15 Feb

RI PT IO N BS C SU THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF

40 PAGES

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2010

Biden vs Cheney: US veeps at war on terror

RABI ALAWAL 1, 1431 AH

Toy makers’ crystal ball: High-tech on the cheap

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Troubled Winter Games gets into medal mode

Villa survive after epic Cup clash at Palaceo

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Zain okays sale of Africa assets $10.7bn stake sale to Bharti excludes Morocco and Sudan

DOHA: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton holds a joint press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al-Thani yesterday. — AFP

Clinton warns Iran to rethink nuclear policy DOHA: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Iran here yesterday of “greater costs” over its defiance on its nuclear program as she urged Gulf Arab and Muslim leaders to keep up pressure on Tehran. At the start of a three-day visit to the Gulf, Clinton also said she detected a shift in China away from its position as the main holdout in the UN Security Council over sanctions against Iran.

In a speech in Qatar following up on President Barack Obama’s call in Egypt for a new beginning with Muslims, Clinton said she shared their disappointment with the lack of a breakthrough in the Arab-Israeli peace process.

But she stressed that solutions cannot be forced. On a three-day trip to both Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the chief US diplomat added to Continued on Page 14

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti telecom group Zain has agreed to offload its African assets to India’s Bhar ti Air tel, Kuwait’s state news agency KUNA said yesterday, in a deal valued at $10.7 billion.

The deal marks one of the biggest cross-border transactions in the Middle East in years and a turning point in the long-r unning saga around the third-biggest telecoms operator in the region. “If the transaction values the African operations at $10.7 billion, it would be a nice premium,” said analyst Simon Simonian at investment bank Shuaa Capital. “We expect Zain to pay a special dividend to shareholders from the proceeds.”

Zain earlier in the day confir med that it had received and was considering a bid for the company’s African operations, which account for the bulk of its customers, but did not name the suitor. “Zain has received an offer in relation to its operations in Africa excluding Morocco and Sudan. The Board of Directors of Zain will be discussing this proposal,” the company said. “Fur ther announcements will be made as appropriate.”

KUNA repor ted that an agreement with Bharti had been reached, and that Zain’s board unanimously approved the deal.

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KUWAIT: Kuwait has stopped issuing new work permits due to a glut of laborers in the country, the minister of social affairs and labor announced yesterday. Dr Mohammad AlAfasi told a press conference that Kuwait has “enough laborers for two countries”, adding that work permits will not be issued except for government contracts and other specialized sectors.

Afasi said there are huge projects worth KD 37 billion in the pipeline, adding that many big establishments need skilled workers that can be recruited from within Kuwait.

The minister revealed a special committee will be formed after the new labor law comes into force that will handle recruitment of workers and all related procedures in a bid to counter violations of the present sponsor system.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: An Egyptian expat in his thirties was found stabbed and beheaded in his Maidan Hawally apartment yesterday. Forensics and other high-ranking officers were at

the scene to inspect the area. It is believed the crime was committed to take revenge, and investigations are underway with the deceased’s relatives and friends to identify the killers. A grocer in the neighborhood discovered the crime.

Harbash warns on Rafale fighter deal Call to naturalize 4,000 bedoons

By B Izzak

BEIRUT: A Lebanese woman carries the national flag during a rally yesterday in Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square, where thousands gathered to mark the fifth anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. — AP

Thousands mark Hariri’s killing Lebanese army fires on Israeli fighter planes BEIRUT: Tens of thousands of supporters of Lebanon’s majority “March 14” camp gathered in Beirut yesterday for a rally marking the fifth anniversary of the slaying of former premier Rafiq Hariri.

“Five years ago, you came down to this very square to demand justice

and freedom... and we are not turning back,” Prime Minister Saad Hariri, son of the slain premier, told the cheering crowd in downtown Beirut.

Rafiq Hariri’s assassination in a massive car bombing on Feb 14, 2005, that also killed 22 other peo-

ple, saw the rise of a US- and Saudibacked alliance that became known as March 14. It was named after a day of massive anti-Syrian protests dubbed the “Cedar Revolution”.

Combined with international pressure, the protests led to the pullout Continued on Page 14

KUWAIT: Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash yesterday claimed that certain people with “vested business interests” were trying to influence the defense ministry to make a decision in favour of buying a number of French-made Rafale warplanes, and called on the defense minister to stop this “interference”.

Harbash said in a written statement that when the issue of buying the planes came up, a technical team in the defense ministry recommended against the deal, raising a number of remarks, especially that the aircraft is not used anywhere out-

side France.

Later, the ministry of defence moved the Kuwaiti military attache in Belgium to take charge of the Kuwaiti military office in Paris. The man prepared a report on the Rafale deal recommending that Kuwait should purchase the plane, Harbash claimed. But the National Assembly in November asked the Audit Bureau to launch a probe into the Rafale deal along with two other planned arms deals with the United States.

Following the Assembly decision, the defense ministry asked the Kuwaiti air force to Continued on Page 14

NATO missiles kill 12 Afghan civilians

Copter crash kills 10 soldiers not be immediately reached for comment.

Yemen, in addition to fighting the rebels, is also battling southern separatists and AlQaeda, which has made the country its regional base. The Nigerian accused of trying to blow up a US plane in December had links to Yemen. Riyadh and Western powers fear impoverished Yemen may become a failed state and that Al-Qaeda could exploit the chaos to use the country as a base for attacks in the region and beyond.

L ast month the Shiite rebels offered Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, a truce and said they had left the kingdom’s territory. They had previously accused Riyadh of letting Yemeni troops use Saudi land to attack them. Riyadh later declared victory over the rebels, and on Saturday gave them 48 hours to hand over the captured Saudis.

The rebels, whose main battle is with Yemen’s central government, agreed on Thursday to a truce with Sanaa to end a conflict that has raged on and off since 2004, with rebels complaining of social, religious and economic discrimination. The car of Interior Ministry undersecretary Mohammed Al-Qawsi came under fire on Friday, hours af ter the ceasefire agreement was to have Continued on Page 14

State stops issuing new work permits

Egyptian beheaded in ‘revenge’ attack

Houthis set to hand over Saudi soldiers RIYADH/SANAA: Yemeni Shiite rebels are expected to hand over five captive Saudi soldiers in less than a week, a Saudi-owned newspaper reported yesterday, following a 48-hour ultimatum set by Riyadh. Yemen’s government promised also yesterday to extend state control into rebel areas including the border with Saudi Arabia, adding that some violations of a ceasefire newly agreed with Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, the northern rebels’ leader, should be expected.

Saudi Arabia has demanded that the rebels, who are in conflict with both Riyadh and Sanaa, should hand over the five missing soldiers. It says this would prove they are serious about ending the fight with Riyadh which has raged since insurgents seized some Saudi territory in November.

“The handover operations of prisoners of war after the end of the Saudi confrontations against the Houthi infiltrators are part of the ceasefire agreement between the Yemeni government and the Houthi rebels,” Asharq AlAwsat newspaper quoted an unidentified Yemeni security official as saying. “The handover operations are expected to be completed in less than a week,” he added. Asharq AlAwsat is owned by a nephew of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah. Officials at the Saudi defence ministry could

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NAJAF: In this Feb 8, 2010 photo, pilgrims get off the plane at the airport in this southern Iraqi city, home to some of the holiest Shiite sites. — AP

MARJAH: NATO rockets killed 12 Afghan civilians yesterday, missing Taleban militants attacking NATO and Afghan troops as they press ahead with a major offensive that must win over the local population to succeed. “It’s regrettable that in the course of our joint efforts, innocent lives were lost. We extend our heartfelt sympathies and will ensure we do all we can to avoid future incidents,” NATO commander US General Stanley McChrystal said in a statement.

The offensive, one of NATO’s biggest against the Taleban since the Afghan war began in 2001, comes at the start of a campaign to impose government control on rebel-held areas

before US forces start a planned 2011 withdrawal. US Marines came under intense fire yesterday after taking over a building in the heart of the last major Taleban bastion in Helmand province. Taleban fighters unleashed automatic gunfire at NATO helicopters flying in and out of the town of Marjah, and fired on Marines during a ceremony to raise the Afghan flag over the compound to mark progress in the offensive.

Captain Ryan Sparks compared the intensity of the fighting to the US-led offensive against militants in the Iraqi town of Fallujah in 2004.

“In Fallujah, it was just as intense.

Continued on Page 14

Najaf airport row shows risks in investing in Iraq NAJAF, Iraq: Najaf’s airport was meant to be a symbol of Iraq getting back to business, and in many ways it’s been a success, creating jobs and spurring a construction craze in the Shiite shrine city. But an increasingly bitter dispute between local authorities and the Kuwaiti contractor brought in to run the facility is casting a cloud over one of Iraq’s proudest postwar accomplishments and prompting accusations of political meddling.

The standoff serves as a warning to other companies considering answering Baghdad’s calls to snap up investment opportunities and pump needed development money into the country. It highlights how risks go beyond bombings to widespread corruption, uncertain legal protections and inadequate government oversight.

Najaf International Airport opened a year and a half ago to great fanfare. It was a landmark in developing Iraq’s mainly Shiite

south, which ousted ruler Saddam Hussein had largely neglected. Since then, foreign carriers such as Gulf Air have moved in, ferrying planeloads of pilgrims to Najaf, home to some of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites. That provides work for locals, including thousands of taxi drivers outfitted with brand new Chevrolet Aveo yellow cabs financed by the provincial government. The boosted visitor numbers have fueled a wave of new building projects in the city. “The airport changed the landscape of the place,” said Nouri Jawad, general manager of Qasr AlDur, a four-star hotel in the city center.

The airport, which was converted from a military air base, is noteworthy for its normality. Unlike Baghdad’s dated and foreboding departure hall, the compact terminal here is light and airy, evoking the optimism of the booming holy city it serves.

Continued on Page 14

AL-RAMTHA, Jordan: A Jordanian couple drives past a donkey decorated to attract costumers on Valentine’s Day north of Amman yesterday. — AP

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Municipality approves ministry plans

Railway project bids to open within next few months KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality has reportedly approved all the Ministry of Commerce’s plans related to the inter-Gulf railway project, which will eventually see the construction of a railway link between Kuwait and the other Gulf nations. Senior officials from the commerce ministry’s transport department are apparently set to hold several meetings with their counterparts from other state

The railway project is considered one of the most essential ventures in many ways for the country’s planned development. It will be crucially important to the nation’s commercial development, providing a reliable means of transporting various goods and materials.

The budget for the railway project has already been approved, along with that for the associated underground metro project.

Diplomacy to make Kuwait regional hub

KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah receiving King Letsie III, of Lesotho, upon his arrival at the Kuwait International Airport yesterday. —Photos by KUNA

in the news Sewage plant nearing completion KUWAIT: Eighty percent of the work on the Agialah sewage plant is complete, said a Ministry of Public Works (MPW) official on Saturday. Khalid Al-Khazzi, the MPW’s Deputy Assistant for Sewage Engineering, further revealed that additional amendments to the original plan for the project are set to delay the opening date by an extra three months. The project’s total cost is estimated at KD 30 million, said Al-Khazzi, adding that the amendments were ordered following the recent breakdown at the Mishref sewage plant. AlKhazzi explained that the Agialah plant will serve the Ahmadi and Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorates, as well as the Sabah Al-Salem area, which was previously served by the Mishref plant, reported Al-Qabas. A total of 16 minor sewage plants are set to be decommissioned when the Agialah plant goes into operation, the MPW official explained.

Kuwait food prices highest KUWAIT: Kuwait has the highest food prices of all the countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bloc, according to a new report issued by the Ministry of Commerce. The report compared the purchasing power for the same goods between GCC nations, finding that Kuwait’s prices, especially for foodstuffs, were the highest of all, reported Al-Anba. Around 65 percent of the products in one neighboring nation, not named in the report, are significantly cheaper than the same items in Kuwait. An unidentified expert insisted that Kuwait’s Ministry of Commerce should intervene to resolve this problem, which has persisted for almost two years. Since March 2008, around 367 different products have seen sharp price rises, the report added.

Mutlaa graveyard fake KUWAIT: A graveyard consisting of 16 tombs covered with red-stained cloth, recently discovered at a camp site in Mutlaa, was determined to be fake. Police discovered no human remains before removing the tombs, reported Al-Watan. Investigations revealed that the fake graves were made as part of a ritual, or play, and attended by a large group of people. Police denied allegations that the tombs were used for black magic or satanic rituals. Nearby campers told authori-

ties that they heard ‘weird noises’ come from the camp, which was also surrounded by barbed wire.

Some claimed that a sort of competitions in which prizes were rewarded also took place at the site. The number of vehicles parked at the site during the ceremony was estimated to be in the dozens.

Housing for Kuwaiti women KUWAIT: According to a recent step passed by the Public Authority for Housing Welfare, (PAHW) unmarried Kuwaiti women are now entitled to receive housing facilities. Earlier, this privilege was restricted to widows, divorced and women married to nonKuwaitis. This decision was made after the PAHW noticed several applications submitted by unmarried Kuwaiti women whose male relatives had passed away. The PAHW chose to consider the situation and made the decision on a humanitarian basis, reported Al-Watan. As part of this issue, plans have been made to buy apartments situated at several locations.

MoJ appointment still delayed KUWAIT: Several in the Ministry of Justice do not understand the reason for the delay in appointing a ministry undersecretary. Some question whether there is a hidden agenda behind this delay, reported Al-Qabas. Since October there has been speculation on whether the candidate will come from within the ministry itself. A decision to appoint head of the Execution General Department, Ali Al-Dhabaibi, to this position was made previously but was not approved by the Civil Service Commission.

Appointing an undersecretary on an interim basis until a final decision can be made would help solve several of the ministry’s pending issues. However, some feel that the delay is intentional so that the jurisdiction law can be enforced before filling the position. This law would organize the work of the judicial system and provide it with financial and administrative independence. Reportedly, Minister of Justice Rashid AlHammad met with other officials at the ministry and urged them to focus on improving work relations and improving team work skills to some benefit. Some MPs are pushing for the appointment of people they personally nominate. So far these attempts have been rejected by the minister.

SOFIA: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Faisal Al-Adwani said yesterday his country’s diplomacy aims at changing the Gulf country into a regional commercial and financial hub. Kuwait has always been keen on developing relations with friendly countries, specially nations which have “principled and moral positions in supporting Kuwaiti just causes,” Al-Adwani said in an interview with Bulgarian TV Channel One, marking Kuwait’s independence and liberation days.

Bulgaria is a close friendly country to Kuwait and bilateral relations are based on mutual respect and common interest at political, economic, commercial, military and cultural domains, he said. The ambassador praised the investment atmosphere in Bulgaria, especially after it joined the European Union (EU), which made it more attractive to Kuwaiti investments to further boost economic and investment cooperation ties. — KUNA

Al-Waalan questions CVs of several medical directors KUWAIT: MP Mubarak AlWaalan recently presented a series of questions to the Minister of Health (MoH).

His inquiries focused on the CVs and qualifications of several of the directors in the MoH, reported Al-Qabas.

He asked for clarification regarding their level of education and the training courses they took part in to become qualified for their positions.

Al-Waalan questioned if their qualification met the conditions set by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for their positions. He asked to be provided with the CVs of hospital and medical center directors in order to compare them with the requirements of the CSC. He specifically mentioned wanting the CVs of those responsible for managing the Sabah Medical Directorate, which hosts 22 hospitals and other medical facilities. AlWaalan also asked to be provided with a list of legal cases against the Ministry.

The 135-kilometer railway line, which will connect Kuwait with Saudi Arabia, will begin at Sulaibiya and end at Nuwaiseeb, reported Al-Qabas. The commerce ministry has already received approval to appropriate the land needed for the project, which will be completed using the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) system.

On another issue, the ministry is currently working to improve the landline

bodies regarding the project before publishing the first tenders for bidding, which is expected to take place within the next few months. A number of technical studies on subjects such as the location of branch stations, the cost of merchandise transportation and the manpower numbers required for the project’s construction still need to be completed before work on it can begin, said one official.

telephone network, having completed a number of related projects recently and expecting to finalize work on more shortly.

In another development, the Secretary of the Parliament MP Dulaihi AlHajri urged the Cabinet to ‘break its silence’ on the hazards that have been threatening residents of AlThahar for over 25 years.

This is mostly owing to the area’s proximity to high voltage power transformers

located in the area.

Al-Hajri further criticized the government for its ‘double standards’ in reference to recent statements that were made by the Deputy Assistant for Public Service and Maintenance Affairs at the Ministry of Electricity and Water, Sameer Al-Asfour.

He warned residents of South Surra against potential environmental and health threats that emanate from high voltage power towers,

reported Al-Watan.

He accused authorities of failing to listen to warnings mentioned in studies before the towers were built at a nearby residential area. AlHajri asked the Cabinet to find a suitable alternative to ensure the safety of the area’s residents. He also said that reports released by scientific research centers have further revealed an increase in the percentage of leukemia among children residing in the area.

Kuwaitis want achievements: MP KUWAIT: MP Khalid Al-Sultan has announced that he will oppose the grilling motion presented against Information Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah AlSabah, saying, “Kuwait’s people want achievements, not grilling.”

Al-Sultan said that the information minister had taken all the necessary legal steps regarding the issues raised in the grilling motion, adding that if there are any problems with his actions, he can be asked

to take the necessary action to resolve them.

The MP asserted that the Islamic Salaf forum, is not in alliance with the government, and that he has opposed it in some cases, recalling his stance on the four grilling motions submitted recently, were made beforehand because the issue was bigger that what was mentioned in the grilling motions.

Al-Sultan said he supports amendments

to the audio-visual media legislation and publication laws to make the penalties for defamation and slander harsher, though he does not wish to compromise press freedoms, reported Al-Jarida.

He asserted that the recently proposed writing off of citizens’ loans would be the best way to resolve the crisis over their debts, adding that this legislation would be the least costly way to do so, as well as being Sharia (Islamic law) compliant.

KIFCO to host three major exhibitions this month KUWAIT: The International Fair Grounds in Mishref will host three major exhibitions in February, said Kuwait International Fair Co. (KIFCO)’s PR and Marketing Manager Basemah Al-Duhaim. He pointed out that the first of the three exhibitions; the 8th International Gold and Jewelry Exhibition will begin today under the patronage of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Ahmed AlHaroun.

Furthemore, Al-Duhaim asserted that both the Ministries of Commerce and of Finance (represented by the Customs Department) have played great roles in facilitating the holding of such events.

Al-Duhaim added that the second exhibition, ‘The Spring Consumption Exhibition’ will be held during the period between February 18 to 27. It had attracted participants from various countries like Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, China and India to display various products including gifts, craft work, domestic accessories, perfumes and cosmetics.

“The third exhibition; the 2nd PROTEX Kuwait 2010 on police anti-terrorism equipment will be organized by the Best Expo group during the period of February 28 till March 2,” said AlDuhaim. He noted that this exhibition will include military equipment, light-weight weapons, military outfits, police equipment, technological devices and camp constructions company.

KUWAIT: The Assistant Undersecretary of the Interior Ministry for Correctional Facilities Affairs, Maj. General Anwar Al-Yaseen yesterday honored 18 police and warrant officers for their outstanding efforts in arresting a fugitive who had escaped on December 20, 2009.

Minister can stop chamber’s questionable practices: MP KUWAIT: A Chamber of Commerce representative has met with MP Dr. Hassan Jowhar in order to attempt to talk him out of his plans to present a new draft law for the body, which would remove the requirements for mandatory enrolment and compulsory fee payment for local firms.

Jowhar has expressed resentment at the reaction to his proposals, particularly to accusations that he had contradicted himself by asking the commerce minister to intervene on the issue after asserting that the minister had no authority over the business organization.

The minister can issue an order stopping the Chamber of Commerce from compelling

local firms to join it, he pointed out, adding that the ministry does not currently accept transactions with any company unless it first provides a certificate of enrolment, which it can only obtain after paying what he called “illegal and unconstitutional” fees.

He said that this proves that it could be considered the minister’s responsibility to end the practice of compulsory enrolment in the body, along with the mandatory payment of fees.

During the “unofficial” meeting between himself and the Chamber of Commerce representative, Jowhar said, he had refused to go back on his proposals, saying that his only objective was to end the

chamber’s illegitimate monopoly and that he had no hidden agenda.

Also during the meeting, he rejected claims that the business body’s actions are legal, indicating that a 2004 study into the chamber’s activities proved that these actions are unacceptable.

Jowhar said that he had told the Chamber of Commerce representative that MPs are willing to examine the issue along with chamber officials, reported AlWatan.

He also rejected all accusations that his actions over this issue were connected to the recent controversy over the dissolution of local sports’ clubs’ management boards.

KUWAIT: Adan Hospital’s casualty department and the department’s recovery suites are awaiting capacity expansion plans within three months, following a recent tour by Health Minister Dr. Helal Al-Sayer, explained Ministry of Health Undersecretary Dr. Ibrahim Al-Abdulhadi yesterday. —KUNA

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Monday, February 15, 2010

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kuwait digest

More respect needed for Chamber of Commerce

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n several previous columns, I’ve addressed the subject of the new form of opposition in the country, whose main goal is to oppose the national forces, and attack all those who have contributed to fighting attacks on development efforts, writes Abdullatif Al-Duaij in yesterday’s AlQabas. This opposition movement, which recently recruited MPs Ali Al-Rashid, Adel Al-Saraawi, Saleh Al-Mulla, Marzouq Al-Ghanim, Abdullah Al-Roumi and the four female MPs, has now launched an attack on the Chamber of Commerce.

Kuwait’s Chamber of Commerce was established before the country’s cabinet or parliament, and even before any form of opposition came to exist in the country.

However, these people who fail to fully understand its significance are now calling for it to be put under the subordination of the cabinet and parliament.

The chamber is the only social and perhaps political body that has always been a protective shield for the development process, and the true protector of the 1962 constitution. Its establishment was enabled through the constitutions of the chamber’s members. Mostly unaided, the chamber was able to reject all governmental attempts to mess with the constitution and limit the democratic system. While several social bodies have fallen victims to such state approaches, the Chamber of Commerce remained the true protector of the country’s national and development-related forces.

These days however, at a time in which the whole national movement has been weakened, resulting in the chamber’s historic role being limited, some opponents who claim to be patriotic are trying to seize the opportunity in order to ‘finish off’ the chamber, instead of supporting it as part of the efforts towards national development.

The Chamber of Commerce is one of the most important actors in the national democratic movement in Kuwait, and for it to remain so would be in the country’s best interests. In addition, the chamber is a social body that belongs only to its members, and thus no one from the outside should be entitled to set the rules by which they can work.

New industrial city KUWAIT: Keeping the Umm Al-Haiman pollution issue in view, the Cabinet is currently studying the possibility of establishing a new industrial city in the western part of the country to resolve the problem.

A committee from the Cabinet has been entrusted with the task of fulfilling the potential project. Studies are currently ongoing to allocate locations that are best suitable.

This committee includes members from the Environment Public Authority

(EPA) and the Ministries of Health and Public Works, in addition to the Authority of Industry, reported Al-Qabas.

The results of these studies will be published within two months, as the Environment Public Authority has referred its recommendations to the Cabinet.

These recommendations include relocating heavy acid factories located at the western Shuaiba industrial area to the new one within a couple of years.

KUWAIT: Nick Vujicic talking with the students after his presentation. — Photos by Ben Garcia

Vujicic shares life experiences with GUST students

Success story of ‘limbless’ man

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Wherever he goes, motivational speaker Nick Vujicic leaves an impression that will surely last a life time. The Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) hosted Vujicic at their university’s auditorium yesterday where he undeniably captured the hearts of many in the crowd. Several wiped away tears as they listened to his every word.

He started his speech by asking the audience what the gap is between themselves and their dreams. “Who puts limits on our dreams? Fear?

FEAR, False Evidence Appearing Real, is the biggest disability of all. If you fail,

you have to try again,” he said. He admitted that when he was a child he had to deal with the fear of not being accepted by people.

“When I was 8, I thought of committing suicide and at 10 I actually tried. I never thought that I would be happy without hands and legs. Some kids considered me an alien,” he said.

According to Vujicic, US Inventor Thomas Alva Edison succeeded in creating the light bulb after failing 9,999 times.

“On his 10,000th attempt, he perfected his light bulb and now we enjoy it. If he happened to stop at 9,999, we wouldn’t have the light bulb. We wouldn’t taste the fruit of his failure,” he said.

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Communications yesterday urged subscribers to its landline phone service to pay their phone bills before it is forced to resort to using its Automated Programmed Cutting sys-

tem. Ahmad Ramadan, the director of the MoC’s Public Relations department, told reporters that the ministry yesterday began sending warning messages to those whose payments were overdue. These will be followed

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Society for Stamp and Coin Collectors will be participating in a sevenday exhibition, entitled ‘Glimpses from Kuwait’s Economic History,’ which is set to open on Feb 24.

Society chairman Mohammad Jamal said in a press release that the society’s decision to participate in the event arose from its eagerness to highlight the positive aspects of Kuwait’s past, as well as the nation’s political, social and economic interaction with other countries.

He explained that the exhibition is also being held to mark Kuwait’s 49th National Day and 19th Liberation Day, making this a good opportunity to show the public the development of the country’s postal system, as well as the different currencies that have been used here.

Rare stamps and coins from the society’s members’ private collections will be on display at the event, he said.

The ‘Glimpses from Kuwait’s Economic History’ exhibition, sponsored by Multaqa Media, is the first event of its kind documenting Kuwait’s economic history and the role played by its private sector in the country’s development. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Assistant Ministry of Education Undersecretary Muna Al-Lughani and other senior MoE officials yesterday attended the morning assembly at Al-Barouni Intermediate Public School for Boys. — Photos by KUNA

Students return to morning assembly Education Minister, Dr Moudhi Al-Humoud, assured that all precautions are still being taken against the disease, more commonly known as the ‘swine flu.’

She explained that all school clinics remain fully equipped with nursing staff and medical equipment, in

not hold her heart,” he said.

The presentation, organized by Vigor Events and BlueLink, lasted about two hours and was highlighted by his humorous and unforgettable life experiences.

“I remember we were stuck in traffic and I saw a beautiful girl next to our car. I acted like I was impressed with her and she did the same. Perhaps it was because she could only see my handsome face and did not notice that I have no hands or legs.

To impress her further, I removed my seat belt with my mouth and turned 360 degrees again and again. Her eyes were fixed and obviously she was shocked to see a man turn his body 360

degrees without standing. It was as if she had seen an alien,” he said.

Originally from Australia, Vujicic is a preacher, a motivational speaker and the director of ‘Life without Limbs,’ an organization for the physically disabled.

He regularly gives speeches on the subject of disability and hope; and has been to over 28 countries.

Vujicic acquired a double degree in accounting and financial planning. He was able to do his school work with the help of his tiny foot and two toes. He can swim, play football and golf.

Vujicic will be presenting at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry with Kuwait Times as one of its media sponsors.

Pay phone bills or be cut off, warns MoC Stamp collectors’ society to take part in exhibition

KUWAIT: The Minister of Education announced that morning school assemblies have resumed for the second semester.

The gatherings had been suspended during the first semester as a measure of precaution against the H1N1 virus.

“Every failure is a step closer to success; every time you try and fail you learn something new.”

“Every single person on earth has imperfections. When the world says you are not good enough, get a second opinion,” he advised.

“When I was a child nobody knew that I could do a lot of things. I used whatever was available, even this little foot. Even my own dog wants to eat and consider it a piece of chicken for his meal,” he comically shared.

Money, material things, sex, fame; It’s all temporary and people should not settle for temporary things. “You need hands to hold your wife’s hands, but what is the use of your hands if you can-

cooperation with the Ministry of Health.

Ministry Deputy Assistant for Public Education, Muna AlLughani, attended the morning assembly activities of AlBairouni intermediate boys school in Qurtoba yesterday morning.

by a further warning message to all defaulting subscribers on Feb. 21.

The ministry will start cutting off all non-paying customers’ phone services from March, he warned, after they have received the final warning

message.

He pointed out that subscribers can now pay their bills online via the ministry’s website and the official government portal.

He explained that the ministry’s

computer would automatically cut off the phone lines of all domestic subscribers whose outstanding bills exceed KD 50 and of all commercial subscribers who owe KD 100 or more. — KUNA

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Valentine’s day, the rights of bedoons, talk of town

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: The online community has been heatedly debating the statements of Kuwait University faculty member and political activist Dr Ebtehal Al-Khateeb in a recent interview with Lebanese satellite channel LBC. Opposing Al-Khateeb’s liberal standpoint, many bloggers have criticized her tolerance towards

homosexuals. When asked by the TV program host about her stance on homosexual rights in her country, Al-Khateeb responded that she supports granting equal rights to all citizens, as long as they abide by the country’s laws. She later clarified to local press that what goes on behind closed doors is of no interest to her, but treating all humans regardless of orientation, race or background equally is essential.

Bloggers have made an online petition to show support for the English literature professor.

Debates on blogs, forums, YouTube (where a video of the interview is available for streaming) criticized her liberal views that oppose the teachings of religion. Others argued that her stance about separating religion from politics is in itself punishable. “Whoever opposes the teachings of the Quran is a kafir -

blasphemous - and this is not debatable,” wrote one user on an online forum.

Abu Ziyad, a forum member wrote, “Despite my opposition to her standpoint, she argues sophisticatedly and does not deserve to be attacked so fiercely. She believes in the freedom of expression, and she respects people’s differences. She did not call for giving gays their rights; she merely said that she

does not care about their orientation and would treat them as equal citizens.”

The online community has also been bombarded with antiValentine Day’s messages that were posted by conservative users.

“Why do we blindly imitate the West? We follow them in whatever they choose to do; this is not what our religion teaches us,” wrote one member. Another echoed, “This

day celebrates infidelity and adultery; it is celebrated by corrupt people who call it a celebration of love.

True love is what brings man closer to his Creator; the love they promote is impure!”

The bedoon file won the attention of a group of bloggers and online forum members who urged for a movement to call for granting them rights. Blogger Abdullah AlShemmari wrote in a forum discus-

sion, “Many bedoons have participated in Kuwait’s Liberation War and have offered great services to our country. The least we can do is recognize them and give them their rights in this country. It is the only home they know.”

Many local human rights groups have adopted the bedoon issue after international criticism of Kuwait’s policy towards bedoons and illegal immigrants.

Doctors’ Club Lagoon opens for membership

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: A club that caters to the needs of Indian doctors based in Kuwait named, ‘Club Lagoon and Convention Center’ was unveiled on Friday at the Kuwait Continental Hotel, Bneid AlGar. A presentation on the project, completed last year by the Indian Medical Association (IMA-Kerala/Cochin Chapter), was also held. It was established with the aim of providing a venue for Indian doctors to hold future training/seminars and the family’s recreational facility.

Dr. V.P Kuriyipe, Dr Abraham Varghese and Dr Matthew Varghese presented the project to hundreds of Kuwaiti-based Indian doctors.

The complex is located in an acre of land situated near Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium. It is equipped with modern and state-of-the-art facilities.

In an exclusive interview with the Kuwait Times, Dr Abraham Varghese explained that Club Lagoon is a new concept of Indian doctors’ medical fraternity.

“Whatever facilities we have are open to all club members. The club is equipped with all but modern facilities such as gymnasium, swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, home theater, billiards room, badminton court, children’s room, library, a spacious garden/veranda, bar and restaurants and other recreational facilities,” Dr Varghese pointed out.

The complex is divided into

four different sections- convention hall which can accommodate 1,000 people, board room for executive meetings, and three large halls that can accommodate 500, 300 and 200 people respectively.

All ‘the facilities are equipped with full acoustic and audio sounds which simply matches with the elite structure.’

About 80 studio apartments (sold to Indian doctors back in Cochin) will be available for rent to users of the complex. It can serve as their hotel accommodation as all apartments are fully furnished with all home and kitchen appliances.

The complex also reserves offices and rooms for all branches that are related to the medical field. “There are three ways to become a member. 1) You must be an Indian medical doctor. You can be a life-time member and enjoy our facilities if you pay the Rs. 75,000, it can be arranged through bank loans, at a special rate. 2) Transferable membership, 3) and through institutional membership,” he said.

“The venue is a place where various field of medicines can walk in and share their experiences with everybody. We call this a learning center, where we can learn new things, share new things 24 hours a day,” he said.

The ‘Club Lagoon and Convention Center’ was inaugurated on May 10, 2009. For more information please register and visit their website: www.imacochin.com

Call to fight discrimination against female workers

KUWAIT: The beach cleaning operation in progress in Fahaheel yesterday. —Photos by KUNA

Divers remove 10 tons of trash from Fahaheel beach KUWAIT: The Kuwait Environment Protection Society’s (KEPS) diving team yesterday completed the last phase of its beach cleaning project, removing discarded objects including plastic materials, tyres, scrap iron, ship parts, fishing nets and rope from Fahaheel Beach and the offshore area there at the southern part of Al-Kout complex.

The official in charge of the team’s marine operations section, Major General Walid AlShatti, explained that this project was one of the public activities carried out by the diving team for helping to keep the coastal areas clean and rid them of such pollutants.

Al-Shatti revealed that the

team had used airbags, an inflatable boat, a tractor, diving and recovery materials and a large crane for removing the heavier objects, with the group of volunteers who participated playing a major role in ensuring the success of the operation.

He explained that the team had worked in the waters immediately off the beach, removing discarded items from the shallows up to 300 meters offshore whose depth ranges between 150 and 200 meters.

Al-Shatti offered his sincere thanks to all the volunteers who participated in the beach cleaning project, voicing hope that the beach would remain clean for fishermen and ordinary people alike. —KUNA

MoE keen on instilling patriotism in children KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education is keen on instilling the values of patriotism in children through its school curricula, but this role must be shared by the family, media, mosques and civil societies, said Director of Curricular Development Dr Saud Al-Harbi yesterday.

Al-Harbi said that the ministry’s goal in this was to ensure a deep-rooted love for the homeland through emphasizing the importance of abiding by rules and regulations, protecting the environment, striving for excellence and respecting others, among other values.

Such values can also be acquired by students through the use of textbooks, activities,

educational trips and competitions, he explained, but schools’ curricula remains the main tool for instilling patriotism and loyalty to the homeland in children.

The senior MoE official also noted that there were certain subjects in which nationality is a central issue, such as national education classes, social skills, constitutional studies, human rights and social studies.

These classes deal with Kuwait as a political and civilized entity, he said, as well as highlighting citizens’ role in the country’s development and how their loyalty to their country has contributed to its advancement through the years. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The Director of Standards Department at the International Labor Organization (ILO) Cleopatra Henry, concluded her recent visit to the country. Meetings were held with the Speaker of the Parliament MP Jassem Al-Khorafi and MPs Dr Rola Dashti and Maasouma Al-Mubarak. This is in addition to discussing labor issues with the Minister of Justice, Rashid Al-Hammad, and the Head of the Chamber of Commerce, Ali Thunayan Al-Ghanim.

MP Dashti hosted a dinner in honor of Henry, which was attended by the Deputy of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Mohammad Al-Kandari. Dashti said that several issues including the new Labor Law, the situation of women and domestic workers in the country were discussed.

Furthermore, Dashti said that Henry expressed ‘unclear attitudes’ on certain issues, mainly pertinent to domestic workers. She reportedly enquired about reasons behind the failure to incorporate them into the new Labor Law. She further explained that while the ministry has access to work locations and can assess the situation of workers, they cannot do the same for domestic workers, reported Al-Qabas.

Henry concluded her visit to Kuwait with a different point of view about the situation of workers in Kuwait, Dashti said, and that several of her inquisitions were clarified. She also indicated that Kuwait will ensure that its procedures are developed with regard to the rights of workers.

PAAC issues environment, oil sector claims report KUWAIT: Board Chairman of Kuwait Public Authority for Assessment of Compensation for Damages resulting from the Iraqi Aggression (PAAC) said current focus was on claims relating to environment and oil sector damages.

In a preface to the 2009 annual report, the official said these claims amount to great sums and require a great deal of study, authentication and scrutiny, and follow up on the part of the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC). It also requires cooperation with other states in the region including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Jordan, also affected by the 1990 aggression.

The PAAC central committee supervises environmental reclamation projects and attends meetings in Kuwait and abroad in coordination with the UN and with presence of technical repre-

sentative delegations of the said countries, as well as Iraq.

The meetings consider all possible means to help with environmental reclamation to limit future threat and hazard to human health and the environment.

The annual report indicated ongoing follow up on Kuwaiti claims lodged with the UN within a specified time-table. The authority follows through with the process till claimants are actually imbursed.

The report indicated claims are being processed relating to damages to the desert environment, ground water, oil slicks, coastal environment and ecosystems, and public health.

The first Kuwaiti claims to be imbursed were in 2007 related to ground water and desert and coastal environmental reclamation projects. —KUNA

Monday, February 15, 2010

NATIONAL

5 Globalization challenges cultures

Valentine’s Day celebrations still viewed as controversial

By Ahmad Saeid KUWAIT: Despite the fact that many in this part of the world still view the celebration of Valentine’s day as a sinful, immoral thing, many young people celebrate it in their own way. Kuwait Times met with a number of young people living in Kuwait and asked them how they celebrate the day becoming more and more globally recognized as the day of love. Faisal Al-Bloushi, a 23-year-old man said he will celebrate the day with his fiance. “I already got her chocolate and flowers,” he said. “We’re going to have dinner and drive around, get juice from a juice bar and go to a movie. Nothing major, it’s what we do every weekend but this time it’s not a weekend and its with chocolate and flowers.”

KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti man has been referred for prosecution after being caught red-handed by General Department for Drugs Control officers dealing in Keptagon amphetamine tablets. A total of 45,000 tablets were confiscated from his possession. The young man was apparently assisted by truck drivers coming from Iraq who smuggled the narcotic tablets into the country in their vehicles in exchange for payment. He had apparently also created a hidden compartment in his car, where he hid the pills before selling them. He was caught during a sting operation following an investigation launched by GDDC chief Brig Sheikh Ahmed Al-Khalifa, who received a tip-off about his activities from an informant. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

Boy falls from 8th floor, unhurt KUWAIT: A 5-year-old child fell from the 8th floor of a Salmiya apartment building and was saved when he caught hold of a clotheslines on the balcony of a 6th floor flat. The accident occurred after the child was left home alone sleeping so his father could go to the store. The child was able to climb into the 6th floor apartment and was saved by the building’s janitor. He was then taken to Al-Razi Hospital.

Car theft A thief stole a citizen’s sports car from in front of his home in Khaitan. The man informed police as soon as he realized his car had been taken. Police are searching for the vehicle Arson A stolen car was set on fire in Taima.

Firefighters responded to the emergency and extinguished the flames before fire could spread. The arsonist remains at large.

Drugs possession A citizen was arrested in Mangaf after being found in possession of 48 illegal drug

pills. The discovery was made after a routine search of the man’s car when he was pulled over. He confessed to getting the drugs from a local dealer and was taken into custody for further questioning.

Fugitive held A citizen was arrested by Mubarak AlKabeer police when it was discovered at a checkpoint that he was wanted for several previous financial charges worth KD 23 thousand. He was taken to the proper authorities.

Iraqi explosives Jahra police found 36 artillery shells in Al-Muitlaa that date back to the 1990 Iraqi Invasion. Police responded to the emergency call, which was made by a local camper, and bomb squad experts removed the explosives.

Bootlegger arrested An Asian man was arrested by Farwaniya police after he was caught selling homemade alcohol from a vehicle that belongs to a local contracting company in

Jeleeb Al-Shuyiukh. He was found in possession of 50 bottles and taken to the proper authorities.

Road accident A citizen was killed, and two others sustained serious injuries, when their vehicle overturned on Um Safaq road. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital. A case has been opened to discover the cause of the accident.

Heart attack An Asian man in his 40’s suffered a heart attack and died in his Hawally apartment.

Police and paramedics responded to the emergency but discovered the man had died before they arrived.

Fight Two youths sustained stab wounds after a group of youngsters got into a fight in Sulaibiya. The brawl started after one youth sprayed another with foam. Police responded to the emergency and broke up the fight so the injured could be taken to Sabah Hospital.

Ahmed Nasser, a 25-year-old Egyptian says that he and his fiance did not yet reach an agreement as to how to celebrate the day. “I wanted to take her shopping and go to a fancy restaurant but she thinks it will be better to spend the day barbequing on the beach,” he said. Fatma Offtada, a 26-year-old Iranian expat living in Kuwait, said that she will celebrate with her single friends by going to a coffee shop and celebrating together.”

However, there are people who still refuse to celebrate the day. Ali Al-Attar, a 28-year-old citizen said that he will not celebrate this day. “I celebrate it every day with my wife,” he said, “I consider our marriage anniversary to be the big day. Valentine’s day is just about getting free chocolate from friends and colleagues.” Manal Ahmad, a 41year-old mother with four children said that she is busy with preparation for her sons’ new semester at schools. “I will not celebrate this day because it’s a sin,” she said.

The celebration of Valentine’s day remains one of the most controversial issues in the Arab world. It is further proof of how globalization challenges cultures around the world.

KUWAIT: Flower shops reported sharp increase in sales as lovers celebrated Valentine’s Day yesterday by exchanging gifts especially red roses as a symbol of their love to each other. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

Legal actions against hoax calls KUWAIT: In light of the recurring hoax bomb calls, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs Roudhan AlRoudhan said that the government plans to take legal action against prank callers.

The official spokesperson of the Interior Ministry Col Mohammad Al-Sabr, announced that a recent emergency call about a bomb reportedly found in Kuwait City hotel turned out to be a hoax, adding that the whereabouts of the caller were

traced and arrested, reported Al-Watan.

Security officers accompanied by paramedical staff, bomb squads and track dogs reached the spot following the emergency call, and evacuated the building before conducting a thorough search to collect evidence.

The latest incident came days after a shopping center in Salmiya was evacuated after receiving a similar prank call.

KFAS names 2009 prizewinners KUWAIT: The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) on Saturday announced the winners of its Kuwait Prize 2009, who were awarded for their distinguished accomplishments in the arts, humanities and sciences. It also named the winners of its prizes for research.

The prizes for Arab citizens were awarded in three categories rather than the usual

five, said KFAS Director General Dr. Ali AlShamlan in a press statement. In addition, Kuwaitis were exempt from the awards, which usually include local researchers.

The Basic Sciences prize in Physics was awarded to Prof. Majed Sharqy (Algeria), while the Applied Sciences in Cancerous Diseases prize went to Dr. Wafiq Al-Deery (Egypt) and the Arabic and Islamic Scientific

Heritage award for Planning and City Demographics went to Dr. Fouad Sayyed (Egypt).

Dr. Al-Shamlan also listed the winners of the KFAS’ other competitions including its 2009 Scientific Production Prize, the 34th Kuwait Book Fair Prize, the 2008 Best Research Prize and the Agriculture, Animal and Fish Resources Prize. — KUNA

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NATIONAL

Monday, February 15, 2010

MSAL to comply with court’s sports club ruling

Cabinet ‘burying’ issue of stateless residents KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MSAL) will commit itself to abiding by the forthcoming court ruling on the dissolution of local sports clubs’ management boards, said Minister Dr Mohammad Al-Afasi on Saturday. The court is due to issue its ruling this Wednesday. On the subject of the controversy over possible false disability claims following the recent amendments to Kuwait’s disability rights legOn a separate issue, while the Ministry of Interior (MoI) is studying the eligibility for citizenship of 33 individuals whose naturalization has been brought into question, a number of MPs have accused the cabinet of “burying” the issue of bedoon (stateless) residents.

The MPs are protesting at the cabinet’s recent decision to refer this issue to the Supreme Council for Planning, which they argue is an inadequate reaction to the matter.

MP Askar Al-Enezi, the head of the parliamentary bedoon affairs committee, con-

demned the cabinet for failing to send any representatives to the committee’s latest meeting in order to respond to the members’ questions on the issue, “in which a very critical humanitarian situation is on the line.”

He said that the cabinet was supposed to devise a solution that could end the problem which has persisted for 50 years and is worsening daily.

Fellow MP Daifallah Buramya claimed that the cabinet had referred the issue to the Higher Council for Planning in order to ensure its

islation, Al-Afasi revealed that the ministry has formed a committee, whose members include six specialist consultants, which will study all the individual applications submitted to the Supreme Council for Disability Issues in order to detect any fraudulent claims. This will ensure that those responsible for such claims will be held accountable for their actions, he said. failure, having disregarded several proposals to resolve the problems that were put forward

by MPs. Another parliamentarian Saad Zunaifer voiced hope that the Supreme Council would be able to devise a clear strategy to enable the cabinet to find a solution to the problems surrounding the matter by following the proper methods.

He warned, however, that the cabinet’s choice to refer the issue to the Supreme Council “does not give any cause for optimism that a solution is near,” insisting that the best

solution could only be found through reference to the parliamentary committees.

MP Adnan Al-Mutawa, meanwhile, said that MPs were surprised by the actions of Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Khaled Al-Sabah in excluding them from discussions of the bedoon issue by referring it to the Supreme Council, reported Al-Watan.

This step proved that the cabinet wished to delay action on the issue, he insisted, since the Supreme Council does not have enough time to allocate for discussion of the matter.

KFAS issues patents for Kuwaiti inventors KUWAIT: Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) issued six international patents for Kuwaiti inventors in the field of electric devices, awarded to nine inventors. A press release from KFAS Director General Ali Al-Shamlan said the inventors were also awarded financial support to encourage further work. The inventors were Fahad Al-Huwaishel who devised a system to protect and maintain power generators, Abdelaziz Al-Erier for a seal to prevent fluid seepage, Maryam AlHussein for an auto-cooling drill, and Dheyaa Al-Fayez for an electronic circuit to control elevators, and Ahmad Al-Jaafar for an electronic alarm system.

A patent was also awarded jointly to Eid Al-Azmi, Ibrahim Al-Ajmi, Talal Al-Etaibi and Meshaal Al-Ajmi for a mobile air conditioning and water cooling unit.

The official hailed those who put in the effort to secure the patents through

processes which sometimes lasted over three years.

Al-Shamlan pointed out KFAS helped issue 12 patents through the US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) last year, which was a record number of patents for Kuwait.

The inventors awarded with patents are sent to take part in international events to present their innovations and help market them, he added.

This success, he said, was only possible with the support of His Highness the Amir and Board Chairman Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah.

On future efforts, he said KFAS was in the process of developing the program of support to inventors, with “support to prototype” in final stages of assessment, for example. KFAS is also preparing to establish Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Center for Talent and Innovation, upon initiative and encouragement by the Amir.

The center would support all Kuwaiti creativity and innovations and adopt young talents and help encourage their skills through training.

The official urged Kuwaitis who have ideas or innovations of their own to come forward so that KFAS may help them through the patent issue process and guarantee their legal and intellectual rights.

Those seeking this support should come in person and fill out special forms, and KFAS receives such requests daily.

Those awarded the latest patents meanwhile expressed appreciation for the legal, administrative, as well as financial support throughout the process of securing patents issued by recognized international bodies.

As well as guaranteeing their rights, this support helps foster more creativity and encourages others to work diligently on their own innovations, for the best interest of the homeland, they said. — KUNA

Kuwaiti MPs in Cairo en route to Gaza

KUWAIT: MPs Ali Al-Omair (left) and Mubarak AlKhrainej are seen before leaving for Cairo en route to Gaza yesterday. — KUNA

CAIRO: A Kuwaiti parliamentary delegation has arrived here yesterday to take part in the mission of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) executive committee to Gaza Strip. The mission, slated for Feb 15-17, aims to show solidarity with the Palestinian people in the besieged southeast Mediterranean enclave. The Kuwaiti delegation is made up of MPs Mubarak AlKhrainej and Dr Ali Al-Omair.

Speaking to KUNA upon his arrival here, Al-Khrainej said Kuwait has always taken the initiative in offering support to the Gazans. “Kuwait keeps offering humanitarian aid to, and showing solidarity with, Gaza through Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS), Kuwait Journalists’ Association (KJA) and similar organizations,” he said, citing the recent visit to Gaza by a KJA delegation. “The planned AIPU mission to Gaza was decided during meeting of AIPU’s executive committee in Muscat in January,” Al-Khrainej pointed out.

He urged mending the rift in the Palestinian ranks and bridging the gap between the Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah in order to help solve the chronic Palestine

question. “What ails us most is that the Israeli enemy is undoubtedly the sole beneficiary of the Palestinian political dispute,” he regretted.

Meanwhile, the Kuwaiti MP praised Egyptian efforts to facilitate the mission of his delegation, voicing hope that the visit would bear fruit for the Palestinian people. AlKhrainej also spoke highly of the Arab mediation effort spearheaded

by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz aiming to restore Palestinian national unity.

On his part, Al-Omair highlighted the importance of AIPU’s meeting in Gaza, noting that the AIPU represents the Arab parliaments and peoples rather than governments. “However, in this particular case, the parliaments and governments of the Arab countries share responsibility for backing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people,” he affirmed.

“There is a humanitarian dimension in the AIPU mission to Gaza as it signals that the Arab parliaments speak in one voice against the Israeli attempts to humiliate and starve out the Gazans,” he added. — KUNA

Entertainment City holds open day KUWAIT: The Entertainment City, one of the Touristic Enterprises Company’s (TEC) facilities, hosted an Open Day that was organized by Alghanim electronic industries company for its employees in cooperation with ‘Abraj Al-Sharqa for parties.’ This comes as part of the constructive cooperation forged between TEC and the state’s various entities, regardless of whether they are public or private in nature.

This is in addition to the administration’s interest towards presenting entertainment services to Kuwait’s residents.

The annual celebration of Alghanim electronics industries was attended by the First Director for Government and Administrative Services Nabil Marzouq, Government Services Director Ayman Bu-Jarrah, HR Director Andy, and many other employees and their families.

The employees were received by the Entertainment City officials, including Head of the Communications and Activities Department, Yacoub AlDuaij and Maher Al-Ujaimi. A distinguished entertainment program was prepared, including a Russian show, Lebanese Dabka and the magician.

Mustafa Al-Najjar was the Master of Ceremonies of the event along with the Fantasy Band. The festival was also attended by Jordanian singer Diana Karazoan, winner of the first ‘Super Star Show. ‘She came upon the invitation of Alghanim Industries as a guest of honor. Lebanese presenter Yumna Sherri was also present and entertained the crowd with many contests.

Gifts and prizes were distributed to participants. A raffle draw was also held and more than 200 prizes were given away. Fireworks marked the conclusion of the Open Day.

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, February 15, 2010

7

Renewal of Israeli-Palestinian talks also to be discussed

Netanyahu to lobby in Russia for Iran sanctions JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will push for urgent “crippling sanctions” against Iran over its nuclear programme during talks in Moscow today with Russian President Dmitry

DALEH: South Yemenis demonstrate in Daleh, 350 kms south of Sanaa, yesterday. Southern Yemeni separatists who want to end the north-south union are demanding independence in response to what they say is discrimination by northerners and a lack of financial aid. — AFP

Yemen ceasefire runs into problem over prisoners SANAA: The ceasefire in a sixmonth war between the army and Shiite Zaidi rebels in north Yemen that spilled over into Saudi Arabia has run into trouble over the fate of prisoners, the rebels said yesterday.

The military said the situation was calm in the mountainous region of conflict and that joint commissions had been meeting to implement the ceasefire which came into force late on Thursday.

Several roads have been reopened around Saada, the rebels’ stronghold, the Zaidis said, while a two-week-old siege had been lifted of the army’s encircled 103 Regiment.

But rebel sources said an exchange of prisoners has run into last-minute complications.

“The authorities want us to release all Yemeni and Saudi prisoners, which was not the agreement,” one of them said.

The Zaidis want to exchange their prisoners for rebels captured by the Yemeni military.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, was refusing to exchange detained rebel fighters for the five Saudi soldiers being held by the rebels, according to another Zaidi source. Riyadh says it has

given the rebels until Sunday to free the soldiers.

The ceasefire is the government’s latest bid in a campaign to crush a rebellion that began in 2004, killing thousands and leaving 250,000 homeless in recurring fighting.

The latest round of clashes erupted on August 11, when government forces launched “Operation Scorched Earth”-an all-out offensive.

The six-point truce requires the rebels to reopen three major routes in the first stage: the road between Saada, Harf Sufian and the capital, Sanaa; the road from Saada west to Malahidh and the road from Saada east to Al-Jawf. It also calls for a rebel withdrawal from government buildings, the return of arms seized from security forces, release of all prisoners including Saudis, handover of captured army posts, and a pledge not to attack Saudi Arabia.

The Saudis joined the fighting in November after accusing the rebels of killing a border guard and occupying two small villages.

Saudi ground troops and aircraft repeatedly engaged the rebels in operations which the

Israeli harem leader charged with rape, incest JERUSALEM: An Israeli man who kept a cult-like harem of women and fathered dozens of children with them was charged in a Tel Aviv court yesterday with enslavement, rape, incest and other sexual offenses.

The 25-page indictment accused 60-year-old Goel Ratzon of setting himself up as a “godlike” figure who preyed on troubled women while treating them like “chattel.” The case has captivated the Israeli public since Ratzon was arrested last month. Several of the women have come forward with details of their unconventional lives, describing their attraction to the man with flowing, long

white hair.

Ratzon, who remains behind bars, has denied any wrongdoing and said the women joined him voluntarily. According to the indictment, Ratzon kept at least 21 women who bore him a total of 49 children. It said he kept the women in a state of near-total obedience in crowded apartments in the Tel Aviv area, taking their welfare checks and making them take bank loans which he then confiscated.

Ratzon created an “image of an omnipotent one who was blessed with supernatural powers and the ability to heal, destroy and cast curses,” the indictment said. — AP

CAIRO: Egyptian policemen escort relatives of suspected members of an Islamic militant group at the end of their trial at a court in Cairo yesterday. Suspected members of the group known as the Brigade of Loyalty and Exoneration are on trial for killing four Christians in a jewellery store heist in 2008 and plotting other crimes. — AFP

Iran’s opposition leader’s son beaten DUBAI: The wife of one of Iran’s opposition leaders is claiming her son was savagely beaten during last week’s protests and accuses the nation’s supreme leader of tolerating such abuses.

In an open letter to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appearing on a pro-reform Web site Sunday, Fatameh Karroubi says her son Ali was beaten inside a mosque by hard-line militiamen.

She said Khamenei is allowing “violence and cruelty” to crush dissident. The mobs hauled away Ali on Thursday after attacking the motorcade of his father Mahdi Karroubi. Ali was later released.

Security forces undertook a massive crackdown on anti-government protesters on Thursday’s anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. — Reuters

rebels said continued even after their fighters had withdrawn from all Saudi territory occupied in the fighting.

Yemeni authorities have accused the rebels of seeking to restore the Zaidi Shiite imamate that ruled in Sanaa until its overthrow in a 1962 republican coup that sparked eight years of civil war.

The rebels, who complain of economic and political discrimination against the north’s Zaidis, have repeatedly denied the charge. — AFP

“Israel believes that heavy pressure must be applied on Iran —- above all very severe sanctions, which were referred to by the US secretary of state as ‘crippling sanctions’,” Netanyahu said.

Iran’s announcement this week that it had begun making higher-grade nuclear fuel has heightened Western suspicions that Tehran is trying to develop atomic weapons.

The United States, Britain, France and Germany are mulling a fourth round of U.N. Security Council sanctions on Iran to persuade it to rein in its nuclear programme.

Russia has indicated that it would not oppose new sanctions against Tehran for defying five U.N. Security Council resolutions demanding that it halt its nuclear enrichment programme, but diplomats say China’s position is less clear.

Israel, which is assumed to have the Middle East’s only nuclear arsenal, has said a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat to the existence of the

Medvedev. “We will discuss a number of issues. First and foremost the Iranian issue,” Netanyahu said yesterday at the weekly Israeli cabinet meeting.

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, shakes hand with newly appointed Israel’s Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, yesterday. — AP Jewish state.

Western officials involved in the six-power negotiations say Russia has been losing patience

with Tehran and will likely support new sanctions, though it will oppose measures that it deems too tough, such as sanc-

tions on Iran’s energy sector.

The proposed sanctions include blacklisting Iran’s central bank and more big banks,

adding more Iranian individuals to a travel ban list, expanding an asset freeze to include more Iranian companies and imposing an arms imports ban.

Netanyahu said Israel also wants Russia to help speed up US-led efforts to renew peace talks with the Palestinians that have been suspended since 2008. The Israeli prime minister has expressed his readiness to renew talks unconditionally.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas insists that settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem must be halted before negotiations may resume. He has rejected a limited, 10-month construction freeze ordered by Israel in November as insufficient.

Russia, a member of the “quartet” of Middle East peace negotiators that includes the United Nations, the United States and the European Union, proposed last month that the forum convene for a ministeriallevel meeting in Moscow in February. — Reuters

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Monday, February 15, 2010

British prime minister loses opinion poll momentum LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s recent improvement in opinion polls ahead of this year’s election suffered a reversal yesterday when his Labour party was shown to have lost ground to the main opposition Conservatives.

Brown, who had reduced the Tory lead to single figures in recent months, found his momentum slip in a ComRes poll for the Independent on Sunday newspaper.

The Conservatives were on 40 percent,

up two points on two weeks ago, Labour were on 29 percent, down two points, and the Liberal Democrats, Britain’s third main political party, were on 21 percent, up two points.

The 11 point lead would be enough to give David Cameron’s party a majority if replicated in an election, due by June, dispelling fears in the financial markets of a hung parliament.

Cameron, whose party has been out of

power since 1997, made a direct appeal to Labour voters on Saturday, calling on them to vote Tory, even if they had not done so before.

In his Internet web blog, he said the Conservatives would deliver a fairer Britain, saying Labour had failed.

“The hopes you had with Labour-that Britain would become a stronger, fairer society-those hopes don’t just die just because Labour haven’t achieved them,” he said.

“They’re alive with us in the modern Conservative party.”

Yesterday a television interview with Brown will be broadcast, in which he speaks about the death of his infant daughter and his hopes for his son who suffers from cystic fibrosis.

Political commentators said the prerecorded interview was a significant change for the 58-year-old Brown, often portrayed as buttoned-up and more comfortable reel-

ing off economic statistics than talking about his emotions.

Meanwhile, a British lawmaker has been fired from her job as her party’s health spokeswoman after she said that there should be a probe into claims that Israeli relief workers were harvesting organs in Haiti. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says Jenny Tonge was dismissed from the role for her “unacceptable” comments.

Tonge told the Jewish Chronicle earlier this

week that the Israeli Defense Force should set up an inquiry into claims made in The Palestinian Telegraph, a news Web site, that members of the team were harvesting body parts in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.

Clegg said in a statement that Tonge’s comments were “wrong, distasteful and provocative.” He said Tonge apologized unreservedly for the offense she caused. — Agencies

Turmoil threatens stability, slows economic recovery

Yanukovych named official winner of Ukraine vote KIEV: Ukraine’s Viktor Yanukovich was declared president-elect by the main election body yesterday, leaving rival Yulia Tymoshenko with only a slender chance to take power through a legal challenge. Tymoshenko, the fiery 49-

year-old prime minister who trailed Yanukovich by only a slim margin in the Feb. 7 vote, renewed charges of election fraud against his camp on Saturday and said he would never be a “legitimately-elected” president.

KIEV: Ukraine’s Prime Minister and presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko looks on during her televised address in Kiev late yesterday. Defeated candidate Yulia Tymoshenko vowed to contest in court the results of Ukraine’s presidential elections won by Viktor Yanukovych, raising the prospect of a crippling political crisis. — AFP

Four held after rioting over Egyptian’s murder in Milan ROME: Police in Milan are holding four Egyptians suspected of taking part in a rampage after the fatal stabbing of a compatriot in a suburb of the northern Italian city, news reports said yesterday.

The four were among 36 Egyptians and one Ivorian national who were detained following the rampage by around 100 North Africans after the killing blamed on Peruvian and Ecuadorian youths late Saturday.

The rioters damaged 17 cars including nine that were overturned, and they vandalised five shops, most of them owned by South Americans, the ANSA news agency reported.

The unrest took place in a northeastern section of Milan that is home to many immigrants, the majority from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and other South American countries.

Milan’s deputy mayor, Riccardo De Corato, called the area a “Far West between north African and South American gangs.”

At a press conference Sunday, police sought to play down the unrest, saying a description of the neighbourhood as a “powderkeg” was inaccurate.

On Saturday, a resident told ANSA: “There’s a climate of racial hatred here now, and I’m afraid about what might happen in the next few days.”

Another resident said: “This is no life. Drug dealing goes on all the time, all day long, and the few

Italians left just hole up at home.”

In Cairo, the Egyptian foreign ministry identified the slain youth as Hamed Mahmoud Abdel Aziz Essayyed Abdou.

The murder unleashed a war of words between the ruling centre-right coalition and the left.

Roberto Calderoli, a minister of the anti-immigration Northern League, said the incident “confirmed that we are paying for a mistaken

ideology of the past... the policy of open doors for all.”

Calderoli, calling for “zero tolerance” towards illegal immigrants, warned of a situation similar to unrest that has plagued French suburbs for years.

The coalition government of conservative Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s People of Freedom party and the Northern League “has succeeded in preventing illegal immigrants from entering

or leaving for our country,” he said. “Now we must deal with all the illegals who, thanks to the (previous centre-left government) are unfortunately already here,” he said. Opposition Democratic Party’s Senate leader Anna Finocchiaro slammed the remarks, saying: “You can’t resolve issues like immigration with mere propaganda...

Milan shows that the right’s immigration policies are totally lacking.” — AFP

ZAKALNOE: Elderly Belarus women eat from a stack of pancakes while celebrating the “Maslenitsa” holiday, some 150km from Minsk in Zakalnoe yesterday. The “Maslenitsa” also known as ‘Butter Week’, ‘Pancake week’, or Cheesefare Week, is a religious and folk holiday. It is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent, the seventh week before Easter. — AFP

But supporters of the 59year-old opposition leader, who is backed by wealthy industrialists, brushed off any real threat from an expected challenge by Tymoshenko to a high court.

One pro-Yanukovich official said that after the Central Election Commission’s declaration on Sunday Yanukovich could be sworn into office as early as the last week of February.

“The Central Election Commission declares Viktor Fedorovich Yanukovich elected president of Ukraine”, commission president Volodymyr Shapoval said after confirming results that showed Yanukovich had defeated Tymoshenko by 3.48 percentage points.

It now seems likely that her supporters will soon present to a Kiev high court evidence of election fraud which Tymoshenko says has been amassed. Analysts say the court could take several days to consider the appeal.

Some of her representatives on the commission said they may appeal against the way the body had conducted its business on Sunday. But many analysts say that Tymoshenko lacks sufficient proof to persuade a court to overturn the commission’s findings.

Tymoshenko, a charismatic figure with a populist touch, has promised not to call people out in mass protests like those of the Orange Revolution, when she helped lead a successful challenge to Yanukovich’s election victory in 2004 and had it overturned as fraudulent.

But she argues that cheating by the Yanukovich camp cost her more than one million votes that would have tipped the balance in her favour.

The official margin between the two was about 880,000 votes.

This time she is also running against the wishes of the West where governments have put pressure on her to recognise, in the national interest, that the fight is over.

International monitors hailed the vote as an “impressive display” of democracy.

U.S. President Barack Obama and other Western leaders, who regard the election as a democratic event rarely seen in former Soviet space, have congratulated Yanukovich.

Yanukovich, an ex-mechanic from the Donbass mining region, is expected to tilt Ukraine back towards Russia, its former imperial master, after five years of estrangement under pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko.

Yanukovich, in an interview aired by Russian television, said Ukraine may allow Russia to station its Black Sea Fleet in the port of Sevastopol beyond a scheduled withdrawal in 2017.

He also said he was keen to improve gas relations with Russia and would revive the idea of a gas consortium that would allow Moscow to comanage Ukrainian pipelines.

The Tymoshenko camp says Western leaders have backed his election because they are fearful of unrest breaking out in the ex-Soviet state of 46 million. Her continued refusal to concede victory to Yanukovich or heed his call to resign as prime minister spells continuing turmoil for Ukraine.

Analysts say this threatens prospects for a quick economic recovery and early resumption of much-needed International Monetary Fund lending to the country. The IMF suspended a $16.4 billion bail-out programme late last year because of breached promises of fiscal restraint. — Reuters

NAIROBI: A combination of files pictures made yesterday shows from left to right current Kenyan Education Minister and former Health Minister Sam Ongeri gesturing on October 18, 2001 and current Kenyan Agriculture Minister William Ruto on November 22, 2005 in Nairobi. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said yesterday he was suspending “with immediate effect” for three months the agriculture and education ministers so that they can be investigated for alleged corruption. — AFP

Kenya suspends ministers, officials over corruption NAIROBI: Kenya’s prime minister suspended two ministers over corruption allegations yesterday after the president took the same action against eight officials in moves that will please donors but underline coalition divisions.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga said former ally Agriculture Minister William Ruto and Education Minister Sam Ongeri should step aside for three months to allow further investigations into scandals in subsidised maize and education programmes.

“I am taking this action because two recent investigations ... have laid credible foundations for the two ministers to be investigated,” the prime minister said in a statement.

Donors and Kenyans have long called for leaders in the unity government to take a tougher line with influential individuals blamed for a raft of major graft cases that have tainted several important sectors of east Africa’s biggest economy.

Late on Saturday, Kibaki’s office said he had suspended eight officials, also for three months, after they were “men-

tioned adversely” in reports on the work of the subsidised maize scheme and Kenya’s free primary education programme.

“President Kibaki once again reaffirmed the government’s commitment to fighting corruption and assured of speedy and conclusive investigations on use of public resources,” Kibaki’s office said in a statement.

Donors will welcome the action against senior figures, who include officials from the National Cereals and Produce Board and the permanent secretaries in the ministries of agriculture, education, special programmes and prime minister’s office. But many Kenyans said the move by Kibaki highlighted growing rifts between the president and Raila Odinga, the opposition leader who became prime minister after talks to end postelection in 2008 that killed at least 1,300 people. Tensions have risen since Kibaki allies were implicated in the education scandal, then senior Odinga allies were implicated in the bigger maize procurement case.

The issue of how to deal with high level corruption has soured relations in recent weeks.

Among the suspended officials were Mohammed Isahakia, permanent secretary in Odinga’s office, and the prime minister’s chief of staff, Karol Omondi.

The United States and Britain have both banned a number of Kenyans from travelling to their countries because of graft. Last month, the U.S. ambassador warned that Kenya risked another eruption of violence even before its next presidential poll in 2012 if reforms were not put in place soon.

In an editorial, Kenya’s Sunday Nation newspaper said the developments posed a grave danger to the fate of much-needed reforms, and were particularly regrettable because Kibaki and Odinga had been working well together at the start of the year.

“The newfound unity in the coalition saw the country make major strides in a relatively short period of time,” it said.

“This rosy outlook has been disrupted by the infighting within the cabinet in the last few weeks. Kenyan politicians seem never to miss an opportunity to shoot themselves in the foot.” — Reuters

Pope to meet Irish bishops on child abuse scandal VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict and Irish bishops are set to meet today and tomorrow in Rome to discuss plans for action on a paedophilia scandal that has eroded the Church’s authority in devoutly Roman Catholic Ireland.

The meetings, the first of their kind at the Vatican in eight years, could lead to more prelates resigning in a shakeup in the Irish Church hierarchy. Four have already quit.

Benedict, 24 Irish bishops and top Vatican officials are expected to hold three sessions of meetings in response to outrage in Ireland over the Murphy Commission Report, a damning indictment of child sex abuse by priests in the country.

The Vatican said in December that the pope will write to the Irish people about the crisis-the first time a pope will have devoted a document solely to the clergy’s abuse of children.

“We’re asking for Pope Benedict to restore the honour to Ireland which was so severely damaged by these scandals,” said John Kelly, founder of Irish Survivors of Child Abuse.

Ireland has been in a state of shock since the publication in November of the report, which said the Church in Ireland had “obsessively” hidden child abuse in the Dublin archdiocese from 1975 to 2004, and operated a policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell”.

It said all Dublin bishops in charge during the period under study had been aware of some complaints, but the archdiocese had been more preoccupied with protecting the reputation of the Church than safeguarding children.

Four bishops have offered their resignations and the pope has so far accepted one of them.

Victims group One in Four called on “other bishops throughout Ireland who engaged in this “culture of cover up” to step down.

One in Four also complained that the Vatican and its ambassador to Ireland “saw fit to hide

behind diplomatic protocols to avoid co-operating with the Murphy Commission”. The Vatican said the commission had “not gone through the appropriate diplomatic channels”.

Victims groups said they will seek monetary compensation, which could lead to a financial crisis for the Irish Church. In the United States, hit by a priestly paedophilia scandal in 2002, seven dioceses have filed for bankruptcy protection in the wake of thousands of sex abuse claims against priests. — Reuters

VATICAN: Pope Benedict XVI waves during the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s square, at the Vatican, yesterday. — AP

Monday, February 15, 2010

INTERNATIONAL

9

Dutch tourist shooting mars start of Carnival in Rio Young girl’s role of samba queen sparks controversy RIO DE JANEIRO: A 37-year-old Dutch tourist was in hospital in Rio de Janeiro yesterday after being shot twice by a mugger who attacked him and his wife after the city’s fabled Carnival festivities got under way, police told

HUNTSVILLE: Former Braintree Police Chief John Polio answers questions from the media in his living room on Feb 13, 2010 in Braintree Mass. Polio was the Chief in 1986 when Amy Bishop was released by the department after she fatally shot and killed her 18-year-old brother, in what officers logged as an accident. — AP

Accused Alabama prof shot, killed brother in 1986 HUNTSVILLE: More than 23 years before a college professor was accused of shooting six of her colleagues at an Alabama university, her teenage brother died from the blast of a shotgun she held in the kitchen of her family’s home in Massachusetts.

The 1986 shooting was ruled accidental and no charges were filed against Amy Bishop. The case could get a closer look as authorities try to explain why they believe the Harvard-educated neurobiologist opened fire Friday, killing three.

Bishop, a rare woman suspected of a workplace shooting, had just months left teaching at the University of Alabama in Huntsville because she was denied tenure. Some, including the husband of one victim and one of her students, have said she was upset after being denied the job-for-life security afforded tenured academics. Authorities have refused to discuss a motive, and school spokesman Ray Garner said the faculty meeting wasn’t called to discuss tenure.

It appeared the violent episode in Bishop’s past wasn’t known to her colleagues in Huntsville.

Bishop shot her brother, Seth, an 18-year-old accomplished violinist, in the chest in 1986, said Paul Frazier, the police chief in Braintree, Massachusetts, where the shooting occurred.

Both William Setzer, chairman of the chemistry department at UAH, and university police Chief Chuck Gailes said they had not heard about the Massachusetts incident until being asked by reporters Saturday.

The Norfolk County District Attorney’s office released a 1987 report with details of their investigation, based on interviews with Amy Bishop and her

parents conducted by a state trooper after the shooting. The report concluded Seth Bishop was killed by an “accidental discharge of a firearm.”

Amy Bishop told investigators she was trying to learn how to use a shotgun that her father had purchased for protection in the home after a break-in.

She said she did not know how to use the weapon and brought it downstairs to the kitchen for help unloading it.

She said she was raising it when “someone said something to her and she turned and the gun went off” while her brother was walking across the kitchen, according to the report.

She then ran out of the house with the weapon.

When she talked to investigators 11 days after the shooting, she told them she could only remember hearing her mother scream and she didn’t know the gunshot struck her brother until later.

The report by Trooper Brian Howe said Bishop’s “highly emotional state” immediately after the shooting made it impossible to question her. The report said she was 19 at the time. Police say she is 42 now, though the university’s Web site lists her as 44.

The handling of the case prompted back-and-forth claims from the current Braintree police chief, Frazier, and the former chief, John Polio.

Frazier said Polio instructed officers to release Amy Bishop to her mother, who had once served on a police personnel board. That move upset officers who remembered the 1986 shooting, Frazier said.

“The police officers here were very upset about that,” said Frazier, who was a patrolman at the time and spoke to officers who remembered the incident that day, including one who filed a report on it.— AP

Biden says Cheney is ‘misleading’ WASHINGTON: Vice President Joe Biden yesterday belittled Dick Cheney’s criticism of the Obama administration’s commitment to fighting terrorism, saying his predecessor was either “misinformed or he is misinforming.” Cheney doesn’t listen to what’s going on around him and is trying to rewrite history, Biden told NBC television’s “Meet the Press.” The former vice president has been a leading Republican critic of the Obama administration’s handling of national security, contending that President Barack Obama is “trying to pretend” that the US is not at war with terrorists. The result, Cheney says, is that Americans are less safe.

Biden said that under Obama’s direction, the US has been more successful at killing al-Qaeda leaders and their followers than it was during the years George W. Bush and Cheney were in the White House.

“We’ve eliminated 12 of their top 20 people. We have taken out 100 of their associates,” said Biden.

“They are in fact not able to do anything remotely like they were in the past. They are on the run. I don’t know where Dick Cheney has been. Look, it’s one thing, again, to criticize. It’s another thing to sort of rewrite history. What is he talking about?”

Cheney, Biden said, “either is misinformed or he is misinforming. But the facts are that his assertions are not accurate.”

The extraordinary and public back-and-forth between the No. 2 officials in the current and former administration was expected to flare up with Cheney’s appearance later yesterday on ABC’s “This Week,” followed by a second chance for Biden to

respond, while on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” His NBC appearance was taped Saturday night from the Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. Biden also said the Iraq war hasn’t been worth its “horrible price” and that the Bush administration mishandled it from the outset by taking its “eye off the ball.”

That, he said, left the U.S. in a more dangerous position in Afghanistan, the al-Qaida stronghold where Osama bin Laden and his cohorts plotted the Sept 11 terror attacks. The war has also cost the United States support from other nations around the world, he said.

Still, Biden said Iraq will have successful parliamentary elections next month and the US is likely to bring home some 90,000 combat troops by summer’s end. More than 4,370 US military personnel have died in Iraq since Bush ordered the US-led invasion in 2003 to overthrow Saddam Hussein. hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been wounded or killed.

Turning to the main issue on the minds of most voters, Biden said Obama inherited a shrinking economy with financial institutions that were on the edge of collapse, threatening to move the world into a depression. Biden said the economy expanded at 5.8 percent during the last quarter and the US has “stopped the hemorrhaging of jobs.” He said there was “tangible evidence” the economy was moving in the right direction.

By the time of November’s elections, he said, “in addition to bringing home 90,000 American troops, troops out of Iraq, the story of this administration is going to be more clearly told, and we’re going to be just fine.” — AP

COLUMBIA: US Vice President Joe Biden, left, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper are seen during a meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday. — AP

The Dutchman, identified as Alexander Kors Johannes Vervoort, was shot in the stomach and arm during the assault late Friday. He remained in intensive care, though was conscious.

The crime occurred as Vervoort and his wife, Ella Vervoort Ferwerda, were walking alone to the summit of a hill where Rio’s landmark giant Christ the Redeemer statue is located. The popular tourist spot attracts 1.8 million visitors a year.

The wife, also 37, was beaten about the head with a pistol but was not badly hurt.

The single mugger, described as a very young and small man, ran from the scene, leaving behind the camera, wallet, backpack and handbag he had been trying to steal.

Police were hunting him.

The police chief said the man also risked being murdered by the drug gang which runs the slum where he lives, near the Christ statue, for bringing officers into their lawless neighborhood.

A dozen other tourists, mostly young British backpackers, were at the reception of the tourist police office when AFP visited. All were there to file reports that they, too, had been mugged, though none had been hurt.

“I was mugged twice the same night,” said one, Ed Grissell, 18.

Brazilian officials warn victims of assaults not to put up any resistance or speak back during assaults because many assailants are armed and have no hesitation in using their weapons.

Rio’s four-day Carnival kicked off Saturday with a slew of celebrities in town to watch the main event, which this year is dominated by a row over a seven-year-old girl joining the ranks of the sexy adult samba queens.

Singer Madonna, Australian actor Hugh

Jackman and famous-for-being-famous Paris Hilton were all congregating in the seaside “Marvelous City” which was experiencing its steamiest heat wave in 50 years.

Temperatures were soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

The traditional festivities involving copious amounts of cold beer and caipirinhas, skimpy clothing and infectious drum beats have already been going on for days in the streets, where thousands of tourists have joined locals in dancing and partying.

Saturday, the tone and temperature rose as official events revved into gear.

The main show happens today, when the iconic parades by the city’s top samba schools are rolled out in a televised spectacular at a special “Sambodromo” stadium seating 90,000 people.

But the inclusion of a young girl, Julia Lira in the role of samba queen has sparked controversy.

The seven-year-old, the daughter of the head of the Viradouro school she is dancing for, will be competing against the samba queens of the 11 other schools in the competitive parades-all of them nearnaked women in little more than a g-string and body glitter who inject trademark sexiness into the show.

Viradouro has promised Julia will not be provocatively dressed, but even so, it had to see off a legal challenge by a children rights group. A Rio judge Tuesday finally gave authorization for her to take part.

While Lira is the youngest samba queen of a major samba school, she is not the first young girl in the role; a rival school successfully entered a 12-year-old as its samba queen six years ago.

Rio, which is to host the 2016 Olympic Games, has endemic street crime. — AFP

AFP. “This is the worst crime we have had against a foreign tourist this year and we are worried about it,” the head of the special tourist police unit handling the assault, Gilbert Stivanello, said.

Detained Americans seek distance from adviser PORT-AU-PRINCE: Relatives of a group of jailed US missionaries thought a man who volunteered legal assistance — but who may be wanted for human trafficking in El Salvador — was a good Samaritan, a family member said.

Jorge Puello was not known to the missionaries’ church group before their arrest for trying to take 33 children out of Haiti, and members failed to check his background, Sean Lankford, the relative who dealt most closely with him, said Saturday.

Lawyers for the missionaries said Puello, who had been a high-profile advocate for the jailed Baptists, deceived their clients and that his legal predicament should have no bearing on whether the missionaries are released provisionally, as a judge has recommended. “The Puello case has no relation to this one,” said Aviol Fleurant, who was hired last week to represent nine of the 10 Americans. “If Puello is wanted in El Salvador, that’s another case.” Lankford, whose wife and daughter are among the detained, told The Associated Press that Puello first contacted relatives of the Americans by calling their church, Central Valley Baptist in Meridian, Idaho, after they were arrested on Jan. 29. They thought Puello, who is Jewish and from the Dominican Republic, was a good Samaritan and had no reason to doubt his intentions, said Lankford.

“He helped us find the lawyer we have now. He helped us gather evidence.

Before him, we really were having a hard

time finding anyone at all” to represent the missionaries in neighboring Haiti, said Lankford. Puello never asked for money for himself but “was going to help us to pay the other attorneys. He was the guy who was going to hand money to lawyers,” Lankford added in a phone interview Saturday.

“He even took a small plane into Haiti at one point and he didn’t want to be reimbursed at all,” Lankford said. He would not say how much relatives paid Puello. He said it was his understanding that Puello had no relation to any of the missionaries before they were arrested.

The Americans said they were on a humanitarian mission, rescuing desperate victims of Haiti’s catastrophic Jan. 12 earthquake. They had leased a hotel in the Dominican beach resort of Cabarate where they were setting up an orphanage. The deputy investigations director of El Salvador’s police, Howard Augusto Cotto, told reporters Friday that he was seeking fingerprints for Puello to determine whether he is the 32-year-old Salvadoran named in an Interpol arrest warrant for allegedly running a sex trafficking ring that lured women and girls from the Caribbean and Central America into prostitution with bogus offers of modeling jobs.

A photo of the wanted man, Jorge Torres Orellana, bears a striking resemblance to Puello, who on Wednesday visited the Haitian judge hearing the Americans’ case in his chambers in Portau-Prince. —AP

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INTERNATIONAL

Monday, February 15, 2010

Tibetans shun New Year celebrations for second year DHARMSALA: Tibetans have decided against celebrating the Lunar New Year for a second year in remembrance of the suffering of people inside Tibet, the Dalai Lama said yesterday.

The Tibetan spiritual leader asked his followers not to lose hope, saying people in Tibet have shown great

courage and sincerity in facing China’s crackdown after uprisings in March 2008.

Tibetans in exile also called off New Year celebrations last year. The Lunar New Year holiday that began Saturday is the most important of the year in China.

“Tibetans are only observing religious

ceremonies and not celebrating the New Year,” the Dalai Lama told more than a thousand Tibetans in exile who dressed in traditional finery and greeted him at the Tsuglakhang temple. The Dalai Lama led a prayer session, attended by senior Buddhist monks and Tibetan parliamentarians. Tibetans beat drums and

cymbals during the two-hour ceremony on the terrace of the temple.

A group of young Tibetans, led by Tenzin Tsundue, a writer and political activist, waved Tibetan flags outside the temple and shouted “Free Tibet.” The Dalai Lama is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama in Washington

next Thursday. China has urged Washington to cancel the meeting and says it could damage US-China relations.

China accuses the Dalai Lama of pushing to free Tibet from Chinese rule, which he denies.

He has been living in the northern

Indian town of Dharmsala since he fled Tibet 50 years ago when Chinese troops marched in.

China maintains that Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, but many Tibetans say the region was functionally independent for much of its history. — AP

Quintana expects to meet FM during trip

Freed Suu Kyi deputy calls for Myanmar talks YANGON: Aung San Suu Kyi’s deputy urged Myanmar’s ruling junta yesterday to engage the opposition in dialogue before elections this year, as he took his first steps outside as a free man in seven years. Tin Oo, 83, vice chairman

of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party, made the appeal as he prayed at Yangon’s famed Shwe Dagon pagoda following his release from house arrest late Saturday.

YANGON: Tin Oo, left, prepares to pour water on a Buddha image during his visit to the revered Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, yesterday morning, a day after he was released from nearly seven years in detention. Myanmar’s ruling junta released the 82-year-old deputy leader of the country’s pro-democracy party, but offered no indication that he or still-detained party leader Aung San Suu Kyi would be allowed to take part in this year’s elections. — AP

Rights group says missing Chinese lawyer in Urumqi BEIJING : A Chinese lawyer missing for more than a year is in Xinjiang in the far west of the country, a human rights group says it was told by Chinese authorities.

However, the lawyer’s family said it still has not been able to contact him.

The case of Gao Zhisheng, one of China’s most daring lawyers, has drawn international attention for the unusual length of his disappearance and for his earlier reports of the torture he said he faced from security forces. A short statement from the San Francisco-based human rights group, the Dui Hua Foundation, said it had been told by the Chinese Embassy in Washington that Gao was working in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang region.

It did not say what kind of work he was doing or where he was staying. Remote Urumqi is about 1,800 miles (2,880 kilometers) west of Beijing.

John Kamm, the executive director of the foundation, said while the news is a “tentative step in the right direction

toward accountability,” there are still many questions that need to be answered if it is true Gao is in Urumqi. “What is he doing there? How long has he been there?”

Kamm said Sunday from San Francisco.

Gao was known for his legal work on sensitive cases involving underground Christians and the banned Falun Gong spiritual group.

Gao disappeared from his home town in Shaanxi province on Feb. 4, 2009, and until now the government that so closely monitored him had not said where he was. The United States and the European Union have called on China to investigate Gao’s disappearance.

In a written statement made public just before he disappeared last year, Gao described severe beatings from Chinese security forces, electric shocks to his genitals, and cigarettes held to his eyes during a 2007 detention. Gao was arrested in August 2006, convicted at a one-day trial and placed under house arrest. State media

at the time said he was accused of subversion on the basis of nine articles posted on foreign Web sites. The constant police surveillance wore on his wife and children and they fled China a month before Gao disappeared and were accepted by the United States as refugees. Previously, officials have been vague on his whereabouts, with a policeman telling Gao Zhiyi that his brother “went missing,” and a Foreign Ministry official last month saying the self-taught lawyer “is where he should be.” Chinese state-run media have not mentioned the case. On Sunday, Gao Zhiyi said he did not know where his brother was, and he had been trying to contact Beijing police, “but no one answers the phone.” Jerome Cohen, an expert on China’s legal system at New York University School of Law, said it is an important case because authorities had to be answerable for Gao’s disappearance.

“Why the Chinese government chooses to play it this way is baffling,” Cohen said from New York. — AP

HONG KONG: Leading Philippine presidential candidate Manuel Villar (2nd L) and running mate Loren Legarda (L) wave handkerchiefs during an El Shaddhai Chinese New Year celebration outside the Legislative Council (LEGCO) building in Hong Kong yesterday. The Southeast Asian nation’s chaotic brand of democracy will see 50 million voters choose a new president and thousands of lower positions on May 10, 2010. — AFP

“Because I am a Buddhist I came here to wish for peace for all Myanmar people,” he told AFP as he toured the huge golden monument, accompanied by his wife and a dozen NLD officials who held umbrellas to protect him from the sun.

“My feeling now is that I wish to find a way through successful dialogue that the whole country can live unitedly and peacefully.”

The veteran activist said however that his own release means nothing if Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi, 64, and around 2,100 other political prisoners are still detained when the elections take place.

Tin Oo had been held since 2003, when he and Suu Kyi were arrested after a proregime mob attacked their motorcade during a political tour, killing 70 people.

He was a former army general and defence minister who was forced into retirement in the 1970s after falling foul of the country’s military rulers.

He was in trouble again in the 1990s because of his involvement with the NLD. “How can I be glad (that I am free) when there are so many who have been sentenced to life imprisonment? It is not enough to release me alone,” Tin Oo said. He spent around 15 minutes at the pagoda before leaving. He said Saturday that the government had warned him not to take actions which could “disturb the building of the state” but that he would continue his political activities and visit the offices of the NLD today.

The NLD says it has not yet decided if it will take part in the elections which Myanmar’s junta has promised to hold at some point in 2010, amid claims that they are a sham designed to tighten the generals’ grip on power. They will be the first polls since 1990, when Suu Kyi and Tin Oo led the NLD to a landslide victory that the junta refused to recognise. Suu Kyi has spent most of the following two decades in detention.

Tin Oo’s release comes with the United Nations human rights envoy for Myanmar, Tomas Ojea Quintana, due to visit the military-ruled nation on Monday to examine its progress.

Quintana expects to meet the foreign minister during the trip but not reclusive junta leader Senior General Than Shwe. He also wants to see Suu Kyi but has not been told if the regime will allow him to.

The Argentine said in a statement Friday that 2010 was “a critical time for the people of Myanmar”.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon welcomed Tin Oo’s release, saying he hoped it “will contribute to the advancement of substantive dialogue between the NLD and the government of Myanmar.”

Britain and Japan hailed the release while urging the junta to allow all political groups to take part in the elections, while France said it was an “encouraging signal”.

After years of international isolation and western sanctions, Myanmar has given out mixed signals in the run-up to the polls by freeing some activists but at the same time continuing a crackdown on dissent.

The generals have not yet set a date for the elections and faced global criticism in August last year for extending Suu Kyi’s house arrest by 18 months, ruling her out of the polls. A 2008 constitution effectively bars Suu Kyi from standing and reserves a quarter of parliamentary seats for the military. — AFP

YALA: A Thai Muslim student chooses roses at a flower shop for Valentine’s day in Yala province yesterday. More than 4,100 people have been killed since shadowy separatist militants launched an insurgency in the Muslimmajority southern region in January 2004. — AFP

Bomb planted at Thai court as Thaksin ruling looms BANGKOK: Thai police said they had defused a bomb near the Supreme Court yesterday, while a grenade exploded near government offices, ahead of a ruling this month on ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra’s fortune.

Neither incident in central Bangkok caused casualties. But they occurred despite the deployment of at least 20,000 extra security personnel around Thailand ahead of the February 26 court verdict on ex-premier Thaksin, who lives in exile.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who has faced mass protests from Thaksin supporters since coming to power in December 2008, accused antigovernment elements of trying to stir up trouble.

“The motive is to cause turmoil. I am not swayed by this psychological warfare,” Abhisit told reporters.

“The government is keeping an eye on movements because we have heard that a certain group of people would like to see the failure of the administration. We have always expected that.”

Police said unidentified attackers fired a grenade late Saturday at a university located opposite Government House-the office of Abhisit and his cabinet.

A car, a truck and a storage room were dam-

aged by the grenade, said police Colonel Rangsan Pradittphon.

Early yesterday a security guard found a cardboard box containing three pounds (1.4 kilogrammes) of the plastic explosive C-4 attached to electric wire in the yard outside the Supreme Court building, police said.

Bomb disposal experts had removed the box, said district police chief General King Kwangvisatchaichan.

The Supreme Court is due to rule on whether the fortune of Thaksin-frozen in the months after he was deposed in a military coup in 2006 — can be seized by the authorities.

The government fears a backlash from proThaksin “Red Shirts” if the court agrees to such a step. The movement has stepped up anti-government demonstrations ahead of the court date.

Despite staying abroad since August 2008, Thaksin remains a divisive figure in his homeland, still popular among the poor but reviled by the Bangkok-based elites.

Both his opponents-the so-called “Yellow Shirts”-and red-clad supporters have staged numerous rallies over the past year, which have sometimes turned violent. — AFP

N Korea marks New Year with praise of Kim SEOUL: North Korea marked Lunar New Year yesterday with children staging a song and dance performance in praise of leader Kim Jong-Il, state media reported.

Senior party, army and state officials also attended the event at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium on Sunday, the Korean Central News Agency said.

“Schoolchildren and younger children offered New

Year’s greetings to leader Kim Jong Il, carrying the best wishes of the rising generation across the country,” it said.

Young performers sang songs including “Thank You, Fatherly General”-a reference to Kim, who was not present.

“Through vibrant melody of songs and dance rhythms, the performers represented great happiness of the schoolchildren advancing toward the rosier future along the road of

Songun,” the agency reported, referring to the country’s military-first policy.

Elsewhere in the capital residents laid floral baskets in front of statues of Kim Il-Sung, the late founding president and father of the current ruler.

The late Kim and his son are the subject of an intense personality cult in the hardline communist nation, which ascribes almost supernatural powers to both men. — AFP

Mines and snipers slow progress in Afghan offensive HAJI QARI SAHEB: Militants fleeing a massive assault in southern Afghanistan aimed at clearing Taleban from their last stronghold are booby-trapping villages as they go, commanders said yesterday.

Mines and militant sniper fire were slowing progress for US-led troops a day after they stormed Marjah, a town of 80,000 in the central Helmand River valley controlled for years by militants and drug traffickers.

Operation Mushtarak (“together” in Dari), the first major test of US President Barack Obama’s new surge policy, kicked off before dawn Saturday when 15,000 US, British and Afghan soldiers stormed the Islamist stronghold. NATO commanders hailed the success of the first day of its biggest operation since overthrowing the Taleban regime in 2001, saying troops took fire from Taleban snipers and found huge numbers of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed the combined forces had suffered two deaths-one British and one American-in the assault so far.

Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, commander of the Marines in southern Afghanistan, described day one of the operation as “good” and said “a couple of thousand Marines” were already in Marjah. But as he visited a Marines base on the northeastern flank of the town, Nicholson said his men were meeting resistance from Taleban fighters.

“We took a lot of sniper fire,” he said, adding that mine-sweeping vehicles “had blown up a lot of IEDs and have founds lots of IEDs with dead batteries”. Afghan and British soldiers sweep-

ing through villages in the Nad Ali area, where Marjah is also located, found IEDs buried by roadsides, in fields, hanging from trees, even embedded in walls, an Afghan army colonel said.

“We found IEDs all over the place,” Colonel Shirin Shah, commander of 1 Brigade, 115 Corps Helmand province, told AFP. “In the past 48 hours since we got here we have found and defused around 80 IEDs,” he said, speaking in Haji Qari Saheb village.

IEDs, crude, cheap and easily made bombs often detonated remotely, are the main killer of foreign and Afghan forces fighting the Taleban because they can be almost impossible to detect. A British soldier was killed by an IED in Nad Ali town on Saturday, ISAF spokesman Sergeant Kevin Bell said, adding that an American soldier had been killed the same day by small arms fire in Marjah.

They were the first foreign troop casualties of the offensive, which aims to neutralise the Taleban and re-establish Afghan government control. Afghan Army General Shair Mohammad Zazai told reporters in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah that a Marjah woman had been wounded, but no civilians had been killed in the operation.

“Lots of areas are under our control. There is sporadic resistance in some areas,” said Zazai.

He said 27 armed militants had been killed, up from Saturday’s toll of 20.

In a statement released by the Taleban, a commander named Mullah Abdul Rezaq Akhund was quoted condemning the offensive as a facesaving public relations stunt “to give some prestige to the defeated and failed military commander General Stanley McChrystal”. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Monday, February 15, 2010

11

Pakistan PM condemns bombing

India bomb blast clouds renewal of Pakistan talks PUNE: A deadly bomb blast in western India threw a cloud yesterday over the scheduled resumption of India-Pakistan peace talks that were suspended in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The blast, which killed nine people late Saturday in a

LAHORE: Supporters of Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari hold aloft an effigy of opposition leader Nawaz Sharif during a protest rally in Lahore yesterday. Pakistan faced fresh turmoil after Zardari and the nation’s top judge clashed over court appointments, threatening a showdown between the fragile government and the judiciary. — AFP

Pakistani PM plays down crisis, opposition pounces ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister sought to defuse tension yesterday over a Supreme Court decision to strike down a presidential order appointing two top judges, saying the dispute would not threaten political stability. But the country’s leading opposition figure, Nawaz Sharif, sought to play up the issue to pressure President Asif Ali Zardari, saying his decision to appoint two judges opposed by the court showed he was “the biggest threat to democracy.” Zardari has clashed with Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry in the past, and the court’s decision to reject the appointments late Saturday, only hours after they were announced, sparked fears that the conflict could destabilize Pakistan at a time when it is battling a raging Taliban-led insurgency.

“Today, if there is really a danger to democracy, it is through these kinds of acts by Zardari,” Sharif told reporters.

“The government is attacking

the judiciary to protect its corruption.” Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira responded by saying Sharif had spoken in anger and would “certainly correct his position.” The president’s push for judges opposed by the court came about two months after it struck down an amnesty protecting Zardari and several other senior politicians from graft charges.

But Prime Minister Yousaf Reza Gilani denied the appointments had anything to do with the court’s previous ruling and seemed to take a moderate stance on working through the latest disagreement.

“I want to give a message to the nation that the country’s institutions are strong, and we will work within our domains,” Gilani told reporters. “Let the court interpret.” The government is scheduled to present its case before the court on Feb. 18.

“If our stand is accepted, that is perfect. If not, we will accept that,” said Kaira, the

information minister.

“What is there to fight over?”

Saturday’s ruling came after Zardari appointed a new Supreme Court judge and chief of the Lahore High Court, going against the recommendation of the Supreme Court. Pakistan’s constitution says the president must consult with the Supreme Court over the appointment of new judges. The court order said no consultation had taken place and Zardari’s appointments “appeared to be in violation of the provision of the constitution” — a position disputed by the government.

Zardari has had a tense relationship with the court’s chief justice, and refused to reinstate him for many months after he was fired by former President Gen. Pervez Musharraf despite promising to do so. Zardari was eventually forced to relent last year after demonstrations that exposed his political vulnerability and the clout of the judiciary. — AFP

The timing was particularly sensitive, coming a day after India and Pakistan agreed to resume official talks after a 14month hiatus. An initial meeting between their foreign secretaries has been scheduled for February 25.

India broke off all dialogue after the Mumbai attacks, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistanbased militants.

Home Minister P. Chidambaram described Saturday’s blast as a “significant terrorist incident” but refused to speculate on who was responsible or what impact, if any, it might have on talks with Islamabad. “Those are matters we will consider in Delhi. We are ruling out nothing. We are ruling in nothing,” he said after visiting the blast site.

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the bombing. “We condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We want the region to be free from this menace. We want to have good relations with India. We want talks to be meaningful.” India admitted major intelligence failings after Mumbai, but Chidambaram

packed restaurant frequented by students and foreigners in the city of Pune, was the first major attack on Indian soil since Mumbai. An Italian national and an Iranian were among the dead. Twelve of the 60 people injured were foreigners, police said.

PUNE: Hospital workers transport the body of a bomb blast victim outside a hospital in Pune yesterday. A bomb ripped through a restaurant popular with tourists in the western Indian city of Pune late February 13, killing nine people and casting a shadow over the resumption of Indo-Pakistan peace talks. — AFP denied that was the case in Pune, describing it as an “insidious attack with a bomb planted in a soft target”.

All Indian states and airports

were put on heightened alert and security was also stepped up for the ongoing cricket tour

by South Africa. Several media reports cited Intelligence

Bureau sources as saying the blast bore the hallmarks of the Indian Mujahideen, a militant group that claimed responsibility for a series of bomb blasts in

September 2008 in New Delhi.

The main opposition Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the attack underscored fears that the government had acted rashly in agreeing to resume talks with Pakistan. “What has happened in Pune is a grim reminder about the fragility of our security system, and the adventurous track that we are walking,” said senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley.

“The whole nation is wondering today as to what has changed that we decided to change our diplomatic position. When terror threatens India, then not talking is also a legitimate diplomatic option.”

Saturday’s bomb, apparently left under a table in a backpack, exploded in the German Bakery-a popular eatery in central Pune-at about 7:30 pm (1400 GMT). No arrests have been made and India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called for swift, coordinated action “so that the culprits responsible for this heinous act are identified and brought to justice” quickly, his office said. — AFP

Sri Lankans, police clash again over detained general COLOMBO: Hundreds of protesters demanding the release of defeated presidential candidate Sanath Fonseka clashed with Sri Lankan police yesterday in a fourth day of street protests.

“Police had to baton charge to disburse the crowd,” said police spokesman Prasanth Jayakody, adding that three police officers were admitted to hospital with minor injuries. Tensions have risen on the island since the former army commander was arrested on Monday by military police on charges of engaging in pol-

itics against his president while still in uniform.

The majority Buddhist nation’s influential clergy, including custodians of the holiest shrine-the Temple of The Toothalso appealed to President Mahinda Rakapaksa to release Fonseka. “We cannot approve the arrest of Gen. Fonseka and other army personnel who were with him. They have risked their lives to eliminate terrorism and played a major role in creating peace,” they wrote in an open letter to the president. “It is difficult to

promote peace and ensure democracy and good governance when there is a rift between the president, the defence secretary and former army chief Fonseka,” they said.

The former army general and Rajapaksa worked together in ending a 25-year war against Tamil Tiger separatists last year, but fell out soon after.

The government said Fonseka had conspired against the president and would face court martial. On Wednesday at least eight people were injured when thou-

sands of protesters clashed with government supporters before police dispersed them using tear gas. On Thursday police used batons to disperse hundreds of Fonseka supporters. Fonseka, defeated in the Jan. 26 presidential poll, accused president Rajapaksa of rigging the vote.

His supporters said they would seek legal action over the vote.

The government has not yet detailed what charges Fonseka will face, but Rajpakasa has said he was plotting a coup. — Reuters

OPINION

12

Monday, February 15, 2010

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issues

Time slipping away for Uribe reelection

By Patrick Markey

C

olombian President Alvaro Uribe says only God, the people and the courts will decide whether he can seek re-election for a third term in May, but he also faces a race against time even if he wins support to run again.

Uribe, who is Washington’s staunchest ally in South America, faces a March 12 deadline to register as a candidate with several legal hurdles still to cross before then. Colombia’s constitutional court will open a debate on Thursday on whether to approve a reelection law, but the national registry says it needs two months after a positive court ruling to organize a referendum for Colombians to vote on amending the constitution to allow Uribe to run again.

That threatens to keep the 57-year-old Uribe from registering. “Even if the reelection law gets the nod from the court in the next days, the schedule for the ensuing referendum looks impossibly tight,” said Christian Voelkel, an analyst with IHS Global Insight. Uribe first took office in 2002, was re-elected four years later and remains a popular leader, largely because of his successful US-backed campaign against Latin America’s oldest left-wing guerrilla army.

He has been evasive on whether he will run, calling it a “crossroads of the soul”, but his state machinery has been hard at work on re-election and his supporters are already looking for other ways to get him on the ballot on May 30. His bid appeared to take a knock last week when local media said one of the constitutional court judges had recommended his eight peers reject the referendum because of irregularities.

The court has up to two months to make a final ruling, but it is organizing extra sessions and plans a quick decision as pressure builds ahead of the election.

That decision could be to approve or reject the referendum, or even send the law back to Congress to rectify some of the irregularities, said Jaime Castro, a constitutional lawyer.

Uribe’s backers admit time is short, but say if the court approves it, a referendum could be organized within a few weeks. They also argue that Uribe should be able to register by April 5 - the deadline for candidates involved in internal party ballots - rather than the March 12 deadline.

“I don’t think the window of opportunity has closed,” said Patrick Esteruelas at Eurasia

Group in New York. “I find it extremely hard to believe if it comes down to a couple of weeks the government won’t find a way of somehow stretching that deadline.” Uribe is the most popular president in recent Colombian history and his second term saw spectacular successes against rebel leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. But his political armor was dented by scandals over rights abuses by troops and corruption investigations into some of his close allies.

A national poll in November showed his popularity had slipped to 64 percent, while Colombians who supported his re-election fell to 52 percent from 58 percent. Uribe was reelected once in 2006, but the bid to change the constitution again for him is fueling worries over the strength of Colombia’s democracy. It also draws comparisons to his leftwing neighbors in Venezuela and Ecuador, criticized for changing their constitutions to extend their rule.

Wall Street applauds Uribe’s security and proinvestment policies, and local stocks and bonds could see a brief sell-off should he not run. The peso currency dipped after the judge’s recommendation that the court reject his bid. But any candidate who replaces Uribe in the presidential palace will stick closely enough to his popular line that a dramatic shift away from his basic policies is unlikely.

Political parties, even those within Uribe’s alliance, are already maneuvering to shore up positions should he be unable to seek a third consecutive term running the world’s No. 3 coffeeproducing country.

Those alliances will become even more key before the presidential vote as parties try to secure a majority in March 14 congressional elections that are likely to be seen as a barometer of support for Uribe and any other candidates. Juan Manuel Santos, a former defense minister likely to be the front-runner if Uribe cannot go, has reached out to allies to strengthen the pro-Uribe coalition.

But in a sign of a split, he received a forceful rebuke from the Conservative Party, which accused him of trying to scuttle its candidacy. “The party has to have its candidate for the first and second rounds and hopefully win,” former president and Conservative Party heavyweight Andres Pastrana said.

“You can’t have a candidacy and surrender it to another party.” — Reuters

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

Qaeda fuels security, criminal woes in Sahara

By David Lewis

A

l-Qaeda’s Sahara wing has raised its profile with hostagetakings and cocaine smuggling, threatening already weak West African states with crippling criminality but not large-scale terror attacks. Revenues from ransoms and involvement in the drugs trade in countries like Mauritania, Mali and Niger are providing funds and could lure recruits from among poverty-stricken populations at a time the group’s leadership is under pressure in Algeria.

But the main fallout from the group’s activities is likely to be a spike in violent organised crime in regions with burgeoning resource projects as opposed to ideologically driven attacks designed to grab headlines and kill scores. “(AQIM’s) strength is that the states are weak ... The states are often thinking about political survival rather than strategy,” said Soumeylou Boubeye Maiga, a former Malian defence minister now working as a security consultant. “This is a zone that will become increasingly very important,” he added, referring to significant oil, gas and mining potential in the region. Currently holding six Western hostages and linked to the multi-million dollar trans-Sahara cocaine trade, the southern branch of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, has risen up the security agenda in recent months. “If you calculate it at potentially three million euros a head that is a lot of cash. They have got that in the past for hostages,” Richard Barrett, head of the United Nations committee monitoring Al-Qaeda and the Taleban, told Reuters.

Analysts say the hostages are often seized by local groups, who then pass them on to Islamists in the region.

Negotiations involve a mix of public jihadi-linked demands and, more importantly, private ransom requests for millions of dollars. All but one Briton executed last year have been freed.

AQIM’s southern wing is also heavily involved in smuggling weapons, cigarettes and, most recently, cocaine,

which has become the most lucrative good passing through a vast desert zone that has a colourful history of contraband activity. A recent drugs sting operation by US agents, who arrested three Malians in Ghana claiming to belong to AQIM, has fuelled fears that the group will make the lucrative trade its own, and drawn comparisons and links to Colombian right-wing FARC rebels.

But the Saharan reality is more nuanced, with the Islamists just one piece in a complex jigsaw of local tribal and criminal networks with whom they must collaborate and compete. “These are temporary alliances. There is a very subtle game and routes are divided up between groups,” said Alain Antil, head of the Sub-Sahara program at Paris-based IFRI think tank.

Citing a decline in AQIM activity in Algeria after a spectacular launch in 2007, analysts say increased revenues from West African operations will be boon at a time the group is under pressure from both Algerian forces and AlQaeda central, which wants attacks in return for the global branding. Regional governments are struggling to come up with a response, and a security summit has been repeatedly postponed.

Analysts also say Algeria is frustrated its robust military approach has not been matched by southern neighbours.

Jonathan Wood from Control Risks says there is clearly increased threat in terms of travel-risk but investors are not likely to be deterred from the region. The lack of sympathy for extremist ideology will also limit support for the Algerian-dominated group as local grievances rather than global jihad are the priority, he added. The deeper, more serious impact of AQIM’s involvement in the criminal and rebel circles of the Sahara will be an intensification of competition over smuggling, more extreme corruption and yet weaker states. Political risk analyst David Gutelius warned the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations last year that AQIM was adept at positioning itself in the region, but the threat was indirect. — Reuters

Rebuilding trust begins with trust

By Wendy J Chamberlin

T

he bipartisan Kerry-Lugar Bill, named after US Senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar, provides a multi-year, super-sized economic aid program to the people of Pakistan. This is the right approach to improve US-Pakistan relations. The majority of Pakistanis distrust the United States because they believe we favour military dictators over civilian democrats and are quick to abandon promised economic aid programs once we have achieved our security goals.

The legislation is a frontal attack on the major obstacle to better US-Pakistan relations -the trust gap - by offering long-term aid directed at civilians. Perhaps because the logic of the Kerry-Lugar bill seemed so self-evident, Washington was stunned when it immediately ran into a barrage of criticism from several quarters in Pakistan.

The Pakistan army felt slighted by the bill’s focus on the civilian government it regards as a rival for national power.

Government elites chaffed at heavy reliance on non-profit organisations to distribute aid. And the people despaired at ever benefiting from aid funds after corrupt government officials and gold-plated non-government organisation (NGO) administrators took their cut.

The aid funds will soon be dispersed. But unless we rethink the way we organise this massive program, it will be counterproductive to building trust and aiding the Pakistani people. Retooling the American aid program must address three key weaknesses. First, Pakistanis have exaggerated expectations for the new aid program. It may seem like a lot of money to a Pakistani peasant earning a dollar a day, but $1.5 billion annually is a tear drop in the ocean measured against Pakistan’s development needs. Regrettably, many Pakistanis expect the American aid program to address all social sector shortfalls. Bitter public disappointment seems inevitable. Second, our approach in Pakistan and elsewhere has not essentially changed since the Cold War strategies of transactional aid programs, when we attempted to one-up the Soviets with our largess. We are stuck on the erroneous notion that building schools will gain us pro-American sentiment. Without deeper understanding of social and cultural conditions, aid projects are unlikely to produce a change of people’s attitudes.

Finally, the current “made in America” methodology for designing, implementing and monitoring our aid projects strikes many in Pakistan as too US-centric, not to mention overbearing and biased toward elites.

Perhaps the novel approach US President Barack Obama’s Department of Education is pursuing with the Race to the Top fund offers a useful model for dispersing the

Kerry-Lugar funds. US Education Secretary Arne Duncan is dangling $4.3 billion in stimulus funds to any US state, school district or local community in a competition for innovative ideas to meet program goals, such as improved student achievement. Our substantial aid program offers an opportunity to challenge Pakistanis to design programs that achieve values both the United States and Pakistan hold dear.

No foreign aid program can be a substitute for a national reform consensus, but it can help under-gird one. Both our peoples value the rule of law, community safety, equitable quality education and free market systems that provide job opportunities. We should not presume to tell Pakistan how to achieve these goals, but rather encourage those who are committed to them with incentives rather than conditions.

The first step to a reorganised aid program would be to conduct a nationwide communication campaign to engage the Pakistani public in a discussion of the Kerry-Lugar program’s goals, its limitations and requirements for community consensus and public investment in order to assure success.

A second step is to open the process to new implementation partners by casting a wide net for proposals. We want to open the process to any group with good ideas capable of delivering results - going beyond the traditional federal ministries and larger NGOs. A board of Pakistani and American experts would evaluate submissions and projects would be selected on the basis of their likely success toward a stated objective.

Importantly, involving the people of Pakistan in the aid programme would achieve outcomes that directly fulfill the original intention of the Kerry-Lugar Bill. It would identify new leaders by opening up the process beyond the current tight circle of educated and landed elites. By allowing Pakistanis who know their situation and culture better than we do to participate in the process, we would encourage innovative and culturally appropriate solutions. A more open process would assure community buy-in. Finally, it would stand a better chance of achieving the Kerry-Lugar Bill’s original intention of engendering greater trust by involving the people in a process that is so important to their well-being.

This approach is based on the crazy assumption that building trust begins first by trusting the Pakistani public enough to allow them to design and implement a program in their own interests.

NOTE: Wendy Chamberlin is President of the Middle East Institute and served as US Ambassador to Pakistan from 2001 to 2002 — CGNews

Brown shows vulnerable side in TV interview

By Keith Weir

P

rime Minister Gordon Brown has bared his soul to Britons in a television interview in which he speaks about the death of his infant daughter and his hopes for his son who suffers from cystic fibrosis. Political commentators said the interview was a significant change of tone for the 58year-old Brown, often portrayed as buttoned-up and more comfortable reeling off economic statistics than talking about his emotions.

Brown has also faced accusations that he is prone to violent temper tantrums, claims that resurfaced this week in a book by a former Labour Party aide. “I think it’s a necessary and potentially successful means of remedying one of Gordon Brown’s historical

deficiencies. He’s been too one-dimensional,” said Andrew Hawkins, chief executive of pollsters ComRes. Brown must call a general election by June. His Labour Party, in power since 1997, trails the opposition Conservatives in polls but the gap is narrowing. In the pre-recorded interview, to be broadcast on Sunday night on ITV’s “Piers Morgan’s Life Stories”, an emotional Brown speaks of his grief over the death of his infant daughter Jennifer Jane in Jan 2002. “You know, she would be 9 this year and, you know, you think all the time of the first steps, and the first words and the first time you go to school, and

it’s just not been there,” Brown said.

Brown, the son of a Scottish church minister, has two sons.

The younger one, 3-year-old Fraser, suffers from cystic fibrosis, a condition that can reduce life expectancy to around 40 years.

In the interview, Brown said he was confident that medical advances could help his son.

Opposition leader

David Cameron, 15 years Brown’s junior and a smoother communicator, lost his disabled son Ivan a year ago at the age of 6. In his keynote speech to his party conference last October, Cameron said his grief had made him question whether he wanted to continue with his political career.

Brown, who was finance minister for 10 years, has never led Labour into an election, having replaced Tony Blair mid-term in 2007 after Labour’s third successive election victory. In the interview, Brown says that he clashed with Blair when they worked together, confirming reports of an uneasy relationship. During the forthcoming campaign, party leaders will take part in televised debates - a first for Britain.

Blair was particularly adept at capturing the public mood in his statements

and media appearances, although his critics said he ultimately ended up opting for softer, personality-based interviews rather than discussing details of policy.

Steven Fielding, professor of political history at Nottingham University, said that opening up in this way could carry risks for Brown. “When Gordon Brown first became prime minister, they made a virtue of a return to oldstyle politics - there was even a poster: ‘Not Flash, Just Gordon’.” Fielding said Brown’s appearance on a TV show that normally interviews celebrities from the world of entertainment and sport was a concession to modern tastes in politics. “It’s a kind of gesture. Because of the presidentialisation of the (role of) prime minister, people want to know more about the person.” — Reuters

ANALYSIS

Monday, February 15, 2010

13

Afghan assault on Taleban to test US strategy

By Lynne O’Donnell

A

major military offensive launched Saturday on a Taleban stronghold in southern Afghanistan is the first real test of a new US-led counter-insurgency strategy to re-establish government control and end the war. Operation Mushtarak is an experiment in combining the military objective of eradicating the Taleban with the need to replace their brand of harsh control with the civilian authority of Kabul, analysts said.

The battle for Marjah, an agricultural plain in the central Helmand River valley, is the proving ground for US General Stanley McChrystal’s counterinsurgency theory for winning the hearts and minds of Afghan people. Married to President Hamid Karzai’s program of encouraging Taleban to quit the fight and return to mainstream society - and US President Barack Obama’s troop surge McChrystal’s plan is being played out in the poppy fields of Helmand. “This fight is aimed at showing the Taleban and other anti-government groups the power of the government, to show them there is no place they can relax so they will eventually want to reconcile,” said political analyst Ahmad Saedi.

US Marines smoke cigarettes in an irrigation canal as they move against insurgents northeast of Marjah yesterday. – AFP An estimated 15,000 US Marines, Afghan and NATO troops early Saturday began the long-planned assault on Marjah that military commanders say will eradicate the Taleban from one of the last places under their sway in Helmand province.

Taleban too have sent in fighters - up to 1,000, according to some reports - with their purported spokesmen predicting a

fierce battle.

Waheed Mujda, a political analyst and author who served in the Taleban’s foreign ministry during its 1996-2001 rule, said the insurgents are unlikely to break cover for hand-to-hand combat.

They have been seen lacing the area, home to around 125,000 mostly farming people, with improvised explosive

devices (IEDs) which, along with suicide attacks, have become a staple Taleban weapon as their tactics morph into guerilla warfare. “The Taleban want to fight but they will not do so directly because they know that would mean high casualties,” said Mujda.

“Instead they will bother foreign forces by fighting and fleeing, and the foreigners will also

take casualties from the IEDs,” he said.

Operation Mushtarak meaning “together” - begins with the military offensive that NATO officials say is to be the biggest since the war began more than eight years ago.

Marjah is at the heart of one of the world’s biggest opium poppy growing belts, where insurgents have exploited an irrigation system built in the 1950s with US aid aimed at turning the central Helmand River valley into Afghanistan’s bread basket.

Hundreds of families have left the area, many for the provincial capital Lashkar Gah 20 km north, though many more have stayed amid warnings to remain indoors while the fighting goes on.

Western military commanders, including McChrystal who heads the 113,000 US and NATO forces in Afghanistan set to rise to around 150,000 by August, say they are prepared for high casualties in the battle for Marjah. They are also prepared for the need to stay until political and civil control has been established, paving the way for development, with officials saying Mushtarak was planned in close cooperation with the Afghan government and that lessons of past failures had been learned.

Helmand’s Governor Mohammad Gulab Mangal said officials from a variety of ministries, police and army are standing by to follow the military with immediate civilian priorities, including security and justice. “If you push the insurgents off but you don’t stay in place then the strategy is worth nothing,” said the spokesman for NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), Brigadier General Eric Tremblay. “The operation has to create an environment in which governance and development can be established. “It’s not supposed to be a show of strength militarily. We have said all along it’s not necessarily about killing them (the insurgents) but if they are fighting ISAF and Afghan forces they will be killed.”

Norine MacDonald, president of London-based think tank the International Council on Security and Development, said it is important that troops stay to consolidate their victory with civilian control. “Then for those who want to bring the Taleban to the negotiating table we have some military leverage,” she said, referring to efforts to talk peace with the Taleban leadership. “The military effort and the ‘negotiating’ effort have to be coordinated,” she said. — AFP

Madagascar teeters on edge of further sanctions

By Richard Lough

M

adagascar’s diplomatically isolated leader risks sanctions and the possible cancellation of critical foreign aid if he sticks to his hardline stance on how to end his country’s year-long political crisis.

Foreign diplomats warn the Indian Ocean island could become a pariah state if Andry Rajoelina fails to compromise on a road map for holding elections that appeases opposition leaders, regional neighbours and donor nations.

There are signs that the 35-year-old former disc jockey is slowly leaning towards moderates within his administration who argue he needs international support and stability to reboot the stagnant economy and soothe the fears of foreign investors. “In my view, Andry Rajoelina has begun to change his position, but he’s not yet done enough to convince the international community he is behind a consensual and inclusive solution,” Guy Ratrimoarivony, director of the Centre for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in Antananarivo, told Reuters.

In a last-ditch effort to persuade the European Union (EU) and African Union (AU) that he is serious about accommodating his political rivals, Rajoelina told French parliamentarians in Paris last week he proposed creating an opposition-filled body to check the executive’s power ahead of an eventual ballot. Both bodies will discuss possible sanctions soon. Former leader Marc Ravalomanana opened Madagascar’s doors to major foreign companies, and overseas investment surged to around $1.47 billion to 2008 from $86 million in 2005. Inflows collapsed during last year’s crisis, but how much is not clear.

Big foreign miners including Rio Tinto and Sheritt International have driven outside investment, with extractive industries accounting for $472 million - or more than 60 percent of FDI

inflows - in 2007. The AU’s new chairman, Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika, wants the pan-African body to “declare war” on unconstitutional changes of government, and is expected to increase the pressure on Rajoelina. “But, as far as sanctions, we are not sure yet. There are figures in the AU pushing for the imposition of sanctions, but others want a softer approach,” one AU diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Ramtane Lamamra, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, told Reuters separately that a decision would be taken after the AU’s Peace and Security Council met on Feb 19.

One European diplomat expected the EU to be “reasonably tough” with Madagascar if no progress was made on a workable political deal in the coming days. Rajoelina’s military-backed overthrow of Ravalomanana last March flagrantly violated good governance conditions on European aid worth Ä600 million, the EU has previously said.

Many expect, however, that the EU is unlikely to cancel aid definitively. “The EU will have to abide by the Cotonou rules, but a way will be found to have any sanctions limited in scope and timeframe,” risk consultant Lydie Boka told Reuters.

The Cotonou accord gives the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group of countries preferential access to the EU trade bloc and sets the framework for aid policy, but is conditional on good governance and upholding democratic values. Donor aid financed roughly 70 percent of public spending last year and more than 45 percent of Madagascar’s entire budget, analysts say. Economic growth in 2010 is expected be weak at best if aid remains frozen. The $8.6 billion economy shrank 0.2 percent in 2009 from 5.0 percent growth a year earlier, IMF data showed, as government spending dried up and private investment slowed

sharply. The EU’s decision will likely be strongly influenced by France, which maintains deep political, cultural and commercial ties with its former colony, has continued bilateral aid since

the crisis broke out and backed Rajoelina’s call for elections.

But observers doubt Paris will risk compromising its relations within the EU if the groundswell of opposition

becomes too great as patience wears thin. “France has its own interests to defend but will not want to disassociate itself ... from the EU,” said Guy Ratrimoarivony. — Reuters

Row shows Democratic divisions

By Thomas Ferraro and Andy Sullivan

A

high profile effort at bipartisanship in the US Congress has crashed and burned - raising fresh doubts about President Barack Obama’s ability to get lawmakers including fellow Democrats to deliver. The rebuff is acute because it affects the president’s top priority, cutting the 9.7 percent US unemployment rate, in advance of November congressional elections at which Democrats expect losses. And the setback appears personal because Obama’s fellow Democrats, not Republicans, smashed the jobs-creation proposal after it received the White House’s blessing.

“This hurts Obama,” said Paul Light of New York University’s Center for the Study of Congress. “People think he’s a good guy, a smart guy. But there are a lot of questions about whether he can lead toward his promise of ‘change in Washington.’” Chris Krueger of Concept Capital, a private firm that tracks Washington for institutional investors, said: “Congress has had more than its fair share of train wrecks (but) this one takes the prize.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat, and the panel’s top Republican, Charles Grassley, unveiled a $90 billion jobs package on Thursday - but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid promptly tore it to pieces. Reid took the action after a meeting with fellow Democrats, during which many complained that the measure favored business over labor, congressional sources said. Other senators suggested that a smaller bill would have a better chance to win quick passage.

So Reid split the bill into pieces, with the initial portion, which he says would cost $15 billion, to be voted on when the Senate returns later this month from a week-long recess.

The remainder would be voted on separately later, Reid said.

His decision riled a number of Republicans, baffled some Democrats and appeared to leave the White House hanging.

“The majority leader pulled the rug out from work to build broad-based support for tax relief and other efforts to help the private sector recover from the economic crisis,” said

Grassley spokeswoman Jill Kozeny.

To add to the sense that Democrats are in disarray on the bill, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs had earlier hailed the Baucus-Grassley effort. “The president is gratified to see the Senate moving forward in a bipartisan manner on steps to help put Americans back to work,” Gibbs said. A scaled-backed jobs bill can win bipartisan support, he said on Friday. On Friday, a senior Democratic aide voiced confidence that the scaled-back jobs bill would pass. Others doubted it.

“It’s not going to happen. It’s a nonstarter,” said congressional analyst Light. “You can’t get Grassley and the White House out in front on this, and then cut them off at the knees,” Light said. Senator Judd Gregg, top Republican on the Budget Committee, called Reid’s $15 billion jobs bill a sham, telling CNBC that it would actually cost about $80 billion and provide “very little impact on employment in this country”. The split over the jobs bill underscored divisions among liberal, moderate and conservative Democrats - all of whom have their own priorities and constituents as they look ahead toward the November election. Obama made a fresh appeal for bipartisanship after a surprise Republican victory in a special Senate election in Massachusetts last month. The Republican win ended the Democrats’ Senate supermajority, which had enabled them, if they stuck together, to pass legislation without any single Republican vote. They now need bipartisanship to move on any major front.

Early Thursday, at least some Democrats and Republicans were moving together on jobs bill as well as a long-sought measure to tighten regulation of the financial industry. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd, a Democrat, announced he was working on the financial bill with Republican Senator Bob Corker, a member of his panel.

Dodd voiced confidence that they would find common ground. Yet the breakdown over the jobs bill could signal potential problems, said Anne Mathias, another congressional analyst at Concept Capital. “This does not auger well for bipartisanship on financial services reform - at least in the short term,” Mathias said. — Reuters

EU leaders hurt confidence with vague Greek pledge

By Brian Love and Andrew Torchia

A

vague pledge by European leaders to support crisis-hit Greece has probably reduced, not increased, investors’ confidence in the euro zone. By declaring they would “take determined and coordinated action, if needed, to safeguard financial stability in the euro area as a whole”, the leaders signalled they would prevent any debt default by Greece or other southern states. But the statement did little to convince investors that the European Union could fix the flaw in the way it operates that led to the Greek crisis: its inability to enforce fiscal discipline among its members.

As long as this flaw remains, investors may fear the euro zone’s rich states, such as Germany and France, will end up on the hook to support countries like Greece financially. Such aid could keep the zone together, but at the price of weakening it. And the vagueness of Thursday’s statement, after days of talks within and among European governments on how to handle Greece, suggested the leaders might still be finding it difficult to agree on any specific aid steps.

“The reality is that there was nothing but empty words in this ‘accord’ and words that further damaged the credibility of both the EU and probably also the

(From left) European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Greek Prime Minister George A Papandreou and French President Nicolas Sarkozy leave for a European Union summit focused on supporting debt-laden Greece and preventing contagion throughout the rest of the eurozone, on Feb 11, 2010 in Brussels. – AFP Euro,” Howard Wheeldon, senior strategist at BGC Brokers in London. “I am left to conclude that what we have in front of us now is little more than wishful thinking on the part of a handful of albeit powerful EU leaders - in other words a neat piece of spin aimed at pushing markets off the Greek crisis scent. If so it will

fail.” EU sources indicated a range of possible steps to aid Greece had been discussed among officials, from loan guarantees extended by rich EU states to having a German state-owned development bank buy Greek government bonds. But in the end, no specific action was announced - which may have

been due not only to lack of agreement between EU member states, but also to indecision and disagreements between politicians and ruling parties within states such as Germany.

While some EU sources said details of assistance could be finalised early next week, when EU finance ministers are due to

hold a regular meeting, this may also be too optimistic. The EU leaders’ statement did not commit to any deadline for action, and gave the impression that the EU was hoping Greece might still be able to resolve its debt problems without aid. The European Commission will monitor Greece’s progress and conduct a “first assessment” in March, the statement said.

In the meantime this leaves open the possibility of the markets resuming heavy selling of the euro and Greek government debt, if economic conditions in Greece worsen and fresh questions arise about the EU’s policymaking unity. A test of the markets’ faith in the EU’s pledge could come between April 20 and May 19, when Athens will need to pay off about Ä19 billion in maturing debt. “As things stand, we doubt that today’s pronouncements will provide the markets with the re-assurances they were hoping for,” said Jonathan Loynes, analyst at Capital Economics.

The euro initially rose against the dollar in response to EU President Herman van Rompuy’s announcement that leaders had agreed on Greece, but after just three minutes resumed falling to near eight-month lows. The spread of the 10-year Greek government bond yield over the benchmark German yield narrowed only slightly, to around 275

basis points from 283 bps a day earlier. It is down from last month’s peak of 405 bps, but still far above levels below 100 bps enjoyed by stronger EU states.

While markets could react badly if Greece does not obtain concrete EU aid, investors may also downgrade the euro zone if Greece does get help. The zone’s members, including Germany and France, have broken budget rules repeatedly in the past decade. But extending aid to a country that has violated the rules so flamboyantly would further undermine the Growth and Stability Pact which is supposed to prevent weak states from abusing their membership of the zone at the expense of strong ones.

The EU leaders’ statement did contain one innovation which could please financial markets: the involvement of the International Monetary Fund, which has a reputation for exerting strong pressure on countries to reform their finances. The European Commission said it would “propose needed additional measures” for Greece to cut its budget deficit, “drawing on the expertise of the IMF”.

But if Greece is given aid, the political will within the country to take tough austerity measures may fade, and it is unclear if the EU can threaten Athens with new sanctions that are harsh enough to compel fiscal discipline. — Reuters

focus

Firebrands challenge Hamas rule in Gaza

By Karin Laub

T

hey preach global jihad, or holy war, adhere to an ultraconservative form of Islam and are becoming a headache even for Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza. Jihadi Salafis, as they are known, have organized into small, shadowy armed groups that have clashed with Hamas forces and fired rockets at Israel in defiance of Hamas’ informal truce. Perhaps even more worrisome for Hamas, they claim a growing appeal among Gazans in the territory’s pressure cooker of isolation and poverty, raising fears they could serve as a bridgehead for their ideological twin, Al-Qaeda, from which they take their call for global holy war. Hamas insists it dismantled the groups after a mosque shootout last summer that left 26 dead.

But after months of lying low, Jihadi Salafis become active again. Besides resuming rocket fire on Israel in recent weeks, they blew up the car of a Hamas chief outside his southern Gaza home.

The chief, who was not in the car, was unhurt, and the group that claimed responsibility said the blast was a warning.

“We will not stop targeting the figures of this perverted, crooked government (Hamas), breaking their bones and cleansing the pure land of the Gaza Strip of these abominations,” said the group, the Soldiers of the Monotheism Brigades. “What will come next will be harder and more horrible.” Going by names like “Rolling Thunder” and “Army of God”, they oppose Hamas for refraining from imposing Islamic law since seizing power in Gaza in 2007 and largely sticking to a tactical truce with Israel since the latter’s devastating offensive last year.

Expert opinion holds that Al-Qaeda has shown little interest in inviting the Gaza groups it inspired into the fold.

But even an Al-Qaeda foothold in Gaza could pose a significant challenge to Hamas’ control as well as its attempts to get off Western governments’ terrorist list and lift the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza. Hamas own rapid rise to power is a reminder of the appeal of militant ideas in the absence of a peace process.

Gaza’s Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, acknowledges that some in Gaza have been swept up by the ideas of the Jihadi Salafi groups.

“If this is a phenomenon among some young men in Gaza, they will be treated with discussions and meetings,” said Haniyeh in a sermon to mosque worshippers.

However, he rejected any suggestion of an Al-Qaeda presence in Gaza and repudiated the call to global jihad. Still, Hamas may inadvertently have helped create a climate for Salafi growth with its own gradual push to make Gaza more Islamic, including a “virtue campaign” that urges women to cover up. But Hamas has stopped short of a direct Taleban-style assault on secularism.

“It is more difficult for Hamas to deal with these people because they are selling the same goods: religion,” said Mahmoud Abu Rahmeh, a Gaza human rights researcher.

The Salafi movement has grown across the Middle East, preaching an ultraconservative Islam similar to Saudi Arabia’s, strictly segregating the sexes and interpreting religious texts literally. Salafis tend to be nonpolitical, but a minority jihadist stream embraces the Al-Qaeda call for holy war against the West and the moderate Arab leaders in its camp. Hamas, on the other hand, confines itself to pushing for a Palestinian state, says the sole target of its suicide bombings and missile attacks is Israel, and makes compromises with other movements, even participating in Palestinian elections in 2006.

Those stances are reviled as un-Islamic by the Salafi

purists.

Their groups began to emerge in Gaza after Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.

A study co-authored by a former deputy chief of Israel’s Shin Bet security service estimates their membership in the low hundreds, including disgruntled followers of established Palestinian militant groups. The Jihadi Salafis are suspected in a series of bombings of Internet cafes and music stores in Gaza, seen as purveyors of vice.

In June, a group called Jund Ansar Allah (Soldiers of the Supporters of God) sent explosives-laden horses toward an Israeli border post, but the attack was foiled and four fighters were killed in a battle with the Israelis. Hamas praised the four dead as martyrs, but then faced its most brazen challenge when Jund Ansar Allah’s leader, Abdel Latif Moussa, flanked by masked gunmen, took to the pulpit of a mosque in August to proclaim Gaza an Islamic emirate. Hamas raided the mosque and 16 Salafis, including their leader, died in a gun battle, along with five Hamas men and five civilians.

Hamas arrested about 150 Salafis across Gaza, including former Hamas members.

Twenty-five remain in prison, said Interior Ministry spokesman Ehab Ghussein.

One of those released spoke to The Associated Press in his family home in the southern town of Rafah. The 21-yearold college student insisted on anonymity, saying he feared Hamas retaliation.

He said he was in the mosque during the shootout, though unarmed. During nearly two months in a Hamas prison, he said, he was beaten and Hamas men cut off his long hair. He said he had joined Hamas as a teen, but left when the movement participated in Palestinian elections in 2006. Democracy is wrong, the young man explained, since rule should only be by Islamic law. “I felt Hamas was making too many compromises,” he said. The student wore a white prayer cap and shin-length robe.

The violent Salafi groups are inspired by Al-Qaeda but are not formally affiliated with it, according to a January study by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a US think tank, co-authored by Yoram Cohen, the former Shin Bet official. It said Al-Qaeda has not established an affiliate in the region nor accepted any of its “locally radicalized, globally inclined jihadists.” The US think tank, citing Israeli officials, estimated that 30 to 50 fighters from Yemen, Egypt, France and elsewhere have slipped into Gaza, either to train Salafi fighters or to wage holy war. But the authors said none are believed to be AlQaeda operatives.

The group called Rolling Thunder, which pledged allegiance to bin Laden in a July statement, claimed that some of its fighters went abroad for training. Hamas denies any foreign fighters are in Gaza.

However, in an apparent sign of concern, its radio is broadcasting warnings to owners of Gaza’s blockade-dodging tunnels not to let foreigners through. The Shin Bet and Israel’s military intelligence did not respond to requests for comment.

Beyond the armed groups, the nonviolent Salafi movement is taking root in Gaza. Its adherents also believe that jihad is a religious duty, but put more emphasis on returning to what they consider the real Islam in their daily lives.

Salafis run charities that include Quran lessons and feeding the poor. On a recent day, a dozen women, more heavily robed and veiled than most Gaza women, studied Quran in the Rafah office of the Ibn Baz charity. The message is strictly religious, said Sheikh Hussam Al-Gazar, the charity’s deputy director.

“People are returning to the real Islam, after seeing that they get no benefit from political parties,” he said. — AP

NEWS

14

Fireworks, prayers greet Year of Tiger SHANGHAI: From Sydney to Pyongyang, fireworks, lion dances and prayers for good fortune ushered in the Year of the Tiger yesterday as a cold snap across China failed to dampen celebrations. Fireworks lit up the skies over Beijing’s Forbidden City, Shanghai’s riverfront Bund and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City while in Sydney a traditional lion dance captivated thousands of onlookers.

Snow covered rooftops in China’s biggest city, Shanghai, as a cold front swept over the country at the start of the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, the nation’s most important holiday. The National Meteorological Administration warned that heavy snow was expected on the east coast while freezing rain lashed parts of the south. The weather threatened chaos in China as millions travelled to be with their families around the vast nation of 1.3 billion, an exodus believed to be the world’s largest annual human migration.

Authorities are hoping there will be no repeat of the massive cold wave and freezing rain that crippled transport systems and stranded millions during the 2008 festival. Despite rain and near freezing temperatures, the queue at Jing’An Temple, one of Shanghai’s oldest, stretched around the block as people bur ned incense and prayed for wealth, health and happiness in the year to come.

Firecrackers echoed throughout Shanghai and Beijing as families sought

to ward off evil spirits and attract the god of fortune. In Taiwan, the faithful gathered at midnight at temples across the island seeking blessings, while others queued outside department stores for lucky draws with prizes ranging from cars to diamonds to massage chairs.

President Ma Ying-jeou visited the famed Dharma Drum Mountain temple in northern Taiwan to pray for “social harmony and cross-Strait peace and prosperity” - reiterating his hopes of ending tension with mainland China. A temple in Taipei county enshrining the God of Fortune in the shape of a tiger was especially popular, Taiwanese media reported. Despite rainy skies and a thick blanket of fog enveloping Hong Kong, an annual Chinese New Year parade featuring elaborate floats and musical performances was due to go ahead.

In Sydney, which claims to have the largest lunar New Year event outside Asia with a 17-day festival, six couples from Beijing and Shanghai marked both the New Year and Valentine’s day by climbing the Harbour Bridge at dawn.

Despite rain, the 12 climbed 134 m above Sydney Harbour to declare their love and shout the Chinese New Year greeting “Congratulations and be prosperous”, organisers said.

In Hanoi, where the New Year is known as Tet, Vietnam’s most important annual festival, traffic became jammed as people bought traditional kumquat trees and peach blossoms. In Malaysia, where relations between the Muslim Malay

majority and minorities including ethnic Chinese have come under strain, Prime Minister Najib Razak encouraged all Malaysians to celebrate the Chinese New Year. “We must be bold and more courageous in getting to know our neighbours better and be more dynamic and committed in the workplace, so as to contribute to the betterment of society and the country,” he said.

In South Korea, millions journeyed over snow-covered and slippery roads to their home towns or villages to pay their respects to ancestors. In North Korea, soldiers, workers and children bowed deeply as they laid flowers in front of statues of the country’s late founder Kim Il Sung, the official KCNA news agency said. The prime minister of Singapore, which opened its first casino yesterday in time for the New Year, urged citizens to make more babies and ignore superstitions that children born in the Year of the Tiger will have the animal’s attributes.

Babies born in the Year of the Tiger are believed to be independent and strong, but superstition also holds that it is a bad year for marriages and for those who do tie the knot, the husband may die before the wife. “Tiger years are typically marked by dramatic changes and even upheaval and 2010, much like the tiger itself, sees an energetic and powerful, but impulsive and risky year ahead,” independent brokerage CLSA wrote in a tongue-in-cheek lunar new year research note. — AFP

Houthis set to hand over Saudi soldiers Continued from Page 1 officially begun, in the northern city of Saada, and a soldier was also killed by rebels on Friday. Qawsi said after the attack that minor truce violations had occurred because not everyone was aware of the ceasefire, but that the deal still held. The rebels denied carrying out the assassination attempt.

Ten more Yemeni soldiers were believed to have been killed in a helicopter crash in the Saada region, an official said yesterday, blaming the crash on a technical fault. The helicopter went down at Kahlan mountain, east of Saada. “At

least 10 soldiers were killed,” the official told AFP on condition of anonymity, adding that the helicopter had crashed into a military vehicle. The cause of the crash was “technical,” the official said without elaborating, only adding that the captain of the helicopter, Lieutenant Colonel Sadek Al-Junaid, was among the dead.

Foreign Minister Abubakr Al-Qirbi said Sanaa was operating on the basis that the rebels were serious about ending the war. “Ending war does not come without violations here or there,” he told Sunday’s edition of Asharq Al-Awsat.

“This is because of the nature of wars

and the nature of fighting elements and that is because of differences there may be between them. But I don’t expect that to cause a problem in the path to achieve peace and security,” he added.

Previous truces with the rebels have not lasted. “We are proceeding on the basis of there being sincere intent from the Houthis just as there is a sincere intent from our side to make this war the last one,” Qirbi said. “As His Excellency President Ali Abdullah Saleh said, we want to move on from wars to development,” he said, noting that Sanaa had set up a special reconstruction fund in 2008. — Agencies

Monday, February 15, 2010

Harbash warns on Rafale fighter deal Continued from Page 1 evaluate the Rafale deal in light of the two conflicting reports, Harbash said. He added that later the defense ministry moved the head of the Kuwaiti military office in Paris, who favours the deal, and appointed him as commander of the Kuwaiti air force which is evaluating the Rafale deal. Harbash said that all the procedures taken so far on the deal raise a number of question marks and indicate the presence of an organized lobby with business interests which it has placed above national interests. He warned the defense

minister that he and other members of the Development and Reform Bloc are closely watching the developments on this and other arms deals in the ministry of defense.

In another development, five MPs yesterday submitted a draft law calling on the government to grant Kuwaiti nationality to 4,000 bedoons (stateless Arabs) this year with at least half of them to be members of the army and the police force. MPs Ali AlDeqbasi, Musallam Al-Barrak, Saifi AlSaifi, Khaled Al-Tahous and Hassan Jowhar said the aim of the bill is to help find a solution for the age-old bedoons problem.

The bill specifically states that all those who should be naturalized should be people who do not carry any nationality, adding that implementing the bill will help resolve part of the problem.

Meanwhile, Islamist MP Ali Al-Omair asked the state minister for cabinet affairs about the number of Kuwaiti employees who have been dismissed by private sector companies in the wake of the global financial crisis. He also asked about the number of those who have been re-employed and how many of them have received government assistance in accordance with a decision taken by the Assembly last year.

Thousands mark Hariri’s killing Continued from Page 1 of Syrian troops from Lebanon in April 2005 after a 29-year presence.

Saad Hariri, who heads March 14, has two parliamentary election wins under his belt and now leads a unity government which includes the Syrian-backed former opposition led by Hezbollah. His visit to Damascus in December and the softening of his stance against Syria, whom he had openly accused of his father’s murder, have been viewed as signs that the March 14 movement was losing steam. Damascus has also since last year broken out of its international isolation, enjoying warmer ties with both Washington and Riyadh, Hariri’s main backers.

Addressing the commemoration yesterday, the prime minister said his visit to Damascus was “part of inter-Arab reconciliation” efforts launched by Saudi King Abdullah, who preceded him to the Syrian capital. “My visit to Syria was part of that initiative,” Hariri said, prompting jeers from the crowd in downtown Beirut. “I am keen on launching a new phase of ties between Lebanon and Syria as two sovereign, independent countries.”

Hariri’s ally Amin Gemayel, a former president who heads the Christian Maronite Phalange Party, said the path to reconciliation with Syria was a long one.

“We want Syria to take concrete steps, with a deadline, to bring to an end issues that are still hanging between our countries,” said Gemayel. His son and former cabinet minister Pierre Gemayel was gunned down in 2006.

“I am here to say Rafiq Hariri did not die for nothing,” said Zeina Al-Sidani, who was carrying a red, white and green Lebanese flag in one hand and a red rose in the other. “We will continue to fight for our independence.” Billboards showing the elder Hariri were erected across Lebanon’s seaside capital, and many in the crowd carried banners that read “We miss you”. “I hope one day we will know

who killed him and all the others,” said Elias Rahmeh, 40, referring to a string of political assassinations in Lebanon.

Rahmeh said he wished Hariri had not reconciled with Syria before the truth came out from the tribunal about who killed his father. “But he is prime minister now, and there are things he is forced to do even if he doesn’t like them.”

March 14 has demanded Damascus uncover the fate of thousands of Lebanese who went missing during Syria’s military rule over Lebanon and cooperate in the demarcation of formal borders between the two countries.

Maronite leader Samir Geagea, another Hariri ally and head of the Lebanese Forces, called on Hezbollah to “place its arms in the service of the state”. March 14 has repeatedly locked horns with the Hezbollah over its arms, calling for the Shiite militant party to give them up in accordance with a UN Security Council resolution.

Hariri’s alliance was dealt a major blow when Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, once the most vociferous critic of Syria, defected in 2009 to move closer to the rival Hezbollah-led camp backed by Damascus and Tehran. But yesterday, Jumblatt joined Hariri at the rally and placed a wreath of flowers on Rafiq Hariri’s grave although he did not stay for the speeches.

Former MP Elias Atallah, one of the first leaders of March 14, told AFP that the movement had “certainly made mistakes, but we owe it to the people who are here today to keep going”. “There are still a number of aims we have not fulfilled, namely limiting arms in Lebanon to the army, creating stable, sovereign state institutions and seeing the (Hariri) tribunal through.”

An international tribunal was set up by a Security Council resolution in 2007 to try suspects in the Hariri murder, as well as the killings of seven other prominent anti-Syrian figures in a chain of subsequent assassinations. A UN commission

of inquiry initially said it had found evidence to implicate Syrian and Lebanese intelligence services but there are no suspects in custody. Damascus has denied any involvement.

Separately, Lebanese anti-aircraft guns opened fire on four Israeli warplanes which were violating its airspace at low altitude yesterday, the military said. “The army’s anti-aircraft guns fired at four Israeli warplanes overflying southern Lebanon, Hasbaya, the Shouf and the Bekaa,” all in southeastern Lebanon, an army statement said. The incident came amid heightened concern in Lebanon over recent Israeli threats against Shiite militant party Hezbollah and its backer Syria.

PM Saad Hariri described Israeli military activity as “escalating” and “really dangerous” in a BBC interview broadcast Wednesday. “During the past two months, every day we have Israeli planes entering Lebanese airspace,” Hariri said.

Israeli officials have warned repeatedly in recent weeks that any attack by Hezbollah will spark a tough response, and have been locked in a war of words with Syrian leaders.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought to ease tensions, saying Israel wants peace with all of its neighbours. But earlier this month Netanyahu accused Beirut of allowing Hezbollah to smuggle weapons into Lebanon in “blatant violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended a 2006 war between Israel and the Shiite party.

Israel’s regular overflights into southern Lebanon, a Hezbollah stronghold, are also a breach of Resolution 1701. But Israel argues the overflights are necessary to monitor what it claims is massive arms smuggling by Hezbollah. While Lebanon’s army publishes almost daily reports of Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace, the military rarely opens fire unless the planes fly within range of its guns. — Agencies

Zain okays sale of Africa assets C o n t i n u e d f ro m Pa g e 1 The Kuwaiti bourse suspended trading in Zain shares before the open but optimism that the deal would be approved sparked a rally in Kuwaiti shares, pushing the benchmark index up 1.8 percent, in its biggest gain in six months. The sale of Zain’s African positions would mark a strategic reversal that saw the local player rise to international status and then revert to that of a regional player. Zain has spent more than $12 billion alone to expand in Africa since 2005.

Zain’s expansion from Burkina Faso to Zambia and its ubiquitous logo has transformed it into a symbol of national pride synonymous with Kuwait’s aspirations to diversify its economy beyond the oil sector. “Zain grew a little bit too fast and was facing some growing pains in the past two years,” Simonian said.

Confirmation that India’s Bharti was the

bidder showed the telecom operator was back in the hunt for emerging market acquisitions after its planned $24 billion merger with South Africa’s MTN failed in September.

In October, Akhil Gupta, deputy group CEO at the Indian mobile operator’s parent, said Bharti would look at buying a stake in Zain if there was an opportunity. Last month, Bharti agreed to buy 70 percent of Bangladesh’s Warid Telecom for an initial investment of $300 million. It also set up a new unit to drive its foreign expansion, focused on oppor tunities in emerging markets where it can replicate its low-price, high-volume model. Bhar ti’s home mobile market is facing margin pressures from intense competition and price wars, resulting in lower tariffs and shrinking profits.

Analysts have pointed to Zain’s underperforming assets in Nigeria and Kenya as a burden on the group but said

its large presence in sub-Saharan Africa harboured valuable growth. The group pulled back from an expansion spree in 2009 and rejected an offer from France’s Vivendi for its African assets. It then halted talks to sell the assets to appease potential buyers of a 46-percent stake in the parent company.

In one indication of an imminent deal, Zain last week appointed Nabil bin Salama as the firm’s chief executive.

Yesterday was his first day as CEO. Africa represents about 62 percent of Zain’s 64.7 million customers but only 15 percent of the group’s net profit. Zain operates in 24 countries including Saudi Arabia. In Africa, Zain operates in Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Shares in Zain have risen 23 percent since Feb 4. — Agencies

Najaf airport row shows risks in investing in Iraq Continued from Page 1 Well-heeled visitors from the Arabin Gulf dressed in white robes and black abayas stream across the terminal’s polished stone floor. A new ATM - a rare sight in Iraq - awaits travelers. The dispute, however, has left unclear who exactly is in charge.

Najaf’s provincial council seized control of the facility last month. It accuses Kuwaiti contractor Aqeeq Aviation of investing only a fraction of the $50 million promised for the airport, forcing the government to pay for some terminal fixtures and leaving the airstrip without adequate navigation and landing equipment.

Aqeeq, a division of Kuwaiti investment company al-Aqeelah, in turn blames the Najaf authorities. It says it pumped millions into the airport, though it does not claim it paid the full amount. That, it argues, is because local authorities broke the contract at several key points, including failing to turn over administration of most of the airport, such as the new passenger terminal.

Najah Al-Balaghi, an Aqeeq executive who continues to list his title as CEO and managing director of the airport, blames the problems on Najaf officials’ inexperience working with the private sector and what he calls their “lack of basic knowledge about policies and law.” He said that if Najaf officials believe Aqeeq violated its contract, they should take the matter to court. Instead, they blocked access to the company’s local bank account before taking over operations last month. Political posturing between Iraq’s Shiite-dominat-

ed parties also plays a role ahead of parliamentary elections on March 7.

Al-Balaghi said his company was caught in the middle when control of the Najaf council shifted to Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s party in local polls a year ago and tussling over the airport heated up. “Both parties in Najaf are utilizing Aqeeq’s achievements in the airport and attributing it to their party ... to win more seats,” Al-Balaghi said.

Enticing foreign investors such as Aqeeq to bet on Iraq’s future has taken on increased urgency as security improves and US troops pull out of the country.

Iraqi and American officials see foreign investment as vital for rebuilding the country’s tattered infrastructure and providing jobs that provide an alternative to violent extremism. But foreign companies have been slow to arrive in Iraq, which is still plagued by violence that authorities fear could increase as American forces speed their withdrawal after the March elections.

German automaker Daimler opened an office in Baghdad last year, and Lufthansa is planning to resume direct flights from Europe after a 20-year hiatus. Agriculture equipment maker CNH Global has started assembling tractors south of Baghdad. Iraqi leaders are pushing for more companies to take the plunge. In October, Al-Maliki headed a large delegation to Washington to tout Iraq’s potential as an investment destination.

For the most part, though, big corporations are keeping their distance or dipping into the Iraqi market via local distributors for now. Even the country’s vast

oil reserves initially struggled to garner enthusiasm, with Western oil giants balking at the terms of offer for developing some of the fields. Security is not the only concern. The economy under Saddam was tightly controlled by the state, limiting Iraqi officials’ experience with the hard-nosed realities of free-market capitalism. Legal reforms have not kept up with the need for investment.

“I can’t say the entire problem is caused by Aqeeq,” Fayed Al-Shemri, the head of the Najaf provincial council, acknowledged when asked who was responsible for the dispute over the airport. “It’s (also) a problem of old laws dating back to the former regime.” A lack of adequate checks and balances to protect both investors and the local population is of ten a problem in countries racked by conflict, said Robin Hodess, director of policy and research at Transparency International. She said Iraq still suffers from rampant bribery and nepotism, and a shaky regulatory framework.

The anti-corruption watchdog ranks Iraq alongside Sudan near the bottom of its corruption perceptions index, an annual survey of perceived levels of graft.

Only Myanmar, Afghanistan and Somalia received lower scores. Aqeeq’s parent company is still deciding whether to fight for its rights at the airport or simply walk away, Al-Balaghi said. Either way, he advises caution over putting money into Iraq for now. “There is huge potential but an ambiguous regulatory and legal framework,” he said. “What happened to Aqeeq is likely to happen to any other private potential investor.” — AP

Clinton warns Iran to rethink nuclear policy Continued from Page 1 the US sense of urgency to force Iran to comply with international obligations to halt its sensitive nuclear work.

“Iran leaves the international community little choice but to impose greater costs for its provocative steps,” Clinton said in a speech at the US-Islamic World forum in Doha. “Together, we are encouraging Iran to reconsider its dangerous policy decisions,” Clinton told the forum after talks with Qatar’s emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani, who is both foreign minister and prime minister.

“We are now working actively with our regional and international partners, in the context of our dual track approach, to prepare and implement new measures to convince Iran to change its course,” she said. Her comments came as a senior Obama aide said in Washington that the United States is pressing for very tough new sanctions against Iran this month, suggesting that the move could help bring about “regime change”.

“We’re... going through the UN this month to present sanctions,” Obama’s

national security advisor, retired general James Jones, told Fox News yesterday.

“We know that internally there is a very serious problem. We’re about to add to that regime’s difficulties by engineering, participating in very tough sanctions, which we support,” he said. “Not mild sanctions. These are very tough sanctions. A combination of those things could well trigger a regime change - it’s possible.”

Clinton also met in Doha with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan whose country has good ties with Iran and has repeatedly offered to serve as mediator on the nuclear issue. Turkey’s foreign minister is due to visit Iran next week. But Clinton struck an upbeat note about support for sanctions among the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France.

She said Russia has said publicly and privately that it can and will support sanctions, and detected a shift in the Chinese position. “The weight is maybe beginning to move toward not wanting to be either isolated or inadvertently contributing to instability that would undermine their

economic interests,” she said. She recalled China’s investment stake in Iran and its oil imports from that country.

Clinton alluded to the region’s frustration over the failure of Obama’s administration to revive the Arab-Israeli peace process, despite putting a high priority on it. “I know people are disappointed that we have not yet achieved a breakthrough.

The President, (Middle East peace envoy) Senator (George) Mitchell, and I are also disappointed,” she told the forum in Doha. “But we need to remember that neither the United States nor any country can force a solution. The parties must resolve their differences through negotiations,” she added.

Clinton said “the goal of a comprehensive peace is fully in the interests of the United States... We are committed to our role in ensuring that negotiations begin and succeed.” “This is hard work. But our resolve is strong and we are determined to settle this conflict once and for all,” she added. Clinton flew to Qatar yesterday on the first leg of a Gulf tour aimed at reviving the Middle East peace process, as well as ramping up pressure on Iran over its nuclear drive. — AFP

NATO missiles kill 12 Afghan civilians Continued from Page 1 But there, we started from the north and worked down to the south. In Marjah, we’re coming in from different locations and working toward the centre, so we’re taking fire from all angles,” Sparks said.

NATO forces had advised civilians not to leave their homes, although they have said they do not know whether the assault will lead to heavy fighting. Heavy civilian casualties could put them under pressure from human rights groups, who say that since NATO has encouraged people to stay, it bears an additional legal and moral responsibility to avoid heavy fighting that would harm them. Most of the population of the area, estimated at up to 100,000, has stayed put.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed sadness at the incident. He said a family was killed. “Upon hearing the news, Hamid Karzai immediately ordered an investigation as he had previously ordered that the operation should be carefully done to prevent innocent civilians being killed,” a statement from the president’s office said. Unlike Fallujah, where massive US firepower demolished

the city and left great bitterness against the US-backed Iraqi government, the Marjah assault aims to eliminate militants while building goodwill for Afghan forces who will take over the area.

McChrystal has strongly emphasised precautions to avoid killing civilians, and the number of civilians killed by NATO troops has declined since he took command in mid-2009. At the same time, US commanders are under pressure to achieve decisive military gains this year to turn the tide in the war, before troops begin to withdraw. As the flag incident demonstrated, it will not be easy. “I have always dreamed of raising the Afghanistan flag over Marjah,” said 22-year-old Afghan soldier Almast Khan, before Marines protecting the building started coming under fire.

US forces fired mortar rounds against a Taleban position, and the militants fired a round back which landed in the Marines’ compound but failed to explode. The Marines responded by firing rockets at the suspected militant position. Taleban spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said on the group’s website it had launched direct attacks on NATO-led troops in sev-

eral parts of Marjah and had surrounded some in one area.

Marjah has long been a breeding ground for insurgents and lucrative opium poppy cultivation, which Western countries say funds the insurgency. The scale of the problem was glaring at the compound taken over by the Marines. Bags of drugs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars had been discovered, as were sacks of chemicals capable of producing 100 pounds of explosives, said Tim Coderre, a civilian adviser to Marine officials.

NATO commanders flagged the operation well before it kicked off, hoping to persuade the Taleban to flee and thereby avoid a prolonged and destructive fight that could anger residents. But it gave militants time to lay mines, booby-traps and improvised explosives. NATO said troops had recovered 250 kg of ammonium nitrate, used for making explosive, detonation cord and various other bombmaking ingredients during searches. The 15,000-troop NATO operation is named Mushtarak, or “together”, suggesting that NATO and Afghan forces are determined to work closely to restore stability to Afghanistan. — Reuters

SPORTS

Monday, February 15, 2010

15

NHL results/standings Results and standings from the NHL games on Saturday: NY Islanders 5, Tampa Bay 4; Buffalo 3, San Jose 1; Philadelphia 6, Montreal 2; Carolina 5, New Jersey 2; Boston 3, Florida 2 (SO); Detroit 4, Ottawa 1; St. Louis 4, Washington 3 (SO); Dallas 3, Phoenix 0; Chicago Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF New Jersey 37 21 3 162 Pittsburgh 36 22 3 192 Philadelphia 32 25 3 179 NY Rangers 27 27 7 156 NY Islanders 25 28 8 156

GA PTS 144 77 175 75 160 67 167 61 190 58

Buffalo Ottawa Boston Montreal Toronto

Northeast Division 33 18 9 166 152 35 23 4 174 176 27 22 11 149 154 29 28 6 164 176 19 31 11 162 208

75 74 65 64 49

Washington Tampa Bay Atlanta Florida Carolina

Southeast 41 13 26 23 26 24 24 27 24 30

177 177 194 177 194

90 63 62 58 55

Western Conference Central Division Chicago 40 15 5 194 Nashville 32 23 5 166 Detroit 28 21 12 159 St. Louis 28 25 9 163 Columbus 25 28 9 162

142 170 164 172 198

85 69 68 65 59

Northwest 37 21 35 20 30 23 29 27 19 35

146 158 156 176 204

76 76 69 62 44

Vancouver Colorado Calgary Minnesota Edmonton

Division 8 247 11 158 10 182 10 155 7 168

Division 2 192 6 178 9 156 4 165 6 150

Pacific Division San Jose 40 13 9 204 153 89 Phoenix 37 21 5 167 158 79 Los Angeles 37 20 4 185 166 78 Dallas 28 21 12 175 186 68 Anaheim 29 25 7 170 186 65 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)

LOS ANGELES: Kings left wing Ryan Smyth (94) collides with Colorado Avalanche goalie Craig Anderson (41) as he rushes the goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game.—AP

Sabres snap losing streak, Blues advance BUFFALO: The Buffalo Sabres snapped a six-game losing skid against the unlikeliest of opponents, beating the NHL Western Conference-leading San Jose Sharks 3-1 on Saturday.

Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller made 27 saves in his final tuneup before the Olympics, while Paul Gaustad, Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville all scored for Buffalo in the second period.

Evgeni Nabokov, also in his last game before joining the Russian Olympic squad, made 25 stops for the Sharks and had his NHL-record 11-game road winning streak snapped. Kent Huskins scored for San Jose.

Blues 4, Capitals 3 In St. Louis, David Perron scored the lone goal in the shootout to lift St. Louis over Washington. Blues goalie Chris Mason stopped Alexander Semin, Alex Ovechkin,

Nicklas Backstrom and Brendan Morrison in the shootout after making 31 saves in regulation and overtime.

Mike Knuble had two goals and Semin one for the Capitals, who pulled one point ahead of San Jose for the overall NHL lead with 90 points. But Washington has lost three in a row following a 14-game winning streak. Patrik Berglund, TJ Oshie and Erik Johnson scored for St. Louis in regulation.

Stars 3, Coyotes 0 In Glendale, Arizona, Marty Turco made 40 saves for his fourth shutout of the season and 40th overall, helping Dallas defeat Phoenix.

Turco has blanked the Coyotes twice in the past eight days. Brandon Segal and rookie Jamie Benn had second-period goals for Dallas, and Toby Petersen netted in the third.

Kings 3, Avalanche 0

Blackhawks 5, Thrashers 4

In Los Angeles, Johathan Quick tied a Kings club record with his NHL-leading 34th victory of the season as Los Angeles beat Colorado.

Quick made 22 saves for his second shutout of the season and sixth of his career.

He matched Mario Lessard’s win total from 1980-81. Anze Kopitar, Brad Richardson and Oscar Moller scored for the Kings.

In Chicago, Jonathan Toews scored the lone shootout goal to give Chicago victory over Atlanta and a third straight win.

Rookie Antti Niemi made 23 saves for the Blackhawks. Patrick Sharp had a goal and two assists, and Dave Bolland, Kim Johnsson and Marian Hossa also connected for the Blackhawks. Atlanta’s goals came from Evander Kane, Maxim Afinogenov,

Tobias Enstrom and Jim Slater.

Red Wings 4, Senators 1 In Detroit, Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and an assist as Detroit notched its first win in five games, downing Ottawa.

Jimmy Howard made 29 saves, and Kirk Maltby, Dan Cleary and Johan Franzen also scored for Detroit. Peter Regin scored for Ottawa, who lost for only the second time in 15 games.

Flames 3, Ducks 1 In Calgary, Alberta, Jarome Iginla scored twice in the second period as Calgary overcame Anaheim. Miikka Kiprusoff made 26 saves, and Eric Nystrom also scored for the Flames. Troy Bodie netted for Anaheim.

Hurricanes 5, Devils 2 In Raleigh, North Carolina, Ray Whitney

scored two power-play goals in a minute in the second period to set up Carolina’s victory over New Jersey.

Rookie Justin Peters made 23 saves for Carolina in his second NHL start. Jussi Jokinen also scored two goals, including an empty-netter, and Zach Boychuk added a goal for the Hurricanes, who have won a season-best five games in a row heading into the Olympic break. Zach Parise and Brian Rolston scored for New Jersey.

Flyers 6, Canadiens 2 In Montreal, Daniel Briere got a hat trick to lead Philadelphia over Montreal. Jeff Carter scored his third goal against Montreal in two nights, while Mike Richards and Blair Betts also netted for Philadelphia.

Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez scored power-play goals for the Canadiens.

O’Driscoll refused to concede the defeat marked the end of an era for Ireland’s “golden generation” of players.

“I certainly don’t think the feeling is that we’ve come to the end of a cycle,” he said.

“Obviously there’s huge disappointment. We haven’t felt that for over a year but a result like that is quite grounding at times.”

“Not that I thought we were ever infallible but you get a little bit of a reality check from those sort of games and you realise you haven’t got everything bang on,” he said.

Coach Declan Kidney praised the way his players stuck at the task but said a series of small errors and the yellow card given to prop Cian Healy in the 17th minute had made it difficult to break down a committed and well organised French side.

O’Driscoll, who shot to fame 10 years ago when he scored three tries in Ireland’s last victory over the French at the Stade de France, said he hoped the experience would help in Ireland’s next matches.

“You need to use that to your advantage and make sure you get the small, little things Declan was talking about right and the next time you pull a green jersey on you attempt to do that,” he said.

Ireland, who won their first grand slam in 61 years last season, take on England at Twickenham in two weeks’ time with no hope now of repeating last year’s feat.

O’Driscoll was full of praise for the French but warned it would take a sustained campaign by the Blues if they are to build on their victories in the first two games of the tournament and go on to win a grand slam of their own.

“I think on performances like that it will take a very good team to beat them but the thing about the Six Nations is you have to do it on five separate occasions,” he said.

“They’ve done enough on the first two but you don’t get given any grand slam on two games. They’ve three more to produce that standard of rugby but it was certainly pretty effective stuff today,” he said.—Reuters

Islanders 5, Lightning 4 In Uniondale, New York, Richard Park scored twice, including the winner with 2:22 left, as New York overcame Tampa Bay. Martin Biron made 38 saves for New York, which also got goals from Blake Comeau, Doug Weight, and Kyle Okposo.

The Lightnings goals came via Steven Stamkos, Mike Lundin, Nate Thompson and Steve Downie.—AP

Wizards get Howard in 7-player deal with Mavs

No change for victorious French for Welsh clash Marc coach France MARCOUSSIS: Lievremont named an unchanged squad from the one that humbled Ireland 33-10 on Saturday for the Six Nations Grand Slam favorites next match away to 2008 winners Wales.

The 41-year-old - who is seeking to win three successive matches for the first time since he took over from Bernard Laporte after the 2007 World Cup finals - revealed that there were injury worries over three of the squad.

Wing Vincent Clerc has a sprained left ankle, fellow wing Alexis Palisson has a bruised right knee which forced him off in the first-half after being kicked by Irish hooker Jerry Flannery.

Veteran prop Sylvain Marconnet is the other player giving cause for concern, the 33year-old has a groin problem and along with Clerc and Palisson will undergo further tests yesterday.

“I hope that we haven’t taken out copyright on this: we win, and two wings and a prop are injured,” joked Lievremont, referring to how after the opening victory over Scotland he lost both his starting wings, Aurelien Rougerie and Benjamin Fall, and prop Luc Ducalcon.

While the French players are due to return to their respective clubs they will not run out for them in the next round of Top 14 matches next Friday and Saturday as they are compelled to come back to the national training centre here on Thursday.

The Welsh match on Friday February 26 is France’s last away trip of this year’s tournament. Following that clash they entertain Italy on March 14 and then in a potential Grand Slam decider England on March 20.

Meanwhile, Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll reflected philosophically on the Six Nations defeat by France on Saturday that put an end to the unbeaten run of last year’s grand slam winners stretching back to November 2008. Ireland struggled to find answers as France scored three tries to one to run out 3310 winners at the Stade de France but

Bruins 3, Panthers 2 In Sunrise, Florida, Mark Recchi scored in the eighth round of the shootout to give Boston its fourth straight victory, edging Florida.

Recchi and David Krejci scored in regulation for Boston, which lost 10 in a row before its winning streak. Florida’s goals came from Nick Tarnasky and Stephen Weiss.

PARIS: The legs of Ireland’s Paul O’Connell, seen on top of the scrum with France’s Captain Thierry Susautoir (left), during their Six Nations rugby union international match on Saturday. —AP

WASHINGTON: The Washington Wizards have acquired veteran swingman Josh Howard and three other players from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for forward Caron Butler, center Brendan Haywood and guard DeShawn Stevenson.

Going to Washington with Howard are centerforward Drew Gooden, forward James Singleton and guard-forward Quinton Ross, the Wizards said in a statement on Saturday.

“This trade gave us a good opportunity to change our short-term future and improve our longterm future,” Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said. “It accomplished two goals by giving us financial flexibility and bringing a new look and energy to the roster.”

The Wizards are mired in last place in the Southeast Division at the All-Star break with a 1733 record. Dallas (32-20) tops the Southwest but has lost five of their past seven games.

“Our four new players bring versatility and the experience of playing in a winning situation,” said Grunfeld. “Josh and Quinton can each play both the shooting guard and small forward positions.

“Drew can play both the power forward and center positions and he and James give us an inside presence that combines skill and toughness.”

Howard, in his seventh year in the NBA, holds career averages of 15.3 points and 6.0 rebounds, all with Dallas, and was named to the 2007 All-Star Team. He has averaged 12.5 points and 3.6 rebounds this season but has missed 21 games because of injuries.

Butler and Haywood have been key players for the Wizards. Butler averaged 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in four-and-a-half seasons with Washington.

Haywood was the longest tenured player on the Wizards’ roster, having spent eight-and-a-half seasons with Washington.

“Caron is an established professional and an AllStar with the ability to score from anywhere on the floor, Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks president of basketball operations, said in a statement.

“Brendan will solidify our center position with athleticism, shot blocking and defense. DeShawn has also shown that he can be a talented asset to this team.”—Reuters

SPORTS

16

Monday, February 15, 2010

Johnson, Goydos set for final round showdown

SPAIN: American challenger BMW Oracle BOR 90 (left) sails during the second race of the 33rd America’s Cup against Swiss defender Alinghi 5.—AP

Oracle ahead of Alinghi in America’s Cup second race VALENCIA: US challenger Oracle held the lead after the first leg of the delayed second race of the 33rd America’s Cup against Swiss defending champions Alinghi yesterday.

The race - a 39-mile triangle - began at 4:25 pm (1525 GMT) off the coast of the Spanish port of Valencia. It had originally been scheduled to start at 10 am.

Alinghi are in a must win situation after their catamaran suffered a heavy loss in the opener - a 40-nautical-mile windward-leeward course - of the best-of-three series on Friday against Oracle’s wing-sailed trimaran.

The Swiss side dominated for most of the first 13-mile leg of the race despite being given a penalty at the start for being outside of the start box due to a long swell when the signal to begin the match finally went off. But Oracle led Alinghi around the top mark after the Swiss ceded the inside position to its trimaran.

The US side extended its lead over the defend-

ing champions to over one kilometre after about 13 minutes into the second 13-mile leg of the race.

Nearly three-quarters of the way up the first leg, Alinghi unfurled a red protest flag for unknown reasons. Oracle boss Larry Ellison, who did not board his side’s giant trimaran during the opener, joined the crew for the second race at the last minute in the afterguard position.

The US team defeated Alinghi in the first race series on Friday by 15min 28sec, the biggest winning margin since the 27th edition of the America’s Cup in 1988 when the US catamaran Stars & Stripes defeated New Zealand’s KZ1 monohull. It is looking to become the first American team to win the Cup since 1992 when America3 as a defender beat Italian side Il Moro de Venezia.

Winds had been weak and unstable yesterday morning but built into a steady breeze of about 6 knots at the time of the start of what could possibly be the decider.—AFP

DAYTONA BEACH: Driver Danica Patrick (right) slides down the front stretch after crashing with Colin Braun (center) and Josh Wise (left) during the NASCAR DRIVE4COPD 300 Nationwide series race.—AP

Patrick’s debut ends in multi-car wreck DAYTONA BEACH: IndyCar driver Danica Patrick’s NASCAR debut ended in a multi-car crash midway through a wreck-plagued race at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.

Patrick’s hopes in the second-tier Nationwide Series race ended when the right front of her vehicle was badly damaged in the 12-car accident.

She was running mid-pack at the time. “It’s never fun when you crash a perfectly good car when it’s not your fault,” she told reporters.

“There was smoke and I couldn’t see anything,” she said after the accident left her 35th in the 43-car race won by Tony Stewart.

“I tried to slow down and roll through the corner and at that time we all hit,” added Patrick, the only woman to win an IndyCar race.

“That’s the tough thing about this (type of) racing. I can see what they’ve said all along. With these big tracks, smoke (from other damaged cars) comes up and there’s nowhere to go.”

Patrick plans to run a partial Nationwide schedule this season when it does not conflict with her IndyCar calendar. A sixth-place finish on her stock car debut in a lower class ARCA series event at Daytona last week left her hoping to be competitive in the Nationwide Series.—Reuters

PEBBLE BEACH: Defending champion Dustin Johnson and fellow American Paul Goydos are set for a final round showdown at the Pebble Beach National ProAm after shooting a pair of 64s on Saturday to charge four strokes clear.

Johnson, who won last year’s tournament by default after the fourth round was washed out by heavy rains, tore up the front nine of the Spyglass Hill course in his eight-under par third round, but was matched by Goydos, who shot a sparkling bogeyfree round on the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

The Americans, part of a six-way tie for the lead overnight, marched to an 18under total of 196 to emerge four clear of fellow overnight leaders, Americans Bryce Molder and J.B. Holmes, and Matt Jones of Australia.

Johnson, who has led or held a share of the lead over the course of the tournament, drained a 20-foot putt to eagle the first then notched four birdies in five holes from the third to reach the turn at 30, matching Phil Mickelson’s mark in 2005.

“You know, that’s key for me, getting off to a good start,” Johnson told reporters. “Eagled the first hole and hit two great shots on holes just right past the flag.”

“The length is not an issue, (the course) doesn’t play very long for me,” he added of Spyglass, considered the toughest of the three played at the pro-am.

“If I’m hitting the fairway then it definitely plays right into my hands because I can get to all the par fives there.” The big-hitting American, who also charged out of the blocks with a front nine 30 at Pebble Beach in the first round, stumbled with a bogey on the 10th, but recovered with an eagle on the next hole and a chip-in for birdie on the par-five 14th.

His hopes of equaling the 62 course record shared by Britain’s Luke Donald and Mickelson were dashed, however, with a bogey on the last.

Johnson is bidding for his third title and to become the first back-to-back winner at Pebble Beach since American Mark O’Meara in 1989-90.

In contrast to Johnson’s fireworks, Goydos was all control, turning in a bogeyfree round highlighted by an eagle on the par-five second where he holed an eight-foot putt after reaching the green in two.

Driving on average nearly 50 yards shorter than Johnson, Goydos notched six birdies in addition to his eagle to give himself every chance of notching his third tour win in a 17-year career.

“I’m going to appreciate (Johnson’s) play, but you go out and play your game too,” the 45-year-old said. “I have to do things differently than he does and he’s got to do things differently than I do.”

Goydos, named an assistant captain for the 2010 Ryder Cup, waited 11 years for his second title in 2007 at the Sony Open after clinching the Bay Hill Invitational in 1996.

Twenty-five year-old Johnson, however, won the 2008 Turning Stone Championship in only his second year after turning professional then clinched his second at Pebble Beach last year.

“He’s won twice in two years, I’ve won twice in 17, better is an interesting word,” Goydos said when asked to compare their careers. “He’s definitely off to a much better start than I had.”

“Last year was last year,” Johnson added. “I’ve got to focus on tomorrow and getting the job done. I’m not going to be thinking about last year at all.”—Reuters

PEBBLE BEACH: Paul Goydos waves after putting on the 18th green during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament.—AP

Couples leads Champions Tour NAPLES: Fred Couples was in position for his first Champions Tour victory, but he’ll have to hold on to the lead at the ACE Group Classic for at least 23 holes yesterday to do it.

Couples sank a 48-foot putt from well off the green on No. 12 for eagle, then made a 12-footer for birdie on No. 13 to reach 9 under and a three-stroke lead before second-round play was called due to darkness Saturday.

“You’ve got to keep birdieing holes,” said Couples, who is playing in his first fullfield event on the tour. “It’s not like I can go out there and keep this lead and get in cruise control. You’ve got to keep plowing away.

“My goal is to win on this tour, and the sooner the better.” Playing partner Dan Forsman was in second place, three shots

back at 6 under. The two shared the firstround lead at 4 under after finishing their first rounds earlier Saturday.

“He was burning the hole the whole back nine ... All of a sudden there, he caught fire,” Forsman said of Couples. “I guess we called time out and hope we can regroup (Sunday) and catch him.” Couples is one of 38 golfers who must come back late yesterday to complete their second rounds at The Quarry.

The tournament was pushed back after high wind postponed the first round Friday afternoon.

When the first round ended early Saturday afternoon, Couples and Forsman both finished 4-under 68 to share the lead.

Bernhard Langer is the only one near the top of the leader board to have completed the second round. He’s shot 6-under 66 and is tied for third, four shots behind Couples,

along with Mike Goodes, Scott Hoch, Tommy Armour III and Ronnie Black.

Langer moved up the leaderboard with an eagle on No. 12 and a birdie on No. 17.

Paul Azinger, a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour and captain of the victorious 2008 Ryder Cup team, is making his Champions Tour debut. He was even par with three holes left.

After 50-year-old Couples rimmed out a birdie putt on No. 11, he was 30 feet off the front of the green on No. 12. He did not consider chipping it, because of the tight lie on the paspalum grass.

He putted the ball up to the green, and it rolled the final 18 feet into the cup. “I figured if I’m going to skin a chip shot, it’s going to check or do something crazy, so I just tried to putt it most of the times,” he said.—AP

Dodt bags Avantha Masters GURGAON: Andrew Dodt of Australia won the Avantha Masters yesterday by a stroke, shooting a a 4-under 68 in the final round that started with seven players level at the top of the leaderboard.

Dodt sank birdies at the

16th and 18th holes to total 14-under 274 and claim his first European Tour victory after the lead had changed several times with runnerup Richard Finch of England (66) looking likely to win at one point.

English pair Richard Bland (71) and Barry Lane (71) plus David Drysdale of Scotland (70) and Tetsuji Hiratsuka of Japan (71) followed next on 276.

Dodt, whose previous best finish was a tie for ninth at last

INDIA: Australia’s Andrew Dodt poses with his trophy after winning the Avantha Masters golf tournament.—AP

year’s Singapore Open, began the day a shot off the pace but had picked up three strokes by the turn and was well placed with nine holes to play.

A bogey at the 11th threatened to derail him, but Dodt managed to recover over the final three holes.

Finch mounted his charge from down the leaderboard, reaching reached the halfway point in 32 having collected five birdies and a bogey. But he could only pick up two more shots down the stretch.

Bland’s 66 had catapulted him on Saturday into contention and two early birdies saw him keep pace. However, he bogeyed No. 6 and, although he recovered the shot at the 16th, he could not find the birdie he needed at the last to force a playoff.

Drysdale had bogeys at the 13th and 15th to effectively scupper his hopes. While the 49-year-old Lane failed to become the European Tour’s oldest winner after failing to get going on the front nine.

Hiratsukam, who shot a course record of 62 on Friday, had a double bogey at No. 5 and dropped another shot two holes later. —AP

SPORTS

Monday, February 15, 2010

17

Soderling wins Rotterdam title after Youzhny retires

KOLKATA: India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni (right) and Murali Vijay (second right) celebrate umpire’s verdict of leg before wicket against South Africa’s JeanPaul Duminy (left) during the first day of the second Test cricket match. —AP

India fight back after Petersen, Amla tons KOLKATA: Debutant Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla smashed fluent centuries for South Africa before India hit back strongly in a dramatic start to the second and final cricket Test yesterday.

Petersen made 100 and Amla scored 114 to lift the Proteas to 218-1, before India ripped through the rest of the batting to leave the tourists on 266-9 by stumps on the opening day at the Eden Gardens.

Left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh finished with three wickets each as the tourists lost seven wickets for 32 runs after tea when bad light halted play nine overs early.

India, who lost the first Test in Nagpur by an innings and six runs, need a win to square the series and retain their number one position in the official Test rankings.

“All credit to the bowlers for turning it around,” said India’s South African coach Gary Kirsten.

“They showed tremendous resilience.”

Kirsten was confident the Indian batsmen will put up a big score on the second day since there was nothing in the wicket to assist the bowlers.

“We didn’t feel it took too much turn, and we didn’t feel that it offered that much assistance to the seamers either,” he said.

“There is a long way to go in the Test, but it looks a fairly good wicket at the moment. There was a lot less grass on the wicket before the start today than it was yesterday.”

The tourists, who need a draw to take over from India at the top, were wellplaced as Petersen and Amla put on 209 for the second wicket after skipper Graeme Smith was removed in the day’s third over.

Smith, who chose to play in the crucial Test despite a fractured finger, made four when he was bowled by Zaheer.

Petersen, handed a Test cap at the last minute after wicket-keeper Mark Boucher was ruled out with back spasms, responded with a superb century studded with 16 boundaries.

The 29-year-old from Port Elizabeth became only the third South African after Andrew Hudson and Jacques Rudolph to score a Test century on debut.

“We can definitely bounce back,” Petersen said, adding the wicket will help the South African fast

bowlers. “We saw Ishant Sharma bowling a decent spell of short balls. Even after 40 overs, the ball was still carrying through nicely, so it would be interesting to see our fast bowlers on it.

“It’s not a normal Indian wicket from what I understand of it. It’s also not that easy to bat on. There’s a lot of cricket still to be played.”

Amla followed his unbeaten 253 in the first Test with another three-figure knock, his ninth in 43 matches. He hit 14 boundaries and a six.

Zaheer gave the hosts some respite by removing both batsmen on either side of the tea interval to catches by Indian captain and wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Harbhajan then dismissed Jacques Kallis for 10 as Venkatsai Laxman ran back from slip to hold a skier. In his next over, Harbhajan trapped Ashwell Prince and Jean-Paul Duminy leg-before off successive deliveries, but Dale Steyn denied the bowler a hat-trick.

AB de Villiers was run out by a direct throw from Zaheer as he backed up for a sharp single, leaving South Africa tottering at 254-7. —AFP

Scoreboard Scoreboard at close on the opening day of the second test between South Africa and India at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India, yesterday.

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first.

South Africa first innings G. Smith b Zaheer 4 A. Petersen c Dhoni b Zaheer 100 H. Amla c Dhoni b Zaheer 114 J. Kallis c Laxman b Harbhajan 10 AB de Villiers run out 12 A. Prince lbw b Harbhajan 1 JP Duminy lbw b Harbhajan 0 D. Steyn lbw b Mishra 5 P. Harris c Dhoni b Ishant 1 W. Parnell not out 2

M. Morkel not out 3 Extras (b 1 lb 4 nb 9) 14 Total (nine wickets; 81 overs) 266 Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-218 3-229 4-251 5-253 6-253 7-254 8-255 9-261.

Bowling (to date): Zaheer 21-5-77-3, Ishant 17-356-1 (nb 6), Mishra 20-3-68-1 (nb 3), Harbhajan 232-60-3.

India: V. Sehwag, G. Gambhir, M. Vijay, S. Tendulkar, V. Laxman, S. Badrinath, MS Dhoni, H. Singh, Z. Khan, I. Sharma, A. Mishra.

South Africa lead the two-match series 1-0.

ROTTERDAM: Roland Garros finalist Robin Soderling became the first Swede in nearly two decades to win the Rotterdam Open as he defeated injured former champion Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 2-0 yesterday.

Anders Jarryd in 1993 was Sweden’s last winner at the Ahoy arena. Soderling lost the 2008 final here to Frenchman Michael Llodra.

World number eight Soderling broke a personal title dry spell dating back to last July in Bastad as he earned the victory in 54 minutes.

Youzhny was unable to go on, ending his participation after losing serve in the second game of the second set after taking treatment in the first set. “I’m sorry I could not finish,” said Youzhny. “I couldn’t move so well. I tried my best, I had been hoping to do better today.”

Soderling’s success this week capped his return to form after losing first-round matches in both of his previous 2010 events, Chennai and the Australian Open.

“I’ve always wanted to play well here again,” said the former finalist. “It was a good week for me but a bit up and down, Soderling said that an enforced rest at home after going out in Melbourne finally put him right physically and mentally.

“I didn’t start so well in the fist few matches, but along with my coach we worked and my game is back. I’m playing really well once more. “But that’s all over - I feel perfect again.”

The 25-year-old improved to 5-2 on the season and ran his record against Youzhny to 3-1 with win in their last three meetings.

Soderling and Youzhny had combined in the semifinals to eliminate the tournament’s top two seeds, with the Swede eliminating number two Nikolay Davydenko and Youzhny working an evening victory over world number two Novak Djokovic.

Youzhny was playing his fifth final in his last eight events while Soderling found himself in a title match for the first time in his last 13 tournaments.

The 45-minute opening set was break-strewn, with the Swede managing three while losing his own serve twice. Youzhny, who had said he would be fragile for the final after winning his semi-final the previous evening, was stretched out on court for treatment on the hip problem.

But the number 20 made a recovery, breaking Soderling in the ninth game as the Swede served for the first set. Soderling got it straight back to take the opener as his return off a net cord landed a winner on a first set point. —AFP

ROTTERDAM: Robin Soderling of Sweden holds the trophy after winning the final tennis match against Mikhail Youzhny of Russia at the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament. —AP

Roddick in San Jose final SAN JOSE: Top seed Andy Roddick survived a bombardment of 32 aces from compatriot Sam Querrey to take a 2-6 7-6 7-6 victory and move into the final of the San Jose Open for the fourth time on Saturday.

Roddick, the winner of the title on his three previous visits to the final, will meet Spanish second seed Fernando Verdasco, who overcame Uzbek Denis Istomin 6-3 2-6 6-4.

In a hard-fought contest in which he never held a break point, world number seven Roddick clawed his way into two tiebreakers where he used his vast experience to pull off the win.

After being overwhelmed in the first set by the seventh seeded Querrey, Roddick raced to a 6-3 lead in the second set tiebreaker behind three errors from his 22-year-old opponent, and eventually won it 7-5 with a 133-mph (214 kph) ace.

After withstanding two break points in the second game of the third set by smoking two more aces, Roddick again elbowed his way into the tiebreaker.

This time Querrey held a 4-3 lead, but made two atrocious errors off the ground, saw Roddick rip a forehand passing shot down the line and then lost the tiebreaker (74) and the match when he failed scoop up a Roddick drop volley.

“I was a little tight, but he never gives you anything and makes you earn every point,” Querrey said. Roddick has now won his last two matches without breaking serve after his two-tiebreaker victory over Czech Tomas Berdych in the quarter-finals.

“A match can turn real fast,” said Roddick, who served 21 aces. “You can swing a match in a couple of minutes and that’s what I was able to do.”

Earlier, Verdasco survived a rocky second

set that saw the 23-year-old Uzbek overwhelm him from inside the baseline to regain control by hammering big serves and forehands past his less experienced opponent.

Verdasco broke Istomin to gain a 4-3 advantage in the third set as the Uzbek sprayed a series of forehands, then sealed the match when he rocketed a forehand winner down the line.

“He’s dangerous and both us were a little up and down,” Verdasco said. “In the third set I knew I had to push more and make him play.”

The 96th-ranked Istomin, who is the first man from Uzbekistan to crack the top 100, was encouraged by his play but felt well aware of the gap in class.

“I played well and tried to fight but I need to improve to beat guys like this,” he said.

“Everything he does is good and he doesn’t give you any easy points.” —Reuters

Zvonareva retains Pattaya crown PATTAYA: Russia’s Vera Zvonareva made a successful defence of her Pattaya Open title after a tense and testing 64 6-4 win over local favourite Tamarine Tanasugarn yesterday.

Zvonareva had a fierce battle with the tenacious Thai, who was inspired by the partisan home crowd and challenged the Russian throughout a physical one hour, 51-minute match.

“In the end I’m glad I can beat her,” Zvonareva said. “It was a tough match, a tough tournament to defend.” The world number 14 got off to an impressive start and raced to a 3-0 lead but Tamarine clambered back into the match and piled the pressure on her opponent as the intense heat took its toll in the second set.

The Russian varied her returns to try to keep Tamarine on the defensive, but the American-born Thai pushed Zvonareva all the way in marathon games of backcourt

THAILAND: Vera Zvonareva of Russia holds her trophy after beating Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 6-4, 6-4 in the final of at the Pattaya Open tennis tournament. —AP slugging.

Zvonareva regained her composure after being frustrated by a series of contested line

calls, fending off a late fightback to become the only player to retain the title at the 19-yearold tournament.

Gulf Bank top KBC League The Gulf Bank team

Kuwait Industrial Bank team

KUWAIT: The Gulf Bank remained on top of the standings following the end of the fifth week of the bank’s football league, which is organized by the Kuwait Banks Club, with 13 points after defeating Burgan Bank in their latest match 5-0.

In other results, the Kuwait Industrial Bank defeated the National Bank of Kuwait 2-0, to move to the third place with 10 points, while the International Bank defeated Commercial Bank 3-1, finishing in fourth place with goals difference also collecting 10 points.

Meanwhile, the match between the Kuwait Finance House and the Boubyan Bank ended in a draw, while Al-Ahli Bank defeated the Bank of Kuwait and Middle East 2-0.

Al Ahli Bank team

Kuwait International Bank team

It was the second successful defence for the Russian, whose consecutive wins in Memphis in 2004 and 2005 were among her 10 titles since turning professional in 2000.

“This match we both enjoyed, it was very close,” Zvonareva said. “There were a couple of calls I think were faulty. I tried to stick to my game, every game, in every point so every one of them is important.”

Tamarine expressed regret for being a losing finalist on home soil for the third time in 14 years. She praised Zvonareva for a polished performance.

“Credit to her, her game is brilliant, she didn’t let me play mine and she didn’t miss on hers,” Tamarine told reporters.

“I had to run around and take chances to attack and get her on each and every point.

It was quite close, especially on the second set, but I admit, she never opened the door.” —Reuters

18

SPORTS

Monday, February 15, 2010

Troubled Winter Games gets into medal mode

VANCOUVER: China’s Weilong Song (back left) crashes out during the fourth heat of the men’s 1500m short track skating competition for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.— AP

Olympians slide with heavy hearts at Whistler WHISTLER: Modified to make it less perilous, the Olympic sliding track reopened for competition Saturday less than 24 hours after Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died in a horrifying crash.

Reminders of Kumaritashvili’s death seemed everywhere — from the reconfigured final curve and raised wall, to the black tape stuck to the helmets of some athletes.

Flowers were left by the base of a steel post that Kumaritashvili struck near the 16th turn.

There was also a card with the inscription, “Just like gold, your dream will live forever.” A moment of silence was held before the first heat of the men’s competition in memory of Kumaritashvili. His photo was displayed on a video scoreboard.

“It’s still fresh in our hearts,” said Shiva Keshavan from India. “We’re not able to compete with that same joy.”

Kumaritashvili’s teammate, Levan Gureshidze, did not race.

He was on the official start list for the first heat but withdrew.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge attended the competition with Vancouver organizing chief John Furlong.

Luge officials announced before training runs earlier in the day that the men would begin at the women’s start, a decision they hoped would reduce speeds and lessen the chance for accidents.

International Luge Federation officials said the start change for the men — three turns below normal — was made with the “emotional component” of athletes in mind.

It wasn’t the only switch: Later, officials said the women’s and

doubles competitions will start even lower, at the junior start position, between the fifth and sixth curves.

The men began their twoday competition with a clean first heat, with all 38 racers completing their runs. Italy’s two-time defending gold medalist, Armin Zoeggeler, who crashed on Friday not long before Kumaritashvili’s fatal accident, was third after the first heat, behind Germans Felix Loch and David Moeller.

Kumaritashvili was nearing the finish line of his sixth practice run and a day away from competing in his first Olympics when he lost control of his sled in turn 16, was propelled through the air and slammed into an unpadded steel support pole at nearly 145 kph (90 mph).

The spot where he lost his life looked very different on the first full day of competition at the Vancouver Games as track officials, following an investigation and concern about the track’s safety, had the exposed steel posts covered by a 4meter (12-foot) high wooden wall. Others were wrapped with padding.

The contour of the final, sweeping turn, nicknamed “Thunderbird” was also changed as workers shaved the thick ice to stop racers from drifting too high onto the curved walls, increasing their chances of crashing.

While all the changes satisfied IOC officials, they seemed to be a concession by luge’s governing body and Vancouver organizers that the $110-million track, built to be the world’s fastest, was beyond what some competitors could handle. “We never said it is too

fast,” FIL president Josef Fendt insisted.

The decision to change the start’s location seemed to have the desired effect during the first men’s training session Saturday. None of the 37 sliders in training broke 145 kph after speeds routinely surpassed 153 kph (95 mph) earlier in the week.

Two women’s training runs were completed without a problem in a light rain. Earlier this week, there was a nasty wreck involving a Romanian women’s luger Violeta Stramaturaru among others. Stramaturaru withdrew Saturday due to concussion.

Not everyone seemed happy with the slower speeds. “It’s slow,” said Austria’s Manuel Pfister, who was clocked at almost 154 kph (96 mph) on Thursday. “It’s completely different. Yesterday, I was able to slide with the medal ranks, today it’s another race. It’s difficult for me. Maybe it’s now too easy.” Kumaritashvili’s death was believed to be the first on a sanctioned luge track since December 1975, the fed-

eration said.

“It was very hard,” Keshavan said. “All of us had a meeting at the village and thought of how we could remember him, how we could honor his memory, his ideals, what he fought for.

Even going down to the opening ceremony, it was hard.

Everybody was trying to pull me up saying you still have to cheer up, ‘We’re all remembering him. We’re all together.’ “We have to go on,” he added.

It remains unknown if the start positions will be changed for upcoming bobsled and skeleton competitions, a decision that will be made in consultation with the governing body for those sports and not the FIL. Romstad said the G-forces generated by Kumaritashvili exiting the 15th curve and entering the 16th and final curve “literally collapsed his body, rendering it difficult to control the sled, which in this case he was not able to do.

“Once this happened, he was literally at the mercy of the path of the sled,” Romstad said.—AP

Olympic medal table VANCOUVER: Olympics medals table yesterday, the first full day of the 2010 Games: United States South Korea Netherlands Switzerland Slovakia Canada Germany Poland Austria France Russia

Gold 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Silver Bronze 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1

Total 4 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

VANCOUVER: Armin Zoeggeler of Italy speeds down the course during the second run of the men’s singles luge competition, at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.— AP

VANCOUVER: The first gold medals of the troubled Winter Olympics were decided Saturday but problems piled up for organisers with the men’s skiing downhill postponed and violent protests in Vancouver.

Luge training went ahead despite the horrific death on Friday of Georgia’s Nodar Kumaritashvili, with the mood sombre at the Whistler Sliding Centre where modifications were made to the track to prevent another tragedy.

A day after a dazzling ceremony opened the Games, the first gold was claimed by Switzerland’s Simon Ammann, who won the normal hill ski jump ahead of Poland’s Adam Malysz and Austria’s Gregor Schlierenzauer.

Dutchman Sven Kramer took out the 5,000m men’s speedskating title, finally capturing a medal that eluded him four years ago at Turin.

He won in 6mins 14.60sec, setting an Olympic record to defeat South Korean Lee Seung-Hoon by 2.35sec with Russian Ivan Skobrev third.

Canada had high hopes that Jennifer Heil could deliver their maiden gold of the Games in the women’s moguls freestyle skiing, but she was pipped at the post by the United States’ Hannah Kearney with another American, Shannon Bahrke, third.

Meanwhile, there was disaster on the ice for South Korea which was looking at a clean sweep in the men’s 1,500m short-track speed skating before Sung Si-Bak and Lee Ho-Suk collided and crashed on the last turn.

Their team mate Lee JungSu took the title, with American Apolo Anton Ohno second to become the most decorated Olympic short-track skater with six medals. America’s J.R. Celski finished third. Slovakia’s Anastasiya Kuzmina was a shock winner in the women’s 7.5 km biathlon sprint.

While those events took place, the unpredictable weather that has haunted organisers forced the blue-riband downhill, a medal event, to be put back until today.

The International Ski Federation said overnight snow and rain in the Whistler mountains followed by mild temperatures meant that skiing on the piste was out of the question.

“The piste has been badly affected these last two days by the mild temperatures and the himud conditions with snow and rain,” said the FIS race director Gunter Hujara.

The women’s super-combined, which had been scheduled for Sunday, was postponed until Thursday, with practice runs not possible.

Problem-plagued Cypress Mountain also suffered more setbacks when work at the snowboard cross course caused training to be cancelled.

Cypress, to the north of Vancouver, has been badly affected by unseasonal, warm temperatures which prompted a round-the-clock operation to bring in snow from higher elevations to make the venue ready. Luge training took place after investigations concluded there was no indication the death of Kumaritashvili was caused by track deficiencies.

However, the men are now racing lower down from the women’s start, which should see a speed reduction, while the walls were raised at the scene of the accident, where the Georgian flew off the track and smashed into a metal pillar.

FIL president Josef Fendt faced down claims that the track could cause more deaths.

“We did not expect these kinds of speeds on this track, but we have seen that the track has been safe,” he said.

In Vancouver, around 100 masked anti-Olympic protestors clashed with riot police, smashing windows, kicking cars and throwing objects. At least two officers were injured and seven demonstrators arrested.

Police blamed “a loosely organized group of thugs from central Canada known to attach themselves to any cause, travel to any event that attracts media coverage and promote anarchy wherever they go”. The violence followed small-scale protests on Friday.— AFP

WHISTLER: Switzerland’s gold medal winner Simon Ammann is flanked by Poland’s silver medal winner Adam Malysz (left) and Austria’s bronze medal winner Gregor Schlierenzauer during the medal ceremony for the ski jumping normal hill at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.— AP

Ammann back on top of Olympic ski jump podium WHISTLER: Simon Ammann isn’t likely to face any more questions about whether his previous Olympic success was a fluke. Eight years after stunning the ski jump elite by sweeping both individual events at the Salt Lake City Games — and four after a disappointing Turin experience — Ammann has that gold-medal gleam again.

The 28-year-old Swiss dominated the normal hill event to win the first gold medal at the Vancouver Games and tie Finnish great Matti Nykanen’s record of three individual Olympic titles. “I’m back at the top of the world,” Ammann said Saturday.

“I have no words to describe the situation. It’s crazy.” Ammann had the longest jumps in both rounds, soaring a massive 108 meters in his second effort, to beat Polish veteran Adam Malysz and World Cup rival Gregor Schlierenzauer of Austria. Ammann knew right away he was the winner. And he ran onto the podium at the flower ceremony, his index and middle fingers forming a V-sign as he shot his arm forward, like a ski jumper taking off in flight.

Ammann finished with 276.5 points, with Malysz second on 269.5. Schlierenzauer, the 20year-old Austrian considered a chance to win all three jumping events, had a mediocre first jump but flew 106.5 meters in the second to climb from seventh to third. “I’m not a machine, I am also a human,” Schlierenzauer said about his first jump.

The win was a final sense of redemption for Ammann, who initially struggled to cope with the

success he had as a relatively unknown 20-yearold _ and the “Harry Potter” nickname he earned for his resemblance to the fictional wizard.

He faced criticism after failing at the 2006 Turin Games — he ultimately finished 38th — before finally returning to the top by winning his first world championship title in 2007.

Now Ammann is more likely to face questions about whether he can beat Nykanen’s record by also winning the large hill event in Vancouver on Saturday. “Simon gets a chance for a fourth gold, and I think he can do it,” said Malysz, who also finished second behind Ammann in the large hill and third in the normal hill in 2002. “Simon is very strong right now.”

Saturday’s win is likely to make him even stronger. As he was sitting on the start gate and waiting to take off on his second jump — knowing he was jumping for another gold medal — Amman’s thoughts strayed back to the last time he was in the same position, and all the ups and downs he’s had in between. While he’s now more experienced, Ammann’s 20-year-old self was a lot better at not worrying about what would happen next.

“It was far easier for me eight years ago,” Ammann said. “I was a newcomer, I was fresh ... today I have to carry quite a burden with all the memories of my long career.”

That burden wasn’t heavy enough to prevent a perfect flight through the air — and another goldmedal performance. — AP

VANCOUVER: Canada forward Haley Irwin (21) scores against Slovakia goalie Zuzana Tomcikova (1) in the third period of a preliminary round women’s ice hockey game at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Canada won 18-0.— AP

Canada opens women’s hockey with record win VANCOUVER: The Vancouver women’s hockey tournament opened Saturday with a pair of shutouts. Sweden’s win was routine, while Canada opened its gold medal pursuit with the biggest victory in the sport’s Olympic history.

The Swedes’ 3-0 win over Switzerland looked pedestrian compared to the Canadians’ 180 rout of Slovakia. The home team outshot the opponents 67-9 and surpassed their own record for biggest win, a 16-0 defeat of Italy four years ago in Turin.

“Hockey is not a game you can turn on and off,” said Canada’s Jayna Hefford, whose six points tied the single-game Olympic record. “We don’t want to get into bad habits. The Olympics is about not giving up. The Slovaks didn’t give up, and we didn’t give up.”

Canada and the United States are by far the best teams in a sport derided for its lack of parity, and this time the Canadians have the added

advantage of home ice. The fans at the Canada Hockey Place welcomed them with a seat-shaking ovation, and Haley Irwin needed only 99 seconds to score the first goal.

Meghan Agosta and Hefford scored three goals apiece, and three other Canadians had multigoal games.

Every skater scored except defenseman Meaghan Mikkelson. The score was 7-0 after the first period and 13-0 after the second.

Coach Melody Davidson and her players said they refused to let up because goal difference could determine placement in the playoff round if another club manages to beat or draw with Canada in the qualifiers.

“I thought the Slovakians played us really, really well,” Davidson said with a straight face. “I thought they battled hard and competed really hard.

It’s great to see countries throughout the world growing and joining the pool.” Zuzana Tomcikova made 49 saves in

her thankless task as Slovakia’s goalie.

“I didn’t even know how many shots there were, but I didn’t think I played as well as I could,” said Tomcikova, who attended high school in Canada and plays at Bemidji State in Minnesota. “My girls did so well in front of me, and I’m sorry I didn’t help them more.”

In the opening game, Kim Martin made 16 saves for Sweden in a strong start to her second Olympics, while Florence Schelling made 31 saves for Switzerland. Martin was the hero when the Swedes upset the United States in Turin on the way to the silver medal, and she made several sharp saves in the third period against a lively Swiss team that has risen to prominence since the last Olympics.

“It was a relief to win again,” Martin said. “I think we got better and better while the game went on. It’s a relief to have the first one out of the way.”—AP

SPORTS

Monday, February 15, 2010

19

S Korea beat Japan to hand China title Kuwait’s Mufeed Mubarak in action during the recent Qtel Qatar International Rally, where he finished 10th overall.

KMSC confirms route and timetable for 2010 Kuwait Rally KUWAIT: The Kuwait Motor Sports Club (KMSC) has confirmed the official timetable and revised format for the 2010 Kuwait International Rally, the second round of this year’s FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), which takes place on March 4-6.

The event will run under the patronage of His Excellency the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah

second section of leg one will include a further seven stages on Friday, March 5th.

Teams will tackle the heavilyrevised 34.72km Al-Salmi and completely new 33.16km AlAtraff stages from 08.56hrs and 10.19hrs, before they are permitted to carry out refuelling before the 12km Shooting Club special, half of which is new. The difficult format means that crews will be forced to run for three stages and

vice park for regrouping and service and this is followed by repeat runs through the three desert stages and the final 3.5km super special stage from 15.45hrs.

Surviving teams then transfer to the Kuwait Towers for the official finish podium from 17.00hrs.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti driver Mufeed Mubarak has confirmed that he will tackle his home event in a new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Mubarak teamed up

FIA Middle East Rally Championship, round two and under the presidency of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood AlSabah, President of the KMSC and chairman of the organising committee.

Clerk of the course Walid Mihyar has now finalised changes to the special stages in the Kuwaiti desert and has confirmed that teams will tackle 14 timed tests over a competitive distance of 250.92km in a total route of 714.74km.

“We have made changes and improvements to the stages that were used last year and special stages make up just over 35% of the total distance of this year’s route,” said Mihyar.

Competitive action will get underway with a timed 3.5km super special stage from 15.30hrs on Thursday, March 4th and the

over 79km against the clock without service assistance.

The service area and rally headquarters will be based at the Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic Shooting Complex for a second year and a regroup and service stop will precede repeat runs through the three stages on the Friday afternoon, before the first cars finish the leg from 17.39hrs.

The second leg takes place on Saturday, March 6th and features two runs through three more special stages and a repeat of Thursday afternoon’s super special. The 13.50km Sulibikhat special gets the day underway from 08.56hrs and is followed by runs through the improved Al-Metlaa stage and a modified Shooting Club special.

Teams then return to the ser-

with new co-driver Meshal AlNejadi in the recent Qatar International Rally to claim a fine ninth overall.

Three of the drivers who finished ahead of the Kuwaiti in the final classification were not registered for the FIA Middle East Rally Championship and Mubarak now holds sixth position in the Drivers’ Championship heading to the second round in Kuwait.

The closing date for entries is next Wednesday (February 17th).

Further details are available from the Kuwait Motor Sport Club, PO Box 29, Salmiya, 22001 Kuwait, Tel: + (965) 253 55511 and 253 55522, Fax: + (965) 253 55566, Email: admin@q8racing.com or q8racingclub@yahoo.com, www.q8racing.com

KUWAIT: Qatari Police Shooting delegation received by Kuwaiti police officials.

Kuwait ready to host shooting championship

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: Assistant director general of the 1st international police shooting championship for technical affairs Engr Duaij Al-Otaibi said the Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Olympic shooting complex is now ready for the championship that will open tomorrow.

Al-Otaibi who heads the Arab shooting federation and also deputy chairman of Kuwait shooting federation said the club administration along with representatives from the police sports association inspected the facilities with the complex to determine the needs and necessary adjustments, to serve the delegations. He said there was an addition of new facilities to accommodate the large number of delegations from 40 countries, and that took place in a record time.

Al-Otaibi said an additional pistol event was added as it is approved by the international police association. He said, club employees will run all technical aspects of the championship, and all that is related to the organization of events according to the international rules and regulations. Al-Otaibi said club chairman Sheikh Salman is keen at removing all difficulties the championship faces.

Meanwhile, head of the Qatari delegation Hassan Al-Qadhi said Qatari shooters are ready to compete for top places during this championship. He said Qatari shooters prepared very well and are keen to improve their previous records.

He said the Kuwait Police Sports Federation efforts will ensure the championships success, as Kuwait Interior Ministry put all it has at the disposal of the organizing committee.

He said Qatar supports the nomination of Maj General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf for the International Police Federation Presidency, as he has the experience in police sports, and is known for his unlimited support of third world countries to improve the military sports.

Al-Qadhi said Qatar’s delegation is made of 34 members including two women in the trap event.

Qatari shooter Abdulaziz Al-Ateya, who com-

Kuwaiti shooter Khalid Al-Subaie petes in the skeet event, said Qatari shooters are ready to compete with the best of world shooters and believes this is a major challenge for them. He said shooters will gain very good experience from competing in such major events.

Meanwhile, the opening ceremony will take place at 7:30 pm tomorrow, with the participation of 40 countries, who already arrived in Kuwait. The number of shooters is 508 both male and female, competing in 10 events for men and seven for women.

Kuwaiti shooter, and the Arab champion Khalid Al-Subaie who competes in 10 meter and 50 meter rifle said that the participation of world shooters will bring out the best in each participant and create excitement as they all will go for the title of the first international championship to be organized by the police sports association in cooperation with KSSC and KPSF. He said it is an honor for Kuwait to host the first championship of police shooting, which represents the first real opportunity to meet with an elite group of shooters in Kuwait. The youngest Kuwaiti shooter, 15-year-old Abdelaziz Al-Saad said he was very happy to be able to participate in this championship in the skeet event, grabbing the opportunity to gain experience necessary to develop further. Al-Saad competes in the skeet event.

Materials from agencies used in this report.

TOKYO: South Korea overpowered fierce rivals Japan 31 in a tempestuous game of two red cards yesterday to leave China as surprise East Asian championship winners.

Forward Qu Bo struck twice to give China a 2-0 victory over Hong Kong earlier in the day and hosts Japan needed to beat the Koreans by three goals to win the fourteam tournament.

The Chinese finished with seven points to South Korea’s six with Japan third on four points. Hong Kong lost all three matches played without threatening to score a goal.

“This title is a reward for everyone involved in Chinese football,” China coach Gao Hongbo told reporters. “It demonstrates China’s potential.

“We are learning from South Korea and Japan and if we continue working hard and improving we can catch up with the top teams in Asia.”

There was no love lost in a bruising clash between the World Cup-bound Japanese and Koreans, who fell short of retaining their title while struggling Japan were once again booed off the pitch.

Yasuhito Endo put Japan ahead from the spot in the 22nd minute before Lee Dong-gook blasted home another penalty to level 11 minutes later and silence the crowd of 43,000.

Strike partner Lee Seungyeoul gave the Koreans the lead after 39 minutes with a fierce shot from 30 metres which took a slight deflection off Yuji Nakazawa.

The away players celebrated by racing to the bench and sinking to their knees to perform a traditional Korean New Year’s bow to coach Huh Jung-moo. Midfielder Kim Jae-sung curled in a superb third for the dominant Koreans in the 70th minute.

Japan defender Tulio was shown red for elbowing Cho Yong-hyung just before halftime while Korea captain Kim Jung-woo walked after a second bookable offence in the 52nd minute.

“Tonight’s victory is a New Year’s gift for the Korean people,” said Huh. “The players were excellent. They carried out our tactics perfectly.

“We tried out a few new players who could be with us at the World Cup,” added Huh, who was missing several key European-based players, including Manchester United’s Park Ji-sung.

“We’ve gained some valuable material to analyse that will help our preparation for South Africa.”

Japan coach Takeshi Okada, who has been criticised after declaring his World Cup target was a semi-final place, insisted he would not be stepping down.

“There is no magic formula and there will be no overhaul of the team,” said a defiant Okada. “The Japan Football Association (JFA) are the ones with the right to terminate my contract.

“As long as I have the support of the players we will continue to work towards our goals and won’t be changing our target.”

A furious JFA president Motoaki Inukai slammed Japan’s performance but stopped short of saying Okada’s job was in danger.

“We lacked fighting spirit,” he fumed. “There would be good points and bad points about firing (Okada). “We will make a collective decision but the timing might not be right to take the risk at this stage.”

China held hosts Japan to a goalless draw before stunning South Korea 3-0 in their first victory over the Koreans since the countries began playing full internationals in 1978.—Reuters

JAPAN: Chinese team captain Du Wei holds up the champions trophy of the East Asian football championship during the awarding ceremony at National Stadium in Tokyo.—AFP

Ronaldo hints at possible future return to United LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo, who left Manchester United for Real Madrid for a world record 80.0 million pounds ($125.5 million) transfer fee last year has hinted he could return to Old Trafford in the future.

The 25-year-old World Player of the Year spent six seasons at Old Trafford, winning the Premier League three times as well as the Champions League.

“Of course I miss playing for Manchester United,” Portuguese international Ronaldo said in an interview with Britain’s News of

Espanyol blank La Coruna MADRID: Jose Maria Callejon scored one goal and set up another as Espanyol beat 10man Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 yesterday in the Spanish League.

In the 39th minute, Callejon dribbled down the right and crossed for Joan Verdu to tap in at the near post. Callejon then made some space at the edge of the area on the hour mark and fired home.

He dedicated the goal to Daniel Jarque, his former teammate and captain who died last year after suffering a heart attack.

The result lifts Espanyol into 11th place on 26 points. La Coruna remains sixth on 35 points.

Malaga beat Racing Santander 3-0 with goals from Weligton, Salvador Caicedo and Victor Obinna. Santander’s Mohamed Tchite was sent off in the 79th minute for dissent.

Almeria’s Fernando Soriano scored an injury-time goal to draw 2-2 with Getafe and Valladolid drew 1-1 with Zaragoza. —AP

the World newspaper. “I played there for six years and that’s a long time. I am still interested in watching Manchester United and, you never know, maybe in the future I could return to play there. It’s always possible.

“I am really happy at Madrid, and everyone knows this is my club, but of course I miss Manchester United, the boss, the players because I left family there.”

Ronaldo, who joined United as an 18year-old for 12.24 million pounds from Sporting Lisbon in 2003, played 292 times

for English club scoring 118 goals.

He has since made a bright start at Madrid, scoring 17 times in 17 domestic and European matches, but said he retained an interest in the Premier League.

“I think the English league sometimes is more exciting than La Liga. People love the game more in England. The fans love the game more. “In my opinion, the Premier League and La Liga are the two best leagues in the world, but in England the players are stronger.”—Reuters

www.kuwaittimes.net

Fulham into FA q-finals after killing off County

LONDON: Aston Villa’s James Collins (left) scores a goal during their fifth round FA Cup soccer match against Crystal Palace at the Selhurst Park stadium. —AP

Petrov helps Villa avoid exit LONDON: Stiliyan Petrov’s late header saved Aston Villa from an FA Cup embarrassment as the Bulgarian rescued a 2-2 draw against Championship club Crystal Palace in the fifth round yesterday.

Prior to Petrov’s intervention, Palace who are currently in administration looked on course for a shock victory thanks to Darren Ambrose’s stunning 70th minute free kick.

That strike had given the home side the lead after Villa’s James Collins had cancelled out Johnny Ertl’s opening goal in a thrilling cup tie at Selhurst Park.

The early demise of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United in this competition meant that Villa came into the tie knowing they had a great chance of securing a double Wembley final appearance this season.

In two weeks time they face United in the League Cup final and Martin O’Neill’s side could have been forgiven for getting ahead of themselves and noting that victory over Palace would ensure a place in an under-strength quarter-final draw.

O’Neill’s team selection - this was virtually a full strength Villa side - underlined the priority the manager was giving to this tie. And his players responded exactly as he would have wanted them to, taking control of the game and threatening repeatedly

from a succession of set-pieces.

Collins and Richard Dunne were both involved in goal-mouth scrambles after the home side failed to deal with corners and could have given the visitors the lead.

And O’Neill was left incensed when Ashley Young went down under a challenge from Palace full back Nathaniel Clyne only for referee Kevin Friend to wave away appeals for a penalty. Palace, though, have shown admirable character since the club was placed into administration.

The financial problems gripping the club have had a direct impact on the players with Neil Warnock’s side forced to wait for their monthly salary to be paid on more than one occasion.

And the continuing uncertainty surrounding club means they have been unable to plan for their futures beyond the end of this season. The 10-point penalty imposed by the Football League after the club was placed in the hands of the administrator has transformed a potential promotion campaign into a fight against relegation. But Warnock is a past master at creating a siege mentality and the fourth round victory over Wolves showed there is nothing wrong with the spirit at the south London club.

That spirit was again in evidence when

they responded to Villa’s early pressure by taking a 25th minute lead through Ertl.

Neil Danns worked his way into the box on the left and won a corner that Ambrose swung in towards Ertl who met the cross with a firm header on the edge of the six yard box.

Villa immediately knew they were in a full-blooded cup tie and they took just eleven minutes to equalise through Collins.

Like Palace, Villa’s best chances came from corners and this time defender Collins connected with a near post header from Stewart Downing’s cross to equalise.

O’Neill was forced into a half-time change with John Carew replacing the injured Emile Heskey and the Norwegian striker quickly forced a good save out of Palace keeper Julian Speroni. That was the first of three excellent saves from the Argentine keeper to deny Carew.

And Speroni appeared to have laid the foundations for a shock victory when Ambrose drilled a stunning 70th minute free-kick past Brad Friedel’s weak attempted save from 35 yards.

That injected urgency into Villa’s play and their late efforts were rewarded when Petrov connected with Downing’s corner to head the visitors level in the 87th minute and set up a replay at Villa Park. —AFP

Del Piero brace lifts Juventus ROME: Italian veteran Alessandro del Piero played a captain’s role yesterday as his double inspired out-of-form Serie A giants Juventus to a welcome 3-2 victory over Genoa and give coach Alberto Zaccheroni his first win in the three matches he has been in charge.

The 35-year-old Del Piero’s brace and a goal from Brazilian striker Amauri saw the ‘Old Lady of Turin’ come from behind to record only their fourth win in 15 matches in all competitions.

Genoa took an early lead in Turin through club captain Marco Rossi which got the Juventus fans into an early bout of whistling and jeering. Rossi turned a defender and his low shot beat the keeper inside the post.

Juventus went on the attack desperately seeking an equaliser before the break and finally got it in the 42nd minute as Italy World Cup winning winger Mauro Camoranesi twisted and then turned the Genoa left back inside out.

The Argentinian-born wideman managed to get to the byline where he put in a splendid cross which was met by Amauri and his header gave the goal-

ITALY: Juventus Brazilian forward Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira is tackled by Genoa’s midfielder Alberto Zapater Arjol of Spain during their football match. —AFP keeper no chance.

Juventus took the lead just after the hour mark as Diego and Del Piero conjured up an excellent move. The Italian veteran played the ball to the Brazilian

playmaker, whose delicate backheel split the Genoa defence and Del Piero seized on the ball after carrying on his run into the box and slotted it into the net for his 271st goal for the club.

Italian League results/standings Chievo 0 Siena 1 (Ferreira 75); Cagliari 3 (Conti 13, Nene 30, Cossu 53) Bari 1 (S. Masiello 52); Parma 0 Lazio 2 (Stendardo 68, Zarate 89); Livorno 0 Bologna 1 (Di Vaio 22); Catania 0 Atalanta 0; Juventus 3 (Amauri 42, Del Piero 61, 78-pen) Genoa 2 (Rossi 16, 63).

Playing later Napoli v Inter Milan Italian league table ahead of yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Inter Milan Roma AC Milan Sampdoria Napoli Juventus Palermo Cagliari

23 24 23 24 23 24 24 23

16 14 13 11 10 11 10 10

5 5 6 6 8 5 7 5

2 5 4 7 5 8 7 8

49 42 39 32 32 38 32 37

20 27 24 31 27 32 30 30

53 47 45 39 38 38 37 35

Saturday Roma 4 (Brighi 33, 62, Julio Baptista 53, Riise 83) Palermo 1 (Miccoli 80-pen); Sampdoria 2 (Semioli 16, Pazzini 40) Fiorentina 0.

Friday AC Milan 3 Udinese 2 Natale 86) Genoa Bari Fiorentina Parma Chievo Bologna Lazio Udinese Catania Livorno Atalanta Siena

(Huntelaar 7, 57, Pato 39) (Floro Flores 45+2, Di 24 24 23 24 24 24 24 23 24 24 24 24

10 8 9 8 8 7 5 6 5 6 5 4

5 8 4 6 5 7 10 6 9 5 6 4

9 8 10 10 11 10 9 11 10 13 13 16

38 31 28 26 23 25 19 28 23 15 21 25

39 28 27 34 25 31 24 32 30 32 34 46

35 32 31 30 29 28 25 24 24 23 21 16

However, they had barely stopped celebrating before the game was level again as Rossi struck for a seocnd time.

Juventus, though, showed the steel that has been lacking in their recent form and won a penalty with 12 minutes remaining which del Piero converted to make it 3-2.

L azio got an immediate bounce out of having a new coach former Napoli boss Edy Reja replaced Davide Ballardini earlier in the week af ter the Romebased club dropped into the relegation zone.

Goals by defender Gugliemo Stendardo and young Argentinian striker Mauro Zarate saw Lazio champions 10 years ago and Cup winners last season - to a 2-0 win away at Parma.

AS Roma and coach Claudio Ranieri will be hoping that Napoli can defeat leaders Inter Milan in the late match which would see Roma only trailing Jose Mourinho’s side by six points and with momentum definitely on their side.

Roma had done their job on Saturday with a 4-1 demolition of Palermo to extend their unbeaten run to 20 matches. —AFP

LONDON: Fulham romped into the FA Cup quarter-finals with an emphatic 4-0 win over League Two team Notts County yesterday.

Roy Hodgson’s side raced into a two-goal lead before halftime at Craven Cottage thanks to strikes from Simon Davies and Bobby Zamora.

Damien Duff and Stefano Okaka added further goals in the closing stages of the fifth round tie to keep Fulham on course for a first FA Cup final appearance since 1975 when they lost to West Ham. With a Europa League clash against Shakhtar Donetsk looming on Thursday, Hodgson could have opted to rest his key players, but the Cottagers boss fielded a strong line-up.

For Notts County, the lowest ranked team left in the competition, the chance to take on Premier League opposition was a welcome distraction from another tumultuous week which ended with the cash-strapped club being sold for one pound to Ray Trew and Sven-Goran Eriksson resigning as director of football.

However, it quickly became clear that Fulham weren’t going to allow their unheralded visitors time to get comfortable.

Zamora fired wide after latching onto Chris Baird’s pass, then County keeper Kasper Schmeichel, son of former Manchester United star Peter Schmeichel, made a fine stop to keep out David Elm’s effort.

County threatened briefly when Ben Davies forced Mark Schwarzer to tip over the crossbar and, from the resulting corner, Lee Hughes should have done better than shoot straight at the Australian goalkeeper.

Any thoughts that County would spring a surprise were dashed in the 22nd minute when Danny Murphy chipped a pass to Davies on the edge of the area.

Wales midfielder Davies had his back to goal but turned quickly and drove his shot past Schmeichel’s far corner for his first goal of the season.

Craig Westcarr tested Schwarzer moments later when he met Hughes’s flick with a goalbound shot. But former West Ham forward Zamora finished off a move that emphasised Fulham’s extra quality as he collected Elm’s backheel and lashed past Schmeichel in the 41st minute.

County threw caution to the wind after half-time in a bid to get back in the match and Davies flashed two efforts wide in quick succession.

With the visitors leaving more spaces at the back, Hodgson’s side picked them off in the closing stages. Republic of Ireland winger Duff turned in Zamora’s cross in the 74th minute before Okaka, on loan from Roma, drove a powerful shot past Schmeichel three minutes after coming off the bench. —AFP

LONDON: Fulham’s Bobby Zamora (second left) competes with Notts County’s (from left) Jamie Clapham, Mike Edwards and Neal Bishop, during their English FA Cup 5th round soccer match. —AP

Jaaskelainen’s penalty save frustrates Spurs BOLTON: Jussi Jaaskelainen was Bolton’s hero as the Finland goalkeeper saved Tom Huddlestone’s secondhalf penalty to force a 1-1 draw against Tottenham in the FA Cup fifth round yesterday.

Bolton dominated the opening period at the Reebok Stadium and deserved their lead after Kevin Davies finished off a fine passing move.

But Spurs equalised when Jermain Defoe fired in his fifth goal in five games and Huddlestone could have won it from the spot, only for Jaaskelainen to earn Bolton a replay with a fine stop.

Jaaskelainen told ITV: “It was a nice feeling to save the penalty. Sometimes it goes my way, I just decided to go and saved it.”

Davies felt Bolton should have killed off Spurs and he added: “The amount of chances we created we should probably have put them to bed. We let them back into the game and Jussi made a great save to keep us in the tie.”

Bolton may be facing up to a relegation battle but they backed up manager Owen Coyle’s insistence that they still wanted to enjoy a long cup run.

The hosts made a bright start and Fabrice Muamba

sliced wide from just outside the area before Johan Elmander had a close-range effort deflected wide by Michael Dawson.

Zat Knight shot straight at Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes after Peter Crouch headed away from Paul Robinson’s deep free kick.

Tottenham finally posed some sort of threat when Gareth Bale cut in from the left and shot well wide. But Bolton were still dominant and Swedish striker Elmander should have done better than the sliced effort he came up with after being played through by Ricardo Gardner.

Despite Bolton’s greater possession, Gomes had not really been made to work until he produced a fine low save to push a Taylor free kick around the post.

But 11 minutes before the break, Bolton got the goal they deserved with a strike of real quality. They kept hold of the ball for some time before it was worked out to the right and South Korean midfielder Chung-Yong Lee sent Elmander into the area.

The Swede crossed to the far post and Davies beat Gomes with a low shot into the corner. The pressure continued after the restart with

Lee’s cross being laid off by Elmander before a Davies drive was deflected wide by Dawson.

A quick counter attack saw Davies flick Elmander into space and he teed up Muamba, only for the former Arsenal midfielder to slice wide.

Tottenham finally created a decent opening when Bentley crossed from the right and Peter Crouch beat Jaaskelainen in the air only for his header to come back off the bar.

A minute later the bar saved Bolton again as Wilson Palacios drove into the box and crossed before the ball bounced off Paul Robinson and on to the woodwork. But in the 61st minute, Tottenham pulled level with a neat goal of their own.

Gretar Steinsson backed off, allowing Bale to break into the box and the full back crossed for Defoe to stab past Jaaskelainen. As Tottenham pressed hard for a second, Jaaskelainen was forced into a fine save from Spurs sub Niko Kranjcar.

With 20 minutes left, referee Phil Dowd penalised Sam Ricketts for a handball as Crouch attempted to lift the ball over the Bolton defender.

But Jaaskelainen guessed right and pushed away Huddlestone’s penalty to keep Bolton on level terms. —AFP

Emotional clash for Beckham LONDON: AC Milan midfielder David Beckham insists he will be able to cope with the emotions of his first encounter with former club Manchester United in the Champions League tomorrow.

Beckham will face United in a competitive game for the first time since quitting Old Trafford to join Real Madrid in 2003 when the English champions visit the San Siro for the first knockout round first leg. —AFP

LONDON: Tottenham Hotpur’s Jermaine Defoe reacts after scoring against Bolton Wanderers during their English FA Cup fifth round soccer match at The Reebok Stadium. —AP

Chelsea drawn at home again in FA Cup LONDON: Holders Chelsea will play Manchester City or Stoke City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup next month after the draw was made yesterday.

If Manchester City beat Stoke in a replay on Feb. 24, the cup meeting could bring together former Chelsea team mates John Terry and Wayne Bridge, who have fallen out over personal matters, face to face for the second week in succession.

Chelsea are due to host Manchester

City in a Premier League match on Feb. 27 when left back Bridge is expected to return to Stamford Bridge for the first time since media allegations that Terry had an extra-marital affair with Bridge’s former girlfriend.

With four of this weekend’s fifthround ties ending in draws, the only definite pairing will see debt-ravaged Portsmouth facing Birmingham City at Fratton Park when the quarter-final ties are played on the weekend of

March 6 and 7.

Fulham, who saw off League Two (fourth division) Notts County on Sunday, host the winners of the replay between Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.

If Championship (second division) side Crystal Palace beat Premier League Aston Villa in their replay at Villa Park they will face the winners of the allChampionship replay between Reading and West Bromwich Albion. —Reuters

Burgan Bank declares net profit of KD 6.2m

22

Kuwait spending on ERP to rise by 25% in 2010

23

Spanish govt struggles with crisis message

25

Monday, February 15, 2010

www.kuwaittimes.net

Weekly commodity update

Oil finds support but going nowhere fast

By Ole Hansen

T

he focus in financial markets stayed with Greece and the potential implications for currency and commodity markets.

The fiscal debt problems that caused a flight to secure government bonds and the dollar away from commodity and equity markets still lingers as Germany made clear that they were not willing to pull out the cheque book.

Chinese bank lending in January rose more than the previous three months combined thereby underlining the risk of the economy overheating with higher inflation as a result. This prompted the Chinese Central Bank on Friday for the second time this year to raise banks’ reserve requirement. Chinese celebration of New Year will leave some markets closed most of next week and reduced activity is expected.

Mixed signals in energy markets as OPEC released a downbeat assessment of oil demand for 2010. They now only expect global demand to pick up by 800,000 barrels a day which is in contrast to the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast for a rises of 1.2 and 1.44 million barrels a day respectively. Most if not all of the increase in demand will be from emerging markets and should China pull the breaks even further we could see prices come under pressure later in the year.

Commodity markets spent most of the week trying to recover from the wash out last Friday when the panic about sovereign debt fear reached new highs. In the days that followed the CRB index managed to rise five percent before the Chinese hike in reserve requirements drove the dollar to a new 2010 high versus the Euro and put the fragile recovery in commodities under pressure. The energy sector did however managed to rise as most of the US was hit by another round of severe winter weather increasing the demand for heating oil. Crude in US storage rose to October 2009 levels and Gasoline rose to 1999 levels clearly showing that the market continues to be well supplied.

This leaves prices nowhere to go fast over the coming months.

While we wait for further clarification about the health and speed of the global recovery range trading between $65 and $85 seems to be the most likely outcome.

Technically the bulls have found their footing again after the firm rejection below $70 with $68.50 now confirmed as a major level of support. However the downward sloping channel from the December highs at $75.45 held once again and only a break above would signal upside potential initially towards $76.75 followed by $78.

Gold continue to be trading at the mercy of fluctuations in the value of the dollar. The five percent rally from the previous low last Friday was primarily driven by profit taking on long dollar currency positions. The combination of Germany’s lukewarm approach to a Greek solution and Chinas hike in reserves requirements turned the market lower once again.

The world’s biggest gold ETF, the SPDR Gold Trust, only saw 0.5% redemption during the 6% sell off last week indicating that investors still view the current phase as a correction instead of change in direction. The upside is currently capped by resistance at $1,109 being the trend line from the December 2009 high while support is the recent low at $1,045 followed by 200 day moving average at 1,026.50.

Industrial metals could suffer the most from the Chinese tightening as traders will be wondering how long this process will last and what kind of impact if will have on current economic activity. HG Copper for May delivery which rallied 12% from the $283 low last Friday went searching for support as the rally was abruptly halted.

Silver failed to outperform gold during the recent rally with the technical picture not looking that healthy. Given its weaker fundamentals, silver could be more vulnerable than gold if the dollar continue to make new highs. The 200 day moving average at $16 signals strong resistance with $15.75 being the high this week. A break below $15.25 could signal a resumption of the sell off with an initial target of $14.64 followed by $13.50.

Global recovery fragile: Wolin US treasury official upbeat about US economic growth JEDDAH: The United States economy is expected to continue growing this year, although global recover y remains fragile, Deputy US Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin said yesterday.

Growth of the world’s biggest economy is expected to cool this year after a burst of activity late last year as challenges remain in bank lending and policy-making.

“We expect to see continued growth in 2010,” Wolin told an economic for um in Saudi Arabia.

“To be sure, we still face considerable challenges. The market turbulence in recent weeks is a reminder that the recovery remains fragile,” he said at a panel discussion.

The US economy is expected to grow by 2.9 percent this year after an estimated contraction of 2.4 percent in 2009, a Reuters poll showed. It expanded by 5.7 percent annually in the fourth quarter, the fastest pace in six years.

US retail sales were surprisingly strong in January, data showed last week, indicating economic recovery was on track at a time when policymakers around the world are mulling when to withdraw massive fiscal stimulus without a risk of new downturn.

While recover y gained momentum in the US, the euro-zone GDP edged up by a mere 0.1 percent in the fourth quar ter from the previous three months and markets stay jittery about prospects of a default by its member Greece.

Wolin also said the US administration was working closely with Congress to enact regulator y refor ms and he hoped it would secure passage this year. “L egislation has passed the House of Representatives. And in the next few weeks we anticipate that our Senate Banking Committee will produce draft legislation of its own,” he said.

“I am hopeful that we will pass financial reform this year.” A fight over the gover nment proposal to create a new US watchdog for consumer financial products threatened on Friday to derail progress toward tighter bank and capital market regulation.

The US gover nment is committed to put public

Nissan has potential to double Mideast market share: Ghosn ABU DHABI: Nissan has the potential to double its market share in the Middle East but needs to offer the consumer more smaller and cheaper cars, Renault-Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn said yesterday.

“I think we are far, far from our potential,” said Ghosn, who was in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, to launch a new version of Nissan’s Patrol SUV. “I’m looking for doubling the market share in the Middle East.”

“One of the reasons .. we’re not maximising market share is we don’t have enough small cars, and cheaper cars,” he said. Small, inexpensive cars based on the company’s V-Platform, which will be launched in Geneva next month, will be key to addressing this shortage, he said.

Carla Bailo, program manager for the Patrol, said Nissan expects its updated SUV model to sell around 20,000 units a year in the Middle East, up from the current model’s five to eight thousand.

Nissan is the second-largest car manufacturer in terms of market share in the region after Toyota, Ghosn said, declining to give specific figures. He said Toyota’s brake and accelerator problems, which have caused the company to recall millions of vehicles, could offer Nissan a short-term tactical advantage, but probably nothing more.

“When a car company is in trouble, yes, you can have some tactical advantages in the short-term,” he said.

“But frankly, don’t expect anything more than that ... I think you progress in your market share because of your product, your merit, not because somebody else is weak.”

Ghosn also said he “would like Renault-Nissan to be the pioneer and the leader” in electric vehicles. “I want electric car (to) mean Renault or Nissan, period,” he said.

“There are two things which are absolutely important to understand for the electric car,” he said. “The first is the CO2 problem is here to stay,” and the second is that oil prices are likely to increase.

“I don’t think you need to be a huge visionary ... to say zero-emission cars are going to be a part of this industry,” he said, adding that the only question was how much of the market would be made up of electric cars.

“You’re gonna see that all car manufacturers will end up doing an electric car,” he said.

Nissan is to launch its first electric vehicle, the Leaf, by the end of 2010, Ghosn said.

He said that a Nissan electric light commercial vehicle, luxury sedan and a small “city car” were also in the works, along with four Renault electric vehicles. —AFP

Saudi CB says dollar serves economy well JEDDAH: The US dollar is serving Saudi Arabia’s economy well and the central bank expects to see more lending this year as banks’ balance sheets are robust, the Gulf country’s central bank head said yesterday.

“The dollar remains under the current conditions and the past serving the Saudi economy in a large way because our economy depends strongly on exporting oil, and our imports are mostly priced by the dollar,” said Muhammad Al-Jasser, Governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA).

“That is why it is only natural that the dollar remains the most suitable for us,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an economic forum. —Reuters

JEDDAH: US Deputy Treasury Secretary Neal Wolin addresses the 2010 Jeddah Economic Forum in the coastal Saudi city yesterday. —AFP

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) governor Mohammed Al-Jasser addresses the 2010 Jeddah Economic Forum in the coastal Saudi city yesterday. —AFP finances on a sustainable track in the years ahead, Wolin said, adding recommendations by the International Monetary

Fund on policy changes must be taken seriously by the Group of 20 leading economies.

President Barack Obama v o i c e d o n S a t u rd a y t h e importance of long-term deficit reduction, saying the

United States must go through its budget line by line and find ways how to save money. —Reuters

Dubai debt offer denied; UK says time running out DUBAI: Dubai’s handling of the debt crisis at flagship Dubai World will affect its ability to attract future investment, British Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said yesterday, amid a report the firm may offer creditors just 60 cents on the dollar.

Mandelson said the Gulf Arab emirate, which shocked global markets in November with plans to delay repayment on $26 billion in debt, must reach a “demonstrably fair” deal with creditors.

Dubai denied yesterday a Dow Jones report that it is mulling a two-part deal, including one that may repay lenders 60 percent over seven years. “Dubai has to be conscious of the fact that how it resolves its current problems will mean a great deal for the Dubai brand, its reputation and how it secures investment from overseas in the future,” Mandelson told a British business group meeting in the Gulf Arab emirate.

“Time is running out. The

current uncertainty and the lack of agreement cannot go on for much longer.” Dubai World is in talks with banks on the debt delay-about $22 billion linked to its main property units Nakheel and Limitless World-but has yet to present a formal proposal. It staved off default on a $4.1 billion Islamic bond linked to Nakheel, after a last minute bailout from Abu Dhabi in December.

Investors, already spooked by a lack of information on the company’s plans to repay the debt, reacted with dismay to the reported proposal. “Even though the news is not confirmed, a 40 percent haircut is potentially larger than what people were expecting, plus there’s the extra sting in the tail of seven years,” said Ali Khan, managing director and head of brokerage at Arqaam Capital.

“That’s weighing heavily on the market.”

Dubai’s benchmark index slumped 4.1 percent on investor

wor r y about such a deal. It closed down 3.5 percent. Citing two unnamed bankers, Dow Jones said the firm may offer 60 cents on the dollar in a plan that may come with a sovereign guarantee but does not pay interest.

The second offer may see creditors get full repayment, including 40 percent of their Dubai World debt in the form of assets in Nakheel, with no government guarantee and also over seven years, according to the bankers.

“There will be two offers on the table by the end of April,” according to one banker cited by Dow Jones. The ruler’s media office said it has not made any offer to Dubai World creditors and no offer would come before March or April, according to Al Arabiya television.

On Friday, Dubai debt insurance costs surged to 2-1/2 month highs and bond yields rose as growing uncertainty over

the fate of the debt-laden conglomerate World sent investors scrambling to hedge their exposure.

The company has been negotiating with an unofficial sevenmember coordinating committee of banks from the United Arab Emirates, Britain and Japan, which combined have about two thirds of total exposure to the conglomerate.

Britain’s Mandelson was in Dubai to urge the government for swift repayment of money owed to British contractors, which some media reports estimate to be as much as $2 billion.

Contractors, including British firms, are owed billions of dollars by government-linked entities, after the emirate’s oncebooming property sector collapsed as a result of the financial downturn. “(Dubai) has to tread carefully, it has to tread openly and it musn’t tread for too long,” Mandelson said. —Reuters

OPEC to weigh all options at meeting: Khelil ALGIERS: All options are open at the next meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in March, Algerian Energy and Mines Minister Chakib Khelil said yesterday.

Energy ministers from OPEC, whose 12 members pump more than a third of the world’s oil, meet in Vienna on March 17 to decide whether to change production levels for crude or leave them as they are. Asked by Reuters if OPEC would consider new cuts in output or tightening compliance with previous cuts at the meeting, Khelil said: “I think all options are open.”

In late 2008, OPEC cut supply by 4.2 million barrels per day, or about 5 percent of world demand, in response to lower demand and prices caused by the global economic downturn.

Since then oil prices have recovered to reach about $75 a barrel at the end of last week, but several oil producing countries have said the economic recovery is for the time being too fragile to start increasing production again.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an industry event in the Algerian capital, Khelil declined to comment on a corruption investigation into state energy firm Sonatrach.

CEO Mohamed Meziane and several other senior executives were removed from their posts last month and are under judicial investigation.

Neither Meziane nor the other executives named in the case have commented on the allegations.

Khelil also said he was hopeful a deal would be reached with Total on a longdelayed plan to build an ethanol hydrocracker in the Algerian port of Arzew. “It (the negotiation) is still going on. It definitely depends on both sides whether they will arrive at an agreement,” he said. “But the issues that were pending, I think were resolved so supposedly we should be going ahead.”

Total and Sonatrach signed a framework agreement on the hydrocracker in 2007, but after that the project stalled.

A hydrocracker converts heavy crude oil into refined products.

Total boss Christophe de Margerie said progress was made when he discussed the plan with Khelil during a visit to Algeria last month. —Reuters

22

BUSINESS

Monday, February 15, 2010

Operating profit increases by 27%

Burgan Bank declares net profit of KD 6.2m KUWAIT: Burgan Bank, amongst the leading and most dynamic commercial banks in the state of Kuwait, announced a net profit of KD 6.2 million for the year 2009. The results are after additional specific and general provisions KD 82.8 million taken during the year. These provisions are in addition to the KD 37.3 million of unallocated general

provisions available in the bank books and booked in previous years.

During the period, the Bank’s operating income of KD 155 million grew by 28% and operating profit grew to KD 111 million with a growth of 27% over the operating income and profit of 2008 and EPS stood at 6.1 fils after provisions.

The results have been consolidated with the bank’s subsidiaries, namely Gulf Bank Algeria and Jordan Kuwait Bank, in which Burgan Bank has a majority stake and includes a share of the net profit from Bank of Baghdad, which was an associate bank in 2009. During 2009, all of the subsidiaries and associates demonstrated growth across key business indicators, in line with Bank’s Regional Expansion Strategy.

Tariq AbdulSalam, Chairman of Burgan Bank said, “Despite the challenging environment in 2009, we are happy with our year-end financial results. This is attributable to our prudent investment, risk management and provisioning policies as well as our focus on

strategic goals. The results reiterate our foremost commitment to our shareholders and our customers and we are optimistic that we will achieve good financial results in 2010 despite the uncertainty in the global and regional economic climate.”

“In 2009, we continued to focus on our customer centric approach towards business to address the banking and financial priorities for customers and investors alike. We have continued to uphold due diligence and prudent risk mitigation which have enabled us to successfully avert the implications that have resulted from the global turmoil and its impact locally. The Bank’s Basel II capital adequacy ratio of 16.9% stands above the

required levels and strongly positions the Bank’s capitalization. These indicators are supportive of Burgan Bank’s growth strategy to position itself as one of the leading banks in Kuwait.

With the recent approval to increase our capital, we are confident and ambitious that during 2010 and beyond we will maintain better growth rates and continue our expansion strategy as well as adopt best practices across our business lines.”

“On behalf of the Board and myself, I would also like to take this opportunity to extend our thanks to all our customers for their loyalty, and to our dedicated staff for their continued support and commitment”, concluded AbdulSalam.

Oman boosts oil output for second year in 2009 MUSCAT: Oman raised oil output for the second consecutive year in 2009, beating production for the previous year by 7.4 percent, official data showed yesterday.

Oman turned around a decline in output through investment in its ageing fields, reaching a peak of 956,000 bpd in 2001 before beginning an annual decline until 2008.

Oman in 2009 produced an average of 812,500 barrels per day (bpd) of oil compared to 756,800 bpd the year earlier, data from the national

economy minister said. The data confirmed what the country’s Economy Minister Ahmad Mekki said last month, when he gave a preliminary output estimate for the year of 810,000 bpd. The sultanate’s oil minister said in November that Oman planned to boost output for a third consecutive year in 2010, with a target for the end of the year of 900,000 bpd.

Oman is a small independent oil producer but the price of its oil forms part of benchmarks used in pricing

around 10 million bpd of crude that sails from the Middle East to Asia.

Natural gas output also rose, with production for the full year at 1.097 trillion cubic feet up 2.6 percent from 1.069 tcf in 2008. The country is short of natural gas for heavy industry and power plants. The government gives priority to domestic consumption, leaving the country unable to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) at full capacity from its LNG plants.

Like its Gulf Arab neighbors,

Oman saw the price of the crude it sells fall sharply in 2009 as the global economic slowdown sapped oil demand and saw prices slide from the 2008 peak of near $150 a barrel to under $33 in early 2009.

Oman sold its oil at an average price of $56.67 a barrel in 2009, down 43.9 percent a year earlier.

The Gulf Arab state is investing heavily in oil and gas exploration to improve production. The sector accounts for about 80 percent of its state income. — Reuters

The officials of the Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance and the UAE State Audit Institution (SAI) sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Hawkamah and UAE state audit institution sign MOU Deal aims to strengthen public sector governance ABU DHABI: The Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance and the UAE State Audit Institution (SAI) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at improving corporate governance within the UAE Public Sector and its stateowned enterprises.

The agreement reflects both Hawkamah and SAI’s strong commitment to promoting corporate governance, particularly with regard to state-owned enterprises, where high levels of corporate governance can deliver enormous benefits.

According to Dr Nasser Saidi, Executive Director of Hawkamah, these benefits include “improvement in the quality of public services, better public financial management, greater transparency and protection of the state’s interests. By joining hands in this way to promote

corporate governance, we send a strong message that we will work together to overcome the corporate governance challenges faced by the UAE’s state-owned enterprises and government related enterprises” SAI is mandated by federal law to conduct independent audits across federal ministries and other entities in which the UAE government has partial or full ownership, with the goal of supporting the objectives of the UAE Federal Government.

Dr Harib Al Amimi, President of SAI, said, “At SAI, we are committed to promoting global best practices and helping to embed corporate governance more deeply into the operations of public sector organizations in the UAE. We are taking clear steps in that direction.

Through this agreement and our work with Hawkamah, we can further contribute to

the improvement of corporate governance, financial management and operational performance within the UAE public sector.”

The MOU provides a framework for Hawkamah and SAI to collaborate across a range of fields. Both organisations will undertake joint activities aimed at raising awareness of, and further developing, public sector governance; developing educational materials to promote good governance; promoting governance through SAI employees; making presentations at professional development activities organised

by Hawkamah; and providing SAI employees with opportunities to pursue continuing professional development through involvement in Hawkamah activities. Under the agreement, SAI will also work with Hawkamah to conduct corporate governance research in the UAE.

Blancpain introduces a ‘re-imagined’ Villeret Moon Phase Baselworld 2010 marks the 275th Anniversary for Blancpain and is the occasion for the debut of a new Villeret collection. The first timepiece from this new series to be unveiled is a new complete calendar moon-phase model featuring a fully secure calendar mechanism, and under-lug correctors, fitted into a half-hunter red gold case.

This new Blancpain Villeret Collection distils aesthetics and complications that have been at Blancpain’s core since the early 1980s. The understatement and elegance that have always marked Blancpain’s Villeret models have been brought forward in a new way, backed by the technical advances

Oman inflation speeds up to 0.9% y/y in Dec

Baselworld 2010 preview achieved through Blancpain’s heavy investment in movement development over the past several years. The complete calendar moon-phase has always been the signature complication for the Villeret Collection.

This Blancpain’s exclusive inhouse automatic calibre is fitted with a balance oscillating at 28,800 vibrations per hour with an antimagnetic index assembly, and with two barrels guaranteeing it a 72-hour power reserve. Nearly as complex as a full perpetual calendar, this Villeret model features a revolutionary method for adjusting the indications without fear of

movement damage, regardless of the time of day. To facilitate setting of the indications, Blancpain has equipped the new Villeret timepiece with its patented under-lug correctors.

This not only leaves the sides of the watches with a remarkably pure finish, unmarred by the presence of adjusters, but also means that changes can be accomplished with one’s finger tips instead of requiring a dedicated tool.

For the first model of the new Villeret Collection, Blancpain has opted for a 40 mm red gold half-hunter case and a decorated opaline dial.

MUSCAT: Oman’s inflation accelerated slightly to 0.9 percent year-on-year in December helped by a rise in food prices, data showed yesterday.

The global financial crisis slashed price growth across the world’s largest oil exporting region last year from 2008 record, double-digit peaks with some countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar experiencing deflation. Consumer prices rose 0.8 percent in November, 2009, keeping well below a record high of 13.7 percent from June, 2008.

On the month, the consumer price index of the Gulf Arab sultanate rose by 0.2 percent in December in the same increase as in the pre-

vious month, data from the economy ministry showed. Annual inflation eased to 3.4 percent in 2009, sharply below 12.5 percent in 2008 as the global economy cooled down.

Analysts have forecast Oman’s inflation at 3.0 percent in 2009 and at 4.0 percent in 2010.

Food prices, which have the largest weight in the basket, rose 0.9 percent month-onmonth in December, after staying flat in the previous month. Rents and energy category in the non-OPEC oil producer was unchanged in December, data showed. Oman’s consumer prices soared in 2008 on imported inflation as a result of the weak US dollar, which the rial currency is pegged to. —Reuters

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2830000 .4470000 .3910000 .2660000 .2660000 .2470000 .0045000 .0020000 .0781130 .7610300 .4020000 .0750000 .7460570 .0045000 .0500000

.2930000 .4560000 .4000000 .2760000 .2760000 .2570000 .0075000 .0035000 .0788980 .7686780 .4180000 .0790000 .7535550 .0072000 .0580000

US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2876000 .4490360 .39237080 .2682660 .2682290 .0528860 .0387850 .2495220 .0370110 .2023420 .0032180 .0061840 .0025230 .0034030 .0042130 .0783410 .7632490 .4067440 .0767320 .7473850 .0062510

.2897000 .4522070 .3964880 .2701660 .2701280 .0532610 .0390590 .2512840 .0372730 .2037730 .0032400 .0062280 .0025400 .0034270 .0042430 .0788410 .7681160 .4096250 .0772210 .7521510 .0062960

US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2897000 .4522070 .2701660 .0772210

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 288.950 Euro 398.500 Sterling Pound 458.000

Canadian dollar Turkish lire Swiss Franc Australian dollar US Dollar Buying

279.200 190.900 272.500 256.400 286.500

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.247 6.219 3.404 2.515 3.901 205.200 37.212 4.179 6.240 8.723 0.301 0.292

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 56.000 52.642 1.363 209.400 408.240 195.240 6.320 35.673 GCC COUNTRIES 77.094 79.430 751.010 767.800 78.733

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

SELL CASH 261.300 768.250 4.450 279.600 567.300 15.800 53.800 167.800 55.970 398.500

10 Tola

GOLD 1,181.970

37.730 6.220

408.350 0.194 87.310 3.910 204.700

SELL DRAFT 259.800 768.250 4.184 278.100

206.800 52.663 397.000

US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Cyprus Pound Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.

271.500 8.900 78.830 288.900

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Candaian Dollars

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 456.300 288.900

288.800 278.975 458.515 402.990 268.290 707.865 763.840 78.610 79.250 77.045 407.535 52.655 6.225 3.410

2.510 4.180 6.205 3.210 8.695 5.560 3.900

Currency 750.250 3.415 6.240 79.470 77.130 206.800 40.240 2.515 456.300

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash

37.880 6.560 0.034 0.291 0.259 3.310 409.940 0.195 87.310 37.100 4.260 206.200 2.183 50.000 750.430 3.500 6.410 79.900 77.130 206.800 40.240 2.775 458.300 40.800 273.000 6.400 9.090 217.900 78.830 288.300 1.410

Sterling Pound US Dollar

GOLD 214.000 110.000 57.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal

288.950 3.410 6.215 2.525 4.185 6.280 78.655 77.220 767.700 52.635 458.100 0.0000312 3.900 1.550 410.200 5.750 399.000 281.800

Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change

Transfer rate 288.500 396.750 456.000 277.800 3.230 6.220 52.635 2.512 4.166 6.235 3.415 767.000 78.675 77.100

BUSINESS

Monday, February 15, 2010

23

Greece stalks euro-zone, dollar gains ground KUWAIT: The debt crisis in Greece, and its ramifications on other highly indebted countries such as Spain and Portugal, and on the Euro Zone as a whole, were the main drivers of the foreign exchange markets last week.

The major currencies were quite volatile and traded in relatively wide ranges, with a stronger US dollar trend still in place. The euro started the week strongly, with news coming out of the EU announcing to support Greece. It rallied from 1.3678 to a high of 1.3839 on Tuesday, but weakened thereafter on concerns that the support plan announced was not going to be enough to solve Greece’s problems.

The euro ended the week at 1.3632. The sterling pound range traded between a high of 1.5765 and a low of 1.5536. However, the currency was able to sustain minor strengthening against the greenback, and closed the week at 1.5701. The Japanese Yen was also weaker, and closed at 89.96. The exception was the Australian dollar, which was able to strengthen against the US dollar to 0.89 levels, especially after the better-than-expected job report.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke detailed last week how the US central bank will begin to separate the economy from its extraordinary monetary stimulus, even as he stressed it was not yet time to do so.

Bernanke said the Fed would likely begin tightening monetary policy by removing some of the cash from the financial system before turning to raise benchmark short-term interest rates.

The US central bank has pumped more than $ 1 trillion into the economy after cutting the Fed Fund rate to near-zero levels in an effort to combat the financial crisis. He added that the Fed could soon raise the discount rate it charges banks for emergency loans, but stressed that this would not be related to a tightening in monetary policy.

Jobless claims The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance fell sharply last week, as states cut down a year-end accumulation of claims, bringing claims down to a level that signals companies are firing fewer workers as the economy recovers. There were 440,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended February 6, down 43,000 from a revised 483,000 the previous week.

The continuous jobless claims, an indicator showing the number of people filing for jobless benefits for at least two consecutive weeks, is still decreasing and currently stands around 4.5 million, a level that represents a 13-month low for the job environment indicator.

by 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2009 from the previous quarter.

German Gross Domestic Product (GDP) showed no growth in the final quarter of last year as shown by official data on Friday, leaving Europe’s largest economy on a weak footing going into 2010. GDP was unchanged quarter-on-quarter, and followed a growth of 0.7% in the previous quarter. The stall reflected weak investment and consumption offsetting a rise in German exports. Economists expect private consumption to lend little, if any, support to the recovery this year, with an expected rise in unemployment sapping households’ willingness to spend.

NBK WEEKLY MONEY MARKETS REPORT

Europe A pledge by the European Union to stand by crisis-hit Greece punctured hopes in the financial markets last week of a swift rescue and raised fears of renewed selling. European leaders sought to support Greece at a summit last week, but failed to offer concrete proposals to help the country tackle its debt crisis. The leaders of the 27-nation region, unwilling to spread the problems to other highly indebted nations such as Spain and Portugal, promised “determined and coordinated action, if needed, to safe-

guard stability” of the euro zone, which has been shaken by turmoil in bond markets amid fears that Greece’s debt problems could spread.

The agreement amounted to an implicit assurance to help the country if it had problems in refinancing debt in April and May, and stopped short of providing immediate support for Athens.

Moreover, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) joined the European Union on Friday in pledging support to Greece in its struggle to bring its ballooning budget deficit

under control and contain its debt crisis. John Lipsky from the IMF said “We stand willing and able to support Greece in ways that the Greek authorities think is appropriate”.

GDP in euro-zone Official figures showed that the economy in the 16-country Euro region barely grew in the last three months of 2009, a further sign that the single currency bloc’s recovery from recession is being constrained by the performance of some of its weakest members. GDP grew only

Inflation report In a cautious quarterly inflation report, the governor of the Bank of England (BOE), Mervyn King , said that the British economy is continuing to “bump along the bottom”, and was keen to stress that the option of resuming quantitative easing remains open although the GBP 200 billion program is now complete. “It is far too soon to conclude that no more purchases will be needed. So the committee will keep its options open, and further purchases will be made if they prove necessary”, said Mr. King.

The Pound fell and government bonds rallied as investors bet it would be a long time before the BoE starts rais-

ing interest rates from their current record low of 0.50%; worse, the BoE could even boost its asset-purchase scheme.

Australian employers added the most workers in more than three years in January, sending the currency surging on speculation that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will resume its round of interest rate increases. The number of people employed rose 52,000 from December, more than triple the estimated 15,000. The jobless rate fell from 5.5% to an 11-month low of 5.3%, as shown by the statistics bureau in Sydney. The biggest hiring boom in five years is increasing pressure on the RBA’s governor Glenn Stevens to resume raising borrowing costs in order to prevent a surge in wages, thus feeding inflation. The better-than-expected result was driven by rising numbers of part-time and, to a lesser extent, full-time workers. Jobs are being created in mining, energy and construction, analysts said, fuelled by demand from China and others. The continuous fall in the unemployment rate backs comments made by the Australian prime minister that the rate had previously peaked in August 2009 at 5.9%.

Kuwait Dinar at 0.28820 The USD/KD opened at 0.28820 yesterday morning.

Upper limit on syndicated loans planned

Bahrain CB to tighten banks’ credit exposures TOKYO: Shoppers pass a sign reading ‘welcome customers’ at a Tokyo department store. Japan’s government started issuing visas to individual Chinese tourists last July as demand for non-group travel increases. — AFP

MANAMA: The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) launched a consultation process yesterday with banks aimed at introducing tighter limits on banks’ credit and asset exposures. The CBB said in a statement on its website it plans to introduce an upper limit on commitments to underwriting securities or syndicated loans of 30 percent of banks’ capital for a

period of 90 days.

The regulator that oversees a regional banking centre also said it plans to introduce tighter limits on banks exposures to directors and associated companies. The aggregate limits on this will fall to 25 percent from 40 percent for conventional banks, while the limits for Islamic banks will also be tightened. The

proposed new regulations also include a new definition of credit underwriting and caps on banks’ temporary exposures to assets they plan to securitize or place with investors.

Banks will not be allowed to have exposure to such assets for more than 90 days and the exposure cannot exceed 25 percent of their capital base.

The placement of real estate projects and private equity deals with investors has been the main revenue source for many of Bahrain’s investment houses during an oil-fuelled regional property boom that ended 2008.

Banks licensed by the CBB can submit responses to the consultation paper until March 10. — Reuters

HDFC Ltd presents Germans say euro-zone may have to expel Greece: Poll ‘India Homes Fair’ 23 firms to attend 2-day expo KUWAIT: HDFC Kuwait is hosting its second ‘India Homes Fair’, an exclusive property exhibition for non-resident Indians at Hotel Ramada, Riggae, Kuwait. Beginning on Friday, February 19, 2010, this two-day exhibition has 23 leading developers exhibiting over 100 projects from all across India including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kochi and Pune amongst other cities.

The objective of this show is to provide a platform for home seekers to directly interact with a large pool of renowned developers under one roof, seek information on their established & upcoming projects which are HDFC approved and also seek assistance on HDFC’s Home Loan Advisory Services.

At HDFC’s ‘India Homes Fair’, over 10000 units are on display. Visitors can choose from a wide range of under construction & ready possession properties comprising of bungalows, row houses, flats, plots with sizes ranging between 600 sq. ft to 4500 sq. ft. costing Rs 20 lakh to Rs 5 crore.

Customer satisfaction is the hallmark of all HDFC offerings.

HDFC is quick to recognize the market pulse and thereby set higher benchmarks of service delivery on a continuous basis. In addition to the full suite of home loan options, HDFC’s ‘Advisory Services on Home Loans & Indian Property’ in Kuwait provides Total Housing Solutions to NRIs and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) in the Middle East wanting to buy properties in India.

HDFC’s strength lies in its well-trained personnel who have in-depth knowledge of the Indian real estate sector. HDFC’s specialized team of counselors will not only provide customers personalized home loan counseling, but also provide advice to identify and buy properties in India, in-house legal and technical advice relating to property related documentation and flexible repayment options tailor made to suit their requirement.

“HDFC well understands the fact that home buying can be a tedious process especially if one is living miles away from one’s aspired house. As pioneers in housing finance in India, we have over three decades of experience and the requisite processes in place to guide and empower customers to take an informed decision on buying a property back in their home land.

At this exhibition our attempt is to bring reputed developers with a multitude of offerings in order to offer maximum choice and convenience to customers under the same roof. We believe that this exhibition is an excellent platform for customers to directly interact with developers and get first hand knowledge about the property best suited to them, and trust that they will make the most of the opportunity,” Renu Sud Karnad, Managing Director, HDFC Ltd said. HDFC’s ‘India Homes Fair’ is open for visitors between 10 am to 1.30 pm and 3 pm to 8 pm, at ‘India Homes Fair’ customers can have a look at the established & new projects of developers.

So walk-in with your loved ones on Friday-February 19 & Saturday-February 20, 2010 and allow us to assist you in your home buying process by being ‘With You, Right Through’.

The Indian real estate market This is a good time to buy property in India. The cost of acquiring a property came down significantly between October 2008 and March 2009 due to a combination of factors such as drop in property prices, lower specifications and reduction in average size of the units and interest rates coming down from the 2008 levels. This was one of the major factors, which led the Indian real estate industry to bounce back.

However over the last couple of months, property prices have been inching up across the country and particularly in metros like Mumbai and Delhi. This is bringing in a lot of prospective home buyers who were waiting to buy a home but had deferred their decision. Thus over the past couple of quarters, developers have seen acceleration in sales and also a substantial increase in the inquiry levels for properties.

BERLIN: A majority of Germans want debt-ridden Greece to be thrown out of the euro-zone if necessary and more than two-thirds oppose handing Athens billions of euros in credit, a poll published yesterday showed.

Vocal opposition to aid for Greece from members of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition also grew at the weekend with several senior politicians expressing skepticism, especially as Germany’s own recovery is fragile. The Emnid poll for Bild am Sonntag newspaper showed 53 percent of Germans asked said the European Union should, if necessary, expel Greece from the euro zone.

Athens has struggled to convince investors it is tackling its debt crisis and markets are nervous about a default. EU leaders discussed the issue last week and offered words of support but failed to outline concrete steps, further unsettling markets. Euro zone finance ministers are expected to discuss Greece again today and tomorrow.

Merkel has adopted a cautious stance on support, saying while Greece will not be left on its own, it is up to Athens to sort out its own problems. The poll also showed 67 percent of Germans did not want Germany and other EU states to give billions of euros in credit to Greece.

“If we start now, where do we stop?”

Kuwait’s Mazaya eyes debt-equity swap DUBAI: Kuwait’s Al-Mazaya Holding is discussing a debt-forequity swap with regional creditors using the 50 million shares it holds in its treasury, the company’s chief executive was quoted as saying yesterday. “We are in talks with banks in Kuwait, Bahrain and Dubai to offer our treasury shares in return for conversion of debt into equity,” Khalid Esbaitah, CEO of Al-Mazaya Holding told newspaper Emirates Business. Mazaya Holding has term loans worth KD45 million ($156.1 million), the paper said. — Reuters

UAE’s MEC in talks to lease Indonesian farmland: Report DUBAI: The UAE’s Minerals Energy Commodities Holding (MEC) is in talks with Indonesia to lease around 100,000 hectares (247,100 acres) of farmland, the firm’s vice chairman said yesterday.

Gulf countries, mainly reliant on food imports have ramped up efforts to buy land in developing nations such as Pakistan, the Philippines and Ethiopia to secure food supplies. The farmland MEC plans to lease is located in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province, the region where MEC also has a railway and coal project worth around $1 billion.

MEC is a 50-50 joint venture between government-run investment fund RAK Minerals and Metals Investments (RMMI) and privately-run UAE-based mining company Trimex. RMMI is based in the Ras Al-Khaimah, one of the northern emirates in the seven member federation of the UAE. “In that area there is about 400,000 hectares of available land to lease and we are planning to lease around 100,000 hectares of that,” MEC Vice

Chairman Madhu Koneru told Reuters.

The land will be used for the production of rice, sugar cane, palm oil and fruits, Koneru added. “We are will be looking for partners for this project from the Middle East, because primarily the Middle East has been aggressive at trying to secure its food supplies,” he said.

MEC plans to start the agriculture project by 2011 and to transport the goods would use the 140 kilometers (86.99 miles) rail track that it is building to transport coal from a mine in the region to a port.

Involvement in farmland could also lead MEC to develop a fertilizer business in the region, Koneru said.

“The moment agriculture comes in we would need fertilizers and this would give us the opportunity to develop and expand our minerals business,” said Koneru.

MEC, previously known as Middle East Coal, has expanded plans for the East Kalimantan region since first announcing its interest in a coal mine there in January 2008. — Reuters

Michael Fuchs, deputy head of Merkel’s conservatives in parliament, told Welt am Sonntag newspaper. “I can’t explain to people on unemployment benefit that they won’t get a cent more but Greeks can draw a pension at 63.”

In her first term, Merkel raised Germany’s retirement age to 67 from 65 in an effort to rein in the deficit to meet EU goals.

Merkel’s coalition partners, the probusiness Free Democrats (FDP) are even more resistant to helping Greece.

“Solving this problem cannot be about aid for Greece,” FDP budget expert Otto Fricke told Welt am Sonntag. “If anything, it’s about keeping any damage

away from German tax payers.”

Germany suffered its sharpest postwar recession last year and the upturn in Europe’s biggest economy stalled in the fourth quarter, data showed on Friday.

Such data fuels economists’ warnings about helping Greece. Former European Central Bank chief economist Otmar Issing, who has played a leading role in advising Berlin during the credit crisis, said financial support for Greece from euro zone countries would be misguided.

“That is the way to the whole building subsiding,” Issing told Welt am Sonntag, adding Greece had to take further steps itself, pointing in particular to the generous pension system.

Harvard University economist Kenneth Rogoff even warned Germany could face similar problems to Greece.

“Germany’s public finances are not on a sustainable path,” Rogoff told Welt am Sonntag. “There will come a time when Germany will have its own Greece problem ... it won’t be as bad as in Greece, but it will be painful,” said Rogoff.

Germany’s budget deficit is forecast to grow to 5.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2010 and Merkel has vowed to consolidate the deficit as soon as the recovery allows. However Rogoff, a former International Monetary Fund chief economist, said helping Greece was unavoidable. — Reuters

Kuwait spending on ERP to rise by 25% in 2010: Sage Software KUWAIT: Kuwaiti spending on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is set to increase by 25 per cent in 2010, according to Sage Software, the leading global supplier of ERP, CRM and HRM solutions to medium and large organizations. As part of its strategy to leverage the steady ERP growth in the country, the company has teamed up with its Kuwait-based partners Eastern Solutions and Arabesque Group to launch the latest version of ‘Sage Accpac ERP 5.6’, in a roadshow held earlier this month at the JW Marriot in Kuwait. In addition, the event also highlighted ‘Sage Accpac Intelligence’, a solution under the ‘Sage Accpac Extended Enterprise Suite’.

The consumer-focused ‘Sage Accpac ERP 5.6’ is the culmination of the top requested customer enhancements gathered from Sage Software’s research, which have been combined to allow users to streamline and better manage operations with inventory control process improvements. Adoption of this new solution can also provide a faster and more accurate view of cash position with improved workflow in System Manager Bank Services, and facilitates the transformation of data into strategic decision-making intelligence to improve visibility into the business.

Sage Software also provides free training on ‘Sage Accpac ERP 5.6’, and an enhanced installation and activation process.

Speaking at the roadshow, Reggie Fernandes, Sales Manager Gulf Region, Sage Software, said, “The launch of ‘Sage Accpac ERP 5.6’ here in Kuwait marks an important new development in the way ERP impacts local organizations’ efficiency and profitability. The latest version of our flagship ERP solution offers all our customers the functionalities they are looking for and more, with its many user-requested enhancements as well as its capacity to dynamically link processes through improved ‘Sage CRM’ integration. Our

continuous efforts to enhance this product underline our commitment to the Kuwaiti market, and we are happy to be undertaking this event here alongside our hardworking partners - Eastern Solutions and Arabesque Group for the second year.”

Participants at the event also gave a positive response to the new ‘Sage Accpac Intelligence’, a solution that empowers users to quickly and easily obtain the information needed for operations and strategic planning by effortlessly creating reports and analyzing data using Microsoft Excel.

By lessening the time spent on pulling the data together, the solution allows decision makers to analyse and interpret the information in less time to make prompt, and insightful decisions.

It also provides staff with vital information when they need it, thereby improving collaboration and productivity, and makes complex reporting easier through seam-

less integration, which eliminates redundant data entry.

“These new solutions will provide tremendous help to organizations who are seeking to strategically position themselves and gain the lead in the impending upturn. We have packed them with multinational and multi-company capabilities that will simplify management of data from multiple companies, in addition to technologies to secure business integrity. Our plan is to aggressively address the needs of the Kuwaiti market by developing solutions that will add value to our customers’ operations, so that our local clients, which include NBK Capital, Bader Al Sultan, Al Ghanim Industries, Gulf University of Science & Technology, Hits Telecom, Al Fanar Investment Company and Al Manar Financing & Leasing will be the first to benefit from the latest innovations in IT solutions,” concluded Fernandes.

24

BUSINESS GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

KSE stocks bounce back KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) along with major indicators ended yesterday’s trading session in the green for the ninth consecutive session. Global General Index (GGI) added 3.80 points (+1.97 percent) during yesterday’s session to reach 197.09 points. Furthermore, the KSE Price Index increased by 126.60 points (+1.76 percent) yesterday and closed at 7,303.60 points. Market capitalization was up KD646.94mn to reach KD32.22bn.

Market breadth During the session, 147 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 95 equities gained versus 21 that retreated. A total of 91 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday’s trading session.

Trading activities ended on a positive note yesterday as volume of shares traded on the exchange increased by 67.82 percent to reach 890.04mn shares. In addition, value of shares traded gained by 39.91 percent to stand at KD132.13mn. The Real Estate Sector was the volume leader today, with 33.33 percent of total traded volume. While the Services Sector was value leader, with 18.75 percent of total traded value. Kuwait Real Estate Company saw 193.40mn shares changing hands at a total traded value of KD16.07mn, making it the volume and value leader.

In terms of top gainers, Heavy Engineering Industries and Shipbuilding Company was the top gainer for day, adding 9.09 percent and closed at KD0.540. On the other hand, Contracting & Marine Services Company shed 4.90 percent and closed at KD0.485, making it the biggest loser.

Sectors Regarding Global’s sectoral indices, they all ended on a positive note with Global Food Index being the top gainer.

The index ended the day up 6.12 percent backed by four companies in the

sector ending in the green with the remaining two being unchanged.

Among the gainers, heavyweight Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana) and United Food Industrial Group had the biggest gains of 6.67 percent and 7.35 percent, respectively.

Global Industrial Index ended the day with a 4.16 percent increase making it the second biggest gainer in the market. Contributing to the index’s gain was National Industries Group (Holding) which ended the day up 7.58 percent and closed at KD0.355.

Furthermore, Gulf Cables & Electrical Industries Company aided the sector’s gain by ending the day with a 6.02 percent increase.

Global’s special indices, like the rest of the market, ended on a positive

note with Global Islamic Index being the top gainer. The index ended the day up 2.44 percent backed by two out of the three Islamic banks ending in the green.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $71.81 a barrel on Thursday 11/2/2010, compared with $70.78 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations. Gulf Finance House was in talks with a syndicate led by Bahrain’s Liquidity Management Centre (LMC) over the Wakala facilities worth $100mn. A total of $50mn will mature in 2010, while the other $50mn will be payable in 2011. LMC was designated to assist GFH in the procedures of rearranging the facilities. The move comes as part of the executive management’s efforts

Monday, February 15, 2010

to boost the lender’s liquidity ratios in preparation for a new phase of growth.

The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) has approved the request of Bayan Investment Company to purchase or sell a 10 percent maximum of its fullypaid issued shares for further 6 months, from the 18/02/2010 till 18/08/2010. Bayan should abide by CBK buyback rules and regulations, in addition to the provisions of Article No. 115 bis of Corporate Law. It should also comply with the provisions of Ministerial Decree No. 10/1987 and its amendments, by virtue of Ministerial Decrees No. 11/1988 and 273/1999.

National Industries Group refuted the news published in a local gazette as regards the possibility of selling its stake in Ikarus Petroleum Industries Company to a Saudi investor.

Dubai falls on fears, Kuwait up on Zain DUBAI: Dubai’s index plunged yesterday after a media report said troubled government conglomerate Dubai World may offer only 60 cents on the dollar to creditors.

Kuwait’s benchmark made its largest gain for more than six months as Zain’s board met to discuss an offer for some of its African assets and other Middle East markets were mixed in further sideways trading.

Dubai’s index fell 3.5 percent in its biggest decline for three weeks after Dow Jones, citing two unnamed bankers, said Dubai World was discussing two possible offers to creditors, one of which would see creditors repaid over seven years. A spokeswoman for the Dubai government said no restructuring proposal had been made to lenders.

“Even though the news is not confirmed, a 40 percent haircut is potentially larger than what people were expecting,” said Ali Khan, managing director and head of brokerage at Arqaam Capital.

“That’s weighing heavily on the market.

It’s a double-edged sword - how much can Dubai World push down on UAE banks that hold this debt? This will have wider implications, given the bank sector’s weight on the stock market.”

Emirates NBD and Dubai Islamic Bank each fell 4.9 percent. Abu Dhabi’s index also declined, dropping 0.6 percent to retreat from Thursday’s month-high and Ian Munro, MAC Capital head of research, said more clarity over Dubai World’s debt position was needed to lift pressure on UAE markets.

“Until this occurs, the rumors are likely to inflict negative sentiment to DFM and ADX exchanges on light volumes, particularly large-cap index stocks,” Munro added.

DP World, whose parent company is Dubai World, dropped 0.2 percent after being down more 10 percent intraday, while 13 UAE stocks fell by more than 4 percent.

“Retail investors dominate trading, so rumors move the market even if they are not confirmed,” said Marwan Shurrab, vice-president at Gulfmena Alternative Investments.

Dubai’s debt insurance costs jumped on Friday, with five year credit default swaps rising above 600 basis points for the first time since November 2009. Kuwait’s index rose 1.8 percent to a 14-week high, after bellwether Zain said it would discuss a multi-billion dollar bid for some of its African assets.

Kuwait Food Co, National Investments Co and National Industries Group all rose more than 6.5 percent.

HIGHLIGHTS DUBAI The index fell 3.5 percent to 1,618 points, its lowest close since Jan. 31 ABU DHABI The benchmark dropped 0.6 percent to 2,726 points.

SAUDI ARABIA The index rose 0.3 percent to 6,285 points.

EGYPT The index climbed 1.1 percent to 7,009 points.

OMAN The index rose 1 percent to 6,659 points.

KUWAIT The index climbed 1.8 percent to 7,304 points.

QATAR The measure fell 0.4 percent to 6,901 points.

BAHRAIN The index fell 0.4 percent to 1,507 points. —Reuters

BUSINESS

Monday, February 15, 2010

25

KAMCO Research — GCC Equity Markets Review

Gulf markets start 2010 on promising note; DFM dull KUWAIT: Despite rising oil prices, four out of seven equity markets in the GCC region started the year 2010 on a negative note against a background of ongoing investor concerns on banks’ exposure to Dubai’s debt and the possibility of provisions absorbing part of the banks’ annual profits for 2009 coupled with weak corporate earnings reported during the month on the back of provisions taken against credit losses and impairments in the value of investments due to a deterioration in asset prices. Led by the gains reported on the heavyweight Banking and Petrochemical sector the largest bourse in the Arab world Saudi Stock Exchange gained 2.14% during January and ended as the second best performer in the GCC region. Out of the total 622 listed stocks in the seven GCC equity markets, 232 companies with fiscal years ending December 31st announced their FY 09 earnings during January.

Excluding the financial results announced by Kingdom Holding Co. which incurred massive losses of SAR 30 billion in FY-08, the aggregate profit for the seven markets amounted to $27.55 billion, down by 12.79% from last year’s aggregate profit of $31.6 billion. The Banking sector in the GCC and Petrochemical Industries Sector in Saudi Arabia saw the largest hit in their yearly performance. Consequently, GCC Equity Markets started the year 2010 on a mixed note with three out of seven

markets ending in green, led by MSM 30 Index and Tadawul all Share Index, which recorded monthly gains of 2.57% and 2.14% respectively, while DFM General Index was the worst performing market with a negative return of 11.84% as investor confidence was ultimately hit by financial uncertainties related to the future performance of the conglomerate Dubai World.

Saudi Stock Exchange (TADAWUL) In Saudi Arabia, after registering a drop of 3.68% in Dec-09, Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) gained 2.14% to close at 6,252.55 and begin the first month of 2010 on a strong note. The rise can be mainly attributed to the gains recorded on the Banking sector, which witnessed its market cap increase 4.36% to SAR 345.7 billion during the month amid renewed investor optimism that the performance of local banks is set to improve in 2010. Market heavyweight Kingdom Holdings share price surge of 60.4%, mainly over a rescue plan initiated by its main shareholder coupled with the better than expected Q4-09 earnings announced by some market heavyweights too shaped the market performance during the month. Total market capitalization at the end of Jan-10 reached SAR 1.24 trillion, up 3.39% as compared to the previous month. On the corporate earnings front, the aggregate corporate earnings of 128 companies stood at SAR

A report prepared by KAMCO Research that analyzes the performance of the 7 GCC equity markets during the month of January 2010 in addition to assessing the latest key economic and market developments and their effect on the performance of each stock market.

57.7 billion, up 26.10% from SAR 45.7 billion in FY-08.

Kuwait Stock Exchange In Kuwait, the KAMCO TRW Index continued its downward trend for the fifth consecutive month, down 2.05% to close at 2,450.13 points.

Market heavyweight ZAIN continued to weigh on the market performance during the month as it witnessed its share price plunge nearly 10.78% to KD 0.910 in January from KD 1.02 in Dec-09. Heavy speculations regarding its 46% stake sale, expectations of weak Q4-09 earnings coupled with an announcement by its Saudi unit that it failed to honor some commitments linked to an Islamic Murabaha loan weighed on the performance of ZAIN during the month. As a result, ZAIN has witnessed its share price plunge nearly 40.13% from KD 1.520 in August-09. Also, losses incurred by market heavyweight Banking sector, which witnessed its market cap shed 3.14% of its value during January too weighed on the market performance during the month. Total

market capitalization during the month shed 2.26% to KD 29.56 billion. Losses incurred during the month witnessed the KSE end as the least worst performing market in the GCC region.

Dubai Financial Market Despite the hopes that the opening of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, would offer a fresh start for Dubai and for Emaar properties, the Dubai Financial Market continued its downward trend for the third consecutive month in January, shedding 11.84% to close the month at 1,589.97 points. Uncertainty surrounding Dubai’s debt issues, news about Aabar buying a majority stake in Dubai based contractor Arabtec and expectations of weak Q4-09 earnings announcements weighed on the market performance during the month. During the month, Dubai World announced that it expects to make its formal standstill request soon regarding its debt of USD 22 billion to its creditors while it devises a restructuring plan. On the other

hand, Arabtec confirmed that it has reached an agreement with the Abu Dhabi-based bidder Aabar Investments on a 70% share acquisition deal worth AED 6.4 billion through a convertible bond issuance.

The deal still needs the approval of 75% of Arabtec’s shareholders in an extraordinary general meeting in order for it to go through. On the economic front, Dubai’s Ruler had approved the emirate’s 2010 budget with a deficit of 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The government estimated its revenues to reach AED 29.4 billion (USD 8 billion) and expenditures to reach AED 35.4 billion, and accordingly the budget deficit would be AED 6 billion.

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Driven by the losses incurred on the Banking and Real Estate sectors expectations of weak Q4-09 earnings announcements coupled with an unclear picture regarding Dubai World’s debt restructuring, the ADX General Index dropped 4.02% during January to close at 2,633.37 points

ending as the third worst performing market after DFM & QE which lost 11.84% & 5.76% respectively. In January ADX General Index remained less volatile as compared to the previous two months to settle at 11.32% compared to 42.30% and 33.80% in December and November respectively. All the sectors recorded a loss except for the Telecommunication sector, which represents 37.36% of total market capitalization with a marginal gain of 0.74%. Total market capitalization shed around AED 9.8 billion or 3.28% to end the month at AED 288.55 billion.

Qatar Exchange In Qatar, trading activity among investors was shaped by worries over weak FY-09 earnings falling short of expectations and a lackluster in investors’ buying activities. This placed a downward pressure on index performance throughout the month, leading the QE 20 Index to end on a negative note at 6,558.45, down by 5.76%. A wave of sell off activities by investors was witnessed throughout the month as investors turned to a profit booking phase. Market heavyweight, the Banking & Finance sector witnessed its market cap shed 1.89% to QAR 106.7billion ($29.3 billion) driven by weak FY-09 earnings of several banks due to increases in provisions for credit losses booked for FY09.

Bahrain Stock Exchange In Bahrain, after being the worst

performer for the year 2009 amongst its peers in the GCC region, the BSE All Share Index started the year 2010 on a positive note supported by the positive performance of the market heavyweight Ahli United Bank, shrugging off declines in global and regional equity markets, and on the back of better than expected earnings and stable oil prices.

The BSE All Share Index continued its upward trend for the second consecutive month to post a gain of 1.37% in January and closed the month at 1,478.23 points. As a result, Bahrain Stock Exchange ended as the third best performer among its peers in the GCC region. This increase was mainly fuelled by market heavyweight Ahli United Bank (AUB), which accounts for 15.7% of the total Bahraini Market in terms of market cap, which witnessed its market cap surge 24.1%.

Muscat Securities Market In Oman, the MSM 30 index was the best performer amongst its peers in the GCC region during January as it added 2.57% on the back of better than expected FY-09 earnings reported by several national banks and higher real GDP growth in 2009. Total market cap rose 2.56% to reach OMR 6.24 million as it was supported by the market heavyweight Banking & Investment sector, which was up 6.54% to OMR 3.19 billion. Bank Muscat, which represents 15.75% of the total market cap, ended the month up by 13.47% to close at OMR 0.935.

Ghosn sees ‘tactical’ short-term benefit from Toyota’s troubles

Nissan to be debt-free by end 2010, says CEO MADRID: Spain’s Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero pauses during a news conference at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, after meeting with Trade Union and business federation leaders. — AP

Spanish govt struggles with crisis message MADRID: Could Spain be the next Greece? The government bristles at the very thought, and points out its debt burden isn’t nearly as heavy.

It’s a stinging comparison nonetheless for a country that only a few years ago had burgeoning growth but is now lumped with other deficit-laden countries on a watch list for a Greek-style crisis.

The collapse of a real estate- and consumerfueled boom has left Spain with a euro-zone high jobless rate of nearly 20 percent, and the government ran up a deficit that in 2009 equaled 11.4 percent of GDP. That is way over the euro-zone limit of 3 percent and earned Spain a place as the letter “S” in the inelegant PIGS acronym coined by analysts (the others are Portugal, Ireland, and Greece).

Spanish officials argue they are better off in several respects. National debt as a proportion of GDP — 66 percent this year and peaking at 74 percent in 2012 — is well below the EU average and far under Greece’s 113.4 percent for 2009.

It does not have credibility problems like Greece, which is accused of fudging its debt numbers, and its banking system is relatively sound compared with other countries that had to bail their banking systems out. Still, Spain has tried to spend its way out of recession with costly job-creation and stimulus measures, running up a budget shortfall that has spooked markets and lenders. Spanish sovereign debt has come under pressure, with creditors demanding a steeper interest rate to buy it and rates also rising for insurance against default.

Spain’s economy is much larger than that of Greece, so it’s a far bigger problem for the European Union and the euro if markets begin to doubt Spain’s abili-

ty to pay. If there is an EU country next in line for troubles with financing itself, it is Spain, even if the likelihood of this is low for now, said Javier DiazJimenez, an economist at Madrid-based IESE Business School. “Spanish public finances are under severe stress. Nobody in their sane mind can deny that,” he said. Spain’s Socialist government rejects suggestions that the euro-zone’s fourthlargest economy, which had posted budget surpluses and robust growth as recently as 2007 but has suffered dearly following the collapse of a real estate bubble, has a debt mess similar to Greece’s, which has driven down the euro and shaken the European Union. But Spain did see fit to dispatch a team led

by Finance Minister Elena Salgado to London and Paris last week to meet with ratings agencies and investors in an effort to explain Spain’s deficitreduction plans and restore its credibility.

And at times the government has looked on the defensive. Last week it sent Brussels a document that raised the possibility of lowering most Spaniards’ retirement pensions by changing the way it measures their working life. Amid a furious outcry from unions, hours later the government literally erased that paragraph from the document, saying it was not a firm proposal but rather an accounting simulation.

This fueled long-standing criticism from opposition conservatives that the government lacks a coherent policy to confront the recession and just makes things up as it goes along. Polls say that if elections were held now, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero would lose to the center-right Popular Party. — AP

DUBAI: Japanese carmaker Nissan Motor Co Ltd expects to be debt-free by the end of 2010 and is looking to double its market share in the Middle East region, its chief executive said yesterday.

Japan’s third-largest automaker returned to quarterly profit on Tuesday and lifted its outlook for the second time, while warning of a continuing shaky outlook for the global car market. “We are far from our potential (in the Middle East),” said Carlos Ghosn while talking to reporters. “I am looking to double our market share,” he added without offering any timeline.

Nissan’s larger rival Toyota is struggling with the worst recall in its history, involving more than 8 million vehicles and tarnishing its reputation for industry-leading quality. “When a car company (Toyota) is in trouble you can have a tactical advantage in the short term, but don’t

BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT: French car giant Renault chief executive Carlos Ghosn (right) gestures next to Chief Operating Officer Patrick Pelata, as he gives a press conference to present the group’s 2009 results.— AFP

Economists urge Britain to cut deficit faster LONDON: Leading economists warned yesterday that Britain lacks a credible plan to cut its budget deficit, in a damaging attack on Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s government just months before a tough election fight.

In an open letter to The Sunday Times newspaper, a group of academics and policymakers said that whoever wins the forthcoming vote must cut the deficit faster than Brown’s finance minister, Alistair Darling, has so far envisaged.

“In the absence of a credible plan, there is a risk that a loss of confidence in the UK’s economic policy framework will contribute to higher longterm interest rates and/or currency instability, which could

undermine the recovery,” the letter says.

“In order to minimize this risk and support a sustainable recovery, the next government should set out a detailed plan to reduce the structural budget deficit more quickly than set out in the 2009 prebudget report.”

Darling is set to announce his latest annual budget in March, just weeks before an election which must be held by early June and is widely expected to take place on May 6. Britain exited its longest recession on record in the fourth quarter of 2009 with growth of just 0.1 percent, and the economy is set to be a key electoral battleground between Brown’s Labor party and the opposition

Conservatives.

Yesterday’s letter, although bipartisan, appears to support Conservative proposals to cut spending faster than Labor.

The letter said the timing of cuts should be “sensitive to developments in the economy” and mindful of harming the most vulnerable, but it said the aim should be to start reducing spending in the 20102011 fiscal year.

Among the letter’s signatories are Kenneth Rogoff, a former chief economist at the International Monetary Fund; Howard Davies, director of the London School of Economics and former head of the Financial Services Authority; and Roger Bootle, former chief economist at HSBC. — AFP

expect more from that. It doesn’t change the whole ballgame,” Ghosn said when asked on the impact of Toyota recalls.

Ghosn is the head of both Nissan and France’s Renault SA. Renault holds a 44 percent stake in Nissan. He said the company looked “very favorably” on a plan to build a factory for Renault in Algeria but declined to say when a decision will be made.

Nissan also plans to launch a new platform in Geneva next month with small cars that would be “very well” priced for everyone, Ghosn said. On Saturday, the automaker launched a new version of its Patrol model, designed specifically for the Middle East region in a bid to meet demand. The four-wheel drive will go on sale across the Gulf Arab region in April.

Nissan expects its overall industry volume for the year to be good helped mainly by sales in China, an executive told Reuters earlier in the week. — Reuters

Toyota finds no problem with electronics: Reports TOKYO: Toyota Motor has submitted a letter to the US Congress denying there was a fault with the electronics in millions of vehicles it has recalled over problems with the accelerator, reports said yesterday.

In its letter submitted to the US House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which is investigating the Toyota recalls, the automaker said it “is convinced that there is no problem” with the electronics in its vehicles, the Japanese dailies Yomiuri and Nikkei reported, without disclosing sources.

The reports came as embattled Toyota president Akio Toyoda was reportedly prepared to testify at US congressional hearings if formally asked to do so, with the automaker facing intense pressure in the United States over the rash of recalls. The Japanese giant has recalled millions of vehicles worldwide in past months due to problems linked to accelerator and brake functions, sullying the company’s safety reputation.

A separate report by the Wall Street Journal said that Toyota commissioned a study into the electronics in its vehicles that supports the carmaker’s assertion that there is no evidence of problems in the electronics.

The preliminary study has been shared with US lawmakers planning hearings on Toyota’s safety record, it said. — AFP

26

BUSINESS

Monday, February 15, 2010

Euro-zone: Caught between a rock and a bail-out FRANKFURT: European leaders have vowed to keep Greece from slipping into a financial chasm but none of them has said how the worst collective crisis in the history of the euro-zone can be fully resolved.

Market pressure in reaction to massive Greek deficit and crushing debt is bearing down on other euro-zone countries, forcing governments to sort out their finances and get the 16-nation bloc into better balance.

The answer seems simple at firstraise tax revenues, cut spending and get growth back on track to reduce deficits and debt in line with the European Union’s Stability and Growth Pact.

A leading economist has warned however that the debate should not be dominated by “deficit fetishism” because draconian measures can check

economic growth. Other experts highlight basic, structural flaws that the European Union (EU) might not be able to resolve.

Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain have pledged to meet the pact’s goalspublic deficit of no more than 3.0 percent of output and debt of no more than 60 percent-within the next few years.

Whether or not officials from Athens to Dublin succeed could decide the fate of Europe’s most ambitious undertaking ever.

How will governments raise more money?

Special fuel levies, raising social charges or taxes, closing loopholes and clamping down on fraud, installing highway tolls and privatizing assets are ideas officials have come up with.

Economic growth would also boost tax revenues while reducing the

amount of money being paid out in unemployment benefits. How else could authorities cut spending?

Freeze or reduce public sector wages, let workers retire without replacing them, cut health services, pay less into pension funds and raise the retirement age, or ditch plans to build airports or high-speed rail networks.

But Greek civil servants, including tax collectors, promptly staged strikes and promised to trash such austerity plans.

Should officials cut deficits and adopt austerity measures?

“The crisis has brought home to politicians that they have to reduce their budget deficits considerably in the next few years, otherwise the next crisis is only a matter of time,” Commerzbank economist Ralph Solveen said.

But Columbia University professor and Nobel prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz has warned: “I would give a strong cautionary note against deficit fetishism.”

Asian austerity measures a decade ago did not work as hoped, Stiglitz stressed, and efforts being tried now by Ireland might hobble growth in gross domestic product.

Citigroup Global Markets analysts said: “As the Irish experience suggests, tightening fiscal policy may generate such negative effects on the GDP and revenue growth rates that the deficit could remain high, despite policymakers’ efforts.”

Should richer euro-zone countries support the others?

Some economists say countries like Germany, often seen as a model of fiscal discipline, should focus less on trade

surpluses at the expense of neighbors and more on boosting consumption and investment.

“Key to the future stability of the euro-zone is that German domestic demand improves and the country imports from other euro-zone members so that trade imbalances within the single currency diminish,” said Howard Archer, senior economist at IHS Global insight.

What could be done at the euro-zone level?

“Policymakers should focus on redesigning the Stability and Growth Pact, which has been a spectacular failure, to replace it with something tougher and more enforceable,” with each nation giving up some sovereignty, according to UniCredit chief economist Marco Annunziata.

“We urgently need deeper and

broader surveillance of economic policies,” EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn added.

But as ING senior economist Carsten Brzeski noted: “Hardly any government wants to give the EU more instruments because next time around it could be them, sitting in the dock.”

Natixis economists Sylvain Broyer and Costa Brunner have floated a eurozone fiscal model based on Germany’s that “would require harmonization of tax rates and a political statement supporting equal standards of living in the European Monetary Union.”

Harmonised tax proposals have been shot down several times already however, and Stiglitz urged the EU to simply create an emergency fund to help out member states when they get into trouble.

At present, “there is no established support mechanism-partly because this was not supposed to happen,” Annunziata noted in the Wall Street Journal.

Governments were supposed to gradually bring their economies into line with one another but Archer warned that fault lines were instead spreading across Europe and said a failure to act “would threaten the very existence of the euro-zone in its current makeup.” Getting Germans and some others to swallow bailouts of countries tarred as freeloaders is far from guaranteed however.

Frank Schaeffler, deputy finance spokesman for the liberal FDP party, told German lawmakers during a discussion of the situation in Greece: “We don’t help an alcoholic by giving him another bottle of schnapps.” —AFP

Discord as unequal treatment of members seen

Greece sends chills over euro-zone expansion east WARSAW: The woes and failings of euro-zone member Greece have sparked irritation among the EU’s ex-communist states, amid jitters that the entry rules for the single currency club could be beefed up. Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius underscored what his country sees as unequal treatment of euro-zone

BRUSSELS: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (L) and EU President Herman Van Rompuy attend a press conference after a European Union summit focused on supporting debt-laden Greece and preventing contagion throughout the rest of the euro-zone. —AFP

Serbia hopes to become China’s gateway to Europe BELGRADE: Following the same pattern applied in Asia and Africa, China is now seeking to expand its influence in the Balkans and eastern Europe by cooperating on major infrastructure and energy projects.

Serbia is to be the site for China’s first multi-million euro (dollar) infrastructure project on the European continent after Belgrade and Beijing signed a preliminary contract to build a much needed bridge over the Danube in the capital.

With these investments and through a strategic partnership-signed last August when Serbian president Boris Tadic went to China — Serbia hopes to become China’s gateway to the Balkans and Europe.

“The interest coincides in the fact that Serbia, with its specific geostrategic position and geographic location, is an ideal place for China to spread (business) from here to the (Balkans) region and Europe,” Olivera Kiro of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce said.

“As a part of China’s ‘go global’ strategy Europe has an important place and in that sense Serbia is a good choice” to start with, Kiro said. Serbia, the largest country in the western Balkans, has freetrade agreements with the European Union, Russia, Belarus, Turkey, as well as with members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

“Many Chinese enterprises are interested in coming here,” Ren Yi, economic and commercial counselor of China’s embassy in Belgrade, said.

In October Serbia signed a preliminary contract with the China Road and Bridge Corporation for a 170-million-euro ($232 million) bridge over the Danube and construction is due to start in the second half of the year.

Most of the money needed to finance the project would come from the Chinese Exim bank through a preferential buyer’s loan. Negotiations are ongoing and Ren said he expected them to be concluded by the end of the month. In addition, earlier this month Serbia signed another preliminary accord, this time with the China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC) to overhaul two main power plants and build a new one.

This second pilot project, worth 890 million euros, is also expected also to be financed by a Chinese Exim bank’s loan to Serbian state-owned Electric power industry of Serbia (EPS). “(Chinese companies) are looking if those first two projects will be successful and if everything

goes smoothly, these two projects will set examples for the others,” Ren said.

More infrastructure projects were under discussion, starting from ring roads near the Serbian towns of Sabac, Kraljevo and Kragujevac, to motorways, tunnels and a highway leading to neighboring Montenegro and its part of the Adriatic coast, according to the Serbian chamber of commerce.

Vesna Arsic, Serbia’s economy state secretary, stressed the longstanding political ties and friendship between Serbia and China, adding that the infrastructure investments were only the beginning of deeper long-term cooperation.

“We advocate the benefits of launching production in Serbia in order to access a market of some 800 million people” in the EU, Russia and Belarus, Arsic said.

“All this is an enormous market and any serious economic power will certainly look at Serbia (in light of) the possibility to enter this market first of all through establishing production in Serbia,” Arsic said.

For Kerry Brown, analyst at London-based think-thank Chatham House, the Chinese investment in Serbia came as a logic consequence of historically good relations between Belgrade and Beijing.

“So it wouldn’t expect to hit the sort of political problems for its investments here that it has come across in United States in 2005 and Britain,” Brown said, referring to China’s failed bid for UNOCAL and British security fears about Huawei, the Chinese telecommunications equipment company.

However, Brown said he did not think “there is some grand overall strategy” to reach Europe through Serbia.

“Whether it would view this as a back door into Europe is another matter. China has gone from nowhere to being the world’s sixth largest outward investor. China’s investment strategy is highly opportunist, and also pragmatic,” he said.

Investment in the infrastructure of the western Balkans, severely damaged during the 1990s wars and neglected due to decades of economic crisis and increased poverty, appears to be a part of the Chinese strategy.

According to various sources, China has been concrete discussion with Croatia about construction of a new airport near the capital Zagreb and investments in the Ploce port on the Adriatic coast. —AFP

UK’s Brown working hard to get global bank levy LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was working very hard with international colleagues to agree a global bank levy, following huge state spending on bailouts during the financial crisis. In a podcast he said it was only fair that those who have benefited from taxpayers’ money should “give something to society in return”.

“I can tell you also that I am working very hard with international colleagues-including talks this week at the European Council-to find agreement on a global bank levy to make sure that in the future the contribution banks make is properly captured,” he said.

Brown put forward the idea of a global tax on financial transactions at a meeting of the Group

of 20 nations in Scotland in November.

Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven leading economies called this month for closer study of the UK proposal for a bank levy to cover the cost of bailouts in 2008 and 2009 that ran to hundreds of billions of dollars.

The US administration has opposed a tax on financial transactions, but recently President Barack Obama proposed that Wall Street banks pay up to $117 billion to reimburse taxpayers for the financial bailout. Brown said it was important any levy on British banks was matched by other countries. He also said he wanted to end tax avoidance by financial institutions “that happens when they play off one country against another”.

Britain is already imposing a one-off tax on bonuses paid to bank employees. In the next few weeks banks will unveil their bonus packages for staff, the proceeds of which will go towards alleviating youth unemployment and cutting the country’s record 178 billion pound budget deficit.

“These measures are not intended as a punishment but there can be no return to business as usual: responsible business practice is essential and the banks have to recognize that they have had help from taxpayers to keep going,” he said, expressing his anger at some banks’ behavior.

“We are committed to ensuring the banks-through good management-pay back every last penny to the British taxpayer.” —Reuters

Ex-Soviet Lithuania joined the European Union in 2004. It had aimed to adopt the euro in 2007 but failed by a hair’s breadth to meet inflation-control criteria laid out in the EU’s Maastricht Treaty on economic and monetary union.

Greece, meanwhile, was admitted in 2001 as a founding member of the euro-zone after presenting what turned out later to be bogus data. It has since run up a public deficit and a debt far in excess of euro-zone limits.

Lithuania’s litas is pegged to the euro, just like the currencies of its Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia, which also won independence from Moscow in 1991 and joined the EU six years ago.

The trio, with a total population of 6.8 million, are relative minnows in the EU. Just three years ago, they were still considered economic “tigers” thanks to robust growth driven by vibrant domestic demand.

But their overheated economies slipped into crisis in 2008, and last year posted double-digit contractions.

Latvia is relying on a 7.5-billion-euro ($10.3 billion) bailout led by the International Monetary Fund and the EU. Lithuania and Estonia have survived without a rescue package.

Under the Maastricht Treaty, countries must meet certain conditions in order to adopt the euro.

They mainly concern limits on public finances, debt, inflation and exchange rate stability.

To hold their euro-zone course-they argue the single currency would be a future safe haven-the Baltic states have pared public spending, including wages, to the bone. Companies have followed suit.

Estonian authorities say that as a result of their efforts, their country has met the criteria and that a 2011 euro-zone entry is on the cards. Sixteen of the EU’s 27 members now use the euro.

Estonia would be the third excommunist state to switch, after Slovenia and Slovakia.

Lithuania and Latvia, meanwhile, are eyeing a 2014 entry.

Analysts, however, say that despite the best efforts of the Baltic states and other ex-communist states knocking on the euro-zone’s door, the Greek crisis could make their path more difficult.

“I think it’s quite unlikely that the euro-zone will accept any new members on board in the near term or even in the medium term,” said Par Magnusson of Danske Bank, saying the currency club has enough problems not only with Greece but also with other members such as Spain, Italy and Portugal.

He pointed to would-be member Hungary, another 2004 excommunist EU entrant, with its swollen debt echoing that of Greece.

Hungary has said it aims to adopt the euro in four years. It also won an international bailout in 2008, worth 20 billion euros ($27.5 billion).

Analyst Maria Valachyova at Slovenska Sporitelna in Slovakia warned against viewing ex-communist states as a bloc. “Apart from Hungary, no other countries in the region have debts comparable to those in Greece,” she said. —AFP

insiders and would-be entrants, locked in biting austerity drives as they try to meet the entry criteria in the face of an economic crisis. “As long as a country is not a member of the single currency, the Maastricht criteria are applied very strictly, but once you are in, you can do almost what you want,” he said.

ATHENS: A couple shops next to a shirt referring to Greece’s financial crisis in central Athens, Greece. EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on Thursday offered political support to Greece and said they could come to its aid if necessary, but gave no details of an eventual financial bailout. —AP

Rio Tinto looks to grow China relationship SYDNEY: Rio Tinto said yesterday it wanted to grow ties with China despite four employees being charged with bribery and industrial espionage, as rival BHP Billiton looked to the Asian giant to underpin growth.

Rio Tinto is increasingly looking to China for growth because of booming Chinese demand for raw materials but Beijing said last week that Rio Tinto executive and Australian passport-holder Stern Hu faces trial in Shanghai along with three Chinese colleagues on bribery and industrial espionage charges.

“We would like to build relationships with China and I think that that can take place over a

number of different areas,” Rio Tinto’s chief financial officer Guy Elliott told Sky News.

Chinese state-owned aluminum maker Chinalco is the biggest shareholder in Rio, the world’s third largest mining company. The four Rio employees to be prosecuted were detained last July during fractious iron ore contract talks between China and the miner. They are accused of using their “positions to obtain benefits for others and on many occasions solicited or accepted bribes,” Chinese state news agency Xinhua has reported.

Rio Tinto has previously said it is not aware of any wrongdoing by its employees while the

Australian government and US and European business leaders in China have called for transparency in the prosecution of the four.

The employees were arrested just weeks after Rio walked away from a massive cash injection from Chinalco, which would have given China an important presence in Australia’s vast resources sector. The case briefly snarled diplomatic ties between China and Australia, which have become major trading partners as the Asian giant seeks commodities and energy to feed its rapid industrialization.

Elliott said improving the company’s relationship with China was behind the decision to appoint

SYDNEY: BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers listening at a media briefing for the release of company half-year results in Sydney. —AFP

Ian Bauert, who more than 25 years ago established Rio Tinto’s first office in the country, as managing director for China. “Ian Bauert is very experienced, speaks Mandarin, has spent a lot of time in China over the years and we hope very much that he, with his long experience, will very much contribute to that building of bridges,” he said.

China is a key market for both BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, among the world’s top three exporters of iron ore, a crucial ingredient in steelmaking.

BHP Billiton Chief Executive Marius Kloppers, said the Hu case had been a “great concern”, but added that China’s human rights record had to be balanced against its achievement in lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. “Obviously the Stern Hu events of last year and continuing to this year gave us great concern,” he told ABC television in comments broadcast Sunday.

“Particularly for Chinese staff who stand in front of customers every day doing the same job. And that created some anxiety, but luckily we were able to do business as usual pretty much throughout that period.”

Kloppers said rapidly industrializing countries such as China would likely support growth in commodity prices, as developed economies emerged from the global slowdown more gradually.

He said that while the mining giant was cautious about the global economy-despite last week announcing its half-year profit had more than doubled to $6.14 billion-it was “relatively optimistic” about commodity prices. —AFP

Monday, February 15, 2010

TECHNOLOGY

27

Digital revolution is Achilles heel for Swiss bank secrecy GENEVA: The digital revolution is turning into the Achilles heel of Swiss banks, according to security and banking experts quizzed about recent stolen data turning up in the hands of neighboring countries. CD-ROMs, USB sticks and even mobile phone cameras have become handy options for disgruntled or ambitious staff to copy computer data on thousands of clients when a few years ago a cumbersome paper trail was needed. Swiss banks built much of their recent reputation around a legal obligation to maintain secrecy on their customers’ banking affairs — criminal cases aside-including from the taxman, whether in Switzerland or abroad.

But preventing one-off leaks, which can have much a bigger scope than before, is becoming a conundrum. Banks are “big consumers of Information Technology” and have to “square the circle” to counter the threat, Gregoire Ribordy, director of network security firm IDQuantique told AFP. Measures are available, such as minimizing the extent of information open to client advisers, automatic access restrictions, multiplying the number of people needed to unlock encrypted data, or prohibiting USB keys and CD-ROMs at the workplace.

Nonetheless, “information has to circulate so that people can do their jobs,” said Ribordy. Yet, even a miniature camera on a cellphone is enough to take a snapshot of data displayed on a computer screen, he pointed out. The 1934 law on bank secrecy was specifically designed to discourage staff from leaking client data to foreign powers by making it a criminal offence, but that was in the era of hand or type-written ledgers and punch cards.

In 1996, a private security guard became a whistleblower by recovering documents from the shredding room of UBS bank in Zurich to reveal details on hidden Holocaust-era accounts.

But little has filtered on the exact origins of a CD-ROM with stolen Swiss bank data German authorities recently said they were ready to buy for 2.5 million euros in a crackdown on tax-dodging German taxpayers. A spokesman for the Swiss Bankers Association, Thomas Sutter, acknowledged that the case “is not a good thing for the financial centre.”

The German case emerged just months after French authorities picked up a CR-ROM with raw data taken by a former employee of HSBC Private Bank in Geneva, Herve Falciani, allegedly with details on some 3,000 clients. And in 2008, an anonymous whistleblower sold data on thousands of clients at Liechtenstein banks, helping Germany investigate suspected tax evasion by business executives, sports stars and entertainers. In the French case, Falciani was a computer expert at the bank.

While in recent years public attention has focused on external attacks by hackers or thefts exploiting Internet Banking, IT security specialist Jerry Krattiger told Le Temps newspaper that about 70 percent of leaks were by insiders. Hans Geiger, of the Swiss Banking Institute at Zurich University, said there was generally a “high probability” that such leaks would emerge from the IT or computer department. “I think they are always within the bank or from a service provider to the bank,” he told AFP. “They don’t walk away with data or info about two or three clients, they walk away with CDs with hundreds of thousands of clients.” “There is no absolutely safe way,” he added.

Another way for banks to tackle the whistleblowing threat is to foster trust and loyalty among their staff, according to Arturo Bris, professor of finance at IMD business school in Lausanne. Human resources also have a crucial role to play in detecting “suspect behavior, an employee who is frustrated or faces personal problems” and therefore more likely to be tempted by data theft. “The bigger the group, the more difficult it is to find the rotten apple,” Bris added. Switzerland’s two biggest banks, UBS and Credit Suisse, declined to discuss their security arrangements but insisted that security for private clients was a major priority. Geiger said banks relied on “a real internal police force,” including IT specialists. While information technology is of “strategic” importance, Krattiger regretted that it was a largely “hermetic world” for senior executives and directors. Meanwhile, the very same managers hold the purse strings, but security is not a revenue generator, Ribordy noted. —AFP

NEW YORK: Triple H, a superstar wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment, poses with his FlexForce action figure at the Toy Fair. —

Toy makers’ crystal ball: High-tech on the cheap Previews from toymakers make clear that focus is on innovation NEW YORK: If the Zhu Zhu Pets taught a lesson, it’s that a bit of technology and a low price tag can go a long way. Toy makers are taking that experience to heart. From a digital Scrabble game that checks the words to a hovering UFO to miniature radio-control cars, toy makers are amping up the tech quotient but not prices. Zhu Zhu Pets, the furry mechanical hamsters that zoom around, were the runaway hit of the holiday season. One key to

LOS ANGELES: Min Kim, Vice President of Nexon Corp’s US division, in his Los Angeles office. —MCT

Digital sales poised as game changer The future of the video game business is playing out very differently on two sides of Los Angeles. In Westwood, nearly 200 people recently lost their jobs when Pandemic Studios, the maker of Saboteur and other gritty video games, shut its doors. But 12 miles east, at Nexon Corp’s US division, bustling staffers are upbeat as they prepare to double the size of their workforce. The South Korean publisher best known for its lighthearted game MapleStory saw sales climb 12 percent in 2009.

The difference? Pandemic makes games on discs that come shrink-wrapped in plastic boxes and sell for $60 at stores such as Best Buy and Target. Sales for that kind of video game fell 11 percent last year.

Nexon, however, distributes its video games online free of charge and generates revenue by selling virtual items such as weapons and costumes that players use in the game.

Whether it’s $15-a-month-subscriptions to World of Warcraft, $10 downloads on a PlayStation 3, 99cent iPhone games or ad-supported games on Facebook, digital transactions are growing fast and could be the future of the video game business. Even as traditional media companies struggle to find profitable business models on the Web - as evidenced by recent moves by Hulu.com and the New York Times to start charging for content-the games industry is experimenting with a variety of methods to generate revenue online.

“What a lot of folks miss is that when you add online services, micro-transactions and subscriptions, the whole industry is headed for strong growth in 2010,” Electronic Arts Inc. Chief Executive John Riccitiello said. Discs aren’t going away soon. Retail video game sales are still a $45-billion-a-year global market, compared with an estimated $5 billion for online digital games. And game executives expect sales to remain strong for blockbuster titles such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which has raked in more than $1 billion since its launch in November.

But the long-term trend is clear: Retail sales are declining, and online digital sales of games face rapid growth. Valve Corp’s Steam service, the largest seller of downloadable games for personal computers, reported a 165 percent jump in revenue in 2009.

Direct2Drive, owned by News Corp, grew 40 percent. Sony Corp. reported that sales of downloadable games and game-related content on its PlayStation 3 increased 139 percent, and Microsoft Corp. saw 50 percent growth for the same items on its Xbox 360.

EA’s digital revenue grew more than 25 percent.

There are still risks in depending too much on online revenue for games, however. Unlike the shelves at Wal-Mart, there’s no limit to the number of games that can be stocked in a digital store, making it difficult for individual titles to stand out. Apple Inc alone sells more than 130,000 games and applications for the iPhone. In addition, although people are spending more time playing games online, they tend to pay less for the experience, leading to lower revenue generation.

“Unfortunately, as with other media as they migrate from traditional distribution to online, you increase the amount of hours spent, but you decrease the amount of money you get,” said Bing Gordon, partner at Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and former chief creative officer at EA. The transition to online gaming is particularly evident at EA. In December, on the same day that it announced it would lay off 1,500 workers, EA agreed to buy Playfish, a maker of games for social networks such as Facebook, for $275 million.

The costs of distributing goods digitally are much lower than manufacturing and shipping discs.

Production expenses are lower as well, because players online are often interested in shorter, less lavish experiences that cost less to make. But lower cost is only one reason that game publishers see dollar signs in broadband and wireless connections.

When players get engaged in an online game such as World of Warcraft, they become a subscriber, ensuring a continuing revenue stream for the company.

“We’re going away from a packaged-goods mentality to a service mentality, which means instead of extracting as much money as we can at once, we’re generating ongoing revenue,” said Gabe Newell, managing director of Valve. Even games sold at stores are having their business models transformed by the Internet. As the cost of producing a top-quality title has escalated to $20 million or more and sales have stagnated, publishers have become increasingly dependent on players who have already bought the disc to fork over an additional $10 to download more digital accessories.

“It’s crucial for the economics of our business today,” said Peter Dille, senior vice president of marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment of America. Companies such as Playfish, Nexon and Zynga Game Network Inc, meanwhile, offer free versions of their games and generate revenue by “upselling” players on additional content. Nexon has a catalog of more than 10,000 virtual accessory items for sale that run from $1 for colored contact lenses for characters to a $32.90 sniper rifle. Most players never touch any of it, but the minority who do buy the features are enough to make it a viable business, company executives note.

“We operate by the 80/20 rule,” said Min Kim, Nexon America Inc’s vice president of marketing.

“Twenty percent of our audience make up 80 percent of our revenue.” Playfish co-founder Sebastien de Halleux notes that by dividing the company’s online games into small chunks that can be rolled out and sold separately, Playfish captures revenue from a broad range of people, unlike retailers that charge a single price for a uniform experience.

Some Playfish fans spend only a few dollars, but others invest $100 or more. The result, De Halleux said: “Over time, many of our players end up spending a lot more than they would for a retail disc game.” —MCT

“There’s still going to be some hesitancy to raise prices too much,” said Needham & Co analyst Sean McGowan. “Last year the feeling was under $30 is where you needed to be. This year there may be more willingness to be $30 to $50. But I don’t think we’ll see a wave of $300 stuffed horses again.” The toy industry performed a bit better during the holidays than it did in 2008, but the season was far from a bonanza. The NPD Group, which does market research, said toy revenue was flat because of discounts during the fourth quarter, but the industry sold 4 percent more toys. For the year, sales edged down 1 percent to $21.47 billion.

Tough times can spawn creativity.

“I’ve seen some really innovative products,” said Jim Silver, an analyst at Timetoplaymag.com. He pointed to radio-control vehicles as combining innovation and low prices. One reason they’re cheap: The cars themselves have shrunk, Silver said. “What the industry has learned is that kids don’t necessarily want ‘bigger.’ It’s about the features, not the size of the vehicles,” he said.

For $24.99, Mattel is offering tiny Hot Wheels radio-control Stealth Rides cars that fit in a case that doubles as the remote control. Spin Master has several radio-controlled offerings, including the Air Hogs Vectron Wave UFO flying saucer that can sense objects below it and

hover above them. That also costs $24.99. “Consumers like radio control, they just didn’t want to spend $70,” Silver said.

Prices have fallen as technology has advanced, much like the price drops in flat-screen TVs or laptops.

Some other technologyinfused toys planned for 2010: - Mattel is offering Sing-amajigs, plush characters whose mouths move as they sing and who harmonize when activated together; available for $12.99 each; and a World Wrestling Entertainment Belt that contains a screen with animated light shows for $39.99.

- Hasbro developed Scrabble Flash Cubes. The word game uses cubes that each display one letter digitally. When players fit cubes together, the game can recognize whether they form valid words. And it can keep score.

- Hasbro also expands its Furreal Friends line with smaller Snuggimals that wag their tails and move when you pet them, retailing for about $7.99.

- Jakks Pacific is offering some high-tech spying gear for kids in its Spy Net line, including a video spy watch for $54.99 and a Pen Audio Bug for $24.99. Yes, they’re just what they sound like - miniature video and audio recorders.

- Wowwee has developed a line of guitars and drum sets that are only about 1 inch (2.5 centimeter) thick called Paper Jamz.

They’re also $24.99. —AP

their success: a price tag under $10. The American International Toy Fair began yesterday. This is the annual event where toy makers show off new offerings that will make their way into next year’s stockings. Previews from toymakers and interviews with analysts make clear that the focus is on innovation and price. Few toys will retail for more than $100, and most will be priced below $30.

NEW YORK: A toy demonstrator holds ‘FurReal Friends Snuggimals,’ the new palm size animatronic plush toys that move their heads and tails in response to a touch. —AP

Suspended animation comes to life LONG BEACH: A gas proven deadly in chemical weapons could one day be used to put people into life-saving suspended animation. While hydrogen sulfide is toxic in large doses, small amounts of the gas have the potential to make animals appear dead for a while then allow them to wake up unharmed, according to biochemist Mark Roth.

“I think we are on the path of understanding metabolic flexibility in a significant way,” said Roth, whose work at an eponymous lab in Washington State has gotten funding from a research arm of the US Department of Defense. B”In the future an emergency medical technician might give hydrogen sulfide to someone suffering serious injuries and they might become a little more immortal giving them time to get the care they need.” Suspended animation takes place in the natural kingdom, with bears hibernating through winters while plant seeds and bacterial spores are able to biologically sleep for millions of years, according to the researcher.

It has also long been fodder for science fiction. “Usually when I mention suspended animation people will flash me the Vulcan peace sign,” Roth said while explaining his research at a TED Conference the ended here Saturday. Roth found that hydrogen sulfide in bonds in spots in bodies that would usually be occupied by oxygen, ostensibly becoming a sort of dimmer switch for metabolism.

“We did it with a mouse; this was cosmic,” Roth said. “We found a way to do this with a mammal. All you had to do was put it in room temperature and it was no worse for the wear.” Roth’s lab has completed early phase human trials but hasn’t actually tried the process in a person. “We should know in a few years if it works or not,” Roth said. “You want to plant a flag and people will come and then think about how to use it in other ways.” —AFP

NEW YORK: The new Scrabble Flash game is shown. —AP

28

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Monday, February 15, 2010

Treating herpes also buys time for HIV, doctors find PARIS: A drug used to treat genital herpes can also slow progression of the AIDS virus among co-infected patients, doctors report.

Most people infected with HIV are also coincidentally infected with type 2 herpes simplex virus, or HSV2. Previous lab research has shown that using an antiHSV2 drug called aciclovir reduces the amount of AIDS virus in the blood. What was unknown, though, was whether this also had an impact on the spread of HIV in the body.

The answer, according to a study published by The Lancet, is that aciclovir does have a braking effect that is modest but could become a useful option for doctors. It could buy time before a patient has to be given powerful drugs to combat HIV. Jairam Lingappa of the University of Washington led a trial in 14 sites in southern and eastern Africa, recruiting 3,381 heterosexual volunteers who were co-infected with HSV2 and HIV-1, the main strain of the human immunodeficiency virus that causes

AIDS. Half of the group were assigned to aciclovir, taking twice-daily doses of the drug, or to a dummy lookalike pill, and were followed for up to 24 months. The key question was whether the volunteers’ count of CD4 cells, the immune cells that are destroyed by HIV, fell below 200 per microlitre by the end of the trial. On this score, aciclovir reduced the risk by 16 percent. Of the volunteers on aciclovir, 284 fell below the 200 CD4 count, whereas the

number among the placebo group was 324.

Using another yardstick, the researchers also found that, among volunteers whose immune system was in better shape, aciclovir also reduced by 19 percent the risk of a CD4 count falling below 350 cells per microlitre. The findings are important, says Lingappa, because they suggest another weapon could be added to the skimpy pharmaceutical armory for treating HIV. Recent evidence has shown that people

with HIV have a better chance of survival if they are given antiretrovirals at an earlier stage of infection. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) has revised its guidelines for treating HIV in poor countries. It recommends that these daily drugs be administered when the CD4 cell count falls to 350 per microlitre, rather than wait for the CD4 tally to hit a lower level, when the immune system can become badly damaged. These recommendations have a wideranging impact, not least because they

mean cash-strapped countries have to find extra money to treat people sooner than before. So a drug that can slow progression towards this mark will ease the strain on health budgets. It would also stave off the time when a patient has to take a treatment that can have toxic side effects. “While the HIV disease-ameliorating effect we have observed is modest, it could add one more tool to help people with HIV infection stay healthy for longer,” Lingappa said. Further investigation is needed, he added. — AFP

Senegal’s cows sidelined for imported powder milk DAKAR: Senegal has three million cattle, but it is imported European powdered milk that is found at the breakfast table, in coffee or local yoghurt as poor infrastructure keeps fresh milk from consumers. In a Dakar suburb, “milk powder with vegetable fat content” from France is poured into large tanks and mixed with filtered water at

This photo released by NASA shows space shuttle Endeavour, photographed by the Expedition 22 crew as the shuttle approached the International Space Station during STS-130 rendezvous and docking operations. — AFP

Astronauts finish second spacewalk WASHINGTON: Endeavour shuttle astronauts concluded the second spacewalk of their trip early yesterday, moving ahead in their work on an ISS observation dome as NASA said the mission would be extended by a day. US astronaut Bob Behnken and his British-born partner Nicholas Patrick began their nearly six-hour hour spacewalk at 0220 GMT yesterday and wrapped it up at 0814 GMT. The pair spent the first part of the spacewalk connecting two ammonia loops, with two lines in each loop, from the Destiny module to new module Tranquility, hooking it to the International Space Station’s cooling system.

They also opened one of those loops to initiate cooling of the module, NASA officials said. Then they installed thermal covers on Tranquility’s keel pin and trunnions, to prevent condensation inside the module, outfitted a docking port of Tranquility for the relocation of the cupola module, and installed handrails. Meanwhile, ISS Commander Jeff Williams and other members of the crew continued outfitting Tranquility’s interior, including setting up the ventilation system and configuring racks.

Early Saturday, the crew members outfitting Tranquility were unable to install a center disk cover on the module’s outboard docking port due to interference with the cover’s attach mechanism from hardware inside the cupola.

That cover protects the docking mechanism from debris and temperature extremes when there is no module attached to it.

For that reason, the planned depressurization and grappling of the cupola at the end of the crew work day has been postponed, the US space agency noted.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration also said Saturday that mission managers had approved the addition of an extra day to the Endeavour’s flight.

“That day, which will be a new Flight Day 11 beginning Wednesday afternoon, will be used to relocate two Water Recovery System racks, the Waste Hygiene Compartment and the Oxygen Generation System into Tranquility,” the space agency said on its website. “Those relocations were on hold pending the repairs conducted earlier in the flight, and enough run time on the system to generate needed samples for return to Earth for analysis.”

The addition brings the length of the mission to 14 days, and moves the shuttle’s expected landing date to February 21. Behnken, Patrick and others aboard the ISS have so far been denied the outof-this-world view that the observation cupola attached to Tranquility promises to deliver.

NASA said shutters on the cupola’s seven windows would be opened tomorrow, finally providing a panoramic view of space, Earth and visiting spacecraft, but also vital access for monitoring space walks and docking operations. The cupola can accommodate two crew members at a time and is equipped with portable workstations that can control station and robotic activities.

Six windows are arrayed along its sides and another on top, all protected against the impact of tiny meteorites.

Once the installation of the new node is finished, the space station will be 90 percent complete. The Endeavour mission, one of five scheduled for NASA’s three shuttles before the program ends later this year after a 29-year run, comes as the US space agency re-evaluates its future after President Barack Obama effectively abandoned the US plan to send astronauts back to the moon by 2020. Constrained by soaring deficits, Obama submitted a budget to Congress that encourages NASA to focus instead on developing commercial transport alternatives to ferry astronauts to the ISS after the shuttle program ends. — AFP

Heart-shaped Ecstasy pills seized ROME: Rome police overnight seized more than 2,000 heart-shaped Ecstasy tablets designed for Valentine’s Day lovers, a news report said yesterday.

The pink pills were part of a haul that also included 400 grams (nearly a pound) of cocaine and 100 grams of hash, the ANSA news agency reported,

adding that two suspected drug dealers were arrested. Police also seized precision scales and other paraphernalia as well as thousands of euros in small bills, ANSA said. Ecstasy, an illegal mood-enhancing drug that produces intensely pleasurable effects, is sometimes called “lovers’ speed”. — AFP

In five years, Senegal has more than doubled its bill for imported milk from 25 billion CFA Francs (38 million euros, 52 million dollars) in 2002 to 58 billion in 2007, said Djiby Dia, researcher with the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research. While Jaboot has stated its intention to “gradually substitute imported powdered milk for local milk,” its rapid expansion has led to import higher quantities. “It is because the biggest problems remain the collection and transportation of fresh milk,” director Pierre Ndiaye said in an interview with AFP. Milk abounds in the largely rural country. But its mainly traditional methods of production are irregular, according to the seasons and are unable to cover the needs of the entire population. Mostly impassable farm roads and an insufficient number of refrigerated trucks make reaching consumers all the more difficult. When the rainy season arrives in the isolated northern region of Ferlo, an abundance of milk and a lack of infrastructure means “some farmers pour their milk on the ground to be licked up by the cows,” said Dia, the author of a thesis on the “geography of milk” in Senegal.

Production channels need to be organized, professionalized and encouraged - but the imported powder has already invaded city markets, as well as those in the bush.

In the village of Niakhar, 155 kilometers (91 miles) from Dakar, farm technician Mamad ou Niassy admits his own family consumes powdered milk every day. “I prefer unpasteurized milk but it is not available, although I live few kilometres from a farmer,” said the 55-year-old. In Dakar, the director of the agriculture ministry, Mamadou Ousseynou Sakho, explained that “at the moment, conditions to collect and process the milk are still quite rudimentary.”

He said the government was encouraging an increase in the booming mini-dairy industry, “that is to say the small rural plants where milk is pasteurized, put in a sachet, processed into yoghurt etc.”

In 2009 government acquired an additional 10 mini-dairies “that we will put in place soon,” he said. Researchers increasingly question the inequality of international commerce laws, as milk from poor countries finds itself in competition with milk from rich countries.

A debate over whether higher customs duties should be imposed on imported milk powder has largely fallen by the wayside as the biggest importers constitute an influential lobby and have little interest in paying more.

BagorÈ Bathily, director-general of the Berger Dairy-the first industrial unit for the collection and processing of local milk-wants “fiscal incentives” for those who give priority to the local product.

In 2008 in the midst of a global food crisis, “the government suspended taxes on certain imported foods such as milk,” said Sakho. Presently, “small industries want Value Added Tax on milk produced in Senegal to be lifted, so that the local product is more competitive, but it is a big problem .... there is a comprehensive reflection to be carried out,” he said. — AFP

the Jaboot factory to make local favorites like curdled milk and yoghurt and cereal mix, or “thiakri.” Reducing dependence on imported foodstuffs is a challenge on the continent, and new African Union leader, Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has prioritized food security to ensure “Africa is able to feed Africa.”

DAKAR: Recent picture of a woman approaching a dairy product kiosk. — AFP

Good German care gets child patients back to Afghanistan OBERHAUSEN: Its German name, Friedensdorf, translates as Peace Village - a place where children badly injured in Afghanistan and other conflict regions are nourished back to health.

Last year the site Friedensdorf International - took charge of more than 190 Afghan children who underwent free surgery in hospitals across Germany.

Today, the first batch of 58 is due to return to Kabul after successfully completing their treatment. But it is an uncertain future they are going back to - NATO-led troops have just launched a major offensive against Taleban rebels in the south their homeland.

Nasira, a young girl in a hooded, red jacket, looks as though she might come from one of the wellkept detached houses that surround Friedensdorf, located on the outskirts of the industrial city of Oberhausen in the west of Germany.

But Nasira is from Kabul, where her father repairs houses and schools in the province that surrounds the Afghan capital. She

has been in the village for a year and twice underwent complicated surgery to restore movement in the crippled fingers of her right hand. She had mixed feelings when she first came to Germany “because I didn’t know what to expect.” Like all other children at the camp, she did not have any contact with her family while she was there.

“It’s difficult for the parents as well,” says Wolfgang Mertens, a spokesman for Friedensdorf International, whose operations are financed entirely through donations. It has been operating in crisis regions for 43 years. Since 1980 its members have been flying twice a year to Afghanistan, where the healthcare system poorly functions. War wounds, bone infections and deformities can’t be treated properly, says Mertens. Even in the big cities, hygiene conditions in hospitals are bad, he adds.

A doctor from the Afghan Red Crescent organization - the equivalent of the Red Cross - selects young patients from across the country to go to Germany for treatment. “A condition is that the

injuries cannot be treated in Afghanistan and that the parents do not have the money to pay for surgery,” Martens says. More than two-thirds of the children sent to Germany have painful bone infections, says Mertens.

But the number of war injured has decreased in recent months, according to Dr Mohammed Hariri, a Lebanese former doctor who works in a voluntary capacity at the village. “When they first arrive the children feel a bit intimidated,” he says. “But they soon realize the people here want to help them, and the quickly pick up their first German words.” At the village, the children spend their time with rehab training, German lessons, sewing and cooking. War is not discussed.

“Some people don’t think it’s a good idea to tear children away from their normal environment and bring them to a world that is like a fairytale to them,” says Mertens. For this reason, those working with the children keep an emotional distance between themselves and their charges. Only in exceptional circumstances are the

children allowed to leave the village. Bonding with private individuals is discouraged to ensure the children do not become alienated from their own country and heritage.

“Afghanistan is very different from Germany, not as new and more mountainous,” says Yar Mohammad, one of those returning home today. The young boy picked up a bone infection while playing at his home in Parwan province, eastern Afghanistan and was unable to get treatment there.

“I hope that Afghanistan will be like Germany one day,” says Saliman, who has been at the centre for two years with an injured leg and now translates questions posed by the carers to new arrivals.

When Mohammad, Saliman, Nasira and the other children board their flight home, they will each be carrying a bag packed with enough medicine and bandages for the next six months. The next group of patients is already waiting. Eighty-five youngsters are getting ready to leave Afghanistan for Germany next Friday. — dpa

Doctors warn Chinese about eating habits TAIPEI: Chinese around the world celebrated the Chinese New Year holidays yesterday, but doctors were also warning them to stay away from snacks and oily food to avoid gaining weight. On the eve of the holidays, Taiwan’s Bureau of Health Promotion held a news conference and posted a notice on its website to caution people against careless eating during the Chinese New Year holidays. The notice included a chart showing the calories of snacks, especially nuts, and the amount of exercise needed to get rid of the extra weight.

“If you eat 200 grams of watermelon seeds, which has 1,100 calories, you must jog for three hours to get rid of the calories,” bureau director Chiu Shu-ti said. “A bottle of sugared drink has 180 calories. You must jog for half an hour to wipe out those calories,” she also noted.

Food served during the Chinese New Year holidays - like sticky rice cakes, and fried meat balls - are usually rich in calories and protein, but also fattening. The bureau said that even eating small quantities of such snacks, people could gain 1.5 kilograms during the holidays. —dpa

NEW DELHI: A participant poses with her cat at a pet trade fair yesterday. — AP

WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Embassy information EMBASSY OF KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya is happy to inform the general public and visitors to Kenya of a reduction in the cost of tourist visas by 50%, continuing through all of 2010. Additionally, in recognition of the family travel segment, Kenya is giving a complete waiver of visit fees to children aged 16 years and below. Visitors are urged to take this opportunity and experience unique Kenyan beach holidays on palm fringed, sandy beaches, safaris in the country’s famous national parks, and activity based tourism. For more information contact the Kenya Embassy located at Surra, block 6, Street 9, Villa No.3. Tel. 25353314/ 25353362 or visit the Mission’s websites www.kenyaembkuwait.com & www.magicalkenya.com. Official timings are 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, Sundays through Thursdays.

Ambassadors’ better halves get together

By Rawan Khalid he Social Development Center at Social Affairs Ministry in Yarmouk organized a meeting for spouses of Ambassadors in Kuwait yesterday morning to do some work-

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shops for the women.

Over 40 diplomats’ spouses in Kuwait participated yesterday in Social Development Center in Yarmouk and they participated in workshops such as painting, making jewelry, and drawing on pottery.

Moreover, the Social Development Center provided a trainer for the women. Narjes Al-Shatti, Board Member of the International Women’s Group said, “Spouses of ambassadors in Kuwait have hobbies and I want to let them know the places where they

Karen Henery, the Canadian ambassador’s wife (left) and Narjes Al-Shatti (right). —Photos by Joseph Shagra

Canadian food and beverage delegation visits Kuwait he Embassy of Canada is pleased to announce that a delegation of Canadian food and beverage exporters will be visiting Kuwait from tomorrow till Thursday, February 18, 2010.

During their visit, the delegation will be meeting with officials of Kuwaiti companies and institutions in the food and beverage sector and will be touring several retail establishments.

The Canadian agriculture and agri-food industry is one of the most modern and closely regulated in the world, and has adapted, innovated and grown to meet the challenges and new realities of the global marketplace.

Canada is the world’s fourth largest agriculture and agrifood exporter.

Canada exports approximately 45 percent of its domestic food and agricultural productionworth $42.8 billion (Cdn)- to over 180 countries worldwide and is dedicated to meeting customers expectations for

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safe, quality products produced in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Canada’s natural bounty nurtures some of the world’s best-quality goods which can be bought as delicious consumer-ready products, packaged under private labels, or used as ingredients in processing food and non-food products. Canada’s food and agriculture products are as diverse as its land and people.

Canada’s vast land base and varied climates foster an outstanding range of crops and bountiful grazing for livestock, which in turn produces top quality grades of meat.

Canada’s oceans and lakes provide a wide variety of fish and seafood. Care, commitment and pride go into Canadian products.

So explore and discover what Canada has to offer the world! For more information on this delegation please contact the Canadian Embassy at 2256-3025 X 3802 or kwaittd@international.gc.ca.

Frontliners team meet with Indian Ambassador

rontliners’s newly elected team for the year 2010 met Ajai Malhotra, Ambassador of India, to Kuwait. Dr Rumane the President of Frontliners, introduced the team. He has shared activities of Frontliners in the service field and informed about Frontliners Part-14 book release function planned in April which will focus on. The meeting was very cordial covering matters related to service. The ambassador was informed about the embassy’s involvement, role in addressing the Indian community issues and the initiatives it has taken to resolve and mitigate workers/maids problems. Mohandoss submitted the list of donations by Frontliners to various calamities funds, education for the poor, orphanage, Hospitals, NGO in our homeland as well as helping the disturbed and helpless workers in Kuwait. Frontliners, a non-profit social organization registered with Indian embassy, helps needy and lesser privileged people and participates in various voluntary works.

Dr Rumane thanked the ambassador and embassy staff for their help and co-operation to resolve distressed workers’ problems.

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could practice their hobbies in the Social Centers of Kuwait,” “We always organized visits and meeting for the spouses of ambassadors in Kuwait to the governmental organizations and Social Centers in Kuwait, and I think that the Social

Centers considers this as one of the best activities and programs to have happened in Kuwait.” Narjes added.

“On behalf of the International Women’s Group, we thank the Ministry of Social Affairs for giving us this chance.” Narjes concluded.

Hiroko Matsuda (left), Etsuho Dzahi (2nd left), Maysa Abd Al-Haleem - spouse of Egyptian Consul (right).

Abu Dhabi grants $25 million to Global Malaria partnership he Government of Abu Dhabi announced a grant of US$25 million, over five years, to support the work of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM).

Specifically to scale-up malaria control worldwide and contribute to achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by 2015.

The grant from the Government of Abu Dhabi will support the work of the UN’s Roll Back Malaria Partnership over the next five years and bolster efforts to eradicate the parasite infection from its last regional strongholds.

“We are grateful to the Government of Abu Dhabi for this support. It provides a major boost to

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the RBM Partnership and sends an important message of encouragement to the international malaria community. We have evidence of significant progress in many endemic countries and this funding will have a direct impact upon the capacity of the partnership to accelerate current advances and ensure that countries move closer to the RBM universal coverage targets and the malaria-related UN Millennium Development Goals,” said Executive Director Prof Awa Marie Coll-Seck.

Malaria is a devastating disease, which kills over 850,000 people annually even though it is both preventable and treatable. Half of the world’s population is at risk of con-

tracting malaria but the disease disproportionately affects the poor who suffer more from the consequences of the disease. Children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable. Coordinated efforts have reduced malaria deaths by more than 50 percent in countries like Eritrea, Rwanda and Zambia through the integrated use of mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying and effective medicines, such as artemisininbased combination therapies.

The UAE is certified by the WHO as a malaria-free country, with the last recorded case of transmission occurring in 1997. Speaking on behalf of the Government of Abu Dhabi about its donation HE Zaid AlSiksek, Chief Executive Officer, Abu

Dhabi Health Authority said: “We are proud and pleased to be part of this global philanthropic effort and to support the RBM Secretariat in facilitating RBM’s leading role in ending malaria. We hope to establish a long-term collaboration with RBM to share experiences and exchange operational knowledge in tackling health challenges.”

Malaria was also highlighted at the 2nd World Congress of Muslim Philanthropists in March 2009 in Abu Dhabi by distinguished leaders including the UN Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Malaria, Ray Chambers, Senegalese musician and philanthropist, Youssou N’Dour and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

SWAK celebrates Shirva Fest embers of Shirva Welfare Association, Kuwait (SWAK) celebrated their annual Parish Feast on Friday, February 12, at Indian Central School, Abbasiya.

The celebration began at 5:30 pm with a welcome note from Nitin castelino, who then handed over the proceedings to MC Jaison Lasrado. Prayer dance was presented by Irel, Ines and Roshal followed by welcome song by Adrian Gomes & group. President of SWAK Urban D’Souza welcomed the guests, members & their families. Annual activity report was presented by General Secretary Alwyn D’Souza.

SWAK members and children presented a scintillating variety entertainment show which included Songs, Dances and Jokes along with games for children & adults to the much delight of the crowd. While music maestro Adrian Gomes provided lively music, DJ Kiran Sunny kept the audience on their toes with some incredi-

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ble music. Various spot prizes were given away during the dance sessions.

All the office bearers joined to cut the feast cake along with Chief Guests Fr Melwyn D’Cunha and Fr John Harry D’Souza. Fr Harry delivered

the festival message. Fr Melwyn, who will be leaving Kuwait mission shortly, was felicitated with a bouquet and memento. In his address he congratulated SWAK members on their achievements and wished all the best

to SWAK in its future endeavors.

Renowned Konkani singer Rony was also felicitated on this occasion for his contribution to Konkani music. Merit scholarships were awarded to outstanding member’s children. The honored children are Rayan Nazareth (12th std) and Deandra D’Souza (10th std). All the sponsors were felicitated.

Lucky dip and members draw was also held and prizes were distributed.

Vote of thanks was proposed by Gretta D’Souza and grace before the meals was led by Leena Martis. MC Jason Lasrado conducted all the events of the evening. The celebrations concluded with a dinner buffet

by Royal Plaza followed by masala dance session by DJ Kiran.

Illuminations (Anand D’Souza) provided the sound and lighting. The whole event was very well organized and appreciated by all. Cultural Secretary Alban D’Souza co-ordinated the whole event.

EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays.

Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no. 25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday.

EMBASSY OF PHILIPPINES The Embassy of the Philippines wishes to inform the Filipino community in the State of Kuwait, that the recent supreme court decision to extend the registration of voter’s applies only in local registration in the Philippines under Republic Act no. 8189 and does not apply to overseas voters which is governed by Republic Act no. 9189, hence it has no impact on the plans and preparations on the conduct of overseas absentee voting. The overseas absentee voting for presidential elections will start on 10 April 2010 and will continue uninterrupted until 10 May 2010 daily at the Philippine Embassy. Registered overseas absentee voters are advised to schedule their days off in advance to avoid complications in their schedules. Qualified voters are encouraged to get out and vote.

Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

Gethealthykuwait.com holds event on weight loss ethealthykuwait.com, a national health campaign by Diet Care and Taiba Hospital, is inviting you to join its outreach efforts in combating obesity. Witness, first-hand, the dangerous health reality in Kuwait, and participate in influencing the growing obesity pandemic in the community with gethealthykuwait.com.

Gethealthykuwait.com was launched on June 23, 2009 as the largest health campaign in Kuwait and targets individuals and families alike, encouraging them to take a stand in changing their lifestyles and develop habits that are healthier and nutritious.

We hope you will join us and support Gethealthykuwait.com in increasing social awareness on the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. Kindly RSVP: Dareen Awwad - Bensirri at +965-99981224.

Email: dareen@bensirri.com. The event will begin at 11 am on Feb 16. The venue is Le Meridien on Gulf Road.

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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Monday, February 15, 2010

Greetings

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The English Tea Lounge celebrates 1st anniversary

Saira Tariq

celebrates her first birthday today. Happy birthday! Best wishes from dad M Tariq Habib.

n a celebration where the media and the management and staff of the English Tea Lounge came together at the Sheraton Kuwait, a candle was blown to mark the first anniversary of the distinguished outlet. On this special occasion, an exclusive selection of mouthwatering

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KCICO honors chairman uwait Chittagong Integrated Company bid farewell to its chairman, renowned businessman Zafar Ahmed in a farewell meeting held at Gulshan hotel in Kuwait City on February 11, 2010. Company directors Shafiqur Rahaman, Masud Karim, Mohammad Jasim Uddin, poet Salim Reza and members Anjuman Ara Begum, Belal Hossain had attended the meeting. Bengali expatriate community leaders from various sectors graced the function. Among the distinguished guests, poet Sanjeeb Vhadra Chandan, journalist Sheikh Ehsanul Haque Khokan, Lak Miah, and expatriate community leaders were present. In the meeting, Kuwait-Chittagong integrated Company (KCICO) awarded the crest of honor to its Chairman Zafar Ahmed Chowdhury.

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delights beautifully arranged on a three-layered stand is available for a very special price until the end of February 2010. Amongst these scrumptious delights, are freshly baked scones in different flavors served with all condiments, a selection of mini sandwiches, oriental

savories of Shawarma, Falafel and Kibbeh and for the sweet tooth, a tempting array of mini desserts namely Macaroons, Chocolate Tart, Apple Strudel and much more.

The English Tea Lounge Avenues creates a new experience to those who appreciate the finer things in life

with its unique location in Kuwait’s biggest shopping mall. The English Tea Lounge is complimented by traditional English setting in an atmosphere that is reminiscent of an English country house not to mention, the breathtaking tunes of the live harp. Experience the best of English

tea with an added array of quintessential English delights such as scones, mini sandwiches and other tantalizing choices include mouthwatering chocolate fondue where you can dip various condiments such as marshmallows, fruits, brownies and much more into silky melted chocolate.

HMWA organizes program yderabad Muslim Welfare Association (HMWA) is going to organize a grand program on the life of Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) titled Jalsa-e-Seerat un nabi on Feb 19 soon after Friday prayer in Masjid-e-Abu Rafe, behind Jleeb Shuwaikh Touristic Enterprises Garden, next to Sixth Ring Road petrol pump. Prominent scholars from Kuwait will speak on the selected topics. For further details, contact 99481599, 67056801 , 99740083 , 66605881.

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Alliance Homes introduces new projects lliance Homes, an emerging entity in the builders’ arena in Kerala conducted a marketing expo as part of its overseas marketing campaign.

After the runaway success of its other overseas marketing road shows held in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and so on, the Kuwait expo was held at Hotel Ritz Sharq on February 11 and 12. Alliance homes presented its various ongoing projects in places like Calicut, Kannur and Payyanur along with its newly launched ultra luxury apartment project in Calicut called ‘Alliance Empire’.

Alliance Empire - a 20 storied fully air-

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conditioned ultra luxury apartment having many world class features and amenities being built on a prime land in the heart of Calicut city on the mini by-pass road, overlooks the Saroovarum bio-park which is the tourism hotspot of Calicut.

‘Alliance Empire’ is envisaged as a unique architecture sculptor for those who desire a prestigious address in Calicut and is going to be a landmark building in the city. Managing director V C Ashraf and Director Luquman Ali Mohammed were the chief organizer of the expo in Kuwait which provided a unique platform for the non-resident

Keraliates to own their dream homes back home in Kerala. The organizers have made a detailed presentation of various projects and the response to the show was overwhelming.

Alliance Homes visualizes aggressive construction plans in future by venturing into new projects in different parts of Kerala. Alliance Homes guarantees to its valuable clients a total professional approach and dedication in implementing the projects the company undertakes.

For further details contact: 55724254/ 99600314 or info@alliancehomes.in Website: www.alliancehomes.in

Indian Lawyers’ Forum conducts annual program Indian Lawyers’ Forum (ILF), the Association of Indian Lawyers and law graduates in Kuwait are planning to conduct their annual program and get together on Feb 19 evening at 6 pm at

Hidine Restaurant Auditorium (Tel: 24312505) in Abassiya, near Highway Centre. Professional presentations, orchestra and a variety of entertainment is arranged. All Indian lawyers and law

graduates with their families are cordially invited to attend the function. For more information please contact: 97203939, 97260159 email: advpanicker@gmail.com

Arpan elects new office-bearers

rpan Kuwait held its annual general body meeting at Seva Darshan Hall Salmiya and elected its new office-bearers for the year 2010.

The meeting approved the annual program report for the year 2009 after discussion. The report was presented by General Secretary Varghese Joseph.

President Dr Radhakrishna Panicker congratulated members and office-bearers for their contribution to the growth of the organization. Treasurer P A Menon presented the annual accounts for the year 2009.

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The general body re-elected Dr Radhakrishna Panicker as president and Sreenath M R as vice-president.

Krishnan K Pillai was elected Gen Secretary. Other office-bearers are: A R Subbaraman (Joint secretary/Joint treasurer), Satheesh Prabhakaran (Joint secretary),P A Menon (Treasurer), Sam C Vilanilam (PRO), Sajeev K Peter (Cultural/Sports Secretary). Advisory committee members are: K P Suresh (chairman), K Mahadevan, Mohandas Edappal, C Vijayakumar and K Nagarajan. Executive members: Anil

Kumar Viruvil, Anil Kumar Das, Siddharthan Kuttath, Mohan K Iyer, C Sajeevan and R Rama Moorthy. N S Venkatakrishnan was re-elected as the internal auditor of the organization. A four-member working committee also has been elected by the general body.

The general body also elected a sixmember Ladies Wing for Arpan headed by convener Manju Sreenath. Other members are: Latha Mahadevan, Preetha Satheesh, Sreeja Sajeevan and Lakshmi Anildas. Rajendran Vadakkathu was the election officer.

Aware holds Arabian Desert Camp ware holds Arabian Desert Camp on February 20, 2010 from 10 am to 4 pm. Bus transportation will be available for those who sign for it. Buses will depart at 9:30 am. Every year during the winter, the desert beckons us to come and enjoy. This year, we journey south to the AWARE Arabian Desert camp for an all-day, outdoor experience including: Camel rides, sporting competitions, and hot buffet lunch. Visit AWARE at Surra, Block 3, Surra Street, Villa 84 - Telephone: 2-5335260/80 Fax: 2-5335230.

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IIS bids farewell to outgoing students ndia International School organized a blessing ceremony and a farewell party for its third batch of Class 12 on Thursday, February 11, 2010.

The students of Class 12 were given the responsibility to organize the whole event. They extended a very warm welcome at the entrance when the students of class XII arrived. They were in colorful attire and they had donned the graduation gown too. They were escorted to the venue with the lighted candles in their hands signifying their bright future when they step out of their school.

The Director of the School Moosa Koya was the Chief Guest on this occasion.

The program began with the Quran Recitation and followed by the welcome speech of Asma Moideen. A group of students presented mellifluous and heart moving songs namely ‘Yeh Pal’ and ‘All the best’. This was followed by the brief speech of N Balasubramanian, the Headmaster of the school, who not only blessed the students but also shared some of the wonderful moments with the outgoing students with the gathering. To break the heavy silence, some indoor games were conducted for the outgoing students and the winners were given prizes.

When Fahima and Laxmi enacted some jokes the whole gathering laughed and laughed forgetting for a while the seriousness of the event. Then Fakrudeen and Sahar gifted everlasting Urdu Shayari and Tahir and Elija presented parting poems in English. Narinder Kaur, the Vice-Principal of the school, advised the outgoing students to lead a balanced life as they may encounter various incidents in future. Moosa Koya, the Director of the school, blessed the children to do well in the forthcoming exam and advised them not to forget their Alma matter.

This was followed by sharing of some of the sweet moments in the school by the outgoing students, Azar,

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Thaiyub, Sandeep, Leya, Arafia and others. Anis Ahmed, the Principal of the school, gave away the prizes to the students for the various events and he blessed the students by quoting an Urdu couplet which says, “There is no one who can

restrict you to fly in the sky as high as you like as you fly you’re your courage and determination and not merely your wings”. He also gave an open letter to outgoing students reminding them of their grooming at the school and that they are now ready to

face any challenges of life.

Rijisha of Class 11 thanked the gathering and invited them for lunch. Then the gathering slowly melted away and the outgoing students found some heaviness in their heart when they boarded the school bus.

TV PROGRAMS

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Orbit / Showtime Listings

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

00:50 01:45 02:40 03:35 04:30 05:25 05:50 06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:45 10:10 10:40 11:05 11:55 12:50 13:15 13:45 14:10 14:40 15:35 16:00 16:30 16:55 17:25 17:50 18:20 19:15 20:10 21:10 22:05 23:00 23:55

00:20 01:10 01:55 02:55 03:45 04:40 05:10 05:40 06:10 06:40 07:20 07:40 08:00 08:20 08:45 08:50 09:00 09:20 09:40 10:00 10:25 10:30 11:15 12:15 13:15 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:45 16:15 16:45 17:15 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:45 22:15 22:45 23:45

11:25 11:45 12:10 12:35 12:55 13:20 13:40 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:15 15:40 16:00 16:25 16:45 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:45 19:00 19:25 19:50 20:15 20:40

Doctor Who Life on Mars Knight Rider Dawsons Creek Life on Mars One Tree Hill Heroes Doctor Who Criminal Minds Cold Case Knight Rider Dawsons Creek Heroes One Tree Hill Knight Rider Life on Mars Criminal Minds Cold Case Doctor Who Heroes Hotel Babylon Saving Grace One Tree Hill Rescue Me

Galapagos Whale Wars Untamed & Uncut Untamed & Uncut Animal Cops Miami Night Night Animal Cops Houston Aussie Animal Rescue Vet on the Loose Wildlife SOS Pet Rescue Animal Precinct The Planet’s Funniest Animals The Planet’s Funniest Animals RSPCA: On the Frontline Animal Cops Phoenix Corwin’s Quest Specials Wildlife SOS Pet Rescue The Planet’s Funniest Animals The Planet’s Funniest Animals Earthquake: Panda Rescue Lemur Street Monkey Business Pet Rescue Vet on the Loose Wildlife SOS RSPCA: On the Frontline Animal Cops Miami I’m Alive Trophy Cats Animal Cops Phoenix Untamed & Uncut I’m Alive Animal Cops Miami

Life on Mars Doctor Who The Life Of Mammals Casualty Casualty Doctors Doctors Doctors Doctors Doctors Balamory Tweenies Fimbles Teletubbies Yoho Ahoy Tommy Zoom Balamory Tweenies Fimbles Teletubbies Yoho Ahoy Bargain Hunt Coast The Ship The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic Blackadder Goes Forth Blackadder Goes Forth The Weakest Link Doctors Cash In The Attic Hustle Antiques Roadshow The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby Blue Holby City

00:10 The Restaurant Uk 01:00 Saturday Kitchen 01:30 Saturday Kitchen 02:00 Living In The Sun 02:50 Coleen’s Real Women 03:35 10 Years Younger 04:25 The Clothes Show 05:10 It’s Not Easy Being Green 05:35 Saturday Kitchen 06:05 Saturday Kitchen 06:35 Living In The Sun 08:00 Antiques Roadshow 09:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 09:25 Hidden Potential 09:45 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes

00:15 Wildest TV Show Moments 00:40 Party Monsters: Cabo 01:30 E!es 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 50 Most Shocking Celebrity Confessions 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 25 Most Sensational Hollywood Meltdowns 07:45 Style Star 08:10 Style Star 08:35 E! News 09:25 Leave It To Lamas 09:50 Leave It To Lamas 10:15 THS 11:05 THS 12:00 E! News 12:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 13:40 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks 15:25 Behind The Scenes 15:50 Behind The Scenes 16:15 E!es 17:10 Kendra 17:35 Kendra 18:00 E! News 18:50 Streets Of Hollywood 19:15 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 19:40 THS 20:30 THS 21:20 Wildest TV Show Moments 21:45 Wildest TV Show Moments 22:10 E! News 23:00 Dr 90210 23:50 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties

Johnny Mad Dog on Show Movies 10:30 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 11:30 Living In The Sun 12:15 Antiques Roadshow 13:10 What Not To Wear 14:00 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 14:45 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 15:30 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:05 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:30 Cash In The Attic Usa 16:50 Hidden Potential 17:10 Antiques Roadshow 18:10 What Not To Wear 18:50 Living In The Sun 19:40 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:10 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:40 Masterchef Goes Large 21:05 Saturday Kitchen 21:35 Saturday Kitchen 22:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 22:30 Cash In The Attic Usa 23:00 Coleen’s Real Women 23:40 Boys’ Weekend

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:55 03:20 03:50 04:45 05:10 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:55 08:50 09:45 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:30 12:55 13:25 13:50 14:15 15:10 16:05 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10

The Company You Keep - 18 Map Of The Human Heart - 18 Sunset Park - PG Trekkies 2 - PG Gone For A Dance - PG 15 Pearl Diver - PG Xanadu - PG An American Rhapsody - PG A Walk In The Clouds - PG 15 Gloria - PG 15 Combien Tu Gagnes - PG 15 Dad Savage - PG 15

Ross Kemp on Gangs Destroyed in Seconds Destroyed in Seconds Street Customs Wheeler Dealers Wheeler Dealers American Chopper How Stuff Works Destroyed in Seconds Destroyed in Seconds LA Hard Hats Extreme Engineering The Kustomizer Street Customs How Do They Do It? Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Destroyed in Seconds Destroyed in Seconds How Do They Do It? How Stuff Works Fifth Gear American Chopper Miami Ink Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Destroyed in Seconds Destroyed in Seconds Street Customs How Do They Do It? How Stuff Works

Deadly Women Undercover Murder Shift Most Evil

04:05 05:00 05:55 06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:20

00:40 01:05 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:25 04:50 05:45 06:40 07:10 08:00 09:00 10:00 10:25 10:55 11:20 11:50 12:45 13:10 13:40 14:35 15:00 15:30 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:30 21:20 21:45

I Escaped Death Undercover Real Emergency Calls Fbi Files Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Real Emergency Calls Diagnosis: Unknown Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Mystery Er The Prosecutors Extreme Forensics Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Real Emergency Calls Diagnosis: Unknown Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Mystery Er The Prosecutors

Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science The Future of...

Future Weapons Future Weapons Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science The Future of...

What’s That About?

Test Case Engineered Scrapheap Challenge NASA’s Greatest Missions Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science How Does That Work?

Stunt Junkies Super Comet: After the Impact Mean Green Machines One Step Beyond NASA’s Greatest Missions Sci-Fi Science Sci-Fi Science Robocar How Does That Work?

Scrapheap Challenge Brainiac China’s Man Made Marvels Mighty Ships Mega Builders How It’s Made How It’s Made

00:00 Jonas 00:20 Wizards Of Waverly Place 00:45 Suite Life On Deck 01:10 Fairly Odd Parents 01:35 Replacements 02:00 Phineas & Ferb 02:25 Little Einsteins 02:45 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 03:10 Handy Manny 03:35 Lazytown 04:00 Jonas 04:25 Suite Life On Deck 04:50 Wizards Of Waverly Place 05:15 Hannah Montana 05:40 Sonny With A Chance 06:00 Higglytown Heroes 06:10 My Friends Tigger and Pooh 06:35 Handy Manny 07:00 Special Agent Oso 07:20 IMAGINATION MOVERS 07:45 Lazytown 08:10 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 08:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 09:00 HANDY MANNY NEW EPISODES 09:25 Special Agent Oso 09:45 Brandy & Mr Whiskers 10:10 Fairly Odd Parents 10:35 Hannah Montana 11:00 I Got A Rocket

Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas & Ferb Suite Life On Deck Replacements American Dragon Kim Possible Famous Five Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Replacements I Got A Rocket Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana The Replacements Jonas Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Wizards Of Waverly Place

00:00 Food Network Challenge 03:00 Iron Chef America 04:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 04:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 05:00 Teleshopping 08:00 Giada At Home 08:25 Giada At Home 08:50 Barefoot Contessa 09:15 30 Minute Meals 09:40 30 Minute Meals 10:05 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 10:30 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 11:00 Tyler’s Ultimate 11:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 12:00 Barefoot Contessa 13:00 Giada At Home 13:30 Giada At Home 14:00 30 Minute Meals 14:30 30 Minute Meals 15:00 Barefoot Contessa 15:30 Barefoot Contessa 16:00 Grill It! with Bobby Flay 16:30 Grill It! with Bobby Flay 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 18:00 Tyler’s Ultimate 18:30 Tyler’s Ultimate 19:00 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 19:30 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 20:00 Grill It! with Bobby Flay 20:30 Grill It! with Bobby Flay 21:00 Barefoot Contessa 21:30 Barefoot Contessa 22:00 Food Network Challenge 23:00 Iron Chef America

01:25 03:15 04:40 06:15 07:40 09:05 10:30 12:10 13:45 15:05 16:40 18:30 20:20 22:00 23:40

The Hunting Party Miracle Mile Playing Mona Lisa Gothic Miracle Beach Women Vs. Men The Black Stallion Returns Babes In Toyland The Secret Of N.i.m.h.

Arena Marie: A True Story The Playboys The Hillside Strangler Rikky and Pete Scandal

00:00 Better Off Ted 00:30 Will and Grace 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report

02:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Saturday Night Live 04:30 Sit Down & Shut Up 05:00 Better Off Ted 05:30 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 06:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 07:00 Home Improvement 07:30 The Simpsons 08:00 Coach 08:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 09:00 The Colbert Report 09:30 Drew Carey Show 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 11:00 All of us 11:30 Saturday Night Live 13:00 Will and Grace 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 Home Improvement 14:30 The Simpsons 15:00 Coach 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Drew Carey Show 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 Eight Simple Rules 18:30 All of us 19:00 Billable Hours 19:30 Will and Grace 20:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Monday Night Stand Up

00:00 What’s Good For You 01:00 Downsize Me 02:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show 03:00 The Monique Show 04:00 Huey’s Cooking Adventure 04:30 Fresh 05:00 The Best of Jay Leno 06:00 GMA Weekend Live 07:00 Mom Gets Real / Now you know / Amplified 08:00 Ahead of the Curve 08:30 Amplified 09:00 The Martha Stewart Show 10:00 The Best of Jimmy Kimmel 11:00 Downsize Me 12:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show 13:00 Huey’s Cooking Adventure 13:30 Fresh 14:00 The Martha Stewart Show 15:00 GMA LIVE 17:00 Ahead of the Curve 17:30 Nature’s Edge 18:00 Eat Your Self Sexy 18:30 10 Years Younger 19:00 Mom Gets Real / Now you know / Amplified

00:15 Julia - U 02:15 Johnny Mad Dog - 18 04:00 The Forgotten Coast - PG 15 06:00 The Caller - U 08:00 Fireproof - PG 10:00 Igor - PG 11:30 There Will Be Blood - PG 15 14:00 The Who Anthology - PG 15 16:00 Fireproof - PG 18:00 The Water Horse: Legend Of The Deep - FAM 20:00 Motherhood - PG 15 22:00 Flags Of Our Fathers - U

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 PG 15 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Rec - R Anatomy 2 - 18 Palermo Shooting - PG 15 Silent Venom - PG 15 Street Fighter Ii - PG Snake In The Eagle’s Shadow Alone In The Dark 2 - PG 15 Street Fighter Ii - PG Shaft - 18 The Perfect Witness - 18 Death Warrant - PG 15 Restraint - PG 15

SHOW MOVIES COMEDY 00:00 Tadpole - PG 15 02:00 The Birdcage - 18 04:00 The Hammer - PG 15 06:00 My Favorite Martian - PG 08:00 Hot Rod - PG 15 10:00 Loins Of Punjab Presents - PG 12:00 First Kid - PG 14:00 Picture This - PG 15 16:00 Tadpole - PG 15 18:00 Backseat - PG 15 20:00 Wieners - 18 22:00 Election - 18

00:00 Tom And Jerry: A Nutcracker’s Tale - FAM 02:00 Christmas In Wonderland - PG 04:00 War Of The Buttons - PG 06:00 Spiderwick Chronicles - PG 08:00 Scooby-Doo And The Loch Ness Monster - FAM 10:00 War Of The Buttons - PG 12:00 Moondance Alexander - FAM

14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

00:00 01:00 02:00 02:30 03:00 03:30 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Christmas In Wonderland - PG Another Cinderella Story - PG Mighty Joe Young - PG The Witches - PG Moondance Alexander - FAM

The Ex-list C.S.I: Miami Every Body Loves Raymond My Name is Earl Sex and the City Sex and the City C.S.I Ally Mcbeal Emmerdale Coronation Street Every Body Loves Raymond My Name is Earl 24 C.S.I Ally Mcbeal Law & Order Emmerdale Coronation Street Every Body Loves Raymond My Name is Earl The Ex-list C.S.I: Miami Law & Order 24 Emmerdale Coronation Street Law & Order Ugly Betty Desperate Housewives C.S.I Sex and the City

00:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 01:00 Scottish Premier League 03:00 Premier League 05:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 06:00 Portugol 06:30 Brazilian League Highlights 07:00 Scottish Premier League 09:00 Premier League 11:00 Portuguese Liga 13:00 Scottish Premier League 15:00 Scottish Premier League 17:00 Futbol Mundial 17:30 Premier League World 18:00 Premier League Classics 18:30 Premier League 20:30 Scottish Premier League 22:30 Scottish Premier League

01:30 05:30 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:45 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 18:30

Premier League Darts World Hockey World Hocky Premier League Classics Premier League Classics Super League Super League Premier League Classics Weber Cup Bowling Futbol Mundial Premier League World Super 14 Guinness Premiership Weber Cup Bowling World Hocky World Sport

01:00 Beerfest - 18 03:00 State’s Evidence - PG 15 05:00 Tennessee - PG 15 07:00 Diamonds Pt 2 - PG 15 09:00 Dr. Dolittle : A Tinsel Town Tail - PG 11:00 Iron Road Part 1 - PG 15 13:00 Meet The Spartans - PG 15 15:00 Stan Lee: Mosaic - PG 17:00 High Noon - PG 15 19:00 El Escorial Conspiracy - PG 15 21:00 The Longshots - PG 15 23:00 Forgetting Sarah Marshall - 18

00:45 Man of La Mancha 03:00 The Philadelphia Story 05:00 Love Is All There Is 06:50 The Screening Room 07:25 The Screening Room 08:00 Somebody Up There Likes Me 09:50 Kelly’s Heroes 12:10 Man of La Mancha 14:25 Flipper 15:55 How the West Was Won 18:25 The Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight 20:10 Chuck Jones: Memories of Childhood 20:45 Anchors Aweigh 23:00 Lies My Father Told Me

00:40 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:55 05:50 06:40 08:20 09:10 10:00 10:55 11:50 12:40 14:20 15:10 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:40 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:55 23:50

Dogfights Of The Future Dogfights Ice Road Truckers 3 Evolve Dead Men’s Secrets Deep Wreck Mysteries Dogfights Of The Future Dogfights Ice Road Truckers 3 Evolve Dead Men’s Secrets Deep Wreck Mysteries Dogfights Of The Future Dogfights Ice Road Truckers 3 Evolve Dead Men’s Secrets Deep Wreck Mysteries Dogfights Of The Future Dogfights Ice Road Truckers 3 Ice Road Truckers 3 Ax Men Dogfights

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 10:30

Ruby What I Hate About Me My Celebrity Home How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dr 90210 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Area How Do I Look?

Style Star Style Her Famous My Celebrity Home Style Star Dress My Nest

11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30

Peter Perfect Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Ruby Giuliana And Bill Clean House Clean House Comes Clean Dress My Nest How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dallas Divas And Daughters Dallas Divas And Daughters Running In Heels Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Split Ends Clean House Dallas Divas And Daughters Dallas Divas And Daughters

01:00 01:04 01:35 02:00 02:45 05:00 05:04 08:00 08:04 08:35 13:00 13:04 13:50 16:00 16:04 16:35 18:00 18:45 20:00 20:04 20:35

Code Africa Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Code Playlist Code Sound System Playlist Code Urban Hit Playlist Code Latina Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Code Hip Hop Us Playlist

00:00 Globe Trekker - U 01:00 Julian And Camilla’s World Odyssey - U 02:00 Globe Trekker - U 03:00 Raider Of The Lost Snow - U 03:30 Skier’s World - U 04:00 Angry Planet - U 04:30 Essential - U 05:00 X-quest - U 06:00 Globe Trekker - U 07:00 Globe Trekker - U 08:00 Globe Trekker - U 09:00 Essential - U 09:30 Rudy Maxa’s World - U 10:00 Distant Shores - U 10:30 Distant Shores - U 11:00 Chef Abroad - U 11:30 Entrada - U 12:00 Planet Food - U 13:00 Globe Trekker - U 14:00 Chef Abroad - U 14:30 The Thirsty Traveler - U 15:00 Taste Takes Off - U 15:30 Entrada - U 16:00 Travel Today - U 16:30 Angry Planet - U 17:00 Globe Trekker - U 18:00 Skier’s World - U 18:30 Floyd Uncorked - U 19:00 Chef Abroad - U 19:30 The Thirsty Traveler - U 20:00 Globe Trekker - U 21:00 Planet Food - U 22:00 Feast India - U 22:30 Travel Today - U 23:00 Essential - U 23:30 Chef Abroad - U

00:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 01:00 Premier League World 01:30 Super 14 03:30 Super 14 05:30 World Sport 06:00 Premier League World 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 PGA European Tour 11:30 Premier League World 12:00 Premier League Classics 12:30 World Hockey 13:00 Weber Cup Bowling 14:00 World Sport 14:30 Futbol Mundial 15:00 Premier League Darts 19:00 Portuguese Liga 21:00 PGA European Tour Highlights 22:00 Super League 23:45 Super League

00:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

NCAA Basketball WWE Vintage Collection Bushido UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC The Ultimate Fighter WWE Bottom Line UAE National Race Day FIM World Cup City Centre Races NCAA Basketball Bushido WWE Bottom Line Red Bull Air Race WWE SmackDown WWE ECW WWE Vintage Collection NCAA Basketball UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC The Ultimate Fighter

The Longshots on Super Movies

Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Movies 21:05 A Date With Murder 22:30 The Delphi Effect 00:00 Up Close & Personal 02:00 While You Were Sleeping 03:45 French Kiss 05:35 The Delphi Effect 07:05 Up Close & Personal 09:05 While You Were Sleeping 10:50 French Kiss 12:40 Stolen Life: Caught On Tape 14:10 Goal Ii: Living The Dream 16:05 Solar Destruction 17:30 Home Alone 3 19:10 One Fine Day STAR World 20:00 Ugly Betty 20:50 Charlie’s Angels 21:00 Ghost Whisperer 21:50 Starsky & Hutch 22:00 [V] Tunes 23:00 [V] Tunes 00:00 [V] Tunes 01:00 [V] Tunes 02:00 7th Heaven 03:00 The Simpsons

03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 05:50 06:00 06:50 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:00 08:50 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:50 11:00 11:50 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:50 17:00

The King Of Queens According To Jim According To Jim Ghost Hunters International Jackie Chan Adventures Bones Charlie’s Angels Scrubs Worst Week Starsky & Hutch Ugly Betty Jackie Chan Adventures Worst Week The Bold And The Beautiful 7th Heaven Charlie’s Angels Brothers & Sisters Starsky & Hutch [V] Tunes Ghost Hunters International The Simpsons The King Of Queens According To Jim According To Jim Kyle Xy Jackie Chan Adventures Reaper

17:50 18:00 18:50 19:00 19:50

Charlie’s Angels Stone Undercover Starsky & Hutch Ghost Hunters International Jackie Chan Adventures

Granada TV 20:00 Vincent (Series 1) 21:30 Airline (Series 5) 22:00 Diets From Hell 23:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 1) 00:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 01:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 1) 02:00 Crime Monday: Vincent (Series 1) 03:30 Airline (Series 5) 04:00 Revenge TV 05:00 Emmerdale 05:30 Coronation Street 06:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 07:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 1) 08:00 Crime Monday: Vincent (Series 1) 09:30 Airline (Series 5) 10:00 Total Emergency 11:00 Emmerdale

11:30 Coronation Street 12:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 13:00 Trinny And Susannah Undress (Series 1) 14:00 Crime Monday: Vincent (Series 1) 15:30 Airline (Series 5) 16:00 Emmerdale 16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 The Jeremy Kyle Show 18:00 Trinny And Susannah Undress (Series 1) 19:00 Crime Monday: Vincent (Series 1) Channel [V] 21:00 [V] Tunes 22:00 Double Shot 22:30 The Playlist 23:00 Loop 00:00 Backtracks 01:00 Double Shot 02:00 [V] Tunes 02:30 The Playlist 03:00 Loop 04:00 [V] Special 05:00 [V] Tunes 06:00 Double Shot 07:00 Backtracks

08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00

Loop Double Shot Backtracks [V] Tunes Double Shot The Playlist Loop The List Keys To The VIP Backtracks [V] Tunes Double Shot The Playlist Loop The List Keys To The VIP

Fox New s 01:00 America’s News HQ host Shannon Bream 03:00 Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 04:00 The O’Reilly Factor(repeat) 05:00 America’s News HQ hosts Gregg Jarrett and Julie Banderas 07:00 FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat)

08:00 FOX Report Sunday host Julie Banderas 09:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee 10:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity 11:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera 12:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee 13:00 FOX Report Sunday 14:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera 15:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity 16:00 War Stories with Oliver North 17:00 Bulls and Bears (repeat) 17:30 Cavuto On Business (repeat) 18:00 FORBES on FOX (repeat) 18:30 Cashin’ In (repeat) 19:00 FOX & Friends First Live 20:00 FOX & Friends Live 22:00 America’s Newsroom 23:00 America’s Newsroom National Geographic Channel 20:00 Hunter Hunted -Kidnapped S2-5 21:00 Theme Week 30min -Marco Polo : The China Mystery Revealed 1 21:30 Theme Week 30min -Marco Polo : The China Mystery Revealed 2 22:00 Inside -Hong Kong’s Big Bang 23:00 Theme Week -Inside : Kung Fu Inc.

Monday, February 15, 2010

33 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in a C-A/C building for a small family or two working ladies in Abbassiya near Integrated Indian School & Bharathiya Vidhyabhavan.

Contact: 97846304/ 24346984.

(C 20334) Fully furnished one bedroom and separate bathroom available with Keralite family in new Vigi studio building near United Indian School at Abbassiya for couple or working ladies from 10/03/10. Contact: 97841925. (C 20335) 15-2-2010 Single room accommodation required for a decent Keralite Christian bachelor with a small family in Abbassiya.

Contact: 97426334. (C 20330) 14-2-2010 Sharing accommodation available in 2 bedroom/bathroom C-AC flat in between Tunis & Al Muthanna streets in Hawally with balcony and bathroom.

Contact: 99380453. (C 20328) Sharing accommodation available for Keralite couples with Keralite family near Integrated Indian school, from 1st March onwards. C-AC, 2 bedroom 2 bathroom flat. Please contact: 66750390.

(C 20327) Big room available in Salmiya with two bedroom flat for Indian bachelor. Contact: 99613251.

(C 20324)

Furnished room available for two bachelors or single family with Keralite bachelor in Jeleeb Shouyokh opp German clinic.

Call: 66475154. (C 20325) 12-2-2010 Room for rent in flat in Khaitan near Pakistan International School for family or couples or working ladies with a Pakistani family. Call 99322585. (C 20321) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for executive bachelors or a couple in a new CAC building with 2 spacious bedrooms, hall, kitchen, 2 toilets, near Integrated School, Noor supermarket building.

Interested call: 66752359/ 24338481/97635928 (C 20320) Furnished sharing accommodation available in a central A/C flat for working ladies with a Keralite family staying in Salmiya, Amman Street, near Apollo hospital, flat having Internet facility.

Contact: 97919485.

(C 20319) One room sharing accommodation available for a bachelor in double bedroom window A/C flat with Indian Mangalorean Hindu family, near Salmiya garden and Caesars takeaway. Contact: 55964524. (C 20318) Sharing accommodation available for a bachelor (south Indian) very near to Indian Community School (senior) Salmiya. Please contact: 66780615.

(C 20317) 11-2-2010 Accommodation available for decent non-smoking bachelor in 2 BR CAC flat

near Integrated School, Abbassiya.

Contact: 66005134. (C 20315) Single room A/C (good) available in Beneid Al Gar for decent working ladies, very near to Al-Salam hospital.

Please contact: 97879611. (C 20306) Sharing accommodation available at Abbassiya for couple or working ladies with Keralite couple from March 1st, rent KD 75. Call: 66525579. (C 20308) Sharing accommodation available at Maidan Hawally next to Bhuamarah Clinic near petrol pump, 4th Ring Road end 2 bedroom central A/C flat with all facilities one bed room available on rent only for Indian working ladies or families. Contact: 99325130. (C 20311) Sharing accommodation available in a C-A/C building for a small family or two working ladies in Abbassiya near Integrated Indian School & Bharathia Vidhyabhavan.

Contact: 97846304/24346984.

(C 20312)

FOR SALE Magna 2002 model excellent condition, company maintained.

Contact: 99928863, 24344176.

(C 20333) Pajero 2001 model, green and silver, good condition, price KD 1950, and Out Lander red color 2003, price KD 1650 only. Phone: 99980087, 66052331.

(C 20332) 15-2-2010 Household items, couch, throw rug 1 cabinet, stove, etc, ATV-50cc Eton runs good. Call day or night 67039015. ( 20329) 12-2-2010 Toyota Camry XLi, model 97, in excellent condition, regd up to Jan 2011. Asking Price KD 1,100. Contact 67056666 for inspection.

Pajero io, model 2002, km 110,800, 5 doors, 4WD, full options with new 4 tyres, lady driven, super condition, KD 1,550.

Contact: 55637587. (20314) Nissan Sunny, 4 cylinders, model 2009, silver color,

done KM 14,000, excellent condition. Price cash KD 2,900. Contact: 55107856.

(C 20309) Honda Accord, 1998 model (new) 120,000 mileage, full options (sunroof, alloy wheels, cruise control, CD).

Price KD 1,250. Contact: 55522942. (C 20307) Alum kitchen cabinet 2+1, clean sofa set, Ikea dining table with 6 chairs, white color, cupboard, storage selves, boys cricket pads unused. Contact: 65980247.

(C 20310) 10-2-2010

Indian male MBA, B.Com (27 years) having 4 years experience in finance and investment in Kuwait seeking suitable placement. Proficient in MS Office & Tally.

Fluent in English, Arabic, Hindi. Article # 18, transferable visa.

Contact: 55492163. Email: abdul_sudheer@yahoo.com (C 20336) 15-2-2010 Indian female (MBA in HR), 10 years experience in HR/Administration, specializing in recruitments, PMS, MIS Reports & Admin func-

tions. Well versed in computer applications. Please contact: 66634322.

(C 20283) 10-2-2010

alliance from the parents of a born again girl, who is interested to serve the “Lord� in the ministry. Email: bcmchira@yahoo.co.in (C 20313) 10-2-2010

MATRIMONIAL

LOST

Proposals are invited for a Pentecostal boy (TPM), B.Sc-PGDCA, 29, 180cm from every Christian denominations. Email: proposalsin09@yahoo.com (C 20322) 11-2-2010 Looking for a suitable

Policy No. 630001104 issued by State Life Gulf Zone life of Mr. Mohammad Akhtar has been lost. Anyone who finds should contact State Life Kuwait within one month from this date.

Phone No: 22452208/9.

(C 20323) 11-2-2010

CHANGE OF NAME I, Sumitra Boby became Muslim, married to Abdul Mubeen Mulla, my Passport No. F 4123443. I change my name to Nawal Abdul Mubeen Mulla.

12-2-2010

No: 14641

SITUATION WANTED Indian male, American citizen (MBA in finance and hospital administration), 10 years of international experience including in USA with Bank of America in the field of finance, HR, administration, banking. Well versed in all software applications and computers.

Contact: 55354081. Email: guy_great32@yahoo.com (C 20331)

Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Monday 15/02/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0283 Beirut KLM 0447 Amsterdam/Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1129 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 2103 Beirut Gulf Air 211 Bahrain DHL 370 Bahrain Turkish A/L 1172 Istanbul Emirates 853 Dubai Etihad 0305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 0138 Doha Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa/Bahrain Jazeera 0637 Aleppo Falcon 201 Dubai Jazeera 0503 Luxor Jazeera 0527 Alexandria Jazeera 0529 Assiut British 0157 London Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok Kuwait 206 Islamabad Kuwait 352 Cochin Jazeera 0161 Dubai Kuwait 382 Delhi Kuwait 302 Mumbai Kuwait 678 Dubai Kuwait 284 Dhaka Kuwait 362 Colombo Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 0121 Sharjah Qatari 0132 Doha Etihad 0301 Abu Dhabi Kuwait 344 Chennai Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1121 Bahrain Jazeera 0447 Doha Jazeera 0165 Dubai Jazeera 0425 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1021 Dubai Jazeera 0113 Abu Dhabi Middle East 404 Beirut Iran Aseman 6521 Lamerd Egypt Air 610 Cairo Jazeera 0171 Dubai Kuwait 672 Dubai Wataniya Airways 2301 Damascus Nas Air 745 Jeddah Jazeera 0525 Alexandria Jazeera 0257 Beirut Wataniya Airways 2001 Cairo Saudi Arabian A/L 500 Jeddah Kuwait 552 Damascus Jazeera 0457 Damascus

Time 00:05 00:10 00:25 00:50 01:05 02:15 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:25 03:30 05:05 05:25 05:35 06:10 06:30 06:40 06:45 07:40 07:40 07:45 07:50 07:55 08:10 08:15 08:20 08:30 08:55 09:00 09:35 10:35 10:45 10:45 11:00 11:05 11:10 11:20 11:20 11:55 12:35 12:55 13:05 13:25 13:35 14:00 14:05 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:45

Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Royal Jordanian Jazeera Kuwait Emirates Gulf Air Saudi Arabian A/L Etihad Jazeera Jazeera Arabia Jazeera Wataniya Airways Sri Lankan United A/L Wataniya Airways DHL Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Indian Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Jet A/W Oman Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Middle East Qatari Emirates Kuwait KLM Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Global Jazeera Jazeera Tunis Air Pakistan Lufthansa Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways

0134 284 548 678 546 800 0173 118 857 215 510 0303 0493 0239 0125 0367 2101 227 982 2003 473 1025 542 674 0177 786 614 744 575 774 104 618 572 0647 0459 2103 217 402 0136 859 502 0445 1129 0449 0429 081 0117 0185 327 239 636 2201 1029

Doha Dhaka Luxor Muscat/Abu Dhabi Alexandria Amman Dubai New York Dubai Bahrain Riyadh Abu Dhabi Jeddah Amman Sharjah Deirezzor Beirut Colombo/Dubai Washington DC Dulles Cairo Baghdad Dubai Cairo Dubai Dubai Jeddah Bahrain Dammam Chennai/Goa Riyadh London Doha Mumbai Muscat Damascus Beirut Bahrain Beirut Doha Dubai Beirut Amsterdam Bahrain Doha Bahrain Baghdad Abu Dhabi Dubai Tunis Islamabad/Sialkot Frankfurt Amman Dubai

15:00 15:10 15:15 15:30 15:30 15:40 16:05 16:55 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:15 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:50 18:55 18:55 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 20:00 20:05 20:20 20:40 20:55 21:05 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:50 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:40 23:10 23:20 23:30 23:40 23:45

Departure Flights on Monday l5/2/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0528 Assiut India Express 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode United A/L 981 Washington DC Dulles Indian 982 Ahmadabad/Chennai Pakistan 206 Peshawar/Lahore Bangladesh 044 Dhaka Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt KLM 0447 Amsterdam Kuwait 283 Dhaka Turkish A/L 1173 Istanbul DHL 371 Bahrain Emirates 854 Dubai Etihad 0306 Abu Dhabi Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa Qatari 0139 Doha Wataniya Airways 1020 Dubai Jazeera 0164 Dubai Jazeera 0524 Alexandria Wataniya Airways 2000 Cairo Jazeera 0112 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 0446 Doha Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1120 Bahrain Jazeera 0422 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 2300 Damascus Kuwait 545 Alexandria Jazeera 0256 Beirut Kuwait 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat British 0156 London Kuwait 671 Dubai Jazeera 0170 Dubai Kuwait 551 Damascus Kuwait 547 Luxor Jazeera 0456 Damascus Arabia 0122 Sharjah Emirates 856 Dubai Qatari 0133 Doha Etihad 0302 Abu Dhabi Wataniya Airways 2002 Cairo Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Kuwait 165 Rome/Paris Kuwait 541 Cairo Jazeera 0172 Dubai Wataniya Airways 2100 Beirut Jazeera 0492 Jeddah Jazeera 0366 Deirezzor Jazeera 0238 Amman Kuwait 103 London Middle East 405 Beirut Iran Aseman 6522 Lamero Kuwait 785 Jeddah

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

Time 00:05 00:30 00:40 01:05 01:10 01:15 01:20 01:25 02:55 03:15 03:15 03:50 04:10 04:15 05:00 07:00 07:00 07:20 07:30 07:35 07:40 07:45 07:50 07:55 08:10 08:30 08:35 08:40 08:55 09:00 09:00 09:10 09:15 09:25 09:35 09:40 10:00 10:20 11:30 11:40 11:45 12:00 12:00 12:05 12:15 12:20 12:25 12:30 12:55 13:35 13:40

Egypt Air Wataniya Airways Kuwait Nas Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Jazeera Saudi Arabian A/L Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Royal Jordan1an Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Air Etihad Emirates Arabia Jazeera Saudi Arabian A/L Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera Kuwait National A/L Jazeera Global Jazeera Wataniya Airways Sri Lankan Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Jet A/W Oman Air Gulf Air DHL Kuwait Middle East Kuwait Jazeera Falcon Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Emirates KLM Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Kuwait

611 1024 673 746 0176 2102 0458 501 501 773 613 801 0135 617 743 216 0304 858 0126 0262 511 543 0184 0116 2200 0448 082 0428 1128 228 1028 283 331 571 0648 218 171 675 403 203 0188 102 381 0137 301 860 0445 0480 0526 0502 411

Cairo Dubai Dubai Jeddah Dubai Beirut Damascus Jeddah Beirut Riyadh Bahrain Amman Doha Doha Dammam Bahrain Abu Dhabi Dubai Sharjah Beirut Riyadh Cairo Dubai Abu Dhabi Amman Doha Baghdad Bahrain Bahrain Dubai/Colombo Dubai Dhaka Trivandrum Mumbai Muscat Bahrain Bahrain Dubai Beirut Lahore Dubai Bahrain Delhi Doha Mumbai Dubai Bahrain/Amsterdam Sabiha Alexandria Luxor Bangkok/Manila

13:45 14:25 14:30 14:55 15:05 15:10 15:30 15:45 16:05 16:10 16:20 16:25 16:30 16:35 16:40 17:55 18:00 18:10 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:40 18:50 18:50 19:00 19:15 19:15 19:30 21:15 21:00 21:10 21:20 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:20 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:25 23:50 23:55

SPECTRUM

34 CROSSWORD 901

Monday, February 15, 2010

Calvin Aries (March 21-April 19) Your imagination soars!

Awareness and insight into others’ minds is especially acute. Escape the stresses from this last week with some relaxing activity. Enjoy a good fantasy or romance novel. Do not worry—reality always returns, but today you need a rest. This evening you will have fun finding new ways to make your dreams come true. A display in a store may allow hands-on play. Some very new hightech equipment may give you ideas about some rather very simple methods that Grandpa used for communicating. Perhaps this would be a good time to think and study—you have a real appreciation for ideas and thoughts. You may find yourself enjoying a long conversation, writing a letter, or making a special phone call this evening.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) There is a feeling that

anything is possible if you set your sights high enough. There is optimism, faith and a tendency to really concentrate on becoming focused and reaching future goals. To you dreamers of impossible dreams, you just might make them come true today. Do not let your high spirits get too far ahead of the discipline and attention to detail necessary that will make any dream a reality. You are learning to make the most of your personal talents and abilities, working within your limitations instead of feeling hemmed in by them. This could mean anything from purchasing a product to painting a picture. Good luck! Do not hesitate to remove yourself from the house later today—perhaps stepping outside to walk.

Perhaps a movie will suit your fancy.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS . Type genus of the Apidae.

5. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

7. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

11. (obstetrics) The number of live-born children a woman has delivered.

12. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

13. In bed.

14. The act of scanning.

15. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

16. Denuded of leaves.

17. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

18. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

21. An associate degree in nursing.

24. Water frozen in the solid state.

25. A city in southern Turkey on the Seyhan River.

29. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

32. Wild sheep of northern Africa.

33. The upper house of the parliament of the Republic of Ireland.

35. A Loloish language.

41. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

42. The capital and largest city of Bangladesh.

45. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

46. (informal) `johnny' was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War. 48. Surpassing the ordinary especially in size or scale.

49. The month following February and preceding April.

50. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank.

51. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its mother and raised by hand.

52. Used of a single unit or thing.

DOWN 1. A domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church.

2. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

3. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited yearly sum toward your retirement.

4. The capital and largest city of Yemen.

5. Primitive chlorophyll-containing mainly aquatic eukaryotic organisms lacking true stems and roots and leaves.

6. The cry made by sheep.

7. A small cake leavened with yeast.

8. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

9. A three-tone Chadic language.

10. Chief port of Yemen.

19. Fleshy spore-bearing inner mass of e.g. a puffball or stinkhorn.

20. One of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

22. Large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal.

23. At a great distance in time or space or degree.

26. An informal term for a father.

27. The 13th letter of the Greek alphabet.

28. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

30. A town in north central Oklahoma.

31. A public promotion of some product or service.

34. Worn or shabby from overuse or (of pages) from having corners turned down.

35. A self-funded retirement plan that allows you to contribute a limited yearly sum toward your retirement.

36. Harsh or corrosive in tone.

37. Small European freshwater fish with a slender bluish-green body.

38. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

39. A theocratic republic in the Middle East in western Asia.

40. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

43. A former agency (from 1946 to 1974) that was responsible for research into atomic energy and its peacetime uses in the United States.

44. An accountant certified by the state.

47. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) The currents of love— giving and receiving—even the desire to nurture—flow easily today. For the unattached, this could spill over to the desire of forming a new relationship—even if it is an unwise decision to do so. Emotions are high. Save the intense discussions for another time and just go with the flow. Coming to grips with the past or getting in touch with the mystical and the spiritual are things that give a sense of satisfaction and completeness. Healing comes from destroying the roots of a disturbance—letting go. You and your loved one/s or family may enjoy board games, bird watching, cooking, etc. If you are in your own surroundings by yourself this evening, you may decide it is a good time to relax, goof off and maybe enjoy a good movie.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) The ways you take care of your health and other obligations are important keys to your positive attitude just now. There is a need for focus and coordination of time. Set up systems and schedules and stick to them! You are thoughtful to the needs and desires of others and others notice that you put them before yourself. Whatever feelings underscore your life, will be felt more strongly now. If you are going through a particularly trying time, you could have low energy levels. If you are going through some particularly rewarding and loving type of experiences, they will deepen and continue. You should find a wonderful burst of energy that will move you into a most positive place this whole month long—pass it around!

Leo (July 23-August 22) This is a great day. Finally a day off to enjoy the people you love best. Friendships are a source of great pleasure and you, in turn, should be quite popular today. This harmony can be very beneficial. Even though this is Monday, you may become involved with teaching, student teaching or tutoring. Helping young people seems to be where your energies are just now. Your future plans and goals are important and probably need sharing with a loved one. This afternoon is a good time to sit down with a loved one and discuss what each of you need from the other. Marriage and other close relationships give rise to great expectations, as a new cycle gets underway. This is the time to enjoy and appreciate your ties to others.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Today you would rather switch than fight. You are a pushover just now. If there is some issue brewing where you really should stand up for your rights, you would be wise to save it for another day.

Socializing and love interests are favored today. Watch the calories and avoid the dessert table. You could feel great support from those around you for whatever you want to accomplish. The home and family scene is likely to be in something of a state of change or confusion just now—this may mean moving or an addition to the family, etc. High-tech equipment disturbs the domestic environment later this evening. This could mean a time period of reading instructions or occupying more time than necessary for the learning process.

Libra (September 23-October 22) A fascination with the mysterious may be reawakened today. Going beyond just finding a good novel or movie, you may be drawn toward the serious study of some occult subject. Keep an open mind now and try not to become too intense. A strong force is present this month of February that will encourage you to look for ways in which you can improve your monetary position. Changes in both you and your environment can help you to better appreciate your situation in life. This may mean some classes to learn better problem-solving skills or some future environmental change such as plans for an upcoming vacation. You have lots to look forward to this month and your enthusiasm rubs off on others.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Your passion is high!

You feel vital—you feel good—you feel in harmony with yourself—the entire world—and everybody in it. Others can feel this, so they in turn are drawn to you, making this a successful day for any kind of group endeavor. Perhaps some sort of group sports can be enjoyed in the early afternoon. Best of all, relations with the opposite sex are at a peak. This is a super day to go on a date, be married, or be in love! Close relationships take on a more emotional depth. Feeling cared for and needed is comfortable and that is what you work to achieve these days. This evening, you and your loved one will have time to compare dreams and goals. Example: if you could travel, where would you go . . . or if you won the lottery . . . etc.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You are appreciated today—you feel this from those around you as well. A young person needs guidance at this time and this may lead you into counseling a group of young people in order to create an understanding between age groups. You are willing to listen to disagreements and find a happy middle ground. This afternoon a luncheon with friends bring about good conversation. Later today you may discover that you have a massive yen for warm cuddles, preferably from your significant other. Cuddles come in a variety of ways and one is to just be a good listener; it is surprising how one reacts to the person who cares enough to listen. The early evening lends itself to sharing and perhaps a movie or some other preferred entertainment.

Yesterday’s Solution

Capricorn

yester

Yesterday’s Solution

to

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Kuwait Qatar Abu Dhabi Dubai Raas Al Khayma Al-Shareqa Muscat Jordan Bahrain Riyadh Makkah - Jeddah Cairo Alexandria Beirut Damascus Allepo

00965 00974 009712 009714 009717 009716 00968 009626 00973 009661 009662 00202 00203 009611 0096311 0096321

Tunisia Rabat Washington New York Paris London Madrid Zurich Geneva Monaco Rome Bangkok Hong Kong Pakistan Taiwan Bonn

0021610 002127 001212 001718 00331 004471 00341 00411 004122 0033 00396 00662 00852 0092 00886 0049228

Word Sleuth Solution

(December

22-January

19)

Believe it—you are doing all the right things.

Now, however, is the time to let up on you—take it easy—do nice things for yourself. Relaxing may seem a difficult thing to do, but in order to find a balance in your life, some of the work you do, can be done by others for a bit. You strive for a well-ordered life and your high standard is an example for many others to follow. Take care of yourself the way you take care of others-and . . . laugh a little! You will begin to notice that others are in a better mood this afternoon—you will probably reveal your good-natured spirits. Little children or small animals bring much laughter—maybe, even cheerful tears. If you like, have some chamomile tea before bed—it could help you to relax.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Indulge your curiosity because today your imagination and creativity are at their best. New ideas are easily understood and bring interesting and exciting rewards. Make the most of this exciting day. Someone is watching how you handle things and may mimic your behavior. It is nice to know that we have the power to influence another person’s life. You are doing much better this year with your budgeting and as you look over your financial situation, you can see improvements. Continue to budget, even after you get those raises and realize a better income. Ideas and technologies that change the way people live may be much of your conversation with friends and family today. Take time for that special loved one tonight.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Your productive mind is clear as you separate the most complex concepts into their essential parts for easier understanding. Your objectivity should make it possible for you to talk with others about subjects that may have been too difficult before now—science, politics.

This is also a good time to think about a change in career. Plans made today should work out; regardless of how far down the road. Everything points to your taking the initiative on a humanitarian cause. You could feel great support from those around you. This afternoon is the perfect time to look at the real estate development in your area. You may even be able to find a house that you can afford. You are inventive and original—you will gain ideas on how to improve your surroundings.

INFORMATION

Monday, February 15, 2010

35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 777 Al-Madena 22418714 Al-Shohada始a 22545171 Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Sabhan 24742838 Al-Helaly 22434853 Al-Fayhaa 22545051 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Ahmadi 23980088 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Al-Jahra 25610011 Al-Salmiya 25616368

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw

For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 HOSPITALS Sabah Hospital

24812000

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha始a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

24874330/9 CLINICS

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

4892674

Al-Omariya

4719048

N.Kheitan

4710044

Rabiya

4732263

Fintas

3900322

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988 AIRLINES

PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE Ahmadi

PHARMACY Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

ADDRESS Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

PHONE 23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554

EMERGENCY 112

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea Dr. Masoma Habeeb Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy Dr. Mohsen Abel Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly

25622444 25752222 25321171 25739999 25757700 25732223 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-Awadi22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

22617700 25625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Zahra Qabazard Sohail Qamar Snaa Maaroof Pradip Gujare Zacharias Mathew

25710444 22621099 25713514 23713100 24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 25717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290

(2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

25655535 Dentists:

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

22641071/2

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists:

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 Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

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

Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288

25345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari

25658888

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr

25329924

Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Kuwait Airways Wataniya Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways 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

22433377 24379900 177 22477631 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK)

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SPECTRUM

ourteney CoxArquette expects her daughter will become an actress. The former ‘Friends’ star - who has five-year-old Coco with husband David Arquette - said her daughter is an “unstoppable” drama queen, but she doesn’t want to get into acting too quickly. She said: “I am most grateful for my daughter Coco. That kid is unstoppable! She’s very confident and funny. She’s so dramatic already. She laughs hard.

She pouts hard. She cries hard.

She loves hard. If she can’t find something, it’s the end of the world. “It would be no surprise to me if she went into acting. I guess I’d be cool with that otherwise I’d be a hypocrite, but I hope she doesn’t jump into it too soon. I’m just trying to be a good mum. “ The 45-year-old beauty - who is eight years older than David -loves the fact her spouse prefers older women as it makes her feel “great” about herself. She told Cosmopolitan magazine: “I’m at peace because I’m married to someone who is all about heart and family. David likes older women and I think younger men make you feel great about yourself. “As women we can really pick ourselves apart, we see things that maybe no one else is seeing, but to us they are magnified. When a younger man is attracted to you, it makes you feel gorgeous and good about yourself. So if you didn’t try that yet, get on it!”

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Cattrall’s opinion on ‘Sex and the City’ im Cattrall thinks ‘Sex and the City’ has changed Hollywood’s attitude to women. The 53-year-old actress has just finished filming the second film installment in the hugely successful franchise - about a group of friends in New York and their relationships - and believes the drama has given a fresh dimension to people’s viewing options. She said: “Re-examining what happens to women in their 30s, 40s and 50s is, in some ways, incredibly new territory. I was driving to work and there was a big billboard with Denzel Washington looking like another film about the end of the world. “‘Sex and the City’ really is something quite new and fresh compared to that.

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Humor binds Perry and Brand together K

Welch’s bad tour diet

aty Perry is won over by men with a “f***ed-up sense of humor”. The ‘I Kissed A Girl’ singer - who is engaged to British comedian Russell Brand says the pair get along so well because they find the same unusual things funny. Speaking about what a relationship needs to work, she said: “I share myself with people - that’s the kind of way I exist. That’s important. Also, to be a leader and stronger than me. I guess men also need the most amazing sense of humor - a bizarre f***ed-up sense of humor where we can both be peoplewatching and crack up at the same time without saying a word, because we know what we’re thinking. The 25-year-old beauty - whose parents are both pastors - also believes it is important for a man to respect her, and not expect to have sex with her early on in a relationship. She explained: “Any guy that thinks they deserve my body after just paying for one dinner is pretty disastrous.

That’s pretty bad.”

Adam?s interesting personality my Adams once dated someone because they thought she was stupid.

The ‘Leap Year’ actress admits she is often mistaken for being unintelligent but insists it doesn’t bother her as it gives her more power. She said: “I once dated a guy who thought I was really stupid and I kept dating him because I was fascinated by it. He was very educated and liked to use big words and, although I may not speak like that, I’m an avid reader so I always knew what he was talking about.

This was back when I was blonde and wore a lot of miniskirts. He actually used the line from ‘Legally Blonde’ where he said I was more of a Marilyn than a

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Jackie O. “I never want to prove that I’m not stupid because, if someone thinks I’m stupid, it means I have the upper hand. It’s not a matter of manipulation because I’m still myself, but it’s amazing what people will say when they think that you don’t really understand them. You can learn a lot about somebody that way. Despite her good looks, Amy has managed to do the almost impossible - be liked by both men and women - and puts this down to the way she portrays herself. She said: “Am I asexual? I don’t present myself to the world like: everyone has to see my bits. But I wouldn’t call myself prudish by any means.

lorence Welch has been overeating on tour. The Florence And The Machine vocalist said she has been getting a little carried away during her recent tour of Australia and decided to cut back on tasty calorific treats when she takes her band to Europe and the US later this year. She said: “I have to cut back because I spend so much money on food! This last tour I have been thinking I shouldn’t eat three meals a day from room service.” However, the singer likes being on tour because it means her days are set out for her and she doesn’t have to worry about organizing her own life. She added: “I like travelling, because I’m so overwhelmed with stuff when I come home. “When you’re on tour the clutter of daily life is taken off you ? sing here, go there. “But I miss my family and having home cooked food, and not eating out all the time.” She also said her sister wants her to win all three of the BRIT awards she is nominated for - British Female Solo Artist, British Breakthrough Act and British Album ? so she can play with them. Florence ? who was honored with the Critics’ Choice accolade last year - added: “My younger sister is like, ‘if you win all three, you’ll have four of them and you can use them as little talking statues and stage a play with them.”

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Kesha was too poor to eat esha used to sell her clothes to buy food. The ‘Tik Tok’ singer had a poor upbringing which she said helps her keep her feet on the ground now she has an international hit single. She said: “I can’t stand pretentious people. I think growing up without money has taught me not to take

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myself seriously. I’m the same person when I was selling clothes to buy a taco for dinner, I just have a few extra bucks.” Kesha also said that when she got her first pay packet after becoming famous, she didn’t splash out on any lavish or expensive gifts for herself. She added: “I bought a 1998 Honda car, which I

Monday, February 15, 2010

needed. I don’t believe in wasting money when there are people in the world who can’t eat. If I earn a lot of money, I’ll treat myself, but I’m not going to be ridiculous. I think it’s kind of gross. “I don’t like spending money on stuff. I may buy some instruments though.”

There’s so much more to tell. It’s also something that women crave.” Kim also said that despite the show’s overriding theme that women can have it all, she has had to forsake much in her personal life for the show, including her relationships, but insists she is happy with her choices. She added: “The most difficult thing about my job is that I do a lot of 19-hour days. It’s really difficult to have a life, never mind a relationship. But I don’t have any regrets, really. I’m quite content. I’m very stubborn and persistent. I just keep working. “I feel like I’m living my fantasy in a way. I’m a very independent woman. I don’t have to rely on anyone. I enjoy people. I’m very close to my family. I have pretty good values. I don’t really want for much. It’s all good.”

Kutcher and Moore don’t ‘do’ Valentine’s Day

expects daughter to act

Courteney Cox-Arquette

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he 32-year-old actor, who plays a florist in the movie ‘Valentine’s Day’, admitted he and wife Demi would not be marking the romantic occasion as they are so busy with their charity work.

Speaking at the European premiere of the movie in London’s Leicester Square, Ashton told BANG Showbiz: “We don’t really do Valentine’s Day. Demi and I decided the best way we could share our love was to share it with other people. We set up a foundation called the DNA Foundation to help trafficking victims. “There’s a group in New York that helps these girls off the streets, and get their life going again. So we’re meeting them on Valentine’s Day this year. We’re gonna do something special for them.” Despite not celebrating the day with his 47year-old wife, Ashton does think it is a “great opportunity” for others to show affection. He said: “I don’t think it’s easy for anyone to show emotions.

Valentine’s Day is this great opportunity because we go all year long feeling these feelings and having these thoughts in our head and sometimes we feel like we’re sharing them but we really aren’t. “On Valentine’s Day we really get to manifest some of those unspoken things.”

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Monday, February 15, 2010

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Music & Movies

Struggling ‘Czech Hollywood’ pins hope on state aid nce renowned as the bustling “Czech Hollywood”, Prague’s vast Barrandov film studios are now empty but Central Europe’s Tinseltown is hoping state aid will start cameras rolling. Star-studded blockbusters like “Mission Impossible” with A-lister Tom Cruise or “Casino Royale” featuring Daniel Craig, as well as international releases “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc”, “Blade II”, “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “The Brothers Grimm”, “Oliver Twist” and “Hannibal Rising” were filmed there.

Opened in 1933 on a Prague hill, the studio has drawn clients with its high professional standard and affordable prices, but the latter have recently ceased to charm top Hollywood filmmakers. “Germany, Hungary, Great Britain and other countries have started to pursue a policy of supporting filmmaking, which has affected our competitiveness,” Ludmila Claussova, in charge of foreign productions at the Czech Film Commission, told AFP. Now the Barrandov studios are also pinning their hopes on a Czech government program of subsidies for both local and foreign filmmakers, currently being scrutinized by the European Union. At Barrandov, “the

(21,500 square feet), where workers are setting up for the next commercial promoting a beer brand. “The studio number 10 was ‘baptized’ by Gerard Depardieu during the shooting of ‘Babylon AD’. The

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Egyptian singer Angham

Layali Febrayer gets ready for 5th concert

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Two concerts remain in this year’s Layali Febrayer Musical Festival.

Two of the singers participating in the fifth concert arrived in Kuwait recently and met with the press.

Egyptian singer Angham expressed her happiness at being able to meet her fans in Kuwait again this year in the musical festival. “I’m so excited to visit Kuwait again, especially because I have so many nice memories here,” she said. “The timing of the festival is perfect because it coincides with the national celebration.”

Angham has many songs appreciated by Kuwaitis. “I will choose some of my more well-known songs, especially from the last album. I hope they will like it. I thank all those who’ve helped me during my career.” she concluded.

Aseel Layali Febrayer is one of the biggest musical festivals in the region. “I really feel sorry for not being able to participate in this festival last year,” said Saudi singer Aseel Abubaker. “My absence from my fans for more than two years makes my responsibility to meet

Saudi singer Aseel Abubaker with them this year bigger.”

Aseel started preparing for the fifth concert where he will perform alongside Angham and Ahlam as well.

“I will chose about ten of my best songs to present, both new and old. I arrived early so I would have enough time to make it to the rehearsals. I’m really happy to be with these popular stars in this festival,” he noted.

Aseel is the son of the veteran singer Abu Baker Salem, who taught him to love music since he was a child. Aseel participated in the Hala February Festivals in the past as well as the Doha Festival, Abha Festival, Jarash Festival, and several other celebrations in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

Elusive British artist plays hide-and-seek at film fest lusive British graffiti artist Banksy was due to walk the red carpet yesterday with his directorial debut in Berlin but organizers said he will stay incognito throughout the high-profile event. The globe-trotting Banksy, whose true identity is a mystery but

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the press conference for the film and would only present a short video statement before its screening.

The renegade painter remains a mere apparition in the documentary too, appearing only with his face and voice distorted.

Dubbed “the world’s first street art disaster

Picture taken on August 7, 2007 shows a woman walking past a painting by Modern artist Banksy entitled Deride and Conquer, painted in 2002, during an exhibition in London. —AFP whose work can be seen on city walls around the world, will be screening “Exit Through the Gif t Shop” out of competition at the 60th Berlin Film Festival. “He’ll be there but no one will see him. No one has ever seen him,” Berlinale director Dieter Kosslick told reporters ahead of the event. A festival spokeswoman confirmed Banksy was due in Berlin but would not attend

movie”, the picture diverts its focus from him, concentrating instead on French videographer Thierry Guetta and his insider look at underground artists at work. Banksy, whose work has surfaced in the West Bank and post-Katrina New Orleans and now sells for tens of thousands of dollars at auction, calls the picture “a film about a man who tried to make a film about me”. —AFP

A man walks past a building wall of the Czech Barrandov film studios, displaying graffiti on February 4, 2010 in Prague. —AFP

volume of spending by foreign productions in 2008 was just around 15 percent of the 2002 amount. Hundreds of people have lost jobs or have been forced to look for another job,” Claussova said.

In 2008, only one foreign film was shot in Prague, against eight in 2006 and as many as 11 in 2003. In a bid to counter the plunge, the

Czech government last October adopted a subsidy scheme, backed by Czech lawmakers, compensating filmmakers for up to 20 percent of their production costs.

Prague is now waiting for the go-ahead from the European Union, which the Czech Republic joined in 2004, to rescue their “Paradise Lost”.

“We are in talks on a

European TV series and two American feature films. We can start shooting as soon as we get the go-ahead from the EU,” said Jan Macola, in charge of acquisitions and development at the studios.

In the meantime, Barrandov has focused on shooting commercials, Czech films, and on television productions including the recent launch of the

digital station TV Barrandov.

“We live off shooting commercials,” said Petr Cermak, caretaker of the vast complex of buildings and land on the southern outskirts of Prague.

“Roger Federer and Claudia Schiffer have recently shot commercials here,” Cermak said, pointing at the studio number six, covering an area of 2,000 square meters

first part of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’-was shot in number eight,” he added.

His voice echoes in the ultra-modern studios, numbers eight, nine and 10, which are equipped with partitions that can be removed to transform the space into a giant room of 4,000 square meters.

The studios built during the big-boom period, however, are desperately empty these days, a situation that has saddened historian Pavel Jirasthe author of a book on the history of the studios-who sees Barrandov as “a magical place unmatched in central Europe”. —AFP

Celine Dion says new movie a ‘VIP’ pass for fans eline Dion’s new movie, “Celine: Through the Eyes of the World,” does more than highlight her performances during her last world tour; it also allows fans rare glimpses of her offstage life. The documentary shows Dion as a goofy jokester, a doting mother, a tender wife, a wide-eyed tourist, a devoted daughter and more. The cameras tag along for intimate moments the superstar is happy to share with fans. “I want to be kind of accessible. I don’t want to be doing this show business and be different,” said Dion, who took off a year after the tour, in a recent interview.

“What we do, it’s extravagant, it’s extraordinary. ... I don’t call it a normal life but we are normal people. For people to see we live as normal as possible ... makes my singing even more true and it gives me an extra bond with my fans.” Dion is working on new albums in English and French, and returns next year to Las Vegas for a three-year residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

AP: Why did you decide to take fans behind the scenes instead of doing a straight concert film?

Dion: First of all, it was not supposed to be shown. We wanted to make the best out of a privilege of touring the world; having my mother, who is 82 years old, and my son, who is 7 years old, and to make it really like a photo album, to bring back home memories. ... It was for a souvenir, really. But then it turned out to be ... quite exquisite.

AP: You left your previous residency in Vegas after five years, needing a break. Then you went on tour. What made you go back to Vegas?

Dion: They’ve been calling us to go back a lot, and don’t forget that I still love what I do a lot. I wonder how can I surpass myself

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In this Sept 15, 2008 file photo, Canadian singer Celine Dion performs at Madison Square Garden in New York. —AP and do something different again. Well, we still have a lot of ideas coming.

AP: You have spoken openly about your struggle to have another child. Do you think speaking out makes you a voice for other women with similar issues?

Dion: In a way, yes, I hope so. ... For me, through my songs, through my life, through my battles, through my hopes, it’s a way for

me to sing my songs better, to share my life, to help some people. ... If I help people through my voice, through my interviews, through what I go through, I do not want to change that at all. ... I think it’s making a difference.

AP: You were part of the “We Are the World” sequel. What was that like?

Dion: Well for me, it was extraordinary. I don’t live in show business, so for me when I see artists, I get very excited because I admire them. I don’t follow what’s out there. ... So when I see the Jonas brothers and Miley Cyrus and Josh Groban and Barbra Streisand, ... I’m very impressed. I admired their careers and I admire what they do and I become a fan. ... It was like, does it get any better than that?

Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, everybody (laughs). I was so impressed! And nobody knew which part they were going to do.

AP: And what part did you do?

Dion: When I got there, I was very thrilled, because I didn’t know what I was going to do and it didn’t matter to me, and then they said, “Can you do the Cyndi Lauper version?” (starts singing the part). It’s one of the greatest parts of the song. I was like, “All right!” I was very privileged.

AP: You’ve been performing for more than 25 years. How do you keep your voice at its peak?

Dion: At 42, my voice has changed-you have to know that it will change. ... Your voice will sound different but it’s all for the best. ...

You have to move on with it. ... When I served the music at 15, it was with the knowledge at the time. ... But I think I serve the music better at 42 because I know different and I’m not trying to fight it. I just go with the flow and I’m enjoying myself even more today. —AP

(From left) Welsh, actor Rhys Ifans US actor Ben Stiller, US director Noah Baumbach and US actress Greta Gerwig pose for photographers during the photocall for the film ‘Greenberg’. —AFP

Stiller competes in Berlin with en Stiller stars as a man seeking a way out of a midlife crisis in director Noah Baumbach’s “Greenberg,” premiering at the Berlin film festival. Stiller plays a forty something man

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house sitting his brother’s Hollywood home and struggling to reconnect with old friends. He is drawn into a relationship with his brother’s personal assistant, played by Greta Gerwig.

The 44-year-old Stiller said ahead of the movie’s premiere Sunday that his character “for a long time has felt like he had it all ahead of him and is really coming up against the fact that he doesn’t.” He added: “I

Indian Bollywood actor Shar Ruhk Khan arrives at Mumbai Airport yesterday after promoting the film ‘My Name Is Khan’ in Berlin. — AFP

Chinese remake of Coen brothers classic screens in Berlin Chinese remake of the Coen brothers’ debut “Blood Simple” got a warm welcome at the Berlin Film Festival yesterday, the second Chinese competition entry in a banner year for Asian cinema here. Veteran film-maker Zhang Yimou presented “A Woman, A Gun and Noodle Shop” in time for the Lunar New Year, saying he had aimed to “enchant the audience” with a Chinese retelling of a neo-film-noir classic. Zhang, 58, took home the festival’s prestigious Golden Bear top prize in 1988 for “Red Sorghum”, the first time an Asian film won in Berlin.

The new picture takes the action far from small-town America to the stunning desert landscapes of Gansu province in northwestern China. There, a wealthy noodle shop owner discovers his much younger wife is cheating on him with his cook. He hires a policeman to kill the pair but the plot backfires, setting off a farcical chain reaction that leaves a trail of bodies in its wake.

Zhang said he saw 1984’s “Blood Simple” for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival. “At that time, there wasn’t any translation into Chinese so I couldn’t understand it and I could only watch the images and try to figure out what was going on,” he said, adding it was only years later that he saw it with Mandarin subtitles. The director said Joel and Ethan Coen, the Oscar-winning pair behind “No Country for Old Men” and “Fargo”, were enthusiastic about the remake.

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Greenberg?

think that’s just a part of being this age.” Baumbach wrote and directed 2005’s “The Squid and the Whale.”

The new film is one of 20 in the Berlin festival’s main competition. —AP

“They were kind enough to write me an email and say that they had seen the film and thought it was very, very amusing,” he told reporters after a well-received press screening. “They were amazed their film had been turned into a noodle story.”

Zhang picks up the rich visual imagery familiar from his films such as “Hero”, making his desert story look like a technicolor Western, and adds a dash of slapstick to the much darker original movie.

He described daring genre pictures as a relatively new development in China. “It’s not like 10 or 20 years ago when Chinese cinema was very restrictive. This was an attempt-I was trying something out, and I think the market for this particular film is certainly there.” A Chinese love triangle of a very different sort opened the Berlinale Thursday. “Apart Together” by director Wang Quan’an, another previous Golden Bear winner, tells the story of a soldier who fought Mao’s Communist forces until repelled to Taiwan in 1949.

Decades later, he is permitted to return to the mainland where he tracks down the love of his life he was forced to abandon. But she has since married a soldier from the People’s Liberation Army.

When he asks her to accompany him home to Taiwan, she is torn between her enduring feelings for her former lover and a sense of obligation to her husband. The festival, Europe’s most prestigious after Cannes, is giving special attention to Asian cinema this year. —AFP

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Monday, February 15, 2010

Fashion

Africa’s league of fashionable gentlemen ‘sapeurs’ n hour late, Jocelyn Armel swaggers in to his mens’ clothing boutique in Paris in three-piece black suit, black felt miller hat and shiny black patent lace-ups. Lifting his hat and giving a bow, he introduces himself as “Le Bachelor”-a nickname he says he picked up as a young man because of his dandy image. Armel, who claims to be the first Congolese man to create his own fashion label, “Connivences”, is a member of a society known as “La Sape”-a French acronym for “Society of Revelers and Elegant People”.

“It’s not just a way of dressing, it’s a way of life,” Armel said. The “sapeurs”, as they call themselves, revel in refinery, ready to spend their last cent on the finest men’s labels in vogue to outdo each other on the dandy dress scene. Le Bachelor glides around his storeone of two he runs in Paris-leaving behind the spicy scent of his cologne. Cobalt blue, burnt antique orange and powder lavender suits hang from the rails. Armel adjusts everything in sight-including himself-with intense attention to detail, facing a mirror to rearrange the

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chiffon polka dot handkerchief nestled in his breast pocket.

The Sape society has two Congolese branches: those from Congo-Brazzaville and others from Kinshasa, capital of the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The flamboyant lives of the Kinshasa branch of Sape have featured in the media, with allegations of crime amid some members somewhat tarnishing the image of the sapeurs.

“There is a lot of criminality, petty criminality,” said documentary film maker George Amponsah in a recent BBC interview. “It is a form of underworld, a kind of mafia.”

But Le Bachelor says he is fighting to improve the reputation of the movement, whose main aim, he says, is to celebrate good fashion sense and an ideal of “gentlemanly” behavior. “We as Africans need to believe in Africa again, we need to believe that something good can come out of the continent and its people,” he said. Expensive designer clothing may seem a low priority, however, in a war-scarred nation such as Congo. “Most people do not associate Africans with 50,000-euro (68,000-dollar) Cavalli coats,”

proudly sporting a Paris-made Georges Rech suit. The suits from Connivences are designed by Le Bachelor and manufactured in Italy.

Aiming to put his label on the map, he last month launched an online

Jocelyn Armel poses at his men’s clothing boutique on February 10, 2010 in Paris. —AFP

Amponsah told AFP. But the filmmaker, whose 2004 “The Importance of Being Elegant” explores the inner world of the Kinshasa Sape, insists high fashion

has serious significance for Africans. “Sapeurs have said they want to show European colonial masters they can beat them at their own game,” he said. Despite this,

store allowing him to sell to international customers as far away as Australia.

He is also in the initial stages of setting up shop in his home town of Brazzaville, capital of the smaller of the two Congolese nations-but says that market is hard to crack. He points to a blue suit lined with an African fabric. “Africans will not buy it, because they do not like the fact it is lined with traditional fabric,” he

African fashionistas line the pockets of European designers sooner than African ones. “Africans love designer labels,” preferably expensive foreign ones, said Armel, himself

said. “We have to change that attitude,” he adds. Some sources say the Sape movement was started in the 1960s by Congolese musician Papa Wemba, whose attire was supposedly a way to denounce the dictatorial laws of then president Mobutu Sese Seko.

But in an interview for the Los Angeles Times, Papa Wemba once said his clothing was “just about looking good”. Brazzaville saw the first example of western dress in 1922 on the Congolese politician Grenard Andre Matsoua, known as the Grand Sapeur, who returned home to Brazzaville from Paris in French attire, sometimes sporting a tail coat. Matsoua fought for human rights and freedom from colonial powers and became admired not only for his political work, but for the way he carried himself. Le Bachelor has become one of the contemporary beacons of the Sapeur movement, seeing his fashion label as a way of keeping the movement alive. “Now it is time for us to start creating the fashions, not just to buy them,” he asserted. “It is time for Africans to be proud of our continent.” —AFP

ʻFashion For

Relief Haiti NYC 2010ʼ

Kelly Osbourne

Supermodel Naomi Campbell

Chris Brown

Estelle walks

Donna Karan

Supermodel Naomi Campbell (center) at her ‘Fashion For Relief Haiti NYC 2010’ show during the fall 2010 MercedesBenz Fashion Week, in New York.

—AFP photos

Helena Christensen Diane von Furstenberg

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Monday, February 15, 2010

39

Fashion

Fur makes a comeback at NY

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ur made a comeback at New York Fashion Week. There were more fur coats than in recent seasons. Alexander Wang had a cool leather trenchcoat with a strip of mink running entirely down the back. “I believe people will buy fur in the fall. It keeps you warm,” said Bloomingdale’s fashion director Stephanie Solomon. “And for those who don’t like the idea of fur, there is great faux fur.” Another option: Mongolian lambswool — a fuzzy, almost featherlike material — has emerged as a popular alternative.

Som showed almost muppet-like versions of the wool in hot pink and electric blue, but the fabric was also on display at Adam and as trim on dresses and shirts by other designers.

Fur has been more rare in recent seasons as luxury turned more discreet, so lambswool may be a more acceptable alternative. In Som’s rendering, it still makes a statement, without being in-yourface luxurious.

ALEXANDER WANG Alexander Wang has already collected a slew of “young designer” awards, so it was time to present a more grownup collection. He did that Saturday with forward-thinking fashion and an eye on a more luxe, sophisticated customer.

She’s still quite young, though, or at least willing to show some skin. Top models clearly don’t mind: Both Natalia Vodianova and Agyness Deyn walked in the show. Inventive knits, tailoring and a touch of fur here and there put him in a different league than his athlete-inspired spring line. Men’s waistcoats and pinstripe vests transformed into sexy minidresses, especially those that mixed in some ultra-delicate lace, and his “caterpillar” chenille knit had a

lection for the party circuit, but using a more restrained hand served him well at the Saturday preview at New York Fashion Week. Among the best looks were a black chiffon-and-satin gown with a beaded neckline worn with a red distressed trench-style opera coat, and a black lace pantsuit that was sexy with its champagne-colored illusion effect but with a silhouette loose enough to

et shown during these previews.)

Designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville showed a skill with sweaters that could turn into highly salable garments, and made a good case for leather leggings and purse pouches that hang from belts like a stylish fanny pack. The designers also confirmed some of the trends that seem to be emerging, including layers and menswear, but also military-inspired styles, heavily textured garments and a dominant palette of black and gray.

“I thought Rag & Bone showed the designers have grown up in one season,” said Bloomingdale’s Solomon, who said the collection was her favorite so far.

keep it from being a costume.

Sending some of the same messages as other designers at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Chakra played with multiple fabrics and textures, and tweaked the leather-sleeve trend with long opera gloves.

But he overused the backward silhouette too much, enough to make you wonder if Chakra is coming or going as a player on the red carpet. —AP

PETER SOM Peter Som took a hiatus from the runway to regroup his fashion label after a financial rough patch, and he was missed, judging by the crowd who came to watch his return on Saturday. Heavy hitters from the major luxury department stores as well as healthy contingents from the

styles previewed Friday were an extension of the look she offered for spring, using a lot of black, a strong-shoulder silhouette and asymmetrical necklines.

What was new were the leather-sleeve coats, apparently an emerging trend for next season, and the camo print, which hit the right note of sexy in a twisted front-pleat dress. But while this is an evolved aesthetic for Miller, is it new to Miller’s customers or do they already have a bomber jackettunic-legging outfit from another label?

The Georges Chakra fall 2010 collection is modeled, Saturday, during Fashion Week in New York.

GEORGES CHAKRA Georges Chakra designs his Edition col-

The Alexander Wang Fall 2010 collection is modeled during Fashion Week in New York. —AP photos softness that’s new to Wang’s look.

Layering was key to the overall vibe — mixing textures of the wool, velvet, mohair and mink. Cutouts were strategically placed lest the wearer started to feel too wintry. Black dominated the palette, as it has on most catwalks so far, but color isn’t the big takeaway from the Wang show. “I have a feeling layering is going to be the big message,” said Cindy Weber Cleary, InStyle magazine fashion director.

RAG & BONE The cool girls will probably be wearing a lot of menswear styles in the fall. Rag & Bone, which has become a bellwether brand for downtown hipsters, debuted a collection Friday that was rooted in tailored suits but stayed quirky and feminine thanks to tweaks in proportion and styling. The first model on the runway wore a combination of waistcoat, workshirt and kilt, and she was followed by a camouflage anorak, a plaid shirtdress and what appeared to be an unfinished blazer.

(Interestingly, this wasn’t the first literally thread-baring jack-

magazines were treated to a fall collection unlike anything else they’ve seen so far during this round of style previews. There was color —— lots of purple, green and acid yellow! There were luxe furs! There was a vintage vibe and ladylike silhouettes!

The explosion of prints and exotic trims, including mink, feathers, pearlized-petal pailettes and distressed metallics, was dizzying at times, but also invigorating. It was like all the models got dressed in the dark and, in the process, broke all the fashion rules about what goes with what. Most of the time, the outfits showed why rules should be broken.

NICOLE MILLER Nicole Miller must have always had a tough spirit inside her —how else could she have lasted so long in the fashion business? — but it’s only in her most recent collections that you see that aggressiveness in the clothes. The scarf-print dresses of yesteryear are gone, replaced by body-hugging dresses, biker shorts and leather leggings. The fall

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Can’t miss if you seek a kiss at Rio Carnival kiss is just a kiss, but at Rio’s Carnival, collecting as many pecking partners as possible at one of the 650 massive street parties that hit high gear on Saturday is truly a competitive sport.

Wearing a pink bikini top, flower-print miniskirt and a face dabbed with silver glitter, Taline Pereira was not shy about getting to the heart of what drives the parties-known as “blocos” — that in some cases draw upward of 1 million people.

“I traveled thousands of kilometers to come to my first Rio Carnival,” said the 18-yearold student from Brazil’s northeast. “Of course I’m going to kiss as many boys as possible.”

Yet Brazilians don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea about the widespread kissing known as “ficar,” which literally means “to stay.” It is an innocent game, they say, in which touching a woman anywhere outside the small of her back draws a red card-if not a slap. Like the most intricate of courtship rituals, it involves rules and subtle, nonverbal cues that an ambitious man or woman must understand to have a successful outing-defined by Pereira as “maybe kissing 12 boys-or just one if he is a really good kisser.” There are no winners, official or otherwise, though many play for bragging rights.

Informal polling found members of both sexes claiming to have kissed more than 10 partners at least once during Carnival. Rafael Salathiel, 18, standing with a group of pals at a Friday bloco aptly named “Come to me, I’m easy,” said he has long history of “kissing as many girls as I want during Carnival.” For most of the 700,000 tourists who have invaded Rio, the blocos are the focus of Carnival leading up to the flamboyant samba parades yesterday and today. Each has its own character. Some are for journalists, others attract a gay crowd, many see a strong teenage contingent and still others are for young children.

But all-minus, perhaps, the bloco for youngsters and one just for dogs and cats-include an abundance of beer, a dire lack of clothing and rampant canoodling. While Brazil’s government proudly announced it would hand out 55 million condoms for Carnival, there were no warnings issued for contagious diseases contracted by kissing. “It starts like this: You look at a guy. Really look at him. He comes over, starts with his talk, and if there is chemistry then it’s going to roll,” Pereira said. “It doesn’t matter if he is cute or not if there is an energy.” Lucas de Souza, 17, puffed up like a peacock while giving the male perspective on the game.

“I come at them with attitude and a great talk,” Souza said. “You really have to talk well with a Brazilian girl.

Anyway, if I’m confident, I might touch her hair, her arm and then try for a kiss.” As he spoke, his buddies let fly the low half-whistle, half-hiss that Brazilian men seem gifted with at birth to gain a woman’s attention in a crowd. And if that kiss should miss? “Look around, this place is full of girls,” he said. “If a girl rejects me, she is bound to have a friend who won’t.” Luisa Castro, 17, started to give her interpretation of what the game of “ficar” meant when she paused and narrowed her eyes.

“Wait, wait ... is this going to be one of those articles that makes Brazilian women look bad?” she asked. “Because you really shouldn’t exaggerate this thing.”

She defended smooching as many boys as possible during Carnival, saying it’s far milder than displays during Mardi Gras on New Orleans streets-where women routinely bare their breasts to win a strand of beads.

“There is some romance to it, it’s not vulgar like what we see American women doing,” the precocious high school student said. “They show everything. Which is gross.” Still, the widespread public displays of affection surprised foreigners visiting for the first time.

“I like affection, but when I see this I just say, ‘get a room,’ “ said 33-year-old Destine Georgio, visiting from Adelaide, Australia. —AP

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Masked participants in a carnival are pictured in the western German city of Duesseldorf yesterday.

Carnival is a tradition stemming from Catholic regions in the west and south of Germany, but it has increasingly been adopted by cities in the north and east. —AFP

Glitz, glamour and romance at Netherlandsʼ first gay wedding fair sther Lamers and Wendy Kanters saunter single-mindedly through the stands vaunting matching wedding gowns, pink limousines and gay-friendly honeymoon cruises at the Netherlands’ first-ever gay and lesbian wedding fair. “We went to a normal wedding fair once but it was .... well, very hetero,” Lamers, 47, told AFP at the fair held in Amsterdam on Sunday. “Every time we showed some interest in a pair of rings, for example, we first had to explain that we were gay. Here, we feel more at home.”

The couple plans to wed on June 26 and came to Amsterdam to find rings, a woman’s tuxedo and other paraphernalia for the big day. Dubbed “Gay Bride”, the fair boasted 75 stands selling prod-

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ucts and services ranging from cakes, discos and photographers to sets of wedding gowns or suits, special “pink gold” wedding bands, and holiday packages to gay-friendly countries like Thailand. There was disco music, glitter balls, oysters, balloons and flowersand a massive pink limousine in the middle of the display area.

Visitor Chris de Wild Propitius added an emotional touch to the party atmosphere when he got down on one knee on the centre stage to propose marriage to his partner of three years Jan Koehoorn, who tearfully said: “Yes” to loud cheers. “I am very happy, nervous, immensely surprised,” gushed Koehoorn, who said he hoped to get some wedding ideas while at the fair. “We have very different ideas of

what we want for our wedding-he wants beer and bitterballen (a Dutch deep-fried snack), I want a more formal sit-down affair. Maybe we can find a compromise here.” A firm favorite with visitors was a display of wedding cake toppers of same-sex dolls in wedding attire. “This is a unique product and in high demand,” said Jaschenka Snaar, who manned the stand and said she was excited to be part of such an historic event.

“Still today, even in the Netherlands, gay couples are sometimes stared at. It is important that they have a comfortable place where they can go for their wedding planning.” The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize samesex marriage, in 2001. Since then,

Indonesia’s Aceh holds first transvestite contest he first beauty pageant for transvestites has drawn dozens of contestants in Aceh, a semiautonomous Indonesian province that follows strict Islamic law. The Antara news agency reported Sunday that 19-year-old Zifana Lestisia from the northern district of Lhokseumawe was chosen the region’s Social and Culture Envoy 2010.

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He will represent Aceh at the national level.

Antara quoted the organizers as saying the pageant, held in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, was intended to wipe out stigma and strengthen friendships among transvestites. While Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra, adheres to Shariah law, the majority of Indonesia’s roughly 200 million Muslims practice moderate Islam. —AP

Several thousand disguised people parade in the streets of Dunkirk, yesterday, northern France, as part the town’s carnival. —AFP

Various participants dressed in costume, perform on stage during the final of the Worldwide Mr Gay contest in Oslo, Norway, Saturday. — AP

Feel the love - Iranians celebrate Valentine’s Day

South African wins Mr Gay World pageant

ove is all around in the streets of Tehran on Valentine’s Day this year with young men and women openly holding hands and exchanging red roses, and shops decked with red ribbons, candles and heart-shaped red balloons. Forget political turmoil, violent protests, the nuclear row with the West and soaring prices. Today romance rules. “I am fed up with politics.

This year I asked my girlfriend to celebrate Valentine’s Day more gloriously than any year before,” said 28-yearold Shahrokh Sedaghati, an architect, looking for a perfume as a gift in a central Tehran shop.

Valentine’s Day is not officially banned in the Islamic state, but hardliners have repeatedly warned about a Western cultural invasion and under Iran’s Islamic shariah law, unmarried couples are banned from mingling. Young Iranians are demanding social freedom, jobs, housing and less costly marriage ceremonies and dowry payments, and this year Valentine’s Day showed just how strong their feelings are.

“Young people want to live their lives. They have access to the Internet and can see how youngsters around the world live,” said one professor of psychology at a Tehran university. The celebration, named af ter a Christian saint, has become a money-maker for businesses in Islamic Iran where more than 60 percent of the population of 73 million are under 30. “We are already out of red roses. Even teenagers are buying flowers for loved ones.

Today is a very good business day for flower shops here,” said one florist in the north of the city. —Reuters

South African man has won the 2010 Mr Gay World pageant, beating rivals from Australia, Hong Kong, China and Spain, the organizers said yesterday.

Charl Van den Berg, 28, who runs a restaurant in Cape Town, won after four days of competition finished with a walk down a fashion runaway in an Oslo nightclub dressed in skimpy swimwear and various costumes. The competition is aimed at “finding a leader who can take on the responsibility of being a spokesman for the community and who can also speak out on equality and human rights on the world stage,” a statement said.

Xiaodai Muyi, 26, from China and who took fourth place, competed despite Beijing’s attempts to prevent him doing so. The Chinese authorities blocked China’s own first gay pageant, in which contestants were vying for the right to represent China at Mr Gay World, last month. Xiaodai’s identity had been kept secret in the run-up to the competition in which some 20 men from around the world vied for the Mr Gay World title.

Homosexuality was a crime in China until 1997 and it was officially considered a mental illness until 2001. Since then, however, an increasing number of visible gay and lesbian events has taken place. Australia’s Byron Adu, 25, who works for the Australian government, was in second place followed by Rick Dean Twombley, 33, a dancer from Hong Kong while Spanish entrant Sergio Lara, a 26-yearold psychologist, came fifth. The first Mr Gay World competition, held last year in Whistler, Canada, was won by an Irish man. —AFP

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Contestants in traditional dresses take part in Social Cultural Transvestite Queen beauty pageant in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia, late Saturday. —AP

12,102 gay and lesbian couples have tied the knot in a country that prides itself on a liberal tradition — 1.7 percent of the total number of marriages registered between 2001 and 2008.

There were between 800,000 and a million gay, lesbian and bisexual people in the Netherlands, according to spokesman Philip Tijsma of gay rights body COC. “This fair is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate that gay marriage has existed for nearly 10 years,” he told AFP. “It also fills an important gap-gay couples are not always so comfortable at a ‘normal’ wedding fair.” A recent study by the Netherlands Institute for Social Research found that nearly 50 percent of Dutch people are offended by two men kissing in public, Tijsma said. —AFP

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A Palestinian man walks past a bed cover bearing a heart and the word ‘I love you’ displayed outside a shop on Valentine’s Day in the West Bank city of Hebron yesterday. Valentine’s Day, celebrated yesterday, is named after the Christian patron saint for lovers. —AFP