was an exciting and fun-filled event, with activities both inside our school’s very large gymnasium as well as in our outdoor sports areas including the football pitch and the covered basketball courts. Congratulations to the Red Team (JUPITER) who won the SEN Sports Day Trophy this year!

T

here is nothing on this planet that can hold a candle to the feeling that you get when you go to one of the best French restaurants with your friends and teachers. The restaurant that we are taking about is none others than the “Le Notre of Paris” located in Kuwait City near the Kuwait Towers. It is traditional yet snazzy, soothing yet exciting. The exterior is stylish painted in a duet of matte silver and a glossy purplish version of blue and the same hues that adorn the gorgeous interior of the building. We had a beautiful view of the sea side. The atmosphere was cheerful and the staff was very friendly. We had a brief meeting with the chef of the restaurant and the French speaking Staff who elucidated the French style of serving, the history of le Notre and how it came in to place. We found the topic very informative and interesting. Then we were served with the lunch the French way. We started with the appetizer - Caesar salad. Our main course, grilled marinated baby chicken with fresh herbs was truly appetizing. Every student found this savory very scrumptious. Our dessert was creme br˚lÈe vermicelli with a scoop of ice cream. It looked like a bird’s nest.

The combination of these was simply dee-lish. It filled the entire stomach without giving the slightest hint of being inside the stomach at all. The staff was enthusiastic and friendly. This was really an unforgettable experience thanks to French department of FAIPS who made this possible.

Announcements Earth Day with Golden Era April 13, 2012 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm Where: Rumaithiya, Block 2, Sate Alhusari Street, House 34, Next to Abu-Tammam Intermediate School for Boys Contact: Golden Era Club goldenera60@yahoo.com Fun Run Radisson Blu Hotel hosts FuN RuN! The run will begin at 9.00 am from Messilah to Radisson Blu Hotel (3km race). Transportation will be provided from the Radisson Blu Hotel to Messilah, but please be at the hotel by 8:15 am sharp. April 7th is World Health Day, and it is their way of spreading the word- to be healthy and keep fit! Best of luck to all the participants!

Amma Kuwait, PART to hold workshop Amma Kuwait and Progressive Art Realization Troop of Kuwait (PART) announce their maiden joint venture PRAKRUTI. The purpose of the workshop is to motivate children to explore art in nature by inspiring them to observe nature consciously.

Prakruti is a 5 hour workshop from 9am to 3pm on 20 April 2012 on landscape painting for budding student artists in the age group ten to seventeen. This workshop which will take place in the Al Jawhara Al Ahlea School, Rigaae will be conducted by the professional artists of PART who will interact with the children and guide them on special effects and professional painting techniques. The medium of painting will be Acrylic/Water. Each participant will receive a certificate of participation at the end of the workshop. Participants will get to showcase their paintings of the day and one previous work at the Exhibition that follows this workshop! Last date for registration is 10 April 2012. So hurry and visit the website www.ammakuwaitprakruti2012.com to register yourself.

IMA hosts spectacular family desert picnic

I

ndian Muslim Association-IMA Kuwait organized a ‘Family Desert Picnic 2012’ at the outskirts of the city. The theme of the event was “Be merciful to the people, Allah will be merciful to you” which was apparent in all the activities throughout the picnic. Spacious premises with separate tents for men and women and many small tents for basic amenities in a desert provided a great escape from the routine to the entire family members.

Picnic started with the breakfast followed by brief morning session.

It is a customary annual event, which provides educational discourses, entertainment, sports, mushaira (Urdu poetry session), several kinds of competitions

and various other activities to the entire family to rejoice in a leisurely atmosphere.

Islamic books stall was available during the picnic with displayed various contemporary books in different Indian languages.

Mohammad Aslam President of IMA welcomed the audience. Sheikh Jamal al Noori, head of Abdullah Noori Society was guest of honor and he addressed the gathering commending the activities of IMA. Islamic scholar Rizwan Falahi from India participated as guest and gave a discourse on the importance of social services and briefed about the various social activities in India. Mohammed Hasan gave picnic guidelines to the entire participants

to ensure discipline and safety during the entire event.

Various sports activities such as volleyball, running race, cricket, tug of war etc. were conducted separately for men and women. In a parallel session, many prominent Urdu poets participated in mushaira and presented their poems with big applause and appreciation from the audience.

Khaja Arifuddin, an educationist from India gave Friday sermon under the topic importance of social service in Islam and highlighted the importance of social service based on relevant Islamic teachings.

Evening session included dramas, cultural programs and multimedia presenta-

tions under various relevant educational themes presented by the artists of IMA youth wing. It was one of the prime attractions of the picnic that added flavor to the atmosphere. Cutting edge technology was employed to the whole stage activities.

During evening session prize distribution to the winners of various competitions were given by the guests. Delicious biryani was served to all the participants for lunch. More than thousand people with their families participated in the event. Sharafuddin Soofi conducted the program. Mohammed Hasan and Noman Vasaikar were Picnic organizer for this successful event.

Tamilar Marumalarchi Peravai conducts special monthly meet

T

amilar Marumalarchi Peravai-Kuwait convened a special monthly meet on March 9, Friday evening. The meeting was presided over by the association’s treasurer Jayakumar accompanied with the association’s president Muthuraman, secretary Selvakumar and deputy secretary Zahir Hussein as front stagers. The welcome address was given

by Sivamani, the association’s vice-president. The meeting was co-organized by Federation of Tamils-Kuwait. The function began with the recitation of Thirukkural by the association’s communicator Pattukkottai Sathya. Thamizhnadan, the co-ordinator of federation of TamilsKuwait released the DVD containing the scintillating discourse of Thamizharuvi Manian in the association, the president

of Gandhian people’s movement, delivered during his recent visit to Kuwait. The first copy of the DVD was received by the association’s executive committee member Sembai Vijayan, followed by Zahir Hussein, Srinivasan, Vellaichami and Tirupathi who are also the EC members.

Members and guests shared their views on association’s activities with immense interest. To the peak of the glory of the function, Thanjai P. Maniyarasan, secretary of TNCP conveyed an address of awareness from India thro’ mobile. The association’s deputy secretary, Ila Karthikeyan anchored the programme.

The association’s advisor Hasan Mohammed delivered the vote of thanks and the event ended with a delicious dinner served to the attendees.

31

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

W H AT ’ S O N

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

—Photos by Joseph Shagra

IWG celebrates Indonesian culture

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah.

Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 A.M until 12:00 P.M on Sunday through Wednesday.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.uae.gc.ca. nnnnnnn

By Nawara Fattahova

T

he International Women’s Group (IWG) convened at the Radisson Blu Hotel yesterday, with the event’s theme inspired by Indonesia.

The Indonesian Ambassador to Kuwait’s spouse Eva Adam addressed a welcome speech introducing her country to members.

A fashion show showcasing traditional Indonesian clothing made from different materials and colors was held. Also, some dresses cater to those wearing a hijab. The show stoppers were wedding attires for the bride and groom.

A traditional dance and the country’s national anthem was played during the event. Also a raffle draw was held for an air ticket to Indonesia, inclusive of a four day stay. Attendees then feasted on a breakfast buffet comprising scrumptious traditional Indonesian dishes.

Eva Adam, expressed her happiness at being able to display Indonesian culture and history. “I hope the attendees enjoyed the traditional dresses, folk

dance and songs presented today at this event. I also appreciate for receiving this opportunity to show some of our culture and traditions, and I hope that more people from Kuwait will come to visit Indonesia,” she stated.

The Group’s members meet regularly to hold different events and activities.

“These activities include different celebrations and event like visiting traditional places, museums, Arab Fund, Bayt Lothan. In addition, cultural activities

are presented by female diplomats from their respective countries. And this year, we will hold a presentation on Indonesian women among others,” Narjis Al-Shatti, Member of IWG and the PR and Media told the Kuwait Times.

She also said that the IWG Kuwait chapter is a branch of the International Women’s Association residing in Denmark, and has branches all over the world, where they organize similar programs and activities. “Here in Kuwait,

wives of ambassadors who are new to Kuwait will meet with the other members to exchange information about their country, tradition, food, culture and others,” stressed Al-Shatti.

She concluded, “Eva provided a lot of information about Indonesia including the weather, products, and others. We have seen the beauty of Indonesian textiles and fabrics in the fashion show, and the great creative work on traditional Indonesian outfits.”

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

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India will remain closed on Thursday, April 5, 2012 on account of “Mahavir Jayanti”. nnnnnnn

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

Little teacher

O

mm Elhiman Secondary School for Girls presented a workshop related to learning from each other through group or team work that can be easily achieved with determination.

The workshop showed that through clear presentation one can achieve its goal. It took place in the school under the supervision of teacher Miss Maha Mohammed and was presented by students Asraar Fawzan and Mounira Khalid.

It was also attended by the headmistress of the school Mrs Mardyia Abd Rasoul in addition to many teachers from different departments and different fields.

Infunity celebrates Mother’s Day with families in fun-filled activities

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

Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk nnnnnnn

SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY On the occasion of Easter Sunday, the South African Embassy will be closed from Sunday, 8 April 2012 to Monday, 9 April 2012. The Embassy will resume its normal working hours on Tuesday, 10 April 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. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF VENEZUELA Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, request Venezuelan citizens living in Kuwait to register with the Embassy, This registration service is provided so that the Embassy can update its contact list and assist Venezuelan citizens in cases os emergencies. Registration Information 25324367 or by email: embavenez@gmail.com. Our time is from Sunday to Thursday from 8.30am till 2 pm. nnnnnnn

EMBASSY OF THAILAND The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait, wishes to invite the Kuwaiti companies that deal business with Thai companies or those agencies of Thai commercial companies to visit the Embassy’s Commercial Office to register their relevant information to be part of the embassy’s business and trade database. The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 25317531, Ext: 14.

A

s part of Infunity’s regular participation in national events and global celebrations, the amusing kids’ center celebrated Mother’s Day on Thursday, March 22.

In its own special and unique way, Infunity was keen to join the children celebrate Mother’s Day through providing entertaining activities and adventurous competitions that aim at strengthening the relations amongst

the family members in general, and the mother and her child in particular.

Infunity is indeed the perfect center for holding events and parties, as it provides children with diverse activities, entertainment, and meals, all under one roof.

The various activities included presenting shows that highlight the mothers’ important role in society as well as Infunity’s exceptional candy and flower

performances. In addition, the comic and popular movie character “The Big Momma” offered all attending mothers flowers as a gesture of appreciation to their restless efforts.

Infunity center is more than mere entertainment; it enjoys great social responsibility and exerts all possible attempts to engage society in different celebrations in order to be closer to its loyal visitors and clients.

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Classifieds MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

FOR SALE

CHANGE OF NAME

Toyota Corolla 1.8 XLi, model 2010, color gray metallic, km done 25000, excellent condition, cash price KD 3,600. Contact: 60685504. (C 3926) 29-3-2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Toyota Prado 2006, Golden color, 6 cylinder, excellent condition, price KD 5,200/-.

Contact: 50699345.

Airlines JZR QTR GFA UAE ETD DHX FDB MSR QTR JZR KAC THY DHX FCX JZR KAC BAW JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY KAC QTR ETD BAB FDB KAC GFA MEA JZR IRC RBG MSR JZR MSR GFA KAC FDB OMA KNE QTR SVA RJA KAC JZR KAC QTR SYR KAC JZR RJA ETD RKM UAE GFA SVA UAL JZR JZR ABY RBG ALK KAC BAB KAC FDB KAC MSR KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC FDB MEA QTR GFA UAE JZR ETD BBC ABY QTR DHX AIC GFA UAL TAR JZR DLH THY KLM PIA

Arrival Flights on Monday 2/4/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 284 DHAKA 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 55 DUBAI 344 CHENNAI 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 6521 LAMERD 3553 ALEXANDRIA 618 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 645 MUSCAT 745 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 341 DAMASCUS 118 NEW YORK 535 CAIRO 80 AMMAN 303 ABU DHABI 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 3557 SOHAG 227 COLOMBO 542 CAIRO 438 BEIRUT 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 104 LONDON 620 ASSIUT 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 742 DAMMAM 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 61 DUBAI 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 43 DHAKA 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 975 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 327 TUNIS 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 772 ISTANBUL 411 AMSTERDAM 239 SIALKOT

Time 0:15 0:20 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:10 4:35 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:40 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:45 9:00 9:30 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:55 11:05 11:10 11:15 11:25 12:25 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:45 14:00 14:15 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:30 16:35 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:40 17:45 17:55 18:00 18:15 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:15 20:25 20:35 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 22:55 23:10 23:40 23:40 23:45

Airlines JZR QTR GFA UAE ETD DHX FDB MSR QTR JZR KAC THY DHX FCX JZR KAC BAW JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY KAC QTR ETD BAB FDB KAC GFA MEA JZR IRC RBG MSR JZR MSR GFA KAC FDB OMA KNE QTR SVA RJA KAC JZR KAC QTR SYR KAC JZR RJA ETD RKM UAE GFA SVA UAL JZR JZR ABY RBG ALK KAC BAB KAC FDB KAC MSR KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC FDB MEA QTR GFA UAE JZR ETD BBC ABY QTR DHX AIC GFA UAL TAR JZR DLH THY KLM PIA

Departure Flights on Monday 2/4/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 352 COCHIN 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 284 DHAKA 132 DOHA 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 55 DUBAI 344 CHENNAI 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 6521 LAMERD 3553 ALEXANDRIA 618 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 645 MUSCAT 745 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 341 DAMASCUS 118 NEW YORK 535 CAIRO 80 AMMAN 303 ABU DHABI 310 RAS ALKHAIMAH 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 3557 SOHAG 227 COLOMBO 542 CAIRO 438 BEIRUT 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 104 LONDON 620 ASSIUT 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 742 DAMMAM 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 61 DUBAI 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 43 DHAKA 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 975 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 327 TUNIS 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 772 ISTANBUL 411 AMSTERDAM 239 SIALKOT

Time 0:15 0:20 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:10 4:35 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:40 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:45 9:00 9:30 9:35 9:40 9:45 10:00 10:55 11:05 11:10 11:15 11:25 12:25 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:45 14:00 14:15 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:30 16:35 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:40 17:45 17:55 18:00 18:15 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:15 20:25 20:35 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 22:55 23:10 23:40 23:40 23:45

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

I, Mona D/o Syed Anwar R/o 18-8-134, Dargah Barhaneshah, Riyasathnagar, Hyd having Passport No. H4559826 have changed my name, henceforth I shall be known & called as MONA SYED ANWAR. (C 3928) 1-4-2012

SITUATION WANTED Qualified Chemical Engineer, extensive experience working at laboratory based research petroleum industries and industrial chemistry, more than 15 years in KISR Kuwait and Sydney-Australia, fluent in English and Arabic. Contact: 65151142, E-mail: salsafadi@hotmail.com

ST TAT TE OF K KUW WAIT A

Te el.: 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GENE GENERAL OF CIVIL AVIA V AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A DA AY: Y Saturday

Ext.: 2627 262 - 2630

Fax: 24348714 WWW.MET.GOV V.KW .

31/03/2012

07:00

Issue Time

Expected Weeather for the Next 24 Hours BY Y DA AY:

Sunny with light to moderate northerly to north easterly wind, with speed of 08 - 28 km/h and some scattered clouds will appear

BY Y NIGHT:

Fair with light variable wind changing to light to moderate south easterly wind, with speed of 06 - 26 km/h

No Current Warnings arnin a

WARNING A ST TATION T

MAX. EXP P.

MIN. REC.

KUW WAIT A CITY

27 °C

18 °C

KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT

28 °C

16 °C

NUW WAISEEB A

31 °C

17 °C

WAFRA A

30 °C

16 °C

SALMI

24 °C

11 °C

ABDAL LY

27 °C

13 °C

JAL ALIY YA AH

26 °C

12 °C

FAILAKA A

27 °C

16 °C

AHMADI POR RT

27 °C

20 °C

UMM AL-MARADEM

24 °C

19 °C

WARBA A A - BUBY YA AN

28 °C

14 °C

SFC. CHART

31/03/2012 0000UTC

4 DA AYS Y FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Direction

Wind Speed

Sunday

01/04

sunny

30 °C

16 °C

SE

08 - 30 km/h

Monday

02/04

Tuesday

03/04

fair + scattered clouds

32 °C

18 °C

S-SE

08 - 30 km/h

sunny + raising dust

30 °C

17 °C

S-SE

20 - 40 km/h

Wednesday e

04/04

sunny + scattered clouds

30 °C

19 °C

SE-E

15 - 40 km/h

PRA RA AYER Y TIMES

RECORDED YESTERDA AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPORT

Fajr

04:20

MAX. Temp.

30 °C

Sunrise

05:40

MIN. Temp.

19 °C

Zuhr

11:52

MAX. RH

86 %

Asr

15:23

MIN. RH

Sunset

18:05

MAX. Wind

Isha

19:23

TOT TA AL L RAIINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

31/03/12 02:59 UTC

19 % NW 60 km/h 1.56 mm V1.00

T1.06

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

112 Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

Japanese dancing group ‘World Order’, led by former kick boxer Genki Sudo (center), perform wearing business suits at Tokyo’s Seibu department store for the promotion of a business suit collection yesterday. Japan starts the new business year from April, a time when newly recruited executives purchase suits. — AFP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Untamed & Uncut 01:40 Return Of The Prime Predators 02:35 Planet Earth 03:30 In Search Of The King Cobra 04:25 Wild France 05:20 Escape To Chimp Eden 05:45 In Too Deep 06:10 Animal Cops Philadelphia 07:00 Going Ape 07:25 Penguin Safari 08:15 The Really Wild Show 08:40 Cats Of Claw Hill 09:10 Your Pet Wants This, Too! 10:05 Wild France 11:00 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 11:55 Animal Cops Houston 12:50 Wild Animal Orphans 13:45 SSPCA: On The Wildside 14:10 Wildlife SOS 14:40 Wild France 15:30 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Chris Humfrey’s Wildlife 17:00 Talk To The Animals 17:25 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 18:20 Must Love Cats 19:15 Wildlife SOS 19:40 Going Ape 20:10 Orangutan Island 20:35 Animal Battlegrounds 21:05 Natural World 22:00 Animal Planet’s Most Outrageous 22:55 Deep Into The Wild With Nick Baker 23:50 Animal Cops Miami

00:10 Diy SOS 01:00 Holmes On Homes 01:50 What Not To Wear 02:40 Coleen’s Real Women 03:30 The Restaurant UK 04:25 Diy SOS 05:20 What Not To Wear 07:05 Bargain Hunt 07:50 MasterChef Australia 09:25 Bargain Hunt 10:10 Antiques Roadshow 11:00 Come Dine With Me 11:50 10 Years Younger 12:40 Gok’s Fashion Fix 14:20 Fantasy Homes By The Sea 15:05 Holmes On Homes 15:55 Bargain Hunt 16:40 Antiques Roadshow 17:30 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 18:00 New Scandinavian Cooking 18:25 New Scandinavian Cooking With Claus Meyer 18:50 Indian Food Made Easy 19:15 Rick Stein’s French Odyssey 19:45 10 Years Younger 20:35 Gok’s Fashion Fix

00:00 00:30 01:00 01:10 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:10 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 07:45 08:30 08:45 09:30

BBC World News One Square Mile BBC World News World Features Asia Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Features Africa Business Report BBC World News India Business Report Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Asia Business Report Sport Today Newsday Hardtalk Newsday World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report

09:45 Sport Today 10:00 BBC World News 10:30 World Business Report 10:45 Sport Today 11:00 BBC World News 11:30 Hardtalk 12:00 BBC World News 12:30 World Business Report 12:45 Sport Today 13:00 BBC World News 13:30 BBC World News 14:00 GMT With George Alagiah 15:00 BBC World News 15:30 World Business Report 15:45 Sport Today 16:00 Impact With Mishal Husain 17:30 World Business Report 17:45 Sport Today 18:00 BBC World News 18:30 Hardtalk 19:00 The Hub With Nik Gowing 20:30 World Business Report 20:45 Sport Today 21:00 World News Today With Zeinab Badawi 22:30 World Business Report 22:45 Sport Today 23:00 BBC World News America 23:30 Hardtalk

00:00 Aiming For Gold 00:30 World Sport 01:00 World Report 03:00 The Best Of Backstory 03:30 Talk Asia 04:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps 05:00 CNN Newsroom 06:00 I Report For CNN 06:30 News Special 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Inside Africa 08:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 News Special 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 The Best Of Backstory 12:30 African Voices 13:00 World One 14:00 Fareed Zakaria Gps 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 19:00 World Sport 19:30 African Voices 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 22:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 23:00 Connect The World With Becky...

00:15 Replacements 1:05 Fairly Odd Parents 01:55 A Kind Of Magic 02:45 Stitch 03:10 Stitch 03:35 Replacements 04:00 Replacements 04:25 Fairly Odd Parents 05:15 A Kind Of Magic 06:00 Fish Hooks 06:15 Recess 06:40 So Random 07:05 Wizards Of Waverly Place 07:30 Good Luck Charlie 07:55 Shake It Up 08:20 Phineas And Ferb 08:45 Jessie 09:10 A.N.T. Farm 09:35 So Random 10:00 Camp Rock 11:30 Have A Laugh 11:40 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 12:05 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 12:30 Wizards Of Waverly Place 12:55 Phineas And Ferb 13:20 So Random 13:45 Suite Life On Deck 14:10 Wizards Of Waverly Place 15:25 A.N.T. Farm 15:50 Phineas And Ferb 16:15 Recess

16:40 17:05 17:30 18:50 19:10 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 22:05 23:35 23:45

So Random Jessie Jump In! Suite Life On Deck Good Luck Charlie Have A Laugh Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Camp Rock Have A Laugh Kim Possible

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 American Dragon 06:45 Rekkit Rabbit 07:10 Pokemon: Black And White 07:35 Timon And Pumbaa 08:00 Phineas And Ferb 08:50 Rated A For Awesome 10:30 Kickin It 10:55 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 11:20 Pair Of Kings 11:45 Zeke & Luther 12:10 Rated A For Awesome 12:35 Phineas And Ferb 13:45 I’m In The Band 14:10 Pair Of Kings 14:35 Zeke & Luther 15:00 Rekkit Rabbit 15:25 Pokemon: Black And White 15:50 Timon And Pumbaa 16:15 Kickin It 17:30 Phineas And Ferb 19:35 Pokemon: Black And White 20:00 Pair Of Kings 20:25 Kick Buttowski 20:50 Zeke & Luther 21:20 Aaron Stone 21:45 Phineas And Ferb 22:35 Kid vs Kat 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am

00:15 07:00 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:25 12:20 13:15 16:00 16:55 17:20 18:15 19:10 19:40 20:05 20:35 21:00 21:30 22:25 23:20

South Beach Classics Mythbusters Gold Rush Walking The Amazon How Do They Do It? Cake Boss Border Security Auction Kings Dirty Jobs Dirty Jobs Dirty Jobs Overhaulin’ Wheeler Dealers Ultimate Survival Mythbusters How It’s Made How Do They Do It? Border Security Auction Kings Cake Boss Gold Rush Walking The Amazon Swamp Loggers

00:35 01:25 01:50 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:35 10:25 10:50 11:20 12:15 13:05 13:55 14:50 15:15 15:40 16:05 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20

Ways To Save The Planet The Tech Show The Gadget Show Future Weapons The Gadget Show Mighty Ships Robocar Killer Outbreaks How Does That Work?

How Stuff’s Made Da Vinci’s Machines The Future Of...

Cosmic Collisions The Gadget Show Weird Connections Weird Connections The Tech Show Da Vinci’s Machines Building The Biggest Investigation X Mega World Superships The Gadget Show

GRIDLOCKʼD ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Building The Future Mega World Superships Building The Biggest

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 Too Young To Kill 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Then And Now 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 10:15 THS 12:05 Kendra 13:05 Dirty Soap 14:05 Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami 15:00 Style Star 15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Bridalplasty 17:55 Kourtney & Kim Take New York 18:55 E!es 19:55 Khloe And Lamar 20:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:25 Ice Loves Coco

00:15 01:30 02:20 04:50 06:30 2008 08:00 08:25 10:55 11:45 12:35 13:25 14:15 15:05 15:55 16:45 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 20:55 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Wrestling With Reality Ed’s Up Man’s Work Summer Dew Tour 2011 Ride Guide Mountainbike IFMXF 2010 Alli Presents Glutton For Punishment Breitling Airsports 2009 Featured Blood, Sweat And Gears World Combat League Glutton For Punishment Breitling Airsports 2009 IFMXF 2010 Alli Presents Alli Presents BMX Megatour Blood, Sweat And Gears Featured Featured Glutton For Punishment World Combat League Enfusion Featured

00:05 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 00:30 Kid In A Candy Store 00:55 Restaurant: Impossible 01:45 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 02:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 03:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 03:25 Chopped 04:15 Unique Sweets 04:40 Good Eats 05:05 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 05:30 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 05:50 Food Network Challenge 06:35 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 07:00 Food Network Challenge 07:50 World Cafe Asia 08:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:40 Good Eats 09:05 Dessert First With Anne Thornton 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 10:20 Lidia’s Italy 10:45 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:00 Food Network Challenge 12:50 Aarti Party 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:05 Dessert First With Anne Thornton 14:30 Unique Sweets 14:55 Paula’s Best Dishes 15:20 Meat & Potatoes 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 Aarti Party 18:15 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 18:40 Dessert First With Anne Thornton 19:05 Unique Sweets 19:30 Food Network Challenge 20:20 Chopped 21:10 Reza, Spice Prince Of India 21:35 Luke Nguyen’s Vietnam 22:00 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 22:50 Andy Bates Street Feasts 23:40 Meat & Potatoes

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

I Married A Mobster I Was Murdered Behind Mansion Walls Kidnap And Rescue Scorned: Crimes Of Passion I Married A Mobster I Was Murdered True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared Mystery Diagnosis Forensic Detectives Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Mall Cops – Mall Of America On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Street Patrol Forensic Detectives Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Mall Cops – Mall Of America On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery ER Who On Earth Did I Marry?

True Crime With Aphrodite Disappeared I Married A Mobster Scorned: Crimes Of Passion

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

By Any Means Meet The Natives: USA Young Global Hotshots One Man & His Campervan Bondi Rescue Extreme Tourist Afghanistan Long Way Down The Best Job In The World

By Any Means Meet The Natives: USA Young Global Hotshots One Man & His Campervan Bondi Rescue Extreme Tourist Afghanistan Long Way Down The Best Job In The World

By Any Means Banged Up Abroad Graham’s World Destination Extreme Perilous Journeys Which Way To Bite Me With Dr. Mike Leahy Banged Up Abroad Graham’s World Destination Extreme

00:00 02:15 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Bram Stoker’s Dracula-18 The Daisy Chain-PG15 Flightplan-PG15 Secret Window-PG15 Planet Of The Apes-PG15 Ticking Clock-PG15 Collateral-PG15 Planet Of The Apes-PG15 Star Trek: Generations-PG15 Collateral-PG15 Sniper: Reloaded-18 The Godfather-18

01:00 Bloodworth-18 03:00 The Tempest-PG15 05:00 Certified Copy-PG15 07:00 Swansong: Story Of Occi Byrne-PG15 09:00 Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale-PG15 11:00 Certified Copy-PG15 13:00 The Tempest-PG15 15:00 The Nanny Express-PG15 17:00 Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale-PG15 19:00 Freakonomics-PG15 21:00 No Strings Attached-18 23:00 Priest-18

00:00 Allen Gregory 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Saturday Night Live 02:30 Family Guy 03:00 Friends With Benefits 04:00 The Simpsons 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 06:00 Weird Science 06:30 How I Met Your Mother 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 The Simpsons 08:30 Friends With Benefits 09:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 09:30 Raising Hope 10:00 Traffic Light 10:30 How I Met Your Mother 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Weird Science 12:30 The Simpsons 13:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 13:30 How I Met Your Mother 14:00 Friends With Benefits 14:30 Traffic Light 15:00 Raising Hope 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Weird Science 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Melissa And Joey 18:30 Mad Love 19:00 Raising Hope 19:30 Traffic Light 20:00 Community 20:30 Allen Gregory 21:00 The Daily Show Global Edition 21:30 The Colbert Report Global Edition 22:00 Entourage 22:30 How To Make It In America

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

Unforgettable Missing Top Gear (US) Body Of Proof Combat Hospital The View Live Good Morning America C.S.I. Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Unforgettable Body Of Proof Live Good Morning America C.S.I. The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Revenge Desperate Housewives Game Of Thrones The Closer Combat Hospital

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

Bones Top Gear (US) Missing Unforgettable Body Of Proof One Tree Hill Bones Emmerdale Coronation Street Franklin & Bash Top Gear (US) Unforgettable Missing Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Franklin & Bash Bones

BLOODWORTH ON OSN CINEMA

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

Blood Out-18 Flightplan-PG15 Walled In-PG15 The Hunt For Red October-

07:30 Live NBC Nightly News (SatSun) 08:00 ABC This Week With G Stephanopoulos 09:00 ABC World News Now With David Muir

Rocky-PG15 Returner-PG15 No Time To Fear-PG15 Rocky-PG15 Dad Savage-PG15 Gridlock’d-18 The Godfather-18

00:00 Perfect Sense-18 02:00 Unstoppable-PG15 04:00 Across The Hall-PG15 06:00 Bustin’ Down The Door-PG15 08:00 Citizen Jane-PG 10:00 The Flyboys-PG15 12:00 Quest For Zhu-PG 13:30 Citizen Jane-PG 15:30 The Flyboys-PG15 00:00 Hanging Up-PG15 17:30 Legendary-PG15 02:00 Away We Go-PG15 19:45 Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call 04:00 For Richer Or Poorer-PG New Orleans-18 06:00 Princess Diaries 2: Royal 22:00 Please Give-18 Engagement-FAM 08:00 Just Married-PG15 10:00 Babe-FAM 12:00 Babe: Pig In The City-FAM 14:00 The Big Green-PG 01:30 UFC The Ultimate Fighter 16:00 Hanging Up-PG15 02:30 NRL Premiership 18:00 Inspector Gadget (1999)-PG15 04:30 Trans World Sport 20:00 Stealing Harvard-PG15 05:30 WWE Experience 22:00 Next Friday-18 06:30 WWE This Week 07:00 Dubai World Cup 12:00 Live NRL Premiership 14:00 Futbol Mundial 14:30 European PGA Tour 19:00 Super Rugby Highlights 01:00 On The Edge-18 20:00 European PGA Tour 03:00 The Silence Of The Lambs-18 Highlights 05:00 Eight Below-PG 21:00 NRL Premiership 07:00 Shipwrecked-PG 23:00 Premier League Darts 09:00 The Moveon.Org Story-PG15 11:00 Khao Niao Moo Ping-PG15 13:00 Eight Below-PG 15:15 Catch That Kid-PG 01:30 European PGA Tour 17:00 Unstrung Heroes-PG15 06:00 Ping Pong World 19:00 The Gray Man-PG15 Championship 21:00 Entre Les Murs-PG15 07:00 Scottish Premier League 23:15 The Clearing-18 09:00 Golfing World 10:00 Triathlon 11:30 Futbol Mundial 12:00 Volvo Ocean Race 01:00 Resident Evil 4: Afterlife-18 13:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 02:45 Forrest Gump-PG15 13:30 Scottish Premier League 05:15 Chico & Rita-18 15:30 NRL Premiership 07:00 Inside Job-PG15 17:30 Futbol Mundial 09:00 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG 18:00 Golfing World 10:45 Ghost-PG15 19:00 AFL Winners 13:00 Shrek Forever After-FAM 20:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 14:30 My Name Is Khan-PG15 20:30 Triathlon 17:15 Diary Of A Wimpy Kid-PG 21:00 SPL Highlights 19:00 How Do You Know-PG15 21:00 Stealing Harvard-PG15 23:00 A Single Man-R 01:30 Super Rugby 05:30 Trans World Sport 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 Golfing World 00:00 Rh+ The Vampire Of Seville 02:00 Beethoven’s Christmas 08:00 European PGA Tour 12:30 Golfing World Adventure-PG 13:30 Premier League Darts 04:00 Ulysses-PG 06:00 The SpongeBob SquarePants 17:00 Triathlon 18:30 Super Rugby Movie-PG 08:00 Pocahontas & The Spider 20:30 Mobil 1 The Grid Woman-PG 10:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs.

Evil-PG 12:00 Pollyworld-FAM 01:00 WWE Bottom Line 14:00 The SpongeBob SquarePants 02:00 WWE This Week Movie-PG 02:30 V8 Supercars Challenge 16:00 Barbie In A Mermaid Tale 2 04:00 UFC Unleashed 18:00 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. 05:00 UFC The Ultimate Fighter Evil-PG 06:00 UFC Unleashed 20:00 The Three Musketeers (2008)- 07:00 WWE This Week FAM 07:30 V8 Supercars Challenge

00:00 Live NBC Meet The Press 01:00 ABC World News Now With David Muir 01:30 Live NBC Nightly News (SatSun) 02:00 ABC World News Now With David Muir 02:30 Live NBC Nightly News (SatSun) 03:00 Live NBC Sunday Today Show 04:00 ABC This Week With G Stephanopoulos 05:00 Live NBC Meet The Press 06:00 ABC World News Now With David Muir 06:30 Live NBC Nightly News (SatSun) 07:00 ABC World News Now With David Muir

09:00 12:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:30 19:00

01:15 02:55 04:20 05:50 07:25 09:00 10:35 12:10 13:40 15:15 16:50

Prizefighter V8 Supercars Challenge WWE This Week WWE Experience WWE Smackdown V8 Supercars Challenge Mobil 1 The Grid UFC

Dead Of Winter The Curse Of Inferno-PG Heart Of Midnight Diplomatic Immunity Breakheart Pass-PG The Spree-PG Double Deception Ghoulies II The Secret Invasion Arena-PG Death Rides A Horse-PG

00:00 MysteryQuest 01:00 Mud Men 02:00 Pawn Stars 03:00 Ancient Aliens 04:00 Falklands Combat Medics 06:00 MysteryQuest 07:00 Mud Men 08:00 Pawn Stars 09:00 Ancient Aliens 10:00 Falklands Combat Medics 12:00 MysteryQuest 13:00 Mud Men 14:00 Pawn Stars 15:00 Ancient Aliens 16:00 Falklands Combat Medics 18:00 MysteryQuest 19:00 Lost Worlds 20:00 IRT: Deadliest Roads ‚ The Andes 21:00 IRT: Deadliest Roads ‚Äì The Andes 21:55 Mega Movers 23:00 Sliced

00:00 02:55 03:20 06:05 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:25 09:55 10:50 11:50 12:50 13:15 13:45 14:45 15:40 16:35 18:25 20:20 22:10 23:05

Jerseylicious Videofashion News Jerseylicious Clean House Videofashion News Videofashion Daily Open House Fashion Classics How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Clean House Dress My Nest Mel B: It’s A Scary World How Do I Look?

Giuliana & Bill Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane The Amandas Wicked Fit Giuliana & Bill The Amandas How Do I Look?

00:05 00:30 01:45 03:00 04:15 05:30 05:55 06:20 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:15 09:30 09:55 10:20 10:45 11:10 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:15 14:30 14:55 15:45 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:15 18:40 19:30 19:55 20:20 20:45 21:10 21:35 22:00

Adventures Abroad SCI Expedition Safari Jim Zumbo Outdoors Adventures Abroad SCI Expedition Safari Jim Zumbo Outdoors Jim Zumbo Outdoors Jim Zumbo Outdoors Ride To Adventure Ride To Adventure Ride To Adventure Randy Jones’ Strike Zone Ride To Adventure Ride To Adventure Ride To Adventure Western Sport Fishing Salmon, Trout & Steelheader Speargun Hunter Speargun Hunter Speargun Hunter Familiar Waters Western Sport Fishing Salmon, Trout & Steelheader Speargun Hunter Familiar Waters Familiar Waters Familiar Waters Western Sport Fishing Salmon, Trout & Steelheader Speargun Hunter Speargun Hunter Speargun Hunter Familiar Waters Familiar Waters Familiar Waters Ride To Adventure

01:20 02:40 04:00 05:30 07:00 08:30 10:05 12:00 13:50 15:45 17:55 19:55 22:00

Lili-FAM The Petrified Forest-PG Carbine Williams-PG Each Dawn I Die-PG Crazy In Love-PG Flipper’s New Adventure-FAM Bronco Billy-PG An American In Paris-FAM Captain Blood-FAM The Champ-PG Hotel-PG Tea And Sympathy-PG Sitting Target

35

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 635

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Energy and self-confidence flourish. This is a superb day to take on a mentally difficult project, broach a subject with someone you were too shy about before or perhaps, ask for help or volunteer to help someone.

Good luck! If you are working on a project in your home today, you could make some real progress through the afternoon. This could be anything from new flower beds to repairs on the roof. Spring cleaning and preparing for the summer seem to be the activities scheduled for the day. You enjoy decorating and creating good smells throughout your living area. You add a touch of class to wherever you are most days.

Love is in full bloom this evening—it is a good time to fully demonstrate the depth of affections to loved ones.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today may put a magnifying glass on relationships. Positive aspects will bring comfort, but hidden tensions will be exposed.

You could learn a lot about your feelings today as well as how much you need a close friend or partner. Social involvement, dating and general pleasantries can be enjoyed all day. This is a great time to refurbish your own energies. Weather permitting, you may want to get outside today. Fishing, bird watching, walking, working or playing in the yard or park, all lead to a more relaxed and focused you. If you didn’t take a loved one with you on your adventures today, you will want to be with your loved ones this evening. Perhaps some fun get-together for the evening meal. Conversations are fun—all through the evening.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. The sixth day of the week.

4. A tributary of the Ohio River.

10. Being five more than one hundred fifty.

13. United States sculptor and architect whose public works include the memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War in Washington (born in 1959).

14. Wild geese.

15. European strong-scented perennial herb with gray-green bitter-tasting leaves.

16. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

17. A region of Malaysia in northeastern Borneo.

19. Divulge information or secrets.

21. A tube in which a body fluid circulates.

23. (old-fashioned) At or from or to a great distance.

25. A thrusting blow with a knife.

32. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its mother and raised by hand.

35. Being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness.

36. American prizefighter who won the world heavyweight championship three times (born in 1942).

37. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters.

39. A former copper coin of Pakistan.

40. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

42. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

44. Serving as an essential component.

45. The elementary stages of any subject (usually plural).

46. A flexible container with a single opening.

47. South African term for `boss'.

54. A human limb.

58. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

59. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan.

60. A cylindrical drawstring bag used by sailors to hold their clothing and other gear.

62. Imperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time) from 206 BC to 221 and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy.

63. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

64. A genus of Hirundinidae.

65. An insecticide that is also toxic to animals and humans.

DOWN 1. Loose or flaccid body fat.

2. The basic unit of money in Cambodia.

3. A ruler of the Inca Empire (or a member of his family).

4. The compass point that is one point south of due west.

5. An anti-TNF compound (trade name Arava) that is given orally.

6. An imaginary elephant that appears in a series of French books for children.

7. Type genus of the Anatidae.

8. A hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland.

9. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

10. Decapod having eyes on short stalks and a broad flattened carapace with a small abdomen folded under the thorax and pincers.

11. City in eastern Belgium.

12. A blood vessel that carries blood from the capillaries toward the heart.

18. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

20. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk.

22. An aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect.

24. An official prosecutor for a judicial district.

26. The basic unit of money in Western Samoa.

27. A nearly horizontal passage from the surface into a mine.

28. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

29. A financial institution that accepts deposits and channels the money into lending activities.

30. An inflammatory disease involving the sebaceous glands of the skin.

31. (informal) Being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition.

33. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

34. By bad luck.

38. Of or pertaining to Sabah or its people.

39. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

41. An associate degree in applied science.

43. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

48. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

49. Type genus of the Amiidae.

50. Open-heart surgery in which the rib cage is opened and a section of a blood vessel is grafted from the aorta to the coronary artery to bypass the blocked section of the coronary artery and improve the blood supply to the heart.

51. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

52. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

53. A loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion.

55. Of southern Europe.

56. (Irish) The sea personified.

57. Of or relating to a member of the Buddhist people inhabiting the Mekong river in Laos and Thailand.

61. A brittle gray crystalline element that is a semiconducting metalloid (resembling silicon) used in transistors.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Competition and challenges come your way today. This is the time to use your energy constructively; being slow to anger or worry is a good idea. You may be particularly motivated at this time. Much energy and drive are available for whatever you want to achieve. This could involve a creative production—a play perhaps. People ask for your help today but unless you are teaching a group, you may have to choose where you lend your help in order to be thorough. You know other people that like to volunteer and can find others to fill the gap, so to speak. This evening may be a good time to study and learn new things, as well as to assess your own goals. This evening may also turn into a very creative and romantic time.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Adjustments and compromises must be made in the interest of harmony today. There are many things you will want to accomplish and with patience, you will see positive results. This is an excellent time to sit down alone and get many things accomplished. This afternoon you are able to express appreciation for music, sensual pleasures and the finer things in life. This is aesthetic and artistic to be sure, but it is also practical and materialistic: you develop a keen appreciation for the value of things, including the money it takes to buy them.

Companionship with others is most rewarding at this time and you should take every opportunity to be with friends. This evening is a good time for imagination and creativity when it comes to ideas.

Leo (July 23-August 22) This is the time to smooth over any misunderstandings from the past. Express your concern for others. Take a drive in the country or see a movie. Surround yourself with beauty. You deserve it. Communication with those around you, especially young people, may spur memories of your own youth.

You may find yourself reflecting on some event in the past. This afternoon you may find that your high level of energy will help you catch up in maintaining and caring for household items. Exercise, perhaps working in the garden, or some other outside activity would be a good way to balance your energies. There could be some wonderful opportunities later this day to just sit back and enjoy nature. A love relationship has great potential.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) No one is a stranger today. This is a good time to try and foster a sense of togetherness and team play among family members. You are relaxed and in tune with everyone around you just now. Do not be surprised if most people come to you for help! Camaraderie with old friends can be fun today.

Your relationship with a loved one will improve—or perhaps a new one will begin. Go out and be with people tonight. Any worries should disappear and you could be the life of the party. Creating a fun time this evening could be as simple as homemade hamburgers, hot dogs and ice cream. You may find this get-together a great opportunity for relationships to heal, grow and mature. Who knows, someone might announce an engagement this evening.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Visiting with friends is one of your favorite activities. There is an interest in pursuing your artistic expression this afternoon.

Perhaps you will enjoy some form of music or pottery. You will find that any social plans you want to create are as close as the telephone. Your good cheer enhances your social life and may intensify romance as well. This is a time to solidify existing friendships while gaining the affection of acquaintances. Seize the chance when it comes! Your relationship with a loved one will improve, or perhaps a new one will begin. Tonight is a good time to relax and prepare for the next week’s work schedule. Perhaps you could enjoy a take-away dinner and have a lovely lingering bubble bath.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may have a mad desire to do nothing but communicate and exchange ideas today. You could shoot the breeze with someone for hours, if given the opportunity—this is the day to enjoy these interactions.

There are opportunities to enjoy the day without the chores, especially if you have done the work beforehand. A group of you may decide to see a comedy movie.

Emotional security, a sense of belonging and nurturing are felt strongly now. A love of music, an appreciation for sensual pleasures and others of the finer things in life are the signs of the energies you have begun today. Communication with friends is enhanced. In addition, romance is heightened in your personal relationships; enjoy cultivating this relationship.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You have a heightened interest in health and diet along with the urge to get things organized into a rational system this spring.

There is much mental busywork now. Paying bills and making phone calls may be part of this day. Your mind is quick, making you receptive to all external stimuli. You are filled with self-assertiveness. Working on a project could prove fun, especially if you elicit the aid of friends—perhaps a shared hobby. There may be an opportunity for a deep emotional talk with a close friend or loved one. Take time to give some attention to one who needs your help. Be diplomatic in your discussions with loved ones at this time. Communicating with long-distance associates and enjoying social functions with close friends is enhanced.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Your mind is wide open and demanding to be fed! This is a great day to study and learn new things, as well as to assess your own position. Others’ points of view will be clear, as will be yours to them. You may be preparing for a business trip today but it is a good time to travel. If your personal popularity was absent before today, it is back now. You may feel that you are in touch and in harmony with others and the lines of communication are open. The support you need is available. Some outside activity with children, perhaps a trip to the park, could bring you great satisfaction this afternoon. Practice initiating these times in your life more often. Your relationships are most harmonious. It is good to work at strengthening difficult relationships.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) This is a fine time to be with loved ones. Engage in activities that are both carefree and pleasant with friends and loved ones.

You may have read in the paper or heard from someone that a friend, relative or neighbor has made a difference in some community organization. You may think about your own position in society. You seriously want to make a positive difference around your community. A lover or child is inspiring. There are many ways to make a positive difference in the lives around you—and that doesn’t mean a big advertised creation to improve the streets or hospitals . . . it could just be in yielding to others while driving or letting someone else go first in a grocery store line or waiting for an elevator.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

This is definitely a day to get a lot of things done, especially if you are allowed to lead. Others want to help, but there is a need for safety precautions. This could mean you will be doing some sort of upkeep or repairs on the home or the surroundings. Perhaps you are gathering the rocks for that outdoor barbecue. Your drive is high, your mind is clear and communication should not be a problem. Conversations are easy and new ideas about life and living may enter your reality. Your powers of creativity are excellent. Some petty problems between you and a friend may come to your attention today. Do not try to force an issue during this time—you could regret what you say. Relationship with friends of the opposite sex could be a big boost to your ego just now.

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Scarlett Johansson wants to direct her own film he 27-year-old star has been working on her own feature film “for years,” and is keen to challenge herself. She said: “I would like to direct a feature. I’ve been developing it for years. It’s good. I just want to work on stuff that’s challenging to me, physically, emotionally. I don’t want to do anything that doesn’t scare me a little bit.” The ‘Avengers Assemble’ actress is looking to play

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“established” characters in future movies, and she has her sights set on portraying silent film star Norma Desmond in a remake of 1950 movie ‘Sunset Boulevard’.

She added to Empire magazine: “As I get older I sort of see that I’m able to kind of move away from characters that are transitional. I’m now looking at characters women - that are established and are where they are because of where they

came from and have a background.

“Actors are always asked to do things that are absolutely ludicrous, whether you’re rappelling down the side of a building or crawling through the woods or fulfilling yourself emotionally. “I want to play Norma Desmond in ‘Sunset Boulevard’ someday. But I need a couple more years.”

Backstreet Boys concert to be streamed live Ronan, Yvonne Keating end 14-yr-marriage he Boyzone singer and his former model wife are thought to have called time on their union in November and are currently making plans for separate living arrangements but have not made an official announcement for the sake of their three children, Jack, 13, Missy, 11, and Ali, six. Ronan and Yvonne’s marriage suffered following his reported dalliance with dancer Francine Cornell on a Boyzone tour in the summer of 2009 and although they appeared to work things out, friends say the damage was irreparable. A close pal of the couple told Ireland’s Sunday Independent newspaper: “They broke up in November and that was that. There was no going back. But the friendship and the love will always be there. Neither of them wanted this to happen. Their lives will be forever entwined; it is just that they are no longer together.” “The damage to Ronan and Yvonne’s relationship was never repaired despite many attempts. They nearly sorted it out last year but it just didn’t last. God knows, they don’t want this situation but they are thinking of what is best for their kids. “They told their children a while ago before it got into the newspapers. They are all very strong as a family. “It’s heartbreaking for them.

It has been nearly two years but they really tried to

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make their marriage work again. Sometimes when it is broken, it is broken and it can’t be fixed. Without going into the nitty gritty, they just couldn’t pick up the pieces.” Ronan, 35 and 37-year-old Yvonne married in a private ceremony in 1998, on the Caribbean isle of Nevis, shortly after the death of his beloved mother Marie from cancer and although they have split, their relationship has remained amicable. The friend added: “There was just too much broken.

They still go out together for dinner and are still a family. It is just they are not in a marriage anymore.”

“Their relationship has been completely on and off since [that incident]. It has been very difficult, very awkward for them, but they do still love each other and as clichÈd as it sounds, they are still good friends. It is just that their marriage is over. It is devastating for them,” added the source. “They have been together since they were young adults and thought they would be spending the rest of their lives together. It just wasn’t to be.”

he NKOTBSB show at London’s 02 arena will make history by being broadcast to over 300 screens by Myscreenevent.com using the state of the art Pan-European satellite feed, which streaming the concert to fans in high definition. Frank Volpe - who is coordinating the cinema cast - said: “Working with New Kids on the Block and The Backstreet Boys is such a perfect opportunity to reach out to markets that already clearly enjoy the cinema experience and will highlight this groundbreaking development as a route all bands and artists will have the opportunity to embrace in the next ten years.” NKOTB’s Joey McIntyre has previously revealed he is excited about bringing the NKOTBSB tour from the US to Europe but said his band will not be “messing” with any of Backstreet Boys’ tracks. He said: “We’re very excited about bringing the tour to Europe. It’s going to be a blast. “Rather than having one of us come on for an hour and then having the other group perform afterwards we’ve made it one big, exciting, rollercoaster of a show. We start the show together, we end the show together and then we trade off, a song here, a song there. Each group feeds off each other. “But fans want to hear Backstreet Boys sing ‘I Want It That Way’, they want to hear us singing ‘The Right Stuff’.

We’re not messing with the hits.”

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Jon Hamm says

Charlize Theron regrets

therapy is ‘invaluable’

not training harder for ‘Prometheus’

he ‘Mad Men’ actor became an orphan at the age of 20 following the death of his father, 10 years after the passing of his mother - and despite not wanting to, went to see a therapist, who he believes she helped him greatly. He said: “I had no concept of what going to see shrink meant. I’m a 20-year-old idiot, in the Midwest. This is not Woody Allen in New York. We don’t sit around and talk about our feelings. We certainly don’t sit around and compare shrinks. “But I went to the lady. Sat down and talked to the lady. I gotta say, it helps.

Talking to anybody helps. Talking to your friends helps. But your friends are your friends. They’ll tell you what you want to hear. The shrink doesn’t sugarcoat it: ‘Do this, this and this.

Don’t do this anymore.’ It’s a wonderful third-person perspective that you get from an analyst. It’s invaluable, I think.” Jon who plays advertising boss Don Draper in the 1960s drama series - added before he sought help, he had no direction in his life. He told Esquire magazine: “I was bummed out and when you’re bummed out it’s hard to do other stuff, like even wake up in the morning. It’s something that causes you to struggle in the world.”

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Taylor Kitsch wants to be scared he ‘John Carter’ actor says it’s important for him to take risks with his jobs and take on different characters as he doesn’t want to be typecast. He told Britain’s OK! magazine: “I want to keep working with the best, keep going and be a better actor each time I go and dive into something. I want to be scared. I want to keep taking insane risks. “I want to be scared because you’re going to grow through that whether you want to or not. I don’t want to play the same guy.

I want to keep throwing curveballs to you guys and keep telling stories.” As well as concentrating on his career, the former personal trainer says he wants to live a ‘normal’ life in Austin, Texas, after buying a house there. He said: “When I’m not acting, I try to be normal, play golf, play hockey. It’s funny because you’re in this little bubble when you’re working - you don’t read books, you don’t really keep up with the news, you’re just living that life. When you get out, you just kind of reacquaint yourselves with family and friends. You try and forget and just try and remember what reality feels like.” —Bangshowbiz

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he 36-year-old actress - who plays corporate figurehead Meredith Vickers in the Ridley Scott-directed sci-fi movie - felt out of shape while filming “sexy” running scenes and thinks they turned out looking more “ugly” than attractive due to her lack of preparation for the role. She said: “I probably should have trained a little bit because I found myself in the middle of Iceland having to run with all this heavy gear on my back. It was one take of sexy running and then I was all ugly running. Ridley going, ‘Run. Run!’ was pretty much the ugly running.” Charlize found her transformation into a hard-nosed businesswoman in the motion picture - which follows the crew of the Prometheus space ship in 2085 as they go in search of aliens - came to her naturally as soon as she donned a suit. She added to Hello! magazine: “I don’t ever set out to play a character with strength.

I try to kind of find the circumstance and try to be as honest as I can. “Once we all understood the world which she [Meredith] was in, where we wanted to go with her, and what we wanted to explore with her, that seeps in and you all of a sudden put that suit on and are like, ‘Wow, yeah, I wanna order somebody around.’ And you just kinda find it.”

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

lifestyle

Bringing a

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n order to propagate traditional classical dances of India, to train potential young dancers and to introduce the audience in Kuwait to the dance-form, Natyalaya Nirtha Kala Kshethram has successfully brought outstanding artistes of different classical dances from all over India, ever since its inception 12 years ago.

Natyalaya Prakash, founder and director of Natyalaya Nirtha Kala Kshethram is a leading dancer and choreographer in the field of Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam, Kuchipudi, Kerala Nadanam and folk dance.

He is incidentally the senior disciple of Gurus Kalamandalam Susheela, Kalamandalam Ramani and Palakkad Murali. Natyalaya Prakash was born in Mannarkad in Palakkad district, Kerala. He started learning dancing from a very young age of five and learned various traditional dances of India. He has many stage performances to his credit all over India and is currently in Kuwait. His dance performance was broadcast on Kairali TV on two occa-

Titanic’s legacy:

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traditional sions. He has travelled extensively to Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai, Malaysia and Singapore in order to perform a variety of dance programs.

Ayona Bhaduri is recognized today as one of the finest young practitioners of Odissi dance. Bhaduri is a graduate from Nrityagram, Bangalore where she trained under Bijayini Satpathy and Surupa Sen from 1998 to 2007, during which time she toured extensively with the internationally acclaimed Nrityagram Dance Ensemble both in India and abroad. Currently based in Kolkata, she is associated with leading choreographer Sharmila Biswas as Senior Repertory dancer and Administrator since 2008. With Nrityagram, Ayona has performed abroad at prestigious festivals in USA such as American Dance Festival, Jacobís Pillow Dance Festival, New York’s Central Parkís 150th year Celebration, Spoleto USA Festival to name a few. Ayona has performed solo all over the country receiving critical acclaim everywhere.

dance-form alive

Photos by Sherif Ismail

A fascination with disasters

pic disasters - the anguished cries, the stories of heroism - are the central narratives of our age, both enthralling and horrifying. And our obsession began a century ago, unfolding in just 160 terrifying minutes, on a supposedly unsinkable ship, as more than 1,500 souls slipped into the icy waters of the North Atlantic. And the band played on. It was the Titanic. And ever since, we’ve been hooked on disasters, in general but the tale of the great luxury liner, in particular. And the approaching 100th anniversary of the sinking has merely magnified the Titanic’s fascination.

There were catastrophes before that fateful Sunday night in April 1912, but nothing quite captivated the newly wireless-connected globe’s attention. It was more than news.

It was a macabre form of entertainment.

Bigger, deadlier disasters followed, but they all borrowed from the storylines - morality plays, really - established by the Titanic’s sinking: The high-profile investigations ... wall-towall news coverage ... issues of blame, technological hubris, ignored warnings and economic fairness - all were themes that played out in the BP oil spill, the space shuttle disasters, Hurricane Katrina, the Exxon Valdez and the recent grounding of the Costa Concordia.

“The story is ageless, like all great stories,” said James Delgado, director of maritime heritage at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “The elements in this case of triumph, tragedy, and hubris, of bravery and cowardice, all wrapped up in one brief moment. That speaks to people.”

And to this day, The Titanic is big business in movies, books, songs, poetry, and museum exhibits hundreds of miles (kilometers) from the nearest ocean. Dozens of tourists have paid tens of thousands of dollars to dive in Russian submersibles to visit the ship’s watery grave and see in the ocean floor “where the Titanic dug in and the ship created this knife-like sharp edge,” Delgado said.

For decades that burial spot was unknown, but the discovery of the Titanic in 1985 brought Titanic back to the world’s attention. Then a dozen years later, another man raised the Titanic to an even greater fame with a multi-Academy Award winning movie and follow-up documentaries. This

was, he said, a parable that the storyteller in him could not ignore. “It’s this great sort of metaphorical novel that actually happened,” said “Titanic” director James Cameron. “You can go and visit the wreck and go and see this monument to human folly.”

The 882-foot (269-meter) long Titanic steamed from Queenstown, Ireland, on Apr. 11 toward New York, carrying more than 2,200 passengers and crew, more than 130,000 pounds (60,000 kilograms) of meat and fish, 1,750 pounds (800 kilograms) of ice cream, 400 asparagus tongs and only 20 of the 32 lifeboats designed to be on board. The ship ignored more than 30 different ice warnings. At 11:40 p.m. on April 14, The Titanic hit an iceberg and stalled. At 2:20 a.m., it sank. Before the Titanic, the great Chicago fire, the Galveston hurricane and the San Francisco earthquake attracted America’s attention, but “the Titanic hit a nerve in a different way,” said Kevin Rozario, a professor of American Studies at Smith College. “It’s the dramatic quality of the Titanic.”

Everything about the sinking - its speed and the fact that everybody was in one place

- added to the drama. In fact, the Titanic’s sinking took about as long as a stage play of that era, noted John Wilson Foster, a Queens University Belfast professor who wrote several Titanic books. “The survivors did say during the sinking it seemed like a play,” Foster said.

The public, especially in the past century, has become increasingly fascinated with disasters, especially technological ones. That’s because it helps us cope with increased mechanization, risk and deep-rooted questions about what it means to be human, said Rozario, author of the book “Culture of Calamity.” He said disasters reflect everyday fears that at we often ignore. When a catastrophe happens, “we see ourselves” in the storylines that play out.

And with Titanic, the storylines played out instantly thanks to the recent innovation of wirelesstelegraphy. Even before the Carpathia arrived in New York with survivors, the “story starts to get told in a particular way before there is any substantial information about what happened,” said Harvard University professor Steven Biel. “”It’s unprecedented how quickly the story goes around the world.”

This photo shows the bow of the Titanic at rest at the bottom of the North Atlantic, about 400 miles southeast of Newfoundland. — AP

Survivor Lawrence Beesley, in his book “Loss of the SS Titanic” said many press reports made the sinking even more dramatic than it really was. “I think it is no exaggeration to say that those who read of the disaster quietly at home and pictured to themselves the scene as the Titanic was sinking had more of the sense of horror than those who stood on the deck and watched her go down inch by inch,” Beesley concluded in his book. “The fact is that the sense of fear came to the passengers very slowly - a result of the absence of any signs of danger.”

Beesley and others talked about how no one at the time thought the Titanic was going to go under. At first, they joked that they had to stop for a fresh coat of paint to be applied to where the iceberg scrapped the hull. After all, the Titanic was “unsinkable,” they figured.

“The improbability of such a thing ever happening was what staggered humanity,” Beesley wrote. “That phrase ‘unsinkable’ became notorious,” Foster said. The phrase was originally “practically unsinkable” and was from an obscure engineering journal, but after a while it didn’t matter. On top of that, someone claims to have heard ship Capt.

Edward John Smith say “Even God himself couldn’t sink this ship,” Foster said.

So early 20th century society, especially in Sunday sermons, spun the disaster in religious terms - “you can’t cheat God in that way,” said Biel, author of the book “Down with the Old Canoe: A Cultural History of the Titanic Disaster.” Now, Biel said, people look at the Titanic sinking and other man-made disasters as technological hubris, the misbegotten belief that something could be too good, too fail-safe to fail. The space shuttles were portrayed as such until Challenger exploded in 1986. Then the oil industry bragged that deep water drilling was safer than the space shuttle; the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 proved otherwise.

Every disaster inspires investigation. There were two high profile competing government probes of the Titanic. The British thought the American investigation was too hostile to the British officers and the Americans thought the British inquiry was too much of a whitewash, said Belfast’s Foster. —AP

Aldean explains why ACMs are ‘special’ to him

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ason Aldean will always remember his first time.

That’s why the Academy of Country Music Awards hold a special place in his heart. “I won my first award ever at the ACMs,” he said. “So yeah, it is special.” Aldean won the ACM’s Top New Male Vocalist award in 2006. His music caught fire with fans soon after, but it took longer for the industry to catch up.

Last year, the ACMs were the first awards show to nominate him in the entertainer of the year category.

The Country Music Association Awards followed suit in the fall.

Even though he lost both times, the recognition alone marked a breakthrough. “Last year finding out we were up for entertainer of the year was obviously a big moment for me in my career,” said Aldean. “To get nominated again this year, we’re excited to be heading back.” Aldean has the second most ACM nominations behind Kenny Chesney, with six, including entertainer and album of the year. His No. 1 duet with Kelly Clarkson, “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” is up for ACM single of the year and vocal event of the year at the awards show aired yesterday on CBS. He released the platinum-selling hit at the end of 2010, and over the past year and a half, he has performed it with Clarkson at the CMAs, the Grammys, on TV shows, and at the CMA Music Festival last June.

“It’s crazy. It seems like that song was out forever, but it was a huge, huge song for my career, and obviously this year we got nominated for a Grammy and things like that. So it’s just, that song has been amazing,” said Aldean. “I can’t believe it’s still up for awards, but I’m glad it is.” The momentum behind Aldean’s “My Kinda Party” album has been building since it was named album of the year at the CMAs in November.

He’s hoping for another album win and has plans to follow it up with new material he recorded in December.

“I think anytime you win an award like that and you kind of get recognition from the industry on something like that that you’ve done, I think it makes you feel good, obviously, and have confidence in what you’re doing,” he said. “Does it change how I prepare for my next record? Not really. I think what won us that award was me going in and doing things the way I have always done them, and that’s kind of the way I’m looking at our new record, too ... I can’t wait for people to hear that.” Aldean also is up for male vocalist and video of the year for “Tattoos On This Town.” —AP

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

lifestyle

Justin Bieber gets slimed after accepting the award for favourite male singer onstage.

Bieber, Swift big winners at Kids’ Choice Awards A

t the 25th annual Kids’ Choice Awards, the slime runneth over. Host Will Smith opened the 25th annual Kids’ Choice Awards promising a record amount of the show’s trademark green gunk. Though some 20 awards are presented at the KCAs, the real suspense isn’t who will take home a “Blimp” (the show’s Oscar), it’s when and on whom the slime will spill. It’s like a baptism into kid-dome that can come at any moment: from a hidden bucket, dumped from the rafters or exploded from little orange blimps.

“No one is safe from the slime!” screamed Smith. “You have to earn the slime! It’s an honour.” Halle Berry was the first to be covered, but she was far from alone. She was joined by “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner (who won favourite “buttkicker”), “Glee” star Chris Colfer and male singer winner Justin Bieber, who was utterly drenched along with Smith at the end of the show.

The KCAs are Nickelodeon’s annual celebration for kids, and it’s often the most-watched children’s program of the year. They draw a considerable roster of stars looking to thank their smallest fans and cater to their youngest demographics. “ This is, like, the coolest award show ever,” said “Twilight” star Kristen Stewart, accepting the award for favourite movie actress. Smith, himself a 10-time Blimp

winner, started the show with an elaborate, digitally-animated skydive from Nickelodeon’s trademark blimp. Smith was then hoisted from the rafters to the stage of the Galen Centre at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where thousands of glow-stick waving fans cheered him - including first lady Michelle Obama.

Obama later presented “the big help” award for charity work to Taylor Swift. Upon receiving the award, the pop star said, “I am freaking out.” Nickelodeon introduces many kid-friendly quirks to the usual award show festivities. It rolls out an orange carpet, rather than a red one, and envelopes are the last way winners are announced.

Saturday night’s choices came by way of a sword eater, a statue impersonator and giant heads held aloft from the crowd.

Winners are chosen from voting online. Selena Gomez won for both favourite TV actress and female singer. Adam Sandler took home the award for favourite movie actor.

And Katy Perry, shortly after performing, was given the award for favourite voice in an animated movie for “Smurfs.” “The only reason why I’m still here today - and remember this - is because I’ve never grown up!” Perry told the young audience.

More than 7.3 million watched last year’s awards. This year, Nickelodeon badly needs the KCAs to continue such a

success. In March, for the first time, the Disney Channel beat out Nickelodeon in average total daily viewers - a title Nickelodeon had held every month since 1995.

Nickelodeon’s own series “Victorious” won best TV show.

Jake Short, star of the Disney Channel’s “A.N.T. Farm,” won best TV actor. But the most ceremonious moment of the KCAs is the slimey finale. The honour - which Smith said had been chosen by online votes - went to Bieber, who made a surprise appearance late in the show. Smith clutched Bieber as fountains of slime poured out across the stage, while Obama - splattered by a few drops - danced in the seats. — AP

Taylor Swift (left) accepts the big help award onstage.

Nicki Minaj appears onstage.

Cee Lo Green appears onstage.

(From left) Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan, of musical group One Direction, perform at Nickelodeon’s 25th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday, March 31, 2012 in Los Angeles.

Victoria Justice (right) and Daniella Monet accept the award for favourite TV show for “Victorious”.

(From left) Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter and Nolan Gould speak at the event.

MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

lifestyle

Katy Perry performs midair.

One Direction performs.

2012 Winners

Keke Palmer (left) and Zac Efron present the award for favourite TV show.

Favourite TV Show: ‘Victorious’ Favourite Reality Show: ‘Wipeout’ Favourite TV Actor: Jake Short (‘A.N.T. Farm’) Favourite TV Actress: Selena Gomez (‘Wizards of Waverly Place’) Funniest TV Sidekick: Jennette McCurdy (‘iCarly’) Favourite Cartoon: ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ Favourite Male Athlete: Tim Tebow Favourite Female Athlete: Danica Patrick Favourite Movie: ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked’ Favourite Movie Actor: Adam Sandler (‘Jack & Jill’) Favourite Movie Actress: Kristen Stewart (‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1’) Favourite Animated Movie: ‘Puss in Boots’ Favourite Voice from an Animated Movie: Katy Perry (‘The Smurfs’) Favourite Music Group: Big Time Rush Favourite Male Singer: Justin Bieber Favourite Female Singer: Selena Gomez Favourite Song: ‘Party Rock Anthem’ (by LMFAO) Favourite Book: ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ series Favourite Videogame: ‘Just Dance 3’ Favourite Buttkicker: Taylor Lautner

Jada Pinkett Smith (right) pulls a sword from a performer’s mouth to present an award.

Heidi Klum (left) and Chris Colfer get slimed as they present the award for favourite TV actress.

(From left) Logan Henderson, Carlos Pena, Kendall Schmidt and James Maslow of musical group Big Time Rush accept the award for favourite musical group.

Kelly Osbourne arrives at the event.

Selena Gomez accepts the award for favorite TV actress onstage.

Andrew Garfield (left) and Emma Stone present the award for favourite movie actor.

Host Will Smith performs midair.

Fans of musical group Big Time Rush are seen in the audience.

Ludacris (right) and guest arrive at Nickelodeon’s 25th Annual Kids’ Choice Awards.

Taylor Lautner gets slimed after accepting the award for favourite buttkicker.

Adam Sandler accepts the award for favourite movie actor for “Jack and Jill”.

Bringing a traditional dance-form alive

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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012

Muscat International Film Festival

Egyptian director Khairy Beshara

Actress Susan Sarandon (left) and the Chairman of the Oman Film Society, Dr. Khalid Al-Zadjali, attend the closing ceremony of the 7th Muscat International Film Festival in the Omani capital on March 31, 2012. — AFP photos

(Above) Bollywood singer and composer Lucky Ali (centre) attends the closing ceremony.

(Left) Turkish actors of the popular Turkish soap opera “Nour” Kivanc Tatlitug and Songul Oden hold their awards during the closing ceremony.

Egyptian actress Abir Sabri

Jordan play pokes fun at Arab despots W

eek after week Jordanians pack the Concorde theatre in Amman where they shed their usual reserve to laugh uproariously at the shortcomings of their government and regional politicians still resisting the Arab Spring. The two-hour play “Now I Understand You” was inspired by the infamous words of Tunisia’s ousted dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, a day before a revolt that forced him to flee his country and triggered uprisings across the region.

The main character Abu Saqr, played by popular Jordanian comedian Musa Hijazin, portrays an oppressive father of four who rules his household with an iron fist, dismissing the needs of his wife and children and denying them any rights of expression.

With the domestic edicts he imposes on his family, Hijazin parodies the authoritarian regimes that have prevailed across the Arab world.

“The play is a message to Arab regimes that they need to learn lessons from the Arab Spring. Regimes needs to listen to people and their demands before losing control,” scriptwriter Ahmad Zubi told AFP. “It tells the story of Arab people and expresses their feelings. I did not hesitate or fear anything when I wrote the script. But no matter how bold we are, we cannot be bolder than the millions of people who demonstrated for freedom.”

Wearing a traditional red-and-white keffiyeh, or headscarf, and sporting a thick moustache, the stocky government employee Abu Saqr bans his family from doing many things. “What’s this nonsense talk I keep hearing about dignity and freedom?

Where did you hear it? That’s it, no more satellite television channels,” he tells his wife and kids, to eruptions of laughter from the audience.

But when his brother comes from Canada on a visit, Abu Saqr launches a torrent of complaints about almost everything, from the slow pace of reform and fight against corruption to the controversial nuclear plans and privatisation programme. He uses metaphor to harshly criticise the government and make fun of ministers randomly appointed to please the politicians, regardless of their qualifications. “Our government should be sent to prison,” he tells his brother. In one scene, actors playing minis-

ters depict a government reshuffle, and the interior minister takes an oath of loyalty to the nation.

‘Now I understand you’ “Except Fridays,” Abu Saqr quips at the swearing in ceremony, referring to the deadly use of force often employed against Arab protesters demonstrating on the weekly Muslim holiday. The play has drawn a diverse audience-even King Abdullah II and his wife Queen Rania have attended, as well as government

A handout picture shows Jordanian comedian Musa Hijazin in the role of Abu Saqer (left) and actor George Hijazin (centre) playing the role of Jordan’s prime minister and Hikmat Darwish (right) impersonating a senior official in the satirical play “Now, I understand You”. — AFP

Motorist dressed as Batman escapes ticket

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This video frame grab provided by WJLA-TV shows Batman, aka Lenny B. Robinson outside his Lamborghini after being pulled over by police. — AP

olice in Maryland pulled over a motorist dressed as Batman, but the caped crusader escaped without a ticket. Authorities pulled over the driver of a black Lamborghini with Batman logo tags last week in Silver Spring outside Washington. The driver was dressed as the Dark Knight - cape, mask and all. Police, however, weren’t impressed and wanted to talk to him about his superhero logo license plate, which isn’t an approved plate in the state. The driver, who goes by Lenny B. Robinson when not dressed as a superhero to visit sick children at hospitals, was able to show them a proper license plate for the car. A video of the stop shows police officers shaking his hand and taking pictures of him with his ride. — AP

Models parade on the catwalk during the Pierre Cardin Fashion Show 2012 at the Water Cube in Beijing yesterday.

— AFP

officials, who were seen delighting in its satirical humour. “His majesty attended the play and he burst into laughter. He told us: ‘I support you and I am happy,’” Hijazin told AFP. “Several officials have asked us if we censored the script. We told them that we did not remove one line.

“We are trying to tell decision makers in the Arab world that they need to listen to their people before it’s too late,” said Hijazin, who also sings sad songs during the show and cries about the Arab causes. The audience was thrilled. “I heard a lot about the play but I did not expect to be that good. I enjoyed it. It was very funny,” said Jamal Ahmad, 25, with a big smile on his face.

Others praised the performance for its more sober message. “It’s the first time I’ve seen such a serious work in Jordan. The play was frank and candid. It talked about many of our concerns,” Abdullah Omar, 30, said. Meanwhile, Abu Saqr’s wife calls him to say that their elder son Saqr is leading a demonstration inside their house. “Leave means leave. We want our freedom back,” reads a banner that Abu Saqr’s sons hold as he comes home. “Where should I go? To Sharm el-Sheikh or Jeddah?” their father asks, referring to the Egyptian resort that ex-president Hosni Mubarak and his family moved to after his resignation, and the Saudi coastal city where Ben Ali sought refuge. “Listen to me, I have an offer. Now you can watch television for three-and-a-half hours a day, and your mother can visit your grandmother,” Abu Saqr tells his mutinous family, in a vain attempt to face down their demands. Wearing just his underwear and carrying a large picture of himself, as well as his old swords and whips, Abu Saqr gives up. “Now I understand you,” he says, before leaving. —AFP