2nd Jul

CR IP TI ON BS SU

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

Gunmen kill 17 in twin attacks on Kenyan churches

Mexican polls could return old rulers to power

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SHAABAN 12, 1433 AH

Huge demo as Hong Kong marks 15 years under China

Pakistan’s march to huge total halted by rain

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Amir accepts resignation of Cabinet, to start talks Opposition threatens to boycott polls if law changed

Max 49º Min 32º High Tide 09:16 & 23:38 Low Tide 02:44 & 14:42

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Leave Syrians alone!

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

W

hen it comes to Syria, there will be a Plan Z after A, B, C and D and the alphabet is exhausted. Kofi Annan was assigned by the United Nations to try to solve the Syrian problem.

The man went forth and back, Syria, Jordan, the US; met the Russians and came up with plan after plan.

Unfortunately, none of his plans are working. I am afraid we will reach Plan Z and there won’t be any solution. Syria needs a miracle but the age of miracles is over.

The Syrian issue is a very complicated one because it is rooted to 40 years of Baath rule and the dictatorship and massacres which Assad’s father committed in the 80s when thousands died in Hama.

He used the air force against his own nation. The whole world kept quiet back then and nobody questioned Assad for the massacre of his own people. It was underplayed in the world’s media. Forget the Arab media - it was not mentioned at all because they are cowards and all Arab leaders had excellent relations with Hafez Al-Assad. I heard about the massacre on the BBC in those days when I was in London.

Bashar is not as bad and as ruthless a dictator as his father. Before the opposition started their uprising, Bashar did not take extreme measures. Of course, he is still a dictator but he opened the country up a little bit. There were communication channels open in the country but the regime was not considered a democracy by any measure. He supplied enough food to his country. People were not hungry but that was not enough. The nation needed to participate in the rule of his country which he did not allow except for Al-Baath. He did not take democracy seriously in his country. He woke up too late to promise reforms and this made things worse.

Now the problem is so complicated because the opposition has got armed. It is not a secret that the West, Turkey and few Arab countries helped arm and finance the opposition. The West also miscalculated things. They thought the Syrian problem could be similar to Libya - opposition starts, NATO comes in and Bashar is out. Russia and China, however, blocked the initial plans.

The Syrian problem has now become an enigma where you have a highly-armed opposition and a dictator president with quite a strong army. No Annan’s plans A or Z can solve the conundrum. There will be a lot of bloodshed in Syria but in the end, what might work is if every outside country involved let the Syrians themselves solve their problem. I don’t think Russia and China and the US are very worried about the status of Syrian men on the streets or how many people are killed and massacred every day.

Everyone has their own interests. As for the Arabs, I am not bothered by what they do because look what they are doing in Libya, Iraq and elsewhere. They do not have a say. Leave the Syrians alone, please!

Body scanner takes tailoring to masses PARIS: Can a tailored suit help clinch that tricky deal at work? Get the girl? Or simply put a spring in your step?

Absolutely, if you believe a year-old Paris firm that is using a 3D body scanner to bring made-to-measure to the masses.

“There is a whole psychological side to men’s suits,” said Francois Chambaud, co-founder of Paris store Les Nouveaux Ateliers. “Say you arrive at a meeting - or your wedding - in an ill-fitting suit, you just won’t feel right. A person who feels well-dressed will sit forward and make their point, as opposed to slumping back in their chair,” said the 25-year-old. “It can give you a big confidence boost.”

Convinced there was a vast and untapped market of style-hungry men out there, Chambaud set out to capture it in February last year, using technology to slash the cost of customised clothes. “We wanted to offer made-to-measure suits for the cost of ready-to-wear. And we wanted to make it fun, to break with the image of something a bit austere and elitist,” he said. “Traditionally, the whole process of getting measured up and coming back for fittings, was quite drawn-out, it could take up to three months.”

Continued on Page 13

SPAIN REIGN AGAIN!: Spain goalkeeper and captain Iker Casillas lifts the trophy after the Euro 2012 football championship final between Spain and Italy yesterday in Kiev. Spain won 4-0. — AP (See Page 20)

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah yesterday issued a decree accepting the resignation of the government and asked the premier and ministers to continue as a caretaker Cabinet. Prime Minister HH Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah submitted his government’s resignation last week in the wake of a constitutional court ruling that nullified the February general elections, declared the 2012 National Assembly as illegal and reinstated the 2009 Assembly. The unprecedented decision was based on the grounds that two Amiri decrees issued last December to dissolve the previous Assembly and call for fresh elections were found to be “flawed”.

The government has said that it submitted its resignation in a bid to rectify the flawed procedures and to open the way for the formation of a new government that will fulfill all constitutional requirements in a bid to prevent similar flawed procedures from happening again. The Amir is scheduled to open traditional consultations today with former premiers and former and present Assembly speakers in addition to leading political figures ahead of asking the prime minister to form a new Cabinet.

The Amir can ask the outgoing premier or a new figure to form the new Cabinet. Under the Kuwaiti constitution, there is no time limit for forming the new Cabinet as time constraints for forming a new Cabinet is only after general polls when the premier is given two weeks to prepare his Cabinet.

Continued on Page 13

Iran feels pinch of new oil sanctions Tehran threatens Israel, to hold missile maneuvers TEHRAN: As new European Union sanctions targeting Iran’s vital oil industry took effect yesterday, Tehran acknowledged the measures aimed at reining in its disputed nuclear program were taking a toll. The vice president said authorities had stockpiled imported goods and hard currency to help cushion the blow to the economy. The ban by the 27-member EU on the purchase of Iranian oil dealt the Islamic Republic its second economic setback in days, following fresh U.S. sanctions that prohibit the world’s banks from completing oil transactions with Iranian banks. Combined, the measures significantly ratchet up the pressure on an Iranian economy already squeezed by previous rounds of sanctions.

“Today, we are facing the heaviest of sanctions and we ask people to help officials in this battle,” Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi was quoted as saying on state television’s website. He said the “dastardly sanctions” might cause “occasional confusion” in the domestic market. Iran reacted furiously when the US and EU sanctions were announced, threatening to block the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway used to ship about one-fifth of the world’s oil. The threat roiled international

oil markets. Rahimi also said Tehran has stocked up on some imported goods to reduce the embargo’s impact, without saying what specifically. The EU, which accounted for around 18 percent of Iran’s oil exports, said earlier this week that all contracts for importing Iranian oil will have to be terminated from yesterday.

Also, European companies will no longer be involved in insuring Iranian oil.

Iran is the second largest OPEC oil producer, producing about 4 million barrels of oil a day. The country’s recoverable oil reserves are estimated at more than 137 billion barrels, or 12 percent of the world’s overall reserves. The country relies on oil exports for about 80 percent of its public revenues. However, most of Iran’s crude production is used domestically. The sanctions are the latest move in the West’s standoff with Iran over its disputed nuclear program, which the US and its allies suspect is aimed at developing atomic weapons. Iran denies the charges and insists its program is designed solely for peaceful purposes, such as energy and producing medical isotopes.

Three rounds of nuclear talks between Iran and world powers, including the US, Continued on Page 13

Syrians slam talks DAMASCUS: The opposition and state media yesterday both branded an international plan for a transition in strife-torn Syria a failure, as the death toll for a weekend of violence topped 140. World powers meeting in Geneva on Saturday agreed that the transition plan could include current regime members, but the West did not see any role for President

Bashar al-Assad in a new unity government. Russia and China insisted that Syrians themselves must decide how the transition takes place, rather than allow others to dictate their fate.

Moscow and Beijing, which have twice blocked UN Security Council resolutions on Syria, signed up to the final Continued on Page 13

ZAMALKA, Syria: This image made from amateur video shows a Syrian helping a man near dead bodies on the ground after an explosion near Damascus on Saturday. — AP

TEHRAN: In this April 15, 2008 file photo, an Iranian oil technician makes his way to the oil separator facilities in Iran’s Azadegan oilfield. — AP

Omanis protest in sign of renewed discontent MUSCAT: Dozens of Omanis demanding jobs have staged peaceful protests in the industrial town of Sohar, witnesses said, in a sign of renewed discontent more than a year after waves of demonstrations died down. Western ally Oman, a small oil exporter that flanks a major crude shipping route in the Gulf, was rocked by months of protests which started in Sohar in February last year, inspired by pro-democracy revolts that toppled long-serving rulers elsewhere in the Arab world.

Activists say the government has failed to implement the reforms it promised after the protests ended in May, 2011 and tension across the countr y is rising again. Witnesses and activists said up to 200 young Omanis, many of them recent graduates, demonstrated in Sohar on Saturday evening with placards demanding jobs, better living conditions and an end to corruption. They said around 30 Omanis protested at the port yester-

day. Activists posted a photo of men in white robes and turbans on an Internet discussion page and said they were protesting at the entrance to the port.

Some demonstrators also called for the release of activists jailed for taking part in last year’s protests, witnesses said. A police spokesman confirmed the protest at the port entrance, but made no comment on the bigger protest on Saturday evening.

Hundreds of people were arrested in last year’s demonstrations, when two people died and more than 100 were injured in clashes with security forces.

Most of those detained were later pardoned. Omani activists say anger has been on the rise in recent months, with strikes in the oil, education and health sectors. Sultan Qaboos, a US ally who has ruled Oman for 40 years, has promised a $2.6 billion spending package and the government has said it will create 50,000 public sector jobs to placate Omanis. — Reuters

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

LOCAL

Reduction in ‘votes per voter’ worries opposition blocs New political crisis warning KUWAIT: The opposition blocs are increasingly worried about procedures expected to be taken following an impending dissolution of the parliament, amid new reports that a decree should be passed to reduce the number of votes. “Any attempt to tamper with the election mechanisms ahead of upcoming elections is like playing with fire,” proclaimed a member of the annulled 2012 parliament Dr Hamad Al-Muttar. He commented on “information reached [the opposition bloc] about multiple attempts to convince [HH the Amir] to reduce the number of votes per voter - four to two.”

Al-Muttar, a part of a coalition of 35 oppositionists who controlled majority of the 2012 parliament’s seats as the ‘majority bloc,’ believes that reducing the number of votes per voter would “drag Kuwait into a political crisis that is too much for Kuwait’s present situation to handle.” “ There is a common agreement that the voting mechanism based on which the elections were held last Februar y must not be

tampered with,” he added.

The ‘majority bloc’ will meet today to coordinate for potential elections that may be held in the event of the dissolution of the parliament elected in 2009 which was reinstated by a Constitutional Cour t verdict. The verdict was passed a couple of weeks ago.

Oppositionist lawmakers reportedly plan to contest elections with a unified program through which they seek to help as many members as possible, repor ted AlQabas.

Sadly, it appears that at least some members of the opposition did not lose hope in saving the 2012 parliament. Inspired by reports from Egypt hinting that a settlement could be in the works to reinstate the similarly dissolved Egyptian parliament, MP Dr Waleed Al-Tabtabaei urged the Kuwaiti government to “leave the issue of retaining the 2012 parliament on the table.”

“After news about Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi’s intention to reinstate elected par-

liament that was dissolved by Egypt’s Constitutional Court, I urge Kuwait’s government to keep the option of reinstating the 2012 parliament on the table of discussions to find a way out of the present political crisis,” Al-Tabtabaei told AlRai daily Saturday. He fur ther argued that the issue can be worked out “since the error based on which the Constitutional Court made its decision was a procedural error committed by the executive authority,” reported Al-Rai. Meanwhile, former MP Mohammad Al-Saqr denied reports quoting him as naming specific parties or persons to attend a seminar he plans to host Tuesday; a day after its original date as it was postponed after the death of veteran Kuwaiti politician Jassem AlQattami. Al-Saqr referred to press reports a few days ago in which he is quoted inviting ‘true men of Kuwait’and mentioning a shortlist of political groups to discuss Kuwait’s future in light of the present political situation, reported AlQabas.

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receiving former National Assembly Speaker Jassem Mohammad Al-Khorafi at Seif Palace yesterday.

Constitutional procedures to reinstate 2009 parliament smooth: Al-Khorafi KUWAIT: All legal procedures are going on smoothly to implement the Constitutional Court’s verdict to dissolve the 2012 Parliament and reinstate the former parliament speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi yesterday.

In press statements, Al-Khorafi expressed hope that the procedures would be completed properly to avoid any mistake that can be used in any future legal action against 2009 parliament.

Kharafi noted that the 2009 parliament would convene following the formation of the new govern-

ment which would take oath before the legislators. He stressed that the Constitutional Court verdict has to be respected regardless of the possibility that the 2009 parliament may be dissolved again.

“I will call for the parliament to convene, but if it has failed to reach quorum in the first session, I will call for a second one. In case of failure, I will refer the issue to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to take the proper decision,” he said.

He laid it bare that HH the Amir has the sole power to dissolve or

reinstate the 2009 parliament. On June 20, the Kuwait Constitutional Court annulled the legislative elections held on February 2, 2012 and canceled the membership of MPs who were declared winners.

The court based its decision on the grounds that the two decrees, issued by HH the Amir to dissolve the previous Parliament, and calling for fresh elections were illegal. The Kuwaiti parliament was dissolved four times since 2006, but this the first time in Kuwaiti history that a parliament was dissolved by a Constitutional Court verdict. —KUNA

Jordanian PM receives KFAED chief to mull cooperation

KUWAIT: A meeting on Disaster Law conducted by the Kuwait Red Crescent Society in progress in Kuwait yesterday.

News

in brief

MEW minister irked at Municipal Council KUWAIT: Minister of Electricity and Water (MEW), Minister of Municipality Abdelaziz Al-Ibrahim criticized the Municipal Council’s decision to reject a forming committee to discuss urgent issues during the annual break. Al-Ibrahim said that he had informed the Municipal Council chairman about the issue so the business of the state and citizens are not interrupted. However, the Municipality’s term was adjourned without issuing any authorization. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Municipal Council Zaid Al-Azmi said the Minister’s request is not legal. He said that the council was elected similar to the National Assembly. It is not right that every one decides on issues. All issues must be reviewed by the Council.

Al-Shamali grilling motion KUWAIT: The committee formed to study exFinance Minister Mustafa Al-Shamali’s grilling motion will refer it to the Audit Bureau. The Bureau’s opinion will be considered if the ministry has violated regulations. Sources said that the committee has recommended that the study was reviewed by the new finance minister in addition to putting the case before the Cabinet after the formation of the new government.

Al-Mulaifi denies row KUWAIT: Writer Mohammed Al-Mulaifi, currently imprisoned, denied reports that a quarrel broke out among inmates at Kuwait Central prison over disagreements arising out of political differences.

Speaking to Al-Watan from the prison, Al-Mulaifi said that he was in the public prison, not the central one, as reported by security sources. He spend his time reading the Holy Quran and religious books and that his inmates were mainly Asians and Arabs. “How can I lecture on politics to nonKuwaitis?” he exclaimed.

MoH to strengthen security at hospitals KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health(MoH) is studying measures to strengthen security at hospitals and reduce thefts taking place at wards and private patient rooms. Recently, a patient’s laptop and iPhone was stolen from a private room at Al-Jahra Hospital, which is being investigated by the ministry and the concerned police station. Sources pointed out that ministry will monitor visitors’ entrance and exit.

420,000 voters register names KUWAIT: At least 420,000 voters have registered with five electoral constituencies during the forthcoming parliamentary elections, said informed sources noting that the voter lists have been updated by removing the names of the deceased and by adding new voters.-

Kuwait condemns inhuman practices in Myanmar KUWAIT: Kuwait denounced yesterday inhuman practices against Muslims in Myanmar, an official source of the Foreign Ministry said.

As a member state of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the State of Kuwait is keen to see Muslims worldwide living in better conditions, the source said.

The source quoted a recent OIC resolution calling on the government of Myanmar to put an end to internal displacement and forced migration of Muslims in Myanmar.

Kuwait is making contacts with other OIC member states for putting the Muslim body’s resolution in force, urging the government of Myanmar to respect international legitimacy resolutions bearing on human rights. — KUNA

AMMAN: Jordanian Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh received yesterday visiting Director General of Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KAFED) Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Bader and held talks over bilateral cooperation.

Al-Bader signed earlier yesterday here two agreements with Jordanian government for financing expansion of Al-Samra power station.

Following the meeting, Kuwait Ambassador in Amman Dr. Hamad Al-Duaij told KUNA that Premier Tarawneh has underlined his government’s keenness to forge closer ties with Kuwait in various domains for the interest of both countries.

“Tarawneh said the Kingdom was also determined to attract more investments and create a proper investment climate in the country,” Al-Duaij revealed.

For his part, Al-Bader said the Fund was keen to enhance cooperation with Jordan, noting that Kuwait had received a list of the projects proposed by Jordanian government to benefit from a USD five -billion grant to Jordan, approved by lead-

ers of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries recently.

He added that a team will visit the Kingdom to examine the best means to finance these projects.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Jafar Hassan yesterday met with Al-Bader.

Talks focused on the Fund’s support for the establishment of a natural gas terminal in Aqaba.

The KFAED hammered out yesterday an agreement with the Jordanian government to finance the third expansion project of AlSamra power station. As per the agreement, signed by Jordanian Director-General of Al-Samra power station Amjad Rawashdeh and KFAED Director-General Abdulwahab Ahmad Al-Bader, KFAED will offer KD 15-million loan to Jordan to finance the project.

Kuwaiti and Jordanian governments also signed a loan guarantee agreement.

The guarantee agreement was signed by Jordanian Minister of Finance Suleiman Al-Hafez and KFAED Chief Al-Bader.

“The expansion project aims to

raise the capacity of Al-Samra station to meet growing demand for electricity in Jordan,” Al-Bader told KUNA. It includes the procurement and installation of a steam unit within about 140 MW capacity working on heat recovery from the two simple cycle gas turbines of the first step of the third expansion.

Jordanian Minister Al-Hafez said the loan maturity is 24 years, including a grace period of four years. It would be repaid over 40 semi-annual installments, with interest at the annual rate of 3 percent.

“On this occasion, we express gratitude for Kuwait’s decades-long support to Jordanian economy,” he told KUNA, adding that “this reflects strength of friendship bonds between the two nations.”

By signing this loan agreement, it would be the 26th loan provided by the KFAED to Jordan, as it previously provided 25 loans at a total value of about KD 155 million to assist in financing projects in various sectors. KFAED had also offered Jordan six grants at a value of $11 million. — KUNA

Kuwaitis urged to learn from US Supreme Court’s ruling KUWAIT: A recent ruling made in the United States by which the Supreme Court upheld the health care program proposed by President Barack Obama sets a perfect example through which Kuwait can learn the best way to accept court rulings in cases involving much legal and political debate, a former Kuwaiti minister and lawmaker said.

“The world followed the long conflict between the Democrats and Republicans in the United States over imposing mandatory health care for American citizens, and the Supreme Court eventually upheld the controversial system, despite disparities among its members, as five out of nine members ruled in the system’s favor”, Ahmad Baqer said in a statement Saturday.

Baqer drew similarities between the ruling and the verdict made by the Constitutional Court in Kuwait that ruled the 2009 parliament’s dissolution decree unconstitutional, thus annulling the subsequent elections and ruling the 2012 parliament null and void. “Expressions of different political and legal opinions are fine, as long as everyone accepts the court’s ruling in the end”, he said.

Moreover, Baqer criticized calls to hold accountable the advisors who gave the government the green light to go ahead with procedures for parliament’s dissolution. “The Fatwa and Legislation Department gave its opinion, and in the end the judicial authority settled the issue”, he indicated.

“Nobody in the United States rejected the Supreme Court’s ruling, either from the legal or political standpoints”, Baqer said, “whereas in Kuwait the criticisms reached a point in which politicians questioned the authority of the Constitutional Court to make its ruling”.

“Law is the barrier that protects democracy in Kuwait, requiring that it garners full respect”, Baqer added.

KUWAIT: Participants of a training course conducted by the Interior Ministry to prevent human trafficking pose for a group photograph yesterday.

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

LOCAL

Struggles of Kuwaiti prisoners in Guantanamo ‘far from over’ Relatives misled many times

By Ben Garcia and Agencies KUWAIT: The promise to release the two Kuwaiti prisoners at Guantanamo is music to the ears of many in the country, especially to the families of two remaining Kuwaiti prisoners. However, according to a relative, their struggles are far from over. Speaking with the Kuwait Times, Khalid Al-Odah, the father of Fawzi, one of two remaining Kuwaiti prisoners at Guantanamo, said they have been mislead many times, and they know that fate of their loved ones depends on the US Pentagon, the headquarters of the most powerful military in the world.

“They were kept in a military prison for years without charges,” Al-Odah said. “Four years back, they were thought to have been tried in a military court, but that did not happen, not even a day in court. Eventually, two years ago, our boys were categorized, along with 40 others, who will not be prosecuted, but they remain in custody. So what do you expect now, we are dealing with the most powerful country in the world and we are just a very small country,” Al-Odah told the Kuwait Times.

Al-Odah added that the problem in Guantanamo is that there is no such word as law. “There is no law in Guantanamo. In fact, it was the first time in the history of the US that an accused is held without charges, so there is no way they can defend themselves,” he said.

Yesterday, the Pentagon reportedly dropped war crimes charges against Fayez Al-Kandari, raising the possibility of releasing another detainee, Fawzi Al-Odah.

However, Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said the report was not true, expressing regret at the ‘hasty declaration of inaccurate information’ by a defense lawyer on the release of two Kuwaiti citizens.

The veteran diplomat, in a statement released yesterday said, “It is regrettable that the defense attorney, Adel Abdul Hadi, has created a controversy in the press regard-

ing false information about Fayez Al-Kanderi’s release. I believe that the revelation of such inaccurate information creates a negative impact on families of the detainees, and the lawyer should have, instead, contacted the embassy to receive accurate information, rather than hastily making statements to the press with false information,” the Kuwaiti ambassador mentioned.

Acknowledging that release of the two Kuwaitis from Guantanamo remains among the priorities of the Kuwaiti leadership and the embassy in Washington, the ambassa-

Khalid Al-Odah dor noted that the mission has diligently and relentlessly worked with American authorities to free the two Kuwaiti detainees.

Sheikh Salem added that the Kuwaiti diplomatic mission helped release 10 of 12 citizens who were held at the detention camp. Further, a visiting Kuwaiti delegation, including officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, justice and interior, said on Saturday that a series of meetings have been held with officials from US authorities and departments, to discuss releasing the Kuwaiti inmates.

Defense attorney Abdul Rahman Al-Haroun attended some of these meetings.

Regarding the dropping of charges against Al-Kanderi, Sheikh Salem said American officials notified him that this measure was technical and related to laws of the US Department of Defense “and leads to no legal effect on the issue of the release. His detention is governed by jurisdictions enjoyed by the American president and a relevant Congressional resolution. So, I am bewildered that the lawyer, Adel Abul Hadi, is unaware of such legal information, although he is representing one of the detainees at Guantanamo.”

As to the attorney’s remarks that the ambassador has not visited the detainees behind bars, Sheikh Salem clarified that the lawyer should have been aware that US laws and regulations prohibit such visits by diplomats and allow “only limited visitations by security delegations.”

Sheikh Salam added that he is looking forward to when he will be able to announce the release of the two citizens. “Moreover, considering the humanitarian aspects of this case, I call upon the lawyer, Adel Abdul Hadi, to authenticate his facts before hurriedly announcing such inaccurate information, thereby negatively affecting the morale of families and efforts of the Kuwaiti embassy in Washington.”

Sheikh Salem had previously told KUNA that the visiting delegation held a series of meetings with US officials regarding this case, in line with guidelines of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, to find a solution to return the Kuwaiti detainees to their homeland as soon as possible.

The Kuwaiti envoy asserted that the case of Kuwaiti detainees at Guantanamo Bay prison was of top priority for both the Kuwaiti government and US administration.

“A commitment must be made by the Kuwaiti government. Without it, I don’t think they’ll be able to be released,” noted Sheikh Salem.

FM attends Syrian opposition group conference KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid A l - S a b a h l e f t fo r Ca i ro ye s te rd ay to attend the opening of Syria opposition group conference at the Arab League.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, also Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, is attending upon an invitation from Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al-Arabi to the conference, which will start today, where Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid will deliver a speech as the chairman of Arab League Ministerial Council.

Th e Ku w a i t i d e l e g a t i o n i n c l u d e s Jamal Al-Ghunaim, a representative to t h e A r a b Le a g u e, A z i z A l - D e i h a n i , Ku w a i t i A m b a s s a d o r to Sy r i a , S a l e h

Salem A l - Lo g h a n i , M i n i s te r Plenipotentiary and a number of foreign ministry officials.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Minister William Hague welcomed the points of agreement reached by the western powers, and Russia and China, on who will address the crisis in Syria.

Russia and China have agreed to sign the international effort aiming to press for a transitional government including representatives from the Syrian opposition during the meeting of the UN Action Group on Syria in Geneva. “ These have been difficult talks as you can gather from the fact that we have spent more than nine hours dis-

cussing it,” the Foreign Secretary told the BBC tonight.

“I think the result is a step forward, but it is a step forward that is worth having,” he said.

The agreement called on the Syrian government to recognize the people’s right to demonstrate freely and peacefully, and release all political detainees as well as an immediate end to the violence, Hague noted.

However, he regretted the lack of an agreement with the two allies of the Syrian regime on the question of arms sales to Syria and any future action to be taken, including sanctions by the UN Security Council.

KUWAIT: In collaboration with Kuwait Municipality, a traffic inspection campaign was launched yesterday under the leadership of the Traffic Directorate Assistant Director for License Affairs, Brigadier Ehsan Al-Owayyesh in Hawalli. The campaign resulted in many abandoned vehicles and vehicles illegally displayed for sale being removed. —Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Bribery suspicions in ‘multi-million deposits’ still remain KUWAIT: The Public Prosecution Department rejected an appeal submitted by 13 suspects who have been accused in the multi-million dinar cash deposits case to lift a freeze imposed on their bank accounts. It stated that no reprieve can be granted since the ongoing investigations have not ruled out suspicions of bribery charges.

“It is impossible to lift the freeze since the case is still investigated by the Prosecution of Public Funds while ongoing investigations reveal that bribery suspicions still stand,” said sources in statements to AlQabas commenting on Attorney General Dherar Al-Asousy’s decision

to reject the appeal. The thirteen accused are members from the 2009 parliament in which they served as pro-government MPs, and whose ‘suspiciously inflated bank accounts’ were first exposed by AlQabas daily last year, fueling speculation that the government could be controlling the parliament through bribery. The case sparked public ire which ultimately forced former prime minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah to resign last November and the parliament to be dissolved a month later.

The ‘high-level sources’ confirmed that the freeze will remain “until investigations prove that mul-

ti-million deposits were earned through legal means.” In their appeal, the accused argued that the freeze is no longer valid when no evidence exists to prove that irregularities in deposits appeared a year after the case was first brought to the public.

Investigations are currently focusing on examining documents provided by the accused for ‘investments inside and outside Kuwait,’ they claim to be the source of the multi-million profits deposited.

Sources indicate that the examination process is going to take ‘a long time’ without specifying a timeline.—Al-Qabas

Hague added that the meeting sent a clear message that the international community which will continue support to the Syrian people, voicing hope that all concerned parties will be able to settle the issues which failed to show in the final communique.

The Geneva meeting gathered the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council Russia, the United States, China, France and Britain - along with their peers from Kuwait, Turkey and Qatar, as well as the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Arab League Secretar y-General Nabil E l a r a by a n d E U fo re i gn p o l i c y c h i e f Catherine Ashton. —KUNA

News

in brief

MPs strong criticism KUWAIT: Sources have revealed strong criticism by the majority of MPs in the 2012 Parliament after they met in the determination yard last week and even criticized some of the ruling family figures personally, which has caused the majority to cease criticisms as no more gatherings will be organized there. Sources said that the gathering had changed from a seminar calling for dissolution of the 2009 Parliament to a personal show, and attacked the ruling family and its figures, which disturbed many groups and political powers, and the public in general.

Sources said many of the participants, especially the youths, were shocked that the gathering had become an election campaign gathering, which the MPs used to convince voters, without any obligation on the MPs part to the reforms, which are promises voters are used to hearing, but disappear once an MP reaches the green chair.

New American law KUWAIT: The American Taxation Law for Foreign Banks, which was announced by the USA for implementation beginning in 2013, gives the right to the USA Tax department to follow up on taxpayers who deposit their money in investment or foreign banks account outside the USA. This law has created an atmosphere of arguments within the local banking sector, as the law makes it obligatory to those banks to reveal information about banking accounts for their clients who are taxpayers in the USA. The law gave the USA the right to demand that those banks deduct from the accounts of their American clients the taxes due and transfer the amount to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. A banker, who refused to give his name, said the law would penetrate the secrecy of personal accounts in all banks, as American officials can freeze any account and punish those who violate the law. Saying that the law is obligatory to foreign banks and to its branches in Kuwait to give details of their American clients’ accounts and deduct the due taxes from them, as per the law, and thus penetrating the accounts of those clients who happen to fall under the cover of this strange law.

CELIAC disease problem KUWAIT: While the statistics department announced that the Kuwaiti population in 2011 reached 3,065,850, the chairperson of the voluntary team, researcher Suad Al-Fraih, said the number of CELIAC disease patients in Kuwait has reached 6744.7, or 2.2% of the population.

She said, based on available information, that wheat planting and other crops began in Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Lebanon 10,000 years ago. Thereafter, farmers carried wheat to Europe and gradually to America, though many are still denying the existence of this disease.

Doctors should be able to diagnose Celiac disease from its earliest stages, since its effects lead to many problems, including cancer, which is diagnosed in patients and makes it necessary to care for them.

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MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

LOCAL kuwait digest

kuwait digest

Apologize for your mistakes

Without nationality, without phone

By Rhaar Al-Rashidi

e knew that the bedoons are without nationalities, but what we did not know, until recently due to a statement by Education Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education, is that the bedoons of Kuwait are (bedoons telephonat) without phones. This is a new idiom we did not realize before, because bedoons are not only deprived from nationality, but also by not having phone numbers that enable the authorities to contact them!

They do not have telephones, or the numbers they have are registered by mistake, and this is not a problem as long as the existence of bedoons as a people is not recognized by the state and they are dealt with on this basis. The truth of their “existence” is decided according to the color of the ID the Central Committee on bedoons (the name is too long and boring and I am not going to bother myself with remembering it), and the bedoons are supposed to have a phone number as long as they have a colored ID stating their legal status on the priority scale of granting Kuwaiti nationality, and with this phone number for bedoons, which is not a unified civil number as on our civil ID cards. It is possible to call the outstanding Bedouin students and honor them, just like the rest of Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti students.

But this did not take place, according to the assistant undersecretary, as their phone numbers were written down by mistake, although the bedoons and non-Kuwaitis had the lions share among the outstanding students, and they are a minority, yet the simple honors ceremony did not include them. They also feel bad because admission at Kuwait University is very limited for bedoons, so no matter how outstanding the student is, admission at Kuwait University will be very difficult, if not impossible, in other words ,not only the doors of nationality, not only the doors of making a living, are closed, but also the doors of graduate education.

Oil prices are down and expected to drop further as the world economic crises escalates, and we heard so much from officials and non-officials that the true investment is that of investing in people and this means utilizing the human competencies, developing and encouraging them, especially since special advantages are special for Kuwaitis, and this is normal if it does not reach the spoiling level, though we also know that it has been a custom in the countries of influentials and wastas that advantages are only given to the elite.

So what if we think about giving the outstanding bedoons special treatment in university admissions and to consider their outstanding achievements in school, university or work in Kuwait as being “sublime services” that qualify them for becoming part of the Kuwaiti nationality (along with the phone numbers), is not this an investment in people, and it is more noble than trading in humans. —Al-Jarida

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kuwait digest

Review of our infrastructure!

kuwait digest

Evaluating ministers

By Waleed Al-Ghanim he local press reported that The Ministry of tions discussed during a questions debate; AlFinance hosted a ceremony last week to hon- Rujaib’s resignation came after he failed to deal or former minister Mustafa Al-Shamali for his with two interpellations filed against him. His “contributions and achievements made to the d e c i s i o n c a m e s u d d e n l y a f te r h e e a r l i e r ministry throughout his tenure”. I’m sure the announced his willingness to be questioned, and Kuwaiti people, myself included, would like to later requested a delay for the debate. The accusaknow exactly what kind of achievements and tions pitched in the two questionings still stand decisions through which Al-Shamali helped the after he failed to fend them off. ministry before his resignation.

But the real question is, what good has the Throughout history Kuwait has seen many min- ministers’ resignations - or motions filed against isters leaving their offices early. Some of them are them for that matter - brought to Kuwait? forced out by repeated quesMinisters go, but administrationing motions, while others tive and financial corruption step down with little inforin addition to lack of achievemation revealed about the ment, remain at their minreasons behind the decision. But the real question is, what istries. In fact, these probPeople mostly remember good has the ministers’ resigna- lems of ten continue even ministers who voluntarily tions - or motions filed against after new ministers assume tendered their resignation, office. Kuwait continues to but I believe they can hardly them for that matter - brought go round in circles as the remember any minister for to Kuwait? Ministers go but g ove r n m e n t p e r fo r m a n ce achievements they made administrative and financial keeps declining, while lawduring their tenures. corruption in addition to lack of makers fail to carry out their It’s clear that Kuwait lacks monitoring duties adequatea system that evaluates a achievement remain at their ly, leaving the development minister’s performance pre- ministries. process to suffer setback cisely. All the evaluations we after setback in the process. have today are either influAre we going to see the enced by how a minister ’s day when ministers are propwork is in line with the goverly assessed, so that those ernment, how MPs are satisfied with their work or who failed to tackle - or even contributed to - corhow their image is portrayed in the media. Aside ruption and lack of achievement can be identifrom that, there is a lack of a system that evalu- fied? When are ministers going to realize that ates a minister solely through their actual level of their true responsibility exceeds leaving the govperformance and achievement. ernment and MPs contented; but lies in improving Al-Shamali was one of t wo ministers who the quality of work at their respective ministries? resigned in the last cabinet; the other being the Moreover, when are we going to see real grilling Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Ahmad Al- motions filed to help correct a wrong situation, Rujaib. Al-Shamali stepped down after unsuccess- instead of being filed for political reasons or perfully attempting to defend himself against allega- sonal vendetta? —Al-Qabas

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kuwait digest

The Arab Simoom

By Mohammed Ghareeb Hatem uwait surpassed all GCC states in building a strong infrastructure back in the 1960s when it was known as ‘The Pearl of The Gulf’ due to its up-todate streets, communities and urban planning.

Unfortunately, one can only speak bitterly and sadly nowadays, despite the financial affluence and abundance created by soaring oil prices over the few past years that have not yet affected the infrastructure. The government, for instance, is concerned with ranches and farms and forgets about the eighth ring road and linking new cities, namely Al-Metla’ and Sabah Al-Ahmed, with a grid of expressways.

Further, the traffic problem we have been suffering from is all because of the municipality and the municipal council and its resolutions since, instead of tending to urban structure and planning, the council became a temporary step in reaching the parliament. In this regard, one can but ask ministers, namely the minister of municipal affairs, if it was ever possible that very large investments and residential towers could have been built in Nugra, Slamiya, Hawalli, Farwaniya and Khaitan without building proper car parks underneath?

This can only show that nobody cares about this country and that it is being run haphazardly, while politicians are only concerned with politics and the determination yard on the one hand, and the government is only concerned with Beshts (Cloaks), prestige, receptions and opening ceremonies, on the other.

None of the ministers ever bothered to pay a field visit to any of the projects or areas. None of them bothered to go on a sudden visit to observe his own ministry staff or shifts. They never thought of conferring with young employees and syndicates, unless a strike was underway.

What a pity! What are we doing to this precious diamond that represents the future of our children? Where will Kuwait be like one hundred years from now? It’s a shame that one of the richest countries has no integrated universities or hospitals.

There is no proper recruitment or training for young employees, there is no proper qualification for staffs and human resources in various administrations and ministries, nobody is committed to working hours, there is a high percentage of absences and medical leaves, there is a state of chaos and lack of productivity that all make one sadly remember the days of the late sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem, May Allah have mercy on his soul! —Al-Watan

hen you wake up from sleeping and find 30 missed calls on your mobile, the first thing you expect is that a big disaster has happened while you were sleeping. If you are a journalist, you think that you have missed too much and you start thinking: Has the N.A. Council been dissolved while you were sleeping? Or has the constitution been amended?

Has marshal law been declared?

And a thousand questions come to your brain before you open your mobile and find that the 30 missed calls are from one stupid friend. You are still under the impression that there is a disaster, concerning you at least. You call him back for the sake of your friendship, and when he answers you ask him what was wrong that he made 30 calls? He answers very cool, and with cold nerves, “Nothing, just wanted to know where are you and what you are doing”.

In my case, I hung up the phone while he was still talking and went back to sleep. My stupid friend calls almost everyday. He has no biological clock like others, he may call early morning or late at night, and might even call at 27:00 hours.

“There is no 27:00 hours, but I am sure he is capable of creating it only to call”. I can say that he is very much like some of the National Assembly members, who make declarations at any time and about any case. They don’t get tired from declaring in all directions, the important thing being that they remain in the media.

Sometimes, they hear some rumour, and they keep commenting about it all night long, and when the sun rises next day about the fact that their declarations were built on rumours, they do not apologize and they find another case to talk about and make us forget their comments made about the rumour.

Unfortunately, some MPs who talk continuously without need are not good at apologizing for anything wrong, and they do not have the courage to apologize.

Some of them, while their statements have offended others simply because they have immunity, and when they discover that they are wrong in what they mentioned about those people, whether they are politicians, ministers, merchants or even high employees, we then see they do not apologize and do not correct their declarations about those persons.

I call upon MPs to be really idle and to have courage to apologize, as we don’t have an anger among us, so your apology for something wrong makes you bigger in the eyes of others. Even if they are your political opponents and you don’t apologize, you become smaller in their eyes in the long run, especially when your mistakes are repeated.

NOTE: My stupid friend, even if he calls me 132 times a days, still I will not be angry, for we have 20 years of friendship. When he does that he disturbs me only and not like MPs, who disturb a complete country through their imprecise declarations. —Al-Anbaa

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By Hassan Al-Essa

K

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij fter adopting a low-level of speech, which is seen since they raised the “Anything but the basically not of much impor tance since Constitution” slogan for their so-called campaign poor speech technically only hurts the per- to protect the constitution, especially when it son saying it, it seems that the opposition is also comes to attacking media outlets that broadcast adopting a low-level of political awareness and opinions different than theirs, which they label as “corrupt media paid to serve certain interests”. discussion.

The opposition likes to make it seem that they There is no such thing as corrupt and honest are riding the wave of the Arab Spring, which I media, but there are differing opinions. It’s norpersonally prefer to refer to as the Arab Simoom; mal for interests to conflict in democracy; where survival is for the fittest, not an English term taken from fo r t h o s e w h o a b u s e t h e the Arabic word with the p r i n c i p l e s o f d e m o c ra t i c same pronunciation that struggle and equal opportudescribes hot and dry desert winds. Just as the of ten It is not strange to see the opposi- nities.

To d ay, t h e o p p o s i t i o n dust-laden winds sweep through the land, the oppo- tion rejecting the court’s ruling out ra i s e d t h e l e ve l o f t h e i r sition is debating and phi- of the belief that the parliament demands to call for an electlosophizing about demo- enjoys a superior authority in the ed cabinet. First of all, they need to understand that an cratic principles they are not state. What is strange, however, is elected Cabinet requires that fully aware of.

This is why it was hard for the fact that they can’t understand a l l Ku w a i t i s e n j oy e q u a l them to fully comprehend their attitude basically means they rights in forming and joining the cabinet. This means that the historical ruling by the Constitutional Court, which reject the privilege that the t h e o p p o s i t i o n s h o u l d b e constricted governmental Constitutional Court gave to the re a d y to a cce p t a re a l i t y authority and returned to the people and want to hand it back to where they are not elected to the cabinet. Clearly, they people what is rightfully are not ready to do that now, theirs, as per the constitution. the government. when they refuse to allow I t is not strange to see d i f fe re n t o p i n i o n s to b e the opposition rejecting the e x p re s s e d o r co n f l i c t i n g co u r t ’s r u l i n g o u t o f t h e interests to be maintained. belief that the parliament A full parliamentary system means full freeenjoys a superior authority in the state. What is strange, however, is the fac t that they can’t dom. People not ready to accept full freedom understand that their attitude basically means and the rights of others to express different t h a t t h e y re j e c t t h e p r i v i l e g e t h a t t h e opinions are not even entitled to start talking Constitutional Cour t gave to the people and a b o u t a n e l e c t e d C a b i n e t o r a r g u e w i t h a want to hand it back to the government. That Constitutional Court ruling. The full parliamenprivilege is being the soul of all authorities. After tary system the opposition is calling for today that, the opposition claims that they defend means giving them the green right to take over Kuwait and eliminate anyone who argues with democratic and constitutional principles?

The opposition’s falsehoods have been clearly their point of view. —Al-Qabas

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kuwait digest

Where’s the problem?

By Dr. Wael Al-Hasawi don’t know why people are so upset about the ruling to annul the 2012 parliament or the reason behind all the conspiracy theories, which picture the situation as being part of a governmental plot not even Israeli intelligence can think of!

The matter is very simple. The parliament was supposed to be on hold for a month, anyway, as per a decree made by HH the Amir soon before the Constitutional Court made its ruling. MPs were, after that, expected to start their summer holiday, which ends in late October. During that time, the reinstated 2009 parliament could be dissolved and new elections held so the parliament can meet in its first session by late October. So where, exactly, is the problem?

In fact, voters don’t even have to cancel their vacation plans, since they basically aren’t required to vote until September; the month in which most holidaymakers return home, anyways. Think about this: after a good summer vacation abroad, we come back to witness daily election campaigns before casting our votes come election time. It can’t get any simpler than that!

Even candidates aren’t required to make much effort to regain membership in the parliament. All they have to do is reprint the same brochures they distributed during their campaigns for last February’s elections, and they don’t even have to explain their election programs because people still remember them. Not only that, but people saw what the candidates could do during the four month period in which the 2012 parliament lasted!

Oh, and since the majority of citizens will be vacationing out of Kuwait during the summer, candidates don’t need to set up large election headquarters and host massive feasts! In the meantime, Mr. Allam AlKandari, the Secretary General of the National Assembly, is not required to return cars rented for MPs because they will again need to use them shortly.

See how simple the matter is? Does it really need all this uproar, which included questioning the Constitutional Court’s final ruling, and leading mass demonstrations that featured low-levels of speech?

Does it need attacking a so-called “hidden government” which allegedly has powers superior to that given in conspiracy theories to Masonic agents running worldwide governments?

People who fear that there is a conspiracy to thwart attempts of uncovering the mystery behind the multibillion deposits and transfers scandals, are urged to calm down because investigations in these cases are almost done, and speculation has become non-cancelable facts. And while I agree with calls rejecting a potential plan to expand electoral constituencies from five to ten, I believe that the current system proved to be not much better when it brought into Parliament MPs with histories of violent behavior and others who later turned out to be corrupt. The main problem is not in the number of constituencies, but in the voters.

In my opinion, new elections are a good opportunity for Kuwaitis to reevaluate the votes they made last February and look to replace lawmakers who would have done more harm to society than good if the 2012 parliament was given the chance to continue. —Al-Rai

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MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

Local

Al Humaidhi ‘not really optimistic’ about Kuwait development plan KUWAIT: Interview with Bader Al Humaidhi, former minister of finance of Kuwait.

Q: What is the outlook of Kuwait’s economy for 2012?

A: If you ask me about the outlook of Kuwait for 2012, I cannot be very optimistic. Although the current situation suggests Kuwait is flourishing thanks to the higher prices of oil I am not very optimistic about the future situation in Kuwait.

That is mainly because we have not yet diversified our sources of income, besides the oil industry. We do not have yet anything tangible for the development of infrastructure. Also, we have not yet implemented the five-year development plan as we were supposed to do.

Q: Let us speak more about that plan which was adopted two years ago. What happened to it?

A: The plan by itself cannot be executed or implemented without the actual passing of certain laws, or without the modification of existing ones which are hindering those processes.

Unfortunately, the situation is that the parliament, for the past year or year and half, has neither been ready nor has had enough time to pass the laws needed to implement or facilitate the implementation of the development plan.

Therefore, because of this situation in Kuwait, nothing has happened. There have only been talks about laws and new projects, but nothing has been actually done about it. I am not really optimistic about the plan and about this situation as a whole. None of our goals have been achieved. Contrary to that, some of the goals and some of the actions taken have upset the plan which was stated.

Q: For 2012, what do you think will be the major problems the economy will face?

A: The problems are neither related to the economy nor to the finance. At the current situation, Kuwait does not really have any major money problems. We could say the problems we are facing at the current situation are rather of a political nature. What I hear from some of the candidates - in their statements or in their speeches - is that we have to attain a much better politics atmosphere.

I think we are going to have the same struggle as between the government and the parliament.

The new parliament will waste time and spend all the money while only questioning the prime minister. As a result, it will not have enough time to focus on the development of Kuwait and the plan, the security and the infrastructure.

Q: In 10 to 15 years from today, there might not be any oil left, given the direction that Kuwait is going now. Do you see the need for a wake-up call?

A: Let me tell you something: we have now reached a very difficult situation. Our budget for this year is approximately $92 billion, but the cost of oil is at $107 or $108 per barrel. The government has been able to collect only KD 18,7 billion to date. Maybe in the next three months, which is the remaining of the financial year, we might reach KD 23 or KD 24 billion but we really need to spend KD 20 billion. 80% of the budget goes for salaries and wages - these expenditures are unproductive. Only around 13% of the budges goes for investment and capital projects. In all truth, it is a bleak future.

A few months ago, I was thinking that we should be able to stand the problem in the course of the six or seven years to come.

Unfortunately, I can say that in two or three years, maximum, we will be in a very crucial position.

If you ask me about the outlook of Kuwait for 2012, I cannot be very optimistic. Although the current situation suggests Kuwait is flourishing

the streets to ask for the things they need. They have the right to make that demand at the parliament. Therefore, I really wish to become optimistic, but this can only happen under three conditions.

Firstly, we need to stop asking for the raising of wages.

Secondly, we need to give more room to the private sector. The best years of Kuwait were those when the private sector had a major position in the state. After the liberation of Kuwait, the public sector took on a bigger role and, as a result, corruption started to increase.

Finally, in the next ten years, we will have 350,000 Kuwaitis seeking jobs. So, if no jobs are found for those people, we will have a severe social problems in the future. When such conditions are met, my view of the future situation in Kuwait might become more optimistic.

thanks to the higher prices of oil I am not very optimistic about the future situation in Kuwait.

When that time comes, we might not even be able to afford the salaries. For that very reason, I think that an important decision must be taken, either by the government or by the parliament, to orientate Kuwait in the best direction and put things the right way.

Q: Is the business model of the private sector in Kuwait sustainable? For instance, what happens when the government is not investing into new technologies for the future?

A: In 1949, there was the first discovery of oil in Kuwait. Before that, the government had no other ways of income aside from taxation in the private sector. Therefore, before that year, most of the finances in the budget came from the private sector, either because of their activities in the trade or some other sectors.

In the fifties, even before the independence, the private sector generated the most of the economic activity and established the largest economic and financial entities in Kuwait. The private sector accomplished so much for the country, but then the government came and nationalized all of this for different reasons.

The private sector in Kuwait is very creative, very energized. It comprises many intellectuals. I would venture to say that it is the best private sector of all, as the largest investors are the Kuwaitis. But the government does not give them the chance to invest in Kuwait. What they do is that they take the money outside of the country instead of keeping it here like they should.

Q: What do you think will happen to Kuwait, if this scenario situation plays out?

A: Demonstrations in the streets came to Kuwait in the last months or a year. There have been many of them during that period for different reasons. Some of the people participating in them are not citizens as you may have heard.

They asked, for instance, for the raising of salaries or wages. Of course, Kuwait enjoys many things which other countries do not know. We have a free press, free media as well as a parliament. We are a democracy, after all. Take the examples of such countries as Egypt, Libya and Syria - they do not have the benefits that we have.

In our case, people do not need to go out on

Q: But there is a strategic, demographic challenge. The government, if I may say so, spoils the people who are not used to working. At the current situation, the government can barely afford the wages. Won’t there be strikes?

A: Of course and that is precisely what I’m worried about. The problem is that in the last two years, the government has increased the wages dramatically. In 1992, there was a law adopted which stated that every three years the government would have to review the salaries and wages according to the inflation rate.

If the government and the parliament had abided by that law, a lot of things would have

Bader Al Humaidhi, former minister of finance

Asian man commits suicide

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: An Asian was found hanging from the ceiling at his sponsor’s house in Fahaheel, said securities sources noting that detectives reached the scene to conduct investigations before filing the case as a suicide.

Bootlegger caught An Asian man was arrested in Fahaheel with the possession of 65 illicit liquor bottles, said security sources.

Thieves burgle ‘royal’ villa A group of domestic workers working for a ruling family member in Salwa reported that thieves broke into the villa and stole KD 120,000

worth jewelry, said security sources. A case was filed and further investigations are in progress.

Asians mugged Two Asians accused a man dressed in military uniform of mugging them and stealing KD 440 from the first and KD 220 from the second. A case was filed at Sulaibiya police station.

Further investigations are in progress.

Illicit liquor distillery busted Farwaniya police recently raided and shut down an illicit liquor distillery in Jleeb, said security sources.

Case papers indicate that an expat was arrested with the possession of some of the liquor. Upon being cross-examined, he led police to two factories where he usually buys

liquor. A number of Asians have been arrested.

Car accidents A 35-year-old Asian was admitted to Farwaniya hospital ICU with serious injuries while three others were taken to hospital after suffering various injuries sustained in a traffic accident along the Fifth Ring Road.

A 32-year-old Syrian suffered a back pain and concussion after he lost control over his vehicle and it flipped over along Al-Salmi highway.

Fire incident A Kuwaiti family of six suffered mild injuries and smoke inhalation after a fire broke out at their place of residence in Sabahiya, said security sources.

MOROCCO: The Moliere Moroccan Educational Group recently honored KUNA staff writer, Dr. Tarq AlBakri in appreciation for his writings in children literature. The honoring ceremony was attended by the undersecretary of the Moroccan ministry of education, Mubarak Al-Mubaraki.

KEPS urges less harm of bus exhausts to pedestrians KUWAIT: The Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS) said it was keen on limiting the effects of bus fumes on passers-by.

The society has recently received several memos from environmental activists on the dangers posed on pedestrians from increasing carbon dioxide emissions from buses, it said in a statement yesterday.

This poses harm and is a direct threat to the general health of humanbeings, wildlife and the environment, KEPS Secretary General Wejdan Al-Oqab said in a statement.

Due to their high horizontal positioning, bus exhaust pipes cast fumes at a level close to the breathing level, which increase the likelihood of affec ting

humans, Al-Oqab said. As a solution, KEPS has proposed that the company (it kept anonymous) use exhausts that emit fumes upwards to which the company has shown compliance.

The company should take this into consideration in the meantime and when purchasing new buses in the future, added KEPS. —KUNA

been different. I don’t think there was such a huge need to increase wages. Now the government, pressured by the parliament, is still thinking of increasing salaries in the next month.

Indeed, what are we going to do? This is what I am worried about. We have come to a point where we cannot afford salaries anymore.

Unfortunately, the parliament does that while thinking about their election and not about the future situation in Kuwait.

I will give you an example. There is a university where the teachers’ salaries have increased by 70% to 80% in just one year. If you go around to Saudi, Qatar and other neighboring countries, I don’t think any of them can compete with Kuwait on that issue. That is what goes on in the public sector.

The situation now is that the private sector is hungry to help the people and the country, but they cannot do anything, simply because they are in no match with the salaries offered by the government. There has been a movement from the private sector to the public sector. That is what the government and the parliament aim for.

If I may add very quickly... Some of the members of the parliament, even a year back, asked for the cancellation of the custom laws. And now, these same people are candidates for the new election. This is crazy. This is one of the things I fought against in 2006. The proposal was thankfully defeated at the time, but it is being questioned again. There is an amount of $20 billion at stake.

At the current situation, some members of the parliament and even the population think that oil will never run out; that it will continue on forever. Oil in 1997 went down to 7$ and thus the government had to cut the budget by 25%.

I will give you another example: in ten years, our budget increased 400 times. The salaries and wages component increased by the same amount. In ten years. During that time, our budget was $92 billion. We need the price of oil to be at level of $400 for us to be able to pay for the budget. Who knows what might be the situation in the years to come? A hundred, a thousand?

Q: The government in Britain or France knows what their target is for the next 10 years. They know they have to collect customs, taxes and invest. Even our investments are not in our hands. Kuwaiti investments are mostly in the US T-bills and EU government bonds. What if the market goes down or even collapses?

A: When we were invaded by Iraq the government was expected to feed Kuwaitis from outside as well as inside the country or to pay for the liberation of Kuwait. If the assets are going to be used to finance the government’s budget, nothing is going to be left. That is what the future of Kuwait is. —Marcopolis

NA dissolution constitutional: Al-Homoud KUWAIT: Commenting on the recent constitutional court ruling about annulling the 2012 parliament and reviving the 2009 parliament, the constitutional expert, the head of the general law department at the law faculty, Kuwait University, Prof Ibrahim AlHomoud stressed that the dissolution ruling was completely legal and denied any political interference in its issue.

Further, Al-Homoud highlighted that the cour t had wrongly phrased the dissolution decree number 443/2011 describing it as a ministerial dissolution while was not issued by neither the new nor the hold PM. “Sovereignty resolutions are not subject to the judiciary supervision to decide their validity” stressed AlHomoud noting that in view of the obstacles that had been hindering development and the state’s supreme interests. ‘That’s why it became a must to call the nationfor new elections to choose their representatives”, he added.

Moreover, Al-Homoud justified signing the dissolution decree by the PM by the constitution that mandates that such decrees be signed by both the Amir and the PM to make it constitutional. He added that the constitutional court was a court of law not politics.

On his part, lawyer Hussein AlHardan denied that the constitutional court had acted beyond its liabilities as it was an integral part of those liabilities to examine proceedings.

Al-Hardan also slammed any comments on the court ruling noting that according to article one of the constitutional court establishment law states that the ‘court will solely responsible for explaining constitutional laws, hearing litigations about law constitutionality, decree laws, carts and contests per taining parliamentar y elections...the constitutional law rulings will binding to all parties and courts’, he underlined.

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

local

KD 120,000 in jewelry, cash stolen from sheikh’s home Major bootlegger in custody

KAMCO continues to support its community KUWAIT CITY: KAMCO (KIPCO Asset Management Company) has once again lent its support to the community by supporting star performers of Imam Malik High School’s graduating class of 2012. The top five students were awarded token gifts.

KAMCO’s support for graduating students is the latest in the series of contributions that it has made in education and in the youth of Kuwait. Other similar initiatives include the joint sponsorship of Dealing Room at Kuwait University (which allows students to practice and hone their skills at trading on the stock exchange), the sponsorship of the Char tered Financial Analysts Award (CFA) ceremonies at the American University of Kuwait, and through the KAMCO Education Fund - a specialized private equity fund which invests in projects that cultivate educational enhancement in Kuwait.

Speaking on behalf of KAMCO at the event, Nouf Jassem Al-Besarah from the Strategic Marketing and Public Relations Department said, “We are proud to support students with such promising intellect, and we are confident that their futures will be secured as they are based on a solid education. We also hope that our patronage of merit will encourage more students to push themselves further.”

Established in 1998 with the mission to significantly alter the local and regional investment landscape, KAMCO is a premier investment company based in Kuwait. A subsidiary of United Gulf Bank (UGB) - the investment banking

subsidiary of Kuwait Projects (Holding) Company (KIPCO) - KAMCO was listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) in 2003.

After more than thirteen years of conducting business in Kuwait’s dynamic investment industry, KAMCO has successfully established a robust reputation for solidity, characterized by its prudent, conservative investment philosophy which has consistently commanded the goodwill of a wide patron-base.

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Sheikh Salem honored with Arab banking award BERLIN: Sheikh Salem Abdelaziz AlSabah was honored with the ‘achievement’ award of the Union of Arab Banks (UAB) during the Union’s annual conference held here, Saturday night. The UAB Secretary General Wissam H Fattouh said this was in recognition of the banker’s achievements throughout his career at the Central Bank of Kuwait(CB) since 1977.

Fattouh noted that Sheikh Salem is a pioneer in the Arab banking sector and that he had particularly devoted his efforts to serve his country and enabled great achievements during the period from 1986 and 2012. The weight of his accomplishment merits the many honors and awards he has received to-date.

Sheikh Salem had most admirably led the sector during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait in 1990, and his prudent policies helped the nation avoid much of the anticipated brunt of the war to liberate Kuwait and the costly reconstruction that followed.

The one-time Kuwait’s top-banker

meanwhile said that this prize was testimony to Kuwait and CBK, and not a personal achievement. It is in recognition of the effort Kuwait put into developing the Arab banking sector and contributed to the world banking scene.

When asked what the impact of the so-called Arab Spring would be on the banking sector, particularly in the Gulf, the banker remarked he expects little direct impact on the economic situation.

The situation will not change unless there is marked change in the geo-political and the oil market scene. That, of course, would affect exporter countries’ economies.

Sheikh Salem Abdelaziz Al-Sabah had during his career served as chairman of the board at the Banking Studies Institute, a member of the board at the Kuwait Investment Authority, member of the Higher Planning and Development Council, member of the Higher Petroleum Council, and CBK representative at the Arab Monetary Fund and the International Monetary Fund.— KUNA

KUWAIT: Police are searching for thieves who stole KD120,000 in jewelry and cash from the house of a ruling family member in Salwa recently. The Sheikh learned about the robbery after receiving a phone call from his domestic helpers while being outside the country. The workers reportedly discovered, during routine cleaning, that a bedroom had been broken into and jewelry and cash worth an estimated KD120,000 were missing.

Criminal investigators reported to the scene after the workers alerted the police.

Preliminary investigations revealed that there was more than one thief involved in the break-in and that they gained access to the house through a window.

Hawally robbery Police are looking for a woman, along with two male companions she used to attack her husband and steal KD24,000 from him. The incident reportedly took place in Hawally when a Kuwaiti man found himself confronted by his Filipina wife when leaving a shopping mall. She was escorted by “two muscular men” who reportedly beat him before stealing his money and escaping. These details were provided by the victim to officers at Maidan Hawally police station, who filed a case for investigation.

Runway snapshots A man remains in custody of the State

Security Service following his arrest late Friday night while taking pictures of a runway at Kuwait International Airport. The Kuwaiti man was first taken to the Sabah Al-Salem police station by police who were called to the scene after a driver on Sabhan Road reported seeing the suspect shooting pictures of the runway, in violation of state laws. The man said, while being questioned, that the laser lights on the runway caught his attention and he decided to take pictures with his iPhone. The case was referred to the State Security Services to make sure that no criminal intensions were involved.

Jleeb raid Police raided two apartments used to brew alcohol in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, while a search is continuing for other ‘factories’ owned by the same dealer, who has been taken into custody. The operation took place Friday when a team of security officers and municipal inspectors raided two apar tments, based on information that the apartments were being used to make alcohol.

Police arrested three Indian men in the apartments, where barrels filled with readyfor-sale liquor were found. The three suspects led officers to their superior, an Indian national who was quick ly located and detained. An investigation revealed that the dealer hires people who brew alcohol in apartments in Khaitan, Fahaheel, Bnaid AlGar, Sharq, Hawally, Salmiya and Al-Mangaf.

The detainees are being held in custody pending legal action.

Forgery duo held Migration detectives detained two people recently for forging work permits for people looking to obtain bank loans or driver’s licenses. The arrest followed an investigation after information was received about the activity of an Arab and Indian nationals who charged KD200 for each permit in which they alter the salary printed on a work permit in order to meet the minimum salary required for obtaining certain privileges, such as bank loans and driver’s licenses. The two were arrested after the Indian man was first apprehended, before leading police to his accomplice. The two remain in custody and the ongoing investigation has so far revealed that the suspects forged dozens of documents.

Robbery gang Seven teenagers were arrested in Saad AlAbdullah following a series of robberies recently reported by area residents. The suspects were arrested following a car chase after patrol officers spotted them trying to steal an auto. Pocket knives, batons and tools used to break into cars were found in the juveniles’ possession. The teens remain in custody to face charges after investigations revealed that they are responsible for many theft cases filed at the area’s police station.—Al-Rai, Al-Watan

Lecture on Kuwait delivered at prestigious Hakuoh University TOKYO: The prestigious Hakuoh University hosted the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Japan Abdulrahman Humoud Al-Otaibi for a lecture on Kuwait’s history on Saturday, as part of the Kuwaiti Embassy’s cultural and academic program aimed at introducing a large segment of Japanese society to the history and culture of the nation, shedding light on its current standing and contributions made to the international community.

The ambassador was invited to deliver the lecture by university lecturer and former Japanese diplomat professor Masao Kawai, and the venue at the university which is located in Tochigi Prefecture received some 200 people for the lecture, students and professors.

Before the lecture, the ambassador met with Vice President Joji Kamioka, with senior university figures present and discussed issues related to the cultural and academic exchange between the two countries.

Al-Otaibi briefed his audience on the history of Kuwait starting with its establishment and the first mention of its name in old maps by historians, describing the nature of authority from the early 1800s to the independence

era, and all the way to present time. He stressed on the values on which the Constitution is based, its emphasis on democracy and human rights, women’s rights in modern Kuwait.

He also shed light on the mission and contributions made by Kuwait Development Fund, its economy before and after the discovery of oil, the first boom in the state with the export of oil in June 1946, in addition to the nature and development in social values and traditions, social security and care systems in the country, and many facets of life in modern Kuwait.

There was also review of the diplomatic relations shared between the two friendly nations dating to over five centuries. The level of relations was evident and was further bolstered through the visit of His Highness the Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah upon the invitation of Emperor Akihito in March 2012. The invitation was made after the devastating quake and tsunami of March 11, 2011 and Kuwaiti support in the aftermath and reconstruction effort.

On the financial support given to Japan at the time, the Kuwaiti ambassador stressed it

was a natural reflection of the close bonds shared between the two people and countries, and is also a means to repay Japan’s support during the 1990 Iraqi occupation of Kuwait. Following the lecture, the ambassador welcomed students’ questions, and there was special interest displayed in Kuwait’s plans to employ nuclear technology, especially in view of the Fukushima disaster. There was also interest displayed in horizons and potential of cooperation in water desalination technology, and general interest in Kuwait and visiting it in the future.

After his lecture, the ambassador visited Utsunomiya, Capital of the prefecture and met Tochigi Mayor Tomikazu Fukuda and was given a tour and briefing on developments in the effort to reverse the damage caused by the nuclear reactor disaster.

A proposal made by the ambassador to twin a Kuwaiti and Japanese city was warmly welcomed. The mayor stressed on the importance of cooperation in the area of disaster response and readiness, noting many companies in the prefecture already have branches in Kuwait should this venue of cooperation and investment be considered. — KUNA

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education’s Undersecretary Tamadher Al-Sadairawi, and Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Muna Al-Lughani attended a ceremony held Saturday night to honor top high school graduates.

—Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh

Kuwait Radio receives part of its archives from Iraq KUWAIT: Kuwait Radio has finally received 27 boxes containing archival cassette tapes from Iraq, the country’s Ministry of Information said. Kuwait’s radio archives were stolen by Saddam Hussein’s regime during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

The regained radio archives include a large group of original programs that were produced by Kuwait Radio, together with Kuwaiti and Arab original songs, Yusof Mustafa, Assistant Undersecretar y of the Ministry of Information for Radio told KUNA on Saturday.

The move, which came in line with relevant UN Security Council resolutions, took place during a meeting held at the Kuwaiti M inistr y of Foreign Affairs in presence of UN and Iraqi officials, he said.

Kuwait has regained, over four months, the archives of the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait Al-Youm (official Gazette) and Al-Anbaa daily newspapers and Kuwait Radio from the Iraqi government, Mustafa added.

The Kuwaiti official appreciated the Iraqi move as a positive step in

the right direction. Hailing KuwaitiIraqi relations, he said, “Kuwaiti-Iraqi ties are not only restricted to the political level as the relationship with the brothers in I raq are firm and deep-rooted in both media and cultural domains.”

The meeting was attended by several Kuwaiti officials, including Chief of the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministr y ’s International Organizations Department Jassem Al-Mubarki, as well as Iraqi Ambassador in Kuwait Mohammad Bahr Aloloom.

Al-Mubarki lauded the Iraqi move as a good step forward, hoping that the Iraqi government will send back the archives of the Amiri Diwan, HH the Crown Prince’s Diwan and Foreign Ministry.

“It is a positive step which we hope to be followed by other positive steps,” he said. The Iraqi ambassador in Kuwait said that a joint IraqiKuwaiti panel has been already created for the purposes. The panel has sent letters to all Iraqi agencies, asking them to come up with a list of Kuwaiti properties.—KUNA

Companies not investing in housing KUWAIT: The Public Authority for Housing Welfare recently failed to find investors willing to take part in major construction projects that will see new residential areas built in Al-Mutla’a and Al-Khairan due to a “lack of incentives” in the law which manages the project through the B.O.T (buy-operate-transfer) system.

As per law number 50/2010,

the PAHW is required to establish a shareholding company to build major housing projects, as per the B.O.T system. Forty percent of the company ’s shares are offered to private investors in an auction, while 50% are distributed to citizens in an initial public offering. The remaining 10% are owned by the government.

According to a PAHW insider who preferred to speak on con-

dition of anonymity, it is expected that no company would be willing to enter a project with KD200 capital and a KD10 billion estimated cost, while having only 40% of the shares and no additional incentives.

In that regard, the PAHW is reportedly working on amending the law so that it oversees the housing projects in the two projected areas, while the invest-

ment projects are left to the private sector through the B.O.T system.

The Mutla’a and Khairan residential projects are projected to provide at least 57,000 housing units, which meet the needs of more than half of the housing applicants currently registered at the PAHW. According to the source, 101,000 applicants were registered as of the end of May.

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

Iceland’s defiant prez wins record fifth term

Mexico could return old ruling party to power Page 11

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CAIRO: In this handout picture made available by the Egyptian presidency on Saturday, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi waves following his inaugural address at Cairo University, after being sworn-in at the Constitutional Court in the capital, to become the country’s first freely elected leader and its first president since Hosni Mubarak’s overthrow last year. —AFP

Morsi faces burden of expectation Mubarak’s overthrow unleashed pent-up aspirations CAIRO: If Egypt’s new president, Mohamed Morsi, needs any reminder of the weight of expectations bearing down as he begins work, he can glance from a window of the presidential palace. Citizens seeking jobs, compensation from the state or clemency for jailed relatives crowded at the palace gates yesterday, showing how Morsi’s unprecedented popular mandate has raised hopes for a more responsive kind of government.

“My name is Alaa Ahmed Bayoumy and I am here to ask for a higher pension,” said one 52-year-old among the group mingling with palace security officials. “I have five children and my rent costs more than my pension. That is unacceptable.” As Morsi worked to replace an army-backed interim cabinet with his new government, members of the public bearing petitions were allowed to rest in the gardens outside the palace perimeter, where they ate, drank and lounged in the shade.

Ordinary Egyptians were never allowed near the palace under President Hosni Mubarak, toppled in a popular revolt last year. Anxious to show a break with his autocratic predecessor, Morsi has said he will not turn his back on a compatriot and will seek justice for all Egyptians, including those killed or wounded in the uprising. Like Morsi, Mubarak had humble village origins, but the former air force chief slipped out of touch with an increasingly impoverished population during three decades in power.

In Mubarak’s day, staging political protests was almost impossible, with large numbers of police always on hand to disperse and often arrest anyone brave enough to try.

Streets plied by the presidential motorcade were smartened up and lined with crowds of admirers bussed in for the occasion - or simply closed to traffic for hours, creating huge jams for motorists, to allow the president to speed across the capital.

When Mubarak occupied the presidential palace in central Cairo, security was tight. Yesterday, uniformed police and state security officers sporting suits and dark glasses tried to deal calmly with the crowd hoping to enter the presidential precincts, taking down names or suggesting that people make written requests for help. Visitors pleading volubly for an audience with Morsi were occasionally let inside the palace grounds.

An old woman wearing a black veil, Ahlam Mohamed, sat outside on the pavement. “I want a job for my son. He has been staying at home for months and he is the one who feeds us. Without him we will die,” she said.

Haitham Ezzat, 29, demanded compensation because a facial injury sustained during the anti-Mubarak revolt had stopped him working. “I am hoping to meet the president,” said another man, 61-year-old Sayed Rashad, who said he had not been compensated for a war wound even despite filing a lawsuit against the army. Workers laid off during Mubarak-era economic reforms brandished a petition naming 15 companies they accused of illegally firing employees.

“We are here to tell the president to help us quickly. If he wants to get the production cycle moving again, we need to be paid and secure all our rights,” said Atef Mondy, 38, head of the Movement for Fired Workers. Some 40 percent of Egyptians live on less than $2 a day. The uprising was driven by a sense that nothing could get worse, but for many it has.

The economy is floundering and joblessness is growing after political turmoil hammered investment and tourism.

State finances are stretched, which will make it hard for Morsi to spend his way to popularity. His policy program is anyway geared towards liberalisation to spur investment, raising the risk of deeper economic pain in the near term.

That would come as a shock to many Egyptians who are hoping Morsi will turn on state taps and provide benefits on a far greater scale than those distributed by his Muslim Brotherhood. The Brotherhood’s charity and social welfare networks helped to make it one of Egypt’s most popular political forces, providing cheap food, medicine and other essentials to the poor.

Some wonder whether Morsi, whose prerogatives were clipped by the military even before he took office on Saturday, has the power to drive through radical change.

Any attempt to tackle poverty among Egypt’s 82 million people will run up against an inefficient, lethargic bureaucracy with vested interests that could slow the pace of reform. For now, Morsi is promising swift measures with an immediate social impact, pledging to get traffic moving, restore security, collect rubbish, and clear bottlenecks in the distribution of subsidised bread, petrol and cooking gas. But with the military keeping a grip on national security, a remit that may include control of the Ministry of Justice, some popular demands may be impossible for

Morsi to meet. Among those waiting to see the 60-yearold president yesterday were three women - Nahed Hussein Abdel Fattah, Marwa Khaled and Nadia Mohamed Ahmed - demanding the release of family members who they say were framed and jailed under Mubarak.

“We know Mubarak’s people were tyrants and thugs.

They used to fabricate crimes against people and they did that to my husband,” said Ahmed. As the day wore on, some of the petitioners at the palace gates began to lose patience. Some drifted away, others began shouting at the police keeping them outside. “Open this door. It will never stand between you and your people, nor will it protect you from us,” they cried. — Reuters

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Tabu tribe threatens Libya election boycott CAIRO: The head of Libya’s Tabu tribe said yesterday his people will boycott this week’s national election if the government does not withdraw its forces and tanks from a southern desert city where deadly clashes have killed dozens. The violence and calls for an election boycott threaten to tarnish the process of electing a representative assembly that would draw up a new constitution and name a new government. The July 7 vote to elect a 200-member body is the first nationwide vote since the ouster and killing of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi last year.

African Tabu leader Issa AbdelMajid told The Associated Press by telephone that his tribe will not vote if

government troops continue to deploy tanks, anti-aircraft missiles and snipers against Tabu fighters battling a rival Arab tribe in the southeastern city of Kufra. He said dozens of Tabu men, women and children have been killed and homes destroyed in the clashes. Neither government officials nor groups such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, which has in the past helped evacuate wounded from Kufra, could immediately determine the number of people killed in the most recent round of fighting over the past week.

Armed clashes have erupted several times over the past few months, leaving dozens killed and injured, mainly among the Tabu, the original

inhabitants of south Libya who were heavily suppressed under Gaddafi, and their rivals, the Arab tribe of Zwia.

Abdel-Majid said his tribe is calling for an international peacekeeping force to be stationed in Kufra, and for Tabu representatives to be given seats in the country’s Cabinet.

“If our demands are not met, we are boycotting the elections,” he said.

Some leaders in eastern Libya are also calling for an election boycott, pushing for semi- autonomy instead. They called for staying away from the elections unless seats of the elected assembly are equally distributed among different regions. Eastern Libya suffered neglect under Gaddafi, and the uprising that toppled him started

there. Leaders there charge that the situation has not improved enough under the transitional government that replaced his regime.

Abdel-Basit Haroun, one of hundreds of tribal leaders and militia commanders in the east pushing to form a semi-autonomous region, said the government’s Libya Deterrence Forces are in Kufra making matters worse.

“They want to create strife so that there is no unity in the east. All of this is planned and plotted,” he said.

Haroun is a leading member of the eastern city of Benghazi’s security militia that sent forces to try to mediate in Kufra.

Government officials were not immediately available for comment.

Rights group Amnesty International’s Libya researcher Diana el-Tahawy said the country’s National Transitional Council failed to send a fact-finding mission to Kufra when clashes that killed more than 100 people broke out in February, to determine who was behind the attacks and compensate the victims. Unresolved disputes have boiled over since. “The NTC is either unwilling or unable to control these various militias,” she said. The Tabu’s Abdel-Majid linked the recent bout of violence to “politics” and accused Tripoli’s Arab leaders of racism against his African tribe. “We are surrounded and occupied by tanks and weapons,” Abdel-Majid said. “We want the (government) forces out of Kufra.” —AP

Bombs kill 4, judge shot as Iraq attacks grind on Three coordinated bomb attacks within minutes BAGHDAD: Bombers killed four people in two Iraqi cities and gunmen assassinated a judge, officials said yesterday, as Al-Qaeda’s affiliate ramped up attacks six months after the last US troops withdrew.

Three coordinated bomb attacks within minutes of each other yesterday morning hit the central city of Tikrit, 130 kilometers (80 miles) north of Baghdad, a provincial official said. A civilian walking by was killed and two others were wounded.

The bombs went off near a middle school where students were taking exams, but authorities said none of the students was

hurt. Further south, three policemen died when a suicide car bomb and three roadside bombs exploded at a security checkpoint on Saturday night in Samarra, 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, a police official said.

The bombing Saturday night raised the death toll for June to at least 237, the second-bloodiest month since US troops withdrew from Iraq in mid-December. In the northern city of Mosul, gunmen killed criminal court judge AbdulLatif Mohammed in a drive-by shooting as he was returning home from work, police said. The officials spoke on condition of

anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

Government officials and security forces are among the chief targets of Al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents, who experts say have been emboldened by political feuding that has paralyzed the government and are hoping to reignite fighting among the country’s ethnic and sectarian factions.

More significant than the numbers was the fact that insurgents appeared able to sustain the level of violence over a longer period than before.

There was a major bombing or

shooting rampage almost every three days in June, many targeting Shiite pilgrims on their way to the annual Baghdad commemoration of a revered imam. Shiites are also often targeted by the extremist Sunni insurgency.

Another Shiite pilgrimage set for this week has security forces on high alert. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected to travel to the holy city of Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, for the festival of Shabaniyah, celebrating the birth of the ninth century Shiite leader known as the Hidden Imam. The pilgrimage peaks on Friday.—AP

Tunisia’s Ben Ali, wife seek ‘justice’ back home

SANAA: A Yemeni soldier, center, looks on as he stands at attention with fellow soldiers during a ceremony to commemorate the 40 days of soldiers who were killed in a suicide bomb attack, at Central Security Forces in Sanaa, Yemen yesterday.—AP

Two killed in Yemen as army pursues militants ADEN: At least two al Qaeda-linked militants were killed as US -backed Yemeni forces pursued fighters driven from their southern strongholds last month, a local official said yesterday.

Hundreds of militants from Ansar AlSharia have been on the run since they were pushed from towns and cities they had seized during an uprising that forced President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down.

Ansar al-Sharia - meaning Partisans of Islamic Law - swears allegiance to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which US officials have called the most dangerous offshoot of the global militant network. The official said the army clashed with a group of 10 militants in Dalea province late on Saturday. One was killed on the spot and one died of

his wounds. The rest were captured.

Driving the Islamists from the cities of Zinjibar and Jaar was a major breakthrough in a US -backed offensive aimed at ensuring stability in the wider oil-producing Gulf region.

A Yemeni military official said a US training team had arrived at a base in southern Lahej province. US officials say President Abd-R abbu Mansour Hadi - who came to power in February as part of a power-transfer deal brokered by the United States and Gulf states - is more cooperative in the fight against al Qaeda than his predecessor.

The defence ministr y said that in Azzan, one of the towns held by the militants until recently, a large cache of bombs and explosives had been made safe. —Reuters

Flood death toll rises to 62 in India’s northeast GAUHATI: The death toll from monsoon rains in northeastern India has risen above 60, with more than 2,000 villages inundated as rivers breached their banks, an official said yesterday.

More than a week of heavy rains in Assam state has caused the massive Brahmaputra river - one of Asia’s largest - to exceed danger levels. Smaller rivers have also overflown their banks. Floods and landslides have killed 62 people, Assam’s agriculture minister Nilomoni Sen Deka said.

Deka said the disaster has affected about 2 million people. The state’s disaster management authority said thousands of homes have been destroyed and more than 480,000 people have sought shelter in government-run relief camps.

There was no rain yesterday in most parts of the state but thunderstorms were forecast over the next 24 hours. The monsoon season in India begins in June and ends in September. Assam suffers flooding almost every year but this year’s disaster is the worst in at least a decade. —AP

PARIS: Leila Ben Ali, the reviled wife of ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, said they were ready to face trial back home but conditions for a fair hearing did not exist, in an interview published yesterday. In the first interview since the couple fled to Saudi Arabia after a popular uprising in Januar y last year that sparked the Arab Spring protests, she also told France’s Le Parisien daily that her husband wanted Tunisians to recognize his achievements.

“We are ready to face trial in our country if it is fair and without excess or favor”, the 55-yearold said, adding: “For the present, there is nothing but hatred and vengeance.” While denying the charges against her, Leila Ben Ali-who was sentenced in absentia to 35 years in prison in June last year for stealing public funds and another 15 years a month later for illegal possession of weapons and drugs said she was “sorry” for any possible mistakes she may have made. “I don’t involve myself in politics,” she said. “My daily life is devoted to charity and social work.

Apart from that I help my loved ones to live better, that’s true,” she said.

“I never wanted to harm anyone,” she said.

Ben Ali, meanwhile, issued an appeal to his countrymen in a message relayed through his wife. “I deplore the fact that people have forgotten that for 23 years their lives improved greatly ... and Tunisia became a modern country. I hope that my compatriots will render me justice by remembering the journey we undertook together.”

“I hope that in the twilight of my life I will retain my honor.” His wife-dubbed the “Queen of Car thage” and reputed to have a voracious appetite for power and money has admitted that the flashy lifestyle of her Trabelsi clan-which had a stranglehold on business in the countr yplayed a large part in ending Ben Ali’s 23-year rule. Their control over the north African country’s economy was vast and they were said to have stakes in banks, airlines, car dealerships, radio and television stations and big retailers.

But Leila Ben Ali underscored that her husband, who was sentenced in absentia to life in prison for presiding over the bloody crackdown on the protests against his regime, was innocent.

Ben Ali who is 75, faces countless trials and has already been sentenced to more than 66 years in prison on a range of charges including drug trafficking and embezzlement. When asked if her husband had ordered that protestors be fired upon, she told Le Parisien: “Never. To prove this my husband’s lawyer has asked that recordings of conversations between the president and the interior and defence ministers be made available to judicial authorities. “Strangely, the transitional government refused this request,” she said, repeating her charge that the popular protests were a plot that was orchestrated.

“I do not at all believe the scenario of a spontaneous revolution,” she said. In a book entitled “My Truth” and released last month, Leila Ben Ali admitted her family’s role in their downfall.

“Among my own, there were some who exaggerated- of ten the younger ones who freely indulged in their appetite for profits and refused to set limits.” “These weaknesses and errors of my family were amplified outside and used with the sole objective of bringing down the regime of Ben Ali... We were the Achilles heel of the president.” —AFP

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, attends the weekly cabinet meeting in his Jerusalem office yesterday. —AP

Deadline extended for settler homes removal JERUSALEM: Israel’s Supreme Court yesterday granted the state a four-month extension to remove five apartment blocks built illegally on Palestinianowned land in a Jewish settlement on the occupied West Bank. The court had ruled the homes, in the Ulpana neighborhood of the Beit El settlement, must be torn down by July 1.

The 30 families who lived in the buildings moved out last week to nearby temporary accommodation under a deal with the government to go quietly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to construct 851 new settler homes in the West Bank. In granting an extension until Nov. 15, the court said the demolition could be delayed now that the dwellings it deemed illegal were empty. Israel is already hard-put to defend settlement activity in the face of world opinion. Palestinians, who seek statehood in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, fear the enclaves built on land Israel captured in a 1967 war will deny them a viable country.

Netanyahu angered settler leaders by

helping to defeat the passage of legislation aimed at circumventing the court ruling to remove the apartment blocks.

He has suggested a plan that would avoid destroying the houses, by instead cutting through their foundations and moving them to another part of the settlement where no land ownership claim is pending in court. About 311,000 Israeli settlers and 2.5 million Palestinians live in the West Bank. The United Nations deems all Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal. Israel disputes this and has sanctioned 120 settlements, most of them built on land that had no registered owner when it was seized in 1967.

Palestinians have made a freeze on Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and Arab East Jerusalem a condition for returning to peace talks, which broke down over the issue in 2010. Israel, which cites biblical and historical links to the areas, says the issue of settlements should be decided through negotiations, and that the Palestinians should resume talks without preconditions. —Reuters

RAMALLAH: Palestinians run away from Israeli troops during a Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) demonstration supporting prisoners in Israeli jails outside the Ofer military prison, near the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday.—AP

Gunmen wound Palestinian lawmaker outside his home JENIN: A Palestinian lawmaker was shot twice in the leg by assailants as he returned to his home early yesterday, adding to a recent wave of violence and lawlessness in a town once seen as a Palestinian model of law and order. Lawmaker Shami Al-Shami said he was shot as he got out of his car about 1:30 a.m. He said eight bullets were fired at him, including one that hit the side mirror as he opened the car door. He said he ran for cover and then noticed he had been hit twice in the right thigh. Al-Shami, a member of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement, said he did not know why he was targeted and that he did not recognize the assailants.

But the violence may have been linked to a growing crackdown by Abbas’ forces on armed gangs in Jenin. Jenin, located in the northern West Bank, was the scene of some of the worst violence during the second Palestinian uprising in the early 2000s.

In addition to experiencing frequent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants, the town was largely ruled by armed gangs that openly patrolled its streets and alleyways.

But in recent years, Abbas’ security

forces have made great inroads in restoring law and order. Under a program coordinated with Israel, Jenin was among the first Palestinian towns that were turned back over to Palestinian security. That period of quiet, however, has been tested over the past 15 months or so, since an Israeli Arab actor who founded a community theater in town was gunned down by a masked gunman. The killer remains at large.

Earlier this year, gunmen shot at the home of the area’s governor. The governor, Kadoura Mousa, was not hurt, but suffered a fatal heart attack several hours later. His death sparked a massive roundup of suspects, including a well-known former militant leader.

The new governor, Talal Dweikat, said that yesterday’s shooting was an attempt to undermine the work of the security forces who are trying to strengthen and expand their control in the area. He vowed to bring the assailants to justice. Also yesterday, an Israeli military court sentenced a former Hamas militant leader to 54 life terms for his role in a series of attacks that killed 46 Israelis and wounded more than 400 others. —AP

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Cameron attempts to woo eurosceptics on referendum LONDON: Prime Minister David Cameron has raised the prospect of a possible referendum on Britain’s future relationship with the European Union, potentially threatening trade with the bloc and opening up another front against the Conservatives’ coalition partner. Britain has had a long and painful history of infighting and changes of heart over how closely to integrate with the EU ever since it joined its precursor four decades ago.

It has often proven divisive both within and among Britain’s main political parties as well as the public.

Fears over closer fiscal union in the single currency bloc in response to the euro zone debt crisis has heightened concerns among backbenchers, especially among the eurosceptics on the right of the Conservative Party and the electorate. Polls suggest that if given a chance, voters would opt out of the EU. Cameron, writing in the yesterday Telegraph, said he believed the “vast majority of the British people”, like him, wanted to make changes to Britain’s current relationship. He wrote that for those outside the euro zone, “far from there being too little Europe, there is too much of it” in terms of

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Nigerian police say bomb attack on bridge foiled LAGOS: Police in Nigeria’s central Plateau State said yesterday they had foiled a bid to blow up a bridge in a restive area that has been hit by ethnic violence and Islamist attacks. State police spokesman Emmanuel Abuh told AFP that explosives hidden under a busy bridge were removed on Saturday following a tip-off. The bridge is near the state capital Jos. Jos has been rocked by repeated violence between Muslims and Christians in recent years. The area has also witnessed gun and bomb attacks attributed to Islamist group Boko Haram. Plateau lies in the so-called middle belt region dividing the mainly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south of Africa’s most populous nation and top oil producer.

Mali Islamists to continue destroying UNESCO sites BAMAKO: A spokesman for an Islamist group says they plan to destroy historic UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Malian city of Timbuktu before implementing strict Shariah law. Ansar Dine spokesman Sanda Abu Mohamed said yesterday that Islamists will continue the destruction they started Saturday. Mali’s government said in a statement that they condemn the destruction of the centuries-old Muslim saints’ tombs. They say the destruction is akin to “war crimes” and that they will prosecute at a national and international level. Islamist fighters from the Ansar Dine group have declared that they now control the northern half of Mali after driving out an ethnic Tuareg separatist group. The rebel groups took advantage of a power vacuum created by a March coup in the capital to seize ground in the north.

UK: Pilot killed in airshow crash LONDON: Police say a single-seat plane made during the 1920s has crashed during an air show in England, killing the pilot. About 600 spectators saw the DH53 aircraft crash in a field not far from where they were watching the show yesterday at the Old Warden Aerodrome in Biggleswade, a village 47 miles (75 kilometers) north of London. The accident led to the cancellation of the show at the aerodrome, which houses a collection of vintage aircraft known as the Shuttleworth Collection. The Air Accidents Investigations Branch said an investigation will be held to determine what caused the crash of the plane made by de Havilland Aircraft Co., and the death of the pilot, who was not identified.

Five miners die at S African gold mine JOHANNESBURG: Five South African miners died in a fire that swept through a mine near Johannesburg in an accident that sparked union condemnation of Gold Fields, one of the world’s top gold producers. Fourteen other miners were hospitalised in the incident which shut down operations at Gold Fields’ Kloof-Driefontein mine.

The National Union of Mineworkers said the miners died of smoke inhalation while working overtime. “We strongly condemn the company for sending workers on overtime night shift when there is no ventilation,” said union general secretary Frans Baleni in a statement. Last year, 123 miners died in South Africa with gold mines accounting for the largest share of fatalities, followed by platinum and coal.

One killed, several injured in German storms BERLIN : German authorities say one person was killed and several injured in thunderstorms that swept par ts of the countr y ’s south overnight. News agency dapd reported that police said that a 24-year-old woman was killed on a road near Guenzburg, in Bavaria, when an uprooted tree crashed into the roof of her car Saturday evening. Another driver was seriously injured, according to police, when her car skidded in hail and heavy rain on a highway near Wuerzburg, crashed into trees and turned over.

Police said yesterday that 10 people were injured in Heidenheim, in southwestern Germany, when a storm swept away tents at a rock festival.

bureaucracy. The question was how to get the relationship right.

“As we get closer to the end point, we will need to consider how best to

together, particularly if we really are proposing a change in how our country is governed, but let us get the people a real choice first.” The

BRUSSELS: British Prime Minister David Cameron gestures while speaking during a media conference at an EU Summit in Brussels on Friday.—AP get the full-hearted support of the British people whether it is in a general election or in a referendum,” he wrote. “As I have said, for me the two words ‘Europe’ and ‘referendum’ can go

Conservative prime minister has resisted pressure from within his own ranks to hold a European referendum up to now, and in the article he did not give a timetable or offer a specific question.

A significant reason for holding back on a referendum is concerns surrounding the economic consequences of an exit from the free-trade bloc, Britain’s biggest export market. Also, the junior partner in the coalition, the Liberal Democrats, are pro-Europe, and the two parties have already had their differences over key policies.

“Tactical and strategic patience” would need to be shown, the prime minister said.

Commentators suggested Cameron might use a referendum as an election fillip, ahead of the next parliamentary vote in 2015, especially after his party’s popularity took a knock after a budget in March. The main opposition Labour Party has been debating about whether to hold a referendum around the time of the election. An added pressure on Cameron has been the anti-EU party UKIP, the UK Independence Party, which has grown in influence, doing well in local elections in May on a ticket of total withdrawal from the EU. In the article, Cameron wrote: “As a trading nation Britain needs unfettered access to European markets and a say in how the rules of that market are written.

“The single market is at the heart of the case for staying in the EU. “I don’t agree with those who say we should leave and therefore want the earliest possible in/out referendum. Leaving would not be in our country’s best interests.” But he went on to say: “An ‘in’ vote too would have profound disadvantages. All further attempts at changing Britain’s relationship with Europe would be met with cries that the British people had already spoken.”

It was the Conservative proEuropean Prime Minister Ted Heath who signed up to the European project in 1971, and relations have been tense much of the time since. In the 1980s, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was famously tough in negotiations with European partners. The Conservatives were fatally divided by endless arguments during John Major’s premiership in the 1990s. After the party returned to power in 2010 after 13 years in the wilderness, Cameron introduced a law that requires a referendum before any further transfer of powers from London to Brussels and refused last year to join a new EU fiscal pact.—Reuters

Church attacks kill 15, wound 40 in Kenya NAIROBI: Gunmen killed two policemen guarding a church, snatched their rifles and then opened fire on the congregation from inside and out yesterday, killing 15 people and wounding 40, security officials said. Two gunmen entered the simple wooden church in the city of Garissa at around 10:15 am yesterday, while two others waited outside, police commander Philip Ndolo said. When the congregation fled the attack inside, they ran straight into another hail of bullets from gunmen outside, he said. At least one grenade was detonated in the attack.

Overturned wooden benches littered the church afterward. A victim wearing a simple blue dress lay on the sandy earth outside. Witnesses reported seeing the four gunmen flee in dark blue outfits and masks. “ We were deep in prayers preparing to give our offerings,” said a visibly shaken David Mwange, a churchgoer. “We first had a loud bang from outside which we mistook to be coming from the rooftops. We then had gun shots which made us to lie down.

Within no time we had gunshots all over. Everybody was shouting and wailing in pain.”

The bloodiest of the two attacks came against the African Inland Church in Garissa, a city some 195 kilometers (120 miles) west of the Somali border. Ndolo said 15 people were killed and at

Grenade detonated in attack

GARISSA: Members of the Kenyan security forces inspect the body of a woman killed in the attack at the African Inland Church in Garissa, Kenya yesterday.—AP least 40 wounded. A grenade attack against a second church in Garissa wounded three people. Garissa Mayor Ismail Garat called the church assault “evil.”

“We are not used to witnessing such kinds of acts in our country, where people are just shot in broad daylight. We really want to know who the heartless people who did this are,” he said.

Ndolo told reporters he wanted an investigation carried out

before assigning blame to the group many people in this region assume is at fault: alShabab, the most dangerous militant group in Somalia.

Another security official said two attackers walked up to the two policemen guarding the church, shot them at pointblank range and took their rifles.

The official spoke only on condition he wasn’t identified because he is not allowed to

speak to media. The police were guarding the church because of the increasingly dangerous security situation near the border with Somalia and because Somalia’s Islamist militants have made Christian churches a common target.

Such a heinous attack could be a copycat strategy from Boko Haram, the group of Islamist militants in Nigeria that has made gruesome, deadly attacks

against Christian churches one of their hallmarks. Garissa is one of two major Kenyan towns near the border with Somalia. It lies just to the west of the Dadaab refugee camp, which houses nearly 500,000 Somali refugees.

On Friday armed attackers kidnapped four international workers with the Norwegian Refugee Council and are believed to have taken them over the border into Somalia.

A top security official suggested after that assault that the attackers came from within the camp. Kenyan officials have long complained Dadaab and its inhabitants are a threat to Kenya’s security. Kenyan officials hope to see the Dadaab refugees move back to Somalia, but they cannot force the refugees to move without breaking international law and courting wide international condemnation. Areas of northern and eastern Kenya along the border with Somalia have suffered a series of gunfire and grenade attacks over the last year. Militants attacked a church in Garissa in December, killing two people.

Kenya sent troops into Somalia last October to hunt AlShabab fighters. The militants, who are allied with Al-Qaeda, have threatened repeatedly to carry out revenge attacks for Kenya’s push into Somalia.

Yesterday’s attacks appear to be part of that trend.—AP

Iceland’s defiant prez wins record fifth term REYKJAVIK: Icelandic President Olafur Grimsson has won a record fifth term in office, riding a wave of support for his defiance of Britain and the Netherlands over massive debts from a bank crash and asserting the tiny nation’s stubbornly independent streak. A combative former leader of a now defunct left-wing party, he became a symbol of resistance after the 2008 collapse of Iceland’s banks by taking the unprecedented step of refusing to sign into law government bills on repayment of money lost in the crash to its larger European neighbors.

In doing so, Grimsson, 69, emboldened a presidential office that had up until then played a mainly ceremonial role and put himself at loggerheads with the centre-left government as well as international creditors. Grimsson, who, unlike the government, opposes joining the European Union, won 52.8 percent of the vote in Saturday’s election to beat his closest rival, television journalist Thora Arnorsdottir, 37, who won 33.2 percent, the final tally showed yesterday. “A good majority of the population has declared support for the work and the

REYKJAVIK: Presidential candidates, Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson (L) and Thora Arnorsdottir wait for latest ballot results in the presidendtial elections at National Radio Iceland in Reykjavik on Saturday.—AFP

views I have been putting forward,” he said on Iceland public service television. “I’m deeply grateful for the support.”

Grimsson, who served as finance minister from 19881991, was once seen as a cheerleader for the freewheeling overseas expansion of Iceland’s banks but revived his local standing when he resisted international pressure over the debt deals and spoke out against what he saw as foreign bullying of the island. When the North Atlantic nation’s top banks collapsed in the space of a week in 2008, the country adopted a strategy to compensate local savers but not overseas ones, the bulk of which were British and Dutch depositors with so called Icesave online accounts.

These countries later demanded repayment of about $5 billion they spent compensating domestic savers, triggering a fierce international row. Twice, deals with the Icelandic government were agreed only for Grimsson to refuse to sign them, sending the unpopular bills to defeat in public referendums. By effectively vetoing the agreements he broke well over half a century of political tradition and staked out a claim for a much more active and powerful presidential office, a course he has pledged to continue. “The result is clear support for the democratic revolution that has followed the Icesave case here,” he said yesterday. “There is a strong wish for more direct democracy. These elections were not about me or the other candidates, but about the power of the people.”

The country of just 320,000 people endured more than two years in deep recession following the financial meltdown, but has since made a surprisingly strong recovery led by its traditional fishing industry and sectors such as tourism.

Still, unemployment remains high and the austerity measures needed to meet the terms of an international bailout received at the height of the crisis has left the established political parties, already tainted by the collapse, mistrusted by many. The election was a single round and the candidate with the most votes wins a four-year term. Grimsson first became president in 1996.—Reuters

2 dead in French disco shooting LILLE: A gunman shot dead two people at a nightclub in northern France yesterday in an apparent revenge attack after he was kicked out of the disco, police and local officials said. The man, who has a police record, was thrown out of the Theatro disco in the heart of Lille but returned about 3:00 am and opened fire with a Kalashnikov-style weapon, a local official said. Police were searching for him and an accomplice, who drove him away from the club. A cloakroom attendant, aged 26, and a 27-year-old customer were killed and another six people including the club bouncer were injured and taken to hospital.

Police said the attacker, who appeared to have acted alone, had fled in a car after the shooting, and that a manhunt had been launched. “The suspect is a man aged 32 who lives in Tourcoing near Lille. He has already done several years in prison for petty theft, drug dealing, breach of trust and violence,” said Benoit Lecomte from the police union Alliance.

“He has a long history of delinquency and a violent profile,” he said, adding that the suspect may have fled to nearby Belgium and “may even try to flee further afield, for example to Africa”. An AFP journalist at the scene said police had barred access to the disco. Several empty cartridges lay littered nearby and the walls were pockmarked by bullets. “We were on the dance floor when we heard a big bang and there was a great stampede,” said one nightclub goer who gave his name as Jeremy.—AFP

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

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

Chavez, Capriles launch presidential race SANTA ELENA: President Hugo Chavez and opposition rival Henrique Capriles took to the provinces yesterday to galvanize supporters and show their strengths at the formal launch of Venezuela’s election campaign. Capriles, a young state governor seeking to end 13 years of socialist rule in the South American OPEC member, was flying to two distant spots near the Brazilian and Colombian borders to highlight alleged government neglect of remote communities.

Unable to repeat the frenetic campaigning of past elections due to his struggle with cancer, Chavez nevertheless was due to make a rare appearance at a rally in central Venezuela to underline he is fit enough to run for the Oct 7 vote. Chavez has a two-digit lead in most polls, but there is a large percentage of undecided voters and one respected

local pollster this week put the pair head-to-head.

After three operations to remove two malignant tumors during a year-long battle with cancer, the ever-upbeat Chavez, 57, has in recent weeks declared himself in full recovery and his energy levels appear to be surging. “My God, give us health and life to lead this people to victory!” Chavez tweeted yesterday. Most analysts agree the vote is shaping into Venezuela’s closest since Chavez took power in 1999, turning himself into one of the world’s bestknown and controversial leaders with his antiAmerican rhetoric and radical nationalization policies.

Miranda state governor Capriles - a center-left politician who admires Brazil’s mix of free-market economics with strong welfare policies - is widely considered the opposition’s best hope after being

outwitted for years by the wily Chavez. His dash from the capital Caracas to the remote southeastern jungle community of Santa Elena, then across to La Guajira village on the western border near the Caribbean, was part of an opposition strategy to highlight the 39-year-old’s energy and youth in contrast with the ailing Chavez.

“This is not just the start of the campaign,” Capriles enthused, also via Twitter. “It’s the countdown to opening the gate to the future for our Venezuela. Progress is coming!” Though Venezuela’s opposition is more united than ever against Chavez, Capriles still faces a formidable task to overcome the president’s unique rapport with the poor and vast spending power thanks to vast oil revenues. State media continued to bombard Capriles with insults yesterday. Ministers lined up to call him a “loser” and

“candidate of the extreme right” who would dismantle the popular missions Chavez has set up to provide free education, health services and subsidized food in poor areas. “Chavez’s whole heart is open to the people,” said Girolamo Ambla, 43, dressed in the red colors of Chavez’s Socialist Party and clutching a doll of the president as hundreds of supporters waited for him to appear at the town of Mariara.

Government supporters held parties and vigils across Venezuela overnight, while the opposition said it was organizing some 300 pro-Capriles caravans around the nation yesterday. “While the other candidate uses the TV, we will stay in the street,” Capriles’ campaign head Armando Briquet said, referring to Chavez’s forcing of all terrestrial TV channels to broadcast many of his speeches and appearances live. — Reuters

Mexico could return old ruling party to power PRI holds strong lead

HAVANA: British-Australian swimmer World Champion Marathon swimmer and world record in open water swimming, Penny Palfrey (R) is helped by one of her crew member before swimming towards the United States on June 29, 2012 at the Hemingway International Yacht Club in western Havana. Palfrey, who was trying to swim unassisted from Cuba to Florida, has given up her quest, her team announced yesterday. —AFP

Granny fails to reach Florida in Cuba-US swim MIAMI: An attempt by British-Australian woman Penny Palfrey to swim unassisted from Cuba to Florida ended in failure early yesterday after she had to be pulled out of the water unable to cope with a strong ocean current.”Penny Palfrey had to be pulled out of the water, after swimming for more then 40 hours,” the team said in a tweet. It said Palfrey had to abort her bid to reach the Florida Keys at about midnight (0400 GMT yesterday) due to a strong southeast current “that made it impossible for her to continue her swim.”

“Penny is presently on her escort boat being taken care of by her crew,” the team said. The mother of three and grandmother of two had been seeking to become the first to complete the historic feat without a protective cage. The 49-year-old, who left the Cuban capital of Havana shortly after sunrise Friday, had already covered threequarters of her itinerary when she ran into trouble.

She was just 43 kilometers (27 miles) south of Key West, her final destination. But experts say currents in the Florida Straits can be too strong for a human to fight, and if a swimmer miscalculates, he or she can end up being dragged away from land rather than getting closer to it. By making it this far, Palfrey has already broken her own world record of the longest unassisted ocean swim of 59.64 nautical miles (110.45 kilometers), her team members said.

Despite her failure, her Facebook page quickly filled with comments by well-wishers, expressing support and saying that making it so far was already a great achievement. The 166-kilometer (103-mile) trek from Havana to Key West is considered risky and fraught with unexpected dangers even by the best of athletes. Earlier, Palfrey’s support team reported that she had suffered “constant” jellyfish stings overnight and that her mouth was “very sore and painful” while a school of hammerhead sharks was briefly sighted below her.

Still, slathered in a fresh layer of sunscreen, she was in good spirits before hit-

ting the treacherous current while her journey appeared to be aided by extremely calm seas. Team members said she was averaging speeds of 4.8 kilometers (three miles) an hour when she was in her best shape on Saturday, but slowed down to about 3.2 kilometers (two miles) an hour yesterday as she grew tired. Before diving into the water at Havana’s Hemingway International Yacht Club early Friday, Palfrey told reporters she was “a little excited, a little nervous.”

Palfrey was seeking to accomplish the feat in a “call for friendly relations between the peoples of the United States and Cuba,” according to the Cuban foreign ministry.

But even Cuba’s national commissioner for swimming, Rodolfo Falcon, sounded a note of caution when he told AFP that “sea conditions are not similar to the pool, where she trained for many hours.” “At sea, the salt water weighs you down,” said Falcon, who won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games.

Susie Maroney, a former Australian marathon swimmer, swam from Cuba to Florida in 1997 when she was just 22, but she used a shark cage. Veteran US endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, 62, has tried, and failed, to complete the trek three times, twice without a shark cage. Her latest attempt was in September, when she quit two-thirds of the way into the crossing after suffering dangerous jellyfish stings.

She plans to try again later this summer.

Two yachts, a kayak and a boat were part of Palfrey’s support team. The vessels carried ultrasound equipment to ward off sharks.

Palfrey, who was born in Britain and moved to Australia at the age of 19, is among the most accomplished open-water swimmers in the world and has completed swims in the Caribbean and Pacific without a shark cage. Two years ago, she crossed the Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco in three hours and three minutes, setting a new record for women. Last year, Palfreywho began swimming at age nine-swam from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman Island, again without a cage. — AFP

No one-size-fits-all approach to wooing Hispanics ALBUQUERQUE: In New Mexico, Tomasita Maestas says she will pick the presidential candidate who has the best plan to fix education and the economy. In Arizona, Mexican immigrant Carlos Gomez backs Republican Mitt Romney because he’s more conservative on social issues than his Democratic opponent. In Miami, Colombia native Luna Lopez probably will vote for President Barack Obama now that he’s decided to halt the deportation of many illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children.

The reasons that Hispanics give for choosing between Obama and Romney are just as diverse as the countries that they or their ancestors once called home, suggesting there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to courting the nation’s fastest-growing minority group. The Latino vote isn’t monolithic or, really, a voting bloc. It includes a range of people with varying opinions.

Among them are Republican-leaning Cubans in Florida, new Mexican immigrants and longtime descendants of Spanish settlers in the Southwest, and Democratic-tilting Puerto Ricans in the East.

Immigration policy would seem to be the natural top issue for these voters, except that nearly two-thirds of Hispanics

are born in the US Their priorities are the same as the general population - jobs, the economy, education and health care. “We need to see more jobs here, that’s my No. 1 priority and what I want to hear about,” says Stefan Gonzalez, an almost 18-year-old from Denver, whose heritage includes Spanish, Mexican and Native American roots. Gonzalez, who works in a suburban Denver pawn shop, says he plans to vote for Obama this fall.

In Albuquerque, Ernest Gurule, an 84year-old whose ancestors settled New Mexico in 1580, says his main issue is the federal health care plan upheld by the Supreme Court last week, and that he’ll back Obama in part because of it. Also, the Democrat, adds: “It’s too expensive to change horses midstream.”

Democrats and Republicans are in a fierce race to figure out how to best reach Hispanics. In the short term, these voters could decide the outcome in Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida and elsewhere. The long-term stakes are even bigger because Hispanics are projected to account for roughly 30 percent of the population by 2050, doubling in size and, potentially changing the national political landscape. —AP

MEXICO CITY: Mexico’s voters appeared poised to bring the old guard back to power yesterday, a dozen years after the former ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party lost the presidential seat it held for more than seven decades in a contest that proved the country was finally a democracy. The party known as the PRI, led by telegenic former Mexico State Gov. Enrique Pena Nieto, has held a strong lead throughout the campaign, and also appears likely to retake at least a plurality in the two houses of Congress.

The party has been bolstered by voter fatigue with a sluggish economy and the sharp escalation of a drug war that has killed roughly 50,000 Mexicans over the past six years. The desire for change suddenly works to benefit the PRI, which ran Mexico from 1929 to 2000. Hoping for an upset are leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, whose narrow loss in Mexico’s last election led to charges of voter fraud and weeks of massive protests, and the candidate of the ruling National Action Party, Josefina Vazquez Mota, the first woman ever nominated for the presidency by a major party in Mexico.

It would be a once-unthinkable comeback for the PRI, which many believed was doomed after its 2000 loss and which was still reeling in the last presidential election, when it finished a weak third. Pena Nieto has cast himself as a pragmatic economic moderate in the tradition of the last three PRI presidents. He has called for greater private investment in Mexico’s state-controlled oil industry, and has said he will try to reduce violence by attacking crimes that hurt ordinary citizens while deemphasizing the pursuit of drug kingpins.

All of the parties are accusing rivals of emulating the traditional PRI tactic of offering voters money, food or benefits in return for votes. Lopez Obrador’s Democratic Revolution Party says Pena Nieto’s campaign has handed supporters prepaid money cards worth nearly $5.2 million (71 million pesos). “Where do they get so many resources to conduct the PRI campaign, so many billboards?” asked voter Marilu Carrasco, a 57-year-old actress who was lined up to cast her vote for Lopez Obrador in southern Mexico City’s Copilco neighborhood. The PRI’s return to the presidency “could be the worst thing that could happen to us,” Carrasco said.

PRI activists, meanwhile, have published photographs of truckloads of handouts they say were given out by Democratic Revolution backers. But electoral officials have repeatedly insisted that outright fraud is almost impossible under the country’s elaborate, costly electoral machinery. The government also promises efforts to avoid outbursts of violence linked to the country’s endemic drug gang violence. The army stepped up election day patrols in the border city of Nuevo Laredo, where a bomb in a pickup truck exploded outside city hall on Friday.

The 45-year-old Pena Nieto, who is married to a soap opera star, also has been dogged by allegations that he overspent his $330 million campaign

HUIXQUILUCAN: Josefina Vazquez Mota, presidential candidate of the ruling National Action Party (PAN), casts her vote for president in Huixquilucan, Mexico yesterday. —AP funding limit and has received favorable coverage from Mexico’s television giant, Televisa. University students launched a series of anti-Pena Nieto marches in the final weeks of the campaign, arguing that his party hasn’t changed since its days in power.

Pena Nieto says his party has abandoned the heavy-handed ways of the past and will govern in an open and pluralistic manner, and many say the PRI would not be able to reimpose its once neartotal control even if it wanted to because of changes in society, the judiciary and Congress. “The context has changed dramatically,” said Rodrigo Salazar, a professor at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Mexico City. “Society isn’t the same. It’s a very critical society, a very demanding society, with a strong division of powers.”

The final pre-election polls on Wednesday, the last day they could legally be published, showed Pena Nieto with a lead ranging from 8 to 17 percentage points. Mario Garcia, a 21-year-old criminal justice student, lined up to vote in the city of Atlacomulco at the same polling station where Pena Nieto was casting his ballot. “Ask anyone here and they will tell you they are going to vote for Pena Nieto. We are all of the PRI,” Garcia said.

Several voters complained that the polling station opened 51 minutes late, and said election officials there were disorganized. “They are still rubbing the sleep out of their eyes,” said Maria Guadalupe Monroy. “Just imagine if Pena Nieto had voted at 8 in the morning (when the polls were scheduled to open). What would they have done?”

Lopez Obrador, 58, was a center-leftist as Mexico City mayor and pioneered some programs that Pena Nieto emulated in the neighboring State of Mexico, such as local pensions for the elderly. But he alienated many voters with his refusal to recognize the narrow victory of National Action’s Felipe Calderon in 2006, declaring himself “legitimate president” and mounting protests that gridlocked much of the capital for weeks.

He remained confident yesterday. “We are going to win the election,” Lopez Obrador said before voting in southern Mexico City. “Tonight, there will be a national civic celebration.” “Mexico is no longer for moving backward,” he said. “People want a real change.” Lopez Obrador says he wants to keep state control over the national oil company, make Mexico self-sufficient in energy and food production, and fund new social spending and jobs programs by cutting waste and corruption, not by raising taxes.

Vazquez Mota, 51, is a former secretary of education and social development in the conservative administrations of President Vicente Fox and his successor, Calderon. She campaigned on the slogan, “different,” but has struggled to distinguish herself from Calderon while maintaining the support of the party’s power structure. She has pledged to continue Calderon’s war on drug cartels, increase penalties for public corruption and ease rules on hiring and firing employees in order to spur economic growth. On the last day of campaigning, she even promised to make Calderon her attorney-general if elected. —AP

Residents to tour areas devastated by blaze COLORADO SPRINGS: People who fled the most destructive fire in Colorado’s history are being allowed temporary visits to the most devastated neighborhoods, and many will find that their homes were among the nearly 350 burned to the ground. About 10,000 people remain evacuated, down from more than 30,000 at the peak of the Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs, but authorities said yesterday morning they hoped to lift more evacuation orders later in the day.

The 26-square-mile fire was 45 percent contained as of yesterday morning. It was one of many burning across the West, including eight in Utah and a fast-growing blaze in Montana that forced residents in several small communities to leave. Rich Harvey, incident commander for the Waldo Creek blaze, said crews continue to make good progress. “We’re cautiously optimistic,” he said yesterday morning. “We still remain focused on things that could go wrong.”

Yesterday people whose homes were burned will be allowed to tour the affected areas.

Authorities said some residences would be cordoned off with police tape, and people would not be allowed beyond that point. The home of Janine Herbertson and her 15-year-old daughter, Tessa Konik, remained unburned amid 150 others that were destroyed, said Herbertson as they ate lunch Saturday outside a Red Cross shelter.

Even so, “I’m afraid to go on the tour tomorrow and see our neighborhood in ruins,” she said.

About 1,500 personnel were fighting the Waldo Canyon fire, and authorities said they were confident they had built good fire lines in many areas to stop flames from spreading. Two bodies were found in the ruins of one house, one of almost 350 destroyed in this city 60 miles south of Denver. The victims’ names haven’t been released. Police Chief Pete Carey said Saturday afternoon the approximately 10 people who had

been unaccounted for had now been located.

Police did not expect to discover other victims in the rubble. More than 150 National Guard soldiers and airmen helped Colorado Springs police staff roadblocks and patrol streets. Carey said Saturday the presence of military personnel will allow his department to resume normal police work in the rest of the city.

Evacuees Saturday filtered back into an unscathed neighborhood of winding streets and split-level homes within an easy walk of the

burned area. High school counselor Pat Allen and her husband, Vic Miller, were all smiles less than five minutes after returning to their tri-level home on a quiet cul-de-sac. “I’m just wanting to kiss the house, dance with the neighbors”, Allen said. Authorities are still trying to determine the cause of the fire that broke out on June 23, and which so far has cost $8.8 million to battle.

Dangerous conditions had kept them from beginning their inquiry, but investigators were able to start their work on Saturday. —AP

COLORADO: A fireplace is all that remains of a home burnt to the ground in the High Park Fire, in Bellvue, Colorado west of Fort Collins June 30, 2012. —AFP

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

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

Huge demo as Hong Kong marks 15 years under China Chun-ying sworn in as chief executive

HANOI: Protesters shout anti-China slogans as they march toward the Chinese embassy in Hanoi yesterday. —AFP

Rare protest in Vietnam over claims to offshore oil blocks HANOI: Hundreds of Vietnamese demonstrated in Hanoi yesterday against China’s moves to strengthen its claim to disputed islands in the South China Sea and its invitation to oil firms to bid for blocks in offshore areas that Vietnam claims as its territory. The authorities in Vietnam rarely allow public demonstrations and some bloggers said security forces had warned them against attending the rally, but the police made no attempt to disperse people, Nguyen Quang A, one of the protesters said.

“We want to raise people’s awareness of China’s wrongful moves recently, and we have received applause from people in the streets,” he said. The authorities tolerated a series of protests over China’s territorial claims from June to August last year before the government put an end to them. CNOOC, the parent of New Yorkand Hong Kong-listed CNOOC Ltd, issued a tender last Saturday to invite foreign companies to jointly develop nine blocks in the western part of the South China Sea. Vietnam has called this move illegal because the blocks encroach on what it

claims are its territorial waters. “The area that the China National Offshore Oil Corporation announced to open for international bidding lies entirely within Vietnam’s 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Vietnamese Foreign Ministr y spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi said on June 26.

“It is absolutely not a disputed area,” he said. Vietnam state oil and gas group Petrovietnam has said one of the nine blocks offered for bidding by CNOOC is just 37 nautical miles (69 km) from the southern province of Binh Thuan’s Phu Quy island. It said it has been exploring for oil and gas with Exxon Mobil Corp of the United States, Russia’s Gazprom and India’s ONGC Videsh in most of the blocks offered by CNOOC. Hanoi has also denounced a move by China to change the administrative status of Sansha City as a way of enforcing its claims to several largely uninhabited islands, including the Paracels and Spratlys. — Reuters

Pakistan: US drone strike kills 8 militants DERA ISMAIL KHAN: US missiles fired from a drone in a Pakistani tribal region near the Afghan border killed eight suspected militants early yesterday, officials said, as the controversial American strikes continue despite Islamabad’s persistent demands that they stop. The latest attack killed fighters loyal to militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadur, the officials said. Bahadur is believed by residents of the region to have an informal working relationship with the Pakistani army, refraining from targeting the security forces while focusing on US and NATO forces in nearby Afghanistan.

The continued strikes, despite the likely political fallout, show Washington’s confidence in the effectiveness of the drone program against Al-Qaeda and Taleban fighters who allegedly use Pakistan as a base. Two Pakistani intelligence officials said four Hellfire missiles were fired at a house used by suspected militants in Dre Nishter village of North Waziristan. All the Pakistani officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The officials said some foreign mili-

tants belong to the Turkmenistan Islamic Movement were believed to have been killed, along with other local fighters from the Bahadur group. Militants from several central Asian countries have joined Afghans, Arabs, and others in Pakistan. North Waziristan is one of several tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan that are hubs of militant activity. Bahadur controls most of North Waziristan.

The US rarely talks publicly about the covert CIA-run drone program in Pakistan. The drone attacks are a source of deep frustration and tension between the US and Pakistan. Islamabad says they violate its sovereignty and also cause civilian casualties. They complicate efforts to normalize the relationship between Washington and Islamabad, including reopening supply routes through Pakistani territory to NATO and American forces in Afghanistan.

Islamabad blocked the routes after American airstrikes accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers in November. The US in turn criticizes Pakistan for failing to crack down on fighters who stage attacks in Afghanistan. — AP

HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s biggest protest for nearly a decade packed the former British colony’s streets yesterday in a defiant reception for its new leader and a show of popular anger after 15 years of Chinese rule. The vast rally came after Leung Chun-ying, a millionaire property consultant seen as close to China’s communist authorities, was sworn in as chief executive in front of Chinese President Hu Jintao-who had his speech interrupted.

Hu’s visit and Leung’s inauguration have become focal points for growing discontent towards Beijing, which has surged to a new post-handover high amid soaring housing costs, limited democracy and perceived meddling by China. “Hong Kong has become much worse off,” Eric Lai of the Civil Human Rights Front told the marchers. “Our rights are under serious threat.”

Organisers put the crowd at 400,000, their largest claimed turnout for eight years and almost twice their number last year. But police said only 63,000 attended-although that was also their largest figure for eight years. The marches have become an annual fixture since 2003, when 500,000 people showed their fury over a security bill and economic downturn, a key factor in the then chief executive Tung Chee-hwa stepping down the following year.

Yesterday’s crowd ranged from engineers and civil servants to maids and students, and represented groups from the Falun Gong spiritual movement to trade unions, as well as ordinary citizens young and old. In sweltering heat the last of them reached their destination almost six hours after the first set out, and along the way they blocked streets far across the city, stranding buses and trams as they surrounded them.

Mostly clad in the mourning colours of black and white, they carried placards calling for “One person one vote” and chanted “Power to the people”, sometimes in more of a carnival atmosphere, complete with drums and songs.

The financial centre enjoys significant autonomy and civil liberties unheard of on the mainland under the “one country, two systems” model covering its return to China in 1997 after more than a century of British rule.

But marcher Jacky Lim, 37, who carried Hong Kong’s former colonial flag bearing the British union jack, said: “There is nothing worth celebrating today. Hong Kong is being gradually destroyed by the Communist Party. “ The direct interference of Beijing in the election of

Leung Chun-ying is a clear example,” he said.

Hong Kong does not yet choose its leader by universal suffrage, and Leung was elected as chief executive in March by a committee stacked with pro-Beijing business elites. A spokesman for the Hong Kong government said it “fully respected” freedom of expression and the right to “take part in processions”, and would listen to the demonstrators’ views “in a humble manner”.

Earlier, as President Hu began his speech to around 2,300 guests at Leung’s inauguration, a protestor inside the harbourfront venue repeatedly shouted “End one-party rule”. The man also referred to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 in Beijing, and was rapidly bundled away by security personnel, while

HONG KONG: Thousands of protesters take to the streets calling for universal suffrage and chanting slogans against new Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in Hong Kong yesterday only hours after Chinese President Hu Jintao completed his three-day visit to the southern Chinese territory. —AFP the audience drowned him out with extended applause for Hu. Beijing’s support for “one country, two systems” and the right of Hong Kongers to rule the territory was “unwavering”, said Hu. “We will follow the Basic Law... to continue to advance democratic development in Hong Kong,” said the president, who will step down as part of a once-in-a-decade leadership transition in Beijing starting later this year. Huwho said Friday he hoped understand Hong Kongers’ “life and expectations”-left for Beijing

China says preparations on track for party meeting BEIJING : China said yesterday that preparations are going smoothly for a major Communist Party meeting at which the country’s top leaders will be changed, even though the once-a-decade transformation has been overshadowed by a political scandal. An editorial in the party newspaper, the People’s Daily, said arrangements for the party congress are under way.

“The preparation work for the 18th party congress is being carried out smoothly,” it said. “The party and the people from all ethnic groups welcome the 18th party congress with full confidence.”

The editorial marked the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party. The newspaper did not

mention the scandal involving Bo Xilai, who was sacked as party boss of Chongqing metropolis in April while his wife was named a suspect in the murder of a British businessman. As a member of the party’s Politburo, Bo was a likely candidate for one of the nine seats on its allpowerful Standing Committee when a new generation of leaders is named. His downfall sent shockwaves through the party and Chinese society, prompting rumors of divisions within the leadership and even a possible coup attempt. The scandal also fueled speculation that the party congress would be delayed, but state media have said it will be held later this year, with the exact date likely announced in August. — AP

week showed mistrust towards Beijing at 37 percent, a post-handover high, and the number of Hong Kongers identifying themselves primarily as citizens of China plunged to a 13year low in another survey.

There are also complaints about a widening gap between rich and poor and Leung has promised to tackle the grievances but ahead of his swearing-in, a group of demonstrators burned his portrait. “If we work together, I am sure Hong Kong-the Pearl of the Orient-will sparkle again,” Leung said in his speech. —AFP

Suu Kyi returns to hard graft of Myanmar politics BANGKOK: After a triumphant European tour where she was lauded by crowds, stars and governments, Aung San Suu Kyi returns to the reality of domestic politics to join the ranks in the country’s parliament. The empty streets of the nation’s purposebuilt capital Naypyidaw are a far cry from Europe where she was greeted by rock star Bono, honoured at Oxford University and praised for her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.

Entry into Naypyidaw’s parlia-

ment is also likely to herald a less glamourous status for the democracy champion, as MPs focus their attentions on pushing through reforms aimed at ending Myanmar’s decades of poverty and isolation. Swept into the legislature with fellow members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in landmark April by-elections, Suu Kyi currently has no official role other than as MP for her small rural constituency near Yangon.

“She will still have opportuni-

New Afghan law ignites fear over shrinking press freedoms

WAGAH: Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Inspector General Aditya Mishra (2L) presents flower bouquets to Director General of Pakistani Ranger (Sindh) Karachi, Major General Rizwan Akhtar (R) on his arrival for a meeting, at the India-Pakistan Wagah Border Post yesterday. —AFP

before the march began.

Stifling security was imposed for his threeday visit, with police using pepper spray on demonstrators at one point on Saturday, and briefly detaining a Hong Kong reporter who shouted a question about Tiananmen at Hu. China’s economic rise has helped spur impressive growth in Hong Kong and boost the city’s status, and supporters packed a stadium yesterday for a gala celebration featuring a People’s Liberation Army parachute display.

But tensions are growing between the seven million locals and their northern neighbours, with newly rich Chinese mainlanders accused of everything from pushing up property prices to monopolising maternity beds. A poll released by Hong Kong University last

KABUL: Afghan journalists are locked in a row with their government over media freedoms, in what appears to be the latest attempt by authorities to appeal to the more conservative side of society ahead of the pullout of most foreign troops. A revised media law looks to significantly tighten the government’s grip over the fledgling but lively Afghan press corps, and limit foreign programming in a move likely to please the Taleban, with whom Kabul is seeking peace negotiations.

“The government wants to be prepared for 2014, and are paving the way for conservative elements to return,” said Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar, executive director of media advocacy group Nai, referring to the deadline for most NATO troops to withdraw.

During the Taleban’s five-year reign, which ended in 2001 when they were toppled by US-backed Afghan forces, the Islamist group permitted only one radio station and a newspaper, and women were denied basic rights such as voting and most work.

“We are very worried. The press, freedom of speech and women will be sacrificed first,” Hashmat Radfar, editor of daily paper Nukhost, told Reuters. President Hamid Karzai trumpets the existing 2009 media law, which took years to pass, as one of his government’s major achievements, though war and an atmosphere of impunity make Afghanistan one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist.

Western backing of the relatively large Afghan media has failed to prevent the intimidation, abduction and even death reporters face for uncovering corruption and other government failings, and some say it is getting worse. Though not yet passed, the revision of the 2009 law proposes handing the High Media Council, a 13member body headed by the Culture Minister and including a religious scholar and civil society representatives, enormous sway over the country’s media, from ethics to legal procedures.

A key difference between the existing and draft laws is the restriction on foreign programming on radio and television, a nod to the huge popularity of Turk ish soap operas and Bollywood films, which display more liberal views of women and romance than are typically found in traditional Afghan culture.

While no limit currently exists, the new law proposes foreign programmes broadcast on certain state media receive the Council’s “acknowledgement”, and in some cases, do not exceed thirty percent of air time. — Reuters

ties to make speeches and statements... and try to influence things there, but she won’t have much authority,” said Trevor Wilson, a former Australian ambassador to Myanmar, formerly called Burma. “She has a role of leader of the opposition and member of the parliament. She is not the government.” The 67year-old is set to take her seat in parliament for the first time on July 9, missing meetings this week because she needs to recover from an exhausting European travel schedule, her party said yesterday. Other NLD elected members will enter the legislature on Wednesday.

MPs are expected to discuss deadly communal violence which flared in western Myanmar recently, among other issues, in the new session. The military still dominates parliament, holding a quarter of the seats, with an overwhelming majority of the remaining MPs drawn from the party created by the former junta, the Union Solidarity and Development Party. Suu Kyi, who spent much of the last two decades under house arrest, will need to work hand-in-hand with the new reformist government led by former general Thein Sein in her new role, and expectations are high now she is at the locus of political power.

“She has now entered the field as an elected politician to help guide (Myanmar’s) next steps toward a secure, democratic, just and prosperous future,” Derek Mitchell, the future US ambassador in Yangon, told a US Senate committee this week. Suu Kyi is widely regarded in the West as Myanmar’s leader-in-waiting, and before she left Paris on Friday she confirmed her leadership aspirations to AFP, saying “any party leader must be prepared for this possibility”.

The military are “still the strongest, but ultimately it is the Burmese people who must decide what direction they want for the country”, she added. The NLD is dedicated to this goal. “We assume that we will win the majority” in 2015, NLD MP Win Htein told AFP. “However, we

have to amend (the constitution) gradually... so that Aung San Suu Kyi can become the president.”

Currently, the constitution effectively bars Suu Kyi from holding the office because of her marriage to the late British author Michael Aris.

While she was away, Thein Sein’s cabinet “was clearly trying to give the impression that they were getting on with the job,” Wilson said, adding that some in the regime “weren’t very happy with the adulation that she received”. Win Min, a US-based Myanmar researcher at the Vahu Development Institute said Suu Kyi will need to be conciliatory as she maps out her political future.

“The challenge for her is how to earn confidence from the military leadership, and to compromise with the current government leaders to make sure they will transfer power once she wins,” Win Min said of the future election. As an MP Suu Kyi’s daily work will be dominated by issues including the economy, the fair distribution of oil and gas revenues and the health and education sectors, he said. Her supporters will be hoping that she can also position herself to rule.

“She’s the (Nelson) Mandela of our time,” Win Min said, referring to the South African antiapartheid leader, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize two years after Suu Kyi, in 1993, and whose experience as an activist and political prisoner bears some resemblance to Myanmar ’s democracy figurehead.

But some analysts urge caution over raising expectations too high as Suu Kyi steps into the uncertain terrain of Myanmar’s political reforms, with major pitfalls ahead-including the claims of the nation’s myriad ethnic groups.

“Western leaders have revived the iconic status of Aung San Suu Kyi and seem to see in her the only Burmese figure capable of guiding the country’s democratisation,” said Renaud Egreteau, a researcher at the University of Hong Kong. “They’d better not forget that Myanmar is much more diverse.” —AFP

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

NEWS

Child performers dressed in Chinese opera costumes and in makeup watch members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) march during a variety show celebrating the 15th anniversary of the handover in Hong Kong Stadium yesterday. — AFP

Syrians slam talks Continued from Page 1 agreement that did not make any explicit call for Assad to cede power. Official Syrian media and the opposition Local Coordination Committees (LCC) group demonstrated rare agreement in slamming the outcome. The meeting “failed,” trumpeted Al-Baath, newspaper of the ruling party of the same name. “The agreement of the task force on Syria in Geneva on Saturday resembles an enlarged meeting of the UN Security Council where the positions of participants remained the same,” it said.

The LCC, which organises protests on the ground in Syria, said the outcome showed once again a failure to adopt a common position. It called the transition accord “just one version, different in form only, of the demands of Russian leaders allied to the Assad regime and who cover it militarily and politically in the face of international pressure”. Burhan Ghalioun, a senior member and former head of the opposition Syrian National Council, told pan-Arab television Al-Arabiya that “this is the worst international statement yet to emerge from talks on Syria”. According to the SNC’s official Facebook page, he described the plan as a “farce”. Ghalioun called a “mockery” the notion that Syrians should negotiate with “their executioner, who has not stopped killing, torturing... and raping women for 16 months”.

SNC spokeswoman Basma Qadmani, however, told AFP in Ankara there were some “positive elements” in the deal, although “important elements remain too ambiguous... and the plan is too vague to foresee real and immediate action”. “The first one is that the final declaration says that the participants agree to say that the Assad family cannot rule the country any more, and therefore the Assad family cannot lead the transition period. The second positive element is the agreement that the transition should comply with the legitimate aspirations of Syrian people. For us this means that Assad should go because Syrian people have already said that they want Assad to go.” Iran, a strong ally of Assad, said the Geneva meeting was “unsuccessful” because Damascus and Tehran were not invited. The United States and European nations reportedly opposed the presence of Iran, although UN-

Amir accepts resignation of Cabinet, to ...

Arab League envoy Kofi Annan and UN chief Ban Ki-moon had wanted Tehran to attend.

Opposition groups are to hold a two-day meeting in Cairo from today and are also expected to hold talks on Tuesday with Arab ministers in a bid to agree on a shared platform, Egyptian media and the Arab League said. The Geneva deal came despite initial pessimism over the talks amid deep divisions between the West and China and Russia on how to end the violence that the Observatory says has killed more than 15,800 since March 2011. Syria’s neighbour Turkey, which attended the Geneva talks, scrambled fighter jets after Syrian helicopters flew close to its border, the army said on Sunday, hiking tensions following last month’s downing of a Turkish plane.

Six F-16 warplanes took off from airbases in south Turkey on Saturday after Syrian helicopters flew closer to the border than is normal, the army said, specifying there had been three incidents but no violation of Turkish airspace. In weekend violence, more than 140 people were killed across Syria, including 120 yesterday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. On Sunday, at least 21 people were killed, including five in the central province of Hama, according to the Britain-based watchdog.

Annan said on Saturday it was up to the Syrians to decide who they wanted in a unity government. But he added: “I would doubt that Syrians... would select people with blood on their hands to lead them.” The United States and France both said it was clear there was no future role for Assad. British Foreign Secretary William Hague admitted the deal was a “compromise agreement” as Russia played up the fact that it had convinced other world powers that it would be “unacceptable” to exclude any party from the transition.

Moscow is loath to cast aside its ally Assad, even as relations between them have cooled. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: “How exactly the work on a transition to a new stage is conducted will be decided by the Syrians themselves. “There are no demands to exclude from this process any one group. This aspect had been present in many of our partners’ proposals. We have convinced them that this is unacceptable.” -— AFP

Body scanner takes tailoring to masses Continued from Page 1 Here, customers simply strip down to their undies, and step into a scanning cabin that snaps a 3D image of their body, capturing 200 measurements in a second compared to 45 minutes by hand with a tape measure.

Clients fully customise their suits and shirts, picking the fabric, cut, and every last detail from buttons to collar shape.

Their measurements and choices are fed into a computer-assisted design tool, creating a virtual body on which the clothes are modelled to produce a pattern, which is sent off for assembly in the firm’s workshop in Shanghai.

Three weeks later the suit is back in Paris, ready to slip into.

With 7,000 customers so far, a second Paris store open, profits already coming in and plans to expand in the provinces and abroad, the firm appears to have struck gold. Who is the typical customer? “There is no typical customer. We have catered to men aged 18 to 94. We have clothed a dwarf and an NBA basketball player, 2.17 metres (7.1 ft) tall,” said Chambaud. But on the whole - whether students, young executives, corporate bosses or sportsmen the store attracts clients who are new to tailoring, and can’t find what they

need in the ready-to-wear market.

Twenty-one-year-old Eddy Benarous is a rugbyman, built like a rugbyman - with broad shoulders, narrow hips, powerful thighs. And until recently he had yet to find a suit that fitted. “I want something that lets me move my arms freely, but is fitted at the waist. It’s just impossible. They are always either too big or small,” the young Parisian told AFP. “This is just right,” he said, patting the bag with the two brand new suits he just collected from the store. “I even got them to leave some extra room around the arms because I need to bulk out a bit.”

Final year law student Ilan Halimi, readily admits he is on the picky side. “I can’t find what I want in ready-to-wear, even in high-end brands, because I am very demanding. I like waisted suits and tailored shirts, not too long, not too short either. I like to pick the collar I want, to get exactly the shirt I want by customising it myself.” “It’s a fun experience,” he said. “And it’s over really fast.

It’s also really cool to see your suit in 3D on a screen. And the result is perfect, exactly the way I want it.”

The combination of time-saving scanner and pattern-making software enabled the firm to slash costs, with suits starting at €290, less than half the

typical entry-level price in France for a made-to-measure suit. Prices rise to €890 for the highest-grade cloth, by the Italian Loro Piana. Les Nouveaux Ateliers claim to be the only firm in Europe, if not the world, using a body scanner this way, and have patented their pattern-making software.

But for trendwatcher Emma Fric of the Peclers Paris consultancy, the firm is tapping into a broader, powerful trend. “It’s a small revolution that is taking place,” she told AFP. “ The notion of returning to couture, to tailor-made clothes, is becoming very important again.” She sees the trend as being fed by two things: “a real need for individuality, and a desire to get back to real work on fabrics, cuts, finishing touches”. Fric expects technologies like 3D imaging - while still at experimental stage - to spawn a huge proliferation of customised clothes over the next decade. “The tricky question,” she said, “is whether the consumer really has the maturity and the ability to design their own clothes.” Les Nouveaux Ateliers worked around that problem by employing fashion graduates as store attendants, to guide style novices in their choices - and steer them clear of a tailoring faux pas. — AFP

Continued from Page 1 The expected development came as the country appears headed for a political crisis on what should be done with the revived 2009 Assembly. Its speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi yesterday lashed out at those who are insisting on dissolving the house, since this is the exclusive and sole authority of the Amir. Khorafi told reporters that he was informed by the outgoing prime minister Sheikh Jaber that he - if reappointed premier - and his new Cabinet will attend the meetings of the 2009 Assembly after they are sworn in by the Amir.

The speaker said that after the new Cabinet is formed and sworn in, he will call for the Assembly to meet to allow the Cabinet ministers to take the oath to become members of the house. But he hinted that there might be no quorum for the house to be held and in such an event, Khorafi said he will call for another meeting and if no quorum is achieved, he will refer the issue to the Amir.

Khorafi’s comments came after several opposition figures quoted the prime minister as saying that his government will not attend the meetings of the revived 2009 Assembly and that the government will recommend to the Amir to dissolve the house and call for fresh

polls. Khorafi said he would like the Assembly to meet as normal but this will be decided only by the Amir.

Former Islamist MP Abdullatif Al-Ameeri however strongly criticized Khorafi’s statements on the Assembly meeting again, saying that the 2009 Assembly was dissolved by the Amir in response to demands by the Kuwaiti people and “this Assembly has died and should not be revived”. Islamist opposition MP Jamaan AlHarbash called for boycotting the forthcoming elections if the government introduces any changes to the electoral law ahead of the elections.

Harbash’s comments came amid rumours and reports that the government intends to change the law after dissolving the 2009 Assembly to either increase the number of electoral districts from the current five to 10, or reduce the number of candidates a voter can elect from four now to just two. The two potential moves are seen by the opposition as attempts to undermine their chances of reclaiming majority in the next Assembly after winning around 35 seats in the 50-member house in the annulled February elections. According to opposition figures, the opposition plans to run on a unified platform and unified lists of candidates. It will field 40 candidates with eight candidates in each of the five constituencies.

Iran feels pinch of new oil sanctions Continued from Page 1 have failed to produce a breakthrough, prompting some critics to charge that Tehran is merely dragging out the negotiations to buy time to further advance its suspected weapons program.

So far, the Iranian public has proven patient, in part because of widespread support for the nation’s nuclear program, which is a source of pride for many in Iran, regardless of their political leanings.

“Westerners said the sanctions have aimed at halting nuclear activities.

But they have targeted our families and children,” said Abbas Heidar, a 32-year-old teacher in Tehran. “The government is continuing its nuclear activities and I do not expect it stop.”

Iranian officials, meanwhile, scrambled yesterday to present the government as actively working to ease any hardship the sanctions might bring. Central bank governor Mahmoud Bahmani told the semiofficial Mehr news agency that Iran has “plans” to deal with the embargo and enough hard currency to meet its import needs. “We have not remained passive. To confront the sanctions, we have plans in progress,” Bahmani said without elaborating.

Iran’s Oil Minister Rostam Ghasemi ordered his staff to “mobilize” against the sanctions, according to Mehr. It did not elaborate.

Ghasemi also sought to boost public morale, telling state television late Saturday that Iran has weathered previous rounds of sanctions.

Mehr published its own analysis listing measures that Iran could take to counter the sanctions, including shutting the vital Strait of Hormuz.

The semiofficial news agency’s edi-

torials sometimes reflect views held by top Iranian officials who do not wish to state them publically.

Yesterday, however, Iran’s Defense Minister Gen Ahmad Vahidi made statements to the official IRNA news agency about the strait in which he did not mention any plans to close it - remarks that suggest that Iran is playing down the threat in dealings with the West.

Vahidi said Iran is the main protector of the waterway, and that Tehran “has confronted anybody who tried to endanger the Strait”.

Mehr also suggested that Iran could make use of hard currencies other than the US dollar and the euro, form its own insurance syndicate to replace foreign companies that withdraw from the market, store up oil in tanks for later sale so as not to cut production, or simply reduce oil production to save its reserves for the future.

Separately, Iran’s power ful Revolutionary Guards are planning war games this week, including drills with surface-to-surface missiles aimed at models of foreign bases, the official IRNA news agency reported yesterday. It said the maneuvers would begin today in Iran’s central desert and last three days. The report quoted Gen Ami Ali Hajizadeh, chief of the airspace unit of the Guards. He said the message of the maneuvers to “adventurist” nations in the region and the West is that “Iran will respond to any possible evil” in a “strong and crushing” way. He said the maneuvers are also aimed at assessing the accuracy and effectiveness of warheads and systems.

Hajizadeh threatened that if Israel plans any attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, “They will provide us a reason to remove Israel from

the earth.” He said Israel is not capable of attacking Iran “since it was defeated by Hezbollah” in 2006, a reference to a monthlong war between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group. Israel considers Iran its most dangerous enemy because of its nuclear program, missile capability, support for radical anti-Israel groups like Hezbollah and frequent references to destruction of the Jewish state.

Hajizadeh said the war games, titled Great Prophet 7, would “test the accuracy of missile warheads and systems” by hitting the mock camps in the Kavir Desert in central Iran. He mentioned two types of ballistic missiles that would be used: the Qiam, which has an estimated range of around 500 km, or 750 km according to Iranian media; and the Khalij Fars anti-ship missile, which has a range of 300 km.

Tehran refers to its ballistic missiles as “long-range” although other world militaries qualify them as “short-range”.

Iran has already tested a Shahab-3 missile with a range of 2,000 km that can reach Israel and southern Europe. Hajizadeh also said Iran has produced an antiradar missile called “Arm” that can hit any source of radar. He said the weapon could “damage” missile shields in Turkey and Gulf countries. “US bases in the region are within range of our missiles and weapons, and therefore they certainly will not cooperate with the regime (Israel),” Hajizadeh told IRNA. The United Arab Emirates and Bahrain - foes of Iran which face it across the oil-rich Gulf - announced their own joint air force exercises yesterday which they said would take “several days,” their state news agencies reported. — Agencies

14

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Issues

Raised on power, Assad risks all

By Douglas Hamilton is father had a face of stone and a hard glare. He has a mild gaze and a weak chin. But there the dissimilarity ends. Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad has proved himself as uncompromising as the late Hafez, who ran the Arab republic with an iron fist for 29 years and bequeathed a formidable, police-state dynasty to his son in 2000. Bashar was only 16 when Assad senior ordered one of the bloodiest atrocities in modern Arab history: the 1982 massacre of at least 10,000 Syrians in Hama to crush a revolt by Sunni Muslims. The repression worked. The lesson may have been learned. Assad’s opponents accuse his forces of killing at least 13,000 people since March 2011, when Sunnis once again challenged the family’s ruling Alawite minority. He describes his foes as foreign-backed terrorists who have killed thousands of people.

A world that had once seen Assad as a hope for change in Syria watched with shock as this ophthalmologist with a London fashionista wife proved to be one of the toughest rulers in the Middle East. But Assad sees himself as a surgeon who must spill blood to save the life of a patient threatened by a foreign cancer. “Our age, like any other, is the age of the powerful only; and there is no place in it for the weak,” he told Damascus university students this month. A week later, he told his cabinet: “When one is in a state of war, all our policies and capabilities must be used to secure victory.”

In a classified 2009 diplomatic United States cable, Bashar is described as a man who sees himself as a philospher-king, but heading a brutal regime of yes-men who lie. “They persist in a lie even in the face of evidence to the contrary. They are not embarrassed to be caught in a lie,” says the assessment of his regime, made public

by Wikileaks. Ten years before, as an ailing Hafez moved the US embassy to consider the likely successor, a 1999 cable shows how far Bashar was underestimated. “Eldest son Bashar is far from a sure bet to follow in his father’s footsteps, and in any case would never enjoy his father’s absolute grip on power,” it said.

Although he did not have to seize power like his fighter-pilot-hero father, Assad lacked the earlier era’s advantages. The Soviet Union’s protective Cold War embrace is long gone, even though Moscow remains a firm ally. In the YouTube age, massacres like Hama cannot be concealed. The Arab Spring is borne like a virus on the Internet, which Syria’s secret service once tried to keep out. As the uprising has intensified, there are signs the pressure is taking a personal toll. Hacked emails to and from his wife’s iPad show interest in the anti-ballistic Bullet Blocker barn coat, a casual jacket that can stop a .357 Magnum slug. “I was asked several times last week why I look pale, and whether it was because of the pressures. I said no. In fact I was a little ill,” Assad told the students.

Unlike the late Saddam Hussein, who wore a pistol on his hip and fired rifles with one hand, the willowy Assad shows no outward sign of the ruthlessness, charisma and menace of the archetypal autocrat. But Assad’s language is as defiant as any strongman’s as he fights insurgents he sees as the tools of the Western states and Sunni Arab monarchies that make clear they want him out. Syria is under attack by the money, media and technology of foreign powers and their Arab agents “using lies, deception and black propaganda”, he told Syria’s young, educated elite. “Resistance prevents chaos. Resistance has a price and chaos has a price, but the price of resistance is much less than the price of chaos,” the 46-year-old president said.

Bashar was thrust into the spotlight when his elder brother died in a car crash in 1994. Groomed by Hafez as next-in-line to succeed, he was accelerated through the army to the rank of colonel and became president at age 34. His early promise of reform fizzled almost completely.

Now, 16 months into a rebellion which has become the bloodiest and most intractable of the uprisings which swept the region, Assad has proved more durable than the four Arab autocrats toppled by people power or armed revolt since 2010.

Neither spiraling violence nor a collapsing economy nor international isolation have shaken his power base, centered on the Alawite clan, intelligence services and the army of over 300,000. Brother Maher commands the Republican Guard. Brother-in-law Assef Shawkat is deputy armed forced chief-of-staff. Assad shows no sign of bending, driven not least by the fear of Alawites sure they would be slaughtered like sheep if Sunni rebels are victorious.— Reuters

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Grillo surfs anti-establishment wave

By James Mackenzie television gadfly who has been making jokes at politicians’ expense for three decades, Beppe Grillo’s sharp tongue, shaggy hair and rasping Genoese accent have created one of the most distinctive personal brands in Italian politics. His 5 Star Movement has campaigned on an eclectic mix of policies including scrapping perks for parliamentarians, setting limits on press ownership (a swipe at former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi) and improving broadband connections. Its anti-establishment appeal has propelled it from the fringes to become Italy’s second-strongest political force in the space of a few months.

“For the moment it’s not about the programme,” said Maurizio Pessato, vice president of polling group SWG, whose latest poll shows the 5 Star Movement with 20 percent support behind only the centre-left Democratic Party on 24 percent. “The issue is the total repulsion against the present political class, of all the parties more or less, felt by many Italians. The people turning to Grillo at the moment feel revulsion, they want a total change or at least they want to send a signal.”

Outside Italy, most attention has been focused on his caustic attacks on the euro and on Prime Minister Mario Monti’s technocrat government, which has hiked taxes to try to contain Italy’s public debt and pushed through deeply unpopular measures making it easier for employers to hire and fire. He describes Monti as a “reckless accountant” but has toned down his calls for Italy to leave the single currency, suggesting in a recent interview that a referendum may be the best way of dealing with the issue.

Although the economic crisis may be fuelling Grillo’s rise, it is not the main driver, said Michele Sorice, a professor of political communication at Rome’s LUISS university.

“I think these things play a role but I don’t think it’s the main factor,” he said. “I think this is the product of the crisis in the Italian political system.” Berlusconi’s legal problems have dominated world headlines but in Italy an almost endless tide of scandal has swept across almost the whole political spectrum. Newspapers carry almost daily stories of waste, privilege, misuse of public funds, bribery, embezzlement and influence-peddling by local, regional and national politicians who cling to their positions with limpet-like resistance.

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According to a survey last month by the Digis polling institute, 72 percent of those questioned felt the situation was as bad or worse than it was during the “Bribesville” scandals which destroyed the old political order in Italy in the 1990s. Speaking at a conference in Rome on the crisis of sovereignty faced by Europe, Massimo Franco, one of Italy’s most respected political commentators, said the political establishment had caused its own destruction.

“This has been a case of suicide by an Italian political class that once had a significant standing and substantial electoral consensus, and then they destroyed it all,” he said. The movement’s biggest success came in last month’s local elections in which it won the mayoral race in Parma, gained dozens of council seats and fuelled a rout of Berlusconi’s People of Freedom (PDL), the main party on the centre-right. That represented a breakthrough for a movement that sprang out of Grillo’s popular “V-Day” anti-corruption rallies, named to match a widely used Italian obscenity that starts with V and means roughly “Up Yours”.

With national elections looming early next year, opinion polls currently point to a government led by the centre-left but Grillo, who strongly opposes traditional political alliances, would have a big part to play from the sidelines. Significantly, his strongest support comes from younger people and the north of Italy, the most productive part of the country that was the stronghold of the regionalist Northern League party before it, too, was brought low by scandal.

A prolific blogger, who now shuns television, the 63 year-old has drawn large numbers of younger voters, disillusioned with a traditional system that has shut them out of jobs and sent youth unemployment up to around 35 percent. How long its success will last is an open question and there have been numerous teething troubles as its young, inexperienced candidates have had to come to grips with the reality of running a public administration.

But with the government’s term due to end in less than a year, it looks set to add a further complicating factor to the already confused picture shaping up after Monti steps down.

Grillo’s own profanity-strewn style and his scattergun abuse of politicians in speeches and on his popular blog, have fuelled frequent accusations of populism and demagoguery. But behind him, he has an army of dedicated,

well educated supporters whose mastery of the Internet and social networks far exceeds that of any of the mainstream parties. “They’ll have the experience of local government behind them by the time the elections come, then you’ve got the crisis in the other parties so I’m convinced he’ll get to the elections in good shape,” said Pessato.

Grillo vehemently denies his movement is a party in the normal sense, describing it as a “free association of citizens”. He refused to stand for elected office himself after a conviction for manslaughter after three passengers died when a jeep he was driving crashed in 1981. Its mixed bag of green-tinted, anti-establishment policies, with echoes of the platforms of other alternative groups such as the Pirate Party in Germany, certainly underline how difficult it is to pin down in classical political terms.

Its program includes the abolition of the guild of professional journalists, a commitment to support non-profit companies and penalising companies that sell water in environment-unfriendly plastic bottles. It wants to cut waste, combat political corruption and hold public officials criminally responsible for policies that cause death or injury. It encourages free health care, green energy and public transport instead of private cars. It wants to abolish corporate monopolies, strengthen the rights of small shareholders and protect local manufacturing. “His proposals are very broad, apparently with no ideology but in fact with a new form of ideology which puts a number of ideas together coming from the libertarian left or the radicals, with others that come from the right,” said LUISS university’s Sorice.

One of the big differences with other grassroots groups such as the Pirate Party is the overbearing figure of Grillo himself, its only nationally recognisable figure but one whose hectoring style puts off many voters. Italy has a long history of “anti politics”, from the “Front of the Common Man”, a short-lived postwar party whose motto was “Get off our backs,” to the billionaire entrepreneur Berlusconi himself, who always campaigned as a plainspoken outsider. Whether the 5 Star Movement can establish itself as a durable alternative may depend on its relentless leader. “Strangely enough, it’s weak point may be Beppe Grillo,” said Sorice. “If the movement manages to outgrow Beppe Grillo it could represent a significant share of the Italian electorate.” — Reuters

Nigeria, a rugged road to high returns

By Tim Cocks omb blasts, gun attacks, airline crashes, kidnappings, industrial-scale oil theft, armed robberies and fraud costing billions of dollars. Such things might give pause to anyone thinking of opening a business. In Nigeria, they happen with alarming frequency, and yet investors just keep coming. The reasons are many: alluring returns in this highrisk frontier market; a huge and growing population with latent potential for a consumer boom; light crude oil ideal for making motor fuel; and sophisticated financial markets.

“We know it’s not risk free,” says Charles Robertson, global Chief Economist at Renaissance Capital. “But look around the world and find another economy with 160 million people growing at 7 percent with such potential. It’s a struggle to find them.” Nigeria can look like it’s teetering on the cusp of chaos, but it is also Africa’s second biggest economy and top oil producer. “Nigeria is the best kept secret in the world. Anybody who doesn’t invest in Nigeria only has himself to blame, going forward, if he misses out,” industrialist Aliko Dangote told Reuters in an interview at his Lagos office. “I don’t really know of any place where you can make as much money as you make in Nigeria.”

As Africa’s richest man, he should know. Last year, the cement tycoon’s Nigeria investments boosted his personal fortune more than fivefold - a bigger rise than anyone else on the Forbes list of world billionaires - to $13.8 billion. Dangote is from northern Nigeria, where Islamist insurgents of the Boko Haram movement have killed hundreds in daily gun and bomb attacks this year in a bloody anti-establishment offensive. Dangote, whose interests are mostly in the south, with some exposure to the north, does not let the violence affect his business decisions. “Boko Haram have not destroyed any business here. They have not gone to any factory and planted a bomb,” he said. “Because of drugs barons fighting with the Mexican government, does it mean no one will go and invest in Mexico? No. People are rushing there.”

Still, if you want an example of how violence and political instability in Nigeria can slice millions of dollars off your profit margin, look no further than PZ Cussons. The soap maker announced two profit warnings in the first quarter of this year,

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blaming a hit to sales from social unrest in Nigeria, its biggest market, where it makes a third of its revenue. The country erupted into strikes and protests in January when President Goodluck Jonathan’s government made an abortive attempt to end a popular fuel subsidy. The strikes lasted only a week, but the central bank said they cost $617 million a day.

The violence in the north also worsened around that time.

“Insurgency in the north clearly had a detrimental impact on PZ’s business, and on (food maker) UACN, which has distribution hubs there,” Matthew Pearson, Standard Bank’s head of African Equity Product, told Reuters on a visit to Lagos. But in the longer term, both firms are betting Nigeria’s big population will turn into a massive consumer market. “The demographic dividend is colossal,” Pearson said.

A failure to recognise such long-term opportunities in emerging markets astounds Stephen Jennings, CEO of investment bank Renaissance Group. “Whether we are talking about political evolution in Russia, or economic development in Africa, there remains a clear overemphasis on current difficulties and constraints, and an under-appreciation of the pace and magnitude of modernisation and structural change,” he told an investor conference this week.

Some clearly appreciate it. The CEO of South Africa’s Shoprite, Whitey Basson, said in February he saw scope for 700 stores in Nigeria, up from two now, arguing that even if 60 percent live in poverty, the other 40 percent still outnumber South Africans. And oil companies like Shell are making enormous profits in Nigeria - and renewing onshore licences despite the fact that armed gangs steal a growing portion of their oil. Foreign direct investment into Nigeria has hovered between $6 billion and $8.5 billion since 2007, World Bank figures show, apparently unresponsive to its various crises.

Business people say the risk from such insecurity pales compared with that of government interference. Jonathan’s administration says it is working to remove impediments such as corrupt officials and onerous bureaucracy, but they admit it is a huge task. “Look at the port. That’s a bigger investor concern than bomb blasts or plane crashes,” said Tony Elumelu, chairman of Lagos-based Heirs Holdings, a fund that invests across Africa. Corrupt officials at Lagos port - one of the busiest in Africa - slow down deliveries to extort money from

importers, a bottleneck to growth and cause of Nigeria’s high living costs. “For many businesses, the difficulty of getting goods cleared ... is their biggest complaint,” Elumelu said. “The good news is the government is now taking action to improve it.”

Such “official risk” is what oligarchs like Dangote can use political ties to mitigate. Not everyone has such connections, but players with dominant positions in markets that don’t require much government cooperation can still fare well. “If you look at Nigeria Breweries, short of expropriation, it’s going to continue to effectively print money, because of the size of the market ... irrespective of the management of the country,” said Fola Fagbule, Vice President of Origination and Coverage at Africa Finance Corporation.

Other sectors, such as infrastructure, face daunting hurdles from obstructive officials. Telecoms firms need licences. They need land to put up masts. They need permits to set up base stations. All complain of extortion by officials to keep stations open. The downside was enough to persuade Vodacom to pass up investing in Vmobil - now owned by Bharti Airtel - in 2005, citing an “inappropriate level of risk”. Yet telecoms is now one Nigeria’s most profitable sectors, and Nigeria is Bharti’s most profitable African market.

In his last year as Vodacom CEO in 2008, Alan Knott-Craig said he regretted the decision not to set up shop in Nigeria.

Vodacom is now making moves to come back. Rival MTN had no such qualms, and today it is Nigeria’s leading operator.

Among the risks it faces are “poor infrastructure, lack of security, vandalism, multiple taxation, over-regulation ... unlawful interference with telco infrastructure by government agencies and ... prejudicial court judgments,” says Funmilayo Omogbenigun, MTN Nigeria’s corporate affairs manager.

Despite that discouraging litany, Nigeria remains MTN’s biggest cash cow, making $2.5 billion in core profit in 2010 and again in 2011. The telecoms success has raised hopes for Nigeria’s moribund power sector, if the government gets round to privatising it. “Nigeria’s often surprised on the upside, and telecoms is a classic example. People are looking at power in the same way,” Fagbole said. “It looks messy, it looks difficult, but if you sit on the sidelines and it turns out to be this massive honeypot, you’ll live to regret it.” — Reuters

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

sp orts Seedorf joins Botafogo

Pakistan Olympic hockey squad

Camelot wins Irish Derby

RIO DE JANEIRO: Veteran former Dutch international midfielder Clarence Seedorf has signed a two-year deal with Botafogo, the Brazilian top-flight side have confirmed.

Rio de Janeiro-based Botafogo announced the capture of Seedorf, 36, as “the biggest signing of a foreign player ever made by a Brazilian club.” The player’s agent Deborah Martin, told the online version of sports daily Lance: “Seedorf is the first European player to go to Brazil. He is still breaking records. The idea of playing in the Mecca of football was very attractive to him.”

According to local press reports, Seedorf’s deal will see him earn 18.3 million reais ($9.1m) over two years. Botafogo president Mauricio Assumpcao said his club managed to beat off competition from clubs in England, China and the United States to sign Seedorf, who is married to a Brazilian woman.

“We worked on this for a long time, not just two or three months,” he told Lance. “This is the arrival of an idol, a player who has won everything and who our fans are hoping can help us win titles.” — AFP

ABBOTABAD: Penalty corner expert Sohail Abbas will lead Pakistan’s hockey squad in the upcoming London Olympics, the only sport where the country harbours any realistic hopes of a medal in the Summer Games.

The 35-year-old was retained as captain despite Pakistan’s poor finish in last place at the Azlan Shah hockey event in May this year.

The 20-man squad will be trimmed to 18 by the team management next week before Pakistan fly to London for the Games, which start on July 27. Pakistan’s recent poor performance forced selectors to recall senior players Rehan Butt, Mohammad Waseem and Shakil Abbasi who featured in a rebel hockey league in India which threatened their places for Olympics.

“We have included seniors so that the Pakistan team can benefit from their experience,” said chief selector Hanif Khan.

“We tried some juniors recently and now this squad for the Olympics is a combination of juniors and seniors.” Three-times Olympic champions and with four world titles, Pakistan have slumped at international level after poor planning and with talent becoming increasingly scarce.

They finished at their worst-ever eighth position in the last Olympics in Beijing four years ago, and then slumped to the 12th and last position in the 2010 World Cup in India. —AFP

THE CURRAGH: Odds-on favorite Camelot won the Irish Derby on Saturday to hand trainer Aidan O’Brien his seventh successive victory, and 10th overall, in the Classic. The 1-5 favorite was always cantering under the trainer’s son Joseph, but when he was let down over a furlong out he jinked left and Johnny Murtagh attacked aboard Born to Sea, the eventual runner-up.

For a stride or two he looked a genuine threat but Camelot soon had his measure and went on to win with authority in heavy conditions.

“We really felt it wasn’t the right thing (to run on this ground) but he’s a great horse,” said trainer O’Brien.

“He’s a real fast ground horse. We appreciate all the hard work everyone’s put in, the sponsors, The Curragh - I can’t say how thrilled we are to be part of it. It doesn’t get any better than this. These are days you can’t dream of. “I never would have believed it could ever happen. He’s by far the best we’ve had - we’ve never had anything like this.” — AFP

Yankees get past White Sox NEW YORK: New York’s Hiroki Kuroda tied a career high by striking out 11 as the Yankees beat Chicago 4-0 on Saturday, ending the White Sox four-game winning streak.

Kuroda (8-7) pitched three-hit ball for seven innings and walked one in the matchup of American League division leaders. Dewayne Wise, who the previous day was unexpectedly called upon to pitch, shone in a more familiar role as he had three hits and homered. Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano also cleared the fences.

Chicago starter Jake Peavy (6-5) struck out 11 without a walk in his fourth complete game this year yet still took the loss.

Rangers 7, Athletics 2 In Arlington, Texas, Josh Hamilton hit a three-run homer to cap a big fifth inning as Texas notched its fifth straight win by beating Oakland.

Hamilton drove in four runs to help Texas (50-29) become the first team in baseball to reach 50 victories. Texas’ 21-year-old Martin Perez (1-0) won his first big-league start, allowing two runs, walking only one and striking out five in 5 1/3 innings. Oakland’s Tommy Milone (8-6) gave up six runs in five innings.

Blue Jays 11, Angels 2 In Toronto, Yunel Escobar homered during a seven-run burst in the second inning which spurred Toronto past Los Angeles.

Brett Lawrie later added a three-run shot.

He also doubled and singled. Los Angeles

rookie Mike Trout, who came in leading the AL with a .342 average, was held hitless for the first time in 12 games. He finished 0 for 4, dropping his average to .336. Blue Jays’

Indians 11, Orioles 5 In Baltimore, Shin-Soo Choo went 4 for 5 with a homer, scored four runs and collected three RBIs to lead Cleveland past Baltimore. Shelley Duncan also homered for the Indians, who had a season-high 19 hits eclipsing record of 16, set the previous night. During the game, Baltimore announced the acquisition of slugger Jim Thome from Philadelphia for two minor leaguers. Cleveland’s Josh Tomlin (4-5) allowed seven hits in six innings. Baltimore starter Dana Eveland (0-1) gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings.

Tigers 6, Rays 2 In St. Petersburg, Rick Porcello (6-5) pitched seven shutout innings to steer Detroit past Tampa Bay. Austin Jackson hit a three-run homer in the eighth to put the Tigers up 4-0.

Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson (4-4) left in the third after being struck in the lower right leg by a liner. The Rays said Hellickson, who missed his previous two starts because of right shoulder inflammation, has a bruised shin and X-rays were negative.

NEW YORK: Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda delivers a pitch to the Chicago White Sox during the first inning of a baseball game. —AP Henderson Alvarez (5-6) worked seven innings to win consecutive starts for the first time since May 10. Angels’ Garrett Richards (2-1) lost for the first time in five starts this season. He allowed 10 runs in 4 1-3 innings.

Mariners 3, Red Sox 2 In Seattle, Chone Figgins’ sacrifice fly in the 11th inning was deep enough to drive in the winning run as Seattle edged Boston.

With the Red Sox’s infield playing in and expecting a possible squeeze bunt from Figgins, he came through with a line drive off Boston closer Alfredo Aceves (0-5) that Cody Ross caught cleanly in right field. — AP

Reds shut down Giants SAN FRANCISCO: Cincinnati’s Mat Latos pitched a two-hitter to win his careerbest seventh straight decision, leading the Reds to a 2-1 win over the San Francisco Giants in Saturday’s clash of National League divisional leaders.

Latos (7-2) struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter in his 115-pitch gem and second straight complete game. It was the first time in seven years a Reds pitcher had thrown back-to-back complete games. He also pitched seven scoreless innings against the Giants in April.

Mets 5, Dodgers 0 In Los Angeles, Johan Santana pitched eight scoreless innings as New York handed Los Angeles a season-worst seventhstraight loss.

Santana (6-4) did not give up a hit between leadoff singles in the first and eighth innings. Ike Davis hit a three-run homer for the Mets. The Dodgers were shut out for the fifth time in six games and have produced only two runs in their past 57 innings. L.A. starter Nathan Eovaldi (0-5) gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Braves 7, Nationals 5 In Atlanta, Mike Minor won for just the second time in 12 starts as Atlanta beat Washington in stifiling heat. Minor (4-6), who had lost his past two starts, allowed four runs in five innings.

Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg (9-3) left after just three innings because

of heat-related issues. He didn’t return to begin the fourth, tying for the shortest outing of his 33-start career. Strasburg allowed three runs and four walks, and struck out four to reach 122, most in the majors.

Pirates 7, Cardinals 3 In St. Louis, Pedro Alvarez hit a grand slam in the first inning to set up Pittsburgh’s win over St. Louis. Andrew McCutcheon had two hits before leaving with a sore left wrist, helping the Pirates notch their fourth victory in a row.

Pittsburgh is a season-best seven games above .500. If they complete a three-game sweep Sunday it’ll mark the highest the team has been over .500 since 1992. Pirates starter Jeff Karstens (1-2) thrived in sweltering heat, allowing four hits with seven strikeouts in seven strong innings. Cardinals starter Lance Lynn (104) was pummeled for the third straight start, surrendering six runs in five innings.

Brewers 10, D’backs 2 In Milwaukee, Ryan Braun homered twice and Cody Ransom added a threerun shot to lead Milwaukee over Arizona. Braun’s two home runs gave him the National League lead with 22 for the season. Carlos Gomez also hit a home run as the Brewers had 13 hits and scored their most runs in a game for five weeks.

Brewers rookie Mike Fiers (3-2) struck out a career-high 10 in six shutout innings to get the win. — AP

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

sp orts

Kenya’s marathon ‘sisters’ in pursuit of gold ITEN: It will take more than Olympic gold to come between Kenyan marathon runners, neighbors and best friends Mary Keitany and Edna Kiplagat.

London marathon winner Keitany and world champion Kiplagat are favourites for the gold in London on Aug. 5.

“For us we have known each other for so long, so we have no differences,” Kiplagat tells Reuters while squeezed next to Keitany on a sofa by the fire on a chilly evening in Iten, a small town 2,400 metres above sea level in western Kenya’s Rift Valley. “We have been friends, we have been running together. She is like my sister.

“We can’t see anything that is going to separate us. If I win or she wins, no problem,” Kiplagat says, before Keitany adds: “Yes, really no problem.”

They have a knack of finishing each other’s sentences. As Kiplagat explains

that “whoever is strong on the day of the competition...”, Keitany finishes the point by saying, “...is simply stronger.”

They nod in agreement.

The pair, who will represent Kenya alongside world silver medallist Priscah Jeptoo, spend their early mornings pacing up and down Rift Valley’s green and gentle hills.

They can also be seen running alongside Iten’s pot-holed dusty red roads, where cows often block the path and the town’s entrance sign says “Welcome To Iten - Home of Champions”.

Both have husbands involved in long-distance running and cite their Iten base and family support as vital ahead of London.

“The (husbands) understand the pain of training, they understand when we are tired, they give us time to rest and recuperate,” Kiplagat explains

from high up in the Rift Valley, where during the day the Kerio River can be seen meandering northward on its way to Lake Turkana.

Keitany, 30, adds: “All of them (are important): parents, husbands and everybody in the family, because at least they know what is athletics.

“They help us in training, like as a pace maker while others go in a car to keep you company, so that’s why we are grateful.”

The African nation’s strength over the 42.195-km distance was highlighted during April’s London marathon: Keitany, Kiplagat and Jeptoo swept the podium places and the top five finishers were all from Kenya.

Keitany, who also won the race in 2011, ran an African record of two hours, 18 minutes and 37 seconds to become the third fastest woman over

the marathon. Only British world record holder Paula Radcliffe and Russian Liliya Shobukhova have gone quicker. After a period of domination in the marathon by both men and women, Kenyan public expectation is high, and the joke on the streets of Iten is that the race should be run only

by Kenyans to see in which order they will take the top three places.

But Keitany rejects the idea that Kenyans will be untroubled in their pursuit of medals, citing Russian and Ethiopian runners as a threat. The pair have also ruled out breaking records at the Games, saying the course and conditions will not be conducive.

The Olympic course will be different to the London marathon route.

Games organisers changed the original course, which was to follow tradition and finish inside the Olympic sta-

dium, to a route that takes the runners past more of London’s landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and the Big Ben clock tower.

Keitany says: “They’ve changed the course and there are a lot of corners and we are told it is narrow, so I think we are just going there to run with our colleagues and try our best to win but not run a world record.”

Kiplagat predicts conditions in the race, which starts at 100 local time, will not be favourable for breaking records. “(The race) is in summer time and it’s going to be hot,” the 32-yearold says while eating mango, paw paw and pineapple pieces from a bowl. “(Marathon runners) are not good in hot weather, so for us we cannot say what time we are going to run because it is going to be a hard race.” —Reuters

Felix runs fastest 200m in 14 years EUGENE: Two-times Olympic silver medallist Allyson Felix ran the sixth fastest 200 metres of all time as she won the US Olympic trials in a blazing 21.69 seconds on Saturday.

The performance, the fastest in the half-lap event in 14 years, set Felix up for a London showdown with Jamaican Olympic Veronica

in 22.11 seconds. Sanya RichardsRoss, the trials’ 400m winner, also made the U.S. team in a second event by finishing third in 22.22.

But Felix’s training partner Jeneba Tarmoh missed a spot on the team in the 200 with a fifth place finish in 22.35.

The sparkling race came min-

record of 12.87 set by Cuban rival Dayron Robles.

World champion Jason Richardson, who had broken 13 seconds for the first time in the semi-finals, was second in 12.98 while Jeff Porter claimed a surprising third in 13.08.

Ailing American record holder

EUGENE: Allyson Felix (center) celebrates her first place finish in the women’s 200 meters at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials. —AP Campbell-Brown, who has defeated the American in the last two Games. “I was thrilled with my race,” Felix told reporters. “I feel like everything came together. I felt like I executed today and ran a great curve, which is something I’ve been working on.”

World and trials 100 metres champion Carmelita Jeter finished almost a half second behind Felix

utes after world indoor hurdles champion Aries Merritt had cruised to the year’s fastest 110 metres high hurdles in a lifetime best 12.93 seconds despite wet conditions.

“I had a great start and I’m a build hurdler, I get faster as I go. I fulfilled my dream today,” said Merritt, who became the 14th hurdler to break the 13-second barrier but remains behind the world

and Olympic medallist David Oliver missed out on a trip to London when he finished fifth, running 13.17. “I just didn’t get it done,” said a hobbling Oliver. Felix clearly did, though, with her stirring run through the bend and down the home stretch.

“It was fantastic,” coach Bob Kersee told Reuters after watching Felix cruise home in her bright

Bolt, Blake set up rematch KINGSTON: Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake sauntered through their 200 metres semi-finals on Saturday to set up another rematch and an explosive finish to the Jamaican Olympic trials.

The men’s 200m late yesterday will provide the grand-finale to the fourday meeting that could prove even more dramatic than their 100m showdown won by Blake, as the two fastest men ever over the distance go headto-head for a last time before London.

Bolt, the Olympic champion and world record holder at 19.19 seconds, will no doubt want to close out a lacklustre meeting on a positive note while Blake, with a best of 19.26, could confirm himself as the man to beat in both events at the Games.

Just 12 hours after Blake had clocked the fastest time of the year to claim a shock win over the world record holder in the 100m, the training partners were back in their starting blocks and sleepwalking through preliminary heats in an empty stadium.

However, both men showed considerably more zip in the evening semifinals, Blake powering his way across the line in a time of 19.93 to easily win his heat while Bolt also looked more focused, crossing first in 20.26.

Blake was in no mood to discuss his effort but Bolt, who has spent much of the trials desperately avoiding the media was more relaxed and even eager to talk about his run.

“It’s all about qualifying,” Bolt told reporters. “It was a good overall race. “I felt good on the corner. I haven’t run a corner in a while so it felt good. I’m feeling all right, I’m feeling a little bit better.”

It has been a trying week for the world’s fastest man, who has struggled out of the blocks and involved in two heats that were disrupted by false starts, including Saturday’s 200m semi, which he shrugged off.

“The 200 is much more easy (for starts),” Bolt added. “I don’t see anybody, so it’s much easier. “I didn’t want to get lane three in the final so I paced myself, I’m happy and I’m glad that Blake and (Warren) Weir ran faster than me so, I think they will get the lower lanes.”

The women’s 200m will also feature a ju icy rematc h between Oly mpic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown and 100m Oly mpic gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Campbell-Brown took her first step towards a record third consecutive Olympic title by winning her heat in 22. 79 b u t Fr aser -P r y c e, win n er of Friday’s 100m in a Jamaican record 10.70, continued to set a sizzling pace with the top qualifying time of 22.55.

“I’m feeling pretty good, the objective was to come out here tonight and advance to the finals and I’m happy to have achieved that,” Campbell-Brown said. “So it’s time to get some sleep, some food and get ready for the finals tomorrow.

“We have a really good field and I think we’ll get some decent times out there but that is not my priority.”

Hansle Parchment closed out the evening session by booking his Olympic spot in the 110m hurdles with a winning time of 13.18, edging Andrew Riley, the first man to win NCAA titles in the 100m flat and 110m hurdles in the same year, with

neon compression leg sleeves.

“To run 21.69 in these conditions shows what kind of world class athlete she is. At 80 metres (into the race) she was digging.”

Felix, Tarmoh and Kersee said no decision had been made on how the two would decide their controversial third-place tie in the 100 metres.

Under newly adopted tie-breaking procedures, the athletes have a choice of a coin flip or runoff if one of them does not give up her 100 metres spot. “I don’t think the world would accept a coin flip at this point,” Kersee said. “The other two options are up to them.”

USA Track & Field officials have told Kersee and the athletes any runoff should take place on Sunday, the final day of the trials.

World triple jump champion Christian Taylor showed he was ready to claim gold in London with the best mark in the world this season, 17.63 metres.

Global indoor winner Will Claye also looked like a medal contender as he bounded 17.55 metres.

Olympic silver medallist Hyleas Fountain dominated the heptathlon with 6,419 points. Sharon Day and Chantae McMillan also booked trips to London.

In the women’s high jump, indoor champion Chaunte Lowe did not allow the rain to slow her.

Lowe cleared an impressive 2.01 metres to win on misses over collegian Brigetta Barrett, who mastered the same height.

The 36-year-old Amy Acuff made her fifth US Olympic team by coming out of a two-year retirement to place third at 1.95 metres.

“Deep down I felt like I had unfinished business so I had to come back,” said Acuff. —Reuters

OMAHA: Michael Phelps swims to victory in the men’s 200-meter individual medley final at the US Olympic swimming trials. —AP

Phelps tops Lochte OMAHA: Michael Phelps celebrated his 27th birthday by beating his great rival Ryan Lochte in their penultimate showdown before the London Olympics on Saturday.

For the third time this week, the pair battled each other stroke-for-stroke at the US Olympic trials in America’s Midwest, this time in the 200 metres individual medley.

Lochte beat Phelps in the 400m individual medley on Monday but Phelps avenged that loss when he got his hand on the wall first, stopping the clock at one minute 54.84 seconds. “It feels good to be back on that (winning) side,” Phelps told reporters. “But I’m sure that’s not going to be the end of us going back and forth.”

Lochte, who had won the 200m backstroke final just 30 minutes before taking on the greatest Olympian of all time, was just 0.11 seconds behind, setting the stage for another epic duel in London when both men will be at their peak.

Phelps has already qualified for four events in London and looks certain to add a fifth after setting the fastest time in the semifinals of the 100m butterfly. With the addition of the three relays, he will swim the same eight events he contested at Athens and Beijing.

“It doesn’t really matter what happens here, the bigger races are a couple of weeks down the road,” Phelps added. “The next race is the one that counts, I know that, and that’s one thing that I’m looking forward to.”

Lochte also qualified for the 100m butterfly final after swimming three races in less than hour on Saturday. The 27-year-old has already clinched his place in four events but unlike Phelps, is not assured of a place in all three relays.

“Tonight was probably the most pain I have endured in a swimming competition,” Lochte said. “Going back-to-back was definitely tough but I was up for the challenge and I’ve trained for it.

“I know this meet was just stepping stones for what I really want to do in London.”

Teenage sensation Missy Franklin looks set to compete in seven events at her first Olympics after the 17-year-old finished runner-up in the 100m freestyle final and set the fastest qualifying time for Sunday’s 200m backstroke final.

Like Lochte, she was back in the pool within half an hour of her previous race and finished second in 54.15, behind Jessica Hardy (53.96), who booked her first trip to the Olympics after being forced to miss Beijing over a doping offence.

Hardy was suspended after testing positive for the banned steroid clenbuterol at the 2008 US Olympic trials. She denied any wrongdoing and fought a long legal case which was only resolved last year. Driven by raw emotion after missing out in the 100m breaststroke, an event she owns the world record in, Hardy swam like a woman possessed.

“Never in a million years would I have thought I could win that race,” she said. “That was pure heart out there.” Natalie Coughlin sneaked in to the team for her third Olympics when she finished sixth in the 100m freestyle final, securing a place in the relay after missing out in her individual events.

“It’s a relief,” Coughlin said. “This isn’t the meet that I visualised or anticipated going into this year, or even into this quadrennium, but right now I couldn’t be happier.” —Reuters

Leyva and Orozco bag London spots SAN JOSE: World parallel bars champion Danell Leyva and John Orozco booked their tickets to the London Games by finishing in the top two after the final day of men’s competition at the US Olympic trials on Saturday.

Cuba-born Leyva emerged narrowly ahead after an enthralling battle with Orozco to head the overall standings, based on combined scores from the US gymnastics nationals and the trials, on 368.350. US all-around champion Orozco, who had led going into the final routine of the afternoon at the HP Pavilion before he made a slight error on the parallel bars, was second on 367.400.

“It’s very surreal, super unbelievable,” an emotional Leyva said in the centre of the arena after he and Orozco were formally introduced to the crowd. “I just finished my Olympic trials and I am so happy to be here.”

Asked later to assess the significance of a journey to the US Olympic team that began when he left Cuba as a baby with his mother, the 20-yearold replied: “It’s amazing. It’s a great experience.

“I have so much gratitude and feel so privileged... because I wasn’t born here and yet they have welcomed me with open arms to compete and represent them.”

A teary-eyed Orozco, like Leyva now set to make his

debut at the Olympics, said: “I can’t believe that I’m really here right now. We did it.

Nothing is better than this right now.”

Jonathan Horton, the 2008 Olympic silver medallist on high bar, finished third (361.500). Jake Dalton and Chris Brooks were joint fourth

lel bars silver medallist, is one of the rising talents in American gymnastics and his place in the Olympic team had always looked secure.

“I am just hoping that everything I have done in the past few weeks is enough for them (the selection committee) and they know that I am reliable

Danell Leyva (358.350) but the remaining three spots in the team will be announced by a selection committee late yesterday.

The likely three additions will be Horton, Dalton and Sam Mikulak, who was third in the standings after the first day of the trials but took part in only the pommel horse on Saturday due to a sprained left ankle.

Mikulak, the 2012 US paral-

and that’s just an ankle sprain,” the 19-year-old said. “I will be back in no time and hopefully stronger than ever. I will have plenty of time to be fully recovered if I am selected to go to London.”

On the final day of the men’s competition, Leyva set the tone for his duel with Orozco with a stunning performance in his opening high

bar routine, sending the crowd wild as he executed a high level of difficulty to earn 16.300.

He then lost ground on his floor exercise routine after making a surprising error by falling on a strength pose to end with a score of just 14.450.

Less flamboyant than Leyva but more consistent, Orozco closed the gap with rock-solid routines on the floor and pommel horse before edging ahead with a superb performance on the rings.

Orozco, dubbed the “Silent Ninja’, increased his lead on the vault with a score of 16.050 but then opened the door for Leyva in the final routine, earning just 14.350 after a slight wobble on the parallel bars when his hand cramped.

“P-bars, I am still a little frustrated,” the 19-year-old Orozco said. “I wanted to finish up good and have an almost perfect competition but that didn’t happen. It doesn’t matter now because I did what I had to do.”

With a near-capacity crowd of 10,516 watching, 2011 world parallel bars champion Leyva then took his turn on his strongest discipline and delivered in style, earning 15.850 on the parallel bars.

He saluted the crowd in triumph and his showman stepfather and coach Yin Alvarez then bowed to him extravagantly several times before they warmly embraced in a bear hug. —Reuters

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

sp orts

Pakistan run fest halted by rain in second Test

SCOREBOARD Scoreboard from the first Twenty20 International between West Indies and New Zealand in Florida yesterday: New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl.

West Indies innings D. Smith b Bracewell 17 C. Gayle not out 85 J. Charles c Oram b Williamson 24 K. Pollard not out 63 Extras (b-1 lb-3 w-13 nb-3) 20 Total (for two wickets, 20 overs) 209 Did not bat: M. Samuels, D. Bravo, D. Ramdin, D. Sammy, S. Badree, S. Narine, F. Edwards Fall of wickets: 1-27 2-101 Bowling: N.McCullum 4-0-30-0, D.Bracewell 4-0-47-1 (w-2), T.Southee 4-0-35-0 (nb-1), J.Oram 2-0-26-0 (nb-2 w-3), R.Hira 2.2-0-220 (w-2), K.Williamson 1.4-0-21-1 (w-1), R Nicol 2-0-24-0 (w-3).

New Zealand innings R. Nicol c Edwards b Bravo M. Guptil st Ramdin b Narine

32 11

L. Taylor retired hurt 10 K. Williamson c & b Sammy 10 T. Southee st Ramdin b Narine 23 T. Latham run out (Sammy) 15 J. Oram not out 27 D. Brownlie run out (Badree) 0 N. McCullum lbw b Narine 0 D. Bracewell not out 11 R. Hira absent hurt Extras (lb-8 w-6) 14 Total (for eight wickets, 18.3 overs) 153 Fall of wickets: 1-38 1-51* 2-72 3-84 4-114 5-115 6-116 7-124 8-153 (* Taylor retired hurt) Bowling: F.Edwards 3.3-0-25-1 (w-1), S.Badree 4-0-33-0 (w-3), S.Narine 4-0-34-3 (w-1), M.Samuels 2-0-14-0, D.Sammy 2-013-1, D.Bravo 3-0-26-1 (w-1) Result: West Indies won by 56 runs. West Indies lead 2 match series 1-0 Man of the match: Chris Gayle ( West Indies)

Windies power past NZ FLORIDA: Chris Gayle treated the locals to a thrilling show of hitting as the West Indies defeated an injury-hit New Zealand by 56 runs in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals in Lauderhill, Florida on Saturday. Gayle swashbuckled his way to 85 not out from 52 balls and received plenty of support from Kieron Pollard as the Windies amassed 209 runs for the loss of just two wickets after New Zealand had put them in to bat. Playing in front of a neutral crowd in the U.S. in an effort to bring a wider audience to the game, Gayle blasted seven fours and five sixes in his innings, while Pollard hammered 63 not out from just 29 balls. It was the perfect display of aggression for the curious crowd, reintroducing them to the shortest form of the game as opposed to the traditional one and five-day versions.

New Zealand played Sri Lanka in the area in 2010 but with a strong West Indies following in the region, the crowd was noticeably larger.

Cricket Holdings America — a joint ven-

ture between the USA Cricket Association and New Zealand Cricket — is aiming to use the Central Broward Regional Park to launch an expansion team for its proposed Twenty20 league slated to start next year.

A strong level of support from cricket fans residing in the area is needed to prove it can sustain a team in such a league and organisers are hoping for an even larger turn out in late yesterday’s rematch. New Zealand could only manage 153 in reply with injuries hindering their cause. Left-arm spinner Ronnie Hira was unable to finish the match after dislocating a finger during his third over when he dropped a sharp return chance from Gayle. Ross Taylor also damaged his shoulder in the outfield while dropping another catch and was forced to retire hurt later while batting and Jacob Oram battled on despite obvious knee discomfort.

Opener Rob Nicol top-scored for the Black Caps with 32 from 31 deliveries but off-spinner Sunil Narine claimed 3-34 from his four overs to dent the chase.—Reuters

De Jonge stalked by Tiger MARYLAND: Zimbabwe’s Brendan de Jonge climbed into the lead but Tiger Woods is lurking just a shot behind after the third round of the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club at a storm-hit Bethesda in Maryland on Saturday.

Seeking a maiden PGA Tour win, De Jonge carded a two-under par 69 to move to seven-under 206 for the tournament, a stroke clear of Americans Bo Van Pelt (67) and Woods (67), and Korean prospect Noh Seung-yul (69).

Massive storms in the area wreaked havoc overnight, forcing organisers to delay the start of play, and prohibit spectators and volunteers from attending due to fallen trees and dangerous conditions around the course. Playing without huge galleries in competition for the first time in decades, former world number one Woods was bogey-free, picking up his four birdies in the opening 10 holes, including a majestic chip-in on the sixth. Similar to the wonder shot on the 16th hole in the final round of his recent Memorial Tournament victory, Woods missed the green long but conjured up a touch of brilliance from the rough to make birdie and maintain his momentum.

Woods, who won the event in 2009, is looking to move into sole possession of second place on the PGA Tour winners’ list, on which he is currently level with Jack Nicklaus on 73 victories and chasing down Sam Snead’s 82. However, he has come

from behind after 54 holes in just 23 of those triumphs.

“It was a day in which I started off five back, and I needed to make a run. Whether we have thousands of people or we have a small handful of people out there, it doesn’t change the execution of the shot,” Woods told reporters. “ The shot needs to be placed correctly in the fairway and on the correct side and then fired to the correct spot on the green and then holed. That doesn’t change anything.

“What does change is when I hole a shot like I did on six, it’s not going to be as loud today as it normally is. But that’s just the way it is. “I played myself into good shape for tomorrow.” De Jonge quietly went about his business in the final group but admitted to feeling odd playing in relative silence.

“It was actually really strange out there and took a little while to get used to,” he said. “It’s nice to have people out there and get the buzz and kind of feed off adrenaline. “Obviously we didn’t have that today.

But in saying that, I’m very happy with my round and position going into tomorrow.”

The third round was not such smooth sailing for overnight leader Hunter Mahan, who fired a two-over 73 to drop back into a share of fifth place on 208.

Despite another storm warning forecast for Saturday night, officials are hopeful the course can be reopened to the public late yesterday.—Reuters

COLOMBO: Opener Mohammad Hafeez missed out on a maiden double century as Pakistan’s march towards a mammoth first innings total against Sri Lanka was halted by rain on the second day of the second Test yesterday.

Pakistan’s innings was interrupted when bad weather stopped play for the second time in the day forcing the players to take tea early and no play was possible in the final session.

When play was called off for the day, Pakistan, trailing 1-0 in the three-test series, had reached 488 for four wickets with captain Misbah-ul-Haq (29) and Asad Shafiq (one) at the crease.

Heavy passing showers interrupted play twice shortly before the lunch and tea breaks and only 44.2 overs were bowled all day, with Pakistan adding 154 runs and losing three wickets.

Sri Lanka managed to snap up two wickets during the curtailed afternoon session when they dismissed Younus Khan (32) and Azhar Ali (157) - both wickets falling to the spinners.

Younus’ innings was ended by left-arm spinner Rangana Herath who trapped him lbw on the sweep to a straight ball pitching on middle and off.

Azhar equalled his career best test score of 157 but his marathon knock came to an end shortly before the rain came down when he tried to reverse sweep a delivery from Suraj Randiv.

The resulting top edge was held at backward point by Nuwan Kulasekera ending a 7-1/2 hour innings that included only nine boundaries and spanned 295 balls. It took Azhar an hour to move from 94 to 100 and his third test ton in the morning session.

Earlier, Pakistan lost opener Hafeez on 196, as they looked to build on their first day total of 334 for one before rain forced the players off for an early lunch 10 minutes before the scheduled break.

Right-handed Hafeez, unbeaten on 172 overnight, attempted a sweep shot against Herath but missed the line of the ball and had his leg stump uprooted. Hafeez, who hit 20 fours and a six during his 331-ball knock, departed after batting for more than seven hours.

His exit ended a second-wicket stand of 287 with Azhar, who remained unbeaten on 121 at the break. Azhar completed his third test hundred with a ferocious cut off Nuwan Pradeep to the point boundary.—Reuters

COLOMBO: Pakistan’s batsman Azhar Ali (left) plays a shot in front of Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene (right) and captain Mahela Jayawardene during the second day of their second Test cricket match.—AP

SCOREBOARD COLOMBO: Scoreboard at the close on the second day of the second test between Sri Lanka and Pakistan yesterday: Pakistan first innings (overnight 334-1) Mohammad Hafeez b Herath 196 Umar c P.Jayawardene b Mathews 65 Azhar Ali c Kulasekera b Randiv 157 Younus Khan lbw b Herath 32 Misbah-ul-Haq not out 29 Asad Shafiq not out 1 Extras: (lb-4, w-1, nb-3) 8 Total: (four wickets, 134.2 overs) 488 Fall of wickets: 1-78 2-365 3-435 4-486

Still to bat: Adnan Akmal, Abdur Rehman, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema, Junaid Khan Bowling (to date): Kulasekera 27-6-84-0, Mathews 15-1-55-1 (nb-1), Pradeep 21.2-3-860 (nb-2, w-1), Randiv 25-0-107-1, Herath 45-5143-2, Dilshan 1-0-9-0.

Sri Lanka: T.Dilshan, T.Paranavitana, K.Sangakkara, M.Jayawardene (captain), T.Samaraweera, A.Mathews, P.Jayawardene, N.Kulasekara, R.Herath, N.Pradeep, S.Randiv.

Keselowski pulls away for Kentucky win SPARTA: On his very first practice lap at Kentucky Speedway on Friday, Brad Keselowski wrecked his best car. What could have been a devastating blow, ended up being a curious blessing.

Driving his backup, Keselowski raced to his series-leading third victory of the year Saturday night, grabbing the lead with 55 laps remaining and holding off all challengers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway. “It wasn’t the newest car we got, but it runs,” Keselowski said.

The 28-year-old from Rochester Hills, Mich., picked up his seventh win in his five years on the circuit.

He won earlier this year at Bristol and Talladega. He gave all the credit for the latest victory to his team.

“They put together a backup car from last year in 100-degree heat in one hour’s time to get me back on the track,” he marveled.

Kasey Kahne rode a late surge to second place, 4.399 seconds back of the winner. So well was Keselowski running that Kahne, despite his fast finish, knew he

Group photo of officials and female shooters

needed help to catch him.

“I just hoped he’d run out of gas,” Kahne said, grinning. “No way I was catching him. We had stopped (for a fill-up) and I was hoping he’d shut down.”

Keselowski had just enough fuel to finish.

Crew chief Paul Wolfe called the quick turnaround in cars “probably the toughest weekend our team has ever had up to this point.”

“I’m just really proud of everybody on this team, to pull out a backup car after having that crash on the first lap on the track just says a lot about all these guys,” he said. “To be able to have a backup car that is capable of winning a race says a lot.”

While registering his 16th career top-five finish in the 267-lap race, Keselowski, who led for 68 total laps, ended a lull over the past four starts where he had failed to crack the top 10.

He was driving his backup car after slamming the right side of his top car into the wall in the wake of a collision with Juan Pablo

Montoya during practice Friday.

He admitted that he felt he had been “pushed around” by Montoya on the practice lap and reacted angrily. He hinted that maybe he channeled that anger into the big race.

Denny Hamlin was third, Dale Earnhardt Jr. four th and Jeff Gordon fifth. Hamlin announced a new agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing on his Twitter account just before the start.

“It’s a great day,” he said. “When you know you’re locked in where you’re going to race for really long time, it’s a good feeling. Those guys (at JGR) have given me a championship-caliber racing team.”

A year after severe traffic congestion resulted in thousands of angry fans, there were few glitches after the track and government officials widened ramps and roads and added 20,000 parking spaces.

Defending champion Kyle Busch dominated for most of the first half of the race before he bumped into the wall and a broken shock absorber dropped him off

the pace. “We salvaged a heck of a finish for what all we had to go through,” said Busch, who ended up 10th. With an uncharacteristic white paint job on his Chevrolet, pole -sitter and five -time Cup champ Jimmie Johnson led at the 200-lap mark but fell back all the way to 11th due to a flat tire. He rebounded to sixth. “Up front in clean air that thing was blistering fast,” he said of his car. “I got back in traffic and just couldn’t go anywhere.”

Matt Kenseth, in action for the first time since announcing that he was leaving Roush Fenway Racing after the season, surged late to place seventh. Rounding out the top 10 were Martin Truex Jr., A.J. Allmendinger and Busch.

Kenseth maintained his lead in the season point standings by 11 points over Earnhardt. Keselowski is 10th. Suddenly, Keselowski was getting questions about whether he might be able to make a run at the season title. “We just have to keep winning,” he said. Yeah, but with which car?—AP

Group photo of officials and male shooters

Shooting tourney concludes

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The late Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem AlHumoud Al-Sabah Cup Tournament came to a conclusion Saturday evening under the patronage of President of Asian and Kuwait Shooting Federations, Vice President of ISSF Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah. The tournament which was in the skeet, trap, 10m pistol and rifle, marks the start of the Sheikh Saad Olympic Shooting Academy.

The closing ceremony was attended by KSSC Treasurer Essa Butaiban, Assistant Secretary General Eng. Mohammad Al-Ghurba, Assistant Treasurer Adnan Al-Ibrahim and board member Mohammad Mustafa Karam.

Sheikh Salman said in a statement following the ceremony that Kuwait shooters Abdallah Al-Rashidi,

Fuhaid Al-Daihani, Talal Al-Rashidi and Mariam Erzouqi are holding a training camp in Serbia in a preparation for the London 2012 Olympics.

He said the Kuwait Shooting Federation is keen on providing all that is necessary to allow its shooters represent Kuwait at their best. Sheikh Salman gave special thanks to the Public Authority for Youth and Sports and its Chairman Major General (rt) Faisal Al-Jazaf for their support.

He said that Sheikh Saad Olympic Shooting Academy has become an important source of talented Kuwaiti shooters that join Kuwaiti national teams participating in regional and international events. KSSC Assistant Secretary Eng Mohammad Al-Ghurba said the tournament carries the name of a Kuwaiti personality who contributed to the country’s development, and is dear to the shooting sport community as he supported it both morally and

materially, he is the Late Sheikh Sabah Al-Salem AlHumoud Al-Sabah, and his family has continued this support.

Results of the tournament are as follows: In men’s skeet: Fawaz Al-Ruwaih, Mohammad Al-Ruwaih and Ahmad Mulla Ali In men’s trap: Mohammad Al-Rashidi, Hamid Me’zi and Nasser Al-Khalid In men’s 10m pistol: Ahmad Al-Atiya, Ali Al-Hilal, Abdelhamid Al-Ali In men’s 10 m rifle: Rashid Al-Shimmari, Abdelaziz Al-Mutairi and Ali Al-Duwaili In the women’s 10 m rifle: Asmaa Al-Qatami, Dana Al-Judaie and Zahraa AlHilal.

Sheikh Salman hands a shooter his prize

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

SPORTS

18 Euro 2012 briefs

Deschamps next for French poisoned chalice?

Motta nearly misses bus Italy midfielder Thiago Motta yesterday nearly missed the bus taking the team to the final of Euro 2012, television pictures broadcast by UEFA showed.

The door to the Azzurri’s bus was closed when the Brazil-born star ran out of the team hotel and was able to get on board just in time, as a dozen or so hotel staff who had turned out to wish them well looked on with grins on their faces.

Italy are hoping to prevent holders Spain from retaining their title in the match, which kicks off at 1845 GMT in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

Protesters strip Six members of the Ukrainian feminist group Femen held a bare-breasted protest in Kiev yesterday against a visit by Belarussian strongman Alexander Lukashenko to watch the Euro 2012 final.

The women stripped off their tops in front of Kiev’s Olympic stadium that hosted the football final, with several wearing balaclavas and brandishing rubber batons in a reference to Lukashenko’s crackdowns on protesters.

One woman sported a wig and a fake moustache to make her resemble the man once described by the United States as “Europe’s last dictator”, who is subject to a European Union-wide travel ban over rights abuses.

Several women displayed the slogan “Respect, KGB, UEFA” scrawled on their bare chests, criticising the tournament’s organisers for tolerating Lukashenko’s presence.

Ban for Nasri UEFA president Michel Platini on Saturday said that a two-year suspension from the national side for France forward Samir Nasri for a foulmouthed tirade against journalists would be “ridiculous and shameful”. “If I was suspended every time I had insulted a journalist, I’d never have had so many caps.

For Samir Nasri, I’ve heard talk of a two-year suspension. That would be ridiculous and shameful,” the former France captain told a news conference.

The executive committee of the French Football Federation is to decide on Tuesday whether to sanction any of the national team’s players for their behaviour during Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

France crashed out to holders Spain in the quarterfinals but their participation was marked by apparent in-fighting in the dressing room and culminated with a tirade of abuse by Nasri after the game against La Roja.

Special award European football’s governing body is to give a special award to fans of the Republic of Ireland for their behaviour in Euro 2012 co-host Poland, UEFA’s secretary-general, Gianni Infantino, said on Saturday. “The executive committee has decided to give a special award to the Irish football fans,” he told a news conference in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, on the eve of the Euro 2012 final between holders Spain and Italy.

PARIS: France’s World Cup and Eurowinning captain Didier Deschamps is seen as the favorite to become the fifth national team coach in the past 10 years after Laurent Blanc decided not to accept a new contract.

But if confirmed, 43-year-old Deschamps, once witheringly described as a “water carrier” by Eric Cantona, would be taking on what increasingly looks like a poisoned chalice after a torrid recent history for the 1998 world champions.

Euro 2000-winner Roger Lemerre stepped down after France failed to exit the group stage at the 2002 World Cup; Jacques Santini, left after Euro 2004 for an ill-fated sojourn at Spurs; and Raymond Domenech went in 2010 after a rollercoaster six years.

Should Deschamps take over, he would at least be able to continue the hard work that Blanc had put in since replacing the largely unloved Domenech after the 2010 World Cup debacle, which compounded a disastrous Euro 2008 campaign.

On paper, Deschamps is seen as having the right credentials for the job, with a stellar playing career followed by a laudable one as a coach, not least after he guided Monaco to a surprise appearance in the 2004 Champions League final.

He also coached his former club Juventus back to Serie A after their demotion in 2006 for match-fixing. He then left for Marseille, the club he captained and with whom he won the 1993 European Cup trophy as well as guided to a first Ligue 1 title in 18 years in 2010.

France’s Sunday newspapers, though, largely viewed Deschamps as the “least worst” option.

Others, such as present Oman coach Paul Le Guen, was reportedly sounded out by French Football Federation President Noel Le Graet even before the Euro but he does not inspire much enthusiasm within France.

Le Journal du Dimanche said Le Graet, who is up for re-election in December, was prepared to offer the new coach a two-year contract, with

another two if France qualify for the 2014 World Cup from a group containing defending champions Spain.

The weekly said Le Graet has few options, as his fantasy choice of Arsene Wenger was rebuffed because the wily Arsenal coach wants to stay at the north London club, while Le Guen has also declined.

“The favorite by default is Didier Deschamps, who is going to leave Marseille,” the newspaper said. “He was sounded out a few days ago by an intermediary, his assistant Guy Stephan, who knows Le Graet well (the former has a house in the Breton town of Guingamp, where Le Graet served two terms as mayor). This option is an intriguing one.” But the publication added: “It is a marriage that goes against logic. Le Graet has never appreciated what he saw as negative lobbying by the 1998 World Cup generation during the Domenech era.

“And he most certainly does not want to hear the name of Jean-Pierre Bernes (agent of Blanc and Deschamps

as well as several key players), of whom he has never had anything but a sulphurous view.

“In this case the former captain of the world and European champions is much closer to his agent than Blanc is.”

The main question may well be financial, after Deschamps informed Marseille in May that he did not want to see out the remaining two years of his contract.

But now he seems to be the favourite, reports suggested that cashstrapped Marseille could try to benefit and seek remuneration from the FFF, just as Bordeaux did successfully when Blanc left two years ago.

Sports daily L’Equipe claimed that as national team coach, Deschamps would see his monthly salary reduced from 300,000 euros to 100,000 euros, although money was not an issue.

“Money has never been the motivating factor with the national side with whom he has experienced the most heartstopping moments of his career,” it added. —AFP

Poland, Ukraine hail image boost as Euro 2012 ends KIEV: Euro 2012 draws to a close with the final ending football’s first major foray behind the former Iron Curtain that has given a welcome image boost to the co-hosts.

Even before the first match of the 16-team tournament kicked-off in Warsaw on June 8, there had been widespread concerns about the wisdom of handing European football’s showpiece tournament to Poland and Ukraine.

Not only were there fears about the readiness of the eight match venues or key transport and other infrastructure but also the cost for fans, with some hotels ramping up prices, particularly in Ukraine.

The threat of racist violence also loomed large, after the BBC aired a television documentary showing farright groups at stadiums making Nazi salutes and monkey noises at black players, as well as an attack on a group of Asian students.

European countries, meanwhile, threatened to boycott matches in Ukraine in protest at Kiev’s alleged mistreatment of former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is in jail on what her supporters claim are politically-motivated corruption charges.

But while there have been some problems, including racist chanting from foreign fans and some crowd trouble away from stadiums, notably between historic rivals Poland and Russia, the worst fears have not materialised. Instead, the focus has remained mostly on the pitch, with high-quality matches with the continent’s best players reflected in record television viewing figures in Europe and around the world, as well as high Internet traffic to official websites.

“The overwhelming feeling I have today is pride,” Michel Platini, the president of European football’s governing body, UEFA, told a news conference in Kiev on Saturday.

“Pride for Poland and Ukraine, so often decried but who proved they were up to the task by putting on such a great tournament. And pride for the people of Poland and Ukraine, who were such wonderful hosts.”

The financial benefits of hosting such “mega-events” are a source of debate for economists. But Polish and Ukrainian authorites have both said the tournament and influx of hundreds of thousands of foreign fans have had a positive effect.

For Poland, the competition has gone a long way to overhauling the country’s stereotyped image abroad of cold, grey, communist-era blight. “We have succeeded on a global scale,” Warsaw mayor Hanna GronkiewiczWaltz told uefa.com. “Warsaw and Poland have never been so prominent in the international media and the consciousness of people worldwide.”

A recent survey of more than 1,000 foreign fans by independent pollsters PBS indicated that 73 percent said they would come back within three years, while 89 percent said they would recommend Warsaw to family and friends.

Some even compared Euro 2012 to the groundbreaking recognition of the Solidarity trade union led

by Lech Walesa in 1980 that triggered a wave of anticommunist sentiment and ultimately played a part in the collapse of the eastern bloc.

Poland’s Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper said Euro 2012 “will go down in history as the first big celebration involving virtually all of society since the festival of Solidarity”. For Ukraine, which gained independence 21 years ago, there were similar benefits.

Ukrainian football federation president Grigory Surkis said Euro 2012 had brought “valuable benefits for generations of Ukrainians with infrastructure, hotels and airports”. On a human level, tournament organiser for Ukraine Markiyan Lubkyvskiy said: “Ukrainian fans and Ukrainians as a whole have shown themselves to be a kind nation, open to the world. “Possibly this has been the most unexpected thing in the whole tournament.” —AFP

KIEV: General view showing the closing ceremony of the Euro 2012 football championships before the final match Spain vs Italy. —AFP

UEFA boss lays out plans for multi-country finals KIEV: UEFA soccer supremo Michel Platini ignited a debate over the future of the European Championship on Saturday as Italy and Spain prepared to do battle in the keenly awaited final of the current edition on Sunday in Kiev.

The tournament in Poland and Ukraine, the biggest sporting event in eastern Europe since the fall of the iron curtain, has been a roaring success despite off the field rows over racist fans and the jailing of a Ukrainian opposition leader.

Looking ahead, however, many commentators have voiced concern that UEFA’s move to expand the next tournament in France in four years’ time to 24 teams from 16 will dilute the quality of the competition. Platini, who won the tournament with France as a player in 1984, also threw doubt on expectations that Turkey would host the 2020 edition, outlining ideas instead for a multi-country tournament spread across 12 to 13 cities.

“The Euros in 2020 could be held all over Europe,” the head of the European game’s governing body

UEFA told a news conference.

“You could have one country with 12 host cities, or we could have it in 12 or 13 cities all over Europe. It is just an idea, but in these days of cheap air travel anything is possible,” Platini said, adding a decision would be made by January.

The co-hosting of this year’s tournament in cities as much as 1900 km apart have forced fans and teams to use air travel more than in previous editions without evidently undermining the party atmosphere in the host cities. Poland’s city centre party zones have played host to almost 3 million fans in the past month and as many as 140,000 are expected to watch Sunday’s final in the fan zone in central Kiev.

A record 1.3 million fans have watched the games in the stadiums themselves but 2,000 tickets were still on sale for the final itself as of Friday night. Thoughts in both host countries are also turning to the financial aftermath of a tournament which has cost tens of billions of euros in new roads, stadiums and infrastructure. The head of Kiev’s

KIEV: (From left) Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Monti, UEFA President Michel Platini and Spain’s Prince Felipe attend the Euro 2012 football championships final match Spain vs Italy. —AFP

city government Olexander Popov said there would be no immediate financial return. “The biggest profit we can receive from the Euros is a positive image and reputation of the country and the city,” he told state television. “One should assess returns from hosting the championship in 1.5-2 years after the Euros.” Both finalists are already in Ukraine and are expected to be joined by abrout 20,000 fans from Italy and Spain, travelling in spite of an economic crisis at home to which Euro 2012 has provided a welcome distraction.

Spain are seeking to cement their place among soccer’s great teams with a third major title on the trot after victory in the World Cup in South Africa and the last European finals in Austria and Switzerland four years ago. But a defeat, at the end of a tournament in which their “tiki-taka” possession football has rarely raised the pulses of fans, would lead to a more modest evaluation of Vicente Del Bosque’s team’s place in the game’s hierarchy.

Italy, who last won the European Championship in 1968, by contrast have confounded expectations with positive, dynamic play and a potent attack led by the temperamental talent of Mario Balotelli. A double from the 21-year old striker saw them upset a much-fancied young Germany side in the semi-finals in Warsaw on Thursday and was a stark contrast to Spain’s victory on penalties over Portugal after a dull 0-0 draw.

The teams met in the group stage with the game ending 1-1.

“We haven’t to be afraid of them,” said Italy coach Cesare Prandelli, arguing his team was stronger than Spain in that game. “We have improved, both physically and psychologically.” —Reuters

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

SPORTS

19

5 Best Goals at Euro KIEV: Heading into yesterday’s European Championship final between Spain and Italy, 72 goals had been scored by the 16 teams that took part. Here’s our pick of the top five (hoping, of course, that goals in the final might be even better):

Iniesta, Spain ready to accept ‘greatest’ mantle KIEV: ‘The Greatest’ Muhammad Ali once said he “floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee” and now he seems to have found a worthy successor, although not in the ring.

Ali was astonishingly light on his feet for a heavyweight, while his footwork and movement was grace itself. And yet his wicked hand speed ensured he also had a knock-out punch capable of felling even the mighty George Foreman.

And now in the form of Andres Iniesta there is a footballer whose own skills and prowess seem a match for the Louisville Lip. Although slight of frame and quiet of temperament, Iniesta is a different proposition once his boots are laced up.

With a feint here or a shimmy there he creates half a yard of space even when surrounded by two or three opponents. And then with a burst of accel-

eration he darts through a gap and into the space between midfield and defence, sending panicked centrehalves into an awkward back-peddle as his eyes dance around in search of a supporting red shirt.

With the precision, accuracy and venom of an Ali punch he fires a perfectly weighted pass into his supporting runner’s path as the opponents’ defence parts like the Red Sea. In fact, it was a sea of red shirts that overwhelmed Italy in the Euro 2012 final here yesterday.

Small, nippy but technically perfect Spaniards zipped passes around as the otherwise talented Italians failed to get a foothold in the game.

Iniesta was the tormentor in chief, ably aided by his fellow architect Xavi as the pair fed the likes of willing runners Cesc Fabregas and David Silva, not to mention the gallopping full-back Jordi Alba.

Iniesta was the man-of-the-match, but after a low-key showing in the semifinal against Portugal Xavi was back to his normal self and ran him close this time. Each one was at his most immeasurably majestic in the first half when Spain opened up an unassailable 2-0 lead. Iniesta it was who carved up the Italian defence for Silva’s 14th-minute opener, delaying his pass to perfection to put Fabregas in behind Giorgio Chiellini, before the makeshift forward fired a cross at Silva’s head. The diminutive Manchester City winger reacted just quickly enough to direct the ball under the bar.

Almost as if he felt motivated by the challenge laid down by his club and international colleague, on 41 minutes Xavi produced an even better pass, delayed it even longer and weighted it even more perfectly for Alba to streak beyond the ponderous Italy backline

and beat Gianluigi Buffon with consummate ease. In fact, Spain as a whole seemed to be driven by defiant conviction and late efforts from Fernando Torres and Juan Mata further underlined their superiority.

Stung by accusations of waning powers and a boring style they were a team on a mission.

Dazzling in possession, rapier in their attacks, regal in their control of proceedings, this was the moment to lay down their law.

Any reports of the empire’s demise were very much mistaken. In defeating Italy, Spain thus became the first ever side to win three major tournaments in a row-notwithstanding the debateable claims of Uruguay’s 1923-24 Copa America double and Olympic Games gold-and cement themselves as perhaps the only side able to rival the great Brazil of 1970.—AFP

DANNY WELBECK’S FLICK The Manchester United forward scored only once for England at Euro 2012, but his goal was brilliant for its cunning and exquisite timing. With England and Sweden tied at 2 in the 78th minute of their June 15 group stage match, winger Theo Walcott sent in a cross. His back to the goal, Welbeck met the ball with his right leg and flicked it behind him with his heel, stunning Sweden goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson. A top-five selection because the 21-year-old Welbeck’s execution was astounding and the goal secured the win for England.

Alba joins Spanish title club

MADRID: A supporter of the Spanish national football team reacts as she watches the Euro 2012 Championships final football match between Spain and Italy.—AFP

Crisis? What crisis? Spain rejoices MADRID: In an explosion of redand-yellow joy, Spanish fans burst into chants of “Champions, Champions!” yesterday to greet a thumping Euro 2012 win that briefly dispersed the clouds of economic crisis. Young and old joined in the celebrations, flying the national flag in their hands, from car windows and off the back of motorbikes while beeping their horns to celebrate a history-making 4-0 victory over Italy.

Spain’s red-and-yellow colours were everywhere: painted on faces, decorating wigs, on banners draped over fans’ shoulders, wrapped

around hips and on two-euro ($2.50) flags waved by old and young. Tens of thousands followed the action on giant screens in an official fan zone outside Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium, as Spain took an unprecedented third straight international football title.

Others swilled beers, cheering and gasping in bars across the nation as the thriller unfolded on television. “Today the whole country is united as one and everyone is in the Euro. And the crisis? No-one is thinking about the crisis,” said 23year-old business student Miguel Revert outside a central Madrid

sports bar. Cries of “Campeones, Campeones (Champions, Champions)” began echoing through Madrid’s streets from halftime when Spain were already 2-0 up in a game many agreed was their best of the tournament.

In Madrid’s fan zone, crowds joined in an uproar of delight as Spain scored their first goal and the celebrations grew as the score board kept notching up the victory tally.

“We’re going to win this game,” they cried as each goal swept the defending champions nearer to the title.—AFP

KIEV: Jordi Alba came into the European Championship as the only player in Spain’s 23-man squad without a single trophy to his name but now the marauding left-back has surely won the first of many.

The 23-year-old only became a first team regular at this tournament, with six of his 11 caps coming during the last month in Poland and Ukraine climaxing with a super goal in the 4-0 thumping of Italy in the final here yesterday.

Having played only once in the qualification campaign, Alba has now made the Spanish left-back slot his property.

And to see him streaking down the line, head back, arms pumping in full gallop, it is easy to see why.

There is more than just a touch of Roberto Carlos about Alba. He has searing pace, a willingness to run and the confidence to charge down the line with reckless abandon.

His goal on 41 minutes was symptomatic of that style, although created and aided by the sheer brilliance of one of his more illustrious team-mates. Alba set off like a whippet from deep but once he went, there was no looking back. The Italy defence took half a second to mobilise but by then it was too late, Ignazio Abate had no chance of staying with him.

Master orchestrator Xavi glided forwards, delaying his pass until the perfect moment, fizzing the ball into Alba’s path just as he broke beyond the backline.

Onside, one-on-one with the best goalkeeper in the world, Gianluigi Buffon, Alba showed nerves of steel and a cultured left foot to boot. He stroked the ball beyond Buffon’s grasp and notched the killer second that gave Spain comfortable breathing space. They were in complete control by that point and there was never a chance that they would relinquish it.

It was Alba’s first goal in the red of Spain and his universal role in the goal-from his forward burst to his cool head to his classy finish-gave the watching world a glimpse of why Barcelona have just paid 14 million euros to secure his services. Alba looks like he will provide the ideal foil to Brazilian right-back Dani Alves. Barcelona had been rumored to be tempted to bid for Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, but at a third of the price, every bit as good and Spanish to boot, Alba ticked all Barca’s boxes.

Those who had watched him throughout the competition would not have been surprised by his contribution in the final, he is almost certain to be named in the team of the tournament. Already in the quarter-final against France he had given warning of his ability, and Italy should have taken note. Then it was another equally lung-busting acceleration from deep that left Mathieu Debuchy scrambling in his wake, after which he looked up, spotted Xabi Alonso and planted the ball on his head for the Real Madrid man to head Spain into the lead. Alba may have only broken his trophy duck on Sunday but now playing for the best club and the best country in the world, he is sure to add to his tally by the bucketload in the years ahead. And with this new kid on the block, anyone hoping for a decline in either Spain or Barcelona’s fortunes will likely be left greatly disappointed. Alba may very well prove before long to be the best left-back in the world.—AFP

Casillas revels in historic triumph

MADRID: Supporters of the Spanish national football team react as they watch the Euro 2012 Championships final football match between Spain and Italy.—AP

KIEV: After lifting the Euro 2012 trophy to make history as the skipper of the first team to win three consecutive major finals, Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas said the last four years had been a ‘wonderful’ journey. The 31-year-old Real Madrid shot stopper was on hand to keep out the relatively little that Italy managed to throw at him as La Furia Roja ran out 4-0 victors for the biggest winning margin in the tournament’s history, allowing Spain to become the first nation to retain the trophy.

With yesterday’s win sandwiching the 2010 World Cup, Casillas was ecstatic afterwards. “This is such a truly wonderful moment. The second goal from Jordi (Alba) clinched it really,” he told Telecinco television. “It’s been four marvellous years. You might think that a 4-0 margin against Italy means it was easy - but we have been gradually stepping up as the tournament went along.”

There had been criticism of Spain and their coach Vicente del Bosque for playing much of the tournament without a true striker and again it fell to Cesc Fabregas to adopt the ‘false nine’ role in the final, until Fernando Torres came on to net the third and then set up the fourth for fellow substitute Juan Mata.—AFP

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC’S FAREWELL Sweden was already eliminated when it played France on June 19 in Group D, but its towering frontman was determined to go out with a bang. With a roundhouse kick Bruce Lee would have been proud of, Ibrahimovic met Sebastian Larsson’s cross and threw himself nearly sideways in the air to volley the ball with his right foot past Hugo Lloris.

SUBLIME DAVID SILVA Controlling the ball 12 yards out, the nippy Spain midfielder faced a seemingly impenetrable wall of three Ireland defenders blocking his route to goal. So he improvised, dancing right then left before hitting the ball with pinpoint precision past one defender, through the legs of two others, and beyond goalkeeper Shay Given. It was Spain’s second goal in a 4-0 Group C win on June 14.

Laser-like.

SPAIN’S ONLY LAPSE The same team Spainl faced yesterday, Italy, was also the only team that managed to score against the world and defending European champions at Euro 2012. Antonio Di Natale’s chip past Iker Casillas in the 61st minute of their opening Group C match on June 10 wasn’t the prettiest goal of Euro 2012, but it’s a top five pick for its rarity.

COOL-HAND DUKES Having the gall to softly chip a penalty over a diving goalkeeper, rather than firing to his left or right, is such the height of cool that this technique is named after its pioneer, Antonin Panenka. He used it to win the 1976 European Championship for Czechoslovakia against West Germany in a penalty shootout. At Euro 2012, Andrea Pirlo did it in Italy’s quarterfinal shootout victory over England, and Sergio Ramos performed a “panenka” to help defending champion Spain beat Portugal in their semifinal penalty shootout. Brave.—AP

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

Majestic

KIEV: The defense was impenetrable. The offense was unstoppable. Simply put, it was another Spanish party on the international stage.

Spain won its third straight major soccer title yesterday, routing Italy 4-0 in the European Championship final and making it look all too easy.

David Silva and Jordi Alba scored first-half goals, and substitutes Fernando Torres and Juan Mata added two more in the final minutes as the Spanish passing game worked its magic against the Italians at the Olympic Stadium.

Silva headed in a high shot in the 14th minute off a pass from Cesc Fabregas. And Alba added another in the 41st, picking up a beautiful through ball from Xavi Hernandez and shooting past Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Torres, who came on for Fabregas in the 75th minute, added the third goal with an easy finish and Mata really put the game away in the 88th, knocking in a pass from Torres.

“They were a great rival, but we took control of the game as time went by,” Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said. Spain won the Euro 2008 title four years ago in Vienna and followed that up with the World Cup title in Johannesburg two years ago.

“They had made history before, and I could now,” said Alba, who has played only nine matches for Spain. “I don’t believe it but little by little it is sinking in.”

Spain march to glory

Torres also scored the lone goal in the 1-0 win over Germany in 2008, making him the first man to score in two European Championship finals. Not only has Spain won every knockout game since losing to France in the second round of the 2006 World Cup, but goalkeeper Iker Casillas hasn’t allowed a goal in that 10-game span. The last player to beat him is such an important match was Zinedine Zidane, and he retired after that tournament. Yesterday’s win was a record 100th for Casillas in international soccer. Spain was the favorite heading into the match, but also seemed primed for a loss after being held to a 1-1 draw by the Italians in their opening Group C match.

Spain, which has been experimenting with a lineup that excludes a recognized striker, needed a penalty shootout to reach the final after a 0-0 tie with Portugal in the semifinals.

The controversial lineup, which Del Bosque again employed yesterday, is akin to playing in the Super Bowl without a running back. Sure, you can still score touchdowns, but you give up on the chance for a game-breaking play.

Spain did just fine without the strikers, but they did even better when Torres came on. Although he has struggled both for Spain and Chelsea recently - and was relegated to the bench for four of the six games at Euro 2012 - Torres came on Sunday and made a difference.

But as good as the play was up front for Spain, it was the

steady hands of Casillas at the back that likely preserved the victory. Casillas made a point-blank save on a shot from Antonio Di Natale at the start of the second half, and twice tipped crosses out of danger just before the Italians could get their heads to the ball. With every save, and of course with every goal, the huge group of Spain supporters cheered and screamed. The red-shirted fans dominated one corner of the stadium, filling up more than six sections of the Olympic Stadium. On the opposite side, the blue-clad Italians were far outnumbered, with dozens of empty yellow seats poking through the mass of supporters.

The political aspect of the game involved several heads of state. Italian Premier Mario Monti, along with other EU leaders, had said they would not travel to Ukraine for the tournament because of the politically tainted jailing of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. But that didn’t stop him from attending the final in Kiev.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy also attended the match, and got to watch as his players celebrated with confetti and fireworks when they lifted yet another major trophy.—AP

Now, for Euro 2016...

Previous winners KIEV: Winners of the European Championships after Spain won the 2012 edition here yesterday: 1960: USSR 1964: Spain 1968: Italy 1972: West Germany 1976: Czechoslovakia 1980: West Germany 1984: France 1988: Netherlands 1992: Denmark 1996: Germany 2000: France 2004: Greece 2008: Spain 2012: Spain

KIEV: Euro 2012 ended in Kiev yesterday with a mouth-watering final between holders Spain and Italy. But thoughts are already turning to the next edition in France in 2016.

The main change from this time round will be that the number of teams will increase from the current 16 to 24.

The venues Euro 2016 in France is causing few worries for European football’s governing body UEFA after organising the tournament in Poland and Ukraine caused some headaches but finally went off well.

Which stadiums will be used, though, remains more troublesome.

Eleven grounds were initially chosen but with Nancy pulling out there are now 10: Paris, Saint-Denis, Lille, Lens, Lyon, Saint-Etienne, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux and Toulouse.

The recent decision of Paris SaintGermain to remain at a renovated

Parc des Princes lifted one doubt about the availability of stadiums in 2016.

But two others remain: in Lens, where the funding of refurbishment is posing a problem, and in Lyon, where the general interest statement for the proposed stadium could be cancelled.

UEFA president Michel Platini told AFP in March, however, he is not concerned. “We know we can do it with nine or eight stadiums,” he said.

The teams The European championships will be played for the first time with 24 teams. There are 53 national federations in UEFA, which means that nearly half of all members will take part in the group stages of the finals.

That virtually guarantees the presence of all the major footballing nations on the continent but quality could be affected.

This year, only the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland, who played in

the hardest-fought groups, finished the group phase with three defeats.

With only one organising country and more participants, the major powers are theoretically better protected from the risk of being drawn in a “group of death”.

But the worry is seeing a pool phase where only the cream rises to the top, with interest in only the best 16 teams fighting it out from the quarter-final stage.

The other question mark hangs over the qualification system for the quarter-finals, which has not yet been decided. Platini, again, is unperturbed.

“I’ve taken part in World Cups with 24 teams. There were six groups of four. The first two qualified with the four best third-placed for the quarters,” he said.—AFP

Top scorers 3 Fernando Torres (Spain) Mario Gomez (Germany) Alan Dzagoyev (Russia) Mario Mandzukic (Croatia) Mario Balotelli (Italy) Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) 2 Petr Jiracek (Czech Republic) Vaclav Pilar (Czech Republic) Nicklas Bendtner (Denmark) Michael Krohn-Dehli (Denmark) Dimitris Salpingidis (Greece) Xabi Alonso (Spain) Cesc Fabregas (Spain) David Silva (Spain) Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden) Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine) 1 Nikica Jelavic (Croatia) Andy Carroll (England) Joleon Lescott (England) Wayne Rooney (England) Theo Walcott (England) Danny Welbeck (England) Yohan Cabaye (France) Jeremy Menez (France) Samir Nasri (France) Lars Bender (Germany) Sami Khedira (Germany) Miroslav Klose (Germany) Philipp Lahm (Germany) Mesut Ozil (Germany) Lukas Podolski (Germany) Marco Reus (Germany) Fanis Gekas (Greece) Giorgos Karagounis (Greece) Giorgos Samaras (Greece) Sean St. Ledger (Ireland) Antonio Cassano (Italy) Antonio Di Natale (Italy) Andrea Pirlo (Italy) Robin van Persie (Netherlands) Rafael van der Vaart (Netherlands) Jakub Blaszczykowski (Poland) Robert Lewandowski (Poland) Pepe (Portugal) Helder Postiga (Portugal) Silvestre Varela (Portugal) Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia) Roman Shirokov (Russia) Jordi Alba (Spain) Juan Mata (Spain) Jesus Navas (Spain) Sebastian Larsson (Sweden) Olof Mellberg (Sweden)

Oman’s first Islamic bank hopes to post profit in 2014 Page 22

Australia’s contentious carbon tax row in focus Page 24

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

China manufacturing falls to 7-month low Page 25

Indian PM raises hopes of fresh economic reforms Page 23

MOSCOW: Supporters of communists and nationalists parties shout anti-government slogans during a rally against joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Moscow yesterday. Two-thousand people gathered in Moscow to protest against WTO. —AP

Global investors muscle in on big Gulf issues Bahrain, MAF issues see high global allocations DUBAI: Investors from outside the Gulf have muscled in on two big bond issues from the region, taking very high portions of the debt on offer - a sign of international confidence in the region, but a source of frustration for some locals who wanted to buy more. Just 43 percent of Bahrain’s 10year, $1.5 billion sovereign bond, issued last Wednesday, was placed in the Middle East. Thirty-two percent went to investors in Europe including Britain, 14 percent to the United States, and 11 percent to Asia, according to official data.

By contrast, 63 percent of Bahrain’s last international debt market outing, a sevenyear, $750 million sukuk in November, was placed in the Middle East. And Middle Eastern investors were allocated just 19 percent of last week’s other big bond deal in the Gulf, the seven-year, $500 million issue from Dubai-based mall developer Majid Al-Futtaim Holding.

Britain took 36 percent of MAF’s bond, Europe 25 percent and Asia 20 percent, leaving regional investors who wanted to diversify their portfolios with one of the Gulf ’s very few privately owned, investment-grade credits to pick it up in the sec-

ondary market.

In comparison, MAF’s debut international issue, a $400 million sukuk sold in February, saw 54 percent allocated to the Middle East. Local allocations may have been higher for the earlier issues of both Bahrain and MAF partly because those bonds were sukuk, and therefore attracted large pools of Islamic investment funds based in the Gulf.

Even so, the increase of international investor interest in Gulf issues over the last several months is striking, and reflects a growing perception of the region as something of a safe haven, given the low debt levels and comfortable budget surpluses of most of its governments, analysts said.

The safe-haven perception has extended even to Bahrain, which is running a budget deficit and faces serious social unrest. Foreign investors appear to have accepted the common perception in the Gulf that for geopolitical reasons, Saudi Arabia will continue to use its deep pockets to support Bahrain economically and politically if needed. “As the situation in Europe continues to go from bad to worse, investors are nervous, and we see them pay

even closer attention to the Gulf bond markets,” said Chavan Bhogaita, head of the markets strategy unit at National Bank of Abu Dhabi.

“The key rationale is simple - they are looking for opportunities to diversify their exposures away from Europe. The low correlation to current European issues, the underlying credit quality, and the yields on offer are compelling.”

While Gulf investors are encouraged by the growing foreign interest in the region’s market, which could improve liquidity, they see a risk of a negative impact: given the limited supply of new paper in the Gulf, severe shortages could develop for popular issues, which might become overpriced.

“It’s annoying. We have been busy buying the bonds in the secondary market due to the skewed allocations. The low distribution to Middle East ensures that the deal is supported in the secondary,” said one regional debt trader.

Bahrain’s new 2022 bond, issued at a price of 99.867, traded up to 100.55 on Friday, while the MAF bond rose from par to 100.90, traders said. So far, however, the signs are that issuers and lead managers

Air India pilot seats mum in cockpit: Report NEW DELHI: The pilot of an Air India passenger plane seated his mother in the cockpit for a domestic flight, refusing to take off without her after he could not get her a free ticket, a report said yesterday.

The pilot allegedly demanded that his mother be issued a “dummy boarding card” at Pune airport in western India and placed her in a jump seat reserved for the crew for the two-hour flight to the capital New Delhi.

“When the pilot insisted on taking his mother on board, the operations and commercial departments were informed,” an airport official told the Sunday Express. “The pilot threatened that he would not fly without his mother.”

The pilot said that his mother was sick and he could not leave her at the airport, the paper reported. “The GM (general manager)... investigated the matter after it was brought to my notice,” Air India chairman Rohit Nandan told the Express, adding that disciplinary action was being taken.

Air India pilots are allowed some free tickets for themselves and family members subject to seat availability. The duty manager’s report recorded that the fully-booked flight, with 122 passengers on board, was delayed for 20 minutes because of the incident.

An Air India spokeswoman told AFP yesterday that the airline was not immediately available for comment. — AFP

are unlikely to cut back on their allocations outside the region just to please Gulf investors. For pricing and reputational reasons, issuers are happy to attract heavy international buying; in Bahrain’s case, the heavy take-up from Europe appears to disprove any suggestion that the kingdom is dependent on Saudi investors to raise money.

“We were conscious that the issuer wanted to diversify the book as much as possible and from that perspective, it was a success,” said one banker who worked on the MAF transaction. Nick Stadtmiller, head of fixed income research at Emirates NBD, said international participation in Middle East bonds would rise further if the region could produce a bigger range of issuers.

“There is a relatively small core group of international investors who understand the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) fixed income space and have risk allocation to the sector,” Stadtmiller said. “Going forward, a wider base of bond and sukuk issuers in the GCC would provide both diversity and larger scale in the market, which could entice more global investors to consider investing here.” — Reuters

Qatar’s economy grew by 6.9% Q1: Report

AHMEDABAD: An Air India domestic flight takes off from Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport in Ahmedabad. The pilot of an Air India passenger plane seated his mother in the cockpit for a domestic flight, refusing to take off without her after he could not get her a free ticket, a report said yesterday.—AFP

DOHA: Qatar’s economy grew 6.9 percent year-on-year in inflationadjusted terms in the first quarter helped by a jump in the construction industry, the Gulf Arab state’s statistics authority said yesterday.

The world’s biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas also saw its real gross domestic product rising by 3.0 percent in January-March compared with the previous three months, the Qatar Statistics Authority said citing preliminary data.

Latest comparable growth rates for the final quarter of 2011 are not available, the authority said, as it has been revising the GDP data for 2011 and 2010. In March it originally reported GDP growth of 14.7 percent year-on-year for October-December 2011, which it revised to 14.8 percent in the following month. It put the quarter-on-quarter expansion at 4.6 percent in April.

Qatar expects its economic growth to slow to 4.5 percent in 2013, the weakest rate in a decade, the state planning authority said last week. The weakening global growth outlook and the euro zone debt crisis pose a risk to the OPEC member as they are affecting oil prices, it added.

It saw real GDP growth falling sharply to 6.2 percent in 2012 from a revised 14.1 percent last year as the impact of decades of expansion in its gas output levels off. Analysts polled

by Reuters in March forecast real GDP growth of 6.6 percent for 2012.

Oil and gas output, which accounts for around 58 percent of Qatar’s economy, increased 4.6 percent on an annual basis in constant prices in the first quarter, edging up just 0.6 percent quarter-on-quarter, the data showed. Construction, where activity is picking up ahead of the planned 2022 World Cup soccer tournament, saw output rising 6.1 percent year-on-year. But it soared by nearly 22 percent from the previous quarter, largely outpacing all other sectors.

Qatar, which has avoided the social unrest that rocked the Arab world last year, plans to boost government spending by 27 percent to $49 billion in the fiscal year that began in April. It plans to invest about $130 billion in its non-hydrocarbon sector in 2012-2018.

Infrastructure spending should average more than 10 percent of GDP ahead of the World Cup. —Reuters

Gulf markets rally after EU deal; Saudi ends flat MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: UAE markets halted declines yesterday and Qatar’s bourse rebounded from a 10-month low after moves by European leaders to ease the euro zone debt crisis boosted investor sentiment.

The euro jumped nearly 2 percent, oil prices surged and world stocks rallied on Friday after euro zone leaders agreed on measures to cut soaring borrowing costs in Italy and Spain, in addition to directly recapitalizing regional banks. Dubai’s index rose 0.7 percent, snapping a six-session losing streak.

Bellwether Emaar Properties and Union Properties each advanced 1.8 percent. Deyaar Development gained 2.4 percent. They accounted for about 40 percent of all shares traded. Abu Dhabi’s benchmark climbed 0.5 percent, up from Thursday’s two-week closing low.

“The UAE reacted well to European banks being supported, and its normal for Saudi’s performance yesterday to feed into the other markets,” said Fouad Darwish, head of brokerage at Kuwait-based Global Investment House.

Gulf markets gains are unlikely to be sustainable as investor activity dwindles. This trading slump is largely due to a usual summer lull, plus muted expectations for second-quarter earnings.

“We are approaching Ramadan and we can’t hide the fact that markets are led by retailers. People will shy away from putting in new money. There is skepticism on earnings ... the impetus is just not there.” In Qatar, the measure finished 1 percent higher marking its largest one-day gain since Jan. 3. Heavyweight Qatar National Bank climbed 1.3 percent and Industries Qatar added 1.8 percent.

Elsewhere, Kuwait notched its largest one-day gain since Feb. 19. The index climbed 1.1 percent, up from Thursday’s five-month low with trading focused on smallcaps. “Market volumes are still on the low side - the session was dominated by locals, trying to make a quick buck intraday,” said a Kuwait-based traded who asked not to be identified. Gulf Finance House jumped 7 percent and Investor Holding Group rallied 9.1 percent.

Elsewhere, shares in Saudi Arabia ended near-flat after a choppy session with investors booking profits from Saturday’s surge. The index eased 0.07 percent, recovering most of the losses from early-session.

It slumped to a five-month low on Wednesday, but rose 1.9 percent on Saturday after euro-zone leaders agreed on measures to cut soaring borrowing costs in Italy and Spain. Petrochemical stocks ended lower with the sector’s index down 0.7 percent. Buying by Saudi investors may increase ahead of second-quarter earnings, despite expectations of lower year-on-year profits for the kingdom’s companies. “There will be a decline in profitability perhaps with oil prices having dropped,” said Amer Khan, fund manager, Shuaa Asset Management.

“But the average price of oil is still good for Q2,” says Khan. “I don’t think numbers will be as bad as people are expecting.”

Brent crude lost about 20 percent in the second-quarter, posting its biggest quarterly decline since the fourth quarter of 2008 due to weak demand, ample supply and economic worries. —Reuters

22

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

BUSINESS

Oman’s first Islamic bank hopes to post profit in 2014

Oil price on the slide!

By Hayder Tawfik he decline in oil prices has been so dramatic in such short time that has taken everyone by surprise. A drop of 30% in the price since March this year has created such panic among some of the main buyers of oil such airlines that the either delayed or cancelled orders for the foreseeable future. Some of them see further drop in the price in the coming months. What is really puzzling is that all reasons and excuses which are given for the big drop are not new at all.

Are we now seeing the weak global economy dragging oil prices lower? Or there is too much over supply? Surely, fears about global demand must have weighed on prices, at the same time supply has been really over whelming.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter has added to supplies, increasing production to a 30 year high. Obviously, lower oil prices will help oil consumers in the west a lot and will give the central bankers less worry about inflation and will allow them to ease monetary policies further. Oil producing nations will have less revenue to collect and a simple numbers calculation reveals that at present prices, there will be a monthly transfer of $100bn from oil producing

T

Bank Nizwa to elect new board in July MUSCAT: Oman’s Bank Nizwa, a newly formed Islamic lender which sold shares to the public in June, expects to post its first profit in 2014 and will elect a new board this month, its chief executive said yesterday.

“We aim to make our first profit in 2014 though we would like to make it happen sooner, in the first year of our operation, but that may not be possible,” Jamil Al Jaroudi, CEO of Bank Nizwa, told Reuters in an interview. Jaroudi said the bank’s new board would be elected in a shareholders’ meeting set for July 31. The lender failed to elect a board after it was unable to get the required quorum at a general meeting last month, three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

“We will start our operation two weeks after that (electing board) with three branch-

es, in Nizwa, Sohar and Muscat. Eighteen months after the start of our operation, we hope to open about seven branches nationwide,” Jaroudi said.

Bank Nizwa, the sultanate’s first Islamic bank, attracted 681 million rials ($1.77 billion) of bids in its initial public offering, 11 times the sum it planned to raise, signalling strong interest from investors.

It eventually raised 60 million rials ($155.9 million) in the 40-percent IPO. Its shares surged 13 percent on its first day of trading on June 10 but has given back most of those gains to trade slightly above its 102 baisas offering price yesterday. Jaroudi said that oversubscription of the bank’s IPO was “a good indication” and he hoped the returned funds will be used by customers as deposits.

“It shows that we are well placed and there’s a

healthy appetite for a fully fledged Islamic bank in Oman,” the Bank Nizwa’s CEO added.

Bank Nizwa was the first IPO this year in Oman. The country’s market regulator has said it expects three to four new listings in 2012. While neighboring Gulf states have ramped up Islamic finance services in recent years, Oman stood out by refusing to participate in the industry.

The central bank reversed that stance last year, partly to prevent the outflow of Islamic funds.

Sharia-compliant lender Al Izz International Bank, Oman’s second lender to be licensed for Islamic operations, had been expected to issue an IPO of 40 percent of its 100 million rials capital by June this year. Bank Nizwa shares closed up 1 percent at 104 baisas on the Muscat bourse yesterday. — Reuters

News

in brief

Saudi Aramco cuts July propane price DUBAI: State-run Saudi Aramco has set its July contract price for propane at $575 a tonne, down by $105 from June, an industry source said yesterday.

The company also lowered its July butane price by $145 from June to $620 a ton, the source said. The prices provide a benchmark against which Middle East sales of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to Asia are priced. Following is a table of Saudi Aramco’s contract prices of propane and butane per ton in US dollars.

SriLankan gets $175m loan from Gulf banks DUBAI: SriLankan Airlines signed a $175 million sharia-compliant loan, a statement from one of the arranging banks said yesterday, the first time the carrier has borrowed from the international syndicated loan market. The state-owned airline completed the four-year facility with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi’s Al-Hilal Bank, Mashreqbank, Dubai’s Noor Islamic Bank and United Bank Limited, a statement from Mashreq’s Islamic arm said. The loan was provided in dollars and UAE dirhams and will be repayable from ring-fenced cash flows, the statement added. “The successful closure of this transaction is clear evidence of the growing acceptance of the Sri Lanka credit story in international markets,” said John Iossifidis, head of international banking group at Mashreq. SriLankan Airlines has 19 aircraft and flies to 60 destinations, according to the statement.

Troubled Saudi contractor MMG inks $120m loan DUBAI: Saudi construction firm Mohammad Al Mojil Group (MMG) signed a 450 million riyals ($120 million) loan to help support its balance sheet, it said in a statement yesterday. The loan will “support the solvency of the company and its operations,” a statement to the Saudi stock exchange said. It comes six weeks after MMG appointed PricewaterhouseCoopers to advise it on its financial performance and its chief executive resigned.

Seven banks will provide the loan, which will run until the end of 2013, the statement said.

nations to oil consumers. How much of that benefit will be taken away as taxes, depends on each country tax rates which are very high in some part of Europe and indeed very low in the US. For US consumers the benefit is immediate as prices at the pumps are down by nearly 25% since March highs. There is no doubt that most nations will benefit from lower oil prices. I am just wondering if the big fall in the prices a bit too late to rescue the weak global economy, or the damage has already been done. If this is the case then I am afraid that we may be entering a long period of weak oil prices. Unless, some big producers will soon feel the heat and start cutting back on output to avoid a further oil glut.

If the global economy continues to be weak or deteriorate further, then for sure it will have more dampening impact on oil prices. We at Dimah Capital believe that overtime the decline should help some major oil and gas consumers such as utility companies, airlines, cargo carriers and other transport operators. Whereas, some major upstream oil producers and oil services providers will be hit hardest. — Hayder Tawfik is Executive Vice President of Asset Management, at Dimah Capital.

Egypt signs $1bn finance for food, energy ZHEJIANG: Workers building a car on the Geely Motors assembly line in Cixi, 50km from Ningbo in China’s Zhejiang province. China’s manufacturing activity weakened in June from the previous month, official figures showed. — AFP

World Bank cancels $1.2bn Bangladesh loan DHAKA: The World Bank has canceled a $1.2 billion loan for construction of a bridge in Bangladesh, saying it has credible evidence of corruption involving a Canadian engineering company.

The global lending agency said it did not receive a satisfactory response from the Bangladesh government after it raised the issue of corruption last year. It said in a statement Friday that it has evidence pointing to “a high-level corruption conspiracy” among Bangladesh government officials, executives of Canadian engineering and construction giant SNCLavalin, and private individuals in connection with the planned 6.5-kilometer (4 mile) Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project.

Bangladesh Communications Minister Obaidul Quader called the World Bank’s decision regrettable because the govern-

ment’s Anti-Corruption Commission was still investigating the allegations.

“Such a decision is unfortunate before the investigation is complete,” he told reporters Saturday.

The bank said it earlier sent a team to Dhaka to explain its position and receive the government’s response. “ The response has been unsatisfactory,” it said.

The bank “cannot, should not, and will not turn a blind eye to evidence of corruption,” it said. Montreal-based SNCLavalin, one of the world’s largest engineering and construction companies, has acknowledged making improper payments to agents to win contracts on two projects. An internal probe resulted in the resignation of its CEO and two other senior executives. The company’s headquarters was searched by Canadian national police in April. — AP

CAIRO: The Egyptian government signed an agreement yesterday with the Saudi-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) that will provide $1 billion to finance energy and food imports, the government said in a statement. It said the agreement with the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation, part of the IDB, was signed in Cairo by Waleed Abdul Mohsen Al-Wohaib, chief executive of the institution, and Egypt’s international cooperation minister, Faiza Abu el-Naga.

“Dr. Waleed al-Wohaib said the institution is keen to support the Egyptian economy by offering Islamic finance aimed at supplying strategic commodi-

ties such as wheat and petrol,” the statement said.

The finance was part of a previously announced agreement to provide Egypt with $2.5 billion, it said. Egypt’s outgoing army-backed government has struggled to secure aid promised by foreign donors after a popular uprising ousted president Hosni Mubarak last year and the country now risks a balance of payments crisis.

Trade sources said this month that the government had struggled to obtain bank payments for its fuel purchases. They said this had led to shipping delays that may have disrupted supplies for transport, industry and farming. — Reuters

Investcorp buys Austrian online firm for $178m DUBAI: Investcorp, a Bahrain-based investment firm, said yesterday its online portfolio unit Skrill bought Austrian firm paysafecard.com for up to 140 million euros ($177.67 million), betting on growth in online retail sector.

Paysafecard provides prepaid electronic payment services and the acquisition is Investcorp’s fifth investment in Europe in the past six months, the Bahraini firm said in a bourse state-

ment. “Prudent investors are finding golden oppor tunities that have emerged post the euro-zone crisis, as reflected in our five acquisitions so far this year,” M ohammed Al-Shroogi, Investcorp’s president for Gulf business said. Venture capitalists invested a record $2.39 billion in online retail in 2011, according to Thomson Reuters data, more than double the amount in 2010. — 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

.2740000 .4360000 .3510000 .2920000 .2720000 .2840000 .0040000 .0020000 .0757560 .7380680 .3850000 .0710000 .7235440 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2783000 GB Pound/KD .4371680 Euro .3523280 Swiss francs .2933950 Canadian dollars .2737420 Danish Kroner .0473920 Swedish Kroner .0402050 Australian dlr .2484790 Hong Kong dlr .0358790 Singapore dlr .2199480 Japanese yen .0034870 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0758000 Bahraini dinars .7384900 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0742330 Omani riyals .7231390 Philippine Peso .0000000

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Malaysian Ringgit

3.553 5.072 3.053 2.141 3.173 220.090 36.173 3.425 6.439 8.876 89.338

.2830000 .4450000 .3600000 .3000000 .2800000 .2920000 .0070000 .0035000 .0765170 .7454860 .4060000 .0780000 .7308150 .0072000 .0500000 .2819000 .4428230 .3568850 .2971900 .2772830 .0480050 .0407250 .2886660 .0363400 .2227930 .0035320 .0051070 .0021270 .0029930 .0034610 .0767810 .7480430 .3987270 .0751930 .7324930 .0067800

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

GCC COUNTRIES 74.883 77.158 729.380 745.850 76.464

ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 48.250 Egyptian Pound - Transfer 46.466 Yemen Riyal/for 1000 1.309 Tunisian Dinar 176.65 Jordanian Dinar 396.190 Lebanese Lira/for 1000 1.884 Syrian Lier 4.899 Morocco Dirham 32.64 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 280.700 Euro 354.52 Sterling Pound 441.820 Canadian dollar 274.79 Turkish lire 152.400 Swiss Franc 295.01 US Dollar Buying 279.500 GOLD 293.000 148.000 75.250

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

SELL CASH

Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria

290.500 745.440 3.630 279.300 550.500 45.700 48.700 167.800 48.310 358.600 36.820 5.200 0.032 0.160 0.235 3.650 397.230 0.190 91.810 44.600 4.310 228.100 1.816

48.200 729.090 3.130 6.790 77.540 74.840 223.000 36.200 2.670 443.600 41.500 298.800 4.300 9.240 198.263 76.420 280.700 1.350

10 Tola

GOLD 1,681.310

Sterling Pound US Dollar

727.910 2.975 6.695 77.110 74.840 223.000 36.200 2.096 441.600 297.300 4.300 9.060 76.320 280.300

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 441.600 280.300

SELL DRAFT

289.000 745.440 3.423 277.800

223.000 46.260 357.100 36.670 5.045 0.030

COUNTRY

SELL DRAFT

Australian Dollar Canadian Dollar Swiss Franc Euro US Dollar Sterling Pound Japanese Yen Bangladesh Taka Indian Rupee Sri Lankan Rupee Nepali Rupee Pakistani Rupee UAE Dirhams Bahraini Dinar Egyptian Pound Jordanian Dinar Omani Riyal Qatari Riyal Saudi Riyal

283.26 277.39 298.34 355.83 280.25 438.67 3.61 3.428 5.027 2.127 3.155 2.978 76.37 746.22 46.37 399.27 729.38 77.39 74.94

SELL CASH

283.00 277.00 295.00 356.00 281.50 438.00 3.65 3.550 5.200 2.400 3.700 3.200 77.00 746.00 47.75 397.50 732.50 77.75 75.25

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 397.190 0.189 91.810 3.170 226.600

Rate for Transfer

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro

Selling Rate

280.750 278.155 438.550 351.875

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

292.990 743.276 76.415 77.060 74.825 395.200 46.304 2.091 5.050 2.976 3.431 6.634 688.675 4.530 8.895 5.910 3.165 88.595

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY

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

Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars

280.200 2.963 5.055 2.110 3.424 6.680 76.390 74.875 744.900 46.249 445.500 2.990 3.130 1.550 360.600 281.300

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer Rate (Per 1000)

US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

280.700 357.000 441.400 277.500 3.550 5.040 46.350 2.100 3.421 6.640 2.970 745.400 76.300 74.800

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

BUSINESS

All eyes on ECB after euro-zone summit deal FRANKFURT: Europe, with last week’s EU summit, appears to have warded off disaster, at least for now, but the markets are now looking to the European Central Bank to ensure the deal is a success, analysts said.

Just a week after euro-zone leaders clinched a deal they hope will reduce the high borrowing costs suffered by Italy and Spain, as well as boost the banking sector and inject billions into Europe’s economy, the ECB is scheduled to hold its regular monthly policy meeting in Frankfurt on Thursday.

And central bank watchers believe that at least a cut in interest rates and possibly a new round of liquidity measures will be needed to stop the initial market euphoria that greeted the outcome of the summit from evaporating.

“If the summit result encourages the ECB to step in with serious support for sovereign bond markets, it could be a smashing success,” said Berenberg Bank chief economist Holger Schmieding.

“If instead the ECB holds back, the crisis could possibly escalate badly over the summer until the ECB finally

relents,” he argued. In recent months, the central bank appears to have grown increasingly reluctant to carry on playing the role of firefighter as the debilitating debt crises stretches into its third year.

Since the outbreak of the crisis, the ECB has reversed last year’s rate hikes to bring euro-zone borrowing costs back down to an all-time low of 1.0 percent and also embarked on a hotly contested program of indirectly buying up the bonds of debt-mired countries. On top of this, the ECB also pumped more than 1.0 trillion euros ($1.25 trillion) into the banking system to aver t a dangerous credit squeeze in the euro area and relaxed the criteria for collateral that banks need to put up to take out loans from the central bank.

ECB officials have never ceased to repeat that such measures are merely meant to buy time for governments to tackle the root causes of the crisisprofligate spending.

And in recent months, it has refused to announce any further anticrisis measures, saying the ball is firmly in the governments’ cour t.

‘Strikingly’ few women in Asia’s top jobs: Report SEOUL: Companies in Asia’s leading economies have “strikingly” few women in senior jobs, missing out on a vital pool of talent to fuel the region’s growth, consultancy firm McKinsey & Company said yesterday. In a survey covering 744 firms of 10 major stock markets in the Asia-Pacific, McKinsey said women on average account for only six percent of board seats compared to 17 percent in Europe and 15 percent in the US. Women hold eight percent of executive committee seats in the Asian firms, still lower than the average of 10 percent in Europe and 14 percent in the US, it said, calling the numbers in Asia “strikingly low”.

“It’s a huge waste of talent, as half of Asian graduates are female. And it is a waste that Asian companies can ill afford, given the severe shortage of senior managers in the region,” said the report titled “Women Matter”. Australia, Hong Kong and China topped the list of female presence in the boardroom, with women accounting for 13, nine and eight percent respectively in these top jobs, while South Korea, Japan and India were at the bottom.

In South Korea, where a conservative culture makes women’s “double burden” of career and household duties particularly heavy, women take up only one percent of boardroom seats.

Japan came next from bottom with only two percent of such jobs held by women due to similar pressures on them to be a sole caregiver of the family, it said, adding about 60 percent of Japanese women quit or change jobs after marriage. The number hovers slightly higher at five percent in India. Such “double burden” pressure was a dominant reason for women in the two economic powerhouses in northeast Asia as well as in India to leave jobs, while it had a far less influence in places like Singapore and China, it said.

“The double burden affects women in Europe, too. But inarguably, it is particularly heavy for Asian women...also because there is a lack of government support in areas such as childcare,” it said. China fared better than most other neighbors but the situation in Asia’s biggest economy is hardly satisfying given it has one of the world’s highest female labor participation rates, the report added.

“The study finds that...gender diversity is not yet high on the strategic agenda for most Asian companies, and few senior managers believe this will change anytime soon,” McKinsey said in its first study on women in corporate Asia.

“Given tight labor markets and intense competition for talent across Asia...gender diversity needs to become a corporate priority,” said Claudia Sussmuth-Dyckerhoff, co-author of the report.

She urged governments to follow moves by Malaysia or South Korea to set quotas for public jobs or offer incentives for firms building daycare centers, and management to offer more development programs for women. — AFP

LISBON: A protester walks past a banner with the faces of Portugal’s Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho and Portugal’s Foreign Minister Paulo Portas and that reads in Portuguese “Get out” during a demonstration by “Unemployed” social movement outside the Portuguese parliament on Saturday in Lisbon. —AP

Nevertheless, analysts believe the ECB will have to act again, and quickly, if last week’s summit deal is to prove a success.

“Whether or not it will calm mar-

ECB chief Mario Draghi kets for long will likely depend on the ECB,” said Berenberg Bank ’s Schmieding.

Allowing the euro-zone’s bailout funds, the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), to buy Spanish or Italian bonds could deplete their very limited resources,

the economist argued. “Official market interventions work if and when they impress markets. Stepping in with limited resources is an invitation to markets to speculate against them,” Schmieding said.

“If the ECB were to massively support EFSF/ESM interventions, they could be very successful. Over to you, Mr. Draghi,” he concluded, referring to ECB president Mario Draghi.

ECB watchers already began to lay bets on a cut in interest rates this time round after Draghi held open such a prospect after last month’s meeting.

“Having only discussed rate cuts at its last meeting, the ECB may now proceed from words to deeds and cut the refi rate to 0.75 percent on Thursday,” said Commerzbank economist Michael Schubert.

However, further “non-standard measures” such as additional liquidity injections “appear less likely,” Schubert said. Firstly, Draghi would want to maintain pressure on governments and banks, the analyst argued. And the full effects of the previous liquidity measures have yet to unfold.

Indeed, the ECB published data on

Friday showing that euro-zone lending to the private sector contracted last month, as the injections of 1.0 trillion euros are still not feeding through into the real economy.

Neither is the ECB likely to revive its controversial Securities Market Program (SMP), under which is bought up more than 200 billion euros of bonds to help bring down borrowing costs for heavily indebted countries.

The program, seen by some as breaking in spirit rules prohibiting the ECB from underwriting government finances, has been dormant since February.

And executive board member Benoit Coeure has said the ECB does not see it as the best instrument, because it can neither solve the fiscal problems nor help insolvent banks.

Capital Economics economist Jennifer McKeown also believed the ECB “seems unlikely to announce more long-term lending, believing that the financial system as a whole has enough liquidity.” But it will opt to cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point, she predicted. — AFP

Indian PM raises hopes of fresh economic reforms Foreign investment cap in insurance sector may go up to 49% NEW DELHI: Investors are hoping Premier Manmohan Singh, who unleashed radical reforms that turned around India’s economy two decades ago, can work some similar magic after assuming the finance portfolio once again. On Friday investors drove the benchmark Sensex share index to a twomonth high, spurred by hopes that the 79-year-old Singh can put the mojo back into the once-booming economy, which is growing at its slowest pace in nine years. “He’s got the economy’s pulse.

There’s a lot of hope building that he will take some right steps,” Amisha Vora, joint managing director of one of India’s leading brokerage houses, Prabhudas Lilladher, told AFP. A survey of India’s top 150 chief executives by business group Assocham found expectations of “renewed energy being infused” into the economy since the ex-World Bank economist took control of the finance ministry last week.

Singh, who replaced veteran politician Pranab Mukherjee after he stepped down to run for India’s mainly ceremonial presidency, has already spoken of the need to revive the economy’s “animal spirit”. “We need to work to get the economy going again and restart the India growth story,” Singh told senior finance ministry officials, calling for a reversal of “the climate of pessimism”. As finance minister in 1991, Singh ignited the fuse for rapid growth as India teetered on bankruptcy, by embracing free markets and cutting through suffocating red tape. Many had hoped that as prime minister he would execute a “secondgeneration” of changes to propel growth into double-digits and allow hundreds of millions of Indians to escape poverty faster. But his Congress Party-led coali-

tion has dismayed investors by being unable to push through planned reforms due to opposition from within and a string of multi-billion-dollar corruption scandals. While Singh’s rallying cry last week improved business sentiment, analysts say he must now find the deeds to

investors, including efforts to aggressively tax past financial transactions involving firms like British phone giant Vodafone. “If Singh reversed even the Vodafone decision, that would restore tremendous foreign investor confidence in India,” Deepak Lalwani, head of

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gestures to greet as he arrives for the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi.

Investors are hoping India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whose radical reforms transformed the country’s economy two decades ago, can work his magic once again after he took charge of the finance ministry. — AFP match his words. “He will have to walk the talk and there will have to be a political sign-off from coalition allies on his actions,” CLSA economist Rajeev Malik told AFP. The prime minister has already signalled India may back away from moves that have rattled foreign

World Bank forecasts 4.9% growth for Afghanistan KABUL: Afghanistan’s economy is expected to grow at 4.9 percent a year between now and 2025, the World Bank said yesterday, though with good management the figure could rise to 6.7 percent.

The war-torn country, beset by a decade-long Taleban insurgency and rampant corruption, is one of the world’s poorest, with more than a third of the population living below the poverty line in 2008.

With NATO combat troops due to withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, there are fears of a consequent meltdown in the graft-plagued economy.

Even with sustained growth of six percent a year, it will take a generation to double Afghanistan’s GDP per capita-currently a meager $528 — the World Bank said.

Ahead of a major international conference in Tokyo on Afghanistan’s economic future, World Bank country director Bob Saum said the coming decade offered “high hopes, expectations and great opportunities” for Afghanistan. Proper management of agriculture and the resource sector could boost growth from the current forecast of 4.9 percent average annual rate to 6.7 percent, he said.

Afghanistan is believed to have mineral reserves worth as much as $3 trillion which could theoretically generate billions of dollars in tax revenue.

Afghanistan goes to next week’s Tokyo conference looking to secure $4 billion a year in pledges from international donors to make up a financial shortfall from 2014 when the country begins to stand on its own feet. Saum warned that more work was needed to reassure donors their money would be put to proper use.

“To give the people of Afghanistan and the international community confidence in the way development funds are spent and results are achieved, the government must continue to address the challenges of security... governance including co r r u p t i o n a n d m a c ro e co n o m i c m a n a g e m e n t ,” h e to l d reporters. Afghan Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal said Kabul would use the Tokyo conference to set out in detail the government’s fight against corruption and where more work was needed. — AFP

London-based investment consultancy Lalcap, told AFP. Analysts say Singh could stay at the helm of the finance ministry until the government’s mandate ends in 2014 to put the economy back on track. Global ratings agencies have warned they may

downgrade India’s debt to junk status with the economy reeling from gaping fiscal and current account deficits and stubbornly strong inflation. The economy grew by 5.3 percent between January and March as industrial growth slowed to a crawl. The rupee has lost more than a quarter of its value against the US dollar over the last 12 months to hit record lows. Among the initiatives analysts are hoping for is revival of plans to allow foreign supermarkets, such as US giant Walmart, to own 51 percent of Indian operations that could bring billions of dollars in investments.

Yesterday, Indian media reported the government may also raise the foreign investment limit in the lucrative insurance sector to 49 percent from the current 26 percent to draw outside capital and support the rupee.

Other anticipated measures include simplification of land acquisition for industrial projects and permitting foreign airlines to buy up to 49 percent of domestic airlines, which could help the cash-strapped aviation sector. Analysts say Singh, who is not expected to continue as premier after the elections, is keen to protect his legacy as father of India’s economic reform. His personal reputation has taken a beating during the government’s second term, with critics describing him as the dithering captain of a rudderless administration. “This is a golden chance for him to erase the damaging things that have been said about him-that he has been a very weak leader,” said analyst Vora.

“He would not like to retire with the reputation of the man who brought all those economic reforms (in 1991) but who then ended his career by screwing up the economy.” — AFP

Four RBS traders sacked for fixing bank rate LONDON: Four traders from the Royal Bank of Scotland were sacked at the end of 2011 for their alleged role in fixing inter-bank interest rates, banking industry sources said yesterday.

The revelation comes after the state-rescued RBS confirmed it was being investigated for manipulating the rates at which banks lend to each other. “Four traders were sacked for this,” a source said. “It was at the end of last year.” RBS, which is 82-percent owned by the government, declined to comment when contacted by AFP. Britain will hold a review into the setting of benchmark inter-bank interest rates and seek to criminalize rate-fixing, the Treasury finance ministry said Saturday, following a scandal at major lender Barclays. The independent review aims to restore trust in Libor, a key benchmark reference rate that influences a swathe of other borrowing costs, after Barclays was hit with a record £290 million ($452 million, 362 million euro) fine Wednesday for attempted manipulation.

The attempted rate -fixing took place between 2005 and 2009, with traders submitting false information about Barclays’ borrowing rates to make the bank look more secure or, in some cases, to turn a profit.

Business Secretary Vince Cable urged shareholders in British banks to “get a stronger grip” on the boards and executives responsible for “systemic abuse”.

“Regulators are a backstop: they don’t own banks,” he wrote in The Observer newspaper. “The governance at the top of our leading banks has been shown to be lamen-

tably weak. No one at the top of Barclays will take responsibility for systemic abuse.” He added: “Shareholders, the owners, have a major responsibility here. “Shareholders have to get a stronger grip on weak boards and out-of-control executives.”

Adair Turner, the chairman of the Financial Ser vices Authority which regulates the industry, said “significant steps” had already been taken to prevent a repeat of the Libor scandal and that he did not think such behavior was taking place now. But he said the malpractice was not covered by criminal law. “People are justifiably angry at some of the practices that were present in particular in the run-up to the financial crisis in 2008,” he told BBC television. Cable said the public wanted to see bankers prosecuted if they committed criminal offences. “They just can’t understand why people are thrown into jail for petty theft and these guys just walk away having perpetrated what looks like a conspiracy,” he told Sky News television. — AFP

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business

London borough pension funds ‘small, not beautiful’ LONDON: London’s borough councils need political impetus to reform an illogical pension fund system for their employees which is squandering money in administrative and management costs, the head of one of the capital’s largest funds told Reuters.

The idea of pooling London’s 34 separate local authority pension schemes to create a single fund with around 30 billion pounds ($47 billion) in assets was pitched to council leaders three months ago as a means of shaving some of the 30 million pounds annual administrative costs.

Today a debate will be held by British think-tank Demos between several council leaders and academics on the benefits and drawbacks of such a merger.

“Some people believe small is beautiful, others believe in economies of scale,” said Mike Taylor, chief executive of the London Pensions Fund Authority, which manages over 4 billion pounds and is one of the main proponents of the plan. “We believe that 50 years after the London boroughs were set up it’s time to review the arrangements, particularly for the pension funds which seem one of the more illogical arrangements to have 34 funds doing the same thing in London.”

The initiative comes at a time when pensions funds around the world are having to adjust to major shifts in demographics as people live longer as well as dwindling asset returns as markets whipsaw in thrall to the current financial and economic crises.

But any change is likely to take some years as well as much effort. Taylor says that at a time of major change in public sector pensions as the recommendations of a government-sponsored review are implemented, he would look at a target date of 2016.

Before a plan can even properly be con-

ceived political consensus needs to be reached by the leaders of London’s councils and then a proper cost benefit analysis can be commissioned, says Taylor.

He said leaders are due to get together for a formal summit in September or October to discuss the proposals further but anecdotally they have not yet been endorsed by a majority. Opponents argue that autonomy over investment decisions for each individual pot of money might be taken away. But Taylor suggests that more needs to be done to persuade local leaders that within a pooled structure there could be several investment options. He also says that in addition to the administrative and management costs that could be saved with a larger pool of assets, the option of an in-house manager would also be possible enabling greater investment choice and further synergies.

Proponents have also suggested that a pooled pension fund could then invest around 7.5 percent of its assets or around 2 billion pounds into infrastructure funds, which would be a welcome boost to government efforts to raise money for UK infrastructure projects. The Pensions Protection Fund (PPF), the national lifeboat for struggling pension funds, and the National Association of Pension Funds (NAPF) is hoping to raise 2 billion pounds from 10-12 pension schemes to launch a government-backed infrastructure fund in January 2013. This has also raised concerns that any pledge towards infrastructure projects might be politically motivated given the UK government’s drive to attract funds into the sector. “Infrastructure is the carrot to combine the fund,” said Taylor. “There are many opportunities for local infrastructure projects provided the investment case remains paramount.” — Reuters

Australia’s contentious carbon tax row in focus Gillard hails move amid warnings SYDNEY: Australia yesterday introduced a controversial carbon tax in a bid to tackle climate change, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard hailing the move amid opposition warnings it will stifle industry.

The tax on corporate pollution, which drew thousands of protesters on to the streets of Sydney on Sunday, will mean some 350 entities will be liable to pay Aus$23 ($23.5) for every ton of carbon emissions they produce.

It comes into effect on the same day as an equally contentious levy on mining profits, the hard-fought Minerals Resource Rent Tax on iron ore and coal, which helped topple former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Gillard hailed the introduction of the carbon tax in Australia, one of the world’s worst per capita polluters. “As a Labor government, we haven’t done all of this for no reason, we’ve done it because we believe it’s pivotal to Australia’s future,” she told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“Today is a Sunday where Australians will go about their ordinary lives, but today is a day too when we seize the future, we seize a clean energy future.”

The government hopes the scheme will mean that by 2020, Australia’s carbon pollution will be at least 159 million tons less per year than it would be otherwise-the equivalent, it says, of

taking 45 million cars off the road. The plan is to start with a fixed price and transition to a market-based emissions trading scheme after three years, similar to that adopted by the European Union.

But the tax has been bitterly opposed by the conservative opposition, which argues it will see the cost of living soar as businesses pass their increased costs onto

consumers as well as hurt industry. “(The carbon tax) is the slow boa constrictor sapping life out of one business after another,” opposition lawmaker Warren Truss, leader of the Nationals, told the ABC. The government says the increase in the cost of living as a result of the tax will be modest, about 0.7 percent, and for most people will be offset by a compensation scheme. But opposition leader

SYDNEY: Protesters hold placards as they attend a no carbon tax rally in Sydney yesterday. Australia yesterday introduced a controversial carbon tax in a bid to tackle climate change, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard hailing the move amid opposition warnings it will stifle industry. —AFP

Tony Abbott pledged on Twitter that “if elected we will immediately legislate to scrap the carbon tax to help families” and he has previously vowed to abolish the mining tax if he wins the 2013 elections.

The pollution levy is a deeply divisive issue in Australia, fuelling anger after Gillard pledged there would be no carbon tax under a government she led ahead of the 2010 election but, then once elected, set out to introduce one.

Several thousand people took part in a public rally against it in Sydney yesterday, many waving banners such as ‘We voted no carbon tax’, while in Melbourne about 150 demonstrated on the steps of state parliament. The mining tax has also been a difficult reform with Rudd’s initial ambitious plan to levy the “super profits” of Australia’s booming mining sector at 40 percent provoking a huge backlash from the powerful industry.

Gillard, who ousted Rudd in a Labor party room coup shortly after the tax was announced, later negotiated a 30 percent impost on coal and iron ore only. But critics have warned that the resources industries, whose exports to fast-growing Asia helped Australia dodge recession during the financial crisis, will suffer under the tax expected to bring in Aus$3.0 billion in 201213.— AFP

Haier aims for Europe and ‘Made in China’ upgrade QINGDAO, China: Chinese appliance and electronics giant Haier is aiming to expand into Europe with higher-end products, helping to upgrade China’s reputation for churning out mostly cheap, low- qualit y goods.

However, exper ts say that even if Haier succeeds the country still has much to do before it emulates the transformation by neighbors Japan and S outh Korea over recent decades so that their top brands are now synonymous with class.

Haier already has the biggest share of the world’s appliances and electronic goods market. Its revenues were 150.9 billion yuan ($23.7 billion) last year, giving it a 7.8 percent share of the global market in that sector.

But 70 percent of its sales were in Asia, where a low cost is often the key selling point. And it is now looking to take on competing brands such as S outh Korean giants Samsung and LG in becoming a household name in Europe.

To showcase its products and technology, the firm, which has 70,000 employees in 165 countries, recently invited European journalists to visit its headquarters and factories in the eastern port city of Qingdao.

Haier is seeking a five-percent market share for washing machines and refrigerators in Europe by 2015, up from three percent today.

To get this it needs to “develop produc ts that speak to

European tastes”, said Rene Auber tin, who heads Haier ’s European office. To help do this, he said the firm had opened up a research and development operation in Nuremberg, Germany. Among the innovations Haier is hoping will attract European customers are fridges equipped with an external camera and tactile screen to record what goes on in the kitchen.

The video can then be sent over e-mail.

Haier has also star ted to introduce European-standard sales and marketing techniques in China, so that the company is set for the new market, according to Yannig Gourmelon, a Shanghai-based business consultant with Roland Berger.

Gourmelon said one of these standards was a promise to deliver products in China within 24 hours of purchase.

He said Haier’s business practices were already being noticed in Europe. “Five or six years ago we k new nothing about Haier in Europe but today when I give a class (at the prestigious French Business School HEC), everyone knows what I’m talking about,” Gourmelon said.

With China yet to develop consumer brands with reputations for mak ing top- quality goods, Haier is still cautious of promoting the “Made in China” label. “We never emphasize that point,” said Li Pan, managing director of Haier’s overseas division. But, he added: “We don’t deny it. We don’t believe ‘Made

in China’ will bring any negative impact to our business.” Haier’s rise to become a global player began from the ashes of a badly managed, state-run business in Qingdao that made fridges for the Chinese market in the dour mid-1980s. The company says some of its success can be attributed to its philosophy of “innovate or die”. Noticeboards in its headquarters proudly list the names of staff who have contributed fresh ideas to improve its products. However, Michael Pettis, a professor at Peking University’s Guanghua School of Management, said the Chinese economic system did not generally encourage such innovation.

Pettis said Chinese companies t ypically succeeded because they had good relations with government officials and could get favorable bank loans, not because they were great innovators. “(In China) there are companies that have climbed up the value chain, but it’s really been driven by cheap capital, not by innovation,” Pettis said. “Of course, ever y manager in the world will tell you that he wants to be innovative and move up the value chain and create higher valueadded products, but not everybody does so.”

Without the conditions that promote innovation, Chinese firms will continue to struggle in making higher-end products for the global market, according to Pettis. — AFP

LOS ANGELES: Thousands of protesters march during the country’s largest anti-Walmart rally in Chinatown on Saturday in Los Angeles. Opponents of Walmart claim that the world’s largest private company with 1.4 million employees in the US abuses the rights of its workers to unionize, pays low wages and provides inadequate health benefits.—AFP

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MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

business Weekly commodity update

Hot US weather drives agriculture, gas higher

China manufacturing falls to 7-month low

By Ole Hansen inancial and commodity markets stabilized at the end of a week which was spent waiting for the EU summit. After many failed attempts the expectations were so low that when EU leaders announced some new measures the market breathed a sigh of relief and rallied accordingly. Whether this will turn into another 48 hours relief rally just like those that has gone before remains to be seen, with doubts still lingering especially with some of the measures facing hurdles in national parliaments.

Commodity markets moved higher with the broad based DJ-UBS commodity index rising by X.X percent with most of the gains stemming from the agriculture sector (+5.6%) and energy (+1.5%) not least due to a strong rally in natural gas.

The exceptional hot and dry weather in the US continues and this supports the price of crops and natural gas as the demand for cooling has triggered increased demand from power generators. Precious group metals palladium and platinum both fell to the lowest price this year as the outlook for these industrial metals is being adversely impacted by slowing economic activity.

F

US crops may pause The dramatic rally in corn, wheat and soybeans during the last month has helped drive the DJ-UBS grains index up by 14 percent year to date thereby outperforming all other sectors. As crop conditions continued to deteriorate the price of corn rose by one-quarter as the perfectly laid out plan with record acreage and expectations of a record crop began to look unachievable. Weather forecasters in the US who holds the key to almost 90 percent of the market performances during this period of the planting season may help to halt the rally as rain is expected to fall in parts of the US Midwest next week thereby improving the prospects for crops.

Silver on a knife-edge Silver has been on a downward path since reaching nearly 50 dollars back in April 2011. Since this time several attempts to the upside have failed and been followed by subsequent retracements back to the 26.00 to 26.50 range which have provided solid support on several occasions during the past 18 months. Silver tends to track gold quite closely but as the global economic activity have slowed down so has the industrial demand for silver which in turn have seen it underperform gold to the extent that the price relation between the two metals have returned to its five year average at 58 ounce of silver to one ounce of gold.

In the near term speculation about additional stimulus being provided by central banks and continued investment demand holds the key to silvers performance given the uncertain economic outlook, strong mine production and the risk of a stronger dollar which tends to have an adverse impact on prices. Investment demand through Exchange Traded Products (ETP) have proved to be resilient despite the lackluster price performance with investors currently holding 575 million ounces compared with a record of 599 million in April 2011. Speculative investors, primarily hedge funds, have for now moved onto other investments as they currently hold one of the smallest net-long positions in eight years.

On the chart above one can see that silver is balancing on a knife as it is once again approaching the critical support level mentioned above with the added spice that the trendline from the 2008 can be found within the same area. A break below the September 2011 low at 26.07 could signal a possible extension as sell orders would flood the market and possible take it one to two dollars lower while a rejection should give it enough confidence to retrace back towards resistance at 32. With the risk however being skewed to the downside traders have been positioning themselves through the use of options with out of the money put volatility rising strongly over the last week.

Gold almost unchanged Will gold add a twelfth consecutive year of positive price performance? With half of the year gone some work needs to be done in H2 in order to achieve this as it is currently up by less than one percent following the worst quarterly loss in eight years. We still see gold recover and have a go at the 1800 level later this year but just like silver is toying with critical support, so is gold just below in the low 1500s. A clean out of weak longs cannot be ruled out before the market reasserts itself but for now we do not have many expectations for a break out of the 1525 to 1650 range that has prevailed during the past two trouble months for commodities in general.

Brent drives small recovery Oil prices stabilized this week but while trading mostly sideways Brent crude did better than WTI, which at one point dropped to an eight-month low, as several factors primarily supported the first resulting in the premium over WTI widening to 13.6 dollars from a recent low of 11 dollars. A strike among oil workers in Norway over pensions has reduced output by almost a quarter of a million barrels per day. Elsewhere tensions between Turkey (NATO) and Syria are brewing while the sanctions against Iran are due to begin this weekend.

A report called “Oil: The Next Revolution” from the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International affairs has received a lot of attention given its dramatic conclusion that world oil supply capacity will be growing much faster than consumption growth which potentially could lead to a glut of overproduction and a steep dip in oil prices. By 2020 they estimate additional production could reach 17.6 million barrels per day compared with current capacity of 93 mbd.

In order to achieve such production levels the price of oil has to stay above 70 dollars per barrel in order to maintain profitability from new sources such as oil from shale-rock formations, oil sands and deep water extraction. Most of the production growth will come from Iraq, the US, Canada and Brazil with the US especially standing out as could become the second largest producer after Saudi Arabia and produce half of its own needs by the end of this decade.

These projections together with a continued rise in the world’s proven reserves, which according to BP is enough to last another 54 years the discussions about peak oil could be replaced by peak demand as continued technological improvements and the move towards alternative energy could result in the demand growth among emerging economies being potentially more than off-set by a reduction in OECD demand.

Govt bid to check slowdown fails SHANGHAI: China’s manufacturing activity fell to a seven-month low last month, official figures showed yesterday, despite government efforts to arrest a slowdown in the world’s second largest economy.

The official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) slipped to 50.2 in June from 50.4 in May, industry group the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing said in a statement. The June figure marked the lowest reading since November last year, when PMI hit 49, according to previously released data. A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 means contraction.

Analysts saw a glimmer of hope in the latest figure, as it was better than expected, but they believe the government must further ease monetary policy to avert a sharp slowdown in economic growth.

“June PMI continued to fall, but with an obviously smaller margin, which indicates the fall in economic growth may stabilize,” Zhang Liqun of government think-tank the Development Research Centre said in the statement. In May, the PMI index fell nearly three percentage points from April.

For June, economists had forecast the index would fall below 50 for the first time since November, predicting an average 49.8, Dow Jones Newswires said. Zhang, who acts as an analyst for the federation, cited government stimulus policies aimed at spurring investment and boosting domestic consumption as well as a rebound in exports as factors supporting growth.

China on June 8 cut interest rates for the first time in more than three years, while the government has also trimmed the amount of cash banks must keep in reserve three times since December, most recently in May. “China will likely continue to introduce easing policies in the second half,” Liao Qun, Hong Kong-based economist at Citic Bank International, told AFP. But he raised worries about exports. The latest figures showed new export orders-a component of PMI-slid into contraction at 47.5 in June from 50.4 in May due to overseas turmoil.

“The turmoil with the international situation has

continued and will likely remain a big factor of uncertainty for China’s exports in the second half,” Liao said. China’s economy grew an annual 8.1 percent in the first quarter of 2012 — its slowest pace in nearly three years. The government will release the gross domestic product figure for the second quarter on July 13.

The government has already reduced its economic growth target for this year to 7.5 percent, down from growth of 9.2 percent for all of last year

JINJIANG: Chinese workers packing candies at a factory in Jinjiang, southeast China’s Fujian province. China’s manufacturing activity weakened in June from the previous month, official figures showed yesterday despite government efforts to arrest a slowdown in the world’s second largest economy. — AFP

Australian shoppers scared to spend despite boom SYDNEY: Australian retailer Peter Birtles has a shopper he loves to see walk into his store-he calls him ‘Barry’ and he’s a mine worker who enjoys his high-performance car, fishing and going to the gym.

“We’ve got the products that he’s looking for.

He’s got money to spend,” explained Birtles, who is chief executive of the Super Retail Group, which owns auto, outdoors, cycling and sporting stores.

But for most Australian retailers, shopper Barry doesn’t hit the checkouts often enough, with sales booming in select pockets of the country in the grip of a mining boom but floundering elsewhere.

“We’ve got businesses in mining communities and the rest of Australia,” Katie Page, chief executive of electrical and computer giant Harvey Norman, told AFP. “If you look at our businesses in those mining communities, it’s going really strongly. I think that tells you everything.” As Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s government often states, Australia’s economy is growing faster than most similar advanced economies thanks to strong demand for its mineral riches from neighboring Asia.

Unemployment is at an enviable 5.1 percent, annual growth is at 4.3 percent and interest rates, while high by international standards, are back at levels not seen Down Under since the months after the global financial crisis. It is a two-speed economy with mining doing well but areas like retail and manufacturing suffering.

The hard-hit shopping sector says the “bounce” has mostly bypassed retailers, with businesses forced to repeatedly cut into margins and discount stock to entice people to part with their money. Global financial turmoil, coupled with political uncertainty in Australia, where the last election ended in a dead heat and Gillard leads a fragile coalition government, is feeding negativity and uncertainty, they say. The introduction of a new carbon tax, due to come into effect yesterday, which critics have argued will see household utili-

and 10.4 percent in 2010. Another gauge of PMI compiled by British banking giant HSBC has painted a more negative picture of manufacturing.

HSBC’s preliminary measure of PMI fell to a seven-month low in June to 48.1, the eighth consecutive month of contraction. The bank will release its final figure for June on Monday.

HSBC’s PMI measure gives more weighting to small firms, which have suffered more than stateowned giants in the economic downturn. — AFP

ty bills soar, is only adding to the unease, they argue. “The state of mind of a consumer at the moment is being driven by whatever they see on the news that night-Greece again,” Margy Osmond, head of the Australian National Retailers Association (ANRA), told AFP. “It is being driven by what they perceive as political uncertainty here... new and higher utility bills, the prospect of new taxes like the carbon tax.

“All of these things combined create a level of uncertainty and an unwillingness to spend excessively or spend at the levels we’ve seen previously.” Meanwhile, retailers have been hurt by the strength of the Australian dollar, which is encouraging people to turn to the Internet for bargains, in many cases bypassing Australian stores entirely.

Traditional retail sales totalled Aus$218 billion ($219 billion) in the year ended March 2012 and clocked year-on-year growth of 4.1 percent, according to a National Australia Bank report.

But consumer sentiment is anaemic and is in stark contrast to the years of confidence before the global financial crisis when people were often spending more than they were earning. “There’s a lack of confidence out there. Consumer sentiment, apart from 2008, is probably at its lowest level for 15 to 20 years,” Ian McLeod, managing director of supermarket giant Coles, told an ANRA lunch last week.

Harvey Norman’s Page, whose firm operates in eight countries, including hard-hit parts of Europe and the Asian economies of Malaysia and Singapore, said it boils down to a matter of trustand Australian shoppers do not trust anyone, including the government, bankers, retailers and the media.

“What’s happening now has never happened before-this happens when there is particularly high employment, particularly high interest rates, the whole world has collapsed,” she said.

“But the whole world hasn’t collapsed for Australia.” — AFP

SYDNEY: Shoppers walk past a sale sign in the main shopping precinct of central Sydney yesterday. As Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s government often says, Australia’s economy is growing faster than most similar advanced economies thanks to strong demand for its mineral riches from neighboring Asia. — AFP

Mobile firms seek Nigerian riches, but there’s a catch LAGOS: It would seem to be a sure thing for firms offering mobile money transfers: the most populated country in Africa, a growing economy and a nation where just about everyone has a mobile phone.

But as with many things that seem to be a sure bet, particularly in Nigeria, there’s a catch. Mobile companies have been thirsting to mimic the success of other African markets and tap into the potential for money transfers by phone in Nigeria, but a number of factors have slowed the service’s development. “Nigeria might be a bit late... and there has not been a lot of good news yet,” said Emmanuel Okoegwale of the Mobile Money Africa consultancy group.

“I think the central bank saw mobile money as a bit of a risk,” he added. Nigeria’s central bank has been cautious so far, blocking mobile companies from running their own cash transfer services and forcing them to partner with banks. Telecos like South Africa’s MTN, the continental giant, say they should be able to run their own services, given their proven success in other markets, but in Nigeria they are positioned as junior partners.

Four years ago, Nigeria’s banking sector was plunged into crisis due to massive corruption and mismanagement which led to huge amounts of bad loans and forced a $4 billion bailout. Bank executives were sacked in the process.

The central bank’s efforts in leading the sector to recovery have been widely lauded, and it has been reluctant to relax control in a country considered one of the world’s most graft-ridden.

Some in the mobile industry say that by withholding licenses from phone companies, the central bank is simply seeking to protect a lucrative market for Nigeria’s banks. — AFP

S Korea posts biggest trade surplus in 21 months SEOUL: South Korea reported yesterday its biggest trade surplus in 21 months as rising exports to the Middle East and Southeast Asia offset falling demand from the United States and Europe.

Exports in June rose 1.3 percent from a year ago to reach $47.4 billion, after shrinking for three straight months. Imports fell sharply by 5.4 percent to $42.4 billion, the Knowledge Economy Ministry said in a preliminary tally. That resulted in a trade surplus of $4.96 billion in June-the biggest since $6.34 billion posted in October 2010, the ministry said.

Economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires had expected exports to grow one percent and a trade surplus of $3 billion in June. Increased sales of cars, machinery and semiconductors as well as solid demand in emerging economies in Latin America and Asia helped offset shrinking sales in advanced markets particularly debt-hit Europe, said the ministry.

Asia’s fourth-largest economy saw exports to the Middle East expand about 14 percent in June from a year ago while sales to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations rose by a similar pace.

Exports to Europe dropped by 16.6 percent while sales in the US fell 3.5 percent. But worsening trade conditions including Europe’s raging debt woes and signs of a slowdown in China would hit Seoul’s exportdriven economy, said the ministry, cutting its forecast for exports in 2012. It said exports for this year would rise 3.5 percent from 2011 to reach $574.5 billion, revising its earlier estimate that exports would grow 7.2 percent to reach $595 billion. — AFP

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MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

business

Sharp focuses on keeping food fresh for longer Refrigerators with Plasmacluster Ion Technology KUWAIT: Keeping food fresh for a longer time period has always been a daily challenge as a lot of food is wasted with modern day fridges. Sharp’s refrigerators with Plasmacluster Ion Technology improve the refrigerator’s interior hygiene by removing airborne mould fungi and adhering bacteria, decomposes and eliminates unpleasant airborne odors arising from foods such as fish and cheese, and keeps your fruits, meat and vegetables fresher for a longer time.

The lack of access to healthy foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables and meat, can have adverse effects on an individual’s health, increasing the risk of diabetes, cancer and heart diseases.

Switching to poor dietary behaviors such as canned or processed foods contributes to obesity and other illnesses. Families try to maintain a wellbalanced nutritious diet, especially fulltime working mothers who are always on the run trying to provide the best for their children.

Dr Jane Darakjian, Specialist in overall Well Being, Dietician and Nutritionist Consultant at Manchester Clinic said, “Food low in nutrients nega-

tively affects the body’s metabolism which in turn opens doors to undernourishment, lower rate of growth development and body malfunction.

Fresh food such as fruits and vegetables, start decaying and loosing vitamins few days after picking, a problem which is partially solved by storing them at a cold temperature which slows the rate of decay. Yet bacteria and mould still grow in our refrigerators causing the food to decay and emit bad smells and chemical odors”.

The good news, however, is that Sharp has been on the go to provide a refrigeration solution to these problems. Sharp’s new range of refrigerators with PCI Technology uses nature inspired technology that helps keep your food fresher for a longer time.

Nature uses a balanced amount of positive and negative ions to eliminate pollutants and airborne pathogens, keeping the air refreshed. Sharp’s PCI Technology emits positive (H+) and negative (O2-) ions inside the refrigerator to inactivate harmful airborne substances such as fungi, viruses, bacteria and mould spores, while also reducing strong odors. As a result, foodstuffs

stay naturally fresh longer and are free from contaminants.

“In our 100th year since our foundation, we are focusing on providing customers with cutting edge products and solutions. Be it our energy efficient TV technologies, or our sophisticated Home Appliances, our simple aim is to make it easy for customers to choose a healthy and modern lifestyle”, says Hiroshi Sasaoka - Chairman at Sharp Middle East FZE. “In line with this thinking, our new range of PCI equipped refrigerators are our most efficient refrigerators yet, that combine best-inindustry product design as well as features” he added.

A mould generating experiment was conducted by Sharp Corporation where two pieces of bread were placed in a box with some added water to ensure moisture in the atmosphere. A Plasmacluster device, similar to the one used in the refrigerator, was added to one of the boxes. 10 days later, a food freshness comparison showed mould build-up on the piece of bread placed in the box without the Plasmacluster device, while the other piece of bread placed with the Plasmacluster device

was as fresh as the first day.

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GIC wins ‘Best Insurance Provider in the Middle East 2012’ Award Continuing its series of achievements

British Airways gives ME travellers tips on flying with children

KUWAIT: Gulf Insurance Company, the leading insurance company in Kuwait, has recently won the “Best Insurance Provider in the Middle East 2012” Award by Global Banking and Finance Review. An annual award given to selected distinguished companies around the world in the banking and finance industry.

Furthermore, these accomplishments have not come by coincidence, but by the huge efforts of the customer service’s team and the uniqueness of this well established company, and it came as a testament to the confidence in the company’s performance, and as a clear mark that GIC applies a great strategic work plan in the insurance industry, and also as recognition to its ongoing record of success.

Commenting on this achievement, the Manager of the Corporate Communications & Investor Relations Department at GIC, Khalid Al-Sanousi said,

“This international award comes as recognition of the company’s qualitative leap.

Considering that GIC was chosen after a series of assessments by industry analysts consisting of, detailed research on Quality, Per formance, Claims experience, Customer Service, Innovation, Market Share and Quality of Product offering. This indicates that GIC has been successful and has proven to be a top player in the Region.”

It is noteworthy to point out that Gulf Insurance Company has recently received an A- rating from Standard and Poor’s, one of the top rating agencies, along with an A- rating from A M Best. This outstanding achievement makes GIC the only insurance company in Kuwait that has a double Global Credit rating of (A-) from two of the top rating agencies, Standard & Poor’s as well as A M Best.

Additionally, GIC recently launched its

Joyalukkas jewelry now in Jeddah he world’s favorite jewelry retailer Joyalukkas has opened their third jewelry showroom in Saudi Arabia, in the port city of Jeddah. The showroom, the largest jewelry showroom in Jeddah, is located in Juffali Building on King Abdul Azees Road in Balad. The grand showroom, like all other Joyalukkas showrooms, will feature a wide range of jewelry collections and designs that have won admiration and appreciation from millions of people around the world.

The Joyalukkas Jeddah showroom was inaugurated by the esteemed Panakkad Syed Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal, in the presence of dignitaries and the senior Joyalukkas team.

The large format spacious state-of-the-art showroom has been built as per the global standards of the Joyalukkas jewelry retail chain and features exquisite contemporary, international and ethnic collections that are popular and sought after by millions around the world. The showroom staff has been specially trained in sales and customer service aspects to ensure they provide Joyalukkas’ promise of choice, quality, world class service, value and more importantly a delightful experience in jewelry shopping. Joyalukkas caters to over 10 million loyal customers world-wide and strongly understands the needs and aspirations of all types of jewelry buyers. Today’s women shop for jewelry on various occasions, for different needs and even on an impulse.

“We are delighted to open our third showroom in KSA at Jeddah. The response we have received in Saudi Arabia has been heart-warming and positive; hence we have decided to quicken our pace of expansion here. Jewelry lovers in Saudi Arabia have accepted us wholeheartedly and we are enjoying serving them with the Joyalukkas experience of choice, value, service, convenience and trust. We are an international jeweler and our promise to the residents of Jeddah is a world-class experience in jewelry shopping, “ said Joy Alukkas, Chairman and MD, Joyalukkas Group.

The Joyalukkas, Jeddah showroom features

T KUWAIT: With temperatures rising in Kuwait and kids breaking up for their summer school holidays, many families will be jetting off for their annual summer getaway. To make the journey even smoother, British Airways offers Middle Eastern travellers some valuable tips for flying with children.

Paolo De Renzis, British Airways’ Regional Commercial Manager, Middle East said: “I have three young children myself and from personal experience I know what a difference it makes if the kids are happy and content during their travels.”

“Everyone looks forward to their summer holiday, whether it be heading off to an exciting new destination, or returning home from abroad to spend time with family and friends. For some children this can be an incredible new adventure, while others will find the experience more of an ordeal.”

The key to travelling with children is preparation. Parents should spend some time speaking with their children to prepare them for the flight experience. Involve them by asking them to help pack for the holiday and plan what toys, books and clothes to take on board. While a great selection of programs is offered through the in-flight entertainment system, some parents also like to take a portable DVD player with their children’s favorite shows.

Make sure you arrive at the airport with plenty of time to check in, go through security and reach the gate, as these tasks always take longer when travelling with young ones. British Airways invites families to board first, so take this opportunity to get the children settled in their seats.

It is easy for young ones to become bored on long-haul flights so bring some toys and games to amuse them. Be careful not to pack anything with small or many parts, such as a jigsaw puzzle, which can be lost easily. In addition, British Airways offers agespecific Skyflyers activity packs to children between two and 12 years to help them pass the time. The airline has just launched new packs with a London 2012 Olympic theme to be given out to children on flights during the Olympic and Paralympic games.

There are also dedicated children’s channels on the in-flight entertainment system.

Nutritious children’s meals are available on all of British Airways’ long-haul flights; however parents will need to book these 24 hours in advance. Small snacks and tasty treats will also help children pass the time. While a limited supply of baby food is carried on board, parents are encouraged to bring their own baby food and sterilized equipment.

British Airways’ website (ba.com) is a valuable source of information and useful advice for families on the go. As well as checking in online and selecting seats, the website also offers a range of other services that make flying easier for families. Try these services and tips for a seamless journey: * Prebook children’s meals online 24 hours in advance * Reserve a carrycot for babies or a child seat for infants so you both get rest during the flight * Reserve your seats online 24 hours before your flight to ensure the family can sit together * Arrive at the airport well in advance to allow for a less stressful check-in and security process * Allow your child to bring his/her favorite toy from home and select a few favorite films or programs to play on a portable DVD player A full timetable of British Airways’ flights to London and beyond is available online at ba.com - where the lowest fares are guaranteed - and customers can book, pay and check-in online for their flights.

exclusive and popular branded collections in gold, diamonds, precious stones, platinum and pearls, like Eleganza, Entice, Diroyale, Ratna, Li’l Joy, Aamira, BakiAmore, Mermaid, Teens and Twenties, Zenina, Florentina, Akshaya, Masaaki Pearls, Mist, Trestelle, Magnus, Perfekt, Veda and more.

Trust is key to jewelry buyers and Joyalukkas takes all the necessary steps to keep the customers assured at all times. Joyalukkas offers 100 percent buy back and exchange on most of the jewelry sold through its showrooms globally.

“When we announced our first showroom in KSA, people were excited and kept asking us to open at the earliest. The response to our entry was tremendous and this is pushing us to open more showrooms in KSA to serve all regions here. Our 3rd showroom in KSA, like all our showrooms around the world, will offer over one million choices in ethnic, ethno-contemporary and international jewelry designs. Our trained team is ready and excited to manage all expectations of the Jeddah residents,” said John Paul Joy Alukkas, Executive Director, Joyalukkas Group.

The key strengths of Joyalukkas are Choice, Convenience, Service and Trust, and the globally renowned jewelry chain has a well-trained team to manage this expectation at all times.

Joyalukkas is one of the first ISO certified jewelry retail chain with 85 showrooms across nine countries in the world. Joyalukkas has also been the proud recipient of the many prestigious awards in jewelry by many renowned bodies around the world.

Joyalukkas has been awarded the Superbrand status for 3 years in a row in the UAE and has also received recognition from HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai under the Dubai Quality Awards Program for being the retail chain with strict adherence to quality and international standards.

Joyalukkas has also been awarded the ‘Retailer of the Year’ by Retail ME.

custom made iPhone application in to ensure customer convenience where they can issue and renew Motor and Boat TPL insurance, renew Motor comprehensive insurance, and issue Travel Assist insurance and many other services on the move.

Global Banking and Finance Review is an online portal which has evolved from the growing need to have a more balanced view for informative and independent news for the global banking and finance industry. It is read in over 190 different countries in the word and gets around 250,000 t0 500,000 page views on a monthly basis. Global Banking and Finance Review yearly awards the distinguished companies around the world in the banking and finance industries and to view these companies and more you can visit : http://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/award-winners-2012.html

Gulf Bank launches referral program for red customers KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has announced the launch of its exclusive Referral program catered to all its red account holders, allowing them to earn rewards by referring their friends and relatives to Gulf Bank’s red youth account.

Najla Al-Essa, Executive Manager, Consumer Banking Group at Gulf Bank said: “We are very proud to launch a referral program to reward our customers with gifts such as cinema tickets, a free booking for the VIP bowling room at 360 Mall and an Al-Shaya gift card. Our newly introduced program is an indication of our ongoing efforts to find rewarding and valuable offers for our customers. red(tm) account holders can now enjoy the wide variety of benefits with their friends and relatives by simply referring them to Gulf Bank’s red account.”

Each time a red account holder refers a friend or a relative who opens and transfers their salary they will both instantly receive a cash reward of KD5 to thank them for joining red(tm).

Upon referring five friends, customers will be rewarded with two free cinema tickets, and when referring ten friends, customers will enjoy the use of a VIP bowling room at 360 Mall. In addition to this, when customers refer 15 friends, they will be rewarded with an Al-Shaya gift card and finally when

Najla Al-Essa, Executive ManagerConsumer Banking Group at Gulf Bank referring a total of 20 friends, customers will be named ‘red Ambassador’, as well as receiving a surprise gift.

To find out more about Gulf Bank’s red(tm) Referral program, customers can visit one of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches or contact its Customer Contact Center on 1805805 for assistance and guidance. They can also log on to www.egulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s website, to find all the information they need regarding the red(tm) program and its benefits.

Commercial Bank announces winners of Najma Account KUWAIT: Commercial Bank of Kuwait held the Al Najma Account drawyesterday. 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: Fareda AbdulMohsen Ahmed Al-Musallam Salah Mubarak Khalifa Bouresly Saad Sultan Bakheet Al-Daham Hamad Salim Al-Habib Reem Sulaiman Hussain Al-Hulail

JEDDAH: Panakkad Syed Sadik Ali Shihab Thangal, Joy Alukkas, Chairman & MD, Joyalukkas Group, John Paul Joy Alukkas, Sattam Al-Omairy, Tomy Joseph, Henry George and George TA, Dileep PA.

Khalid Al-Sanousi

KD 7000, KD 7000, KD 7000, KD 7000, 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 June 19 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.

27

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

TECHNOLOGY VidCon attracts online video makers and their fans

KAZAKHSTAN: Russian space agency rescue team carry US astronaut Donald Pettit, center, shortly after the landing of the Russian Soyuz TMA-03M space capsule at the south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, yesterday. —AP

KAZAKHSTAN: A Russian Soyuz TMA03M space capsule lands about 150 kms south-east of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan, yesterday. —AP

Soyuz spacecraft lands safely in Kazakhstan The landing was ‘a bull’s-eye’ KAZAKHSTAN: A Soyuz space capsule carrying a three-man multinational crew touched down safely yestwerday on the southern steppes of Kazakhstan, bringing an end to their 193-day mission to the International Space Station.

Around a dozen recovery helicopters zeroed into the vast uncultivated land mass, where NASA astronaut Donald Pettit, Russia’s Oleg Kononenko and Dutchman Andre Kuipers landed in the Russian-made capsule.

Russian space officials quickly surrounded the craft, which performed a perfect upright textbook landing, and erected ladders to begin the process of pulling out the astronauts. The voyage from the space station started 3 -1/2 hours earlier, when it undocked and began a slow, gentle drift away. It made a perfect landing in the still and summery weather at 2:14

pm local time (08:17 GMT), right on schedule.

Commenting on the landing, NASA TV reporter Rob Navias described it as “a bull’s-eye.”

Kononenko was the first to be extracted from the descent module. He looked pale and tired, but medical staff announced him healthy. Pettit, second out of the module, was heard to say: “It’s good to be home.” The three men were hoisted into recliners and posed for photos for a number of minutes before being carried into a tent for further checks.

Writing on his NASA blog on the eve of his departure from the space station, Petit write: “I only hope that my small efforts here, perhaps adding one grain of sand to the beach of knowledge, will help enable a generation of people in the future to call space ‘home.’”

Petit and his colleagues were part of the

team that handled the arrival to the space station last month of the privately owned SpaceX Dragon capsule. That became the first private delivery to the International Space Station.

The retirement of the US shuttle fleet has left Russia’s venerable Soyuz spacecraft as the only means to deliver crews to the orbiting laboratory. Russians Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin and US astronaut Joseph Acaba are expected to remain onboard the orbiting space station for a further three months.

They will be joined later this month by NASA astronaut Suni Williams, Russia’s Yury Malenchenko and Japanese astronaut Aki Hoshide, who are set to take off on a Soyuz spaceship from the Baikonur cosmodrome in southern Kazakhstan. —AP

Sound Advice

Consider a universal player for all your discs

By Don Lindich Question: My audiophile-quality Cambridge Audio CD player has stopped working and I suspect the laser has died. I’ve been thinking about a new one and all of this led me to look at Blu-ray players. They play CDs as well as DVDs, so why have a separate CD player?

Cambridge Audio makes a high-end Blu-ray Universal Player which is about $1,200.

Another option I am considering is the Oppo BDP-95 Blu-Ray Universal Player which is about $1,000. What are your thoughts?

Answer: You hit the nail on the head. Why buy a CD player, when it locks you out of the possibility of playing other kinds of discs such as DVDs and Blu-ray discs? Besides DVDs and Blu-ray, there are audio disc such as Super Audio CD (SACD) and DVD-Audio (DVD-A) that offer better sound quality than conventional CDs. These formats have not caught on with the mass market and are niche formats favored by audiophiles. Universal players such as the Cambridge Audio and Oppo units you mention will play CDs, DVDs, SACDs, DVD-A discs, and Blu-ray, hence the name “Universal.”

I have always been skeptical of digital disc players with extremely high price tags. If you

are using the digital audio outputs or HDMI connection you won’t hear any difference between a $10,000 high-end player and a $50 Magnavox. Even with the analog audio outputs differences tend to be very minor, nowhere near the difference you will hear between different phono playback gear and speakers. Disc players also have a limited useful life because as you have noted, the laser assemblies go bad over time and with use, and new formats and capabilities come along that

render players obsolete. It is for this reason I don’t recommend extremely expensive disc players unless you have a very high-end system to match. I am going to assume that you do and share my thoughts, as well as provide some alternatives for both you and other readers to consider.

In the disc player pecking order I consider Oppo to be tops, featuring top quality sound

quality from all disc formats as well as exceptional video performance from DVDs and Bluray discs. Support after the sale is exceptional as well, which is how Oppo became the admired and respected company they are today. In addition to the $1,000 BDP-95 Oppo also offers the $499 BDP-93, which provides much of the performance of the BDP-95. Just remember you need to use the analog audio outputs of the BDP-95 to make the most of its upgraded audio circuitry. You can see them at www.oppodigital.com.

In the lower price ranges the $299 Panasonic DMP-BDT500 offers upgraded analog audio circuitry and connections as well as digital processing modes such as “Digital Tube Sound” meant to mimic the warm, natural sound of tube electronics. It isn’t a universal player, though. These recommendations are meant mostly for serious audiophiles and enthusiasts. The average, non-audiophile consumer does not need to spend $300 or even $200 to get exceptional video and sound quality from a Blu-ray player. Just about anything off the shelf will provide a great picture and sound fantastic. Sound quality will be more a function of your speakers, receiver, and room acoustics than anything else. —MCT

EMC transforms backup and recovery landscape EMC unveils backup and recovery innovations that add new levels of integration, management and per formance to its market-leading purpose-built backup appliances EMC backup and recover y solutions work seamlessly with a broad set of enterprise applications, workloads and processes, allowing customers flexibility and choice in how they attack their most pressing data protection challenges New EMC Data Domain DD990 deduplication storage system raises the industry bar for backup performance: Over 6x faster and 3x more capacity than its nearest competitor.

New software broadens Data Domain archiving capabilities for extended retention and regulator y compliance, expands the Data Domain Boost ecosystem and enhances the Data Domain Data Invulnerability Architecture .

New EMC Avamar 6.1 deduplication software and system delivers 3x the backup performance and 30x the recovery per-

formance of its nearest competitor in VM ware environments.

Avamar 6.1 simplifies backup management for business critical applications and expands Microsoft Hyper-V support to deliver complete protection for virtual server environments.

At EMC World 2012, EMC (NYSE:EMC) yesterday announced new EMC Data Domain and EMC Avamar deduplication systems and software that transform the backup and recovery landscape.

The new products are high performance, scalable, purpose-built backup appliances that tightly integrate with each other, with backup software and with enterprise applications. These new capabilities further differentiate the EMC backup and recovery portfolio from competitors with point products, and chart the EMC vision for the future of backup and recovery.

For years, the most common and daunting challenges backup administrators faced were backup window times and dealing with slow and unreliable

tape -based recoveries. Data deduplication technology enabled high-performance purpose-built backup appliances to address these issues. Today, cloud and big data are transforming IT environments, but legacy backup systems can stall or cripple these valuable IT transformation projec ts. By delivering a capability-rich, next generation backup and recover y platform that builds in unprecedented levels of performance, integration and management, EMC frees customers from the complexities of protecting IT environments that are changing and expanding. This gives customers flexibility and choice in how they attack their most pressing data protection challenges.

EMC once again establishes a new industr y per formance benchmark for the world’s fastest single controller deduplication storage system with the introduction of the new Data Domain DD990. Similarly, Avamar 6.1 deduplication software and system delivers the

industry’s fastest backup and recover y per formance for VMware environments, eclipsing the per formance levels of its nearest competitor by 3x on backups and a staggering 30x on recoveries.

Avamar 6.1 also simplifies backup management for key business critical applications with new support for SAP, Sybase and Microsoft SQL Server 2012 and enhanced support for Oracle. In addition, Avamar 6.1 further increases its support for virtual environments with expanded Microsoft Hyper-V features.

Finally, new Data Domain software brings exciting capabilities to the Data Domain family, broadening Data Domain archiving capabilities for extended retention and regulatory compliance, expanding the Data Domain Boost ecosystem and enhancing the Data Domain Data Invulnerability Architecture.

Combined, these announcements give customers tighter integration, simplified management and the world’s fastest backup performance.

ANAHEIM: A long line of teenagers has formed inside a cavernous convention center. They’re waiting to nab an autograph from Rebecca Black, the girl who achieved infamy with her nasally music video “Friday.” Over in the lobby, folks are sticking out their smartphones to capture a photo of Yogi the Welsh corgi, a dog who accidentally set a kitchen on fire, while others have surrounded a seated Paul “Bear” Vasquez, the man who unabashedly gushed over the sight of a double rainbow.

It’s the third annual VidCon, a gathering of online video creators, viral video stars and the people who click “like” on them. The circus atmosphere is the ultimate physical manifestation of activities usually reserved for the privacy of one’s lap or hand.

The event outgrew its previous digs at a Los Angeles hotel and has moved south to a convention center in the land of Disney’s Magic Kingdom, but the astronomical audiences these online celebrities are attracting and the real money they’re making are far from fantasy.

The event’s organizers, John and Hank Green, known online as the Vlogbrothers, launched VidCon three years ago to unite video bloggers in space and time. This year’s VidCon, which kicked off Thursday and continues through Sunday, is sponsored by the likes of Disney Interactive Media Group, the online video studios Maker and Revision3, and, of course, Google Inc.-owned YouTube.

“It’s a great opportunity to meet people who have the same passion as you, even if they make videos that are completely different than yours,” says 19year-old Justin Stuart of Colorado Springs, Co. Stuart’s simplistically silly video of himself and friends falling down in public places has amassed more than 1.7 million views on his “JStuStudios” channel on YouTube.

VidCon organizers say attendance at this year’s sold-out event at the Anaheim Convention Center is more than double last year’s turnout, attracting 6,000 mostly teenaged attendees, many of whom were accompanied by their parents, compared to last year’s 3,600 con-goers.

The expanded offerings at this weekend’s VidCon include more panels, an open-mic room for budding musicians and an expo floor with exhibitors showing off the latest in gadgets and software as attendees excitedly swap Twitter names, Facebook pages and YouTube channels.

On Friday morning, thousands of socalled YouTubers filled the convention center’s arena to watch online video celebs like Nick Pitera, Rootberry and Henry Reich sing mash-ups, swallow swords and animate physics lessons before breaking off to attend panels with titles like “Don’t Forget About Audio,” “YouTube and the 2012 Election,” and “So You Want to be a Vlogger? Now What?”

While the mood at VidCon is mostly

jovial, the more serious minded in attendance recognize a change is afoot for their beloved realm. The lines are blurring between what’s considered online video, and the entertainment industry is angling for more influence over the medium than ever before.

“We’re seeing a trend of Hollywood coming in,” said Benny Fine, who with his brother produces a series called “Kids React” that features children dishing on current events. “It’s time to get ready to show that we have the audience and the abilities they do because, even if we have hundreds of millions of views, we’re still going to be looked at differently.”

Fine says there are three basic ways YouTubers can make money nowadays: through traditional advertising like popup ads and commercials, merchandising content with stuff like apparel and music, and forging sponsorships similar to the bacon-themed deals that the meat-loving cooking show “Epic Meal Time” has struck with several companies.

Shishir Mehrotra, YouTube’s vice president of product management,

CALIFORNIA: In this Thursday, June 28, 2012 photo, Kimmy Fiorentino, from North Carolina, shows her decorated nails with YouTube video channels at VidCon, the third annual conference and community gathering for online video at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim.—AP photos announced Thursday at VidCon that the company is rolling out a new platform to directly connect its “partners,” a group of uploaders with whom YouTube shares advertising revenue, with marketers looking to glom onto their online audience. The company says it pays millions to its “partners” each year, and thousands of YouTube channels generate six figures a year.

With all that money to be made, many VidCon attendees just want to know how they can procure a piece of it when the marketplace is becoming more crowded than the line to meet the girl who sang “Friday.” Ze Frank, an artist regarded as the grandfather of vlogging, told the crowd that the answer lies within. “Think about designing for one - just you,” said Frank. “Ultimately, if you do become successful and have lots of followers and fame, you’ll still be left with the challenge, ‘How do I make things that I want to make?’” —AP

CALIFORNIA: File photo shows Adi Sideman, CEO of YouNow, delivers his keynote ‘Two Way Television is Here’ at the third annual VidCon conference.

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Cosmic discovery week ahead for science, perhaps GENEVA: It has been fancifully dubbed the angel of creation and, to the particular scorn of physicists, the god particle. The Higgs Boson is said to have appeared out of the chaos of the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago and turned the flying debris from that primeval explosion into galaxies, stars, and planets. Its formal discovery, according to a broad scientific consensus, would be the greatest advance in knowledge of the universe in decades.

But until now, in the four decades of research since its existence was first posited, no-one has claimed to have more than seen a hint of the Higgs Boson. This may be about to change. On Wednesday at the CERN particle physics research centre near Geneva, two separate teams of “Higgs Hunters” - a term they profess to hate may well announce they have spotted it.

Or at least something that looks incredibly like it. “Think of it as a smoking duck,” says Oliver Buchmueller, a senior

scientist on one of the teams, the CMS. “If it walks like a Higgs and it quacks like a Higgs, then we would have to at least consider the possibility that we have a prominent new member of the Boson family on our hands.”

The Higgs Boson is a vital component of the “Standard Model” the all-encompassing 30-year-old scientific theory of how the universe works at the simplest level.

Without it, says US physicist Matt Strassler, “nothing like human beings, or the earth we live on, could exist”.

Why is it called a boson? Because elementary particles, the building blocks of the cosmos, come in two types - bosons and fermions - and the Higgs has been assigned to the first.

Physicists say the particle is like a wave from what would be the otherwise invisible Higgs field and would provide prime evidence that that underlying force is

there. Buchmueller, like all scientists at CERN, is silent on what might be revealed on July 4 by scientists who have analysed the product of many trillions of mini-big bangs created over the past two years in CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC).

“We will all just have to be patient till Wednesday,” says Pauline Gagnon, a Canadian physicist on CMS’ rival team Atlas, blogging from a big particle physics conference in Australia. Last December, CMS and Atlas told a similar seminar at the sprawling CERN campus on the SwissFrench border, that they had seen “tantalising glimpses” of what could be the boson, named after 82-year-old British theoretical physicist Peter Higgs.

Since then, power in the underground LHC has been ramped up and the rate of almost light-speed particle collisions in it has been tripled in an attempt to produce something more definite. A sense that “something” has been seen has been bol-

stered not only by the announcement of the CERN seminar and a live video feed to the Melbourne congress but by other linked events scheduled around the globe.

New York’s Columbia University said it was holding an early-hours pyjama party in the hope of seeing “sub-atomic fireworks”.

In London, a concert hall across from the Houses of Parliament has been booked for a similar, but daytime, event.

Japanese, Russian and Chinese scientists will be watching too.

At the US Fermilab near Chicago, where scientists spent three decades looking for the Higgs in their Tevatron collider which was shut down last December as Washington cut off funds, another seminar has been set for today.

That gathering, according to the centre’s daily bulletin, will hear the final “Higgs results” from the Tevatron, a much

less powerful machine than the mighty LHC. But just what will be announced at CERN - and Fermilab - remains far from clear.

To claim a discovery, scientists have to have a “5 sigma” certainty - or be sure that there is less than a one in a million chance it is a fluke. The Higgs, both field and boson, could come in various forms, specialists say, and although one type may have been seen it may yet take time to determine exactly which one it is.

The question will probably remain open on whether it is a Standard Model version, or something else that will take scientists into the science fiction realms of “New Physics”.

“It could prove to be a single child or have siblings, and what its hair colour or genetic code is would remain to be established before we know it’s true nature,” said Buchmueller. “It might be an alien, after all.”— Reuters

Japan braces to refire nuke reactor as protests mount Meltdown at Fukushima unnerves people

SILIGURI: Indian sex workers and their family members attend a health check up in the Khalpara Red light area in Siliguri yesterday. Hundreds of sex workers along with their family members attended the free clinic set up to celebrate national Doctors day and also bring awareness to HIVAIDS. — AFP

Eastern US heat wave continues WASHINGTON: A heat wave baking the eastern United States in record temperatures was set to continue yesterday after deadly storms killed at least 12 people, downed power lines from Indiana to Maryland and left more than 3 million customers without power.

Emergencies were declared in Washington DC, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia on Saturday because of damage from overnight storms, which unleashed hurricane-force winds across a 500-mile (800-km) stretch of the mid-Atlantic region. President Barack Obama authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to coordinate all disaster relief efforts in stormravaged Ohio.

The storms’ rampage was followed by roasting temperatures that topped 100 Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) in several southern cities, including Atlanta, where the mercury hit 106 degrees (41 Celsius), according to Accuweather.com.

Heat advisories remained in effect into yesterday across the southeast and lower half of the Mississippi valley, with “triple-digit temperatures expected across the southern third of the country,” the National Weather Service said. “It is very unsafe outdoors for those susceptible to these extreme conditions,” it warned in a statement.

Power crews worked into the night to try to restore service to homes and businesses, and officials said in some areas the job could take up to a week. Utilities in Ohio, Virginia and Maryland described damage to their power grids as catastrophic. Six people were killed in Virginia in storm-related incidents, and more than 1 million customers were left without power in the worst outage not linked to a hurricane in the state’s history, said Bob Spieldenner, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Two Maryland residents died in the storm - one struck by a falling tree in Anne Arundel County, the other electrocuted after a tree crashed into a house in Montgomery County - said state emergency management agency spokesman Edward Hopkins.

In New Jersey, two cousins aged 2 and 7 were killed by a falling tree in a state park. And in eastern Tennessee, heat was blamed for the deaths of two brothers, ages 3 and 5, in Bradley County. They had

been playing outside in 105-degree Fahrenheit (41-degree Celsius) heat.

In Maryland, about 800,000 customers lost power, with outages reported throughout the state, Hopkins said. Ohio, where one storm-related death was reported, faced similar difficulties.

Outages hit two-thirds of the state with about 1 million homes and businesses left without electricity. Governor John Kasich said it could take a week to fully restore power.

West Virginia was also hard hit by storm-related outages, with about 614,000 customers without power, said Terrance Lively, spokesman for the state emergency management agency.

Further north, the storm caused outages from Indiana, where 135,000 customers lost power, to New Jersey, where Atlantic County declared a state of emergency and at least 206,000 customers were without power.

Blazing temperatures in New York, where thermometer readings were in the 90s (32-38 Celsius) on Saturday, came ahead of a threat of strike by 8,500 Consolidated Edison workers over a new contract. Early Sunday morning, the company locked out its unionized workers after contract talks broke down, both sides said, raising the possibility of power cuts during the heat wave.

The company asked to extend negotiations for two more weeks, it said, but the union refused. In response, the firm told union members not to report for work on Sunday.

The action increased the risk of power outages if the heat wave puts extra strain on the electrical grid for New York City and suburban Westchester county.

“Both sides are far apart,” said company spokesman Mike Clendenon. “We asked the union to extend the talks for two weeks but they refused.”

“We can’t operate the system reliably for customers if the union can still call a strike at a moment’s notice,” he said.

John Melia, a spokesman for the Utilities Workers Union of America (UWUA) said that as of 2 a.m. Sunday (EDT) its 8,500 ConEd power workers were locked out.

“ConEd took the extreme measure of locking out its unionized workforce putting the city of New York and Westchester county in peril during a heat wave.” — Reuters

TOKYO: Engineers were yesterday readying to refire a nuclear reactor, despite growing public protests in the aftermath of meltdowns at Fukushima, ending nearly two months in which Japan was nuclear-free.

Control rods that have prevented an atomic reaction inside Unit No. 3 at the Oi plant in western Japan were set to be removed from around 9:00 pm (1200 GMT). The reactor was expected to reach criticality nine hours later.

Hundreds of protesters blocked the road to the front gate of the power station, according to media reports, the latest in a line of increasingly vocal anti-nuclear demonstrations. The country has been operating without nuclear power since early May when the last of its 50 working reactors was shut down for a scheduled safety check. Restarts had put been on hold as the government mulled its options following a 9.0magnitude earthquake and tsunami that crippled reactor cooling systems at Fukushima while more giant quakes were forecast to strike Japan. But on June 16, Prime Minister Yoshihito Noda gave the green light to restart two reactors at the Oi plant in an effort to head off a summer power crunch amid warnings of a huge electricity shortfall.

Prior to Fukushima, nuclear power had supplied a third of Japan’s electricity needs. Oi operator Kansai Electric Power Co (KEPCO) said the 1.18 million-kilowatt reactor would begin generating power on Wednesday and would be operating at capacity in a week.

The utility, which serves the industrial and commercial hub of Osaka and surrounding areas, plans to reactivate the No. 4 reactor at Oi on July 14.

A series of minor glitches have been reported at the plant since June 16 with alarms activated at locations including where the plant receives external power supply and on equipment used to monitor power transmission lines.

The government has set an energy-saving target of reducing the use of electricity by up to 15 percent from 2010 levels in the summer in KEPCO’s service area until the Oi reactors are back online.

About 200 protesters gathered outside the Oi plant in a face-off with riot police yesterday, shouting “No to the restart” and beating drums, according to media reports. Around 650 people

had taken part in a rally outside the plant on Saturday night, reports said. “If the reactor is reactivated today, other reactors will be restarted one after another,” 40-year-old designer Ikuyo Hattori, who came with her two children, told the Kyodo News agency.

“We cannot accept the forcible restart when the Fukushima accident has not yet been settled,” she added. In the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, radiation spread over homes and farmland in a large swathe of Japan’s northeast after the March 2011 disaster.

Nobody is officially recorded as having died as a direct result of the meltdowns, but tens of thousands of people were evacuated and many remain so, with warnings some areas will be uninhabitable for decades.

Anti-nuclear protests have gathered momentum nationwide since Noda’s announcement with widespread skepticism over his pledge

that safety has been assured at Oi in an area riddled with seismic faults. On Friday, tens of thousands of people gathered on streets outside the premier’s residence in central Tokyo with organizers estimating the turnout at up to 180,000.

Police estimates were around 20,000, according to media reports. No explanation was given for the large disparity.

A week earlier, an estimated 45,000 people gathered in a similar protest rally there.

Smaller-scale protests had been held every Friday outside the premier’s residence since late March, and have been led in part by Nobel Prize-winning author Kenzaburo Oe, who started an antinuclear petition that has so far gathered more than 7.5 million signatures. On Saturday around 1,000 people marched through the streets of Shinjuku, a major shopping and entertainment district, in protest at the nuclear restart, an AFP journalist at the scene said. — AFP

TOKYO: Protesters carry effigies of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda as police officers accompany them during a march, protesting the restart of Ohi nuclear power plant in Tokyo yesterday.—AP

Gorillas prosper despite guerrillas nearby VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Rwanda: Baby gorillas roll around as their mothers tuck into juicy plant shoots: mountain gorillas are highly endangered, but the 27 members of the Agashya family are well protected. The dense misty forests of the Virunga mountain chain straddling Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo are home to over half of all mountain gorillas, but the jungles also host rebel fighters across the border into Congo.

Yet despite the threats, the population of these threatened primates has been rising for the past decade. The total world population is estimated at 790, 480 of whom live here in the Virungas, the remainder in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

The positive trend, which comes in spite of protracted unrest on the Congolese side of the border, is largely due to progress made in curbing poaching, Rwandan authorities say.

Poaching “is declining every year” largely due to awareness campaigns in local communities, according to Telesphore Ngoga, who heads the conservation department at Rwanda Development Board. “There is no longer a situation where baby gorillas are poached,” he said.

Augustin Basabose, acting director at the International Gorilla Conservation Program (IGCP), says that while poachers no longer really target the

gorillas per se, they do still get caught in snares set for other wildlife such as antelopes.

Eating the mountain apes is taboo here, but they were previously targeted, with their hands used for grim trophies, while baby gorillas were seized for private illegal zoos.

Basabose is one of 20 people chosen by the Rwandan authorities this year to name 19 babies and one adult in the annual gorilla naming ceremony, which was first held in 2005. Attended by members of the international community based in Kigali, but not by the primates themselves, the naming is supposed to create awareness about the need for mountain gorilla conservation and to promote tourism. Tourism here is an important foreign currency earner, having brought in some $250 million in 2011. A foreign visitor not resident in the region pays $750 for a permit to spend one hour in the company of the primates. Once inside the park, a ranger welcomes the day’s visitors-never more than eight per group of habituated gorillas-to guide them through the undergrowth lining the steep and slippery path.

‘Gorillas are sensitive’ The guide reminds the visitors of the rules to be obeyed while they observe the gorillas in the forests. If an ape comes too close the visitor must

move back, both out of prudence as the primates tower over the visitors and can weigh as much as 200 kilograms (440 pounds) — and in order to respect their environment. “We want to keep them as wild as possible,” explained the guide, Francis Bayingana.

He is armed with a Kalashnikov rifle - but more in case the group encounters an aggressive buffalo, than because of the security situation on the other side of the border.

The Congolese flanks of the Virunga mountains have been hard hit by the recent wave of violence on that side of the border. In May army mutineers “crossed the park to arrive in the gorilla sector,” said Emmanuel de Merode, director of the DR Congo’s Virunga national park.

The Congolese park has been closed to tourists for the past several weeks, Merode said, adding that three rangers were killed in May, when they were ambushed on a road where they were protecting civilians. In early June two other rangers received bullet and bayonet wounds, and the gorilla sector patrols in Congo were suspended.

Since then rangers have not managed to reestablish contact with two of the park’s six gorilla families, who have taken refuge “in inaccessible zones,” Merode added.— AFP

Can a genetic switch spice up supermarket tomato?

WASHINGTON: Using genetics, scientists have been able to dig up the dirt on why homegrown tomatoes taste so much sweeter than the ones in the supermarket. Researchers found a genetic switch responsible for some of the sugar production within a tomato. A new study in Friday’s edition of Science found that the common type of tomato bred for

firmness and good shipping also inadvertently turns off the sugar-producing switch. That makes it less sweet and blander than garden varieties. University of California Davis plant scientist Ann Powell said knowing the genetics behind the sugarmaking could lead someday to development of sweeter tomatoes that also travel well. — AP

Armed rangers patrolling in the Virunga National park in Rwanda to protect the habitat of Agashya family mountain gorillas. (Right) A young member of the Agashya family of mountain Gorillas frolicking in dense undergrowth at the Virunga National park in Rwanda. — AFP

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

More nuanced view of John Roberts after healthcare law Upholding ‘Obamacare’ something beyond mere surprise WASHINGTON: Chief Justice John Roberts could have taken down the entire, massive health care law that his fellow Republicans deride as “Obamacare.” He could have prevented the Supreme Court decision that largely disabled the most disputed aspects of Arizona’s crackdown on illegal immigrants. He didn’t do either, and in the process surprised (or dismayed) longtime court observers of every political stripe.

Those two outcomes in the finals days of his seventh year on the court offer some clues for reassessing what kind of chief justice Roberts is and intends to be. Is he no longer the rock-ribbed conservative loved by sup-

WASHINGTON: Tim Murphy (center) holds up a copy of the Supreme Court’s healthcare ruling during a news conference by the GOP Doctors Caucus on Capitol Hill in Washington. —AP porters and jeered by opponents? Has he become a pragmatic leader mindful of the court’s place in history?

Is he more canny, but still solidly conservative?

The measure of a justice is best taken after decades of service, rather than a few years. At age 57, Roberts could lead the court for another quarter-century.

But at the very least, the end of the Roberts Court’s most consequential term already is leading to revised, and in some cases more nuanced, appraisals of his leadership. Erwin Chemerinsky, a liberal scholar who is dean of the law school at the University of California at Irvine, announced that the era of the Roberts Court had

begun. “He authored the opinion in the most important case in his seven years on the court, and did so against what was expected,” Chemerinsky said.

In truth, Roberts’ vote to uphold President Barack Obama’s healthcare law was not so much a surprise. He long had been counted among the possible votes to uphold the law. But it was widely assumed that if Roberts ultimately voted for it, so too would Anthony Kennedy, most often the decisive vote in closely fought cases. It was only the second time in his tenure that Roberts provided the deciding vote for the side favored by the court’s liberals.

Up until now, it had been the Kennedy Court, Chemerinsky said, “This year, it was the Roberts Court.”

Had Roberts gone the other way, the court would have wiped away the entire health care overhaul, which is the outcome embraced by dissenting Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Kennedy. Instead, he said the individual insurance requirement at the heart of the law could be upheld as a tax. At the same time, he rejected administration arguments that the mandate was justified by the Constitution’s clause giving Congress power over interstate commerce, which has been the authority for most federal programs since the New Deal.

Some legal scholars suggest Roberts produced an essentially conservative opinion with a liberal outcome.

Neal Katyal, the former acting solicitor general who argued the Obama administration’s side in the health care cases in several appeals courts, said that Roberts’ majority opinion opened the door to potentially important changes in the law that could restrict federal power as it has been understood since the New Deal.

Ilya Somin, a George Mason University law professor, said on the Volokh Conspiracy legal blog that the health care case “gives supporters of limits on federal power some useful ammunition, despite also dealing us a painful defeat.”

In addition, Roberts’ ruling has helped refocus the public debate over the law and gave Republican opponents ammunition for calling it a big tax increase they would try to repeal. Just three days earlier, Roberts, joined by Kennedy this time, sided with three liberal justices in the Arizona immigration case. Justice Elena Kagan, one of the court’s liberals, did not take part because of her previous involvement as solicitor general, when she was the Obama administration’s top

Supreme Court lawyer. Roberts joined in every word of Kennedy’s majority opinion that struck down three contentious provisions of the law, but allowed one to go forward - the requirement that police check the immigration status of people they stop for other reasons.

Roberts could have sided with the conservatives who favored allowing other provisions to take effect, but that would have left the court divided 4-4, a distasteful outcome because it amounts to a waste of the justices’ time.

What’s more, Roberts might have reasoned that Kagan probably would side with the other liberal justices and Kennedy in some future immigration case over similar state laws that she could take part in. Such a case down the road probably would produce an outcome similar to what the court achieved last week in the Arizona case. But if Roberts stuck with the conservative justices, that scenario would have deprived him of a chance to try to influence the majority opinion. Yet as the court followed its usual practice of issuing a torrent of opinions just days before the justices scatter for the summer, Roberts did not exactly abandon his frequent allies on the right. He wrote a sharp dissent from Kagan’s majority opinion barring mandatory sentences of life without possibility of parole for people younger than 18. The chief justice and the other conservatives rebuffed pleas from supporters of campaign spending limits and from liberal justices to take a fresh look at the 2-year-old Citizens United decision, perhaps the most politically unpopular decision of Roberts’ tenure.

The court struck down Montana’s limits on corporate campaign spending because the majority, including Roberts, said the state law conflicted with the Citizens United decision. Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock called the court just “another political body.”

Liberal groups bemoaned the loss of a chance to carve out state exceptions to the Citizens United ruling that unleashed a tidal wave of big money contributions during this election year.

Roberts has called for consensus in judicial decisions since he arrived at the court in September 2005. He has advocated judicial modesty, though his critics insist he himself cast that aspiration aside in Citizens United and other high-profile cases involving abortion rights, race and gun rights. Other predictions of furious discord among the ideologically divided justices in big cases were sometimes proved wrong. The justices avoided a

major confrontation over the landmark civil-rights-era Voting Rights Act in an 8-1 decision that resolved the case without reaching disputed constitutional issues.

When the court heard a dispute over congressional redistricting maps in Texas that essentially pitted Republicans against Latinos and African-Americans who argued for greater representation, the court seemed headed for its typical conservative-liberal split. Instead, 11 days after hearing arguments, the court returned a consensus, unsigned opinion that gave both sides some of what they wanted.

Paul Clement, who argued the health care, immigration and redistricting cases, said the Texas case was a remarkable accomplishment for Roberts. “It was not foreordained as a unanimous decision. One has to assume it was largely due to the leadership of the chief justice,” Clement said. So what does the future hold? The court already has agreed to hear a challenge to the University of Texas’ affirmative action program. A new case involving the Voting Rights Act and challenges to restrictions on gay marriage are close behind.

Roberts has voiced serious reservations about racial preferences in government programs. In 2007, he declared in ruling against public school system programs to promote integration that “the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.” Ben Wittes, a legal scholar at the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, cautioned against grand re-evaluations of Roberts because of the health care case.

“Roberts is, to be sure, no shrinking violet about ideologically divided opinions when, in his view, the law compels them, but he apparently has a more flexible view than do his conservative colleagues concerning the difference for constitutional purposes between a penalty and a tax,” Wittes said. “In other words, don’t be too surprised if Roberts next terms looks like a conservative again. He actually did not stray very far from where the other four conservatives ended up in this case - just over a consequential line.” Roberts repeated his desire to have the court adhere to judicial modesty Thursday at the start of his health care opinion.

“We do not consider whether the act embodies sound policies. That judgment is entrusted to the nation’s elected leaders. We ask only whether Congress has the power under the Constitution to enact the challenged provisions,” he wrote.—AP

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MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Announcements Open House for Indian citizens pen House for Indian citizens by the ambassador which is being held every alternate Wednesday has been found useful by the Indian community and the embassy. It will now be held on every Wednesday from June 2012 between 1500 hrs and 1600 hrs in the embassy. In case Wednesday is an embassy holiday, the meeting will be held on the next working day.

To ensure timely action/follow-up by the embassy, it is requested that, wherever possible, Indian citizens should exhaust the existing channels of interaction/grievance redressal and bring their problems/issues in writing with supporting documents. It may be mentioned that embassy of Indiaís Consular Wing is providing daily service of Open House to Indian citizens on all workings days from 1000 hrs to 1100 hrs and from 1430 hrs to 1530 hrs by the Consular Officer in the Meeting Room of the Consular Hall.

For any unaddressed issues, Second Secretary (Consular) could be contacted. Furthermore, the head of the Consular Wing is also available to redress grievances. Similarly, a labour wing Help Desk functions from 0830 hrs to 1300 hrs and 1400 hrs to 1630 hrs in the Labour Hall to address the labour related issues. There is also a 24x7 Help Line (Tel No. 25674163) to assist labourers in distress. For any unaddressed issues, the concerned attaches in the labour section and the head of the labour wing could be contacted.

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‘Leniency of Islam’ An unprecedented initiative of KTV2 (English channel) is the new program by the name ‘Leniency of Islam’ presented by Shaikh Musaad Alsane and directed by Hamid Al-Turkait. The program is mainly meant to address the expatriates living in Kuwait.

Religious questions are received through the program email qislam@tv.gov.kw and sms can be sent to- 97822021 and answered by the lecturer and Imam in Awqaf Ministry Shaikh Musaad Alsane - a Master Degree holder in Sharia and fiqih from Kuwait University. So don’t forget to watch the program every Friday at 1:00 pm.

Sarah Jamil

Malika Fayaz

Taha Haider

Najia Tahir

Huda Abdul Aziz

Nadeem

Zahra Naeem

Maryam Liaqat

Asma Zaheer

Shayan Shahzad

Heba Zuberi

Syedah Kinz Hasan

Saba Abbas

Rihab

Hiba Mudassar

Saara Ali

Fatimah Saeed

Javaria Anjum

Radia Shafiq

Mishal Jarim

Sadia Nadeem

Free Arabic course IPC is opening an Intensive Basic Arabic Course for ladies commencing from June 3 to July 8, 2012. The class will be from 5-7 pm for three days a week.

Registration is on! For information, call 22512257.

Summer Scrabble for kids ood news for kids still here during the summer vacations. You can join up with me to learn some tricks, tips and how to play Scrabble the right way! Need to know more? Then register with me Rohaina at 66634224 or at rainaveer@hotmail.com. You will be given Scrabble boards and have loads of fun games, mind games and quizzes. If this sounds fun, then call soon. Classes will end on July 26th.

Classes are on Thursdays ONLY and from 2.30 4.00 pm. Loads of fun and games in store.

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Saad Rasool

Irfan Amin

Salman

Fabiyan

Jawad

Hamza Liaqat

Mir Muhammad Awais

Sameed Mahmood

Mohammed Aqib

Hassan Maqbool

M. Adil

Muhammad Arslan

Ibtehaj Mohiuddin

Syed Hassan Faraz

Awab Ijaz

M. Abdullah Irfan

Muteeb Najam Butt

Muhammad

KERA conducts Abbassiya general body election ERA (Kuwait Ernakulam Residents Association) conducted their Abbassiya unit general body meeting and Unit committee elections for the year 2012-2013 on 15/06/2012 at Success Line hall, Abbassiya.

The welcome speech was rendered by UA Abdul Kalam and Jomy Augustine, convener of present adhoc committee presided the general body meeting who also presented the Annual working committee report and association’s Byelaw which was later approved by unit the general body. Subair Elamana and Bobby Paul co-ordinated the election process and the following members were elected to various positions of the unit committee.

Unit Convenor-Prince Joseph,Joint Convenors-Ajo Abraham,Vipin Rajan,Unit Secretary-Basil Mathew,Joint Secretaries- VAPareed,Roy Mannual,Unit TreasurerRiswan Jaffer,Joint Treasurer- VK Ansar,Unit Committee members- TIManoj, Antony Laiju, Sojan Chandy,Sajo Pappachan,Bipin Kumar, Kalesh Kumar, Anil Kumar,Arts & Cultural Committee members-Dennis John, Thankachan, NP Eldhos, Sports Committee membersAG Nygil, CO Yohannan, Social Welfare Committee members-Douglas Figros, Wilson Abraham,Central Committee members- MV Varghese, EV Ratheesh,Binil Skaria, Peter Sebastian, Anoop Aravind, Abdul Kalam, PM Sadashivan,Advisory Board members-Sunil Menon, Biju SP. Newly elected unit convener Prince Joseph delivered vote of thanks and the meeting was dispersed after refreshments.

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ISP clinches top 5 positions in Kuwait he Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) Pakistan has declared the SSC II annual examination 2012 results.

The first five positions in Kuwait are achieved by students of ISP: 1. Huda Abdul Azeez (984 Marks)

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2. Malika Fayaz (978 Marks) 3. Najia Tahir (982 Marks) 4. Sarah Jamil (976 Marks) 5. Taha Haider (979 Marks) 107 students were appeared in the SSC annual examination 2012 from International School of Pakistan, Khaitan.

40 students got Grade A+, 33 got Grade A and 24 students were placed in Grade B. The school attained 100 percent results and maintained its repute of excellent academic performance. The management of the school congratulated the successful students and their par-

ents for their efforts in obtaining such brilliant success. The role of its devoted and experienced faculty members was highly admired for their contributions.

Competitions in Patriotic songs ndo-Kuwait Friendship Society, Kuwait (www.indokuwaitfriendshipsociety.com) is planning to conduct competitions in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs. This is the first time in Kuwait, an Indian Association is organizing contests in “Patriotic Songs” for both Indian and Kuwaiti School students.

The first 3 places will be declared separately by Judges who are experts in Indian and Kuwaiti Patriotic songs. Several prizes and awards will be handed over for the winning schools. Pradeep Rajkumar and A K S Abdul Nazar said that IKFS wants let our children learn what they mean as a “Patriotic” to their home country. 4 pages of spot Essay competition related to “Patriotism” also will be held in the same day as a spot registration. 1 Girl and 1 Boy student from each School can participate in the ESSAY contest. Dr. Mohamed Tareq, Chairman of the First Indian Model School in Kuwait “ Salmiya Indian Model School

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(SIMS) already confirmed as a Co-Sponsor of the Program.

Conditions apply: 1) The competitions are meant for all the Schools located in Kuwait and should be nominated by school authority.

2) Each school can select group of 7 students for the “PATRIOTIC SONGS (Indian and Kuwaiti)” and nominate separately.

3) Children of above 12 years till 17 years (VII classes to XII classes) are eligible for the contest. But if School is permitted 4) Musical instruments or KARAOKE mixer should be accompanied by the participating students/Children and the school team should operate and select the mixers.

5) Time frame: 7 minutes - Names will be called as “First come” in the Registration.

The Event will be held at the auditorium of “Salmiya Indian Model School” on

Saturday, 27th October 2012 from 09:30 am onwards. It will be a full day program with fun and full of entertainments. Foodstalls of different Kuwaiti and Indian tastes will installed.

Dr. Ghalib Al-Mashoor said in a press release that Invitations for all schools located in various parts of Kuwait are already been sent. Schools under one management but from different locations can also participate in the contest individually. As per the school directory, there 23 Indian schools in Kuwait. The last date of receiving names of the Participants is scheduled on 2nd day of October, 2012 (INDIA’s GHANDI JAYANTHI DAY). The entry is free to all and due to 2nd day of Eid Al-Adha holidays, a large crowd is expected to attend in addition to, Senior Kuwaiti and Indian citizens will also grace the function.

All the applications of interest should be sent to: ikfsociety@gmail.com

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MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Australian Embassy Kuwait does not have a visa or immigration department. All processing of visas and immigration matters in conducted by The Australian ConsulateGeneral in Dubai. Email: info.ausdxb@vfshelpline.com (VFS) immigration.dubai@dfat.gov.au (Visa Office); Tel: +971 4 355 1958 (VFS) - +971 4 508 7200 (Visa Office); Fax: +971 4 355 0708 (Visa Office). In Kuwait applications can be lodged at the Australian Visa Application Centre 4B 1st Floor, Al-Banwan Building Al-Qibla Area, Ali Al-Salem Street, opposite the Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City, Kuwait. Working hours and days: 09:30 - 17:30; Sunday - Thursday. Or visit their website www.vfs-au-gcc-com for more information. Kuwait citizens can apply for tourist visas on-line at www.immi.gov.au/e visa/e676.htm ■■■■■■■

Memac Ogilvy & Mather most awarded agency in Arab world emac Ogilvy & Mather further cemented its position as the Middle East’s leading communications agency by winning three gold, one silver and one bronze awards at the 59th Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Memac Ogilvy saw 17 of its campaigns shortlisted in Cannes and paved the way for Ogilvy & Mather to make history and win the coveted Cannes Lions 2012 Network of the Year Award, the most prestigious accolade in the advertising industry.

Three Gold Lions were awarded for the Tunisian campaign “Return of the Dictator Ben Ali” in the Promo, Activation and Branded Content categories and one Bronze Lion in the film category. A Silver Lion was awarded for IKEA campaign in the cyber category.

Edmond Moutran, Chairman and CEO of Memac Ogilvy Middle East and North Africa, has heaped praise on the company’s personnel for raising the creative bar so high in the region. The agency is now clearly the most awarded in the Arab world.

“To be awarded three Gold Lions at

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Cannes is as good as it gets in our industry. It’s the summit. But this success hasn’t come by chance - it is the direct result of painstaking planning to take our creativity to a level where we are the

equal to, or better than, the best in the world. We have done that,” said Edmond Moutran.

What makes the achievement so remarkable is that it is not an isolated

event. Actually, the Lions from Cannes continue a steady stream of highlyregarded awards to the agency in the region and abroad for its many campaigns across the spectrum in recent

the Middle East to win the celebrated Grand Prix at the Clio Awards in New York. “The Lions are the latest in many recent awards, but of course, the main reward for us is the satisfaction of our clients. Our goal has been to have our creativity of consistent, international standard. But we won’t be relaxing - we strive to constantly improve”, he explained. “My thanks are extended to each and every member of our tremendous creative team in our region and particularly our team in Tunis which not only turned in an outstanding campaign but was part of history.”

Cannes Lions 2012 also saw Ogilvy & Mather have its best ever year. It has been presented with the prestigious Network of the Year award, and has won 83 Lions across all categories, including 1 Grand Prix, 12 gold, 20 silver and 50 bronze. The network has also achieved a record 305 finalists during the festival.

times. Earlier this year, Memac Ogilvy cleaned up the Dubai Lynx with two Grand Prix, 17 gold, four silver and seven bronze trophies.

The agency was also the first from

EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency.

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EMBASSY OF BRITAIN Consular section at the British Embassy will be starting an online appointment booking system for our consular customers from Sunday, 01 July 2012. All information including how to make an appointment is now available on the embassy website. In addition, there is also a “Consular Appointment System” option under Quick links on the right hand side on the homepage, which should take you to the “Consular online booking appointment system” main page.

Please be aware that from 01 July 2012, we will no longer accept walk-in customers for legalisation, notarial services and certificates (birth, death and marriages). If you have problems accessing the system or need to make an appointment for non-notarial consular issues or have a consular emergency, please call 2259 4355/7/8 or email us on consularenquirieskuwait@fco.gov.uk. If you require consular assistance out of office hours (working hours: 0730-l430 hrs), please contact the Embassy on 2259 4320.

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EMBASSY OF KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea wishes to inform that it has moved to Mishref. New Address: Embassy of the Republic of Korea Mishref, Block 7A, Diplomatic Area 2, Plot 6 The Embassy also wishes to inform that it will be opened to the public on the following office hours: Saturday to Thursday Morning: 8:00 am to 12:30 pm Lunch Break: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm Afternoon: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to inform Kenyan residents throughout Kuwait and the general public that with effect from June 1, 2012 the Embassy has moved from its current location to a new location in Surra Block 1, Street 8, Villa 303.

Please note that the new telephone and fax numbers will be communicated as soon as possible. For enquiries you can contact Consular Section on mobile 90935162 or 97527306.

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Movenpick organises blood donation campaign taff from Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a Kuwait saved countless lives - although they will never know who they helped. More than 40 staff took time from their daily routines to each donate a unit of blood to the Kuwait Central Blood Bank (KCBB), which came collecting at the luxury beachside resort.

Ali Al Mahraa, the Public Relations Manager at the KCBB explained that blood is always in need in Kuwait and stated that he is pleased with the awareness and generosity of both Kuwaitis and expatriates in the country. He warned, however, that there is a high turnover of all types of blood and that stocks must be constantly replenished.

Many of the hotel staff expressed an

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specialists, bloggers, market researchers, strategists and business owners speaking about their own

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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

interest in donating blood, from back of the house to the Executive Office. Ramzi Shaban, Executive Assistant Manager at Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al Bida’a, led from the front by donating blood.”Corporate social responsibility takes many forms and donating blood is a simple and valuable way of contributing to our community,” Ramzi Said.

“From a personal standpoint, any one of us could need a transfusion at any Time, it’s great to know that we are all giving to save lives - even if we will never know who we helped, “ he added.

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EMBASSY OF NEPAL The Embassy of Nepal has moved to a new location in Jabriya, Block 8, St. 13, House No. 514, effective from 15th April, 2012. Till the new telephone connections are installed, the Embassy may be contacted by email: info@nepembku.org ■■■■■■■

Socialobby & Social Media Club celebrate Social Media Day ithout a doubt, over the past few years social media has revolutionized the way people communicate with each other around the world and has changed many lives.

Its positive impact has been witnessed and experienced by millions of people around the globe. For this reason, Knockbook, Kuwait’s leading online advertising firm, sponsored Social Media Day 2012 which falls on June 30 every year.

Initiated and inspired by the need to celebrate the occasion differently, Knockbook’s sister company Socialobby along with Social Media Club-Kuwait Chapter worked together to bring about an interesting documentary highlighting the impact social media has had on the local community and corporate institutions in Kuwait.

The documentary showcases interviews with industry experts such as university professors, communications

EMBASSY OF MEXICO The Embassy of Mexico is pleased to inform that it is located in CLIFFS Complex, Villa 6, Salmiya, block 9, Baghdad street, Jadda Lane 7. The working hours for consular issues are from 9:00 to 12:00 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 14:00 to 15:00 hours for lunch break. The Embassy of Mexico kindly requests all Mexicans citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the e-mail: embkuwait@sre.gob.mx in order to register or update contact information. Other consultations or/and appointments could be done by telephone or fax: (+965) 2573 1952

experience with social media and giving the viewer insights and facts about the status of social media in Kuwait.

A recent report produced by Dubai School of Government analyzing data on Twitter and Facebook users in 22 Arab countries revealed some interesting statistics placing Kuwait in the forefront in many categories. For example, as of Sept 2011 Kuwait had 117,304 active Twitter users in comparison with 90,462 in the UAE and 19,271 users in Lebanon. Kuwait had also the highest percentage of tweets during the month of September 2011 with 30 percent compared with 19 percent for Saudi Arabia, 16 percent for Egypt, 11 percent for the UAE, 7 percent for Bahrain and 17 percent the remaining countries.

Commenting on the occasion and regarding the impressive statistics Kuwait has earned, Socialobby CEO Hind Al Nahedh said: “We believed

those numbers needed to be translated into this interesting content to stay online and give a chance for everyone in Kuwait to view it. Our aim is to put Kuwait on the social media map and by celebrating the occasion of Social Media Day 2012 for the first time we hope to have achieved our goal and created more awareness about it.”

Worthy of mention, Social Media Day was initiated by Mashable.com in 2010 as a way to recognize the digital revolution happening right before our eyes. Socialobby and Knockbook are proud to have partnered with Mashable this year as they have contributed to taking a step forward in the social media in Kuwait.

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has its new office in Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF THAILAND The Royal Thai Embassy in Kuwait, wishes to invite the Kuwaiti companies that deal business with Thai companies or those agencies of Thai commercial companies to visit the Embassy’s Commercial Office to register their relevant information to be part of the embassy’s business and trade database.

The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jabriya, Block 6, Street 8, Villa No. 1, Telephone No. 25317530 -25317531, Ext: 14.

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EMBASSY OF UKRAINE We’d like to inform you that in response to the increasing number of our citizens who work in the state and the need for 24-hour operational telephone in case of emergency the Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait has opened “hotline telephone number” - (+ 965) 972-79-206.

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

03:30 03:55 04:25 04:50 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:25 09:10 10:05 10:30 11:00 11:25 11:55 12:50 14:40 15:35 16:30 17:25 17:50 18:20 19:15 20:10 21:05 22:00 22:55 23:50

Up Close And Dangerous Up Close And Dangerous Cheetah Kingdom Cheetah Kingdom Great Ocean Adventures Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 Escape To Chimp Eden Crocodile Hunter Growing Up...

The Really Wild Show Breed All About It Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild Cats Of Claw Hill Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 O’shea’s Big Adventure Wildlife SOS Safari Vet School Must Love Cats Animal Kingdom Animal Kingdom Max’s Big Tracks Austin Stevens Adventures Great Ocean Adventures Wildest Africa Wildest Arctic Monster Bug Wars Animal Cops South Africa

03:20 Doctor Who Confidential 03:35 Allo ‘allo!

04:05 Balamory 04:25 3rd & Bird 04:35 Bobinogs 04:45 Gigglebiz 05:00 Teletubbies 05:25 Jackanory Junior 05:40 Little Robots 05:50 Balamory 06:10 3rd & Bird 06:20 Bobinogs 06:30 Gigglebiz 06:45 Teletubbies 07:10 Jackanory Junior 07:25 Little Robots 07:35 Robin Hood 08:20 Keeping Up Appearances 08:50 Lab Rats 09:20 The Old Guys 09:55 Peckham Finishing School For Girls 10:50 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 11:40 20,000 Streets Under The Sky 12:30 The Royle Family 13:00 The Impressions Show 13:30 Allo ‘allo!

14:00 Doctors 16:35 Walk On The Wild Side 17:10 Doctor Who 17:55 Doctor Who Confidential 18:10 20,000 Streets Under The Sky 19:00 Blackadder The Third 19:30 Twenty Twelve 20:00 Life On Mars 20:50 Spooks 21:40 New Tricks

03:35 04:20 07:00 12:50 14:30 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 19:20 21:00 22:25 23:55

Cash In The Attic Come Dine With Me MasterChef Australia 10 Years Younger Gok’s Fashion Fix Gok’s Clothes Roadshow DIY SOS 10 Years Younger Holmes On Homes Gok’s Clothes Roadshow Masterchef: The Professionals Holmes On Homes Gok’s Clothes Roadshow

03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:00 05:25

Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races The Flintstones A Pup Named Scooby-Doo

05:50 Popeye Classics 06:00 Wacky Races 06:10 Pink Panther And Pals 06:35 Dexter’s Laboratory 07:00 Bananas In Pyjamas 07:25 Jelly Jamm 07:50 Baby Looney Tunes 08:15 Gerald McBoing Boing 08:40 Ha Ha Hairies 08:55 The Garfield Show 09:15 The Looney Tunes Show 09:40 What’s New Scooby-Doo? 10:05 Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries 10:30 Yogi’s Treasure Hunt 10:55 Help! It’s The Hair Bear Bunch 11:20 Wacky Races 11:30 Johnny Bravo Goes To Bollywood 12:30 Johnny Bravo 23:00 Wacky Races 23:20 Dastardly And Muttley 23:45 New Yogi Bear Show

03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Ben 10 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Powerpuff Girls 04:40 Generator Rex 05:05 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:55 Angelo Rules 06:00 Casper’s Scare School 07:00 The Powerpuff Girls 07:15 Hi Hi Puffy Ami Yumi 07:40 The Amazing World Of Gumball 08:05 Adventure Time 08:55 Regular Show 09:20 Evil Con Carne 09:45 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:05 Thundercats 10:35 Hero 108 11:00 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 11:25 Grim Adventures Of...

12:15 Courage The Cowardly Dog 13:05 Generator Rex 13:30 Powerpuff Girls 14:20 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 14:45 Thundercats 15:10 Best Ed 16:00 Fantastic Four...

16:25 Ben 10 16:50 The Amazing World Of Gumball 17:15 Adventure Time 17:40 Regular Show 18:05 Powerpuff Girls 18:55 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:20 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:45 Ed, Edd n Eddy 20:35 Grim Adventures Of...

21:00 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 21:25 Redakai: Conquer The Kairu 21:50 Cow And Chicken 22:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 22:50 Ben 10 23:40 Chowder

03:00 03:15 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:15 08:30 09:00 09:15 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 14:30 14:45 15:00

CNN Marketplace Europe CNN Marketplace Africa The Brief CNN Presents CNN Newsroom The CNN Freedom Project Inside Africa World Sport Road To Rio World Report CNN Marketplace Middle East Talk Asia World Report CNN Marketplace Europe I Report For CNN World Sport Aiming For Gold African Voices The Brief World Report World’s Untold Stories CNN Presents World Report Leading Women Future Cities Fareed Zakaria Gps

16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:15 18:30 18:45 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00 23:30

State Of The Union International Desk Inside Africa Global Exchange CNN Marketplace Africa Global Exchange CNN Marketplace Middle East World Sport Open Court International Desk African Voices International Desk Road To Rio Fareed Zakaria Gps World Report World’s Untold Stories

03:00 How It’s Made 03:25 How Do They Do It? 03:55 How It’s Made 04:20 How Do They Do It? 04:50 How It’s Made 05:15 How Do They Do It? 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 How Do They Do It? 06:35 How It’s Made 07:50 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 08:45 Wheeler Dealers Revisited 09:40 Fifth Gear 10:30 Hillbilly Handfishin’ 11:25 Extreme Fishing 12:20 How It’s Made 14:35 Auction Kings 16:55 Border Security 19:10 Mythbusters 20:05 Dynamo: Magician Impossible 21:00 Mythbusters Dirty Dozen 21:55 Curiosity 22:50 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior

03:35 Sport Science 07:00 Mega World 07:55 Brave New World 08:50 How Does That Work?

09:40 Engineered 10:30 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 11:20 Mega World 12:10 Catch It Keep It 13:00 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 13:25 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 13:50 Scrapheap Challenge 14:45 Weird Or What?

15:35 Patent Bending 16:00 Patent Bending 16:30 Future Weapons 17:20 Joao Magueijo’s Big Bang 18:10 Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger 18:40 Brave New World 19:30 Prophets Of Science Fiction 20:20 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 21:10 Stuck With Hackett 21:35 Stuck With Hackett 22:00 Prophets Of Science Fiction 22:50 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 23:40 Dark Matters

03:05 03:30 04:20 05:10 06:00 06:25 06:40 Cody 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:45 09:10 09:35 10:00 10:25 11:50 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:20

Stitch Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Suite Life Of Zack And So Random Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Wizards Of Waverly Place Jessie A.N.T. Farm Austin & Ally Gotta Kick It Up Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie A.N.T. Farm

BATTLE: LOS ANGELES ON OSN CINEMA

13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:15 17:00 18:20 18:45 19:10 19:35 20:00 20:25 20:50 22:15 22:30 22:55 Cody 23:45

Austin & Ally Jessie Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Shake It Up So Random Aladdin & The King Of Thieves A.N.T. Farm Austin & Ally Shake It Up Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Jessie Gotta Kick It Up Phineas And Ferb Fish Hooks The Suite Life Of Zack And Sonny With A Chance

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 Extreme Close-Up 10:15 E!es 11:10 THS 12:05 Giuliana & Bill 16:55 Behind The Scenes 17:25 Giuliana & Bill 21:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 22:25 Ice Loves Coco 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

03:00 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 03:25 Meat & Potatoes 03:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 04:15 Outrageous Food 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 United Tastes Of America 05:30 Chopped 06:10 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 06:35 Andy Bates Street Feasts 07:00 Food Network Challenge 07:50 Kid In A Candy Store 08:15 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 08:40 Cooking For Real 09:05 World Cafe Asia 09:30 Easy Chinese: San Francisco 09:55 Extra Virgin 10:20 Everyday Italian 10:45 Unwrapped 11:10 United Tastes Of America 11:35 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 12:00 Food Network Challenge 12:50 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 13:15 Cooking For Real 13:40 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 14:05 Everyday Italian 14:30 Kid In A Candy Store 14:55 30 Minute Meals 15:20 Extra Virgin 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Cooking For Real 17:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics 17:25 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 17:50 United Tastes Of America 18:15 Kid In A Candy Store 18:40 Andy Bates Street Feasts 19:05 Extra Virgin 19:30 Food Network Challenge 20:20 Iron Chef America 21:10 Restaurant: Impossible 22:00 Grill It! With Bobby Flay 22:50 Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives 23:40 Grill It! With Bobby Flay

03:45 04:30 06:10 07:00 07:50 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 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

Mysterious Journeys On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Forensic Detectives Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery ER Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared American Greed American Greed Scorned: Crimes Of Passion

03:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 04:00 Racing To America 05:00 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 05:30 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 06:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 06:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 07:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 08:00 Race To The Bottom of The Earth 09:00 One Man & His Campervan 09:30 One Man & His Campervan 10:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 11:00 Travel Madness 12:00 Twister Tours 13:00 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 13:30 David Rocco’s Amalfi Getaway 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 15:00 Lonely Planet: Roads Less Travelled 16:00 Race To The Bottom of The Earth 17:00 A World Apart 18:00 Geo Sessions 19:00 Around The World For Free 20:00 Extreme Expeditions

21:00 Banged Up Abroad 22:00 Race To The Bottom of The Earth 23:00 Into The Drink

05:00 Ten Thousand Bedrooms-PG 07:00 36 Hours-PG 08:55 All The Fine Young CannibalsPG 10:50 Captain Blood-FAM 12:45 They Died With Their Boots On-FAM 15:00 Gone With The Wind-PG 18:35 Edward, My Son-PG 20:25 Billy The Kid-PG 22:00 Poltergeist

04:00 Green Lantern: Emerald Knights-PG15 06:00 Fatal Secrets-PG15 08:00 Last Breath-PG15 10:00 Green Lantern: Emerald Knights-PG15 12:00 Altitude-PG15 14:00 Last Breath-PG15 16:00 Time Machine: Rise Of The Morlocks-PG15 18:00 Altitude-PG15 20:00 Empire-18 22:00 Kiss Of Death-18

03:00 Certified Copy-PG15 05:00 African Cats: Kingdom Of Courage-PG 07:00 Despicable Me-FAM 09:00 The Eagle-PG15 11:00 Bright Star-PG15 13:00 Sounds Like Teen Spirit-PG15 15:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 17:00 Battle: Los Angeles-PG15 19:00 Burlesque-PG15 21:00 Handsome Harry-18 23:00 Twelve-18

03:00 Best Friends Forever 03:30 Bent 04:00 10 Items Or Less 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 The Simpsons 06:00 Friends 06:30 Weird Science 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 10 Items Or Less 08:30 Best Friends Forever 09:00 The Simpsons 09:30 The Office 10:00 Breaking In 10:30 Weird Science 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Friends 12:30 Til Death 13:00 The Simpsons 13:30 10 Items Or Less 14:00 Bent 14:30 Breaking In 15:00 The Office 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:30 Friends 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 The Simpsons 18:30 Last Man Standing 19:00 Two And A Half Men 19:30 Happy Endings 20:30 Allen Gregory 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 Enlightened

04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

True Blood Good Morning America Terra Nova Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show The View Criminal Minds C.S.I. Live Good Morning America Terra Nova The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Covert Affairs Bones Burn Notice Top Gear (US) True Blood

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

C.S.I. New York C.S.I. C.S.I. Miami Unforgettable Emmerdale Coronation Street Body Of Proof Law & Order: Criminal Intent Criminal Minds Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Body Of Proof Unforgettable Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Body Of Proof Covert Affairs Bones Burn Notice Top Gear (US) Rescue Me

03:00 Green Lantern: Emerald Knights-PG15 05:00 The Killing Room-18 07:00 Little Big Soldier-PG15 09:00 Flight Of The Phoenix-PG15 11:00 The Devil’s Teardrop-PG15 13:00 You Got Served-PG15 15:00 Flight Of The Phoenix-PG15 17:00 Arachnophobia-PG15 19:00 The Spirit-PG15 21:00 Bats-18 23:00 The Speak-18

BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON ON OSN MOVIES HD

v04:00Paper Man-PG15 06:00 Marmaduke-PG 08:00 Mean Girls 2-PG15 10:00 Molly-PG15 12:00 The Prince And Me 4: The Elephant Adventure-PG15 14:00 Inspector Gadget (1999)PG15 16:00 Molly-PG15 18:00 Griff The Invisible-PG15 20:00 Mardi Gras: Spring Break-18 22:00 Mr. Nice-18

03:45 Sundays At Tiffany’s-PG15 05:15 Henry’s Crime-PG15 07:00 Flash Of Genius-PG15 09:00 Tangled-FAM 11:00 Chronicles Of Narnia: Voyage Of The Dawn Treader-PG 13:00 Too Big To Fail-PG15 15:00 Get Low-PG15 17:00 Tangled-FAM 19:00 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son-PG15 21:00 Winter’s Bone-18 23:00 Kick-Ass-18

04:00 Tommy & Oscar-FAM 06:00 Moomins And The Comet Chase-FAM 08:00 D’fenders-PG 10:00 Barbie In A Mermaid Tale 2 12:00 Tommy & Oscar-FAM 14:00 Slappy And The Stinkers-FAM 16:00 Winner & The Golden Child: Part I-FAM 18:00 Barbie In A Mermaid Tale 2 20:00 How The Grinch Stole Christmas-PG 22:00 Slappy And The Stinkers-FAM

04:30 Super Rugby 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 Live NRL Premiership 09:00 Super Rugby 11:00 Volvo Ocean Race 12:45 Live Cricket One International 21:00 Volvo Ocean Race 22:00 NRL Premiership

Day

03:00 NRL Premiership 05:00 Super Rugby 05:30 Trans World Sport 06:30 PGA European Tour Highlights 07:00 NRL Premiership 07:00 WWE Bottom Line 08:00 Live NRL Premiership 09:00 PGA European Tour 10:00 NRL Premiership 12:00 Super Rugby 13:30 AFL Premiership 14:00 Trans World Sport 15:00 Futbol Mundial 15:30 Live PGA European Tour 16:00 NRL Premiership 18:00 Futbol Mundial 18:30 Super Rugby 19:30 Volvo Ocean Race 20:30 Super Rugby 20:30 Volvo Ocean Race 22:30 PGA European Tour 23:00 Futbol Mundial

05:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 11:00 11:30 13:15 14:45 15:45 19:30 22:00

Super League Mobil 1 The Grid Total Rugby Live AFL Premiership Mobil 1 The Grid Super League Volvo Ocean Race Live Volvo Ocean Race NRL Premiership AFL Premiership NRL Premiership

04:00 UFC Unleashed 07:00 WWE Experience 08:00 WWE SmackDown

10:00 11:00 11:30 12:30 13:00 15:30 16:00 18:00 19:00 21:00

WWE Bottom Line WWE This Week WWE Vintage Collection V8 Supercars Extra V8 Supercars Mobil 1 The Grid WWE SmackDown WWE Experience V8 Supercars Highlights UFC Prelims

03:15 Miracle-PG15 05:30 Return To Rajapur-PG15 07:00 The Moveon.Org Story-PG15 09:00 Greener Mountains-PG 11:00 The Social Network-PG15 13:00 Witch Hunt-PG15 15:00 Greener Mountains-PG 16:45 Spiderman 2-PG15 19:00 Le Crime Est Notre AffairePG15 21:00 Of Gods And Men-18 23:00 Harley Davidson And The Marlboro Man-PG15

03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 10:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00

No County For Old Men IRT: Deadliest Roads Deep Wreck Mysteries Ax Men America: The Story Of The U.S. Clash Of The Gods IRT: Deadliest Roads Deep Wreck Mysteries Ax Men American Restoration Pawn Stars No County For Old Men Decoding The Past Ancient Aliens Decoded Wwii: Lost Films

03:20 04:15 05:10 06:05 07:00 08:00 09:55 10:50 11:50 12:50 13:45 14:45 16:35 18:25 21:15 22:10 23:05

How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Married Away Clean House Videofashion News Videofashion Daily Designer Marathon Videofashion News Fashion Classics Videofashion Daily Open House The Amandas Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane How Do I Look?

Style Specials Big Rich Texas Jerseylicious

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 American Dragon 06:45 Incredible Hulk 07:10 Pokemon: Black And White 07:35 Phineas And Ferb 07:45 Phineas And Ferb 08:00 Iron Man Armored Adventures 08:25 Rated A For Awesome 08:50 Mr. Young 09:15 Kickin It 09:40 Lab Rats 10:05 Pair Of Kings 10:30 Ultimate Spider-Man 10:55 Zeke & Luther 11:20 I’m In The Band 11:45 Phineas And Ferb 12:10 Rekkit Rabbit 12:35 Pair Of Kings 13:00 Up Up And Away 14:20 Scaredy Squirrel 14:35 Kickin It 15:00 Phineas And Ferb 15:10 Phineas And Ferb 15:25 Ultimate Spider-Man 15:50 Pair Of Kings 16:15 Iron Man Armored Adventures 16:40 Zeke & Luther

17:05 Mr. Young 17:30 I’m In The Band 17:55 Rated A For Awesome 18:20 Ultimate Spider-Man 18:45 Lab Rats 19:10 Scaredy Squirrel 19:35 Pokemon: Black And White 20:00 Phineas And Ferb 20:25 Rekkit Rabbit 20:50 Kick Buttowski 21:15 Pair Of Kings 21:40 Phineas And Ferb 22:05 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 22:30 Kid vs Kat 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

03:05 Jungle Junction 03:20 Little Einsteins 03:40 Special Agent Oso 03:55 Special Agent Oso 04:10 Lazytown 04:35 Little Einsteins 05:00 Jungle Junction 05:15 Jungle Junction 05:30 Little Einsteins 05:50 Special Agent Oso 06:00 Special Agent Oso 06:15 Jungle Junction 06:30 Jungle Junction 06:45 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:15 Jungle Junction 07:30 Little Einsteins 07:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:20 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 08:35 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 08:50 Handy Manny 09:05 Mouk 09:20 Lazytown 09:45 Minnie’s Bow Toons 09:50 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:15 Minnie’s Bow Toons 10:20 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 10:45 Art Attack 11:10 Imagination Movers 11:35 Lazytown 12:05 Special Agent Oso 12:15 Mouk 12:30 Jungle Junction 12:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 13:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 13:15 Handy Manny 13:30 Minnie’s Bow Toons 13:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:00 Minnie’s Bow Toons 14:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 14:30 The Hive 14:40 Minnie’s Bow Toons 14:45 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 15:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 15:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 15:35 Handy Manny 15:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:20 Lazytown 16:45 Art Attack 17:10 Handy Manny 17:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 17:50 Mouk 18:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 18:20 101 Dalmatians 18:35 The Adventures Of Disney Fairies 19:00 Minnie’s Bow Toons 19:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:30 Minnie’s Bow Toons 19:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 20:00 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:05 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 20:20 The Hive 20:30 Mini Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh 20:37 Minnie’s Bow Toons 20:40 Animated Stories 20:45 Mouk 21:00 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 21:25 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:40 Special Agent Oso 21:55 Little Einsteins 22:20 Timmy Time 22:30 Jungle Junction 22:45 Handy Manny 22:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 23:20 Special Agent Oso 23:35 Special Agent Oso 23:50 Lazytown

Classifieds MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR JZR ETH RJA GFA UAE ETD THY DHX FDB MSR QTR JZR KAC THY JZR DHX JZR KAC BAW JZR KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY KAC QTR FDB ETD BAB KAC GFA IRC MEA JZR MSR MSC JZR JZR MSR KAC GFA FDB OMA KNE JZR QTR SVA FDB RJA KAC JZR BAB KAC QTR FDB SYR KAC KAC ETD KAC UAE UAL GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY IRA KAC QTR KAC BAB KAC FDB MSC MSR KAC KAC KAC JAI KAC FDB MEA QTR GFA FDB ALK JZR UAE ETD JZR BBC ABY QTR DHX JZR AIC GFA UAL JZR TAR DLH MSR THY KLM PIA

Arrival Flights on Monday 2/7/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 267 BEIRUT 620 ADDIS ABABA 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 768 ISTANBUL 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 1541 CAIRO 170 BAHRAIN 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 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 344 CHENNAI 213 BAHRAIN 6521 LAMERD 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 401 ALEXANDRIA 561 SOHAG 201 DAMASCUS 610 CAIRO 672 DUBAI 219 BAHRAIN 57 DUBAI 645 MUSCAT 472 JEDDAH 535 CAIRO 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 8055 DUBAI 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 4440 BAHRAIN 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 8053 DUBAI 341 DAMASCUS 118 NEW YORK 538 SHARM EL SHEIKH 303 ABU DHABI 1802 CAIRO 857 DUBAI 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 177 DUBAI 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 3407 MASHAD 542 CAIRO 144 DOHA 786 JEDDAH 438 BAHRAIN 104 LONDON 63 DUBAI 405 SOHAG 620 ASSIUT 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 742 DAMMAM 572 MUMBAI 774 RIYADH 61 DUBAI 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 59 DUBAI 229 COLOMBO 135 BAHRAIN 859 DUBAI 307 ABU DHABI 241 AMMAN 43 DHAKA 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 539 CAIRO 975 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 327 TUNIS 636 FRANKFURT 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 411 AMSTERDAM 239 SIALKOT

Time 0:15 0:20 0:50 1:45 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:50 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:10 4:35 4:55 5:00 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:45 7:50 8:05 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:45 9:00 9:20 9:30 9:35 9:45 10:00 10:15 10:55 11:05 11:25 12:00 12:25 12:30 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:00 14:15 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:40 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:05 15:15 15:55 15:55 16:00 16:10 16:35 16:40 16:55 17:10 17:20 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:10 18:15 18:20 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:40 20:00 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:45 20:55 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:20 21:25 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:10 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 22:55 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:45

Airlines AIC UAL DLH MSR JAI PIA THY ETH THY UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR QTR JZR RJA JZR JZR GFA THY JZR KAC KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY KAC KAC UAE QTR FDB KAC ETD BAB GFA IRC KAC KAC MEA JZR MSR KAC MSC KAC JZR GFA FDB MSR OMA KAC JZR KNE FDB KAC SVA RJA BAB JZR QTR KAC KAC FDB SYR ETD JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR ABY UAL SVA IRA QTR FDB BAB MSC JZR MSR KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC MEA FDB KAC KAC GFA JZR DHX ALK JZR ABY ETD UAE QTR KAC KAC JZR DHX BBC QTR GFA KAC TAR JZR

Depature Flights on Monday 2/7/2012 Flt Route 982 AHMEDABAD 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 573 MUMBAI 206 PESHAWAR 773 ISTANBUL 621 ADDIS ABABA 769 ISTANBUL 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 560 SOHAG 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 200 DAMASCUS 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 534 CAIRO 545 ALEXANDRIA 537 SHARM EL SHEIKH 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 671 DUBAI 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 1801 CAIRO 302 ABU DHABI 437 BAHRAIN 214 BAHRAIN 6522 LAMERD 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 619 ASSIUT 103 LONDON 406 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 646 MUSCAT 673 DUBAI 538 CAIRO 473 JEDDAH 8056 DUBAI 617 DOHA 501 JEDDAH 641 AMMAN 4441 BAHRAIN 240 AMMAN 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 741 DAMMAM 8054 DUBAI 342 DAMASCUS 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 128 SHARJAH 982 BAHRAIN 511 RIYADH 3406 MASHHAD 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 402 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 621 ALEXANDRIA 283 DHAKA 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 351 KOCHI 403 BEIRUT 60 DUBAI 543 CAIRO 153 ISTANBUL 222 BAHRAIN 502 LUXOR 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 1540 CAIRO 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 860 DUBAI 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 373 BAHRAIN 44 DHAKA 147 DOHA 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 328 DUBAI 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:35 0:50 1:10 2:15 2:45 3:40 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:00 6:50 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:10 7:30 8:10 8:20 8:25 8:25 9:00 9:05 9:20 9:35 9:40 10:00 10:05 10:05 10:15 10:25 10:45 11:15 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:15 12:25 12:30 13:00 13:10 13:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:15 15:40 15:45 15:45 15:50 15:50 15:55 16:15 16:25 16:30 16:35 16:55 17:20 17:30 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 20:00 20:05 20:10 20:15 20:35 20:40 20:50 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:30 21:35 21:35 21:45 21:50 21:55 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:30 23:40 23:45 23:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Pajero 2000 model, maroon color, full option, good condition, price KD 1,250/-. Contact: 66395004. (C 4063) Mitsubishi Lancer GLX 2009, golden color, excellent condition, price KD 1,700/-. Contact: 50699345.

(C 4064) Toyota Prado (4 CLR), 2003 model, white color, 4 doors, price KD 3,650. Contact: 66729295. (C 4065) 1-7-2012 Apartment for sale 10x5 meters hall, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, well furnished in Salmiya, Block-10.

Contact: 66647327.

(C 4061) 30-6-2012 Toyota Corolla 2011 model, white color, well maintained low mileage, excellent condition, wanted price KD 3,750/-. Contact: 60099305. (C 4056) 26-6-2012

Jacobite, Marthomite for their daughter Kuwait Residence holder 26/160cm, BSc Nurse presently working in a reputed hospital in Mumbai arriving to Kerala middle of July. Please respond with recent photo and bio data to the e-mail: proposal201244@yahoo.com (C 4062) 30-6-2012 CHANGE OF NAME JABIR HUSAIN holder of Passport No: J0978818 has change my name JABIR HUSAIN LAKHARA. (C 4060) 28-6-2012

SITUATION VACANT Full time live out maid/nanny for three months, starting mid July.

Must have own residency.

Work from 7am to 7pm, Saturday - Thursday in Salwa. Call 97687172 for interview.

2-7-2012

SITUATION WANTED MATRIMONIAL NRI Orthodox parents invited from God fearing professionally qualified working boys from Orthodox,

Sri Lankan lady (housemaid) looking for part-time job, only Monday, Wednesday and Saturday (only English family).

Contact: 55680045.

Prayer timings Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:18 11:52 15:26 18:52 20:24

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

34

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 723

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Appearances and style may count for more than substance.

Romance, the arts and others of life’s pleasures take center stage today. A little extra enthusiasm is available to sort out some of those relationship problems you have been pushing aside for another time. Better deal with them soon or they could make you irritable. With difficult emotional discussions behind you, you and your loved one may feel like being entertained. Perhaps a movie or some tourist attraction would be fun. You are lucky by nature; others sense this and like to be with you. Your general outlook on life is attractive—people seek you out to help them with their problems—young people especially. You are a natural guide and counselor. You are very successful in helping others.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) Your emotions should be sailing on relatively calm seas today, giving you an unhurried chance to sit down and take stock of things. If there are any problems on the horizon, you have a breather, at least for today.

Your understanding of the needs of others is in perfect balance with your knowledge of your own needs. Long conversations with loved ones are enjoyed all day long.

People are your best friends—surround yourself with them and enjoy! Your surroundings, circumstances and support system are the crucial spot, key link, or what-haveyou in the chain of your life. When things get hectic, it is in these areas that you can expect support. Now is the time to plan on the movie you want to make—a documentary?

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

5. Divulge information or secrets.

9. Lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise.

13. Port city that is the capital and largest city of Latvia.

14. Precipitation of ice pellets when there are strong rising air currents.

15. Not widely known.

16. An antidepressant drug that blocks the reuptake of norepinephrine.

18. A peninsula between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

20. A cylindrical drawstring bag used by sailors to hold their clothing and other gear.

22. Jordan's port.

24. The seventh and last day of the week.

25. Found along western Atlantic coast.

28. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

31. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

32. A dull persistent (usually moderately intense) pain.

34. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

36. A doctor's degree in dental medicine.

37. Cheap showy jewelry or ornament or clothing.

39. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

41. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

43. A Powhatan Indian woman (the daughter of Powhatan) who befriended the English at Jamestown and is said to have saved Captain John Smith's life (1595-1617).

48. Fallow deer.

50. A river that rises in northern Colombia and flows generally eastward to the Orinoco in central Venezuela.

52. Czech novelist who wrote in German about a nightmarish world of isolated and troubled individuals (1883-1924).

55. Type genus of the Majidae.

56. Wild or domesticated South American cud-chewing animal related to camels but smaller and lacking a hump.

59. A label made of cardboard or plastic or metal.

60. Morally bad or wrong.

61. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

62. 100 avos equal 1 pataca.

63. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

64. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

65. Someone (especially a woman) who annoys people by constantly finding fault.

DOWN 1. (Greek mythology) Greek god of war.

2. The dressed skin of an animal (especially a large animal).

3. A city in northern India.

4. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

5. God of wealth and love.

6. Lacking in rigor or strictness.

7. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

8. (Scottish) Bluish-black or gray-blue.

9. Any of numerous low-growing cushion-forming plants of the genus Draba having rosette-forming leaves and terminal racemes of small flowers with scapose or leafy stems.

10. The capital of Morocco.

11. Fleshy and usually brightly colored cover of some seeds that develops from the ovule stalk and partially or entirely envelopes the seed.

12. A signal transmitted along a narrow path.

17. Diuretic drug (trade name Naqua) used to treat hypertension.

19. Any plant of the genus Reseda.

21. A confusion of voices and other sounds.

23. The dialect of Malay used as the national language of the Republic of Indonesia or of Malaysia.

26. A defensive missile designed to shoot down incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.

27. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

29. (New Testament) The sages who visited Jesus and Mary and Joseph shortly after Jesus was born.

30. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

33. A radioactive transuranic element.

35. Tropical American tree grown in southern United States having a whitish pink-tinged fruit.

38. A digital display that uses liquid crystal cells that change reflectivity in an applied electric field.

40. The largest city of Cameroon.

42. A woman's dress style that imitates the caftan cloaks worn by men in the Near East.

44. An anti-TNF compound (trade name Arava) that is given orally.

45. A landlocked mountainous republic in southeast central Asia north of Afghanistan.

46. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

47. The Mongol people living the the central and eastern parts of Outer Mongolia.

49. Jordan's port.

50. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

51. A small cake leavened with yeast.

53. (Polynesian) An alcoholic drink made from the aromatic roots of the kava shrub.

54. Highly excited.

57. A human limb.

58. A member of a Mayan people of southwestern Guatemala.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Friends may need your help today—perhaps there is a move or the need to watch young ones. You and your friends usually help each other when a real need arises. This may be a good time for your imagination to kick in when it comes to ideas and thinking. This, along with the ability to put your thoughts into words, allows you to captivate and spellbind. You find it easy to be compassionate and others can see that you care. You also understand and have a natural appreciation for your elders. These are the people you try to include into your future plans. The arts, philosophy and great ideas in general are what you enjoy now. Futureoriented, you have a sense of your own destiny—you look forward to seeing your ambitions realized.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Today, you feel a love of order and law—there is an appreciation for responsibilities. You are in a planning mood and are very clearheaded and able to view all the alternate paths. Go ahead, make those decisions—you can see the road ahead and will make the right choices. There are opportunities to assert yourself in many areas of your life, especially with family members.

Perhaps it is because you are full of concern and compassion. You can find new ways to relate and may be innovative in marriage and social conventions. You are very tolerant and accepting of differences; you have good insight into all social values; you are independent. Today will give you plenty of opportunities to show off your willingness and adaptability.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) You could blurt out the wrong thing today or be unable to convey what you really intend to say to someone. Ideas and thoughts may not come with ease. Also, others may disagree with your ideas. Best thing here is to take the advisement under consideration and deliberation later. Setting priorities may be an important step at this time. You may have a lot to learn regarding what is and what is not essential in life—separating the wheat from the chaff. This afternoon, your loved ones, children and other people or things dear to your heart are emphasized. Little children bring much laughter—have a camera ready. Being appreciated and admired for your gifts and talents are powerful needs. Taking chances in your relationship(s) can bring big rewards.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) This is a time when many projects come to realization—especially large ones. Perhaps you have built your own outside kitchen and now look forward to lots of grilled meals out-of-doors. This is a good time to try to foster a sense of togetherness and team play among family members. You should try to squelch the desire to do everything by yourself; young people may want to say they helped create a part of whatever you are working on. Your thirst for gathering with family or friends may inspire invitations to friends for a barbeque party. Consider inviting others to bring ice cream, drinks or watermelon. If you do not have a pool, consider the fine water mist around the sitting area similar to the outdoor restaurants during summer. Enjoy a time of good times.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

Your outgoing abilities are highlighted. You have insight into your emotions and can talk about your feelings with great insight.

This is an excellent time to sway others to your cause through speeches or clever arguments. If you have a charity of which you are fond, now is a great time to help boost support for this charity. Companionship with others is most rewarding at this time and luncheon appointments or entertainment plans will go quite well. Also, this is an excellent time to spend with family and close friends in a leisure setting. Your ability to get the cooperation of other people as well as the best results from projects is commendable. You may think about bringing one of your talents into play for some future improvement to your home or garden.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You understand how to work with authorities and have a natural gift at solving problems. You may be solving problems today and come across some hint that would help to solve a crime or identify a person that may need questioning by authorities or to identify a stolen car. Get your facts accurate and write out your report. Then carry your report to the proper place. You are motivated to improve many areas of your life and this is where your concentration is today. There is an ability to understand the complicated and communicate to others what is needed.

This afternoon you feel free to be creative and relax before your workweek begins.

Perhaps you enjoy working with clay or some form of art such as photography or sketching, etc.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) A short trip may be enjoyable today. There is an urge to please others. You may find yourself teaching your very own hobby to the young people around you or helping the elderly with little chores they find difficult to perform. Friends and perhaps neighbors will give you an opportunity to laugh and enjoy up-beat conversations this afternoon. There is the possibility of new visions or sudden insights into your self-image, or into your ideals and dreams. Instead of psychoanalyzing this day you may be happier thinking about the things that are important and of lasting value to you now. It is sometimes wisdom, not knowledge, that counts most. You are due for a pleasant surprise this evening. What had been borrowed, including money, will be returned.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Your mind is in a puzzle-solving mood today. You just want to get to the bottom of things, including enigmas within your own being. This is a great day for doing research or just plain reading at the library. Later today you may find yourself at a flea market—let no one try to sell you a bill of goods until you have seen the evidence for yourself. A new exhibit at the zoo may be calling but the weather may not be all that gentle and plans to have a family trip in cooler weather may come into play. More and more often, you are learning and teaching others the art of cooking and tonight may be your turn to cook so you may also find it a good time to teach cooking to young people. Everyone gets a recipe to follow and everyone cleans up if they eat.

To

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) All the world loves a lover and today that is you! What a day to declare your love for someone! What a day to begin a marriage! Your awareness of relationships far outstrips your ego needs. You may be able to enjoy and value your own life situation today. Catching up on personal projects, preparing for the work next week, working in a garden or flower bed, all seems to fall into place this day. If you live in an apartment you may enjoy gardening by pots of herbs and vegetables. Everyone you know benefits from your warmth. This is a good time to enjoy and appreciate your ties to others and to seek and promote harmony. A social get-together with friends can be very enjoyable this evening.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You may be asked to demonstrate some technique or how a machine works today. If you are working with a company that is technical and has lots of different modern equipment, customers need to know how they work and why they would want to purchase one rather than another. You are good at your trade and can break things down into a simple understanding and unique, useful reasons that anyone can understand. You enjoy your job and are good at helping the public. If you wish to make plans to travel, make them in concert with those who may want to share travel with you. Fundamental religious or philosophical beliefs come to your attention and cry out for reexamination in the light of new information. You may find yourself reading this evening.

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 GOVERNORATE Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Kaizen center

25716707

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

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

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

Hawally

ST TATE T OF K KUW WA AIT

Tel.: e 161

DIRECTORA ATE T GEN GENERAL OF CIVIL AV VIA AT TION METEOROLOGICAL DEP PARTMENT A

WWW.MET.GOV V..KW

BY Y NIGHT:

Relatively hot with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 10 - 32 km/h

BY Y DA AY:

Very e hot with light to moderate north westerly wind, with speed of 08 - 30 km/h

WA ARNING

No Current Warnings arnin a

KUW WA AIT CITY

45 °C

34 °C

22451082

KUW WA AIT AIRPOR RT

49 °C

31 °C

Al-Mirqab

22456536

NUW WA AISEEB

46 °C

31 °C

Sharq

22465401

WA AFRA

47 °C

30 °C

Salmiya

25746401

SALMI

45 °C

30 °C

ABDAL LY

47 °C

29 °C

Jabriya

25316254

JAL ALIY YA AH

46 °C

29 °C

Maidan Hawally

25623444

FA AILAKA

46 °C

30 °C

Bayan

25388462

AHMADI POR RT

43 °C

36 °C

Mishref

25381200

UMM AL-MARADEM

40 °C

33 °C

W.Hawally

22630786

WA ARBA A - BUBY YA AN

47 °C

29 °C

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

ST TAT TION

SFC. CHART

01/07/2012 1200 UTC

4 DA AY YS FORECAST Temperatures DA AY

DA AT TE

WEA ATHER T

MAX.

MIN.

Wind Speed

Wind Direction

Monday

02/07

very hot

49 °C

31 °C

NW

08 - 30 km/h

Tuesday

03/07

very hot

48 °C

32 °C

NW

10 - 30 km/h

24775066

Wednesday e

04/07

very hot + raising dust

48 °C

33 °C

NW

25 - 45 km/h

North Jahra

24775992

Thursday

05/07

very hot + raising dust

47 °C

34 °C

NW

25 - 50 km/h

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

23900322

PRA AY YER TIMES

AY AT KUW WAIT A AIRPOR RT RECORDED YESTERDA

Fajr

03:17

MAX. Temp.

46 °C

Sunrise

04:52

MIN. Temp.

35 °C

Zuhr

11:52

MAX. RH

20 %

Asr

15:26

MIN. RH

06 %

Sunset

18:52

MAX. Wind

N 64 km/h

Isha

20:23

TOT TA AL L RA AINF FA ALL L IN 24 HR.

00 mm

All times are local time unless otherwise stated.

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Khaled Hamadi

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist

25665898 25340300

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535

Dentists

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

22618787

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

General Surgeons Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Internists, Chest & Heart Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

22666300 25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

3729596/3729581

Neurologists

22639939

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

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22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Kaizen center 25716707

25339330

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25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

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Dr. Salem soso

Al-Shohada’a

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24810598

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24742838

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22434853

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24711433

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23927002

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24316983

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23980088

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23711183

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23262845

Al-Jahra

25610011

Al-Salmiya

25616368

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

Expected Weather e for the Next 24 Hours

MIN. N. EXP P.

24575755

Ext.: 2627 26 - 2630

22418714

Fax: 24348714

MAX. REC.

New Jahra

PHONE

Al-Madena

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

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36

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

LIFESTYLE G o s s i p

Winehouse

didn’t like singing her hit songs

Will.i.am

says Queen is as classy as his grandmother

my Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’ was “millstone around her neck”. The singer tragically passed away from accidental alcohol poisoning last year, and in the few performances she made in the year before her death she wanted to avoid her most famous material, as it was written about her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil. Amy’s father, Mitch, said she suffered from stage fright, adding: “Not to an acute extent, but she needed a drink before she went on, which was a problem because the management wouldn’t give her anything to drink and then there would be arguments. “In later years, it was compounded by the fact that she felt trapped by her most famous songs. She didn’t want to sing ‘Back to Black’ or ‘Love is a Losing Game’ because they reminded her of Fielder-Civil.

She said to me many times: ‘I can’t do these songs any more, Dad.’ “[Those songs] were really a millstone around her neck. I can’t listen to any of them.” Mitch added he received a lot of criticism for Amy going on tour - firstly in November 2007 which had to be abandoned, and again a month before her death, which was also cancelled after one disastrous show in Belgrade, Serbia - but he said doctors were supportive of her performing and touring. He added: “Her friends used to phone me up, screaming at me: ‘Why are you letting her go onstage?’ But this is after me speaking to the doctors and them saying: ‘It’s a good thing for her to get onstage, she’s got something to focus on, she’s got something to look forward to.’ I mean, the bottom line is that it was her choice and whatever decisions I made are irrelevant. I never made the decisions. She made them. The only decision we made was to pull the tours.” Mitch has written a book, ‘Amy, My Daughter’, all proceeds from which will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity he set up after her death to help young people.

A

he ‘Black Eyed Peas’ rapper is in awe of the royal family and in particular the monarch saying she reminds him of his beloved gram. He said: “I was like wow, that’s how my grandma is! Elegant and classy and the way she wore her hat ... even her clothes are like my grandma’s clothes.” ‘The Voice’ coach - who performed at the Diamond Jubilee Concert in June alongside British veterans Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Tom Jones - revealed he was also impressed with how down to earth Queen Elizabeth and the rest of the royals are. He added: “She’s the leader of the family, you know, and when Prince Charles called her mummy or mumsy I was like ‘wow’. “It’s amazing because they’re just like normal people.” The star recently donated £500,000 to Prince Charles’ charity; The Prince’s Trust and jokingly asked the heir to the throne if he had room for a lodger. He said: “I told Prince Charles I was looking for a flat here and said, ‘This is a big old crib you’ve got here.

It’s a big old house. So could I get a little space?”

T

Weisz always shy about acting he British star - who is married to Daniel Craig - has enjoyed an impressive career, starring in Hollywood films such as ‘The Mummy’, ‘The Lovely Bones’ and ‘The Fountain’ but doesn’t think acting was a natural calling for her and admits she is more reserved in her work than everyday life. She said: “I wasn’t so much a shy child, but I was shy about acting. I wasn’t the sort of kid whose mother would put her up on the table and make her do a dance for everyone. I wasn’t the star of the school plays.

“I was generally very shy of performing. I wasn’t a ‘performer’. I’m still not really like that, I don’t think. I don’t have that ‘jazz hands’ thing in me.” Despite her hangups, Rachel - who has six-year-old son Henry with former partner Darren Aronofsky - won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role in ‘The Constant Gardener’ but can’t remember much about the evening of her win. She told Empire magazine: “It’s a completely surreal experience. Every actor has a fantasy that it will happen, but you don’t believe it will. I’d never been to the Oscars before that night. It’s really a big, hazy blur. I was so vastly pregnant at the time, I couldn’t go and get merry with people.”

T

Cruz

loves being a housewife enelope Cruz thinks being a housewife is the ‘best thing in the world’. The 38-year-old actress has been staying at home since giving birth to 17-month-old Leonardo - her son with husband Javier Bardem - and enjoys not having a job to go to because it means she can concentrate on her cooking. She told the UK edition of HELLO! magazine: “I’m a housewife and it’s beautiful, the best thing in the world. I know how to cook and it’s important to me to make fresh food every day. I don’t do crazy diets, just the good Mediterranean food that I love because it’s important to eat well.” The Hollywood couple have houses in America as well as their native Spain and Penelope also admits she’s very good with a mop and duster. She added: “I’m good at cleaning too. I learnt that when I made the film ‘Volver’. My character was always cleaning the house, so when I started preparing for the role I would go to my mother’s house and to my sister’s house, and they were like, ‘I think she has a fever, because I don’t know why else she has come to clean my house today.”

P

Horan

wants to move to America with Lovato

Depp

struggling to master horse riding

he One Direction heartthrob already spends a lot of his time in the US as the group’s career is going so well stateside but is thinking of making the move permanent after growing close to the ‘X Factor’ judge. A source told Closer magazine: “Niall told his family he’s crazy about Demi. “He’s already going to have to spend at least six months a year in the States with One Direction, so he wants to base himself near her and make a proper go of it.”

Demi recently admitted she thinks Niall is “awesome”. When asked if she is dating the singer, Demi joked: “I don’t even know who One Direction is.”

However, she quickly added: “I’m kidding. Niall is a friend of mine. I do know who he is. We’re just friends and he’s awesome.

He’s cool.” Niall recently revealed he “doesn’t know” what’s going to happen between him and Demi. He admitted he has been in contact with the US ‘X Factor’ judge and while they get on very well and really like each other, he isn’t sure what the future holds. He said: “We’ve spoken alright, yeah. So, I got in contact with her, she’s really nice. Um, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

T

Cocker

tricks himself into writing songs he Pulp frontman admits he has no typical routine when it comes to penning new material and can’t force himself to write new tracks. He said: “I’m always thinking about songs and always writing ideas down. But I thought I’d take a bit of time off and see what happened. “When it comes to songwriting, I know some people do have a routine and I really admire that. I’ve never been able to do that. “I always have to play little tricks on myself in order to make myself write a song. I have to trick myself into not even noticing I wrote one.” Talking about his solo career, he added: “I am still tempted to make music but whether or not I will inflict it on anybody else that remains to be seen.” Any new material Jarvis pens is unlikely to be recorded by Pulp as he is happier for them to continue performing their old songs, as they have done since reforming last year. He added to NME magazine: “I don’t know about new Pulp songs. I mean, I’ve enjoyed doing these shows because the idea was - could we manage to do it again, to make it feel like it was worth doing, and make it sound right? And I think we managed to do that. “I suppose once you’ve done that, the next thing is, would you make some new music? I’ve enjoyed the fact that we haven’t been doing any new stuff, because I feel that’s kept it quite simple. It’s a hard one. “We haven’t been in the studio or anything, certainly. I don’t know what will happen in the future.”

T

he 49-year-old actor - who recently split from the mother of his two children Vanessa Paradis - is currently shooting ‘The Lone Ranger’ but insiders say he has not yet got to grips with his animal co-star. One said: “It has become a problem for Johnny. He wants to do all his own stunts, but he’s been falling off his horse so often that producer’s worry he’s going to permanently damage his tailbone.” Johnny - who plays Tonto in the upcoming blockbuster - is refusing to use a stuntman and is also growing increasingly frustrated as co-star Armie Hammer is a natural at horse riding. The source added to National Enquirer magazine: “He sees Armie doing everything so easily, and that’s got him even more frustrated.” Johnny recently revealed the make-up and appearance for Tonto was based on a painting by artist Kirby Sattler. He said: “I’d actually seen a painting by an artist named Kirby Sattler, and looked at the face of this warrior and thought, That’s it... The stripes down the face and across the eyes... it seemed to me like you could almost see the separate sections of the individual, if you know what I mean.”

T

Jagger

ties the knot with fiance

he 40-year-old designer Jade Jagger daughter of Sir Mick Jagger and his ex-wife Bianca Jagger - wed the DJ at the luxurious Aynhoe Park stately home near Banbury, Oxfordshire, in front of a number of A-list guests. As well as her famous parents, guests also included Kate Moss and her husband Jamie Hince, former stepmother Jerry Hall and half-sister Elizabeth Jagger. Jade’s daughters, Assisi, 20, and 17-year-old Amba - from her nineyear relationship with artist Piers Jackson were said to be bridesmaids along with Kate’s nine-year-old girl Lila Grace. Jade looked stunning in a white dress, which she teamed with white flowers in her hair, simple jewellery and natural make-up. After the ceremony, guests were ordered into a huge white marquee at the back of the hotel for the reception, where Rolling Stones legend Mick sang ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ for the newlywed’s first dance. The hotel is believed to have been booked by the family for the entire weekend, with guests arriving on Friday for a pre-wedding party. Jade - who has previ-

T

ously dated Pharrell Williams and DJ Dan Williams - and Adrian got engaged in Goa last year. —Bang Showbiz

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

lifestyle T R A V E L

Maui is king of I

n a nation of more than 300 million people, a small county in the Pacific Ocean that’s home to just over 155,000 people has nearly a quarter of the country’s best beaches. Maui is called “The Valley Island,” but in most travelers’ minds, its beaches are synonymous with the Hawaiian island. In the annual “Best Beach” contest held since 1991, Maui has won four times - five, if you want to stretch the definition of Maui. Maui County includes the islands of Molokai and Lanai. A beach on Lanai was the winner in 1997.

And Maui isn’t done. A remote beach in an area once favored by Oprah Winfrey made this year’s Top 10 and is likely to win the top spot eventually. It’s not all good news for Maui’s famous beaches. A U.S. Geological Survey report says Maui has the highest rate of beach erosion in the state. Data from 1899 to 2007 show Maui beaches averaged 6.7 inches of sand lost each year. The worst impact is on the north shore near Paia.

Erosion rates are somewhat higher in the Kaanapali area than in Kihei or Wailea.

As to the rankings, I’ve criticized the methodology of the contest put out each spring by “Dr. Beach,” Stephen Leatherman, a Florida oceanography professor. He has a big East Coast bias. But we can’t argue with his favorites in Maui. Here are the big four (or five), along with the next champion in waiting. The year the beach won the contest is in parentheses.

‘best beach’ list

vening decades, development has taken over the slope just above the beach, replacing palm trees and greenery with hotel and condo units. Though it has lost some of its magic, the beach itself is still a beautiful crescent of blond-colored sand fronting clear aquamarine waters.

ping mall in the middle. With all the fancy resort swimming pools, guests sometimes that forget a world class beach is just on the other side of the walkway. There’s usually gentle surf and knockout views out toward Lanai. My favorite spot is Black Rock at the north end of the beach, with its excellent snorkeling and the crazies jumping off the rock.

Wailea Beach, Maui (1999): Wider, hotter and less crowded than Kaanapali to the north, Wailea is also fronted by luxury hotels and rocks in portions, but wide sands in other areas. The drop-off is gradual here, making it good for kids if the waves aren’t up. The view here is also outstanding, with views toward the tiny Molokini crater dive spot and the island of Kahoolawe, once used for Navy target practice.

Kapalua Bay Beach, Maui (1991): The first “best beach” on Leatherman’s list is still one of the islands’ prettiest, though in the inter-

Hulopoe Beach on Lanai in Hawaii. The beach is adjacent to the Four Seasons Manele Bay Resort. There’s plenty of sand, shade trees and warm water for locals and tourists to share. — MCT photos

Hulopoe, Lanai (1997): Lanai is officially part of Maui County, governed from the Maui town of Wailuku. If you want to get political, it could be included in Maui’s best beach count.

There’s actually a geological basis for inclusion with the other beaches. Lanai and Molokai were once part of Maui Nui, the massive, ancient volcanic island that collapsed into the sea millions of years ago.

Hulopoe is the best beach in the Hawaiian islands that barely anyone gets to. It’s next to the Four Seasons Manele Bay on the former pineapple plantation island. There are trees for shade and picnic tables for get-togethers, and a nice mix of tourists and locals. —MCT

D.T. Fleming Beach Park, Maui (2006): I’ve taken my share of knocks at this great bodysurfing beach on the sometimes turbulent northwest shore of Maui. When you’re feeling a bit winded from battling the waves, there are shade trees along parts of the milelong strand. When you are ready to call it a day, head uphill to the bar at the Ritz-Carlton for some sundowner drinks and pupus.

Kaanapali, Maui (2003): The busiest beach on this list, it’s fronted by a string of hotels from the Sheraton on the north to the Hyatt on the south and the Whaler’s Village shop-

D.T. Fleming Beach near The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua is a scenic backdrop for surfing, fishing or a romantic stroll. Maui, Hawaii’s west side beach is popular with tourists and locals.

An energetic crowd dives into the water at historic Black Rock at Ka’anapali Beach near the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa in Maui, Hawaii. It is also has high visibility for snorkeling.

Madinat Jumeirah,

the Arabian Resor

Al Samar - The lobby lounge of Mina A’ Salam.

Shimmers - After sunset, beachside restaurant Shimmers evolves into a relaxed, laid back venue offering the finest Arabian hospitality, located on the beach.

M

adinat Jumeirah is located adjacent to sister properties Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Burj Al Arab and Wild Wadi Water Park and is a leisurely half hour drive from Dubai International Airport.

History Developer and architect, Mirage Mille, took 36 months to complete construction of the first phase of the resort, Mina A’ Salam which opened in September 2003. The vision was to recreate life as it used to be for residents along Dubai Creek, complete with waterways, abras, wind towers and a bustling souk.

Structure and exterior Design The resort is authentically Arabian-styled featuring unique UAE architecture and design that encompasses three core components; two grand boutique hotels and clusters of 29 traditional Arabic summer houses among the gardens and waterways, all built around the souk, the traditional centre of Arabic life at the heart of the resort.

Mina A’Salam or ‘The Harbour of Peace’ can be identified by its sand colored wind towers and unique shape whilst Al Qasr, which literally translates to ‘the Palace’, was designed to reflect a Sheikh’s summer residence and is therefore lighter in color and elevated to emphasize its splendor.

Inspired by the traditional Arabian courtyard summer houses, the stand-alone, two-storey residential retreats of Dar Al Masyaf, which represent the premium accommodation within the resort, suit guests seeking a more intimate hideaway.

An intricate waterway system links all areas of the resort and are serviced by abras (water taxi’s) offering guests alternative transportation and a great way to view the resort.

Souk Madinat Jumeirah A unique re-creation of an ancient market place, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, has a vibrant bazaar-like atmosphere which greets visitors with

75 boutique-style open-shuttered shops and intimate galleries. Throughout the meandering pathways, visitors can purchase goods from barrows and shops spilling out into the streets selling spices, oud, gifts and souvenirs, handicrafts, clothing, jewellery and gold, from 10.00am to 10.00pm seven days a week.

The Souk also contains a wide variety of restaurants, cafes and bars and is home to the First Group Theatre.

The first group theatre The First Group Theatre is a 442 seat luxury venue located within the busy streets of Souk Madinat Jumeirah. Designed by stage professionals, the theatre holds productions by internationally acclaimed groups with performances ranging from drama and dance to comedy and film.

Restaurants and Bars Souk Madinat BarZar -Industrial elegance meets warehouse urbanity in this bar and brasserie, often showing the latest in international sporting action.

Honyaki - Jumeirah’s authentic Japanese restaurant serving a mouth-watering selection of sushi and sashimi is located in one of the most picturesque parts of Souk Madinat, overlooking the waterways and Fort Island.

Toscana - A rustic setting of amiable informality offering traditional pasta dishes and authentic pizza within a family friendly environment.

The Noodle House - A Far-Eastern restaurant in a surrounding of animated activity with an open kitchen.

Segreto - In the shadow of Al Qasr and near to the Malakiya Villas, Segreto is a classic Italian restaurant of superlative quality.

P- A Parisian-style brasserie serving hearty and simple flavors is set in a relaxed atmosphere located on the terrace above Pisces.

Centimetro - A rooftop bar that defines Italian lounging, Centimetro serves snacks and drinks with a view.

Jambase - A supper club providing dining,

drinking and dancing in abundance, as well as a live band.

The Courtyard - A street cafÈ with an Arabic twist - this is the perfect place to enjoy pastries, teas, coffees and shisha.

Al Qasr Arboretum - Offering international all-day family-friendly dining.

The Armoury Lounge - The perfect place for fine cigars in the comfortable and peaceful surroundings of Al Qasr.

Al Hambra - A family restaurant combining the tastes of Spain with the impressions of Morocco.

Al Fayrooz Lounge - Accessed from Al Qasr main lobby, Al Fayrooz is a large and informal lounge serving drinks and light snacks.

Khaymat Al Bahar -A reflection of Bedouin structure, Khaymat Al Bahar or ‘tent on the beach’ serves the beach and pool.

Pai Thai - A Thai restaurant of incomparable beauty.

Pierchic - Fine seafood on the pier served in one of the most romantic settings in the city.

Koubba Bar - Stylish rooftop bar in Arabesque ambience, serving a wide variety of drinks and snacks.

MJ’s - A true carnivore’s heaven with all the steakhouse favorites.

Mina A’ Salam Al Muna - An international all-day dining restaurant with regional overtones.

Zheng He’s - Modern Chinese cuisine with a radical twist and Far Eastern ambience.

The Wharf - A British gastro pub concept serving traditional comfort food that overlooks the waterways of Madinat Jumeirah.

Nakhuda Bar - Arabic for “Senior Captain of a Dhow” this venue offers food and drinks in a seafaring environment.

Bahri Bar - Translated as ‘Views of the Sea’, Bahri Bar serves delicious Arabian tapas and a wide range of drinks.

Conference and Banqueting Facilities Madinat Jumeirah boasts the region’s leading conference, banqueting and events facilities. Few venues compare with the technical and logistical scope, quality and capabilities offered by the resort.

Mina A’ Salam offers a junior ballroom “Majlis Al Mina” and the main ballroom “Majlis Al Salam”.

Luxuriously equipped, the ballrooms are able to seat 110 and 350 guests respectively.

Madinat Conference Hall is the region’s most comprehensive meetings and events facility. A senior ballroom of 1are superbly equipped and adorned in richly decorative Arabic themes along with five individual meeting rooms, a Majlis and a pre-function area.

Built around a large lagoon, Madinat Arena is a Multi-Purpose Venue, designed in the style of an old fortress, with a ground floor multi-purpose arena, a pre-function area and an elevated VIP area. Within the Arena, a portable seating system, fixed upper gallery and VIP seating can accommodate up to 4,000 people.

Fort Island is Madinat Jumeirah’s outdoor function area with a wide variety of conference and banqueting options. The area is surrounded by waterways and benefits from the proximity of the resort facilities.

Talise Spa Talise spa is located amid semi-tropical gardens lined with bamboo, palm trees, frangipani and hibiscus flowers and bordered by gently flowing waterways that allow guests access to the spa by abras. The spa ambience is soothing and serene which is further enhanced by an interior scheme of earthy warm tones, soft cushioning and velvety fabrics. Talise Spa provides a venue for lifestyle change and a journey of self discovery, encompassing all the elements that define a person’s lifestyle. The Talise experience incorporates nutrition, exercise and fitness, alternative therapies, traditional spa treatments, relaxation and rejuvenation.

The spa is setting new standards in holistic care and beauty treatments featuring 26 treatment rooms built in clusters. There is a variety of treatment rooms with private gardens and balconies as well as a crystal and light therapy room, hydrotherapy rooms with indoor and outdoor baths and steam showers, a Watsu pool and Kneipp basins. Two honeymoon suites complete with private changing facilities, sunken baths, relaxation areas, steam showers and a home theatre make this the perfect romantic escape for newlyweds and couples alike. There are also three Arabic tents which are used as treatment areas amidst the gardens and waterways.

Treatments and spa experiences tailored to

individual guest needs, with treatments ranging from Swedish, Thai and Balinese massage to Reiki, Shiatsu, hot stones and local holistic therapies.

Turtle Rehabilitation Case Study The Project The aim of the Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP) is not only to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured or unwell turtles back into the wild, but to educate local children, citizens and international hotel guests about turtles - contributing to the local and global plight of the sea turtle.

The DTRP has been running successfully since 2004 and is a collaborative effort of staff at Wildlife Protection Office and Burj Al Arab Aquarium. Since its inception, the project has seen the release of over 450 rehabilitated turtles two of which have been fitted with satellite transmitters that enable the DTRP to track their journey through the world’s oceans.

The DTRP mission is: To rehabilitate sick and injured turtles and return them to their natural habitat.

To assess turtle health and provide appropriate treatment.

To raise awareness of the issues facing turtles and the marine environment.

To gain a better understanding of turtle migration patterns and general biology through data collection and satellite tracking program.

Sick or injured Turtles are brought to the Aquarium team at Burj Al Arab by members of the public where they are treated, with veterinary care provided by Dr Mirjam Hampel. Once the cause of sickness is identified and primary care has been administered, the turtles are closely monitored to ensure a healthy recovery with regular veterinary examinations. Once the team is satisfied with the progress and condition of the turtles, they are then transferred to the Mina A’Salam turtle enclosure. Animals that are already too weak to recover and succumb to their illnesses are sent to the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory where a full post-mortem examination is carried out to determine the cause of death.

The large enclosure at the Mina A’Salam allows the team to monitor the final stages of rehabilitation before the turtles are released back into UAE territorial waters.

The types of debilitation are varied, with some injuries caused by entanglement or ingestion of plastic waste in the water and others suffering from sicknesses such as abnormally heavy barnacle growth on the carapace or ‘shell’. Turtles are reptiles and as such are cold-blooded, gaining their body heat from the surrounding environment. Young turtles are particularly vulnerable to cold sea temperatures experienced within this region during the months of December, January and February - which is when the majority of sick turtles are found.

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

lifestyle F A S H I O N

Veteran Cardin flies Paristo space-age Models wear creations by French fashion designer Pierre Cardin as part of his Men’s Spring-Summer 2013 collection, for the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France yesterday. —AP photos

T

he first c ou style vete turier to put me n ran Pierr e Cardin on the Paris catw accla earned fo alks back birthday. im, yesterday at nd a in 19 a T houses, th he last active surv comeback show pplause, if not cri 58, o ti iv e empire, b Italian-born Ca or of the great n the eve of his cal rdin is to postwar 90th ut his catw French fa d ay o w n a wo m e n alk show er sh ’s s mined on line in 2010. Fa are few and far b of a sprawling lu ion ithful to e and off si tw e e n, his last xury the spac dered, sle nce the 1 in P e -a 9 e prene wit veless tunics in 60s, his men’s loo ge theme Cardin aris navy felt k feature h futurist has d , wool ta ic visor sh Jacke rtan or d broad-shoula iving suit with twis ts had vertical sla des. neo ts shed pan els at the s h o u ld e of black rubber rs tu b turquoise . U n li k e ly c o lo r bing, like a prick ack, or were ado ly hedge rned m hog acro stuffy for with purple, whil a tc h e s p a ir e d ss ye e s stepped ummer. Things to the suit fabrics s ll o w w it h v io le the ou t, o o looped o t in shiny black p k a kinky turn as metimes seemed o r ver one sh atent tro a bare -ch too u o e se u sted mod lder throu rs with a Strutting el g g ia th h n a e t ir stuff in d triangula models c the old P isc in its centre. r bag a aris stock strugglin me off as oddly exc no g arrived, in to take the coll nchalant, smirkin hange, Cardin’s yo e ung c g at the s ti e o q n seri uined too little c to the im black, brown or ously. By the tim ameras as if agination e as well. g , the aud reen velvet and the catsuits ience wa leaving ra But when s sh the owing sig a mo out for th ns of stra r e audien del lost his hat-c in a c Cardin st epped ou e -he got a friend tching it and jau n ly t for a bo in futuris tily holdin round of w ti veteran d c tubular dresses , after a finale of a applause. And w g it esigner e w d arned a w ith hula-hoop d ozen women m hen odels iscs in th arm and genuine ovation.— eir seams, the AFP

LANVIN

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

lifestyle

Hermes and Dior play it

F A S H I O N

safe with color D

ay Four of Paris menswear shows had one overriding message: We’re tastefully playing it safe. Fashion collections at this time of year are often about anticipating summer and celebrating color. But in Saturday’s strong line-up of shows there was a clear emphasis on hues that tended towards the muted and soft.

Subtle shows from Kenzo and Hermes featured wide-ranging and inventive palettes, but it was tonal balance that was the key. Dazzling color, prominently in previous seasons, appeared only momentarily: like the red splashes in Kris Van Assche’s Dior Homme show. Could this spell the return to elegance for menswear? Yesterday, the last day of Paris menswear week included shows by Pierre Cardin, Lanvin and Paul Smith.

LANVIN Lanvin moved in a new, contrasting direction in their spring-summer 2013 menswear show, trumpeting a techno black and white early-1980s silhouette that harked back to the end of Glam Rock. Waists were high and belted Sunday, baggy shirts with rolled short sleeves sported retro V-necks, and some models wore Elton John shades. Where was the color, ubiquitous in most other menswear shows this season? “I didn’t try to create anything to set a trend,” said Lanvin’s creative director Alber Elbaz backstage. Here, the brightness came in glam rock metallic sheen, reaching its most flashy in a traffic-stopping single breasted silver suit. It signaled a different, confident voice in this season’s fashion conversation. Adam Ant could well have been sitting in the front row.

“It’s about contradictions, contrasts,” said Elbaz. These certainly abounded - though they never detracted from the overall unity of the show. Tensions were created by black on white, matte on sheen, and even some 1960s fitted suits that varied the Roxy Music silhouette. The models all strutted on a plaftormed catwalk, influenced, Elbaz explained, by a desire “to elevate fashion.” With this forward moving show, in that goal he was successful.

HERMES

HERMES Hermes’ Veronique Nichanian knows how to dress men. The house’s show, set in a storied 18th century stone cloister, was a devastatingly elegant affair. The venue raised expectations that - luckily - weren’t dashed by Nichanian’s highly accomplished and colorful display. Sexy fitted suits - single and double breasted emphasized the shoulders but remained soft and unangular. Meanwhile, high-waisted long-legged 1950s pants created a highly masculine silhouette. Fashion is all about making statements. Some designers are so busy trying to say something catchy that they forget the aesthetic. Here, this was not the case. There was an emphasis on pure luxury: be it soft suede, silk or tuxedos with peaked lapels in mohair. In color, the elegance translated as a palette - terre vert, soft yellow, beige, and soft russet - that was wide-ranging but remained tonal and non-garish.

In case there was any doubt as to the masculine credentials of the show, sporty details like white sneakers, hoods, zippers and draw-strings brought home that this was all soft, but highly virile. What is the enduring secret for Hermes - one of 2011’s most lucrative fashion brands? As far as menswear goes, for Nichanian, it’s simple: “I don’t have any secrets. I just love men.”

DIOR HOMME Dior Homme marched a tailored naval troop down the runway in a play-it-safe show, banishing black and channeled Royal Navy blue. On Saturday, models with severe slicked back hair in fitted blazers of light-weight wools and Prince of Wales check set the strict, conservative tone. Indeed, there was nothing revolutionary here.

Designer Kris Van Assche’s approach follows the philosophy: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” He reworked many ideas from last season’s much lauded show: marrying tailored military uniforms and sportswear. If Van Assche’s aim was to create a salable, gentle evolution in his style, he succeeded. “It’s my first show where there is no black, blue is the new way of doing black,” said Van Assche. The show’s other new element was its assault of buttons: silver buttons, black buttons - all engraved with Christian Dior’s coat of arms. Dior Homme’s fitted, short silhouette bucked this season’s look of elongated and oversized form. “I’ve noticed clothes can be fitted and comfortable at the same time,” added Van Assche. “It’s not about doing ballooning volumes.” At which point an incredibly skinny Sharon Stone came to give him a kiss. When you’re as influential as Dior, you don’t need to follow trends.—AP

DIOR HOMME

Alec Baldwin marries yoga instructor in NYC A

lec Baldwin and his yoga instructor fiancee tied the knot Saturday in a New York City church, with a guest list that included family and famous Hollywood pals. Baldwin, 54, and Hilaria Thomas, 28, married at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in a Catholic ceremony performed by the Rev. George Deas. His “30 Rock” co-star Tina Fey, actress Mariska Hargitay, director Woody Allen, environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Baldwin’s actor-brother, Stephen, were among those in attendance.

Thomas wore a silk magnolia Amsale gown with cap sleeves and a keyhole back neckline accented with crystal buttons. Baldwin’s suit was designed by Tom Ford. The two began dating last year and became in engaged in April. Baldwin was previously married to actress Kim Basinger; they have a daughter, Ireland, who attended the wedding Saturday in a slate silk chiffon gown also designed by Amsale.

The reception was being held at New York University’s Kimmel Center. The “Rock of Ages” actor warmly received congratulations from well-wishing fans on his way in for the service, said his friend and publicist, Matthew Hiltzik. Hours before the ceremony, Baldwin tweeted lines from an Emily Dickenson poem. One read: “Was bridal e’er like this? A paradise, the host, And cherubim and seraphim The most familiar guest.”

The wedding came about a week after Baldwin and a news photographer got into a scuffle outside of a courthouse where the actor was believed to have been picking up a marriage license.

Baldwin and the photographer traded barbs over who shoved whom; no arrests were made. —AP

Billy Baldwin

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Actress Tina Fey enters St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral for the wedding of Alec Baldwin and Hilaria Thomas in New York on Saturday, June 30, 2012.— AP photos

Woody Allen and Soon Yi exit St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral after the wedding.

Alec Baldwin marries yoga instructor in NYC

MONDAY, JULY 2, 2012

39 Devotees hope to duck California ‘foie-mageddon’ ban

C

alifornian foie gras fans stuffed themselves at gastronomic last suppers this weekend, as a ban on the delicacy finally came into force after years of wrangling.

But even before the midnight Saturday deadline, devotees of the prized French foodstuff-fatty liver, made by force-feeding ducks or geese-had worked on ways to get round the ban, dubbed ‘foiemaggedon.”

While animal rights groups hailed the law which outlaws selling or making foie gras-pushed through by ex governor Arnold Scwarzenegger-pro-foie gras supporters said they hope it will eventually be repealed. “I think many people are hopeful” the ban will be reversed, said a spokeswoman for the two Michelinstarred Melisse restaurant in Santa Monica, which has been serving a “Foie Gras for All” menu since January. The $185-a-head menu includes Foie Gras Royale with Blackberry Gelee, Caramelized Buttermilk Mousse, Foie Gras and Dover Sole, followed for dessert by “something sweet with foie”-foie gras ice cream has been on the menu.

“The foie festivities have been keeping us very busy ... The ban has definitely increased the interest in foie gras, I even heard 1 guest comment that they would not have ordered the foie menu if it wasn’t for the ban. “As for tonight, the eve of foie, almost every table ordered the foie for all menu,” added the spokeswoman for the eatery, which has nevertheless vowed to comply with the new law. From Monday anyone found selling or making foie gras in California will face a $1,000 fine, under a law passed in 2004 but which gave the state’s only foie gras producer seven and a half years to comply. In the run-up to the July 1 ban, some of the Golden State’s top chefs including Thomas Keller, the only US chef with two three Michelin-starred restaurants, redoubled efforts to persuade lawmakers to overturn the ban. Calling themselves the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards (CHEFS), they have staged a series of foie gras-rich evenings to raise money for the cause. But John Burton, the former California legislator who drafted the law, dismissed their calls, likening the tradition of foie gras to waterboarding and female genital mutilation.

“I’d like to sit all 100 of them down and have duck and goose fat-better yet, dry oatmeal-shoved down their throats over and over and over again,” he told the San Francisco Chronicle in April. Paul Shapiro, vice president, Farm Animal Protection of the Humane Society of the United States, told AFP Saturday that the law’s entry into force was long overdue. “Seven and half years is a long time to allow a search for alternatives to the abusive force-feeding ducks for foie gras. It’s about time this basic anti-cruelty law take effect,” he said.

While restaurateurs have overwhelmingly vowed to abide by the new law, ways of circumventing the ban will no doubt be tested in the coming weeks and months. One highlighted by NPR radio recently is the possibility that diners could bring foie gras with them to a restaurant, and pay a “Foie-kage” fee-the equivalent of corkage paid to bring wine to an eatery to drink with a meal.

Others talk of private supper clubs, organized without any formal sale of foie gras-using the fact the new law bans only the sale and production of the delicacy, not its consumption or sharing between friends. Mirepoix USA, which sells foie gras among other high-end French foodstuffs online, was urging customers to place “stock up and save” orders before June 28, noting that foie gras can be safely frozen and stored for up to two years. It has also launched a service where orders placed online can be picked up in neighboring Nevada, either in Reno or Las Vegas.

“Restaurants, specialty food stores, and individuals who enjoy foie gras hope that eventually the ban will be repealed,” it said. “But in the meantime, Mirepoix USA has made arrangements to try to satisfy our customer’s desire for foie gras, while still respecting the legislation,” the company added. France’s foie gras industry body, CIFOG, said last week that California’s law contravenes international trade law, adding that it had asked for a meeting with the French agriculture minister on Monday. —AFP