20 Feb

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

24 PAGES

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2010

RABI ALAWAL 6, 1431 AH

NO: 14646

150 FILS

Kuwait marks anniversary of Crown Prince’s oath-taking

China protests at Obama meeting with Dalai Lama

Heavy rain worsens condition in Haiti

Liverpool, Juventus grab Europa advantage

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Israel shrugs off calls for arrest of top spy Dubai security lands Israel’s Mossad in storm DUBAI: Israel shrugged off yesterday calls for its top spy to be arrested in the killing of a Hamas commander, as pressure mounted af ter Interpol issued arrest notices for 11 suspects in the Dubai hit.

“The Dubai police have provided no incriminating proof,” a senior official told AFP, asking not to be identified. Dubai police chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan said on Thursday he wanted

Mossad chief Meir Dagan arrested if the agency is behind last month’s killing of Mahmud Al-Mabhuh, a top commander of the Islamist Hamas movement that rules Gaza.

“The threats against Meir Dagan are absurd,” the Israeli official said. “The accusations are baseless. Police have not explained the circumstances of his death, or even any proof that he’s been assassinated,” he said. Mahmud Al-

Mabhuh, one of the founders of Hamas’s military wing, was found dead in his Dubai hotel room on January 20.

Sophisticated surveillance systems installed by Dubai in a bid to protect its status as a Gulf business and leisure hub have enabled it to piece together an apparent hit by one of the world’s most fabled spy outfits. Less than a month after top Hamas commander Mahmud Al-Mabhuh was found dead in a hotel

room in the emirate, police have issued photographs of 11 suspects that it has circulated arrest warrants for through Interpol.

Meanwhile, Dubai police chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan has said he is 99 percent sure Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency was behind the killing and has said that, if so, its chief Meir Dagan should face prosecution. In a humiliation for the storied spy

agency he described the killers as “stupid” because their moves were “traced second by second” by security cameras.

Analysts said the investigation was a major coup for the security-obsessed emirate. “The attention given to the maintenance of law and order in Dubai can border on paranoia but it’s a positive paranoia,” said the director of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, Riad Kahwaji.

Surveillance cameras are everywhere and the emirate’s security services also employ a huge number of informants.

“With 203 nationalities represented, just imagine the number of interpreters” they have to use, said Kahwaji. Security analyst Ibrahim Khayat said the pace of the investigation had shown that the Dubai police were “one of the best forces in the world.”

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Khamenei lambasts US military moves in Gulf Iran launches home-built destroyer, denies nuke move • Russia ‘very alarmed’

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (second right) during the launching ceremony of the Jamaran guided-missile destroyer, as Iran’s naval chief, Adm Habibollah Sayyari talks to him, in the Gulf yesterday. — AP

Bomb hoax at Experts see growing Kuwait airport threat of cyber-jihad KUWAIT: Kuwait International Airport reported that its commercial complex had received a bomb threat early yesterday, which proved to be a hoax.

As soon as the warning was received by a phone call at 2:00 AM, the standard procedures were followed in coordination with the concerned bodies, said Esam Al-Zamil of the airport’s operations department. Police and bomb squad officers thoroughly searched the facility but failed to locate any explosive device, he added.

Flights at the airport were entirely unaffected, Al-Zamil emphasized, adding that an investigation is underway to trace the hoax call. — KUNA

PARIS: An Al-Qaeda cyber-offensive is a real and growing threat, even though Osama bin Laden’s shadowy group has yet to show a true capability, experts said.

“A coordinated cyber-attack made in Al-Qaeda?

This has not happened yet, but it is not just fantasy,” Dominique Thomas, a specialist in Islamic networks at Paris’s School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, said.

“We can envisage it: they have the brains, and the advantage is they don’t have to be many to be effective”, Thomas added.

Al-Qaeda has so far stuck to classic, if spectacular, attack methods-the hijackings in the September 11, 2001 attacks and machine gun and bombs.

But on Tuesday top US officials participated in the “Cyber ShockWave” exercise testing responses to a Continued on Page 19

Tiger Woods says sorry, unsure of return to golf PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida: Tiger Woods apologized for having affairs and said yesterday he’s unsure when he will return to competitive golf.

“I was unfaithful. I had affairs. I cheated.

What I did was not acceptable,” said Woods, looking composed and speaking in a steady voice. His wife, Elin, was not obviously present.

As for going back to the US PGA Tour,

Woods said: “I do plan to return to golf one day. I just don’t know when that day will be.

I don’t rule out it will be this year.” Woods talked for more than 13 minutes from the clubhouse at the TPC Sawgrass, home of the US PGA Tour. About 40 people were in the room, including his mother. He hugged her when he finished speaking, and she whispered in his ear.

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TEHRAN: From the deck of Iran’s new guided-missile destroyer, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized the US military presence in the Gulf yesterday and said Washington was trying to frighten Iran’s Arab neighbors into buying its weapons. Khamenei made the comments after taking a tour of the destroyer Jamaran, which was launched at a Gulf port yesterday. State television, which broadcast the event, said the warship was the country’s first domestically built destroyer and a major technological leap for Iran’s naval industries.

Using the backdrop of military might, Khamenei declared that America and Israel were trying to sow divisions between Iran and Arab nations. “The US and the Zionist regime are trying to spread divisions to distract the attention of Islamic nations from the main enemies of the Islamic world, which are the US and Israel,” Khamenei said in remarks broadcast on state TV. Continued on Page 19

KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Special Forces hold a preparatory show on the eve of their demonstration as part of the Hala February celebration at Kuwait Towers yesterday. — Photo by Joseph Shagra

Junta in control after Niger coup Army storms palace, detains president, ministers NIAMEY, Niger: Niger’s new ruling junta lifted a curfew and reopened the borders after cementing control of the uranium-rich west African state amid growing international condemnation of its deadly coup.

Convinced it was in charge, the military authorized free movement in and

out of the country after it captured President Mamadou Tandja and sacked his government.

“The situation is under control,” Colonel Goukoye Abdoulkarim, spokesman of the junta, told journalists. The army stormed the palace during a cabinet meeting and seized Tandja and detained his

ministers before announcing it was suspending a constitution that the 71-year-old forced through with a contested referendum last year.

“There is no single voice of dissension in either Niamey or in other parts of the country,” Abdoulkarim said. The junta swung into action late Thursday with a

call for support from the 15 million population, promising to make the world’s third producer of uranium a beacon of “good democracy and governance” after months of political turmoil.

Calling itself the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD), the junta dissolved the government of

the poverty-stricken nation, then held its first meeting with senior officials of ministries yesterday morning. In his first public speech to reporters, junta leader Major Salou Djibo said he would set up a consultative working council to take collective decisions.

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Saudi prince in court over London murder

ORLANDO: This Feb 17, 2009, photo provided by the Tiger Woods family shows, Sam, Elin, Tiger, and Charlie Woods (from left) and their dogs Yogi (left) and Taz posing in Orlando, Florida. Golf’s biggest star yesterday addressed the shocking and sordid sex scandal that has consumed his life since late November. — AP

LONDON: A Saudi prince was remanded in custody yesterday after appearing in court accused of murdering his employee in a luxury London hotel.

Saud Bin Abdulaziz Bin Nasir Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, 33, is accused of killing Bandar Abdullah Abdulaziz in the thirdfloor room of the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone, central London on Monday.

The Saudi, a junior member of the kingdom’s extended royal family, is also charged with “unlawfully and maliciously” causing 32-year-old Abulaziz grievous bodily harm at the hotel on Jan. 22.

Earlier in the week, police said a post mortem examination found he had been strangled and had suffered a head injury.

The prince, wearing a long-sleeved white top and white trousers, stood in the dock

at London’s City of Westminster Magistrate’s Court, accompanied by an interpreter.

He spoke only to confirm his name and address during the 10-minute hearing.

“We look forward to a trial, when we will expose a prosecution case which has turned a genuine friendship of the deceased into a forced relationship of master and servant,” the prince’s lawyer Michael Wolkind said. “A prosecution which has turned a genuine tragedy into a wrongful accusation of murder.” He was remanded in custody to appear at London’s Old Bailey Central Criminal Court next week when his lawyer said an application for bail would be made. He is due to enter an official plea at a hearing on May 28. — Reuters

NIAMEY, Niger: Colonel Djibrilla Hamidou Hima (center), member of the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD) and commander-in-chief of military zone 1 gestures yesterday at a military compound in Niamey where ousted President Mamadou Tandja is held. — AFP

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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Asian dies in road accident

Sex pest arrested at immigration office KUWAIT: Immigration officers arrested a forty-something Egyptian man working as a mandoub (fixer) in the Hawally immigration office after receiving complaints from several female clients there, who accused him of committing obscene acts in front of them. One of the women had just taken her shoe off and threatened to hit Two witnesses, a Kuwaiti and a Lebanese man, said that they were willing to testify to the man’s distasteful behavior, explaining that they had both advised him to stop behaving in that manner, but he had ignored them. The man is in custody in Rumaithiya police station awaiting trial.

Fatal crash

Praise for Kuwait development plans WASHINGTON: Kuwait’s Ambassador to the US Sheikh Salem Abdullah AlJaber Al-Sabah said yesterday that his countr y is bracing itself for major development, which he said is vital for keeping up with the rapid development of the international community.

Speaking on the occasion of Kuwait’s 49th National Day and 19th L i b e r a t i o n D a y, t h e a m b a s s a d o r e x t e n d e d h i s g re e t i n g s t o H i s Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlA h m a d A l - S a b a h , H H t h e C ro w n Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlSabah and HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed AlSabah on the forthcoming national festivities.

T h e Ku w a i t i A m b a s s a d o r a l s o extended his sincere congratulations to HH the Amir on the fourth anniversary of his ascension to the throne, noting that since HH Sheikh Sabah had

taken the helm, “Kuwait has witnessed several accomplishments that have had a direct impact on Kuwaiti citizens, at a time when our region and the world have faced a number of political and economic challenges.”

Ambassador Sheikh Salem noted that HH the Amir constantly seeks the development of his citizens at all levels, in addition to leading Kuwait to the forefront among developed countries.

These two elements, he said “are considered the uppermost accomplishments that will remain engraved in the minds of Kuwaitis and will be listed in history, along with the many achievements and sacrifices that HH the Amir made for Kuwait even before the country’s independence.”

The Kuwaiti Ambassador also shed light on the effor ts exer ted by the Kuwaiti government for greater development, saying that these “serious and

well-planned” efforts were aimed at keeping up with international development in the economic, cultural and scientific spheres, and work was being done to put short and long-term plans in place to achieve this goal.

He also hailed the development plans recently approved by the cabinet, including “the vision and plans of the government to develop many vital sect o r s t h a t a re c o n s i d e re d o f d i re c t impact on Kuwaiti citizens.”

Ambassador Sheikh Salem said that this plan would be an essential initial step towards the overall development process being pursued in Kuwait.

The ambassador concluded by voicing hope that all the efforts being made, both governmental and parliam e n t a r y, w o u l d b e i n t e n s i f i e d i n order for this plan to become a reality for the good of Kuwait and its people. — KUNA

An Asian female domestic worker was killed and members of the Kuwaiti family which employed her were seriously injured when their vehicle, which was pulling a trailer full of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), overturned. The accident happened on Fahaheel Road after the car was hit by another vehicle being driven by a juvenile. Emergency personnel, including Salmiya firemen, rushed to the scene, with the injured being rushed to hospital, while the dead woman’s body was removed for autopsy.

Lethal injection A soldier with the Kuwaiti Army’s mechanical corps died in mysterious circumstances just after visiting the doctor at Al-Soor military base. The soldier had apparently complained to the doctor about chronic fatigue, for which the doctor gave him an injection. The soldier died a few minutes later.

Domestic violence An Indian expatriate was mugged in a local street by two men who stole KD 250 from him, while an Asian man was attacked and robbed by four men, who stole KD 400 from him. In another case, an Egyptian woman accused her husband of battering her before stealing KD 400 in cash and KD 600 in gold from her along with her passport and fleeing. Police are investigating all the cases.

Violent family A Kuwaiti family physically assaulted an airline employee in the Kuwait International Airport parking lot over the right of way for drivers there. The couple and their son became enraged after the airline worker drove his car out ahead of them, believing that since he was, they thought, a foreign national, they should take precedence, so they pulled him over before launching an assault on him. The family of three were apparently screaming abuse at him, including threats to deport him, before discovering that he is a Kuwaiti citizen with a Lebanese accent.

Their victim has filed charges against the violent family at Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh police station.

Beaten by servant A Kuwaiti man accused a domestic servant of physically assaulting him fol-

the man around the head with it when she saw police officers nearby and called them over, telling them that he had made obscene gestures to her while they were passing. Although the suspect attempted to sneak away while the woman was talking to the officers, they quickly arrested him and took him into custody.

lowing an argument between them. A police investigation has been launched into the alleged attack.

The girl immediately called police, who were quickly at the scene, arresting the three delinquents.

Bag not bomb

Nasty tactics

Af ter a passerby in Mubarak AlKabeer phoned police to report the presence of a suspicious-looking bag in the street there, emergency personnel, including bomb squad officers, quickly arrived at the scene. Fearing that the bag might contain an explosive device, the bomb squad carried out a controlled detonation of it, discovering that there had been no bomb there.

A Lebanese tenant in an apartment building in Rumaithiya was intentionally locked outside on the building’s roof by the haris (janitor) after going up there to fix the satellite dish. After failing to persuade the haris to reopen the door and being unable to rouse anyone else in the building, the stranded tenant called the emergency services to report his predicament. A fire crew from the local station were quickly at the scene, but when they asked the haris to open the door he claimed not to have any key. The firemen proceeded to force the door open in order to free the grateful but disgruntled tenant, who immediately went to the local police station to complain about the haris’ actions. When the haris was summoned for questioning, he explained that the building’s owner had asked him to give the tenants there a hard time to force them to move out since he wanted to increase the rents. An investigation is underway.

Illegal exits, entries Three bedoon (stateless) residents were arrested for attempting to leave Kuwait illegally, while two Bangladeshi men were arrested for entering illegally.

Meanwhile, an Iraqi expatriate was referred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for questioning after customs officers at the Abdally border crossing discovered that the iqama (work permit) in his passport had been tampered with and had expired four months before the date given.

Attempted murder

Police college thefts

Three young men have accused their stepfather of beating and attempting to murder them. Police are investigating the allegations.

Several students at the police college were surprised to discover that a quite brazen thief had broken into their cars while the vehicles were parked in front of the college and stolen various items from them. Crime scene officers were quickly at the scene, removing fingerprints and various pieces of evidence, and an investigation is underway to apprehend the thief.

Bootlegger busted Jahra police who stopped an Asian driver after becoming suspicious of his behavior arrested him after discovering 170 bottles of locally produced moonshine in his vehicle.

Family trouble Road troubles An Asian truck driver was rushed to Adan Hospital with various injuries after his vehicle overturned following an accident on the Sixth Ring Road. Mishref firemen rescued him from the lorry’s cab before he was taken to hospital and a large crane was brought to the scene to return the truck to an upright position before it was removed. Meanwhile, a large number of Kuwaiti and expatriate drivers were forced to slow down to a crawling pace behind an extremely drunk Kuwaiti motorist who took over the Bnaider Road, swerving dramatically from side to side of the street, before police arrived to take him into custody.

Thugs attack girl Three young thugs loitering outside Adan Cooperative took their revenge on a 16-year-old girl leaving the shop who rejected their advances by tearing off her hijab (scarf) and spraying her hair with foam before she managed to escape them.

A young girl accused her stepfather of abusing her, claiming that he had forcibly taken her mobile phone from her, manhandling her by sensitive parts of her body. The girl said that her stepfather had become suspicious of her behavior following an argument between them and wanted to take her phone away from her.

As a result of this, she said, she had hidden the phone in her undergarments, but this had failed to deter him, and he had seized the mobile anyway. The disgruntled teenager immediately went to the local police station to accuse her stepfather of molestation. On being questioned by police, the stepfather told them that all he had wanted was to punish the girl for her bad behavior and clandestine relationships by taking the phone away from her. The girl’s maternal uncle intervened at this point and began verbally and physically abusing his brother-in-law, with a fight breaking out between them. The stepfather was charged with assault, as well as molestation.

Attorney General refers charges against minister for investigation KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Attorney General has referred the charges being brought against Minister of Interior Sheikh Jaber Al-Khalid to the ministerial court’s investigation committee to determine their seriousness before the trial begins.

Attorney General Hamid AlOthman’s referral of the charges brought against the minister by the Criminal Investigation Department, which include squandering public funds and misuse of authority, for investigation means that there will be delays in calling the first witnesses to give evidence in the case.

The other charges against the minister include forcing a judicial employee to refrain from taking the proper legal action, mistreating CID employees and violating UN conventions on civil and social rights and the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), reported Al-Watan.

The senior investigator heading the case has supported the charges with documentary evidence of the minister’s orders when he assumed the post that investigators be reassigned from the CID headquarters to local police stations.

KUWAIT: An awards ceremony was recently held at the Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD) headquarters to honor the staff members who concluded the recent course held there in ‘Developing Skills in Administrative, Legal, Financial and Managerial Technology.’ — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun

‘Water crises’ in 2012 KUWAIT: A senior Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) official has warned that “there will be water crises in the country in 2012” due to the lack of upcoming water projects.

Dr. Mashaan Al-Otaibi, the Undersecretary of the MEW’s Planning and Training Department added that senior ministry officials are still in talks with their counterparts in

Iran on exporting water and natural gas from there to Kuwait and an agreement is still possible on the issue.

The senior MEW official issued the stark warning about potential water supply problems on Thursday, saying that the insufficient production levels from the North Shuhaiba and Shuwaikh facilities are primarily to be blamed, reported Al-Jarida.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

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A track of national, humanitarian achievements

Kuwait marks ’versary of CP’s taking of constitutional oath KUWAIT: Kuwaiti academics and analysts agreed that His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has made several national and humanitarian contributions in the four years since he was appointed Crown Prince.

Kuwait will celebrate today the fourth anniversary of His Highness Sheikh She noted that His Highness Sheikh Nawaf held many posts in the past, including that of Hawally governor, while heading the interior, defense, and social affairs and labor ministeries. He was also deputy chief of the National Guard, and deputy prime minister.

He succeeded in all these posts, and developed all sectors of the Interior Ministry, established a department for elections affairs, sent military youths to industrial countries to get training on fixing military planes and equipments, and stressed on social action, she added.

In addition, he developed medical services in the National Guards and proved that he was a support to children, women, and the elderly, she added.

Meanwhile, advisor at Kuwait Lawyers Society Dr. Ayedh Al-Manna’ said that His Highness the Crown Prince was respected by the ruling family, political figures, and Kuwaiti people.

His Highness Sheikh Nawaf held several posts and witnessed important and serious

events in Kuwait like the dissolution of the National Assembly in 1970, as well as the IraqiIranian war, he pointed out.

He also said that His Highness Sheikh Nawaf emphasized security and order in Hawally governorate when he was governor, and made great efforts to develop military capabilities when he was defense minister and during the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait, AlManna’ said.

After the liberation of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf became minister of social affairs and labor and dealt with the social concerns the people of the state had.

On his part, head of Kuwait Centre for Strategic Studies Dr. Sami Al-Faraj said that His Highness Sheikh Nawaf was a successful leader who did his best to serve Kuwait and its citizens.

His Highness Sheikh Nawaf underscored security and stability in the state and developed Kuwait in all fields, he emphasized. —KUNA

Nawaf’s taking of constitutional oath as Crown Prince. Political sciences lecturer at Kuwait University Dr Mariam Al-Kandiri said that His Highness Sheikh Nawaf was known for his humility, good manners, kindness, ability to understand others, emotional intelligence, and assistance to the weak and oppressed.

His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

— File photo

Obligation for Gulf states to improve science

KUWAIT: Municipal officials have carried out a number of unannounced spot checks across Jahra in the last week, with a number of food outlets being assessed and citations presented for advertising violations. A number of roadside peddlers were also arrested during the campaign, while 12 cars were impounded at the municipality’s Amghara car lot and 45 warning citations were affixed to various cars’ windshield instructing the owners to remove the vehicles immediately or face them being impounded.

kuwait digest

Enough grilling for now!

T

he anticipated grilling motion against information minister Sheikh Ahmad AlAbdullah Al-Sabah has already become stale and boring, writes columnist Rashid AlRadaan in Al-Watan.

One day we hear that the grilling motion is ready, the next we are told it will be submitted within days, then we hear another MP asserting that it will be submitted shortly, and one occasion we were told that the grilling motion had been approved by more than 20 MPs, who had only to discuss it to decide on a suitable time to carry out the interpellation.

I believe that the grilling of the information minister has already lost its luster, with the number of its supporters dwindling, and that some MPs who promised to support the motion are backing off from it. Indeed, even

some hawkish MPs believe the grilling is not suitable at this time and will not succeed, simply following the example of the other grilling in which the government had decisive victories.

It is not a shame for anyone to demand the grilling of the information minister or to reveal that at a meeting attended by several MPs it was revealed that despite all of them supporting the grilling motion, all believed that the public interest would best be served by postponing the interpellation until the next parliamentary term. Such admissions will mean that they are respected by their supporters and voters. The truth is that the vast majority of the Kuwaiti people are fed up with MPs pulling out the grilling card time and time again, with many suggesting, “This is not a grilling!”

Kuwait holds first-ever citizenship conference KUWAIT: Kuwait’s first ever conference on the issue of citizenship begins here today, with a galaxy of Kuwaiti, Arab and European experts attending the event to discuss how best to strengthen the values and concepts of citizenship.

The conference is being held to coincide with the celebration of Kuwait’s National and Liberation Days, explained conference spokesman Mohammed Al-Wuheib yesterday.

Al-Wuheib explained that due to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah’s great enthusiasm for the issues of citizenship and national unity, Kuwait is seeking to develop fresh thinking with the intention of broadening the prospect of citizenship concepts.

The eminent Arab and European thinkers and

experts participating in the event will discuss their own countries’ experiences and attempts to strengthen and elevate the positive concepts and values concerning citizenship, he added.

During the gathering, several Kuwaiti scholars will present scientific working papers related to subjects including the assessment of sectarian and racial prejudices in Kuwaiti students and the societal marginalization of women due to customs and tradition, Al-Wuheib added.

The conference will bring together people from all sides of Kuwait’s political divide, along with civil society organizations in a bid to bring their views closer together and devise solutions and proposed strategies to strengthen social values, he added. —KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait and countries of the Gulf region have an obligation to improve their science and technology, if they are to compete in the international economic arena, said US Science Envoy Dr Elias Zerhouni. “This country (Kuwait) and this people, and all the people in the region, have an obligation to improve their science and technology ... if you’re not in at the level of competition, you will not be looked at as a country where people want to come and invest ... I think education at a level that is internationally competitive requires science and technology,” he said.

The envoy, who arrived here on Wednesday and will be leaving later Friday, said that prospects for cooperation between the US and Kuwait in the field of science and technology were “terrific, especially when we focus on common needs and common problems.”

Having visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia before coming to Kuwait, Dr. Zerhouni said his mission was to “explore” means to built “positive relationships” between the US and the Gulf in the field of science and technology. The envoy will also be visiting the UAE as part of his tour.

Zerhouni is one of three envoys appointed by US President Barack Obama, after the announcement of his new initiative to reach out to the Middle East in his Cairo speech on June 4, 2009.

“President Obama in Cairo really wanted to launch the idea of what he desired, which is a new beginning in terms of the content and tenure of the relationships between the US and the Muslim world,” he said.

And while the US may have “issues” with some countries, this does not mean that positive relationships cannot be developed in other areas such as science and technology, education, research, and job creation or entrepreneurship, Dr. Zerhouni explained.

He added that in order to launch such interchange and partnerships, President

Obama felt the need for “qualified expert science envoys that could visit, travel, meet, understand, not just what could be done but also understand the needs of the various countries and the various partners, and then come back and advise him (Obama) and the Secretary of State and the US government on what would be the best way to approach it, if any.” Dr. Zerhouni said that President Obama was emphasizing this “global issue of partnering” due to common problems the world was facing - generating jobs for young people, improving the environment, access to water, food security, and energy.

“We know from history that if we have good knowledge relationships, there is a higher chance of solving problems than if you don’t have them.” Asked about his visit to Kuwait, the envoy said that he met with officials from Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), Dasman Institute for Diabetes Research, Regional Organization for Protecting the Maritime Environment (ROPME), as well as with Minister of Health Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer.

He described his meeting with Dr. AlSayer as “very lively” one, during which he was briefed on the programs that the minister was working on and the new fiveyear plan.

As for his meeting with Dr. Kazem Behbehani, Director General of Dasman Institute for Research, Training and Prevention of Diabetes and other Chronic Diseases, he said that “clearly there is both a challenge and an opportunity in diabetes in this region.” He said that he agreed with Dr. Behbehani to “continue to discuss this issue, not just in Kuwaiti terms, but maybe in regional terms, and maybe use this center to enhance our relationships with the whole region relative to the problem of diabetes and chronic disease.” The envoy said that the science and technology areas where Kuwait and

AWB launches CDs for Egyptians KUWAIT: Al-Watany Bank of Egypt (AWB), a member of the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) Group, recently launched new Certificates of Deposit (CDs) for Egyptians, which will Dr Yasser Hassan pay annual interest up to 9.5 per cent for a period of five years.

Commenting on the new certificates, AWB’s Managing Director, Dr. Yasser Hassan explained that the new certificates are available in two types; one to be deposited for three years giving an annual interest of 9.25 per cent while the other to be deposited for five years giving an annual interest of 9.5 per cent. “Customers have full freedom to choose between both types and to choose how they wish the interest to be added to their accounts,” he explained noting that interest could be calculated on a monthly, quarterly and biannual basis and that customers could obtain a refund for the CDs six months after purchasing them.

Thugs attack chest hospital doctor KUWAIT: Three Kuwaiti men launched a brutal physical assault against the head of the Chest Disease Hospital’s cardiology department, Dr. Ali Al-Sayegh, when he asked them to leave a womenonly ward. Security staff at the hospital held the three men until police arrived to take them into

the US could cooperate most at this point would most likely to be health and chronic disease, particularly diabetes. “We have the same problems, we have the same needs, and I think we have expertise on both sides that can be truly leveraged. So I am very keen on continuing this conversation about joint approach for the problem of diabetes and its consequences.” He said that another area of cooperation would be the exchange of information to create digital libraries, which was a desire expressed by both KFAS and KISR. “In other words ICT (information and communication technology) at the service of science, technology and economic development.” Dr. Zerhouni also said that at the ROPME he talked with Executive Secretary Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Awadhi about surveying the Gulf and understanding its marine biology. “We have an interest in working together on that, but nothing very specific.” He also noted with interest KISR’s fisheries project, saying that fish was one of the “most economic sources of food in terms of water consumption.” Only 10 liters of fresh water are needed to generate one kilo of fish, while 20,000 liters are needed for a kilo of meat.

“We think about these things in terms of mathematics and science, and in Kuwait you have already a very good base with KISR’s fisheries program ... so the question is whether or not this an economic opportunity for Kuwait to play a role and develop more fisheries in the region,” he said.

Asked about cooperation in terms of climate change, he said that scientists always looked at this matter in two parts; adaptation to climate change and then managing climate change.

He explained that from the standpoint of a biomedical scientist, there was enormous evidence of the consequences of climate change on health. Dengue fever is now expanding north and south because

custody at Shuwaikh police station, where Dr. AlSayegh lodged an official complaint against the violent trio. Separate cases of assaulting a public servant have been opened against all three men, with the Kuwait Medical Society demanding that the penalties against individuals who assault medical staff while on duty should be increased. Health Minister Dr. Helal Al-Sayer warned that the Ministry of Health will take all the necessary measures to protect doctors’ safety and rights.

Awqaf to lay off 700 expat staff KUWAIT: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (MAIA) reportedly plans to dismiss 700 expatriate staff at the instructions of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). A MAIA insider revealed that the ministry will begin by reducing the numbers of staff in several of its departments, reported Annahar. The program of layoffs will begin in March, the official revealed.

MPW signs new contracts KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works has signed five new contracts and agreements, four of which are connected to the government’s recently unveiled development plan. Dr. Fadhil Safar, the Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Municipal Affairs, revealed the news about the contracts on Thursday, telling reporters that the contract to rehabilitate the Mishref sewage works, which recently experienced a massive breakdown, was among the contracts signed, adding that the cost of this project will not exceed KD 15 million. Dr. Safar also revealed that the ministry has ensured that all the manholes in the Mishref facility’s vicinity

the change in temperature is creating larger areas where mosquitoes can live.

Malaria-carrying mosquitoes are now found at higher altitudes because of the same reason.

Climate change creates changes in the range of microbes and mosquitoes that carry these microbes and viruses, he explained, adding, “I think that first and foremost we need to understand how to mitigate and adapt to climate change, because that’s short-term and something you can do something about in five, ten years time.”

In terms of overall carbon dioxide emission reduction, he said that scientists were urging for “the generation of an agreement that everyone can live with,” as well as more research on alternatives and how carbon dioxide emissions could be lowered or re-absorbed.

Dr. Zerhouni received his medical degree at the University of Algiers School of Medicine before going to America. He completed his residency at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he later served as a professor and Chairman of the Radiology Department.

He has served as a consultant to the White House and to WHO. In 2002, Dr. Zerhouni was appointed as the 15th Director of the National Institute of Health. He rejoined the faculty of Johns Hopkins University in 2008, and became a Senior Fellow in the Global Health program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

His research has focused on the development of quantitative imaging methods based on CAT and MRI scanning to diagnose and treat cancer, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. His has 212 publications and holds eight patents.

Dr. Zerhouni is a member of the Board of Trustees of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, and of Khalifa University in the UAE. — KUNA

INTERNATIONAL

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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Battling PR woes, Israel asks citizens to help JERUSALEM: Israel’s government has launched a campaign aiming to boost the country’s image abroad even as it finds itself in the middle of an international uproar over the suspected role of Israeli spies in the assassination of a Hamas operative.

Through a new Web site, TV commercials and pamphlets handed to passengers boarding planes, the campaign launched this week tries to get Israelis to promote their country when traveling.

But it offers a puzzling take on what

foreign attitudes toward the country really are, and appears to reflect a view that poor public relations, and not policies, lie at the root of Israel’s image problem.

Rather than focusing on the passions surrounding the Israeli-Arab conflict, the campaign suggests _ with a touch of humor _ that people abroad believe that camels are a leading form of transportation in Israel, or that Israelis like to barbecue outside because they have no gas or electricity at home.

But foreign attitudes toward the coun-

try would seem to have little to do with any perception that Israel is primitive _ the country’s high-tech sector and military are widely recognized as among the world’s most advanced _ and far more to do with the intractable complexities of the Mideast conflict.

Israel is still suffering the fallout from its punishing military operation in Gaza last winter, including war crimes accusations from a United Nations commission.

And the new campaign kicked off precisely as Israel’s Mossad was accused of

killing a Hamas operative in Dubai, suggesting another way Israeli citizens might be serving their government abroad.

Anat Weinstein-Berkovits, a spokesman for the newly created government ministry behind the project, said the goal is to urge Israelis to “tell about the beautiful Israel you know.” In one TV ad, a faux English-speaking reporter leads a camel through the desert, explaining that Israelis use the animals for hauling “water, merchandise and ammunition...in the desert where they live.” An announc-

er intones in Hebrew: “Sick of seeing how we’re portrayed in the world? You can change the picture.” The Web site notes that Israel has suffered through seven wars but still seeks peace. “Myth: Israelis don’t really want peace. Untrue,” it reads.

Dan Caspi, a communications professor at Ben Gurion University, said Israelis genuinely love their country and defend its actions abroad, even if they criticize those same actions bitterly at home.

But Caspi said the campaign is still unlikely to be effective.

He noted that after Israel captured territories from Egypt, Syria and Jordan in the 1967 Mideast War, Israel’s then prime minister, Levi Eshkol, is reputed to have summoned international experts and asked them how to improve Israel’s suddenly complicated image. They consulted for days and then gave Eshkol one recommendation: Get out of the territories.

Little, Caspi said, has changed since then. “The government would be better advised to first put its house in order,” he said. — AP

Israeli newspaper report baseless

Abbas considers options on peace talks restart RAMALLAH: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is considering his options on resuming indirect peace talks with Israel after meeting US and European diplomats this week, a senior aide said yesterday. “We have asked for an official meeting of Arab ministers of the follow-up committee and have told them that our consultations, co-ordinations and inquiries are still ongoing

with the Americans, Europeans, Russians and the United Nations,” chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said. Erekat dismissed an Israeli newspaper report yesterday that Abbas had told Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger at a meeting this week in Ramallah that US-mediated peace talks could resume in the coming days.

The Haaretz report said Spindelegger told Israeli officials he had heard from Abbas of his readiness to resume talks.

“The one who announces the Palestinian position is the Palestinian side, not Haaretz or the Austrian foreign minister,” Erekat said.

An Israeli diplomatic source in Jerusalem said: “There is no official word from the Americans or the Palestinians but there have been all kinds of messages from Western diplomats indicating that talks could restart.” There was no comment from Vienna.

Abbas has been seeking details from US officials on how a proposal that Washington would host “proximity talks” involving Israeli and Palestinian envoys would work.

Aides say Abbas wants guarantees that any such talks would quickly move to seeking final agreements on the core of the conflict-borders, BETHLEHEM: Palestinian protesters take cover from tear gas fired by Israeli forces during a demon- issues settlements, right of return for stration against Israel’s separation barrier, in the West Bank village of Maasarah, near Bethlehem, yes- Palestinian refugees and terday. — AFP Jerusalem-witin specific terms of reference and a set timeline.

Abbas broke off negotiations with the previous Israeli government in December 2008 in protest at its offensive in the CAIRO: Nobel Peace laureate made him an international and infuriated Washington by era,” ElBaradei has written.

Gaza Strip and has refused to Mohamed ElBaradei, who was “I think that’s a lesson I household name and led to conchallenging claims that Saddam hold talks with Prime Minister expected to fly home soon to a from him,” frontations with Washington, Hussein was hiding a secret remember Benjamin Netanyahu while ban on demonstrations by his nuclear programme. He was ElBaradei has said of his father, first over Iraq and later over Israel expands West Bank setsupporters, received Egypt’s proved right when no nuclear “that you stand up for what you Iran. tlements. highest honor four years ago When Washington claimed believe in.” weapons were found.

In November, Netanyahu but is now seen as a threat to Two years after obtaining his that Iraq was buying uranium in ElBaradei, 67, has earned a ordered a 10-month building the long rule of President Hosni reputation for speaking his law degree, ElBaradei joined Africa, ElBaradei dismissed the freeze in some settlements on Mubarak. mind, and has lambasted what the diplomatic service, and was evidence before the UN land Israel captured in 1967.

The former Egyptian diplohe calls the double standards of assigned to the Egyptian mis- Security Council as fake.

The United States and mat and Nobel laureate, who is The Washington Post countries that have nuclear sions to Geneva and New York, Western powers want Abbas returning home for his first visit weapons but prevent other where he earned a doctorate in reported that ElBaradei’s to drop his demand for a total since stepping down as head of international law and later Vienna telephone was bugged countries from obtaining them. freeze and get back to negotithe International Atomic He was born on June 17, taught. He has written that his by the US Central Intelligence ations. —Reuters Energy Agency late last year, 1942, in Cairo, where his attor- New York years were among Agency. has not ruled out contesting In 2005, ElBaradei and the ney father headed the bar asso- the most formative, helping him next year’s presidential elecIAEA were awarded the Nobel ciation, a position that some- to broaden his world view. tion.

As special assistant to the Peace Prize for their efforts “to times put him at odds with That puts him at odds with Egyptian strongman Gamal Egyptian foreign minister, prevent nuclear energy for Mubarak, who has been presiElBaradei served on the negoti- being used for military purposes Abdel Nasser. dent of the US-allied country Following in his father’s ating team at the historic Camp and to ensure that nuclear enersince 1981. Mubarak has been footsteps, ElBaradei earned his David peace talks that led to gy for peaceful purposes is used silent about his own ambitions, law degree at the University of Egypt’s peace treaty and diplo- in the safest possible way.”

VIENNA: Uranium particles but there is wide speculation he ElBaradei stepped down as matic relations with Israel.

Cairo in 1962. found at a Syrian desert complex is grooming his younger son, ElBaradei began his UN head of the IAEA late last year, “My father taught me that bombed to ruin by Israel in 2007 Gamal, to fill his shoes. you have to stand by your prin- career in 1980, and was sent to ending a 12-year term. point to possible covert nuclear ElBaradei, who left Egypt 27 He is married to Aida ciples. He was president of the Iraq in the wake of the 1991 activity at the site, the UN atomic years ago to work for the a kindergarten bar association and was preach- Gulf war to dismantle Saddam’s Elkachef, watchdog said on Thursday.

United Nations, has been teacher, and their two children, ing civil liberties and human nuclear programme.

It was the first time the guarded about whether he will In 1997, he was chosen as Laila and Mostafa, are both prorights during some of the most International Atomic Energy stand in the election. But he has repressive years of the Nasser head of the IAEA, a role that fessionals. — AFP Agency lent public support to said that if he does, he will do so Western suspicions that Israel’s only as an independent and only target was a nascent nuclear reacif the polls are transparent and tor that Washington said was democratic.

North Korean in design and That makes his candidacy geared to making weapons-grade nearly impossible, because plutonium. Previous IAEA under the election rules indereports on its two-year investigapendents requires a minimum tion into the affair, impeded by a level of support from members lack of Syrian cooperation, said of the lower and upper houses only that the uranium particles of parliament and municipal raised concern because they did councils, which are all dominatnot come from Syria’s declared ed by Mubarak’s National inventory.

Democratic Party.

“The presence of such partiNevertheless, ElBaradei, cles points to the possibility of who is untainted by the alleganuclear-related activities at the tions of corruption that sursite and adds to questions conround Mubarak’s regime, is cerning the nature of the regarded as a hero in Egypt, destroyed building,” said the conwhere a Facebook campaign is fidential report by new IAEA under way to engineer a muted Director-General Yukiya Amano, welcome that would bypass the obtained by Reuters. “Syria has ban on support rallies. yet to provide a satisfactory Security sources told AFP explanation for the origin and measures would be taken to presence of these particles,” he prevent any “illegal demonstrawrote, dismissing Damascus’s tions” by his supporters at contention that the traces came Cairo airport. with munitions used by Israel to ElBaradei, who was the pubwreck the complex. In what analic face of the UN nuclear lysts called another departure watchdog for 12 years, is widely from predecessor Mohamed admired in Egypt, where he ElBaradei, Amano prodded Syria received the country’s highest to adopt the IAEA’s Additional honour, the Nile Shas, in 2006.

Protocol, which permits unfetAhead of the US invasion of CAIRO: A supporter of Egyptian Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei tered inspections beyond Iraq in 2003, he won public wears a mask depicting him while waiting for his arrival at Cairo interna- declared nuclear site to ferret out admiration around the world any covert atomic activity. —AP tional airport yesterday. —AFP

ElBaradei veiled threat to Mubarak

BAGHDAD: Iraqi men attend Friday prayers in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad yesterday. —AP

Iraq-Turkey railway reopens after seven-year stoppage MOSUL, Iraq: A railway linking northern Iraq and Turkey has reopened after a seven-year stoppage following the US-led invasion of Iraq, officials said.

Baghdad wants to boost economic and political relations with neighboring countries and increase investment to develop its dilapidated infrastructure and revamp the economy battered by years of war, underinvestment and sanctions.

Built in the early 20th century when Iraq was a British colony, the railway stopped after US troops toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, plunging the country into violence.

“This will strengthen Iraqi-Turkish political and economic ties,” Ender Saritekin, Turkey’s deputy consul in Iraq’s northern city of Mosul, said on Wednesday.

After strained ties under Saddam, relations between Ankara and Baghdad have warmed. Last year, the countries signed deals from energy

cooperation to water sharing.

The train, with 13 passengers on board, set off on Tuesday for an 18-hour journey from Mosul, 390km north of Baghdad, to the southern Turkish city of Gaziantep, Akram Ahmed, head of railways in Iraq’s northern region said.

The train service, which covers a distance of about 600 km and will also carry freight, will operate twice a week.

As part of a plan to revamp Iraq’s train network, the Baghdad mayor’s office said last year that it had shortlisted eight foreign firms to build its first metro and expected the project to cost $3$4 billion.

Iraq sends around a quarter of its oil exports, or around 500,000 barrels per day, from its north to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. Baghdad is trying to vault itself to one of the top three global oil producers after a series of crude deals. — Reuters

IAEA suspects Syrian nuclear activity

ARBIL: A Kurdish bride and groom sit in a tent with guests and relatives during their traditional wedding ceremony in the Kurdish city of Arbil, northern Iraq, yesterday. —AFP

Curfew on election campaign in northern Iraqi province SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq: A curfew on campaigning was imposed yesterday in a province of northern Iraq that has become a fierce battleground for Kurdish votes in the run-up to the country’s March 7 general election.

Campaigning in Sulaimaniyah will be banned from 9:OO pm until 6:00 am, election organizers said, a decision that came in the wake of several violent incidents including a shooting that saw three political activists wounded.

A statement said the curfew would apply throughout the province and would last until the end of campaigning on March 5 and the restrictions had been recommended by a local government security committee.

It will “protect the process of campaigning for the political entities and candidates, prevent any traffic accidents, and protect citizens in the province,” the statement from election organisers said.

“Anyone who infringes the curfew will be punished,” it added, without giving further details.

Sulaimaniyah, 270 kilometres (170 miles) north of Baghdad, is the focus of considerable tension between rival Kurdish parties, vying for maximum leverage in the event of Kurds being possible kingmakers in Iraq’s next government.

Security forces loyal to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) were accused Thursday of having shot and wounded three people from the rival Goran (change in Kurdish) bloc in a clash at a political

meeting in Sulaimaniyah, a stronghold of Talabani supporters.

The incident occurred late Tuesday as activists from the Goran party, which emerged in regional elections last year as a rival to the two main Kurdish parties, the PUK and the KDP (Kurdistan Democratic Party), of regional president Massud Barzani, gathered.

Goran, which is seen as a significant threat to the PUK and KDP in the upcoming national ballot, blamed forces connected to Talabani for the incident.

In response, a spokesman for Sulaimaniyah’s security committee, Zana Hama Saleh, said PUK forces had arrested 11 people at the meeting, some of whom had shot their weapons in the air, and that three people were wounded.

Iraq’s Kurdish politicians, who are locked in a dispute with the central government in Baghdad over territory and oil rights, will lack unity for the first time in an Iraqi general election due to the rise of the Goran opposition.

The split last year fractured an alliance that Kurdish parties had presented in all polls since the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Goran came to prominence when it won a surprising 23.57 percent of the vote in northern Iraq’s regional election in July, after a campaign focused on the alleged corruption and hegemony of the KDP and PUK. —AFP

Saturday, February 20, 2010

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INTERNATIONAL

Seven survivors plucked from Pakistan avalanche DASU, Pakistan: Villagers digging with sticks and spades rescued seven survivors from an avalanche that slammed into a remote village in northern Pakistan killing up to 30 people, officials said yesterday.

The disaster struck in Kohistan district, which borders Pakistan’s mountainous Northern Areas and where heavy snow and treacherous winter weather prevented rescuers from reaching the stricken area quickly.

A massive wall of snow ploughed into the small village of Bagroodara wedged into a mountain in the

Kundian valley, where poor communication links meant it had taken up to 12 hours for appeals for help to filter through.

Local residents reached the scene first, but police arrived more than 24 hours after the avalanche hit the poorly developed region, senior police officer Mohammad Ilyas told AFP in Dasu, the main town in Kohistan.

“They were ill-equipped but using local tools like spades and sticks residents joined police and recovered seven people alive,” said Ilyas.

The village is in Kohistan district, about 220 kilo-

metres (140 miles) north of the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

“We have serious communication problems.

Sometimes it takes 12 hours for people to convey information. They travel by foot, there is no other way. Today we have sent helicopters to assist with the rescue,” Ilyas said.

He said 30 people were killed, but that only 17 bodies had so far been removed from under the snow and ice. District administration chief Amin ul-Haq also had the same casualty figure.

Kohistan health department official Gul Berg said

the chances of survival for 13 people still trapped under the snow were “almost nil”.

“They have been buried under a huge mass of ice for the past three days and no hope is left now,” Berg said.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has expressed “grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives and destruction of property”.

Seven people were also killed in a separate avalanche Monday in the northern district of Chitral, with the remote location also hindering a rapid response.

Avalanches and landslides frequently block roads and leave communities isolated in the mountains of Pakistan, neighbouring Afghanistan and in Kashmir, the Himalayan territory divided between rivals India and Pakistan.

Last week in Afghanistan, 170 people were killed when massive avalanches of snow crashed onto a crowded road on a treacherous mountain pass in the Hindu Kush, in one of the war-torn country’s worst such natural disasters.

This month, avalanches killed 21 Indian soldiers in Kashmir. — AFP

Interference in domestic affairs

China protests at Obama meeting with Dalai Lama BEIJ ING: China protested President Barack Obama’s meeting w ith the Dalai Lama in strong terms yesterday, saying it “seriously harms” bilateral relations and demanding the US take steps to improve ties. Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai summoned US Ambassador J on Huntsman to lodge a “solemn representation” over Thursday’s meeting at the White House,

WASHINGTON: Tibetans pray and chant after the Dalai Lama greeted them outside his hotel in Washington on Thursday. — AP

Brother of warlord killed in US attack: Pakistani officials MIRANSHAH, Pakistan: A brother of Al-Qaedalinked warlord Sirajuddin Haqqani, whose network is fighting in Afghanistan, has been killed in a US missile attack in Pakistan, officials said yesterday.

The death of Mohammed Haqqani, who was involved in the Afghan network, in an attack thought to have been targeting his brother will be a symbolic blow to the Haqqani leadership and a further boost for the controversial US drone war.

He died when a US plane fired two missiles into a compound and vehicle on Thursday in the Dandey Darpa Khel area of North Waziristan, a Haqqani bastion in the lawless tribal belt on the Afghan border, a Pakistani official said.

His brother Sirajuddin now commands the Haqqani network, which is affiliated to the Afghan Taliban and Al-Qaeda, taking over from his elderly father, the well-known Soviet resistance commander Jalaluddin Haqqani.

“Mohammed Haqqani, son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, was killed in yesterday’s attack along with two foreign operatives and a local tribesman,” the senior Pakistani security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“Mohammed was not actively involved in the movement but his place was used as a hideout for Arab foreign militants,” the official added.

A source affiliated to the Haqqani network said only that: “yesterday the attack targeted the family of Jalaluddin Haqqani”.

Haqqani was killed one day after Pakistan confirmed the arrest of Afghan Taliban second-incommand Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, which analysts said could signal a new phase in Islamabad’s often-prickly relationship with the US. The third son of Jalaluddin, Mohammad was a bearded young man in his late 20s, said an AFP reporter who met him earlier.

Another Pakistani intelligence official confirmed he was fatally wounded in Thursday’s drone strike.

Two other Afghans attached to the Haqqani network were also killed in the same attack, a local intelligence official said.

“It is a big loss for the family and for the Taliban. We will take revenge for his death on US and NATO forces in Afghanistan,” said a Taliban activist who gave his name as Nek Daraz in Miranshah, the capital of North Waziristan.

Officials in Washington have hailed the drone campaign for eliminating a number of high-value targets in terrain classified as an intelligence black hole and which Al-Qaeda has turned into its global headquarters.

The covert US drone war against Al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders has focused increasingly on North Waziristan, a bastion of multiple militant groups, since a December 30 suicide attack killed seven CIA employees in Afghanistan.

North Waziristan borders Khost province, where a Jordanian doctor turned Al-Qaeda double agent blew himself up in the deadliest attack on the US spy agency in 26 years.

The Haqqanis are known for staging attacks on US and NATO troops in Afghanistan and Washington has been pressing Islamabad to get tough on such groups that use Pakistani soil to launch strikes over the border.

Last year a drone strike on a Haqqani house killed about a dozen people, including the wife of one brother and some children.

Residents said the Haqqanis have not disclosed the time and place of Mohammed’s burial, because drone aircraft are still flying overhead and there is a fear that US missiles may hit the mourners. US officials increasingly believe that Hakimullah Mehsud, leader of the Pakistani Taliban, perished in a US attack last month.

However, there has been no official confirmation from the Pakistani government and the Pakistani Taliban insist he is alive.

His predecessor Baitullah Mehsud was killed in a similar attack in August. — AFP

The meeting was seen as another test of rocky ties between Beijing and Washington, strained in recent weeks by issues ranging from Taiwan arms sales to cyber-spying allegations. But the Foreign Ministry protest echoed Beijing’s response to previous US presidential meetings with the exiled Tibetan Buddhist leader and does not necessarily reflect a serious breach in ties.

The White House gave the Dalai Lama relatively low-profile treatment, staging the meeting in the Map Room, a less prominent venue than the Oval Office. And despite recent diplomatic spats with Washington, Beijing also wants to maintain healthy relations. Ma’s statement said China demands “the US side seriously consider China’s stance, immediately adopt measures to wipe out the baneful impact and stop conniving and supporting anti-China separatist forces that seek Tibet independence.” China accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to remove Tibet from Chinese rule and objects strongly to all contact between him and overseas leaders.

The White House said Obama told the Dalai Lama that he backs the preservation of Tibet’s culture and supports human rights for its people. He also gave encouragement to the Dalai Lama’s request for talks with the Chinese government.

While the meeting was long expected, the administration had taken considerable measures to limit its impact on China-US relations. Obama had declined to see the Dalai Lama during his Washington stay in October because it would have come before the president’s November China visit. There was no welcome fanfare on Thursday and Obama made no public com-

w hich Beijing called an interference in Chinese domestic affairs. “The behavior of the US side seriously interferes in China’s internal politics, seriously hurts the national feelings of the Chinese people and seriously harms US-China relations,” a Foreign Ministry statement said, quoting spokesman Ma Zhaoxu.

WASHINGTON: The Dalai Lama gestures while speaking to reporters outside his hotel in Washington, on Thursday. — AP ments, issuing only a brief statement through his spokesman.

The White House banned reporters and TV cameras, distributing a single photo of the two leaders. Meetings between the Dalai Lama and US presidents became standard fare under former President George H.W. Bush nearly 20 years ago. But the choreography is always delicate and closely watched because of China’s sensitivities.

The meeting came at a time when US-Chinese relations are particularly raw, with China suspending military-to-military exchanges and warning of further retaliation over the Obama administration’s approval of a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan, the self-governing demo-

cratic island that Beijing claims as its own. Disputes over trade, exchange rates, and human rights have also ratcheted up tensions, although Beijing has recently signaled it wants to avoid a major crisis. In one of the clearest such indications, Beijing allowed five American warships to dock for a port call in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong on Wednesday.

China has in past canceled such visits to indicate its displeasure with US actions.

Further limiting its impact, the visit came during China’s national Lunar New Year holiday, when government offices are closed and media coverage reduced. Neither the White House or the Dalai Lama, who is giving a series of lectures in the

Kutupalong, southeastern Bangladesh, for trauma wounds as a result of beatings by police.

Some had been forced into a river and told to swim back to Myanmar.

“They claimed they’ve been living in Bangladesh for a number of years and their neighbors have turned on them,” said the head of MSF’s mission in Bangladesh, Paul Critchley.

Every year, thousands of minority Muslim Rohingyas flee Myanmar in wooden boats, embarking on a hazardous journey to Thailand or Malaysia in search of a better life.

Some find work as illegal laborers, others are arrested, detained and

“repatriated” to a military-ruled country that washed its hands of them decades ago.

Rohingyas say they are deprived of free movement, education and employment in their homeland. They are not recognized as an ethnic minority by Myanmar and say they suffer human rights abuses at the hands of government officials.

Many have sought refuge in neighboring Bangladesh, living in mud huts covered in plastic sheets and tree branches, which provide poor shelter during monsoon rains that cause mudslides and expose them to waterborne diseases.

Philippine militant caught after nine years in hiding Colombo pressure on monks COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s top Buddhist monks called off a special gathering this week because of government pressure, a spokesman said yesterday, while the opposition said bomb threats had been involved.

The Buddhist leaders had planned to meet on Thursday to discuss a strategy for pressing the government to release defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka, who was arrested just weeks after contesting last month’s elections.

But the gathering at the Temple of the Tooth in the central city of Kandy was called off a day

before, with the monks citing concerns for their safety in the “current political climate”.

Elaborating yesterday, one of their spokesmen, Athangane Ratanapala, said the paramount Buddhist cleric, Thibbotuwawe Sumangala, had been subjected to “severe stress” ahead of the scheduled gathering.

“Many individuals representing the government as well as some members of the clergy who are working for the government used tremendous pressure on us to stop our meeting,” Ratanapala said.— AFP

declared government-in-exiled in India.

China claims Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries and sent communist forces to occupy the Himalayan region in 1950. Many Tibetans say they were functionally independent for most of their history and accuse China of undermining Tibet’s unique Buddhist culture and flooding the region with Chinese migrants.

Sporadic contacts between the Dalai Lama’s envoys and Chinese officials were renewed last month after a break of more than a year. No breakthroughs were announced and China has made no firm indications of offering concessions to the Tibetan side.— AP

Rohingya refugees beaten, evicted in Bangladesh BANGKOK: Stateless Rohingya refugees who fled oppression in their native Myanmar are being beaten and driven from their makeshift homes in neighboring Bangladesh, rights and humanitarian groups said yesterday.

Thousands of Rohingyas, who are not recognised in their homeland, are packed into camps run by the United Nations in Bangladesh. Another 300,000 live illegally in the country and face attacks by the authorities and destruction of their homes, according to medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

The group says it has been treating the Rohingyas at makeshift camps in

MULTAN: Pakistan army soldiers take part in an exercise to enhance their skills in Muzaffargarh near Multan, Pakistan yesterday. — AP

US, said whether the meeting’s timing was deliberate.

After the White House meeting, the Dalai Lama chided Beijing for taking a “childish” and “limited” approach to Tibet’s quest for greater autonomy and said Obama had been “very much supportive” of his views on human rights and the concerns of the Tibetan people. His envoy, Lodi Gyari, said Tibetans feeling marginalized by China would get encouragement from the session.

The 75-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner denies China’s accusations of separatism, saying he wants only for Tibetans to have a greater say over their affairs while remaining under Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 and has since led a self-

MANILA: A Filipino member of an Al Qaedalinked group wanted for the kidnapping and murder of American tourists has been arrested in the Philippine capital after nine years on the run, authorities said yesterday.

Jumadail Arad was arrested Thursday while trying to enter a crowded Manila seaport where he planned to board a ferry bound for the troubled south of the country where his Abu Sayyaf militant organisation is based, the navy said.

“These bandits may run for a while, but they can not elude arrest forever,” navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo told reporters, adding Arad was believed to have travelled to Manila on previous occasions since 2001.

Arevalo said Arad was the driver of a speedboat used by the Abu Sayyaf in a 2001 raid on a Philippine island resort in which Christian missionary couple Gracia and Martin Burnham and fellow American Guillermo Sobero were kidnapped. Sobero was beheaded as a warning to pur-

suing troops. Several Filipinos were also kidnapped, most either escaped or were released after alleged ransom payments.

Gracia Burnham was freed during a military rescue after more than a year in captivity in southern Philippine jungles. Her husband, and a Filipina nurse kept behind to take care of the couple, were killed during the clash. Naval intelligence operatives had been monitoring Arad closely for two months before moving against him, Arevalo said.

Military intelligence officials told reporters Arad was on a mission to buy ammunition for the Abu Sayyaf. However it was not clear whether any weapons or ammunition were seized from him at the time of the arrest, and authorities declined to give further details.

Apart from kidnappings for ransom, the Abu Sayyaf is blamed for the country’s worst terrorist attacks, including the bombing of a ferry in February 2004 that killed more than 100 people on Manila Bay. — AFP

Bangladesh says there are about 28,000 registered Rohingya refugees in two UN camps near the southeastern resort of Cox’s Bazaar.

Since October last year, a makeshift camp in Kutupalong has grown by more than a quarter, or 6,000 people, with 2,000 of these arriving in January alone.

As the numbers swell, the cramped and unsanitary living conditions pose significant health risks, MSF said.

Three months earlier, Bangladeshi authorities demolished shelters and forcibly removed their inhabitants in an attempt to clear a space around the Kutupalong camp, MSF said. — Reuters

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Saturday, February 20, 2010

US Army plans to blow up its chemical stockpiles RICHMOND, Kentucky: US Army officials tasked with destroying the country’s chemical weapons stockpile are likely to miss their deadline, but say they are hastening the process by blowing some of them up. The Army would use explosives to destroy some of the Cold War-era weapons, which contain some of the nastiest compounds ever made, in two communities that derailed another combustion-based plan years ago. Some who live near the two installations in Kentucky and Colorado worry it’s a face-saving measure, driven by pressure from US adversaries, that puts the safety of citizens below the politics of diplomacy and won’t help the US meet an alreadyblown deadline. The residents’ sensitivity is understandable. A concrete guard tower with dark windows looms over a double row of fences deep inside the Army’s Pueblo Chemical Depot some 193 km south of Denver, and a sign in red letters warns, “Use of deadly force authorized.” Inside bunkers, locked behind the fences, the slender gray shells are stacked on pallets or stored in boxes. Though many of the shells are more than 50 years old, they look new. The bunkers, called igloos, are made of 12- to 18-inch (46 cm)-thick reinforced concrete covered with a deep mound of

earth.

Only 500 to 1,000 of the weapons are believed to be leaking or in need of immediate attention. Still, the Army wants to use explosives to destroy all 125,000 of them. “I’m not in favor of that,” said Marcello Soto, a retired depot worker who lives in Avondale, Colorado, just south of the Pueblo depot. He worries the chemicals “would get up in the atmosphere or the air, and do some damage.” Environmentalists who years ago successfully blocked a plan to burn weapons containing mustard agent at the Pueblo depot and another in Richmond, Kentucky, say blowing up some of the weapons in a detonation chamber would be worse than burning them.

They argue the plan violates the Army’s promise to dispose of the mustard agent at the two sites by neutralizing it _ a process that involves mixing it with water and either bacteria or a combination of fuel and superheated air _ and taking it to a hazardous waste dump. That takes longer than simply destroying the weapons by explosion. “It’s taking a bad technology we fought for a decade and a half to get them to abandon here and telling us now they want to put in something worse,” said Ross Vincent of the Sierra Club in

Colorado.

In Richmond, word about the plan to use explosives hasn’t generated nearly the reaction as when the Army pushed for incineration some 25 years ago.

Even some residents who were active then hadn’t heard of the Army’s latest proposal.

“It’s so scary _ just the unknown,” said Elise Melrood, an art teacher who lives about four miles from Blue Grass Army Depot. “I’m not sure I’d trust what is going to happen when they do this.”

Richmond has far fewer chemical weapons than Pueblo but a wider variety, including the deadly nerve gases sarin and VX. Of the 15,500 mustard rounds housed at the Kentucky depot, as many as 9,300 could be corroded and therefore considered a risk to workers if they leaked and required emergency repairs.

Chemical weapons have horrified the world since they blinded and crippled thousands of soldiers in World War I. Mustard gas can disable an opposing army by causing severe, painful but nonfatal blistering. It can also cause cancer, and even low levels of exposure may threaten workers and the public.

Scientists developed even deadlier chemical bombs during and after World War II. All of them were

supposed to have been destroyed in the US by 1994 under a directive from Congress. In 1997, the Chemical Weapons Convention enacted an international deadline of 2012. The US now acknowledges it will certainly miss that too. There were once nine US chemical stockpiles. Three have been eliminated through incineration or neutralization. Four incinerators remain active, which means 90 percent of the American arsenal is either gone or being destroyed.

The storage sites in Richmond and Pueblo are the only two yet to begin eliminating their chemical weapons and won’t even start until the treaty’s 2012 deadline passes. Blue Grass is now scheduled to be the nation’s last chemical weapons stockpile to be destroyed, beginning in 2018 and finishing in 2021.

Those two communities had feverishly lobbied the US government to deal with their stockpiles using neutralization treatment facilities believed capable of doing the job while causing less air and water pollution. Neutralization will be used for most of the weapons. But the Army surprised citizen groups late last year with a plan to supplement those efforts by exploding some mustard weapons both places, and possibly even some nerve agent in Kentucky.

While Vincent and others worry about the environmental impact of exploding the weapons, they also question the government’s justification and timing for the change of plans. The State Department acknowledges foreign pressure to show progress played a role. By using explosives, officials say, the nation can continue destroying weapons during some periods when all the US sites otherwise would have been idle.

The department denies, however, that criticism from Iran, Cuba and other US adversaries at a December conference directly prompted the policy shift announced a few weeks later. It’s a matter of showing the world the US takes its treaty obligations seriously, said Robert Mikulak, the US representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

“We report every quarter on what we have destroyed, and it is very difficult to explain to others that we are working as hard as possible if that column shows zero for several years at a time,” he said.

The Army acknowledges that exploding chemical weapons in Pueblo and Richmond will at best shave a few months off the completion date and still come nowhere close to complying with the treaty. — AP

UN calls for $1.44 billion in aid

Heavy rain worsens conditions in Haiti PORT-AU-PRINCE: Heavy rain Thursday in Haiti’s capital worsened squalid camps and highlighted the urgent need for shelter after last month’s quake, as the UN called for a record 1.44 billion dollars in aid. More than a month after what some experts say could be the worst natural disaster in modern history, aid workers are racing against time to try to distribute

enough tarpaulins to the more than one million left homeless.

Even those will provide only basic protection when the rainy season begins around May, aid officials say. “Everything was wet,” said Joseph Jean-Luc, 30, as he helped a friend build a shelter by nailing together branches at a massive tent city that used to be a country club golf course overlooking Port-au-Prince.

PORT-AU-PRINCE: People walk in flooded streets in the Cite Soleil neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, on Thursday. Heavy rains overnight flooded parts of the capital city as it recovers from the damage caused by the Jan 12 earthquake. — AP

United Airlines flight diverted after threatening note SALT LAKE CITY: A United Airlines jetliner that made an emergency landing Thursday after a threatening note was found in the galley resumed its flight after seven hours on the ground.

Flight 741, carrying 168 passengers and six crew, was en route from Denver to San Francisco when a flight attendant found the note and the pilot decided to divert to Salt Lake City.

Police searched the 757 for explosives, although airline spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said early reports that the threat contained a reference to a bomb were incorrect. “I can’t tell you what was in it, but I can tell you what wasn’t,” Urbanksi said.

Urbanski said she could not disclose the contents of the note, but said the threat was considered credible by the pilot and crew.

Salt Lake City International Airport officials and the local FBI office initially cited reports of a bomb threat. FBI spokeswoman Debbie Dujanovic Bertram said she could neither confirm nor deny United’s claims Thursday evening. In a written statement, Bertram said law enforcement searched the plane for explosives and “cleared it.” The plane

left Denver and landed at Salt Lake City International Airport about an hour and 20 minutes later. The pilot announced the discovery of the “credible threat” to passengers over the intercom and said the plane would land in Salt Lake City.

“I was anxious, I’ll tell you that,” said Todd Rodvold, 44, who was headed to California on business and called the experience a “movie-type deal.”

“I just wanted to get on the ground,” he said. Mary Beth Winski, 65, of Durango, called the pilot’s announcement “surreal.” “You say a prayer right away,” Winski’s husband, Bob Winski said. “Then you start thinking, what are my options here? What are the options for the crew?” Bob Winski, 66, a pilot who flies search-and-rescue missions for the Civil Air Patrol, said the rapid landing indicated the pilot believed the threat was credible. “But nobody panicked,” Mary Beth Winski said. Once on the ground, passengers sat on the plane for nearly an hour before handing over their IDs to FBI agents and being bused to the international terminal. Each passenger was interviewed by the FBI before being released. — AP

Kenya must pay for land taken for game reserve NAIROBI: Tourists near the flamingo-filled Lake Bogoria can visit a reconstruction of a typical Endorois village and even watch locals perform traditional dances. Those dancers, though, are prohibited from living there. Nearly four decades ago, the Kenyan government confiscated their ancestral lands to build a national game reserve, and some 60,000 people were forced to leave. Now a human rights body has ruled they should be returned to their ancestral lands and paid compensation — a judgment the Kenyan government has rejected.

“They came at around 11 in the morning armed with guns and tear gas canisters. It was like they had come for war. Within a day and without notice, we were all chased away,” Job Kiprotich said of the 1973 evictions. “We lost relatives, grazing land, our livestock, our heritage and most importantly, we lost our home,” Kiprotich said, his eyes filling with tears. Land rights are an especially politically charged issue in Kenya, where white settlers stole land from indigenous communities under British colonial rule. Many of those farms were taken over by politicians after independence without compensation

being paid to the original inhabitants.

It’s a scenario mirrored in other African countries: An estimated 500,000 people across the continent have been pushed off ancestral lands by governments eager for tourist dollars, said Yobo Rutin, executive director of Kenya-based Center for Minority Rights Development.

The eviction of the pastoralist Endorois community in 1973 echoes the experiences of the Khoisan of Botswana, who were expelled to create the Central Kalahari game reserve and Uganda’s Batwa, who were evicted from land that became the Bwindi Forest National Park. Governments also have confiscated communal lands in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, Rutin said.

African governments have used the lands for game reserves to draw in tourists, most of whom are oblivious that the pristine grounds where they watch Africa’s animals roam were once home to thriving human communities. Lake Bogoria, 260 km northwest of the Kenyan capital, has the largest number of geysers in Africa and is famous for its hot springs and abundant wildlife, including flocks of pink flamingos. — AFP

Many spent Thursday washing mud-caked clothes, drying out mattresses and waiting in line for vaccinations. Others dug small trenches around makeshift tents in a bid to keep them from flooding again.

Reflecting the massive needs in what was already the poorest country in the Americas before the quake, UN chief Ban Ki-moon launched the world body’s largest ever appeal for humanitarian aid.

The request for 1.44 billion dollars to assist earthquake victims, a year-long appeal, includes a 577million-dollar request made in the aftermath of the devastating quake.

“As the rainy season is coming to Haiti, it will be extremely important to provide on a priority basis shelters, sanitation and other necessary humanitarian assistance,” Ban said in New York.

He spoke at a ceremony attended by his special envoy for Haiti, former US president Bill Clinton, and UN humanitarian chief John Holmes. “We are with you,” Ban said to the people of Haiti. “We will help you to recover and rebuild.”

Clinton stressed the need for donors to follow through with their commitments. “Pledge less and give it. And do it sooner than later,” he said. The former US leader also vowed transparency in the use of donated funds by posting how the money is spent at the HaitiSpecialEnvoy.org website.

Previously, the largest natural disaster appeal — 1.41 billion dollars — was issued in 2005 in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami.

Distribution of shelter material got off to a slow start following the massive earthquake, in part due to debate over the best strategy, and aid workers are now rushing to hand out tarpaulins ahead of the heavy rains.

UN officials say only about 272,000 people have been reached with shelter materials so far following the disaster that killed more than 217,000 people.

Canadian Deputy Commanding General Nicolas Matern of the Haiti Joint Task Force said tarpaulin deliveries were being ramped up to try to reach all of the homeless with some form of shelter before the rainy season. Officials are hoping to carry out a similar effort being done with food distribution, though the problem is vastly more complicated because of camp conditions, among other issues.

After a stumbling start, aid workers launched a major food distribution push at the end of January, and a total of more than two million people have now been reached with some kind of food, UN officials say.

Many Haitians, however, still say they have received nothing, while some of those that have benefited from distributions say they have only been given a limited supply of rice. Matern acknowledged tarpaulins were only basic protection in the rainy season, but said it was the best strategy to try to reach everyone since the needs were so daunting.

“There is an impression out there that we will be able to turn around and build transitional shelter with framing and all that by the rainy season. Forget it,” he said. “It ain’t going to happen. We don’t have the resources nor the time to do it.”

In the case of 10 Americans charged with kidnapping in Haiti, the two still being held here were sent back to jail Thursday after the judge said he would visit the orphanage where they claimed they planned to take the kids. —AFP

HARARE: Thousands of Zimbabwean Civil Servants march through the streets of Harare yesterday during a demonstration in support of a wage increase following a government refusal to heed to their demands. The civil servants downed their tools on Feb 5, bringing to halt all the country’s public service sectors, with only a few offices being manned by senior staff. — AP

Zimbabweans march against low pay HARARE: Zimbabwe government workers marched through the capital yesterday, saying they were scaling up a job boycott against low wages, in a sign of growing impatience with the country’s year-old unity government.

The workers, who earn between $122 and $206 a month and want the government to raise wages to $600, downed tools on Feb. 19, but the job action has been patchy with most workers turning up for work.

Unlike in the past where the police have violently broken up peaceful marches, leaders from the state workers’ union led more than 1,000 members through the streets of central Harare and presented petitions at parliament building and the offices of the

minister of finance.

“We are trying to compel the government to listen to our demands. We are also scaling up our struggle in view of the threats from the employer that the strike is illegal,” said Oswald Madziwa, programmes officer at Progressive Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe.

Major unions representing teachers, health workers, state college and university lecturers as well as office workers, earlier held a rally where they denounced the government and vowed to continue with the strike.

The unity government formed a year ago to end a protracted political crisis says it needs at least $10 billion to reverse a decade of economic decline, but is strug-

gling to get foreign aid.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said civil service pay takes up at least 60 percent of revenues, and limited resources make it difficult for the state to increase wages significantly.

If the strike continues and draws in more teachers and health professionalswho make up the bulk of the civil serviceit would hurt efforts to revive key sectors that collapsed at the height of Zimbabwe’s crisis in 2008 when public schools and hospitals ground to a halt.

The unity government has managed to stabilize the economy, mainly by dumping a local currency rendered worthless by hyperinflation and allowing the use of foreign currencies. — Reuters

Obama goes West to help boost candidates LAS VEGAS, Nevada: In office less than 13 months, President Barack Obama has already returned to the campaign trail, flying west to stump for embattled Democrats ahead of November midterm elections.

After meeting with the Dalai Lama Thursday, Obama flew to Denver, Colorado to address some 2,000 Democratic activists gathered in a concert hall who greeted him with cheers of “Yes We Can!”the slogan he made famous in his 2008 campaign.

But the rapturous reception obscured the stark reality that Democrats face anything but a love-fest in November’s midterms. That has left Obama to try and use his popularity to boost the chances of his fellow Democrats, including Colorado Senator Michael Bennett, whom he forcefully defended at the rally.

The president drew a parallel between himself and Bennett, who he said had “been an agent of change in these parts for a very long time.” He called for Democrats to return the new lawmaker to the Senate, where he was first sent in 2009, after being designated the successor to Ken Salazar, who was named Obama’s interior secretary.

But Bennet faces an uphill struggle, currently polling just 37 percent compared to 52 percent for his Republican opponent, according to a Rasmussen poll published February 5.

Obama acknowledged the “tough political climate” and jabbed at Republicans who he said

DENVER: President Barack Obama jokes with supporters after speaking at a fundraising event for Sen Michael Bennet in Denver on Thursday. — AP know it is “a whole lot easier to say no to everything.”

“Michael is running in a very tough political environment, but he’s got one very powerful advantage: he’s got you,” Obama said.

“He needs you to fight for him now.” The president continued to battle for Bennett at a second, smaller event held at a hotel in the city, which hosted the Democratic National Convention where Obama was officially declared the party’s 2008 candidate for president. After a little less than four hours in Colorado, Obama moved on to Las Vegas, Nevada, to attend a fundraiser for Democratic candidates held at the home of tycoon George Maloof, a magnate who owns sports clubs and a casino.

On Friday, Obama will campaign there for Senator Harry

Reid, the Democratic majority leader, and hold a town-hall meeting to take questions from Americans-something he has done regularly since the beginning of the year. He is also scheduled to meet with members of the city’s chamber of commerce, possibly to make amends for comments that the city’s mayor, Oscar Goodman, said were encouraging people to stay away from Vegas.

Obama has since apologized for advising people not to gamble away their savings in Sin City, which has been hard-hit by the recession and falling tourism numbers. Local television station KTNV reported that Goodman declined to meet with Obama during his visit, claiming he had others things to do.

Like his fellow Democrat in

Colorado, Reid’s reelection in the November vote is anything but assured. Reid, 70, has spent 23 years in the Senate, but his popularity took a hit as he presided over contentious health care reform negotiations. He has lost an average of nine points against any potential Republican candidate, according to poll aggregator RealClearPolitics.

All members of the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate are up for reelection during the mid-term vote in November.This session of Congress has already seen the Democrats lose their so-called supermajority of 60 votes out of the 100 seats in the Senate after a shock Republican win in Massachusetts on January 19. —AFP

Carrefour mulls 2010 entry into India NEW DELHI: France’s Carrefour, the world’s second largest retailer, said yesterday it plans to enter India’s vast retail market in 2010 following years of delays. “Carrefour will develop its activities in India with the start of cash-and-carry activities in 2010,” the company said in a statement emailed to AFP. Cash-and-carry is the term used for wholesale outlets. Carrefour, number two behind US retail giant Wal-Mart, added in the statement it had been “discussing partnerships” with some Indian companies but that it did not wish to divulge names. The company has been scouting for years for Indian partners. Retail tycoon Kishore Biyani has often been mentioned and Carrefour and his Future Group were linked most recently in an Indian media report in January.

India’s estimated 500-billion-dollar retail sector is seen as having high growth potential but it remains tightly regulated with large retailers accounting for around six percent of industry sales. Carrefour had previously said it planned to have an Indian franchisee which would open branded hypermarkets in the country. It had said Carrefour’s 100-percent-owned cash-and-carry business would supply these stores. Under India’s tight foreign investment rules, no foreign chains are permitted in the retail sector-except for single-brand outlets such as Nokia or Reebokto protect local retail players.

Foreign groups can only be wholesalers and must partner with domestic companies to enter the retail market. Last year, Wal-Mart opened its first sales venture in India, teaming up with Bharti Enterprises, parent of India’s biggest mobile firm Bharti Airtel, in a wholesale joint venture called Best Price Modern Wholesale.

Carrefour’s announcement came as the retailer reported separately that net profit tumbled in 2009 by 74.2 percent to 327 million euros ($505 million), hit by huge restructuring charges. — AFP

7

BUSINESS

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Growth in manufacturing remains only solace

Worrying slowdown in EU service sector, says survey BRUSSELS: Private sector business activity across the euro-zone in February showed a “worrying slowdown” in the all-important services sector, despite manufacturing gains, a closely-watched survey said yesterday. The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for the 16 countries that share the single currency, com-

TAJANI, Italy: European Union Commissioner for Industry and Entrepreneurship Antonio Tajani, from Italy, gestures while talking to the media during a joint press conference with Spain’s Minister for Trade, Industry and Tourism Miguel Sebastian Gascon, unseen, following a meeting about the car industry at the EU Commission headquarter in Brussels yesterday. — AP

“A surge in growth of manufacturing, driven by rising exports and inventory rebuilding, offset a worrying slowdown in the already meagre rate of expansion seen in the service sector,” said Markit chief economist Chris Williamson.

The researchers reported a seventh consecutive monthly rise in manufacturing output, at the fastest rate since April 2007.

Firms reported “improved demand arising from the weak euro,” which has fallen to nine-month lows against the dollar under pressure from the Greek debt crisis.

The euro-zone manufacturing PMI alone hit 54.1 points, up sharply from 52.4 points in January. The report cited only a “modest” expansion for the services sector, which benefits less from rising international trade, although expectations for the year ahead were still termed “buoyant” by firms, albeit down slightly from January.

The services business activity index

slipped to 52.0 from 52.5 in January. “In our view, the manufacturing-services disconnection reflects mostly the export-led nature of the euro-zone recovery, and possibly still some weather-related effects on services activity,” said UniCredit economist Marco Valli.

“However, the fact that manufacturing activity doesn’t show signs of peaking yet is fairly reassuring that (moderate) GDP momentum is still on track,” he added, tipping 0.9 percent growth in 2010 with interest rates kept low until early 2011.

“While the recovery continued, consistent with Gross Domestic Product rising by approximately 0.4 percent in the first quarter so far, it was unbalanced and concerns persist about its sustainability,” Williamson said. He also warned that inflationary pressures were gathering in manufacturing supply chains, with shortages allowing suppliers to hike prices. — AFP

piled by data and research group Markit, remained unchanged on 53.7 points, Markit said. February, however, marked the seventh month the reading was above the boom-and-bust 50-point line indicating growth and job losses across both sectors was also at its slowest rate since late-2008, it added.

Kuwait offers first March cargo SINGAPORE: Kuwait Petroleum Corp (KPC) has offered 80,000 tons of the cracked 380-centistoke (cst) fuel oil for March loading, its first parcel for the month, after selling three lots, totaling 240,000 tons for February loading, traders said yesterday.

Offers for the cargo, for Mar. 12-13 lifting from Shuaiba, are expected by Feb. 22, with validity through the same day. KPC last sold two 80,000-tonne parcels of the same fuel oil grade for February loading.

The first lot for lifting on Feb. 11-15 was awarded to Middle East trader Bakri at a premium of around $12.00$13.00 a ton to Middle East spot quotes, on a free-on-board (FOB) basis.

The second parcel for Feb. 16-20 loading was sold to Glencore at an undisclosed premium.

Asian fuel oil fundamentals have weakened since the beginning of the month, largely on expectations of heavier supplies from the West in March.

Western arbitrage volumes for March closed at five-month highs of 3.8-3.9 million tons, rebounding from a sixmonth low of around 3.0 million tons each in January and February.

Heavier supplies from the Middle East have also added pressure to the well-supplied market, with 500,000550,000 tons of Saudi cargoes sold into the market, up from last month’s 350,000-400,000 tons.

Reflecting the weakening market, the product’s prompt crack weakened for a third session to its lowest level in more than a month, valued at a discount of $3.80 a barrel in early trade. — Reuters

New Samsung notebooks lead the way in 2010 MANAMA: Samsung Electronics, a market leader in consumer electronics and world leader in Information Technology, announced the first of its 2010 notebook range allowing users to go further and do more, whilst maintaining great style.

The new range included an extension of its popular R-Series range of notebooks with three ultrastylish new models - the powerful R580 and the stylish R530 and R430, and also a new addition to Samsung’s award-winning range of netbooks, the Samsung N150.

“Following the success of the 2009 line of notebooks and netbooks, we knew we had to create even more outstanding products to meet and surpass users’ expectations,” said Madhav Narayan, General Manager of the IT Division at Samsung Gulf Electronics. “The N150, R580, R530 and R480 do just that. The Samsung R Series, with its unrivalled mobile entertainment, offers an all-round performance, while the Samsung’s N-series features lightweight, stylish netbooks for easy surfing and entertainment,” In the last quarter of 2009, the region’s combined desktop and notebook market experienced a growth of nearly four percent, with 5.3 million netbook units shipped in the first six months of the year, according to findings from IDC. In addition, the presence of people online is expected to increase to a quarter of the world’s population in 2010, spurred largely by online growth in the region, resulting in an increased demand for products such as Notebook and Netbooks, IDC findings also showed.

“With the launch of the new line of notebooks and netbooks, we are looking forward to an expected regional growth of 100 percent year-onyear in our laptop division in 2010, with the help

of our new marketing strategy which has been put into action,” Narayan added.

The Samsung R-Series notebooks and NSeries netbooks have all been awarded the leading environmental and usability standard, TCO Certified, and are ECO RoHS compliant. As well as being ergonomically designed for optimum ease of use and performance, they are also completely mercury free and consume significantly less power thanks to their LED backlit displays.

Their ultra-lightweight, robust and compact design also offers other ‘green’ advantages, as less power is used in the manufacture and usage phases of their product life.

“As environmentally friendly products and ‘green’ technology becomes a higher priority for our consumers, Samsung is continually strivi n g to find new ways to meet and surpass this growing prerequisite,” added Narayan.

R-Series Underneath the lightweight and ultra sleek casing of the R-Series notebooks is the kind of power normally only found in high-powered PCs, including high powered graphics producing the

most vibrant visual experience and the smoothest video playback, delivering all you need for High Definition videos and gaming while at home with friends or family - or wherever you choose to be.

The high end model from the R-series come in Samsung’s new Touch of Color crystal finish, with an elegant, glassy and light inspired gradation, and a choice of patterns.

Their ergonomic design enables a more enjoyable and productive user experience. To protect against wear and tear the scratch-resistant Samsung durable casing is also specially designed to prevent finger smudges and protect the notebook from the inevitable bumps and knocks from everyday use.

“The Samsung RSeries notebooks are the complete all-rounders of the computing world across the region - offering outstanding mobile performance and entertainment in Samsung’s distinctive and highly popular and successful Touch of Color, advancing Samsung’s signature style with an ultra-sleek design and a deep infusion of colour that illuminates the piano-

black casing,” said Narayan. “With their advanced graphics, the new iCore processor from Intel, multimedia capabilities and large hard drives the new R-Series notebooks are designed to satisfy the demand of today’s consumers for systems that play incredible HD games and movies.”

N-Series Unrivaled design and a host of advanced features make the Samsung NSeries netbooks a class of their own. All NSeries mini notebooks ensure style beyond comparison and cutting-edge engineering that only Samsung can deliver.

The new additions to Samsung’s N-Series, including the new N150, will feature Intel’s Pinetrail platform.

Designed to provide maximum personal freedom the N150 keeps on going for up to 8.5 hours. This impressive battery-powered performance is possible because overall power consumption is reduced by their energy efficient LED display, optimized processing performance and Samsung’s proprietary Enhanced Battery Life solution. The Samsung N150 incorporates Intel’s latest processor, the

Intel(r) Atom(tm) N450, which is specifically designed to deliver an amazing Internet experience using netbooks.

With a slim and elegant design and extensive quality assurance testing the N150 is stylish and reliable. It sports an integrated hinge with smooth movement and high quality connection, so everything blends effortlessly together even when the netbook is open.

As well as being ergonomically designed for optimum ease of use and performance, Samsung netbooks are also completely mercury free and consume significantly less power thanks to their LED backlit displays. Their ultra-lightweight, robust and compact design also offers other ‘green’ advantages, as less power is used in the manufacture and usage phases of their product life.

“Featuring an elegant choice of designs, the Samsung N150 leads the range with a pragmatic approach that takes ultra mobile computing into a whole new dimension. Longer battery life is an important issue for customers in the Middle East, and we are proud to deliver feature-rich netbooks that allow you to get wirelessly connected so easily and for such a long time,” concluded Narayan.

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals

.2830000 .4510000 .3930000 .2670000 .2730000 .2570000 .0045000 .0020000 .0781130 .7610300 .4020000 .0750000 .7460570 .0045000 .0500000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2872500 .4531430 .3957000 .2695620 .2750480 .0531580 .0400390 .2588840 .0369700 .2047320 .0031800 .0062780 .0025190 .0033990 .0042080 .0782460 .7623220 .4062500 .0766390 .7464770 .0062780 TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2898500 .4548470 .2696150 .0772620

.2930000 .4600000 .4000000 .2750000 .2810000 .2640000 .0075000 .0035000 .0788980 .7686780 .4180000 .0790000 .7535550 .0072000 .0580000 .2893500 .4563440 .3984940 .2714710 .2769960 .0535350 .0403230 .2607120 .0372320 .2061820 .0032020 .0063220 .0025370 .0034230 .0042380 .0787450 .7671830 .4091270 .0771280 .7512370 .0063220

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 288.550 Euro 398.500

Sterling Pound Canadian dollar Turkish lire Swiss Franc Australian dollar US Dollar Buying 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 Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

457.400 277.600 191.900 271.830 259.900 286.000 ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.217 6.266 3.393 2.520 3.933 206.300 37.170 4.173 6.272 8.711 0.301 0.292 ARAB COUNTRIES 56.250 52.674 1.361 210.500 407.700 195.000 6.311 35.890 GCC COUNTRIES 76.990 79.320 750.000 766.710 78.624 GOLD 216.000 112.000 58.000

Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal 10 Tola Sterling Pound US Dollar

SELL CASH 263.500 767.190 4.450 279.800 566.500 15.800 53.700 167.800 56.180

400.000 37.680 6.270

407.780 0.194 87.570 3.940 205.300 749.210 3.410 6.280 79.360 77.030 206.960 40.190 2.518 457.500 273.000 8.880 78.720 288.500

GOLD 1,212.750 TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 457.500 288.500

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

401.500 37.830 6.590 0.034 0.291 0.259 3.290 409.370 0.195 87.570 37.100 4.250 206.800 2.183 50.000 749.390 3.490 6.400 79.790 77.030 206.960 40.190 2.771 459.500 40.700 274.500 6.400 9.080 217.900 78.720 268.900 1.400

SELL DRAFT 262.000 767.190 4.172 278.300

207.000 52.614

Rate for Transfer 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

Selling Rate 288.900 280.030 458.905 399.435 268.630 708.110 766.105 78.635 79.275 77.070 407.675 52.675 6.255 3.405

Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

2.520 4.180 6.260 3.215 8.700 5.562 3.908

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Candaian Dollars

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 288.550 3.410 6.280 2.530 4.175 6.305 78.545 77.115 766.700 52.565 460.500 0.0000312 3.900 1.550 409.600 5.750 402.900 283.400

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 288.300 Euro 399.850 Pound Sterling 457.350 Canadian Dollar 278.150 Japanese Yen 3.225 Indian Rupee 6.268 Egyptian Pound 52.645 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.520 Bangladesh Taka 4.168 Philippines Peso 6.270 Pakistan Rupee 3.400 Bahraini Dinar 767.000 UAE Dirham 78.675 Saudi Riyal 77.000 *Rates are subject to change

BUSINESS

8

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Air India gets $173m government cash injection

MUMBIA: Air India aircraft are seen in the background of slums adjoining the international airport in Mumbai. India approved an infusion of $173 million to ailing national carrier Air India Thursday, part of an expected $432 million bailout of a company many once considered a proud symbol of the nation. — AP

MUMBAI: India approved a cash infusion for ailing national carrier Air India, part of an expected $432 million bailout of a company many once considered a proud symbol of the nation. The $173 million injection “would not only ease the cash flow situation of the company but would also preclude borrowings from the markets at a high cost,” the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement. Other carriers have stumbled in the wake of the global financial crisis — notably Japan Airlines which filed for bankruptcy in January. Analysts say many of Air India’s problems are homegrown, born of decades of mismanagement and underinvestment.

And some feel the proposed fixes don’t go far enough, largely because political pressures make layoffs difficult.

The National Aviation Company of India Ltd. (NACIL), which runs Air India, has agreed to trim costs by 19.1 billion

rupees ($412.7 million) in the fiscal year ending in March. The airline will cull its fleet from 146 aircraft to 105 by March 2011, to save an estimated 9 billion rupees ($194.4 million) in annual maintenance, inventory, personnel and fuel costs, the ministry said. But, unlike Japan Airlines which has said it will lay off 16,000 staff, Air India has not announced layoffs — a politically delicate issue analysts say is necessary for a meaningful turnaround. Instead, the airline plans to farm off staff to newly created subsidiaries. An attempt to trim performance-linked pay resulted in a five day strike by pilots in September, with some 400 canceled flights.

“I don’t see in the current political environment how you can have layoffs,” said Kapil Kaul, chief executive of the India unit of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, an independent aviation research group. But, he added, “If they

are to do a meaningful restructuring, they will have to first ensure that headcount is substantially reduced.” He estimates that the airline’s 30,000 staffers cost about $800 million a year and should be slashed by half. He said Air India has also accumulated an unserviceable debt burden of about $8 billion, which could rise to $15 billion as the company completes its acquisition of new aircraft.

The Ministry said Thursday that Air India managed to reduce its operating loss for the first half of the fiscal year by 23 percent, to 20.3 billion rupees ($438.2 million) from the year-ago period, but Kaul says that’s far from enough. “Air India’s financial troubles are part of their unviable business model,” Kaul said. “Its cost structure is not viable anymore.” It has been a long fall from grace for the airline, which was founded by JRD Tata, one of India’s most revered industrialists, who built the salt-to-SUV Tata Group. In

1932, Tata flew from Karachi to Mumbai in a single-engine de Havilland Puss Moth to inaugurate the first commercial air mail route in his budding corporate empire.

After India’s independence, the government took a majority stake and Tata’s airline — which was ultimately christened Air India — became the nation’s flag carrier. Kaul said that when India opened its skies to foreign carriers in the early 1990s, Air India, plagued by years of political interference and underinvestment, could not compete.

“It was an international symbol of India before we initiated liberalization,” he said. “It was a world class airline.”

Today, he sees only one option left: Privatization. “The only viable option is to privatize the airline,” he said. “If we continue to deteriorate it over the next couple of years, that also might not be an option.” — AP

S&P says Indian firm’s cash flow measures may be affected

Bharti shares resume fall on Zain; down 12% on week NEW DELHI: India’s Bharti Airtel shares resumed their fall yesterday after tw o days of mild gains, w ith a $9 billion potential deal for Kuw aiti telecom Zain’s African assets w eighing on the stock. Rating agency Standard & Poor’s Bharti and Zain are in exclusive talks until March 25 for the Kuwaiti firm’s operations in 15 African countries and have agreed for an enterprise value of $10.7 billion for the assets, including $1.7 billion debt in Zain Africa books.

At 0741 GMT, Bharti shares were down 1.6 percent in a weak Mumbai market. The leading Indian mobile operator’s market value has plunged 12 percent, or more than $3 billion, this week since it confirmed the deal to $22.7 billion.

Debt is seen as the most likely option for the Indian firm that currently has a low gearing, though media reports have also talked about other funding options such

put Bharti on “creditw atch w ith negative implications”, citing possible significant deterioration in Bharti’s cash flow protection measures and w eakening of its business risk profile after it enters Africa.

as a rights issue and a preferential allotment of shares to SingTel, which currently owns 32 percent in Bharti.

Bharti is yet to detail its funding plans. The company is also keen to participate in India’s planned auction of third-generation spectrum, which analysts see costing between $1 and $1.5 billion for each phone firm to win pan-India radio waves.

S&P said a potential debt-funded acquisition and the spending for the 3G auction could increase the Bharti’s pro forma consolidated debt in 2010/11 to about 3 times EBITDA, from 1.4 times for the 12 months ended December 2009. “Bharti’s business risk profile could weaken because of the macroeconomic and political risks

associated with, and the lower profitability of Zain Africa’s operations,” S&P analyst Yasmin Wirjawan said.

S&P, however, noted the proposed deal would provide growth opportunities in Africa, which has a low mobile penetration than India, and that the combined entity with more than 163 million users would benefit from economies of scale.

Separately, the Economic Times reported Bharti may sell shares to SingTel to partly fund its purchase of Zain assets and avoid taking on too much debt. Bharti’s shares were the second-worst performer in 2009 among the benchmark index that rose 81 percent, as a price war in India clouds earnings growth potential. — Reuters

Analysts: ECB, Fed will march to different monetary rhythms

TOKYO: Toyota Motor Corp Executive Vice President Akio Toyoda (center) joins hands with President Katsuaki Watanabe (left) and Chairman Fujio Cho after a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, when they announced Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota’s founder, was named president of the Japanese automaker. Toyoda, known as ‘the prince’ in Japan, was groomed for years to head the automaker his grandfather founded. — AP

Toyota chief to face US Congress over safety crisis TOKYO: The head of embattled Toyota has bowed to calls to testify in US Congress as lawmakers demand a whistleblower lawyer hand over potentially damning internal company documents on alleged safety defects. A key congressional committee has subpoenaed former Toyota lawyer Dimitrios Biller, who has accused the world’s biggest car maker of hiding and destroying evidence of safety problems and of “a culture of hypocrisy and deception”.

Toyota is recalling more than eight million cars worldwide for defects linked to more than 30 deaths in the United States that have sparked a host of US lawsuits which could cost the company billions of dollars in damages.

Akio Toyoda, the usually publicity-shy grandson of the company’s founder, was initially reluctant to appear before the US Congress but relented following an invitation by Representative Edolphus Towns to testify next Wednesday.

“Since I received an official letter, I decided that I’m pleased to go. I want to speak there with all sincerity,” Toyoda told reporters.

“What I want to stress most is our cooperation in determining the causes (of the problems) and our firm stance on safety,” he added.

His announcement came as the committee asked Biller, a top US lawyer for the Japanese carmarker from 2003 to 2007, to bring all documents he has relating to Toyota’s “handling of alleged motor vehicle defects and related litigation”. Biller says the internal company documents show the beleaguered firm was hiding evidence of safety defects from consumers and regulators.

The lawyer, speaking to ABC News, has accused Toyota of hiding and destroying evidence and of “a culture of hypocrisy and deception”. Toyota has denied Biller’s claims, describing him as a disgruntled former employee, and both sides are locked in a legal battle. The iconic company, whose global expansion pushed it past General Motors in 2008 as world number one, is facing a litany of complaints ranging from unintended acceleration to brake failure in its Prius hybrid cars. US safety officials are probing whether Toyota dragged its feet on tackling the problems, and President

Barack Obama’s Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has vowed “to hold Toyota’s feet to the fire” to make sure its cars are safe.

The auto giant’s president has faced mounting criticism about his handling of the crisis, the worst in the company’s history.

“President Toyoda should have announced his attendance much earlier as he has no choice but to appear before Congress under the current circumstances,” said Mamoru Kato, an analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Centre.

“Toyota Motor hopes to calm the issue with his appearance, but it’s unlikely,” he said. “There is no sign of this blowing over as distrust in Toyota is quite serious, particularly in the United States.” Japan’s transport minister yesterday criticized Toyoda for not being more decisive on whether to face the US Congress. “It’s regrettable that there were flip-flops and talk that he would not attend,” Seiji Maehara told reporters.

Toyoda, 53, was long groomed for the top job and became the first member of the founding family in 14 years to take the reins last June. The avid motor racing fan was criticized for being slow to appear in public after the mass recalls went global, but has now appeared before the media four times in about two weeks.

“He will likely come under heavy attack (in Congress), but there are matters only the top executive can provide an answer to,” a unnamed senior Toyota official told Japan’s Kyodo News agency. “It is important to obtain an understanding that we have responded in line with the law.”

Toyoda is the grandson of Kiichiro Toyoda-who founded the automaker in 1937 — and the son of former president Shoichiro Toyoda. When he was named last year to take the helm of the automaker, Toyoda said he was “sobered by the heavy responsibility”. The family scion has put the brakes on Toyota’s rapid expansion, which left it vulnerable to the global economic crisis and-critics say-led to a weakening in its once-legendary quality control. —AFP

FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank has already begun to undo exceptional measures taken amidst the global financial crisis but will go more slowly than the US Federal Reserve owing to the eurozone’s fragile state, analysts say. The Fed raised on Thursday the rate it charges for emergency loans to banks, a surprise move seen as the start of an exit strategy from radical measures begun in mid 2007 that sought to jolt the US economy from recession.

The ECB began in December to unwind what it calls “enhanced credit support,” mainly unlimited loans to commercial banks, and does not need to take specific steps but can just let measures run out according to an established timetable. The last 12-month loans of central bank cash took place in December and the last six-month operation has been set for late March.

“The ECB can simply go back to normal three month refinancing operations, this already takes a lot of liquidity out of the markets,” ING senior economist Carsten Brzeski said.

The 16-nation eurozone economy is much weaker than that of the United States, which might allow the Fed to move more quickly than the ECB. “We have the impression that if there is a bias on the US side, it will be towards an accelerated unwinding of the support measures,” Deutsche Bank economist Gilles Moec said.

Global Economics chief international economist Julian Jessop stressed however that “the normalization of some monetary policy tools (whether the restoration of usual interest rate spreads or the withdrawal of emergency facilities) does not mean that key policy rates are going up any time soon.”

The Fed announced its decision after leading US economic indicators rose for the 10th consecutive month in January. Yesterday however, a closely-watched survey of eurozone private business activity showed a “worrying slowdown” in the all-important services sector, reinforcing worries over what is expected to be a hesitant recovery. The eurozone is also struggling with deficit and debt crises in several member states that have raised the question of its ultimate credibility and cohesion.

That has forced governments to announce strict fiscal belt-tightening moves which will influence ECB policymakers when they meet in two weeks to mull changes to the bloc’s monetary policy. Moec resumed their position as “I don’t have a very good economic climate, I probably also have budget tightening, I therefore don’t really want to accelerate the pace” of normalizing money supply and interest rates.

Brzeski did not believe the ECB would change its exit strategy just because of the fiscal crisis in Greece.

But he acknowledged a question mark remained over whether Greek banks now depended on the ECB’s generous allocations of cash loans. “If the ECB now withdraws the liquidity, could this mean that Greek banks could get into trouble,” he asked. At the same time, the ECB has made it clear since December that “the times of free refills are over,” the ING economist noted. “Like the Fed the ECB will withdraw now and test the interbank market a little bit,” but Brzeski stressed that within the eurozone, “it has to be very gentle.” Moec felt the Fed’s move “confirmed it wants to withdraw exceptional measures at a relatively rapid pace.” — AFP

ATHENS: Protesting taxi drivers march to the Finance ministry in Athens yesterday during their 24-hour strike to protest against the debt-burdened government’s fiscal reforms. — AFP

Fuel shortage haunts Greece amid strikes ATHENS: Greek drivers queued for gas at the few stations still open yesterday as a nearly weeklong customs strike protesting government austerity measures left many pumps running dry, while taxi drivers stayed off the streets in a 24hour walkout.

Customs workers initially walked off the job for three days Tuesday to protest salary freezes and cuts in bonuses and stipends. But on Thursday, their union declared three 48-hour rolling strikes that will keep customs offices shut through next Wednesday, when Greek workers across the country will hold a general strike.

The customs walkout has hampered imports and exports, but the supply of fuel has been the most affected. Many gas stations in Athens had run out of all fuel, while those that were still open were rationing the amount of gas given to each

driver, with some imposing a 20 euros ($27) limit per customer. Traffic policemen were posted at some gas stations in Athens as cars queued for hundreds of meters (yards). Taxis also held a 24hour strike yesterday, protesting parts of the austerity package that increased fuel tax and will force them to issue receipts.

Greek unions have been opposing the new Socialist government’s harsh austerity measures, which were imposed in an effort to pull the country out of its worst debt crisis in decades — one that has seen its deficit swell to a massive 12.7 percent of economic output. European finance ministers warned Athens this week that it would have to impose even tougher budget cuts if its current measures don’t manage to reduce the deficit to 8.7 percent this year. Athens has until March 16 to report back to the EU on its progress. — AP

SINGAPORE: Promoters hold balloons against the backdrop of Singapore’s financial district yesterday. Singapore raised its 2010 GDP forecast and now expects the city-state’s economy to grow as much as 6.5 percent after contracting last year. — AP

Union loses legal battle with BA LONDON: British Airways cabin crew have lost a legal battle to overturn changes to pay and working conditions that sparked an acrimonious dispute between workers and management, culminating in a narrowly averted Christmas strike at the airline. Britain’s High Court said yesterday it had declined to grant a permanent injunction that would have scrapped the cost-cutting changes. The cuts include a pay freeze this year, a switch to part-time working for some staff and a reduction in cabin crew numbers from 15 to 14 on long-haul flights.

The Unite union, which represents some 13,000 BA cabin crew, had argued that the airline was in breach of its contracts with staff because it did not properly consult with them before imposing the changes the changes in November. High Court Judge Christopher Holland rejected that argument, ruling against the union. BA has long argued that the changes, first flagged to the union more than six months ago, were necessary to counter falling demand for air travel after the global financial crisis. It also dismissed suggestions from the union that the changes would harm the health and well-being of both staff and passengers, saying the slight increase in work for the crew entailed no safety

or security risk.

BA said yesterday it was pleased the court had determined that the “modest changes ... were reasonable.” “Unite’s central demand over the last three months has been that we reverse these changes, despite the severe financial impact this would have on the company at a time when we are facing a second year of record annual losses,” the airline said in a statement.

Chief Executive Willie Walsh said earlier this month that the cost-cutting drive has put the carrier on the right course, but won’t save it from posting record losses in the current year.

It made an operating loss of 86 million pounds ($135 million) for the first nine months, compared to a profit of 89 million pounds a year earlier. The carrier has been one of the airlines hardest hit by the global recession because of its heavy running costs and reliance on increasingly unpopular premium fares. Unite is currently holding a new strike ballot after its planned Christmas and New Year strike was stopped by a separate High Court action. The results are due on Monday, meaning that a strike could be called for as early as March 1,although Unite has pledged not to walk out over the busy Easter holiday period. —AP

9

TECHNOLOGY

Saturday, February 20, 2010

US project seeks to make the family car a cash cow SAN DIEGO: US researchers unveiled a vehicle that earns money for its driver instead of guzzling it up in gasoline and maintenance costs.

The converted Toyota Scion xB, shown at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science here, is the first electric car to be linked to a power grid and serve as a cash cow.

“This is the first vehicle that’s ever been paid to participate in the grid-the first proof of concept vehicle,” Ken Huber, who oversees technological development at wholesale electricity coordinator PJM Interconnection, told AFP. The presentation of the box-like, unassuming

looking Scion was the researchers’ way of introducing the “vehicle-to-grid” (V2G) concept as it begins to gain momentum in the United States and around the world.

V2G projects with hybrid cars that use electricity and gas to store energy in their batteries and feed it back into the power grid are up and running in the United States, and the drive now is to produce all electric vehicles to plug into the power grid.

“This makes the car useful not only when it’s being driven, but also when it’s parked, as long as you remember to plug it in,” said Willett Kempton, who is leading a V2G project at the University of Delaware.

A V2G car is connected via an Internet-over-powerline connection that sends a signal from inside the car’s computer to an aggregator’s server. The aggregator acts as the middleman between the car owner and power grid management companies, which are constantly trying to keep electricity output at a constant level.

When the grid needs more power due to a surge in demand, power companies usually draw from traditional power plants, which in the United States are often coal-fired and leave a large carbon footprint.

When V2G becomes more widespread, the power could be drawn from millions of vehicles plugged into

sockets in home garages or from commercial fleets, such as the US Postal Service’s vans, for a much smaller footprint than that of the power plants.

Grid management companies like PJM Interconnection currently pay around 30 dollars an hour when taking power from a car.

V2G is still a new concept, but it is gaining ground in the United States and Europe.

“Ten years ago, this was just a plan. Today, it’s a real project and in 10 years, we’ll be producing tens of megawatts of power this way,” said Kempton, adding that V2G will readily find applications in countries that are rapidly ramping up reliance on wind and solar

energy, such as Denmark and Britain.

Huber said he will be meeting in the coming weeks in Paris with heads of European grid management companies about V2G. “We’re going to try to determine how we can work together on this. It’s a technology that is very good at meeting a need we have, and there’s growing interest among auto companies to develop V2G vehicles,” he added. AC Propulsion of California has designed an electric drive system for V2G, and car manufacturers including Renault/Nissan, Mitsubishi and BMW are producing all-electric vehicles with an eye on the V2G market. — AFP

US, EU regulators clear long-discussed Net partnership

Yahoo-Microsoft deal taking aim at Google SAN FRANCISCO: The US and European regulators have cleared the longdiscussed Internet search partnership betw een Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc, enabling the rivals to form a tag team as they try to mount a more seri-

In this image provided by NASA astronaut Nicholas Patrick, STS-130 mission specialist, is pictured in a window of the newly-installed Cupola of the International Space Station while space shuttle Endeavour remains docked with the station on Thursday. — AP

NASA astronauts winding up Olympic-size space mission CAPE CANAVERAL: NASA’s orbiting astronauts celebrated the addition of the International Space Station’s new observation deck — and the near completion of the orbiting outpost — with red ribbon and moon rocks.

Thursday night’s formal opening of the seven-windowed lookout occurred just a few hours before the hatches were due to close between the space station and space shuttle Endeavour. After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, each of the astronauts spent a few moments alone in the dome, taking in what they described as amazing and stunning views of Earth. “Arguably, mankind has been after this view for centuries, this perspective, this view of the world, and we finally have it,” said shuttle commander George Zamka. The space station’s skipper, Jeffrey Williams, said the observation deck represented more than a beautiful view. “It culminates just about the assembly complete of the space station,” he noted.

The 11 space fliers teamed up over the past week to install the dome and the new room, Tranquility, the last of the major space station building blocks. They finished some last-minute packing, then gathered for the ceremony on the eve of Endeavour’s undocking from the space station. Zamka presented a plaque to hang in the dome that contained four chips of moon rock and a stone retrieved from the top of Mt. Everest. A former astronaut carried the moon fragments to the top of Everest last spring. The lunar chips were collected from the Sea of Tranquility during man’s first moon landing in 1969.

The chamber was named after that momentous achievement. Zamka said the rocks will serve “as a reminder of man’s reach and man’s grit as they go out and explore.”

In a news conference earlier in the evening, the two

shuttle astronauts who swung open the window shutters on the observation deck Wednesday were rendered almost speechless when they gazed down at Earth 220 miles (350 kilometers) below.

“It’s going to be so hard to put into words the view that we see out those beautiful seven windows,” astronaut Kay Hire said in a news conference. “The best way I can think of is comparing a black and white analogue picture to a super high-def color picture. It’s just phenomenal what we can see out there.” “It took my breath away,” added pilot Terry Virts. He said he’s been too busy to spend too much time in the lookout, but has particularly enjoyed watching sunrises. “When the sun pops up, it’s like getting instantaneous floodlight in your eyes. It kind of overwhelms you,” Virts said. “You can sit there and stand up and actually with your eyes, at least perceive the entire Earth limb, and you can really see that the Earth is that round shape.” Astronaut Robert Behnken said the view through those seven windows is comparable if not better than what he saw during his three spacewalks. And you can’t beat sharing the view with friends, he noted.

“If we had beer up here, it would make the best pub in the world,” English-born astronaut Nicholas Patrick said in response to a reporter’s question. Endeavour delivered the Italian-built Tranquility and lookout last week, a more than $400 million addition that brought the space station to 98 percent of completion. Mission Control congratulated the astronauts Thursday for “a docked mission of Olympic proportions.” “You are officially the only folks who are able to get more hang time than Shaun White,” Mission Control noted in a message.— AP

NEW YORK: Members of the National Federation for the Blind leave a federal courthouse after attending a hearing about Google’s online library, Thursday in New York. Supporters of Google’s effort to create the world’s largest digital library on the Internet told a federal judge Thursday that it would benefit society, while opponents said it would infringe on copyright protections and violate the privacy of readers. —AP

Probe traces Google cyber attacks to Chinese schools NEW YORK: Recent cyber attacks on Google and other American corporations have been traced to a top Chinese university as well as a school with ties to the Chinese military, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing people involved in the investigation. Those people told the Times that the Chinese schools involved are Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Lanxiang Vocational School.

They said the attacks may have started as early as April 2009 - earlier than previously thought.

According to the report, investigators believe there is evidence suggesting a link to a computer science class at the vocational school taught by a

Ukrainian professor. Google jolted US-China ties with its Jan 12 announcement that it had faced a “highly sophisticated and targeted attack” in midDecember, allegedly from inside China.

More than 20 other companies were also targeted, though Google said a primary target was dissidents’ email accounts. Jill Hazelbaker, Google’s director of corporate communications said that the company’s investigation is ongoing, but otherwise declined to comment. The Chinese schools were not immediately available for comment, but the Times said they had not heard that American investigators had traced the Google attacks to their campuses. — Reuters

Microsoft first approached Yahoo about working together in late 2006 and again in 2007. In 2008, Microsoft launched a hostile bid to buy Yahoo in its entirety, only to withdraw the $47.5 billion offer in exasperation. Yahoo now plans to rely on Microsoft’s search technology in an attempt to boost its sagging profits.

Yahoo’s stock has been slumping since Microsoft took away its last offer of $33 per share in May 2008. The stock ended up 10 cents at $15.54 Thursday.

Microsoft is counting on the 10-year deal with Yahoo to provide more muscle as it tries to counter Google’s domination of the lucrative Internet search market.

The companies make money by charging advertisers to pay to have their links appear when people search for certain terms. While gaining access to Yahoo’s Internet search audience and advertisers is bound to help, it could still prove to be too little, too late.

The US Department of Justice and European Commission had no problems with Microsoft and Yahoo working together largely because Google is so far ahead of them in the lucrative Internet search market. Allowing Microsoft and Yahoo to join forces should spur “greater competitive pressures in the marketplace,” the Justice Department predicted in a statement. Google processes two-thirds of the world’s search requests, followed by Yahoo with 7.4 percent, China’s Baidu.com at 7 percent and Microsoft at just 3.2 percent, according to Internet research firm comScore Inc. Microsoft has been making some minor strides in the United States since it overhauled its search engine and renamed it Bing last summer. But the progress has primarily come at Yahoo’s expense. It’s going to take a while before all the pieces of the complex Microsoft-Yahoo deal will be in place. The companies hope Microsoft’s technology will be ready to start processing search requests that people enter on Yahoo’s US site by the end of this year. But getting everything ready around the rest of the world is expected to take until 2012.

Yahoo figures to make more money from the deal because it allows the company to keep 88 percent of the revenue from search ads on its Web site during the first five years, while Microsoft absorbs most of the expenses. Yahoo estimates the partnership eventually could boost its annual operating profit by $500 million. The financial gains aren’t expected to start flowing to Yahoo until next year. To start, Yahoo will get $150 million from Microsoft to help offset its expenses for the transition to a new technology. The payments will be made in installments, with the first checks due before April. Microsoft will also take on about 400 of Yahoo’s 13,900 employees, with the first transfers expected to take place this year.

“Although we are just at the beginning of this process, we have reached an exciting milestone,” Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said. “I believe that together, Microsoft and Yahoo will promote more choice, better value and greater innovation to our customers as well as to advertisers and publishers.” Even though Microsoft’s technology will be steering things, Yahoo insists its search results and advertising won’t be identical to what’s served up on Bing. Yahoo can still shape the presentation of the results. “This breakthrough search alliance means Yahoo can focus even more on our own innovative search experience,” said CEO Carol Bartz.

Yahoo finally cozied up to Microsoft after Bartz replaced company co-founder Jerry Yang early last year. The company was reeling at the time because a proposed search partnership with Google had just unraveled after the Justice Department threatened to sue to block the deal on antitrust grounds. Yahoo wanted to fight regulators, but Google didn’t.

Microsoft helped persuade the Justice Department to oppose the proposed Yahoo-Google deal. Google didn’t object to Microsoft teaming up with Yahoo. “There has always been robust competition in our industry, which keeps us on our toes and benefits users,” Google spokesman Adam Kovacevich said. — AP

ous challenge to Google Inc. The government approvals announced Thursday anointed an alliance that Microsoft and Yahoo proposed nearly seven months ago after years of flirtation and often contentious negotiations.

LAS VEGAS: Attendees look at the Bing display at the Microsoft exhibit at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc have received clearance from regulators in Washington and Europe to proceed with a search partnership intended to challenge Google Inc. — AP

US asked to tighten laws to fight copyright piracy WASHINGTON: A top US business lobby urged lawmakers to tighten laws to crack down on nations that infringed intellectual property rights.

The US Chamber of Commerce, which claims to represent over three million businesses, said it wanted Congress to enact legislation that would strengthen an annual government review of countries linked to copyright piracy. The US Trade Representative (USTR) office places such countries on a blacklist, known as a “Priority Watch List,” as part of its annual “Special 301 Report” that scrutinizes global intellectual property rights protection and enforcement.

“Congress should enact legislation to improve the US Trade Representative’s ‘Special 301’ process by enhancing the tools available to the administration to engage more effectively with countries that fail to respect and enforce the rights of American innovators and/or live up to their international IP obligations,” the

chamber said in a report.

The study, the “2010 Intellectual Property (IP) Agenda,” contains other suggestions to beef up the fight against copyright piracy and was sent to Congress and President Barack Obama.

“This legislation should require an action plan for Priority Watch List countries that includes clear benchmarks to measure performance, and meaningful consequences for nations that fail to perform,” the report suggested.

It urged the Obama administration to “engage key trading partners such as India and China in strengthening their protection and enforcement of IP rights, whether it is improving India’s patent law or working with Beijing to crack down on Internet piracy.”

In a letter to Obama, the chief of the chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center said intellectual property issues in a few countries were “harming America’s competitiveness and economic growth.”

“For example, India’s patent laws prevent many critical medicines from being patented, thereby discouraging the development of important new treatments and cures,” the center’s president, David Hirschmann, said in the letter. “Internet piracy in and from China is also doing great harm to America’s creative industries.”

The US copyright industry estimates that 2008 losses linked to piracy were about $3.5 billion for the music recording and software industries alone. In its 2009 annual report, the USTR added Canada, Indonesia and Algeria to the Priority Watch List, along with countries such as China and Russia that were long branded copyright pirates.

America’s innovative and creative industries account for more than five trillion dollars of the US gross domestic product, drive more than half of US exports and employ over 18 million Americans, according to the chamber. — AFP

BARCELONA: The new tablet ‘Sma Kit S7 tablet’ by Huawei is displayed at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The 2010 Mobile World Congress was held from February 15 to 18 in Barcelona. — AFP

HEALTH & SCIENCE

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Saturday, February 20, 2010

US school spied on students via laptops PHILADELPHIA: A suburban Philadelphia school district used school-issued laptop webcams to spy on students at home, potentially catching them and their families in compromising situations, a family claims in a federal lawsuit. Officials at the school district can activate webcams on the computers without students’ knowledge or permission, the lawsuit alleges.

Plaintiffs Michael and Holly Robbins suspect the cameras captured students and family members as they undressed and in other embarrassing situations, according to the suit.

Lower Merion School District officials said the laptops “contain a security feature intended to track lost, stolen and missing laptops,” and that the feature was deactivated Thursday. “We can categorically state that we are and have always been committed

to protecting the privacy of our students,” he said.

Tom Halpern, a 15-year-old sophomore from Wynnewood, said students are “pretty disgusted” and have started putting masking tape over their computer webcams and microphones. “This is just bogus,” Halpern said. “I just think it’s really despicable that they have the ability to just watch me all the time.”

The accusations amount to potentially illegal electronic wiretapping, said Witold J. Walczak, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which is not involved in the case.

“School officials cannot, any more than police, enter into the home either electronically or physically without an invitation or a warrant,” Walczak said. A school district statement released late Thursday said the tracking

PHILADELPHIA: Harriton High School is shown in Bryn Mawr, Pa. A family alleges in a federal lawsuit that the suburban Philadelphia school district used school-issued laptop webcams to spy on students at home, potentially catching them and their families in compromising situations. —AP

feature would not be reactivated “without express written notification to all students and families.” The affluent district prides itself on its technology initiatives, which include giving laptops to each of the approximately 2,300 students at its two high schools.

Superintendent Christopher W. McGinley did not immediately return a message left Thursday by The Associated Press.

The Robbinses said they learned of the alleged webcam images when Lindy Matsko, an assistant high school principal, told their son that school officials thought he had engaged in improper behavior at home. The behavior was not specified in the suit.

Matsko “cited as evidence a photograph from the webcam embedded in minor plaintiff’s personal laptop issued by the school district,” the lawsuit

states. Matsko later confirmed to Michael Robbins that the school had the ability to activate the webcams remotely, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday and which seeks class-action status.

The Robbinses declined to speak with an Associated Press reporter at their home Thursday. Their lawyer, Mark S Haltzman, did not return messages. The US Supreme Court reaffirmed the privacy of the home when it ruled in 2001 that police could not, without a warrant, use thermal imaging equipment outside a home to see if heat lamps were being used inside to grow marijuana.

Technology or no, Supreme Court precedents draw “a firm line at the entrance to the house,” Justice Antonin Scalia wrote, quoting an earlier case. — AP

AIDS vaccine effects may wear off, researchers say ‘All hands on deck’ to find out how vaccine may work WASHINGTON: An AIDS vaccine that appears to have worked at least partly in Thailand may only temporarily protect patients, with the effects starting to wane after a year or so, researchers reported on Thursday. That may explain why results of the experimental vaccine

KAKADU: A cane toad is pictured at Kakadu National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory. A new Australian study concludes cat food is a powerful weapon in battling the national cane toad plague. — AP

Australian study uses cat food in war on cane toad SYDNEY: Forget cricket bats, golf clubs and carbon dioxide. Australia has found a new weapon in its war on the dreaded cane toad: cat food.

Researchers with the University of Sydney found that a few tablespoons of cat food left next to ponds in the Northern Territory attracts fierce Australian meat ants, which then attack baby cane toads as they emerge from the water. The results of the study were published in the British Ecological Society’s Journal of Applied Ecology this week. It is the latest weapon in Australia’s seemingly endless battle against the cane toad, which was introduced from Hawaii in 1935 in an unsuccessful attempt to control beetles on sugarcane plantations.

The toads bred rapidly, and their millionsstrong population now threatens many species across Australia. Early cane toad killing methods included whacking the creatures with golf clubs or cricket bats. In recent years, most groups dedicated to fighting the pests have turned to freezing or gassing them with carbon dioxide. Still, the toads’ population continues to explode. Cane toads emit

a poison that attacks the heart of would-be predators. But the University of Sydney researchers found that meat ants are impervious to the toads’ poison, said Rick Shine, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Sydney who supervised the research. “A single toad can have 30,000 eggs in a clutch, so there’s a heck of a lot of tadpoles turning into toads along the edge of a billabong,” he said. “You can literally have tens of thousands of toads emerging at pretty much the same time. They are vulnerable to meat ants if the colony discovers there is a source of free food.”

Between July and September 2008, researchers studied tens of thousands of cane toads emerging from cat food-lined ponds and found that 98 percent of them were attacked by meat ants within two minutes. Of the toads that escaped, 80 percent died within a day from antinflicted injuries. The baby toads are less than half an inch in size, about the same as a meat ant.

The aggressive ants have strong jaws and can kill even larger animals by sheer numbers. —AP

How will the Maldives fight climate change?

SINGAPORE: The Maldives, which fears being swamped by rising seas as the planet heats up, says major economies should toughen their curbs of greenhouse gas emissions blamed for causing global warming. The chain of low-lying sandy islands in the Indian Ocean, famed for its diving and luxury resorts, has launched a plan to become carbon neutral by 2020 with the help of renewable energy such as wind and solar that it hopes will attract foreign funds. Following are answers to questions put to President Mohamed Nasheed in an e-mail interview. Nasheed was among the most outspoken leaders at December’s UN climate talks in Copenhagen, calling for swift action to fight global warming.

CAN THE MALDIVES BE SAVED? “My country is in peril but I don’t accept that we are doomed. If the world unites against carbon pollution and embraces green development, we can bring the climate crisis under control. “By the end of this century, the very worst-case sea level rise predicted by scientists is two meters. And that’s if all our efforts fail. If we handle the situation better, it will be less than a meter. “We can adapt to some of this change, even if parts or whole islands have to be evacuated. Every country stands to lose if we don’t curb carbon pollution. So, in a sense, we are all Maldivians.”

WHAT WILL IT COST TO GO CARBON NEUTRAL? “No-one said this would be cheap or easy. It already costs us a great deal to import oil, which is used to generate all our electricity - $300,000 per day, with oil at $50 a barrel. If oil prices rise over $100 a barrel, the carbon neutral plan will save us money because we will no longer have to burn money on oil. “We are incentivizing the private sector to make many of the necessary infrastructure investments. For private companies, investing in renewable energy, waste-to-energy plants or

energy efficiency schemes will generate healthy returns over decades.” “But wind and solar are intermittent by definition. So backup is essentialand this is a big challenge. If we go for biomass then it must be from truly sustainable sources. If in the worst-case, our existing diesel generators are used as back up, then we would have to offset the pollution they cause.”

HOW MUCH ARE TOURISTS WILLING TO PAY AS EXTRA TAX? “We do not currently have any plans for a green tourist tax. If we can demonstrate that achieving carbon neutrality is not only possible, but also profitable, I think bigger countries will follow suit and we can make real progress on curbing global carbon pollution.”

THE BASIS OF A NEW LEGALLY BINDING CLIMATE TREATY? “It’s too early to say, but clearly the signs are not good on the legally binding aspect. In any case, we should get a treaty right before making it legally binding. Kyoto was legally binding, but it did very little to reduce emissions, and actually made some problems worse with all its complexities and its rigid divisions between developed and developing countries. “The Maldives made huge efforts at Copenhagen to salvage the best deal possible. I felt that a total collapse would have been the worst outcome. In the event we got an Accord which is far from perfect but is something we can build on.”

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES UN CLIMATE CONFERENCE? “My great fear is that an ambitious and binding climate deal is endlessly postponed and climate talks start to resemble trade negotiations-endless rounds of talks with little progress to show for it at the end.

“At Bali, everyone looked forward to Copenhagen.

Now after Copenhagen everyone is looking forward to Mexico. We have to stop fooling ourselves that action can wait until tomorrow.” — Reuters

They surprised the world last September when they showed the experimental vaccine cut the risk of infection by 31 percent over three years. “It is very likely that this vaccine only worked for a short period of time,” Michael said in a telephone interview.

“It is a weak, a modest effect but something that we can build on.” The vaccine is a combination of SanofiPasteur’s ALVAC canarypox/HIV vaccine and the HIV vaccine AIDSVAX, made by a San Francisco company called VaxGen and now owned by the nonprofit Global Solutions for Infectious Diseases.

Michael told the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in San Francisco that it may be possible to design a trial that will show better whether the vaccine can really help people.

Part of the problem, he said, was that the 16,000 Thai volunteers who tested the vaccine were not at especially high risk of AIDS infection. He said he would work with Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to design trials in Asia or Africa.

According to the United Nations, more than 33 million people are infected with the fatal and incurable virus, with 2.7 million new infections every year. Even a vaccine that protected for just a year would be useful, Michael said. “Is that ideal?”

No,” Michael said.

“But it is true there are vaccines like the flu vaccine where you have to get them every year.” Within the next few weeks, Michael said studies will also start to try to find clues from the blood of the vaccinated volunteers.

“Everyone wants to know why this worked and what lab measurements we could take that could predict this,” he said.

Results will take roughly a year, he said, but labs all over the world will be looking for so-called correlates- measurements such as antibody levels that will show whether a vaccine has affected the immune system in the desired way.

“It is what I call an allhands-on-deck exercise,” he said. The AIDS virus has killed 25 million people since it was identified in the 1980s.

Cocktails of drugs can control HIV but there is no cure.

In 2007, Merck & Co ended a trial of its vaccine after it was found not to work, and in 2003, AIDSVAX used alone was found to offer no protection, either. — Reuters

have been so difficult to interpret, said Dr. Nelson Michael, a colonel at the Walter Reed Army Research Institute of Research in Maryland, who helped lead the trial, Michael’s team is trying to find out how or why it might have worked.

CALIFORNIA: Photo shows algae in the reservoir behind Iron Gate Dam on the Klamath River near Hornbrook, Calif. An agreement signed Thursday, Feb 18, 2010, in Salem, Ore, lays out terms to remove this and three other dams on the Klamath River as part of an agreement to help salmon and end long-standing water wars in the region. —AP

Democrats vs Democrat in California water wars Proposal infuriates environmental groups LOS ANGELES: A group of Democratic lawmakers have asked Senator Dianne Feinstein to abandon draft legislation that would divert more water to California’s farmers, a plan that has quickly become a flashpoint in the state’s long-running water wars. Feinstein’s proposal, which would ease Endangered Species Act restrictions, has angered environmental activists and fishing groups. The powerful Democratic senator’s rebuke by members of her own party underscores the incendiary nature of water politics in America’s No 1 farm state.

The 12 lawmakers, who sent a letter to Feinstein asking her to drop the plan, say it could ultimately lead to the extinction of Sacramento River salmon and eliminate up to 23,000 jobs in the Pacific coast fishing industry.

“Salmon may not have high-paid lobbyists like the corporate agriculture interests in the Central Valley, but they are critical to our economy,” Rep George Miller, a California Democrat, said in a written statement. Feinstein responded with a letter telling Miller she was happy to work with him on another way to supply growers with the water they needed. Drastic cutbacks in irrigation supplies this year alone from state and federal water projects have idled about 23,000 farm workers and 300,000 acres of cropland.

‘I REFUSE TO DO NOTHING’ California’s Central Valley is one of the country’s most important agricultural regions and the state’s farmers produce more than half the fruit, vegetables and nuts grown in the United States. Feinstein told Miller she was aware of the fishing industry’s decline but said two decades of

water allocations had made little difference in salmon populations while farming communities had suffered. “Last year, 400,000 acres of land were fallowed. Laid-off workers have been forced to choose between standing in bread lines or leaving the valley in search of work elsewhere,” she wrote.

“Continuation on this path will lead to the destruction of agriculture. I refuse to sit by idly and do nothing.”

Feinstein has released few details of her proposal, which may be attached as an

amendment to a federal jobs bill. She said in the letter that she was seeking to secure Central Valley farmers 38 to 40 percent of their contracted allocation for the next two years. Irrigation districts contract with the state and federal governments to deliver a certain amount of water to them each year.

But shortages have recently kept them from getting their full allotments. Most farmers got just 10 percent of their contracted allocation in 2009 and could get less this year. —Reuters

Study: Placebo’s effect broader than thought SYDNEY: Drugs may cure the sick, but patients can also benefit from the warmth and wisdom of the doctors treating them, according to a new Australian study into the impact of placebos released yesterday.

Sydney University’s Damien Finniss led a team of international experts who reviewed scientific papers on the impact of placebos, or dummy pills used in control tests, dating back to the 1700s.

They found that not only could placebos be helpful on their own, but that much medical practice-even something as simple as administering a drug-had a similarly comforting impact. “Most people still think of placebo as an effect which occurs in some people when they receive a sham or dummy treatment, usually when studying the effectiveness of a new treatment,”

Finniss said. “But we’ve moved past that.”

Finniss said the research, which has been published in medical journal The Lancet, showed treatments that engage the mind can potentially promote the body’s natural healing mechanisms. “You don’t need a sugar pill to create a placebo effect,” he said. “Our research reveals that placebo effects can occur in routine medical practice across a wide range of medical conditions-and these effects can be therapeutically powerful.”

Finniss said some studies had shown that patients who were given a painkiller that was later replaced with a placebo still continued to report a lessening in their pain, a finding confirmed by brain scans. —AFP

SPECTRUM

Cheryl Cole may file for divorce

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Zoe Saldana dressed like a ʻSci-Fi geekʼ

Ewan McGregor wants to take mutt on bike trip

he ‘Avatar’ actress says she has always been in to fashion and used to experiment with her look while she was growing up. She said: “In high school I was a little bit of everything.

Sometimes I would want to dress like a cheerleader or like a mean girl or the SciFi geek that I usually was. It all depended on my mood, but I always knew that I loved fashion.” Zoe, 31, says her love of clothes stems from her mother, who always encouraged her to take pride in her appearance. She said: “My mum is from the Caribbean so her advice has always been incorporate color in your

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wardrobe. I always end up dressing in black and white - the New York state of mind. But I really do try to listen to my mom’s advice.” The ‘Star Trek’ beauty also revealed she is a huge fan of up-andcoming designer Prabal Gurung, after seeing his show at New York Fashion Week. She told People magazine: “I just went to the Prabal Gurung show and I was absolutely smitten by all their clothes. I was absolutely thrown back by his beautiful collection. There was definitely this black dress that he had with a leather belt and I went crazy for it. I was like, ‘I must have that!’

Miley Cyrus nominated for four Kids Choice Awards

he ‘Hannah Montana’ star has topped the list of nominees for the forthcoming ceremony - which takes place on March 27 after receiving nods for Favorite Singer, Favorite TV Actress and Favorite Movie Actress, as well as Favorite Song for her track ‘Party in the USA’. In both music categories she faces competition from Lady Gaga - whose single ‘Paparazzi’ made the Favorite Song list - and Taylor Swift, whose track ‘You Belong with Me’ was given a nomination. Black Eyed Peas are also up for two awards, Favorite Single for ‘I Gotta Feeling’ and Favorite Group. Actor and comedian Kevin James will host this year’s awards, which take place at Los Angeles’ Edwin W Pauley Pavilion and can barely contain his excitement. The

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44-year-old star joked: “In short, I guess you could say hosting the Kids’ Choice Awards completes me!” However, there may be a little more pressure than expected for the host - as this year’s show comes with the addition of presidential nominees. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have been nominated for their first Kids’ Choice Award in the newly formed category - ‘Cutest Couple’.

They’re up against fictional characters Edward and Bella and Jacob and Bella from ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’ and Neytiri and Jake from ‘Avatar’. Also up for awards are Beyonce Knowles, the Jonas Brothers and Zac Efron. From February 25, viewers will be able to cast their votes in 19 categories on Nickelodeon’s website.

he ‘My Heart Will Go On’ hitmaker and her husband Rene Angelil, 68, are currently undergoing their fifth attempt at in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment in a bid to conceive a sibling for nineyear-old Rene-Charles - who she got pregnant with after seeking medical assistance - and despite being unsuccessful so far, are trying to stay positive. Celine told the Miami Herald newspaper: “It’s not a struggle. It’s life. When you think about it, between you and me, ReneCharles, my son, is a miracle child.

For us, we were extremely lucky he came from the first take. Those are not normal odds. We got very lucky with that, so, for sure, when you try five times-and this is the fifth try people think there’s something wrong but when you look at the odds, it’s almost normal.” The 41year-old star is about to release a

feature-length documentary, ‘Celine Dion Through the Eyes of the World’, which chronicles her ‘Taking Chances’ tour. Despite loving the movie, Celine admits the film footage was never intended to be made public and was just meant to be a personal document of her family life. She explained: “We started bringing friends along to film for us, to bring memories back home. My mom is going to be 83 and my son is going to start school and have his own life and friends.

Let’s make the best of it and take the time and visit and see the world. It was fun as a daughter, a wife, a mom. “We had the cameras with us 24/7 and I forgot that they were there. It was not something for us to share. It was something to bring home. It didn’t take long for Rene to figure out there must be some amazing stuff in there.”

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Taylor Swift is ‘obsessed’ with number 13 T he ‘Love Story’ hitmaker has reportedly been talked out of getting a tattoo of her favorite digit etched onto her arm after her family told her it would be bad for her image. A source told gossip website Absolute Now: “Taylor has this weird connection with the number 13 which goes back to when she was a kid.

It’s her lucky number. Every time she has

won an award she has sat in seat number 13, and the number keeps cropping up in good times for her. “She was even going to get a tattoo on her arm but her folks have stepped in and convinced her it could be kind of

unlucky for her look.” It was previously claimed that Taylor’s friend Miley Cyrus has urged her to get some body art. The 17-year-old ‘Hannah Montana’ star reportedly wanted her pop singer pal to get the words “Just Breathe” - which Miley has etched under her left breast - inked onto her body. However, Taylor, 20, reportedly told her: “My mom would kill me! Besides I hate needles.”

Celine Dion says her son is a ‘miracle’

he British actor - who has previously taken a biking adventure across the world with fellow enthusiast Charley Boorman for documentary series ‘Long Way Round’ - has been preparing his pet to go out on the road with him. He said: “I might go on my own. I’ve got a dog, Sid. I’ve trained him to ride in my side car and I thought we could do a trip together.” He also told how he has even bought the pooch a set of “doggles” - specially adapted goggles - which Sid can wear in the car to stop his eyes drying out when they are on the road.

Sid isn’t the only animal Ewan has been getting close to recently. The actor bonded with the four-legged star of the film ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’, which he starred in alongside George Clooney. He explained: “There was a scene when George and I are lost, and we are sleeping in the desert. I am supposed to be awakened when a goat with a little bell walks by. I follow the goat and it leads us to water. It saves our lives. We did the first take and the goat just ran through. “But in the second take, the goat looked at me and it stopped perfectly in the frame. It stood there looking at me for almost 30 seconds. I looked at the goat and the goat looked at me, then it was almost as if he nodded and just carried on. It was absolutely perfect.”

riends of the ‘Fight for This Love’ singer - whose soccer player husband allegedly cheated on her with an unnamed blonde secretary - claim the 26year-old pop beauty will leave him after growing “exhausted” by allegations of his infidelity. One pal told the Daily Mail newspaper: “Cheryl is holding it together, she is extremely tough - don’t forget she comes from a council estate in Newcastle, England, and is a fighter. “She loves Ashley, he is the love of her life, but there is only so much she will take. “Cheryl is exhausted with it all. There was a point when she was going to ride it all out, but she has heard rumors of more women and cannot face it.

They will split within weeks.” This news comes shortly after a blonde office worker claimed she had slept with Ashley twice in 2008 after exchanging explicit pictures and text messages with the 29-year-old sportsman for weeks. Texts of a similar nature were also found on the phone of glamour model Sonia Wild. If the couple - who wed in July 2006 - do divorce, Cheryl can expect to receive a large percentage of Ashley’s wealth, because they didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement. A legal source said: “This is an unusual situation for a footballer as very few have wives with their own earnings. However, the discrepancy between their net worths means that Mrs Cole would have a very strong case for a significant claim over a large portion of his wealth, now and in the future.”

Cheryl flew to Los Angeles following her performance at the BRITs. The Girls Aloud singer wasn’t wearing her £160,000 engagement or wedding ring before her flight but had a similar gold-colored rock on in its place. A source said: “Cheryl’s most treasured possession is her diamond wedding ring.

She is refusing to wear it. The fact she has replaced it with a decoy is a big two fingers up to Ashley. To onlookers it looks like she’s a married woman - but to Ashley it’s a clear sign that she feels their relationship is in big, big trouble.”

Saturday, February 20, 2010

SPECTRUM

Saturday, February 20, 2010

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Buddhist tattoos gain popularity in Singapore hen Ben Loke wanted to boost his financial prospects, he approached neither his banker nor his broker. Instead, the 35year-old company executive asked a professional tattooist to ink on his back a “sak yant” religious symbol which he hoped would bring him wealth and happiness. “I’m a Buddhist, and the scriptures that are being tattooed on my back will give me some protection,” he said as he prepared to go under a needle wielded by a visiting Thai expert.

The sak yant form of tattooing originated in Thailand and is gaining popularity in Singapore, a predominantly ethnic Chinese city-state with a strong Buddhist and Taoist tradition. Sak yant tattoos, mainly inscriptions of religious texts and animals as well as deity figures, are believed by Buddhists to bring good fortune, courage and self-confidence. It is Loke’s second sak yant tattoo and sits beneath a dragon surrounded by lines of Buddhist text.

Tattoos have come a long way in Singapore. Once associated with gangsters, they are now widely used as expressions of individuality, fashion statements or invitations to divine assistance. Willie Heng, sales executive of Fo Guang Hang, a company specializing in sak yant tattooing, welcomed the growing acceptance of the practice.

“Sak yant is now widely embraced by the general population because of people’s need for a form of spiritual support, aided by the social acceptance of tattoos,” he told AFP at a recent tattoo convention in Singapore.

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More than 300 tattoo artists from around the world, including Chris Garver of the hit television series Miami Ink, attended the Singapore Tat2 Show 2010.

But it was Fo Guang Hang’s tattoo specialist Ajahn Thong, 60, who drew one of the largest crowds. Business was so good that Thong, a Thai sak yant “grandmaster” who flew to Singapore for the show, had to extend his stay after the event to attend to all his customers, Heng said. While some get tattoos just for show, many of Fo Guang Hang’s clients are businessmen looking to use the powers of sak yant to change their fortunes in the wake of the global recession, Heng said.

“They come for luck,” he added. Christopher Tan, 28, who owns sak yant tattoo shop Siam Ink, said he has had customers from diverse age groups and backgrounds. “I got students, bankers, office ladies, PR girls, all kinds of job scope,” he said, adding that the tattoos provide “spiritual support” in times of hardship. “Singapore has a lot of Chinese Buddhists, and many of them believe in this,” said Thailand’s Thong.

Tattooists said Singapore also attracted believers from other countries who fly in for sak yant tattoos. Badr Fyrkree, a banker and amateur muay Thai boxing practitioner from the United Arab Emirates, travelled to Singapore specially to have two tattoos inked onto the back of his hands

by Thong. “I got a power punch and a speed tattoo, and it’s spiritually based to help you not just with your fighting, but with your living,” he said. — AFP

In this picture, Chinese national Sun Hai Yuan smiles as he shows off his Sak yant tattoo on his chest while Sak yant grandmaster Ajahn Thong (right) rests in Singapore.

— AFP

British Council photography expo on architecture to open he British Council announced that its major photography project My Father’s House: The architecture of cultural heritage, will open in Doha on Tuesday, February 23, 2010 in Waqif Art Centre including talks by most of the contributing artists. The announcement was made at a special Round Table Discussion for the Press at which details of this unique project were released. The one year-long tour, which started in Oman, Bahrain, UAE, and Saudi Arabia uses architecture as a motif to explore the role and value of heritage in defining cultural identity. In Qatar it has hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Arts and Heritage as part of Doha Capital of Arab Culture 2010 activities.

A free public exhibition of lensbased artistic projects forms the centre-piece of My Father’s House, and stimulates debate about the role and influence buildings have in shaping a nation’s identity. This is accompanied by a supporting programme of activities, My Father’s House provides an opportunity for all of us to take part and to reflect on its theme - whether it is by listening to the artists’ experiences in developing their works through an Exclusive Artist Gallery Tours (February 24 - 25, 2010) seizing the chance with an interactive tour with My Father’s House artists to hear at first-hand details of an individual’s creative process and what brought them individually to produce work related to one of the exhibition’s themes.

There is something for everyone in My Father’s House programme which in Qatar includes tour guide workshop, regional creative writing workshop, film making workshop, community photographic workshop and photographic treasure hunt competition for family and friends. These activities encourage us all to take a fresh look at our surroundings, to consider the impact they have on our environment and society and how we value our cultural heritage.

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My Father’s House is part of the British Council’s work in the region to promote the value and power of cultural relations in raising awareness, building understanding, creating opportunities and improving trust between countries of the Middle East and the UK. The British Council has an international

mented the byways and alleyways of Bahraini life. Lamya Hussain Gargash is a young Emirati photographer whose photography portrays the transformation of the UAE’s urban landscape as the traditional makes way for the onset of modernity and homogenisation.

Hafiz Ali Ali is a documentary film mak-

(Left) Lana Kayed and Simon Winetroube reputation for nurturing young talent, and for this exhibition, five upcoming artists from the Middle East, and three established UK photographers have been commissioned to make new photographic projects, each responding in very individual way to the theme of My Father’s House.

The artists are: Tim Loveless, who specializes in the documentation of historic buildings and archaeological sites, and has worked on humanitarian projects documenting mass graves in Iraq and former Yugoslavia. Wed AbdulJawad hails from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and has studied extensively in the US. Her pinhole images of Jeddah capture a rarely seen facet of Saudi life. Officially recognised as first Yemeni female photographer, Boushra Almutawakel has been published in leading international design and photography publications.

Camille Zakharia is a decorated Lebanese photographer who has docu-

er who has gained global acclaim for his films The Oryx Returns and Cab Driver. Hafiz Ali meditates on the contemporary medium of story-telling: cinema is not only a channel of cultural influence, but also, and particularly in Qatar, the architecture of the movietheatres themselves has shaped and changed social habits. Hafiz’s short documentary film recounts the history of cinema in Qatar, from its introduction in the 1940s, with open-air screenings staged by oil companies for their workers (and therefore a men-only activity), to the plush theatres now incorporated into every shopping mall (making it an acceptable leisure activity for families and women).

Moreover, the films themselves introduced new role-models and symbols, vistas and dreams to Qatari society, from Egyptian epics depicting historical figures of Arab pride such as Antar ibin Shaddad, to Western epics such as

Titanic depicting romance and escape.

Tim Hetherington is photographer and filmmaker who has reported on conflict and social issues for over ten years.

Based in New York, he is the recipient of numerous awards - most recently the Grand Jury Prize at this years Sundance Film Festival for his documentary Restrepo. Hazel Thompson is a UK photojournalist based in London, whose passion lies in documenting social and humanitarian subjects. Injustice towards women and children, and identity within religion are among her central themes. Their exhibits include large-scale photography, audio-visual installations and film, inspired by subjects as diverse as the oral tradition of story-telling, cinema, domestic life, the influence of women in society, changing landscapes and water resources, and archaeological and restoration projects.

Speaking further on the soon to be opened event British Council Director Simon Winetroube said “The British Council is very pleased to bring My Father’s House to Qatar. We know that Qatar is expanding rapidly and its architectural and cultural heritage is being transformed. We are also aware that this reality inspires many artists, be they amateurs or seasoned photographers or filmmakers. Cultural heritage and architecture are the symbols of our identity and the Middle East is a dynamic region with striking contrasts between the old and the new. Sharing this knowledge will help to build a better understanding and trust between the different cultures of the Middle East and the UK.’ Lana Kayed, Projects Manager said: ‘My Father’s House is a fascinating illustration of eight artists’ responses to the impact of buildings on cultural heritage. My Father’s House is adding a new dimension to the activity calendar of celebrating Doha as the Capital of Arab Culture, since the celebration supports creativity and innovation while providing a means for communicating and preserving Qatar’s culture, My Father’s House blends perfectly with the effort and this is what makes it an interesting event.’’

Avatar, and Hurt Locker lead BAFTA race irroring the Oscars, Britain’s top film awards the BAFTAs pit 3-D blockbuster “Avatar” against low-budget Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker”, directed by former husband and wife James Cameron and Kathryn Bigelow respectively. The movies have eight nominations each, as does British film “An Education”, going into the awards ceremony tomorrow.

Cameron’s Avatar is the most successful movie of all time at the box office with global ticket sales of $2.4 billion. It broke the record held by “Titanic”, also directed by Cameron.

At the other end of the scale, The Hurt Locker, about a US bomb disposal unit working under intense psychological pressure, has taken less than $18 million in ticket sales worldwide, according to tracking website boxofficemojo.com. Avatar was nominated for best film, director, cinematography,

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editing, music, production design, sound and special visual effects. The Hurt Locker is on the shortlist for best film, director, original screenplay, actor, cinematography, editing, sound and special visual effects.

An Education, a coming-of-age film set in 1961, is contesting best film, British film, director, actress, supporting actor, adapted screenplay, costume design and make up & hair. Among the big Hollywood names in contention are Quentin Tarantino for best director for World War Two caper “Inglourious Basterds”, George Clooney for best actor (“Up in the Air”) and Meryl Streep (“Julie & Julia”).

The BAFTAs come with the awards season in full swing, although they are an unreliable guide to the movie world’s biggest prize, the Academy Awards. The Oscars are announced on March 7.

Following is a list of the main BAFTA nominations: Best film - Avatar; An Education; The Hurt Locker; Precious; Up in the Air Outstanding British film - An Education; Fish Tank; In the Loop; Moon; Nowhere Boy Best director - James Cameron/Avatar; Neill Blomkamp/District 9; Lone Scherfig/An Education; Kathryn Bigelow/The Hurt Locker; Quentin Tarantino/Inglourious Basterds Foreign language film - Broken Embraces; Coco Before Chanel; Let The Right One In; A Prophet; The White Ribbon Animated film - Coraline; Fantastic Mr Fox; Up Leading actor - Jeff Bridges/Crazy

Unearthing the riches of Ur in war-ravaged Iraq he buried antiquities of Ur, Biblical birthplace of Abraham and one of the cradles of civilization, could one day outshine those of ancient Egypt, archaeologists and workers on the site believe.

With Iraq ravaged by war and strife since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, Baghdad’s struggling government has had greater priorities than funding large-scale digs at Ur, where only small teams have been working since 2005. “When the (largescale) excavations restart, tons of antiquities will see the light of day, filling entire museum wings,” enthused Dhaif Moussin, who is in charge of protecting a site that has been prone to looting.

“This site will become perhaps more important than Giza,” he added, referring to the plateau outside the Egyptian capital of Cairo where some of mankind’s most treasured antiquities have been unearthed, including the Sphinx and several notable pyramids.

That may not be just an idle boast. In the early 1900s, American archaeologist Charles Leonard Woolley made some stunning finds when he unearthed 16 tombs of Ur’s elite.

Inside he found some of the greatest treasures of antiquity, including a golden dagger encrusted with lapis lazuli, an intricately carved golden statue of a ram caught in a thicket, a lyre decorated with a bull’s head and the gold headdress of a Sumerian queen.

Those treasures have been compared to the riches from the tomb of the Egyptian boy-king, Tutankhamun, but they excite archaeologists even

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more because the graves at Ur are more than 1,000 years older.

Archaeologically, the most astonishing find of Ur has been a remarkably well-preserved stepped platform, or ziggurat, which dates back to the third millennium BC, when it was part of a temple complex that served as the administrative centre of the Sumerian capital. To date, hardly 20 percent of the site has been excavated, mainly

by American and British archaeologists.

“Some archaeologists estimate it will take more than 30 years to dig out the entire city,” said Moussin, surveying the site. Ur lies near a US air base just outside the southern city of Nasiriyah, a major battle ground of the American invasion. “It is certain that much more material remains to be discovered,” said Steve Tinney, professor of Assyriology at the University of Pennsylvania which, together with the British Museum, sponsored Woolley’s excavations between 1922 and 1934.

Ur of the Chaldees, as it is mentioned in the Bible, was one of the great urban centers of the Sumerian civilization of southern Iraq and remained an important city until its conquest by Alexander the Great a few centuries before Christ. It is thought to have reached its apogee under King UrNammu, an accomplished warrior and founder of Sumer’s third dynasty, who is believed to have lived between 2112 and 2095 BC. During his rule, the Sumerian capital boasted paved roads, tree-lined avenues, schools, poets, scribes, and stunning works of art and architecture of the kind discovered by Woolley and his team. The

kingdom was governed by a real administration and code of laws. Sumerian script, called cuneiform, is the earliest known writing system in the world. Tinney said he hoped for the discovery of texts that would shed light on the culture and polytheistic religion of the Sumerians.

“We do not have literature on Ur-Nammu and his successors, the Sumerians or their rituals,” Tinney said.

The site would be unequalled in the world if it proves to be the birthplace of Abraham, revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, said Moussin. Woolley wanted to prove that Abraham had lived in Ur, after discovering Abraham’s name on a brick unearthed there. But for all of its former glory, Ur is likely to remain buried under the site that is protected by a fragile barrier and some guards, lost in a country rocked by violence and more worried about rebuilding its present capital.

“Much remains to be done, and an endeavor must be authorized together with the central government if Iraq wants to benefit from its enormous potential as a Mecca of tourism,” said Anna Prouse, an Italian diplomat in charge of a regional rebuilding team in the Iraqi province of Dhi Qar. In addition to Ur, the province has 47 other sites “of great archaeological value,” she added. The provincial authorities do not have the budget to start titanic archaeological excavations because they are focusing on restoring electricity, sewerage systems, schools, roads, and drinking water for their war-ravaged population, Prouse said. — AFP

Heart; George Clooney/Up in the Air; Colin Firth/A Single Man; Jeremy Renner/The Hurt Locker; Andy Serkis/Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll Leading actress - Carey Mulligan/An Education; Saoirse Ronan/The Lovely Bones; Gabourey Sidibe/Precious; Meryl Streep/Julie & Julia; Audrey Tautou/Coco Before Chanel Supporting actor - Alec Baldwin/It’s Complicated; Christian McKay/Me and Orson Welles; Alfred Molina/An Education; Stanley Tucci/The Lovely Bones; Christoph Waltz/Inglourious Basterds Supporting actress - Anne-Marie Duff/Nowhere Boy; Vera Farmiga/Up in the Air; Anna Kendrick/Up in the Air; Mo’Nique/Precious; Kristin Scott Thomas/Nowhere Boy. — Reuters

People visit the stepped Ziggurat temple, a three-tiered edifice dating back to 2113 BC, in the ancient city of Ur in southern Iraq. — AFP

SPECTRUM

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Saturday, February 20, 2010

Muted luxury reigns at NY Fashion Week s fashionistas headed across the Atlantic to London’s Fashion Week yesterday, the takeaway theme of New York’s Autumn-Winter presentation was clear-toned down luxury. Two pillars of US readyto-wear fashion-Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein-rounded out the shows at Bryant Park, which are followed by a stylista migration to shows in London, then Milan and finally Paris. Last September, Lauren showed a collection directly inspired by the gloomy economic times, featuring clothes reminiscent of the 1930s and the Great Depression.

This season, the celebrated designer, now 70, returned to the staples for which he is renowned: tweed, frock coats and sophisticated sportswear. He chose warm autumn tones for tailored trousers and jackets, and green, russet and faded pink patterns for delicate dresses. Menswear jackets and vests featured heavi-

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ly, worn loose or cinched with belts.

Some dresses were paired with cashmere cardigans or sweaters, while knitted wool and even fur leggings kept the models’ ankles and calves warm. The handbags were hefty and some also came covered with fur, which has made a comeback on the runways this season. Some designers showed fake fur, but more often than not it was real animal fur-much to the dismay of animal rights activists-and it appeared on boleros, capes, cuffs and collars.

At Calvin Klein, artistic director Francisco Costa put out a line that was simple and pure, largely in black and white, with the occasional bold flash of cobalt.

Sporting sky-high heels, models walked out in simple sheaths and futuristic jackets with rounded shoulders and raglan sleeves.

The looks were paired with minimal make-up and tightly slicked

and parted hair, giving the collection a look that was elegant, stark and cold.

Klein’s collection, particularly the fitted sheaths, made clear the delicate frames of the models he used, as the fashion world erupted once again into a debate over the weight of fashion models.

Among the girls walking the runway was Monika Jagaciak, who at 16 has already spent three years in the industry as a top model.

Along with other model favorites, she wears a US size zero-the standard sample size used by designers-and is tall but reedthin, like almost all of her peers.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America recently held a discussion on whether sample sizes should be altered to reflect more realistic body images and Canadian superstar model Coco Rocha made headlines by telling the US media that designers were overlooking her in fashion show castings because

she was not thin enough.

The 21-year-old is a US size 4, stands five foot and eight inches (1.78 meters) tall and weighs 110 pounds (50 kilos). Rocha walked Sunday in designer Diane Von Furstenberg’s show and was also featured in Zac Posen’s presentation, but told newspapers including The New York Times that she had seen interest in her wane and had even been asked to lose weight.

Rocha’s comments came after 22-year-old Australian Gemma Ward said she had gone from being one of the most photographed models in the world at 16 to being out of work after gaining some weight in 2007.

Doutzen Kroes, a model from the Netherlands, has reportedly found her own solution. She has won a contract with lingerie company Victoria’s Secret, known for favoring models with the curves to best showcase their products. — AFP

Footwear is organized backstage before the Tommy Hilfiger show at the Fall 2010 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, February 18, 2010. —AFP

The fall 2010 collection of J Mendel is presented during Fashion Week, in New York, Thursday, Feb 18, 2010. —AP

Sober mood as London Fashion Week kicks off he wife of Britain’s prime minister opened London’s semiannual fashion extravaganza yesterday with a tribute to the late designer Alexander McQueen. Sarah Brown, the wife of Gordon Brown, said the sevenday event would be a “reflective time with sadness at the passing” of McQueen.

The British designer, known for his cutting edge creations, hanged himself only days after his mother’s death. McQueen’s apparent suicide will darken fashion week, normally a time of champagne and frivolity. A wall of condolences for McQueen was set up inside the cavernous fashion tent pitched in the courtyard of Somerset House.

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Models wear outfits by designer Paul Costelloe for his Autumn/Winter 2010 collection at London Fashion Week in London yesterday. — AP Writing her message with a magic marker, 18-year-old Hayley Roberts said McQueen’s death “was the biggest shock all year.”

Other tributes read: “What a waste” and “long live McQueen.”

McQueen was a central force in helping make London cool again in the 1990s - an enfant terrible who turned catwalk shows into performance art.

The son of a London cabbie, his humble roots served as an inspiration to emerging designers. He urged the young to remain true to their visions. London’s Fashion Week is not as prestigious as its cousins in New York and Paris, but has long promoted its homegrown talent who add an edgy touch to their clothes. Paul Costelloe, Vivienne Westwood and Burberry are all set to show their autumn/winter collections. — AP

Models display Fall/Winter designs by Francis Montesinos during the Pasarela Cibeles fashion week in Madrid yesterday. — AP

Models display outfits by designer Agatha Ruiz de la Prada yesterday. — AFP

Saturday, February 20, 2010

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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Announcements TODAY Islamic courses: Under the auspices of KIG Education Board, Islamic courses will be conducted for students from 8th to 12th standard on Saturdays at IPC Khaitan Branch. The first class of this kind shall be conducted on coming Saturday 20th February, 2010 from 8 am till 12 noon. Well trained instructors will conduct classes with the aid of multimedia and syllabus made for the over all development of the students with Islamic Orientation includes various Islamic studies, Quran, Hadees and Fiqh.

For more details parents are requested to contact Abdurazack Nadvi 97261957/65597389.

■■■■■■■ FEBRUARY 23 Lecture on diabetes: Correlation between diabetes and obesity by Dr. Dhari Al-Own. What is the definition of obesity? What are its side effects, how can one calculate his BMI (Body mass Index? How can we calculate our calorie requirements? And how can we avoid obesity and diabetes? In his 20-minute presentation, Dr. Dhari will answer all this questions and many more. When? Tuesday February 23rd at 7pm at AWARE. ■■■■■■■ FEBRUARY 24-27 Islamic seminar: Kuwait Kerala Islahi Centre is organizing a 4 day-long Islamic Seminar at Farwaniya Garden Ground starting from February 24 to 27 and will be under the patronage of His Excellency Deputy Prime Minister for Legal Affairs, Minister of Justice and Awqaf & Islamic Affairs Advisor Rashid Abdul Mohsin Al Hammad. Assistant Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs Ibrahim Al-Saleh, Advisor for Minister of Awqaf & Islamic Affairs Shaikh Jassem Muhammed Al Farhan, Director of Department of Justice Salem Abdullah AlHassan, Shaikh Yousuf Shuaib and Shaikh Khalid Sinan from Ministry of Awqaf & Islamic Affairs will be attending the Islamic Seminar Inauguration program. Indian Ambassador Ajay Malhotra will be inaugurating Exhibiton, Vision-2010 on Feb 24. All are invited to attend this program with your families and friends.

Veranda Café at Movenpick indulges your sweet tooth he cozy coffee shop is located on the ground floor with an extension on the mezzanine level as well and is considered the sweetest corner of the hotel at Movenpick Hotel & Resort Al-Bida’a. Comfortable sofas and armchairs ensure that you feel instantly at home. Like in a traditional European coffee shop you

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choose your pastry from the fresh display counter.

Strawberry cheese cake, Black berry , Tiramisu, Apple tarts, Chocolate cake and Mango cake to name just a few of them. Combined with Movenpick coffee specialties or freshly squeezed juices, this is the perfect afternoon treat. Not to forget that little piece of Swiss

chocolate, that comes with the coffee and instantly melts on your tongue. In addition to a new stick menu which includes US Black Angus Beef Fillet Steak, US Black Angus T-Bone Steak and much more.

Last but certainly not least, is the English Cream Tea, newly launched at the Veranda Café and it starts

daily from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm and it offers an array of aromatic teas and fine coffees served with scones , freshly baked cakes and tasty sandwiches. Veranda Café is the ideal venue for a quiet business meeting or a relaxing coffee with friends. For more information, please call: 22253100 ext: 5425.

TDP starts membership campaign

■■■■■■■ FEBRUARY 26 IOC fest ’09 winners: Indian Overseas Congress, Kuwait is conducting its 16th Annual day celebrations on Friday, 26th February 2010 at Indian Central School Auditorium, Abbassiya. Various Senior Congress leaders from Kerala including K.C Joseph MLA, E.M Augasthy Ex. MLA, V.D Satheeshan MLA will be attending the function. IOC as an organisation of equally minded people from India, have been anchored with a vision of imparting the spirit of economically prosperous, socialy just, politically united and culturally Harmonious India to the expatriate Indian Community. The uncomparable public speeches of V.D Satheeshan, E.M. Augusthy and KC Joseph will be memorable talks to the Congressmen in Kuwait. Since few years LOC is conducting Arts festival for all the Indians in Kuwait. More than one thousand participants from all States of India are participating in various competitions organised. every year. The winners of IOC Fest ‘09 will be awarded with prizes and certificates at the function. Various committees under the leadership of M.A Hilal, Somu Mathew Geevarghese Abraham, Raju Zakarias, K.J. John, John Abraham, Tony Mathew, Adv. John Thomas, C. Ramachandran, Thajudeen, Alex Bino Joseph, Varghese Mamparampan, Shaji Kavalam, are actively working to make this a memorable event among the Indians in Kuwait. IOC requests all the IOC Fest ‘09 winners to contact Tony Mathew (66853100) or Raju Zakarias (99234968).

■■■■■■■ MARCH 26 CRYcket 2010: The 13th annual crycket tournament is scheduled to be held on Friday, 26th March 2010 at the KOC Hockey Grounds, Ahmadi. This tournament is organized by FOCC (Friends of Cry Club). Friends of CRY Club (FOCC) is associated with CRY (Child Rights and You), India and its main objectives are to create awareness of the underprivileged Indian children, help restore their basic rights, strive to provide support in personal development of the Indian children in Kuwait and bring out the qualities of social commitment in them.

FOCC has been organizing CRY awareness programmes for children through its two annual events - CRYcket (Cricket match for children below 14 years organized annually since 1997) and CRY chess tournament (for children of all ages organized annually since 2005) - and ‘Brain Bang’ programme which is an ongoing bi-weekly Accelerated Learning activity.

CRYcket will be played by 24 teams of children and about 500 spectators are expected for this special one-day event. The deadline to receive the registration forms is 18th March 2010, however registration may be close earlier if the available slots of 12 teams in each category are filled. A colourful souvenir will be released to mark the 13th year of FOCC’s activities in Kuwait. For details how to become a sponsor and/or to advertise in the Souvenir or to volunteer as a FOCC member, pls visit www.focckwt.org or email focckwt@yahoo.com

ravasandhra Telugu Desam Party, Kuwait started membership enrollment campaign yesterday. On the occasion of enrollment campaign, it organized a meeting with more than hundred Telugu people in Hawally.

Speaking on the occasion, organizers have recalled the services of NTR, and Telugu Desam Party for the poor and downtrodden

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while crediting him for protecting the Telugu pride. Pravasandhra Telugu Desam party Adviser Mulakala Subbarayudu Naidu calls every Telugu Desam Party follower to put effort to help the party grow.

TDP President N Chandra Babu Naidu, Polit bureau members KE Krishna Moorthy, Jitendar Reddy conveyed their message

Raja Naidu, Perugu Srinivas, Jayamma, Polarapu Babu Naidu, Sailaja, JD Prasad Rao, Sailaja, Polineni Santaram Naidu, Kapela Chadra Sekhar Naidu, Nagarjun Reddy, K Chandra, Rafi, participated in this event.

Telugu Kala Samiti President Ch Hari Prasad, Kalanjali Kuwait President Murali Manohar also convey their wishes to organizers.

FAIPS students bring laurels he grade XII and grade X students of FAIPS-DPS brought honour and glory to the school with their brilliant performance in the CBSE All India Senior Secondary and Secondary School Examination 2009. Two students, in particular, have kept the DPS flag flying high with their outstanding results.

Somashree Poddar, Class XII (Science) secured the Second Position in both Kuwait and Gulf while Immanuel Rhema achieved top honors by securing First Position in Kuwait and Second place in the Gulf.

Both these students have been awarded Gold Medals and Merit Certificates by the Council of CBSE affiliated Schools in the Gulf.

Indeed a performance worth emulating! The FAIPS family congratulates the students for their meritorious achievement.

Meanwhile, DPS Society had organized a DPS Science and Mathematics Talent Examination in India and abroad.

Approximately 11,000 students from Class IX from all Delhi Public Schools in India and

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Akshit abroad participated in Level Exam. First 500 rank holders were shortlisted for level II Exam. Two bright students of Fahaheel Al Watanieh Indian Private School (DPS) Kuwait

Rhema

AWS are happy to announce their first event of 2010 will be the 5th Annual Paws for the Cause Dog Show in the beautiful British Embassy Gardens on 5th March 2010. Registration is now open for entry into the Dog Show.

The gate will open at 11am and the show will close at 4pm.

This year will be bigger and better than ever with 9 categories in all including the new category best Rescue dog.

Whether your dog is the most obedient, can do the best trick or just simply looks adorable or is getting on a bit then there will be a category for you. There is even the most mysterious heritage category for those with a questionable pedigree!

It’s a lot of fun and very light-hearted so why not see if your Mutt has a little bit of star quality. Alternatively you may just want to come and show off your pampered pooch and watch the show. The choice is yours.

As well as the Dog Competitions there will be a Military Dog Display and stalls offering refreshments including a BBQ and tea and cakes so you can enjoy a tasty lunch in the gardens.

Other stalls include pet products, a bookstall, Bric a Brac, bouncy castle, face

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birthday Ria! With best wishes from Baba, Happy Mama, Papa and Diya.

Shanon

proved just that. Akshit Tripathi (Class IX) and Shanon Sequera (Class IX) proved their mettle by acquiring 25th and 125th ranks respectively in the All India Science and

PAWS 2010 dogs show

■■■■■■■ April 16 Friends of Kannur holds drama competition: Friends of Kannur Expatriates Association (FOKE) is arranging a drama competition for their forthcoming fifth anniversary celebration. Competition will be held on April 16th at Daiya Auditorium. Applications are invited from all art lovers in Kuwait to participate in this drama competition. Drama should be in Malayalam language and should be less than 40 minutes duration. For further details you may contact 65071434, 99860832.

through tele-conference from NTR Bhavan, Hyderbad. Malepati Suresh Babu, Pidikiti Srinivasa Chodary, Koduru Venkata Siva Rao, Jagadeesh Reddy, Vali, Noor, Vinay, Nazeer Basha, Laxmipathi, Anand Reddy, M Reddeiah Naidu, Yogi Venkatesh, D Srinivasaachari, Peram Ramana, Mulakala Jyothy Laxmi Subbarayudu Naidu, Radhika Kiran, Potturu

painting and many more.

Dog Classes are already filling so hurry and get your application in. And remember You do not need a dog to come along and enjoy a fun-filled family day.

This promises to be a great day out for the whole family so if you wish to attend then visit our website at www.pawskuwait.org to download the application form Completed registration forms can then be left at The Cutting Edge Salon, Salmiya 25718001 or Soho Salon Fintas, 23902077. Please ensure your form, with correct admission fee, is placed in a sealed envelope at either salon.

Registration closes March 2nd. There will unfortunately be no admittance to you or your pets to the British Embassy on the day without pre-registration. No ‘walk-ins’ by un-registered guests can be permitted.

PAWS-Protecting Animal Welfare Society, Kuwait is affiliated to KEPS, Kuwait Environmental Protection Society, WSPA, World Society for the Protection of Animals, The RSPCA International and MENAW, Middle East Network for Animal Welfare E-mail at pawsq8@yahoo.com, Tel: 99440089

Somashree Mathematics Talent Exam - Level II held on 10th January 2010. Kudos to the teachers and students for bringing laurels to the school.

SPECTRUM

16 CROSSWORD 906

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Calvin Aries (March 21-April 19) Today is the day you

decide to put an end to some discourse in the office.

This could be with anyone from a higher-up, a coworker or a maintenance person in your office building. Whatever the case, now is the time to improve negative conditions. Tonight may be the big night for a camping trip and this or some other fun activity will be on your mind much of the day. The comradeship, the stars, the campfire, the fish and the coffee made out-of-doors are all parts of this trip. This will be a good time to let yourself feel free and unencumbered. You will gather fun memories to take you through the rest of this winter. You may have decided recently that you would like to move. This is a good time to talk and plan about where, how and when.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You are in the mood to

argue with a higher up in your place of business today. You may, however, be just as determined to maintain control of your emotions—this is good.

You will eventually succeed in having the last word. This endeavor to prove a point may turn out to be more positive than it began—perhaps, because of the ability you both have to compromise. You have a tiger in your tank and a desire for all sorts of group activities. If you have neglected your health over the last few months, you would be wise to schedule in some checkup appointments. You may enjoy a creative adventure this afternoon.

This may involve keeping young people busy, gardening, creative writing, sewing, music, etc.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. A cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt.

4. United States labor organizer who ran for President as a socialist (1855-1926).

8. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

11. A drug combination found in some over-the-counter headache remedies (Aspirin and Phenacetin and Caffeine).

12. The sixth month of the civil year.

13. Call upon in supplication.

14. Of flax, hemp, or jute, so as to promote loosening of the fibers form the woody tissue.

15. A bachelor's degree in religion.

16. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

18. Someone who works (or provides workers) during a strike.

20. Related by blood.

21. Before noon.

22. Marked by or showing unaffected simplicity and lack of guile or worldly experience.

25. Food for domestic livestock.

26. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

28. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

30. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk.

33. A state in midwestern United States.

34. Being one hundred more than three hundred.

35. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

36. (astronomy) The angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing.

39. An independent agency of the United States government responsible for aviation and spaceflight.

44. The capital of Western Samoa.

46. A master's degree in business.

47. British artist and writer of nonsense verse (1812-1888).

48. An informal term for a father.

49. A close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities.

DOWN 1. Gymnastic apparatus consisting of two parallel wooden bars supported on uprights.

2. An organization of countries formed in 1961 to agree on a common policy for the sale of petroleum.

3. Any isomeric saturated hydrocarbon found in petroleum and used as a fuel and solvent.

4. A light touch or stroke.

5. A doctor's degree in education.

6. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

7. A historical region in central and northern Yugoslavia.

8. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

9. Large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal.

10. Small terrestrial lizard of warm regions of the Old World.

17. An associate degree in nursing.

19. An emblem (a small piece of plastic or cloth or metal) that signifies your status (rank or membership or affiliation etc.).

23. A sheet or band of fibrous connective tissue separating or binding together muscles and organs etc.

24. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

27. The cry made by sheep.

29. A federal agency that supervises carriers that transport goods and people between states.

31. With the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe.

32. An oil port in southern Iraq.

37. A small cake leavened with yeast.

38. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples.

40. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

41. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

42. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

43. (folklore) Fairies that are somewhat mischievous.

45. A doctor's degree in optometry.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You are lucky enough to pick and choose when it comes to dating. For now, however, play it low key and let others come to you. One good birth sign for you is your exact opposite and one with whom you both may enjoy living life together. Even though this is a work day, your mind may be on finding that right person as a mate—relax. You will manage to get many things accomplished, even though you may again be thinking about how to enhance or achieve a love relationship. Your sense of humor is top-class and any problem today will be met with a bit of your own humor. You are intelligent and full of light as you can be—you may become more involved with the politics in your neighborhood—it is right up your alley; so-to-speak.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You seem a bit absent minded today. It seems to take extra energy to stay in focus. In order to achieve your goals in the professional or educational activities that you are involved with now, you will need to stay focused. Write down your chores and then move forward. Writing little notes to yourself may free you from any confusion. You will mentally see things in a better light as well. By late morning, you will have work under control—it does require all of your attention. By late afternoon, a call from a loved one may leave you wanting more. This afternoon, take time to listen to that special person in your life.

By asking questions, you will come to understand how to reach a solution to some situation about which you may have had concern.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You will soon find the right job that will stimulate your mind. Keep on keeping on . . . there are plenty of rewards ahead—you are one to persevere. When communicating today, act from knowledge as well as a bit of intuition—you will be pleased with the results. There may be a great deal of financial panic with your monetary situation at this time because it is so difficult to gauge. However, if you have a plan and stay within your budget—you will be pleased at the results. This weekend there will be a few important things to attend to before running off for a little R & R. While you may not realize it, you are a mentor to many. There are opportunities to deepen an important relationship tonight.

Attempt to create a whistling, kazoo or rhythm-guessing contest.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Your attitude today is one of gratitude. Everyone seems to be in a state of change or focused on work. Make a concentrated effort to bring and keep a balance in your day. Someone is still trying to get you to loan money or invest with them in the greatest money-making deal you will encounter—so they say. It is best that you say no to this most wonderful sounding proposition and keep busy in other directions. Your sense of humor turns a negative situation into a positive happening around the work place. Good for you! You may want to begin a dream journal soon.

Set a small flash light, a pen and a notebook upon which to record your dreams. Your dreams have deep insight into the progress you are making toward your goals.

Libra (September 23-October 22) You may be elected to guide a new co-worker today. You help them become acquainted with their surroundings.

It is certain that they will feel at home right away.

If challenged in any way today, you will have to bite your tongue before speaking. Find time to think things through before speaking, if possible—you will be pleased with the results. You could be getting ready for a weekend trip this afternoon. Packing is in order . . . do not forget to check the tires and fluids before starting out in bad weather. You and your loved one/s will have fun planning the upcoming events for this weekend. This is a wonderful time to deepen a relationship. Giving flowers or some other token of your esteem to a loved one at this time will bring rich rewards.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may not be like

certain comedy entertainers, but you have fine wit.

While you can be very serious when appropriate, you tend to lighten the stress by adding a few light-hearted words. Feeding the positive parts of you—you are able to stay on track with your wonderful attitude towards life. In continuing to be successful in your profession and personal life, you must remain flexible. You are very nurturing and could probably be a stay-at-home Dad, or Mom; as well as a workaholic Mother or Father.

Take care to nurture those at home as well as the friends you have in other places. This is a good time to enjoy some type of activity that helps others. You may decide to help in some sort of food bank service.

Music is invigorating later this evening!

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You should love being around people today. This may prove to be a great day! Whether you are a substitute teacher or a full time lecturer, you love politics and may be looking forward to involving yourself in some political involvement this evening. This may be community service or a theology meeting. Whatever the case . . . you shine through clear communication. This is a rewarding day—there are still many tasks to complete before this day has ended. This evening, you may celebrate someone else’s success. Through their success, your little light will also shine. This evening, you could meet a great person that will become your mate. If you are already involved with a great companion, this evening is a great time to show appreciation of each other.

Yesterday’s Solution

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Your

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

health is good now and you may be feeling on top of the world—this is a good time to begin the habit of physical exercise. Walking will do nicely!

Someone may pull you into teaching or taking a creative class soon; perhaps a fun cooking class.

Work does not end at five o’clock today—a volunteer group may want your attention this evening. This could turn out to be one of those life situations that you will never forget. A little bit of work in this volunteer group will give you more return for your effort than you ever thought possible. This could mean that you will learn more about the people in this volunteer group—music, physical therapy, animals, etc., etc. While your work supports you, you may find the volunteer group is your inspiration.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) The anticipation of a special date this evening makes it hard to concentrate in the work place today. However, you are none-the-less, able to make work your top priority. You are able to create work—talk with representatives and complete tasks successfully. This evening you are home in time to change into that new outfit you have been planning to wear. You can make positive impressions and turn heads at a social affair this evening. Do not hesitate to network in your social surroundings, it will help you to focus and define your own goals. Of course, this evening your date will be your upper most priority. If you are not in an artistic career now, and you want to be, a guest at this party could help you reach that goal—network.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) Work progress may be a bit slow today. It seems as though there are plenty of interruptions. Much power and creative expression can be enjoyed. Don’t be afraid to show others what you can do. You may find new ways to advertise or you will write a news release for your company that will create firm profits. By using your creative talents and abilities, you will stand out from the usual and gain some positive recognition. You welcome the chance to let-your-light-shine. Professional attention is possible. Your health can be vastly improved by some physical activity—begin today. Also, this is a day when you could meet that special love. If you are not involved in a love relationship, one will enter your life soon; smile.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

17 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near Classic typing center, for a bachelor.

Contact: 66829585. (C 20355) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya CAC, separate bathroom, spacious room ready for occupancy. Call: 99412951.

(C 20358) Accommodation available for Indian bachelors, central A/C, big room, near UAE Bank building, old Riggae.

Contact: 99709823. (C 20356) Furnished sharing accommodation available in Mangaf Block 3, for working ladies & executive bachelor, two bathrooms, internet connection.

Contact: 67008764, 99468018. (C 20359) One furnished room available near Indian Central School, Abbassiya, for decent bachelor or small family from 25th Feb. Indians only, reasonable rent.

Contact: 99764178.

(C 20360) 19-2-2010 Sharing accommodation available for single girls.

Contact: 97527233.

(C 20348)

Sharing accommodation available for Christian couples or working ladies in Abbassiya. Please contact: 66538532. (C 20347) Sharing accommodation available in Salmiya behind Appolo, for Indian bachelors. Contact: 97961405/ 66176090. (C 20349) Sharing accommodation available for executive bachelor/ couples/ visiting family (preferred Christian) in a 3BHK, 2 bathroom centralized A/C flat near Shara Amman, Salmiya. Interested may please call 66624123.

(C 20346) Rent for a single family, new building C-A/C, attached bathroom, water & electricity charge is free, rent KD 90, location is near Abbassiya Indian Integrated school & Bharatia Vidya Bhavan.

Contact: 66548128. (C 20350) Room in C-A/C flat with separate bathroom in Sharq near Mughal Mahal restaurant for working ladies from March 1st. Please contact: 99567689 or 55197093.

(C 20345) To let, a spacious furnished room in a flat, to a decent executive bachelor, rent KD 75, payable from March 2010. Independent toilet & to avail kitchen facility.

Location B始neid Al Gar. Call 97407275 for more details.

18-2-2010 There is accommodation available for one Keralite bachelor near United Indian School, Abbassiya. Contact: 24348576, 66288012.

(C 20344) 17-2-2010 Sharing accommodation furnished one room available in Sharq CA/C, 2 bathrooms, for Indian couple or 2 working ladies or one executive bachelor. Rent KD 100.

Contact: 99849490. (C 20340) Sharing accommodation available for bachelors or a small family Goan or Mangalorean to share with a small Mangalorean family.

Two bedroom flat, window A/C near Rashid hospital Shara Amman. Contact: 66132003 or 94969047.

(C 20338) 16-2-2010 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

FOR SALE BMW 740i black 1996 model, 220,000 kms with beige leather seats in good condition. Contact: 97201151.

(C 20353) Furniture with household items 2 dish antenna two bedroom flat with two toilets central A/C near City Center, Salmiya with land line telephone transferable rent.

Contact: 97201151.

(C 20352) 18-2-2010

MATRIMONIAL RC girl 24/165, BTech, born and brought up in Kuwait, worked with Wipro as software engineer for 2 years, currently employed in a nationalized bank in India, invites proposals from parents of professionally qualified and well-settled boys.

Contact email: frmprop@gmail.com (20354) 19-2-2010 Seeking alliance for a Ker-

alite RC 27, 152 cm Palai Dioces working staff MoH in Jahra (GNM) looking for alliance preferably working in Kuwait from Kottayam district.

Email: sthomas@qnetstaff.com (C 20337) 17-2-2010 SITUATION VACANT

Required cook for house, good experience on all kinds of continental food , good salary, part time or full time. Contact: 66519719, 23901053. (C 20357) 19-2-2010 Looking for home nurse to take care of old Kuwaiti male. Salary 150 KD, send your CV immediately to fax: 24836310 contact Mob: 97687707. (C 20343) Required English speaking nanny/maid. If interested, please contact 99824597.

(C 20339) 16-2-2010

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) 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

No: 14646

Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Saturday 20/02/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0263 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 676 Dubai Kuwait 284 Dhaka Kuwait 362 Colombo Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 0121 Sharjah Qatari 0132 Doha Etihad 0301 Abu Dhabi Kuwait 344 Chennai Wataniya Airways 1121 Bahrain Gulf Air 213 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 810 Cairo Kuwait 672 Dubai Jazeera 0171 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

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 13:25 13:35 13:35 14:00 14:05 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:35

Jazeera Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Royal Jordanian Jazeera Emirates Kuwait Gulf Air Saudi Arabian A/L Etihad Jazeera Jazeera Arabia Jazeera Wataniya Airways Srilankan United A/L Wataniya Airways DHL Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Indian Kuwait Jet A/W Oman Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Middle East Qatari Emirates KLM Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Global Jazeera Jazeera Tunis Air Pakistan Lufthansa Wataniya Airways

0457 0134 548 545 678 800 0173 857 118 215 510 0303 0493 0239 0125 0367 2101 227 982 2003 473 1025 502 542 674 0177 618 786 614 744 774 575 104 572 0647 0459 2103 217 402 0136 859 0445 1129 0449 0429 081 0117 0185 327 239 636 1029

Damascus Doha Luxor Alexandria Muscat/Abu Dhabi Amman Dubai Dubai New York Bahrain Riyadh Abu Dhabi Jeddah Amman Sharjah Deirezzor Beirut Colombo/Dubai Washington DC Dulles Cairo Baghdad Dubai Beirut Cairo Dubai Dubai Doha Jeddah Bahrain Dammam Riyadh Chennai/Goa London Mumbai Muscat Damascus Beirut Bahrain Beirut Doha Dubai Amsterdam Bahrain Doha Bahrain Baghdad Abu Dhabi Dubai Tunis Islamabad/Sialkot Frankfurt Dubai

14:45 15:00 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 15:20 18:30 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:55 18:55 18:55 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:30 19:30 19:35 20:05 20:20 20:40 20:55 21:05 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:40 23:10 23:20 23:30 23:45

Departure Flights on Saturday 20/2/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0528 Assiut India Express 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode United A/L 981 Washington DC Dulles Indian 982 Ahmedabad/Chennai Pakistan 206 Peshawar/Lahore Bangladesh 044 Dhaka Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt KLM 0447 Amsterdam 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 345 Alexandria Jazeera 0256 Beirut Kuwait 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat British 0156 London Kuwait 671 Dubai Kuwait 551 Damascus Kuwait 547 Luxor Jazeera 0456 Damascus Jazeera 0170 Dubai 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 Jazeera 0172 Dubai Kuwait 541 Cairo Wataniya Airways 2100 Beirut Jazeera 0492 Jeddah Jazeera 0366 Deirezzor Jazeera 0238 Amman Kuwait 103 London Middle East 405 Beirut Kuwait 501 Beirut Iran Aseman 6522 Lamerd

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

Time 00:05 00:30 00:40 01:05 01:10 01:15 01:20 01:25 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 8:55 09:00 09:10 09:15 09:25 09:30 09:35 09:40 10:00 10:20 11:30 11:40 11:45 12:00 12:10 17:05 12:15 12:20 12:25 12:30 12:55 13:00 13:35

Kuwait Egypt Air Wataniya Airways Kuwait Nas Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Jazeera Kuwait Saudi Arabian A/L Kuwait Kuwait Royal Jordanian Qatari Kuwait Gulf Air Etihad Emirates Arabia Jazeera Kuwait Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Global Jazeera Wataniya Airways Srilankan 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

785 611 1024 673 746 0176 2102 0458 617 501 773 613 801 0135 743 216 0304 838 0126 0262 543 511 0184 0116 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

Jeddah Cairo Dubai Dubai Jeddah Dubai Beirut Damascus Doha Jeddah Riyadh Bahrain Amman Doha Dammam Bahrain Abu Dhabi Dubai Sharjah Beirut Cairo Riyadh Dubai Abu Dhabi 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

13:40 13:55 14:25 14:30 14:53 15:05 15:10 15:30 15:35 15:45 16:10 16:20 16:25 16:30 16:40 17:55 18:00 18:10 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:50 18:50 19:00 19:15 19:15 19:30 20:15 21:00 21:10 21:20 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:20 22:30 22:30 22:30 22:30 2235 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:00 23:25 23:50 23:55

TV PROGRAMS

18

Saturday, February 20, 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

Ashes to Ashes Prison Break Knight Rider Dawsons Creek Prison Break Inside the Actors Studio Tess of the D’Urbervilles Ashes to Ashes Without a Trace Survivor Knight Rider Dawsons Creek Tess of the D’Urbervilles Inside the Actors Studio Friday Night Lights Prison Break Without a Trace Survivor Kathy Griffin Heroes Hotel Babylon Saving Grace Inside the Actors Studio Rescue Me

00:50 Animal Cops Phoenix 01:45 Natural World 02:40 Untamed & Uncut 03:35 Night 04:00 Night 04:30 Animal Cops Philadelphia 05:25 Animal Cops Phoenix 06:20 Lemur Street 06:45 Monkey Life 07:10 RSPCA: On the Frontline 07:35 Vet on the Loose 08:00 Lemur Street 08:25 Pet Rescue 08:50 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 09:15 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 09:45 Animal Precinct 10:40 Aussie Animal Rescue 11:05 Miami Animal Police 11:55 Animal Cops Houston 12:50 Vet on the Loose 13:15 Pet Rescue 13:45 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 14:40 K9 Cops 15:35 K9 Cops 16:30 K9 Cops 17:25 K9 Cops 18:20 K9 Cops 19:15 Xtremely Wild 19:40 Xtremely Wild 20:10 Up Close and Dangerous 20:40 Up Close and Dangerous 21:10 Crime Scene Wild 22:05 Untamed & Uncut 23:00 Untamed & Uncut 23:55 Animal Cops Miami

00:35 01:30 02:30 03:25 04:25 05:25 06:35 07:20 07:40 08:00 08:20 08:45 08:50 09:00 09:20 09:40 10:00 10:25 10:30 10:40 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:50 15:40 16:25 17:10 17:50 18:30 19:15 20:15 21:15 22:05 22:35 23:05

00:05 00:30 01:00 01:20 01:45 02:10 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:15 05:45 06:10 07:00 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:30 11:20 12:15

21:25 21:50 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Holby Blue Coast Terry Jones’ Barbarians Hustle Holby Blue Coast Bargain Hunt Balamory Tweenies Fimbles Teletubbies Yoho Ahoy Tommy Zoom Balamory Tweenies Fimbles Teletubbies Yoho Ahoy Tommy Zoom Balamory Cash In The Attic Cash In The Attic Eastenders Eastenders Eastenders Eastenders Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Bargain Hunt Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic Cash In The Attic The Weakest Link Holby City Holby City Doctor Who Little Britain Little Britain Green Green Grass

Glamour Puds Masterchef Goes Large Masterchef Goes Large Cash In The Attic Usa Hidden Potential Living In The Sun Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me The Naked Chef Glamour Puds Cash In The Attic Usa Hidden Potential Living In The Sun What Not To Wear Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Living In The Sun

Sex And The City The Movie on Show Movies Action 13:05 13:55 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:25 16:50 17:15 17:40 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:45 20:30 21:20 22:05 22:30 22:55 23:20

Living In The Sun Living In The Sun Living In The Sun Cash In The Attic Usa Cash In The Attic Usa Cash In The Attic Usa Cash In The Attic Usa Cash In The Attic Usa Cash In The Attic Usa Saturday Kitchen Saturday Kitchen Living In The Sun Coleen’s Real Women 10 Years Younger The Clothes Show It’s Not Easy Being Green Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me

01:15 Stories Of Lost Souls - PG 15 03:00 Unfaithful - 18 05:15 Pavilion Of Women - 18 07:15 When We Were Kings - PG 15 09:00 Teknolust - PG 15 11:00 L’age Des Tenebres - PG 15 13:00 There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble - PG 15 15:00 Hard Ball - PG 15 17:00 Beyond The Mat - PG 15 19:00 Casualties Of War - 18 21:00 The Contender - 18

00:00 01:00 02:00 02:55 03:50 04:45 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:55 08:50 09:45 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:30 12:55 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 Green 22:00 23:00

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 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

Untamed & Uncut Miami Ink Street Customs 2008 American Chopper The Kustomizer Mythbusters How Does it Work Ultimate Survival Smash Lab Brainiac Mythbusters How Stuff Works Street Customs Biker Build-Off Fifth Gear Fifth Gear American Chopper Street Customs Building the Future Man Made Marvels Asia LA Hard Hats How Stuff Works Destroyed in Seconds Destroyed in Seconds Storm Chasers Ultimate Survival Extreme Fishing with Robson River Monsters Untamed & Uncut

Dr G: Medical Examiner Fbi Files A Haunting Undercover Fugitive Strike Force Forensic Detectives Real Emergency Calls Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Undercover Forensic Detectives Forensic Detectives Fbi Files On The Run Fugitive Strike Force Royal Inquest Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Undercover

18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:20 22:10 23:00 23:50

Forensic Detectives Forensic Detectives Fbi Files On The Run Fugitive Strike Force Royal Inquest Solved True Crime Scene

00:15 Weird Connections 00:40 Man Made Marvels China 01:30 The Electric Garage 02:20 Sci-Fi Science 02:45 Sci-Fi Science 03:10 Weird Connections 03:35 Weird Connections 04:00 Beyond Tomorrow 04:50 Sci-Fi Saved My Life 05:45 How Does That Work?

06:10 Mean Green Machines 06:40 One Step Beyond 07:10 The Electric Garage 08:00 Scrapheap Challenge 09:00 Robotica 10:00 The Future of...

10:55 NASA’s Greatest Missions 16:25 How Stuff’s Made 16:55 Weird Connections 17:20 Weird Connections 17:50 Mighty Ships 18:45 Download: The True Story of the Internet 19:40 How It’s Made 20:05 How It’s Made 20:30 Robocar 21:20 Sci-Fi Science 21:45 Sci-Fi Science 22:10 The Future of...

23:00 Mythbusters 23:50 Mythbusters

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:45 03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:15 09:40 10:00 10:30 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:00 14:20 14:45 15:10 15:35 16:00 16:25 16:45 17:00 17:25 17:50 18:10 18:35 19:00 20:35 21:00

My Friends Tigger and Pooh Handy Manny Special Agent Oso IMAGINATION MOVERS Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Special Agent Oso Brandy & Mr Whiskers Fairly Odd Parents Hannah Montana I Got A Rocket Wizards Of Waverly Place Phineas & Ferb Little Einsteins Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Lazytown Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Fairly Odd Parents Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance The Return of Jafar Phineas & Ferb Replacements Kim Possible Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Jonas Wizards Of Waverly Place Suite Life On Deck Fairly Odd Parents Replacements Phineas & Ferb Famous Five Fairly Odd Parents Jonas Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Cadet Kelly Hannah Montana The Suite Life of Zack & Cody

The Suite Life of Zack & Cody The Replacements Phineas & Ferb Replacements Kim Possible Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana

00:15 Streets Of Hollywood 00:40 E!es 01:30 Extreme Hollywood 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 20 Hottest Women Of The Web 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 25 Hottest Hollywood Cougar Tales 07:45 25 Most Stylish 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 30 Best And Worst Beach Bodies 11:05 Kendra 11:30 Kendra 12:00 E! News 12:25 The Daily 10 12:50 Behind The Scenes 13:15 Behind The Scenes 13:40 Perfect Catch 14:30 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 15:25 E!es 17:10 Behind The Scenes 17:35 Behind The Scenes 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Kendra 19:15 Kendra 19:40 E!es 20:30 THS 21:20 Leave It To Lamas 21:45 Leave It To Lamas 22:10 E! News 22:35 The Daily 10 23:00 Perfect Catch 23:50 Wildest TV Show Moments

00:00 Chopped 01:00 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 01:30 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 02:00 Best Thing I Ever Ate 02:30 Best Thing I Ever Ate 03:00 Best Thing I Ever Ate 03:30 Best Thing I Ever Ate 04:00 Best Thing I Ever Ate 04:30 Best Thing I Ever Ate 05:00 Teleshopping 05:30 Teleshopping 06:00 Teleshopping 06:30 Teleshopping 07:00 Teleshopping 07:30 Teleshopping 08:00 30 Minute Meals 08:25 30 Minute Meals 08:50 Giada At Home 09:15 Giada At Home 09:40 Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger 10:05 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 10:30 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 11:00 Barefoot Contessa 11:30 Barefoot Contessa 12:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics 12:30 Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics 13:00 Nigella Express 13:30 Nigella Express 14:00 30 Minute Meals 14:30 30 Minute Meals 15:00 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 15:30 Rescue Chef with Danny Boome 16:00 30 Minute Meals 16:30 30 Minute Meals 17:00 30 Minute Meals 17:30 30 Minute Meals 18:00 Chefography 19:00 Nigella Express 19:30 Nigella Express 20:00 Chefography 21:00 Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics 21:30 Barefoot Contessa - Back to Basics 22:00 Best Thing I Ever Ate 22:30 Best Thing I Ever Ate 23:00 Best Thing I Ever Ate 23:30 Best Thing I Ever Ate

01:10 I’m Gonna Git You Sucka 02:35 Favour, The Watch, And The Very Big Fish 04:00 Roadhouse 66 05:30 Keaton’s Cop 07:05 Napoleon 08:25 Little Dorrit Part 1 11:15 Little Dorrit Part 2 14:15 Brenda Starr 15:45 My American Cousin 17:15 Women Vs. Men 18:40 Great Balls Of Fire 20:25 A Doll’s House 22:00 Strictly Business 23:20 Bulletproof

00:00 How I met you mother 00:30 Two and a half men 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 The Tonight Show With Conan

OBrien 03:00 Cougar Town 03:30 Entourage 04:00 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 05:00 How I met you mother 05:30 The Tonight Show With Conan OBrien 06:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 07:00 Home Improvement 07:30 Note from the underbelly 08:00 Coach 08:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 09:00 The Colbert Report 09:30 George Lopez 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Seinfeld 11:30 After You’ve Gone 12:00 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 13:00 Two and a half men 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 Home Improvement 14:30 Note from the underbelly 15:00 Coach 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 George Lopez 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 Teachers 18:30 Seinfeld 19:00 How I met you mother 19:30 Gary Unmarried 20:00 The Tonight Show With Conan OBrien 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Bored to Death 22:30 Entourage 23:00 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00 20:00

What’s Good For You 10 Years Younger Look A Like The Ellen Degeneres Show The Monique Show Chef’s Table Fresh The Best of Jay Leno GMA LIVE GMA Health What’s the Buzz What’s Good For You Jimmy Kimmel The View The Ellen Degeneres Show Chef’s Table Fresh The Martha Stewart Show Parenting Job Club GMA Weekend Live GMA Health What’s the Buzz Downsize Me The View The Ellen Degeneres Show

00:00 02:00 15 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:30

Go Go Tales - U Lars And The Real Girl - PG All Roads Lead Home - U How She Move - PG 15 The Promotion - PG 15 Saving God - PG 15 Valkyrie - 18 Red Riding 1980 - PG 15 The Promotion - PG 15 The Good German - U Sex And The City The Movie Lakeview Terrace - PG 15

01:00 Dark Reprieve - 18 03:00 Doomsday - 18 05:00 Outpost - 18 07:00 Universal Soldier: The Return 09:00 Dead Silence - 18 11:00 The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior - PG 15 13:00 Ba’al - PG 15 15:00 Dead Silence - 18 17:00 Boot Camp - 18 19:00 Smokin’ Aces - 18 21:00 New Town Killers - PG 23:00 The Inside - PG 15

00:00 Futurama: Beast With A Billion Backs - PG 15 02:00 How To Lose Friends And Alienate People - PG 04:00 Down To Earth - PG 15 06:00 King’s Ransom - PG 15 08:00 Ghostbusters II - PG 10:00 The Mighty Ducks - FAM 12:00 Curse Of The Jade Scorpion PG 15 14:00 More Of Me - PG 15 16:00 Futurama: Beast With A Billion Backs - PG 15 18:00 Premier League 2009/10 FAM 20:00 The Milagro Beanfield War PG 15 22:00 Assassination Of High School President - PG 15

00:00 Barbie Diaries - FAM 02:00 Bolt - FAM 04:00 Curious George: Follow That

Monkey - PG 06:00 House Arrest - FAM 08:00 Barbie - And The Diamond Castle - FAM 10:00 Curious George: Follow That Monkey - PG 12:00 Simba Junior To The World Cup - FAM 14:00 Bolt - FAM 16:00 High School Musical 3: Senior Year - PG 18:00 Labou - FAM 20:00 Felix 2 - FAM

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Burn Notice Burn Notice Turn Back Your Body Clock Turn Back Your Body Clock Sex and the City Sex and the City According to Jim According to Jim Ally Mcbeal According to Jim According to Jim Turn Back Your Body Clock Turn Back Your Body Clock That Mitchell and Webb Look According to Jim According to Jim Ally Mcbeal Hotel Babylon According to Jim According to Jim Every Body Loves Raymond My Name is Earl Burn Notice Burn Notice That Mitchell and Webb Look 24 Emmerdale Coronation Street Law & Order Life Law & Order: Criminal Intent In Treatment In Treatment Sex and the City

02:30 Barclays Premier League Preview 03:30 Premier League 05:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 06:00 Premier League Classics 06:30 Premier League Classics 07:00 Barclays Premier League Preview 08:00 Dubai International Racing Carnival 12:00 Barclays Premier League Preview 13:00 Futbol Mundial 13:30 Premier League Classics 14:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 14:30 Premier League World 15:00 Live Toshiba Super Saturday 15:45 Live Premier League 17:30 Live Toshiba Super Saturday 18:00 Live Premier League 20:00 Live Toshiba Super Saturday 20:30 Live Premier League

01:00 Barclays Premier League Preview Show 01:30 Dubai International Racing Carnival 05:30 European Tour Weekly 06:00 World Sport 06:30 Premier League World 07:00 Barclays Premier League Preview Show 07:30 Super 14 09:30 Live Super 14 11:30 Barclays Premier League Preview Show 12:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 12:30 Premier League 14:30 Futbol Mundial 15:00 Live Toshiba Super Saturday 15:45 Live Premier League 17:30 Live Toshiba Super Saturday 18:00 Live Premier League 20:00 Live Toshiba Super Saturday 20:30 Live Premier League 22:30 Live Toshiba Super Saturday 23:00 Premier League

00:00 Barclays Premier League Preview Show 00:30 World Sport 01:00 Super 14 03:00 Super 14 05:00 Super League 07:00 Super League 09:00 Barclays Premier League Preview Show 09:30 Barclays Premier League Highlights 10:30 Futbol Mundial 11:00 Barclays Premier League Preview Show 11:30 Super League 13:30 Super 14 15:30 Barclays Premier League Preview Show 16:00 Super 14 18:00 Live Super 14 20:00 European Tour Weekly 20:30 World Sport 21:00 Live Super League

00:00 WWE SmackDown 02:00 WWE Bottom Line 03:00 WWE ECW 04:00 UFC 110 Countdown 05:00 NCAA Basketball 07:00 WWE Bottom Line 08:00 WWE ECW 09:00 WWE SmackDown 11:00 WWE Vintage Collection 12:00 WWE Bottom Line 13:00 NCAA Basketball 15:15 Scottish Premier League Highlights 15:45 Live Scottish Premier League 18:00 Live Scottish Premier League 20:05 Live Super 14 22:00 Live NCAA Basketball

01:00 A Scanner Darkly - U 03:00 All Hat - PG 15 05:00 Over Her Dead Body - PG 15 07:00 Mr. Magoriums Wonder Emporium - FAM 09:00 Hoot - PG 11:00 Evening - PG 15 13:00 The Secret Life Of Bees - PG 15:00 Bride Wars - PG 15 17:00 Hoot - PG 19:00 Center Stage 2: Turn It Up 21:00 Hancock - PG 15 23:00 Burn After Reading - PG 15

00:55 03:25 05:00 06:55 07:30 08:00 09:50 12:20 14:35 16:25 18:10 20:55 21:20 23:00

How the West Was Won Angels with Dirty Faces 10 Rillington Place The Screening Room The Screening Room The Asphalt Jungle How the West Was Won 2001: A Space Odyssey Beau Brummell Butterfield 8 Quo Vadis The Screening Room The Wizard of Oz The Executioner

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Mega Disasters Dinosaur Secrets Prehistoric Mega Storms Monsterquest Ax Men 2 Tunnellers The Universe Mega Disasters Dinosaur Secrets Prehistoric Mega Storms Monsterquest Ax Men 2 Tunnellers The Universe Mega Disasters Dinosaur Secrets Prehistoric Mega Storms Monsterquest Ax Men 2 Tunnellers The Universe Mega Disasters Dinosaur Secrets Prehistoric Mega Storms

00:00 01:00 02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 20:30 21:00 Talley 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Clean House Peter Perfect Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane The Dish How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dr 90210 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Area How Do I Look?

Style Star Style Her Famous Clean House What I Hate About Me Ruby How Do I Look?

Clean House Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Stylemaker: Andre Leon

01:00 01:04 01:35 02:00 02:45 05:00 05:04 08:00 08:04 08:35 11:00 11:45 13:00 13:04 13:50 14:00 15:00 15:15 16:00 16:04 16:35 18:00 20:00 20:04 20:35 21:00 22:00

Code New Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Code Playlist Code RNB Playlist Club 10 Playlist Code Urban Hit Playlist Focus Guest Star Playlist Code French Only Playlist Urban Hit Code Africa Playlist Trace Video Mix Legend

Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Dallas Divas And Daughters Dallas Divas And Daughters

00:00 Globe Trekker - U 01:00 Angry Planet - U 01:30 The Thirsty Traveler - U 02:00 Globe Trekker - U 03:00 X-quest - U 04:00 Angry Planet - U 04:30 Photoxplorers - U 05:00 Globe Trekker - U 06:00 Swiss Railway Journeys - U 07:00 The Thirsty Traveler - U 07:30 Angry Planet - U 08:00 Globe Trekker - U 09:00 Travel Today - U 09:30 Essential - U 10:00 Inside Luxury Travel-varun Sharma - U 11:00 Journey Into Wine-south Africa 11:30 Journey Into Wine-south Africa 12:00 Feast India - U 12:30 Feast India - U 13:00 Globe Trekker - U

A Scanner Darkly on Super Movies

Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Movies 21:10 Supernova 22:40 The Ramen Girl 00:25 Invasion Of The Body Snatchers 02:20 Nine Months 04:05 Speed 06:00 The Ramen Girl 07:45 VIP Access 08:15 Invasion Of The Body Snatchers 10:10 Nine Months 11:55 Speed 13:50 Alien (Director’s Cut) 15:45 Joshua 17:30 No Way Out 19:20 Speed 2: Cruise Control STAR World 20:00 American Idol 21:00 [V] Tunes 22:00 [V] Tunes 23:00 [V] Tunes 00:00 Greatest American Dog 01:00 [V] Tunes 02:00 [V] Tunes 03:00 [V] Tunes 04:00 American Idol

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Stone Undercover Greatest American Dog The Simpsons The Bold And The Beautiful The Bold And The Beautiful The Bold And The Beautiful The Bold And The Beautiful The Bold And The Beautiful Kyle XY American Idol [V] Tunes Stone Undercover The Simpsons According To Jim According To Jim According To Jim Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

American Idol Rules Of Engagement Rules Of Engagement Australia’s Next Top Model

Granada TV 21:00 Essex Wives 22:00 Northern Lights 23:00 Essex Wives

00:00 Life Begins (Series 1) 01:00 Football Saved My Life 02:00 All About George (Series 1) 03:00 Hot Money 05:00 Northern Lights 06:00 Emmerdale WEEKEND OMNIBUS 07:30 Undercover Customs (Series 2) 08:00 Northern Lights 09:00 Total Emergency 10:00 Beyond Boiling Point 10:30 City Cabs (Series 1) 11:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 1) 12:00 The Colour Of Money 13:00 Don’t Try This At Home (Series 2) 14:00 Prime Drama: Prime Suspect (Series 7) 16:00 Come Dine With Me (Primetime Series 1) 17:00 The Colour Of Money 18:00 Don’t Try This At Home (Series 2) 19:00 Prime Drama: Prime Suspect Channel [V] 22:00 The Playlist 00:30 Double Shot

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Loop [V] Plug Keys To The VIP Backtracks [V] Tunes [V] Plug Double Shot Videoscope [V] Countdown [V] Tunes Loop Backtracks [V] Special Amp Around Asia [V] Tunes

Fox News 00:00 Happening Now 02:00 The Live Desk 04:00 Studio B with Shepard Smith Live 05:00 Your World with Neil Cavuto 06:00 Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck 07:00 Special Report with Bret Baier 08:00 The FOX Report with Shepard Smith 09:00 The O’Reilly Factor 10:00 Hannity

11:00 On the Record with Greta Van Susteren 12:00 The O’Reilly Factor 13:00 Hannity 14:00 On the Record with Greta Van Susteren 15:00 Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck 16:00 Fox Report 17:00 Special Report with Bret Baier 18:00 Hannity (repeat) 19:00 The O’Reilly Factor (repeat) 20:00 FOX and Friends Saturday 21:00 FOX and Friends Saturday 22:00 FOX and Friends Saturday 23:00 Bulls and Bears 23:30 Cavuto On Business National Geographic Channel 20:00 Megastructures -Air Force Transport 21:00 History’s Secrets -CIA Secret Experiments S2 -2 22:00 Naked Science -How To Kill A Planet 23:00 Theme Week -Wild Russia : The Secret Forest 00:00 Locked Up Abroad -Sao Paulo Death Trap

01:00 Helicopter Wars -Vietnam Firefight 02:00 Ground War -Firepower 03:00 Nat Geo Junior -Camels, Courts & Concubines : Magicians & Mystics S1-2 04:00 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet Food Magic 9 04:30 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet Grill Masters 10 05:00 Swamp Troop 06:00 Built For The Kill -Forest S2-1 07:00 Engineering Connections Guggenheim Bilbao 08:00 World’s Toughest Fixes -Blown Away 09:00 ABOUT ASIA -Big, Bigger, Biggest : Dam 10:00 ABOUT ASIA -Inside : Mumbai Terror Attacks 11:00 Meet The Natives -3 12:00 Helicopter Wars -Vietnam Firefight 13:00 Ground War -Firepower 14:00 The Border -Under Siege 15:00 Naked Science -How To Kill A Planet 16:00 Ground War -Firepower 17:00 Helicopter Wars -Vietnam Firefight 18:00 The Border -Under Siege

Saturday, February 20, 2010

NEWS

19

UK denies knew about Hamas hit in advance LONDON: Britain denied yesterday suggestions that it knew about the killing of a Hamas commander in advance and that fake British passports would be used.

The Foreign Office issued a “strong rebuttal” of a story in the Daily Mail, which quoted an unnamed member of Israel’s Mossad spy agency as saying London was tipped off hours before the killing.

“Any suggestion that we knew anything about the murder in Dubai before it happened, including about the misuse of British passports, is completely untrue,” said a Foreign Office spokesman.

“As we have said already, the Dubai authorities told us about the role of British passports on 15 February, several hours

before their press conference.

“We told them the following day that the passports used were fraudulent. The head of the Dubai police has also made clear that embassies were not contacted until shortly before the identity of the suspects was revealed.”

The Daily Mail cited an Israeli agent as claiming that Britain’s Foreign Office was contacted hours before the murder of Hamas commander Mahmud Al-Mabhuh in a top Dubai hotel on January 20.

The tip-off did not say who the target would be or even where the hit squad would be in action, said the daily.

The Mail quoted a British security source who met the Mossad agent as saying he was a serving Israeli agent. “He

says the British government was told very, very briefly before the operation what was going to happen.

“There was no British involvement and they didn’t know the name of the target.

But they were told these people were travelling on UK passports,” said the unnamed British source.

Britain called in Israel’s ambassador to London on Thursday to seek help in investigating how six members of the 11strong hit squad came to have fake British passports. Three other members of the team-caught on extensive security camera footage ahead of the killing-had fake Irish passports, along with one French and one German fraudulent travel document. — AFP

Niger coup may usher in a democratic future

In this April 10, 1973 file photo bullet holes and signs of the struggle, scar bedroom of Fatah spokesman and leading Arab Poet Kamal Nasser in Beirut, Lebanon, one of three simultaneous operations carried out

by Israel’s Mossad. The death of a Hamas operative at the hands of a hit team of inconspicuous lookouts and burly killers in a Dubai hotel conjures up images of both of the string of killings that followed the murder of Israeli athletes in the 1972 Munich Olympics and the bungled attempt to poison a different Hamas man in Jordan’s capital 13 years ago. — AP

Junta in control after Niger coup Continued from Page 1 The coup has been roundly condemned abroad. European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton “condemns the seizure of power by a military coup d’etat in Niger and calls upon all actors involved to engage immediately in a democratic process allowing for rapid establishment of the constitutional order in the country.”

Former colonial ruler France “condemns the taking of power by non-constitutional means,” foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said. African Union chief Jean Ping said there should be “zero tolerance” for taking power by force, after coups in the past 15 months in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar.

South African President Jacob Zuma also deplored “the unconstitutional transfer of power.” Two tanks and several trucks mounted with machineguns were

stationed yesterday around the presidential palace. Pick-up trucks mounted with machine guns were also posted outside the prime minister’s office and the foreign ministry.

The junta confirmed it was holding Tandja at a military establishment in the capital.

“Mr Mamadou Tandja is being held in one of the offices in this unit. He is fine, he is doing very well,” said an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Government ministers detained during the coup and kept in a complex where their last cabinet meeting took place were due to be freed, Abdoulkarim said.

At least three soldiers were killed during fierce gunbattles that accompanied the coup. A watch tower at the palace in downtown Niamey was hit by a rocket while a gate was also damaged.

Within hours of besieging the palace, a group of military top brass announced it had suspended the constitution Tandja

foisted on the country in a referendum last August.

Tandja had defied outcry at home and abroad over his move to change the constitution to allow himself to remain in office. Ali Sabo, the vice president of Tandja’s National Movement for a Developing Society, said that the army’s reaction was unexpected but urged the military to exercise fairness during the transitional phase.

“We expect the military to be fair and just. We remain vigilant and we ask our activists to stay calm,” Sabo said on privately-owned radio Saraounia.

Niger has been embroiled in political crisis for nearly a year since Tandja, who was in power for more than a decade, launched his bid to extend his rule. Talks between Niger’s government and the opposition to end the political standoff were suspended last week, having repeatedly stalled since they began on December 21. — AFP

DAKAR: The overthrow of Niger’s pariah leader Mamadou Tandja has been condemned internationally as undemocratic, but it could provide the west African country with its best chance for elections.

Tandja was removed on Thursday in response tension caused by changes he made to the uranium-producing country’s constitution in 2009 to extend his rule, effectively delaying elections due this year by at least three years.

“This is one of those cases where you ask yourself if there’s such a thing as a good coup,” said a regional analyst who asked not to be identified. “Though it really depends on the junta’s intentions.”

The crisis in Niger, whose oil and mineral wealth has attracted billions of dollars in foreign investment, is one of many in a region plagued by coups and delayed elections which have proved obstacles to democratic civilian rule.

Fighters from the junta, which calls itself the Supreme Council for the Restoration of Democracy (CSRD), stormed the presidential palace on Thursday in a hail of gunfire before detaining Tandja and suspending the constitution.

Two regional bodies, the African Union and ECOWAS, and Niger’s former colonial ruler France, quickly condemned the coup while the United States said it could not defend Tandja’s violent overthrow.

“Clearly, we do not in any way, shape or form, you know, defend violence of this nature, but clearly we think this underscores that Niger needs to move ahead with the elections and the formation of a new government,” US State Department

Continued from Page 1 coordinated attack on the Internet, transport, telephone and electricity networks.

And this month US Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair told the US Senate “terrorist groups and their sympathizers have expressed interest in using cyber means to target the United States and its citizens”. The US defense establishment is also discussing when a cyberattack on facilities such as the American electricity grid could be considered an act of war.

Online offensives against official websites have already been recorded, including in Saudi Arabia, and the necessary expertise is available on some forums.

“On jihadist websites there are all sorts of manuals explaining how to make an ebomb, how to create a virus, how to use

encryption techniques”, Thomas said.

“They are very up to date. The Saudis especially are very strong.”

Among militants indicted for terrorist acts, there are more students from pure sciences such as mathematics or information technology than there are from the social sciences, according to numerous studies. Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who is accused of trying to blow up a US bound jet on December 25 studied mechanical engineering at a top London university.

James Lewis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies who coauthored the “Security in cyberspace in the 44th presidency”, said a cyber-attack was only a matter of time.

“Al-Qaeda doesn’t yet have the kind of capabilities to pull off the kind of big disruptive attack that they really want,” he said. “But over the next few years, they

will develop these capabilities.”

“We have to expect something big to happen within a decade”, he said.

Richard Hunter, a specialist in computer security based in New York and author of “World Without Secrets”, stressed that “IT is the ultimate asymmetrical force.”

“The power one exerts through IT is very much a function of one’s intelligence and skills,” he said.

It was less about funding or the number of people he argued. “The ultimate resource is one clever individual. You find one of those everywhere.”

“If they don’t have the expertise, and we know they made that a priority, they could certainly develop it”, Hunter said.

“It is well known to all working IT professionals that the technology turns over every five years. Meaning that anyone who enters at a given point can be an expert within 5 years.” — AFP

Israel shrugs off calls for arrest of top spy Continued from Page 1 Better, the surveillance capabilities of the emirate were used as an “instrument of protection not as a means of intruding on personal freedoms,” he said.

“The Mossad failed to take account of the capabilities and technical expertise of the Dubai police,” he said adding that the agency had “blundered by using fake passports, triggering a crisis with European governments.” “The Mossad probably won’t be able to use most of the commandos ever again because their photographs and fingerprints were on the passports.”

The Dubai police have recorded a number of high profile successes in the past.

In 2008, af ter Lebanese starlet Suzanne Tamim was found stabbed in her flat, they secured the conviction of Egyptian businessman Talaat Mustapha and an accomplice by following a credit card trail. Both are now on death row.

And surveillance cameras led to the arrest of two suspects-an Iranian and a Tajik-who are currently in custody awaiting trial for the March 2009 murder of former Chechen rebel leader Sulim Yamadayev.

Khalfan has said the Hamas official “was strangled after receiving maybe an electric shock.” He said the killers had reserved a room across the hall from Mabhuh’s in the hotel.

Police said Mabhuh, who was report-

edly on a trip to buy arms for Hamas, was transiting on his way to China, then Sudan. No government has directly accused Israel, although Dubai police chief Khalfan said he was near certain the hit was carried out by the Mossad.

Israel’s fabled foreign espionage agency has used fake passports in similar operations in the past.

The British Foreign Office, meanwhile, issued a “strong rebuttal” yesterday of a story in the Daily Mail, which quoted an unnamed member of Israel’s Mossad spy agency as saying London was tipped off hours before the killing.

“Any suggestion that we knew anything about the murder in Dubai before it happened, including about the misuse of British passports, is completely untrue,” a spokesman said. Interpol on Thursday issued arrest notices for 11 suspects-six listed with British passports, three Irish, one French and one German-wanted by Dubai for the killing.

But Ronen Bergman, military correspondent for the Yediot Aharonot newspaper and an expert on Mossad, said whoever carried out the hit was unlikely to get caught.

“The operatives are long gone and the Dubai police has no chance to catch them. They are chasing the wind; they will never catch them,” he said.

The killers’ use of allegedly fake passports prompted Britain, Ireland, France and Germany on Thursday to call in Israeli envoys for talks at their foreign

ministries. The Israeli official played down the issue. “Israel was only asked to help investigate the use of the fake passports.”

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Thursday stressed the need for a “full investigation,” while Irish Foreign Minister Micheal Martin announced “frank” talks with Israel’s envoy-usually diplomatic code for angry exchanges.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will face tough questioning on Monday when he meets European counterparts in Brussels, in a trip that was planned before the Dubai murder.

While some Israeli media have expressed concern the hit placed Israel in the eye of a diplomatic storm, the Haaretz newspaper quoted an official as predicting “the affair will quickly subside.”

And, Israeli media also point out that despite the controversy over the hit, Western governments are not mourning Mabhuh. “Whichever agency carried out the hit, with whatever cooperation from elsewhere, it achieved its critical goalsthe target was eliminated and the squad made its escape,” the English-language Jerusalem Post said in an editorial.

The newspaper took aim at the “kerfuffle” in the British media over the affair, saying “this pigheaded refusal to acknowledge that sometimes the needs do justif y the means reflect a moral impoverishment that’s not limited to Britain.” — AFP

spokesman P J Crowley said on Thursday.

The junta’s next move will be important. It has given no sign whether it will win foreign backing with a swift restoration of democracy or entrench itself in power with the prospect of an increase in revenues from resources in the near future.

Niger has attracted huge investments in recent years, including a $1.2 billion uranium mining project by France’s Areva and a $5 billion oil project by China’s China National Petroleum Corp.

“The international community, accounting for around 10 percent of government

Tiger Woods says sorry, unsure of return to golf Continued from Page 1

Experts see growing threat of cyber-jihad

Ousted Niger President Mamadou Tandja

revenue, must wait to know the character of Niger’s new rulers before deciding on its next course of action, but they will demand a programme for the return of constitutionalism and democracy,” IHS Global Insight said in a research note yesterday.

Raising hopes of a transition to civilian rule, military sources have said two of the junta’s members played a role in a 1999 coup that paved the way for the elections that brought Tandja to power, described by observers as free and fair.

“The CSRD pedigree could mean a return to constitutionalism within the short to medium term,” IHS said.

The Niger military is widely regarded as well-disciplined and more likely to uphold the constitutional order than those of other west African countries such as Guinea, where a junta seized power more than a year ago.

“This is not Dadis Camara. They are more professional,” said Alex Vines, head of the Africa programme at the London think tank Chatham House, referring to Guinea’s military chief.

“It is a bittersweet thing. It is uncomfortable to have a coup but if it is a shortterm platform for elections, that could be OK,” he added. Even if the junta calls elections, however, analysts say the coup sets a bad precedent.

“There was a coup in Mauritania in 2005 that was widely seen as a good coup and was followed by elections. But there was another coup three years later,” said Jennifer Cooke, Africa analyst at Washington’s Center for Strategic International Studies. — Reuters

“I said ‘I’m so proud of you. Never think you stand alone. Mom will always be there for you and I love you,”‘ Kultida Woods said.

Admitting he felt he “deserved to enjoy the temptations” that came with his fabulous success, Woods said he was solely responsible for his actions. “I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior,” Woods said. Woods said he was

in treatment for 45 days and will return for more therapy, adding he has more work to do to resolve his personal problems.

Woods had not talked in public since his traffic accident on Nov. 27 triggered shocking revelations about Woods’ serial infidelity. Yesterday’s event was tightly controlled, with only a few journalists allowed to watch Woods live. The televised confession became a major television event with networks breaking in to show it.

No other US PGA Tour player could

command this kind of attention.

Woods is one of the most recognized athletes in the world. Television ratings double when he is in contention, which has happened a lot on his way to winning 71 times on the US PGA Tour and 14 majors, four short of the record held by Jack Nicklaus. And no other athlete had such a spectacular fall. Accenture and AT&T ended their endorsement contracts with him, and Woods has become the butt of jokes. — AP

Khamenei lambasts US military moves in Gulf Continued from Page 1 Khamenei also insisted his country is not seeking nuclear weapons, saying Islam forbids weapons of mass destruction. “Because of this reason, we don’t have any belief in the atomic bomb and don’t pursue it,” he said. The denial came as France and Germany threatened to seek fresh sanctions against Iran, a day after the UN nuclear agency suggested that Tehran has either resumed working on a nuclear weapon or never stopped in 2007, as concluded by a US intelligence assessment. Iran maintains its nuclear work is only for peaceful purposes like energy generation. Germany’s leading insurance companies-Munich Re AG and Allianz SE-also announced they would quit doing business in the Islamic republic after the International Atomic Energy Agency report.

Meanwhile, Russia said it was “very alarmed” by Iran’s failure to cooperate with the IAEA, after the UN nuclear agency said it feared Tehran might be working to develop a nuclear-armed missile.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov indicated that Moscow’s patience was wearing very thin. “We are very alarmed and we cannot accept this, that Iran is refusing to cooperate with the IAEA,” Lavrov told the Ekho Moskvy radio station in an interview. “For about 20 years, the Iranian leadership carried out its clandestine nuclear program without reporting it to the IAEA,” he said. “I do not understand why there was such secrecy.”

The IAEA on Thursday made public its concerns over a classified analysis which concludes that Iran already has explosives expertise relevant to a workable nuclear weapon.

Iran already is weathering three sets of Security Council sanctions meant to punish its refusal to freeze its uranium enrichment program. Its recent rejection of a plan meant to strip it of most of its enriched stockpile plus its belated acknowledgment that it had been secretly

building a new enrichment facility has increased sentiment for a fourth set.

“This report confirms with precision the international community’s very serious concerns,” French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said. “It shows how urgent it is to act with determination to respond to the absence of cooperation by Iran.” Khamenei, wearing clerical robes and a turban and walking with a cane as he inspected the ship, said the presence of foreign forces in the Persian Gulf “disturbs security” in the region but Washington will fail to achieve its goals. US military officials said last month that Washington was deploying upgraded Patriot missiles in Arab nations in the region and more US Navy ships in the Gulf capable of destroying missiles in flight. The US Navy’s 5th Fleet is also based in the Arab nation of Bahrain, just across the Gulf from Iran. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia this week to discuss Iran, warning that Tehran could set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East if it chooses to develop atomic weapons.

The predominantly Sunni Arab Middle East-and Gulf nations in particular-have been wary of the growing influence of Shiite Iran, especially because of international suspicions that its nuclear program has a military dimension.

Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters and is the commander in chief of Iran’s armed forces, said accusations by President Barack Obama and other American officials about Iran’s nuclear ambitions were made out of anger.

“Repeating absurd words about the building of nuclear weapon in Iran shows that the enemies are resorting to repeating the propaganda out of ultimate failure,” Khamenei said.

The 94-meter (308-foot) destroyer, which weighs 1,500 tons and has a helipad and modern radar, was launched in Bandar Abbas, a southern port city just at the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic point in the Gulf through which much of the world’s oil and other energy supplies

pass. The warship is equipped with antiship and surface-to-air missiles as well as torpedoes and naval cannons, state television said. Khamenei’s attendance was a sign of the significance that Iran attached to the event. Iran has declared many such advances in its military industries and sciences to demonstrate self-sufficiency despite sanctions and attempts by the US and its allies to isolate the country over its nuclear program. The ship has a top speed of about 35 mph and can carry 120 to 140 personnel, state TV said, adding that a second destroyer is now under construction.

The Kremlin has repeatedly said that further sanctions might have to be imposed if Tehran failed to cooperate with the IAEA. The Foreign Ministry yesterday hinted that talks on a sanctions resolution could start soon.

“No work is in progress at the UN Security Council in New York today to prepare a possible sanctions-based resolution on Iran,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said.

“However, given the current circumstances, we cannot fully rule out the possibility of starting this work.” Germany, one of the six powers negotiating with Iran on the nuclear issue, added its voice to the pressure.

“The persistent defiance ... of United Nations resolutions and Tehran’s continuation of a dangerous nuclear policy are forcing the international community to pursue further comprehensive sanctions in New York against the regime in Tehran,” government spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said.

But he added: “We rule out a military solution.” The United States says it wants a diplomatic solution but has not ruled out military action. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said European capitals were coordinating on a joint response following the latest IAEA report. German exporters called yesterday for tough sanctions, even though Germany is among Iran’s biggest trading partners, exporting more than 3.3 billion euros’ worth of goods in 2009. — Agencies

SPORTS

20

Saturday, February 20, 2010

extras Real target Mourinho MADRID: Real Madrid want Inter Milan’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho to replace embattled Manuel Pellegrini next season, sports daily Marca reported yesterday. “Mourinho still has three years left with Inter but there is a clause in his contract which would allow him to leave in June,” it said, adding the Spanish giant’s interest had been “well received” by the former Chelsea coach. Pellegrini, 56, is under pressure following Real’s 1-0 Champions League defeat away to Lyon and the club’s embarrassing elimination by third division side Alcorcon from the Spanish Cup late last year. The Champions League final will be held at Real’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium on May 22 and the club, which spent nearly 250 million euros (340 million dollars) on fresh talent before the start of the season, has made winning the tournament its top priority.

Real’s loss to Lyon has put its Champions League campaign in jeopardy and Pellegrini has been criticized by Spain’s sports media for failing to place new stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka into a coherent team structure.

Hughes hit with six-match ban EDINBURGH: Hibs manager John Hughes has been handed a six-month touchline ban for his outburst at the referee during his side’s 5-1 defeat in a league game at St Johnstone in midweek.

Hughes was incensed that no action was taken for what he thought was a blatant foul on defender Paul Hanlon in the buildup to the Saints’ fourth goal. The Scottish Football Association (SFA) take into account managers’ conduct over the previous two seasons when issuing touchline bans, and Hughes had two run-ins with officials during that period while in charge at Falkirk. Should Hughes elect not to appeal his suspension which includes cup games - it will kick in for the March 6 SPL game against Kilmarnock and will end after the scheduled April 3 clash with Celtic. The SFA also confirmed striker Colin Nish will serve a three-match ban for his sending-off in the same game. Nish was dismissed for kicking out at Saints defender Michael Duberry and will sit out tomorrow’s trip to Motherwell.

Vieira faces ban after accepting FA charge LONDON: Patrick Vieira is set to be banned for three matches by the Football Association (FA) after “reluctantly deciding” to accept a violent conduct charge.

The Manchester City midfielder was charged by the FA on Wednesday after appearing to kick Stoke’s Glenn Whelan between the legs during Tuesday’s 1-1 Premier League draw at the Britannia Stadium.

A City statement issued Thursday said: “Patrick Vieira has reluctantly decided not to contest the FA charge of violent conduct.” Vieira added: “At no time did I intend to injure Glenn Whelan. I apologized to him at the time. My foot did make contact with him but I carried no malice at all toward him.” France star Vieira, who was making only his second start for City following a January transfer window move from Italian giants Inter Milan, is now set to miss league matches against Liverpool and Chelsea as well as the FA Cup fifth round replay at Stoke.

Tony Pulis, the Stoke manager, was enraged Vieira escaped on-field punishment from referee Alan Wiley.

PORTO: Arsenal’s Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas (left) is tackled by FC Porto’s Uruguayan defender Jorge Fucile during their UEFA Champions League football match at the Dragao Stadium in Porto. Porto won 2-1. — AFP

Gunners seeking home comfort after Euro blow LONDON: Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side face Sunderland hoping they have left the selfdestructive tendencies that threaten their Champions League ambitions behind in Portugal. A dire defensive display-especially from stand-in goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianskicontributed to a 2-1 defeat by FC Porto that leaves the Gunners facing an uphill task in the return leg at the Emirates Stadium. Concerns about that fixture, however, will be put firmly to one side as Arsenal bid to bolster their Premier League title challenge at home to Sunderland on Saturday. Back-to-back defeats

by Chelsea and Manchester United appeared to have ended Arsenal’s championship hopes.

But a combination of the home victory over

Liverpool, Chelsea’s defeat at Everton and Manchester United’s draw at Aston Villa has once again narrowed the gap between the leading three teams, with the Gunners six points off top spot.

However, Arsenal’s lingering hopes rest on their ability to avoid any unexpected slip-ups against less fancied teams, adding to the pressure facing them ahead of their meeting with Steve Bruce’s Sunderland side.

Defeat in Porto could at least be explained partly by the withdrawal of five key players, including keeper Manuel Almunia, whose absence paved the way for Fabianski’s inclusion.

Almunia has a chance of returning against

Sunderland, as does midfielder Alex Song, although midfielder Abou Diaby has been ruled out after injuring his knee in Portugal. “We lost Abou Diaby,” said Wenger.

“It is not understandable. I don’t know how it worked but he has a medial knee ligament injury.”

The Frenchman added: “However, Song could be available, we have a test tomorrow (Friday) on him. “I don’t know about Almunia, we’ll have a test tomorrow on him too. I’d say Song is 80 percent to be back in the squad.

Almunia fifty-fifty. Diaby is zero.”

Wenger confirmed winger Andrey Arshavin and striker Eduardo (both hamstring) as well as defender William Gallas (back) were

“I’d love to say Everton are going to win the league but obviously that’s not going to happen,” said Saha. “Chelsea are very strong but I think United are better, and personally I would be delighted if they won it,” the 31-year-old Frenchman added. — AFP

will stand up and support him until the end because he is a good character and I am sure he will be back. “Whenever he has to play, I am sure he will do well.”

Sunderland’s task appears daunting as they attempt to end a run of 12 games without a win that has sent them plummeting towards the relegation zone. “There is always a shock somewhere and I hope we can go there and play well,” said Bruce.

“We need to win a game, to get the monkey off our backs and why not against Arsenal? We did it before and I’m sure we can try and do it again. “We’ve drawn five of our last seven games and in those we could quite easily have won two or three, it’s been that close.” —AFP

Cole’s Chelsea future undecided

Rooney looks to extend goal run LONDON: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney returns to the club where he made his name when the Premier League champions travel to Everton today.

The England forward’s double in the mid-week Champions League victory against AC Milan took his tally for the season to 25 goals and he will be eager for more as United continue their quest for a fourth straight Premier League title at Goodison Park.

Rooney has become something of a hate figure for Everton fans, having left the club to move to Old Trafford in 2004, but he will be the last person who wants United manager Sir Alex Ferguson to give him a rest this weekend with their side a point behind leaders Chelsea.

“Particularly in the last two months we have seen development in his game and confidence has a lot to do with that,” Ferguson said of Rooney. “His basic ability is as good as any of (the world’s top) players. What he’s got to do is improve his goalscoring, which he’s now doing and if he continues that trend then he’s got to be regarded alongside any player.”

Louis Saha may hope Manchester United go on to win the Premier League title but such thoughts will be at the back of the in-form Everton striker’s when he faces his old club this weekend. Saha, whose four seasons at Old Trafford were plagued by injuries, has scored 15 goals so far this season and was on target twice in Everton’s 2-1 win over league leaders Chelsea earlier this month. Everton, ninth in the table and 23 points off top spot, may be out of title contention themselves but, having cut Chelsea’s lead to just a point, they are ready to play another significant part in the destiny of the championship.

all still out of action. But all eyes will be on Wenger’s choice of goalkeeper on Saturday with Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas acknowledging Fabianski will be under severe scrutiny if the young Pole is between the posts against Sunderland.

“He is strong and we have to be there for him,” Fabregas said of Fabianski. “Sometimes when you are young in a big game, these things happen to you.

“You can be a little bit down but the team will be 100 percent behind him and help him in the next game to come back to his best.

“He is a very good keeper. He had his chance (against Porto) and sometimes it doesn’t go your way. “It didn’t go his way but we

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard (right) vies for the ball against Unirea Urziceni’s Sorin Paraschiv during their Europa League soccer match at Anfield, Liverpool on Thursday Feb 18, 2010. — AP

Gerrard predicts away day joy against Unirea LIVERPOOL: Steven Gerrard insists Liverpool will find Unirea Urziceni much easier opponents when they travel to Romania next week. Roni Levy’s side made life difficult for the Reds at Anfield here on Thursday with Liverpool only winning 1-0 in the first leg of their last 32 Europa League tie thanks to David Ngog’s goal nine minutes from time. Having been knocked out of the Champions League in the group phase, Liverpool were expected to coast past Unirea.

But Liverpool captain Gerrard is adamant that the Romanian champions’ need to be more positive in the return leg will play into the Merseysiders’ hands.

And the England midfielder reckons Liverpool can go all the way in the competition and lift their first trophy since 2006.

“They were very stubborn but we expected that,” Gerrard said. “Maybe we needed to be a bit more clinical but we’ll get more joy away from home against them. “We had to be patient but the break-

through came. Away from home they’ll have to come out and we’ll kill them off. “Teams have come out of the Champions League into this tournament, top sides from across Europe. “It’ll be tough but we’re confident we can go all the way.”

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is also sure his team will find Unirea easier to break down in the return leg. The Spaniard fielded a full-strength side in an attempt to end the tie as a contest at the halfway stage. Yet despite a narrow victory, and with an important trip to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday to come, Benitez is happy enough with Liverpool’s position. “We were waiting for the goal and we were really pleased when we scored,” Benitez said.

“They have to attack so maybe we’ll have more space and maybe we can play in a different way. “We had to sustain the attack because they stayed deep, waiting to counter-attack,” he added. —AFP

WOLVERHAMPTON: Joe Cole will receive an early indication of how prominently he figures in Carlo Ancelotti’s long-term plans when Chelsea face Wolves this weekend.

The midfielder’s contract expires at the end of the season and his withdrawal midway through last weekend’s FA Cup win over Cardiff meant that, briefly at least, the England man’s future shifted focus away from the ongoing allegations over the private lives of team-mates John Terry and Ashley Cole.

Negotiations have ground to a halt and Cole is now free to talk to other teams, which opens up the possibility he could sign a pre-contract agreement with one of the Premier League leaders’ title rivals. English champions Manchester United are believed to be monitoring the situation closely, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly interested in signing Joe Cole as a replacement for the ageing Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

Ancelotti remains upbeat about the prospects of the former West Ham star staying with the London club although the player is still to hit top form this season following his return from a serious knee

injury. Cole, though, wasn’t the only Chelsea player to displease his manager against Cardiff when, according to midfielder John Obi Mikel, Ancelotti delivered his fiercest team talk yet. Chelsea went on to win comfortably to continue their outstanding home record, but the game came just days after they had lost at Everton, allowing United to close the gap to just one point.

The Blues have now lost four league games away from home, and while Ancelotti will be confident his side can claim three points against a struggling Wolves side, their recent wobbles will ensure Chelsea travel to Molineux with a few nerves. Terry returns to the side after being given a leave of absence to miss the Cardiff game and join his wife in Dubai following newspaper allegations about his relationship with Vanessa Perroncel, the former girlfriend of England colleague Wayne Bridge. Striker Didier Drogba will hope to continue the current run that has brought four goals in four games since his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Ivorian hitman has been shortlisted for the African Player of the Year award after settling his differ-

ences with the African Football Confederation (CAF) over his non-attendance at a previous awards ceremony.

“That was the past,” said Drogba. “We all sat down and spoke about it-Mr Hayatou (the CAF president) and the people from the Ivory Coast Federation-so I think everything is good now. “It is a good trophy and a big honor for a player to win it, especially this year which is so special for the African continent.” Meanwhile Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager, is convinced the gap between teams at either end of the league table is closing.

Wolves were fined this week for fielding a weakened side at Manchester United but McCarthy believes his players are learning rapidly and are capable of shocking Chelsea.

“I think that’s because of the results the top four, or top six, have had against the rest of the league,” he said. “There is a sense throughout the league that teams just aren’t invincible anymore. Do you know, I don’t think it is because Chelsea, Manchester United and the rest are any worse. “I just think that maybe the rest of us have got a little bit better, a little bit more streetwise and players know how to nick a result off them.” — AFP

Todayʼs matches on TV (local timings) English Premier League Everton v Manchester Utd ............15:45 ShowSports 1 ShowSports 2 Arsenal v Sunderland ....................18:00 Premiere Sport CL5 Premiere Sport CL6 Premiere Sport CL7 Extreme Sport Wolverhampton v Chelsea...............18:00 ShowSports 1 ShowSports 2 Portsmouth v Stoke City................20:30 ShowSports 1 ShowSports 2 Spanish League FC Barcelona v Real Racing............22:00 Aljazeera Sport +2 Real Mallorca v Sevilla...................00:00 Aljazeera Sport +2

Italian League Genoa v Udinese............................20:00 Aljazeera Sport +1 Internazionale v Sampdoria............22:45 Aljazeera Sport +1 German League FC Koln v VfB Stuttgart..................17:30 Premiere Sport 1 Premiere Start BV Borussia D v Hannoverscher .....17:30 Premiere Sport 1 Premiere Start Hamburger v Eintracht Frankfurt....17:30 Premiere Sport 1 Premiere Start FSV Mainz 05 v VFL Bochum..........17:30 Premiere Sport 1 Premiere Start FC Nurnberg v Bayern Munich........17:30 Premiere Sport 1 Premiere Start

Saturday, February 20, 2010

SPORTS

21

Robben-inspired Bayern eye record winning streak German League Preview

MUNICH: Bayern Munich’s Dutch striker Arjen Robben (left) and Fiorentina’s Peruvian midfielder Juan Vargas vie for the ball during the 1st leg UEFA Champions League football round of 16 match in the southern German city of Munich. — AFP

Scottish Premier League Preview

Mowbray exhorts Celtic to launch title charge GLASGOW: Tony Mowbray says Celtic’s clash against Dundee United today is a must-win match if they are to stand a chance of regaining the Scottish Premier League title. Celtic find themselves 10 points behind fierce rivals Rangers in the race for the SPL championship after they were held to a 4-4 draw by Aberdeen at Pittodrie last weekend. The two giants meet next weekend at Ibrox in the third Old Firm fixture of the season and Mowbray knows Celtic can’t afford to find themselves even further behind.

And the Hoops manager has urged his side to get over their disappointing draw with the Dons and produce wins in their next two games to make the championship run-in more interesting. “We have to cope with the frustration of the draw at Aberdeen, stick together and move on,” he said. “We now find ourselves in the same position as we did a few weeks ago, when we chipped a couple of points off Rangers’ lead and then dropped points ourselves. “What we have to do is get back to chipping the points away again. To do that, we need to get a positive result today against Dundee United and go into the Rangers game full of confidence.

“We were all disappointed after Saturday but if we win our next two games, it makes life very interesting.

There are points to be won and lost-starting with our game against Dundee United. We will do everything we can to get a positive result.” Despite his extensive dealing in the transfer market during January the Celtic manager finds himself light in numbers in defense.

Darren O’Dea is suspended while both Glenn Loovens and Jos Hooiveld are injured.

It could mean teenagers Josh Thompson and

Thomas Rogne are partnered in the centre of defence although Mowbray has hinted at moving experienced full-backs Lee Naylor, Mark Wilson or Andreas Hinkel into the position as cover. Ranger boss Walter Smith has the luxury of picking from a full squad with no fresh injury worries prior to the today’s lunchtime kick-off at St Johnstone. His side are unbeaten in the league since November and easily dispensed with third-placed Hibernian in a 3-0 win last Sunday.

The Ibrox side triumphed when they met the Saints in the League Cup semi-final earlier this month but Derek McInnes’s team are on a high following their 5-1 win over Hibs in midweek. John Hughes takes his Hibernian side to Fir Park to take on Motherwell on the back of two straight defeats, their worst run since September. Motherwell, on the other hand, are in great form since the arrival of Craig Brown as manager and are unbeaten in seven matches. Kilmarnock take on St Mirren at Rugby Park with both sides looking to pick up points in their bid to climb away from the relegation zone.

Bottom club Falkirk take on Mark McGhee’s Aberdeen two weeks after they defeated the Dons at Pittodrie. McGhee has come in for criticism after his side were knocked out of the Scottish Cup in midweek by First Division Raith Rovers, while new Bairns boss Steven Pressley is still looking for his first win. On Sunday Hearts face Hamilton at Tynecastle. Jim Jefferies finally claimed his first win in his second spell in charge of the Jambos with a 3-2 over Falkirk last week, while Hamilton hover near the relegation spot. — AFP

BERLIN: Bayern Munich bid to equal a record of 10 straight league wins today when they travel to lowly Nuremberg for a match that could see them top the table for the first time in 21 months. Inspired by Dutch international winger Arjen Robben, who has found the net in his last six outings, Bayern have embarked on a tremendous run of form, winning their last 13 games in a row in all competitions.

And the 21-time Bundesliga kings will travel to relegation-threatened Nuremberg full of confidence after scraping a 2-1 win in their Champions League last-16 first leg against Fiorentina on Wednesday. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said his men would be in no mood for generosity towards their local rivals.

“We can’t be handing out any neighborly presents. We need every point and every goal, even if there are two players in the Nuremberg side who we really like,” he said. Rummenigge was referring to midfielder Andreas Ottl und Brazilian defender Breno, both of whom are on loan from Bayern.

However, Ottl too was in no mood for sentimentality in the run-up to the match, vowing that Nuremberg would “fight tooth and nail” against their illustrious rivals. Bayern have also been boosted by the return to fitness of French international star midfielder Franck Ribery, who played a full 90 minutes against Fiorentina for the first time since a four-month injury lay-off.

However, coach Louis van Gaal said

Lyon back to business after Madrid triumph PARIS: Lyon get back to domestic business this weekend following their shock 1-0 win over Real Madrid in the Champions League when they meet midtable side Sochaux. The seven-time French champions will be hoping to imitate Wednesday’s classy performance against the Spanish giants as they look to close an eight-point gap on leaders Bordeaux. “We must not drop below this level,” said Lyon manager Claude Puel, whose team have come under fire from some fans for failing to reproduce the entertaining brand of football of previous seasons.

Still, Puel’s team are grinding out results and his side have not lost a league game in 2010. Sochaux, 13th, are also on a hot run of form and go into the game unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions. Sochaux coach Francis Gillot said he

was wary of Lyon’s quality as his team look to cement their place in mid-table. “I was more surprised at how poor Real were than Lyon’s performance,” he said of Wednesday’s game.

“They played a great match and showed what they are capable of. When you look at the quality of their players, that doesn’t surprise me.” While Puel gave his players a day’s rest after their European exploits, there is no such luck for Didier Deschamps’s Marseille side. A mere 76 hours after Thursday’s 3-1 Europa League last-32 first leg win at FC Copenhagen, the one-time European champions meet Nancy at the Stade Velodrome and striker Mamadou Niang is under no illusions about which competition is more important.

“We’ve said and we’ll say it again: the league is our priority. But we are in three

competitions at the moment and we will play in all of them to the best of our ability,” the 30-year-old said. Meanwhile, second-placed Montpellier could go level on points with Laurent Blanc’s Bordeauxwhose game with Auxerre has been postponed to allow them time to prepare for their Champions League trip to Olympiakos on Tuesday-if they win away at Saint-Etienne today.

Rene Girard’s newly-promoted side have been the surprise package of this season and some in French football have said they could create the ultimate upset by taking Bordeaux’s league crown. But that’s not something those at the southern club like to talk about, having just returned to the top flight after five years in France’s second tier. “I don’t think we will win the league. We are not thinking about that, but we are just focusing on picking

Roma and Milan pray for Sampdoria favor cially considering that we’ve never been at full strangth this season,” he said. “For example if (Luca) Toni is fit, (Francesco) Totti is absent and vice-versa. “Soon we’ll have more options and maybe we’ll get even better.” Roma may be hoping for a favor from Sampdoria, but the Genovese have not travelled well this season, losing seven from 13 and being hammered 5-1 at Juve and losing 3-0 against both Genoa and Milan.

But despite an injury to playmaker Antonio Cassano, Sampdoria have been a better side recently and have won four on the trot, including their last two away matches. It gives them hope, although it will be a tall order as only two teams-Roma and Bari-have escaped from the San Siro with a point against Inter this season. It’s not just Roma chasing the champions, as Milan are also still in the mix ahead of their trip to Bari, nine points behind the leaders but with a game in hand. However, they have won only one of their last six, including Tuesday’s 3-2 home loss to Manchester United in the Champions League.

Veteran Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf says the Rossoneri need to learn to win ugly sometimes.

“This season we need to be nastier in going in search of victory, we can’t always play pretty football, we need to be effective” he said. “Now it’s back to the league and we know how to react to this loss, we can’t wait for Bari.” Meanwhile, struggling Juventus take a trip to Bologna, who are unbeaten in their last six. Alberto Zaccheroni earned his first win in charge of Juve at home to Genoa last weekend and followed it up with a 2-1 victory at Dutch giants Ajax in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie on Thursday. — AFP

up points,” said striker Victor Hugo Montano. At the other end of the table, 15th-placed Paris Saint-Germain host 11th-placed Toulouse today evening.

A string of poor results has prompted supporter protests at the Parc des Princes in recent weeks with many fans calling on PSG manager Antonie Kombouare to resign. The capital club received a rare piece of good news on Thursday when veteran keeper Gregory Coupet, a longterm injury absentee, announced he could be ready to return the side in mid-April. In the weekend’s other games, third-placed Lille - 2-1 winners at home to Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday-play away to eighth-placed Rennes on Sunday evening. Today, Boulogne host Le Mans, 10th-placed Valenciennes travel to basement club Grenoble and Nice welcome Lorient to the south coast. — AFP

Barca’s Busquets sees Real clash as the La Liga decider

Italian League Preview

ROME: Title hopefuls Roma and AC Milan will be hoping in-form Sampdoria can do them a favor and blow Serie A wide open by beating league leaders Inter Milan this weekend. Early pace-setters Sampdoria have won their last four matches in a row and are level on points with fourth-placed Napoli in the fight for Champions League football next season. In a peculiar season, Sampdoria seem to have overcome their long mid-season blip and are looking again like the compact and threatening unit that stood shoulder to shoulder with Inter for the first seven games of the campaign.

Since the Genoa club’s drop in form, however, no team has managed to hold onto Inter’s coat-tails and the four-in-a-row champions lead the championship by seven points. It could have been more were it not for the fine form of Claudio Ranieri’s Roma, who rose from the cusp of the relegation zone to second place in Serie A on the back of a 20match unbeaten run in all competitions that ended in a 3-2 defeat at Panathinaikos in the Europa League on Thursday.

When they faced Inter at the San Siro 12 games into this season there were already 14 points between the pair but that gap has now been halved and every obstacle between the two teams has been surpassed. Roma host lowly Catania on Sunday, when the home fans will fully expect success against a side with only two wins on their travels all season-one away to Juventus-and who sit a single point above the drop zone.

Roma host Inter at the end of March and Brazilian centre-back Juan says the capital-based club need to close the gap even further ahead of that game. “Playing them at home is an advantage, espe-

his Belgian defender Daniel van Buyten would miss the match and possibly also Bayern’s crunch clash with fourth-placed Hamburg on February 28, after picking up a calf injury on Wednesday.

While the focus will naturally be on Bayern, their main competitors for the title, Bayer Leverkusen-currently top of the league by one goal on goal difference-are also in the hunt for records this weekend. If Jupp Heynckes’s men avoid defeat away to Werder Bremen on Sunday, it will be their 23rd consecutive game without losing, ironically overhauling a record set by Bayern in 1988-89 when they were coached by Heynckes himself.

Third-placed Schalke are also playing away from home, at last season’s champions Wolfsburg, now fallen from grace and languishing at 12th in the table.

The other team still in the Bundesliga hunt is Hamburg, buoyed by the recent signing of Dutch superstar Ruud van Nistelrooy. And the 33year-old former Manchester United striker is bullish about his new team’s chances, telling Kicker magazine on Thursday: “We have enough quality and with 12 league games to go, everything is possible.” At the other end of the table, Hertha Berlin, still four points adrift at the bottom of the league, have a must-win game against newly-promoted Freiburg, themselves only one place from relegation difficulty in 15th. — AFP

MADRID: Atletico Madrid’s Uruguayan forward Diego Forlan (left) vies with Barcelona’s midfielder Sergio Busquets during their Spanish League football match in this file photo. — AFP

MADRID: Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets believes an April showdown with bitter rivals Real Madrid will decide the Spanish league title despite seeing their lead cut to just two points. The Catalan giants were forced to field a makeshift defense in their first defeat of the season against Atletico Madrid last weekend, allowing Los Blancos to close the gap at the top of La Liga with a routine win away to basement club Xerez. Barcelona face Racing Santander this weekend but 21-year-old Busquets, son of former Barca keeper Carles, already has his eyes on the mouthwatering clash against Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Madrid in two months’ time.

“The match at the Bernabeu will go a long way to deciding who wins and loses the title but there is a long way to go before that and we have a lot of games that will also have a big impact like this weekend,” said the Spanish international. “I don’t think it was such a big deal to lose because one day or another it was going to happen and now it is necessary that we remain strong at home. Teams come to the Nou Camp with a lot of ambition as we are the side to beat.”

Pep Guardiola will have to do without influential midfielder Xavi, who is the latest player to join the injury list, meaning Rafa Marquez could move from centre-back. Real suffered a disappointing Champions League defeat by Lyon in mid-week and defender Alvaro Arbeloa says the players are now looking for a win against Villarreal to boost morale. “There are three weeks before we play the second leg of the Champions League and we have a key game against Villarreal com-

ing up where we will need to get our game back on track and give ourselves confidence,” the former Liverpool player said.

“We are two points off Barcelona and we will do our best to reduce that lead. We need to win our next few games as that will set the tone for the rest of the season.”

Third-placed Valencia aim to continue their good run of form against Getafe, while there is a crunch match below them between Sevilla and Mallorca for fourth position.

Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute is a fitness doubt so Alvaro Negredo could partner Luis Fabiano in attack for the trip to the Oni Estadi.

Meanwhile, Deportivo la Coruna are looking to bounce back after a poor performance against Espanyol when they take on Xerez. The victory over Barcelona has rekindled Atletico Madrid’s hopes of winning a place in Europe but as they prepare to face Almeria, their main problem is that they still lack consistency. “Hopefully we can play more games like the one against Barcelona. We have been working hard and I think gradually you are seeing the results of that,” said Atletico striker Diego Forlan.

The situation remains just as tight at the foot of the table.

Valladolid slipped down to 19th position following Tenerife’s surprise win over Mallorca. They now face a tough away trip to Osasuna, who have won four out of their last five games, while Tenerife have an equally difficult encounter against Athletic Bilbao. Zaragoza have moved out of the bottom three having picked up seven points from a possible nine and they will be hoping to continue the good run against Sporting Gijon. — AFP

SPORTS

22

Saturday, February 20, 2010

KUWAIT: Shooters in action during the International Police Shooting Championships.

International Police Shooting Championships heat up

By Abdullatif Sharaa KUWAIT: Shortly after winning the presidency of the International Police Sports Confederation (USIP), Major General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf Al-Sabah has initiated moves to launch a new plan to develop the organization at both the administrative and technical levels, as well as setting his sights on introducing other improvements.

Meanwhile, competition on the third day of the International Police Shooting Championships continued to heat up.

The previous day witnessed Kazakhstan’s Rasid Yunusmetov taking first place in the Men’s 10 Meter Air Pistol event by scoring 683.5 points followed by Armenia’s Norayr Bakhtamyan with 683 and Ukraine’s Serhii Kudria with a score of 679.5.

In the Men’s Trap competition, the first place was claimed by Italy’s Ermini Frasca who hit 144 targets, while second place went to Slovakia’s Eric Varga with 141

strikes and Kuwait’s Khalid Al-Mudhaf coming third with a score of 140. In the Women’s 10 Meter Air Pistol event, first place went to Kazakhstan’s Zauresh Baibussinova, who scored 479.9, and second place was taken by Malaysian Cheah Lee Yean with a score of 478.4, while Romania’s Daniela Cohancius took third place scoring 475.3.

Commenting on his participation, Kuwait’s trap shooter Khalid Al-Mudhaf said he was happy with his third place finish, adding that the event is a high-quality event, with competition proving very strong due to the high levels of the participating world champions.

Al-Mudhaf commended the championship organization, which he said has been highly accurate and precise, adding that this is a major asset for the Kuwait Police Sports Union led by Major General Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Al-Mudhaf said the competition has provided him with an excellent opportunity for

practice before the Asian competition begins in March in Bangkok. He said that it had been an honor to win the bronze, though his ambition was the gold.

He wished the Kuwaiti shooters in the skeet, double trap and bullets events every success, voicing hope that they would attain gold medals to continue their major achievements for the field of Kuwaiti sports

‘New plan to develop USIP’ shooting and their country.

Meanwhile, Major General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf said that it is important to adopt a new vision for the confederation’s activities and allow it to serve the largest possible number of police athletes. The new plan aims at increasing the member countries from all contents, establishing a data base and signing contracts with sponsors to financially support the confederation. Head of the Italian delegation Franco

said that what the competitors have seen in the championship so far, especially the opening ceremony, has been nothing short of magnificent. The organizing committee has left nothing to chance, he added, wishing the organizers and the event every success in the future.

The Egyptian team is looking for advanced places in this event, as it did in other arenas, Major General Sharaf revealed. Meanwhile, the Vice-President of

NBA results and standings on Thursday.

Denver 118, Cleveland 116 (OT); Boston 87, LA Lakers 86. (OT Denotes Overtime Win) Western Conference Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Northwest Division W L PCT GB Denver 36 18 .667 Boston 34 18 .654 Utah 34 19 .642 Toronto 29 24 .547 5.5 Oklahoma City 31 21 .596 Philadelphia 20 33 .377 14.5 Portland 32 24 .571 NY Knicks 19 34 .358 15.5 Minnesota 13 42 .236 New Jersey 5 49 .093 30

CLEVELAND: Carmelo Anthony scored 40 points, including the winning basket, as the Denver Nuggets ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 13-game NBA winnings streak with a 118-116 victory in overtime Thursday. Cleveland lost despite LeBron James having a triple-double by the end of regulation, finishing with 43 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists. Anthony matched him shot for shot, hitting the winner on a deep jumper over an outstretched James with 1.9 seconds left to give Denver a win that opened a 1-1/2 game lead atop the Northwest Division.

Kenyon Martin had 18 points and a seasonhigh 17 rebounds for the Nuggets, who had plenty of motivation to begin the second half of its season with a win. Nuggets coach George Karl was on the bench despite battling nausea and headaches in recent days as a result of chemotherapy. Karl coached his first game since disclosing Tuesday he has neck and throat cancer. The Cavaliers had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but James slipped while receiving the inbound pass and his 3-pointer rattled off the rim.

An exhausted James, who played 47 minutes, missed his final four shots in overtime. His triple-double was the third of the season and 27th of his career. His 15 assists tied a career high.

Cleveland made just 23 of 40 free throws. The Cavaliers were undermanned since they traded Zydrunas Ilgauskas on Wednesday and didn’t yet have Antawn Jamison available - the player they received in return from Washington in the threeteam deal. The Cavs introduced Jamison on Thursday, but he wasn’t activated in time for the game. The team is hopeful he can be in the lineup Friday at Charlotte.

In Los Angeles, Ray Allen scored 12 of his 24 points in the third quarter and made 10 of his first 11 shots as Boston edged Los Angeles. It was the defending NBA champions’ first loss in five games since Kobe Bryant sustained a sprained left ankle. Kendrick Perkins had 13 points and 14 assists for the Celtics, who were busy before gametime. They acquired guard Nate Robinson and Marcus Landry from the New York Knicks in exchange for Eddie House, J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker and a future conditional second-round draft pick. Paul Gasol scored 22 points to lead Los Angeles. The Lakers had won the previous three meetings with the Celtics after losing the 2008 finals to them in six games.

On Thursday they led 84-80 in the fourth quarter but went 4 minutes, 48 seconds without a basket to cede the lead. The Laker had one final opportunity on the buzzer, but Derek Fisher missed a 21-footer. —AP

Another female Kuwaiti skeet shooter competing in the event, Sheikha Al-Rashidi, who came third in the Gulf Championship and second in the Arab Championship, revealed that her ambition is to participate on the international scene through this competition following her Gulf and Arab achievements. She hopes that Kuwait’s female shooters would participate in the Olympics, pointing out that all the necessary facilities are available.

Meanwhile, Bahraini shooter Samah Hajras commended the level of Kuwait’s female shooters, saying that she considers them the most notable at the Arab level, and adding they are improving from one championship to another, as demonstrated

by Mariam Al-Razouqi’s gold medal and Sarah Al-Hawal’s bronze.

Hajras said that Bahrain’s team is considered as beginners and need some time to gain experience and become acquainted with world shooters.

NBA results/standings

Nuggets end Cavs’ 13-game streak

Celtics 87, Lakers 86

the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Unni Nicolaysen said that the championship’s organizing committee had presented an expressive art and sports show, since this activity is closely linked to the name, history and heritage of Kuwait as a state and of sports as a historically deeprooted sport.

Nicolaysen said that she had come to Kuwait at the invitation of the organizing committee to strengthen international sports relations and joint coordination in order to serve and develop the sport of shooting. Kuwaiti female skeet shooter Iman Al-Shamma said that the field of women’s shooting has improved significantly in the Gulf in general and Kuwait in particular in recent years.

Al-Shamma, who began skeet shooting nine months ago and made it to the finals of the recent Arab championship, said that the sport is continually developing and improving due to the support and interest it receives from sports officials in Kuwait.

Muneti said his delegation is very happy to be attending such a major event in Kuwait, especially since the Italians came looking for gold as they are very experienced and have the necessary capabilities to win.

He revealed that the Italian shooters’ previous awards include a silver medal in the Beijing Olympics. Head of the Egyptian delegation Major General Mahmoud Sharaf

Cleveland Chicago Milwaukee Detroit Indiana

Central Division 43 12 .782 27 26 .509 24 28 .462 19 34 .358 18 35 .340

15 17.5 23 24

Orlando Atlanta Miami Charlotte Washington

Southeast Division 37 18 .673 34 18 .654 28 27 .509 26 26 .500 18 33 .353

1.5 9 9.5 17

1.5 4 5 23.5

Pacific Division 42 14 .750 32 23 .582 21 33 .389 18 36 .333 15 38 .283

9.5 20 23 25.5

Southwest Division Dallas 33 21 .611 San Antonio 31 21 .596 Houston 28 25 .528 New Orleans 28 26 .519 Memphis 27 26 .509

1 4.5 5 5.5

LA Lakers Phoenix LA Clippers Sacramento Golden State

Westwood exits as seeds crash at Match Play

CLEVELAND: Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (right) tries to get past Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony in the first quarter in an NBA basketball game. — AP

MARANA: Second seed Lee Westwood was among the losers on a day of upsets in the second round at the $8.5 million Accenture Match Play Championship on Thursday. Third-seeded American Jim Furyk, Germany’s Martin Kaymer (4) and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy (5) were also eliminated, following the first round defeat of top seed Steve Stricker at Dove Mountain. That left sixth-seeded Briton Paul Casey the highest ranked player through to the final 16 of the World Golf Championships event.

Westwood fell 2&1 against 31st-seeded American Nick Watney, while defending champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia was bundled out 2&1 by Colombia’s

Camilo Villegas. Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa were among the few big names to advance. Retief Goosen knocked out fellow South African Ernie Els at the 20th hole. “I would say (hole) 14 was a turning point,” Watney told reporters. “He holed a bunker shot out for eagle on the 13th and I was able to birdie the next hole. That really kind of gained my momentum back.”

Garcia worked hard to beat Dane Anders Hansen 2&1. “It’s a funny tournament this match play, because some years you come here you feel like you’re playing unbelievable and you get beaten in the first and second round,” Garcia told reporters.—Reuters

Speculation at fever pitch ahead of Woods appearance JACKSONVILLE: Speculations reached fever pitch yesterday ahead of the first public appearance by star golfer Tiger Woods since a slew of tawdry revelations that led to his stunning fall from grace. The world’s top golfer was slated to appear before a carefully chosen group of reporters for a tightly choreographed public statement. Media trucks arrived at the site where the billionaire athlete was to speak the night before, but for all the attention it was unclear where Woods would be after the statement. US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem seemed to suggest that Woods was headed back to therapy.

“I don’t know what he’s going to do after

he finishes his rehab,” Finchem said this week at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona. “In a vacuum we’d like him back as soon as possible-but we want him back importantly when he’s dealt with the issues he felt like he had to deal with.”

There has been wild speculation about what Woods will say, with British bookmaker William Hill even issuing odds — 4-to-7 that his wife, Elin, will be with him; 8-to-1 that he will announce a divorce; 12-to-1 that his wife is pregnant, and 100-to-1 that he will retire.

“It’s a private matter, really, but he’s a public person,” former Masters champion Bernhard Langer said from Boca Raton,

Florida. Woods was to deliver his remarks at 11:00 am (1600 GMT) at the PGA Tour’s headquarters at the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse before a select group of journalists and a lone television camera. The Golf Writers Association of America declined to participate as pool reporters, citing controls on the event. “The position, simply put, is all or none,” said Vartan Kupelian, president of the 950-member group.

“To limit the ability of journalists to attend, listen, see and question Woods goes against the grain of everything we believe.”

Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg countered that the event was “not a press conference,”

adding that his client “wants to begin the process of making amends and that’s what he’s going to discuss.” No hint has been given as to what plans Woods might reveal, and whether the 14-time major champion will return soon to competition and his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major titles.

He has been photographed recently jogging and hitting golf balls, suggesting he is far from hanging up his golf shoes, but his future has been uncertain since November, when the married father-of-two crashed his car outside his Florida home, unleashing a scandal.

His squeaky clean image was quickly tarnished after a series of women came forward

to allege affairs. Both the tightly-controlled nature of Woods’ first public appearance and its timing have come under fire.

Friday will mark the third round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona and critics have noted that consulting firm Accenture was one of the first companies to sever ties with Woods amid the scandal. South African golfer Ernie Els told Golf Week magazine that Woods was “selfish” for taking attention away from a tournament.

A spokesman for Accenture noted Thursday that Woods would speak several hours before play got underway. — AFP

SPORTS

Saturday, February 20, 2010

23

Death track faces inquiry as crashes pile-up WHISTLER: The widely-condemned Olympic sliding centre, which claimed the life of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili and caused multiple bobsleigh pile-ups, will be the subject of a major inquiry after the Games. The International Luge Federation (FIL) announced Thursday it will investigate all events following the death of the Georgian 21-year-old as well as new claims that safety standards were not properly observed at the time.

Adding to the embarrassment of officials were allegations that competitors had been gagged from voicing criticism of the venue

which also witnessed eight spectacualar crashes in bobsleigh training on Wednesday.

“With the luge season now concluded with the Olympic Games, the FIL will gather all needed information to be able to properly review the events and determine how best to move forward,” the FIL said in a statement. “The FIL anticipates it will be able to share its conclusions with the public by the end of March.”

Georgian Olympic Committee chief Giorgi Natsvlishvili said they may take further action after Kumaritashvili’s funeral today. “Safety standards were not properly

observed,” he told journalists in comments shown on Rustavi-2 television. “No matter what the speed, the sportsman should never have left the track.”

Despite the barrage of criticism, Games chiefs insisted once again that the track was safe. “In terms of safety and security we are very happy with the safety record of the track. We have had 5,000 luge runs there with no major incidents,” said the IOC’s director of communications Mark Adams.

“We think the track is a competitive track but we think it’s safe and we think decisions were taken correctly.”

In the aftermath of the tragedy, officials had the track shortened and modified, but the crashes, eight in total, kept coming when two-man bobsleigh training got underway. Karl Angerer, the driver of one of the German teams which came off, insisted the track was dangerous.

“It’s a very fast track, it’s very dangerous. Personally I’m a bit opposed to these tracks but generally speaking it’s fun going down,” he said.

Australia’s Duncan Harvey was rushed to hospital on Wednesday night after injuring his back after crashing with driver

Christopher Spring. German bobsleigh federation director of sport Thomas Schwab lashed out at the International Bobsleigh Federation’s attempts to ban criticism of the track by riders. “For me, this is scandalous. It’s a joke,” said Schwab, a former Olympic medalist.

Despite the smashes, the International Bobsleigh Federation defended the racing conditions. “This is not unusual for day one of the Olympic Games (bobsleigh training),” said a spokesman.

“At Park City in 2002 (for the Salt Lake City Games), there were 17 crashes in the

first run of training. “It’s not untypical, it’s a late evening and people are eager to get stuck into the Olympic Games. There were not very many teams that were not holding back at the start.”

Not all competitors were unhappy. “It’s in great shape. We need a fast and long track,” said Italian brakeman Samuele Romanini, who dismisses criticisms that the track is too fast.

“Absolutely not. Bobsled is a speed competition, like Formula 1 but on ice. In my opinion it is fast, but it’s not dangerous for us.” — AFP

Canada avenges loss Slovaks slay Russians

VANCOUVER: Maria Riesch of Germany takes to the air in the downhill portion of the women’s super combined downhill race on Thursday, Feb 18, 2010 at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. —AP

American skater upsets Russian in gold pursuit Germany’s Riesch outshines Vonn in Alpine super combined VANCOUVER: American Evan Lysacek glided to Olympic gold in men’s figure skating on Thursday in a stunning upset of Russian Yevgeny Plushenko’s pursuit of back-to-back titles. It was a crushing blow for Plushenko, who had come out of retirement to rescue Russian skating, and to his nation, a traditional winter sports powerhouse clamoring for more than one gold medal six days into the Winter Games.

The surprising men’s free skate final capped a day dominated by the women, who served up a few surprises themselves. Germany’s Maria Riesch came back from a disappointing downhill to win the women’s super combined crown after American Lindsey Vonn tumbled and ruined her bid for a second Olympic gold medal in two days.

Over on the snowboard halfpipe, Australia’s Torah Bright sliced her way to her country’s first gold of these Games and speedskater Christine Nesbitt picked up the third gold for host nation Canada.

Another woman helped her country reach an Olympic milestone when Norwegian biathlete Tora Berger skied and shot her way to the country’s 100th Winter Games gold, the first nation to achieve that mark. Her team mate Emil Hegle Svendsen, however, quickly made that 101 in the men’s biathlon 20 km individual. Thursday was also a good day for beleaguered organizers, with no new reports of operational snags after a string of problems, ranging from million-dollar ticketholder refunds to unreliable ice grooming machines.

The ice was just fine for Lysacek, the first American to win the title since Brian Boitano in 1988, also in Canadian hosted Games in Calgary.

Unlike the strong favorite Plushenko, he did not have to attempt any quadruple jumps to win over the judges. “I couldn’t have asked for much more than that,” Lysacek said. “To get a personal best in the most important moment of my life-you dream about it.” Plushenko would have been the first man in nearly 60 years to win successive Olympic figure skating titles. The United States consolidates its position on top of the medals table with six gold, four having come in the last two days.

VONN UNDONE The day started with all eyes on America’s golden girl Vonn after her golden run in a treacherous downhill on Wednesday which featured a succession of racers careering off the course. The

downhill diva, who came to Vancouver with a shin injury, led after the first downhill run and was on course to finish on the podium in the combined when she clipped a gate and tumbled within sight of the finish line. Riesch said her gold was down to getting her nerves under control. “I was not nervous and that was the key because yesterday I was,” Riesch said, noting that the course was “not so difficult.” Vonn said: “I put it all out there and it just didn’t work out for me.” Her American team mate Julia Mancuso stayed on her skis to finish second to add another silver to her second place in the individual downhill. With three Olympic medals, Mancuso joined Bode Miller as the most decorated US skiers. Back with a vengeance was the combined’s bronze medal winner Anja Paerson of Sweden, who survived a spectacular crash on the big hill at the end of Wednesday’s downhill.

A deeply bruised Paerson decided to race only at the last minute, but once her bronze was secured, she did not hesitate to do her trademark face-first celebration dive on the snow. “This night I was very nervous that I wouldn’t enter any more races here. But I was very determined to win one more medal,” said Paerson who now holds a record-equaling sixth Alpine medal.

Germany moved to second in the medal standings on four golds with Norway, South Korea, Switzerland and Canada on three each.

CANADA STRUGGLE Canada’s “own the podium” program for the home Olympics has begun to reap respectable rewards as Nesbitt garnered the third gold for the fanatical home crowd. She claimed the Olympic title by two-hundredths of a second and said the way she raced “wasn’t pretty.” “I was fortunate to win Olympic gold. It was probably the worst 1,000 I’ve done this year,” Nesbitt said. The Canadian gold rush came after the country broke on Sunday its so-called “curse” of never having won Olympic gold on home soil, previously in Montreal in 1976 and Calgary in 1988. Australia’s first gold came almost miraculously as Bright went from last to first in the halfpipe by pulling off a series of tricks to make up for a first final run with two falls. The Canadian men’s hockey team, one of the Olympic favorites, did not have such a good day, even though they managed to win.

They just eked out a 3-2 victory over Switzerland, the same team who beat them at the Turin Games in a stunning upset. —Reuters

Canada gets first speedskating gold RICHMOND: Even after Christine Nesbitt had just won Canada’s first gold medal in speedskating, she still was not entirely satisfied. “I know it wasn’t pretty,” she said. “I’ve skated a lot better 1,000s this year, so it’s hard for me not to be critical.” Nesbitt overcame a half-second deficit on the final lap Thursday to win by two-hundredths of a second over Annette Gerritsen of the Netherlands. That equaled the closest finish in the history of the race, which was American Bonnie Blair’s win over Ye Qiaobo of China in 1992.

“When I took the victory lap, I thought, ‘This is very weird,”‘ Nesbitt said.

She was pushing so hard at the end that she lost her balance, sticking out both hands to keep from falling after posting a time of 1 minute, 16.56 seconds. Nesbitt was already looking ahead to Sunday’s 1,500. “If I skate the way I did today in

my 1,500, it’s not going to be good enough to get on the podium,” she said. “When I’m not happy with a race, I can use that to skate a better race next time.” Gerritsen took the silver in 1:16.58, and Dutch teammate Laurine van Riessen earned the bronze in 1:16.72.

Nesbitt was 0.56 seconds off the leading pace with one lap to go, then poured everything she had into the last 400 meters. “I was really nervous,” she said. “As soon as the gun went off, I sort of panicked. I had a slip right off. I was almost trying too hard.”

Her effort paid off. Nesbitt celebrated by sharing a kiss with her boyfriend, Dutch speedskater Simon Kuipers, and searched for her parents in the stands. “I am happy, but I’m kind of back and forth,” she said. “I can’t believe I won. I can’t believe it was so close.”— AP

VANCOUVER: Canada avenged a loss to Switzerland but Russia went down to Slovakia for the second-consecutive Olympics as the two hockey superpowers were taken to shootouts on Thursday. Sidney Crosby made the most of his second shootout opportunity, scoring the game winner as Canada beat Switzerland 3-2, narrowly avoiding losing to the Swiss for the second-straight Winter Games. “I was going to try and just keep it simple,” Crosby said of the winning shot.

“I look forward to that chance and tried to make the most of it.”

Pavol Demitra also scored in a sudden-death shootout as Slovakia beat Russia 2-1 to boost their chances of advancing to the quarter-final round.

“That was a huge win for us,” Demitra said. “We just have to work hard. We got a good team.” Slovakia opened their 2006 Olympic tournament with a 5-3 win over Russia as Marian Gaborik score two late goals to break a tie, beating goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov over the shoulder on both goals. Bryzgalov was also in net for Thursday’s loss.

In the other game, the United States used a balanced attack to beat Norway 6-1, getting goals from five different players, including two from defenseman Brian Rafalski.

Crosby scored his winner on Canada’s fourth shootout attempt as the hosts survived another preliminary round scare while Dany Heatley and Patrick Marleau had a goal and an assist each. Crosby skated in on Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller, beating him to the stick side in front of a crowd of 17,019 at Canada Hockey Place arena.

Crosby said the adversity they faced against the Swiss will help them get ready for their next game Sunday against the USA with a bye into the quarterfinals on the line.

The top four teams from the round-robin portion of the tournament get a bye into the quarter-finals while the remaining eight play a qualification round playoff. Swiss forward Martin Pluss had a chance to extend the overtime but he was foiled

by Canadian netminder Martin Brodeur. Hiller was brilliant in goal making 45 saves in regulation time for the Swiss. “I was happy with the first save but he got me on the second one. I wished I had stopped him but he is a great player,” Hiller said of Pittsburgh Penguins Crosby.

Ivo Ruthemann and Patrick von Gunten scored for the Swiss who rallied from a 2-0 deficit with a pair of goals in the second period, setting the stage for five minutes of scoreless overtime. “In every championship I’ve been part of, your team has to go through adversity and we were able to survive it,” said Canadian coach Mike Babcock. “It is a great lesson for our team in how hard it is going to be.” In the late game Thursday, Demitra skated in on Bryzgalov from the left side and waited for the goaltender to go down then flipped the puck over his leg pad.

Slovakia and Russia have now met three times at the Olympic Games with Slovakia having won twice. The Russians won their first meeting 3-2 in the quarter-finals of the 1994 tournament.

Slovakia’s win comes just one day after a disappointing loss to their rival Czech Republic. With no bona fide superstars in their lineup and only three players with previous Olympics experience, Team USA is going need to play like they did Thursday if they are going to get to the quarter-finals. The USA opened the tournament with a 3-1 win over Switzerland and Thursday’s win over Norway is just what they needed to build confidence heading into the game against Canada on Sunday. —AFP

VANCOUVER: Russia’s Alexander Ovechkin (8) collides with Slovakia’s Lubos Bartecko (23) in the first period of a preliminary round men’s ice hockey game at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. — AP

Olympic Games latest medals Olympic Games medals table after the sixth day of events in Vancouver.

Australia Country G S B Total U.S 6 5 7 18 Czech Republic Germany 4 4 3 11 Poland Norway 3 3 2 8 Italy Canada 3 3 1 7 Japan South Korea 3 2 0 5 Belarus Switzerland 3 0 1 4 Kazakhstan France 2 1 4 7 Latvia China 2 1 1 4 Finland Sweden 2 0 1 3 Estonia Austria 1 2 2 5 Croatia Russia 1 2 1 4 Netherlands 1 1 1 3 Slovenia Slovakia 1 1 0 2 Total

1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 34

1 0 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 35

0 1 0 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 33

2 2 2 4 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 102

Berger wins 100th Winter Olympics gold for Norway WHISTLER: Tora Berger’s name has never figured in any discussion about Norway’s greatest Winter Olympians. The gold medal it will be forever connected to, though, is one of the country’s most precious. Berger’s victory in Thursday’s 15-kilometer individual biathlon race meant the Scandinavian ski-crazed country became the first nation to win 100

Winter Olympic golds - a milestone it had to wait four years longer than expected for after a substandard Turin Games.

Berger, who never came close to a medal in Turin, had to wait quite a while herself before learning whether she had actually won the race.

After starting second in the interval-start race, she missed

just one target to finish in 40 minutes, 58.2 seconds, but had to wait for another 70 skiers to finish before her victory was assured.

“It was really nervous to wait,” Berger said. “It was not a good time.” That sums up the entire Norwegian experience in Turin, where just two of its 19 medals were gold and its mighty crosscountry skiers didn’t win a single

VANCOUVER: Norway’s gold medal winner Tora Berger shows her medal during the medal ceremony for the Women’s 15k individual Biathlon race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler. — AP

race. The good times seem to be here again though.

Marit Bjoergen won gold No 99 on Wednesday in the women’s cross-country sprint, and Berger had barely completed the centennial before Emil Hegle Svendsen bested his mentor Ole Einar Bjoerndalen in the men’s 20K individual race for a Norwegian 12 finish and gold No 101. Berger’s win comes 86 years after Thorleif Haug won the 50K cross-country race at the 1924 Chamonix Games for Norway’s first Winter Games victory. Haug added two more golds that year, and Norway hasn’t looked back since. Bjoern Daehlie ranks as the greatest Winter Olympian of all time after winning eight cross-country golds, and Bjoerndalen isn’t far behind with five.

It was Berger’s first medal of any kind, and enough to make her break down in tears as she talked to reporters, wiping her eyes with a Norwegian flag. “It’s a bit of a shame that I should stand here and cry when I’ve performed so well,” Berger said. Berger missed her only target on her very last shot for a 1-minute penalty Thursday but had built up such a large lead that it didn’t matter.

She didn’t know that at the time, however, and left the shooting range thinking she might have blown her chance. —AP

www.kuwaittimes.net

Liverpool, Juventus grab Europa advantage 4 Spanish teams fail to earn a single win LONDON: Former European champions Juventus and Liverpool won their first games in this season’s Europa League on Thursday. While Liverpool labored on its return to the second tier of European club football and beat Unirea Urziceni only 1-0 with a late goal, Brazilian striker Amauri scored a header in each half as Juve recovered from a goal down to beat Ajax 2-1 in a rerun of the 1996 final.

Spain’s four teams failed to earn a single win between them, even with three of them playing at home. Atletico Madrid drew 1-1 with Galatasaray, Athletic Bilbao drew 1-1 with Anderlecht, Villarreal drew 2-2 with Wolfsburg, and Valencia lost 1-0 at FC Brugge. Ajax started aggressively in Amsterdam and Siem de Jong headed wide before Miralem Sulejmani put the home side in the lead in the 17th.

Veteran striker Alessandro Del Piero started the move that led to Juventus’ 32nd-minute equalizer, passing two defenders on the left before picking out Paolo De Ceglie, who crossed to Amauri. Del Piero then set up Amauri again in the 58th. “Perhaps I am exaggerating but I believe they had two crosses the whole game and they scored from those two,” Ajax coach Martin Jol said. “We deserved more than a loss.”

Juventus will be without Hasan Salihamidzic when it defends its lead in next week’s second-leg match.

The substitute was sent off in the last minute for fouling Christian Eriksen, but Ajax has a more disruptive suspension, with leading scorer Luis Suarez unavailable after a booking for dissent. Liverpool, another of the former European champions now fighting it out in the less prestigious Europa League, was unimpressive against Unirea Urziceni - which, like Liverpool and Juventus, dropped into the tournament following elimination from the Champions League. The English Premier League side needed an 81stminute header by striker David Ngog to beat the visiting Romanian team.

Ryan Babel crossed rightfooted from the left to another substitute, Daniel Pacheco, and the Spanish youngster headed back across goal for Ngog to knock into the net from close range. “They were very stubborn but we expected that,” Liverpool captain Steven

Rested Soderling reaches Marseille Open quarters MARSEILLE: Top seed Robin Soderling had to battle for almost two hours to overcome Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-7 6-3 6-4 and reach the quarter-finals of the Marseille Open on Thursday. Swede Soderling only managed to create two break points, both of which he converted, against world number 69 Stakhovsky.

“I think this is the first time I started a tournament on Thursday. It was good to have a few days off after Rotterdam,” the world number eight, who won his first title this season in the Netherlands last Sunday, told reporters. “I’ve always had good results in Marseille and I can remember I reached the final here in 2004,” he added.

Soderling, 25, will next face France’s 2009 finalist Michael Llodra. Home crowd favorite Gael Monfils needed two tiebreaks to beat Italy’s Andreas Seppi 7-6 3-6 7-6. The thirdseeded Frenchman fired 18 aces but never managed to break his opponent’s serve.

Teenage wildcard Guillaume Rufin reached his first ATP quarter-final with a 6-3 2-6 6-2 win over Belgium’s Yannick Mertens. “It’s like being in a fairy tale. Last Friday, I was strolling the streets of Paris hoping to get a wildcard here in Marseille,” the 19-year-old told reporters. He will meet German Mischa Zverev in the quarter-finals.— Reuter

Gerrard said. “Maybe we need to be a bit more clinical. Maybe we lacked 5 or 10 percent on the speed of the ball but I think we’ll get more joy against these away from home.” Fulham beat Shakhtar Donetsk, the last club to win the UEFA Cup before it was revamped as the Europa League this season, 2-1 in west London. Zoltan Gera and Bobby Zamora scored for Fulham.

Everton, the third English club in the competition, beat Sporting Lisbon 2-1 on Tuesday. Galatasaray has the edge over Atletico Madrid after Abdul Keita grabbed a valuable away goal in the second half following Jose Antonio Reyes’ 23rd-minute free kick for the hosts.

Two-time Champions League runner-up and former UEFA Cup winner Valencia lost to a 56th-minute goal by FC Brugge striker Dorge Kouemaha, while Bilbao needed a 58th-minute equalizer from Mikel San Jose after Lucas Biglia had opened the scoring at San Mames Stadium.

Villarreal equalized with five minutes left against Wolfsburg through striker Marco Ruben.

Djibril Cisse scored with a minute left to give Panathinaikos a surprise 3-2 win over visiting AS Roma. The Italian club had led twice, through Mirko Vucinic and a penalty by David Pizarro, but Dimitris Salpingidis and then Lazaros Hristodoulopoulos equalized.

Russia’s Rubin Kazan racked up the biggest win of the day’s 15 matches, beating Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-0, while Standard Liege handed Red Bull Salzburg a 3-2 loss for its first defeat in this season’s tournament.

FC Twente beat Werder Bremen 1-0 and Hamburg beat PSV Eindhoven 1-0 as the Netherlands and Germany earned a win each from the two games between the countries, while Hertha Berlin, the bottom-place team in the Bundesliga, drew 1-1 with Benfica.

Marseille and Copenhagen were 0-0 in Denmark until the 71st, when Marseille captain Mamadou Niang scored from a pass by Bakari Kone. Jesper Groenkjaer hit a powerful penalty to equalize seven minutes later but substitute Hatem Ben Arfa and Charles Kabore struck in the last six minutes to give the French side a 3-1 win. Lille beat Fenerbahce 2-1 in the other match.— AP

Roddick, Sharapova march on in Memphis MEMPHIS: Defending champion Andy Roddick was pushed for the second straight day before prevailing over Lu Yen-hsun 7-6 6-4 on Thursday during the second round of the Memphis Championships.

After a tough three-set victory over fellow American James Blake in the opening round, Roddick relied on his serve to turn back Taiwan’s Lu, who saved seven break points but faltered in the second set at 4-4. “As well as I did some things tonight, if I want to move through this tournament I’ve got to do better on break points,” Roddick told reporters. “I’ve very close to playing really well and it’s just a matter of tighten up a couple things.”

Tennis

ATHENS: Panathinaikos’ Nikos Spiropoulos (left) fights for the ball with Roma’s Rodrigo Taddei during a soccer match of the Europa League at the Olympic stadium in Athens. — AP

Roddick, bidding for his third Memphis title, did not drop his serve as he clubbed 10 aces. He next faces fellow American Sam Querrey, who defeated Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer 6-4 6-0. In the women’s draw, top seed Maria Sharapova of Russia dispatched eighth seed Elena Baltacha of Britain 6-2 7-5. It was another commanding performance from Sharapova, who has yet to drop a set in Memphis, as she claimed a nip-and-tuck second set by breaking her opponent at 5-5.

Sharapova will play fifth seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic for a place in the final. Second seed American Melanie Oudin failed to join Sharapova in the last four, losing to unranked Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-1 63. “She wasn’t missing anything,” Oudin said of her opponent.

“She played a really good match and there wasn’t much I could do.” Arvidsson will play unranked Briton Anne Keothavong in the other semi-final.— Reuters

Venus ends Dubai security agony, halts Israeli Peer DUBAI: Venus Williams put an end to the security agonies of the $2 million dollar Dubai Open yesterday when she halted the remarkable run of the pioneering Israeli, Shahar Peer. But the defending champion had to cope with the smallest arena she has played in for many years before winning 6-1, 6-4 against the first Israeli woman athlete ever to compete in the United Arab Emirates.

Even though Peer had done more than enough, after defeating three seeds and reaching the semi-finals, to deserve a match on the centre court, the security and police deemed it safer to keep her playing on one of the outside courts. It meant that the five times Wimbledon champion had to make her way through the throng and out towards the trees and shops to play in an unfamiliar ambience - but she still made the better start, hurtling through the first set in only 23 minutes.

“In the first set Shahar was making a high ratio of errors, but in the second set she didn’t and I had to dig deep.” said Venus, “And in the end my serve came to my rescue.” Indeed there were moments when it seemed Peer might get into the match in a big way. She found her groundstroking rhythm, allied it to her now-famous tenacity, and came up with three games in a row to reach 3-2.

Had Venus not slowed her preparation right down in the next game and come up with some heavy first deliveries, Peer might well have gone a break of serve ahead.

Peer should have reached 4-4 when, with the whole court open

at game point, she unaccountably put a forehand inside-out drive into the net from close up. But she fought tigerishly till the end, running down many of Venus’s fiercest drives, throwing up teasing lobs, and forcing two deuces before the champion could close the match out and reach the final for the second successive year.

Much of this was overshadowed by the implications of the whole encounter however.

The tournament organizer will now breath a collective sigh of relief that the potential nightmare of harm to Peer appears to have been averted. With allegations continuing to fly around about the identity of those who assassinated a Hamas founder member in a nearby hotel, tension had been palpable and rising with each unexpected Peer victory.

As a result the tournament risked both the anger of those who had pre-booked centre court tickets expecting to see one of the world’s greatest stars, and long queues straggling through the site in the direction of the outside courts. There was room only for about 1,200 people scatted across the galleries at one end only of three adjacent courts, some with only partial views of the action, and none allowed to take bottles of water out into the considerable heat. But the whole thing appeared to pass off without setbacks, apart for minor expressions of annoyance, and the odd sight of the WTA Tour’s chief executive Stacey Allaster taking a seat half way along the wire netting at the side of the court to watch what should have been one of the highest profile matches of the week. —AFP

DUBAI: Israel’s Shahar Peer reacts after losing a point against Venus Williams (inset) of US during the Semifinals of the Emirates Dubai WTA Tennis Championships in Dubai yesterday. — AP