7th Jun 2012

CR IP TI ON BS SU

www.kuwaittimes.net

NO: 15472

RAJAB 17, 1433 AH

Amir rejects resignation of awqaf and justice minister

40 PAGES

150 FILS

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

MPs demand Zour plant probe • Rujaib grillings delayed

Max 47º Min 32º High Tide 02:25 & 12:57 Low Tide 07:02 & 20:04

By B Izzak conspiracy theories

Just suggestions...

By Badrya Darwish

badrya_d@kuwaittimes.net

A

gain I am going to comment on the proposed changes to the traffic regulations. Of course, it is the job of the ministry of interior to try and find solutions to the congestion on the streets that people have faced daily in the last couple of years as the population of Kuwait increased after the collapse of Saddam’s regime. I don’t deny that there is a traffic problem in Kuwait. I face it myself on a daily basis. This is the case in every big megapolis in the world, be it London, Washington, Paris, New York, Tokyo, Cairo etc. Governments try to do their best to find solutions but cannot solve the whole problem. I haven’t seen this in any city. They try to minimize the impact and ease the traffic.

As for Kuwait, in my opinion, before the government thinks that the increase of tariffs for expats is the solution, which of course is a joke, there are many other solutions. They need all the ministries to come together and sit and think and make plans and bring expertise to help Kuwait solve the problem. It is not a shame to invite foreign knowhow as they are more experienced.

One of the ideas some friends told me could help solve the problem is if we de-clutter the ministries’ complexes and big government institutions. Why are they all in the heart of the city, which makes traffic impossible? Why can’t some of them be shifted to the suburbs? Another idea: Why do you allow schools to be built in a small commercial area like Hawally, for God’s sake? This is also for the Ministry of Education. They can arrange schools not to be near each other or in the heart of the city.

Here is another idea. The timing of employees going to work or students going to schools could be revised. It is not necessary for all the ministries to clock in at the same time. The same goes for schools.

Ministries and schools even close together. Things can be arranged so that they don’t close all at the same time. This, I am sure, can solve the traffic congestion.

There should be a board selected from all institutions of Kuwait to gather and study the problem and come up with suggestions and solutions.

Government employees can leave at different times.

If the government offices change their timings, traffic will ease. If all schools don’t finish at one time, traffic will ease. The main issue is that more bridges and roads need to be constructed. This is a longterm project. One of the important issues is creating a proper public transport system in Kuwait parallel to the ones in developed cities. I am sure if it is efficient and on time with comfortable bus stops, we will all use it.

These are only suggestions before you blame it on the expats. Then you will discover that no problem was solved.

Venus moves across the Sun during the transit as seen from Beirut yesterday. (Inset) A Saudi wearing special protective viewing glasses watches the transit of Venus in Riyadh. — AP

Rare Venus transit wows astronomers worldwide KUWAIT/SYDNEY: Astronomers and novice star-gazers worldwide trained their eyes and telescopes on the skies yesterday for the last chance this lifetime to observe Venus track a near seven-hour path across the Sun. The extraordinary event, only to be seen again in 105 years, began shortly after 2200 GMT on Tuesday, visible first from the Pacific and north and central Americas as a small black dot trailing across the solar surface. Australia – for which the transit of the fiery planet carries a unique historical inter-

est as a 1769 precursor contributed to the continent’s discovery – presented one of the best vantage points.

For Europe, the Middle East and South Asia, most of the event happened overnight, and impatient planetary observers had to wait until sunrise to observe the transit’s final moments. The Fintas Observatory in Kuwait witnessed the transit early yesterday, astronomer Adel AlSaadoun told KUNA. Continued on Page 13

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah yesterday rejected the resignation of Minister of Awqaf and Justice Jamal Shehab, who agreed to continue as member of the Cabinet, the minister said yesterday. The statement came following a meeting with the Amir during which Shehab offered his resignation, apparently in connection with the government’s rejection of a blasphemy law. Shehab said that he was honoured to meet the Amir “who understood the reasons for my resignation, but he rejected it and ordered me to continue in the service of the country”.

The new announcement came as the government sent back the law stipulating the death penalty for major religious offenses, especially cursing Almighty Allah, all the prophets, Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) wife Aisha and others. The government last month voted in favour of the law and vowed it will implement it, but it changed its mind and recommended to the Amir to reject the law. Under the law, the Amir has the power to reject laws passed by parliament but MPs can override such a rejection if it can pass the law again with a two-thirds majority, making the implementation of the legislation mandatory. Opposition lawmakers have vowed that they will work to override the government’s rejection of the law, but it will be difficult to secure the necessary 44 votes in the current Assembly. However, they can pass the law in the next term with a simple majority of 33 votes.

Information Minister Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah told reporters yesterday that the justice minister submitted his resignation to the Cabinet on Monday.

Shehab did not attend the Assembly sessions on Tuesday and yesterday.

In another development, MPs passed a number of non-binding recommendations to the government over the grilling of former finance minister Mustafa AlShamali last month. The recommendations call on the government to launch a probe into the investments of the Public Institution for Social Security, which the grilling alleged involved major violations. It also called on the government to halt all procedures regarding the Al-Zour North power and water desalination plant in Continued on Page 13

Mubarak’s health deteriorates in jail US gov makes history by surviving recall MILWAUKEE: Wisconsin’s Scott Walker became the first governor in US history to survive a recall election on Tuesday in a decisive victory that dealt a blow to the labor movement and raised Republican hopes of defeating President Barack Obama in the November election. Unions and liberal activists forced the recall election over a law curbing collective bargaining powers for public sector workers passed soon after Walker took office in 2011.

With nearly all of the votes counted, Republican Walker won by 8 percentage points over Democratic challenger Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, a bigger victory for the governor over the same challenger than two years ago.

Republicans around the country were elated by the result in a state that Continued on Page 13

WAUKESHA, Wisconsin: Wisconsin Republican Gov Scott Walker speaks at his victory party Tuesday. — AP

CAIRO: Hosni Mubarak’s health entered a “dangerous” phase yesterday, and doctors had to administer oxygen five times to help the deposed Egyptian leader breathe, according to security officials at his prison. Mubarak’s health crisis came days after he was sentenced to life in prison for failing to stop the killing of protesters in the uprising that unseated him last year. The officials at Tora prison south of Cairo said Mubarak, 84, was suffering from shock and high blood pressure as well as breathing problems.

Specialists were called in to examine him, and a transfer to a military hospital was being considered, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters. It was not immediately possible to independently verify the gravity of Mubarak’s condition.

Mubarak did not want to go to Tora after he was sentenced on Saturday, pleading with his escort to take him back to the military hospital east of Cairo where he had stayed in a suite since his trial began in August. He was held in a hospital in his favorite Red Sea

Hosni Mubarak resort of Sharm el-Sheikh from the time of his arrest in April last year until August. Mubarak was sentenced to life on Saturday, but he and his two sons onetime heir apparent Gamal and wealthy businessman Alaa - were acquitted of corruption charges. The sons are also being held in Tora, awaiting a separate trial on charges of insider trading. The officials said prison authorities were allowing Gamal to be by his father’s side. Alaa also applied for permission, but it has not yet been granted, the officials said.

Continued on Page 13

in the

news

100 killed in new Syria ‘massacre’

LinkedIn admits password breach

12 kids hurt as China police raid madrassa

Bahrain envoy to France denies groping claims

BEIRUT: Regime forces killed about 100 people, including many women and children, in a “massacre” in Syria’s central Hama province yesterday, the opposition Syrian National Council told AFP. “We have 100 deaths in the village of AlKubeir... among them 20 women and 20 children,” said Mohammed Sermini, spokesman for the coalition, which accused the regime of being behind the “massacre”. Other sources also reported that a “massacre” had taken place in the same area, including opposition activists and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said 87 people were killed. The “new massacre” was carried out at a farm by the pro-regime shabiha militia armed with guns and knives after regular troops had shelled the area, the Observatory said.

“What is certain is that dozens of people died, including women and children,” the watchdog’s Rami Abdel Rahman said. At least 108 people were killed in a two-day massacre that began on May 25 near the central town of Houla, most of them women and children who were summarily executed.

WASHINGTON: The professional social network LinkedIn said yesterday some of its members’ passwords were stolen after reports said more than 6.4 million accounts were breached. “We can confirm that some of the passwords that were compromised correspond to LinkedIn accounts. We are continuing to investigate this situation,” LinkedIn’s Vicente Silveira said in a blog post. Silveira said passwords on the compromised accounts were no longer valid, and that those members will receive instructions on how to reset their passwords. “There will not be any links in these emails. For security reasons, you should never change your password on any website by following a link in an email,” he said. For other members, LinkedIn has implemented “enhanced security” for password protection, he added. Several security researchers reported the breach, which was posted on a Russian hacker forum. Graham Cluley of the British security firm Sophos said users should ensure the password used is not used on any other websites, and hard to crack.

BEIJING: Staff at a religious school in heavily Muslim far western China set off explosives to fend off a police raid yesterday and 12 children were burned, state media reported. An overseas rights group, however, blamed tear gas used by paramilitary forces for the injuries. The Tianshan news portal for the Xinjiang region said the 12 were hospitalized with burns from a blaze started by the explosives. Three police and two of the three staff at the school in Hotan city were also injured, it said. The Tianshan report said 54 kids were at the school when police raided it. Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the German-based World Uyghur Congress, said the school was teaching the Holy Quran and that paramilitary officers used tear gas on the children. An official with the Kashgar Intermediate People’s Court yesterday confirmed the trials took place but refused to provide any details.

Like many Chinese bureaucrats, he would give only his surname, Zhang.

PARIS: Bahrain’s ambassador to France yesterday denied “unfounded allegations” he had groped a former domestic worker in his exclusive Paris residence. Naser Al-Belooshi’s statement came the day after French authorities launched an initial investigation into complaints made by a 44-yearold female former worker. A judicial source has said the alleged sexual harassment occurred from July 2010 to Oct 2011, with the woman saying she was fired soon after, along with her husband. A police source told AFP the husband had also filed a complaint. The alleged victim also said the ambassador’s son had threatened her with a gun in Sept 2010. The ex-worker said the incidents took place at the ambassador’s home in the swish Paris suburb of Neuilly. The plaintiff initially accused her employer of raping her on more than one occasion but later told investigators she had thwarted those attempts. The statement added that the ambassador was available to French investigators “to shed light on these false accusations”.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

LOCAL

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and other dignitaries at “Sinyar 6” national campaign at Bayan Palace.

Amir launches marine environment protection campaign KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, in the presence of HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, inaugurated yesterday the national campaign to preserve the marine environment “Sinyar 6” at Bayan Palace.

His Highness the Amir received President of the Voluntary Work Center Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who was accompanied by the voluntary diving team members of the Sinyar 6 campaign.

HH the Amir praised their efforts in protecting the marine environment. He encouraged them to keep up the good work and to set an example for others to follow. He also stressed the importance of cooperative efforts

Kuwaiti youth show outstanding effort in protecting environment KUWAIT: President of the Voluntary Work Center Sheikha Amthal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has expressed pride of Kuwaiti youth in their efforts towards preserving the environment.

After meeting His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who inaugurated the national campaign to preserve the marine environment Sinyar 6 at Bayan Palace yesterday, Sheikha Amthal said that this would encourage others to get involved in voluntary environmental work. On his part, Deputy President of Training at the Voluntary Work Center Hussain Bader Al-Qallaf noted that many projects have been accomplished through Sinyar 6.

“There were four projects presented to the Amir today at the inaugration ceremony. The first project was a guidebook for diving spots in the country as well as a marine map that shows the aesthetic features of Kuwaiti islands Garouh, Um Al-Maradim and Kubbar.”

Launched after three years of study, the second is a turtle reservation while the third is an international curriculum taught at the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) with the fourth being an underwater photography curriculum, he concluded.

Two accredited certificates from NAUI were presented to the Amir and the Crown Prince, Al-Qallaf added. — KUNA

to preserve the environment and to spread awareness among members of the society.

Later, Sheikha Amthal breifed the Amir on their concluded projects, which include a marine-related map and a guidebook for diving spots in the country, which they said illustrate the high capabilities of Kuwaiti youth.

She also expressed her sincere appreciation of the Amir’s interest on the matter.

The team presented a commemorative gift to the Amir and the Crown Prince, during the meeting attended by National Assembly Speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun, HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Minister of Amiri Diwan Affaris Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah and other state officials. — KUNA

Philippine Embassy to host I-Day activities

Bedoons case suspended KUWAIT: The Criminal Court suspended a case in which 68 stateless residents face charges of illegal demonstration, until the Constitutional Court gives a ruling on the constitutionality of the law barring non-Kuwaitis from holding mass gatherings.

Attorney Fawziya Al-Sabah had filed an appeal challenging the constitutionality of a Ministry of Interior decree that restrict the right of public demonstrations to

Kuwaitis, and that during the trial of a previous case in which 29 stateless residents face similar charges.

The ruling came Tuesday in the case in which the Public Prosecution charged the bedoon detainees of resisting apprehension and assaulting police officers on duty while they were dispersing a demonstration of stateless residents in Taima and Sulaibiya earlier this year. — Al-Qabas

KUWAIT: (Left) Jamile Ann Aggabao (grand winner), Mahaleen Guevarra Belisario (first runner-up), Sheila Rose Dearos (second runner-up) and Angelyka Rabe (third runner-up) are seen at the Kislap ng OFW 2012 pageant on May 10, 2012. (Right) Festive costumes are showcased at the event.

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: The Philippine Embassy is gearing up for the upcoming June 12 Independence Day celebration in Kuwait. Various cultural activities connected to the celebration have been planned and some were already organized to showcase Filipino culture and traditions.

One of the most colorful although controversial event was the ‘Kislap ng OFW 2012’ organized on May 10 by the Filipino Association for Culture and Arts (FCAK), which was initially interrupted due to permit issues but successfully concluded on the same day. The event was a pageant deeply embedded in the Filipino culture which showcased traditional Filipina costumes [festival], latest fashions, talents and the wit and grace of Filipinas.

The next Independence Day related event is to be held on June 8 at the embassy’s compound, dubbed ‘Barrio Fiesta’. The event will showcase various Filipino products, food, music and a cultural presentation including folk dances and traditional Filipino parlor games. A videoke contest is one of the many highlights of the event. All Filipinos are invited, but is also open to other interested individuals, especially locals.

On June 12, the Philippine Embassy in Faiha will host a traditional breakfast for invited Filipino community leaders and dignitaries. The attendees will also hear messages from the country’s leader and other officials including the foreign affairs and labor secretaries [ministers]. On the night of June 12, the Philippine embassy will host a diplomatic reception at the Crowne Plaza Hotel attended by Kuwait’s foreign affairs officials. The independence day celebration will conclude with another community and cultural event to be held on June 15 at Radisson Blu Hotel.

“Everything is set for our Independence Day celebration on June 12,” said Rea Oreta, Philippine Vice Consul and Third Secretary. “Aside from the independence day supplement to be published by the Kuwait Times, there are activities related to the Independence Day celebration spearheaded by community organizations and events at the embassy, like the Barrio Fiesta. We are excited about it because it will be the first of such an activity in our embassy grounds. We are hoping especially for the participation of Filipinos and others, especially locals, to witness our colorful traditional and cultural celebration,” Oreta concluded.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

LOCAL

KJA marks environment day with marine films Praise for voluntary activities

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) celebrated World Environment Day by launching movies of the Kuwait Diving Team at its premises in Shuwaikh on Tuesday. The event also included presenting a movie about the treasures of Um Alnamel Island. Adnan Al-Rashed, Treasurer of the Kuwait Journalists Association, praised the efforts of the Voluntary Environment Foundation ( VEF) which succeeded to register its achievements in the voluntary work field, despite its limited financial resources.

“The great voluntary activity, under which the Kuwait Diving Team (KDT) is working, started in 1985. At that time they were working as a complete team, and was one of the most significant teams in voluntary work. We were pleased to host the events of this team at the KJA since its inception,” he stated.

The team’s movies is an important event due to the message that it carries. “It shows the historical role of Kuwait and its citizens in rehabilitating and protecting the marine environment. In addition, it also shows the achievements of the team’s divers,” Rashed said.

May Al-Eisa, the Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Kuwait, thanked the efforts of the KDT in highlighting the main issues of protecting the environment of Kuwait.

“Sustainable environment development is one of the priorities for the UNDP,” she noted. The partnership and cooperation between UNDP and the Kuwaiti government goes back to more than 40 years. “This cooperation developed and corrected activities and practices that negatively affected the environment. On this occasion we ensure that we should all unify our efforts in order to serve the environment,” said Eisa.

Waleed Al-Faadel, the Head of KDT and the president of the VE,F noted that the movies made by the team on the occasion of World Environment Day aim to express the team’s love of the environment.

“This project was executed by the support of the Kuwait Finance

K-Dow investigation hurts Majority’s coordination

KUWAIT: Secretary General of the KJA Faisal Al-Qinai (middle) with some members of the Voluntary Environment Foundation.

KUWAIT: Group photo of members of the Voluntary Environment Foundation and the Kuwait Diving Team.

— Photos by Fouad Al-Shaikh House. A thousand copies were in producing the movies that marine environment. It also aims to made including eight CDs, which include many issues related to the express the beauty of the reefs and marine environment in Kuwait and sea creatures and to increase enviinclude 60 movies,” he pointed out. ronment awareness in the society,” “These CDs will be distributed the GCC,” Faadel added.

The movies show the way to he explained. He also warned that internationally to show the work of Kuwaitis in serving the environ- clean waste and remnants from Um Alnamel Island, which is locatment. It also aims to express that coral reefs and Kuwaiti islands. It ed in Kuwait Bay, is a red line. “It Kuwait is a model in local and inter- also shows the Jaber Al-Ahmad means for Kuwait the same what national voluntary work. I hope Protectorate and the team’s exhibi- the Nile River means for Egypt. that the team’s message will reach tions, in addition to some of the Protecting the bay is part of the everybody, so they will preserve team’s achievements. “Through this team’s strategy, and we should stop the environment. I would also like project we aim to highlight the role damaging the bay,” concluded to thank all those who participated of Kuwaiti youth in serving the Faadel.

KUWAIT: The Majority Bloc is yet to agree on a probe demanded regarding the KDow project, and that ever since disagreements were made regarding the names MP Jamaan Al-Harbash nominated to take part in a planned investigations committee.

According to sources close to the coalition, Parliament Speaker Ahmad AlSaadoun criticized Al-Harbash Tuesday for earlier statements in which he mentioned specific names for the panel that will probe the reasons which led to Kuwait being required by an International Court order to pay $2.16 billion to Dow Chemical over a contract with the government-owned Petroleum Industries Company that was canceled by the cabinet in late 2008 under MPs’ pressure.

Al-Harbash, who is head of the Majority Bloc’s coordination committee, had announced that MPs Abdurrahman Al-Anjari and Faisal Al-Yahya are nominated for the investigation panel’s membership, while a third spot will be left for a lawmaker from the parliament’s minority.

The announcements drew immediate reactions from bloc members including MP Dr Obaid Al-Wasmi who shortly made a statement criticizing the selection.

Meanwhile, sources who spoke to AlQabas on the condition of anonymity indicate that Al-Harbash received criticism from MP Mohammad Hayef and Deputy Speaker Khalid Al-Sultan among others.

The sources further indicate that AlHarbash faced these criticisms by offering to step down from his position as head of the bloc’s coordination committee, “but his proposal was rejected by bloc members”. An agreement was reached after that to assign Al-Saadoun, Al-Harbash, AlWasmi, Al-Yahiya and Abdurrahman AlAnjari to put mechanisms based on which the proposal to establish the KDow investigations committee will be put. The source speculate on that part that these developments “seriously hurt” the effectiveness of the coordination committee in helping the Majority Bloc.

Meanwhile, sources within the cabinet expressed pessimism about the chance of improvement in the relationship with the parliament given the current develop-

ments as a result of grilling motions and the cabinet’s decision to reject a draft law that sets capital punishment as the penalty for an offender of God and the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH). The tensions could be avoided in either one of two ways as the sources speculate; the first of which includes a “drastic reshuffle for” or even resignation of the cabinet and selecting ministers that have the Majority MPs’ prior approval, while the second basically requires the current cabinet to submit to whatever the parliament demands.

On that regard, Al-Rai reported quoting “parliamentary sources” that the cabinet considers offering at least three portfolios to MPs in a reshuffled cabinet, “and even naming Ammar Al-Ajmi, Ahmad AlAzmi, Hammad Al-Muttar and Ali Al-Omar as potential candidates” they would welcome as ministers. The sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity indicate that “names of individuals outside the parliament who are close to the Majority Bloc are being mentioned during the ongoing negotiations”.

In other news, head of the parliament’s budgets committee warned that Kuwait faces a real risk of suffering a budget deficit should oil prices drop below $101 per barrel. “We can see a true deficit in the state’s budget should oil prices drop below the average of $101 to $103 per barrel, which is the oil price average that the budget is based on”, MP Adnan Abdulsamad explained Tuesday, adding that a potential deficit in this case can only be rectified by compensating it with future budget surplus or oil price increase. “We have reached a critical point with regards to the state’s general budget”, he warned.

Separately, repporteur of the parliament’s health and social affairs committee, MP Dr Mohammad Al-Kandari, met Tuesday with head of the United Nations office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) Paul Hansen “who expressed the international community’s concern over the situation of the sports sector in Kuwait”. Al-Kandari further indicated that meetings with the UN officials were to continue “to talk solutions that help enable Kuwait to raise the national flag in the upcoming Olympics”.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

LOCAL

kuwait digest

in my view

Grillings...motives and reasons

‘Kuwait of the future’

By Shereedah Almousharji

By Jaafar Rajab

ew days ago, while being at a diwaniya, a man asked a question about the reasons that make National Assembly members compete for presenting grilling motions against ministers, especially those new, who did not complete the period that allows them to get familiar with ministry employees and its organizational structure, its strengths and weaknesses. This question started a wide range of discussion by many of those present. I feel that it is beneficial for me to summerize it, so that you may find what makes you think about other reasons that we may have missed.

1. The gathering differentiated between the motives of the minority grillings and those of the majority. Most of those present said the grillings of the minority that were presented so far had the motive and burn down the cooperation bridges between it and the government, end the truce and rush into early elections, with the hopes that it may come with another formula to increase their numbers. This became clear during the grillings that were presented against the premier and the interior minister, and both were lacking the least preparation choice of aspects and seriousness.

2. As for the grillings presented by MPs from the Majority Bloc, those present explained it as follows: l The confidence of each member of the majority that he is able to oust any minister who stands in the way of his wishes and oppose his projects, based on the guaranteed number to get the no-confidence vote against any grilled minister. l Fear of some bloc members from inner dissent that may blow it away and weaken it, which made them hasten their grillings ahead of that and to benefit from its current cohesiveness. l The wish of some members, particularly the new ones among them, to have their names on the grilling MPs list, who were behind the ouster of a certain minister, and their belief that this will increase their popularity in case of any emergency. l The belief by some that the dissolution is imminent, and early elections is a sure thing, based on the political understanding of last elections, which produced an assembly where the opposition has an absolute majority. Experiences of Parliamentary countries indicate without a doubt that the logic of things point to the imminent dissolution and the call for new elections. — Aljarida

simple citizen like myself has become very confused as to what development, improvement and future visions actually mean. We see billboards all over the country bracing us for “Kuwait of the Future”, and I doubt most people know exactly what is meant by that term. My confusion increases even more every morning as I read statements of state officials in the local press talking so much about development and projects, driving me too bored that I actually end up finding excitement reading the crimes page!

I passed the other day by the construction site of the new Ministry of Education headquarters’ project in South Surra, and decided to stop by and read details about it which are written on a huge board nearby. It says that the project costs KD77 million.

Kuwaitis commonly know that building a very luxurious house using the finest quality building material costs not more than KD100,000. This means that the cost for constructing a single MOE building equals the cost of building 770 luxurious full-option villas. If that much of money is used to build less luxurious homes, it would probably be enough to fill an entire residential area with houses!

I stopped speculating, and thought perhaps there are technical or engineering details I’m not aware of that require this much money to be spent on the ministry’s new building. Then, I couldn’t help ask myself this question: what’s the need for building such a formidable structure for the Ministry of Education, whose current building is only 20 years old? This question came to my mind as I remembered from earlier visits to Europe how headquarters of state departments are located in relatively old buildings, because there, improving what’s inside is what actually matters. A simple citizen like myself imagines that development means advanced factories, financial institutions on international levels occupying Kuwait City’s offices, highly respected universities, medical cities, top quality touristic facilities and new job opportunities for citizens. It turns out however that the term “Kuwait of the Future” means building a few big buildings and a couple of bridges.

If that’s the way the government is handling development, I say they’d better distribute funds allocated for development projects to citizens, so that people ‘develop’ their lives on their own! — Al-Rai

F

A

kuwait digest

The damage is already done

By Abdullatif Al-Duaij

M

ajority Bloc members insist on setting up a parliamentary committee to investigate the K-Dow subject. I personally have no idea why they insist so much on forming this panel, as well as multiple other panels probing cases that are currently looked in court anyway. I don’t know why they continue ignoring demands or frustration from the fact that lawmakers are focusing more on monitoring duties on the expense of their legislative duties.

Why investigating the K-Dow case in the first place when the case is clear as crystal? From a legal standpoint, the former cabinet takes full responsibility for canceling the project’s contract given their

constitutional duty to control the state’s affairs. But is it fair to hold the cabinet solely responsible? I don’t think it is fair to ignore all the pressure that involved demands and threats under which the cabinet fell before revoking the deal late 2008.

Is the parliamentary investigations committee sought to take penalties against ever yone who opposed the project? Or is it that lawmakers still seek to damage the reputation of senior officials in the oil sector who carried out a productive project that would’ve been helpful for Kuwait and its future generations?

The damage is already done. We need a doctor, not an investigator. — Al-Qabbas

kuwait digest

Pay attention to national interests

By Hamad Nayef Al-Enezi

M

ember of Parliament Jamaan Al-Harbash, when asked about the fear of some people that Islamic MPs aim at turning Kuwait from a civil to religious country, said: “There is a misunderstanding, because some people think there is contradiction between the civil and religious states, and that the first does not meet with the second...we are demanding a civil state with a religious reference. We say that the religious state is equal to the secular state, and the civil state is equal to the authoritarian, but, we as Islamists are demanding a civil state that has an Islamic identity”.

The issue that the civil state does not contradict the religious state is just...rhetoric. I did not hear anyone mention it before, because the civil state relies on people governing themselves and is based on human legislations that can be argued, accepted or rejected. It is contrary to the religious state which is based on the devine ruling and depends on fixed devine legislations, where the person who does not accept them, opposes them or denies their holiness will be criminalized. So the contradiction is clear between them and they can never meet, because it is either this or that!

Well, we ask the esteemed MP to excuse us, because I, and may be many others, did not understand this “confusion and mix up” he mentioned. It seems to me that he was surprised with the question. So he got into an intellectual maze and tried to get out of it with a verbal manipulation that guarantees him the least possible damage with a victorious smile on his face!

The issue that the civil state does not contradict the religious state is just...rhetoric. I did not hear anyone mention it before, because the civil state relies on people governing themselves and is based on human legislations that can be argued, accepted or rejected. It is contrary to the religious state which is based on the devine ruling and depends on fixed devine legislations, where the person who does not accept them, opposes them or denies their holiness will be criminalized. So the contradiction is clear between them and they can never meet, because it is either this or that!

I think the MP knows that but he belongs to “Hadas” which is a member of the “Muslims Brotherhood” which is known for its ever changing political and religious stands according to their interests. It is in the interest of the Brotherhood to “beautify” their intentions to control governments and regimes of all Arab countries. Kuwait, with its Constitution which is mostly “secular”, stands in the way of their ambitions for a religious state, which may not be an exception for the Brotherhood wish, but they know the good nature and forgiveness of the regime, so they are using a different strategy. They go around the Constitution, and squeeze its articles as the snake close to transform it into the “religious state”, through which they fulfill their dreams to control people’s minds and lead them like a flock without opposition, so they rule them with the “devine blessing”!

The truth is that the “secular” state is not anti-religious and not against people’s beliefs...It is against religious interference in politics based on the principle “Religion is for Allah and the homeland is for all”, which means that people are free with their beliefs, but they are partners in the country, and there is no difference between one and another due to religion, gender or creed. So we do not find it necessary for the wish of the MP to “Islamize” all the Constitution articles, because we are in good shape as well as our Islam under our current Constitution. It is better for him along with other MPs to pay attention to interests of people who elected them and to build a country that lags others in everything, instead of attempting to execute the agendas of others, who are living political circumstances that are different from what we are living in Kuwait with wealth, safety and security. May Allah preserve it, and preserve its “civility” for all. — Aljarida

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Finance Ministry considering all details involved in grilling Fatwa and Legislation team formed KUWAIT: Acting Finance Minister Bader Al-Hajraf stressed yesterday the ministry is considering all details related to the grilling of the former minister, and is ready to implement whatever reform measures necessary in view of the final recommendations of the National Assembly.

The Minister of Education and Higher Education and Acting Minister of Finance was addressing the National Assembly after reading of the recommendations. He said the ministry had created a Fatwa and Legislation team to consider the grilling dossier, the replies, the recommendations, and all details and technical factors involved. The team is to present a report to the minister of finance within three months.

However, he pointed out “there were certain points of overlap with the competencies of the executive authority. “We hope the ministerial committee assigned to consider the items of the interpellation and the recommendations would be given the chance to consider all sides of this issue and we would, after the said three months, present our final report to the assembly,” Al-Hajraf remarked.

Minister of Electricity and Power Abdelaziz Al-Ibrahim meanwhile criticized the recommendation regarding Al-Zour station, as it involved stopping procedures for constructing the station and consequently delay launch of the first phase of its operation. This means loss of a potential 4,800 megawatt of power in output, he said.

The Zour station was to star t operation in 2013 and the ministry had completed procedures for floating the tender, but all was put to a stop upon issue of law 39/2010 and the dossier was handed to the development initiatives authority, which in turn completed procedures according to specifications of said law. “ Therefore, all procedures involved in the project are legitimate and correct.”

“Putting a stick in the wheels now would cause power deficit and outage, particularly in new residential areas ... Our figures show annual increase in power consumption by 68 percent. If output fails to keep up,

we would have to resort to scheduled outages,” the minister warned.

“We are willing to sit down with any par ty still concerned about this issue, and we are willing to answer inquiries, but passing this recommendation would have a detrimental effect for every single citizen,” he reiterated.

The National Assembly passed 10 recommendations following discussions on articles of the grilling sheet against Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Mustafa AlShimali in his official capacity, filed

by MPs Khalid Al-Tahous, Abdelrahman Al-Anjiri, and Msallam Al-Barrak.

The first recommendation is to reform management at the Public Institution for Social Security, and that the new management re-considers all regulations and decisions regarding the institution’s investments in Kuwait and abroad.

The new board is also to introduce a new internal audit system that would ensure management is informed of all financial activities while also making the supervisory duty of the Audit Bureau easier “within a maximum of three months as of issue of this recommendation.”

The second recommendation is for the cabinet to task two international and locally-accredited audit offices to prepare two separate reports on said investments. It was stressed the reports should include recommendations as to suspected or proven violations and also regarding the institution’s laws and regulations.

Recommending whether to proceed with or exit each investment, the reports should be presented within a maximum of six months from the National Assembly’s recommendation.

Third was the proposal to prolong suspension from duties of the institution chairman, as well as all those found involved in violations, and to sustain the suspension till issue of final rulings in all related legal suits.

The fourth recommendation was for a cabinet inquiry regarding containers sent to foreign and Arab embassies, referred to in the interpellation sheet, and for all those involved to face trial.

The fifth recommendation was for the Central Bank of Kuwait to conduct inquiry with local banks and their affiliate bodies which are involved in lending activities to local clients, and for the findings to presented to the Finance Minister who in turn forwards them to the cabinet and National Assembly. “This should take place within a maximum of four months from approval of recommendation.”

Sixth was a demand all procedures regarding founding Kuwaiti shareholding companies to handle construction and management of power and water stations (Al-Zour station) be put on hold, and for a cabinet inquiry into suspected violations referred to in the interpellation sheet. The assembly also recommended a re-consideration of implementation guidelines for law 39/2010 and amendments thereof.

Seventh among the recommendations was for all ministers concerned to look into the article concerning livestock price rigging and suspected customs evasion where Livestock Transport and Trading Company is concerned.

Eighth was a call for a Cabinet inquiry into violations regarding state property in relation to contracts of Touristic Enterprises Company in view of the decline in revenue to the state treasury, as indicated during the grilling. The assembly called for all measures required to render contracts in violation null and to re-float tenders, if desirable.

Ninth was a call for cabinet to task the Higher Planning Council with a thorough consideration of the offset investments dossier in terms of legal and administrative structure, and whether the off-set program is meeting its objectives. The assembly also called for the Higher Planning Council to present proposals for improvement, within a maximum of six months of issue of this recommendation.

Last was a demand the cabinet open a full investigation into all items on the interpellation sheet against the former minister, ahead of forwarding the issue to the ministerial court, as befitting the findings of the inquiry. — KUNA

6

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

LOCAL

45 property developers to showcase in Kuwait ‘Realty India 2012’ exhibition

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Indian expatriates [NRI investors] in Kuwait will be able to select their best locations in India during a two-day ‘Realty India 2012’ exhibition set to kick off tomorrow at Ramada Hotel. A total of 45 reputable property developers will showcase their designs and property locations at the exhibition which will start from 10am to 8pm [daily]. The fifth ‘Realty India 2012 Exhibition’ organized by the Times of India, is dubbed being the largest exhibition to be held for the Indian community in Kuwait. According to Managing Director Zia Sait of Mindscape Exhibition PTV Limited, the subject about real property is sentimental to many Indians.

“Real Estate property is very important to many of us in India,” said Sait. “There is a sentimental value attached to it. What Indians are looking for is a genuine property, comfort/nice location and with high profitability. They want to select a property that is free from any legal problems and the likes and that is what we are offering here,” he added.

India’s real estate business is growing to newer heights, according to Sait and the sector has emerged as one of the most profitable businesses in the recent years.

“Investing in Indian real estate is sure to fetch you a rewarding deal as the returns on investment are at an all time high. The real estate business has attracted several foreign investors. This has created a domestic and a global competition for investments,” he added.

Many developers from each state in India are

part of the property exhibition this year.

“What we want for our NRIs is to select the best location and place for them to be proud of. What we did in The Times of India is select the best and bring them all here under one platform. They are all genuine properties and it’s up to the buyers to decide,” he added.

“What is truth is NRIs will no longer go back to India just to seek/find the best and genuine

Zia Sait developers, they are all here now and ready to answer queries,” he opined.

According to Sait, the venue could be a best place to meet their respective/prospective investors/buyers. The real estate market in India is yet in a nascent stage and has an unlimited scope, he said. “It does not resemble a bubble that will burst. An unhindered growth for the next 20 years is almost sure,” he asserted.

“Legality and standard wise, we made sure to our investors that what we offer here in this

exhibition everything is genuine. When you come to our exhibition on Friday and Saturday, you will be assured that you are going to meet with the builders and not the brokers and the third party people on the middle, we don’t have that, you will meet the builders itself and you’ll be assisted and will answer all your questions,” he assured.

The Indian Central Statistics Office, Ministry of Statistics and Programmed Implementation estimated that an 8.5 percent GDP growth was recorded in 2011-2012, against the initial projection of 8.6 percent when it comes to real estate property. This means the Indian realty has outperformed the primary investment sectors.

“The market witnessed stability with virtually no change in the rentals over the year as the malls located in the central districts continued to operate with high occupancy levels. The second half of 2012 is expected to witness an additional space supply of approximately 3 million sq ft. Investment into residential property projects is currently the preferred route for investors, since the demand for homes in the metros and cities is virtually limitless.

Commercial and retail spaces also present potentially lucrative investment propositions, especially in the larger cities,” Sait mentioned.

The entire spectrum of Investment Realty India 2011 has been created to facilitate prospective buyers/sellers and all associated with the real estate fraternity take informed property investment decisions by quick zeroing in on the latest real estate updates in India.

Lulu opens new Hypermarket in Riyadh RIYADH: Lulu Hypermarket opened its much awaited branch in Riyadh yesterday. This is the 4th Lulu in Saudi Arabia and the 103rd branch for the Lulu Group. Located in the famous Ibn Sulaiman Commercial Center, in the busting business hub of Batha, this new hypermarket will offer over 200,000 sq. ft. of shopping experience on an international standard to residents of Riyadh.

On the sidelines of the inaugural ceremony, Yusuffali MA, said, “It is with immense pride and pleasure that we inaugurate our 103rd outlet here. This momentous occasion is even more special for us since we have just crossed our twentieth year of retailing. Over the last two decades of success and accomplishments, we have earned the reputation for providing our customers with an unparalleled and world-class shopping experience. The Lulu experience of quality and value is for everyone to experience from every corner of Saudi Arabia, and this is our commitment. Our plans for Saudi are quite ambitious and the premise for this is the stable political climate under the wise leadership of HRH King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud,

Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, which has propelled the nation on to the fast track of development”. Yusuffali also praised the pro-development and liberalized policies which have attracted substantial investments to Saudi Arabia. “In Saudi, our plans are to bring more and more world class shopping centers to different regions of country and give customers the feel of the world-class shopping experience at close proximity rather than making them drive long distances,” he added.

The sprawling new store offers customers an expansive retail experience and the store’s look and feel ensures an uncluttered, luxuriant, and a cosmopolitan shopping environment. Spread over an area of 200,000 sq. ft., Lulu Hypermarket, Batha will serve as a complete shopping destination that will cater to the growing consumer demand from fresh vegetables and fruits to hot food, bakery and grocery, to high fashion garments, electronics and home appliances. For the added benefit of the customers this store will also house exclusive counters for Jewelry, Mobile, Perfumes, Watches and Cosmetics. In addition, and in true tradition of Lulu stores

across the Gulf, the new hypermarket will feature the widest choice of world class brands at the fairest prices and also offer a whole world of shopping with a good selection of brands and products under one roof. Lulu’s winning formula of value for money quality shopping will be a matter of delight to the residents of Riyadh who will cherish the pleasurable shopping experience and the economy it offers.

With three stores in Riyadh and one in Al Khobar, Lulu has firmly established itself as one of the most preferred retail destination for both locals and the large expatriate community residing here. The chain records a whopping 500,000 plus footfalls every day and is the preferred destination for diverse and multi-ethnic shoppers. The Lulu philosophy has always been ‘good quality products at affordable prices with best service.’

“The response and acceptability we have received from residents in Saudi Arabia is very encouraging and we will continue with our expansion plan here and will soon announce the details of new projects,” added Mr. Yusuffali.

Kuwaiti actor to be awarded by Sharjah SHARJAH: Sharjah will present its 2013 award for Arab Theatrical Creativity to the regionally renowned Kuwaiti actor Abdulhussain Abdelretha, it was announced here yesterday.

The honour will be bestowed upon the regionally-acclaimed comedian and actor at the launch of the event next year in March, for his huge contributions to the Gulf and Arab regions’ drama, theatrical and intellectual movements, whereby he expressed the views of the public, head of the theatre section at Sharjah’s Department of Culture and

Information Ahmed Burahima said.

The award has been presented to a number of critically-acclaimed entertainers like compatriot Saad AlFaraj and Syria’s Duraid Lahham.

Burahima said the award comes in appreciation of intellectuals, artists and actors, who have carried out efforts to enrich the Arab cultural scene.

Abdulhussain Abdelretha, 73, began his acting career in 1961 with his first role being a substitute for fellow actor Adnan Hussain in the play “Saqer Qureysh”, conducted in classical Arabic.

The actor went on to become part of the arguably most successful comedy cast ever in the Gulf region in the series “Darb Al-Zalag”, which means slippery path in the Kuwaiti dialect, along with Saad Al-Faraj, Khaled Al-Nefeesi, Abdulaziz AlNimash and Ali Al-Mofeedi - the series depicting a Kuwaiti family, which seeks prosperity through an illegitimate business in hard economic times at the start of the oil boom. He also acted in and wrote the successful drama, “Al-Aqdar”, among many other successful comedy and drama series particularly with

his most successful duo cast alongside actress Suad Abdullah.

Additionally a successful playwright, he acted in the hugely-celebrated satire Bye Bye London in the 1980s, which pokes fun at the introduction of globalism and Western ideals in an economically-booming post-oil Kuwaiti society.

Others include Forsan AlManakh, which talks of life during the 1980s’ controversial stock market fraud and Saif Al-Arab, which sheds light on the Saddam Husseinlaunched Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in the early 1990s. —KUNA

Traffic accidents

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 42-year-old citizen sustained backbone fracture in an accident along the Fourth Ring Road, said security sources noting that she was rushed to Mubarak hospital for treatment.

A 30-year-old citizen broke his right thigh in an accident along the Sixth Ring Road, said security sources.

A 30-year-old Egyptian broke his fingers when he lost control over his bike and landed on his right hand in Mangaf, said security sources noting that the man was rushed to Adan hospital for treatment. Three Egyptains sustained various injuries when their car collided along Fahaheel Expressway, said security sources.

KUWAIT: Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah held a dinner banquet, at his residence late Tuesday, for India’s Ruling Congress party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and his accompanying delegation who are visiting the country.

MPs seek end to K-Net monopoly KUWAIT: The Development and Reform Bloc has finalized a draft law that requires the government to establish at least one shareholding company for electronic bank ing ser vices, which would compete with K-Net -the only company in this field.

The Shared Electronic Bank ing Services Company (K-Net) was established in 1992 in cooperation with some local banks that uses the K-Net network for their automated banking services.

The K-Net’s Board of Directors is made up of representatives from local banks.

The proposed new draft law states that the government should establishes one (or more) company supervised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Central Bank of Kuwait, while 75% of its shares will be for IPO (Initial

Public Offering).

“Kuwait has only one company for automated banking services thus making it easy for it to monopolized”, the draft law’s explanatory memorandum reads as quoted by Al-Rai yesterday.

The law reportedly aims to “guarantee freedom of competition and create incentives for quality of services’.

Current regulations require a new bank to become a shareholder in K-Net, or deal with them as a client. Issues emerged recently between K-Net and the newly established Warba Bank after the two sides couldn’t initially agree on the cost Warba Bank is required to pay to enter as a shareholder in K-Net. The two sides eventually reached an agreement, the details of which were not disclosed.

Mom claims responsibility for daughter’s hit-and-run Fake doctor in police custody KUWAIT: A female driver who killed a pedestrian last month was recently arrested af ter her mother initially claimed responsibility for the accident.

The suspect had fled immediately after hitting the 22-year-old Egyptian man who was pronounced dead on the scene. Investigations have been ongoing since the accident happened mid May, and police were recently able to find the car involved in the accident according to an eye-witness’ descriptions at a car rental office. A Kuwaiti woman who is registered to have used the car during the date of the accident was summoned for investigations.

She eventually admitted responsibility for the accident after initially denying the accusations. Police grew suspicious when the eyewitness told police that the woman they arrested looks a lot older than the one he saw driving the car at the accident’s day.

Confronted with this testimony, the woman admitted that her daughter was using the car that day, and requested that she is held responsible because the car was rented in her name. Police eventually summoned the daughter despite her mother’s pleading as she further demanded that she is left out of the case since she is currently preparing to travel for studying. The girl was taken to the Public Prosecution Department where she is held pending legal procedures.

est medical facility after he accidently ran him over. Medical staff at the Ali Sabah Al-Salem polyclinic found out after examination that the kid died before reaching the hospital. Police were called to take the driver for investigations.

Body found Investigations are ongoing to reveal the circumstances behind the death of an Asian man found recently in Sabah Al-Ahmadi area. Police and criminal investigators headed to an open square in the area where the dead body was found. The man was pronounced dead on the scene while investigators found no evidence of foul play. The body was referred to the forensic department and a case was filed at the area’s police station. Detectives are trying to reach people close to the victim as they wait for the autopsy report.

Fake doctor An Arab man was arrested for practicing medicine without a license in Farwaniya. The arrest took place inside a clinic where a woman was sent undercover to buy cosmetic medications which the suspect sold for upto KD400.

The operation was organized recently after Criminal Investigations General Department officials received information about an unlicensed clinic selling pills and creams for women looking for easy results without plastic surgery. The man was referred to the proper authorities for investigations to reveal why he failed to obtain a license from health officials to run his clinic.

—Al-Rai, Al-Anbaa

Suicide attempt A domestic worker was hospitalized with a severe neck wound following a suicide attempt recently in a Farwaniya governorate area. Paramedics and police rushed to the scene following an emergency call from a citizen of a Gulf nationality repor ting his maid attempting suicide. The A condolence meeting will be held by Ethiopian woman was Indian Citizens Committee at 10:30 am on found bleeding heavily Saturday, 16th June, 2012, in honor of from a stab wound on her neck and she was rushed Muhammad Ali, who expired under tragic to Far waniya Hospital circumstances in Kuwait. where she required intensive care. Police opened an investigation which is Muhammad Ali had sought assistance currently pending the from the Indian Embassy, but regretfully woman’s condition to staended up in jail after damaging embassy bilize in order to make her testimony. proper ty, where he was found dead,

CONDOLENCE MEETING

Toddler dies A male driver was taken into custody after a toddler he hospitalized after hitting in Mina Abdullah was pronounced dead. The Kuwaiti man immediately rushed the two-year-old to the near-

allegedly having committed suicide. All are welcome to attend.

For details call:

ICC Office, Shaab Al Bahri, Block No. 8, Al Khandi Street, Villa No. 22.

Tel: 22623180/22624715/22624719

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Suicide bombers kill 22 civilians at Afghan market Page 11

Clinton warns of ‘disastrous’ AzerbaijanArmenia clashes Page 10

CAIRO: Egyptians pray at a protest in Tahrir Square late Tuesday. —AP

Court date casts new shadow over Egypt transition Rulings could affect parliamentary, presidential votes CAIRO: Two days before Egypt’s presidential run-off, a court will consider whether one candidate can run and whether rules that governed earlier parliamentary polls were valid - rulings that could upset a tortuous political transition since the fall of Hosni Mubarak. On June 14, the Supreme Constitutional Court will examine the legality of a law challenging the right of Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak’s last prime minister, to seek the presidency.

Shafiq, a former air force chief, is up against the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi in a run-off on June 16 and 17 after they won the most votes in the first round last month. The court will also look at the validity of electoral rules used for an election, staggered from November to February, that returned an Islamist-dominated parliament.

The prospect of two all-important court rulings just before the presidential run-off typifies the drama and uncertainty of the transition from military to civilian rule that has been punctuated by spasms of violence and legal confusion.

The military council which took over from Mubarak last year is due to hand power to a new head of state on July 1.

But the court could plunge Egypt into a new political crisis if it threw out the electoral rules or upheld legislation passed by the Brotherhood-dominated parliament in April to bar top Mubarak-era officials such as Shafiq from running for president. Seeking to derail presidential bids by some of Mubarak’s top aides, MPs approved a law on April 12 that stripped political rights from anyone who served in some top government or ruling party posts in the last decade of Mubarak’s rule.

The election committee disqualified Shafiq, but let him back into the race after he appealed, pending a ruling by the constitutional court on whether the April 12 law was valid. The committee’s chairman also heads the constitu-

tional court: the Mubarak-era appointee Farouk Soltan.

Maher Sami, vice-president of the Supreme Constitutional Court, said the court would hear the case on June 14, the state news agency said. Though he did not say a ruling would be issued, Sami said a judicial advisory panel asked to prepare a legal opinion had finished its report, implying a decision was likely.

Islamist MPs initially drafted the law in response to a presidential bid by Omar Suleiman, Mubarak’s vice-president, who was ruled out by the committee on different grounds. The Shafiq-Mursi run-off presents voters with a choice between a symbol of 60 years of military-backed rule and an Islamist group which is already the biggest party in parliament. Excluding Shafiq at this stage, however unlikely this might seem, would throw the presidential election into chaos. Yet the outcome of the parliamentary election could also be cast into doubt if the constitutional court upheld a ruling by an administrative court which declared in February that the electoral rules were unconstitutional.

The court found legal flaws in the elaborate voting system which it said had violated the principles of the constitution. The system apportioned seats among individuals and political parties, allocating two-thirds to parties and the rest to individuals who were supposed to be independent of any party. Yet those rules did not stop parties such as the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party from contesting the individual seats in the election that was completed in January. The administrative court judge said political parties should not have been allowed to run for the seats reserved for individuals. He also said half rather than a third of the seats should have been apportioned to individuals.—Reuters

Bahrain re-arrests Shiite rights activist DUBAI: Bahrain re-arrested leading Shiite rights activist Nabil Rajab yesterday pending a probe into tweets deemed insulting to Sunnis, prosecutors said, nine days after he had been freed. Rajab was “taken into custody pending investigation after he was accused of public insults against plaintiffs” from the predominantly Sunni province of Muharaq, it said in a statement. The prosecution said it had

received complaints that Rajab “talked on social networks about the people of Muharaq in a way that questioned their patriotism and insulted them.”

Last year, a significant part of the Sunni community rallied around the government as Shiites led protests against the regime of the ruling Sunni Al-Khalifa family. Rajab was released on bail last week after he was arrested on May 5, but he remained on trial in three

MANAMA: In this Monday, May 28, 2012 file photo, Bahraini human rights activist Nabeel Rajab gestures as he leaves a Manama, police station. —AP

cases, including one for posting comments on Twitter deemed insulting to a government body and two others for protests.

The rights activist was summoned to court yesterday to face a new charge of staging illegal protests against Bahrain’s ruling family, lawyers said. He also received a notice to report to the public prosecution for questioning over the “public insults,” according to documents he posted on social networking websites. Rajab told the court hours before being sent back behind bars that all charges against him were “vindictive accusations.”

“I was targeted because I was exercising my right to defend human rights, which is a right that is stipulated by the Bahraini constitution,” he said. The hearing was adjourned to June 12 for “further deliberation,” while he should also appear in court on June 17 for other cases. Rajab led anti-government protests following a brutal crackdown on Shiite-led demonstrations against the regime in March 2011. The activist has insisted on demonstrating inside Manama, unlike the main Shiite opposition which now stages protests in villages, after last year’s clampdown on protesters who occupied the capital’s Pearl Square for a month.—AFP

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

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

Bomb targets US mission in Benghazi BENGHAZI: A bomb exploded outside the US diplomatic mission in the Libyan city of Benghazi overnight, an attack that could be retaliation for the killing, in a US drone strike, of Al-Qaeda’s Libyan second-in-command. An improvised explosive device was dropped from a vehicle outside the mission, in an upmarket area of central Benghazi. It exploded moments after, slightly damaging the building’s gate but no one was hurt, US and Libyan officials said. Washington had confirmed a few hours before the attack that a US - operated drone had k illed Abu Yahya al-Libi, a Libyan-born cleric and senior Al-Qaeda operative, in Pakistan. US diplomats said after the Benghazi blast they had asked the Libyan authorities to step up security at US facilities in the country, where last year Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown in an uprising supported

by NATO air power. “The possibility

that this act took place because of what happened to Abu Yahya is, in my personal opinion, a very strong one,” said Noman Benotman, a Libyan former Islamist who is now an expert on militant groups. He said there were several possible scenarios, but one was that the attack was carried out by militants connec ted to al Qaeda’s north African arm. “Al Qaeda loyalists maybe wanted to deliver a message to the US ...to say enough is enough,” Benotman said.

The bombing will revive concerns about the lack of security in Libya.

The fragile government is still struggling to restore stability after last year’s revolt and arms and explosives looted from Gaddafi’s arsenals are easily available. Tuesday’s attack was the first time a US facility had been targeted since Gaddafi was overthrown. “We have asked the Libyan government to increase its security around US facilities,” an official at the

US embassy in Tripoli told Reuters.

The street in Benghazi where the diplomatic mission is located was cordoned off yesterday. At the embassy building in Tripoli, three security guards were on duty but there was no evidence of any increased Libyan security presence. A trade mission from the United States was scheduled to hold meetings star ting today in Tripoli and Benghazi. It was not clear if these would now go ahead. Amin Salam, of the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce, said some delegates of the mission had arrived in Tripoli.

“They may still go to Benghazi,” he said. A spokesman for Libya’s ruling National Transitional Council, Mohammed al-Harizy, said investigators had some leads on who may have carried out the attack . He acknowledged that security was still a challenge for the new Libyan authorities. “There is no doubt that

there is a weakness in security and there may be some people who will try to take advantage of this void,” he said. Experts on militant groups had been predicting that the killing of Libi, described by US officials as a major blow to al Qaeda, would provoke some kind of backlash inside his home country.

Though he spent much of his life outside Libya, he was a member of t h e n ow - d e f u n c t L i by a n I s l a m i c Fighting Group, which fought an insurgency against Gaddafi in the 1990s, and his family is well known in Libya. One of his brothers, Abu Bakr al-Gayed, told Reuters by telephone he knew nothing of the B e n g h a z i a t t a c k . As k e d i f h e thought there would be a reaction in Libya to Libi ’s k illing, he said only: “I don’t know, but the Muslim i s t h e b ro t h e r o f t h e M u s l i m .”

Benghazi, Libya’s second city, has become a focus for insurgent-style

attacks in the past few months.

On May 22, a rocket-propelled grenade hit the offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the city, blasting a small hole in the building but causing no casualties. A month earlier, a bomb was thrown at a convoy carrying the head of the UN mission to Libya.

Underscoring the lack of proper security in Libya, a disgruntled volunteer militia this week occupied Tripoli international airpor t for several hours, leaving bullet holes in at least one jet and forcing airlines to cancel flights.

Some observers have raised the prospec t of a major insurgenc y breaking out in Libya along the lines of the violence that followed the US led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Security experts though say this is unlikely, not least because, unlike in Iraq, the United States has no military presence in Libya.—Reuters

Assad names new Syrian PM, army battles rebels Russia calls for international meeting

SANAA: Yemeni men dismantle the main protest camp against former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, dubbed since protests began as “Change Square”, as five bulldozers deployed by Yemeni authorities yesterday clear the area. —AFP

Clashes in Yemen kill 17 Qaeda militants SANAA: Fresh clashes in southern Yemen killed 17 Al-Qaeda militants and six government troops, as thousands rallied yesterday in the country’s capital demanding the new president speed up reforms in the military to purge it of old regime loyalists.

Meanwhile, two civilians died when their car, which military and security officials said was rigged by Al-Qaeda militants, exploded in the southern port city of Aden.

In the capital Sanaa, some 10,000 protesters marched in the streets urging President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi speed up military reforms and prosecute his predecessor, Ali Abdullah Saleh. The crowd chanted angrily that Saleh’s fate will be like that of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment in connection to killings of protesters in Egypt last year. “Your fate will be like Mubarak’s,” the protesters chanted on Change Square, which has been the epicenter of Yemen’s uprising, similar to Tahrir Square in Cairo.

Saleh stepped down after millions of Yemenis took to the streets last year, demanding the longtime ruler leave power.

Al-Qaeda exploited the country’s political turmoil and security vacuum amid the uprising against Saleh, gaining significant ground in the south. A military offensive in

the past weeks has tried to uproot the militants from their hideouts. Fierce battles have continued in the southern city of Zinjibar, the provincial capital of Abyan that Al-Qaeda seized last year. Military and medical officials said the fighting continued overnight and early yesterday, leaving 17 militants and six soldiers dead. The clashes were among the fiercest since the military launched the campaign against the terror network on May 12. The army claims it is now in control of almost 90 percent of Zinjibar but is still fighting Al-Qaeda in the northern part of the city.

In Aden, officials said militants planted explosives in a car of a man they suspected of being a government informer. The blast killed him and his traveling companion, and wounded a third man. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said the injured man was taken to hospital.

Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, known as AlQaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, is one of the movement’s most dangerous offshoots, and the US considers the impoverished country as a key battleground in the war against Al-Qaeda. The United States has thrown its support behind the new leader, Hadi, who has vowed to combat Al-Qaeda as a top priority.—AP

BEIRUT: Syrian President Bashar alAssad named a Baath Party stalwart to form a new government yesterday, signalling no political concessions to a 15-month-old uprising, as the army battled rebel forces near the Mediterranean coast. The appointment of Riyad Hijab, agriculture minister in the outgoing government, as prime minister follows a parliamentary election last month which authorities said was a step towards political reform but which opponents dismissed as a sham.

“We expected Assad to play a game and appoint a nominal independent but he chose a hardcore Baathist,” said opposition campaigner Najati Tayyara. The new government, like its predecessors, would wield no real power, he added. “The cabinet is just for show in Syria and even more so now, with the security apparatus totally taking over.” Activists said soldiers backed by helicopters and tanks fought rebels in the coastal province of Latakia for a second day yesterday, in the heaviest clashes there since the revolt against Assad erupted in March last year.

The relentless violence has shredded an eight-week-old ceasefire deal brokered by former United Nations chief Kofi Annan. Rebels, who say they are no longer bound by the accord, have killed more than 100 soldiers this week, according to one monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Russia called for a broad

international meeting, including regional powers Turkey and Iran, the Arab League, European Union and permanent UNSecurity Council members, to rescue Annan’s plan, but the United States gave the idea short shrift.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who has accused Iran of supporting pro-Assad militias, said it was “a little hard to imagine inviting a country that is stage-managing the Assad regime’s assault on its people”. Clinton was due to discuss the crisis in Syria later yesterday with ministers from Turkey and European and Arab states gathered in Istanbul for counter terrorism talks.

The British-based Observatory said rebels seized control of police and intelligence buildings in the Latakia town of Selma overnight, before army reinforcements arrived at dawn.

The soldiers killed a rebel captain in Selma and six civilians in Haffeh, a mostly Sunni Muslim area where clashes have been most intense, it said. Observatory director Rami Adbelrahman said that hospital staff in the cities of Latakia and Banias reported a constant stream of ambulances bringing soldiers to emergency rooms. “We have 50 to 60 soldiers injured, some in critical condition,” he said by telephone. “There will be rebel casualties, too, but it is hard to know how many.” Rebels do not take their wounded to government hospitals for fear of arrest.

Local activists provided shaky

footage of a Syrian helicopter firing rockets. A member of the rebel Free Syrian Army in Latakia said its lightly-armed fighters faced shellfire.

“There was heavy fighting all night.

In the morning, Syrian forces started shelling Selma and Haffeh,” the FSA’s Ali al-Raidi told Reuters by telephone.Syria heavily restricts access to international media organisations, which Damascus says have contributed to inciting violence, making it hard to verify reports from either side. More than 35 people were reported killed on Tuesday and Assad’s forces also suffered heavy casualties with at least 26 soldiers killed, many in ambushes by insurgents. The clashes were a rare surge of violence in Latakia province, home to several towns inhabited by members of Assad’s minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi’ite Islam, which has been generally hostile to the mostly Sunni-led uprising.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for a broad international meeting on the crisis in Syria with the aim of reviving Annan’s peace plan, but made clear he believed Assad’s opponents were responsible for its failure so far.

Western powers also support Annan’s peace plan but say pressure must be stepped up against Assad after the massacre of 108 women, children and men in Houla nearly two weeks ago. They hold Assad’s forces responsible, a charge Damascus rejects.

“We believe it is necessary to

Iraq PM blames ‘foreign influences’ in political row

Iran doubts P5+1 willingness for success in nuclear talks TEHRAN: Iran doubts the willingness of world powers to succeed in upcoming crunch talks in Moscow over its disputed nuclear program, its top negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said yesterday. “Delay by the other side in holding the meeting of experts and deputies is casting doubt and uncertainty on the willingness (of the P5+1 group of major powers) for success in the talks in Moscow,” state news agency IRNA quoted Jalili as saying. Jalili, who made the comments in a letter to the P5+1 lead negotiator, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, said: “The process of talks only for (further) talks is fruitless.”

Iran’s doubts were publicised a day after reports that it had sent two letters to Ashton’s deputy Helga Schmid asking for a preparatory meeting of experts as agreed in talks last month in Baghdad. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, which oversees the nuclear talks, found the EU response to the letters “unsatisfactory” and only touching on “general topics,” according to the reports. Jalili, who is the council’s secretary, said he hoped the P5+1 — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus Germany-would be ready for the meeting between his deputy, Ali Bagheri, and Schmid to prepare an agenda for the talks in Moscow on June 18-19.

Ashton spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told AFP in Brussels yesterday that to succeed in Moscow “engagement on substance is key, not the process.” “The issue is of (a) political nature and we need (a) clear signal of Iranian readiness to engage on the substance” of proposals made by the P5+1 in Baghdad, she said. “Ashton will take up the issue directly” with Jalili, she added without elaborating. A diplomatic source close to the talks told AFP on condi-

tion of anonymity that further meetings at “technical” levels would serve no purpose, and that the Moscow meeting should be prepared by contacts at the highest level on substantive issues.

The last negotiations, held in Baghdad on May 23-24, exposed a gulf between the two sides’ positions that looked almost unbridgeable, and nearly caused the talks to collapse. The priority issue for the P5+1 going into the Moscow round is convincing Iran to give up enriching uranium to 20 percent level, hand over its 20-percent stocks in a fuel-swap deal, and shut down its Fordo plant, a mountainside bunker near Tehran.

Iran says it needs uranium enriched to 20 percent-just a few technical steps short of bomb-grade 90 percent-for a Tehran reactor that produces medical isotopes. Western governments suspect Iran is intent on developing a nuclear weapons capability, a suspicion echoed by t h e I n te r n a t i o n a l Ato m i c E n e rg y Agency, which has identified a “possible militar y dimension” to some of Iran’s nuclear activities.

Iran insists its atomic work is for civilian purposes only. The UN Security Council has issued six resolutions demanding Iran suspend all uranium enrichment. It has also imposed four sets of sanctions on Iran, which Western powers have hardened with their own tough economic sanctions.

Iranian officials had previously said they remained “optimistic” about the prospects for the Moscow talks, while admitting it would be “difficult” to achieve results immediately. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said last week that as much as Iran would like to see the nuclear dispute resolved, a “miracle” in Moscow was not on the cards.— AFP

assemble a meeting of states with real influence on different opposition groups. There are not that many,” Lavrov said in Beijing, where he accompanied President Vladimir Putin to a security summit. “The goal of such a meeting - different to the Friends of Syria meetings which are devoted to supporting Syria’s National Council and its radical demands - would be for all external players to agree, honestly and without double standards, to fulfil Kofi Annan’s plan because we all supported it.”

The Friends of Syria, a loose grouping of mainly Western and Arab countries that want an end to Assad’s rule, have held several meetings since February to coordinate steps against him. One of Assad’s most vocal Arab critics, Saudi Arabia, said on Tuesday that Gulf Arab States were losing confidence in Annan’s plan and called on the Security Council to put it under Chapter 7 of the UNcharter, a measure that could authorise the use of force. US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, addressing a Friends of Syria sanctions working group, echoed that call saying nations should take actions against Syrian authorities including, if necessary, under Chapter 7. But Putin and his Chinese hosts, both vetowielding council members, reiterated their opposition to any outside intervention yesterday, calling on both sides in Syria to stop violence and star t talks without delay.—Reuters

WEST BANK: Jewish settlers wave Israeli flags during a protest against the proposed decision to evacuate a West Bank outpost in the Ulpana neighborhood, in the West Bank settlement of Beit El near the Palestinians city of Ramallah, outside the Supreme Court, in Jerusalem yesterday.—AP

Israel to build 300 West Bank homes JERUSALEM: Israel’s prime minister yesterday ordered construction of 300 new homes in a West Bank settlement, a move aimed at placating settler anger over the planned demolition of an illegally built outpost nearby. The decision infuriated the Palestinians, who have refused to conduct peace talks while Israel expands its settlements on occupied land. It also risked drawing an international backlash.

Netanyahu has been grappling with a domestic crisis over the unauthorized settlement outpost of Ulpana. The Supreme Court has ordered the five apartment buildings in the outpost to be removed by July 1 after determining they were built on private Palestinian land. Netanyahu has said he would honor the ruling, while Jewish settlers and their hard-line allies in Netanyahu’s government have vowed to resist the order.

Netanyahu announced his decision shortly after parliament rejected an attempt by hard-line lawmakers to prevent the Ulpana demolition. The proposal sought to leave the buildings, home to 30

families, intact and instead compensate the Palestinian landowners. But under pressure from Netanyahu, the parliament resoundingly defeated the measure by a 69-22 vote. Netanyahu opposed the bill, saying it would likely be overturned by the Supreme Court and generate harsh international criticism.

In order to blunt settler anger, Netanyahu has come up with a novel solution: Instead of demolishing the buildings, he plans on removing them from their foundations and transferring them to the nearby settlement of Beit El. In addition, he said he would build 300 more homes in Beit El. “Israel is a democracy that observes the law, and as prime minister I am obligated to preserve the law and preserve the settlements, and I say here that there is no contradiction between the two,” Netanyahu said. “ This formula strengthens settlements,” he added. “”The court ruled what it did, and we respect its decision. In parallel, Beit El will be expanded. The 30 families will stay in Beit El and they will be joined by 300 new families.” —AP

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki yesterday blamed “foreign influences” for a protracted political crisis that has seen political blocs opposed to him press for his ouster. Maliki’s remarks came as the spokesman for the political movement loyal to powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said neighbouring Iran was working to avoid an oft-mooted parliamentary no-confidence motion against Maliki.

“Whenever we advance one step, we face new challenges, and foreign influences are not far away from this,” Maliki said in a statement without elaborating. “What is happening with the conspiracy targeting the political process and the experience of democracy will end in failure,” he added defiantly.

Maliki also appeared to criticise parliament speaker Osama al-Nujaifi, a leader of the secular mostly Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc that has been sharply opposed to him.

“Parliament sessions see a lot of delays in approving laws,” Maliki said in the statement. “Isn’t this a weakness in the administration of parliament?” Iraq has been hit by a series of intertwined political crises that began in mid-December, with accusations by Iraqiya that Maliki was concentrating power in his hands. The crises have escalated into calls to unseat him. The crises have paralysed government, especially parliament, which has passed no significant legislation except for the budget, while other important measures such as a hydrocarbons law regulating the country’s oil sector have been delayed.

Also yesterday, Sadrist spokesman Salah alObeidi told AFP a delegation of senior Sadrist officials were visiting Iran to discuss the political situation in Iraq, “especially the issue of the no-confidence vote against Maliki.” “There is Iranian pressure being exerted on some parties in order to avoid that,” Obeidi said, referring to the no-confidence vote.

Obeidi, however, insisted that the Sadrist political bloc, which has around 40 MPs in parliament and five cabinet ministers in the national unity government, would continue to call for a no-confidence motion against Maliki. Sadr himself has previously criticised the premier as a “dictator” hungry for acclaim, and accused him of seeking to postpone or cancel elections.—AFP

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

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

Police: Newly found body parts sent from Montreal Montreal Police take over Vancouver investigation

ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE: President Barak Obama steps off Marine One as he walks toward Air Force One yesterday at Andrews Air Force Base. —AP

Outcry in Colombia over fatal rape BOGOTA: The fatal rape of a woman in a popular park in Bogota has sparked a public outcry and led to calls for tougher action to prevent violence against women in Colombia. Police said Tuesday that the man arrested in the May 24 attack on Rosa Elvira Cely, 35, had been jailed in another woman’s murder a decade ago but had been released. He is also a suspect in three other rapes.

About 1,000 people held a protest march Sunday in National Park, where the rape took place, to condemn violence against women as a major problem in the country. Some protesters carried flowers while others carried signs calling for an end to violence against women or saying “Not One More.” Officials said Cely suffered stab wounds in various parts of her body and blows to her face and head, as well as injuries to her genitals and internal organs.

Police said they believe something wooden was rammed inside her vagina during the attack.

Cely was taken to a hospital but died of her injuries four days later. Police arrested 44-year-old Javier Velasco Valenzuela on Friday and they found bloody clothing at his home, said Gen. Jose Roberto Riano, the country’s deputy police director. Riano said DNA tests were being carried out on the blood. Velasco has been charged with

aggravated homicide, torture and rape.

The crime against Cely drew an indignant response from President Juan Manuel Santos, who said he hoped “a person who is capable of committing such a crime rots” in jail. Relatives of Cely have told Colombian media that she sold cigarettes and sweets on the streets. She was attacked before dawn in the park that sprawls across 283 hectares (699 acres) with gardens, fountains and forests. It’s unclear what she was doing in the park at that time.

Some Colombian news reports have questioned the authorities about the time it took for an ambulance to reach her. After the attack, Cely used her cellphone to call an emergency number, saying she was in the park and could hear water nearby, said Alexander Paz, the chief of ambulance services in Bogota. The dispatcher told police, and officers were sent to the park but couldn’t immediately find her, Paz said. The dispatcher also notified a city emergency service center at 4:55 a.m., calling for an ambulance.

Cely was located an hour later and picked up by another ambulance. After initial medical checks, the trip to the hospital took 25 minutes, Paz said. He said she wasn’t taken to the nearest hospital but rather to a larger hospital due to the seriousness of her injuries.— AP

Four Latin America nations pull out of defense treaty COCHABAMBA: Four Latin American countries announced Tuesday that they’re pulling out of a regional defense treaty while pressing for changes in the Organization of American States. The foreign ministers of Bolivia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicaragua said on the final day of an OAS meeting that their countries are withdrawing from the InterAmerican Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance.

Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino said the treaty, originally signed in 1947, was created as a US initiative and it’s no longer relevant. The treaty says an armed attack against any OAS member state is to be considered an attack against all of them.

Patino said at a news conference with his counterparts from the other three countries that they decided “to throw into the trash something that’s no longer useful.” It was a largely symbolic decision by left-leaning allies that belong to the Bolivarian Alliance, or ALBA bloc, that have joined in calling for changes to the Washington-based OAS. The four nations have strongly criticized the OAS’s InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights, accusing it of acting in concert with the US government to target leftist governments.

Bolivian President Evo Morales wants to weaken the independent commission along with a related OAS body that monitors freedom of expression. Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, joined him in criticizing the rights commission at the

meeting. Venezuela has said it wants to abandon the rights body, and Ecuador has proposed that the OAS restrict the panel’s independence.

The US is not subject to the commission’s oversight. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said the rights commission is currently “above governments, and that we don’t accept.”

Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa, in contrast, reaffirmed her government’s “full commitment” to the rights commission and the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights. She called for the region’s countries to “continue building a strong OAS on the basis of our agreements and common aspirations.”

In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner told reporters that the US government “certainly supports reforms to the management and procedures of the human rights organs of the OAS, but only those reforms that are achieved through consensus and that contribute to strengthening the institutions.”

“We want to see any reforms to these entities be done through a consensus,” Toner said. The US government was represented at the meeting by Roberta Jacobson, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, who left before it was time to deliver her speech Monday. US Ambassador Carmen Lomellin read Jacobson’s speech on her behalf. — AP

US first lady walks fine line on NYC drink plan WASHINGTON: First lady Michelle Obama says banning big servings of sugary drinks isn’t anything she’d want to do at the federal level, but she offered some kind words Tuesday for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s effort to do just that. She later issued a statement backing away from taking a stand on New York’s controversial proposed ban.

It was a telling example of the fine line the first lady walks as she tries to improve Americans’ health and eating habits without provoking complaints that she’s part of any “nanny state” telling people how to eat or raise their children. Asked about Bloomberg’s proposal during an interview with The Associated Press, Mrs. Obama said there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution for the country’s health challenges. But she said, “We applaud anyone who’s stepping up to think about what changes work in their communities.

New York is one example.”

And asked whether the nation’s obesity epidemic warrants taking a more aggressive approach, such as Bloomberg’s, she said: “There are people like Mayor Bloomberg who are, and that is perfectly fine.” Mrs. Obama later issued a statement saying that she hadn’t intended to weigh in on the Bloomberg plan “one way or the other.”

“I was trying to make the point that every community is different and every solution is different and that I applaud local leaders

including mayors, business leaders, parents, etc., who are taking this issue seriously and working towards solving this problem.” “But this is not something the administration is pursuing at a federal level and not something I’m specifically endorsing or condemning.”

Last week, Bloomberg proposed limiting portion sizes of sugary drinks to 16 ounces (almost half a liter) at the city’s restaurants, delis, food trucks, movie theaters and sporting arenas. Regular soda and sports drinks would be affected but not diet sodas. The proposal is unpopular with most New Yorkers, according to a NY1-Marist poll conducted Sunday. A majority of New York City residents said the proposal was a bad idea and 53 percent said it was more government going too far than good health policy to fight the problem of obesity. The ban is expected to win the approval of the Bloomberg-appointed Board of Health and take effect as early as March.

Mrs. Obama spoke about the Bloomberg plan during an interview promoting her new book, “American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America.”

The $30 book, which came out last week, traces the story of the garden on the South Lawn and of gardens around the country as the starting point for a national conversation “about the food we eat, the lives we lead, and how all of that affects our children,” as Mrs. Obama puts it. —AP

TORONTO: Body parts mailed to two Vancouver schools were mailed from Montreal and are thought to be linked to the killing and dismemberment of a Chinese student, police said yesterday, as the Canadian porn actor suspected in the case awaited extradition after his arrest in Germany. Montreal Police Cmdr. Ian Lafreniere said they are taking over the Vancouver investigation after packages were found Tuesday at the two schools. One contained what appeared to be a human hand. The other contained what appeared to be a human foot.

“We have all the reasons to believe they are linked because they were shipped from Montreal,” Lafreniere said. “The DNA match will confirm this.” The suspect in the killing of Jun Lin, 29-year-old Luka Rocco Magnotta, was arrested in Berlin on Monday and is expected to be extradited. If he doesn’t fight extradition, it’s possible he could be back in Canada by the end of the week.

The case began last week when body parts were mailed to the headquarters of Canada’s Liberal and Conservative parties. A torso was found in a suitcase on a garbage dump in Montreal, outside Magnotta’s apartment building. Magnotta, 29, was caught at an internet cafe in Berlin after evading police for days while he partied in Paris. He has told German authorities he would not fight extradition. German authorities are waiting on Canada’s formal extradition request, Martin Steltner, a spokesman for Berlin prosecutors, said yesterday. The Canadian Embassy in Berlin declined to comment on when Ottawa may file the official papers seeking extradition.

After the request arrives, Magnotta will officially have to tell the court whether he objects to the request. If he does, it could drag out the process, Steltner said. In Vancouver, Deputy Police Chief Warren Lemcke said a package containing what appeared to be a human hand was opened by staff at False Creek Elementary School on Tuesday. Another package containing what appeared to be a human foot was found by staff at St. George’s private school for boys later in the day. “There is no indication any student or

VANCOUVER: Students walk outside St. George’s School after a human foot was delivered to the school earlier in the day in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Tuesday. A human hand was also delivered to another Vancouver school Tuesday. —AP staff has been targeted at any school,” Lemcke said Tuesday. Zheng Xu, a press spokesman at the Chinese consulate in Montreal, said four of Lin’s family members, including his parents, arrived in Montreal on Tuesday night and will meet with Montreal police.

Video footage of what authorities believe to be the killing seems to show the suspect eating the body, police said Tuesday in Montreal, where the death occurred. Lafreniere said that although police have not been able to conclusively confirm it, they suspect Magnotta ate parts of the victim’s body. “As gross and as graphic as it could be, yes, it was seen on the video,” Lafreniere said. Authorities allege Magnotta filmed the killing in his apartment and posted it online.

A copy of what police believe is the video of the killing, viewed online by The Associated Press, shows a man with an ice pick stabbing

another naked, bound male. He also dismembers the corpse and performs sexual acts with it.

It did not show anyone eating the body but did show a man using a fork and knife on it. Police suggested Tuesday that they have access to more extensive video of the killing, possibly an unedited version. “We’re keeping some details for ourselves,” Lafreniere said.

Cmdr. Denis Mainville, the head investigator of the Montreal police major crimes unit, said investigators will review hundreds of homicide cases over the last 30 years in Montreal and throughout Quebec for any possible links to Magnotta. Mainville said such a review is routine in such cases. Montreal police on Tuesday said DNA tests have confirmed that the body parts mailed to the political parties were Lin’s remains, and that they have footage of Magnotta mailing the two parcels that were sent to Ottawa. — AP

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

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

Group: Liberia militias attacking Ivorian villages ACCRA: Armed groups in Liberia who supported Ivory Coast’s former president have killed at least 40 civilians in cross-border raids into Ivory Coast since July and are recruiting children as young as 14 into their ranks, a human rights group said yesterday. Human Rights Watch says the armed men, most of whom fought for Ivory Coast’s former president and flooded over the border to Liberia following his arrest, carried out at least four attacks targeting ethnic groups who support Ivory Coast’s current president, Alassane Ouattara.

Ivory Coast was brought to the

brink of civil war when former President Laurent Gbagbo refused to cede power to Ouattara in a 2010 election. The UN estimates at least 3,000 people were killed in the six months of violence that followed. Gbagbo was arrested with the help of UN and French forces in April 2011, and is now facing charges of war crimes at The Hague. Both sides handed out weapons and recruited young men to fight during the conflict. Several thousand Liberian mercenaries joined the fight, the vast majority for Gbagbo’s side, Human Rights Watch says.

Following Gbagbo’s arrest, many of the

mercenaries and militiamen who fought for him fled across the porous border into Liberia’s forests, or clandestinely, into its refugee camps.

The New York-based rights group says the Liberian government has failed to respond to the presence of armed groups on the border or to the recruitment of child soldiers. “Rather than uphold its responsibility to prosecute or extradite those involved in international crimes, Liberian authorities have stood by as many of these same people recruit child soldiers and carry out deadly cross-border attacks,” said Matt Wells, West Africa researcher

at Human Rights Watch.

There was no immediate reaction to the report by the Liberian government, though Ivory Coast deputy defense minister Paul Koffi Koffi said the Ivorian and Liberian authorities are collaborating to prevent further attacks. “We’re working with the Liberians and we have reinforced patrols along the border,” Koffi Koffi said. He said there was a joint military program in place, but that it was secretive and he could not provide details.

Human Rights Watch said it had documented armed groups recruiting Liberian children and residents of sev-

eral Liberian border towns also described seeing children at a training camp for fighters. A 17-year-old boy told the group he led a unit that included other children and that they had participated in cross-border attacks. The rights group says the government is also responsible for releasing “war criminals” from prison.

In April, Liberian authorities released Isaac Chegbo on bail, a mercenary better known as “Bob Marley” for his long dreadlocks. Chegbo is accused of leading massacres in Ivory Coast last year that left more than 120 people dead. —AP

Russian parliament’s upper house approves protest bill Fines raised 150-fold for unsanctioned rallies

RANVILLE: French President Francois Hollande (2nd R), flanked by French Junior Minister for Veterans, Kader Arif (2nd L), reviews the troops prior to a ceremony to mark the D-Day’s 68th anniversary yesterday at a war cemetery in Ranville, northwestern France. —AFP

Hollande awaits all-clear in French parliament vote PARIS: France votes on Sunday in the opening round of a parliamentary election expected to cement President Francois Hollande’s grip on power as the new Socialist leader tries to steer a path through Europe’s biggest crisis in decades. At stake is Hollande’s capacity to rule effectively as he struggles to reboot a stalled economy, reverse the surge to a 12-year high in joblessness and eliminate a huge government overdraft without depriving 65 million people of the benefits of a generous welfare state.

Hollande also needs enough sway in parliament to be able to pass measures related to the resurgent euro zone crisis, such as ratifying a budget responsibility pact agreed earlier this year and possibly push through constitutional changes to give Brussels more power over national budgets further down the line. Polls suggest that the vote - in two stages on June 10 and 17 - will give parties of the Left, and maybe the Socialists on their own, control of France’s National Assembly for the first time in a decade.

After two rounds of presidential elections, the nation’s 46 million voters are being urged to cast their ballots for the third time in less than two months, this time to renew the 577-member lower house of parliament, which will work in tandem for the next five years with the 57-year-old Hollande. “The most likely outcome is that this election confirms and amplifies the presidential election victory,” said Pascal Perrineau, director of the Paris-based Centre for Political Research.

He has promised to balance the country’s public finances by 2017 without resorting to drastic austerity measures, largely by raising taxes, primarily on the rich, to fund priority policies such as schooling and the creation of 150,000 state-aided jobs.

To get there, and underpin his crusade to implement pro-growth measures alongside austerity targets across Europe, France’s first left-wing leader since 1995 needs a co-operative parlia-

ment. After taking 51.6 percent of the presidential vote a month ago to unseat conservative Nicolas Sarkozy, Hollande has named an interim government, but he can only get going in earnest once he has a National Assembly that will adopt the raft of economic and social legislation he has promised.

As the upper house of parliament, the Senate, is already controlled by the Left, Hollande just wants the lower house for the full sweep. He needs it to repeal a rise in sales tax that his predecessors programmed to take effect next October. He will need it too to enact many of his own pledges, such as a partial rollback of pension laws, not to mention the budget legislation.

Barring an upset that no poll has foreseen, Hollande’s Socialists should secure an absolute majority - 289 or more seats - either on their own or with allies that could include Greens and more a hardline group that includes Communists.

Hollande will not then have to make accommodation with Sarkozy’s UMP party. The last time that happened was when President Jacques Chirac called elections in 1997, only to see his Socialist adversaries win parliamentary power, forcing him into five years of “cohabitation”. An Ipsos poll published this week suggested the Socialist Party and allies could win a controlling chunk of between 303 and 357 seats and that the Socialists might take as many as 291 seats on their own, two more than needed for an outright majority. That poll gave the Greens - the Socialists’ preferred coalition partners - 17-23 seats, and the Left Front, a group including more radical leftists and Communists, 21-23 seats.

It gave Sarkozy’s UMP party between 209 and 255 seats.

In advance voting by French expatriates, Sarkozy’s UMP had lost ground to the Socialists, who fared better than expected. Socialist candidates led after first-round votes in seven of 11 constituencies set aside for expats. A high abstention rate, analysts say, posed the biggest threat to forecasts. —Reuters

Health of Prince Philip ‘improves considerably’ LONDON: The condition of British Queen Elizabeth’s 90-year-old husband Philip has “improved considerably” after spending two days in hospital recovering from a bladder infection, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said yesterday. The prince was taken to hospital on Monday, part-way through four days of national celebrations to mark Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne, casting a shadow over some of the proceedings.

The palace said the prince was in “good spirits”, but was likely to remain in hospital during the next few days, continuing a treatment of antibiotics for his infection. The prince, who has been at the Queen’s side throughout her long reign and rarely missed a grand state occasion, was a notable absence during some of the diamond jubilee events, including a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral and a horse-drawn procession through the capital.

The Queen cut a slightly subdued figure without her husband of 64 years, despite the close support of her son and heir Charles, his wife Camilla, Prince William and his new wife Kate as well as

brother Harr y. Philip’s health had become a cause for concern for the royal family after he underwent an operation to ease a blocked heart artery and spent four days in hospital after being taken ill before Christmas last year.

The Queen was due to attend a lunch for the heads of the Commonwealth yesterday. The celebrations have been regarded as a royal success after millions braved inclement weather to attend a 1,000-vessel flotilla on the Thames, a starstudded concert in front of Buckingham Palace, a horse -drawn procession through London and jubilee parties in communities across the country.

The festivities climaxed with a royal wave from the palace balcony to a sea of people waving red, white and blue Union Jack flags, cheering “God Save t h e Q u e e n” a n d s i n gi n g p a t r i o t i c songs. It concluded with a televised message from Elizabeth II thanking all involved. Anti-monarchists were drowned out and severe austerit y measures as the result of an economic downturn were largely ignored during the festivities. —Reuters

MOSCOW : The upper chamber of Russia’s parliament yesterday approved a bill that raises fines 150-fold for people taking part in unsanctioned rallies. The legislation, which passed in the lower chamber only after unprecedented debate, now needs only President Vladimir Putin’s signature to become law. The measure has been seen as the Kremlin’s harsh response to a series of street protests against Putin’s 12-year rule and is part of a broader crackdown on the opposition since he returned to the presidency in May. The Federation Council voted 132-1 to support the bill after a short debate. The only vote against came from the mother of Ilya Ponomarev, an opposition lawmaker in the lower chamber who has joined the protest movement. On Tuesday, members of the lower chamber debated the bill for some 11 hours before the Kremlin’s United Russia party rammed it through at midnight. The opposition factions in the State Duma had put forward several hundred amendments in an unprecedented attempt to stymie the bill’s passage, reflecting a new willingness to stand up to the Kremlin.

The bill would jack up fines from the current 2,000 rubles to 300,000 rubles ($9,000).

Sergei Lisovsky, one of the few upper chamber members to express concern about the bill, said it imposes disproportionally high fines on protesters but does not provide for higher penalties for police brutality. “We’re talking about citizens of our country here, and we must listen to them,” said Lisovsky. “Where is the liability for the police who can potentially do more harm to our society?” The Kremlin wants the new bill to become law by next Tuesday when the opposition plans a major protest in Moscow.

Alexei Kudrin, a former deputy prime min-

ister who expressed sympathy with the opposition movement last winter, said in a statement yesterday that the bill violates the constitutional right of assembly. He urged a review. Along with higher fines, the new bill would punish organizers of “large-scale public

BEIJING: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, left, attends a meeting with China’s Vice President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. —AP gatherings” if they disrupt public order.

Kudrin, who is believed to maintain strong ties to Putin, said that this provision was so open to interpretation that it would allow authorities to fine a bride and groom if some of their guests started a fight.

Opposition activists have not yet received official permission for Tuesday’s planned

Clinton warns of ‘disastrous’ Azerbaijan-Armenia clashes BAKU: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday warned of possible “disastrous consequences” after a flare-up of deadly violence between ex-Soviet enemies Azerbaijan and Armenia. Clinton held talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku as the reported death toll in gunbattles between the two neighbors this week rose to nine amid the worst clashes since 2010. After the talks, she said she was “deeply concerned about the danger of escalating tension, which could have unpredictable and disastrous consequences.”

“This cycle of violence and retaliation must end,” she said. Baku and Yerevan are locked in a bitter unresolved conflict over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh, which Armenia-backed separatists seized from Azerbaijan in a bloody war in the 1990s. An Armenian soldier was killed in a firefight in Karabakh yesterday, separatist officials in the region said-an incident that followed the deaths of five Azerbaijani troops and three Armenians in clashes on their mutual border on Monday and Tuesday.

The United States is a co-chair with Russia and France of the OSCE Minsk Group, which was set up after the 1994 Karabakh ceasefire to help bring a resolution to the conflict. But no peace deal has yet been signed and the conflict remains unresolved, leaving Armenia suffering economically from closed borders with Azerbaijan and its ally Turkey, while Baku has grown richer on its Caspian Sea oil deposits. The United States has sought to balance its relationship with both coun-

protest. Rally organizer Alexei Navalny, a key opposition figure, said in his blog yesterday that Moscow authorities have rejected their proposal to march on the central Tverskaya street. City Hall claimed that the street as well as many other central locations would be

tries, pressed on one side by the large American Armenian community and Washington’s strategic interests in the Caspian basin on the other.

Clinton visited an oil and gas trade exposition being held in Baku, highlighting the $8 billion that US energy companies have invested in Azerbaijan since independence following the break-up of the Soviet Union.

She said later she appreciated “the central role that Azerbaijan plays in efforts to diversify supplies of oil and gas as well as the routes over which they are transported.” Azerbaijan sits astride pipelines that carry oil from the Caspian Sea through Georgia and Turkey to the Mediterranean, offering a southern alternative to a northern route through Russia.

Clinton said the United States also supports a proposed new pipeline that would transport natural gas to Europe, which currently depends heavily on Russia for gas supplies. During her fivehour stay, she also met with representatives of civil society groups-a show of concern for rights and democracy in a country that has been accused of clamping down on dissent and muzzling free speech. She said she told Aliyev that fostering a vibrant civil society and democracy was “essential to the long-term success and prosperity of Azerbaijan.”

“The United States remains strongly committed to working with the government and people to advance respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms,” she said. — AFP

BAKU: Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, right, and US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton walk to a meeting at the presidential Zagulba residence in Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday. —AP

booked for Russia Day, a national holiday.

Navalny said that Moscow authorities and police “are doing their best to provoke a conflict” by rejecting the rally application.

Navalny said that the opposition would agree to any location inside the central Garden Ring road, but he said that with or without permission the rally would go ahead. —AP

News

in brief

Plane veers off runway at Kenya airport NAIROBI: An official says Kenya’s main airport was shut down for hours after an Egyptian airliner veered off the runway. Dominic Ngigi, spokesman for the Kenya Airports Authority, said in a statement yesterday that all 123 passengers from the EgyptAir plane were safely evacuated to the terminal building of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. He said that the flight was coming in from Cairo. Ngigi says that the airport has reopened after it was closed and flights were diver ted for nine hours. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is a regional hub where passengers can connect flights to other countries in the region and Africa. A number of international airlines operate from it including Air India, British Airways, Emirates, KLM, Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines, South Africa Airways, Swiss International Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Congo: 200 mutinous soldiers killed in east KINSHASA: A Congolese government spokesman says the army has killed some 200 soldiers taking part in a mutiny in the country’s east. Lambert Mende said yesterday that large stashes of arms also had been seized as part of the army’s effort to put down the rebellion, which he blamed on renegade general Bosco Ntaganda. The International Criminal Court has sought Ntaganda’s arrest for years on war crimes charges and his exact whereabouts are unknown. Ntaganda was once a feared warlord until he joined the Congolese army in 2009 as a general following a peace deal that paved the way for him and his men to be integrated into the military. In April, however, he and some of his troops defected. A new rebel group operating in the area, though, says Ntaganda is not with them.

Pope praises Queen’s vision of monarch VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI has praised Queen Elizabeth II’s “noble vision of the role of a Christian monarch” in a note congratulating her on her diamond jubilee. In a message released yesterday by the Vatican, Benedict said the British monarch has over the past 60 years been an “inspiring example of dedication to duty and a commitment to maintaining the principles of freedom, justice and democracy.” He also said she has played an important role in improving ecumenical and interreligious relations. Elizabeth is the head of the Church of England.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

I N T E R N AT I O N A L Panetta calls for deep US-India defence ties, more arms trade NEW DELHI: US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta promised yesterday to let India buy America’s best weapons technology and jointly produce and develop equipment in a bid to increase trade with the world’s top arms importer. “The United States is firmly committed to providing the best defence technology possible to India. We are both leaders in technology development and we can do incredible work together,” he said on a visit to the Indian capital.

New Delhi and Washington are close partners on defence issues with some $8 billion of arms sales under their belts, moving past decades of distrust, although the United States lost out on a major fighter jet deal this year after offering old technology.

“We must move beyond a focus on individual arms sales to regular cooperation that increases the quantity and quality of our defence trade,” he said, adding that Washington was moving to reform export controls that have limited weapons transfers to India. Panetta also called on New Delhi to modernize its defense procurement rules and nuclear liability legislation and said the Pentagon would work with Indian leaders to cut red tape and speed up defense sales.

“I think close par tnership with America will be key to meeting India’s own stated aims of a modern and effective defense force,” he said. The friendship between the world’s two largest democracies is viewed with caution from Beijing, where some in government fear India is part of a US strategy to limit China’s rise on the world stage. India is spending about $100 billion over 10 years on modernizing the military, in large part with an eye on China.

Panetta noted that India and the United States both see China as having “a critical role to play advancing security and prosperity in this region.”

“The United States welcomes the rise of a strong, prosperous and a successful China that plays a greater role in global affairs - and respects and enforces the international norms that have governed this region for six decades,” he said. Panetta said India and the United States should conduct

more regular and complex military exercises. His remarks in New Delhi came on the same day as Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will boost military exercises and cooperation with China.

Panetta is on week-long visit to Asia to spell out a new US defence strategy to allies and partners in the region. The strategy, which was released in January, calls for a shift in US strategic focus to the Asia-Pacific.

The Pentagon said in the security strategy that the United States was working to build on strategic ties with India, the only partner nation singled out by name in the document.

Panetta urged India’s leaders to build on engagement with rival Pakistan and to “continue with additional support to Afghanistan through trade and investment, reconstruction, and help for Afghanistan’s security forces.”

But analysts note that New Delhi has a long history of non-alignment with the major powers and prefers to maintain its independence of action.

“I don’t think that India is going to stand up and be counted right, a) because India’s political time and attention is focused inwards, and b) because I don’t think there is any clarity on how we position ourselves a propos the US -China relationship,” said Indian defense analyst Uday Bhaskar.

India last year agreed to buy a fleet of C-17 transport planes and P-81 maritime surveillance jets from US company Boeing, as well as Lockheed Martin’s Super Hercules. It is at a late stage of talks to buy more than a dozen Boeing Apache helicopters and last month cleared the purchase of 145 M777 Howitzer artillery guns. Panetta made no public mention of these deals while he was in India.

Last year India dropped Lockheed’s F-16 from the bidding for a $10 billion purchase of 126 fighter jets, partly because European companies were offering more modern aircraft. Some in Washington considered India’s decision to go with European planes a snub to US offers of a close defence alliance. The Pentagon subsequently offered to sell India the latest F-35 jets.—Reuters

Suicide bombers kill 22 civilians at Afghan market NATO strike kill civilians at wedding in the East KANDAHAR: Three suicide attackers blew themselves up in the largest city in southern Afghanistan yesterday, killing 22 people and wounding at least 50 others in a dusty marketplace that was turned into a gruesome scene of blood and bodies. In the east, Afghan officials and residents said a pre-dawn NATO airstrike targeting militants killed civilians celebrating a wedding, including women and children, although a NATO forces spokesman said they had no reports of civilians being killed in the overnight raid to capture a local Taleban leader.

Also in the east, NATO said two service members were killed in a helicopter crash. The coalition did not disclose any other information about the crash, but a senior US defense official at the Pentagon said two American pilots were killed in the crash in Ghazni province. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose details of the crash, said there was indication of enemy activity in the area at the time. Taleban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack in Kandahar, the capital of Kandahar province and the spiritual birthplace of the insurgency.

In the past two years, tens of thousands of US -led coalition troops have flooded Taleban strongholds in the south, and have largely succeeded in boosting security there. But the Taleban have proven resilient, continuing to conduct suicide attacks and targeted assassinations of pro-government figures, opening up new fronts in the north and west and stepping up attacks in the east. Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack on innocent civilians, saying it proved the “enemy is getting weaker because they are killing innocent people.”

The explosion occurred about five kilometers (three miles) from the main gate of the massive military installation run by the US -led coalition and roughly 500 meters (yards) from an Afghan military base. One suicide bomber detonat-

LOGAR: Afghan villagers gather near a house destroyed in an apparent NATO raid in Logar province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan yesterday. Afghan officials and residents say a pre-dawn NATO airstrike aimed at militants in eastern Afghanistan killed civilians celebrating a wedding, including women and children. —AP ed a three -wheeled motorbike filled with explosives first, said Rahmatullah Atrafi, deputy police chief in Kandahar province. Then, as people rushed to assist the casualties, two other suicide bombers on foot walked up to the site and blew themselves up, he said.

Eight private security guards were among the 22 killed along a main road on the east side of the city, he said. Small shops and private security company offices line one side of the road. Large trucks that supply logistics to Kandahar Air Field regularly park along the other side. The explosions left a bloody scene of body parts, shoes, soda cans, snacks and debris from three shops that were destroyed.

Mohammad Naeem, a 30-yearold shopkeeper, said he was selling soft drinks to a customer when the first blast occurred. “I dropped to the ground,” he said. “When I got up, I looked outside and I heard people shouting for help.” Naeem said he helped his customer, who was wounded, into his shop. “He was bleeding. I put cloth on his wound to stop the bleeding,” he

said. “I was busy with that when the other blasts occurred.” Islam Zada, a truck driver, was on the other side of the road having tea near his parked truck when the attack began. “I couldn’t see anything except for fire and dust,” Zada said of the scene. “I found a wounded truck driver on our side of the road and went to help him,” Zada said. “ We gave him some water and when we were talking to him the other blasts occurred.” The number of Afghan civilians killed dropped 36 percent in the first four months of the year compared with last year, according to the latest figures compiled by the U.N. While the trend is promising, the U.N. laments that too many civilians are being caught up in the violence as insurgents fight Afghan and foreign forces.

The U.N. said last month that 579 civilians were killed in the first four months - down from 898 killed in the same period of 2011. Antigovernment forces caused 79 percent of civilian casualties and Afghan and foreign forces 9 percent, according to the U.N. It was not clear who was responsible for

the remaining 12 percent.

Nighttime raids on militants taking cover in villages have been a repeated source of tension between the Afghan government, which says they put civilians in the crossfire, and its international allies, who say such operations are key to capturing and killing insurgent leaders. Frequently, as in the incident in Baraki Barak, there are conflicting accounts of what happened. An Associated Press photographer saw the bodies of five women, seven children and six men piled in the back of vans that villagers drove to the capital of Logar province to protest the overnight strike on a house in volatile Baraki Barak district. Raeis Khan Abdul Rahimzai, deputy provincial police chief, estimated that there were 18 bodies in the vans, including women and children. He said seven key local Taleban officials were killed in the strike. NATO spokesman, Maj. Martyn Crighton said the coalition was aware of the allegations of civilian deaths, but did not have any reports of civilians being killed.— AP

12

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

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

In communist North Korea, inequality assigned at birth WASHINGTON: In the supposed workers’ paradise of North Korea, inequality is assigned at birth, a study by a U.S.based human rights group says.

Education, job, access to scarce food and health care, and even whom you marry all hinge on how loyal your forebears are viewed to have been to the Kim dynasty that took power six decades ago. The study released yesterday by the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea says all adults in the socialist state are categorized as one of three classes: loyal, wavering or hostile.

The nongovernment human rights group says it amounts to a caste system. Despite the emergence of informal markets since the late 1990s challenging state control, the study says the class system persists and is behind the discrimination and abuses faced by the lowest echelons of the North’s closed society.

“Throughout its 64 year existence, the Kim regime has claimed that North

Korea is an egalitarian workers’ paradise,” said the committee’s executive director, Greg Scarlatoiu. “Yet, inequality is assigned at birth, perpetuated throughout a person’s lifetime and cruelly enforced by those in power to benefit themselves and their supporters.”

The North Korean government denies such a discriminatory class system exists.

The study, titled “Marked for Life,” is based on interviews with 75 North Korean defectors, including as recently as 2011. It also cites a 1993 manual issued by North Korea’s Ministry of Public Security to guide its officials on how to investigate a citizen’s sociopolitical classification, or “songbun,” which translates in Korean as “ingredients.”

The ministry maintains a file on everyone from the age of 17 that is updated every two years, the study says. Numerous defectors’ interviews show that those who are young when they leave North Korea see songbun as

decreasingly important, while older defectors say songbun still matters, the report said. The songbun system has its origins in social class restructuring enforced by the North’s communist founders, led by Kim Il Sung, that began even before the state’s formal creation in 1948, to elevate peasants and laborers at the expense of landlords, businessmen and religious leaders.

Those considered most loyal had fought alongside Kim against Japanese colonialists and then against U.S.backed forces in the 1950-53 Korean War. Those deemed hostile collaborated with the enemy or had family members who fled to South Korea. Moving up a songbun category is rare and requires a lifetime of devotion to the Kim family regime and ruling Workers’ Party of Korea. But songbun can be downgraded for political or criminal offenses or failing to cooperate with authorities.

When an individual is sentenced to the North’s gulag of political prison

camps - estimated to hold 150,000200,000 people - family members are considered guilty by association and generally accompany them, the study says. Today the loyal class, which makes up about a quarter of the 24 million population, still dominates the powerful military and the Workers’ Party. They alone are entitled to live in the relatively prosperous capital Pyongyang and monopolize the prestige universities and best jobs, the study says.

Marrying someone with poor songbun likely would exclude that individual from party membership, causing severe consequences for employment opportunities and quality of life, it says.

Many in the hostile class inhabit the most impoverished northeastern provinces, often in isolated mountain villages where they perform hard labor at mines and farms. They have been most vulnerable to failures since the 1990s in North Korea’s public food distribution system and resulting malnutrition.

Roberta Cohen, co-chairman of the rights group, says money, bribery and corruption recently have begun to erode the songbun system because of the emergence of informal markets and the scope for paying officials for favors. But she said songbun’s main elements remain in place, “guaranteed by a complete absence of political freedom.”

The study says a slang has developed around the songbun system, wherein the loyal class are referred to as “tomatoes” that are red on both the inside and outside, so are good socialists. Those of the wavering class are “apples” that are only red on the outside, and the hostile class is known as “grapes” - considered politically unredeemable. There’s no sign that new ruler Kim Jong Un, the third in the dynasty, will change the policy. The study concludes that would be a direct threat to the North Korean elite and could undermine his consolidation of power. —AP

New North Korean leader stages massive kids’ rally 20,000 youngsters gather in Pyongyang PYONGYANG: North Korea’s young leader Kim Jong Un yesterday made his second speech at a major public event since taking power in December, addressing a children’s rally aimed at winning a new generation’s support. About 20,000 young people gathered at Pyongyang’s Kim Il Sung Stadium for a speech that capped an unprecedented sixday children’s festival. The celebrations took place two days after North Korea’s military threatened to fire at South Korean media companies unless they apologized for criticisms of the festivities, including a Channel A report comparing the event to Hitler Youth rallies during Germany’s Nazi era.

North Korea typically holds mass events for landmark anniversaries such as the leaders’ birthdays and the founding of the Workers’ Party or military. It is the first time such extensive celebrations have been organized for the founding of the Korean Children’s Union, the first political organization young North Koreans join. North Korean children are taught from an early age to be loyal to the Kim family, with education about the childhoods and accomplishments of founder Kim Il Sung and late leader Kim Jong Il beginning in

kindergarten. Seeing and hearing their new leader in person is likely to reinforce a sense of paternal awe among the children, who are raised to refer to the leaders as “father.”

Kim walked into the stadium, accompanied by two children, to the cheers of the young delegates to the Korean Children’s Union. He was wearing the red scarf of the political organization around his neck as he smiled and laughed with them. “By mingling with kids, Kim Jong Un is showing that he is a leader who can interact with the public,” said Ahn Chan-il, a political scientist who heads the World Institute for North Korea Studies in Seoul, South Korea. “He understands that one of the keys to winning back the respect of the people is by starting with the young generation.”

By speak ing publicly twice in his six months as leader, Kim already is distinguishing himself from his father. Kim Jong Il, who died in December, addressed the public only once, two years before he succeeded father Kim Il Sung. Kim told the children, who were dispatched to Pyongyang for the gathering by plane, train and bus from across the nation, that they were the future masters of “a most powerful country where every home

will be full of laughter and everybody lives in harmony.”

In the lobby coffee shop of Pyongyang’s Koryo Hotel, waitresses in bright red suits gathered around a big flat-screen TV to watch the speech. Throngs of children dressed in their school uniforms could be seen with their families in parks and plazas.

June 6 marks the 66th anniversary of the founding of the Korean Children’s Union, which students join at age 7 until they graduate at age 13 to the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League.

South Korean media have called the festivities “a political show.” The criticism prompted the North Korean military to warn it would fire at South Korean media outlets if Seoul refused to apologize for orchestrating what North Korea called a “vicious smear campaign.” The North’s statement was the latest in a series of threats aimed at South Korea’s president and news agencies following the death of Kim Jong Il, which Pyongyang feels was not respectfully acknowledged by Seoul. The Korean peninsula remains in a state of war because the 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. —AP

Philippine Congress OKs bill vs terror financiers

PASAY: Filipino protesters burn a mock Australian flag as they shout slogans against a joint military exercise with Australia during a rally outside the Philippine senate in Pasay, south of Manila, Philippines yesterday. The senate is expected to vote to ratify a treaty that will allow Australian troops to conduct joint military exercises in the Philippines. —AP

Philippines charges ex-prez Arroyo’s husband MANILA: Prosecutors filed corruption charges yesterday against the former president’s husband and more than a dozen others over the sale of two used helicopters to the country’s police force that he allegedly owned and passed off as new. The charges against Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, retired national police chief Jesus Verzosa and a dozen other police officers are part of President Benigno Aquino III’s anti-corruption campaign. This follows the ouster last week of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, who Aquino has described as an obstacle in the campaign.

The former president’s husband has denied taking part in any fraud, and says he never owned the helicopters, as investigators have alleged. Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has been charged with electoral fraud and detained in a government hospital, also has long denied any corruption and says she and her husband are being persecuted. The couple also are

being tried on corruption charges related to an overpriced government contract with Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE Corp. for a $330 million national broadband project that was later scuttled because of the scandal.

They pleaded not guilty during arraignment in April.

Arroyo’s husband said he was not surprised about the latest graft case against him, his spokesman said. “I was half-expecting it to be filed, because they are really persecuting us,” lawyer Ferdinand Topacio quoted him as saying. In 2009, Philippine police purchased what they thought were three new Robinsons R44 Raven 1 helicopters for 105 million pesos ($2.4 million), but two were later discovered to have already been used.

Police investigators last year accused Arroyo’s husband and the others of “acting in concert and taking undue advantage of their official position, authority, relationship, connection or influence to unjustly enrich themselves.” —AP

MANILA: The Philippine Congress approved a bill yesterday that makes terror financing a crime with a long prison term in a Southeast Asian nation that has long been roiled by bombings and kidnappings by extremists. Financiers of terrorism were previously treated as mere accomplices, but the bill considers them as key players in terrorism. Aside from a 40-year prison term, convicted offenders will be fined up to 1 million pesos ($23,255), according to a copy of the bill.

It also empowers the government’s Anti-Money Laundering Council to examine assets and bank accounts of suspected financiers of known terrorists and extremist groups even without a court order, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III said. “Since terrorism essentially depends on the financing it may obtain, it is a matter of grave and urgent concern to any reasonable government to criminalize the financing of terrorism,” Guingona said. The bill, he said, “will help curb the spread of terrorism by paralyzing the very lifeline of unscrupulous groups and individuals.”

The Anti-Terrorist Financing Bill passed easily in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, sending it to President Benigno Aquino III. It was sponsored by key congressional allies, indicating he is likely to sign the legislation into law. Guingona said an offender would be punished even if a terrorist attack he funded failed. The would-be law could be applied only to financiers of extremists and organizations blacklisted as terrorists by the Philippine government and the international community. The Philippines has long been battling a number of al-Qaida-linked groups, including the Abu Sayyaf, which has been blamed for bombings, beheadings and kidnappings and accused of harboring extremists from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and the Middle East. —AP

YANGON: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrives to attend a press conference at the headquarters of her National League for Democracy party in Yangon yesterday. —AP

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi says Thai trip was productive YANGON: Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said yesterday her activities on a recent trip to Thailand gave no cause for anyone to be unhappy, dismissing speculation her high-profile visit annoyed the government. Suu Kyi’s visits with Myanmar migrant workers and refugees and her appearance at the World Economic Forum in Bangkok garnered global attention because it was the former political prisoner’s first trip outside Myanmar in 24 years. Myanmar President Thein Sein had been scheduled for an official visit to Thailand at the same time and for the same conference, but postponed then canceled his trip.

Officials said he was busy at home, but it was speculated Thein Sein was irritated at being upstaged.

“I don’t think that I did anything that could make anybody in Burma unhappy, because what I did was go to meet migrant workers and to meet those officials in Thailand who are responsible for the migrant workers’ situation and we discussed matters of mutual benefit,” Suu Kyi said yesterday, using the old name for her country preferred by some political activists. She said the same held true for her visit to a refugee camp near the Myanmar border where she had “very fruitful discussions,” she said.

“I do not think that my activities there could in any way affect the situation of Burmese people adversely,” said Suu Kyi at a news conference in Yangon. Suu Kyi’s cooperation with Thein Sein has been crucial in winning support at home and abroad for the president’s reform program, which is opening up the country after decades of military rule. She has repeatedly said she in Thein Sein’s sincerity in effecting social and political

changes. Suu Kyi had also spoken frankly at the World Economic Forum about potential difficulties for foreign investors in Myanmar at a time when the government is wooing such investors to help boost the economy.

“I had given my views very openly at the Forum and I heard that some were unhappy about that,” she said. “I gave my frank opinion so that people can make a correct assessment of the country. “ Western nations earlier this year eased sanctions they had imposed on Myanmar under the country’s previous repressive military regime, allowing previously banned investment. Thein Sein is backed by the military but came to power through elections and has instituted reforms that have won the endorsement of Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy party.

Suu Kyi’s trip to Thailand had appeared to be hastily arranged, and there were reports that Thai authorities were also upset about not being more closely consulted about her plans. “I appreciate everything that Thai government did to make my visit there are a very happy one,” Suu Kyi said yesterday.

“The authorities in Thailand were very, very cooperative. I have no complaint whatsoever to make about my time in Thailand.”

Suu Kyi also talked about plans for her upcoming trip to Europe. On June 13, she is scheduled to depart on a fivecountry tour that includes stops in Geneva, Oslo, Dublin, London and Paris.

Among the highlights are her trip to Norway where Suu Kyi will formally accept the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded in 1991. She is supposed to return home June 30. —AP

Japan emperor’s cousin Prince Tomohito dies at 66 TOKYO: Prince Tomohito, a cousin of Japanese Emperor Akihito, died yesterday after bouts with various ailments, the Imperial Household Agency said. He was 66. Tomohito, sixth in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, died at a Tokyo hospital, where media reports said he had been receiving treatment and was in serious condition, suffering organ failures.

The Imperial Household Agency did not give a cause of death, but Tomohito had battled several illnesses, including throat cancer. He had undergone several cancer-related operations since 1991 and was treated for alcoholism in 2007.

Tomohito was the eldest son of Prince Mikasa and Princess Yuriko. Mikasa is the younger brother of Hirohito, the wartime emperor and father of Akihito. The public fondly called Tomohito “the bearded prince,” referring to his full beard, unusual for Japanese royalty.

In 2005, he set off a stir when he wrote

an essay saying Japan should exhaust all options, including bringing back concubines, before allowing a woman to ascend to the imperial throne. At that time, neither of Akihito’s two sons had produced a male heir, and Japan was abuzz about a succession crisis. A special panel on imperial succession then recommended that women be allowed to ascend to the throne.

But in 2006, Akihito’s younger son had a boy, Hisahito, solving the dilemma.

Under the country’s postwar constitution, imperial family members have no political power. Their role is largely symbolic, such as meeting foreign dignitaries and attending concerts and sports events. But Japanese feel an emotional attachment to the emperor. Thousands of people throng to the palace and wave to him and his family on special days. Tomohito is survived by his wife, Nobuko, and two daughters. —AP

TOKYO: In this photo taken on May 30, 2011, Prince Tomohito, president of Saiseikai Imperial Gift Foundation, smiiles as he attends a ceremony of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the social welfare organization in Tokyo. —AP

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

NEWS US gov makes history by surviving recall Continued from Page 1 President Obama won by 14 percentage points in 2008. Obama’s presumed Republican opponent in November, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, called Walker to congratulate him, an aide to Romney said. Romney had called Walker a “hero” when he visited Wisconsin earlier this year. “A win like this shows Wisconsin may be a redder (more Republican) state in 2012 and could be bad news for Obama,” said Thad Kousser, an associate politics professor at the University of California San Diego.

Even Obama’s campaign organization conceded on Tuesday that Wisconsin could be competitive in November. No Republican has won

the state since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Walker’s win may also embolden Republican governors in other states to take on labor unions, analysts said. “The unions tried to take a stand here and when you stake everything on one election and lose, politicians around the country will not be afraid to take on the unions,” Kousser said.

The victory also branded Walker as a rising Republican star. While he has ruled out serving as Romney’s vice presidential nominee, he may be a future national candidate. Walker struck a conciliatory tone in his victory speech, saying he wanted to try to bring the divided state together.

“Early in 2011, I rushed in to try to fix things before I talked about them.

Because you see for years, too many

politicians ... talked about things but never fixed them,” Walker said to a crowd of roaring supporters.

The election in politically divided Wisconsin has been seen as a barometer of the US political climate going into November’s presidential election. The outcome is the latest evidence of a growing partisan climate in American politics that values confrontation over compromise and has led to gridlock in Washington. It also suggests that some voters will support a politician who seeks to balance the government budget by cutting spending and reducing pensions and benefits for government workers rather than raising taxes.

Some voters in Wisconsin said it was only fair that union workers pay more pensions and health insurance

Rare Venus transit wows astronomers...

Continued from Page 1 “After today, that’s it. Probably no-one alive is going to see one of these again,” the Royal Astronomical Society’s Robert Massey told AFP after witnessing the event from the Cotswold hills in southwest England.

“For most of us, this was the last chance. I was very lucky; we didn’t have very good weather but we actually managed to have a few holes in the clouds.”

The planet named for the Roman goddess of beauty and love only rarely moves in a direct line between the Earth and the Sun, and the next transit will be in 2117.

Only six transits have been observed since the telescope was invented: in 1639, 1761, 1769, 1874, 1882 and 2004 – happening in pairs eight years apart. Cloud cover spoiled the rare opportunity for many around the world, including parts of Australia and much of Europe.

“I saw it for about, maybe at most 30 seconds to a minute once, and briefly for about 10 seconds after that.

It wasn’t the best view I’ve ever had, so I was delighted to see something,” said Massey. “We regrettably saw nothing from Paris,” lamented Claude Catala, director of the Paris Observatory. “It is the hard life of the astronomer.”

European Space Agency (ESA) scientist Hakan Svedhem observed the passage from Svalbard, Norway – so far north that the Sun doesn’t set in summer. “It was a long night but it was very exciting and it was particularly nice to see it against the midnight Sun,” he told AFP about an hour after Venus took its leave and slid off the solar disk just before 0500 GMT. “It is a very spectacular sight to see.”

To observers not using telescopes, the event would have appeared as a black dot about a 30th of the Sun’s diameter, moving slowly over the star’s northern hemisphere. ESA’s Venus Express is the only spacecraft orbiting the hot planet at present, and used the unique opportunity to study Venus’ atmosphere. “We can learn how to observe atmosphere on planets around other stars” similar to our Sun, said Svedhem – to determine whether they may be able to sustain life.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, which cannot view the sun directly, used the Moon as a mirror to capture reflected sunlight and study the fiery planet. On Earth, Sydney Observatory held a sell-out viewing with 1,500 people buying tickets. About 600 people gathered at the Goddard Space Flight Center in the US state of Maryland to observe the planet also known as the Evening Star or Morning Star due to the bright sunlight it reflects early and late in the day.

And in Tahiti in French Polynesia, one of the best viewing spots, up to 2,000 people gathered on the beach at Venus Point, so named for the place where British navy captain James Cook observed the same momentous event in 1769. Cook had charted the east coast of Australia on that same trip. Venus is the second planet from the Sun, roughly the size of the earth, with no oceans and a lead-melting surface temperature. In the 18th and 19th centuries, astronomers used the planet’s transits to measure the distance from the Earth to the Sun. Sul Ah Chim, a researcher at the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute in South Korea, said he hoped people see life from a larger perspective and “not get caught up in their small, everyday problems”. “When you think about it from the context of the universe, 105 years is a very short period of time and the Earth is only

a small, pale blue spot,” he said.

In India, where astrology is so popular it influences decisions from when to get married to who should run for office, hundreds of enthusiasts gathered at New Delhi’s planetarium to see Venus cut a path across the Sun. “Celestial events, especially rare ones like this, generate a lot of public interest,” said Rathnasree Nandivada, director of the planetarium. During the last Venus transit in 2004, more than 10,000 people visited the planetarium. Indian numerologist Swetta Jumaani said the event was an auspicious one, describing Venus as the planet governing love, peace, harmony and good luck. “This transit across the sun will bring good luck and good fortune this year,” she told AFP. There was no disappointment for those who watched the planetarium’s webcast of the celestial event from India’s Astronomical Observatory in the Himalayan region of Ladakh - the world’s highest observatory, at 4,511 m. The low oxygen and air pressure along with minimal cloud cover over the station provide optimal conditions for sky viewing, according to Raghu Kalra, one of several volunteers for the Amateur Astronomers Association who provided the webcast feed from Ladakh.

In Mexico, at least 100 people lined up two hours early to view the event through telescopes or one of the 150 special viewing glasses on hand, officials said.

Observation points were also set up at a dozen locations. In Los Angeles, throngs jammed Mount Hollywood where the Griffith Observatory rolled out the red carpet for Venus. The last time the city witnessed a Venus transit was 130 years ago, in 1882. A 2004 transit was not visible from the western US. Telescopes with special filters were set up next to the lawn and people took turns peering at the sun before and during the transit. Astronomers and volunteers lectured about the rarity of a Venus pass to anyone who would listen. Minutes before Venus first touched the outer edge of the sun, they blared Sousa’s “Transit Of Venus March.” The crowd turned their attention skyward.

Meanwhile, terrestrial stargazers were warned to only look at the celestial event with a properly filtered telescope or cardboard eclipse glasses. If the sun is viewed directly, permanent eye damage could result.

Roy Gal, an assistant astronomer at the University of Hawaii, told those viewing the transit at Waikiki Beach on Oahu that the telescopes were filtered to block all but 1/100th of 1 percent of the sun’s light, plus all its infrared rays to keep the instruments from overheating.

“What we need to do is block out most of the light from the sun so that we don’t go blind and we don’t melt things,” Gal said in an interview.

Most people don’t tend to gaze at the sun for long periods of time because it’s painful and people instinctively look away. But there’s the temptation to stare at it during sky shows like solar eclipses or transits of Venus.

The eye has a lens and if you stare at the sun, it concentrates sunlight on the retina and can burn a hole through it. It’s similar to when you hold a magnifying glass under the blazing sun and light a piece of paper on fire. It can take several hours for people to notice problems with their eyes but, by that time, the damage is done and, in some cases, irreversible. During the 1970 solar eclipse visible from the eastern US, 145 burns of the retina were reported, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. — Agencies

Amir rejects resignation of awqaf and justice Continued from Page 1 order to carry out an investigation into the allegedly flawed awarding process.

But Electricity and Water Minister Abdulaziz AlIbrahim warned that any delay of the key power plant will result in a power production shortage in

2014 and as a result, the ministry will be forced to implement programmed power cuts in the summer of that year. The Zour project was awarded to a Japanese-French-Kuwaiti consortium which will acquire a stake in a company that will be established to build the plant, which is Kuwait’s first independent

water and power project (IWPP). Ibrahim said the project represents the first phase of a four-phase project which will produce 4,800 MW of electricity. The first phase will produce 1,500 MW and is scheduled to start operation in 2014.

Similar companies will be established for the remaining three phases, said the

minister without providing details.

The Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Ahmad Al-Rujaib meanwhile requested that the debate of the two grillings filed against him be postponed for two weeks and the Assembly agreed to delay them to June 20 following some legal discussion. But the most important development in yesterday’s session was the appearance for the first time of some cracks in the majority bloc, although leading members of the bloc strongly denied any divisions.

Some opposition MPs, mostly Islamists, voted against proposals put forward by other opposition MPs to issue more recommendations, and as a result the proposals failed.

Also, prominent opposition MPs Musallam AlBarrak and Faisal Al-Mislem clashed briefly over whether the speaker should allow Housing Minister Shuaib AlMuwaizri to speak on the violations in the Credit and Savings Bank or not. Both Barrak and Mislem brushed aside any problems within the majority bloc.

when most private sector workers have no pensions at all. Kent Redfield, a political analyst at the University of Illinois at Springfield, said the outcome could demoralize Democrats and labor unions. “That could have an effect on turnout in the fall,” he said.

Ahead of the recall election, organized labor and conservatives mounted intense get-out-the-vote drives.

Grassroots activists in the conservative Tea Party played a major role in those efforts on the right.

“This is a huge win for the Tea Party,” said Matt Batzel, Wisconsin state director of national conservative group American Majority Action, which worked with local activists.

“Time after time they have answered the call to defend Scott Walker,” he said of the group that seeks deep cuts in US government spending.

Voter turnout was high in the state where families were at odds and neighbors were not speaking to each over Walker’s push to curtail collective bargaining by public sector workers.

The recall election led to huge campaign spending in the

Midwestern Rust Belt state, with some estimates that more than $60 million was raised. So-called Super PACs, the independent groups that are pouring money into the US presidential campaign, were a major force in Wisconsin.

This was just the third recall election of a governor in US history and it follows weeks of vociferous protests by demonstrators who occupied the state Capitol in Madison as Walker and fellow Republican lawmakers pushed through the union curbs in March 2011. The law forced most state workers, including teachers, to pay more for health insurance and pensions, limited their pay raises, made payment of union dues voluntary and forced unions to be recertified every year. Democrats and unions gathered nearly 1 million signatures to force the recall election.

Harley Shaiken, a labor professor at the University of California Berkeley, cautioned that the Wisconsin result did not mean there would be a wholesale assault on unions nationwide. “This is clearly a victory for Walker, but it’s been a very costly and

disruptive victory,” he said. “Some legislators (in other states) will try to go down the same path but they may find it very expensive to do so.”

Despite the victory, Walker has not emerged completely unscathed. He still faces an investigation into alleged corruption during his time as Milwaukee County executive before he became governor. Walker opponents also forced recall elections for Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and four Republican state senators who had voted for the labor union restrictions.

Kleefisch and three of the four Senate Republicans were victorious. In the fourth race, the Democrat was ahead by about 800 votes with all of the results counted, but the Republican had not conceded. If the Democrat is certified the winner, Walker would face a Democratic majority in the state Senate, which could frustrate his agenda in the future. The only two previous recall efforts against sitting governors were Lynn Frazier in North Dakota in 1921 and Gray Davis in California in 2003. Both of those governors lost. — Reuters

Mubarak’s health deteriorates in jail Continued from Page 1 Though Mubarak’s authoritarian regime was widely unpopular by the time of his overthrow last year, conditions in Egypt have deteriorated since then, with a wave of deadly protests, a battered economy and seemingly endless strikes. Some evidence of displeasure over conditions could be seen in the second-place finish by Mubarak’s last prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, in the first round of presidential elections last month, ahead of more liberal candidates. Shafiq is facing Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi in a runoff election June 16-17, but it could still be called off.

A spokesman for Egypt’s highest court said it would look into whether a “political exclusion” law is constitutional on June 14, two days before the runoff. The law bans senior officials who served in Mubarak’s regime starting in 2001 from running for office. It applies to prime ministers, vice presidents and senior members of Mubarak’s now-dissolved ruling party. If upheld, it could mean that Shafiq could not run - possibly forcing cancellation of the runoff and a repeat of the first round.

Quoted by Egypt’s official news agency, the spokesman, Maher Sami, did not say whether the Supreme Constitutional Court will issue its verdict on the same day. Sami, however, said the court’s experts have prepared their report on the law, suggesting that a June 14 ruling is likely. “The court is responsive to public issues, and that is why it is rapidly working to settle the case, but it is difficult to tell now whether a verdict will be announced on June 14,” Sami told The Associated Press in a brief telephone interview. Also to be considered by the court on June 14, according to Sami, is a

finding by a lower tribunal that ruled against the law that regulated recent parliamentary elections. If the decision is upheld by the higher court, the elections would be declared illegal, and the Islamist-dominated parliament would be dissolved. — AP

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THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

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Issues

Polls promise no end to Greece agony

By Dina Kyriakidou reece’s mainstream parties may defeat a radical leftist leader whose policies could force the country out of the euro, but victory in the election on June 17 is unlikely to be conclusive and another vote may be on the horizon. The upstart leftist SYRIZA party is running neck-and-neck with conservative New Democracy ahead of the second national election in six weeks as Greece reels from a debt crisis that is shaking the euro to its core. Even if New Democracy, which is currently slightly ahead in opinion polls, can form a government with support from the socialists and perhaps others, it is thought likely to buckle under the weight of the enormous task ahead. “We are talking about postponing the inevitable for a short time,” said political analyst John Loulis. “It won’t last more than a few months.”

Enraged with mainstream parties that have imposed the harsh cuts prescribed in the 130 billion euro ($162.03 billion) rescue deal from international lenders, Greeks overwhelmingly backed smaller parties, putting the radical left into second place in an inconclusive election on May 6. SYRIZA has been telling Greeks that the European Union is bluffing when it threatens to cut off its aid lifeline unless Athens takes painful reform measures. Party leader Alexis Tsipras’s pledges to nationalise banks and reverse budget cuts have led markets and international lenders to compare him to Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez.

Greeks themselves are increasingly sceptical of his anti-markets rhetoric and Tsipras may not be able to capitalise on his recent success. Even if it does win, SYRIZA is likely to find that the state’s coffers are empty and its term of office will be short-lived. Greeks have been ready to take to the streets in violent protests against the austerity measures prescribed by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.

But opinion polls show that while most oppose the terms of the bailout they still want Greece to stay in the euro, something that Tsipras says he can offer. But international lenders have made clear that Athens must meet its reform pledges if it is to receive further loan installments. The government has warned it may run out of cash as early as this month.

In the May 6 election, politicians underestimated public anger over decades of mismanagement and corruption and paid the price for running traditional left versus right campaigns. This time, parties are scrambling to woo voters on a pro or anti-bailout platform.

Tsipras rejects the rescue deal that has plunged Greece into its worst recession in decades, while New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras insists that would mean certain exit from the euro. “This round is like a runoff election, with the two of them going for top spot,” said Takis Theodorikakos, head of GPO pollsters.

“SYRIZA is sticking to its guns, trying to rally leftist voters, and New Democracy is campaigning on a euro-ordrachma dilemma.”

Opinion polls show a good measure of public anger has been vented in the first election and voters are reluctantly returning to the bigger parties, but the result is still far from certain. The battle will be fought over membership of the euro, as rage against the two main parties has waned and Greeks are slowly realising they face an impending catastrophe. “I don’t believe in Samaras but there is no other option for the country,” said Nektarios Yiavasoglu, a 52-year-old Athens dentist who will vote for New Democracy. “It’s the only way to stay in Europe. Tsipras looks like he’s set on ruining the country.” Samaras, whose insistence on calling an election last month by tacitly withdrawing support from the coalition of technocrat prime minister Lucas Papademos led to the political impasse, wants to renegotiate parts of the bailout with a view to boosting growth. Sources at New Democracy say he hopes to rally all the probailout parties if he comes first on Sunday. “We want the bailout to change but we want to stay in the euro,” a party aide said. “The debate is about drachma or euro, catastrophe or growth.” Although the party that wins the most votes gets an extra 50 deputies in the 300-seat parliament, none is seen winning outright and another round of painful negotiations will almost certainly follow the vote. Parties will however be under more pressure to form some kind of government this time around as people are fed up with repeated elections. A New Democracy government, with the support or tolerance of the PASOK socialists who came third in May after ruling the country for decades, would face a Herculean task.—Reuters

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Minya hopes vote will end isolation

By Patrick Werr n Egyptian province cut off for years from the tourist trade by an Islamist insurgency is looking to a new president and the lure of an ancient heretical pharaoh for a better future. Egyptians vote on June 16 and 17 in the concluding stage of an election to replace Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s leader for three decades who was ousted last year in a popular uprising. “We want justice in the distribution of wealth, education and health. Southern Egypt is deprived, deprived, deprived,” said Mohamed Bedawi, 54, an employee at Minya University, after casting his vote in the election’s first round on May 24. For many people in this city 250 km south of Cairo, any leader would do more for the economy than Mubarak, whose local legacy is a region with few factories, no commercial airline service and a feeble health system.

Where tourism flourished in the cruise ships that plied the Nile between Luxor and Aswan, few visitors came to Minya, scared off by a revolt by Islamic extremists in the 1990s which killed more than 1,000 people. The government prohibited tourist cruises in the region for fear of an attack that would scare away tourists from all of Egypt. In 1997, the industry was set back nationwide after 58 foreigners were massacred in Luxor.

The few foreigners intrepid enough to make the journey to the area around Minya were obliged to travel in convoys escorted by armed police. But things may be looking up. A few weeks ago, Egypt’s military-backed transition government began allowing tourist cruise boats to set out for Minya from Cairo for the

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first time in years. And the prospect of a new government within weeks has raised hopes that neglected roads, schools and hospitals might be overhauled to foster a viable tourist industry.

Pharaoh Akhnaten renounced Egypt’s traditional gods to worship Aten, the giver of life, and built a sprawling new capital in about 1350 BC on the Nile 60 km south of modern Minya, well away from the old capital at Luxor. Aten was represented in carved reliefs by the disc of the sun, its rays stretching down to those who worshipped to bathe them in life and power.

The new religion did not last long. When Akhnaten died, his son Tutankhamun restored the older gods such as Amun and Ra. Egypt’s pharaonic generals later seized power, founding a whole new dynasty. The remains and tombs of the short-lived capital still can be seen, along with Greek, Christian and Islamic monuments.

“We don’t get the number of tourists to match Minya’s position,” said Bahaa Fekry, who was the Minya chairman of Mubarak’s National Democratic Party and today holds no official post. Foreigners flocked instead to Egypt’s Red Sea beaches and to Aswan and Luxor. Tourism which contributes about 10 percent to the country’s economy - has been hit badly by last year’s popular revolt, which flashed images of street battles and burning buildings around the world. Visitor numbers were still down 25 percent in the first three months of 2012 from the same period a year earlier, when the uprising took place.

Arriving in Minya, visitors will find dramatic limestone cliffs towering above a thin forest of

date palms. In the city itself, stately yet decaying villas and apartments are evidence of the area’s wealth during the monarchy that the military overthrew in 1952. Tour firms are already selling berths for 14-day trips, but the historic route’s popularity seems unlikely to recover fully until the insecurity and political turmoil of the Arab Spring uprising ends. Fekry said the Nile route could have been reopened years ago but was a victim of Mubarak’s stultifying government: “I don’t think there’s been a security problem lately but they felt it was easier to do nothing. It was lethargy.”

The presidential run-off vote will pit former military official and Mubarak ally Ahmed Shafiq against the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi. Supporters of both candidates hope the winner will move fast to lure back visitors to the Minya region. Diaa Maghazi, head of the Brotherhood in Minya, said that if the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) forms a government after the election, it will boost tourism by improving security, beautifying the sites and launching a global advertising campaign. “We have an incredible amount of Pharaonic monuments in Minya. If it took its due share of tourism, many opportunities would be opened,” Maghazi said. “No fewer than 50,000 or 60,000 jobs would be created.”

He pledged that the FJP would continue to allow alcohol, banned in Islam but considered a key component for attracting tourists. “No problem. Personal freedom. We are not against it. This is not a priority,” Maghazi said. “If someone wants to make a factory to brew wine or beer, that’s his right. It’s none of my business.

(The issue) is not a priority for the country.”

In the 1970s, then-President Anwar Sadat encouraged the Islamist movement as a way of countering the influence of leftists, his main political opponents at the time. The Minya militants included Khalid Al-Islambouli, the Egyptian army officer who assassinated Sadat in 1981, as well as much of the current leadership of the Al-Gama’a al-Islamiya, an organisation now rehabilitated and active in Egyptian politics. “All of those who were convinced of the recourse to arms were from Minya and Asyut,” a town further south, Fekry said. By the early 2000s the government had crushed the insurgency, and most of the militants have publicly declared that their resort to violence was wrong. But the government in Cairo seemed in little hurry to develop the province’s economy.

Despite Fekry’s loyalty to Mubarak’s NDP, he said his requests for simple decisions from ministers in Cairo were ignored or stymied by internal politics. “It was slow... The revolution should change all that and Egypt in 10 years’ time will look very different,” he said. “Regardless of the type of government, if one person rules for 30 years, there will be lethargy, no change and no development. If someone knows he is leaving in four years, he will have to put all his energy into those four years.”

Shadiya Hashim Fouli, head of medical treatment at the Minya Health Directorate and an Ahmed Shafiq supporter, said as she voted in the first round that the new president must look after the poor. “We want security, safety and stability and a good future for the upcoming generations,” she said, pointing to the small girl she led by the hand as she left the voting booth. — Reuters

Walker’s win boosts US conservatives

By John Whitesides isconsin Governor Scott Walker scored more than a personal victory in Tuesday’s state recall vote. He delivered a psychological boost for the Republicans and a blow to Democrats that could linger until the Nov 6 US presidential election. Walker, a Republican, sailed to a surprisingly easy win over Democrat Tom Barrett, ending a bitter 15-month political battle over Walker’s efforts to eliminate most collectivebargaining rights for Wisconsin’s public sector unions. Many of Walker’s national supporters who flooded the state with anti-Barrett ads and gave Walker a more than 7-to-1 financial advantage - saw the results as a vindication of his take-no-prisoners brand of fiscal conservatism.

They also said Walker passed what amounted to a test of voter sentiment on Republican efforts to limit government, slash spending and challenge public sector unions, a result that could elevate his stature in US politics. By late Tuesday, conservatives were viewing Walker’s victory as a green light for Republican-led state legislatures and governments to move forward, and as a boost for Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney. “This means the Republican revolution is on. (Democratic President) Barack Obama should start sweating,” said Mordecai Lee, a government affairs specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “It will revitalize the Tea Party side of the national party to say, ‘Mitt Romney should go even harder to the right’.”

The result will likely be seen as proof that well-funded Republicans backed by unlimited “Super PAC” spending can sway elections. A key question will be whether Democrats, who have generally been slower to donate to such political groups, can keep pace with the massive spending by conservatives. National polls show Obama and Republican rival Romney in a tight race, and the recall gave both sides a chance to mobilise supporters and gain momentum in a state that is a must-win for

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Obama in November. Prominent conservative Richard Viguerie urged Romney’s campaign to absorb the lesson of Walker’s win and “shake off their moderate, establishmentRepublican instincts”. “Walker won because he ran and governed as an unabashed principled, small government, constitutional conservative,” Viguerie said in a statement. “If Mitt Romney will adopt those bold conservative colors for his campaign and his administration, he will win (in November),” he added.

In Wisconsin, which has backed Democrats in every presidential election since 1984, Obama did not risk any political capital on the recall and did not make any campaign appearances with Barrett. But Tuesday’s results suggest the president might have to spend more time and money campaigning in Wisconsin than initially planned.

Voters on Tuesday gave a muddled message on the presidential election. Exit polls con-

ducted by television networks showed voters preferring Obama over Romney by 7 percentage points and believing Obama would be better than Romney at handling the struggling economy.

But the reliability of the data was brought into question by early surveys that had forecast a virtual tie in the Walker-Barrett race.

Obama easily captured Wisconsin by 14 percentage points in the 2008 election, when he defeated Republican John McCain. Two years later, Republicans in Wisconsin roared back to elect Walker, defeat Democratic US Senator Russ Feingold and take over the state legislature. As Walker’s victory became clear late Tuesday, Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz said her party was “not taking anything for granted, (but) if Mitt Romney thinks he’s going to be the first Republican to win Wisconsin since Ronald Reagan (in 1984) ...he’s got another thing

Supporters watch results at the election night rally for Wisconsin Republican Gov Scott Walker Tuesday in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Walker survived the recall election.— AP

coming.” Romney was quick to take advantage of Walker’s victory. “Tonight’s results will echo beyond the borders of Wisconsin,” the former Massachusetts governor said in a statement. “Tonight voters said ‘no’ to the tired, liberal ideas of yesterday, and ‘yes’ to fiscal responsibility and a new direction.”

The recall offered a fresh glimpse of the growth and power of unfettered campaign spending by partisan groups, even as they prepare to spend hundreds of millions on the presidential race and congressional elections.

“There is no question the forces that have been unleashed on this state are not unique to Wisconsin,” said Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks money in state politics. Walker had raised $31 million to Barrett’s $4.2 million by May 21, with about 70 percent of Walker’s 2012 donations coming from outof-state donors, according to finance reports compiled by the watchdog group.

Out-of-state Conservative groups such as Americans for Prosperity, funded by the billionaire conservative brothers Charles and David Koch, also poured millions into Wisconsin and filled the state’s airwaves with anti-Barrett ads. A late push by Democrataligned groups helped close the gap. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign estimated Republican groups spent $18 million in the state and Democratic groups, mostly unionbacked, spent $15.5 million. The final recall price tag is estimated to be $70 million to $80 million.

Barrett, the mayor of Milwaukee, said on Tuesday he was not disappointed that Obama did not campaign with him and said he kept his focus on the economic worries of Wisconsin residents. “I don’t want Wisconsin to be the experimental dish for the right wing,” Barrett said on CNN. “There are some, particularly on the other side, who do want to nationalize this. I want this to be all about Wisconsin families, about Wisconsin jobs, about the future of this state, not the future of political dreams of people who don’t live in this state.”— Reuters

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Yemen donors running out of time to stem crisis DUBAI/SANAA: Anood Al-Mikhlafi, sitting in the one-room shack she calls home in a shantytown on the outskirts of Yemen’s capital Sanaa, rues the political chaos that has engulfed her impoverished country in the past year and left her family nearly destitute. “We’ve never lived in comfort but last year pushed us to the limit and we had to sell our animals and my wedding jewelry. We have nothing to fall back on,” she says. Her husband lost his job in April after the concrete-mixing company he worked for went bankrupt. Her family pulled their children from school and sent them, illegally, to Saudi Arabia to beg and, perhaps, work. “There is simply no work left here in Sanaa. We sent them to Saudi Arabia because we had no choice,” she said.

A year of mass protests against the government and political turmoil, which forced Yemen’s long-time leader Ali Abdullah Saleh to quit in February, has left the Arabian Peninsula state on the verge of bankruptcy. The unemployment rate has shot above 50 percent in a country where some 42 percent of the population of 24 million live on less than $2 a day. Resourcerich Gulf neighbours and Western countries, who watched with mounting alarm as political crisis gave Al-Qaeda the opportunity to develop a base in Yemen from which to launch attacks around the world, last month pledged over $4 billion in aid to head off a humanitarian disaster and stabilise the state.

Yemeni experts and aid agencies such as Oxfam say that is not enough. If more

aid is not provided soon, a transition process brokered by Saudi Arabia to try and ease the political turmoil, may fall apart, they say. “For Yemen, $4 billion is not really enough. The budget is totally zero,” said Mohamed al-Maytami, economics professor at Sanaa University. “Yemen needs urgent financial support, otherwise the transition process will fail.” The transition process saw President Saleh give way to his deputy Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in Februar y after 13 months of protests against him spiralled into fighting between rival factions of Yemen’s military and saw parts of Yemen’s south fall to an Islamist militia allied to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

Yemeni government troops are now engaged in a US-backed drive to recapture territory in the south. Government officials say the country is likely to run a $2.5 billion budget deficit this year. Modest oil and gas exports, which were a vital source of foreign exchange for the government, have been hit by repeated attacks by tribesmen on pipelines since the unrest started last year. Hydrocarbons typically account for 60-70 percent of Yemen’s income and the country is losing $15 million a day as a result of the attacks, authorities have said.

With the central bank’s hard currency reserves low, the government has little room to manoeuvre. “Within the next few months the government will be bankrupt, there will be no money for the police or for the army fighting Al-Qaeda,” Abdulrahman al-Iryani, the country’s former water minis-

ter, told Reuters.

The IMF, which resumed lending to Yemen in April, approving the payment of a $93.7 million loan to help address a worsening balance of payments deficit, predicts the Yemeni economy will shrink by 0.9 percent this year. That would follow an estimated 10.5 percent contraction last year, its worst performance since the unification of the north and south of the country in 1990. The $4 billion aid pledge by international donors, agreed at a Riyadh conference last month, included $3.25 billion from host Saudi Arabia, which has a long, porous border with Yemen, and already provides it with oil.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud AlFaisal said at the conference that his country’s contribution would support agreed development projects, but did not give details on their timing. Long-term development funds, while welcome, may do little to answer an immediate humanitarian crisis and restore security, which Maytami estimates would require at least $10 billion over 2012-2013. In April, the IMF forecast gross official reserves would remain at $4 billion in 2012 and the budget gap would widen to 5 percent of gross domestic product from 4.4 percent in 2011.

Shortages of electricity, water and fuel sent prices soaring last year, and although prices have decreased somewhat from their peaks, they are still too high for lowincome families to cope with. Maytami estimates inflation is running at 25-30 percent. The Yemeni rial’s market rate has sta-

bilized at around 215 to the dollar, from about 243 at the peak of the political crisis, but its depreciation and inflation are compounding food emergencies in a country with a per capita annual income of just $2,300. “People buy affordable food that will fill them up quickly,” said Majid AlShahur y, who owns a grocer y shop in Sanaa. “Almost half of my customers buy their food on credit, some take months to pay off the bill.”

Yemeni officials told the Riyadh conference they needed $2.17 billion immediately for humanitarian and other purposes, and $5.8 billion for longer-term development and infrastructure projects. The United Arab Emirates, which has said it will give Yemen food aid worth $136 million, is considering a separate contribution. Donors will meet in Riyadh again in late June to discuss the aid pledges.

Yemen’s experience with pledges of assistance from neighbours is mixed: its planning minister has estimated that some $3 billion of $4.7 billion aid pledged by the Friends of Yemen group when it first met in 2006 has not been delivered.

Donors and some Yemeni officials have argued the chaotic security situation, as well as corrupt and dysfunctional state institutions, impede aid by making it impossible to know whether it will be spent effectively, stolen or simply wasted.

“Most of it was not used because Yemen didn’t have the capacity to absorb the money in development projects for which the money was allocated,” said Charles

Schmitz, an expert on Yemen at Towson Universit y in Mar yland in the United States.

Iryani, the former minister, said the most effec tive form of aid may be to bypass the government, and put money directly in the hands of Yemenis, abroad.

“What Yemen needs now is quick cash.

Traditional development funds now are really not going to be effective,” he said, arguing neighbouring Saudi Arabia held a possible key, albeit politically fraught, to defusing the humanitarian crisis. In the 1980s, more than 1.3 million Yemenis worked in wealthy Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and could even travel to Saudi Arabia without a visa. Since 1990, when Yemen failed to join its neighbours’ condemnation of Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, they have been largely replaced by labourers from Asia.

Yemenis working in the GCC countries in 2010 sent home an estimated $1 billion in remittances, according to a Chatham House research paper. It said security fears and concerns about potential involvement in local politics were key obstacles to employing more Yemenis in Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, a monarchy that tolerates no political organization. “ The quickest and most direct way to help Yemenis is to grant them easier access to employment in Saudi,” Iryani said. “This type of income comes directly back to poor families in Yemen and not to the government and its agents.” — Reuters

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

sp orts Soviet great Krutov dies

Britain sideline Cook again LONDON: British Taekwondo selectors kicked back at the national Olympic association yesterday by snubbing world number one Aaron Cook for the third time and again nominating his -80kg rival Lutalo Muhammad for London 2012.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) refused to ratify the choice of 59thranked Muhammad last week, when it ordered the selection committee to meet again with an official BOA observer present. The BOA confirmed that meeting had happened with Muhammad again selected and it would now go to the body’s Olympic Qualification Standards (OQS) panel.

“We will convene our own panel to decide whether we are willing to ratify the nomination or not, probably in the next 24 or 48 hours,” said BOA chief executive Andy Hunt.

The selection has been controversial because, unlike Muhammad, Cook trains independently after opting out of British Taekwondo’s world-class performance programme last year. GB Taekwondo’s performance director Gary Hall told the BBC that Muhammad, a European champion in the -87kg category where he is ranked seventh in the world, had

MOSCOW: Vladimir Krutov, part of the famous Soviet KLM offensive line with Igor Larionov and Sergei Makarov in the 1980s, died in Moscow yesterday.

Krutov was taken to a local hospital with internal bleeding in his stomach on Monday just three days after celebrating his 52nd birthday. “I’m shocked. I saw him this morning in hospital, then came back home and got this phone call that he had died,” his wife Nina told Reuters.

Russian ice hockey chief Vladislav Tretyak said on the federation’s website (www.fhr.ru): “We lost a great friend, someone with whom all of us would go to war without any doubt.” In the early 1980s, Soviet and CSKA Moscow coach Viktor Tikhonov created the famous five unit, teaming up left wing Krutov, center Larionov and right wing Makarov with

Davies gets England’s call

defensemen Vyacheslav Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov.

Krutov, nicknamed ‘the Tank’ for his stocky build and fearsome looks, won two Olympic and five world titles as a member of the Soviet national team before joining the National Hockey League (NHL) to play for the Vancouver Canucks with Larionov in 1989.

Unlike his friend and long-time linemate Larionov, who became an All-Star in the NHL, Krutov’s North American career lasted only one season. He played 61 games, scoring 11 goals for Vancouver in the 1989-90 season.

After playing a few years in Switzerland and Sweden, Krutov retired in 1996. He later briefly coached CSKA and also worked for the Russian youth training centre in Moscow. — Reuters

BIRMINGHAM: England have called Surrey wicketkeeper Steven Davies into their squad for the third Test against the West Indies here at Edgbaston as cover for first choice gloveman Matt Prior.

Sussex stumper Prior is suffering from an eye infection and an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) statement Wednesday said: “Surrey wicketkeeper Steve Davies called into Test squad as cover for Matt Prior who has an eye infection. Davies will be released tomorrow (Thursday) a.m. if not required.” Davies, 25, has yet to make his Test debut but has played eight one-day internationals and five Twenty20 matches for England.

He is currently appearing for Surrey in their ongoing County Championship match against Sussex at Horsham and will return to that fixture if England ultimately decide to do without him in Birmingham.

England had a second wicket-keeper in their original 12-man squad in Yorkshire’s Jonathan Bairstow. But in his two Test appearances, both in this series, Bairstow, the son of former England keeper David, has played as a batsman only.—AFP

Yankees thrash Rays NEW YORK: Russell Martin hit a grand slam to help stop the Yankees’ struggles with the bases loaded and Andy Pettitte was dominant again at home, leading New York Yankees to a 7-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night.

Nick Swisher hit an RBI double after Raul Ibanez was walked intentionally and the Yankees treated Rays starter James Shields to another drubbing in the Bronx. Pettitte (3-2) pitched two-hit ball for 7 13 innings, striking out 10 in New York’s ninth win in 12 games.

Shields (6-4) was sabotaged early by the Rays’ ever-shifting defense as New York scored two unearned runs in the first thanks to an error by shortstop Elliot Johnson.

The Yankees returned home from a 6-3 road trip to beat the Rays for the third time in four meetings since Tampa Bay swept a season-opening threegame series.

WASHINGTON: New York Mets center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis (top) goes over shortstop Omar Quintanilla as they try to field a single hit by Washington Nationals Jordan Zimmermann during the third inning of a baseball game. — AP

Nationals edge Mets in NL WASHINGTON: Rookie Bryce Harper hit a game-winning single with two outs in the 12th inning to give the Washington Nationals a 7-6 victory over the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

Scott Hairston hit a solo homer in the top of the 12th to give New York a 6-5 lead but the Nationals rallied when Michael Morse led off with his second double of the game, and Ian Desmond followed with another double for his third RBI. Reliever Elvin Ramirez (0-1) walked two batters to load the bases, and a fielder’s choice by Xavier Nady left the bases loaded with two outs for Harper, who lined an 0-2 pitch to left field. The ball fell just in front of a diving Vinny Rottino.

The Nationals are alone atop the National League East, a game ahead of Miami - which lost to Atlanta - and 11/2 games ahead of the Mets. Ross Detwiler (43) came on in the 11th and got the win.

Dodgers 2, Phillies 1 At Philadelphia, Elian Herrera hit a tworun double off winless Cliff Lee in the eighth inning for Los Angeles. Lee (0-3) took a two-hitter into the eighth and was a strike away from getting out of trouble before Herrera hit a 2-2 pitch off the leftfield wall to put the Dodgers ahead.

Chad Billingsley (3-4) allowed one run and six hits in seven innings. Josh Lindblom worked the eighth and Kenley Jansen finished for his eighth save in 11 tries.

Lee gave up two runs and six hits in 7 23 innings, striking out a season-high 12. His record is no indication of the way he’s pitched. The 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner has a 2.92 ERA, but has been the victim of poor run support.

Cubs 10, Brewers 0 At Milwaukee, Ryan Dempster earned his first win since last August, throwing seven innings of three-hit ball as the Chicago Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers.

Coming into Tuesday’s game, Dempster (1-3) had gone 18 straight starts without a victory - a streak dating to Aug. 16 of last season. Dempster broke his winless streak in dominant fashion, not allowing a baserunner until Cody Ransom singled to lead off the sixth.

Alfonso Soriano hit a three-run home run, Jeff Baker added a two-run shot and Bryan LaHair hit a solo homer for the Cubs, who snapped an 11-game road losing streak. Chicago’s road slide matched a franchise record set in 1954.

Braves 11, Marlins 0 At Miami, Dan Uggla hit two homers in his first game at Marlins Park and Tim Hudson pitched a five-hitter for his 13th career shutout to help the Atlanta Braves beat Miami. Uggla hit a solo homer in the fourth inning, and he scored a direct hit on the middle of the sculpture with a two-run homer in the ninth estimated at 432 feet.

That sent a thud reverberating throughout the ballpark and increased his homer total to 10 this season and 200 for his career.

Uggla also doubled and scored before hitting a two-run single to finish with four hits and five RBIs, both season highs.

Hudson (4-2) struck out three, walked three and allowed only one runner to reach third base. Anibal Sanchez (3-4) took the loss.

Pirates 8, Reds 4 At Cincinnati, Clint Barmes had three

hits and drove in three runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their homerun tear by hitting three more against the Cincinnati Reds.

Neil Walker hit a two-run homer, and Casey McGehee and Alex Presley had solo shots, giving the Pirates seven homers in their last two games.

AJ Burnett (5-2) gave up three runs and won his fourth straight start, beating the Reds for the second time in a week. Joey Votto singled home a run in the ninth, but Joel Hanrahan came on with two runners aboard and fanned three for his 15th save in 16 chances.

Pittsburgh scored six runs in only three innings off Homer Bailey (4-4), who had won his last three starts.

Astros 9, Cardinals 8 At Houston, Justin Maxwell hit a tworun homer, Jose Altuve tied a career high with four hits and the Houston Astros got to St. Louis starter Jaime Garcia early before holding on against the Cardinals.

The Astros scored four runs in the first inning and Maxwell’s homer in the second stretched their lead to 6-1. Brian Bogusevic added a solo home run in the fourth and Chris Snyder drove in two runs for Houston. Garcia (3-4) yielded five hits and the six runs tied his season high, set against the Astros earlier this season. The loss drops the left-hander to 0-5 in seven career starts against Houston. He has allowed at least three runs in each of those starts.

Houston star ter Lucas Harrell (5-4) allowed eight hits and four runs - three earned - in six innings to improve to 4-0 in five home starts this season.

D’backs 10, Rockies 0 At Phoenix, Ian Kennedy matched his career high with 12 strikeouts in six innings, Jason Kubel drove in five runs and the Arizona Diamondbacks roughed up the Colorado Rockies.

Gerardo Parra had a solo homer among his four hits, Aaron Hill hit a two-run shot and the Diamondbacks had a season-high 17 hits after being shut out by Colorado the night before.

Kubel also had a two-run homer and Arizona knocked Rockies starter Jeremy Guthrie (3-4) around for seven runs to give Kennedy (5-5) a rare burst of run support.

The right-hander backed up one of his best starts of the season with another solid performance, joining Randy Johnson as the only Arizona pitchers with 12 or more strikeouts in six innings or less.

Padres 6, Giants 5 At San Diego, Logan Forsythe hit his first major league home run leading off the ninth inning to lift the San Diego Padres over the San Francisco Giants.

Forsythe smacked a 1-0 pitch from Steve Edlefsen (0-1) into the second deck in left field. Huston Street (1-0), who came off the disabled list earlier in the day, pitched the ninth for the win, escaping a bases-loaded jam when Buster Posey hit into a force play. San Diego’s Carlos Quentin hit his first two home runs at Petco Park, giving him five since coming off the disabled list last week.

Tim Lincecum appeared to have earned his first victor y since April 28 before Jeremy Affeldt allowed Quentin’s shot to straightaway center with one out in the eighth to level the game at 5. — AP

Rangers 6, Athletics 3 At Oakland, Ian Kinsler hit a two-run double and Josh Hamilton also doubled in a run to back Derek Holland as Texas beat Oakland.

Yorvit Torrealba hit a sacrifice fly, Adrian Beltre singled twice and Holland (5-4) pitched 5 1-3 innings - looking far stronger than in his last start.

The left-hander struck out two, walked two and allowed three runs on seven hits. That was a big improvement from the eight runs he gave up in last Wednesday’s 21-8 loss to Seattle. A’s starter Travis Blackley (0-1) allowed five runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Angels 6, Mariners 1 At Anaheim, Mark Trumbo homered twice, going 4 for 4 with four RBIs, and Garrett Richards pitched seven innings for his first major league win as Los Angeles beat Seattle.

Torii Hunter also went deep to back Richards (10), who allowed a run and four hits, walked two and struck out eight against an offense that averaged 9.2 runs over its previous six games.

The 24-year-old right-hander allowed only one hit through the first 4 2-3 innings - a leadoff homer

by Michael Richards in the third. Blake Beavan (3-5) pitched five innings and gave up six runs on 10 hits in five innings, including all three homers.

Orioles 8, Red Sox 6 At Boston, Ronny Paulino ended a hitless night with an RBI single in the 10th inning to drive in the go-ahead run as Baltimore hung on for a win. The Orioles recovered from Jim Johnson’s first blown save opportunity of the season when Jarrod Saltalammachia hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie it 6-all.

Instead of getting his 18th save, Johnson (1-0) got his first win with a perfect 10th as Baltimore improved to 4-0 at Fenway Park this season.

Alfredo Aceves (0-3) walked Mark Reynolds to lead off the 10th and he advanced to second on a bunt

by Steve Pearce. Paulino followed with a single to center.

Indians 4, Tigers 2 At Detroit, Ubaldo Jimenez pitched impressively into the seventh inning and Cleveland hit three run-scoring triples off rookie Drew Smyly in a win over Detroit.

Jimenez (6-4) allowed a run and five hits in 6 2-3 innings, striking out four and walking only one.

The right-hander entered the game with 42 walks in 56 innings this year. Chris Perez allowed a run in the ninth but held on for his 18th save in 19 chances. Asdrubal Cabrera, Lou Marson and Michael Brantley each hit RBI triples for Cleveland, which became the third team this season to hit three triples in a game. Smyly (2-2) allowed four runs and six hits in six innings.

Blue Jays 9, White Sox 5 At Chicago, Colby Rasmus went 5 for 5 with a homer to help Ricky Romero earn his seventh win as Toronto beat the White Sox. Rasmus and David Cooper each hit a two-run homer in the fifth off Phil Humber and both finished with three RBIs in Toronto’s 13-hit attack.

Romero (7-1) pitched seven-plus innings, allowing six hits and five runs - three earned. He gave up an unearned run in the first, a two-run homer to A.J. Pierzynski in the seventh after Toronto had built a 7-1 lead, and a solo shot to Adam Dunn in the eighth before departing. Humber (2-3) lasted only five innings, giving up seven hits, five runs and four walks.

Royals 1, Twins 0 At Kansas City, Bruce Chen outdueled Francisco Liriano to make a lone run scored in the second inning stand up, giving Kansas City a win over Minnesota.

Chen (5-5) allowed four hits without a walk to win his fifth in six starts. The 34-year-old lefty relied on veteran guile to strike out five without allowing a runner past second.

Liriano (1-6) allowed only four hits in six innings, but three of them came in the second when the Twins’ failure to turn a double play proved costly. It allowed Brayan Pena to send an RBI single rolling through the left side of the infield for the game’s only run. Jonathan Broxton worked a shaky ninth for his 14th save of the season. — AP

NEW YORK: Yankees’ Russell Martin (right) is greeted by teammate Derek Jeter after he hit a grand slam during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays. — AP

MLB results/standings NY Yankees 7, Tampa Bay 0; Cleveland 4, Detroit 2; Washington 7, NY Mets 6 (12 innings); LA Dodgers 2, Philadelphia 1; Baltimore 8, Boston 6 (10 innings); Atlanta 11, Miami 0; Pittsburgh 8, Cincinnati 4; Houston 9, St. Louis 8; Chicago Cubs 10, Milwaukee 0; Toronto 9, Chicago White Sox 5; Kansas City 1, Minnesota 0; Arizona 10, Colorado 0; San Diego 6, San Francisco 5; LA Angels 6, Seattle 1;Texas 6, Oakland 3.

American League National League Eastern Division Eastern Division Washington 31 22 .585 W L PCT GB Miami 31 24 .564 1 Tampa Bay 31 24 .564 NY Mets 31 25 .554 1.5 31 24 .564 Baltimore Atlanta 30 25 .545 2 NY Yankees 30 24 .556 .5 Philadelphia 28 29 .491 5 Toronto 29 26 .527 2 Central Division Boston 28 27 .509 3 Cincinnati 30 24 .556 Central Division Pittsburgh 28 26 .519 2 Chicago White Sox31 24 .564 St. Louis 28 28 .500 3 29 25 .537 1.5 Cleveland Milwaukee 24 31 .436 6.5 Detroit 25 30 .455 6 Houston 24 31 .436 6.5 Kansas City 24 30 .444 6.5 Chicago Cubs 19 36 .345 11.5 Minnesota 21 34 .382 10 Western Division Western Division LA Dodgers 35 21 .625 Texas 33 23 .589 San Francisco 31 25 .554 4 Arizona 26 30 .464 9 29 28 .509 4.5 LA Angels Colorado 24 31 .436 10.5 Seattle 25 33 .431 9 San Diego 19 37 .339 16 Oakland 24 32 .429 9

New Jersey Devils center Jacob Josefson (16) reaches to control the puck in this file photo.

Devils put on brave face before Game Four clash LOS ANGELES: Staring into the abyss with the prospect of a humbling four-game sweep from the Stanley Cup finals, the New Jersey Devils put on a brave face and said all the right things on Tuesday as they prepared to face the Los Angeles Kings. But the smiles seemed forced and the words weary as the rattled Devils trotted out a few well-worn, backs-against-the-wall cliches, mustering up as much defiance as they could before their do-or-die Game Four late yesterday.

“I think it’s an opportunity we have to stay alive,” Devils netminder Martin Brodeur said. “We have to compete tomorrow and we’ll see where that’s going to bring us. “We put ourselves in that position. Credit to those guys, they’ve been playing real well. “Everything they touch turns to gold.” The Kings will be hoping to touch silver after Game Four- Lord Stanley’s treasured mug that has eluded them in their 45 years as a franchise. New Jersey has hoisted the Cup three times but has watched a fourth slip away, starting with a pair of 2-1 overtime losses at home that left them ruing their bad luck and believing a break here or there would have had them in the driver’s seat.

“I think we’ve played some good hockey and the bounces haven’t gone our way,” said Devils forward David Clarkson. “This is part of the way things go. This is the playoffs.

“Bounces go your way or don’t. We’re not

going to give up. “I think last game we did a lot of good things. I don’t think the score showed for how well we played at certain times.”

Coming back has required a bit of California dreaming for the Devils. Only one team, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, has ever clawed back from 3-0 down to steal the Cup. “We haven’t talked about the statistics of the situation we’re in,” said Devils coach Peter DeBoer. “We feel we don’t belong in the hole we’re in right now based on the way we’ve played, but we are. “Got to stick with it and win one game. That’s where it starts.

“We’re down 3-0. I think we played better than the situation indicates. But that’s hockey.” A good place to look for answers would be the Devils’ sputtering powerplay that has gone 0-for-12 in the series. With just two goals in three games, the Devils also need to generate some offense and make life a little more difficult for Kings netminder Jonathan Quick.

The Devils have grudgingly given Quick the proper amount of respect but point out that they have beaten other top netminders this postseason, including the New York Rangers’ Vezina trophy finalist Henrik Lundqvist.

“We’ve got to convert,” said Devils captain Zach Parise. “I think last game we had some good opportunities early, power plays, we’re just not cashing in when we need to and they are. That’s been the difference. —Reuters

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

sp orts

Olympic flame crosses Irish border, tours Dublin DUBLIN: The Olympic flame went on a crossborder peace mission yesterday to Dublin to celebrate Northern Ireland reconciliation and strong British-Irish ties.

A convoy sped the symbol of the London Games to the Irish capital after a dawn ceremony at the border between the Republic of Ireland and the British territory of Northern Ireland. There, two Olympic medal-winning boxers and former teammates - one a British Protestant from Belfast, the other an Irish Catholic from Dublin - embraced and held aloft their two torches.

Belfast bantamweight Wayne McCullough, who won silver in Barcelona in 1992, lit the torch held by Michael Carruth, who won gold as a welterweight 20 years ago. Then McCullough kissed his old friend on his bald head to laughs and cheers from a few hundred locals from both sides of the border.

Ireland’s head of state, President Michael D. Higgins, officially welcomed the flame’s arrival in Dublin at the Irish Olympic headquarters in the suburban fishing port of Howth. Several thousand spectators packed the harbor as Higgins declared that the Olympic flame “shone for the spirit of sport and unity.”

After another high-speed transit past rushhour traffic along Dublin Bay, the flame took a

panoramic tour on a newly opened walkway atop Croke Park, the 82,000-seat cathedral for Ireland’s native sports of Gaelic football and hurling.

Henry Shefflin, a 33-year-old former captain of Ireland’s most dominant hurling team, Kilkenny, walked alone along the wind-swept concourse 132 feet (44 meters) above the ground.

Scores of torch bearers, many of them local celebrities from Irish sports and entertainment, carried the flame down Dublin’s main boulevard of O’Connell Street, along the River Liffey across a harp-shaped bridge, past medieval cathedrals to the government headquarters. There Ronnie Delany - at 77 years old, Ireland’s oldest living Olympic champion - posed with torch in hand beside Prime Minister Enda Kenny and Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore.

“I got an emotional buzz,” said Delany, who won gold in the 1500-meter race at the Melbourne Games in 1956. “I’m not the most emotional person in the world, but my 10 grandchildren were there, I saw them all, and I actually had tears in my eyes, because they’re all so beautiful and so young.

“And they never see papa in this guise,” he said, gesturing to his white Olympic track suit.

“I’m normally that grumpy old fella at home.

And suddenly I’m grandpa the great athlete.”

Sonia O’Sullivan, Ireland’s most celebrated runner, who took silver in the 5000 meters in Sydney in 2000, carried the torch through a crowd of more than 20,000 packed into Dublin’s central park, St. Stephen’s Green, to light the cauldron concluding the Dublin relay.

O’Sullivan, who is now leader of the Irish Olympic delegation to London, said persuading British organizers to bring the torch to Dublin would motivate the Irish athletes to train harder.

“You need something like this to remind you how much Olympic sport means to Irish people,” said O’Sullivan, 42, who may be better remembered internationally for her gut-wrenching performance at the Athens Games in 2004. Ill with a stomach bug, she collapsed and struggled home last in the 5000 meters, crying as the crowd cheered her on.

In a bizarre ad-lib conclusion, Dublin pop duo Jedward - John and Edward Grimes, identical-twin brothers with seemingly bulletproof, skyrocketing hairdos - got on stage to make a range of excited, semi-coherent comments to the crowd, O’Sullivan and Lord Mayor John Montague, whom they called “this guy.” Earlier, Jedward had carried the torch together down O’Connell Street past hundreds of screaming teenage girls. “Everybody make noise because

we didn’t, like, light our hair on fire!” John Grimes joked to the crowd.

While even the most obscure Irish Olympic figures featured in the event, the country’s greatest medal-winner, swimmer Michelle Smith de Bruin, was not involved. Smith won three golds and a bronze in Atlanta in 1996 amid widespread suspicions of doping.

She was kicked out of the sport in 1998 for spiking her urine sample with whiskey in an apparent bid to cloak the presence of a bodybuilding drug. She was allowed to keep her Olympic medals, but her achievement has rarely been mentioned in Ireland since. The flame returned to Northern Ireland in the afternoon for torch relays through the border town of Newry, the British Army garrison town of Lisburn, and a planned 2 1/2-hour circuit of Belfast concluding with a street party in front of Belfast City Hall.

Northern Ireland police said they were deploying reinforcements to ensure that Irish Republican Army splinter groups or their supporters do not spoil the celebrations.

On Sunday, IRA supporters jostling with police at a security barrier forced the torch to divert its course in Northern Ireland’s secondlargest city, Londonderry. That five-minute disruption has been the only trouble so far for the

Olympic cavalcade. The event has highlighted how relatively calm Northern Ireland has become after a four-decade conflict that claimed 3,700 lives and five years of a stable Catholic-Protestant government. Several small IRA factions do continue to oppose the 2005 decision of the major group, the Provisional IRA, to renounce violence and disarm, and have tried to make their presence felt during the Olympic visit.

Earlier in the day Wednesday, shortly after midnight, a grenade was thrown at a police vehicle on the outskirts of Catholic west Belfast after officers responded to reports that a house had been attacked by vandals. Two civilian cars absorbed the brunt of the blast, and nobody was injured. The attack happened nowhere near the route of the Belfast torch relay.

On Saturday, another grenade hit a police vehicle in a Catholic part of Londonderry as officers searched a home. That vehicle suffered heavy damage but no officers were hurt.

The flame is scheduled to leave Northern Ireland late Thursday for Scotland. More than 8,000 torchbearers are carrying the flame throughout the United Kingdom, and the British islands of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, in advance of the July 27-Aug. 12 London Games.—AP

Celtics control East, beat Heat

FRANCE: British Bradley Wiggins (right) rides during the third stage of the 64th edition of the Dauphine Criterium cycling race.—AFP

Hagen wins Dauphine stage LA CLAYETTE: Team Sky rider Edvald Boasson Hagen prevailed in a sprint to win the third stage of the Dauphine Libere here yesterday.

The Norwegian’s teammate, Bradley Wiggins, retained the overall leader’s jersey on the eve of the 53.5 kilometre time trial in Bourg-en-Bresse.

Boasson Hagen clinched the 167km stage from Germany’s Gerald Ciolek with Borut Bozic of Slovenia taking third. The 25-year-old Scandinavian, who picked up two stage wins on the Tour de France last year, was claiming his second stage victory in the Dauphine two years after his first.

He said: “The priority is the yellow and blue jersey for Bradley. “But today I had more freedom. I positioned myself in the slipstream of Gerald Ciolek and waited until the last 150 metres before making my move. “It’s been a very good week. For the Tour (de France) - I’ll be there to help (Mark) Cavendish and Wiggins.

“If I have the chance I’ll try to make an

impression but that would be a bonus. I’m there first of all to help the team. I’m thrilled to be in this outfit.”

Wiggins, looking ahead to Thursday, said: “The time trial is super important. It’s rare to have a race against the clock over 53 kilometres. It’ll sort out the men from the boys.

“It’s going to be the most important day of the week, with Saturday’s stage.” Reflecting on his colleagues he added: “The team is great, no matter what state you are in, you are nothing without a team. Without my teammates, I’m nothing. It’s a very strong group, we’re probably the most professional team in the world, on every level.”

The day’s ride was marked by an early breakaway by Egoi Martinez and Luis Angel Mate, the Spanish duo quickly establishing a six-minute lead over the main pack.

They were eventually reeled in 16km from the finish. In the general classification Wiggins conserved his one-second advantage over Australian Tour de France winner Cadel Evans.—AFP

MIAMI: Kevin Garnett finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds and Paul Pierce hit a 3-pointer over LeBron James with under a minute left as the Boston Celtics moved one win away from an Eastern Conference title by beating the Miami Heat 94-90 on Tuesday night.

Pierce scored 19 points for the Celtics, who have won three straight games for a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is today in Boston.

“We’ve done nothing,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “We’re playing a heck of a basketball team. So just because we’re going to Boston, I told them, we have to play. They’re not going to give it to us. We have to go get it.”

James finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, though he went 8 minutes without scoring in the final quarter. Dwyane Wade scored 27 for the Heat, who got no more than nine from anyone else. “We wouldn’t want to be in this situation but we never get too high or too low in a series,” James said. “We had an opportunity to come home and take a lead, but we didn’t. So we have to go up to Boston and win a game.”

Pierce’s 3 put Boston up 90-86. Miami got within two points twice, and argued that it should have had a steal with 8.8 seconds left.

Instead, a foul was called on Udonis Haslem, Garnett made two free throws, and the Celtics knew they had just stolen one on Miami’s home floor. Now all they need is one home win of their own to clinch a trip to either Oklahoma City or San Antonio for Game 1 of the NBA finals. The title series starts June 12. “Right now,” Celtics guard Ray Allen said, “the next game is Game 7.”

The Celtics were down by 13 points in the second quarter, then down nine in the third, and answered both times - prevailing on a night where they shot just 41 percent, and got outrebounded 49-39.

“We stayed with it,” Garnett said. “We had a rough first quarter, first half. We got our stops and made our run ourselves. And when we had to, we had stops.” Allen and Mickael Pietrus scored 13 apiece for the Celtics, who got 10 from Brandon Bass. Pietrus hit two huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for Boston, which remained perfect with this core when facing maybe the most pivotal situation a best-of-seven can offer - a Game 5 with a series tied 2-2.

Pierce, Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen

are now 9-0 in that scenario. “We came in with the right focus,” Pierce said. “That was key for us.” So Game 5s are magical for Boston. Sometimes, they are for James as well. And sometimes - this one included - they’re not.

James’ most memorable moments have come in Game 5s, like the epic 48 points where he just carried Cleveland on every possession down the stretch at Detroit in 2007, and the 120-88 loss to the Celtics in 2010, his last home game with the Cavaliers. This one offered more theater, of course. James hit a 3-pointer to give Miami a twopoint lead with 8:10 left, closed out on Pierce to force an airball on the next possession, and eventually Miami pushed the margin out to 78-72 on a layup by Wade with 6:17 to play. On that play, James looked gassed, gasping for air as he stood near the baseline.

Those might have been the last gasps the Miami home crowd sees this season. Boston closed on a 22-12 run. “Every time we got them down, they made runs,” James said. “They made us stagnant offensively, got stops and got back in the game.” Boston tied the game twice early in the third quarter, before Miami peeled off nine straight points to go up 59-50. Four players scored for the Heat during that quick burst, highlighted by Shane Battier’s corner 3-pointer and a lazy turnover from Rondo, who threw the ball into the backcourt without being pressured by any Miami defender.

But just as they did in the first half when Miami looked poised to pull away, the Celtics rallied - and then some. A 15-1 run gave the Celtics a truckload of momentum and 65-60 lead going into the fourth, capped by Keyon Dooling connecting on a 3-pointer from near the Miami bench with 2 seconds left.

There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter, and the game was tied for the final time when Wade made an acrobatic layup with 1:39 to play. Miami never led again. “We played hard,” Battier said. “We just didn’t play intelligent.”

Miami didn’t lead by more than eight points at any time in the three previous games of the series. The Heat changed that quickly, and maybe it was fitting that Chris Bosh got them their first double-digit advantage since Game 1. Bosh came off the bench for his first minutes since straining a lower abdominal muscle in Game 1 of Miami’s second-round series against Indiana. —AP

MIAMI: Chris Bosh goes to the basket against Paul Pierce (left) and Brandon Bass (right) during the third quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics against Miami Heat. —AP

Preview

Confident Wales primed to punish wounded Wallabies SYDNEY: Wales arrived in Australia this week brimming with confidence they can move up to rugby’s top table by breaking their 25-year southern hemisphere hoodoo in an intriguing three-test series against the Wallabies this month. The series, which opens with the first test in Brisbane on Saturday, pits the Six Nations champions against the Tri-Nations winners and also provides something of an appetiser for next year’s British and Irish Lions tour Down Under.

Wales have not taken a major scalp in the southern hemisphere since beating Australia at the 1987 World Cup, however, and the Wallabies won both encounters at the back end of last season, including the World Cup third place playoff.

Since then, though, the young Welsh team have secured a Grand Slam in the Six Nations and are bursting with confidence they can reproduce the sort of fearless displays that took them to the World Cup semi-finals last year.

“The history books are against us... but the thing about these guys is they are very young... and they want to make their own history,” Wales defensive coach Shaun Edwards said.

“The thing that rankles them is they’ve never beaten Australia and that will be a big driving force for them, to rectify that in Australia.”

Australia have high standards and their own semi-final departure at the World Cup at the hands of the All Blacks was considered something of a failure.

Injury means they will be without the “Three Amigos” of talented backs Kurtley Beale, James O’Connor and Quade Cooper as well as lock and skipper James Horwill for the series, which also includes tests in Melbourne and Sydney.

They also crashed to a shock 9-6 defeat at the hands of Scotland in their opening match of the year on Tuesday, a fixture just three days after the final round of Super Rugby that has disrupted their preparations for the Welsh.

Coach Robbie Deans will take some solace from the fact that Australia rebounded from a similar upset at the hands of Samoa last year and scrumhalf Will Genia promised a marked improvement at Lang Park on Saturday.

“It won’t be good enough, we need to go away and take a hard look at ourselves,” he said.

“Hopefully we’ll get a chance to play rugby in better conditions but it’s a learning experience and a very tough one at that. “(But) there’s no

fear, it’s another test match. It’s a new game.

We’ll learn what we need to learn from this experience and we’ll move on. The last time we had a result like this against Samoa, good things came from it...”

Genia’s contest against Wales scrumhalf Mike Phillips will be one of several intriguing personal battles in the series - the little Australian general against the hulking Welshman who plays like a fourth loose forward. After failing to follow through on the Grand Slams of 2005 and 2008, Phillips said the Welsh were determined to ensure this year’s feat formed the foundation of a move back into the top echelons of test rugby for the principality. “It’s all about winning and we want to carry on in that way and move to the next level,” he said. “We want to push on and get the next big scalp.”

Despite the tour coming on the back of a long, hard season, Edwards said the Welsh were in good shape with hulking centre Jamie Roberts and hooker Huw Bennett the only notable absentees. Skipper Sam Warburton will be back after three months on the sidelines to go head-to-head in another fascinating duel with Australian openside flanker David Pocock, who skippered the Wallabies against Scotland.

The Australian pack’s increasing confidence that they can take on anyone in the world in the tight should be sorely tested by the Welsh, while the visitors’ hulking backline will be another challenge.

Australia showed they have few peers defensively with a incredible performance against South Africa in the World Cup quarter-finals and their main concern, unusually, might be about where their offensive spark might come from.

With their first four flyhalf choices unavailable, Deans has been reduced to choosing between Berrick Barnes, who has been struggling for form, and the inexperienced Mike Harris, a solid if unspectacular playmaker.

Edwards, who will be working under Rob Howley on the tour in the continued absence of the injured head coach Warren Gatland, warned, however, that the hosts should never be underestimated.

“Every time you play against Australia, you are playing against a very good team, whoever puts on that green and gold jersey is going to be a very good player,” Edwards said. —Reuters

Red Bull King of the Rock qualifications on June 14 at the Marina Basketball Courts One-on-One basketball tournament in Kuwait KUWAIT: On June 14, Kuwait will host the qualifier for the Red Bull King of the Rock, a one-on-one basketball tournament that will take place at the Marina Basketball Courts. Sixty-four of Kuwait’s most talented one-on-one basketball players will fight tooth and nail to advance to the final 16 which will take place on June 21 at the same place. The winner will earn a “golden ticket” to compete in the Finals on Alcatraz, San Francisco.

There are only two options: win and continue on, or lose and go home. Games will last five minutes and will be subject to regulation hoops rules and scoring (two and three pointers). Only the first 64 players to register will be accepted into the competition, so players should arrive starting 5:00pm if they want to compete.

The qualifier is open to amateur and pros alike, however players must be 16 years of age or older to participate. Participants under the age of 18 will need to have a parent or guardian present to sign a waiver at the qualifier.

Abdo Chidiac, a Lebanese pro-

fessional basketball player will be the competition director and responsible for the overall competition and the athlete management.

Chidiac was part of the Lebanese National Basketball Team for 15 years. He also played for several professional clubs most notably Sagesse where he won the Arab Basketball Championship in 1998 and FIBA Asia Championship in 1999.

Chidiac a well-known three

pointer won the Lebanese Basketball league twice and achieved many individual accolades and accomplishments including several Defensive Player of the year and was among the top 5 scorers for five years.

In 2010, Red Bull King of the Rock went down in history as the first official sporting event ever to be held on Alcatraz and the first time basketball had been played on The Rock since the inmates left the

island over 50 years ago. Now in its third year, the global one-on-one basketball tournament will return with the most competitive field to date. Bigger and better than ever, Red Bull King of the Rock has expanded to qualifiers in 27 countries, including 33 in the United States. From these qualifiers, 64 finalists will head to the island to put it all on the line in The Yard on Alcatraz on September 22.

The 64 finalists will include: the top player from the 24 international final qualifiers; the top player from each of the 33 U.S. qualifiers; the five top runners-up from the U.S. qualifiers; and returning champions Izeah “Clutch” Bowman (2010) and Hugh “Baby Shaq” Jones (2011).

International qualifiers will take place in the following countries: Dominican Republic, Georgia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Slovak Republic, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Jamaica, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, Canada and Ukraine.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

S P ORT S

Mariam third in Asia rankings KUWAIT: Kuwait and Arab Shooting Champion Mariam Erzouqi was third in the general rankings of Asia in the 10M Air Rifle for June 2012 by collecting 956 points. The number of registered shooters in this decipline is 154. Chinese shooter Siling Ha was first with 4422 points and Li Di second with 1175.

Meanwhile the Kuwait Shooting Community was very pleased when the ASC rankings were announced for June 2012, as shooter Abdallah Al-Turqi Al-Rashidi was first in the Skeet event with 1599 points, Qatar’s Nasser Al-Atiya was second with 1161 and UAE’s Saeed Al-Maktoum was third with 589, UAE’s Saif bin Futees remained in fourth place, and India’s Man Singh ended in fifth place with 450 points. The Arab shooters mentioned above will represent the Asian continent in the London 2012 Olympics.

In the Double trap event Kuwait’s Fuhaid AlDaihani came in first with 1614, after fierce competition with the Asian shooters all year long, while UAE’s Jumaa al Maktoum second and China’s Jon Li was third.

In the trap event Kuwait’s shooter Talal Abdallah Al-Rashidi placed second with 806, while India’s shooter Sandhi Singh was first with 1292 points, and Kuwait’s Khalid Al-Mudhaf was third with 653.

Secretary General of Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations Obaid Al-Osaimi said the achievements of Kuwait male and female national teams in placing in higher rankings deserves appreciation and it adds to Kuwait shooting achievements.

He said Kuwait shooters like Mariam Erzouqi, Shahad Al-Hawal, Sheikha Al-Rashidi, Heba Erzouqi, Sarah Al-Hawal and Iman Al-Shamma are making great progress as women shooting started to make a mark at the international level.

He said Kuwait shooting congratulates its champions who deservedly took those rankings through their efforts and struggle to have Kuwait’s name in prominence around the world.

Al-Osaimi lauded the great efforts being made by President of the Asian and Kuwait Shooting Federations Sheikh Salman Sabah AlSalem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah to move the Asian shooting to new heights.

Mariam Erzouqi

Abdallah Rashidi

Fuhaid Al-Daihani

Khalid Al-Mudhaf

Navelim YC crowned champions GOA ROLLING TROPHY KUWAIT: Man of the match Ryan Luis scored in the dying minutes to give Navelim YC a hard fought 3-2 victory over Skynet Raiders SC in a heart stopping final of the 18th edition of the GOA Rolling Trophy, organized by Goan Overseas Association (Goa Maroons) under the auspices of KIFF and sponsored by Charles D’Sa of Bassem International Trading Company at the MOH ground, Shuwaikh (Kuwait).

In a match of fluctuating fortunes blessed with excellent weather conditions and witnessed by an unusually large crowd, Navelim YC took the early initiative with Duarte Ferrao’s precise cross in the 5th minute which was safely negotiated by the Skynet defense and soon after that Navelim captain Cruzedio was caught marginally offside from a through ball by Bernard Pires.

However Skynet Raiders playing their first ever final, soon got their act together with Marcelino making a fine run down the left flank and nearly scoring but Navelim keeper Adriano was equal to the task, just tipping the ball over the post. In the ensuing corner, Duresh Naik scored the first goal of the game in the 14th minute for Skynet Raiders when he was first to react in the goalmouth melee.

Navelim came back strongly and with some clever ball possession got back on level terms when Cruzedio scored just minutes before the half time whistle, 1-1. In the second half Tiago’s free kick from just outside the eighteen yard box deflected off the Navelim wall and screamed past the outstretched hands of the Navelim keeper to give Skynet Raiders the lead once again, 2-1. But the lead was not to last too long as Cruzedio was once again in the thick of action when he accurately found Duarte who made no mistake to level the scores 2-2.

With the match looking like going into extra time, Skynet substituted their captain Alex and Marcelino in the defense and this gave the opening for hard working Ryan Luis to find the gap in the Skynet left flank and score the all important winning goal for Navelim, 3-2. Referee Pascoal did a fine job

Julio Cardoso receiving achievement award

Goa Rolling Trophy champions Navelim YC

and was ably assisted by Robert and Arnold on the lines.

Before the start of the presentation ceremony, Kuwait’s master compere Lloyd D’souza was on hand to introduce veteran Goa Maroons soccer player Julio Cardoso, who has been an active committee member and player for the last 18 years with the club. Cardoso was honored with a plaque by GOA President Raymond D’Sa for his contribution to the club, sports and entertainment activities in Kuwait.

Captain Cruzedio and his jubilant team mates collected the glittering GOA Rolling Cup and the individual trophies from the hands of chief guest and sponsor Charles D’Sa, while Tony Correia the V. President and Ian D’Souza the Jt.

Secretary of GOA gave away the runners-up and keep sake trophies to Skynet Raiders.

KIFF President Fidelis Fernandes was in the presentation party to hand over the Man of the Match to Ryan Luis along with the chief guest. GOA President Raymond D’Sa speaking on the occasion thanked Charles D’Sa for his support for the last 7 years and also thanked KIFF Managing Committee, all the participating teams, the spectators, Gasper Almeida of Goa-World.Com, A V Fernandes of Goa-Kranti, Indiansinkuwait.com, local English Dailies Kuwait Times and Arab Times and other media partners for their support and coverage in making the tournament a huge success.

Ryan Luis receiving man of match award

Talal Al-Rashidi

Magnussen plots record, gold and a new tattoo SYDNEY: I.VIII.MMXII - that is what Australian sprint swimming sensation James Magnussen wants more than anything to have tattooed on his chest after the London Olympics.

The 21-year-old has promised himself a trip to the tattoo parlor if, as he and many others expect, he wins Olympic gold in the 100 metres freestyle.

While the gold medal remains an “if” for the confident Magnussen, he views claiming the world record in the blue riband sprint as almost a “when” as he continues his preparations for his London Olympics. Magnussen swam the fastest time of the year (47.10 seconds) by some margin to win the 100m at his country’s Olympic trials earlier this year and now sees Brazilian Cesar Cielo’s world mark of 46.91 as the only thing he has to reach for. “I’m pretty confident about getting that world record, I got close to it at the national trials and I’ve done everything within my power to improve my performances since then,” he told reporters yesterday. “If it comes, it comes. If I was to get the gold medal and not the world record, I wouldn’t be disappointed. However, if I got the world record and not the gold medal, that would be a different story. “I’m pretty confident I’ll get it, but it’s not my utmost goal.”

Magnussen, who exploded on to the world stage with a swim of 48.29 to win gold at last year’s Shanghai world championships, may be a locked-in favorite to win the title but if he is feeling any pressure he is not showing it.

“It has felt for a long time now that Olympics has been coming really fast but now that it is so close, to be honest, it feels like it’s slowed down a little,” he said.

“But for me it’s just business as usual. I feel pretty relaxed about what’s around the corner.

My day-to-day life hasn’t changed much so I’m pretty relaxed still.” In fact, he told a news conference after being announced as an ambassador for Commonwealth Bank, he has always thrived when there were high expectations.

“To get out there and know that you con-

trol the situation and that you carry the hopes of 20 million people yourself is something that I embrace, that I most enjoy,” he said. “You could go right back to swimming carnivals when I was five or six years old when I was expected to win because I was the biggest in the year, I’ve always enjoyed it. “I just enjoy that, the acknowledgement of my talents is something I get confidence from to the extent that if I was to swim at a carnival where nobody knew who I was, or expected me to do well, it would be a let down.

“I enjoy it and have embraced it and it’s something I’m using to spur me on in London.”

Magnussen said he would have no races in public before he headed to London, although there would be a few in private at the Australian Institute for Sport in Canberra.

He will begin his “taper” - easing up on training - towards the Games in about four weeks and said his advice for his rivals remained the same as it was after the Olympic trials. “I think “brace yourselves” pretty much sums it up,” he said. “I’m in a better place now than I was at the Olympic trials, where I raced with a bit of sickness. I think that was actually one of my poorer races. “So I’m sure that says enough to my competition without having to come up with any more one-liners.” Asked about the tattoo of the Greek letter “alpha” on his forearm, Magnussen said it was “something like” a reference to the Alpha male, and a reminder of the tough times he experienced when he first left home.

“It’s just a reminder that things are pretty easy now and when things get tough in training, I can look down and say ‘remember that it wasn’t always like this, harden up’,” he said.

“I’m also planning to get the Olympic rings just down on my ribs and if I was to get a world record or an Olympic gold medal, I’d like to get the date of that in Roman numerals. So I’m pretty keen for that.” The date of the 100 metres final in London? I.VIII.MMXII, or Aug. 1, 2012. —-Reuters

Canada can be seventh heaven for Schumacher LONDON: Michael Schumacher has won seven Formula One world championships, seven Canadian Grands Prix and has the number seven on his Mercedes.

If it all falls into place for him in Montreal on Sunday, the 43-year-old German could also find himself in seventh heaven as the unprecedented seventh different winner in seven races so far this season. Schumacher is a long shot, given that he has just two points to his credit and has not stood on the grand prix podium since he ended three years of retirement in 2010, but not as much as some might suspect.

He showed a flash of his former brilliance in Monaco two weeks ago, his car is now a proven winner and he looked on course for a podium in Canada last year before having to settle for fourth. The former Ferrari great would have been on pole in Monaco had he not picked up a five-place grid penalty at the previous race in Spain, and that performance provided a timely boost. “The race in Montreal is usually actionpacked, like we saw last year. The characteristics of the circuit should suit us, and we are counting on our car performing well there,” said Schumacher. “A trip to Montreal is always worth it and let’s hope we can make our trip this year especially worthwhile.” Another qualifying performance like Monaco would hand Schumacher another seven - his seventh Montreal pole - but the first step is to make sure the car is reliable. Schumacher is a distant 18th in the standings while Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso leads on 76 points with Red Bull’s double cham-

pion Sebastian Vettel and Australian Mark Webber both tied on 73.

His own team mate Nico Rosberg, a winner in China in April, has 59 points. “Michael has suffered several technical problems and our priority is to give him a problem-free weekend in Montreal,” said Mercedes motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug in a preview for the race. “As his fastest qualifying time in Monaco demonstrated, Michael has the speed to compete at the front.” While the season has been one of the most unpredictable, Montreal also has fame as a circuit that throws up surprises. Last year’s rain-hit race was the longest ever, ending after more than four hours, and Schumacher has plenty of rivals with experience of winning there. On paper, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton looks one of the strongest prospects at a circuit that gave him his first victory in 2007.

The Briton is a past master of Montreal, on pole three times in four visits to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and winner there twice, and has his eyes on McLaren’s 150th pole - something the 2008 world champion was denied in Spain due to a fuel error. “This is turning into a unique season,” Hamilton said before heading across the Atlantic for what will be the first of two North American rounds this year with a new race scheduled for Austin, Texas, in November. “Even though everything hasn’t gone right for us, I’m confident that myself and the team are doing everything we can to ensure we’re in the best possible position to challenge for victory. —Reuters

19

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

SPORTS

Nadal and Ferrer in Spanish showdown

PARIS: Russia’s Maria Sharapova returns the ball to Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi during their quarterfinal match in the French Open tennis tournament.—AP

Sharapova and Kvitova in French Open semis PARIS: Maria Sharapova yesterday reached her third French Open semi-final where she will take on Petra Kvitova, the powerful Czech who crushed her in last year’s Wimbledon final.

Russian second seed Sharapova, who was also a semi-finalist in 2007 and 2011, eased past Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-3 while fourth-seeded Kvitova ended Kazakh qualifier Yaroslava Shvedova’s dream run with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win.

“I am happy to be back in the semifinals. I love coming back here to challenge myself to go further in the tournament,” said Sharapova, who can reclaim the world number one spot if she gets to Saturday’s final. “I won two tournaments coming into Paris in Stuttgart and Rome and they gave me a lot of confidence. But every event is different. I am just happy to improve and I know it’ll get tougher from here.”

Kanepi was broken seven times in the match and admitted that Sharapova had too much firepower for her. “She attacked all the time, I didn’t have any time to hit my shots and I just couldn’t get any rhythm out there. I was also very nervous and I am just sorry I didn’t get to spend more time on the court,” she said. “Maria is playing really well, she can win the tournament.”

On another chilly, gloomy day in the French capital, Sharapova and Kanepi, who made the quarter-finals in 2008, exchanged breaks in the first two games before the Russian picked up two more in the third and seventh games.

Kanepi, the 23rd seed, saved two set points in the eighth game, but was powerless on the third when Sharapova unleashed a fierce serve down the middle which the Estonian could only deflect into the stands. The start of the second set was just as untidy as the first with the world number two giving up a break to slip 2-0 down on a fourth double fault and then

retrieving it immediately in the next to trail 2-1. Kanepi, who put out former world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the third round, was quickly another break down while a Sharapova hold to love gave the Russian a 4-2 lead.

Sharapova squandered the opportunity to serve out the match in the eighth game when she was broken to love, but it was a brief respite for the 26-year-old Estonian who ballooned a forehand wide to hand Sharapova the tie in the next.

Kvitova reached her first French Open semi-final with a battling victory over world number 142 Shvedova who had knocked out defending champion Li Na in the fourth round. Shvedova was bidding to become the first qualifier to make the last four at Roland Garros and she got off to a roaring start against Kvitova and was even 4-2 ahead in the deciding set before she wilted. Kvitova held in the seventh game of the decider and immediately put pressure on Shvedova’s serve to level the match at 4-4, followed by a crucial hold.

Serving at 4-5, nerves got the better of Shvedova, allowing the world number four to convert her second match point for a place in the semi-final.

“Every point that we played was really tough,” Kvitova said. “I knew that I had to change my game. It wasn’t easy and I’m really happy that my serve helped me and I played my aggressive game again.”

Kvitova’s clash with Sharapova today will be the pair’s third Grand Slam clash within a year. The Czech triumphed in the Wimbledon final before Sharapova defeated the Czech in the Australian Open semifinals. Crucially, Sharapova enjoyed a straight sets victory in the semi-finals on clay in Stuttgart in the run-up to Paris.

Today’s other semi-final sees Australia’s Samantha Stosur taking on Sara Errani of Italy.—AFP

Nissan power for a quarter of Le Mans 24 hours field DUBAI: Nissan will be the dominant force at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, with a quarter of all entries running on Nismotuned Nissan power.

Spearheading Nissan’s dominant entry to the famous endurance race, on June 16/17, will be the hugely innovative, experimental racing car - the Nissan DeltaWing - which aims to change the face of motor racing by completing the Le Mans 24 Hours using half the fuel and half the tyre material of a conventional LMP racer. Leading the charge in the LMP2 class, in which Nismo-produced Nissan units power more than half of the competing cars, are Nissan’s partner teams, Signatech Nissan and Greaves Motorsport.

Among the drivers vying for LMP2 victory this year will be two graduates of Nissan’s unique GT Academy initiative, which has made motorsport careers a reality for Playstation 3 gamers; Lucas Ordonez - who will share his car with ex-Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle - and second GTA champion, Jordan Tresson.

Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President, Nissan in Europe, said: “This year’s Le Mans 24 Hours will be our biggest yet and the Nissan DeltaWing shows the direction we are looking to take with motorsport technology in the future. We are already dominant in LMP2, where teams know that we can help them win, while the DeltaWing project is the kind of experiment in design and technology that only a company as forward-thinking and bold as Nissan could get behind. “As a test bed for future road car and motorsport innovations, there is no greater, more publicly-scrutinised laboratory than the Le Mans 24 Hours for the

experiment that DeltaWing represents, but the concept will prove that the technology for a vastly more efficient future is viable now, whether the car finishes the race or not.”

The Nissan DeltaWing is the most revolutionary car to appear in motorsport for a generation; the aim is to show that it is possible to make huge efficiency savings by downsizing and using a truly innovative aerodynamic package.

Everything about DeltaWing is designed with efficiency in mind - its unique shape has half the aerodynamic drag of a conventional racer, while all parts - including the downsized Nissan 1.6-litre DIG-Turbo engine - are smaller and weigh much less than traditional Le Mans machines. The car is so unique that it competes in the race outside the regulations of Le Mans, wearing the number ‘0’ and running from “Garage 56”, reserved exclusively for experimental racers.

Nissan’s involvement in LMP2 is similarly ground-breaking, thanks to the presence of GT Academy graduates — Spaniard, Ordonez and Frenchman, Tresson.

Winner of the first Nissan GT Academy in 2008, Ordonez finished second in LMP2 at Le Mans in 2011 and this year will race with the Greaves Motorsport team alongside 1990 Le Mans 24 Hour winner and former F1 racer, Martin Brundle and his son Alex. Also aiming to become the first gamer-turned-racer to win Le Mans outright, Tresson — winner of the second GT Academy in 2010 — joins 2011 Le Mans LMP2 winner, Olivier Lombard and runnerup, Franck Mailleux, at the Signatech team.

PARIS: Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer will meet in an all-Spanish French Open semi-final after winning their way through from the last eight yesterday.

Defending champion and second seed Nadal ousted another Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-3, while sixth seed Ferrer outgunned fourth seed Andy Murray of Britain 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-2.

Friday’s other semi-final has already been set, with top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia taking on third seed Roger Federer of Switzerland.

The win over Almagro was the 50th for Nadal at the spiritual home of claycourt tennis since he first competed in Paris as an 18year-old in 2005. His only defeat came in the fourth round in 2009 when he lost to Robin Soderling of Sweden in a fourth round match.

This year Nadal is bidding to become the first player to win seven French Open titles, moving him out of a tie with Swedish legend Bjorn Borg. A win on Sunday would also be his 11th Grand Slam title, level with Borg and Rod Laver.

In the end Almagro went the way of so many others over the course of the last seven years, but he gave a solid account of himself especially in a hotly-disputed first set.

“He had chances in the third.

He had a few very good moments hitting the ball very hard,” said Nadal of Almagro who he beat for the eighth time in eight matches.

“But my serve worked really well, and he had one mistake, one important mistake with the forehand.”

PARIS: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates winning his quarter final match against compatriot Nicolas Almagro at the French Open tennis tournament.—AP Nadal’s drive into the final four finals at Roland Garros for the first pressure builds on you,” said has come at the cost of just 30 time.”

Murray, who had reached the games and he will take confiMurray, bidding to reach a sec- semi-finals in the last five Grand dence into the semi-final clash ond successive French Open Slams. with close friend Ferrer having semi-final, comfortably matched “But it was a good tournament beaten him 15 times out of the 19 his opponent in the gruelling, for me. I felt better coming in this times they have played each oth- big-hitting rallies, but was year than I did last year. I lost to a er. undone by 59 unforced errors. better claycourt player tonight.

Ferrer is fully aware of the It meant his long-running There are things to work on but I extent of the challenge that quest to end 76 years of heart- knew it would be a tough match.” awaits him. After his hard-earned break for British tennis at the four Asked who he thought would win over Murray he said: “It will major tournaments in tennis will win the tournament Murray be a tough match against Rafa, now move on to the grass at replied: “I think the four best he’s the best in history on this Wimbledon. claycourt players in the world surface, but I hope to have a “He had his chances and con- are left in and whoever plays good match.” verted them. He’s solid and con- best will win. “Probably have to “Tonight’s match was very sistent and if you don’t convert favour Rafa (Nadal) slightly, but hard, physically very difficult. But opportunities against him, the everyone is playing very, very I am happy to be in the semi- games become longer and the well.”—AFP

England expects? Not this time KRAKOW: France’s clinical dismissal of Estonia in their final Euro 2012 warmup on Tuesday was yet another blow to any England fan still confident about their team’s chances in Poland and Ukraine.

Their Group D opener against France on Monday looks an even tougher ask after Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery settled some early defensive nerves by running riot in the 4-0 win, which took Les Bleus’ unbeaten streak to 21 matches.

Expectations of England success were already low given key striker Wayne Rooney’s suspension for the first two games and coach Roy Hodgson only being appointed a month ago following Fabio Capello’s shock February departure.

The naming of the experienced but functional former West Bromwich Albion boss was not exactly welcomed by England’s demanding press and fans, while a slew of injuries since have further eroded hopes ahead of their arrival at their Krakow base on Wednesday.

“The team and squad were built up as the golden generation and the expectation and pressure grew over the years,” captain Steven Gerrard told reporters.

“We were expected to deliver in a major tournament and, by deliver, that means, going to a

final or winning a trophy. “We were put down as favorites in previous tournaments and maybe, because we haven’t done it, the expectations this time will be less.”

England fans almost feel they have a divine right to challenge for major tournaments having “invented the game”, even if one solitary World Cup triumph in 1966 suggests they should generally be classed as also rans.

The English St George flag, barely seen in normal life, suddenly adorns every pub, car bumper and teenage bedroom when tournaments come along while references to Lord Nelson hoisting an “England expects” signal at the battle of Trafalgar abound.

Players from other nations usually get in on the act and put England among the favourites, based on a never-say-die attitude and the strength of the Premier League, albeit packed with foreigners.

This time, with awkward group games against Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine to follow, even rivals are writing England off.

“Rooney is a key man and two matches without my United companion could be too much for England. I sincerely want England to reach the quarter-finals but it’s not going to be easy,” Portugal and Manchester United winger Nani said.

Wataniya Telecom launches Euro Cup contest KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecom’s enthusiasm in the field of sports and its keenness to share special moments with soccer fanatics in Kuwait has inspired it to launch the Euro Cup 2012 SMS contest. The contest which starts on June 7th and ends on July 1st 2012 will open the door for one grand winner to attend the “El Clasico Super Cup” match in Spain in August between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Customers eager to enter the contest and participate have to answer three questions only on daily basis predicting the results of the next day’s match. Participants should answer 3 questions daily to guess winning teams and game scores as well as red cards. They will only have 2 answers to pick from.

Once the match is over, Wataniya will inform the customers which of the predictions turned out right. Correct guesses are worth 30 points, and incorrect ones are 10 points. At the end of the Euro Cup contest, the customer with the highest number of points will automatically win the grand prize to Spain for two people.

This includes travel tickets, accommodation, VIP seats to El Clasico Super Cup game and a chance to meet the players in person With excitement, Abdolaziz Al Balool PR Director at Wataniya Telecom said: “We understand how much Wataniya customers value the Euro Cup and the Champions League and that is why we launched an

Al-Balool exceptional SMS contest to have them enjoy both championships and compete with their friends and everyone in Kuwait. We offer our customer a dream chance not to be missed during the summer of 2012 and wish them the best of luck in their predictions!” Besides the chance to win the grand prize, everyday there will be a draw which includes the participating customers for that day. Winners will get a KD 25 voucher from the “Go Sport” shop to buy any item they choose. To join the contest, customers can send 3 to 1111 (for Arabic) or 4 to 1111 (for English).To check their points at any time plus the 10 top players they’re competing against they can send 10 to 1111.

Chelsea’s Champions League winners Frank Lampard and Gary Cahill have been ruled out of the tournament along with Gareth Barry, leading Jordan Henderson and Martin Kelly to be called up.

Midfielder Henderson had an average first season at best at Liverpool while promising defender Kelly is still mainly an Anfield reserve.

“These absences place many doubts about the English for the Euros. Injuries are destroying the team. Their replacements are not at the same level,” Nani added, despite 1-0 warmup wins over Norway and Belgium.

Kelly’s callup was yet another snub to experienced defender Rio Ferdinand, who was left out of the squad. Hodgson has had to constantly deny that Ferdinand’s absence is because John Terry has been charged with racially abusing his brother Anton.

Liverpool — where Hodgson had an unhappy spell before joining West Brom — finished a woeful eighth in the Premier League yet have contributed six players to England’s squad.

Midfielder Gerrard, long viewed as England’s only world class player along with Rooney, is the most recognisable of the six but even he had one of his worst league seasons. “(The lack of expectation) could suit us and turn into a positive,” he said.—Reuters

Euro 2012 referees to stop games if any racial abuse WARSAW: UEFA president Michel Platini promised that referees will stop European Championship matches if players suffer abuse from fans, as questions on racism in Poland and Ukraine dominated a news conference yesterday to launch the tournament.

Platini said UEFA has empowered referees to “temporarily stop the game and finally cancel the game if this racism keeps rearing its head.”

Concern was fueled by a British television program last week showing discrimination and violent incidents at recent club matches in the co-host nations.

Ahead of the Euro 2012 kick off on Friday, the head of a Europe-wide campaign against discrimination in football acknowledged it posed more potential problems than previous tournaments.

“There is no question we are worried about this tournament more than any other,” Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) director Piara Powar told reporters on the sidelines of Platini’s meeting.

UEFA invited the FARE network to help select a group of 31 expert spotters who will monitor every team’s fans for any banners, chants and behavior inside stadiums which breach UEFA’s zero-tolerance anti-discrimination policy.

Powar said that Platini “understands what is going on,” and that a team could even be expelled from the tournament for a third conviction from UEFA’s independent judicial bodies. Four years ago, UEFA fined the Croatia national association 20,000 Swiss francs (then $19,600; ‚Ǩ12,450) for its fans neo-Nazi flags and chants during a Euro 2008 quarterfinals loss against Turkey in Vienna, Austria. At Euro 2012, Croatia will play Spain, Italy and Ireland in a group based in Poland.

Platini said he had not seen the BBC documentary, titled “Stadiums of Hate,” and initially suggested that Poland and Ukraine offered a soft target for criticism days before they hosted the tournament.

However, he acknowledged that racism was a problem for society across Europe - including in England and his home country, France.

“There is more and more nationalism in Europe. You can feel this at a number of football matches,” Platini said in French. “There are some worries, some big worries, but a lot has been done thanks to football.”—AP

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Navelim YC crowned champions Page 18

New page in modern history of Ukraine

Dr. V.Tolkach Ambassador of Ukraine

Spain eye unique treble WARSAW: Spain will try to become the first team to win three successive major international titles while Germany will hope to lift their first trophy since 1996 when Euro 2012 kicks off tomorrow.

The backdrop of the three-week tournament being staged by Poland and Ukraine across a vast stretch of eastern Europe has already been partly defined by off-field events.

It will be the last Euros with 16 countries, often regarded as the “perfect” formula for a knockout event, because UEFA has agreed to expand the finals to 24 teams in France in 2016, an awkward number that blighted World Cups between 1982 and 1994.

Also no other European Championship is likely to face the infrastructure problems that have dogged this tournament since it was awarded to the co-hosts in April 2007.

Ukraine has continually risked losing its right to stage its half of the event and their hoteliers have been described by the UEFA president Michel Platini as “bandits and crooks”.

Lastly, the social and political issues surrounding the first major sporting event to be staged in former communist countries since the 1980 Moscow Olympics, could still endanger the tournament’s overall success.

There have already been diplomatic ructions between Ukraine and some western European nations threatening to boycott the event at government level over the jailing of former Ukraine Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

On Tuesday, three days before the tour-

nament starts, a crowd of Ukrainians, angry over a parliamentary vote that would increase the role of the Russian language in the country, clashed with police at a fan zone set up in the capital Kiev.

Fans in Poland and Ukraine already have a reputation for racially abusing black players who will feature in matches from Gdansk in the north of Poland to Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.

Italy striker Mario Balotelli said last week he will walk off the pitch if he is abused, and European soccer’s governing body UEFA will be expected to offer total support for the players and team officials in the event of any trouble.

Nothing would be more damaging to the reputation of the host nations if a match is abandoned in front of a global TV audience of millions because players have walked off after suffering racist abuse like that featured in a BBC documentary last week.

Away from the politics and offfield concerns, the

finals are full of potentially outstanding matches. England’s Frank Lampard, who will miss the tournament through injury, and fellow midfielder Wesley Sneijder, who was part of the Netherlands team beaten by Spain in the World Cup final two years ago, agreed that the Euros were harder to win than the World Cup and were also of a higher standard.

“It will be very difficult because, for me, the Euros is more difficult than the World Cup because you don’t have the teams from Africa or wherever when you know you are going to take three points,” Sneijder said.

Current form would bear that out with 13 of FIFA’s top 20 ranked teams in the finals, including Spain, Germany, France and the Netherlands who all look as if they could win the final at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev on July 1.

Italy may be engulfed in a new match-fixing scandal but their national team can also never be discounted when major tournaments come around.

But as Denmark proved in 1992 when they were champions after coming in

as a late replacement for banned Yugoslavia, and as Greece also showed in 2004 - winning the tournament after starting as 100-1 outsiders - no team can be entirely discarded.

Spain, with the backbone of their Euro 2008 winning side still in place, meet Italy in an intriguing opening Group C game in Gdansk on Sunday. If they win they should have no trouble qualifying from a group that includes Croatia and Ireland.

Germany, who won the last of their three European crowns 16 years ago, were impressive in the qualifiers, winning 10 straight matches, and on current form should advance from Group B with the Dutch ahead of Portugal and Denmark.

Co-hosts Poland, who at 65 in the FIFA rankings are the lowest ranked in the tournament, will rely on a trio of Borussia Dortmund players, including striker Robert Lewandowski.

The will seek to win a match at the European Championship finals for the first time and advance from a group that includes Russia, Greece and the Czech Republic.

They get the ball rolling with the opening game against Greece in Group A at the National stadium in Warsaw on Friday.

Ukraine will, like their co-hosts, be spurred on by a passionate crowd against England, Sweden and France in Group D. The French, European champions in 1984 and 2000, head into the finals on the back of a 21-match unbeaten run and look likely to advance from the group though who will join them is anyone’s guess.

—Reuters

Portugal’s goal drought bodes badly for Euro 2012 OPELENICA: Portugal is getting a name as the team that can’t shoot straight. The Portuguese have found the net just once in their last three games as they conceded 0-0 draws against Poland and Macedonia and lost 3-1 at home against Turkey in a miserable run of exhibition matches. The problem: there’s no top-flight striker to harvest the fluid build-up by the talented Portuguese midfield.

Portugal has no one who can match the clinical finishing of German forwards Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez, who they face Saturday in their Group B opener at the European Championship. Nor do they have the likes of Robin van Persie of the Netherlands or Nicklas Bendtner of Denmark, representing the other teams in the group.

But central defender Bruno Alves says he isn’t rattled by Germany’s firepower.

“We’ve got quality players and I expect us to hit the net” in Lviv, Ukraine, he said yesterday. “We practice every day to get better in every aspect.”

Portugal has been firing a lot of blanks lately, bringing a five-place drop, to 10th, in FIFA’s latest list of world rankings published yesterday.

The three-game winless streak started in Poland, when the Portuguese collected plenty of chances in the first half and squandered them all through poor finishing.

Against Macedonia, out of 21 attempts on goal, none went in. Against the Turks, Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty. That makes Portugal look like easy prey for its group opponents who have all won Europe’s top competition before. The Portuguese, who finished second in their qualifying group behind the Danes, are

still chasing their first silverware.

It’s looking as if, just like in the qualifying campaign, the goal-scoring onus will fall on Ronaldo at the European Championship finals.

The Real Madrid forward got as many goals in qualifying (seven) as the joint total racked up by first-choice center forward Helder Postiga (five) and secondstring Hugo Almeida (two). Nani, who is scrambling to shake off a bruised right foot in time for the Germany game, contributed another five goals. Postiga racked up just nine goals in 33 league appearances for Zaragoza in La Liga last season.

Almeida netted 15 goals in 37 games for Besiktas.

Coach Paulo Bento’s decision to call up Nelson Oliveira, a 20-year-old striker used as a substitute by Benfica and Portugal, seemed to be due as much to a lack of

resources as a hope that Oliveira will be part of a new generation.

Portugal hasn’t had a gifted hitman up front since Pauleta retired from international football in 2006. He remains the country’s top scorer with 47 goals in 88 games. The goalscoring troubles aren’t uncommon and make Portugal’s path at Euro 2012 hard to predict. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, the Portuguese produced a stunning 7-0 demolition of North Korea in the group stage. But that result was bracketed by 0-0 draws against Ivory Coast and Brazil.

In the playoffs for Euro 2012, Portugal drew 0-0 with Bosnia-Herzegovina in the first leg. In the return leg, it smashed its opponent 6-2. Portuguese fans, denied a trophy for so long, are hoping the goalscoring dam will burst sooner rather than later.—AP

Statement of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait Dr. V.Tolkach on the occasion of opening the final part of European Football Championship EURO 2012

O

n June, 8 at the same time with referee’s whistle on the football field our country will follow up a new page in modern history.

For the last 20 years the government and people of Ukraine have concentrated efforts to reform the various spheres of political, economic and social life.

Strong foundation for the further legal development of the nation, democracy, social market economy and human rights by maintaining peaceful and mutually beneficial cooperation with all members of the international community in accordance with generally accepted principles and norms of international law were laid.

Today Ukraine has got a unique opportunity to present to the international and European community achievements of the national economy, the unique beauty of its nature, the warm hospitality of its inhabitants.

Having won jointly a right to host the European Football Championship in 2012, Ukrainian and Polish peoples have made great efforts and accomplished tremendous works that are necessary for good holding of the tournament. It should be noted that preparations for the sport event came at a difficult period of global economic crisis, when our country because of objective reasons was left by a number of foreign investors, and basic preparation was bared at the expense of the state budget.

However, despite the skepticism of critics Ukraine has once again proved its reliability and responsibility for its international obligations.

Today Ukraine is experiencing a new breakthrough in the development connected with hosting the football championship Euro-2012. Old transport infrastructure has disappeared: instead of narrow roads modern roads were built, slow oldfashioned trains and buses are replaced with modern express trains, extended and upgraded airports in the largest cities were built as well as modern stadiums, hotels and other objects. As the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych said, it will still serve our citizens for decades, push for tourism development in Ukraine.

I would like to note that every visitor of our country will find in it something for the soul. For lovers of beaches — the Black and Azov Seas, for lovers of mountains — mountain chain of the Crimea and the Carpathians, for those who prefer the wild nature — unique preserves.

I’m more than confident that the Ukrainian people will sincerely meet our guests with their hospitality, kindness and openness!

I wish a victory for all your teams, taking part in the event! And let the strongest one win, creating a real European football festival.

Previous winners PARIS: Previous winners of the European Championships ahead of this year’s competition from June 8 to July 1 in Poland and Ukraine:

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

Business

French govt cuts pension age for some, EU uneasy Page 24

Corruption could worsen European financial crisis

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Page 25

Time running out for Asians buying Iran oil

World shares, and euro gain Page 23

Page 23

BARCELONA: People protest in front of a BBVA bank office in Barcelona, Spain yesterday. The Spanish economy is in recession for the second time in three years as the damage from a housing bust persists. Foreclosures are rising, Spain’s banks are in worse financial shape and the government’s deficit is hitting worrisome levels. The banner reads ‘Stop evictions’. — AP

Kuwait, Malaysia eye IPO investment IHH trying to rope in Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund SINGAPORE: Malaysia’s state -backed Integrated Healthcare Holdings (IHH), which operates hospitals in Asia, is trying to rope in Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund as a cornerstone investor in its $2 billion dual listing in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, sources said. The Middle Eastern investor will be part of more than 10 cornerstones that IHH hopes to finalize by next week who will take up over 40 percent of the $2 billion offering, sources with direct knowledge of the deal said yesterday.

This is the second major IPO in Malaysia this year after palm oil giant Felda Global’s $3.4 billion deal, which is set to become Asia’s largest initial public offering so far in 2012. Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, which sources had told Reuters was also tapped by investment banks for the

deal, is no longer in talks with IHH, a source with knowledge of the discussions said. Kuwait Investment Authority, which manages $280 billion in assets, invests in big-ticket IPOs, according to a banker with knowledge of its strategy.

The fund could not be immediately reached for comment.

Malaysia’s IPO market has defied a trend in other financial markets such as Singapore, where motor racing firm Formula One decided to posptone its near $3 billion due to volatile markets. The Malaysian equity market is dominated by local investors and a large domestic pension fund system that partially insulates IPOs from global volatility. IHH, which is 62.1 percent owned by state investor Khazanah, is trying to unlock value through the listing after acquisitions of hospital operators in Singapore and Turkey. Japan’s

Mitsui & Co owns a 26.6 percent stake in IHH, Dubai-based Abraaj Capital holds 7.1 percent and Turkish hospital group Acibadem chief Mehmet Ali Aydinlar 4.2 percent.

Eastspring Investments, the asset management arm owned by Prudential PLC, and Malaysian pension funds have already committed to invest in the offering, they said.

“It’s a good balance between local and international parties,” one of the sources said. The sources declined to be identified because the talks are not public. The lead managers on the deal are Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank and CIMB. Credit Suisse, DBS, Goldman Sachs and Maybank are joint bookrunners. Nomura, OCBC and UBS are co-lead managers. IHH and the banks involved in the deal declined to comment. — Reuters

Gulf outperforms; World’s economic climate darkens

News

in brief

Saudi growth slows DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, grew 5.94 percent from a year earlier in the first quarter of this year, the government’s statistics department said yesterday. That marked a minor slowdown from the 6.6 percent growth recorded in the fourth quarter of last year. The private sector expanded 6.33 percent in real terms last quarter, again outpacing the state sector, which grew 4.24 percent. The oil sector grew 7.17 percent. The country’s total exports of goods and services jumped 22.94 percent to 384 billion riyals ($102 billion) on the back of high oil prices and energy production, while imports increased 16.11 percent to 182 billion riyals. The price of Brent crude oil was above $120 a barrel for much of the first quarter. It has since declined to as low as $95 a barrel this week, suggesting economic growth may slow further later this year.

Solidere profit down 17% DUBAI: Bonds in the Gulf Arab oil exporters are outperforming fixed income markets in many other countries as the world’s economic climate darkens, suggesting the Gulf may have turned a corner in convincing investors of its financial stability. Gulf bonds were hit hard between 2009 and 2011 when the initial stages of the global financial crisis burst credit and real estate bubbles in the region.

Now the Gulf is threatened by another wave of the crisis: weak US and Chinese economic data and Europe’s debt problems dragged Brent crude oil as low as $95 a barrel this week, the lowest since January 2011, from around $125 early this year. In a region where energy exports are some 30-50 percent of nations’ gross domestic product, that will have a major impact. So far, however, bonds in the Gulf have held up well - surprisingly well, in the view of some experts.

Spreads on the HSBC-Nasdaq index of conventional bonds in Gulf Cooperation Council countries have widened only moderately to 301 basis points on June 1, when the last reading was taken. That is a rise of 7 percent since April 2.

It is a better performance than many bond indexes elsewhere in the world.

Spreads on the iTraxx Asia ex-Japan index for investment grade bonds have risen to 206 bps between the start of April and June 5, a climb of over 32 percent. Spreads on the iTraxx Europe Crossover index , composed of 50 companies rated at the very bottom of the investment-grade category or in “junk” territory, widened to 731 bps on June 1, up over 20 percent. Some of the Gulf ’s strongest credits have barely moved during the global volatility. Qatar’s $2 billion, 3.125 percent sovereign bond maturing in 2017 was yielding 2.46 percent on Wednesday, tighter by 67 bps since issue in December and only 13 bps wider than the yield’s record low in early May.

Weaker Gulf credits have also done well.

Dubai is still working through its corporate debt problems, and its credit default swaps are in a higher bracket than those of wealthy Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.

But Dubai’s $600 million, 4.9 percent sovereign sukuk , maturing in 2017 and issued last month, offered a yield of 4.44 percent yesterday. If Dubai were rated, it would be a minimum BBB, analysts believe. By comparison, Indonesia’s $1 billion, 6.875 percent bond maturing in 2017, rated BBB-, is yielding 3.37 percent. Brazil’s $2.5 billion, 6 percent bond maturing in the same year, rated BBB, yields 2.08 percent.

WEIGHT OF MONEY One reason for the Gulf’s good performance is the region’s large pool of unused investment money. Last year’s strong eco-

nomic growth - Saudi Arabia grew 6.8 percent and the United Arab Emirates, 4.2 percent - built up wealth which, because of the global crisis, has had few attractive investment channels available to it.

“The sheer weight of money waiting to be deployed in the region has meant that investors are currently trading with a ‘buy on weakness’ stance” in Gulf bonds, said Mark Watts, head of fixed income at the asset management group of National Bank of Abu Dhabi. During past waves of the global crisis, Gulf bonds were hit by “forced selling” as desperate European and other foreign investors, suffering in their home markets, sold assets in the Gulf to raise money. This time, there appears to be less forced selling, perhaps because the most desperate investors have already pulled out their money. But another factor is also sup-

NICOSIA: A woman rides her scooter in the empty city center of Nicosia. Euro-zone member Cyprus conceded that there is a serious possibility it may need an EU bailout to save its banking system, which is heavily exposed to Greek debt. -— AFP

porting the Gulf: a sense that despite continued risks, the region is succeeding in working through its corporate debt problems, and that while bank loan creditors may suffer in restructuring deals, governments will act as needed to make sure public bonds are repaid in full. In Dubai, for example, a looming $1.25 billion sukuk repayment by DIFC Investments and a $2 billion bond maturity at Jebel Ali Free Zone have been seen as this year’s biggest tests of the emirate’s corporate creditworthiness.

In the last few months both state-owned companies have announced plans to raise money to meet those maturities.

Similarly, Saudi Arabian property developer Dar Al Arkan has been seen as a danger spot in the credit universe, but the yield on its 2015 sukuk sank to a new low of 9.69 percent this week from 14 percent at the start of this year as prospects for the company have appeared to improve. In late May state-owned petrochemicals giant Saudi Basic Industries Corp said it was buying part of a residential project from Dar for 742 million riyals ($198 million). This will help Dar obtain funds to meet a $1 billion sukuk redemption in July.

RISKS Not everyone is convinced that Gulf bonds can continue outperforming so comfortably. At present, oil prices are still high enough for all six GCC countries except Bahrain to keep their state budgets in surplus. This will start to change if oil continues dropping to around $80 - then markets could begin to get nervous about state finances, even though most governments have enough reserves to run budget deficits for many years. “If the euro zone debt crisis escalates, there will inevitably be an impact on GCC markets,” said Biswajit Dasgupta, head of treasury and trading at Invest AD in Abu Dhabi. —Reuters

BEIRUT: Real estate firm Solidere, Lebanon’s largest listed company, posted a 17 percent fall in 2011 net profit to $162.6 million, hit by declining sales and an unstable regional political climate. The company yesterday reiterated its forecast that a slowdown in real estate activity in the country may affect profit in coming years. Revenue dropped to $242 million from $337 million in 2010, Solidere said, with most of the revenue coming from four contracts signed in the last quarter of the year. Solidere shares were trading at around $12.75 at 0853 GMT, down 1 percent on the day and 17 percent down from levels in early March. “These results come despite the unstable domestic and regional situation which the country has passed through since the beginning of last year, and which had a negative impact on the economic, commercial and real estate activity,” it said. Economic growth slowed sharply last year, hit by domestic political tensions which led to the collapse of the government in January as well as unrest which broke out in neighboring Syria in March.

Gulf Capital to invest $267 million in Saudi ABU DHABI: Abu Dhabi’s Gulf Capital will enter Saudi Arabia’s real estate market with a 1 billion riyals ($267 million) investment plan to tap growing demand for residential property in the kingdom, the private equity firm said yesterday. Gulf Capital will enter the Saudi property market through its Gulf Related unit, which is a joint venture with Related Companies, the largest privately-owned property developer in the United States. The initial development will be a multi-million dollar residential project in the capital, Riyadh, a statement from Gulf Capital said, with the first phase slated to be completed by early 2015.

“We have been studying the Saudi Arabian real estate market extensively and have concluded there is significant demand for residential compounds in Riyadh,” Karim El-Solh, Gulf Capital chief executive said in the statement.

There is a shortage of more than 100,000 residential units for expatriates in Riyadh, while 1.3 million new housing units are needed to meet demand in Saudi Arabia over the next seven years, he added. Gulf Related is also developing a retail project in Abu Dhabi in a joint venture with Mubadala Real Estate & Hospitality, a unit of Abu Dhabi government investment vehicle Mubadala.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

BUSINESS

Sudan inflation rises Sudan economy struggling with loss of oil

SAINT-HERBLAIN: Motorists fill up at the gas pump in a gas station in the French western city of Saint-Herblain. The budget of the French motorists has increased because of soaring gasoline prices and the cost of vehicle maintenance according to an annual report of the French Automobile Club. — AFP

Oil holds above $100 LONDON: Oil climbed back above $100 a barrel yesterday, rising along with other commodities and the euro as investors held out hope for the European Central Bank to steer the euro zone out of crisis. Brent crude surged to an intra-day high of $100.61 a barrel before easing back to $100.20 - a gain of $1.36 by 1226 GMT. US crude climbed 90 cents to $85.19. The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged, as expected, with investors now looking for it to signal monetary stimulus to bolster the struggling economy and restore confidence in the euro zone.

With the bloc being rocked by fears that debt strained Greece may have to quit the euro and by a slow motion banking crisis playing out in Spain, the central bank is under pressure to help out. Europe’s ailing economy has also knocked oil, sending Brent below triple digits on Friday. “The Euro-zone crisis is infecting global oil prices as contagion spreads from banking woes to economic growth expectations,” said a Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research report. “If Greece exits the Euro, Greek oil demand could drop by one third. In the

say whether Sudanese abroad will send more dollars,” said one banker.

The central bank, which could not be reached for comment, would keep the official exchange rate at 2.7 to fund imports of wheat and other essential food items, bankers said. It is unclear how much foreign currency the central bank has available to defend the pound.

Local media quoted the central bank’s deputy governor last month as saying the bank received a “large amount” of hard currency from abroad, but did not elaborate.

In September, the central bank governor asked fellow Arab countries to deposit $4 billion with the bank and commercial lenders.

Last week, the ruling party of President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir unveiled plans to cancel fuel subsidies which would help plug the budget deficit but would also hit the poor. — Reuters

food items as Sudan produces little on its own.

To encourage millions of Sudanese sending remittances home Sudan last month allowed foreign exchange bureaux to use a devalued exchange rate to the dollar.

In a second step, the central bank has now allowed commercial banks to trade dollars at a rate close to the black market. Western diplomats said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had recommended the government devalue the pound to boost exports and close the gap with the black market, which has become a benchmark for firms. Commercial banks started trading the dollar at a rate of around 4.9. This is slightly lower than rates between 5 and 5.1 used by licensed foreign exchange dealers. On the black market the rate stands at 5.4. “They managed to narrow the spread to the black market but it’s too early to

Oil prices tumble as speculative bubble burst

event of a disorderly broad Euro-zone break-up, demand could contract sharply and we think Brent oil prices could drop to as low as $60 a barrel.”

Brent has struggled to recover from a near 25 percent drop in oil prices over the past three months as investors have yet to be convinced that European Union leaders can prevent a breakup of the single currency. “We probably need to see a more significant rally out of this level to be more confident we have a corrective rally going on,” said Ric Spooner, chief market analyst at CMC Markets. “We have gone from pricing in a potential supply shortage because of the situation in Iran ... to a market that is more than adequately supplied.”

But oil found support from a larger-thanexpected decline in US crude stocks. On Tuesday, the industry group American Petroleum Institute reported a 1.765 million barrel drop in inventories last week, more than triple the amount expected. Weekly inventory data from the US Energy Information Administration, which typically carries more weight in the market than API estimates, will be released later today. — Reuters

Oman LNG eyes 20% production boost KUALA LUMPUR: Oman LNG expects to lift liquefied natural gas (LNG) production as much as a fifth by sometime in 2016 or 2017, allowing it to tap into its spare capacity and boost exports, a top company official said. The company, which produces around 8 million tons of LNG a year, is anticipating new tight gas reserves to come onstream over the next 2 to 3 years, Brian Buckley, chief executive of Oman LNG, said on the sidelines of a gas conference in Malaysia.

Total installed LNG capacity is 10.4 million tons per year (tpy), running through three trains, or production facilities, each with capacity of about 3.3 million to 3.4 million tpy. “We expect to be able to utilize our spare capacity of around 1.5 to 2 million tons (per year) sometime between 2016 and 2017,” Buckley said.

“That is when we see the domestic supply situation easing, mainly because of additional gas coming onstream.” The sultanate’s average gas production in 2011 also increased to 95.1 million cubic meters per day, up 4.4 percent from 2010, an offi-

KHARTOUM: Sudan’s annual inflation hit 30.4 percent in May, accelerating from 28.6 percent in April as prices for basic food items such as bread and meat climbed further, adding to woes of officials struggling to contain a severe economic crisis. In an effort to curb the Sudanese pound’s slide, the central bank also started allowing banks to trade currency at a rate closer to the one used on the widespread black market, bankers said yesterday.

The Arab-African country has avoided a popular uprising like Egypt or Syria but social pressures have been rising since Sudan lost much of its oil wealth when South Sudan became independent in July. In June 2011, inflation was 15 percent. The loss of oil revenues, which were the main source of state income and dollar inflows, has left officials scrambling to fund imports for most essential

cial from Oman’s oil and gas ministry said in February. British oil major BP is expected to make a final decision on proceeding with a $15 billion investment in Oman’s Khazzan tight gas project by the end of 2012, Buckley said. BP won the concession in 2007 and has spent about $700 million on it so far. “They explored and had a number of production wells just to demonstrate viability, that was the first stage,” Buckley said.

“Now the second stage is the commercial negotiations from expanding from this level to full commercialization... it will take about 2 to 3 years for full production.” The Khazzan tight gas project could potentially have up to 100 trillion cubic feet of gas in its reserves, which is significant for a small country like Oman, Buckley said. But it was still too early to say just how much of that would be realized at production, he said.

Oman LNG, which currently supplies into Japan and South Korea in Asia, is looking at the possibility of expanding its network into India when it is in a position to offer more volumes, Buckley said. — Reuters

T

he financial and sovereign debt crisis continues to set the agenda for almost every investment decision being taken at the moment. During May the crisis in Europe escalated (again) and turned a dangerous corner with the focus switching to Spain, where a bank funding crisis is putting the government under severe pressure. Meanwhile in Greece, the new election is still weeks away with the outcome potentially putting Greece’s future within the Euro-zone at risk. China, the main global growth engine since 2008 is slowing, and the US economy is in a mid-cycle slowdown.

These events helped drive investors towards secure government bonds, with two -year German yields going negative, and safe currencies such as the Japanese Yen and especially the US dollar, which rose to a 23month high versus the euro.

Commodities, meanwhile, saw one of the biggest monthly drops since 2008, with the broad based Dow Jones-UBS Commodity Index falling by more than nine percent, as all individual sectors, as seen below, came under heavy selling pressure. The energy heavy S&P GSCI recorded its worst month since 2008, slumping by almost thir teen percent as both W TI crude and Brent crude fell more than 20 percent from their highs and technically entered into a bear market.

Precious metals put in the best relative performance, somewhat indicating that the safe -haven attraction of gold is not completely gone. Considering the strong move in the dollar, gold’s losses were limited and it even recorded a small gain measured in Euros. It never the less continues to struggle to rek indle its attrac tion among leveraged investors such as hedge funds.

The energy sector, led by WTI crude, was the hardest hit, as focus increasingly switched from geo-political risks to a slowdown in demand. The bursting of the

speculative bubble in both Brent and W TI crude also played an important role in explaining the dramatic move lower. The agriculture sector was also exposed to elevated levels of volatility with gains in livestock and wheat more than offset by major losses in cotton, corn and soybeans, mostly due to good weather prospects and speculative investors reducing their long exposure. Industrial metals also took a tumble, as the slowdown in China has triggered some speculation about where the future demand is going to come from. Tin was the hardest hit while copper, falling by 11.5 percent, recorded its second worst month since the 2008 recession.

GOLD OUTSHINES Following the initial move lower in early May, gold has spent the last few weeks trading in a relatively small but choppy range.

Investors have been finding it difficult to work out whether it’s a risky or a safe haven asset and have chosen to play the range instead. As mentioned earlier, precious metals and especially gold has per formed relatively well despite the rising dollar which have put many commodities under pressure. Hedge funds and other leveraged investors currently hold the smallest net long positions since the 2008 recession, and have so far failed to engage as the momentum for now has been lost. Investors in gold ETP’s pulled 17 tons or less than one percent of total investments during May, which signals a deeper correction, are required before they change their long term bullish views on gold. One concern has been the lack of physical buyers who stepped in and helped stabilize the market during previous selloffs. This softness in demand is led

by China and especially India, the world’s largest consumer, with the rupee trading at record low levels with the economy experiencing the worst performance in almost a

decade. A break below the previous low at 1,520 carries the risk of another 100 dollars to the downside leaving potential longer term buyers more content to wait to engage until after we see a move back above 1,610. Both silver and

Ole S Hansen platinum have found it tough going, with platinum’s discount to gold rising to 11.5 percent following the move back below 1,400 dollars per ounce. The fundamental outlook for platinum looks supportive with supply disruptions at a time where demand from the auto industry is holding up. Silver is marred byan increased production surplus and demand from financial investors is required in order to avoid this surplus from rising further. Fundamentals, however, do not play a major role right now while the risk-off sentiment controls most investment decisions.

Copper is now showing a negative return on the year and with China a nd Eu rope combined accounting for almost 60 percent of global copper consumption, the recent news from these two regions continues to have an adverse impact on the near-term outlook. Diminishing supplies and low s tock levels ou ts ide China however should help cushion the fall despite hedge funds and other leveraged accounts having accumulated the largest net short position in almost three years.

TECHNICAL BEAR MARKET The month of May, just like last year, has turned out to be a horrible month for oil investors. The price of both WTI and Brent crude has collapsed due to a dramatic shift in focus away from fear of geo -political motivated price spikes towards slowing demand.

Both crude varieties have now fallen by more than 20 percent which is the technical description for when a market moves into a bear market. A strong dollar, weaker fundamentals and the bursting of the speculative bubble have done the damage to prices and while it is bringing a lot of relief to consumers, some of the major producers, who requires high oil prices in order to balance their budgets, will soon begin to feel the pain and it could trigger a slowdown in supply in order to bring the price slump under control.

Saudi Arabia have now for months been arguing that 100 dollar crude would be a reasonable price for both sides and now that it has been reached additional comments will be watched with interest as the record production from Saudi Arabia during the last few months have helped support the current softness in prices.

Speculative investors have once again felt the pain of a trade going badly wrong, as they have scrambled to reduce their net long positions in WTI and Brent crude from a record 500 million barrels back in March.

As of May 22 this position was still some 326 million barrels and further dramatic reductions would have taken place up until today. In comparison a similar sell-off from March to October 2011 caused the net long positions to be halved.

The chart below shows what an important level we have reached on Brent crude oil. Following the double top we now have to see whether a double bottom can be established. It is obviously clear to see that a sustained break below 100 dollar technically would indicate a move much lower.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2730000 .4290000 .3470000 .2890000 .2680000 .2730000 .0040000 .0020000 .0759320 .7397840 .3840000 .0710000 .7252260 .0040000 .0430000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES US Dollar/KD .2797000 GB Pound/KD .4314370 Euro .3496670 Swiss francs .2911270 Canadian dollars .2706730 Danish Kroner .0470510 Swedish Kroner .0388870 Australian dlr .2755050 Hong Kong dlr .0360520 Singapore dlr .2184470 Japanese yen .0035440 Indian Rs/KD .0000000 Sri Lanka rupee .0000000 Pakistan rupee .0000000 Bangladesh taka .0000000 UAE dirhams .0761810 Bahraini dinars .7422050 Jordanian dinar .0000000 Saudi Riyal/KD .0746070 Omani riyals .7267770 Philippine Peso .0000000

.2835000 .4400000 .3550000 .3000000 .2790000 .2820000 .0070000 .0035000 .0766950 .7472190 .4020000 .0770000 .7325140 .0072000 .0500000 .2818000 .4346770 .3522920 .2933130 .2727050 .0474040 .0391790 .2775730 .0363230 .2200870 .0035700 .0051100 .0021690 .0030140 .0034560 .0766950 .7477780 .3985860 .0751670 .7322330 .0065530

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah

280.800 2.992 5.070 2.160 3.434 6.505 76.555 75.035 746.500 46.468 437.800 2.990

Yemeni Riyal Euro Canadian Dollars Nepali rupee

1.550 357.400 276.300 3.190

UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

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

281.850 354.000 434.450 272.550 3.685 5.065 46.500 2.153 3.420 6.479 2.988 747.000 76.450 74.950

COUNTRY

SELL DRAFT SELL CASH

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

281.36 276.16 296.93 354.23 280.50 437.99 3.62 3.431 5.050 2.160 3.183 2.993 76.44 746.88 46.46 399.62 730.03 77.46 75.01

288.50 279.50 296.50 354.00 281.50 441.00 3.65 3.550 5.330 2.400 3.850 3.200 77.50 745.50 47.85 396.00 730.00 77.55 75.25

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Selling Rate

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar

280.850 273.685 433.940 352.840 292.820 743.540

COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound

SELL CASH 280.500 747.170 3.670 275.200 551.800 45.800 48.200 167.800 48.140 355.300 36.870 5.240 0.032 0.160 0.239 3.660 398.140 0.190 91.870 44.000 4.320 217.900 1.820 47.500 729.780 3.150 6.630 77.710 75.010 221.080 36.280 2.676 437.200 40.100 296.000 4.300

9.290 198.263 76.600 281.300 1.350

9.120 76.500 280.900

GOLD 1,716.720

10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 435.200 280.900

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Bahrain Exchange Company

UAE Exchange Centre WLL

Rate for Transfer

Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

76.440 77.090 74.854 395.340 46.455 2.155 5.067 2.996 3.432 6.492 688.925 4.555 8.975 5.915 3.245 89.100

SELL DRAFT 279.000 747.170 3.431 273.700

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 GCC COUNTRIES 74.883 77.158 729.380 745.850 76.464

221.100 46.540 353.800 36.720 5.065 0.031

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

398.110 0.189 91.870

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

3.180 216.400 729.600 3.005 6.495 77.280 75.010 221.080 36.260 2.154 435.200 294.500 4.300

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 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

GOLD 293.000 148.000 75.250

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

BUSINESS

World shares, euro gain MSCI Global index adds to week’s gains

FRANKFURT: The headquarters of the German Commerzbank is pictured in Frankfurt, central Germany. Moody’s rating agency has downgraded seven banks in Germany, citing risks from the eurozone debt crisis and prospects of weaker global economic growth. — AP

Moody’s cuts German, Austrian banks ratings BERLIN: Moody’s Investors Service cut the credit ratings of six German banking groups and Austria’s three largest banks yesterday, underscoring that even the euro zone’s strongest economies face risks if the region’s debt crisis deepens. The downgrades to Commerzbank AG, Germany’s second-largest lender, and several smaller German banks are part of a broad review of financial institutions in the euro bloc that has had investors on edge, but were mild compared with cuts for banks in weaker economies such as Spain and Italy.

Moody’s said German lenders face risks to the quality of their assets if the euro zone crisis worsens or the global economy slows more, while also noting the relative strength of the German and Austrian economies. Adding to fears of an escalation in the crisis, Spain said on Tuesday it was losing access to credit markets and appealed to its European partners to help revive its banks, a move likely to intensify global pressure on Europe to move quickly to the aid of its fourth-largest economy.

“We wanted to identify vulnerabilities from further potential shocks from the euro area debt crisis and how this would affect investor confidence in institutions across Europe,” said Moody’s Managing Director for banking, Carola Schuler. The ratings agency was particularly concerned about a potential slip in the value of banks’ portfolios of international commercial real estate, global ship financing, euro zone periphery sovereign bond and private sector assets, as well as a backlog of structured credit products, she said.

“German banks have limited capacity to absorb losses out of earnings and that raises the potential that capital could diminish in a stress scenario,” Schuler added.

Commerzbank saw its long-term rating cut by one notch to A3 from A2 and assigned a negative outlook, with Moody’s noting it had sizeable exposures to borrowers in Europe’s periphery. Commerzbank declined comment, as did other lenders. Moody’s action was widely expected, bankers said, noting that share prices showed little reaction yesterday.

“The fact that the debt crisis is intensifying again is affecting all banks,” said Georg Fahrenschon, president of Germany’s savings bank association, DSGV. The downgrades leave the banks around the middle of Moody’s rating spectrum, with Scandinavian banks generally rated higher. Other German banks Landesbank BadenWuerttemberg and Norddeutsche Landesbank GZ were lowered to A3 from A2 and given stable outlooks while Italy’s UniCredit saw its German unit cut to A3 from A2 and given a negative outlook. The agency delayed action on Germany’s biggest lender, Deutsche Bank AG and its subsidiaries, saying that will come with reviews for other global firms with large capital markets operations that are expected to be completed by the end of June.

DOWNGRADES OVER-RATED In Austria, Moody’s cut the long-term rating for Erste Group Bank AG by two notches to A3 from A1 and assigned a negative outlook while UniCredit Bank Austria AG was cut to A3 from A2, also with a negative outlook. Raiffeisen Bank International AG was cut to A2 from A1 and assigned a stable outlook. For the Austrian banks, Moody’s noted vulnerabilities from operating conditions in Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Austria’s central bank has been urging lenders to shore up their balance sheets, which it says are undercapitalized compared with international peers, but it has also taken issue with critics of banks’ exposure to emerging Europe.

Austrian banks’ operations in emerging Europe are primarily in stable markets with good growth prospects, central bank Governor Ewald Nowotny said yesterday, pointing out that the downgrades were in the context of a Europewide review of banks. “This does not come as a surprise and not should be over-rated,” Nowotny said in a statement.

Austria’s central bank said last week analysts had to differentiate more about the risks posed by countries in the region, and noted Austria had adopted an early-warning mechanism that flagged potential problems from excessive loan-to-deposit ratios.

It also pointed out that Austrian banks had only slight exposure to southern Europe so “the risk profile is significantly better than in other European banking systems”.

Ratings agencies see Austria’s relatively large financial sector as a potential risk to sovereign ratings should the state need to step in again to prop up lenders. Austria had to nationalize two banks during the 2008/09 financial crisis and has just got a large minority stake in ailing Volksbanken AG. Moody’s said on April 13 it would begin issuing conclusions to various reviews for European banks and global financial securities firms, including big US investment banks. — Reuters

Europe’s share markets, back to full ing markets. The MSCI Emerging Equity LONDON: World shares, commodities and the euro all gained yesterday as expecta- strength after two days of market holidays Index was up for a second consecutive day, tions grew that the financial crisis in Europe in Britain cut volumes, took their cue from a rising over 1 percent, as it recovered from and a deteriorating economic outlook rally in Asia on the central bank stimulus six-month lows hit on Monday. would prompt major central banks to hopes. The pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 SAFETY STILL SOUGHT embark on stimulus measures. US stock index rose 1.45 percent to 968.89 points, led Despite the rally in riskier asset markets, index futures also pointed to a stronger by a gain of 2.6 percent in banking stocks, start on Wall Street. The European Central which stand to gain most from any fresh Germany was able to sell 3.98 billion euros Bank (ECB) resisted pressure to provide policy easing measures. “If they (the ECB) of five-year government bonds at a record more support for the euro zone’s ailing give a hint of a rate cut possibly coming in low yield of 0.41 percent as investors economy at its regular monthly policy meet- July then I think we will see markets still remained nervous about Spain’s banks and ing by holding its main interest rate steady move higher,” said Neil Marsh, strategist at the possibility of Greece leaving the euro.

Newedge. The MSCI World Equity Index “( The auction) demonstrates that the at 1 percent.

But market participants said President extended the gains it has been making all demand for safety remains very strong Mario Draghi’s comments at a news confer- week, rising 0.7 percent to 294.91 after despite increasing risk of a policy intervenence to explain the thinking behind the pol- strong gains across Asia and in other emerg- tion by the ECB or EU politicians,” said icy decision later will be key. “The market will be looking for any guidance on rate cuts and on liquidity injections at the press conference,” said John Hardy, FX strategist at Saxo Bank. The euro was up 0.3 percent against the dollar at $1.2495, broadly steady from levels before the ECB rate decision and well above a near two-year low of $1.2288 hit last Friday.

Recent disappointing economic data from the United States and China, as well as signs the euro area slowdown is affecting core countries such as Germany, has been piling up pressure on the world’s central banks to make some response. “The market’s expectation regarding further policy action globally is picking up,” said Ian Stannard, an executive director at Morgan Stanley. “We could well see easing taking place throughout many of the G10 countries,” he said. “We believe that quantitative easing from the Fed is also very much back TOKYO: A woman walks in front of the electronic stock board of a securities firm showing Japan’s Nikkei 225 index rose 131.75 points to 8513.75 in Tokyo yesterday. — AP on the table.”

ECB resists crisis pressure and keeps rates at 1 percent FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank left interest rates at 1 percent yesterday, dashing some market expectations that it might move quickly to combat fears about the health of the euro-zone. Markets were unsure how the ECB would react to the recent wave of weak economic data, knowing that the bank also wants to keep the pressure on euro-zone leaders to tackle the crisis more effectively. “I can imagine that the market is a little disappointed that they didn’t cut rates,” said Rabobank economist Elwin de Groot.

“It had been pricing some action on this front. Eonia swap rates have been trading at 0.272 so the key question for the market now is whether the ECB will cut rates next month and whether it is willing to also lower the deposit rate.” The euro was steady at $1.25 after the decision, Europe’s benchmark stock market trimmed gains, while closely watched German bund future were also little changed. Focus now flips to the ECB’s 1230 GMT news conference where head of the

bank, Mario Draghi, will detail the decision, give its latest assessment of the eurozone’s troubles and lay out any additional support that it plans to put in place.

It is widely expected to announce a lengthy extension to banks unlimited access to ECB loans, while experts are also looking for any hints of another injection of 3-year funding and a further loosening of its lending rules to ensure troubled banks can get ECB money. Draghi will also give the ECB’s latest economic forecasts.

Recent troubles are expected to see them revised down from the last set in March when 2012 growth was seen between -0.5 and +0.3 percent and inflation forecast between 2.1 and 2.7 percent.

Whilst the ECB is widely seen as the only institution capable of immediate action on behalf of the euro zone, Draghi and the rest of the ECB are urging governments to ditch their gradualist approach and address the euro-zone’s crisis head on.

But with the bloc being rocked by fears that debt strained Greece may have to quit

LISBON: A broker reacts while talking with a colleague in a trading room of a Portuguese bank, in Lisbon yesterday. Portugal said it has sold euro1.5 billion ($1.9 billion) in short-term debt at interest rates lower than comparable bond auctions last month. — AP

the euro and by a slow motion banking crisis playing out in Spain, the central bank is facing pressure to help out from all sides.

In the run up to the meeting, the head of the IMF Christine Lagarde, said the bank had room to cut rates. Spain and other hard hit parts of the euro-zone would also like the ECB bond buying to provide them with cover while they undertake planned repairs to their economies. The bank’s dilemma is that if does too much, pressure for government action falls. Yet if it does nothing, troubled sovereign debtors could find it harder and harder to finance themselves or maintain confidence in the banks that have bought much of their debt.

PAIN IN SPAIN The respite the ECB had bought markets at the beginning of the year by injecting more than 1 trillion euros into the euro-zone’s banking system with twin 3year loan operations, is fading fast with borrowing costs for troubled countries once again soaring. Euro-zone unemployment stood at a record 11 percent in April, business confidence has slumped and surveys of manufacturing have hit threeyear lows, adding to conviction that the bloc’s economy is set to drop back into recession. Most ECB watchers had expected it would keep its weapons holstered until after Greek elections and a crunch summit of EU leaders at the end of June, which Draghi and his colleagues hope will dispel any doubts about Europe’s commitment to the euro. Spain said on Tuesday that it was getting priced out of credit markets. Finance chiefs of the Group of Seven major economies held emergency talks as the debt crisis honed in on the bloc’s fourth largest economy, whose autonomous regions have overspent and whose banks and homeowners are laden with bad debts from a burst property bubble. —Reuters

Michael Leister, rate strategist at DZ Bank.

German 10-year bond yields, which hit record lows last week as the nervousness over Spain’s finances prompted a surge in demand for less risky assets, were mostly steady at 1.25 percent.

Signs that Germany and European Union officials are urgently exploring ways to rescue Spain’s debt-stricken banks eased some of the pressure on Spanish government debt ahead of a planned auction of up to 2 billion euros ($2.5 billion) in new bonds today. Spain, the euro zone’s fourth biggest economy, said on Tuesday it was effectively losing access to credit markets due to prohibitive borrowing costs and appealed to European partners to help revive its banks.

Spanish 10-year bond yields were 3.5 basis points lower at 6.28 percent, extending this week’s fall to around 25 basis points.

COMMODITIES GAIN Gold rose more than 1 percent to $1,633.18 an ounce, its highest level in a month, on the central bank stimulus hopes.

Other precious metals rose in gold’s wake, with both silver and palladium climbing nearly 3 percent to their day’s highs. In the oil markets prices also found support from the larger-than-expected drop in US crude stocks reported by the American Petroleum Institute industry group. Brent crude, which had seen a near 25 percent drop in the past three months, rose by $1.47 to $100.31 a barrel, while US crude climbed $1.16 cents to $85.45.

Weekly inventory data from the US Energy Information Administration, which typically carries more weight in the market than API estimates, will be released later. — Reuters

Malaysia new facility may lure Gulf banks SYDNEY: Malaysia’s central bank is introducing an Islamic overnight funding facility which could encourage commercial banks from the Gulf to trade more in the country’s sharia-compliant money market. The collateralized murabaha facility, announced last week, “will add diversity to the existing liquidity management tools and further promotes greater liquidity in the Islamic financial market,” the central bank said. The new facility will allow Islamic banks to obtain funds from the central bank by pledging high investment grade sukuk as collateral, a Malaysianbased Islamic banker told Reuters by telephone.

Currently, Islamic banks can obtain funds from the Malaysian central bank through a deferred-payment sale agreement, but this structure is not considered permissible by some sharia scholars outside Malaysia so banks from the Gulf have been reluctant to use it. Because it involves murabaha, a common cost-plus financing structure in Islamic finance, as well as collateral, the new facility is likely to be more acceptable to banks from the Gulf, the Malaysia-based banker said. It may also be more cost-effective, he added.

Last June the United Arab Emirates central bank introduced a similar facility to provide liquidity to banks in its own money market: a collateralized murabaha facility in which banks can use Islamic certificates of deposit as collateral. Al Rajhi Bank, Kuwait Finance House, Bank Alkhair and Elaf Bank are among the Middle Eastern institutions already active in the Malaysian market. In addition to stimulating Malaysia’s Islamic money market activity, the new facility could encourage banks’ investment in sukuk by increasing demand for the use of sukuk as collateral. The facility is in line with increasing allocations of funds into sukuk by Islamic banks, said Srinivasan Gopalakrishnan, assistant vice president at Bahrain-based Al Salam Bank.— Reuters

Time running out for Asians buying Iran oil BEIJING: Iran’s top crude oil buyers in Asia have just weeks to come up with ways to keep imports flowing without falling foul of the toughest Western sanctions to date against Tehran’s oil trade. Solutions have proved elusive so far. A year ago, Iran was selling around two-thirds of its crude exports, or roughly 1.45 million barrels per day, to China, Japan, India and South Korea, securing vital flows of foreign exchange for a government many Western nations accuse of running a secret nuclear weapons program.

Those imports have already dropped by about a fifth after the European Union and the United States drew up fresh sanctions, and they could drop further after the end of this month when those financial restrictions come into force. South Korean refineries have already given up, industry sources said. They will switch to other sources of crude supply from July 1. China, India and Japan are scrambling to deal with the biggest headache - an EU ban on insuring shipments of Iranian crude from July 1 - and are considering sovereign guarantees.

Europe dominates the world’s tanker insurance market, so Asian buyers are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to replace mandatory cover, which for a supertanker means liability protection on personal injury and pollution of $1 billion. “No responsible financial institution is going to take on this kind of risk lightly,” said Jonathan Hare, senior vice president for Oslo-based maritime insurer Skuld. This doesn’t mean that it can’t happen, but it is going to require a significant commitment on the part of governments or potential underwriters.”

To be sure, alternative supplies are suffi-

cient enough that the big Asian buyers do not need the Iranian crude. Global growth is also stumbling, reducing the urgency for many countries affected by the sanctions to find replacement supplies and undermining the argument among oil consumers that loss of Iranian crude could harm economic growth. “What we are worrying about is not supply, it is demand,” said an official at a Chinese refinery, who declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media. Some governments, particularly China and India, do not want to cut off Iranian oil flows entirely either, fearing that would jeopardize broader ties with Tehran.

INSURANCE HEADACHE In what could be the first sign of whether Asian crude buyers have found a way around the sanctions, refineries over the next week must start chartering tankers if they intend to receive Iranian crude in July. South Korea, which has a term import agreement with Iran for 200,000 bpd, plans to halt all imports by the time the ban takes effect, industry sources have said. Japan could follow suit, unless the government decides to provide sovereign insurance guarantees for oil tankers. Japan is preparing a bill that would enable the government to provide insurance cover.

Japan secured an exemption from US sanctions in March after cutting Iranian crude imports by 15-22 percent in the second half of 2011, but Tokyo has hit a wall in the EU insurance ban. “We are waiting for the government to come up with a solution. Without insurance we cannot do any business,” said a trading source at a Japanese buyer. China and

India are also considering sovereign guarantees for tankers. But even without these assurances, industry sources expect the two countries to carry on importing Iranian crude.

Lacking another choice, China will pay for Iran to deliver and insure the crude, while India’s shipping firms will ship the crude with reduced insurance cover, industry sources said. The US financial sanctions aimed at slashing Iran’s oil export revenues and funding for its controversial nuclear program which Tehran counters is for peaceful purposes - are due to take effect at the end of June.

On July 1, the European sanctions, which include an EU oil embargo, come into force.

They have already had a dramatic impact as the sanctions cut off financial networks and made it difficult to make or receive trade payments with Iran, even affecting the SWIFT system, which handles most international cross-border payments. India is paying for some oil in rupees and Iran has swapped oil and gold for food. On the streets of Iran, prices for food in dollar terms have doubled or tripled as the country struggled to import rice, cooking oil and other staples for its 74 million population. It buys 45 percent of its rice and most of its animal feed from abroad.

DEMAND FALTERING Morgan Stanley researchers estimate Iran exports had fallen to just shy of 1.7 million bpd in April. That would compare with 2.2 million bpd in 2011. When President Barack Obama signed the US sanctions into law late last year and the EU followed with its own sanctions plans, oil prices were rising, offering some comfort to Iran as it faced the prospect of reduced exports. Now, oil prices are a fifth

lower. Top oil exporter and key US ally Saudi Arabia is pumping at its highest rate in 30 years. Asian buyers have also sought crude to replace Iranian oil from other Middle East suppliers.

“With maximum production out of OPEC and global inventories built up, we are not likely to get a shortage situation,” said Victor Shum, senior partner at oil consultancy Purvin & Gertz. “Saudi Arabia has definitely prepared for the possible loss of Iranian supplies.”

Indeed, Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said in May that global supply now exceeded demand by about 1.5 million bpd. While supply is ample, demand is showing signs of faltering. Implied oil demand in April in China, Iran’s biggest oil customer, dropped to a sixmonth low and posted its first yearly decline in at least three years. China’s annual economic growth has slipped for five straight quarters.

China imported 14 percent more Saudi crude in April compared to a year ago, and also took more from Angola and Russia, government data showed. Japan and India have also turned to Saudi Arabia and other OPEC producers for extra barrels at the expense of Iran. “Supplies from Middle East countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are quite ample,” said a Chinese oil trader who buys Iranian oil and declined to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the media. “Moreover, Chinese oil demand is slowing down, so the timing is good to allow Chinese oil firms to cope with the EU sanctions.” So far this year, South Korea and India have imported 10 percent less Iranian crude compared to a year ago, while Japan and China have taken around 30 percent less.— Reuters

24

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

business

Germany finalizing face-saving aid deal for Spain Compromise latest sign of Berlin flexibility on euro crisis

MADRID: A woman uses an ATM cash point machine at a branch of the Bankia bank in Madrid yesterday. The Spanish economy is in recession for the second time in three years as the damage from a housing bust persists. — AP

Austria: Invest fast to beat joblessness VIENNA: Here is a tip from the labor minister in Austria, which has the European Union’s lowest jobless rate: invest heavily to get people into work and keep them there.

“Try as much as possible to take active measures. It is not always easy, I know, but that in truth is the basic precondition,” Rudolf Hundstorfer said in an interview. The political commitment to fight unemployment, a solid export-based economy and a long tradition of cooperation between labor and employers will help Austria keep its jobless rate low for years to come, he said. “We will probably keep it around 4 percent, unless something totally dramatic and grave happens,” he said.

Austria’s seasonally adjusted jobless rate dipped to 3.9 percent in April, more than a percentage point below the second-best Netherlands and Luxembourg and a far cry from the 24.3 percent in Spain.

Unemployment stood at a record 11 percent across the 17-member euro-zone.

Austria’s youth unemployment rate of 8.9 percent was second only to Germany’s 7.9 percent in April and a fraction of the catastrophic rates above 50 percent in Greece and Spain.

Austria benefits from its close economic ties to European powerhouse Germany, from its relatively small size, and a legal structure that gives Vienna broad say over policy, said Hundstorfer, 60, a Social Democrat and former labor leader. “My Spanish colleague cannot do much on the labor market on a supra-regional basis. He always needs the regions. I need them less,” he explained.

Hundstorfer noted that Austria puts lots of emphasis on training, especially for young people, who are guaranteed a spot in state-financed training centers if they don’t land an apprenticeship with a private company. Austria spends around 610 million euros a year on measures to promote jobs for people aged 15 to 24, of which 150 million comes from the private sector, he said. In all, its employment service has 1 billion euros for active employment measures.

WORKING LONGER While nearly all countries try to ensure workers get the qualifications they need to land good jobs, “the special thing is that we start from way down low, with 15 and 16-year-olds, to see that they do something or other,” he said. The Dutch are also good in this regard, but the Austrian system is more efficient, he added in the interview on Tuesday. Like Germany, Austria handles pressure on jobs during economic slumps by subsidizing companies to keep staff on payrolls at reduced hours. This means employers have skilled workers on hand when an upturn comes.

Austrian workers have also exercised restraint on wages, keeping unit labor costs competitive at a time when labor costs have rocketed in some peripheral euro zone countries. But despite its sparkling headline numbers, the Austrian job machine still has a few shortcomings.

One reason jobless rates are low is that few Austrians work until the normal retirement ages of 65 for men and 60 for women. “We have outsourced the costs of high unemployment into the pension system via early retirement,” said Walter Pudschedl, an economist at Bank Austria.

Sylvia Ledwinka, a job market expert at the Austrian labor union federation, pointed out that a lack of day care means nearly half of women work only part time, which puts them at risk of poverty, given the low pensions they get when they retire.

The country also needs to work on creating jobs for the elderly, who are working longer, she said. Hundstorfer acknowledged that Austria for years tolerated early retirement as a job market relief valve, but noted an austerity drive that aims to eliminate the country’s budget deficit by 2016 had made early retirement less attractive.

“Now that we have fewer youth, we need older people. We have to do our utmost so that people work longer,” he said, noting companies were already rethinking how best to make this happen.—Reuters

French govt cuts pension age for some, EU uneasy PARIS: France’s government agreed to cut the pension age to 60 for some long-time workers, making good in the face of a dire economic backdrop on an election pledge the EU had warned would overburden an already creaking social welfare system.

President Francois Hollande, who took power in mid-May on a pro-growth ticket for the economy, made a partial rollback of his predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy’s pension reform a part of his manifesto. Yestersday’s decision, announced by decree, was anticipated but still drew stinging criticism from the country’s conservative opposition.

The change, which comes into effect in November and reverses Sarkozy’s 2010 reform that raised the pension age to 62 from

PARIS: French President Francois Hollande runs up the steps after his weekly cabinet meeting in Elysee Palace yesterday. — AP

60, affects workers who have spent at least 41 years in labor-intensive jobs. Social Affairs Minister Marisol Touraine told reporters after a cabinet meeting that the measure would cost 1.1 billion euros per year up to 2017 and 3 billion euros thereafter, lower than the 5 billion euros previously estimated.

The tweaks would be financed by increased pension contributions, she said, adding: “We committed to put this measure in place quickly for social justice for those who started working early.” The reform will also reduce the French workforce at a time when unemployment rates are at their highest level this century. The number of French jobseekers rose in April for the twelfth month running to 2.89 million, the highest since September 1999, data showed last week. The labour ministry said it was braced for more layoffs in the months ahead.

CREDIT RATING THREAT? The European Commission warned last week that France would struggle to meet its fiscal targets without spending cuts, and that financing of the pension system had to be closely monitored despite savings from Sarkozy’s reforms. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said the government was fully committed to meeting a target to cut the public deficit to within 3 percent of gross domestic product next year.

But domestic criticism of yesterday’s rollback came swiftly, with the head of the conservative UMP party, Jean-Francois Cope, calling it “madness.” “It risks the downgrade of France’s credit rating and at this rate tempts fate,” Cope said at a weekly party news conference. “It is not possible for Francois Hollande to continue to bury his head in the sand.” Sarkozy’s hard-fought pension reform had been welcomed by financial markets and credit ratings agencies concerned about France’s ability to cut its debt and deficit levels in the face of stagnant economic growth. — Reuters

BERLIN: A deal is in the works that would allow Spain to recapitalize its stricken banks with aid from its European partners but avoid the embarrassment of having to adopt new economic reforms imposed from the outside, German officials say. While Berlin remains firm in its rejection of Spain’s calls for Europe’s rescue funds to lend directly to its banks, the officials said that if Madrid put in a formal aid request, funds could flow without it submitting to the kind of strict reform program agreed for Greece, Portugal and Ireland.

Instead, Spain would only have to agree to new conditions tied to the reform of its banking sector.

Berlin is also exploring the possibility of funneling aid to Spain’s bank rescue fund FROB to reinforce the message that it is the country’s banks and not its public finances which are at the root of its problems. The evolving German stance on aid for Spain is the latest evidence that Chancellor Angela Merkel is adopting a more flexible approach to solving the euro zone’s deepening debt crisis. With an IMF report on Spain’s banks looming next week, officials say all the pieces are in place to move within days on an aid deal for Madrid. A package is expected by early next month at the latest, after an external audit of the banking system.

“One could imagine that conditionality would be focused mainly on the banks, because Spain has already tackled the other reforms,” a senior German government official said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. “These packages are not aimed to punish, just to ensure that the necessary reforms are being implemented.” Spain’s Economy Minister Luis de Guindos reiterated on Wednesday that his country had no immediate plans to request a bailout and was awaiting the external audit in late June.

Berlin is certainly shifting positions. Last week, it

signaled it supported granting Spain an extra year to cut its deficit to the EU’s 3 percent of gross domestic product threshold, having previously held fast to the notion that austerity drives should not be diluted. Merkel has also sent the message that she is open to Europe-wide supervision of the banking sector, albeit as a “medium-term” goal, one element of a proposed “banking union” to break the vicious circle of interdependence between Europe’s financial institutions and its sovereigns.

But she must tread carefully. Some of her political allies and leading conservative newspapers have come out strongly against other aspects of a banking reform, including the idea of a Europe-wide deposit guarantee scheme.

HEIGHTENED ALARM Worries about Spain’s banks and a bailout backlash in Greece, which holds an election on June 17, have heightened the sense of alarm over the debt crisis which erupted nearly three years ago and shows no signs of abating. Spain’s borrowing costs have now shot up to levels that many experts see as unsustainable. Because of the size of its economy, Spain would stretch the limits of Europe’s dual rescue funds - the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and soon-to-be approved European Stability Mechanism (ESM) - if the country were to require a full rescue that kept it out of the capital markets for several years.

This has focused minds in Berlin, where officials have been working feverishly on a deal that would allow Spain to avert the shame of a formal state bailout, without loosening rules that explicitly prevent direct aid to banks. German officials have quietly been pushing Spain to accept a bailout for weeks and Volker Kauder, the head of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) in parliament, became

the most prominent politician to say so publicly on Wednesday. “I do think that Spain has to seek a rescue, not because of the country itself but because of its banks,” Kauder told public television station ARD. A series of audits being conducted on Spain’s banking sector are expected to reveal an additional hole of between 30 to 70 billion euros, over and above the 80 billion euros already provisioned.

The government has already been forced to nationalize its fourth-biggest lender Bankia.

Multiple sources said the German finance ministry was exploring the possibility of channeling EU aid directly to Spain’s Fund for Orderly Bank Restructuring (FROB), but that this would only work under the ESM, which is due to come into force next month. “Nobody wants the EFSF for Spain. It’s too restrictive,” a second senior official said, pointing to the added flexibility contained in Article 19 of the bloc’s permanent rescue mechanism. That article states explicitly that the board of governors of the ESM are allowed to make changes to the financial assistance instruments laid out in the facility’s statutes.

A senior French official who has been in contact with the Germans said negotiations were heating up and that there was a broad consensus now among member states on using the EFSF or ESM to help Spanish banks. “The Europeans want to cut the link between the banks and the sovereign.

That’s what is being discussed. There are plans to do that in the long run (through a banking union) but the idea is also to apply that to Spain,” the official said. Another source with knowledge of the discussions said Spanish politicians were pushing for a broad political agreement on rescuing the country’s banks and wanted conditionality limited to the financial sector to make the rescue more politically manageable at home.—Reuters

Gold gains 1 percent Euro strength boosts commodities LONDON: Gold rose more than 1 percent yesterday to its highest in a month, rising along with the euro, stocks and other commodities as investors hoped a European Central Bank policy meeting later would result in action to combat the euro zone financial crisis. Spot gold was up 1 percent at $1,633.18 an ounce at 0941 GMT, while US gold futures for August delivery were up $17.80 an ounce at $1,634.70.

Other precious metals rose in gold’s wake, with both silver and palladium climbing nearly 3 percent to their day ’s highs.

Commodities rallied broadly, with crude oil up nearly 1 percent, as a stronger euro supported interest in dollar-priced assets.

“This morning there is a general commodities run; the whole sector is up by different degrees,” RBS Global Banking & Markets analyst Nikos Kavalis said. “This to a large extent is linked to the euro doing rather well.”

Gold prices on Friday had rebounded 4.3 percent from below $1,550, their biggest oneday rise in more than three years,

after disappointing US payrolls data reignited talk of a fresh round of monetary easing from the Federal Reserve. “We are positive on gold, and it is definitely ver y encouraging that we’ve gone past the $1,600 milestone,” Kavalis said. “It has moved up the whole support level ... (but) to regain traction, we need the professionals to go back in.” Net speculative length, or bets on higher prices, in Comex gold futures is languishing near multiyear lows.

Investors are hoping the ECB will unveil more action to tackle acute financial problems in Spain and elsewhere in the euro zone, after a Group of Seven emergency conference call on Tuesday failed to produce any concrete solution. The ECB is expected to indicate a readiness to cut interest rates as soon as next month but to hold back from policy moves. German bund futures fell, with the near-term outlook hinging on whether the ECB cuts interest rates to help counter an economic slowdown. The euro rose 0.6 percent against the dol-

lar ahead of the meeting. The dollar remains under pressure after Friday’s poor reading of the US jobs market.

VASTLY DISAPPOINTING “Gold’s sharp rally after a vastly disappointing US employment print last Friday and its ability to subsequently hang on to most of those gains is commanding attention,” UBS said in a note.

“Today is far more of a test of the follow-through interest, and this week there will be plenty of opportunities for gold to either pass the safe haven test or reverse back into its old risk-on shell,” it added. “So far, gold is attracting European buying and has traded up to the high of $1,637.”

Last week’s sharp rally in gold prices prompted a wave of scrap selling in India and elsewhere in Asia as market participants took advantage of higher prices, while fresh buying was sluggish yesterday. Gloomy equity markets and high interest rates have forced investors in India to cash out of gold, said Prithviraj Kothari, presi-

dent of the Bombay Bullion Association. “During last year’s price run-up, scrap volumes were low, as Indian merchants withheld material ... in expectation of still higher prices,” HSBC said in a note.

“Following recent declines, the notion of even higher bullion prices may not be as widely held

by Indian merchants, and recycled material is being handed in for processing at a much faster pace than last year,” it said, adding that it might result in modest pressure on prices.

Among other precious metals, silver was up 2.6 percent at $29.23 an ounce, having earlier touched its highest since May 10 at $29.30 an ounce.

The gold/silver ratio, which measures the number of silver ounces needed to buy an ounce of gold, corrected to 55.9 after hitting its highest for the year yesterday at 57.3 as the white metal outperformed. Spot platinum was up 2.1 percent at $1,459.24 an ounce, while spot palladium was up 0.4 percent at $621.97 an ounce.— Reuters

Reforming the Russia’s bloated, yet inadequate pension system Dearth of pension money hobbles financial markets MOSCOW: At the bustling Levsha flea market just outside Moscow, hundreds of Russian pensioners flock each weekend to supplement their incomes by selling off family possessions. While some bring silver-plated dinner sets and jewelry, most have simpler wares - second-hand clothes and toys, obsolete household appliances, vinyl records and dog-eared paperbacks. Viktor Ivanovich, 70, a retired computer engineer, says he comes to the market because his monthly pension of 13,000 roubles ($400) isn’t enough. “It’s very little of course,” he said. “Now each time you go to the shop it’s 500 roubles to eat each day.”

Viktor, who introduces himself by first name and patronym only, is at the sharp end of one of President Vladimir Putin’s toughest challenges as he embarks on a new term - reforming Russia’s bloated but inadequate pension system. Putin has ruled out raising the retirement age, but he will have to find other ways to make people work longer. Russia now spends some 10 percent of gross domestic product on state pensions - above the OECD average of 7.5 percent - and it will keep rising if nothing is done as more Russians retire from the workforce than enter it. Yet despite this mounting fiscal burden, pensioners struggle to make ends meet. Although Putin has doubled the real value of the average pension, now around $300 a month, in the last five years, it remains less than 40 percent of the average wage. Spread out on a small rug, Viktor’s own pitiful wares consist of an old gas mask, tatty Soviet science fiction novels, a portrait of Puss-in-Boots and a Walt Disney Christmas Annual. “Pensioners are all dissatisfied,” he said. “I come here every weekend and earn around 500 roubles, but what’s that? It’s enough to fatten yourself for one day.” The discontent of elderly Russians such as Viktor is not something that Putin can easily dismiss.

Pensioners already account for close to 40 percent of the electorate, and are much more likely to vote than younger Russians. They also provide a natural constituency for Putin, who has headed off growing youth discontent by playing on older generations’ desire for stability. To attract the grey vote

in recent elections, Putin ruled out the most common reform recommendation - raising the retirement age from its present 55 for women and 60 for men. But for those urging change, pensioners’ dissatisfaction at their lot - notwithstanding the mounting cost of providing for them - merely illustrates why reform is so badly needed.

TOO MANY PENSIONERS The root problem, said Evsey Gurvich, head of the Economic Expert Group that advises the Finance Ministry, is that too many people are able to claim pensions. “If access is easy, even if we

MOSCOW: Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev speaks during an interview with famous Russian TV host Vladimir Posner in Moscow. — AFP spend a lot of money relatively, the average pension benefit is low,” he said. And the problem will get worse in future unless something is done about the growing numbers of pensioners.

A collapse in the birth rate after the breakup of the Soviet Union two decades ago will cause Russia’s labor force to shrink by 11 million by 2030 while the number of pensioners will grow by 9 million. Investors hope that by stimulating retirement savings, reform will also address the biggest defect in the financial system: a dearth of long-term capital. “Nobody in Russia knows what will happen

tomorrow, so we try to earn and spend as much as possible without thinking about tomorrow,” says Alexei Maslov, 31, a smartly-dressed entrepreneur strolling past exclusive shops in central Moscow.

Like most Russians - including the affluent middle class - he has no long-term savings.

In 2002, Putin introduced a variant of the Chilean pension model, common in Latin America and Eastern Europe, where future pensions are partly financed from mandatory savings accounts invested in financial markets. “Reforms in both Chile and Poland were fantastically successful, and they have both really helped develop the economy,” said Anton Rakhmanov, managing director of Troika Dialog Asset Management, a leading investment company. But in Russia’s case, the reform was half-hearted and disappointing. The total volume of these accumulated savings is still just a paltry 3 percent of GDP, while voluntary pension savings are even more miniscule. “The government has done very little to educate or encourage people to invest,” Rakhmanov said.

REFORM BLUEPRINT While pension reform is rising to the top of the political agenda, the policy elite is deeply divided over the way forward. Strategy 2020, a reform blueprint drawn up by economists advising the government, proposes raising the mandatory savings contributions made by the middle class, as well as increasing the retirement age to 63 between 2015 and 2030. But such ideas get short shrift from the Health and Social Development Ministry, which oversees the pension system. “I am a determined opponent of the mandatory saving system,” deputy minister Yuri Voronin said, dismissing fiscal and demographic concerns as scaremongering.

Instead, the ministry may scrap compulsory retirement saving altogether.

While that would free up cash to fund current pensions, it dismays investors and economists who hope that pension reform will boost shallow capital markets. But even leading reform advocates are skeptical that the once-fashionable Chilean model can defuse the pension time bomb.— Reuters

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

business

Corruption could worsen European financial crisis Southern states most at risk

ALTAY: This picture shows Kazakh nomads herding their livestocks with their caravan across a plain in Altay, farwest China’s Xinjiang region. — AFP

Surveys vie to capture the Chinese consumer BEIJING: Fashion-conscious Shanghainese Xing Chunhui spends her weekend window shopping, pausing for meals or tea with friends, before going online to see if she can get the same clothes cheaper. Tracking her consumer behavior and determining whether she will do the same next weekend is a growth industry in China, where public and private surveyors are battling to develop an authoritative consumer confidence index.

Getting to know Xing-and millions of shoppers like her- is already a necessity for CEOs trying to sell into the China market. If and when investment slows and China tips into consumer-led growth, understanding her outlook could become the key to calling the Chinese economy. “Consumers are not the main driver of the economy now, but at some point they will be,” said Andrew Polk, economist for the Conference Board in Beijing, which includes a Consumer Expectations Index in its leading economic index for China. “Even if consumption doesn’t increase as a proportion of GDP the level of consumption is going to grow, so it is something worth understanding and tracking.”

In the United States, consumer confidence indices, compiled for decades, are closely watched as an indicator for spending plans and also as a political barometer.

In China, consumer behavior has altered dramatically, depending largely on the generation and on geographical locationrural or urban. While her grandmother stuffed every cent she saved into Xing’s piggybank, the younger woman spends more than half her $10,000 annual salary on shopping, travel, beauty and eating out.

“I think the money I have is enough, so I may as well spend it. I don’t bother to save,” Xing told Reuters. “Even if home prices come down I can’t afford to buy, but for everything else, prices are going up, so there’s no reason to hold back.”

Xing’s curious mix of free spending and bargain-hunting will become more relevant as China’s top-down, debt-driven focus on investment yields to an economy driven by people like her. The most official measure of consumer sentiment is a monthly figure produced by the China Economic Monitoring & Analysis Center, affiliated with the National Bureau of Statistics. The NBS has tracked expectations since the 1990s, enlarging its telephone survey to include rural consumers and a broader base of city dwellers. An official at the centre declined to specify how many people were captured in each survey. The consumer confidence survey gives greater weight to a consumer expectations compo-

nent than to consumer satisfaction, which gives it a forward-looking value. However, its relatively late release to the public offsets that advantage.

GATHERING DATA The lack of full information about NBS methodology has left the field open for rivals. Corporations with their eye on the China market are not waiting around for any one index to become established.

Many simply gather their own data. China UnionPay has the simplest approach. Its Bankcard Consumer Confidence Index, jointly compiled since 2009 with the statebacked Xinhua News Agency, analyses spending as shown in its customers’ bank card bills. That naturally biases the sample towards urban dwellers who use bank cards. Marketing firm Aegis goes to more lengths. It interviews 66,000 Chinese in 88 markets, including all sizes of cities and some in the country. The quarterly survey tracks trends for its clients, often global brands names. Second-tier cities, where multinationals are making headway, account for about one-third of respondents. “So far, there’s no major trend emerging other than a growing frustration with the rising cost of living,” said Seth Grossman, head of Vizeum Asia Pacific, an Aegis subsidiary. Another favorite is a survey by the People’s Bank of China, which tracks six measures of current and future price expectations and satisfaction. Fans of these surveys say they are useful in anticipating inflation data. Household consumption only accounts for a third of GDP, which means that consumer confidence is drowned out by other factors. Household consumption accounted for 71 percent of US GDP in 2010.

Most economists now rely more heavily on indicators of investment activity. They argue that since investment accounts for the lion’s share of growth, that is still the data to track. “Although we hope that consumption will become more important, it’s not the thing driving growth, not the most volatile factor,” said Patrick Chovanec, economist at Tsinghua University in Beijing. “Growth in consumption won’t offset a collapse in investment. It’s a long-term story, but not what people watch month-to-month.” The NBS survey seems to capture something of the national mood. It sank when the SARS disease spooked the public in 2003 and correctly reflected rockiness in the economy in early 2008, long before the global financial crisis became a watchword. NBS adjusted its survey last year to formalise a base effect reflected in a sharp upward jump in March of last year.—Reuters

Euro-zone crisis tests Hollande credentials PARIS: When Francois Hollande waded into the euro-zone debt crisis after taking office as French president, his push for a new focus on growth over austerity was widely welcomed, except perhaps in Berlin. Two weeks later, ballooning bank woes in Spain and political turmoil in Greece have taken the debate to a new level that has left Hollande in deeper water than he imagined and will test his political and diplomatic skills to the full.

Europe’s lurch back into crisis should allow the French Socialist, one of the EU’s few leftwing leaders, to achieve his initial policy goals: a pro-growth pact and more time for eurozone states to reach their deficit reduction goals. But German Chancellor Angela Merkel has responded to his push for the euro-zone to mutualise its debt through joint bonds by challenging Berlin’s partners to leap towards a fiscal union, something that could come at a high political cost in Paris.

Although Hollande supports closer European integration, persuading French lawmakers and voters to hand over more budgetary sovereignty to Brussels could be a hard sell, raising the risk of a referendum defeat or street protests. The question of whether Hollande might prove soft on budget discipline has moved on to whether he will have the stamina to stand alongside Germany and lay foundations for a fiscal union that, along with an integrated bank sector, may be the only way to save the ailing single currency union.

“The relatively modest growth measures Hollande has pushed for will likely be agreed but are not enough to save the euro-zone from a dangerous spiral. The debate has moved beyond that,” said Thomas Klau at the European Council on Foreign Relations. “There is a consensus that the euro-zone needs to act very fast in agreeing steps towards a transfer

of power away from national capitals to existing or new European institutions. That confronts the new French government with an unexpected difficulty and a choice it may not be keen to make so early on.”

With alarm growing over the euro-zone’s future, EU leaders are set to devote a June 2829 summit to discussing Merkel’s push for more central power to manage euro area finances and agree a path towards a formal accord a year from now. Germany may only consider a road map to euro bonds or an integrated banking union - measures that would ease the problems of countries like Greece and Spain - if euro-zone states agree to major new powers for EU institutions. “You can’t ask for euro bonds, but then not be prepared to take the next step towards closer integration,” Merkel said on Saturday in a comment that seemed aimed at Paris.

A staunch pro-European, Hollande would have to get any constitutional changes passed by a three-fifths majority in the new parliament and the conservative opposition or his hard-left allies may make their support conditional on public approval by referendum. The mere thought of a referendum would make Hollande shudder, after his campaign as Socialist Party leader for a “yes” vote in a 2005 referendum on a European constitution ended in defeat, splitting the party. Awkwardly, Hollande’s foreign and finance ministers are from the 2005 “no” camp. Signs that former president, Nicolas Sarkozy, might agree to hand Brussels power over national budgets early this year enraged the French.

If Hollande forced through such measures with no referendum he could trigger protests, analysts say, given the public’s fear of any outside tampering with the country’s social model. —Reuters

BRUSSELS: Political and business corruption in Europe, especially in the Mediterranean, could further weaken vulnerable economies struggling to overcome the euro-crisis, an international watchdog said yesterday. While it sees itself as one of the world’s least corrupt regions, few countries in Europe regulate lobbying or give citizens easy access to public information, allowing a culture of graft to take hold and political and business elites to divert funds, Transparency International said in a report.

Bloated budget deficits and debt are at the heart of the euro zone’s 2-1/2-year-old crisis, and corruption means scarce public money is spent inefficiently and may be creamed off at a time when record unemployment is reducing government revenues. “Countries with weak anti-corruption safeguards are often the ones with most problems in their public debt at the moment,” said Finn Heinrich, research director at Transparency International who supervised the report across 25 countries. “Audit institutions are particularly weak and often not independent from the government, meaning that public officials probably know they can get away with cutting corners,” he said.

The report named Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain - the euro zone’s most financially troubled nations - as having deeply rooted problems in their public administrations, namely that officials are not accountable for their actions. Although not technically illegal behavior, politicians and business lead-

ers use their influence to win contracts and sway policies, while parliaments often fail to enforce the anti-graft laws and rules that do exist, the report said. “The links between corruption and the ongoing financial and fiscal crisis in these countries can no longer be ignored,” it said.

Corruption costs the European Union around 120 billion euros ($150 billion) a year, according to the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe. Many analysts say the figure is probably higher.

Privatizations are fertile ground for creaming off funds into private hands and Transparency International said that Portuguese and Greek privatization programs could be at risk, potentially leaving less money to pay down debt and deficits.

“Governments may not get as much money out of the privatizations as they should because a certain number of people close to private officials benefit rather than the public,” Heinrich said.

CREEPING ‘DISEASE’ The perception that governments are too close to business elites added to the public anger that brought thousands of people onto the streets in Madrid and Athens in recent months. Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was dogged by scandal. He faced a bribery case in Milan in February, although it was thrown out by the cour t and he denies any wrongdoing.

Corruption is notoriously difficult to measure, but 74 percent of Europeans see it as a growing prob-

lem in their countries, according to the EU’s latest Eurobarometer sur vey.

The European Commission has described corruption as a “disease that destroys a country from within”.

Transparency International said the issue was not limited to the countries of the Mediterranean.

Many countries in western and northern Europe do not have dedicated anti-corruption agencies while wealthy Sweden and Switzerland have no binding rules to regulate private donations to political parties, the report found. Regulations in the Netherlands are seen as “wholly inadequate,” the report said, while bans in place on corporate donations in Belgium and France are not effective because funding can be pushed into other “opaque channels”. Transparency International also said the influence of lobbyists was shrouded in secrecy and that the 3,000 lobbying groups in Brussels should be required to sign a single register, rather than a variety of voluntary registers. In France, only 150 of the 5,000 organizations that met members of parliament during hearings at the Assembly between 2007 and 2010 are registered as interest groups. In Britain, several members of parliament were convicted after it was revealed that they were exploiting their expenses.

“Europeans’ concerns are not with potential police corruption or such like,” said Heinrich. “They view corruption as the close interrelationship between business and the political elite. European leaders don’t take that into account.” — Reuters

Argentine grain farmers call national sales freeze Farmers reject Buenos Aires tax hike BUENOS AIRES: Argentine farmers announced a one-week nationwide halt to grain sales to protest higher taxes in key farming province Buenos Aires, a move that lifted US soy futures as traders braced for tight supplies. Already upset about the national government’s policy of wheat and corn export curbs that hurt profits, growers say the tax increase will force some of them to sell their fields. The South American country is the world’s No 3 soybean exporter and No 2 corn supplier after the United States.

“Something is going very wrong in Argentina’s farms, which is why we’re sending this wake-up call,” Eduardo Buzzi, head of the Argentine Agrarian Federation, told reporters. “We’re in bad shape and things are getting worse,” he said. Grains and financial markets will watch over the days ahead for signs that the strike. It might intensify to resemble the massive farm protests that paralyzed the sector and rocked Argentina’s government four years ago.

Buenos Aires growers began a limited strike on Saturday over the tax hike. Expectations that the protest would expand from that province to the rest of Argentina helped lift soybean and soymeal futures on the Chicago Board of Trade while underpinning corn, US traders said.

“Strangely, it seems to be affecting corn shipments more than soybeans, with delays already noted on ship loadings,” ABN AMRO analyst Charlie Sernatinger said. The sales strike comes as Argentine farmers move into the final stages of soy and corn collection for the 2011/12 crop year.

Thanks to its fertile Pampas farm belt, bigger than France, Argentina is the world’s top exporter of soyoil, used for cooking and in the booming biofuels sector. It also ranks No 1 in soymeal, used as animal feed at a time of increased demand from China, where the emerging middle class has discovered a taste for beef steak. Harvest estimates for the 2011/12 crop year have been cut due to extreme weather swings, starting with a DecemberJanuary drought that parched fields at the height of the Southern Hemisphere summer and ending with the heaviest May rains in a century, which flooded those same fields.

Buenos Aires Governor Daniel Scioli needs more tax revenue to help shore up provincial finances ahead of a possible 2015 presidential run. He is seen by Wall Street as the best hope for a market-friendly leader to succeed President Cristina Fernandez at the end of her second term. Scioli says he would run if Fernandez, who has increased the state’s role in the economy, does not seek a change in the constitution to allow her to go for a third term. Scioli says the tax hike is structured “progressively”, exempting 62 percent of the province’s farms and granting exemptions for growers in the remaining 38 percent who were hit hard by drought and flooding during the 2011/12 season.— Reuters

BUENOS AIRES: Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez (right) talks to Planning Minister Julio De Vido (center) as YPF oil company’s Argentine state representative and Deputy Economy Minister Axel Kicillof drinks water during a ceremony to announce new investments in Buenos Aires. — AP

New promotion for KIB visa cardholders KUWAIT: Kuwait International Bank (KIB) is continuously seeking to provide exciting summer offers to its loyal customers. In collaboration with Visa International, KIB is offering its Visa cardholders a new promotion. They can now dine at any of the 43 restaurants within the 9 Address and Armani Hotels in Dubai and receive UP TO 25% discount on food and beverage as well as Spa treatments. This valuable offer is valid from June 1sttill September 30th, 2012 dates inclusive. Moreover, hotels participating in this offer include: The Address Downtown Dubai, The Address Dubai MallDowntown Dubai, The Address Dubai Marina, The Address Montgomerie Dubai, The Palace (The Old Town) - Downtown Dubai, Armani Hotel Dubai, Dubai Marina

Yacht Club, Arabian Ranches Golf Club Dubai, and Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club.

Commenting on this appealing offer, TareQ Al-Ajlan, Marketing Manager from KIB said: “Today, KIB Visa cardholders could enjoy their summers in the most luxurious and inexpensive way possible in Dubai’s magnificent5-star hotels.” Al Ajlan added: “This offer isn’t the first of its kind and surely won’t be the last offered by KIB, but it comes from an ongoing series of summer offers designed to distinguish our Visa cardholders amongst others.” It is also worthy to mention that KIB’s wide range of Visa cards include: Al Moyassara Visa credit card which is available in both classic and gold, Visa platinum card and Al Momayaza Visa charge card.

SMG team ‘Win As One’ DUBAI: Employees of Starcom MediaVest Group certainly have cause for celebration.

After a great first half of the year, with wins at The Festival of Media the Dubai, and the Internationalist NYC, the Dubai Lynx and the Cristal Awards, the group epitomized the company’s success with a Billboard in Dubai Media City, featuring a giant depiction of SMG’s famous motto ‘ Win As One’. Once it was unveiled, the group’s delighted employees used a boom lift to color in the slogan’s individual squares in SMG’s signature colors (red,

green, blue, yellow, orange and indigo). “At SMG, we place the power of simplicity, meaningful and real time at the core of our business ethos,” commented Mark Hamilton, Strategic Development Director, SMG. “Having all of our employees contribute to this billboard - a symbol of our accomplishments - represents the pivotal role of team work in growing our clients’ businesses. After all, our ‘brand’ experiences are brought to life thanks to a phenomenal staff comprising transformational, dynamic, relentless, fearless

and streetwise individuals.” Nisha Primlani, Regional DirectorMarketing & Communications at VivaKi said: “SMG stands for transforming behavior through meaningful Human Experiences. With this mantra permeating everything we do, we have again been able to produce stellar work that fueled a great first half of the year. SMG’s inclusive culture ensures that the work we do is a collective effort that has to be celebrated by the whole team and this goes to show that when we win, we win as one.”

26

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

business

Air Arabia launches direct service to Salalah KUWAIT: Air Arabia, the first and largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in the Middle East and North Africa, yesterday announced the launch of a new service to Salalah, Oman starting June 28, 2012. The new route will become airline’s second destination in the Sultanate, and 75th overall worldwide.

Air Arabia will offer services to Salalah on Thursdays and Saturdays, departing from Sharjah International Airport at 16:00 and arriving in Salalah Airport at 17:55. Return flights will depart from Salalah on the same days at 18:35 and arrive in Sharjah at 20:25.

The inaugural flight, G9 0119 will

take-off from Sharjah International Airport on Thursday, 28 June 2012.

“Salalah is a popular tourist destination of Oman and we target through our new twice weekly service to develop the tourism traffic between Salalah, the UAE and the wider region” said Adel Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia. “Oman has rapidly established itself as a major tourist destination worldwide and introducing this attractive service is just in-time for our customer to benefit from while planning their summer get-a ways”.

The city of Salalah is a popular destination for tourism due to the natural

attractions and its seasonal weather, locally known as “Khareef.” Salalah includes a distinctive natural diversity where the coast blends with the mountains and the desert in wonderful harmony.

During the Salalah Tourism Festival, takes place from 15 July to 31 August every year, Salalah is frequented by visitors from all over the world The beautiful beaches and coastline are also major attractions for scuba diving and bird watching. The launch of services to Salalah will complement Air Arabia’s existing flights to Muscat, which operate twice daily.

UAE job seekers meet top employers in cyberspace Interviews via chat, voice & video conferencing

Skyline Builders’ Transit Home Facility inaugurated KUWAIT: The Skylineage Transit Home Facility from Skyline Builders was inaugurated on 26 May, 2012 by CJ George, Managing Director of Geojit BNP Paribas Financial Services Ltd, by receiving the first Skylineage Membership Card from Abdul Azeez, Chairman and Managing Director of Skyline Builders, in a function at Cochin. It is for the first time in India that a builder is coming forward with a transit home facility for its customers.

Skyline Builders, the makers of the best homes and addresses in Kerala, with a track record of 102 projects completed and handed over to more than 5200 customers, is all set to notch up a new water-mark in delighting customers.

The Skylineage Transit Homes will be open to all customers at select locations in Kerala. Being a member of the very privileged tribe, Skyline is set to honor all Skyline customers by providing them guest accommodations in Skyline properties across Kerala. Now every Skyliner can be proud that he also owns the best addresses across Kerala by having a home away from home, wherever they are.

A home that moves with the Skyliner, said Abdul Azeez, adding, “Now, every Skyliner can broaden their travel experience with the leisure of walking into Skyline transit homes in other cities. As a holder of the Skylineage; Skyline extends the luxury of complimentary stay in Skyline transit homes in Trivandrum, Kottayam, Kochi, Calicut and Kannur. This privilege can be availed by all Skyline customers, in all above mentioned locations, except for the location where they own their Skyline apartment”.

The Skyline transit homes offer spacious apartments fit for comfortable family living. These apartments are fully furnished. It also has a coffee maker, fridge with bottled water and toiletries including fresh towels. In addition to this, they can use the other facilities such as swimming pool and recreation centers that ensure every member of their family has a fabulous time. A team from Skyline Builders is currently camping at Ramada Kuwait Hotel, Al Reggae. They have with them the details of 4 exciting new launches and also of other ongoing projects of Skyline, in Kerala.

Noura Al Harbi wins NBK Al-Jawhara’s KD 125,000 KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) has announced the winner for May’s KD 125,000 Al-Jawhara monthly prize, Noura Mohammed Al Harbi. The draw was held at NBK Head Office under the supervision of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. NBK recently re-launched AlJawhara account, by offering customers more chances to win bigger prizes. By offering a KD 5,000 weekly, KD 125,000 monthly and a grand prize of KD 250,000 quarterly draw. Noura Al Harbi, the winner of May’s KD 125,000 draw expressed her delight stating, “Winning KD 125,000 came as a complete surprise. I truly want to thank NBK for its great service and offers and for always being number one in the market.”

Al-Jawhara account offers numerous

benefits to NBK customers. Not only is it an interest-free account with regular deposit and withdrawal privileges, but also entitles account holders to enter the weekly, monthly and quarterly AlJawhara draws.

Each KD 50 in an Al-Jawhara account entitles the customer to one chance in any of the draws. All prizes are automatically credited to the winners’ accounts the day after the draw. The more money held in your Al-Jawhara account, the greater your chances of winning. AlJawhara accounts are available to both Kuwaitis and Expats and can be opened at any one of NBK’s branches around Kuwait. For further information kindly visit www.nbk.com, or call Hala Watani at 1801801.

Use your Gulf Bank credit, debit card and win BMW KUWAIT: Gulf Bank announced yester- customers are presented with an opporday the launch of an exciting promotional tunity to win one of four BMW’s & Millions campaign, offering its cardholders a of Points. With this outstanding offer we chance to win one of four luxurious BMW also encourage non Gulf Bank credit cardcars (5 Series, 6 Series, 7 Series and X6) as holders to consider opening an account well as the chance to earn 7 million loyalty with us. “ points (10 winners per month to earn Customers will automatically be 100,000 points each). Gulf enrolled in the monthly Bank cardholders who draw when they use their spend more using their credit cards locally and credit cards locally and internationally or their debit internationally or debit cards internationally. cards abroad will be eligible Furthermore, Gulf Bank will to win these great prizes. keep on offering 1 Bonus The campaign will comPoint with every KD 1 spend mence in June 2012 on Credit Cards (locally or through to January 14th internationally), these 2013. points will be added to the Aly Shalaby, Gulf Bank’s overall loyalty points and General Manager, can be redeemed as cash Consumer Banking Group back once they are credited said: “Through the launch to the customer’s credit card of this campaign, we aim account. To benefit from the to offer our customers Points Program at Gulf bank, Aly Shalaby new and exciting ways to customer should use their win great prizes and reward them for Credit Cards. To find out more about Gulf their continued trust in Gulf Bank’s servic- Bank’s promotion, customers can visit one es. The Bank has always been committed of Gulf Bank’s 56 branches, or contact the to providing the most convenient and Bank’s Customer Contact Centre on rewarding offers to its customers by 1805805 for assistance and guidance, or ensuring ongoing benefits & rewards log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf every time they use their cards. Gulf Bank Bank’s bilingual website.

KUWAIT: The Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre (ADSIC) has launched the 3rd Virtual Career Fair (e-Fair) organized by Jobs Abu Dhabi, the Centre’s egovernment employment initiative. The e-Fair enabled candidates to virtually interact with recruiters and Abu Dhabi’s top private and public employers from the comfort of their own homes via internet-based chat, voice and video conferencing facilities instead of trooping to physical employment fairs, Users can simply log on to www.efair.abudhabi.ae to experience this state-of-the-art solution. The virtual career fair opened from 8 am to 4 pm during its three-day run.

The e-Fair is an online substitute to traditional career fairs that leverages the convenience of the internet to provide an interactive platform for employers and jobseekers. This is especially advantageous for people with special needs and women who are often inconvenienced to attend traditional job fairs but who are determined to pursue fulfilling careers.

E-Fair participants learned more about the culture, objectives and values of their prospective employers. They can directly apply for multiple job openings in a few clicks instead of tediously visiting booths one by one as done in a typical job fair.

They could also directly interact with employers and submit their resumes to several companies of interest 24/7 via the fair’s portal. For employers, the online virtual fair enhanced their local, regional and global visibility and gave them access to a technology-based platform that facilitates multimedia corporate branding and even enables them to set up virtual booths with flexible

design options. The updated reports and statistics on booth visits and applications also optimized the recruitment process.

The fair was even beneficial

technology is paving the way to Abu Dhabi’s accelerated social and economic development.

ADSIC will develop more initiatives such as the e-Fair, the Abu

vate sector demands in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia,” added name. The first Jobs Abu Dhabi e-Fair was held in 2010.

Last year’s edition was visible in

from an ecological perspective, as the virtual environment avoided wastage of paper, brochures, pens and other materials normally used in regular job fairs. “Based on the huge success of the past two editions, we expect the 2012

Dhabi Government portal and the Contact Centre to use technology as the emirate’s bridge to a bright future,” said Dr Ahmed Al Hashimi, Project Manager at Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Centre.

e-fair to draw in a good number of applicants and result in highly satisfying matches between top candidates and leading private and public employers. It will be an outstanding reflection of Abu Dhabi’s growth as a healthy work environment. More than an employment platform, though, the e-Fair shows how information

“Jobs Abu Dhabi and the e-Fair provide a transparent IT platform to directly link employers with jobseekers without the interference of a third party. We have made the e -Fair registration process very simple, for both employers and jobseekers. We also aim to facilitate online recruitment services to serve pri-

110 countries and offered 900 vacancies from 30 employers; it logged 16,000 submitted resumes and 250,000 page views.

The Western Region Development Council, the Event Partner for the 2012 e-Fair will highlight employment and recruitment prospects for Al Gharbia.

Event Sponsors include the Abu Dhabi Police (Diamond), National Bank of Abu Dhabi (Platinum), the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Gold), and Al Ain Municipality (Gold). Fair organizer Jobs Abu Dhabi is an initiative under ADSIC’s e -Government program, mandated to provide jobseekers and employers with convenient access to a comprehensive online job market. It is one of ADSIC’s key platforms under its IT agenda for the emirate of Abu Dhabi, which aims to leverage technology to modernize and optimize government services.

Jet Airways enhances Kuwait-Mumbai route MUMBAI: Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will enhance connectivity between Kuwait and Mumbai with the introduction of a second frequency four times a week to the financial hub of Mumbai.

With the launch of this second service, effective tomorrow, Jet Airways will now offer 11 flights a week from Kuwait to Mumbai. Guests will also enjoy seamless connectivity from Mumbai to 50 other destinations on the domestic network as well as to the Far East and SAARC countries.

The Boeing 737-800 operated Flight 9W573 will depart Kuwait at 0050 hrs local time (LT) on Mondays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays respectively and arrive Mumbai at 0730 hrs (LT). On the return leg, 9W 574 will depart Mumbai at 2220 hrs (LT) on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays respectively and arrive Kuwait at 2350 hrs (LT).

The additional flights will complement the daily flight being operated between the two destinations by Jet Airways, making it the largest Indian carrier operating from Kuwait.

Sudheer Raghavan, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways said “Jet Airways has established itself as a prestigious brand on account of the warmth of its service and quality of its product. We are happy to introduce this second frequency four times a week from Kuwait to Mumbai and are confident that this new service will prove equally popular with our guests.

The new flight will provide seamless connectivity to guests flying to our international hub in Mumbai, as well as onwards on Jet Airways’ South India domestic network and to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Dhaka, Kathmandu and Colombo. Jet Airways presently operates 46 daily flights between India and the Middle Eastern region.

The airline will deploy its state-of-the-art new generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft, offering Premiere and Economy configurations.

Guests will be offered the airline’s superior inflight product, which boasts of warm service, award winning entertainment, as well as delectable cuisine.

KAMCO appoints Faisal Sarkhou as Acting CEO KUWAIT: KAMCO - KIPCO Asset climate facing the investment secM anagement Company, tor, KAMCO is a company with a announced the appointment of proven track record of achieveFaisal Sarkhou as the new Acting ments, carrying with it a wealth of Chief Executive Officer upon the accumulated experience, and is board ’s approval of outgoing supported by a specialized team of M anaging Direc tor and CEO, capable and knowledgeable colleagues.

Sadoun Ali’s resignation.

I will trust in them as I ask them K AMCO ’s Chairman, Shaik h Abdullah Al Nasser Al Sabah, said: to trust in me to enhance and On behalf of myself and all the secure KAMCO’s place among the Directors of the Board, I would like region’s premier investment housto star t by personally thank ing es. With the trust bestowed on me Sadoun for his years of dedicated and the support from our shareser vice, and pay tribute to his holders, board of directors, and my major contribution to the stability team of colleagues, I am delighted of the company in the midst of very to be given the opportunity to lead K AMCO and to accomplish our difficult economic circumstances.

I would also like to extend my mutual future goals.”

Sarkhou joined the Corporate best wishes to Ali on his new job within the Group as he is a dear Finance Department in KAMCO in 2000, after working at friend, confidant and KPMG in Kuwait. His can continue to count last promotion was in on our support in the 2010 where he was future. “I would also appointed Head of the like to congratulate Financial Services and Sark hou on his sucInvestment Division at cessful rise to the KAMCO. summit of our compaSarkhou has a histony. ry of rich experience His hard work, dediand track record of cation, and businessachievements in acumen have coninvestment banking, tributed to the growth f i n a n c i a l p ro d u c t s and stability of KAMand financial services CO during challengin general. He serves Faisal Sarkhou ing times. I am confias a board member on dent in his abilities to steer us into several reputable companies. He an even brighter future.” also sits on a number of company Sarkhou also commented saying, a n d i nve s t m e n t m a n a g e m e n t “I am honored to be appointed as committees. He is an Economics Acting CEO to such a prestigious graduate from the University of company. Despite a challenging Birmingham, UK.

27

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

TECHNOLOGY

Internet switches to IPv6 for breathing room LONDON: A new Internet standard giving the global network more room to grow came into effect yesterday, a move that users probably won’t notice.

The switch occurred at 0001 GMT yesterday, when Internet operators switched to a new standard called IPv6 that allows for trillions of “IP” numbers or addresses, up from the current 4.3 billion. “To ensure the Internet can continue to grow and connect billions more people and devices around the world, thousands of companies and millions of websites have now permanently enabled the next generation of

Internet evangelist” at Google, said the change gives the Internet room to grow.

“When the Internet launched operationally in 1983, its creators never dreamed that there might be billions of devices and users trying to get online,” he said. “Yet now, almost three decades later, that same Internet serves nearly 2.5 billion people and 11 billion devices across the globe. And we’re running out of space.”

The full transition will take several years, and old IPv4 devices and networks should continue to function as before. “We’re proud to be one of the

Internet Protocol (IPv6) for their products and services,” the Internet Society, an advisory panel, said.

“Participants in World IPv6 Launch include the four most visited websites in the world - Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Yahoo! - as well as home router manufacturers and Internet Service Providers in more than 100 countries. By making IPv6 the ‘new normal,’ these companies are enabling millions of end users to enjoy its benefits without having to do anything themselves.”

Vint Cerf, one of the inventors of the Internet standard, who is now the “chief

founding participants; virtually all Google’s services have been available over IPv6 for a while, but IPv6 access was only available to networks participating in the ‘Google over IPv6’ program,” Cerf said. “From now on, they will be made available to any IPv6 network on the Internet (well, almost any).”

Some analysts say there may some annoyances for people using older equipment, because the “path” to websites using compatible equipment may be different. Each piece of hardware including home computers, tablets and mobile devices - has a unique IP address

to connect to the Web. With about seven billion people on the planet, the IPv4 protocol doesn’t allow for everyone to have a gadget with its own online address. The situation has been equated to not having enough telephone numbers for every user.

Cisco is projecting that by 2016, there will be nearly 18.9 billion network connections, or nearly 2.5 connections for each person on earth, compared with 10.3 billion in 2011. If there are not enough addresses, neighbors will have to start sharing IP addresses, which can slow things down. —AFP

Nintendo touts games for Wii U GamePad console

RABAT: Solar Impulse pilots Bertrand Piccard (center) celebrates with Andre Borschberg (right) and Mustapha Bakkoury, president of the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy upon arrival at Rabat airport on Tuesday. —AP

Solar plane completes intercontinental trip SALE, Morocco: A solar energy plane landed in Morocco on Tuesday, completing the world’s first intercontinental flight powered by the sun to show the potential for pollution-free air travel. The Solar Impulse took off from Madrid at 0322 GMT on Tuesday and landed at Rabat’s International airport after a 19-hour flight. Shortly before Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard landed in Rabat’s airport, the project co-founder and pilot Andre Borschberg said the aircraft has proved its sustainability.

“The aircraft can now fly day and night.

It’s quite a show ... It’s a technology we can trust,” he told reporters.

Pilot Piccard descended from the plane, smiling as he was greeted by Borshberg and Mustafa Bakkoury, the head of Morocco’s solar energy agency.

The Solar Impulse project began in 2003 with a 10-year budget of Ä90 million ($112.18 million) and has involved engineers from Swiss lif t maker S chindler and research aid from Belgian chemicals group Solvay. On Tuesday, the aircraf t crossed the Gibraltar Strait separating Africa and Europe at one of its narrowest points.

The flight is crucial for the project’s developers because it would help improve the organization of a world

tour planned in 2013.

“The flight was absolutely wonderful but I almost did not enjoy it because I told myself that Andre and I have the responsibility to bring this aircraft to M orocco,” Piccard said. The plane, which requires 12,000 solar cells, embarked on its first flight in April 2010 and completed a 26-hour flight, a record flying time for a solar powered aircraft, three months later. It made its first international flight last month when it completed a 13-hour flight from the western Swiss town of Payern to Brussels.

With an average flying speed of 70 km/h, Solar Impulse is not an immediate threat to commercial jets, which can easily cruise at more than 10 times the speed.

A flight from Madrid to Rabat can take a little more than an hour. Project leaders acknowledged it had been a major challenge to fit a slow-flying plane into the commercial air traffic system. Morocco plans to award a first contract this year for 160 megawatts to be generated using concentrated-solar technology (CSP), the first step in a national plan aimed to develop 2,000-megawatts from solar energy by 2020, which corresponds to 38 percent of the country’s current installed power generation capacity. —Reuters

Computers, sex trump mobiles in global poll NEW YORK: When given the choice, most people around the world would give up their cellphone rather than their computer and would prefer to live without social networking rather than television, according to a new global survey. In an Ipsos poll for Reuters of 19,271 adults from 25 countries, the older, more traditional technologies and pastimes come out on top. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they would hold on to the computer and forfeit their cellphone if forced to choose between the two, and 58 percent opted to give up social networking rather than television.

Sex fared even better in the matchup. Nearly 80 percent of people said they would rather live without their phone, rather than give up sex. “When people are forced to choose between two important things, a picture is drawn about values and priorities,” said Keren Gottfried, research manager of independent market researcher Ipsos. The poll revealed striking differences by both sex and age, with women, and people younger than 35 much less willing than men, or those over 35, to give up their cellphones.

Nearly 40 percent of women said they would give up their computers, while just over 31 percent of men did. Just over 40 percent of younger people were ready to ditch their computer in favor of their phone. Noting that research has shown that younger people are more likely to have advanced-capability smartphones, Gottfried said it could be expected that young people prioritize the newer technologies in the survey. “Frequency of use of social networking is considerably higher among the young demographic,” Gottfried said.

The poll found similar variations in country-by-country results. Canadians chose computers over phones by 80 percent to 20 percent, but only 49 percent of Saudi Arabians did.

South Africans were also divided, with 52 percent picking computers over phones. People in Great Britain and France were most likely to choose television over social networking, while those in China and Turkey were least likely to do so.

When it came to choosing between giving up sex or phones, Gottfried noted it was “interesting that the results seem to perpetuate cultural stereotypes of sexual progressiveness and conservatism, with Latin America least likely to give up sex over their phones and Asia-Pacific most likely.” The poll had a margin of error from plus or minus 3.1 to 4.5 percentage points. —Reuters

LOS ANGELES: Nintendo fired its riposte Tuesday in the battle for living room entertainment by boosting its game offerings for its new Wii U console featuring a tabletstyle controller. The Japanese electronic games giant boasted that Wii U would start a “revolutionary” trend in “asymmetrical play” that lets players using GamePad tablets act as wily adversaries in multi-person matches. Nintendo did not reveal the price it planned to charge for the successor to the Wii consoles launched in 2006, not did it indicate the precise date it will hit the market.

“At its core, the Wii U does three different things,” Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said during a Nintendo press event just hours before the official start of the premier E3 videogame conference in Los Angeles. “Change your gaming; change how you interact with gaming friends, and changes the way you enjoy your TV,” he continued. “It is not just intuitive and accessible to everyone, but it stands to revolutionize your living room.”

Nintendo made scant mention of films or other digital content or services along the lines of those played up by Microsoft and Sony for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles respectively. “It’s all about the games,” Fils-Aime said of Nintendo’s focus at E3 this week. “In the near future we will show you how Wii U will integrate and elevate your living room entertainment,” he explained. “The proof points are going to have to wait for another day.”

Winning franchises being adapted for Wii U included “Super Mario Brothers” and “Batman Arkham City” as well as “Scribblenauts” and “Assassin’s Creed”. “It is a wonderful time in the state of the industry to have an exciting new platform,” said Martin Tremblay, the president of Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, which is making ‘Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition’. France-based videogame

titan Ubisoft shined at the Nintendo event, showing off versions of hit titles adapted for Wii U as well as original works such as “ZombiU” crafted to take advantage of the new console capabilities.

“It’s accessible; it’s social, and it’s very innovative,” Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot said while introducing a slate of titles during the event. “It is a revolution.”

Designers of “ZombiU” refer to the GamePad as a “survival kit” for the

and communicate. Games being crafted for Wii U included epic science fiction adventure title “Mass Effect 3” and “Lego City Undercover” that lets players use GamePads to solve crimes in a cartoon city. “Our goal with Wii U this year, as it was with the Wii six years ago, is to provide new and engrossing game experiences for every type of player,” Fils-Aime said.

Unlike six years ago, Microsoft and Sony are not caught clinging to button-and-toggle controllers

LOS ANGELES: Game designer and manager at Nintendo EAD Katsuya Eguchi (left) introduces “NintendoLand,” a theme park game with different activities during a press conference for Nintendo’s new hand held game console Wii U at the Electronic Entertainment Expo at the Galen Center on Tuesday. —AFP game because it lets players scan for the living dead, fight them off, and even keep an eye on them while trying to do tasks like unlocking doors under pressure.

Nintendo also boasted of the social networking features built into the GamePad to synch with the Miiverse online social network unveiled on Sunday by Sony president Satoru Iwata. Fils-Aime equated Miiverse to a “main street” where players represented by animated “mii” characters congregate

while Nintendo heads in a new direction with its console. Sony broke down a platform wall by letting players using its Vita handheld devices or PlayStation 3 consoles play against one another in the same game. At a press event Monday, the Japanese entertainment giant also announced that Android-powered smartphones and tablets will synch with PlayStation games as the result of an alliance with Taiwan-based HTC Corporation.

Google buys maker of Quickoffice mobile app SAN FRANCISCO: Google is escalating its rivalry with Microsoft with the purchase of Quickoffice, the maker of a widely used mobile application for working on documents created in Microsoft’s programs for word processing, spreadsheets and presentations. The deal announced Tuesday gives Google Inc a new weapon to foil Microsoft Corp as more people get work done on smartphones and tablet computers. Quickoffice makes those devices compatible with Microsoft Office even if the software suite isn’t installed on them.

Although it makes virtually all of its money from online advertising, Google already has spent several years trying to siphon sales away from Microsoft by offering its own suite of Office-like programs that are accessible over the Internet. Some of these applications, called Google Docs, are given away for free, while more sophisticated versions, called Google Apps, are sold in subscription packages costing $50 annually per user.

Forrester Research analyst Ted Schadler said Google’s online applications don’t interact well with Microsoft Office files on mobile devices, a shortcoming that Quickoffice presumably will address.

Schadler expects Google to add features to the Quickoffice app so it can sync with work done through Google Apps on office and home computers.

Without providing details, Google said in a Tuesday blog post that it intends to incorporate Quickoffice in its paid, Apps suite.

Microsoft dismissed Google’s challenge. “Google Apps require compro-

Microsoft on Monday stepped up its quest to be at the heart of home entertainment by synching Xbox 360 videogame consoles to smartphones and tablets while adding more blockbuster content.

Microsoft unveiled Xbox SmartGlass software for linking the world’s leading consoles to iPhones, iPads, Android-powered gadgets and, of course, devices powered by the US technology titan’s new Windows 8 operating system. The SmartGlass applica-

mise and don’t meet the productivity needs of most people and businesses,” said Clint Patterson, director of communication for Microsoft’s Office division. “Google’s primary focus is advertising so it’s not surprising that they are trying to address the limitations of Google Apps through acquisition.” Some of the technology used in Google Apps also was imported from previous Google acquisitions.

More than 400 million devices are currently equipped with the Quickoffice app, which costs $15 to $20. It works on several types of devices, including Apple Inc’s iPhone and iPad and those running Google’s Android software. Quickoffice charges

selling tablet computer with more than 67 million of the devices sold during its first two years of the market. If that happens, Google would be able to offer a rival product that conceivably could be sold at a lower price. Microsoft so far has brushed off the rumors of a forthcoming Office app for the iPad as unfounded speculation.

Even if Microsoft doesn’t release an Office app for iPads, the software suite is expected to be included on upcoming tablet computers powered

by Windows 8. That makeover of Microsoft’s computer operating system is expected to go on sale in September or October. By expanding

additional fees for users who need more editing and sharing tools.

Financial terms of the acquisition weren’t disclosed. It’s the second deal Google announced this week, extending a shopping spree that has seen the Internet search leader buy more than 140 companies for more than $16 billion during the past twoand-half years. On Monday, Google disclosed that it’s buying Silicon Valley startup Meebo to help expand its Plus service for social networking.

Microsoft has been widely rumored to be building an Office app designed for the iPad, by far the top-

the tablet distribution of Quickoffice, Google could give consumers and businesses one fewer reason to buy a product running on Microsoft’s operating system.

Quickoffice, which is based in Plano, Texas, employs about 400 people. It’s run by Alan Masarek, who cofounded the company a decade ago.

Google, which is based in Mountain View, California, ended March with more than 33,000 employees. The company picked up another 20,000 workers last month when it completed a $12.5 billion acquisition of cellphone maker Motorola Mobility. —AP

tion to be released worldwide by the end of the year could drain some of the enthusiasm for Wii U consoles since players will be able to use “devices they already own” instead of needing to by tablet controllers. Nintendo on Tuesday played into its advantage that major game publishers are readying hot titles to release with Wii U consoles while Microsoft invited game developers to begin imagining possibilities for “multi-screen entertainment”. —AFP

Kaspersky warns of cyber war dangers TEL AVIV: The Russian malware hunter whose firm discovered the Flame virus said yesterday there could be plenty more malicious code out there, and warned he feared a disastrous cyber attack could be coming. “It’s quite logical that there are new cyber weapons designed, and maybe already computers infected that we don’t know about,” Eugene Kaspersky, founder of Kaspersky Lab, said on the fringes of a Tel Aviv University cyber security conference.

Kaspersky Lab, one of the world’s biggest producers of anti-virus software, said its experts discovered Flame during an investigation prompted by the International Telecommunication Union. Iran appears to have been the main target of the attack which was discovered just a month after the Islamic republic said it halted the spread of a data-deleting virus targeting computer servers in its oil sector. The Moscow-based firm said the virus was “about 20 times larger than Stuxnet,” the worm which was discovered in June 2010 and used against Iran’s nuclear facilities, with Israel widely suspected of involvement.

Observers have speculated Israel may also have been involved in Flame, but Kaspersky declined to speculate, saying its development was not necessarily limited to the most technologically advanced countries. “Flame is extremely complicated but I think that many countries can do the same or similar - even the countries which don’t have expertise at the moment,” he said. But other analysts have described the virus as “clumsy,” saying it was unsophisticated and did not resemble the work of a country with highly advanced technological capacities.

Kaspersky put the development costs of Flame at “less than $100 million” but said the potential damage caused by such programmes was likely to be enormous.

“Cyber weapons can replicate, and there could be random victims anywhere around the globe, it doesn’t matter how far you are from the conflict,” he said. “It’s not cyberwar, it’s cyberterrorism and I’m afraid it’s just the beginning of the game.” He recalled Stuxnet and a 1970 denial of service - or DOS -attack that paralysed Estonia’s information technology systems, and said the next wave could be far more devastating. “I’m afraid that it will be the end of the world as we know it,” he said. “I’m afraid that very soon the world will be very different.” —AFP

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THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

health & science

Untreatable gonorrhoea spreading around world Gonorrhoea among most common sexually transmitted diseases LONDON: Drug-resistant strains of gonorrhoea have spread to countries across the world, the United Nations health agency said yesterday, and millions of patients may run out of treatment options unless doctors catch and treat cases earlier. Scientists reported last year finding a “superbug” strain of gonorrhoea in Japan in 2008 that was resistant to all recommended antibiotics and warned then that it could transform a once easily treatable infections into a global health threat.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said those fears are now reality with many more countries, including Australia, France, Norway, Sweden and Britain, reporting cases of the sexually transmitted disease resistant to cephalosporin antibiotics - normally the last option for drugs against gonorrhoea. “Gonorrhoea is becoming a major public health challenge,” said Manjula LustiNarasimhan, from the WHO’s department of reproductive health and research. She said more than 106 million people are newly infected with the disease every year.

“The organism is what we term a superbug - it has developed resistance to virtually every class of antibiotics that exists,” she told a briefing in Geneva. “If gonococcal infections become untreatable, the health implications are significant.”

Gonorrhoea is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection which, if left untreated, can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirths, severe eye infections in babies, and infertility in both men and women.

It is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world and is most prevalent in south and southeast Asia and subSaharan Africa. In the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of cases is estimated at around 700,000 a year.

The WHO called for greater vigilance on the correct use of antibiotics and more research into alternative treatments for so-called gonococcal infections.

The emergence of drug-resistant or superbug strains of gonorrhoea is caused by unregulated access to and overuse of antibiotics, which helps fuel natural

genetic mutations within the bacteria. Experts say an added problem with gonorrhoea is that its strains tend to retain their genetic resistance to previous antibiotics even after their use has been discontinued. Major producers of antibiotics for gonorrhoea include global drugmaking giants GlaxoSmithKline, Pfizer and Abbott, as well as Indian firms like Cipla. The WHO said it is not yet clear how far or wide drug resistance in gonorrhoea has spread, as many countries lack reliable data.

“The available data only shows the tip of the iceberg,” said LustiNarasimhan.

“Without adequate surveillance we won’t know the extent of resistance...and without research into new antimicrobial agents there could soon be no effective treatment for patients.”

‘Like passing razor blades’ Francis Ndowa, formerly the WHO’s lead specialist for sexually transmitted infections, said gonorrhoea has not only adapted to elude antibiotics but developed less painful symptoms, increasing its survival chances. “They used to

say that if you have urethral gonorrhoea you go to the toilet to pass urine, it would be like passing razor blades. It was that painful,” he explained. “Now people with gonorrhoea sometimes...only notice the discharge if they look when they pass urine, it’s not that painful anymore.

“So the organism has readjusted itself to provide fewer symptoms so that it can survive longer.

It’s an amazing interaction between man and pathogen.”

Experts say the best way to reduce the risk of even greater resistance developing - beyond the urgent need to develop effective new drugs - is to treat gonorrhoea with combinations of two or more types of antibiotic at the same time. This technique is used in the treatment of some other infections like tuberculosis in an attempt to make it more difficult for the bacteria to learn how to conquer the drugs. Gonorrhoea can be prevented through safer sexual intercourse. The WHO said early detection and prompt treatment, including of sexual partners, is essential to control sexually transmitted infections. —Reuters

Despite obesity rise, kids’ blood pressure dipped NEW YORK: The rate of childhood obesity in the United States may have soared between the 1970s and the 1990s, but children’s blood pressure did not follow the same trend, according to a study.

Researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that while the obesity rate among children in the state of Louisiana nearly tripled between 1974 and 1993, their blood pressure actually improved a bit.

“I think the take-home from this study is that we should not necessarily assume that increases in childhood obesity will be associated with changes in every risk factor,” said lead researcher David Freedman of the CDC’s division of nutrition, physical activity and obesity. Among nearly 11,500 children and teens assessed over the 20 years of the study, which appeared in the journal Pediatrics, the rate of obesity rose from 6 percent to 17 percent.

But blood pressure, on average, remained fairly stable. And far fewer children than expected actually had high blood pressure by 1993: about 4 percent of boys and 6 percent of girls. By comparison, the number with high blood pressure in 1974 was about 6 percent and 8 percent. None of that means obesity is harmless in children, Freedman said, noting that about 75 percent of obese children are obese as adults - and with an increased risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

“Maybe the biggest problem is that obese children usually become obese adults,” he added. In the United States, obesity - in adults and children alike had its biggest surge between the 1970s and 1990s, but since then has leveled off.

Blood pressure does tend to rise along with body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight in relation to height, but previous studies had mixed findings on whether the rise in childhood obesity spurred any increase in blood pressure.

A problem with past research, Freedman said, is that it failed to account for the fact that children have also gotten taller over the years. Height is a stronger influence over children’s blood pressure than is weight. But Freedman said the current study cannot show the reason why blood pressure didn’t rise along with obesity. In theory, it could have something to do with improvements in early childhood nutrition, such as rising breastfeeding rates - but that is just speculation at this point.

A CDC study last month found that among US teenagers, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and “pre-diabetes” - a precursor to type 2 - rose from 9 percent in 1999-2000 to 23 percent in 20072008. But given that obesity rates held steady, they weren’t sure why. In any case, researchers said the bottom line for parents and children remains the same - eat a balanced diet and get regular exercise.—Reuters

Therapy for depression can work over the phone NEW YORK: Patients with depression are more likely to stick with talk therapy when it’s given over the phone, compared to traditional face-toface settings, according to a US study. But while people may not drop out of therapy as much, such treatment in a traditional setting may still be slightly more helpful, according to findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. David Mohr, the lead author of the study and a professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said that many people want therapy as part of their depression treatment but may have trouble actually getting it.

“One of the things we’ve found over the years is that it’s very difficult for people with depression to access psychotherapy,” he said. In addition to the expense if health insurance doesn’t cover it, therapy requires a time commitment sometimes an hour or more per week for months - that is a challenge for people to meet. To see whether having therapy sessions by phone made it easier for people to stick with their treatment plan, Mohr and his colleagues asked 325 people with depression to undergo 18 weeks of treatment.

Half the patients received therapy over the phone, and the other half in person. More people dropped out of the face-to-face therapy, 53 people, than those in the telephone-based group, which lost 34. By the end of the study, patients in both groups felt some relief from their depression. But six months after the study ended, the patients who met their therapists in-person felt less depressed than those who had their sessions over the phone. “This is very encouraging and suggests that the telephone can be an effective medium to communicate with clients during (cognitive behavior therapy),” said Stefan Hofmann, a psychology professor at Boston University, who was not part of the study.

“Apparently there is an advantage of doing therapy face-to-face, but the reason is not clear,” he added. Mohr’s team found that the in-person group scored about three points lower on a 52point scale of depression. He said he suspected that the difference between the groups wasn’t because in-person therapy works better, but because the more difficult-to-treat patients were more likely to drop out of the in-person group.

The telephone-based groups, by contrast, included patients with depression that was harder to treat and who stayed with the therapy.

Hofmann said that perhaps patients could benefit from a combination, starting with telephone-based sessions and following up with face-to-face sessions. “This strategy might lead to lower attrition (than) face-to-face But greater efficacy than (telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapy) over the long-term,” he said. —Reuters

WASHINGTON: First lady Michelle Obama, accompanied by Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger, gestures during a news conference at the Newseum. —AP photos

WASHINGTON: Mickey Mouse is seen at a display for healthy food during a press conference to announce changes to Disney’s nutrition guideline policy.

Disney’s new diet for kids: No more junk food ads NEW YORK: There won’t be any more candy, sugary cereal or fast food on TV with the morning cartoons. The Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday became the first major media company to ban ads for junk food on its television channels, radio stations and websites, hoping to stop kids from eating badly by taking the temptation away. First Lady Michelle Obama called it a “game changer” that is sure to send a message to the rest of the children’s entertainment industry. “Just a few years ago if you had told me or any other mom or dad in America that our kids wouldn’t see a single ad for junk food while they watched their favorite cartoons on a major T V network, we wouldn’t have believed you,” said Obama, who heads a campaign to curb child obesity.

The food that doesn’t meet Disney’s nutritional standards goes beyond candy bars and fast-food meals. Capri Sun juice (too much sugar) and Oscar Mayer Lunchables (high sodium) won’t be advertised. Any cereal with 10 grams or more of sugar per serving is also off the air. A full meal can’t be more than 600 calories.

Disney’s rules - which won’t take effect until 2015 - follow a proposal by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to take supersized drinks over 16 ounces out of convenience stores, movie theaters and restaurants, removing choices to try to influence behavior. Getting rid of junk food ads will make it easier to keep the family on a healthy diet, said Nadine Haskell, a mother of two sons, 8 and 11.

“If they see a commercial on TV, then the next time we go to the grocery store they’ll see it and say they want to try it,” said Haskell, of Columbus, Ohio. Disney declined to say how much revenue it stands to lose

from banning unhealthy food. CEO Bob Iger said there might be a short-term reduction in advertising revenue, but he hopes that advertisers will eventually adjust and create products that meet the standards. The ban would apply to TV channels such as Disney XD, children’s programming in the Saturdaymorning block aired on Disney-owned ABC stations, Radio Disney and Disney-owned websites aimed at families with young children. The company’s Disney Channel has

and putting in a policy with teeth is a good step.” Even though many fast-food chains and food companies are rolling out healthier options like apples and salads, Disney said it still could deny the companies’ ads.

Leslie Goodman, Disney’s senior vice president of corporate citizenship, said Disney will consider a company’s broader offerings when deciding whether to approve ads. “It’s not just about reformulating a meal for a single advertising opportu-

WASHINGTON: Packaged snack foods with Walt Disney Company packaging are displayed during an event introducing Disney’s new “Magic of Healthy Living” program. sponsorships, but does not run ads.

Aviva Must, chairwoman of the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts School of Medicine, said Disney could succeed where the government has made little progress.

“There seems to be limited taste for government regulation,” said Must, who has studied childhood obesity for decades. “So I think a large company like Disney taking a stand

nity,” Goodman said. The company will need to show that it offers a range of healthy options, she said. Disney said there are ads now running on Disney channels that would not meet the new standards. Two Kraft products won’t make the cut: Oscar Mayer Lunchables, some of which have 28 percent of the recommended daily sodium intake, and Capri Sun, which has just 60 calories per serving but has added sweeteners.

Disney declined to name other companies’ offerings, but said most sugary cereals won’t be allowed. Kraft said it welcomed Disney’s decision, noting that it advertises very few brands to children under age 12.

Margo Wootan, nutrition policy director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said that while some snack foods of limited nutritional value may still be advertised, the worst of the junk foods will be eliminated under the new policy. “Disney’s announcement really puts a lot of pressure on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network and other media to do the same,” she added.

A spokesman for Nickelodeon declined to comment. Disney launched internal nutrition guidelines in 2006, with the goal of making 85 percent of its consumer food and drink products healthy. The remaining 15 percent was reserved for special treats, such as cakes for birthday celebrations. The company also stopped using toys in kid’s meals to advertise its movies. Disney on Tuesday also introduced its “Mickey Check” seal of approval for nutritious foods sold in stores, online and at its parks and resorts.

“The emotional connection kids have to our characters and stories gives us a unique opportunity to continue to inspire and encourage them to lead healthier lives,” Iger said.

The Better Business Bureau and 16 major food companies, including Coca-Cola Co., Burger King Worldwide Holdings Inc. and Mars Inc. have also pledged to ensure by 2014 that ads aimed at children are devoted only to better-for-you foods. McDonald’s, which is part of the initiative, said in a statement Tuesday that it will continue a dialogue with Disney about its new guidelines.—AP

Space shuttle Enterprise floats to New York museum home NEW YORK: The space shuttle Enterprise, strapped to a barge, cruised past the Statue of Liberty yesterday on its way to its new home at a museum on New York’s Hudson River. For a shuttle that never made it into space, Enterprise has had quite a journey. In April, hundreds of tourists and New Yorkers watched in awe as Enterprise flew over the city piggy-backed on a Boeing 747 Jumbo jet.

Enterprise drew more crowds yesterday on the banks of the Hudson to watch the NASA spacecraft make its final approach to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on Manhattan’s west side. Despite never flying in space, Enterprise holds a special place in American history having been the first of NASA’s space shuttles. In 1977 it was

used for a series of approach and landing tests during a nine-month period.

Enterprise was originally to be named Constitution in honor of the bicentennial of the US Constitution.

However, a fierce letter-writing campaign by Star Trek fans convinced White House officials to rename the shuttle Enterprise after the fictitious spaceship that Captain Kirk and Mr Spock flew to the frontlines of an intergalactic battle with the Klingons on the popular TV show. Experts say Enterprise captured the hear ts and minds of many by embodying the best of American ingenuity.

In April last year NASA announced it would retire its space shuttle fleet to locations in New York, Virginia, California and Florida. It decided that Discovery

would take Enterprise’s place at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Virginia and that Enterprise would be brought to New York.

Since its joy-ride over the city in April, Enterprise has been kept in a protective de -icing tent at JFK International Airport. On Saturday, the 171,000-pound Enterprise was lifted by crane onto a barge, a process that took about three hours. It toured Queens and Brooklyn on Sunday pulled by a tugboat, passing by Coney Island and traveling under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge before docking in Por t Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Officials at Enterprise’s new home, the Intrepid Museum, which itself is a repurposed former World War II aircraft carrier, expect the space shuttle to be a major attraction for years to come. —Reuters

NEW YORK : The space shuttle Enterprise passes the Statue of Liberty as it makes the final leg of its journey. —AP

H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

ILLINOIS : (From left) Joe Perez takes a dietary supplement containing DMAA before he works out, as seen at Five Star Fitness in Joliet. Joe Perez lifting weights. A dietary supplement containing DMAA. —MCT photos

Pressure builds to ban dietary supplement DMAA CHICAGO: Joseph Perez used to gear up for his intense workouts by taking ephedra-based dietary supplements. When they were banned because of safety concerns, Perez turned to an even more potent stimulant called DMAA. Like ephedra, the DMAA supplements often left Perez feeling warm, energized and mentally focused. “It’s kind of like taking three cups of coffee,” said the 35-year-old competitive bodybuilder and event promoter, who lives in Joliet, Ill. “It doesn’t give you superhuman strength. It just gives you more mental drive to get you into the gym and get the job done.”

But regulators and other critics are increasingly alarmed about DMAA’s popularity as a pre-workout energy booster and “fat destroyer.” Though it is often marketed as a natural substance derived from geraniums, critics say there is no good evidence that is true. Instead, they say, the chemical is the latest and most blatant example of a pharmaceutical compound masquerading as a natural ingredient, prompting calls for tighter federal oversight of dietary supplements.

The compound, also known as 1,3-dimethylamylamine or methylhexaneamine, was patented as a nasal decongestant decades ago and is similar in structure to ephedrine and amphetamine. It is now found in more than 200 products sold under brand names like Hemo Rage Black and Jack3d. In people’s bodies, DMAA acts like adrenaline, which is normally produced in times of stress, said Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and general internist at Cambridge Health Alliance. “It’s a potentially dangerous ingre-

dient, and manufacturers’ claims that it is naturally derived are unsubstantiated,” said Cohen. In a recent commentary published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, Cohen called on suppliers to take all DMAA supplements off the market. In late April, the US Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to 10 companies, saying the agency does not consider synthetically produced DMAA to be a “dietary ingredient” such as a vitamin, mineral or herb and that the companies had not provided evidence it is safe.

In fact, the FDA said, DMAA can narrow blood vessels and arteries, which can increase blood pressure and lead to shortness of breath, a tightening in the chest or heart attack. The agency would not comment on whether it will formally ban the chemical in supplements. Cohen said he suspects the agency wants to remove DMAA from the market using the “easiest, least costly and least prolonged” path. “I think they recognize that it’s an unsafe ingredient,” he said.

Already, concerns over the source, safety and legality of the once-forgotten drug have led some manufacturers to reformulate their products. But some manufacturers and at least one major retailer-General Nutrition Centers, or GNC, — stand by products containing DMAA. Supporters say DMAA is safe when used as directed, with manufacturers frequently citing a handful of short-term studies by University of Memphis researchers. Other than finding a sharp rise in systolic blood pressure similar to the effect of drinking two or three cups of coffee, the lab

tests haven’t turned up anything that would alarm a health professional, said Richard Bloomer, director of the Cardiorespiratory/Metabolic Laboratory at the University of Memphis and a lead investigator on several of the studies.

“No one knows the true long-term health consequences of using products that contain this ingredient at a dosage used by the manufacturer,” Bloomer added. “It hasn’t been studied.” Unlike drugs, which must be proved safe and effective before they hit the market, the FDA does not “approve” supplements; the agency can take action against an unsafe product only after it reaches consumers.

The FDA banned the sale of ephedra dietary supplements in 2004 after a decadelong battle.

Supplements containing the herb had been linked to thousands of adverse event reports and to serious conditions including sudden death, heart attack and stroke. Its active components stimulate the brain, increase heart rate, constrict blood vessels and expand the bronchial tubes, which is why it has been used medicinally for thousands of years to treat colds, asthma and hay fever.

DMAA was patented by Eli Lilly and Co. in 1944 as a nasal decongestant called Forthane, but the drug was quietly withdrawn in the 1970s, a time when medications were beginning to face increased regulation. The drug spent decades in obscurity before beginning to appear in sports dietary supplements about eight years ago, often as a replacement for ephedra, though it isn’t always listed on product labels. Champaign, Ill., -

based chemist Patrick Arnold, who developed the designer steroids at the heart of the professional sports doping scandal that snared athletes such as Barry Bonds and Marion Jones, trademarked methylhexaneamine or DMAA as Geranamine.

Arnold, who declined to comment for the story, now develops products for a sports nutrition company called Epharm.

The fact that an obscure drug can be widely marketed as dietary supplement makes DMAA “the poster child for how laws regulating supplements are not working,” said Cohen. “Synthetic copies of ingredients from plants should be regulated like drugs, not supplements,” he said. “If we continue with the status quo, in this environment where supplements are assumed to be safe, we will remove one potent drug from the market and likely replace it with another.”

Sales of DMAA supplements topped $100 million last year, according to Nutrition Business Journal. The products became popular with athletes, and in 2009 the World Anti-Doping Agency added DMAA to a list of banned substances.

“Adding a stimulant to someone who already has an accelerated heartbeat and is exercising can have particularly dangerous effects,” said Travis Tygart, CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which has also banned DMAA. In 2010, DMAA shot to the top of the world agency’s banned-stimulant list with 123 athletes testing positive, making up 21.4 percent of all cases in the stimulants class. “It’s the fastest moving drug on that list I’ve ever seen,” said Don Catlin,

chief science officer of the Anti-Doping Institute, a nonprofit research and testing lab.

For an ingredient to be legally sold as a dietary supplement, it must exist in a naturally occurring substance and have a documented history of use before 1994, the year the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act was passed.

The bulk of the evidence that DMAA is a compound found in geranium plants, as manufacturers claim, hinges on a single Chinese study unearthed

by Arnold that was published in 1996 in a nowdefunct journal. That study didn’t actually “find” DMAA in geranium oil, said Cohen, who reviewed it. Instead, the authors thought there might be DMAA in the oil but did no confirmatory tests.

Since then, at least half a dozen peer-reviewed reports have been unable to confirm the finding, he said.

Last summer, Canada’s national health agency, Health Canada, ruled that DMAA was not a natural part of the geranium plant and banned the chemical from all supplements. The American Herbal Products Association now prohibits member companies from labeling DMAA or methylhexaneamine as “geranium” on product labels. And the American Botanical Council doesn’t recognize DMAA as an herbal preparation, citing a lack of credible evidence that the material is found in a plant.

“DMAA is not the hill you want to die on,” said the council’s founder and executive director, Mark Blumenthal. “The DMAA issue is nondefensible as a dietary supplement.” —MCT

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THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

WHAT’S ON Aware Diwaniya he AWARE Center cordially invites you to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “The Power of Water and Words,” by Sharifa Carlo next Tuesday June 12, 2012 at 7:00pm.

Dr. Masaru Emoto is a prominent Japanese researcher who has studied and documented the physical power of words. His research uses water and crystal formation as stimulated by key words & phrases. Shariffa Carlo will explore Dr Emoto’s research into words and the physical effects they have on the world around us as it relates to teachings in the Holy Quraan and the traditions of the prophet Muhammad.

Shariffa Carlo is a Professor of English for Engineering at the Public Authority for Applied Education. She has a BA in English, a BS in International Relations, an MA in Composition & Rhetoric. Also she is ABD in Computer Applications of Linguistics. She has an Ijaza (traditional Islamic degree) in General Islamic Knowledge & has lectured world-wide from China to LA and many countries in between on Islamic & political topics as well as Computer Assisted Instruction, Robotic Artificial Intelligence, Rhetoric & other topics. She has published countless articles & researches and has 2 published books. And her most treasured accomplishment is that of a mother. For more information, call 25335260/80 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw

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—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Family reformation seminar seminar on family reformation is conducted on June 8th and 9th, Friday and Saturday from 6:30 pm onwards at United Indian School, Abbassiya. Well renowned speaker and Shalom TV fame Fr. Jacob Manjali will be speaking in the two day seminar. Organizers believe that the seminar will be beneficial to each and every family who lives in a world of stress. The stress life hinders the love and passion among the family members. The seminar focus on reformation of the families to achieve and share the feelings and emotions of family members together. For more details please contact tel. nos.

66110570, 69950131, 55247343.

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Space Junk 3D showing at Scientific Center he Scientific Center launched screening of the Space Junk 3D documentary, the latest of documentaries currently showing at the facility’s IMAX 3D theater. The film addresses the problem created by debris left by

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space operations during the past fifty years, threatening the safety of earth’s orbit.

“At least six tons of space debris in addition more than 400 satellites out of service are orbiting the earth”, said the

center’s board chairman and Managing Director Mejbel Al-Mutawa’a in a press release, adding that the movie also discusses measures that could help provide solutions to this problem.

Tickets can be bought online through

www.tsck.org.kw, while the center receives inquiries at this number: 1848888.

Kuwait Energy hosts Libyan oil delegation uwait Energy, one of the fastest growing independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in the Middle East, today announced that it has hosted a delegation of officials from Libyan national oil companies for a full day workshop to provide them with insights and guidance in ways to rebuild the Libyan energy industry. Kuwait Energy CEO, Sara Akbar, inaugurated the workshop with a case study presenting an overview on Kuwait’s oil industry. This was followed with presentations by Kuwait Energy Advisor to the Chairman, Mohammed Al Jazzaf, Kuwait Aviation Fuel Company (KAFCO) Chairman and Managing Director, Asaad Al Saad, Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) Chairman and Managing Director, Hashim Al Refai, Kuwait Energy Board Director, Chairman and CEO of YAA Consultancy, Dr. Yousef Al Awadhi, and finally by EQUATE President and CEO, Mohammed Hussein.

Kuwait Energy also organized a day visit for the delegation in Al Ahmadi facilities and fields in collaboration with the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC).

Sara Akbar said, “Libya’s energy sector has been tremendously affected during the years of autocratic ruling that overlooked the development of the industry.

With the downfall of the regime, Libyans have begun to rebuild this vital sector. Kuwait Energy took the initiative, capitalizing on Kuwait’s expert team in post-war rebuilding, to extend support to Libya’s energy sector by providing its team with case studies, insights and solutions that would help ease Libya’s future transition.

“We thank KAFCO, KGOC and EQUATE for joining hands with Kuwait Energy in holding this workshop. We also thank KOC for hosting the Libyan delegation at their exhibition centre and providing them with a tour of some of the oil facilities”.

The Libyan delegation included managers, engineers, planners and specialists from the Libyan National Oil Company (NOC), the Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO), the Sirte Oil Company (SOC), the Ras Lanuf Oil & Gas Processing Co. (RASCO), and the Waha Oil Company (WOC). ● Kuwait Energy has been profitable since inception in 2005, and currently operates in Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Oman, Ukraine, Latvia, Russia and Pakistan ● Kuwait Energy’s proven and probable reserves at year end 2011 were 235.3 million barrels of oil equivalent and its current production reaches approximately 17,500 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

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PALPAK - Indian Lawyers Forum (ILF) conducts legal awareness seminar alakkad Pravasi Association of Kuwait (PALPAK) and ‘Indian Lawyer’s Forum’, (ILF) have jointly conducted a free legal awareness seminar for Indian community on 1st June Friday 2012, at 10.00am onwards at Mangaf. The seminar lasted about three hours and in the seminar a large number of legal issues were discussed and clarified. The legal questions were mainly based on on Kuwaiti New Labor Law, Traffic laws, Indian civil and criminal laws and financial issues.

Prominent advocates from ILF consist of Adv. Thomas Panicker, Adv Rajesh Sagar, Adv. Stephen Thomas, Adv. Sumod answered the questions, and the interactive legal session was well coordinated by Adv Suresh Pulikkal. The ILF President, Adv. Thomas Panicker in his speech described

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the activities of Indian Lawyers’ Forum to the gatherings. He said that ‘Indian Lawyer’s Forum’ has 85 Indian lawyers, law graduates and their family members as members. Several of ILF members are working with Kuwaiti Law firms and Corporations as Senior Lawyers and are with 15 to 20 years practicing experience in Indian courts. President promised all kinds of legal support to the community and thanked PALPAK for giving such an opportunity.

President also said that, in case of any associations wish to conduct legal seminar, Indian Lawyers’ Forum is ready to co-operate with them in their endeavor to help the community. The Members queries were based on current labor law regarding leave eligibility, indemnity, sick leaves, release

and transfer of residency, eligibility and these questions were answered by Adv Rajesh Sagar. Investment and commercial laws including Pravasi Pension Scheme plan of the Indian government were explained

by Adv Thomas Stephen. Adv MK Sumod explained the civil, criminal laws of Indian judiciary including the execution of power of attorney, rent laws and the steps are to be taken while buying or selling properties in India, etc. PALPAK President PN Kumar welcomed and inaugurated the seminar and in his inaugural speech he explained the reason for arranging this kind of seminar. He said the association used to receive several legal inquiries of its members and hence decided to organize such a legal seminar. President thanked the ILF to come forward to accept their request. In the inau-

gural function PALPAK President released the financial aid to the children of PALPAK member Devadas who passed away in Kuwait early this year.

Aravindakshan, General Secretary and Shainu, Admin. Secretary also addressed the function. PALPAK Vice President K. Mohan conveyed vote of thanks to the members and especially to Indian Lawyers’ Forum for associating with them and conveying legal knowledge of Kuwaiti laws and Indian laws. All who assembled appreciated the legal seminar and commented that it was really worth and beneficial seminar.

Those who wish to contact with Indian Lawyers’ Forum may contact tel. Nos. 97203939, 97260159 Email: advpanicker@gmail.com

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. During the month of June, 2012 the dates for the open house fall today, 13th, 20th, and 27th of the month. 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.

O

Kuwait National English School annual summer concert, graduation he Primary Department of Kuwait National English School once again hosted a successful Summer Concert and Year 6 Graduation. In keeping with the

T

school’s Mission Statement and quest of ‘Going Green’, the theme of the concert was ‘Save our Earth Home’. Throughout the concert pupils paid tribute to Mother Earth.

Through songs, dance and speeches, pupil’s made their message clear by highlighting the importance of sustaining the earth’s resources, looking after habitats and saving

Mother Earth. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the performances.

31

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

WHAT’S ON

Embassy Information EMBASSY OF BRAZIL The Embassy of Brazil requests all Brazilian citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the website www.brazil.org.kw (Contact Us Form / Fale Conosco) in order to register or update contact information. The Embassy encourages all citizens to do so, including the ones who have already registered in person at the Embassy. The registration process helps the Brazilian Government to contact and assist Brazilians living abroad in case of any emergency.

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EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah.

Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 12:30 to 01:00 pm for lunch break. Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.uae.gc.ca.

Kindergarten graduates

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Kindergarten graduates

Shaikha Al Khazemi, Ali Al Amir and Layan Husseini Thomas Quinn awarding Anwar Al Saqabi.

Al Bayan Bilingual School Preschool Graduation l Bayan Bilingual school celebrated its KG2 Graduation in the presence of parents and members of the school’s administration and faculty.

Ceremony program began with a recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a visual presentation included photographs of the various children’s activi-

A

ties throughout the school year, then a march by the 160 graduates onto the stage.

The ceremony program included a speech by Deborah Lalonde, the Preschool Principal, and Thomas Quinn, the School Director who addressed the young graduates and their parents in

words of appreciation for their great efforts and congratulated them for being promoted to Elementary School, followed by the awards ceremony of the children’s graduation certificate.

The ceremony also included some lyrical passages by the students in both Arabic and English languages, as well as

a surprise song to the students and the audience presented by famous artist Nabeel Shuail specifically dedicated to Al Bayan Bilingual School. At the end Deborah expressed words of appreciation to the kindergarten faculty for all their efforts during the school year.

EMBASSY OF CYPRUS The Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus would like to inform the public that from 3rd June 2012 the Consulate section located at the premises of the Embassy has started issuing Visas. Address: Salwa-Block 3, AlMutanabbi Street Building No. 35, Tel : (965)25620350, Fax: (965)25620470, Email : info@cyprus-embassy.org.kw Working hours 9:00am till 12:00pm everyday except Friday & Saturday Hence, The Honorary Consulate of Cyprus in Kuwait city will stop issuing Visas from the same date.

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EMBASSY OF KOREA The Embassy of the Republic of Korea wishes to inform that it has moved to Mishref. New Address: Embassy of the Republic of Korea Mishref, Block 7A, Diplomatic Area 2, Plot 6 The Embassy also wishes to inform that it will be opened to the public on the following office hours: Saturday to Thursday Morning: 8:00 am to 12:30 pm Lunch Break: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm Afternoon: 1:00 pm to 3:30 pm ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy.

We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area Block 6 - Street 9 - Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316.

Faisal Al Olayan, Essa Bin Nakhi, Abdulla Al Osaimi and Talal Al Barjas

Noor Al Adsani, Anwar Al Saqabi, Hamad Al Humoud Al Abdulwahab and Faisal Al Olayan

Joud Al Huneidi, Sara Esbaitah and Reema Al Sayer

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EMBASSY OF MEXICO The Embassy of Mexico is pleased to inform that it is located in CLIFFS Complex, Villa 6, Salmiya, block 9, Baghdad street, Jadda Lane 7. The working hours for consular issues are from 9:00 to 12:00 Sunday through Thursday. The reception is closed from 14:00 to 15:00 hours for lunch break. The Embassy of Mexico kindly requests all Mexicans citizens in Kuwait to proceed to the e-mail: embkuwait@sre.gob.mx in order to register or update contact information. Other consultations or/and appointments could be done by telephone or fax: (+965) 2573 1952 ■■■■■■■

Teachers take the stage.

Thomas Quinn awarding Lamara Al Naqeeb.

Preschool Principal - Deborah Lalonde

EMBASSY OF MYANMAR Embassy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar would like to inform the general public that the Embassy has moved its office to new location at Villa 35, Road 203, Block 2, AlSalaam Area in South Surra. The Embassy wishes to advice Myanmar citizens and travellers to Myanmar to contact Myanmar Embassy at its new location.

Tel. 25240736, 25240290, Fax: 25240749, email:myankuwait11@gmai1.com ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NEPAL The Embassy of Nepal 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 ■■■■■■■

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.

UAS students enjoy visit to Porsche kids driving school U

niversal American School students participated in the Fawzia Sultan Rehabilitation Institute’s Road and Traffic Safety Initiative in support of the WHO-UN Global Decade of Action 20112021 on Road and Traffic Safety, under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Minister of Interior. The Porsche Early Childhood Road and Traffic

Safety Program is sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, with a new field trip centre located at Qadsiya Sports Club, Hawally.

Nearly 500 children from the Universal American School KG and Grade one classes enjoyed two weeks of fun-filled educational visits where they learnt the golden rules of road safety - click seatbelt!, arms

and head inside the windows, look and listen when crossing the road! and finally, no mobiles in the car.

All the children drove their very own Porsche pedal cars around the specially designed indoor road circuit negotiating the traffic lights, speed bumps, tunnel and roundabout. They learnt how to stop the cars, steer them and keep a safe dis-

tance from the car in front, as well as showing respect and consideration for other road users. Everyone had a great time whist also learning about keeping safe on Kuwait’s roads. The children left with coloring and activity books, parents guides, caps and their very first Porsche Kids driving license, along with great big smiles!

Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

TV PROGRAMS

00:45 Untamed & Uncut 01:40 I’m Alive 02:35 Wildwives Of Savannah Lane 03:30 Wildest Arctic 04:25 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 05:20 Shamwari: A Wild Life 05:45 Animal Battlegrounds 06:10 Cell Dogs 07:00 Escape To Chimp Eden 07:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 08:15 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 Extraordinary Dogs 09:35 Extraordinary Dogs 10:05 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 11:00 Animal Precinct 11:55 Animal Cops South Africa 12:50 Wild Africa Rescue 13:15 Wild Africa Rescue 13:45 Bondi Vet 14:10 Wildlife SOS 14:40 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 15:30 Shamwari: A Wild Life 16:00 Dick ‘n’ Dom Go Wild 16:30 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:25 Dogs 101 18:20 Your Pet Wants This 19:15 Wildlife SOS 19:40 Bondi Vet 20:10 Escape To Chimp Eden 20:35 Animal Battlegrounds 21:05 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 22:00 Whale Wars: Viking Shores 22:55 Max’s Big Tracks 23:50 Last Chance Highway

00:25 Come Dine With Me 01:10 Indian Food Made Easy 01:35 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 02:05 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 02:30 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 03:00 MasterChef 03:25 Living In The Sun 04:10 Delicious Iceland 04:40 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 05:05 Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey 05:45 Saturday Kitchen 2007/08 06:00 Living In The Sun 07:15 Indian Food Made Easy 07:45 MasterChef Australia 08:35 MasterChef Australia 09:25 Bargain Hunt 10:10 Antiques Roadshow 11:00 Come Dine With Me 11:50 10 Years Younger 12:40 The Restaurant UK 13:30 Dolce Vito: Dream Restaurant 13:55 Delicious Iceland 14:25 Fantasy Homes Down Under 15:10 Bargain Hunt 15:55 Antiques Roadshow 16:50 The Boss Is Coming To Dinner 17:15 Come Dine With Me 18:00 A Taste Of My Life 18:30 The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook 19:00 Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey 19:50 Rick Stein’s French Odyssey 20:15 Antiques Roadshow 21:05 The Restaurant UK 22:05 Dolce Vito: Dream Restaurant 22:30 Bargain Hunt 23:15 Antiques Roadshow

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:00 03:25 03:50 04:15 04:40 05:00 05:25

Duck Dodgers The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop Tom & Jerry Kids A Pup Named Scooby-Doo The Jetsons Puppy In My Pocket Popeye Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races The Flintstones A Pup Named Scooby-Doo

05:50 06:00 06:30 06:55 07:20 07:45 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:05 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:00 12:15 12:40 12:55 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:30 17:55 18:10 19:00 19:15 19:40 19:55 20:20 20:35 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:10 22:35 23:00 23:20 23:45

Popeye Classics Dexters Laboratory Bananas In Pyjamas Baby Looney Tunes Gerald McBoing Boing Ha Ha Hairies Pink Panther And Pals The Garfield Show Dastardly And Muttley A Pup Named Scooby-Doo Scooby Doo Where Are You! The Flintstones Duck Dodgers Tom & Jerry Kids Droopy: Master Detective Wacky Races Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Ha Ha Hairies The Garfield Show Scooby Doo Where Are You! Dastardly And Muttley Looney Tunes Puppy In My Pocket Pink Panther And Pals Pink Panther And Pals Tom & Jerry The Garfield Show The Garfield Show Dexter’s Laboratory Jelly Jamm Baby Looney Tunes Ha Ha Hairies Gerald McBoing Boing Bananas In Pyjamas Pink Panther And Pals Tom & Jerry Looney Tunes Scooby Doo Where Are You! Droopy: Master Detective The Flintstones Wacky Races Dastardly And Muttley New Yogi Bear Show

00:30 Bakugan: New Vestroia 00:55 Bakugan: New Vestroia 01:20 Powerpuff Girls 02:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 03:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 03:25 Ben 10 03:50 Adventure Time 04:15 Powerpuff Girls 04:40 Generator Rex 05:05 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:30 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 05:55 Angelo Rules 06:00 Casper’s Scare School 06:25 Eliot Kid 07:00 The Amazing World Of Gumball 07:15 Adventure Time 07:40 Regular Show 08:05 Grim Adventures Of...

08:55 Courage The Cowardly Dog 09:45 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:10 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 10:35 Powerpuff Girls 11:25 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 11:50 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 12:15 Ed, Edd n Eddy 13:05 Ben 10: Alien Force 13:30 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 13:55 Camp Lazlo 14:45 Powerpuff Girls 15:35 Angelo Rules 16:25 The Marvelous Misadventures...

16:50 Grim Adventures Of...

17:15 The Amazing World Of Gumball 17:40 Adventure Time 18:05 Regular Show 18:30 Ben 10 18:55 Bakugan: Mechtanium Surge 19:20 Hero 108 19:45 Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated 20:10 Courage The Cowardly Dog 21:00 Ben 10: Alien Force 21:25 The Powerpuff Girls 21:50 Cow And Chicken 22:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 22:50 Ben 10 23:15 Ben 10 23:40 Chowder

00:00 Amanpour 00:30 World Sport 01:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 02:00 World Report 03:00 Anderson Cooper 360 04:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 05:00 Quest Means Business 06:00 The Situation Room 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Talk Asia 08:00 World Report 09:00 World Report 10:00 World Sport 10:30 Eco Solutions 11:00 World Business Today 12:00 Amanpour 12:30 Living Golf 13:00 World One 14:00 Piers Morgan Tonight 15:00 News Stream 16:00 World Business Today 17:00 International Desk 18:00 Global Exchange 18:45 CNN Marketplace Middle East 19:00 World Sport 19:30 Living Golf 20:00 International Desk 21:00 Quest Means Business 21:45 CNN Marketplace Europe 22:00 Amanpour 22:30 CNN Newscenter 23:00 Connect The World With Becky Anderson

00:15 Worst-Case Scenario 00:40 Surviving The Cut 01:35 Unchained Reaction 02:30 James May’s Man Lab 03:25 Inventions That Shook The World 04:20 Surviving The Cut 05:15 How It’s Made 05:40 How It’s Made 06:05 Gold Rush 07:00 Chop Shop 07:50 Mythbusters 08:45 Ultimate Survival 09:40 Border Security 10:05 Auction Hunters 10:30 How It’s Made 10:55 How It’s Made 11:25 Sons Of Guns 12:20 Battle Machine Bros 13:15 Extreme Explosions 14:10 Border Security 14:35 Auction Hunters 15:05 Ultimate Survival 16:00 Chop Shop 16:55 Wheeler Dealers 17:20 Gold Rush 18:15 Mythbusters 19:10 How It’s Made 19:40 How It’s Made 20:05 Border Security 20:35 Dealers 21:30 Sons Of Guns 22:25 Nothing Personal 23:20 Kidnap And Rescue

00:35 01:25 02:15 03:05 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:05 07:00 07:50 07:53 08:20 08:50 09:40 10:30 10:55 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:03

Mega World The Colony NASA: UFO Or No? The Gadget Show Prototype This How The Universe Works Mega World Sci-Trek NASA: UFO Or No? Head Rush Bang Goes The Theory Sci-Fi Science Sport Science Prototype This The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Mega World NASA: UFO Or No? Prophets Of Science Fiction How The Universe Works Prototype This The Gadget Show Head Rush Bang Goes The Theory

LAW ABIDING CITIZEN ON OSN ACTION HD

16:30 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 19:55 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:40

00:10 00:35 01:00 01:25 01:50 02:15 02:40 03:05 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:15 06:26 06:40 07:05 07:30 07:55 08:20 08:30 08:45 09:10 09:20 09:35 09:45 10:00 10:25 10:50 11:15 11:40 12:05 12:30 12:55 13:05 13:20 13:45 14:10 14:35 15:00 15:25 15:50 16:15 16:40 17:00 18:05 18:30 18:50 19:20 19:40 20:00 20:25 20:45 21:10 21:30 21:50 22:15 22:40 22:55 23:20 23:45

Sci-Fi Science Sci-Trek Sport Science How The Universe Works Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Weird Or What?

The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Bigger, Better, Faster, Stronger Weird Or What?

Sport Science

Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Emperor’s New School Emperor’s New School Brandy & Mr Whiskers Brandy & Mr Whiskers Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents Fairly Odd Parents Fish Hooks Recess Fish Hooks So Random Wizards Of Waverly Place Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Handy Manny The Hive Mouk Recess So Random Hannah Montana Fish Hooks Jake & Blake Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas And Ferb Phineas And Ferb Recess Jessie A.N.T. Farm Good Luck Charlie Suite Life On Deck Shake It Up Phineas And Ferb Jessie A.N.T. Farm The Return Of Jafar Jessie A.N.T. Farm Wizards Of Waverly Place Austin & Ally Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie So Random Suite Life On Deck Jonas Los Angeles Shake It Up Good Luck Charlie Good Luck Charlie Phineas And Ferb Wizards Of Waverly Place Wizards Of Waverly Place Kim Possible

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 American Dragon 06:45 Rekkit Rabbit 07:10 Zeke & Luther 07:35 Zeke & Luther 08:00 Zeke & Luther 08:25 Zeke & Luther 08:50 Kick Buttowski 09:15 Zeke & Luther 09:40 I’m In The Band 10:05 Phineas And Ferb 10:30 Kid vs Kat 10:55 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 11:20 Aaron Stone 11:45 Rekkit Rabbit 12:10 American Dragon 12:35 Kick Buttowski 13:00 Phineas And Ferb 13:10 Phineas And Ferb 13:25 I’m In The Band 13:45 Kid vs Kat 14:10 Pair Of Kings 14:35 Zeke & Luther 15:00 Pokemon: Black And White 15:25 Rekkit Rabbit 15:50 Rated A For Awesome 16:15 Kickin It 16:40 Pair Of Kings 17:05 Zeke & Luther 17:30 Mr. Young 17:55 Phineas And Ferb 18:20 Phineas And Ferb 18:30 Phineas And Ferb 18:45 Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge 19:10 Kick Buttowski 19:35 Pair Of Kings 20:00 Zeke & Luther 20:25 Phineas And Ferb 20:50 Kid vs Kat 21:15 Aaron Stone 21:40 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 22:05 Phineas And Ferb 22:15 Phineas And Ferb 22:30 Kid vs Kat 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

00:25 Kendra 00:55 Style Star 01:25 20 Acts Of Love Gone Wrong 03:15 Behind The Scenes 03:40 Extreme Close-Up 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 06:00 40 (More) Crimes Of Fashion 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Kendra 09:45 Kendra 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 13:05 Khloe And Lamar 13:35 Khloe And Lamar 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:00 Style Star

15:30 THS 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Ice Loves Coco 17:25 Ice Loves Coco 17:55 E! News 18:55 THS 19:55 Giuliana & Bill 20:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 21:25 Fashion Police 22:25 E! News 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The Kardashians

00:30 01:20 02:05 02:55 03:45 04:30 05:20 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 09:55 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:25 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

Ghost Lab A Haunting American Greed American Greed Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghost Lab A Haunting Disappeared FBI Files Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Street Patrol Street Patrol Murder Shift Mystery Diagnosis Real Emergency Calls Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared FBI Files Murder Shift Real Emergency Calls Mystery Diagnosis Who On Earth Did I Marry?

On The Case With Paula Zahn Disappeared Nightmare Next Door Nightmare Next Door Dr G: Medical Examiner

THE CRAZIES ON OSN CINEMA 01:30 03:10 05:10 06:45 08:15 09:50 11:30 11:45 13:10 15:00 16:25 18:10 20:20 22:00 23:30

Welcome To L.A.-18 Cuba-18 Contamination .7 Blood Red-PG Double Deception Cannon For Cordoba-PG Mgm’s Big Screen-FAM Haunted Honeymoon-PG Smile-PG Women vs. Men-PG Three-PG Carrie (2002) Sonny Boy-18 Vietnam Texas-18 The End-PG

00:00 Warrior Road Trip 01:00 By Any Means 02:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 02:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:00 Pressure Cook 03:30 Pressure Cook 04:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 05:00 Bondi Rescue: Bali 05:30 Danger Beach 06:00 Warrior Road Trip 07:00 By Any Means 08:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 08:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 09:00 Pressure Cook 09:30 Pressure Cook 10:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 11:00 Bondi Rescue: Bali 11:30 Danger Beach 12:00 Warrior Road Trip 13:00 By Any Means 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 15:00 Madventures 15:30 Madventures 16:00 Graham’s World 16:30 Graham’s World 17:00 Danger Beach 17:30 Danger Beach 18:00 Warrior Road Trip 19:00 A World Apart 20:00 Food School 20:30 Food School 21:00 One Man & His Campervan 21:30 One Man & His Campervan 22:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 23:00 Ultimate Traveller

00:00 Warrior Road Trip 01:00 By Any Means 02:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 02:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 03:00 Pressure Cook 03:30 Pressure Cook 04:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 05:00 Bondi Rescue: Bali 05:30 Danger Beach 06:00 Warrior Road Trip 07:00 By Any Means 08:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 08:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 09:00 Pressure Cook 09:30 Pressure Cook 10:00 Extreme Tourist Afghanistan 11:00 Bondi Rescue: Bali 11:30 Danger Beach 12:00 Warrior Road Trip 13:00 By Any Means 14:00 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 14:30 Food Lover’s Guide To The Planet 15:00 Madventures 15:30 Madventures 16:00 Graham’s World 16:30 Graham’s World 17:00 Danger Beach 17:30 Danger Beach 18:00 Warrior Road Trip 19:00 A World Apart 20:00 Food School 20:30 Food School 21:00 One Man & His Campervan 21:30 One Man & His Campervan 22:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 23:00 Ultimate Traveller

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 Barrie 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 Barrie 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:50 03:45 04:40 05:35 06:00 06:30 07:25 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 Coast 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Megastructures Somewhere In China Taboo Megastructures Britain’s Machines with Chris Alaskan Killer Shark The Border Inside Megastructures Somewhere In China Taboo Megastructures Britain’s Machines with Chris Animal Mega Moves The Border Air Crash Investigation Megastructures Somewhere In China Taboo Megastructures Salvage Code Red Ape Genius Britain’s Underworld Air Crash Investigation

Wildlife Rescue Africa Tiger Queen Moray Eels: Alien Empire Swamp Men World’s Deadliest Animals Swamp Men Wild Chronicles Wild Chronicles Moray Eels: Alien Empire Swamp Men World’s Deadliest Animals The Real Serengeti Ultimate Shark Super Cat Golden Seals of Skeleton Megafish Swamp Men Monkey Thieves Monkey Thieves Zambezi How Big Can It Get How Big Can It Get Moray Eels: Alien Empire Swamp Men World’s Deadliest Animals The Real Serengeti Ultimate Shark

00:00 Dread-18 02:00 Law Abiding Citizen-18 04:00 The Spirit-PG15 06:00 Smoke Screen-PG15 08:00 Kull The Conqueror-PG15 10:00 The Craigslist Killer-PG15 12:00 Time Machine: Rise Of The Morlocks-PG15 14:00 Kull The Conqueror-PG15 16:00 The Lost Future-PG15 18:00 Time Machine: Rise Of The Morlocks-PG15 20:00 Road To Perdition-18 22:00 My Bloody Valentine-R

01:00 The Nanny Express-PG15 03:00 African Cats: Kingdom Of Courage-PG 05:00 The LXD: The Uprising BeginsPG15 07:00 The LXD: Secrets Of The RaPG15 09:00 The Nanny Express-PG15 11:00 I Am Number Four-PG15 13:00 Coming & Going-PG15 15:00 My Dog Tulip-PG15 17:00 Waiting For Superman-PG15 19:00 Red-PG15 21:00 The Crazies-PG15 23:00 Brothers-18

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia 02:00 Hung 02:30 The Big C

03:00 Mad Love 03:30 Mr. Sunshine 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Seinfeld 06:00 Dharma And Greg 06:30 10 Items Or Less 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:30 Mad Love 09:00 Seinfeld 09:30 Hot In Cleveland 10:00 Hot In Cleveland 10:30 10 Items Or Less 11:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:00 Dharma And Greg 13:00 Seinfeld 13:30 10 Items Or Less 14:00 Mr. Sunshine 14:30 Hot In Cleveland 15:00 Hot In Cleveland 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Seinfeld 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Mad Love 18:30 Mr. Sunshine 19:00 Cougar Town 19:30 How I Met Your Mother 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Family Guy 22:30 The League 23:00 The Big C 23:30 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Grimm The Glades Supernatural Hawthorne Rescue Me Good Morning America The Practice Emmerdale Coronation Street The Martha Stewart Show The View The Glades Hawthorne Live Good Morning America The Practice Emmerdale Scandal One Tree Hill GCB Downton Abbey Rescue Me

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Psych Supernatural Grimm The Glades Hawthorne Eureka Psych Emmerdale Coronation Street The Protector Supernatural The Glades Hawthorne Emmerdale Hot In Cleveland The Protector Psych Emmerdale Hot In Cleveland The Protector Scandal One Tree Hill GCB Downton Abbey Love Bites

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 PG15 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

The Nun-18 The Thaw-PG15 From Within-PG15 True Justice: BrotherhoodThe Reunion-PG15 Tracker-PG15 I, Robot-PG15 The Reunion-PG15 Ladder 49-PG15 Thick As Thieves-18 Jake’s Closet-PG15 Two: Thirteen-R

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Stealing Harvard-PG15 Molly-PG15 Kung Fu Dunk-PG15 Guarding Tess-PG Molly-PG15 That Old Feeling-PG15 Flubber-PG Spud-PG15 That Old Feeling-PG15 Lottery Ticket-PG15 Easy A-PG15 Killing Bono-18

00:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 01:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 01:30 International Rugby Union 03:30 Futbol Mundial 04:00 NRL Premiership 06:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 07:00 Trans World Sport 08:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 09:00 Premier League Darts 12:30 Futbol Mundial 13:00 Live Test Cricket 21:00 Volvo Ocean Race Highlights 22:00 Trans World Sport 23:00 Super Rugby Highlights

01:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 19:30 20:00 21:00

Premier League Darts Trans World Sport Super Rugby Highlights International Rugby Union Trans World Sport Super Rugby Highlights Super League Volvo Ocean Race Highlights PGA European Tour Highlights PGA European Tour Weekly Live PGA European Tour Futbol Mundial WWE NXT Live Darts

01:00 Coyote Ugly-PG15 03:00 The Great Gatsby-PG 05:30 9-PG 07:00 Strength And Honour-PG15 09:00 Too Big To Fail-PG15 10:45 Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story-PG 12:30 The Horse Whisperer-PG15 15:15 Megamind-FAM 17:00 Too Big To Fail-PG15 18:45 Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps-PG15 21:00 The Crazies-PG15 23:00 The Town-18

01:30 City Center Races 04:00 Rugby Union Pacific Nations Cup 06:00 World Cup of Pool 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 Ladies European Tour Highlights 09:00 PGA European Tour Weekly 09:30 Total Rugby 10:00 Adventure Sports 12:00 Total Rugby 12:30 Golfing World 13:30 Stockholm Marathon 16:30 Top 14 18:30 NRL Full Time 19:00 Total Rugby 19:30 Golfing World 20:30 PGA European Tour

00:00 01:00 04:00 07:00 09:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 17:30 18:30 19:00 20:00 Finale 23:00

UFC Unleashed Prizefighter UFC Unleashed WWE SmackDown Prizefighter WWE Experience WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottom Line Mobil 1 The Grid V8 Supercars Highlights UAE National Race Day Series Mobil 1 The Grid WWE NXT UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed

Classifieds THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

Prayer timings Fajr: Duhr: Asr: Maghrib: Isha:

03:13 11:47 15:21 18:46 20:18

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION

Airlines JZR QTR JZR JZR SAI ETH RJA GFA UAE ETD DHX FDB MSR QTR JZR KAC THY KAC DHX FCX JZR KAC BAW JZR KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY IRA QTR IZG IRA FDB ETD BAB GFA MEA JZR MSR KNE MSC SYR JZR MSR GFA KAC FDB OMA KNE QTR SVA RJA KAC JZR KAC QTR KAC JZR JZR ETD UAE GFA SVA UAL JZR TAR JZR ABY KAC KNE KAC QTR KAC JZR BAB KAC FDB KAC MSR MSC RBG KAC KAC KAC JAI JZR KAC KAC AXB FDB OMA MEA QTR GFA ALK FDB UAE UAE JZR ETD ABY QTR DHX JZR AIC GFA UAL JZR DLH MSR THY KLM JAI

Arrival Flights on Thursday 7/6/2012 Flt Route 185 DUBAI 148 DOHA 539 CAIRO 267 BEIRUT 441 LAHORE 620 ADDIS ABABA 642 AMMAN 211 BAHRAIN 853 DUBAI 305 ABU DHABI 370 BAHRAIN 67 DUBAI 612 CAIRO 138 DOHA 503 LUXOR 544 CAIRO 770 ISTANBUL 154 ISTANBUL 170 BAHRAIN 201 DUBAI 555 ALEXANDRIA 412 MANILA 157 LONDON 529 ASSIUT 206 ISLAMABAD 382 DELHI 53 DUBAI 302 MUMBAI 332 TRIVANDRUM 352 COCHIN 284 DHAKA 362 COLOMBO 855 DUBAI 125 SHARJAH 605 ISFAHAN 132 DOHA 4161 MASHAD 617 AHWAZ 55 DUBAI 301 ABU DHABI 436 BAHRAIN 213 BAHRAIN 404 BEIRUT 165 DUBAI 618 ALEXANDRIA 470 JEDDAH 401 ALEXANDRIA 341 DAMASCUS 201 DAMASCUS 610 CAIRO 219 BAHRAIN 672 DUBAI 57 DUBAI 645 MUSCAT 472 JEDDAH 140 DOHA 500 JEDDAH 640 AMMAN 788 JEDDAH 257 BEIRUT 546 ALEXANDRIA 134 DOHA 118 NEW YORK 535 CAIRO 357 MASHAD 303 ABU DHABI 857 DUBAI 215 BAHRAIN 510 RIYADH 982 WASHINGTON DC DULLES 177 DUBAI 328 TUNIS 777 JEDDAH 127 SHARJAH 176 GENEVA 474 JEDDAH 502 BEIRUT 144 DOHA 542 CAIRO 125 BAHRAIN 438 BAHRAIN 786 JEDDAH 63 DUBAI 104 LONDON 624 SOHAG 405 SOHAG 3553 ALEXANDRIA 618 DOHA 674 DUBAI 614 BAHRAIN 572 MUMBAI 175 DUBAI 774 RIYADH 562 AMMAN 389 KOZHIKODE 61 DUBAI 647 MUSCAT 402 BEIRUT 146 DOHA 221 BAHRAIN 229 COLOMBO 59 DUBAI 859 DUBAI 859 DUBAI 135 BAHRAIN 307 ABU DHABI 129 SHARJAH 136 DOHA 372 BAHRAIN 513 SHARM EL SHEIKH 981 CHENNAI 217 BAHRAIN 981 BAHRAIN 239 AMMAN 636 FRANKFURT 614 CAIRO 772 ISTANBUL 411 AMSTERDAM 574 MUMBAI

Time 0:15 0:20 0:30 0:50 1:30 1:45 2:10 2:20 2:25 2:30 2:55 3:10 3:20 3:25 3:55 4:10 4:35 4:55 5:00 5:30 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:40 7:15 7:30 7:45 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:15 8:20 8:25 8:30 8:35 9:00 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:30 9:35 10:00 10:55 11:05 11:25 11:35 12:00 12:05 12:30 13:30 13:40 13:40 13:45 14:00 14:15 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:15 16:00 16:00 16:20 16:35 16:55 17:20 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:45 17:55 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:30 18:40 18:40 18:45 18:45 18:55 19:00 19:05 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:35 19:35 19:40 19:50 19:55 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:25 20:35 20:55 21:10 21:15 21:15 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:55 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:50

Airlines AIC UAL DLH MSR THY SAI ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD MSR QTR QTR RJA JZR JZR GFA THY KAC BAW FDB JZR ABY JZR KAC IRA KAC UAE KAC QTR FDB ETD IRA BAB JZR IZG GFA KAC KAC MEA KAC JZR MSR KNE MSC SYR KAC JZR GFA FDB MSR KAC OMA KAC KNE JZR JZR KAC RJA JZR SVA QTR KAC KAC ETD JZR JZR QTR UAE GFA JZR TAR ABY SVA UAL KNE JZR QTR FDB BAB KAC RBG MSR MSC JZR JAI FDB KAC KAC KAC OMA MEA KAC GFA FDB DHX ALK ABY ETD UAE UAE FCX QTR KAC KAC JZR DHX AXB QTR GFA KAC KAC JZR

Depature Flights on Thursday 7/6/2012 Flt Route 976 GOA/CHENNAI 981 WASHINGTON DC 637 FRANKFURT 615 CAIRO 773 ISTANBUL 442 LAHORE 621 ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 371 BAHRAIN 306 ABU DHABI 613 CAIRO 139 DOHA 149 DOHA 643 AMMAN 164 DUBAI 200 DAMASCUS 212 BAHRAIN 771 ISTANBUL 545 ALEXANDRIA 156 LONDON 54 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 126 SHARJAH 534 CAIRO 671 DUBAI 606 MASHHAD 787 JEDDAH 856 DUBAI 101 LONDON 133 DOHA 56 DUBAI 302 ABU DHABI 616 AHWAZ 437 BAHRAIN 356 MASHHAD 4162 MASHHAD 214 BAHRAIN 541 CAIRO 165 ROME 405 BEIRUT 501 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 623 SOHAG 471 JEDDAH 406 SOHAG 342 DAMASCUS 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 220 BAHRAIN 58 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 561 AMMAN 646 MUSCAT 673 DUBAI 473 JEDDAH 174 DUBAI 124 BAHRAIN 617 DOHA 641 AMMAN 512 SHARM EL SHEIKH 505 JEDDAH 135 DOHA 773 RIYADH 613 BAHRAIN 304 ABU DHABI 238 AMMAN 538 CAIRO 141 DOHA 858 DUBAI 216 BAHRAIN 134 BAHRAIN 328 TUNIS 128 SHARJAH 511 RIYADH 982 BAHRAIN 475 JEDDAH 266 BEIRUT 145 DOHA 64 DUBAI 439 BAHRAIN 283 DHAKA 3554 ALEXANDRIA 607 LUXOR 402 ALEXANDRIA 184 DUBAI 571 MUMBAI 62 DUBAI 331 TRIVANDRUM 343 CHENNAI 351 KOCHI 648 MUSCAT 403 BEIRUT 543 CAIRO 222 BAHRAIN 60 DUBAI 171 BAHRAIN 230 COLOMBO 120 SHARJAH 308 ABU DHABI 860 DUBAI 860 DUBAI 102 BAHRAIN 137 DOHA 301 MUMBAI 205 ISLAMABAD 554 ALEXANDRIA 373 BAHRAIN 390 MANGALORE 147 DOHA 218 BAHRAIN 411 BANGKOK 415 KUALA LUMPUR 528 ASSIUT

Time 0:05 0:25 0:30 0:35 2:15 2:30 2:45 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 4:20 4:50 5:40 6:50 6:55 7:00 7:05 7:10 8:10 8:25 8:25 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:20 9:35 9:35 9:40 10:00 10:00 10:05 10:15 10:15 10:25 10:30 10:35 10:45 11:30 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:15 12:25 12:25 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:20 14:25 14:25 14:30 14:40 15:00 15:05 15:15 15:25 15:30 15:45 15:50 15:55 16:00 16:15 16:25 16:30 17:20 17:30 17:40 17:45 18:05 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:25 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 19:05 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:45 19:55 20:00 20:05 20:35 20:40 20:50 20:55 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:30 21:35 21:50 21:50 21:55 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:25 22:30 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:00 23:00 23:10 23:10 23:30 23:40 23:50 23:50

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

SITUATION VACANT A lady maid is needed to work for two days a week, Thursday and Saturday for a single American/Arabic man in a house located in Salimya.

Contact: 66417504. (C 4032) 3-6-2012 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation for 2 months in Salmiya, block-3, for male bachelors, preferred Indian, vegetarians. Contact: 50181570.

(C 4036) 7-6-2012 Sharing accommodation available for bachelor in two bedroom flat at Khaitan, near Kuwait Finance House. Contact: 66141908. (C 4034) Sharing accommodation available for executive couple in Sharq near Amiri Hospital.

Contact: 55238110, Email: tajtoyota@gmail.com Sharing accommodation available for working lady together Indian working lady in Abbassiya. Contact: 99509436. (C 4035) 6-6-2012 Sharing accommodation, a Pakistani bachelor needs a

room with a Pakistani family. Contact: 90926037.

(C 4033) One bedroom with bathroom available, for a single Indian Executive non-smoking bachelor, near Ministry of Education in Salmiya.

Please Contact: 94989707.

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Galant 1998 model, doctor used, registered up to November 29, 2012, in good condition, for sale. Please call: 99544724.

6-6-2012

MATRIMONIAL Marthoma parents of 30 year old son, born again, baptized CFA / CAIA / MBA employed in Kuwait, invite proposal from born again professionally qualified girls. Contact - Email: rajugracy7@hotmail.com (C 4031) 2-6-2012

SITUATION WANTED Auditing, Accounting, Financial Management, Business Development ser vices/ advice by an experienced Indian man available for part-time assignment.

Contact: 65802853. (C 4028)

AIRLINES

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

171 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22921555 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

34

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

stars CROSSWORD 698

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You are a heavy-duty thinker and serious student, always ready to work an idea through, reducing it to what is essential. You do a lot to fulfill the popular stereotype of the genius. There may be a sustained interest today in communication, computers and electronics—that which is electrical. You could be an excellent teacher in areas requiring discipline and organization. You value order and place a high premium on hard work and effort. You like to get down to the bare bones, to what is essential. Investigating and gathering information may take up most of your afternoon. You love truth, philosophy, law, etc. Your emotions, led by your temper, can send you off in a direction that is anything but where you really want to go.

Guide yourself in positive directions.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is a vital day with much inspiration and lots of action. You may feel focused and even a bit radiant. You could find yourself in the limelight and also able to exchange a few words and get your ideas across to others. You would make a great investigator, either in scientific research or in undercover work—it makes no difference. Your ability to get to the point is commendable. There is a more dynamic and outgoing quality to your everyday life. Besting others in the heat of competition and taking on a leadership role means more than long ago: second best is not good enough! Close relationships take on emotional depth and importance. You have much creative originality and may enjoy creating a poem for your loved one this evening.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. A sharp projection on an edge or surface.

4. A clique that seeks power usually through intrigue.

9. A small cake leavened with yeast.

13. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

14. The mission in San Antonio where in 1836 Mexican forces under Santa Anna besieged and massacred American rebels who were fighting to make Texas independent of Mexico.

15. An Arabic speaking person who lives in Arabia or North Africa.

16. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

18. An edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle.

19. A stick that people can lean on to help them walk.

20. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

23. A doctor's degree in religion.

24. Obvious and dull.

25. Minute aquatic herbs floating on or below the water surface of still water consisting of a leaflike frond or plant body and single root.

26. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

28. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

32. (computer science) A coding system that incorporates extra parity bits in order to detect errors.

35. A federation of North American labor unions that merged with the Congress of Industrial Organizations in 1955.

38. (computer science) American Standard Code for Information Interchange.

40. By bad luck.

42. A complex red organic pigment containing iron and other atoms to which oxygen binds.

44. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

45. Being ten more than one hundred ninety.

47. The trait of lacking restraint or control.

49. Valuable fiber plant of East Indies now widespread in cultivation.

53. Mild yellow Dutch cheese made in balls.

55. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill.

59. (Scotland) A small loaf or roll of soft bread.

64. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

65. Used of a single unit or thing.

66. Any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits.

67. A fluorocarbon with chlorine.

68. The cry made by sheep.

69. A port city in southwestern Iran.

70. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

DOWN 1. French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920).

2. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

3. A mountain peak in the Andes in Argentina (21,654 feet high).

4. An esoteric or occult matter that is traditionally secret.

5. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

6. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

7. Affect with wonder.

8. 1 species of terrestrial ferns of New Zealand.

9. An indehiscent fruit derived from a single ovary having one or many seeds within a fleshy wall or pericarp.

10. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

11. An unofficial association of people or groups.

12. In bed.

17. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

21. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

22. A ruler of the Inca Empire (or a member of his family).

27. The longer of the two telegraphic signals used in Morse code.

29. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae.

30. Someone new to a field or activity.

31. Dignified manner or conduct.

33. Being ten more than one hundred forty.

34. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

36. The syllable naming the fourth (subdominant) note of the diatonic scale in solmization.

37. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

39. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

41. A fraudulent business scheme.

43. A master's degree in business.

46. A radioactive transuranic element.

48. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

50. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

51. Greek mythology.

52. A particular environment or walk of life.

54. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

56. The state of needing something that is absent or unavailable.

57. A small restaurant where drinks and snacks are sold.

58. Type genus of the family Arcidae.

60. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

61. A slight amount or degree of difference.

62. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

63. A local computer network for communication between computers.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Today may not be the best time for a job change. You may lack coordination and have feelings of inadequacy. Fortunately, this seems to be temporary. Your emotions, led by your temper, can send you off in a direction that is anything but where you really want to go—careful. There are options but it would not be wise for you to move fast. Advice from someone in the field of job advisement could help you coordinate your job and your emotional life. It is important to find work in which you are able to express yourself. This could involve the law, arts, music, public speaking, sales, theology, etc. You enjoy working with others; you would make a good manager. You also have an easy way with superiors or those in charge.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) There is an emphasis on communication, expression of ideas and the connection between things, places and people.

What goes on in your mind is your all-important motivation. You tend towards mental pursuits and admire intelligence. Creative visualization and consistent meditation will give you the insight into the answers you may need. Your general sense of concern for everything makes you valuable when anything needs doing and, if left unoccupied, you may worry for worry’s sake. Given only a few facts, you are able to take in a situation and come up with the picture of what is happening today nationally or locally. You will find plenty of opportunities to involve yourself in what interests you this evening.

NON SEQUITUR

Leo (July 23-August 22) The morning may be a bit confusing due to some feedback from higher-ups. Your drive to accomplish much work is high and can be put to constructive use. Buckling down to your old routine is the best way to handle this phase. You will have many opportunities to accomplish things that are beyond the call of duty—the day progresses well. You have an analytical bent and your mind excels at making practical decisions. Your ideas run deeper than superficial issues. An interest in market trends and business psychology are present. Your emotions and feelings of those around you may be very clear this afternoon. You enjoy the antics of a friend this evening. A social evening takes you where you have never been before; smile.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You can accomplish quite a lot today. Your outgoing nature and your extremely skillful ways of handling other people, make you a natural for working with or for the public. You would make an excellent teacher or coach. Helping others to make career decisions is a skill you possess. These are things you should consider when making your own career decisions. Your career is never a problem—you have the kind of drive about which others can only dream. Everything works out well for you these days. You may even invent ways in which to make your life more interesting. Repair work and perhaps some maintenance chores at home may catch your attention and satisfy your restlessness. Today you discover a way to make extra money.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

This is a great time to be with others and to work together. You may be sought after as just the person for a particular job. However, be aware that even though there is a lot of drive available for disciplined work—you could push too hard and may even break something or become irritable. This is the best time you will have to make progress, push forward and rise to prominence. It will be hard for you to do wrong, for all the cycles are working in your favor. You will receive recognition today for your hard work. This is a time when you may decide to marry, take on a new role in the community or with other people. Friends and a social life are in order and, in general, an easy and untroubled life. This is a good time to be social, recognized, etc.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This may be a superficial day. It may not be possible for you to penetrate to anything remotely meaningful or moving at this time.

Work as usual may be the best road to take. Perhaps there is a sense of the artificial, the repetitive and the senseless. Do not worry about getting beneath the surface of anything new. You are gifted and even lucky when it comes to professional decisions.

You could be afraid to follow your own heart and to express yourself. However, things manage to work out for you. This evening, children or animals will be important to you. Let go and enjoy the company of friends or family this evening. Play this evening.

Let your imagination flow. Relax by the sounds of music. You and your friends enjoy turns at entertaining.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Co-workers feel the need to gather around you several times a day just to get feedback from you about something they have done or not done. Clear decisions affecting others could be made today. You are inclined to do things from outer necessity rather than for emotional or idealistic reasons. Your theories and mental activities may be fine, but you lack the patience to let things ripen. Perhaps passing your ideas on to others will provide an opportunity for your creative mind to blossom. You are very gifted, having great magnetism and warmth and also a keen and powerful mind. You may find it more advantageous to set aside work for a while this evening and enjoy the company of your neighbors, friends or family.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Your taste in art is admirable; you have a good ability or talent to choose fine quality and unusual pieces as well as be creative with your own hands. You might be happy if you were in antiques or in an appraisal type of profession. Perhaps this is a good time for you to select a special item for your boss or for your own home. Perhaps you will be happy with the cost of your purchases for today, you can make some very wise choices. You will also be successful in your dealings with education, psychology, spiritual enlightenment or teaching principles and techniques today. Circumstances can throw you into positions where you must deal with communications, service or enclosed hidden interests. You can do anything you want if you have a plan.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You will find that this is a most productive time. You may be just the person for a particular job. You could find that you are appreciated for your ability to conquer most any problem. You are confident in your work. You love attention and somehow manage to gravitate to the center of almost any happening. Others accept you—they sense you are a leader. Yet they may have to keep their distance—for as much as you love attention and the crowd—you are also fiercely protective of your independence. There is a kind of contradiction here. When in the mood, you love to express yourself, entertain and perform for others; you enjoy being surrounded by an audience. You will enjoy the company of a loving pet tonight.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You are able to manage and see how to work with the motivation of others today. The word for the day is accomplishment. If there is a job, you can do it. A prodigious worker, you pour yourself into any task of the day with absolute determination. You have a great desire and drive to be thorough and responsible down to the smallest detail. You seem to understand what is essential and what is not. You love the routine that your work brings into your life but you can become too strict with yourself, to insist that whatever does not contribute to security and other long-term goals is trivial. Take a little trip, or get outside for a while. You may enjoy shopping at an out-of-the-way place later today. A love relationship could be changing for the positive.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

i n f o r m at i o n

112 GOVERNORATE

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

Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

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

website: www.moi.gov.kw

Sabah Hospital

PHARMACY

Hawally

GOVERNMENT WEB SITES Kuwait Parliament www.majlesalommah.net

The Public Institution for Social Security www.pifss.gov.kw

Ministry of Interior www.moi.gov.kw

Public Authority of Industry www.pai.gov.kw

Public Authority for Civil Information www.paci.gov.kw

Prisoners of War Committee www.pows.org.kw

Kuwait News Agency www.kuna.net.kw

Ministry of Foreign Affairs www.mofa.gov.kw

Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair www.islam.gov.kw

Kuwait Municipality www.municipality.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Oil) www.moo.gov.kw

Kuwait Electronic Government www.e.gov.kw

Ministry of Energy (Electricity and Water) www.energy.govt.kw

Ministry of Finance www.mof.gov.kw

Public Authority for Housing Welfare www.housing.gov.kw

Ministry of Commerce and Industry www.moci.gov.kw

Ministry of Justice www.moj.gov.kw

Ministry of Education www.moe.edu.kw

Ministry of Communications www.moc.kw

Ministry of Information www.moinfo.gov.kw

Supreme Council for Planning and Development www.scpd.gov.kw

Kuwait Awqaf Public Foundation www.awqaf.org

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

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22621099

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25713514

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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

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22641071/2

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

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22562226

22618787

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22561444

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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

22639939

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

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 Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

22666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

Dr Anil Thomas

Dr. Salem soso

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

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

Al-Madena

22418714

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22545171

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24810598

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22545171

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24742838

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22434853

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22545051

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24711433

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24316983

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23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

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23980088

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23711183

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23262845

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25610011

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25616368

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Iran 0098 Iraq 00964 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Ivory Coast 00225 Jamaica 001876 Japan 0081 Jordan 00962 Kazakhstan 007 Kenya 00254 Kiribati 00686 Kuwait 00965 Kyrgyzstan 00996 Laos 00856 Latvia 00371 Lebanon 00961 Liberia 00231 Libya 00218 Lithuania 00370 Luxembourg 00352 Macau 00853 Macedonia 00389 Madagascar 00261 Majorca 0034 Malawi 00265 Malaysia 0060 Maldives 00960 Mali 00223 Malta 00356 Marshall Islands 00692 Martinique 00596 Mauritania 00222 Mauritius 00230 Mayotte 00269 Mexico 0052 Micronesia 00691 Moldova 00373 Monaco 00377 Mongolia 00976 Montserrat 001664 Morocco 00212 Mozambique 00258 Myanmar (Burma) 0095 Namibia 00264 Nepal 00977 Netherlands (Holland) 0031 Netherlands Antilles 00599 New Caledonia 00687 New Zealand 0064 Nicaragua 00505 Nigar 00227 Nigeria 00234 Niue 00683 Norfolk Island 00672 Northern Ireland (UK) 0044 North Korea 00850 Norway 0047 Oman 00968 Pakistan 0092 Palau 00680 Panama 00507 Papua New Guinea 00675 Paraguay 00595 Peru 0051 Philippines 0063 Poland 0048 Portugal 00351 Puerto Rico 001787 Qatar 00974 Romania 0040 Russian Federation 007 Rwanda 00250 Saint Helena 00290 Saint Kitts 001869 Saint Lucia 001758 Saint Pierre 00508 Saint Vincent 001784 Samoa US 00684 Samoa West 00685 San Marino 00378 Sao Tone 00239 Saudi Arabia 00966 Scotland (UK) 0044 Senegal 00221 Seychelles 00284 Sierra Leone 00232 Singapore 0065 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 Solomon Islands 00677

36

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

lifestyle G O S S I P

Bruce and Demi’s daughter Scout arrested in NYC

N

Messing files to divorce writer husband ebra Messing has filed for divorce from her writer-producer husband. The former “Will and Grace” star filed her petition in Los Angeles on Tuesday, citing irreconcilable differences.

Messing married Daniel Zelman, a writer and executive producer of the show “Damages,” in September 2000, but the couple sepa-

D

ew York City police say the underage daughter of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis was caught drinking in public and carrying fake identification. The New York Police Department said Tuesday that officers found 20-year-old Scout Willis sipping drink Monday evening in Union Square in violation of an open-container law. Police say she also showed them a fake ID - a misdemeanor. Willis was arrested and taken to a local police station and released with a ticket ordering her to appear in court on July 21. Bruce Willis’ representative declined to comment on the arrest. Scout is the second of Moore and Willis’ three daughters together. The couple divorced in 2000.

rated in February 2010. They have an 8-year-old son and she is seeking joint custody. Her petition requests that Zelman pay her attorney fees and spousal support. Messing currently appears on the NBC series “Smash.” The filing was first reported by celebrity website TMZ.

Crow has

McCartney

a benign brain tumor

officially on for Olympics opening P

aul McCartney will help get the London Olympic Games off to a rocking start. The former Beatle confirmed speculation that he would take part in the opening ceremony, telling the BBC that he will close out the ceremony on July 27. “I’ve been booked,” McCartney said, adding that he would be “closing the opening.” McCartney is the first act to be confirmed for the opening ceremony. “Slumdog Millionaire” director Danny Boyle is serving as artistic director of the ceremony. Boyle recently revealed that he’s using the classic monster story “Frankenstein”- which he produced as a stage production of last year-as inspiration for the ceremony. “I mean, we don’t reanimate dead creatures, but we did use Frankenstein as a dry run for a lot of ideas for this,” Boyle said. According to Boyle, the venue where the ceremony dubbed “The Isles of Wonder” - will look “like a cauldron, with all the people hovering over and around you.” The International Olympic Committee has not yet responded to TheWrap’s request for comment.

McCartney performed a warm-up gig of sorts for the Olympics earlier this week, closing out the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on Monday.

Mayer criticizes Swift for ‘Dear John’ aylor Swift has never revealed her target in the scathing song “Dear John,” but John Mayer is pretty sure it was about him - and he doesn’t think that’s cool. In a new Rolling Stone interview, Mayer called “Dear John” cheap songwriting and said it made him feel terrible - and he didn’t deserve it. Swift’s song from the multiplatinum “Speak Now ” album dresses down a former

T

boyfriend. Swift has never confirmed that the pair dated and when asked pointedly refused to say that song was about Mayer. Mayer says he did nothing to deserve the song and says Swift - his former musical collaborator kicked him when he was down. Mayer’s “Born and Raised,” his first album in three years, debuted as the nation’s bestselling album.

Bynes charged with DUI in LA os Angeles prosecutors have charged actress Amanda Bynes with driving under the influence roughly two months after authorities say she grazed a sheriff’s patrol car in an early morning accident. The 26-year-old arraigned yesterday in Beverly Hills but doesn’t have to attend the hearing. Instead, she can have a lawyer enter a plea. Bynes was arrested April 6 after authorities say she scraped a patrol car making a turn. The misdemeanor complaint filed Tuesday alleges she refused to take a test at the time that could’ve determined whether she was drunk or under the influence of drugs. Because of her refusal, authorities may suspend her driver’s license for a year. Her publicist, Melissa Raubvogel, didn’t immediately return an email. Bynes appeared in the Nickelodeon series “What I Like About You” and the film “Easy A.”

L

Rap music agent found guilty in NYC drug case rap and hip-hop industry agent has been found guilty of federal drug trafficking charges in New York City. The jury verdict was reached Tuesday at the Brooklyn trial of James “Jimmy Henchman” Rosemond. The head of New York-based Czar Entertainment was charged last year with running a coast to-coast drug ring that used music equipment cases to transport cocaine and drug money. The 47-year-old Rosemond had claimed he was framed. Rosemond’s website says he was behind hits including Salt-N-Pepa’s “Shoop” and represented The Game and other artists. He also gained notoriety when a jailed felon tried to link him to a mid-1990s ambush of Tupac Shakur that left the legendary rapper wounded. He has denied any involvement.

A

Paris talks to Oprah for Sunday interview ichael Jackson’s daughter, Paris, talks about her late father in an interview with Oprah Winfrey airing Sunday. Paris Jackson, 14, will be featured on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” the channel said Tuesday. She and Winfrey discuss how the teenager is faring three years after the 2009 death of her pop star father. “It never gets easier,” Paris says in a promotional spot aired

by OWN, which also shows Winfrey asking if Michael Jackson wanted her to have “a quote ‘normal’ life.” Paris and her brothers, Prince and Blanket, were closely sheltered during Jackson’s life but have been in the public eye since, appearing onstage at Grammy Awards and on other T V shows. “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” which also will include an interview with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, will air at 9 pm EDT Sunday on OWN.

M

S

heryl Crow revealed that she has a benign brain tumor, but her rep says it’s nothing to be alarmed about.

The 50-year-old told an audience about her condition at a recent concert, but her representative, Christine Wolff, said it’s very common. The tumor is a meningioma (men-in-GEE-oh-mah), and it’s typically benign and develops from the protective linings of the brain and spinal cord. Wolff said that Crow is doing great and is healthy and happy. Crow battled breast cancer several years back. She’s currently on a nationwide tour.

Axl Rose robbed after Paris show

P

olice say Guns N’ Roses front man Axl Rose was robbed of three goldand- diamond necklaces worth some $200,000 after the hard rock band’s concert in Paris. A Paris police spokesman said yesterday that the lead singer of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band was fuming after the theft during a private gathering after the band’s show at Bercy stadium the previous night.

Judicial police have opened an investigation but the spokesman said it didn’t appear Rose was wearing the necklaces at the time. The spokesman spoke on condition of anonymity because of office policy. The group’s website says they are scheduled to play in Moenchengladbach, Germany, tomorrowbefore returning to France as part of a tour of Europe and Israel that runs through July 22. —Bang Showbiz

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

lifestyle M U S I C

&

M O V I E S

Wes Anderson’s childhood anxieties bear fruit in ‘Moonrise Kingdom’

P

arents, take heart. Wes Anderson was apparently considered to be a “very troubled child” back in 1970s Houston. The acclaimed director says that when he was a kid, he discovered a pamphlet titled “Coping With the Very Troubled Child” on the refrigerator at the home of his father and stepmother. And he’s bringing up the incident for the first time, he says, because he’s using it partly as an inspiration for “Moonrise Kingdom,” which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and opens in theaters this month in most parts of the US. In the film, a 12-year-old named Suzy (Kara Hawyard) finds the same pamphlet and shares it with her new boyfriend Sam (Jared Gilman) when the two run away from home and set up camp in a remote island cove. Anderson, who mentioned the pamphlet’s discovery during a press conference in Cannes, says he wonders whether he should continue to talk about the matter during a later interview with the Austin American-Statesman. “I feel like maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned the pamphlet at the press conference,” he says. “Maybe it’s going to be upsetting (to my family). ... I’ve never brought it up until recently, and it wasn’t directly with (my parents). It was in the public realm.” But the incident is telling, not only in “Moonrise Kingdom” but also in Anderson’s artistic development.

Throughout Anderson’s creative life, he has created miniature - sometimes fantastic - alternate universes, filled with characters who defy conventions. It’s almost as if his acute imagination has become a survival skill.

“I felt very alienated as a kid,” says Anderson - just like the characters of Suzy and Sam. “Up until fifth or sixth grade, I felt like one person, and then I suddenly felt like someone very different. Right around that age, I lost my identity or something. And I was trying to figure out how I fit into this world. It suddenly seemed to be a question of popularity.” Anderson sighs and smiles at the same time, saying that he never would have been as bold as Suzy or Sam. “Suzy is not just unhappy in her family,” he says.

“She wants to leave it. ... The story comes out of her trying to break free. When these two kids go on an adventure together, she has a suitcase full of young adult science fiction novels, and she’s very invested in fantasy. So I feel like the story is really acting out a fantasy, these two kids who know what they want and are

determined to see it through.”

Anderson says he sees Sam, who has just been rejected by his foster family, as being farther down the road to independence than Suzy. “He’s on his own already. He has lost his family, and he’s kind of determined not to be unhappy. I think he has so much going against him, and he’s very determined that he’s not going to let that shut him down. They’re both bold, I think. They really do decide what they want, and they just do it.”

Anderson pauses, then says: “That’s not how I was a kid, certainly. And I think I am sort of fantasizing. I feel if I had seen this movie when I was 12, maybe I would have been a more advanced young person. It’s also very possible that this movie might be very boring to

12-year-olds. I have no idea.”

Whatever the case, Anderson continues to pursue his own peculiar, wryly amusing vision of life, which started with 1996’s “Bottle Rocket” and includes 1998’s “Rushmore,” 2001’s “The Royal Tenenbaums” and 2009’s animated “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Part of the humor comes from Anderson’s approach to characterization. Nearly every character in his movies is incredibly earnest, and these characters inevitably come into conflict with a world that sees earnestness as hopelessly passe. One of the biggest laughs in “Moonrise Kindgom,” in fact, comes at a very earnest, albeit unlikely, point-when an animal that Sam knows suddenly dies. Suzy asks Sam whether the pet was good. And Sam responds: “Who’s to judge. But

Ed Norton, left, and Wes Anderson arrive for the screening of ‘Moonrise Kingdom’ for the opening of 65th Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France on May 16, 2012. — MCT

Supreme Leader, The Dictator is offensively funny

A Minute With:

Neil Young on his new album and film same melodies or similar structure other than the lyrics. We retained the cadences, but that was about it.”

Q: You also wrote all the liner notes, which is another element from the past. No one does that anymore.

A: “Well, you’re going to have them again. They’re important.

Making an album is an art form, and it’s been lost by the content suppliers that now supply music in its lowest technical form ever.

We’re at a low ebb right now with digital music, but I think it’s going to get better.”

Q: For the “Oh Susannah” video you used a lot of early American archival footage. Was that fun researching it?

A: “Yes, I love doing that. I have a team of people and interns at Shakey Pictures who went to work on this project and they’re now working on my next project. They take it on much like a newspaper would take it on, as this group.”

Q: You also teamed up with the artist-geared social media platform Talenthouse, and musicians are being invited to submit their own covers of classic Americana tracks via YouTube for the chance to win $1,000. How did that come about?

A: “That idea was from Reprise Records, and I thought it was good as it gets people involved. I started it by doing the arrangements and they just based it on ‘Americana,’ but I don’t really have to do much.”

Q: Are you and Crazy Horse going on tour for “Americana”?

A: “Yes. There’s going to be a string of shows, starting on August 10, in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. That’ll go for just a couple of weeks. We’ll also be playing in New Mexico and Colorado. I still love touring, and I’m really looking forward to doing the shows with Crazy Horse.”

Neil Young Q: What was the impetus for making “Americana”?

A: “Simple. I didn’t have any of my own songs I wanted to do, and I was ready to play with Crazy Horse again.”

Q: The album is a collection of classic American folk songs, from “Clementine” and “Oh Susannah” to “This Land Is Your Land.” How did you go about choosing the material?

A: “(Laughs) My basic approach was, we just had to be able to play ‘em.”

Q: Ok, let’s put it this way, what tied all these different songs together?

A: “They’re not what you think they are. There’s a lot more to them than the way I first heard them done by these happy folk singers.

They left out a lot of the original verses and the songs are very dark and a lot more political than that. So we tried to create an intensity that was on a par with the original, even though we didn’t use the

Q: Why do you tour so infrequently with Crazy Horse?

A: Some things you don’t want to wear out. A lot of people wear things out, but there’s a time for everything, so I try and listen to my clock.

Q: The documentary “Neil Young Journeys” is your third collaboration with Jonathan Demme. What’s the secret to that relationship?

A: “He and I respect each other and work very well together and it’s very collaborative. I think it’s a very well-conceived and executed film, and hopefully we’ll keep doing stuff together.”

Q: In the film, you drive around your old hometown talking about your childhood. You also have your new memoir coming out.

A: “It’s not really a memoir, at least not in the traditional sense. It’s not chronological and it covers a lot of areas - from the past to the present day, so it’s like a diary. But it is a memoir, and part of it’s a projection and a fantasy. It’s a hippie dream really (laughs). I really enjoy writing. My father was a writer, so I’ve always known about authors and writing, and now it’s my time to do it.” — Reuters

TV contestant injured

A

singer who appeared on the NBC show “America’s Got Talent” and claimed he was injured during a grenade blast in Afghanistan has no military record of his purported combat injuries, the Minnesota National Guard said Tuesday. Timothy Michael Poe appeared on the nationally televised show Monday. He told the judges he spent 14 years in the military, and suffered a broken back and brain injury when he was hit by a grenade in Afghanistan in 2009.

“I had volunteered for a team to go out and clear buildings and help out with the wounded,” Poe said during a taped interview on the show. “There was a guy who come up with a rocket-propelled grenade. I saw it coming down, and by the time I turned and went to jump on top of my guys, I yelled ‘grenade’ and the blast had hit me.”

According to military records, Poe served

‘The Dictator’ pokes at prototypes Reiview

A

t an age, 66, when many of his peers have either slowed down or retired from the spotlight, Neil Young is busier than ever.

On Tuesday, the iconic Canadian singer-songwriter and his longtime band Crazy Horse released a new album titled “Americana” with their particular take on classic folk songs. It is the first album from Young and the group in nearly nine years. Live shows follow in August. Later this month, movie studio Sony Pictures Classics will release “Neil Young Journeys,” a documentary about the singer directed by Oscar-winner Jonathan Demme which showcases the last two nights of Young’s recent solo world tour. And then there’s his new book, “Waging Heavy Peace,” which will be published in the fall.

Young recently spoke to Reuters about the new album, film, book and upcoming live shows.

he didn’t deserve to die.” Anderson says he realizes that some people might not know how to take the death of a pet. “But I felt like it was right,” he says.

“We had a line in ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’ that related to me. We had a rat who is murdered, and Mr. Fox is (disposing of the body), and, I can’t remember exactly, but he says something like: ‘He’s just another dead rat in a garbage pail behind a Chinese restaurant.’”

In short, Anderson delves in deadpan humor. And it’s no accident that he has a long-standing relationship with one of the most deadpan comics of our time-Bill Murray. Murray, who first worked with Anderson on “Rushmore,” says he doesn’t have anything else to do, so that’s why he’s in Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom.”

“I really don’t get any other work but through Wes,” he says. “I just sit by the phone.” The collaboration, however, has been rewarding, Murray acknowledges.

“Sometimes when you work with a director you know you not only may never see them again, sometimes you hope you never see them again,” Murray says. “And that goes for the director as well. They can’t wait for you to leave. They drive you to the airport to make sure you leave. That happens. But with Wes I’ve never gotten a ride to the airport, and I like it.”

Others have responded in the same way. One of the new Anderson acolytes is Edward Norton, who plays Sam’s chain-smoking Scoutmaster in “Moonrise Kingdom.” “All of us ... started out reading about Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater players,” Norton says.

“There’s a romance to that. I used to dream a lot about how fun it would be to be in a troupe like that, and I think Wes has obviously over the years put together one of the great troupes in modern cinema.”

Tilda Swinton, who plays a character known only as Social Services in “Moonrise Kingdom,” agrees. “It’s clearly a family that Wes has made over the years, and it’s a family I was so happy to join on a camping trip,” she says. And even Anderson seems happy with the way his life has turned out. “Every movie, when we start, is a little bit of a reunion,” he says. “I like to think that now I have a bigger family to draw on. I hope that some of the friends I’ve made on this movie will be available to me in the future. That’s always been a big part of it. I like to think of the movies I do as a bit like a theater company.” — MCT

with the Minnesota Army National Guard from December 2002 through May 2011, working as a supply specialist. Records show he was deployed in Kosovo from Oct. 10, 2007 to July 15, 2008, and then served in Afghanistan for about a month in 2009.”Sgt. Poe’s official military records do not indicate that he was injured by a grenade in combat while serving in Afghanistan in 2009, as he reports,” Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, a spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard, said in a statement. Olson noted that Poe did not receive the Purple Heart, which is given to those who are injured in enemy combat. Poe didn’t claim he had received the award.

Poe had a stutter when he spoke with the judges, which he attributed to his brain injury.

The stutter disappeared when he sang. He also didn’t appear to stutter when he spoke with the show’s host after his performance. When

Timothy Michael Poe he was describing his injury, Poe said during the video clip: “When I was laying there I thought I’d never see my daughter walk down the aisle or throw the baseball with my son or be able to hold them and see them. ... I didn’t want my life to be over.”

He said singing has helped him deal with the injury.”I’m just happy to be here,” he told the judges.—AP

‘The Dictator’ is a mixed bag of absurdity, slapstick and a post Arab Spring social criticism. British star Sacha Baron Cohen’s oil king prototype is ‘like an onion that has layers inside’, says a dialog in the film.

By Sunil Cherian

H

uman beings, however famous they may be are cartoon characters for Sacha Baron Cohen, co-writer, producer, and the every-frame lead in the mocu-feature ‘The Dictator’. Director Larry Charles exhibits a post Gaddafi, post Islamophobic and post Arab Spring aura where he fixes a narcissistic autocrat who has a pre Elizabethan conviction. Cohen impersonates Aladeen, the ‘after me deluge’ oil king who survives an overthrow attempt by his close aide.

My Cohen-like side did enjoy the mockery the impersonator lavished throughout the mostly indoor shot film. The extensive character and the mimicry are comically relieving.

Ben Kingsley’s Tamir, the ‘left hand’ of the Supreme Leader Aladeen of the fictional Kingdom of Wadiya, would sell the country’s oil to China for billions of dollars only to buy a house next to George Clooney.

Yet my refined side abhors the ridicule the film does, especially of women. Dialogues like ‘Bad news, It’s a baby girl. Where’s the trash bin?’ are passe. ‘ The Dictator’s attempt to stretch the already bruised humor, like the helicopter tour scene where Aladeen and Tamir are suspected of terrorism from their 911 Porsche talk and the overused Sam Douglas mask talk are annoying. The dumb dupe of Aladeen drinks his urine and dumps it on the Israeli delegation at the UN assembly. Well, you got the taste of how far the Dictator can go.

Taking us to the beaten path to create incessant humor and all the slapstick attempts of the ‘Dictator’ could be forgiven (Who am I to forgive the absolute president-prime minister? Well, at least for some

fraudulent moments, the Supreme Leader does offer democracy in his deliberate speech at the UN. ‘I’ll make Democracy one of my wives’, the leader says).

Aladeen who gained power at the age of 7 is not vain glorious for nothing. He held his own Olympics, where in the 100 meter race he shot his competitors. He changed over 30 Wadiyan words to Aladeen including positive and negative (so they have HIV aladeen). His American concubine hurries up the business because she has ‘to do with the Italian PM tomorrow’. For the Wadiyan warlord, America is the devil’s nest built by blacks and owned by the Chinese. In the US, Ala says, the torture tools are relics, collected from the garage sale of the Shah of Iran. He has tools that work

by Bluetooth.

As a political refugee in the US, at least according to the vegan humanist played by Anna Faris, Aladeen boasts Bin Laden is staying at his Wadiya guest house ‘ever since they shot the dupe’. Aladeen enjoys exhibiting bathroom humor and relationship comedy. I’m like hard and spiky outside, the leader says of him, but soft and marshy at the end.

Aladeen’s racism against women and nepotism for derogatory humor is a crime he has done to the art of world cinema. The absurd does not always get absorbed. It is not abuse but overuse that his Ex-hell-ency is charged with. He is vulnerable to women. Behead him! (Supreme Leader, I wink my eye as I say this just like you used to do after you give the death order behind your enemy’s back).

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

lifestyle F e a t u r e s

Nicolas Saadeh Nakhleh

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Ghassan Hindi during his welcoming speech.

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Iris Krieve and Roger Ghosn

A group photo

hassan Hindi, General Manager of the Grand Hills Hotel and Spa Broumana, announces the opening of the Summer festival with varied selection of themed evenings and packages for a promising and enjoyable Season.

May 31st 2012 is the date of the summer festival opening at the Grand Hills hotels and SpaBroumana. For three successive days a festive ambiance of different nights will be there announcing the opening of the summer season.

Despite all the threats and the instability that is recently overriding the area, the management of the Grand Hills Hotel and Spa Broumana remotes its property from the entire negativity of the country to localize it in a beautiful surrounding of relaxation, festivities and beautiful moments.

The opening of the season, honored by the presence of the leading media representative and Hotel’s VIP clients, was an occasion for the introduction of the different happenings that will be taking place during the entire period of the coming summer: “The opening of the seasonal restaurants, the themed nights, new Spa protocols in addition to varied accommodation packages are the headlines of our strategy and tactical plan for memorable moments and promising season in Lebanon this summer” assured Ghassan Hindi, General

asasi Perfumes, one of the leading names in the regional retail landscape offering a wide range of exclusive fragrances - today announced the launch of La Yuqawam perfume collection, a high-end luxury Oriental addition in its exclusive portfolio. The new La Yuqawam collection, which represents the Oriental luxury and Arab heritage in all its splendor and magnificence, is set to take the perfume sector by storm with its enticing appeal.

La Yuqawam, which means Irresistible in Arabic, epitomizes Rasasi’s brand philosophy and heritage, and extends a classic yet modern feel, which is full of character, is elegant and refined.

Every aspect of La Yuqawam from its concept, notes to the premium packaging - reflects the ultimate in luxury. Coming in two variants - La Yuqawam Pour Homme (for men) and La Yuqawam Pour Femme (for women) range is primarily targeted at GCC nationals and Arabs.

La Yuqawam is a premium, special-edition perfume range showcasing opulence from Rasasi, the masters of perfumes, who have brought out the best of their secrets. The collection is available in beautifully tarnished and chic 75 ml bottles with elegantly rounded curves.

An alluring blend of sophistication with prestige, La Yuqawam for Men offers a leading top note of Thyme with Saffron and

Manager of the Hotel, who has welcomed his guests at the Pool CafÈ restaurant where a buffet dinner was offered by the beautiful a refreshing breeze of the Lebanese mountains.

The dinner was accompanied with a dancing show presented by “baylando” band, in addition to a DJ entertainment who was adding an outstanding atmosphere to the friendly environment that the guests were enjoying. This event was sponsored by Mobili rent a car. Below is a brief of the different outlets announcements: Sushi Bar: The place for the ultimate Asian cuisine. Offering fresh sushi and maki rolls in addition to the genuine Asian Menu. Open for lunch and Dinner with special formulas Shisha Hills: Authentic Lebanese delights along with the famous “shisha”; a real Lebanese experience! Open for morning snacks lunch and dinner with a kid’s corner.

Les Caves: With state-of-the-arts sound and light systems in addition to talented DJ’s, Les Caves Night Club is the best dancing studio for exceptional weekend outing.

Bar 1: Outdoor Rooftop set up for memorable dinner under the great skies of Broumana. Tex Mex favorites in addition to an Indian flair menu.

Open for afternoon cocktails and late dinner.

Pasquale: An Italian escape for delicious anti pasti, pastas and wood burning oven’s pizza.

Rasberry, which goes down to Oliban, Davana and Jasmine touch in the middle and ends with a Leather, Black Suede, Wood and Amber tinge.

Similarly, La Yuqawam for women range comes with top notes of Bergamot, Incense and Lemon, followed by Cinnamon, Ylang Ylang and Pink Pepper as middle notes with Lactonic, Musk and Sandalwood as bottom notes, offering a subtle combination.

Salim Kalsekar, Managing Director, UAE & GCC Region at Rasasi, said: “Since our inception, Rasasi has been committed to offer products tailored to the preferences and styles of our niche customers in the region. La Yuqawam is a captivating and classic Oriental perfume in our collection which comes with an understated sense of luxury and pride, making you feel like a star every day. Leaving an inspirational trail, La Yuqawam will be one of our most sought-after perfume range very soon.”

Kalsekar added: “La Yuqawam epitomizes our core philosophy aimed at offering a premium product for our high-profile clientele - this is reflected in every aspect of our product, be it the content or its contemporary packaging! We are confident that La Yuqawam will redefine the luxury perfume sector in its own inimitable way, and join the elite band of true classics.”

The new range is available at select Rasasi exclusive stores across UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Outdoor and indoor seating available for an authentic and romantic Experience.

Open daily (except Mondays) for Lunch & Dinner.

Gym Cafe: Fresh fruits and juice cocktails for energy replenishment after a hard workout. This place is also convenient for your kid’s birthdays and special events. Open daily.

Pool cafe: International cuisine by the main pool of the hotel, this restaurant host’s the daily breakfast buffet, delicious Sunday lunch buffet, in addition to special BBQ’s on Fridays.

Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Sun Pool: Swim over millions of mosaic marbles, while enjoying the shining sun of Broumana.

An ultimate swimming pool with VIP section, Kids pool and fresh snacks from the pool bar.

Open daily from 8:30 am till 7:30 pm Grand Hills Spa and Tonic Gym: Combination of body shaping, and skin ‘n’ soul rejuvenation: the tonic gym includes sophisticated set ups with modern equipments and various classes, as for the Spa: a wide selection of duo massages, skin therapies, and slimming protocols awaits you for an inside out wellbeing.

Photo shows a view of the pool.

Hikers pause on the trail to Numa Ridge in the North Fork of Glacier National Park in Montana.

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he Blackfeet Tribe named the greater Glacier National Park ecosystem ìthe backbone of the world.î Use the parkís remote, northwestern entrance and the bumpy access road will have you feeling like you drove over each vertebra. But youíll be grateful you made the trip. For an out-of-the-mainstream take on the countryís 10th national park, go to its northwestern expanse, the North Fork.

It invites ìa more self-reliant visitor,î the National Park Service says in its Glacier literature.

The North Fork doesnít have the grand old lodges like those near Glacierís principal gateways, but this piece of paradise isnít without comforts.

Rustic, marvelously tasty and memorable, they are in Polebridge, a mile from the parkís northwestern entrance.

This off-the-grid community increasingly reliant on solar power is the hub for an area where the summer population numbers maybe a few hundred, up from five to 10 in the winter. Get a cabin, stay in a hostel or overnight in a teepee. At the Northern Lights Saloon, bite into burgers ó choose beef or elk ó or try specials such as trout with dill sauce. Next door at the Polebridge Mercantile, bakers daily turn out bread, cookies, brownies and cinnamon rolls that would draw customers anywhere, but seem doubly delicious in an outpost like this.

People find their way to the North Fork for hikes in the spectacular wilds of the Northern Rockies, to recreate on water and to camp. ìGlacier Park is world-renowned as a wilderness park, and the wildest part of Glacier is the North Fork,î says Will Hammerquist, Glacier program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association. ìYou can feel the wilderness around you. Thatís a big part of why people go there.î Camping in the backcountry requires permits from the National Park Service. The places for car camping are next to alpine lakes. Guides take rafters through the relatively mild rapids of the North Fork of the Flathead River, and

Photo shows the recently rehabilitated Sacajawea Hotel.

the hiking trails cross miles of rugged land. Like trails elsewhere in Glacier, they are in grizzly bear habitat. The Park Serviceís recommended precautions include not hiking alone. Remote though this part of Glacier is, it can be a destination for either a day trip or a longer visit.

With a morning departure from the town of Columbia Falls, you can travel the 35 miles to Polebridge, about a third of it on an unpaved road, then drive six miles on a road rougher than the first (but still manageable in a sedan) and arrive at Glacierís Bowman Lake with a big chunk of the day remaining. The crystalline lake 6 .5 miles long draws campers, anglers and people with kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards, equipment available for rent in Polebridge. The lake also is the starting point for some of the North Fork hikes.

If you want to trek for just the day and return to Polebridge in time for dinner and a cold one at the Northern Lights Saloon, consider going to the Numa Ridge Fire Lookout. The round trip covers 10.5 miles. If thatís too much, go just part of the way. Thereís no shortage of splendor.

The route starting at the southwestern end of Bowman Lake begins with a relatively easy path through the forest.

The last third of the trip has switchbacks to the lookout, which is at 6,960 feet and is staffed. Sit among the wildflowers near its base, dig into food brought from the Merc, take in the fabulous views of snow-crowned peaks and catch the shimmer of the glacier-fed lakes far below.

For the hardy with more time, backpacking in the North Fork can be an international experience. Drive the 15 miles from Polebridge to Kintla Lake, hike 32 miles to Goat Haunt and cross into Canadaís Waterton Lakes National Park, either on foot or on a Waterton Shoreline Cruise Co. boat, being sure to carry a passport or other governmentissued ID acceptable at the border.

Together, the parks in Alberta and Montana comprise Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, a UNESCO

World Heritage site.

The North Fork has high-elevation and low-elevation trails, with those at the upper elevations ordinarily most accessible between the Fourth of July and Labor Day. For the other trails, add a few weeks on each end. If hikes, canoeing or river rafting arenít what you want in a national park vacation, the North Fork still accommodates.

Camping at Bowman and Kintla lakes is relaxing, a chance to simply take in the scenery and maybe see some wildlife.

On the human creativity end of the spectrum, thereís Independence Day in Polebridge. Holiday revelers pour in for live music, grilled fare and a parade with casts of characters that have included Uncle Sam, Santa Claus and women costumed as noxious weeds. Many of the people who go to Glacier in the summer see it only through a windshield as they travel Going-to-the-Sun Road, the winding, 50-mile blacktop through forests, past sweeping alpine expanses, along the shores of glacial lakes and over the Continental Divide at 6,646 feet. That experience alone is worth visiting the park. But for those wanting to unwrap the gifts of Glacier and environs differently, the North Fork is hard to beat. — AP

Photo shows Polebridge Mercantile, the general store in Polebridge, Mont.

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

lifestyle F a s h i o n

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Japanese shoe designer has become a pop diva’s favorite by taking geisha and making it Gaga. Noritaka Tatehana is the man behind Lady Gaga’s towering, cloglike shoes, which have no heel and are 25 to 46 centimeters (10 to 18 inches) tall.

Her appearances on TV shows and music videos, teetering in his creations, have helped make him such a fashion star that some of his shoes sell for more than $15,000 a pair. Tatehana, who has made more than 20 pairs for Lady Gaga over the last two years, said he took the traditional “geta” shoes of geishas and made a modern form with his sculptural platforms.

Japanese shoe designer Noritaka Tatehana speaks during an interview at his workplace.

“My work became an icon. It worked not only as branding for me. It also became part of her branding,” Tatehana said in a recent interview at his Tokyo workshop, cluttered with art books and

his sleek shoes - some glittering with Swarovski crystals, others with golden studs. The 26-year-old, who resembles a monk with his quiet voice, long hair tied back in a bun and baggy Yohji Yamamoto pants, was still a student when his career took off. In fact, Lady Gaga’s first pair of Tatehanas had been the subject of his graduation thesis at the prestigious Tokyo University of the Arts, where he studied traditional weaving and kimono dyeing.

He made the shoes with pink, reptilian-looking leather from a stingray, common in Japanese crafts such as decoration for swords. He started his fashion brand by trumpeting the design in an email he sent to dozens of people in the industry. He received just three responses: one from a blogger, one from a journalist, and one from Lady Gaga’s stylist. Lady Gaga was not available for comment. But fashion guru and beer heiress Daphne Guinness said she is a big fan. “I am so happy to have a friend who speaks the same language as me - not English or Japanese, but the language of art, which transcends linguistics,” Guinness said. “He is truly a unique talent.”

Valerie Steele, director and chief curator of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, which has exhibited Tatehana’s work, said she hopes Tatehana eventually makes a more affordable line. “Noritaka Tatehana is one of the most important shoe designers of our time,” she said.

“His amazing, vertiginous heel-less high-heeled shoes have transformed the look of extreme footwear.” The custom-made shoes look like the furthest thing from sensible; even Lady Gaga has occasionally lost her balance in some of the taller designs. But Tatehana

said they’re actually more comfortable than regular high heels because they put the wearer’s weight on the toe rather than the heel.

Tatehana says he can even run in his creations, though he prefers to wear sneakers and loafers. Tatehana grew up on the seaside resort of Kamakura. His father used to run a downtown Tokyo public bathhouse that has since become prime office real estate, and his mother teaches doll-making. He says he would like someday to expand into clothing, maybe bags, or to work in costume design for films. He also wants to help raise the profile of his heritage around the world. “I want Japanese culture to stay alive today and win respect internationally,” Tatehana said. “It’s creativity that defines a nation’s strength.” — AP File photo shows Lady Gaga gives a press conference ahead of her showcase concert wearing shoes created by Japanese shoe designer Noritaka Tatehana at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. — AP photos

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s a part of its marketing campaign, Vilebrequin has recently organized a special and unique event at the 360 Mall in Kuwait in order to display its luxurious collection to global audiences and more specifically to beach lovers and prepare them for the fun-filled summer season.

This event was held for two consecutive Fridays: May 11th and 25th 2012 featured an unprecedented way of displaying swimwear.

Children and adult models walked all around the mall both draped in the same Vilebrequin

swim suit. This move of Vilebrequin actually emphasizes the bond between father and son and allows the passing of values from one generation to another.

Vilebrequin, the trend-setting French men’s beachwear company, is today recognized world-wide as the leading name for men’s and boy’s swimwear, beach accessories, and ready-to-wear garments. The brand uniqueness today originates from the graphics of its exclusive prints, fine lines and meticulously created colors, as well as from its distinctive high quality and unusual fabrics that have proved an instant success.

Comfortable, practical and versatile to meet the needs and tastes of both adults and children, the swimwear collection for summer 2012 is characterized by its exclusive prints and carefully designed cut, and will definitely be an overnight success! This summer, flowers are going to mingle with fruits, shells and stripes, and checks will alternate with fanciful motifs!

Thanks to Vilebrequin, fashion lovers had the opportunity to experience a very entertaining, colorful and glamorous fashion show that filled their world with the glimmering colors of summer. Vilebrequin truly believes that the show held at the 360 Mall was a great way to introduce the new collection to the general public and to beach lovers and to demonstrate the colorful and chic swimsuits that will indeed achieve fame and success among the Kuwaiti community.

et’s admit it: Most of us secretly scoff at the guys dressed like Tour de France contestants zipping down the boulevard in secondskin unitards embellished with pseudo sponsorships and technical fabrics meant to inspire world record speeds as they cruise into the coffee shop. It’s overkill. It’s laughable. It’s fantasy. And it’s often uncomfortable to watch (can’t you pack a pair of real shor ts, buddy?). But is the wardrobe choice really superfluous?

Not really.

It’s a costume, yes. And it’s probably going to make only a modicum of difference in the cycling time of a typical rider, but in the long run, some argue that the people who see themselves as professional cyclists because they look like professional cyclists are more successful cyclists.

That means that they cycle more often.

In essence, how you feel is important, and it’s not just the moisturewicking. Some wonder if professional-looking cyclists perform better because hard-core cyclists tend to buy hard-core gear or if hard-core gear inspires hard- core c yclists.

Common sense will tell us the two are probably related. The same theory holds true for interview clothing, the attire of bankers and even symbolic outfits such as a lab coat.

Researchers at Kellogg School of Management at Nor thwestern University determined that having subjects wear a lab coat identified as a doctor’s coat actually increased their performance on certain tasks.

The researchers described the phenomenon as “enclothed cognition.”

It’s a scientific concept that echoes the Pollyanna fashionista motto that if you look good, you feel good and that makes everything better. Now, it’s clearer that if you look good or at least look the part, you really do perform better.

Perhaps it ’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. I look like a professional tennis player, therefore, I behave more like a professional tennis player (or at least to the best of my abilities). Conversely, looking like a slug has never been linked to performance enhancement. There’s a complex history of psychology behind why uniforms are beneficial for fastfood workers, sports teams and militar y personnel, and it goes way beyond differentiating us from them.

So why not play the par t?

Weekend yogis in four-way stretch capris and sleek racer-back tops tend to look better performing sun salutations, the movements are easier and that enhances performance.

Conversely, an ill-fitting top or shorts that bunch, shift, rub or (gasp) flash

your fellow yogis, can diminish your appearance and, likely, subtly affect your performance.

No matter what you’re doing, you usually want to be comfortable (bandage dresses and high heels aside).

And with exercise, that means being comfortable moving.

That includes not being self-conscious that you’re wearing something inappropriate. Luckily, there are inexpensive ways to gear up for any sport, and it apparently pays dividends in improved performance and perhaps endurance. There is perhaps no greater motivator than comfort. So as you consider athletic wear, consider not just your athletic form, but your outward style. And then take a look in the mirror, it

might surprise you that looking more like an elite athlete can give you an edge. Even if it’s fleeting, it might be enough to get you past the couch and out the door. — MCT

Andrea Robertson and Robert Bishop model fashionable workout wear.

Studies have shown that sweating in style, or dressing like a professional athlete, can enhance performance. — MCT photos

Japan inspires Gaga’s shoe designer

THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2012

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A woman looks at a painting entitled ‘1024 Farben, 1973’ by the German artist Gerhard Richter during the presentation of the exhibition ‘Gerhard Richter: Panorama’ at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The exhibition which is a major chronological retrospective that includes portraits based on photographs, abstractions, landscapes, color charts and works on paper, is opened to the public until September 24, 2012. — AFP

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ow motors and powered lifts trundle back and forth across gallery floors, while boxes and boxes of folded material wrapped in heavy plastic sheets are carefully hand-carried to designated spots and slowly, meticulously unwrapped. A mobile tool chest containing all manner of screws, bits, extra power packs for cordless screwdrivers and other useful hardware sits off to one side.

It’s a handyman’s dream come true or his nightmare. For in this workshop, there are no rules, no blueprints, no patterns. Here, you’re on your own with someone else’s project.

‘Gli’ (Wall) by global artist El Anatsui has already been hung for the upcoming national premiere of his ‘Gravity and Grace’ exhibition at the Akron Art Museum. — MCT photos In the center of one long wall, a piece of blue painter’s tape marks 5 feet up from the floor, the point at which good preparatory know the center of an artwork should hang.

This is eye level for the average viewer. But it won’t be the center of the artwork that’s going on this wall. Oh, no. Ellen Rudolph, Akron Art Museum’s interim chief curator, is standing on top of a movable staircase directing a team of preparatory to place and reposition the multi paneled work by African artist El Anatsui. From up there, she can look down

at the sheets of material unfolded on the floor and decide in what order they should go.

“The tallest piece is 16 feet and that panel is 13 feet,” she pointed out to her crew. “When the visitor walks up to it, we want those continents to be at line of sight or higher, maybe 6 feet. ... I wouldn’t go any higher than that.”

“These will cover the opposite wall, plus go around the corner,” she explained. “What makes it interesting is the components don’t fit together exactly and there’s no set way to put them together. They don’t come with assembly instructions.”

So Rudolph must decide the order in which the panels will be hung. This is Anatsui’s wicked way of forcing curators to become involved in the work. “He said something about museum people being wholly uncreative,” Rudolph sniffed. Since the Akron Art Museum’s expansion in 2007, Anatsui’s Dzesi II, a dazzling metallic tapestry made from liquor bottle caps, has become one of its most popular works. It marks the starting point for the exhibit that Rudolph and crew are working on, Gravity and Grace: Monumental Works

by El Anatsui. It will be on view June 16 to Oct 7 in the museum at 1 S High St in Akron, Ohio.

Gravity and Grace Features 12 enormous wall and floor sculptures widely considered to represent the apex of the artist’s career, plus a series of drawings that illuminate his process and wooden wall reliefs that reference his earlier work in wood and can be compositionally linked to the large metal pieces.

The exhibit, consisting of Anatsui’s most recent works-most of which have never before been seen in North America. The panels Rudolph and crew are struggling with belong to a large work called Drifting Continents, which refers to early geography lessons and how the Earth once consisted of a single continent called Pangaea. These panels are made of tops of schnapps, whiskey, wine, rum, gin, brandy and vodka bottles produced in West Africa. These are linked together using copper wire. The cumulative effect is mesmerizing, especially when the accumulation is thousands upon thousands. The tops glimmer and constantly move, catching the light in bewitching patterns. “From up here, it looks like a Gustav Klimt painting because of all the

squares,” Rudolph noted. Those working on this installation must have their tetanus shots up to date because of all the sharp metallic edges, rusty tin-can lids and wires, and they must wear special gloves for handling metal.

Works called Peak and Drain Pipe have already been installed. These consist of thousands of milk tin lids attached together using copper wire that seem to become sheets of giant gleaming golden coins piled in drifts or aligned in tubes. “In this exhibit, the works are made from bottle caps, milk tin lids, aluminum printing plates and wooden relief sculptures. There are no instructions for anything,” Rudolph repeated.

“One of the most exciting and challenging aspects of this installation is that every time one of El Anatsui’s shows gets installed, it’s reenvisioned differently. They can be sculpted or draped or expanded to fit the space.

They’re almost like bustling a dress. “There’s one work in the exhibition that has no designated orientation. It could be vertical, horizontal, draped onto the floor. ... It’s daunting, and because we have enormous respect for the artist, we want to do right by him, but here we have more to do than usual when installing an art exhibit.”

Arnold Tunstall, the museum’s collections manager, said: “This show doesn’t have anything normal. All our rules are out the window. We think a panel is one height, but when we lift it up, it shifts and extends itself, which is frustrating and exciting all at the same time.”— MCT

In this photo provided by the Miss Universe Organization, Miss Pennsylvania Sheena Monnin competes during the 2012 Miss USA Presentation Show on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 in Las Vegas. — AP

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ennsylvania’s representative at the Miss USA pageant is stepping down because she says the contest was rigged, while pageant officials counter she just disagrees with the organization’s decision to allow transgender contestants. A posting on Sheena Monnin’s Facebook page dated Monday says she’s resigned. In another post, Monnin claims another contestant saw the list of top 5 contenders on Sunday morning, hours before the show was broadcast.

Pageant organizers confirm Monnin has resigned, but not for the reason she claims. A statement from the organization includes text from an email it says Monnin sent citing the decision to allow natural born males into the competition as the reason she’s resigning. Monnin, of Cranberry, did not immediately respond to a Facebook message from The Associated Press. — AP

Exhibit preparators Joe Walton, left, and Emily Sullivan unfold panels of “Drifting Continents” by global artist El Anatsui.

A close-up of liquor caps which comprise part of a work by global artist El Anatsui for the upcoming national premiere of his “Gravity and Grace” exhibition.