RI PT IO N BS C SU THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF
40 PAGES
THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 2010
RABI ALAWAL 18, 1431 AH
NO: 14657
150 FILS
Suicide blasts kill 33 ahead of Iraq elections
Greece announces new $6.5bn austerity plan
Sudan’s land of ‘black pharaohs’ a trove for archaeologists
Germany unleash six on Canada, Dutch flair grounds Kiwis
PAGE 7
PAGE 21
PAGE 40
PAGE 17
League okays ‘last’ indirect Mideast talks
conspiracy theories
Please play it direct, Moussa By Badrya Darwish
W
hen I heard about the meeting of Arab ministers at the Arab League in Cairo, I thought that they were moved and broke their silence and met to condemn - because this is the least Arabs can do - Israel’s latest violations in the West Bank. But no! They couldn’t even condemn. Israel all of the sudden decided that Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron is part of the Zionist and Jewish heritage. By the way Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi is sacred to both Muslims and Jews and it is thought to be the burial place of both prophets Abraham and Isaac. Israel also has considered the Tomb of Rachel which is in Bilal Mosque in Bethlehem a Jewish and Zionist heritage site. Since I was a child growing up in Bethlehem, I remember that the Rachel Tomb and its surroundings have been a graveyard for Muslims for hundreds of years. In fact, my grandparents, uncles and aunts etc were all buried there. I thought the Arab ministers were also meeting to discuss what to do regarding the demolishing of houses in Silwan area, a part of Jerusalem, which Israel claims are built without licenses. These houses were built without Israeli licenses, that’s true, because they were built when the West Bank was under the Jordanian rule and they had licenses from Jordan to build these houses. So the truth is that the Israelis are the ones who don’t have a license to be there. To my shock, the Arab ministers met to grant backing for what they called the last round of indirect Palestinian-Israeli talks. To be exact, only Abbas in the West Bank is included in these indirect talks. Hamas and its one million people in Gaza are not in the consideration of the Arab League and its ministers. So what kind of indirect talks are going to take place when you exclude half of the Palestinian nation? By the way, Palestinians do not need permission from the Arab League if they decide to talk to Israel. What has the Arab League done for Palestinians since the past sixty years? Even the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which helps the Palestinians gets most of its finances from the West. So after all these years... is that what comes out of the Arab League? God bless Amr Moussa who in his press conference was justifying these actions as a way to please President Obama in his firm intensions to solve the Palestinian issue. If you want to reward Mr Obama’s goodwill, Please Mr Moussa, don’t sacrifice the Palestinian nation and its interest. I would like to remind you that this is a national issue and it is not a football game. It is a fate of a nation.
in the news Labor solutions eyed KUWAIT: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor will soon present a number of plans to solve the problems of expatriate workers and housemaids to the supreme joint committee for organizing expat workers’ conditions, after the new labor law came into effect. The visions include cancelling the kafeel (sponsorship) system after finding best alternatives, putting an executive regulation for the labor authority, establishing a department to solve labor related conflicts, banning the transfer of domestic workers to the public sector, limiting the issuance of work permits, establishing residential areas for laborers and placing plans and mechanisms for training national manpower, reported Al-Qabas.
Budget surplus widens KUWAIT: Kuwait’s budget surplus widened to KD 8.02 billion ($27.77 billion) in the first ten months of its 2009/10 fiscal year due to oil income that was higher than forecast, data showed yesterday. Kuwait, the world’s fourth-largest oil exporter, booked a budget surplus of KD 6.78 billion in the same period of its previous, 2008/09 fiscal year. The figure stood at KD 7.2 billion in the first nine months of the current fiscal year. Revenues were KD 14.72 billion at the end of January, about 182 percent of the figure budgeted for the whole fiscal year, data on the finance ministry’s website showed. Oil revenue of the OPEC member came in at KD 13.93 billion, while spending amounted to KD 6.69 billion, only 55.2 percent of the full year plan, the data showed.
Arabs set 4-month deadline
MUSCAT: Kuwaiti fans cheer for their national team before the start of their 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifying football match against Oman yesterday. Kuwait joined pool winners Australia in qualifying from Group B after they eked out a 0-0 draw. The 1980 Asian Cup winners needed only a point to qualify and survived some difficult moments with goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Khaldi producing a number of top quality saves, including from Khalifa Ayil in the second minute of stoppage time. HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah hailed the team’s qualification, offering his congratulations and best wishes. — AFP
Israel silent on Dubai call for arresting Bibi US bank ties cards to partner • Abu Dhabi beefs surveillance JERUSALEM: Israeli officials remained doggedly silent yesterday in the wake of a Dubai police decision to seek the arrest of the Israeli prime minister and the head of its spy agency over the murder of a top Hamas militant in the Gulf emirate. Neither Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu’s office nor the
foreign ministry would comment on Dubai police chief Dhahi Khalfan’s order for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Mossad chief Meir Dagan. Khalfan says the hit on Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh was carried out by Mossad agents using European and Australian passports. Israel has not confirmed or denied
the accusations, although opposition leader Tzipi Livni has praised the killing as “good news for those fighting terrorism.” The affair has, however, caused a diplomatic storm, with the countries whose passports were allegedly used protesting to Israeli envoys Continued on Page 14
CAIRO: Arab foreign ministers agreed yesterday to back one last round of indirect Palestinian-Israeli talks despite scepticism over Israel’s readiness to revive peace efforts, Arab League chief Amr Moussa said. The move, which came af ter months of US-led shuttle diplomacy, was swiftly welcomed by Israel but was slammed by the Islamist Hamas movement which controls Gaza as an “excuse” for Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to rejoin negotiations that would “only lead to failure”. Moussa said that the Arab ministers had called for a four-month deadline for the indirect talks. “Despite a lack of conviction over Israel’s seriousness, (Arab foreign ministers) will give indirect talks a chance, for the final time, in order to facilitate US efforts, within four months,” he said. “There was a consensus that Israel is not interested in peace, the proof being what is taking place on occupied land... acts which are meant to provoke the Arab and American sides,” he added. Negotiations have been on ice since Israel launched a devastating attack on the Gaza Strip in Dec 2008. The Palestinians have said they will only return to the negotiating table if Israel first halts all settlement construction in the occupied West Bank. But Israel has agreed only to a 10month freeze that excludes public buildings and annexed Arab east Jerusalem, failing to satisfy the Palestinians. US Middle East envoy George Mitchell proposed US-brokered indirect talks as a way of getting around the deadlock. Israel welcomed the Arab ministers’ endorsement of indirect talks. “We welcome this decision. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been continually calling for peace talks, and we hope that now the talks can move forward,” government spokesman Mark Regev told AFP. Netanyahu said conditions were ripe for talks. Continued on Page 14
and with wooden balconies which pose a fire hazard. Jeddah municipality, with private-sector support, hopes to revitalise the often dilapidated Old Town, whose original inhabitants have moved on and been replaced by low-income foreign labourers. The municipality began historical preservation efforts in the 1970s. In 1991 the municipality founded the Jeddah Historical Preservation Society to preserve the historical architecture and culture of the Old Town (Al-Balad). In 2002, $4 million were earmarked for the preservation society, establishing the cornerstone for one of the most thriving and cosmopolitan neighbourhoods of Saudi Arabia. — Agencies
US Embassy launches new visa application KUWAIT: The US Embassy has launched a new, streamlined DS-160 visa application that replaces and combines all previous forms. In a press release yesterday, the embassy said that all non-immigrant visa applicants - including tourists, businesspeople, those participating in training, students, exchange visitors, and temporary workers - will use this new form. “The new application minimally alters the application process for visa applicants. With
the new form, applicants will have to upload a visa photograph, and submit the form via the Internet. The applicant will print just one confirmation sheet upon completion of the DS-160,” the statement said. However, it noted that the rest of the steps would remain the same, in that “applicants must pay the visa application fee at Burgan Bank, schedule an appointment, and appear at the Consular Section for an interview.” — KUNA
MPs angered over Cabinet no-show Liberal MPs back grilling By B Izzak KUWAIT: In an unprecedented move, five opposition lawmakers yesterday submitted a draft law that would enable the National Assembly to hold sessions without the presence of Cabinet ministers. The move came after MPs expressed anger when a regu-
lar session was prematurely adjourned yesterday because no minister was present in the chamber. According to a decades-old practice, the presence of at least one minister is a precondition to make the Assembly session legal. The bill submitted by MPs Ahmad Al-Saadoun, Musallam Continued on Page 14
Madrid smashes infected global ‘zombie’ network
Fire sweeps through Jeddah’s Old Town JEDDAH: A fire swept through apartment buildings in the historic Old Town of the Saudi port city of Jeddah yesterday, civil defence workers said. “We managed to evacuate all the residents, with one person slightly hurt on the hand,” civil defence spokesman Abdullah Al-Amri told AFP. The blaze wrecked eight buildings, one of which collapsed. Fire fighters were delayed reaching the scene of the fire, whose cause was not immediately known and which broke out in the early afternoon, a busy time in the Old Town, the spokesman said. The old downtown of the Red Sea city is made up of hundreds of apartment buildings, crowded together, some of them hundreds of years old
CAIRO: Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa gestures to Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu El-Gheit (left) and Libyan Foreign Minister Mousa Kousa during an Arab foreign ministers meeting at the Arab League headquarters yesterday. — AP
JEDDAH: Firefighters douse the flames in one of the buildings which caught fire in the historic quarter of this Saudi Red Sea port city yesterday. — AFP
MADRID: Spanish police said yesterday they had arrested three men suspected of building the world’s biggest network of virus-infected computers which hijacked more than 13 million PCs. The “botnet” of infected computers affected machines in almost every country in the world, in homes, universities, banks, government agencies and companies, including more than half of the largest US companies on the Fortune 1,000 list. It was designed to steal credit card data, online banking passwords, account information for social networking sites and other sensitive information. “This is the biggest network of zombie computers ever discovered,” the head of a Spanish police unit specialised in tech crimes, Jose Antonio Berrocal, told a Madrid news conference, using the term for PCs that can be controlled remotely by outsiders. The authorities provided no estimate for how much money could have been
stolen from owners of infected computers but security experts said removing the virus from the affected PCs could cost tens of millions of dollars. The “botnet” network was shut down at the end of December in a joint operation carried out by Spanish police, the FBI and two private information security firms, Canada’s Defence Intelligence and Spain’s Panda Security. Spanish police said it was so big it could have been used to “carry out a cyberterrorism attack which would be much greater than those staged against Estonia or Georgia.” Estonia suffered massive denial-ofservice attacks in 2007 while Georgian websites suffered similar attacks a year later. In both cases the attacks coincided with diplomatic tensions between the two nations and Russia. All three arrested suspects are Spanish nationals. They are between the ages of 25 and 31. Continued on Page 14
NATIONAL
2
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Endless stories about negative experiences
Students hit hard at old fashioned system in KU By Abdullah Al-Qattan KUWAIT: It has been more than 40 years since the day Kuw ait University (KU) first opened its doors to students for various fields of academic study. Somehow, after all these years, the reputation the college is most know n for is how bad the system is inside the registration office. All students have their Hassan Arab is a senior student in the public relations program. He was expecting to graduate at the end of his course this semester but due to a mistake from the registration department he will have to wait until next February. He says that people in that department don’t take responsibilities for their actions and often blame you for a mistake they started. Hassan adds that he is forced to wait another year because one of the employees was unaware of a prerequisite he needed in order to take a level 4 (fourth year) subject. “Now I am staying an extra year with no subject left other than that one. Apparently it’s my fault,” he concluded sarcastically. Another student who majored in civil engineering says the reason for her problems is the lack of communication and coordination between the departments at Kuwait University. She said that her list of required courses is never consistent and changes from year to year. Mona Al-Shatti, who is 24 years old and still has 2 years until she graduates, took two subjects outside of her required courses instead of two courses required to graduate. Hammad Al-Ali, another student suffering from such problems, says that situations like this happen all the time. “In order to fix a small problem on the schedule, a student has one day to run from his campus to the registration department in Shwaikh,” he said. Sometimes you have to do this at least four or five
in the news
KUWAIT: A land collapse took place near a cafe in Mirgab and left a seven meter hole in the ground. Luckily, the incident occurred when no one was at the scene. Rescue teams responded to the emergency and secured the area. They then contacted the municipality in order to fix the situation. — Photos by Joseph Shagra
Cabinet sets five-year plan development requirements KUWAIT: The Cabinet has approved 44 bills that pertain to the establishment of 16 authorities, supreme councils and institutions. These will be included in the legislative requirements as part of the 2010/2011 - 2013/2014 development plan. The laws, that pertain to the fields of economy, human resources development, social development, planning and technology administration and others, include draft laws to combat corruption, the right to seek information, interest conflicts, financial disclosure, and prosecutors’ protection. This is in addition to laws that govern the environment, cooperative societies, juveniles and protecting children from violence, and others.
The new authorities include governing bodies that monitor tax collection, consumer protection, and transparency. A team led by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, and Minister for Development and Housing Affairs comprises members from other ministers who were formed by the Cabinet, setting the strategy to ensure a comprehensive execution of the plan while utilizing complete national manpower resources, reported Al-Watan. The strategy further includes mechanisms to assess the performance of government directorates and its administrations, which aims to improve the quality of services provided by these directorates.
KUWAIT: Chairman of Kuwait Chemical Society, Dr Abdul Aziz Al-Najjar and KCS’s administrative board member, Dr Haidar Bahbehani; the head of the organizing committee of Kuwait Chemical Conference 2010 (KCC) due to be held from March 7 to 9 under the auspices of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah, speaking at a press conference yesterday. — KUNA
Citizenship requests KUWAIT: The Cabinet’s Supreme Council of Citizenship adopted a list of 155 Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) and Arab children filing for Kuwaiti citizenship. Those filing for Kuwaiti citizenship are children of Kuwaiti divorced or widowed women, reported Al-Watan. The list, forwarded by the Interior Minister, was supposed to be issued last September but was postponed for further study. It was then sent to the Cabinet for official approval. It is expected to be viewed by the Cabinet within the next couple of weeks for a final decision. Meanwhile, children of those granted Kuwaiti citizenship in the last batch of naturalization are waiting for the audit process to be completed. Tender awarded KUWAIT: The tender to install cameras in public schools has been awarded to a firm, the Education Ministry’s Undersecretary said. The officials said that all measures are being taken in coordination with the Central Tender Committee to finalize on procedures. She said that all projects of the government program for the 13th legislative term (2009-2013) will be subject to study during the first year, reported Aljarida. She said that proposals to extend class hours and invite the private sector to manage government schools will be studied. Periodic evaluations will be conducted every three months and reports presented to the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Conflicting statements KUWAIT: A meeting was held at the diwaniya of MP Faisal AlMislem to discuss the interpellation motion initiated against Information Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah by two MPs. Speculation is rife over the identities of the lawmakers with most analysts believing that MP Ahmad AlSaadoun or MP Dr Waleed AlTabatabae are involved. MP Saadoun Hammad Al-Otaibi shed more light into the meeting stating that the parties aim toward distancing itself from the ‘tribal implications’ of interpellation.
ow n stories of misfortune during their years of study. At KU though, all students w ho attended, or are still attending, have endless stories about their negative experiences w ithin the department they studied under, their professors, the registration system or the registration office itself. Students w ho transfer to other universities or go abroad for a degree blame KU’s old fashioned system and rules.
KUWAIT: Kuwaiti students in one of the colleges. — File photo times with little hope of having things settled.” He added that what makes the situation even worse is that some officials refuse to solve your problem, no matter how small it is.
Hussa Ahmad, a transfer student, said that she was not surprised her transcript was not switched from 2004 to 2005 when she transferred into the school. Instead, her transcript was taken back to
2003 and she was forced to retake several subjects. “I heard stories and I was told to expect such problems. I wasn’t surprised when it finally happened,” she concluded. Students at the university
agree with the motto that can be found throughout the university and written inside some of the classrooms; ‘if everything is going according to plan then there is a problem, without a doubt.’
Students’ attendance 20% after holidays KUWAIT: After schools welcomed students back after the break of the national holidays, the trend of extended student absences returned. Only 20% of students around the country returned to school on the first day of school after the break. The Ministry announced that they will enforce penalties against students who were absent, reported Al-Watan. A number of ministry officials blamed teachers for the spread of this trend and threatened to suspend the class of a teacher whenever a mass
absence case takes place in their classroom. Other officials blamed parents for deliberately encouraging this trend by extending their family trips abroad or at chalets. The Kuwait Teachers Association accused both teachers and parents of being responsible for the absences. They called for a campaign against this problem and announced a workshop with the ministry to discuss the reason for the absences. On a separate note, the Ministry’s Council for the Administration of
Educational Directorates set the holiday dates for the 2010-2011 school year. The teaching and administrative staffs are expected to start working on Sep 13, 2010, following the Eid Al-Fitr holidays. First grade students will start their classes on Sep 19, 2010, followed by the other elementary grades on Sep 20, 2010. Kindergartens are expected to open for students the next day, on Sep 21, 2010. For intermediate and secondary schools, classes will begin on Sep 26, 2010.
RIYADH: UK’s Cambridge University in cooperation with the British Culture Council in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia held an honoring ceremony for students of excellent performance who just received their British International High School graduation certificates, including a Kuwaiti female student. Kuwaiti Sara Khalid Ibrahim Al-Salal recorded the highest score in all of Saudi Arabia, majoring in Arabic Language, and she said, ‘I outscored more than 10,000 students in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.’ She expressed great joy at being honored by Cambridge University and the British Culture Council.
Action against 27 MoH employees KUWAIT: Twenty seven Ministry of Health employees who filed requests to improve their state of employment were busted after their daily attendance records showed they had not missed a single day of work during their studying period. The employees made their requests after finishing their education courses in universities located in other Arab countries, reported Al-Qabas. The issue was discovered by the min-
istry when it was noticed that the employees were absent even though their supervisors registered them as present. By coordinating with the Ministry of Interior it was discovered that the employees were outside of the country, in some cases for as long as 120 days straight. The violating employees will be punished for being absent from their desks and also for violating the rule that bans studying and working in the ministry at
the same time. Furthermore, the supervisors who covered up for violators will also face penalties. One of the employees who was caught claimed that several employees working in other ministries have done the same and continued their studies abroad with him. He explained that they were not penalized but rather had their requests to improve the status of their employment approved.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
NATIONAL
3 Union needs to hold more meetings
Kuwait MPs call for AIPU empowerment
KUWAIT: His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah receiving His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at the Bayan Palace yesterday. — KUNA
local spotlight
Health care for premature babies By Muna Al-Fuzai t is extremely common to hear people complaining about the services provided by government hospitals to either patients or visitors. Complaints about long queues and perpetually busy hospital corridors are typical and unbearable. Of course, let’s not ignore the sad reality of doctors falling prey to mentally ill people. They think they can vent out their frustrations on others by insulting and assaulting doctors! If Iwere to write about government hospitals I will not be able to cover its scope in one article. Today, I want to focus on one major aspect: The risk associated with babies who are born prematurre and the real activities undertaken between government hospitals, and private sector clinics in the field of assisted human reproduction. Resorting to In vitro Fertilization (IVF) means that there is a possibility of giving
I
birth to multiple premature babies. Immediately after birth, they need to be admitted to an Intensive Care Unit for prematurre babies for an extended period of time until they have recovered fully and become capable of leading a normal life. In Kuwait, there are several centers that specialize in providing this form of neo-natal care. It appears as if, bringing a child to life is like placing an order for food at a restaurant. You can choose the gender of the child - boy, girl, twins or triplets. It is alright if both parents are convinced about their wants and are ready to bear risks involved. What I don’t understand is what can be done when premature babies are born and the Intensive Care Unit cannot accommodate them because they are full. Where will parents take their new-born child to? They can’t take the baby home with them because of its apparent health condition and the need for several equipment for survival like incubators, life-support machines. Where can they turn to if private clinics don’t provide such services and the government hospitals are full? Should they let their babies die?
Recently, a father of premature twins faced the same dilemma. When he could not admit his new babies to the Intensive Care Unit for premature babies, hospital authorities failed to take in his babies because the hospital was full! Another issue is the high cost involved for government hospitals to care for babies until they are fit to go home. What I can’t figure out is the lack of restrictions in place to monitor these clinics and how they create miracles by helping a couple have up to four children without clearly stating how these children would survive following their birth? Is there an ideal ‘place’ that will help them survive? The answer to this problem is easy. The Ministry of Health should supervise and control what private clinics do in this field and how they handle this matter, and improve the capacity of government hospitals. Those who flout regulations should be penalized. This issue relates to a child’s life and innocent parents who want to survive in a world that is full to the brim. muna@kuwaittimes.net
CAIRO: Member of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Saleh Ahmad Ashour called here yesterday for activating the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) in the coming period. Speaking on the sidelines of the 16th AIPU confer-
ence, Ashour said the union needs to hold more intensive meetings to coordinate the stances of the national parliaments of the Arab countries towards several important issues.
“On top of these issues are the statutes of the AIPU which should be dovetailed with that of the Organization of Islamic Conference Inter-Parliamentary Union (OIC-IPU),” he pointed out. “Members of the committee on legal and human rights affairs have discussed a range of issues such as the launching of the electronic Arab parliament and the contacts among the Arab parliaments,” he said noting that the two issues will be referred to the AIPU executive committee for further debate. “The conferees have also discussed the suggestion of launching an Arab center for legal and legislative studies, with a budget amounting to $150, 000, a well as Lebanon’s bid to host the center,” Ashour said. “Kuwait delegation backs Lebanon’s bid and suggests launching the center in 2010 instead of next year as originally planned,” he disclosed. Meanwhile, Kuwaiti MP Mubarak Al-Khreinj called on the Arab countries to adopt a firm stance on the racist Israeli practices in Jerusalem. Speaking to KUNA on the sidelines of the AIPU conference, Al-Khreinj said the Kuwaiti delegation tabled an urgent proposal on the possible steps the Arab parliaments could take to face up to the Israeli designs targeting Al-Aqsa Mosque and other Islamic sites in the West Bank. “The proposal, adopted by AIPU’s committee on political and parliamentary affairs, shows the keenness of Kuwaiti Amir, government and people for the fair Palestine question,” he underscored. “Israel’s inhuman aggressions on the Palestinians and the Islamic sanctities constitute flagrant violations of the international laws, notably the
taking place at the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Mosque of Bilal Ibn Rabah, in addition to the Israeli allegations of its old historical inheritance in these sacred places. He urged the Arab parliamentarians to take clear and serious positions in these important issues, noting that Kuwait is involved in numerous committees, including legal, educational and human rights committees as well as the Drafting Committee. He praised the speeches that were delivered today at the opening of the conference, which focused on the importance of educational and cultural heritage in the face of new civilization, saying that education and culture constitute a fundamental pillar in the development and progress of
CAIRO: Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah attending the 133rd session of the Council of the League of Arab States yesterday. — KUNA Fourth Geneva Convention,” AlKhreinj affirmed. He called for a common Arab strategy for forcing the Jewish state into respecting the rights of the Palestinian people under the relevant international rules. The Kuwaiti MP also urged the Palestinian factions to bridge their political divide and restore their national unity. Al-Khreinj leads Kuwait mission to the meeting of AIPU’s committee on political and parliamentary affairs, while Kuwait’s delegation to the AIPU conference is led by National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi. Ashour praised the leading role of the State of Kuwait in support of the Arab issues especially the Palestinian issue and the painful political events currently
nations to various challenges. For his part, MP Dr. Ali AlOmair asserted the importance of the conference in bringing together representatives of the Arab peoples of heads of shura and national councils to promote cooperation and continuous communication between the Arab Parliaments. Omair said that the participants adopted at a previous meeting many of the reports including the report of the AIPU Speaker and the Secretary General as well as visit by representatives of the Executive Committee of the Union to the Gaza Strip recently, which emphasized the attention paid by Arab parliaments to support Palestinian brothers caught up in the sector. — KUNA
4
NATIONAL
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Bright example of friendship and cooperation By Ilko Shivachev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria
O
n the occasion of the 132nd Anniversary of the Liberation of the Republic of Bulgaria on March 3, I take the opportunity to extend my greetings and wishes for health and every success to the members of the Bulgarian community in Kuwait. It is also my privilege on such an important date to turn to the honorable Kuwaiti nation and government - real friends and partners in already 47 years of excellent diplomatic relations. Today Bulgaria is a modern state, active member of the European Union and NATO. As a creative part of the so called European family we are trying to be an positive effective partner of sharing EU policy in the region of SE Europe, remaining one of the factors of political and economic stability and security. This may be achieved only through active, equal and mutual beneficial dialogue with the countries of the region of Black Sea, and Middle East - traditional partners of European States. Our geostrategic location between East and West, our NATO and EU memberships are just some of the reasons which raise the foreign business interest towards Bulgaria. Today our government has strategic program for the future development of the country. It concerns the complete modernization of industry, the roads and the ecological infrastructure, reformation of the administration to make it more according to the EU stander’s and in favor of the business, batching the rule of law and security for the foreign investments . All these measures are directed to work on achieving the goal of Bulgaria to become more attractive place for capital investment. As an Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria at the State of Kuwait, it is my privilege to underline the special place of Bulgarian Kuwaiti relations in our foreign policy priorities. Already 47 years Republic of Bulgaria and State of Kuwait maintain excellent relations- bright example of friendship and
mutual beneficial cooperation. It is well known that our country was among the first to establish diplomatic relations with independent Kuwait and we are sure that in the next future our relations will be based on the principles of friendship cooperation and mutual benefit. Another bright example is the initiative of the Government of the State of Kuwait, especially His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah for his noble deed to the Bulgarian citizens by giving the arrivals entry visa to the State of
Kuwaiti greetings KUWAIT: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah sent a cable of congratulations yesterday to the President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov on his country’s Independence Day. His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad sent similar cables of sentiment on this occasion to the Bulgarian leader. Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly (Parliament) Jassem Mohammad Al-Khorafi sent yesterday a cable to Bulgarian counterpart Tsetska Tsacheva, congratulating her on Bulgaria’s National Day. — KUNA
Kuwait through Kuwait International airport. Bulgaria can play the important role of friendly bridge of cooperation between Kuwait and the region of South East Europe, between Kuwait and EU- active dialogue on every level - from political to economical and cultural. We offer to the Kuwaiti business political and financial stability, the lowest in a member - state corporate and personal income tax rate of 10 percent, gradual reduction of social security rates, streamling of the administrative procedures and zero tolerance to corruption practices. We are sure that the visit of our Prime Minister Boiko Borisov to Kuwait in the next months after kind invitation of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammed Al-Sabah will give us new opportunities for the development of our friendly cooperation. It’s my special pleasure to extent to Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on the occasion of the National and Liberation day of the state of Kuwait a warmest congratulations, and sound of health, happiness and further success in His Highness highly responsible activities for the well-being of the State of Kuwait as well as the Senior Officials of the State, and for the friendly Kuwaiti people peace and progress. Wishing our two countries for more further development, serving the interest of our two peoples, of friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Kuwait. As our country Bulgaria celebrates the 132 Anniversary of its liberation, I would like to thank His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad AlSabah, Speaker of the National Assembly Jassem Mohammed Al-Khorafi, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohamed Al-Sabah, and the people of the State of Kuwait for the friendly greetings toward Bulgaria and the best conditions of life and work for our Embassy and Bulgarian community in Kuwait. I wish all the best for the continued health, peace, progress and prosperity of the leadership Government and friendly people of the State of Kuwait.
Kuwait to host petroleum conference KUWAIT: Minister of Oil and Minister of Information Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah is to patronize the 18th Annual Middle East Petroleum and Gas Conference in Kuwait, April 26, 2010. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said in a press release yesterday that the conference is an opportunity to exchange experiences among Middle East countries in the field of petroleum, through meaningful dialogues on the oil market and its developments, in addition to being an
opportunity to connect and communicate with the elite in the field in the Middle East. KPC added that the conference is the main event of the week in the Middle East for oil and gas, to be held in Kuwait 24-29 April, adding that several issues will be discussed including production, refining, gas, and oil market developments. KPC expects the participation of 650 leaders of oil sectors in the Middle East representing 50 countries, and 350 of
them will participate in the conference, which will be held under the title “Oil Demand Recovery and Price Volatility: Growth Outlook in a Carbon Constrained World”. The conference will be organized by Conference Connection Company, sponsored by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and is co-sponsored by many companies, including oil company phenol (golden sponsor), Exxon Mobil and Oil and Gas Journal. — KUNA
Several propositions made during question hour
Premier urged to dismiss incompetent ministers KUWAIT: MP Husain Al-Qallaf posed several questions to the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor on the law that regulates the activities of labor unions and non-profit associations in Kuwait. He inquired about several issues, including the procedures followed to establish unions and non-profit associations, and also if non-profit labor associations could be transformed into a labor union. The lawmaker also questioned if the ministry had received requests from organizations that would be turned into labor unions. If so, he demanded the minister provide a list of applications to be approved. In another development, MP Saifi AlSaifi urged HH the Prime Minister to reshuffle the Cabinet, and dismiss those ministers who have proved their incompetence. He indicated that the Cabinet should now assess the performance of ministers in order to identify those that have proven burdensome to the Cabinet. Al-Saifi further said that the Cabinet has no other choice but to exclude a number of its members if they wish to open more room for cooperation with the Parliament. He also posed a question to the Health Minister, demanding to be provided with statistics on the number of deaths that have taken place in the country from September
2008 till date. Addressing the issue about setting up a financial union for expats, MP Husain AlHuraiti explained that the controversy stems from the fact that the joint committee states that it would costs KD 4.5 million, while the Cabinet believes that the cost involved will touch KD six million. He asserted that the decision to setting up the union aimed toward providing insurance for expats should be reviewed, report AlQabas. On another note, MP Mubarak AlKhurainej was elected as the president of the sixth parliamentary friendship committee. The committee, which will be activat-
ed in April, comprises MPs Musallam AlBarrak, Khalid Al-Tahous, Khalid AlSultan, Daifullah Buramia, and Saad Znaifer Al-Azmi. Several other MPs made a number of propositions, including MP Salem AlNamlan who proposed that a national park be built in Ali Sabah Al-Salem. MP Dr. Waleed Al-Tabtabae proposed that the Kaifan medical center be allowed to remain open during weekends. Also, MP Askar AlEnizi made a proposal to grant an additional housing loan to citizens who are eligible to receive housing facilities in areas that span a total area is less than 400 square meters.
Oil spill in Abdali By Hanan Al-Sadoun KUWAIT: An top business magnate complained about a large pool of crude oil in his Abdali farm, said security sources. They said that that special fire teams dispatched to the scene learnt that the oil slick was caused due to a damaged underground oil pipe. An estimated 50,000 liters of oil had seeped into the area. The pipeline was capped, and the broken pipe is undergoing repair work. Specially appointed teams were
working toward clearing the oil from the farm. Fake doctor A fraudulent Iranian plastic surgeon was recently arrested when one of his patients, whom he had sexually harassed, identified him, said security sources. Case papers indicate that the female citizen had filed a complaint against a plastic surgeon accusing him of sexually abusing her. After conducting a probe about the man, detectives discovered that he was not even a doctor and
had been passing off to being one. Reportedly, fake medical certificates were hung on the walls of his fully equipped clinic. During interrogation, the ‘doctor’ confessed to masquerading as a plastic surgeon so that he could meet female patients privately. He also admitted to offering free services if a patient yielded to him. He also coerced those who could not afford a fee to provide sexual services. A case was filed and the suspect was referred to relevant authorities.
Oil minister ready for interpellation
KUWAIT: A collective photo of the AUK students with faculty and staff.
AUK inaugurates members of Sigma Tau Delta KUWAIT: Eight American University of Kuwait students were inducted into Sigma Tau Delta, the American-based international honor society promoting excellence in the study of English. Joining the ranks of over 750 internationally active chapters, the Alpha Rho Eta chapter of Sigma Tau Delta at AUK became the first chapter to be established in the Middle East. The induction welcomed family members of the eight students receiving their membership pins and certificates from Sigma Tau Delta and words of encouragement, congratulations and guidance from the AUK administration and faculty. During the course of the ceremony Dr Tim Sullivan, AUK’s Interim President, Dr Nizar Hamzeh, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Dr. Craig Loomis, Division Head of Humanities & Arts offered brief remarks. After the traditional distribution of pins and certificates, Nuha Al-Fadli, Sigma Tau Delta President, concluded the night by thanking families and instructors for their support and dedication, and for fostering an environment of free critical, cultural, and intellectual exchange. It is through this combined effort that the inductees are prepared to uphold the Sigma Tau Delta’s motto of “sincerity, truth and design.” To become honor society members, AUK students had to earn above a 3.1 GPA in
upper level courses in English literature and be recommended by their professors as students who represent the best in scholarship and honor at AUK. As one of the newest chapters in Sigma Tau Delta, the Alpha Rho Eta chapter at AUK is committed to excellence in the discipline of English and takes its responsibility of being a “first” in the Middle East seriously. Seeking to embrace that responsibility, the members plan to host an event that celebrates literature at AUK and to deliver a panel presentation in the United States. In March, some of the AUK English honor society will present a panel at the 2010 Sigma Tau Delta convention in St. Louis, Missouri. Entitled Sand, Camels, Oil and Shakespeare: Reconciling our Arabian Gulf Identity with Studying English Literature, AUK’s panel will take a comparative, intercultural, interdisciplinary approach to our experience as literature majors in the Middle East. In weaving literary theory, anthropological research, and cultural studies, members will demonstrate the breadth of knowledge and leadership skills AUK students manage to acquire while remaining sensitive to regional and cultural restrictions. Through this exciting academic experience, the presenters wish to shatter some of the misconceptions that enshroud Gulf countries and raise greater awareness to the unique position their citi-
zens occupy as both members of the Muslim society and larger global community. Hence, they will seek to modify current academic and political discourse that centers on the Middle East. In addition to educating convention attendees, the participants will also have the opportunity to meet internationally renowned writers such as Chris Abani, author of Song for Night and Graceland, Judith Ortiz Cofer, author of The Meaning of Consuelo and Li-Young Lee, author of The Winged Seed: A Rememberance and The City in Which I Love You. Before traveling to the United States, the Sigma Tau Delta members will share their passion for literature and the arts with the larger AUK community by hosting a read-in in an Arabic setting. They will invite AUK students, faculty and staff to read from Chris Abani, author of Song for Night in a simple tribute to the magical quality of the written word. While Sigma Tau Delta is a new organization at AUK, it holds great potential for its members and the larger AUK community. When asked about her experience, Nuha AlFadli stated, “It is truly a privilege to belong to such a prestigious and intellectually stimulating organization. We all have great hopes for Sigma Tau Delta. I am sure our chapter will bring unique ideas and exciting events to both AUK and Sigma Tau Delta.”
KUWAIT: The Minister for Cabinet Affairs and Minister of Oil Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah said here yesterday he was ready for a recently delayed interpellation lodged against him by an MP. Speaking to reporters at the Parliament, the minister, who also holds the position of Minister of Information, said it is the government which had asked him to put the interpellation motion on the back burner. Earlier on Tuesday, the National Assembly (Parliament) gave the thumbs up to a request by Sheikh Ahmad AlAbdullah for postponing the grilling motion that was filed against him by MP Ali Al-Diqbasi till March 16. Reiterating governmental support for him, the minister said that the query for information would lead to revealing many things which concern MPs and Kuwaiti people. Challenging the move by voicing readiness to rebuff the questions, he dismissed reports suggesting that he could lose the information portfolio over the grilling. MP Al-Diqbasi had filed a grilling motion on the basis of two issues; slack in financial supervision over licensed media bodies, and holding unlicensed channels or those breaking media and broadcasting laws accountable for legal breaches. Meanwhile, MP, Musallam AlBarrak urged the parliamentary foreign affairs committee to summon the FM, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah to explain why he defended Libya against Switzerland in a recent statement he had made, reported Al-Rai. He added that Al-Sabah’s statement had offended the Kuwaiti people before offending others and described it as ‘emotional and unbalanced’.
KUWAIT: Psychiatric specialist at Kuwait Center for Child Evaluation and Teaching (KCCET) diagnosis unit, Montaha Al-Hamad, addressing a press conference yesterday. — KUNA
in the news Foam spray warnings KUWAIT: A number of officials warned against the use of foam in the national events. They warned that it poses a danger to people’s health and contains several dangerous chemicals, reported Al-Anba. Children using the foam spray could develop problems in their liver, or lungs if breathed in. The warnings of such officials proved justified considering the Al-Bahar center received 1,542 cases during the national holidays, 30 percent of which were related to eye irritation due to the use of foam. Reports confirmed that the foam contains dangerous materials which irritate the eye and could cause temporary or permanent damage. Absentee employee list KUWAIT: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has asked ministries and government bodies to refer lists containing the names of employees who have failed to report to their respective jobs starting Tuesday. It has ordered an inquiry to assess the extent of losses incurred owing to the absence of work. Sources said the CSC asked that all sick leaves be referred to the medical council to be reviewed and hold those responsible to task. The commission has asked that no sick leaves issued by private hospitals be accepted, reported Aljarida. The health ministry
sources said that a committee is being formed in cooperation with the CSC to control the number of sick leaves that are issued under the supervision of the medical council in order to verify doctors’ signatures. PAAET issue resolved KUWAIT: A sit-in staged by the students union of the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET) ended yesterday after PAAET officials met with them. The officials promised to resolve their problems by agreeing to extend the subscription deadline by an additional day, reported Al-Watan. The demonstration was held in front of the PAAET diwan’s building in AlAdailya, protesting against the administration’s policies that were described as ‘a failure.’ PAAAFR’s efforts honored KUWAIT: Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Al-Duaij Al-Sabah, Governor of Ahmadi lauded the efforts made by Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) officials who are working toward popularizing Kuwait’s unique heritage. The governor spoke during a reception held in honor of PAAAFR Chairman and Director General Jassim Al-Bader. Both sides discussed the projects undertaken by the authority in Ahmadi.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
NATIONAL
5 Viagra-related death
Asian maid tries to kill sponsor’s son in Nugra KUWAIT: A maid attempted to murder her sponsors’ twoyear-old son in Nugra. Her attempt was interrupted by the boy’s mother when she went home to check on her son. When she arrived home she found her son’s face covered with
Medical education for NRI students KUWAIT: A strong response for medical and technical education by NRI students and their parents was witnessed during the India Education Exhibition that was recently held in Kuwait and saw the participation of various educational institutions. MVJMC & RH was one such institution which was the eye catcher of the exhibition. In response to a question by the media, the Chief Administrator Mrs Dharani said, “MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital is committed to providing quality medical education by competent and dedicated faculty with excellent clinical exposure in a multi-specialty hospital. It is committed to providing excellent health care to rural population through continual up gradation of services, system and processes.” Spearheading a medical revolution in holistic medical education and research, MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital is geared to providing holistic medical education for every medical professional that passes though its portal. MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital was established in 2001 under the umbrella of VES, which has 11 institutions under its name, each of which has set new standards in Indian education. It is recognized by medical council of India
Chief Administrator of MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital Dharani and is affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences to conduct undergrad-
uate programs and permitted for postgraduate degree courses in 12 disciplines and post graduate diploma courses in six disciplines. MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital is a 640 bedded Multi-specialty Research Hospital; incredibly, within a span of less than a decade, the hospital has administered medical attention to 350 Villages in the vicinity, treating approximately 40.5 million patients. Research is another focus area of MVJ Medical and Research Hospital. The college has the distinction of publications and presentations of research papers at national and international levels. MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital is a “Home Away from Home” for all the students. The hostels ensure luxurious, safe and healthy atmosphere to the students, while the efficient and dedicated faculty provides academic and personal care to every student. We at MVJ Medical College and Research Hospital believe “Who Dares to teach, Must Never Cease to Learn”. NRI students and parents can contact PS Nambudri, Admission coordinator in Kuwait on 97383955 or 97218630. Otherwise in India on 0091-9497100900 or 0091-9388969797. Email: edusolutions@rocketmail.com
clothes. She saved him before he could suffocate. She also stopped the maid from throwing herself off the balcony by grabbing her before she could jump. The maid was arrested by authorities after the woman called the police for help.
Fatal Accident A citizen was killed in a car accident on Abdullah Port Bridge when a truck crashed into his vehicle. Investigators pronounced him dead after removing him from the wreckage of his car. A case at the nearest police station was opened for investigation.
attacked his Arab wife, who also works as a flight attendant, and kicked her out of their apartment. He took her identification, car keys and cut her hair before throwing her out. The woman called her brother, who took her to the Farwaniya police station where she filed an official complaint.
Man found dead An Asian man was found dead in his apartment after suffering complications caused by consuming Viagra pills in Nugra. The incident was discovered when the building’s janitor informed police that a resident was not responding to his calls while strange noises were coming from his apartment. After breaking inside, police found the man lying unconscious with a pornographic video playing on his TV. Preliminary medical reports indicate that the man took one or more Viagra pills.
Landslide A landslide took place at a cafe in Mirgab and left a seven meter hole in the ground. Luckily, the incident occurred when no one was at the scene. Rescue teams responded to the emergency and secured the area. They then contacted the municipality in order to fix the situation.
Sexual harassment A Kuwaiti family went to the Jleeb AlShuyoukh police station to inform police that a Syrian teenager sexually harassed their 8-year-old daughter at a shopping complex in the area. They reported that the teenager also gathered his friends and damaged the car of one of the child’s relatives in an attempt to scare them into not informing authorities. A police patrol was sent to the area and police arrested the attacker and one of his friends.
Fire An Arab family on the fifth floor of an apartment building in Khaitan was saved by rescue teams when their apartment caught fire. After all residents were evacuated from the building, firefighters extinguished the
flames before they could spread to any other apartments. One firefighter sustained minor injuries while putting out the flames and was treated at the scene. An investigation was opened to determine the cause of the fire. Auto theft Jahra police arrested two youths after spotting them trying to steal a car in the area. While being questioned, they confessed to carrying out 10 previous thefts. They were taken to the proper authorities. Armed robbery An armed robbery occurred at a campsite on Salmi road. Four thieves with knives detained the camp’s janitor at knifepoint while stealing the camp’s furniture and electrical appliances. Police responded to the emergency and a case was opened to look into the incident further.
Waha robbery A citizen was robbed after booking her ticket to a European country and preparing the necessary cash for the trip. A thief broke into her car, stole her ticket and $3,500. The incident occurred in front of the woman’s home in Waha where her car was parked. She informed authorities as soon as she realized she had been robbed. Alcohol found While patrolling the streets of AlHasawi, police became suspicious of a car which reversed into a side street and stopped. After inspection, police discovered that the car belonged to a Chinese man and contained 18 bottles of liquor. The car was seized by authorities. Domestic dispute An air steward of a foreign nationality
RIYADH: The winner of the International Award for Arab Fiction, the Saudi writer, Abdo Khal receiving his award from a jury that included the Kuwaiti author-writer, Taleb Al-Refai yesterday. —KUNA
NATIONAL
6
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Survey challenges stereotypes
Arab youth prioritize relations with international community DUBAI: Contrary to the widespread perception of the Middle East as a region, defined by conflict and a growing East/West cultural and political divide, the vast majority of Arab youth prioritize harmonious relations with the international community they also wholeheartedly regard themselves as global citizens. These are among the key findings of the Second
KUWAIT: A delegation of Saudi civil defense officials visiting the Kuwaiti civil defense office yesterday. —KUNA
Al-Busairi assures employees to meet their demands soon KUWAIT: The Minister of Communication, Mohammed AlBusairi, has assured employees from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) that their list of 24 demands would be met immediately. He has promised payment of bonuses, including additional allowances for performing hazardous hard work, as well as providing them with annual free tickets, providing engineers and technicians with cars, and awarding pensions to
retires at par with the Kuwait Airways Corporation employees. Dr. Mohammad Al-Busairi addressed the demands that have been pending for years, and have promised to resolve the issue after looking into their requirements, said the DGCA Labor Union Head Rajab AlRefaei. He asserted that staging demonstrations are part of employees’ rights should their
legitimate demands be met. AlRefaei asserted that they wished to coordinate with the minister to find a better solution to the problem without affecting productivity, reported Al-Watan. Dr Al-Busairi will hold a meeting this week with the union in order to reach an agreement. He will also conduct a tour to perform a check on the nature of work performed and assess the conditions under which employees work.
ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, the Middle East’s leading Public Relations Consultancy and part of the MENACOM Group, will invite Karen Hughes, Global Vice Chair of Burson-Marsteller and a former US Under secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, to share highlights of the research at a VIP reception in Dubai on Sunday. Following her presentation, a prestigious panel of Arab opinion leaders, drawn from government, business, media, law and the arts, will debate the implications of the Survey results. Dr. Tarik Yousef, Dean of the Dubai School of Government will moderate the discussion. The panel speakers will include Najla Al-Awadi, Member, UAE Federal National Council and Deputy CEO, Dubai Media Inc, Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed, General Manager, Al Arabiya Television, Mustafa AbdelWadood, Managing Director, Abraaj Capital, Sultan Sooud AlQassemi, Independent entrepreneur and media columnist, Lubna Qassim, Independent Reform Specialist and Ali Mustafa, independent film maker. Among a variety of topics, the survey polled Arab youth to rate the importance of global citizenship - the shared feeling of identity regardless of ethnic, religious or national background - with seven out of ten respondents interviewed describing the concept as either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very important’. Arab national and expatriate youth in the UAE went even further, with 79 per cent
Educators gain skills from UK experts
Part of the KFH program
KFH starts campaign to encourage walking KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH) finished its successful walking campaign that was organized in Surrah. The Acting undersecretary of the Minister of Health and Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Affairs Dr Youssef Al-Nesf, a large number of athletes, walkers, those concerned with the health field, media personnel, and other public figures, took part in the campaign. The campaign comes as a continuation of KFH’s efforts in combating diabetes in conjunction with the official concerned authorities, in order to limit its negative effects on people’s health by highlighting the importance of sports, since it plays a significant role in avoiding the disease and limiting its effect, in addition to raising the awareness regarding the importance of having regular medical checkups. The Marketing and Public Relationship Manager at KFH Fahad Al-Mukhaizeem said that KFH spearheads a permanent campaign that aims to combat diabetes by all means. Such a campaign includes KFH’s participation in the World Diabetic Day, where several awareness programs were organized for KFH’s employees and clients, in addition to KFH’s earlier participation in the Walking
Day on Gulf Road in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, Dasman Center, and the Diabetes Group. It is worth noting that the ministers of health and communication, in addition to many other people, participated in that event. Today, KFH continues its strategy, but moves into inner areas, in order to be close to people to encourage them to practice walking. Furthermore, the walking campaign at Surrah witnessed interaction from the Marketing and Public Relations team at KFH, some authorities at the Ministry of Health, and the public, who reached 400 people, where KFH distributed the Electronic Step Counter that calculates the number of steps taken and the calories burnt. Most participants applauded KFH’s efforts in that field that include giving them health tips. Moreover, Al-Mukhaizeem stated that KFH’s future plans include organizing walking campaigns in new areas in Kuwait, after the current campaign revealed the large number of participants, not to mention that many believe that sports improved their lives, especially that sports assist in the prevention of cancer, diabetes, blood pressure, and aging.
KUWAIT: Seven representatives from Government and Higher Education Institutions in Kuwait gained new skills in self-assessment from top UK education experts at a British Council workshop, to help them improve the quality of education at universities in the country, said a statement from the British Council yesterday. The Kuwait team joined Higher Education professionals from Iraq, Qatar and Bahrain at the workshop held between March 1 and 3 at the Novotel Al-Dana Hotel and Resort in Manama. The ‘Self Assessment: A Key Driver in Quality Assurance and Improvement for Universities’ workshop aimed to demonstrate the need and value of self-assessment—of courses, programs and institutions—and provide the 29 delegates with appropriate tools to measure and assess performance in their universities. During the three-day practical workshop organized by the British Council, delegates will learn about the benefits of self-assessment in raising educational standards and identify self-assessment techniques—such as dashboards, key performance indicators and improvement plans— which they can apply to their own organizations that will help them to meet universities’ strategic goals. They will also hear about the role of selfassessment in external quality assurance accreditation. Sally Ward, Regional Program Manager of Higher Education for the Middle East said: “Being able to clearly measure how a university, its programs and courses are performing is vital if education professionals are to successfully raise standards and meet their organisation’s strategic goals.” Dr. Mohammed Al-Fares, representing the Private Universities Council (PUC) in Kuwait, extended his appreciation and thanks to the British Council for organizing this workshop and for its active role in providing excellence in higher-education especially in the Middle East and the GCC region. - KUNA
Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey, a groundbreaking study of 2,000 Arab national and expatriate youth. Participants in the survey were between the ages of 18 and 24 and lived across nine Middle East countries - the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
DUBAI: The panel discussion at the launch of the survey. describing it as ‘somewhat’ or ‘very important’. A plurality of youth in every country surveyed concurred with the exception of Oman, where 41 per cent said the notion of global citizenship was either ‘somewhat or ‘very important’. Sunil John, Chief Executive Officer of ASDA’A BursonMarsteller, said: “As with the 2008 survey, our second indepth attitudinal study of Arab youth challenges a number of inaccurate assumptions about the beliefs and behaviour of the Middle East’s largest and most important demographic. “Far from rejecting globalization, Arab youth appear to be actively seeking to participate
in the trends shaping the international community. Politicians, business leaders, educators, marketers and the media would do well to take note.” John said: “Arab youth are talented, media aware and eager to make their mark in the world as fully engaged global citizens. The Second Annual ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller Arab Youth Survey zeros in on critical points in the discussion with young people, maximising the effectiveness of communications and bringing decisionmakers closer to an increasingly influential and vocal community.” The second edition of the ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller
Arab Youth Survey, which was conducted in October 2009 by leading international polling firm Penn Schoen & Berland Associates (PSB), polled more people and covered more countries than the inaugural study in 2008. Whereas the first survey involved online interviews with 1,500 youth in six Arab countries, the second study carried out a total of 2,000 face-to-face interviews among Arab youth in nine Middle East nations. Robert Kellman, Middle East Business Director of PSB, said: “The second survey has greater reach, more depth and is even more representative of the divergent views of young
men and women across the major Arab nations than the 2008 study. The interview sample is weighted to reflect the socio-economic make-up of the participating countries, the geographical distribution of population within them, and the opinions of women as well as men.” The main themes of the survey include: Attitudes to the financial crisis, Access to technology, Media consumption, Social media networking trends, Attitudes to travel and foreign relations, Use of leisure time, Spending habits, Perceptions of leading brands, Attitudes towards education, Perceptions of the private and public sector.
Support for Kuwait Summit resolutions KUWAIT: Kuwaiti Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Mohammad Al-Afasi said here yesterday the recent Arab-South America conference in Brazil had supported resolutions made during the Arab Social Economic and Development Conference held in Kuwait in January 2009. Speaking upon arrival back from Brazil where he attended the conference that wrapped up on Tuesday, the minister said the final communiqué of the 2nd conference of Arab and South American ministers of social affairs, labor and development had adopted the resolutions and recommendations of the Kuwait Summit as a reference; mainly the plan for reducing poverty.
During the conference, the Arab Group managed to include an item condemning the Israeli occupation of Arab lands and the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip in the final statement, in spite of Argentinean opposition, said the Kuwaiti minister, who led the Arab Group during the gathering. The conferees mainly discussed the fight against poverty and famine, as well as social integration for grappling with social development challenges in the member states, he added. They also discussed an international agreement for the disabled, he said, adding that he had elaborated during the gathering on the Kuwaiti government’s care for peo-
ple with special needs. Meanwhile, Kuwait will partake in the transportation committee meeting of Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) which would be held in Lebanon on March 22. The meeting would discuss transportation regulations in the Arab world and whether it was compatible with ESCWA’s regulations. ESCWA would also hold the executive board elections to choose 14 members. The 2010-2013 programs and work agendas for the transportation committee would be included in the discussions. —KUNA
KUWAIT: Burgan Bank officials with the Call Center employees.
Burgan Bank honors Call Centre employees KUWAIT: Burgan Bank recently held its Call Center Awards Event at the Burgan Bank Operations Centre in the Free Trade Zone to reward outstanding staff members for their commitment and dedication to providing excellent customer service. The quarterly awards event was attended by Simon Clements - Chief Retail
Banking Officer, Karan Kapur Head of Alternative Delivery Channels and senior management. “At Burgan Bank our employees are strongly committed to our principles of Cooperation, Ownership, Improvement and Inspiration. This commitment has always reflected on our values of Trust, Commitment,
Excellence and Progression, which has led to exceptional customer experience. I take this opportunity to congratulate the agents for their hard work and dedication,” says Clements. Clements continued “At Burgan Bank we stress on the importance of distinguishing staff achievements and reward their commitment and dedica-
tion. We recognize the importance of our Customer Service staff and the critical role that they play within the organization in terms of ensuring that we offer the highest levels of service and standards in the industry”. Fifteen call centre employees were rewarded for their commitment and excellent performance levels.
INTERNATIONAL
Thursday, March 4, 2010
7
Three suicide bombs kill 32 ahead of Iraq election Suicide bombers hit two police stations and hospital BAGHDAD: Three suicide bombers - including one who sneaked his explosives into a hospital - killed at least 32 people yesterday in a former insurgent stronghold northeast of Baghdad, sending a deadly signal ahead of Iraq’s weekend elections. Deputy Interior Minister Iden Khalid said at a news conference afterward in Baghdad that security forces expect further attacks, but they will not interfere with Sunday’s vote.
BAGHDAD: In this photo, Jenan Mubarak, a candidate with the Iraq Unity Alliance, speaks at a campaign event. — AP
Women have big role to play in Iraq polls BAGHDAD: The minute Friday prayers are over, a crowd of women worshippers clothed in long black cloaks swarm around parliament member Maha AlDouri, peppering her with questions and requests. She is their access to power. Under a USbacked quota requiring that at least one quarter of Iraq’s lawmakers be female, women have carved a foothold in the Iraqi political system. The country is holding its second parliamentary elections under the system on Sunday. But women have found that sheer numbers in parliament do not always translate into more power for women - especially when they so rarely agree with one another. And, because many people write off female candidates as simply being part of the quota, it doesn’t necessarily earn respect either. “The quota was very important in the previous elections because we live in a male-dominated society and the quota was necessary to give women a chance to have a political role,” AlDouri told The Associated Press at the offices of Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr in the Shiite slum of Sadr City, where the prayers were held last week. “But in the future this quota should be removed and women should compete equally with men, because women politicians have proven their competence and reliability in politics,” said Al-Douri, who is running for a second term on the slate of Al-Sadr’s party. The quota was established under intense U.S. pressure to give women a greater voice in the political process though critics questioned why Iraq was forced to go further than even the United States, where women make up only 17 percent of the House of Representatives and 15 percent of the Senate. It first applied in Iraq’s 2005 parliament vote. Still, changing attitudes takes far longer in Iraq, where deep differences remain over the role of women, especially in politics. Maysoun Al-Damlouji, a prominent Sunni lawmaker, said the quota should be extended to other branches of government such as the judiciary and the executive. Still, she acknowledged its drawbacks. “Women have been brought to parliament who do not necessarily believe in women’s rights or even the quota that brought them into it,” she said. “Now, people have the impression that women were brought in to fill a vacant space, and that they were not very effective.” The women in parliament come from a wide variety of parties and ideologies - from Islamic fundamentalists to secular liberals - meaning there’s hardly a consensus on a “women’s agenda.” Al-Damlouji said an attempted caucus of female lawmakers largely failed because they could only agree on two broad issues: the need to educate women and stop violence against them. “We disagreed on almost everything else,” she said with a wry smile. Under the system, every fourth candidate on each political bloc’s election slate must be a woman, and 25 percent of the 325-member legislature will be female. The same applies to provincial parliaments formed in elections last year. In parliaments in other Arab states, an average 10.9 percent of lawmakers are women - ranging from none in Saudi Arabia and Qatar to 27 percent in Tunisia, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, which monitors parliaments and other government bodies.
Finding men who openly support women and their right to be in politics is a tough job in a country dominated by fierce tribal and religious politics. One is Ala’a Makki, head of the education committee. Makki - who touts how he is equally proud of his six daughters as his two sons - describes himself as an Islamist but says he is fed up with the religious parties who dominated politics after the 2003 US-led invasion and used religion as an excuse to keep women from positions of power. He pointed out that Islam’s Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) “was taking advice and consulting with women around him, and the consultation was real consultation. I mean, he built decisions on that consultation,” he said. “I’m not liberal. I’m Islamist. But I understand that women should have a real role.” Across Iraq, women candidates’ posters compete for space with the men’s. Some are conservative religious women like Al-Douri, clothed from head to toe in black cloaks known as abayas, sometimes even with gloves to hide their hands, pictured staring solemnly or in a moment of action in parliament. But there are just as many posters of women with their hair uncovered, sporting business suits and makeup. In the northern city of Kirkuk, police have reported traffic jams in an area where one particularly attractive candidate has posters hanging. Female politicians have not been exempt from preelection violence targeting candidates. Suha Jarallah, running on the secular list of former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi,
was shot and killed in the northern city of Mosul by gunmen about three weeks ago. Jenan Mubark, an independent running for the first time, says the political parties exploited the quota the first time around to pack the parliament with women they could control. “They used the quota against women, not for women,” she said. “These kinds of parties, they prefer that they have very weak woman, just to say yes.” If she wins a seat, Mubark said she plans to push legislation that will create employment opportunities for divorced, widowed and unmarried women - a particular problem in a country having gone through so much violence. She’ll also lobby against implementing an article in the Constitution that would allow religious leaders to make decisions in such areas as child custody, divorce and marriage - a source of discord between secular and religious female lawmakers and candidates. An insult triggered one of the first incidents where women showed their political might. The former Parliament Speaker Mahmoud AlMashhadani, known for insulting political figures across the board, made a quip in parliament about Iraqi women not being effective leaders because they’re distracted by thoughts of their husbands getting another wife. The response from the Iraqi women was swift and unified: they boycotted the parliament session, robbing it of a quorum and effectively ending political work till they got their apology. It worked. — AP
It was the final bomber, however, who caused the most casualties, by donning a military uniform, pretending to be wounded and riding an ambulance back to the hospital where he blew himself up, said Al-Karkhi, killing many of the wounded from the first two bombs. Police later safely detonated a fourth car bomb about 220 yards (200 meters) from the hospital. Insurgents often carry out multiple bomb attacks to maximize damage as rescuers and others rush to the scene to help those affected. The blasts come just ahead of Sunday’s crucial ballot to decide who will oversee the country as US forces go home. At stake is whether Iraq can overcome the deep sectarian tensions that have divided the nation since the 2003 US-led invasion. US and Iraqi officials have warned of a possible uptick in violence ahead of the weekend as insurgents seek to disrupt elections. A message last month purported to be from the leader of the AlQaeda front in Iraq promised just that. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings, but such attacks have been the hallmark of AlQaeda in Iraq. Police said they arrested four suspects and imposed an open-ended curfew on the city as they search for more suspects. Mahmoud Fadil, 50, said he was heading to the electric company office when he heard an explosion and was thrown through the air. “I saw others covered with blood lying on the ground and some crying because of wounds caused by shrapnel and the huge blast,” he said. Spokesman Fakhri Al-Obaidi of the Diyala provincial council said the bombings reflected a “major security failure,” shattering a period of relative calm in the province that was once a byword for savage sectarian fighting. “These attacks aim to terrify people from going to polling stations, but I am sure
The blasts struck Baqouba in quick succession, starting with a suicide car bomb that targeted a local government housing office near an Iraqi army facility, police spokesman Capt Ghalib Al-Karkhi said. Within minutes, a second suicide car bomb exploded 200 yards (meters) down the street near the provincial government headquarters near many police and army personnel.
BAQUBA: A damaged car is seen at the site of a suicide bombing yesterday. — AFP that people will insist on voting,” he said. Wednesday’s bombings were the deadliest since the start of February, when a female suicide bomber blew herself up at a way station for Shiite pilgrims also in Diyala, killing 54 people. At the time, Baghdad’s top security official said extremists were adopting new methods to outwit bombdetection squads such as stashing explosives deep inside the engines and frames of vehicles.
Iraqi authorities have vowed tight security in the capital and the rest of the country in the run-up to the election and on voting day. Generally a vehicle ban is imposed across Iraq, the airport will be shut down and hundreds of thousands of police and army troops deployed across the country. Baqouba, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, is the mixed Shiite-Sunni provincial capital of Diyala. The whole area was a flashpoint in the
insurgency, although it has quieted since 2007. Also yesterday, a senior official in Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission said the results of Sunday’s vote would not be announced quickly because of the time required to collect votes from abroad and investigate any complaints. He did not estimate when results would be released. In Babil province south of Baghdad, police arrested 33 people for distributing leaflets calling for a
boycott of the election because it is “supervised by the Americans,” a police official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. While Sunni leaders did talk of a boycott, they appear to have discarded the idea, despite the ban of hundreds of candidates for alleged ties to Saddam Hussein’s former ruling Baath Party. The ban is supervised by a Shiite-led committee, widely believed to be biased against Sunnis. — AP
8
INTERNATIONAL
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Dutch anti-immigrants to make gains in vote AMSTERDAM: Dutch voters went to the polls in local elections yesterday, with political parties opposing Muslim immigration expected to make gains before national elections in June. The elections in 394 cities in theory cover matters such as parking fees and taxes on dog ownership. But national politicians have put their stances on the NATO mission in Afghanistan and immigrant crime on display in hopes of influencing the local vote. The party of prominent anti-Islam politician Geert
Wilders is participating in only two cities: The Hague, where most opinion polls put it in second place, and Almere, where it is running neck-and-neck with left-leaning Labor. Wilders decided his Freedom Party, formed in 2004, lacks candidates of sufficient quality to compete credibly in other municipalities. Wilders is facing prosecution for allegedly inciting racial hatred with remarks including calling the Quran a “fascist” book and calling for it to be banned. Squaring off with
Labor leader Wouter Bos in a televised preelection debate, Wilders called for a ban on immigration from Muslim countries and especially Moroccans because “they cause problems, they cause crime, they cause intimidation and violence. “For the people that are already here, I say: if you adapt to Dutch laws and Dutch norms and values, you’re welcome to stay,” Wilders said. “But if you don’t, then you go to jail and as far as I’m concerned out of the country.” Bos responded that “we’ll only
help this nation move forward if we stop thinking in terms of Muslims and nonMuslims.” He cited examples of a prominent Dutch football player, a comedian and a politician of Moroccan ancestry and that he doubted their religion influenced their abilities. “I think in terms of citizens that participate in society and basically behave and those that don’t,” he said. “What their religion is, that’s not my business.” After a major immigration wave in the 1990s, Muslims make up about 6 percent of
the Dutch population. Anti-immigrant political parties have been a major force in Dutch politics since the national elections of 2002, when a populist called Pim Fortuyn was assassinated by an animal rights activist days before the vote. His party finished second and joined a right-wing Cabinet. Wilders is seen as an heir to Fortuyn, and his Freedom Party finished second place among Dutch parties in the European Parliament elections last year. In the current local elections, left-leaning
Labor saw a late surge in opinion polls after walking out of the Cabinet over Dutch involvement in Afghanistan last month. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende’s centrist government collapsed, forcing the recall of 1,600 Dutch soldiers in the province of Uruzgan at the end of their mission in August. Dutch national elections are scheduled for June 9. Preliminary results Wednesday in many cities are expected around midnight local time, with the official results not due until Friday morning. — AP
Uganda landslide kills 86 Search on for survivors; 300 missing BUDUDA: Rescuers clawed through mud in driving rain yesterday in a desperate bid to find survivors from a huge landslide feared to have killed hundreds in villages in eastern Uganda. At least 86 bodies have already been found on the slopes of Mount Elgon and at least 300 people are miss-
ing in the villages. More torrential rain fell as rescuers dug through the mud with spades and simple tools as mechanical diggers could not get up the slopes. Army helicopters flew up medical supplies to treat the injured.
MBALE: Residents of Mbale dig in search of bodies in the debris of the landslide yesterday. — AFP
Somali pirates seize Saudi tanker Saudi operators receive $20 million ransom demand MOGADISHU: Somali pirates hijacked a Saudi-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden this week and said they had also seized a fishing vessel, in a sign the sea gangs are maintaining their lucrative business despite naval patrols. Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers’ Assistance Program said the Saudi-owned 5,136 deadweight ton Al-Nisr AlSaudi was seized on Monday and was now off the Somali coast. Emboldened by rising ransom payments, Somali sea gangs have stepped up attacks in recent months, making tens of millions of dollars by seizing vessels in the Indian Ocean and the busy Gulf of Aden shipping lanes linking Europe to Asia. Prior to the latest captures, at least six foreign vessels with 140 crew members were being held off the coast of the Horn of Africa nation. The biggest ran-
som so far is an estimated $7 million paid in January for a oil tanker laden with crude. An official at the company operating the vessel said hijackers were demanding $20 million to release the small empty fuel tanker, which had been returning from Japan to the Red Sea port of Jeddah, Al Arabiya television reported. Mwangura said the ship had one Greek and 13 Sri Lankan crew. Pirates said they had also seized a fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean, but no further details were immediately available. Foreign navies have been deployed off the Gulf of Aden since the start of 2009, operating convoys and setting up safer transit corridors through the most dangerous waters. But the armed pirate gangs also operate far out in the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, dodging the warships by cast-
ing their nets as far south as the Seychelles. Plea for release of british couple Even private yachts have been targets. A Somali legislator urged community elders to press pirates who have held a British couple since October to free them. Paul and Rachel Chandler, a retired couple from southeast England, were seized in the Indian Ocean aboard their 38-foot (12 meter) yacht soon after they left the Seychelles. “The couple are elderly and infirm,” the deputy speaker of parliament Mohamed Omar Dalha told Reuters in Nairobi. “We are really touched by their plight.” “We call upon our MPs, ministers, religious elders and traditional elders from the region where the pirates are holding them to seriously intervene and convince their captors to release the two on humani-
Nigeria ruling party wants northern prez ABUJA: Nigeria’s ruling party wants the next president to be a northerner in line with a principle that power rotates around the country, effectively ruling Acting President Goodluck Jonathan out of elections due next year. Although not formally set in writing, there is an agreement among senior members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that the presidency should alternate between north and south after every two presidential terms. But Jonathan, a southerner, took over as Acting President last month while President Umaru Yar’Adua, a northerner, remains too sick to govern and Jonathan’s assertive grip on power has led some to suggest he could win support for the presidency. Elections are due by April next year and, if the principle of rotation is maintained, the presidency should go to the north as Yar’Adua is still in his first 4-year term. “The south had the presidency for eight years and it is proper to allow the north to have the presidency for eight years,” PDP National Chairman Vincent Ogbulafor said after a meeting with top party officials late on Tuesday. “(Yar’Adua) is still the President, Goodluck Jonathan is still the Acting President. What we discussed has to do with 2011,” he said. Any shift in the balance of power is deeply sensitive in Nigeria, a country of 140 mil-
lion split between the Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, scores of ethnic groups and myriad other factions seeking a share of state resources. An electoral reform bill before parliament could bring the polls forward to as soon as November, meaning the PDP will need to move fast to agree on a northern presidential candidate. Potential northern candidates named by analysts include former National Security Adviser Aliyu Gusau, state governors including Kwara state’s Bukola Saraki and Bauchi state’s Isa Yuguda, and secretary to the government Mahmud Yayale Ahmed. But the race is wide open. Possible northern support Jonathan has not said he might stand for the presidency but his statesman-like approach since he assumed executive powers had led even some northerners to openly say they would support him if he were to run. “If Goodluck shows real leadership over the next few months, many of us will campaign for him to be president,” Nasir ElRufai, a northern reformist politician told Reuters last month. Yar’Adua was flown back to Nigeria a week ago after three months in a Saudi hospital but is still too frail to govern, raising fears that his inner circle were fighting to maintain influence as Jonathan consolidates his grip on power. — Reuters
tarian grounds.” Piracy has thrived off Somalia because of the lack of a stable central government since 1991. The chaos now is driven by a three-yearold insurgency bent on toppling the Western-backed administration, which controls only parts of the capital. Many of the sea gangs also say they are acting as an informal coast guard by deterring the illegal dumping of toxic waste and unauthorized fishing in the tuna-rich waters. The UN’s special envoy to Somalia, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, said piracy should be tackled by giving the government resources to improve security on land. “We have anarchy, and everyone is trying to make money out of it,” he told Reuters in an interview late on Monday, adding that pirates were making more than $100 million a year. — Reuters
Ex-tycoon Khodorkovsky criticizes Russian justice MOSCOW: Former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who is in prison for fraud and tax evasion, said Russia’s justice system is a production line of guilty verdicts handed to anyone the state considers dangerous, according to a newspaper article published yesterday. The former CEO of the now-defunct Yukos oil company made the claim in the newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta on the day before the European Court of Human Rights will begin hearing a case alleging the state dismantled Yukos illegally. President Dmitry Medvedev has said judicial reform and the rule of law are among his top priorities. But critics say there has been little progress, citing continued actions against Kremlin enemies and extensive reports on police abuses. Russia’s law enforcement system - from field detective work to court verdict - “is in essence a business that deals in legalizing the use of force,” wrote Khodorkovsky, who has been behind bars since his arrest in 2003. “The system is the assembly line of a gigantic factory. ... If you become raw material for the assembly line, then a Kalashnikov rifle is always produced - that is, a guilty verdict. Any other result from the system’s processing of raw material is viewed as a malfunction,” the article says. Supporters say the eight-year sentence he is serving is punishment for challenging the political power of former President Vladimir Putin, who is now prime minister. Khodorkovsky faces another two decades in prison on similar charges. Khodorkovsky mocked Russia’s attitude toward its own constitution, saying it played no part in a judge’s verdict. “You want to really make the court laugh? Cite the constitutional principle of the presumption of innocence,” he wrote. Rather, it is down to a jailed suspect to prove his innocence, he said. “The words ‘lawful and grounded,’ like the American ‘How do you do?’ lost their original meaning a long time ago.” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov could not immediately be reached for comment. — AP
Regional army spokesman Captain Henry Obbo said the steep terrain was making recovery efforts difficult. “We are having trouble because of the very big rubble. The terrain is really so, so unfriendly,” he told AFP.”It is the local people and us (the army). We are trying all that we can.” After days of heavy rain, the mudslide engulfed the villages near the Uganda-Kenya border late Monday. Olyamboka Sam was praying when the disaster struck.”I was in the church when I saw the landslide coming carrying stones and trees. Everyone was running from the church,” said Sam, who was being treated for a fractured arm at a hospital in Bududa, the nearest town. The 24-year-old man told how he saw two women, two children and a man carried away to their deaths. Other survivors said the mudslide moved so fast that victims had no chance to escape. Teams from UN agencies were heading for the stricken villages on Mount Elgon with food and other relief supplies. The Uganda Red Cross said 80 bodies had been recovered that at least 300 people were missing after the wall of mud came down the hills near Mount Elgon. “The situation is really very terrible,” said Bududa district Vice Chairman Geofrey Natubu “People fear there are actually 300 who have died.” “It is raining quite heavily right now, so the place is becoming impossible to reach,” he added. Doctors and paramedics at Bududa hospital struggled to cope with the numbers of injured survivors. Namasa Elina, 18 said she believed 11 members of her family were engulfed by the racing heaps of earth. “I was in my house and I heard a noise. When I looked out I saw the mud was all around us. I shouted out ‘we are dying, we are dying’.” “All of the people I was with, my sisters in law, perished, except me and my own baby,” Elina said. “The people came and they were so energetic that they managed to get me out. I was under the mud and I could hear them digging. I shouted to them, ‘not over there, over here!’ and they could hear me,” she added. Olyamboka Sam said that survivors now just want to leave the region. “People want to migrate from the village now. Hundreds were in the village. Only some escaped to stay with their relatives,” he said. President Yoweri Museveni visited survivors and the scene of the disaster on Wednesday. Tons of relief aid and a helicopter carrying rescuers have been dispatched to the region, Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Tarsis Kabwegyere said Tuesday. Widespread flooding has affected several other villages in the region near Mount Elgon, which straddles the Uganda-Kenya border, the Red Cross said. Local markets were destroyed, schools were forced to close and roads were blocked by the heaps of earth that came down the hillsides, Ugandan Red Cross Secretary General Michael Nataka told AFP. The east Africa country is experiencing unusually heavy downpours in the annual rainy season, which Kabwegyere said were due to El Nino weather pattern. — AFP
KIEV: Former Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko leaves the Parliament during its sitting yesterday. — AFP
Ukraine’s govt out in no-confidence motion Tymoshenko to hand reins to deputy KIEV: Ukraine’s parliament dismissed the government of Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko yesterday, giving her rival, the newly elected President Viktor Yanukovich, the difficult task of stitching together a new ruling coalition. Deputies passed a motion of no confidence in Tymoshenko’s administration, with 243 out of 450 voting in favor. The fall of the government came almost a month after Yanukovich defeated Tymoshenko, co-architect of the 2004 pro-Western Orange Revolution, in a bitter presidential run-off, a narrow victory that has yet to restore muchneeded stability. Yanukovich’s Regions Party will now seek to form its own coalition within 30 days and a government within another 60, or face a snap parliamentary election. Agencies reported that Tymoshenko, defiant to the last, would take a holiday and hand the reins to her first deputy and close ally Oleksander Turchynov. There was no official confirmation. Yanukovich met with all faction leaders bar Tymoshenko’s shortly after the vote and urged them to quickly agree terms. “The (coalition) talks are not simple but I think they will be finalised in the coming days,” Mykola Azarov, a close ally of Yanukovich and a likely candidate for the post of prime minister, told reporters after the vote. Even if a coalition emerges, the fractious nature of Ukraine’s parliament and the limited powers of the presidency mean that the country-split between a Russia-leaning east and south and a Westernfriendly west and centre-may yet face further political instability. “It’s just a continuation of the problem,” said Oleksander Pchela, a 20year-old student in Kiev. “Tymoshenko will enter the opposition and demand new elections. There’s no end in sight while people vote for personalities but not for ideas.” The nation of 46 million people desperately needs strong government to tackle a debilitating economic crisis that saw GDP contract by 15 percent in 2009, and to restart talks with the International Monetary Fund on a $16.4 billion bailout package. The government says it does not expect IMF funds to be released before the second half of the year, leaving a hole of $3-5 billion per quarter that Ukraine must fill to cover government spending and debt payments.
Meeting of minds? Ukrainian assets remained stable after the motion was passed the hryvnia traded at 7.975/$ at the same level as in the morning, the Ukrainian Equity Index edged 0.5 percent higher to 1,822 points, while benchmark bonds were unchanged. The bonds and credit default swaps-tradeable instruments that insure against a Ukrainian default-have strengthened in recent days however, signalling that investors have high hopes the political dust will settle soon. “The uncertainty surrounding the politics is likely to bring negative sentiment in the short-term. However, these actions were deemed inevitable and the fact that political processes are moving relatively quickly is encouraging,” Phoenix Capital, a Kiev-based brokerage, wrote in a note. Yesterday’s vote sounded the death knell for the fractious coalition that emerged from the Orange Revolution, when street protests overturned Yanukovich’s victory in a rigged election. Tymoshenko has refused to recognize Yanukovich’s Feb 7 win, which could tilt the former Soviet state back towards Russia. “... this person, Yanukovich, presents a threat to (Ukrainian) independence, a threat to its territorial integrity, to democracy and freedom of speech,” Tymoshenko told parliament. Yanukovich’s party is the biggest bloc in the chamber with 171 seats but is well short of the required 226 majority. Seven of Tymoshenko’s bloc voted to dismiss the government, but only 15 of 71 members of the Our Ukraine bloc of former President Viktor Yushchenko-a critical force when it comes to forming the next coalition-backed the motion. Besides Azarov, Yanukovich has named reformist former central bank chairman Sergey Tigipko and former Finance Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk as possible prime ministers. Gleb Vyshlynsky, an analyst at GfK Ukraine, said a meeting of minds was likely between the financial backers of Yanukovich’s Regions Party and the deputies of Our Ukraine, who both want to avoid a potentially costly snap election. “There is a 70 percent chance that they will manage (to form a government) in the coming week or two,” he said. — Reuters
ENGLAND: The coffin of life-long smoker Albert ‘Dick’ Whittamore is carried at St Mary’s Cemetery in Dover, Tuesday March 2, 2010, during a burial service, after he died in January aged 85 from the lung disease emphysema. Whitamore’s dying wish was honored with the words “Smoking Killed Me” placed on signs in his hearse and at his graveside, encouraging people to give up smoking. He wanted the ill-effects of his smoking to act as a warning to others and dictated in his will that the signs be placed inside his hearse as it passed through his home town of Dover.— AP
Thursday, March 4, 2010
INTERNATIONAL
9
Official death toll stands at 795
Chile steps up hunt for victims in quake areas WASHINGTON: Rep Charlie Rangel speaks during a news conference yesterday. — AFP
US tax-writing panel head quits WASHINGTON: The powerful head of the taxwriting committee in the US House of Representatives announced yesterday he will temporarily step down as chairman, saying he did not want his ethics controversy to jeopardize November election prospects for fellow Democrats. Rep Charles Rangel held a news conference on short notice, telling reporters, “My chairmanship is bringing so much attention to the press, and in order to avoid my colleagues having to defend me during their elections, I have this morning sent a letter” asking the leader of the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “to grant me a leave of absence until such time as the ethics committee completes its work.” The 79-year-old Rangel’s decision was another jarring setback for President Barack Obama and majority Democrats in Congress, coming at a time when the party is scrambling to save sweeping health care overhaul legislation that has been pending in Congress for well over a year and still assessing a surging anti-incumbent fervor among the voters. And Democratic incumbents facing tough election races did not want to fend off a Republican campaign focusing on Rangel’s ethical cloud, especially after Pelosi had promised to drain the swamp of ethical problems that plagued Republicans when they ran the House. Republicans had been calling for Rangel to step aside since last year, when the House ethics panel expanded its investigation into his trips, assets and income, use of rent-controlled apartments in New York and his solicitation of contributions for university center to be named after him. After the panel released its findings last Friday on the Caribbean trips, Rangel started losing support among rank-and-file Democrats as well. His departure from the Ways and Means
chairmanship raised questions about succession. Rep Fortney “Pete” Stark is the most senior Democrat on committee, but there is no certainty that Pelosi would name him to fill in for Rangel. Stark chairs the panel’s health subcommittee. Rangel, who represents New York’s Harlem district, was first elected to the House in 1970 and is tied for fourth in congressional seniority. The congressman made only a brief statement, telling reporters, “If you don’t mind, I don’t take questions.” But he did say that’d told Pelosi “from the very, very beginning” that he was willing to step aside, at least temporarily. Rangel, who met privately Tuesday with Pelosi, is accused by the House ethics panel of violating gift rules. Party members want an untainted leader to be their chief negotiator in deciding the fate of billions of dollars in expiring tax breaks at year’s end, including popular income tax deductions for sales and property taxes. The ethics committee said Rangel violated standards of conduct by accepting 2007 and 2008 trips to Caribbean conferences that were financed by corporations. The committee said it could not prove whether Rangel knew of the corporate payments but concluded members of his staff knew about them - and the congressman was responsible for their actions. Rangel said he did not even have “constructive knowledge” of the corporate sponsorship of the trips and couldn’t be held responsible for something staff members may have known but which he didn’t. In a separate case, the ethics committee is looking into Rangel’s fundraising for a college center to be established in his name, in addition to other allegations - including belated financial disclosure filings that showed he previously failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in investments. — AP
Same-sex marriage legal in DC WASHINGTON: Same-sex couples can start applying for marriage licenses yesterday in Washington. Supporters say couples planned to line up before the city’s marriage bureau opened at 8:30 am (1330 GMT), and some officials were expecting 200 or more people. Washington will be the sixth place in the nation where gay marriages can take place. Because of a mandatory waiting period, however, couples won’t actually be able to marry in the District of Columbia until March 9. Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont issue licenses to same-sex couples. The city’s Moultrie courthouse, which houses the marriage bureau, is just blocks from the US Capitol. To deal with the crowd expected, the marriage bureau will bring in temporary employees to help its regular staff, courthouse spokeswoman Leah Gurowitz said. “Everybody who wants a marriage license is going to get one. It may take a little longer, but they will get their license,” Gurowitz said. The marriage bureau has changed its license applications so they are gender-neutral, asking for the name of each “spouse” rather than the “bride” and “groom.” And at civil marriage ceremonies to be performed in the courthouse, a booklet for the official performing the marriage now reads, “I now pronounce you legally married” instead of “I now pronounce you man and wife.” A marriage license application costs $35,
and the marriage license $10. Couples who are already registered as domestic partners in the city can convert their registration into a marriage license by paying the $10 fee. Supporters expected the day to be festive. A District of Columbia councilman who introduced the gay marriage bill planned to hand out boxes of vanilla and chocolate cupcakes to the first 200 couples in line. Terrance Heath, 41, planned to be at the courthouse with his partner, Rick Imirowicz, 43. The two have been together for 10 years and have a 7-year-old and a 2-year-old, but Heath said Wednesday feels like “a step forward.” “My husband has always been my husband to me, but having that legal recognition, that legal protection, makes it easier to deal with any number of situations,” said Heath, a writer and blogger. “If you tell people you’re married, you don’t really have to explain much beyond that.” The two, who live in Maryland, plan to marry on March 9, the first day possible. The gay marriage law was introduced in the 13-member DC Council in October and had nearunanimous support from the beginning. The bill passed and DC Mayor Adrian M Fenty signed it in December, but because Washington is a federal district, the law had to undergo a congressional review period that expired Tuesday. Opponents, however, are still attempting to overturn the bill in court. — AP
UK Labor chief Foot dies at 96 LONDON: Michael Foot, a left-wing radical whose principled idealism was not enough to unite his Labor Party which was savaged in the 1983 general election by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservatives, has died aged 96. A passionate devotee of nuclear disarmament and nationalized industry, Foot had a razor intellect and was a rousing orator but was portrayed by the right-wing media as a bohemian intellectual who was out of step with the times. “Michael Foot was a man of deep principle and passionate idealism and one of the most eloquent speakers Britain has ever heard,” said Labor Prime Minister Gordon Brown, leading a chorus of tributes to an indomitable and crusading politician. “Michael Foot was a genuine British radical one who possessed a powerful sense of community, a pride in our progressive past and faith in our country’s potential for a radical future,” Brown said in a statement. Foot was proudly Old Labor and failed to unite the party’s left- and right-wing factions as critics focused on his appearance and advancing years. Labor’s share of the vote in the 1983 election fell to its lowest level since 1918. Thatcher’s Conservatives, riding a wave of popularity after the 1982 Falklands War, returned to power in a landslide, with Labor only just outperforming a new centrist party which featured a number of defectors from its own ranks. He could hold audiences without referring to notes, and was a gifted journalist and author and a devoted parliamentarian. But in polls and in polit-
ical exchanges he seemed no match for Thatcher, the woman he said was a symbol of modern Conservatism. Labor’s manifesto for that election was dismissed by a party colleague as “the longest suicide note in history”. It contained pledges towards unilateral disarmament, withdrawal from the European Community and the abolition of the unelected upper House of Lords. Foot, once referred to as a rebel who could never resist a cause, was replaced as Labor leader by Neil Kinnock, who began to steer Labor on a centrist course that eventually helped it to return to power under Tony Blair in 1997. The Labor Party now led by Prime Minister Gordon Brown bears little resemblance to the one, mired in its left-wing heritage, that Foot tried to marshal. But during his long political career he won affection for his personal warmth and passionate advocacy of left-wing causes. Coat controversy With his unkempt white hair, Foot was a throwback to an era before politicians became obsessed with image and spin. One newspaper columnist called him “a walking obituary for the Labor Party”, but his shambling gait was largely the result of a bad car accident in 1963. On one famous occasion, Foot wore a warm but functional duffel coat to a formal memorial service to honor Britain’s war dead, a sartorial display that was condemned as disrespectful and which one colleague said cost Labor half a million votes.— Reuters
CONCEPCION: Chilean rescue crews fanned out with sniffer dogs yesterday around quakeravaged cities and villages, some still hoping to find survivors and others facing the daunting task of recovering bodies buried under mountains of rubble. Four days after the 8.8-magnitude earthquake rocked south-central Chile and killed nearly 800 people, police and troops managed to quell the looting and violence that brought chaos to the hard-hit city of Concepcion, 70 miles (115 km) southeast of the epicenter. An 18-hour nightly curfew remained in place in Concepcion, one of a handful of cities and villages where some 7,000 soldiers were patrolling the streets to keep order and ensure that food and water were properly distributed. Military trunks and helicopters in a base in the quake-hit city of Talca set off with food and water for victims, while rescue crews stepped up the search in towns from Concepcion further north to Constitucion for any survivors trapped in the debris. At dawn, firemen with hammers and cranes searched for people trapped in a building that had collapsed in Concepcion. So far, 795 people have been confirmed dead, either killed by one of the worldís biggest earthquakes in a century or the tsunami it triggered along Chileís coastline. The death toll is likely to rise, with some reports putting the number of missing as high as 500 in Constitucion alone. The city, with a population of nearly 40,000, accounts for nearly half the official death toll and was one of several coastal towns nearly wiped out by the quake and tsunamis. Chilean emergency officials and the military blamed each other for not clearly warning coastal villages of tsunamis after the quake. Officially, the government puts the number of missing at 19, based on specific cases reported to the police. But officials acknowledge the figure could be much higher. With looting now largely under control, authorities dispatched crews with dogs trained to locate the dead, to start the grim task of pulling bodies from the rubble. Many Chileans complained that scores of deaths could have been avoided had the government responded more decisively to the quake, which set off a tsunami a few hours later that killed many along the coastline. The government of President Michelle Bachelet has acknowledged that rescue efforts have been slow, in part because of mangled roads, downed bridges and power cuts. But officials also misjudged the extent of the damage, initially declining offers for international aid. During a brief visit, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered 20 satellite phones to help in relief efforts and pledged more aid. Bachelet also reached out to other countries, asking for desalination plants and power generators. The disaster hit Chile, the world’s leading copper producer and Latin Americaís most stable economy, just as it was emerging from a recession caused by the global economic downturn. Some analysts estimate the damage could cost Chile up to $30 billion, or about 15 percent of its gross domestic product. But Bachelet stressed it is too early to quantify the damage while the focus remains on relief efforts. The disaster poses a daunting challenge for billionaire businessman Sebastian Pinera, who will be sworn in as Chile’s next president on March 11. Pinera ran for office pledging to boost economic growth to an average of 6 percent a year and create a million new jobs. He said the quake had not altered his economic goals. — Reuters
CONSTITUCION: Musician teacher Claudia Vergara reacts over her damaged piano at her destroyed house. — AP
Kid directs planes at NY airport NEW YORK: A child apparently directed pilots last month from the air traffic control center at John F Kennedy Airport, one of the nation’s busiest airports, according to audio clips. The Federal Aviation Administration said yesterday that it was investigating. “Pending the outcome of our investigation, the employees involved in this incident are not controlling air traffic,” the FAA said in a statement. “This behavior is not acceptable and does not demonstrate the kind of professionalism expected from all FAA employees.” The agency declined to comment beyond the statement. Recordings from mid-February - during a weeklong winter
break for many New York schoolchildren were posted last month on a Web site for air traffic control-listening aficionados. The child can be heard on the tape making five transmissions to pilots preparing for takeoff. In one exchange, the child can be heard saying, “JetBlue 171 contact departure.” The pilot responds: “Over to departure JetBlue 171, awesome job.” The child appears to be under an adult’s supervision, because a male voice then comes on and says with a laugh, “That’s what you get, guys, when the kids are out of school.” In another exchange, the youngster clears another plane for takeoff, and says, “Adios, amigo.” The pilot
responds in kind. The FAA said the control tower is a highly secure area for air traffic controllers, supervisory staff and airport employees with a need to be there. FAA spokesman Jim Peters said children of the tower’s employees are allowed to visit but would need to get approval from the FAA first. The union representing air traffic controllers condemned the workers’ behavior. “It is not indicative of the highest professional standards that controllers set for themselves and exceed each and every day in the advancement of aviation safety,” the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a statement. — AP
10
INTERNATIONAL
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Finance minister, vice president unlikely to lose jobs
Indonesia parliament ready to back probe of reformers
JAKARTA: Indonesian policemen try to remove protesters during a protest against Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday. — AFP
China, US work to repair frayed ties BEIJING: Two top US envoys sat down for fence-mending talks with China yesterday pressing for co-operation on Iran and to overcome a setback in relations over key issues such as trade, Tibet and Taiwan. US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and senior White House Asia adviser Jeffrey Bader were in Beijing to put ties back on track, following the recent setbacks, and also as Washington tries to bring North Korea in line. The three-day mission comes as Washington and Beijing are trying to bring Pyongyang back to stalled nuclear disarmament talks, and to resolve a standoff with Tehran over its suspected atomic program. It also comes ahead of a series of key meetings, including a global nuclear security summit in Washington in April, and the next round of Sino-US “Strategic and Economic Dialogue,” which last took place in July 2009. “If this (visit) suggests that we are refocusing on the future and the important issues that we can work on together, I think we are encouraged by this,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Tuesday. “This is expressly why we sought this meeting-to be able to refocus on very specific issues, not the least of which is obviously our joint concerns about Iran,” Crowley said. Neither side has offered any details about the Beijing schedule of Steinberg and Bader, who is US President Barack Obama’s top Asia adviser on the National Security Council. The pair will head to Tokyo today. But the agenda looks set to be chock-full, with a wide range of bilateral concerns, along with the North Korea and Iran dossiers, all up for discussion. Washington and Beijing have been on the same page with respect to Pyongyang, pushing for an early resumption of the six-party talks which the North left in April last year. But China, which holds veto power on the UN Security Council, has hesitated in supporting tougher USbacked sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program, which Western nations suspect is an effort to build atomic weapons. In a commentary carried in the state China Daily, two researchers from Renmin University voiced optimism that relations were about to rebound from the low point seen in early 2010. “Beijing and Washington have shown restraint in the most recent diplomatic spat and there is room for reconciliation,” said the researchers, Jin Canrong and Dong Chunling. Steinberg and Bader may nevertheless have a tough task ahead, as Chinese officials have repeatedly said in recent weeks that the blame for the transPacific woes rests squarely with Washington. — AFP
China puts economy first as parliamentary season begins BEIJING: China opened its annual parliamentary season yesterday with a call from the Communist leadership to keep up economic growth, maintain social stability and tackle a yawning urban-rural income gap. More than 2,000 delegates to a legislative advisory body-from Mao Zedong’s grandson to former Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang — convened before the National People’s Congress opens its session tomorrow. The two gatherings are the ruling Communist Party’s chance to showcase its efforts to tackle the key challenges facing the country, and economic concerns looked set to top that list. “The year 2010 is a crucial year to address the international financial crisis and maintain balanced and rather fast economic development,” said Jia Qinglin, head of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. “We must pay high attention to elements of an excessively large income gap affecting social stability,” Jia said in an opening speech at the Great Hall of the People on the western edge of Tiananmen Square.
The rubber-stamp NPC will meet for about 10 days to endorse the decisions of the Communist Party elite in an annual ritual celebrating China’s topdown political system. Among the delegates to the advisory body were Liu, who struck gold at the 2004 Athens Games, award-winning film director Zhang Yimou and Mao Xinyu, the grandson of revolutionary leader Mao Zedong. Also recently named to the CPPCC was the Panchen Lama, who China named as the second highest Tibetan Buddhist leader in 1995, rejecting a child candidate selected by the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader. In the run-up to tomorrow’s NPC opening, at which Premier Wen Jiabao will deliver his annual work report, an increased police presence was evident, with security vans on patrol on Tiananmen Square. Up to 700,000 people including police, paramilitary forces and volunteers have been mobilized to maintain public order in the capital for the parliamentary session, state media said. — AFP
Malaysian woman meets royals over caning verdict KUALA LUMPUR: A Muslim Malaysian woman sentenced to be caned for drinking beer was granted a royal audience yesterday but her fate remains unclear six months after the punishment was suspended, her spokesman said. Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 33, was ordered to receive six strokes of the cane by a religious court last year, in a case that has fuelled a debate over rising “Islamisation” of multi-ethnic Malaysia. State media has reported that Kartika’s sentence, which was put on hold pending a review, would only be carried out after she met with the royal rulers of Pahang state where she was caught drinking at a hotel bar. “Kartika had an audience with the Pahang crown prince for about 30 minutes this morning but we are not in a position to make any comment on what transpired,” Kartika’s spokesman Amlir Ayat told AFP. “Any decision or announcement will be made by the palace. Kartika is still firm with her stand,” Amlir said, referring to Kartika’s previous calls for the
authorities to punish her without delay. Under Malaysia’s monarchy, the state sultanswho take turns to serve for five years as king-are also in charge of religious affairs in their state. Pahang crown prince Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah told state media that he would discuss Kartika’s case with the sultan soon. “This case will be settled as soon as possible. It just needs scrutiny in terms of the implementation of the penalty,” he was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama. Tengku Abdullah said the sultan has the power to grant Kartika a pardon even though she did not ask for one. Kartika was to have been the first woman to be caned under Islamic law in Malaysia but in a surprise move, three other women were caned last month for having sex out of wedlock. The 33-year-old motherof-two stared down religious authorities after being convicted, saying she was ready to be caned, refusing to lodge an appeal, and challenging them to cane her in public. — AFP
13 alleged militants arrested in Aceh JAKARTA: Indonesian police have captured 13 suspected Islamist militants including some who were foreign-trained during a crackdown on a possible cell of the Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah in restive Aceh province, an official said yesterday. The men were caught in several raids since Feb 22, when the first four were arrested by police after a gunbattle in a suspected militant training camp in Aceh’s mountains, police spokesman Maj Gen Edward Aritonang said. All are believed to have trained at the camp, he said. “There are strong indications that among the 13 men ... some are trainers who were well trained overseas,” Aritonang told The Associated Press. He declined to say where they had trained, but said all were Indonesian nationals. Police also seized three assault rifles, more than 9,000 bullets, jihadist books, and DVDs about bombings on the island of Bali in 2002 that killed 202 people and were blamed on Jemaah Islamiyah, Aritonang said. Police have not confirmed media reports that at least some of the suspects have been charged with terrorism-related offenses. “We are still investigating their group and its links to the JI terrorist network,” Aritonang said. Jemaah Islamiyah cells have not previously been found in deeply conservative Aceh province, and independent terrorism analysts have expressed doubts about whether the suspects actually are linked to the group. No other terrorist groups are known to be active in Aceh. Separatist rebels signed a peace agreement with Indonesia’s government in 2005, ending 29 years of fighting. Aritonang refused to comment on reports that police fatally shot a man who fled from a bus when it stopped at a police checkpoint in the Pidie district of Aceh before dawn yesterday. Witnesses said the man was one of three who fled. The two others managed to evade capture, said bus driver Aiyub, who goes by one name.— AP
JIANGSU: A plainclothes police officer (left) restrains a man with a knife who threatened to harm his sister-in-law (right) yesterday. According to a police report, the armed man was under the influence of drugs and believed that people were out to harm him. The woman was rescued unharmed. — AP
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s parliament looks set to recommend a criminal investigation of two top reformers in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s cabinet over their part in a bank bailout, but neither is expected to lose their job. A noisy and at times disorderly parliamentary debate yesterday followed an inquiry into the $720 million rescue of Bank Century that offered two conflicting recommendations. One found the bank rescue was justified. The other called for Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Vice President Boediono to face criminal investigation for authorizing the bailout in late 2008, at the height of the financial crisis. Jakarta-based political risk analyst Kevin O’Rourke said that under the rules, parliament could not compel the president to launch an investigation into his two top technocrats, even if the vote went against them. A majority of parties yesterday said they supported a legal probe. A formal vote was expected in the evening. Analysts say anti-reform elements both inside and outside Yudhoyono’s ruling coalition have tried to use the inquiry to oust the two technocrats, but that it appeared the pair were safe even if parliament backed a criminal probe.. Reforms at risk Finance Minister Indrawati, who has pleased many foreign investors by cleaning up corruption but made enemies in the old business elite with her drive to boost tax collection, appeared unruffled when she faced reporters yesterday. “I have a lot of work to do,” she said. Asked whether there had been capital flight as a result of the case, Indrawati said: “God willing that has not happened. Do not trigger it with unnecessary speculation.” So far, Indonesian stocks, bonds and the rupiah have shown little reaction to the political infighting. But prolonged conflict over reforms could put that at risk and reverse some of the hefty gains of the past year. “If they did resign sentiment would be affected but I don’t think there would be a sell-off in the bond markets as investors would look at other factors such as growth and inflation and whether the reform process will continue,” said Handy Yunianto, a bond market strategist at Mandiri Sekuritas. Indonesia was one of the star emerging markets last year with stocks up 90 percent, government bonds up 20 percent and the rupiah, Asia’s best-performing currency, up 17 percent. Many analysts say an upgrade of Indonesia’s sovereign debt to investment grade is within reach in a couple of years. It has been widely tipped as the country most likely to join the “BRICs”-Brazil, Russia, India and China-in the select group of essential emerging markets investors cannot afford to ignore. Yesterday’s debate underlined tensions between Yudhoyono’s pro-market, pro-reform Democrat Party and his two main coalition partners-the Golkar Party and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which both support a criminal investigation. The Democrat Party controls about a quarter of the 560 seats in parliament and together with coalition partners about 75 percent. But the defection of key coalition members on this issue appears to have swung the balance in favor of the opposition. “That would indicate on paper that Yudhoyono will lose today if a vote takes place,” said analyst O’Rourke. Security appeared tight outside parliament yesterday, with coils of razor wire protecting the building. A day earlier, as politicians shouted and argued inside, police outside fired tear gas and water cannon to try to disperse fractious crowds of opposing protesters. — Reuters
IWO JIMA: The color guard holds the flags of Japan and the US during a ceremony commemorating the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima yesterday. — AP
US veterans return to Iwo Jima for 65th anniversary IWO JIMA: Dozens of US veterans, now in their 80s and 90s, returned to the remote volcanic island of Iwo Jima yesterday to mark the 65th anniversary of one of World War II’s fiercest battles. The veterans, some in wheelchairs, flew to the island on a chartered airliner and fanned out across its famous black-sand beaches, where the US invasion began on Feb 19, 1945, and lasted 36 days. All told, nearly 28,000 troops were killed. They were also taken to the top of Mount Suribachi, where the famous image of the American flag being raised was taken, before joining a joint memorial with US and Japanese dignitaries. “I was here for the entire mission, start to finish,” said Richard Rothwell, 97, of Catonsville, Maryland. “I had people killed next to me and around me and I was just very fortunate I made it out alive.” Rothwell, who toured the island with Marine escorts pushing his wheelchair, was commander of a 4th Marines Division battalion when the invasion began. He retired as a colonel, with a silver star for his service on Iwo Jima. Only five of the 18 US Marine battalion commanders on Iwo Jima left the island still in command. The rest either died or were injured and relieved of duty. Rothwell said the island today - inhabited only by about 300 Japanese troops because it is still deemed too dangerous for development because of remaining unexploded ordnance - is nothing like it was during the battle. “It’s a paradise,” he said. “I see no resemblance at all. Even the beach seems different.” The island, the size of Manhattan, is a maze of tunnels, caves and dense, scraggly underbrush. Attesting to how deeply dug in its Japanese defenders were, the island is also still giving up the dead, with dozens of remains recovered every year. The battle claimed 6,821 American and 21,570 Japanese lives. Of that, about 12,000 Japanese are still classified as missing in action and presumed dead, along with 218 Americans. “Only 40 percent of the remains of the Japanese troops have been recovered,” said Yasutaka Shindo, a member of parliament who is the grandson of the Japanese general tasked with fighting the Americans on Iwo Jima. “We will not rest until all of the remains have been recovered.” In sharp contrast with the American veterans, who snapped photos and collected bags of sand after being honored by a Marine drill team, the several hundred Japanese who attended the anniversary quickly split off and held a somber memorial of their own, with prayers and offerings of flowers to the dead. Iwo Jima was declared secured on March 26, 1945, but it was a hard-won fight. Fewer than 1,000 of the Japanese who tried to
defend Iwo Jima - seen as key to the US because it had three airfields that could be used to launch raids on Japan’s main islands - survived the battle. Japan surrendered in August of that year. “Iwo Jima is a unique place in the history of the United States,” said Marine Corps commandant Gen James Conway. “It was not the bloodiest fight in the Pacific campaign, it was not the most operationally sound, not the longest and arguably not the most important. But Iwo is burned into our national psyche in a way that no other battle in the US is.” Retired Lt Gen Lawrence Snowden said it is getting harder each year to hold the Iwo Jima reunions because the veterans are dwindling in number and those who are still alive are getting too old to make the trip. “I cannot predict how much longer these trips will be feasible for our survivors,” he said. “But whether we are on island or not, our memories of Iwo Jima, and those who died here, will remain permanent in our hearts.” Marines and Navy medics were out in force to make sure the veterans were safe under the hot afternoon sun during their visit, which lasted only several hours. Some had to be helped into trucks for a rest, but there were no significant problems. Iwo Jima was returned to Japanese jurisdiction in 1968, well after the occupation of Japan ended in 1952. In an effort to disassociate the island with World War II and the awful suffering the Japanese went through there, the island was formally renamed “Iwo To” in 2006, the name it was known by before the war. But some of the Japanese on the island yesterday said they felt their country was forgetting its own history. “We must not allow this tragedy to be forgotten,” said Hiroya Sugano, a 76-year-old doctor who was still a student during the war but came to the anniversary in memory of an old friend who was a kamikaze pilot. “It’s a very emotional moment,” he said. “We must not forget that this is where peace was born.” The American veterans said they had, for the most part, come to respect the sacrifice of their former enemy. “Iwo Jima is a symbol of courage, on both sides,” said Richard Lowe, 84, of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Lowe, who walks with a cane, was a private first class when he took part in the first wave on invasion day. He said he remembers being on Invasion Beach after several days of intense fighting and seeing the US flag raised on Mount Suribachi. A photograph of the flag-raising on Feb 23, 1945, by AP cameraman Joe Rosenthal became one of the most iconic images of the war. “Everybody cheered and was very encouraged,” he said. “A lot of my friends were killed here. But time moves on.” — AP
in the news Thailand refuses visa to Dalai Lama’s sister BANGKOK: Thailand has refused to grant a tourist visa to the sister of the Dalai Lama for fear of angering China, the foreign ministry said yesterday. Jetsun Pema, the younger sister of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, who like her brother lives in India, was due to take part in a threeday cultural show in Bangkok beginning tomorrow until the Thai embassy in New Delhi refused her. “We support the cultural show but in the case of the Dalai Lama’s sister we have reserved our right to reject her visa application along with her husband’s because we don’t want to get involved in international politics,” said Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, secretary to Thailand’s foreign minister. The Tibetan monk’s 69-year-old sister was due to make a speech about Buddhist education for Tibetan exiles that the ministry feared could touch on the thorny issue of China’s rule of the Himalayan region. China is highly critical of any diplomatic ties with the Dalai Lama, who fled his homeland in 1959 and has since lived in India. He advocates greater autonomy for Tibet under Chinese rule but is seen by Beijing as a separatist bent on independence for his homeland, and SinoUS relations were strained by his meeting last month with US President Barack Obama at the White House. Tardy ministers delay Japan budget debate TOKYO: Forget funding scandals or budget and foreign policy rifts: The big fuss in Japan’s parliament yesterday was over three cabinet ministers turning up late for debate. The upper house budget committee meeting had been scheduled to begin at 8:50 a.m. but had to be delayed until the three showed up, leading to an uproar from the opposition and a short recess. When the triointernal affairs minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi, transport minister Seiji Maehara and national strategy minister Yoshito Sengoku-arrived, they bowed before the committee and apologised. Haraguchi, who media say was tweeting about his goal to promote nationwide broadband access at 8:52 am when he should have been sitting in par-
liament, blamed his assistants for the error. “I was following my schedule, like this,” he said, pulling out a crumpled sheet of paper for reporters and TV cameras and pointing at the 9 am entry. “It said nine o’clock, so that’s when I came.” All three were later warned by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano to watch their punctuality, and Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama described the incident as “outrageous”. Chinese dairy chiefs jailed over milk case SHANGHAI: A court in Shanghai sentenced three dairy executives to jail yesterday for making and selling milk products tainted with melamine, blamed for the deaths of infants in a 2008 scandal, state media said. The former deputy general manager of Shanghai Panda Dairy, a firm put on a black list during the scandal, was given five years prison and fined 400,000 yuan (59,000 dollars), the official Xinhua news agency said. The ex-general manager of the company and another of his deputies were sentenced to four-and-a-half years and three years jail respectively, and fined a total of 500,000 yuan, the report added. They were all found guilty of producing and selling toxic and hazardous food after Panda Dairy reused tainted condensed milk sent back to the firm by a client in 2008 after the melamine scandal erupted. The industrial chemical had been added to milk products to make them appear higher in protein content, causing the deaths of at least six infants and sickening 300,000 others in China. The scandal led to huge recalls worldwide. The court yesterday found that the three executives had decided to save money and pour the tainted dairy products back into condensed milk that was being made from scratch, the report said. Both the court and the prosecutors were unavailable for comment. The latest case came as milk powder tainted with melamine was found to have re-emerged throughout the country earlier this year, causing widespread concern. A total of 21 people have been convicted for their roles in the 2008 scandal. Two of those were executed and Tian Wenhua, the former boss of Sanlu, the dairy firm at the heart of the scandal, was given life in prison.
INTERNATIONAL
Thursday, March 4, 2010
11
Taleban ‘respects all media which are free and independent and support their rights’
Taleban slams Afghan ban on live coverage of attacks
HYDERABAD: Part of a plane is seen after it crashed into a building yesterday. — AP
Indian navy aircraft crashes, 2 pilots dead HYDERABAD: An Indian navy plane performing aerobatics at an air show crashed into a building in southern India yesterday, killing both the pilot and the copilot and injuring four people on the ground, police said. Admiral Nirmal Verma, the navy chief, said the pilots could not eject and were killed in the crash as the plane hit a building in a residential area near Begumpet airport in Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state. “The aircraft went out of control. But the cause of the crash was not immediately known,” Verma told reporters. AK Khan, police commissioner, said the plane crashed into a water tank atop a three story build-
ing and severely damaged the top floor of the building. The crash occurred as the plane dived while performing aerobatics, but failed to regain height, television images showed. The aerial display was part of the inaugural events of a weeklong civil aviation summit, where participants from several countries, including the United States and France, were also present. The plane was built by state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. Police cordoned off the area and searched for more casualties. The Indian air force has been plagued by frequent crashes, particularly among its aging Soviet-made MiG fighter aircraft. — AP
Uproar in Pakistan over public whipping MULTAN: Pakistani police sailed into a storm of controversy yesterday after publicly whipping three suspected burglars in what one human rights activist slammed the worst form of “torture”. The incident took place on Tuesday in the rural town of Bhawana, 320 kilometers (200 miles) south of the capital Islamabad, local police officer Saifullah Khan told AFP by telephone. The accused were laid on the ground one by one. Two policemen grabbed their hands and feet, while a uniformed official repeatedly thrashed their bare backs with a long, fat leather strap. A resident recorded the beating on his mobile phone and the footage was broadcast
repeatedly yesterday by the country’s private television channel Geo, triggering an uproar. “This is totally unacceptable,” IA Rehman, the secretary of Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission, told AFP. “This is torture. This is an unpardonable act. It violates the country’s constitution which says dignity of human beings cannot be violated. “Such incidents are not uncommon. The government must take serious note of this brutality,” Rehman said. Police accused the men of looting a truck loaded with rice, stealing cash and jewelry from passengers on a bus, and snatching a motorbike and cash from a villager last month. “They were arrested in raids on Tuesday
and the beating took place the same day outside the police station to recover the stolen goods,” said police officer Sultan Chaudhry. “They created terror in the area and police did it in the open as a deterrent.” But Punjab provincial police chief Tariq Saleem said four officers had been arrested and admitted the thrashing was illegal. “We took action and all four involved in this illegal act have been arrested. We will take steps to avert such incidents in future,” he told Geo. Provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah condemned the incident. “We took prompt action and arrested four police officials. They will be tried in a court. We cannot tolerate such incidents,” he said. — AFP
in the news No burqa, no problem, Bangladesh court says DHAKA: Bangladesh’s High Court has ordered police in the Muslim-majority country to stop harassing women who choose not to wear the full-face veil, lawyers said yesterday. The order was in response to police officers in the northern town of Rangpur who on Monday detained nine teenage couples found in “compromising positions” at a local zoo and allegedly ordered the girls to wear the burqa or niqab. Wearing the veil is not mandatory in Bangladesh and the police action drew loud protests from women’s rights groups, prompting lawyers to apply to the High Court for a ruling on the issue. “The High Court ordered late Tuesday that if a girl or a woman does not wear a burqa, she cannot be harassed or humiliated by anyone,” lawyer Mahbub Shafiq, one of the petitioners, told AFP. Deputy attorney general Rajik Al-Jalil confirmed the ruling, saying: “A girl can only be arrested if there is a criminal case against her, not because of what she is wearing.” A full investigation into the incident has been ordered by the court. Bangladesh has the world’s fourth-largest Muslim population. Islam is the state religion although only a small but visible minority of the country’s women wears the burqa. Rangpur police chief Saleh Tanvir denied that police had ordered girls to wear the burqa. “We picked up nine couples as they were found in compromising positions. We took action after we received numerous complaints from people that they couldn’t take their families to the zoo because of these couples,” Tanvir said. He added that the couples had been released to their parents or guardians. Pakistan attackers hit school, concert PESHAWAR: Taleban militants blew up a boys’ school and assailants threw grenades at a music event, killing a student, in separate incidents in north and southwest Pakistan, officials said yesterday. The boys’ school attack took place overnight in the Spin Qabar area of Khyber, a lawless district that straddles the main supply line for NATO troops fighting the Taleban in Afghanistan. “All four rooms of the government boys’ primary school were completely destroyed. Taleban are responsible,” Khyber’s top administrative official Shafirillah Khan told AFP. No one was hurt as the school was closed for the night, he added. There was no claim for the attack, but Islamists opposed to co-education and advocating
sharia law have destroyed hundreds of schools, mostly for girls, in northwest Pakistan in recent years-including 16 last month. In the southwestern province of Baluchistan, unknown attackers hurled three grenades into a cultural show at an engineering university in Khuzdar district, some 300 kilometers (188 miles) south of the provincial capital Quetta. One student was killed and 13 wounded, district police chief Nazir Ahmad Kurd told AFP. “This was an attack on a cultural show while students were enjoying music,” he said. There was no claim for responsibility, but local security officials linked the incident to violent rivalry between two clans in the tribal area. US to supply laser-guided bombs to Pakistan WASHINGTON: The US Air Force plans to deliver 1,000 laser-guided bomb kits to Pakistan this month to help Islamabad in its offensive against militants on the Afghan border, a spokesman said on Tuesday. The Air Force is providing the kits after having delivered 1,000 MK82 bombs last month to Pakistan’s military, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffry Glenn told AFP. The US military assistance underscored Washington’s role in backing Pakistan’s monthslong campaign against Taleban and Al-Qaeda militants. The Pakistani air force was playing “a big part” in operations against the Islamist extremists, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said. “As they had ramped up operations, they’re looking for ways to get additional capability,” he told a gathering of defense reporters. Pakistan’s air force chief had visited Washington last year and made additional requests for US military assistance, he said. Donley said the Pentagon had arranged for “expedited” delivery of the MK-82 bombs, which weigh 500 pounds each. The United States also was due to deliver 18 additional F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan in June, outfitted with sophisticated night-vision equipment, Glenn said. Confirmation of the arms deal came as Pakistan on Tuesday revealed a vast Taleban and Al-Qaeda hideout dug into mountains near the Afghan border, captured in an offensive against militants. Pakistan seized the complex in its latest offensive against militants in its semiautonomous tribal belt, following US pressure on the country to eliminate Taleban and Al-Qaedalinked groups who attack Western troops in Afghanistan.
KANDAHAR: They banned music, television and education for girls during their rule of Afghanistan, but the Taleban yesterday condemned a government ban on live broadcasts of their own attacks. The Western-backed government has banned live coverage of militant assaults in a bid to prevent the Taleban exploiting television news to send messages to their operatives. As the measure-which applies to domestic and international media-was criticized by journalists and rights groups, the Taleban joined the fray, calling it an attack on free speech. “This totally undermines freedom of the press and expression and cannot be justified by any means,” Taleban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP. The Taleban “respects all those media which are free and independent and support their rights,” he said, reading from a prepared statement. “We invite them to cover all our activities against the invaders. “Imposing a ban on free media means the government is trying to cover its failures. They have failed... and are trying to hide that,” he said. The Taleban controlled Afghanistan from 1996 until their extreme Islamist regime was overthrown by a US-led invasion in 2001. While in power, they banned television, films, the Internet, video games, snooker halls, kites, music and any images of living things. Since being overthrown, however, they have proved so adept at public relations that US military intelligence officers have said countering Taleban propaganda is one of the main challenges of the counter-insurgency. The militants have their own website, produce their own films, use mobile radio stations, and maintain close relations with Afghan and overseas media, regularly calling with comment and news. An Afghan official said live television coverage of attackssuch as that in Kabul last Friday that killed 16 peoplecould alert militant organizations to police actions against their operatives on the ground. Afghanistan’s constitution guarantees freedom of speech and media and the effort to curb coverage of attacks drew criticism from the United States, Kabul’s top foreign backer. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other US officials “are concerned and will make our support of free access by the press clear to the government”, said Richard Holbrooke, US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan. “We don’t like restrictions on the press. My whole career has been devoted to supporting that,” he added. Afghan journalists and rights organizations slammed the ban as censorship and a contravention of the constitution, despite officials saying it would protect reporters covering attacks. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said it was up to news organizations to decide what they report. “The Afghan authorities should allow reporters to work freely,” said CPJ deputy director Robert Mahoney. The Afghan National Directorate for Security (NDS) refused to comment when contacted by AFP. A spokesman said only that media organizations would be “invited in small groups to meetings and the new rule will explained to them”. Afghanistan’s Pajhwok news agency said some organizations-including the BBC and Al-Jazeera-had already been briefed. The measure echoes an attempt to ban coverage of Taleban attacks during elections last August, when international media were threatened with expulsion and Afghans with confiscation of equipment. — AFP
DAMADOLA: Pakistani soldiers patrol near the compound of key Taleban headquarters. — AFP
Pakistan group behind Kabul attacks KABUL: An Afghan intelligence official has put the blame on the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba for staging the deadly car bomb and suicide attacks that targeted foreigners last week in Kabul. The assertion that the attacks in the Afghan capital were the handiwork of Lashkar-e-Taiba - the same militants that India blames for the 2008 Mumbai terrorist assaults that killed 166 could jeopardize recently restarted peace talks between Pakistan and India. The Afghan Taleban insurgents already claimed responsibility for the attacks, which killed 16 people, including six Indians, after a car bomb exploded and gunmen wearing suicide vests hidden under burqas stormed residential hotels popular with foreigners. At least 56 people were wounded. Saeed Ansari, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s intelligence service, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that his agency has evidence that Pakistanis, specifically Lashkar-e-Taiba, were involved in the attacks. He also said one of the attackers was heard speaking Urdu, a Pakistani language. Lashkar-e-Taiba is one of several militant Islamist groups that Pakistan’s military intel-
ligence helped create in the 1980s, seeking to use them against archrival India and fight Indian rule in Kashmir, which both countries claim. Ansari said last week’s Kabul attacks bore similarities to two suicide bombings at the Indian Embassy in Kabul in 2008 and 2009 and the car bomb attack in January at a residential hotel in one of the safest neighborhoods in the capital. Police said initially that two suicide attackers were involved in Friday’s attack. Ansari told three private television stations that there were four gunmen with Kalishnokov rifles and suicide vests - and that they wore burqas, the all-encompassing veil for women, to hide their gear. He said one attacker stayed to detonate a van packed with explosives, while the other three spread out and entered two hotels, where they fired on guests and then set off their explosives. On Friday, about 2 1/2 hours after the attacks began, an Afghan Taleban spokesman telephoned a reporter with The Associated Press to claim responsibility. He said foreigners were the target, but did not specifically mention Indians. Ansari, however, said the Taleban did not have the logistical capability
for the assault, saying the gunmen appeared to have detailed knowledge, including names, of Indian guests at the hotels. He also claimed the Taleban “had no knowledge” of the Kabul attacks up to five hours after they began. “We are very close to the exact proof and evidence that the attack on the Indian guest house ... is not the work of the Afghan Taleban but this attack was carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba network, who are dependent on the Pakistan military,” Ansari said in an interview aired on Tolo TV, RTA and Shamshad broadcast stations in Kabul. The victims killed in the assaults included six Indians, one Italian diplomat, a French filmmaker, three Afghan police and four Afghan civilians and one body too dismembered to identify. The Kabul attack came a day after India and Pakistan held their first official talks since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, which prompted New Delhi to pull out of the peace process. India insisted during the talks Thursday that Pakistan needed to make more aggressive efforts to rein in anti-Indian insurgents there. — AP
Indian police arrest top Maoist leader KOLKATA: Indian police have arrested a senior Maoist rebel blamed for an attack on a police camp in the east of the country last month that killed 25 people, officials said yesterday. The man, known by the names Deepak and Venkateswar Reddy, is a close associate of the rebels’ top commander Kishenji, West Bengal government official Raj Kanojia told AFP. A special police team arrested the 45-year-old Reddy late on Tuesday in Kolkata, capital of West Bengal state and one of the many areas across India afflicted by Maoist violence. “Reddy is a key aide of Maoist leader Kishenji,” Kanojia said, adding that intelligence officials had been shadowing him for several days. “He is an explosives expert and we think he had a major role in the Silda attack that claimed the lives of 24 policemen and a civil-
ian in a western district of West Bengal,” Kanojia said. The official was referring to the February 15 attack in restive Midnapore district, in which around 20 rebels attacked a police camp using guns and landmines. Police at the time described the armed assault as the worst ever by Maoists on security forces in West Bengal. The Maoists said they were responding to a large-scale government offensive aimed at flushing the outlawed insurgents from their strongholds. India’s government considers Maoist rebels to be the country’s biggest internal security threat. The leftist insurgents are estimated to number 10,00020,000 and are predominantly active in a large swathe of the country from the north and east-called the “Red Corridor.” The Maoist insurgency began as a peas-
ant uprising in 1967 and has now spread to 20 of India’s 29 states. They claim to be fighting for the rights of impoverished tribal people and other victims of state violence. The government has offered talks with the Maoists, but only if they renounce violence. Maoist leader Kishenji last week told local media that the guerrillas were ready for talks if the government suspended their offensive. New Delhi has acknowledged that the Maoist threat cannot be eradicated by brute force and that steps need to be taken to develop the regions where chronic poverty has fuelled the rebels’ ability to recruit new members. Reddy hails from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, where the rebels are highly active, the Press Trust of India news agency said, adding that he faces about 50 criminal cases in the state. — AFP
India finance minister wins support in fuel price debate NEW DELHI: India’s finance minister appeared to be closer to winning key political support for his controversial hike in fuel prices despite an uproar that forced the closure of parliament yesterday. Pranab Mukherjee’s budget move to raise fuel prices for the first time since July has met with anger from both the opposition and ruling coalition allies, underlining the challenge in cutting the fiscal deficit from a 16-year-high of 6.9 percent of GDP. The government raised petrol prices about 6 percent and diesel by 7.75 percent in last week’s budget to help increase revenues and cut the budget deficit. But several allies, which help give the government a parliamentary majority, have signaled they will not withdraw support for the ruling Congress party on this issue. “There is no question of the DMK withdrawing support or the alliance breaking up,” Kanimozhi, a senior leader of the DMK, a key regional party that backs the government in parliament, was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times newspaper. Despite some concerns, the Congress party has not opposed Mukherjee’s decision. “He (Mukherjee) did not talk about a rollback in the increase of fuel prices. He seemed to stand his ground,” Jagdambika Pal, a Congress lawmaker, said after a
meeting between the finance minister and Congress lawmakers. The row is a test of how far the government can push reforms to liberalize state-regulated sectors like fuel. Strong opposition could make the government more cautious in moving ahead with further reforms such as price liberalization. A final decision may only rest with Sonia Gandhi, head of Congress and India’s most powerful politician who has a history of supporting pro-populist policies aimed at benefiting the poor, the base of support for the Congress party. “Even the prime minister is in favor of the increase. Given that the allies have so far not been that strident, I feel the government will succeed in pushing through the decision,” said DH Pai Panandikar, head of private think-tank RPG Foundation. Congress lawmakers told Reuters Mukherjee argued that the hike in fuel taxes proposed in the budget was not new but only a partial rollback of fiscal stimulus announced last year to shield the Indian economy from the global financial downturn. The government says the hikes will boost inflation by around 0.4 percent. Inflation is already at nearly nine percent, the highest in more than a year. There is no danger of the government falling on the issue. — Reuters
NEW DELHI: India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party activists shout slogans during a protest against hike in fuel prices as police officers try to stop them from proceeding forward, near the parliament house. — AP
OPINION
12
Thursday, March 4, 2010
THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF ESTABLISHED 1961
Founder and Publisher
YOUSUF S. ALYAN Editor-in-Chief
ABD AL-RAHMAN ALYAN EDITORIAL : 24833199-24833358-24833432 ADVERTISING : 24835616/7 FAX : 24835620/1 CIRCULATION : 24833199 Extn. 163 ACCOUNTS : 24835619 COMMERCIAL : 24835618 P.O.Box 1301 Safat,13014 Kuwait. E MAIL: info@kuwaittimes.net Website: www.kuwaittimes.net
issues
Somali pirates to gain from Asia coal boom By Jonathan Saul and Jackie Cowhig
B
ooming Asian demand for South African coal will put more ships at risk from Somali pirates operating in the Indian Ocean and raise insurance and freight costs already hiked due to seaborne attacks. Emboldened by rising ransom payments, Somali pirates have stepped up attacks in recent months, making tens of millions of dollars by hijacking ships in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. While pirates have hijacked oil tankers, passenger ships and yachts, they have started to target slow moving coal bulk carriers, which are easier to overcome than a large tanker. A Somali pirate who gave his name only as Hassan told Reuters that armed gangs can operate far out to sea and were able to dodge naval warships deployed to combat their activities. “If there are more coal ships coming, it is good news,” said Hassan, who was involved in a coal vessel hijacking last year. “A bulk ship means bulk ransom.” Last October, a Chinese coal ship headed for Indian trader Adani’s Mundra port was hijacked and ransomed for $4 million. “Piracy is becoming a real headache and it’s going to get much worse as more coal leaves South Africa for India, China and elsewhere in Asia,” one South African shipping source said. “It is definitely costing people more money in insurance, in fuel, in security measures.” Asia, led by India and China, could take 75 percent of South Africa’s 65 million tonnes of thermal coal exports in 2010 as demand shifts from glutted Europe, putting many more ships in the gun sights of Somali pirates, analysts said. Companies involved in this seaborne coal trade said they have already had to swallow higher costs due to taking longer routes to avoid pirate hotspots and insurance premiums. A senior shipper said piracy risk cover on a voyage from South Africa to India added $30,000 on top of the basic insurance cost. A further $40,000 to $50,000 had to be added for longer diversions aimed at avoiding pirates. J Peter Pham, an African security adviser to US and European governments and private companies, said dry bulk ships carry commodities such as coal, iron ore and grains,
were vulnerable partly due to their slow speed and older age. “When they are fully loaded with their cargo they tend to have a low freeboard (the distance between a ship’s railings and the water) so they are easier as targets to attack even when they are moving,” he said. “If you are moving more coal in these types of carriers, it is fairly reasonable to say you are probably going to get more attacks on them.” Global pirate attacks on dry bulk carriers hit their highest last year since 2003 with 109 ships targeted, data from the International Maritime Bureau watchdog showed. Foreign navies have been deployed off the Gulf of Aden since the start of 2009 and have operated convoys, as well as setting up a transit corridor across dangerous waters. But their forces have been stretched over the vast expanses of water including the Indian Ocean, leaving merchant vessels vulnerable. Pirates typically use mother ships to sail hundreds of miles to sea and then attack in small skiffs, turning the Indian Ocean into a major risk. “It is a massive area and there are just not the warships to patrol it,” said Peter Hinchliffe, marine director with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents 75 percent of the global shipping industry. Hinchliffe said it was vital to ensure the “free and unhindered passage of world trade by sea”, urging the targeting of mother ships. “We are seeing governments effectively not doing much more than putting a sticking plaster over the problem,” he said. With Somali pirates increasingly firing rocket propelled grenades to force vessels to stop, coal ships face other perils. John Dalby, chief executive of MRM, which provides armed and unarmed personnel to merchant vessels in the region, said coal was as dangerous to transport as petroleum cargoes. Coal gives off toxic gases in a sealed cargo hold which would ignite and explode if a ship was fired upon. “Crews should consider themselves to be on a similar level of risk as on a tanker,” Dalby said. Some of India’s biggest coal traders said they doubted much could be done to combat piracy. “We haven’t been affected so far, perhaps we’ve just been lucky,” one major coal trader said. — Reuters
All articles appearing on these pages are the personal opinion of the writers. Kuwait Times takes no responsibility for views expressed therein. Kuwait Times invites readers to voice their opinions. Please send submissions via email to: opinion@kuwaittimes.net or via snail mail to PO Box 1301 Safat, Kuwait. The editor reserves the right to edit any submission as necessary.
Malaysia govt woos conservative base with canings By Razak Ahmad
M
alaysia’s caning of three women under Islamic law is the latest move by the government to woo conservative Muslims, a risky tactic that could cause a backlash by ethnic minorities and damage economic reforms. The first ever canings of women in this traditionally moderate Muslim Southeast Asian country were carried out in February after sharia court sentencings for adultery. Another woman faces caning for drinking beer. The canings came hot on the heels of a row over the use of the word “Allah” by Malay-speaking Christians that triggered attacks on churches and mosques and ahead of another court case this week over Christians’ right to use the word. The punishments have been endorsed by officials from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the party of Prime Minister Najib Razak, which dominates the National Front coalition that has ruled for 52 years. It stumbled to its worst ever results in national and state polls in 2008, leading to the ousting of its then premier and Najib’s appointment in April 2009 to turn round its fortunes. Najib says he is committed to economic reforms to roll back preferential treatment for ethnic Malays, but he is desperate not to alienate the 55 percent of the population that is Malay and Muslim and is the cornerstone of support for the National Front after ethnic Chinese and Indian voters deserted it. “There is an overt thinking by many in UMNO that it is going to be difficult to regain lost support especially among the Chinese,” said Ibrahim Suffian, director of the Merdeka Center, an independent polling organisation. The controversies have registered with fund managers who last year asked Najib in New York about the beer drinking case during a
roadshow to promote reforms and win investment that has increasingly chosen Indonesia and Thailand. One Malay opposition legislator announced yesterday he was quitting to sit as an independent, saying the opposition had “insulted” Islam by supporting the right of Christians to use the word “Allah”. A Merdeka poll showed about two-thirds of Malays find Islamic punishments for immoral behaviour appealing and UMNO now finds itself battling a resurgent Islamic party for those votes. Malaysia’s economy leaked a net $2.5 billion of portfolio investment in the first three quarters of 2009, according to the latest available government data, while neighbouring Indonesia saw $10 billion inflows for all of 2009. Analysts say the religions issue could cause economic damage. “The unanticipated backlash, both domestically and internationally, could distract Najib from tackling some of the larger economic problems,” political analyst Ong Kian Ming said. Malaysia’s political system mirrors the ethnic makeup of this country of 28 million people and that has left UMNO battling the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), a party that advocates Islamic laws and an Islamic state, for Malay votes. As Najib has unveiled economic reforms that have started to scratch away at a decades-old New Economic Policy (NEP) that gave preferences to Malays, groups have started to sprout up to defend Malay rights, seen as synonymous with Islam, leading to a ratcheting up of ethnic and religious tensions. It is predominantly poorer Malays who will be hit by a new goods and services tax and the removal of fuel and food subsidies to shrink a budget deficit that hit a more than 20-year high of 7.4 percent of gross domestic product in 2008. “With a large number of Malays relatively low income and more dependent on government assistance and ser-
vices, any cutbacks might pose to be a challenge (for the government),” said Ibrahim. Some Malays have set up an organisation called “Perkasa” (Strength) to
defend their rights including privileges under the NEP. They endorse the canings and Islamic punishments. “Many Malays support the canings and even PAS has been left behind on
this as I was expecting that canings would first take place in Kelantan and Kedah (two PAS-ruled states),” said Perkasa leader Ibrahim Ali, an independent MP and former deputy minis-
N Africans blog about conflict By Magda Abu-Fadil
E
ighteen North African bloggers gathered in Rabat last week for a workshop on constructive and effective writing about conflict and upgrading their social media skills, despite censorship problems and various technical constraints in the Maghreb region. The training, organised by the Washington, DC [and Brussels] based nongovernmental organisation, Search for Common Ground (SFCG), included sessions on the needs and challenges facing bloggers, censorship, blogging and social media as forms of self-expression and activism, the impact of blogs in covering conflicts, the evolution of blogging and online media ethics. The bloggers and activists from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia put their newly acquired knowledge and ideas to the test, with participant Naoufel Chaara writing that the workshop had surpassed his expectations: “Admittedly, I was wrong. The SFCG training didn’t match my pre-set idea about workshops and conferences where we suffer from boring speakers and doze off,” he said. “Today, a lot of things will change.” The dynamic nature of the workshop allowed the bloggers to learn, interact, take pictures, shoot video, tweet and post content as they discussed what they can and can’t do in their respective countries. Morocco enjoys relatively more cyber freedom than its neighbors, with Algeria coming in second and Tunisia maintaining a stranglehold on access to social media vehicles. The blogs themselves range from political and social forums, to more personal agendas, to strongly worded treatises on freedom of expression. “We created a group on the Web and decided to pursue our discussions on our common woes: chats on the left, chats on the right, exchanges of photos, solidarity with the weak, and we said in unison: ‘No to suppression of freedom,’ and ‘Yes to freedom of expression,’” wrote Chahida Lakhouaja on her blog, adding that the participants were proud to proclaim they were bloggers. The workshop was launched with gusto by Leena El-Ali,
Director of SFCG’s Partners in Humanity program that works to positively affect how individuals and groups in the West and Muslim world think and feel about cross-cultural issues. She briefed the bloggers on the common ground approach of highlighting solutions, rather than just dwelling on problems, as well as providing a voice to all stakeholders. El-Ali encouraged participants to write for the Common Ground News Service and set guidelines to help pave the way. According to El-Ali, a common ground article provides constructive and solution-oriented perspectives and concrete steps for collaboration and understanding where possible; seeks areas of common ground or common goals and interests; promotes dialogue and cooperation; emphasises positive examples of interaction between Western and Muslim cultures; expresses constructive self-criticism; instills hope and optimism in readers that non-adversarial solutions to conflict are possible; highlights positive experiences between individuals that humanise the other and offer hope; and contributes to understanding between Muslim and Western cultures. Moroccan journalist/blogger Rachid Jankari, director of MIT Media and publisher of www.maroc-it.ma, kept the charged pace going, introducing participants to the latest in cyber offerings and tutoring them on how to master the use of various Web tools. The bloggers could hardly keep up with his delivery and enthusiasm about the Web’s endless possibilities. Also on hand was Mohamed Daadaoui, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Oklahoma City University, whose Maghreb Blog focuses on politics, economic trends, and news of the Maghreb region. Daadaoui spoke about how blogs have been used in covering upheavals and conflicts. He also focused on how blogging has been a source of problems, and when blogs have helped in promoting solutions. NOTE: Magda Abu-Fadil is Director of the Journalism Training Program at the American University of Beirut —CGNews
Yemen truce a respite, war may spiral again A By Cynthia Johnston
truce to end a war between the Yemeni government and Shiite rebels that has drawn in Saudi Arabia will provide only a temporary respite because the nagging problems that fuelled the conflict remain unresolved. Neither the government nor the insurgents have shown any real will to resolve longstanding differences that fed the conflict in the rugged, mountainous north, where rebels have economic and religious grievances. Previous truces have failed. “I don’t know whether it is a month or a year. But it is an untenable situation still. They may be able to keep up the peace for a while but this is not a long-term solution,” said David Bender of the Eurasia group. Yemen’s government, which struck a truce with the insurgents on Feb. 11, was under pressure from Western and Arab backers to wind down fighting in what allies may see as a domestic backwater to focus its energies on a bigger global threat: Al-Qaeda. Allies were also keen to avoid more escalation in the on-and-off northern conflict, which in November drew in regional power Saudi Arabia after rebels seized some Saudi land, accusing Riyadh of letting Yemen’s army use Saudi ground for attacks. Instability in Yemen, in which AlQaeda has based its regional command, is a major security concern to the United States and Gulf Arab countries, mainly top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, with whom it shares a porous 1,500 km
A masked Yemeni Houthi rebel is pictured in front of a heavily damaged building in central Saada, north of the capital Sanaa, on Feb 28, 2010, three weeks after a truce was declared between the Shiite rebels and government forces. – AFP border. A failed December attack on a US-bound plane claimed by Al-Qaeda’s regional wing thrust Yemen to the forefront of the global fight against militancy and exacerbated concerns it could become a failed state in which Al-Qaeda could thrive. “They (Yemen’s allies and donor states) are essentially telling the Yemenis that this war in the north is a distraction leading to a diversion of resources,” said Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group think
tank. “I don’t think that left to their own devices these parties have yet come to the conclusion that it doesn’t make sense to fight,” he said, but added he hoped the environment was right to press the sides to reach “something more durable”. International donors met in London and Riyadh to galvanise support for Sanaa in recent weeks in the broadest show of support in years for Yemen, where 42 percent of the country’s 23 million people are affected by poverty.
Washington is doubling its security assistance for Yemen in 2010 to $150 million. Yemen, in addition to its fight with northern rebels that has raged since 2004, also faces simmering separatist tension in the south, where violence has escalated in recent weeks. While the government has come under pressure to end the war, the rebels who have fought the state from remote mountaintops and a redoubt in the walled old city of Saada also have an interest in ending the fighting, if only to lick their wounds. Already under siege from the Yemeni army and northern tribes allied with the government, the rebels led by Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi were also being pounded daily by the Saudi air force. “They were about to be defeated. They were about to be crushed. We don’t have doubt about this. The remaining strength is the mountains, always the mountains and the landscape there. But the government was determined to fight them,” Yemeni political analyst Nasser Arabyee said. Asked why the government did not simply crush the rebels, he said: “It is not that easy. You can put two soldiers and they will resist an army. It would take a long time.” The truce could simply allow the sides in Yemen to regroup and re-arm to fight another day. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, did appear to have a genuine interest in ending its involvement in the Saada war - it has lost more than 100 soldiers since November. Fighting on that front appears to have wound down, with rebels freeing three captive Saudi soldiers - a key demand
from Riyadh. The truce between rebels and the Yemeni government has also so far held despite reports of sporadic violence. Masked insurgents, in a major step, withdrew from Saada’s old city last week in a deal in which they kept their weapons, their routes were left unblocked, and they were not followed by security. There have also been some signs that Sanaa may be willing to start to address the differences there. On Sunday, President Ali Abdullah Saleh told university students hailing from the north that he hoped to open a university in the rebel stronghold of Saada. The United Nations refugee agency said early on that some displaced people had expressed a desire to return to their homes in northern Yemen, and that it was encouraged by the ceasefire. But it said it was still too soon for the displaced to return. Some displaced northerners have already returned to Saada to inspect their homes there. But difficulties remain. Previous truces to end the war that has displaced 250,000 have not lasted. “There are land disputes and tribal blood feuds arising from the conflict that will need to be resolved in parallel with the implementation of the main ceasefire terms,” Chatham House analyst Ginny Hill said. Qatar brokered a short-lived ceasefire between the government and rebels in 2007 and a peace deal in 2008, but clashes soon broke out again. Saleh unilaterally declared the war over in July 2008. Full-scale fighting resumed a year later. — Reuters
ANALYSIS
Thursday, March 4, 2010
13
Obama faces moment of truth with Iraq election By Ross Colvin
P
resident Barack Obama’s vow to withdraw all US combat troops from Iraq by the end of August will be tested this weekend as millions of Iraqis head to the polls to elect a new government. While the United States has faced many critical junctures during the seven-year-old Iraq war, arguably the stakes have never been higher than they are now. If the election goes well, U.S. soldiers can go home on schedule. But, if it triggers a repeat of the sectarian bloodletting that killed tens of thousands of Iraqis in 2006-2007, Obama may be forced to rethink his timetable. An eruption of violence that threatens Iraq’s stability would also be an unwelcome distraction for Obama, who has declared that bringing down the United States’ stubbornly high unemployment rate will be his top priority this year. He left himself little wiggle room in his State of the Union address to the American people in January. “We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August,” he said. “Make no mistake: this war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home.” Obama campaigned on a promise to bring a swift end to a war that has claimed the lives of more than 4,300 US soldiers and drained the US Treasury of hundreds of billions of dollars. With an economy only starting to recover from recession and a deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, the Iraq war has not been a top priority for Obama, although he has appointed his vice president, Joe Biden, to manage it.
US President Barack Obama speaks at Savannah Technical College in Savannah, Georgia Tuesday. – AP Now, however, Obama has arrived at his moment of truth. The dilemma he faces is what happens if Iraq’s political leaders remain deadlocked for months on who should form a new government and spoilers try to take advantage of any power vacuum, as al Qaeda did after the 2005 election, sparking a wave of sectarian bloodletting. “The concern is that that period is
potentially perilous,” said a senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “If there is any sense of a vacuum, who is in charge, one is always worried about how that vacuum is filled. But, the administration is heartened by the fact that “as messy as things are, Iraqis, at least for now, have made a fundamental choice to resolve their dif-
ferences through the political process, not bombs and bullets,” he said. The top US commander in Iraq, Gen Ray Odierno, says he has made contingency plans to slow the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, but Defense Secretary Robert Gates stressed there would have to be a “considerable deterioration” of the security situation first. “It would have to be a cataclysmic scenario of the sort that most Iraq watchers don’t think will occur, which means something of the sort of a return to the violence we saw in 2006,” said Brian Katulis, an Iraq expert at the Center for American Progress think-tank. Odierno says he still expects to reduce US troop levels in Iraq to 50,000 by the end of August, from about 96,000 now. There is little appetite in the Democratic-controlled US Congress for delaying the pullout, particularly in an election year in which Democrats face a tough battle to hold on to their majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives. “I find no support among my colleagues for anything other than continuing apace with the withdrawal,” said Democratic congressman William Delahunt, a senior member of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. “We’ve been there, and it’s time for the Iraqi people to make their own decisions,” he told Reuters in an interview. Washington would like to see a new government formed as quickly as possible, but officials acknowledge that it may be weeks if not months before a new parliament is seated, a prime min-
ister chosen and his cabinet approved. The U.S. official said Washington had no favorites in the race, but Katulis said victory by the Iraqi National Alliance, a mainly Shiite alliance that includes parties with links to Iran, would pose a problem for the United States. Washington wants a stable, friendly government in place as it withdraws its remaining troops by the end of 2011, one that can also finally make headway on potentially explosive issues such as the future of the disputed oil-rich city of Kirkuk. There is also speculation that Washington and Baghdad may revisit the security agreements they signed in 2008 to keep on a number of U.S soldiers in Iraq after 2011 as trainers. “When you are selling a country sophisticated hardware and deeply embedded with their military, it is more than likely that whoever comes into office ... is going to ask us to stay,” said Brett McGurk, a former Bush administration official who helped negotiate a new US-Iraqi security pact in 2008. While Obama wants to wind up the Iraq war as quickly as possible, he doesn’t want to leave the country in a mess. After investing so much blood and treasure in Iraq, the United States - even under a president who opposed the war when he was a US senator - wants to be able to hold up Iraq as a success story and say it was not all in vain. That was underscored by Biden in an interview last month. “I am very optimistic about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration,” he said. — Reuters
Czech left will be hard pressed to meet promises By Jan Lopatka
A
Czech transport strike set for today has drawn the battle lines for a general election in May, giving the left a popular rallying call to protect welfare but casting the country’s euro convergence program into doubt. Strikes are rare in this central European EU member, which has had a relatively good crisis with no bank failures and no loss of confidence requiring International Monetary Fund aid as occurred in Hungary, Romania and the Baltics. But a sharp jump in the fiscal deficit, due mostly to a four percent economic contraction last year, has pushed euro entry back into the second half of the decade and made fixing the budget and protecting jobs the key issues in the May 28-29 poll. Voters will also vent their frustration with politicians stained by a series of corruption scandals, which may bring new parties into parliament and complicate coalition building. The election should break a deadlock that has gripped Czech politics since a centre-right cabinet that had limped along for two years without a parliamentary majority collapsed last year. The leftist Social Democrats, led by former prime minister Jiri Paroubek, have a 5-13 percentage point opinion poll lead over the right-wing Civic Democrats, giving them the best chance of replacing the caretaker cabinet led by independent technocrat Jan Fischer. But the polls do not guarantee them a solid majority that would allow for decisive policymaking. The leftists have lured voters by pledging to raise benefits including pensions, and pay for it by taxing companies and high wage earners, and by finding efficiencies. “We do not want to save on the people but on the operation of the state,” Paroubek told Reuters on Monday. They are backing the transport strike, called to support demands to
restore tax breaks on employee benefits. The Civic Democrats, the Social Democrats’ main rival, call the strike blackmail. The leftists have at the same time pledged to stick to the current euro convergence program, which provides for a drop in the budget deficit to 3 percent in 2013 from about 6.6 percent last year, making euro entry possible in 2015 or 2016. Private sector analysts said the numbers do not add up, and taxing consumption rather than income would be a better idea. “I do not believe they are now ready to stick to the convergence programme,” said Ludek Niedermayer, a former central bank vice-governor, now at consultants Deloitte. Neither of the big parties was ready for a thorough spending overhaul needed for longterm stability, he added. Political analyst Jan Kubacek also predicts a slippage. “They will say they are taking over in a more difficult situation than they had expected,” he said. “It (euro) will move back by a few years, which in itself is not fatal, because the euro zone is not ready to accept new members, perhaps with the exception of Estonia,” he said. However, market pressure for reforms will be big and whoever is in power will simply have to tighten up, Kubacek said. The Czech Republic was among the first countries to start fiscal consolidation after the financial crisis, with tax hikes and moderate spending cuts this year, and it has a history of macroeconomic stability. The caretaker government aims to cut the budget gap to 5.3 percent this year, and state debt will reach about 40 percent of GDP. That is low by European standards-the euro zone average will be more than 80 percent of GDP this year - but a sharp rise from 29 percent in two years, and the outlook is bleak with growing costs of debt servicing, healthcare and pensions. The IMF said in January that
without a credible plan “market sentiment could deteriorate and the cost of public sector borrowing increase”. Ales Michl, an analyst at Raiffeisenbank, said a clear win for either party would be the best scenario for the market. “The best would be a
big victory by either side, which would give a clear picture of what kind of policy will be done, rather than an unclear result muddying the picture,” he said. But polls suggest a messy outcome is more likely. The Social Democrats will need partners to form a coalition or,
depending on the result, may opt for a minority cabinet with ad-hoc backing from other parties including the far-left Communists. A close result would boost the chances of a grand coalition between the Social Democrats and the Civic Democrats. — Reuters
China walks policy tight-rope By Allison Jackson
T
he high command of China’s communist leadership emerged enhanced from the global economic crisis, unencumbered by the political constraints in recessionplagued Western democracies. But while the Chinese model of top-down central planning can take credit for maintaining blistering rates of economic growth, analysts warn that leaders are walking a policy tight-rope as they head into the annual session of parliament. “In the crisis, Beijing was able to very quickly pump enormous fiscal and monetary stimulus into the economy while the Western democracies were bogged down by the checks and balances in the government,” said Todd Lee, a US-based analyst at IHS Global Insight. “The flipside of this policy implementation efficiency is if the Chinese authorities get it wrong, it could go wrong on a massive scale.” China is now grappling with how to choke off trillions of dollars in credit so as to keep inflation from spiralling out of control, all without squeezing growth and stoking mass unemployment in the world’s most populous country. The stakes are high not just for China, which is on the cusp of overtaking Japan as the world’s second-biggest economy, but for the United States and Europe, which can ill afford another global setback now. Experts say the perilous challenge will exercise China’s ruling elite at the annual session of the National People’s Congress beginning Friday and beyond, as a new generation of leaders prepares to take power from 2012. China-watchers will also look at the NPC for clues as to when the leadership intends to wind down its $586-billion stimulus program. Premature action could also choke off growth. Eswar Prasad, the former head of the International Monetary Fund’s China division, said the policy “tight-rope act” could become increasingly difficult to manage. “The growth model has created a number of potential problems unbalanced growth, excessive investment and a dependence on
exports,” said Prasad, who is a senior fellow at Washington’s Brookings Institution. “The main challenge facing China’s leaders is to ensure that the scale of these problems increases slower than the growth in overall output, which means they still come out ahead.” Beijing is already clamping down on rampant lending by state-run banks to calm inflationary pressures, fearing asset bubbles and economic overheating as well as a surge in bad debts. Policymakers have raised bank reserve ratios three times in as many months - effectively limiting the amount of money banks can lend - and increased the interest rate on benchmark three-month and one-year treasury bills. Long reliant on exports to fuel its economic boom, China is also trying to boost domestic demand by enlarging subsidies for the vast rural poor to buy home appliances and cars. More drastic measures such as interest rate hikes and an appreciation in the yuan currency - a move long demanded by the United States and Europe - could be in the works, analysts believe. But Royal Bank of Scotland economist Ben Simpfendorfer said the government must do more to reconfigure its export-led economic model - even if this means retreating from its cherished goal of eight percent annual growth. “This is an economy that is clearly imbalanced and needs more structural reform,” he said. Nicholas Lardy, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, said a far bigger risk for the country was looming abroad, in the West. “There could be mistakes but if you look at their (leaders’) track record ... it has been nothing short of brilliant,” Lardy said. “I’m much more worried about the external environment ... if the recovery is very delayed in Europe or the US goes into a double-dip (recession) in the second half, then I think then they (Beijing) have a huge problem.” Resolving the imbalances exposed by the global crisis will remain a major challenge for the new leaders set to take the helm in 2012-2013, such as Vice Premier Li Keqiang, who is tipped to replace Premier Wen Jiabao. And an understanding of economics will be crucial, said JP Morgan economist Jing Ulrich. — AFP
Germans prepare for possibility of Greek aid A By Madeline Chambers
harsh reality seems to be dawning on Germans that helping debt-ridden Greece, as part of a euro zone effort, may be inevitable. Evercautious Chancellor Angela Merkel has made comments which could be seen as preparing the ground for some sort of aid and in a clear shift, some influential newspapers have started running editorials arguing Germany may have to act. The question of how to deal with Greece’s debt, which has triggered talk about the possible breakup of the euro zone, is set to come to a head on Friday at talks in Berlin between Merkel and Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou. “The pressure is growing - the chancellor knows that. She is still waiting for the right time to justify the billions (in aid) for Greece,” wrote the centre-right Die Welt. “But by then the situation in the financial markets could have spun out of control... The billion euro question is now therefore ‘when will Merkel move?’” it added. Granting financial aid would be a highly unpopular move in Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, itself only just creeping out of its deepest recession since World War Two. Polls show most Germans are against
A pensioner holds up bread during a demonstration outside the Prime Minister’s office in central Athens yesterday. – AP taxpayers bailing out Greece and the debate has at times degenerated into a spat between Berlin and Athens about war claims dating back to the Nazi occupation. However, there are discrete talks among euro zone governments on possible mechanisms to support Greece if necessary, EU sources say. Germany would have to be involved. “We think some sort of financial help will be needed at some point,” said
Giada Giani, an European economist at Citigroup, adding euro zone states seemed to be working on a coordinated deal in which France and Germany would play the biggest roles. “They (politicians) in Germany and elsewhere are trying to prepare public opinion and they will try to find a form of financial help that is not a direct loan.. they are looking for the most politically acceptable solution,” she added.
Merkel, under pressure from voters and her Free Democrat (FDP) coalition partners, has for weeks insisted that Athens must deliver austerity measures to reassure markets. She is particularly keen to keep voters on board in the runup to a May 9 election in Germany’s most populous state of North RhineWestphalia which will be key to her centre-right coalition keeping control of parliament’s
Bundesrat upper house. However, in the last few days, she has repeatedly warned of the dangers facing the euro. The more she stresses the fragility of the single currency, the more Germans may be willing to swallow action. “She is giving ambiguous signals but for the domestic audience, Merkel will have to dress it up - maybe in the form of an international package. Otherwise it will be a major burden for the regional election,” said Peter Loesche, emeritus politics professor at Goettingen University. “If it is about the collapse of the international financial system or the euro, Germans might accept she must do something.” Economists say one option is a form of indirect aid. “It could be the involvement of (state-owned development bank) KfW, which is still in the end a form of public guarantee, but it is not the same as the federal government going out and lending to Greece,” said Giani. A German member of the European Parliament, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, said on Saturday that Germany, France and the Netherlands planned to buy Greek bonds, using staterun banks such as Germany’s KfW and France’s Caisse des Depots. Merkel still has a way to go if she really does want to win over opponents before offering con-
crete help to Athens. She faces opposition from heavyweights, such as Otmar Issing, a former European Central Bank economist who has repeatedly voiced scepticism about a bailout. And she would have to persuade FDP chief and Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who is railing against giving aid in an effort to reverse a slump in his popularity. Support for the FDP has almost halved since September’s federal election. If aid is to come, Merkel’s job may be made easier by a more understanding media. One of the strongest arguments for aid was put by the centre-left Berliner Zeitung. “What would happen if the European currency Union actually fell apart? German banks - among the country’s biggest creditors - would be dragged into the mess,” it wrote. “But the most important reason to keep the euro is political. If the currency union were to collapse, conflict, uncertainty and economic losses would loom and this could pit the peoples of Europe against each other.” “Germany, more than any other nation, wants to avoid reviving past resentments. No country is more dependent on friendship, political cooperation and economic involvement. We are the ones that need the European Union the most,” it wrote. — Reuters
focus
Greek crisis may store hidden benefits for EU By Brian Love
G
reece’s debt crisis may end up helping Europe in the long run if it pressures governments to start addressing the potentially colossal costs of pensions and healthcare in coming decades. In the boom years of the past decade, racy rates of economic growth and ultra-cheap credit gave governments less incentive to prepare for a looming surge in the retiree population, and they were under little if any financial market pressure to do so. But pension reforms being launched in Spain, France and Greece suggest the Greek crisis is now focusing governments’ attention on those problems, and even giving them the political cover to act. “Greece’s woes have dragged everyone’s longerterm fiscal prospects under the harsh lights of the interrogation room, and several countries have realised that in the longer term, they’re all like Greece,” said UniCredit economist Marco Annunziata. “One quick look at the consequences seems to be enough to send them scrambling for remedial action. If that is the case, we should all be grateful to Greece.” Politicians facing voters every few years tend to balk at reforms that compromise their hopes of a return to office but pension age increases would conceivably be harder to reverse than tax hikes. And the pressure is on right now. Indeed, the debts that the financial markets are so nervous about in Greece and several other European countries are dwarfed by estimates of the burden on governments if their commitment to future pension and healthcare provision are added to the mix. US economist Jagadeesh Gokhale calculates that adding all such “off balance sheet” liabilities would leave Greece with a debt worth 875 percent of gross domestic product rather than the 120 percent of GDP officially forecast for this year. For the EU as a whole, the burden would have to be restated at more than 434 percent of GDP, roughly five times the official count. He estimates Spain’s total burden at 244 percent of GDP, Germany’s 418 percent, Britain’s at 442 percent and France’s at 549 percent, versus a Greek-like US figure of 890 percent. Gokhale, who wrote a report on the issue last year for the Cato Institute, a Washington think-tank, uses his figures to argue that governments should gradually withdraw and let the private sector handle pension and healthcare provision. But that ignores another option; pension and healthcare benefit is a social contract any government can rewrite and that is what Greece, Spain and soon probably France are doing by raising the retirement age at which people are entitled pension. In Britain, the opposition Conservative party is promising to do something similar if it wins an election later this year and the Danish government spoke again of reforming the country’s early retirement system when it said last week it would step up fiscal consolidation efforts in the years ahead. Street protests last week over plans to raise Spain’s retirement age to 67 from 65 show how fast the Socialist government there chose in the face of immediate pressures to take steps that will ease the longer-term financial strains of an ageing population. Greece, desperate to convince debt investors that it can fix its ragged public finances, is also considering plans to raise average retirement age to 63 from 61 along with tax reforms and a brief amnesty for tax evaders that may boost notoriously weak government revenues longer term. And in France, President Nicolas Sarkozy is working on more reforms of the pay-as-you-go pension system that could feasibly push retirement age
beyond a current average of 60, in addition to other structural cost-cutting steps such as non-replacement of one in two retiring civil servants. The reasons for taking such painful measures have been clear for some time but are becoming more so as financial markets grow wiser to the extra debt the European governments are saddled with as the region emerges from recession. For much of the time since it joined monetary union in 2001, Greece enjoyed trouble-free access to relatively cheap credit on bond markets but the speed at which that benign climate came to an end has delivered a wake-up for more than Greece. The total sovereign debt of the 27 European Union countries is set to increase by about a third between 2008 and 2011 alone, from 63 to 84 percent of GDP, the European Commission says. That increase largely reflects the damage recession caused to public finances through lost government income and higher public spending but it comes at a particularly inauspicious moment as the costs of catering to an ageing population accelerate. With the number of pensioners set to more than double versus the working-age population in the next 50 years, the Commission estimates that government spending on pensions, healthcare and other age-related areas will rise on average by 4.3 percentage points of GDP, from an EU average of 23.2 percent in 2010. Greece faces a particularly daunting challenge if it does not alter policy; the Commission estimates that its age-related spending needs will rise not far off four times as much as that EU average, or 16 percentage points, over those 40 years. The fact that European governments appear to be concentrating at the moment on steps to limit structural spending drift rather than temporary tax hikes is “particularly welcome” as a result, said Deutsche Bank economist Gilles Moec. Tens of thousands of protesters took to the Athens streets to protest over government austerity last week and the spectre of pension reform sparked protests too in Spain and France. Unfortunately for many governments, old age is not the only additional strain public finances have to bear as Europe crawls out of recession with a banking sector that is still dependent on massive public support. Ireland has for example created a “bad bank” to buy stricken land and property development loans from the country’s troubled banks at a price of some 54 billion euros, money that bad bank could in theory recoup over time. Add that 54 billion of contingent “bad bank” liabilities and Ireland’s debt ratio soars from the official 78 percent of GDP to 110 percent of GDP. Even there, the bad bank liabilities are just a part of “offbalance-sheet” commitments that would push the grand total to 405 percent of GDP in Gokhale’s calculations. Dublin has EU approval to keep the bad bank liabilities “off balance sheet”, just as the White House did after the mortgage finance agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were taken under state control last September. If all those offbalance-sheet commitments were accounted for, Cato’s Gokhale says EU governments would on average need to set aside 8.3 percent of GDP every year until 2050 to cope, or else gradually raise taxes from 40 to 60 percent of GDP. While they offer a pointer, his calculations remain controversial because they lump debt that governments have raised and must repay in bond markets with contingent liabilities they can alter through policy change. “It is too early to consider that our rich societies are doomed, but it is clear some severe adjustments will have to be made,” said Pierre Cailleteau, head of global sovereign ratings at Moody’s Investors Service. — Reuters
NEWS
14
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Tomb of ancient queen unearthed CAIRO: A French archaeological mission has unearthed a 4,000year-old rare pink granite sarcophagus belonging to a little known ancient queen of Egypt, the culture ministry said yesterday. The mystery queen identified as Behenu, was ‘one of the queens of the Sixth Dynasty which ruled Egypt from 2374 to 2192 BC,’ antiquities chief Zahi Hawass said in a statement. But experts are confused on who was Queen Behenu’s spouse. ‘We still do not know if she was the wife of Pepi I (2354-2310 BC) or of Pepi II (2300-2206 BC),’ Hawass said. According to Philippe Collombert who headed the French team, she was ‘probably’ the wife of Pepi II. The discovery was made in the Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo. The pyramid, where the sarcophagus was found, was revealed to be that of Behenu and is located among a group of other pyramids close to that of Pepi I. The 2.6-m-tall sarcophagus was found in the pyramid’s funerary chamber, where prayers
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip: Palestinian Islamic Jihad militants jump off a truck as a controlled explosion occurs during a training session yesterday. — AP
Religious schools coming under scrutiny in Yemen TARIM, Yemen: Malaysian student Mohamed Fatri Ben Kazrah flew half way round the world to fulfill his dream of studying Islam and Arabic at a Yemeni religious school. Ben Kazrah is one of hundreds of students from Asia and Africa in Tarim, a historic town acknowledged as the theological centre of Hadramaut, a poverty-stricken region where government authority is weak, tribes are in control and Al-Qaeda is active. The remote area is also the ancestral home of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, whose father was born in a valley not far away from Tarim before moving to Yemen’s neighbour Saudi Arabia. “It’s so great to be here. I really enjoy myself,” said Bin Kazrah who hopes to join his father’s religious school at home after graduation. “If you want to practise a language you need to be in a native environment.” Tarim has long been a teaching centre also for Sufism, a mystical strand in Islam, but all Islamic schools have come under scrutiny since Al-Qaeda in Yemen said it was behind a failed attack on a USbound jet on Dec 25. The accused Nigerian plane bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, is believed to have embraced his militant views in Yemen where he had come to study Arabic. Sitting around teachers on the floor in the tradition Sufi “halaqa” (study group), students listen after evening prayers to subjects such as Islamic law, values and Arabic grammar.
“Schools in Hadramaut...apply only a moderate version of Islamic law and reject extremism,” said Abdullah Mohamed Bin Shihab, a professor for education at a local state university. Big religious schools in Hadramaut cooperate with the government in teaching moderate Islam, analysts say, but there are Salafi schools promoting Riyadh’s austere version of Sunni Islam which are thought to be breeding grounds for extremism. “They are the problem. They are more difficult to supervise,” said analyst AbdulGhani Al-Iryani. He said there were several such radical Arabic schools and religious institutes across Yemen such as Sanaa’s Iman University which had a branch in Mukalla, Hadramaut’s capital. Yemen has declared war on Al-Qaeda but diplomats say there is little transparency in funding religious schools as the country, where nearly half the population live on less $2 a day, is in dire need of help. Officials do not ask many questions. Sanaa has toughened up visa procedures after the plane attack but Arab nationals such as Egyptians or Jordanians can still enter the country with just a passport. “Students get vetted by state security before they come,” said AbdulQader Mohamed al-Shatri, principal of Rebat Tarim school, one of the most established institutes in Hadramaut. “They fund their stay, pay for tickets, everything.” Attracting foreign students of Islam is an important factor for the local economy in Hadramaut after tourism collapsed fol-
lowing a wave of Al-Qaeda attacks over the past few years. Since schools such as Rebat Tarim require knowledge of Arabic prior to arrival, many students hook up with Islamic charities at home whose funding and motives are difficult to verify. Diplomats say some charities fund entire schools, others give scholarships for students. Some schools are funded by wealthy individuals, said Iryani, the Yemeni analyst. Yemen’s biggest donor is Saudi Arabia, which also bankrolls the government of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, though both sides decline to say by how much. Assessing Saudi aid is difficult because the oil-rich kingdom favours channelling funds outside international organisations such as the World Bank. Instead Saudi Arabia pays tribes in northern Yemen to improve border security or builds mosques, often the only new buildings in streets across a country that sits strategically on the southwestern rim of the Arabian peninsula. Saudi Arabia cracked down on funding charities after Al-Qaeda staged attacks in the kingdom from 2003-2006 but loopholes remain, the US government said in a report in September. “US officials remain concerned about the ability of Saudi individuals and charitable organisations to support terrorism outside Saudi Arabia,” said the report by US Government Accounting Office (GAO), citing limited Saudi law enforcement resources and widespread use of cash by extremists. — Reuters
Israel silent on Dubai call for arresting Bibi Continued from Page 1 and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. The Dubai police say 12 people linked to the hit used British passports, three had French travel documents, six carried Irish passports and one used a German identity. The British embassy in Tel Aviv said that visiting detectives of the UK Serious Organised Crime Agency had begun questioning dual nationals whose names appeared on passports Dubai said were used in the January killing. Embassy spokesman Rafi Shamir told AFP that detectives met the first of “about 10” subjects on Monday and were continuing to carry out interviews during the week. He gave no further details. Three Australian passports were also used in the operation, Dubai says, and Australia said Tuesday it was sending detectives to interview the people named, all Israeli residents. Australia’s embassy in Israel declined to comment on the inquiry. Israeli media have said that Australia has warned Israel in the past not to use its nationals’ identities for clandestine operations. In 2004, New Zealand imposed diplomatic sanctions on Israel after two Israelis, believed to be Mossad agents, were arrested for attempting to fraudulently obtain a New Zealand passport. Dubai police believe all the suspects in Mabhouh’s murder are now in Israel. Most of the people named in connection with the killing were shocked to find themselves linked to it and appear to have been unwitting victims of identity theft. Mabhouh, a founder of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement’s military wing, was found dead in a room of the luxurious Al Bustan Rotana hotel near Dubai airport on Jan 20. Dubai police have identified 26 suspects from the hit squad murder they say bore the hallmarks of the Mossad. The Hamas man had been drugged and then suffocated. Meanwhile, the US bank linked by Dubai police to the slaying of Mabhouh
said yesterday that prepaid credit cards allegedly used by the hit team were provided through a partner company, and that the bank’s own procedures did not flag the card users as suspicious. Authorities in Dubai had earlier tied MetaBank to its partner Payoneer Inc, though neither police nor the companies had clarified the relationship or described how the alleged assassins acquired the cards. Payoneer works with MetaBank to provide credit cards that employers can top up to pay their employees. MetaBank, part of Storm Lake, Iowabased Meta Financial Group Inc, said in an emailed statement yesterday that the cards police say were involved in the Dubai killing were issued through employee payment program, not through one of its retail bank branches. Funds were then loaded onto those cards by outside companies “using direct deposit for payroll, disbursements, and other compensation”, the bank said. MetaBank said it had been informed that suspects in the killing “apparently used stolen identities... to obtain employment/compensation from US companies and acquire bank cards issued by Meta and other banks.” MetaBank has launched an internal review of compliance with bank and regulatory requirements, and said it has found no signs of wrongdoing. It said the names of the people taking out the cards were not on a prohibited user watch list maintained by the US Treasury Dept’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. “Standardized steps were taken in accordance with applicable regulations and industry standards to validate cardholder identities prior to card issuance,” the bank said. “The individuals named were not on the OFAC list, and no other readily apparent method existed for Meta to determine that identity theft had been perpetrated on valid governments and their citizens.” MetaBank spokeswoman Lisa Binder said she did not know which companies loaded funds onto the cards, and declined to comment beyond what was in the statement. Dubai police claim some of the hit
team used credit cards obtained with fraudulent passports to pay for plane tickets and Dubai hotels. Dubai police linked many of the cards to MetaBank and its partner Payoneer. Payoneer provides prepaid MasterCards issued by MetaBank and other lenders. The company is based in New York and has a research and development center in Tel Aviv, raising suspicions of Israeli involvement in the killing. Payoneer is headed by Yuval Tal, who in a 2006 Fox News interview was identified as a former member of the Israeli special forces. Payoneer has said it was cooperating with authorities but has declined further comment. It has not made Tal available to discuss the company’s involvement. Separately, Abu Dhabi has signed a nine million dollar deal to upgrade its system of surveillance cameras after video footage helped Dubai shed light on the murder of Mabhouh a government-owned daily said yesterday. Under the agreement, US company ICx Technologies will install a network of surveillance towers around Abu Dhabi, the National newspaper quoted Ishaq Al-Beshir, director of operations for the Critical National Infrastructure Authority, as saying. The towers “will be equipped with radar-enabled cameras linked to a central communications system,” it added. Installation of the new cameras will begin in April and take eight months. Dubai’s extensive network of surveillance cameras allowed it to identify 27 suspects in the killing of Mabhouh. Beshir said Abu Dhabi would also install thermal imaging cameras along the coast. These cameras can track ships up to 15 km offshore, and will “detect a threat before it could enter the target area,” The National said. The deal for the coastal cameras, which will cost $1.2 million, was made with Abu Dhabi-based International Golden Group, the newspaper said. Because of Dubai’s 10,000 surveillance cameras, “we have 648 hours of video of the 27 suspects,” the Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper quoted Khalfan as saying yesterday. — Agencies
were etched into the walls to help ease the queen’s passage into the afterlife. Ancient Egyptians believed that the souls of royalty could fly to heaven, or alternatively use stairs, ramps and ladders with the help of religious spells. Such engraved spells, known as Pyramids Texts, were common in royal tombs during the 5th and 6th Dynasties, Hawass said. One side of the sarcophagus bore the hieroglyphic inscription ‘the king’s wife and beloved.’ Strips of linen bands, used to wrap Behenu’s mummy, were also found, the statement said. Galal Muawwad, an antiquities inspector who worked with the French team, stressed that the sarcophagus was a ‘very rare’ find. ‘Its rarity comes from the fact that the main body is pink while the lid is in black basalt. This is very rare,’ he said, without dismissing the possibility that the lid came from another sarcophagus. — Agencies
SAQQARA, Egypt: This undated photo released yesterday shows part of the unearthed burial chamber with well preserved religious texts for the more than 4,000year-old Queen Behenu from Egypt’s Old Kingdom at an ancient burial site. — AP
Mideast women win more rights Kuwait shows major gains CAIRO: Women in Kuwait and the Middle East have broken down some educational barriers, secured a bigger economic role and won other rights in the past five years but still suffer great inequalities, a study showed. Fifteen of 18 countries in the poll recorded gains in women’s rights in the period, notably in Kuwait, Algeria and Jordan, United States-based group Freedom House said. Only in Yemen, Iraq and the Palestinian areas - as a result of either internal conflict or what the study described as rising religious extremism did women’s rights decline over the past five years, the study “Women’s Rights in the Middle East and North Africa: Progress and Resistance” said. Among the milestones, it cited Kuwait’s 2005 decision to give women the right to vote and run for parliament and the same
year Algeria banned proxy marriages and recognized the parental authority of custodial mothers. It said women’s literacy rates continued to rise in the region and, in some countries, women were now more likely than men to attend university. “There are more women entrepreneurs, more women doctors, more women PhDs and more women in universities, than ever before,” said Freedom House executive director Jennifer Windsor in a statement commenting on the study. Windsor noted that women’s career path in the region was complicated still by their legal status. For example, in Saudi Arabia women were allowed to earn law degrees but not to appear in court on behalf of their clients, she said. “These same women are subject to abuse at home, lack child guardianship rights, and are
legally compelled to obey their husbands,” she said of the situation in Saudi Arabia. Violence against women and impunity in spousal abuse remained widespread, the study said. No country covered explicitly prohibited spousal rape and only Tunisia and Jordan offer specific protections against domestic violence, it said. “When courts are incapable of upholding basic legal rights in the face of political and societal pressures, those guilty of spousal abuse, gender-based discrimination, or even murder, often walk free,” said Sanja Kelly, who directed the study. Christopher Walker, director studies at Freedom House, said Israel was not included in the study. The Washingtonbased non-governmental organization has promoted democracy around the world since 1941. — Agencies
MPs angered over Cabinet no-show Continued from Page 1 Al-Barrak, Hassan Jowhar, Saifi AlSaifi and Khaled Al-Tahous calls to add a new article to the Assembly’s internal charter explicitly stating that Assembly sessions can be held without the presence of any minister. The MPs argued that neither the Kuwaiti constitution or any other law including the internal charter of the Assembly states that the presence of ministers is necessary to make Assembly sessions legal, although it had been a long practice since the commencement of parliament in Kuwait in 1962. The MPs added that the internal charter has three preconditions for holding the Assembly session: that it must be held at a defined time, a specific place and when the necessary quorum is achieved. They insisted that the internal charter does not state anywhere that the presence of Cabinet ministers is a precondition for the legitimacy of the Assembly sessions. The lawmakers also said that they submitted the bill in order to make it absolutely clear and explicit that the presence of ministers in Assembly sessions is not necessary to make them legal. They demanded that the
bill be debated on urgent basis. MP Tahous said the bill was submitted after the government boycotted yesterday’s session because it objected to a draft law stipulating better pay and benefits for experts at the ministry of justice. After starting the session in the morning, acting speaker Abdullah Al-Roumi was forced to adjourn the session permanently when there was no minister in the chamber. Tahous said that the Assembly should urgently discuss and approve the draft law for the government to realize that the assembly is not weak and that the government should not attend the session when it wishes and boycotts whenever it wants. He said the legal and legislative committee will discuss the bill next week so it will be ready for Assembly debate in the next regular session on March 16 and 17. MP Barrak said the government boycott of the Assembly session was humiliating to MPs who should study and approve the bill. Meanwhile, eight liberal MPs yesterday expressed support for the grilling against Information Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah but added that they will make their final decision on
a possible no-confidence vote only after the debate of the grilling. The eight MPs Ali Al-Rashed, Aseel Al-Awadhi, Abdullah Al-Roumi, Adel Al-Saraawi, Marzouk AlGhanem, Abdulrahman Al-Anjari, Saleh Al-Mulla and Salwa Al-Jassar, said the minister deserved to be grilled for failing to curb “irresponsible behaviour and practices by certain media outlets”. They strongly criticized some media for frequently inciting sectarian, racial and tribal tensions, thus threatening national unity. The MPs however stressed that the solution is not through oppressive measures against the media but to the contrary by expanding freedom and applying the law at the same time. On his part, State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Roudhan Al-Roudhan said the government totally backs the information minister who was ready to face the grilling on Tuesday but the government asked him to delay for two weeks. Roudhan said the government decided to request the delay in order to study the situation, but he stressed that backing the grilling should not be understood as a support for a possible no-confidence motion.
League okays ‘last’ indirect Mideast talks Continued from Page 1 “It seems the conditions are ripening for a renewal of talks between us and the Palestinians,” he told MPs. “In general, the world understands that this government is on the path to negotiations and has taken difficult steps to advance the negotiations,” he said. The Arab ministers said the talks should be based on the principles of a 2002 Arab peace initiative, which calls for full normalisation with Israel in exchange for a complete withdrawal by Israel from Arab land, the creation of a Palestinian state and an “equitable” solution for Palestinian refugees. They stressed that any direct negotiations could only take place if there is a “complete halt of settlement activity on all occupied land, including Jerusalem”. “US-proposed indirect talks will not bear fruit if Israeli violations continue, which
would lead to the failure of talks,” they said. There has been no let-up in Israeli settlement construction outside the limited 10-month moratorium Netanyahu announced in November. On Friday, Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the government had given the green light for 600 new homes in a Jewish settlement in east Jerusalem, drawing US criticism. Gaza’s Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniya, said the Hamas government “would not give any ... permission to return to negotiations, whether it is direct or indirect, considering what is happening in ... Jerusalem and Hebron.” Last week, Israel placed two West Bank shrines, including one in Hebron, on a list of national heritage sites, enraging Palestinians, who claim the West Bank for a future state and see the move as an attempt by Israel to cement its presence
there. Hamas also slammed the Arab endorsement of indirect negotiations as a figleaf to cover a retreat by Abbas on his demand for a freeze on settlement expansion. “The excuse given by Abbas that there is an Arab agreement to resume negotiations according to the American vision is a cover for him to climb down from the tree and into a maze of compromise,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told AFP. Syria, a staunch opponent of Israel, said the Arab League decision was not agreed by consensus and it appeared aimed at giving “political cover” for a Palestinian decision already taken. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem, whose government is a major supporter of Hamas, also said that the endorsement of indirect talks was outside their mandate. “The decision to go to indirect or direct talks is a Palestinian decision,” said Muallem. — Agencies
Madrid smashes infected global ‘zombie’ network Continued from Page 1 The authorities believe the suspected ringleader of the operation and his two alleged partners earned a living by renting out the botnet computer network they created to third parties who used them for criminal purposes. “We were lucky that this network was in the hands of someone who was not conscious of the (full) extent of its potential for crime,” lead investigator Juan Salom said. Police are looking for a fourth suspect who might be Venezuelan, he added. While the authorities have dismantled major zombie computer networks in the past, arrests of
the masterminds of such networks are rare. Police found personal data from more than 800,000 computer users on the PC belonging to the 31-year-old suspected ringleader of the operation that was taken from his home in Spain’s northern Basque region. They described him as a “petty criminal” who lived “modestly” from his hacking activities. His two alleged partners, aged 30 and 25, are from Murcia in southeastern Spain and Galicia in the northwest. The Mariposa network they created, named after the Spanish word for butterfly, was first detected in May 2009 by Defence Intelligence which then alerted the FBI.
“Our preliminary analysis indicates that the botmasters did not have advanced hacking skills,” said Pedro Bustamante, a senior research advisor at Panda Security. “This is very alarming because it proves how sophisticated and effective malware distribution software has become, empowering relatively unskilled cyber criminals to inflict major damage and financial loss.” Malware is the software designed to infiltrate computers without the owners’ knowledge. Shortly before the network was shut down, Defence Intelligence suffered a cyber attack which Spanish police believe was retaliation carried out by the creators of the Mariposa network. — AFP
SPORTS
Thursday, March 4, 2010
15
NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Tuesday. Montreal 4, Boston 1; Carolina 5, Toronto 1; NY Islanders 5, Chicago 3; Atlanta 4, Florida 2; Vancouver 4, Columbus 3 (OT); NY Rangers 4, Ottawa 1; Pittsburgh 3, Buffalo 2; Philadelphia 7, Tampa Bay 2; Nashville 4, Edmonton 3; Los Angeles 5, Dallas 1; St. Louis 5, Phoenix 2; New Jersey 4, San Jose 3. Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L OTL GF GA PTS New Jersey 38 21 3 166 147 79 Pittsburgh 37 22 4 198 181 78 Philadelphia 33 25 3 186 162 69 NY Rangers 29 27 7 165 170 65 NY Islanders 26 29 8 164 197 60 Ottawa Buffalo Montreal Boston Toronto
Northeast 36 24 33 19 30 28 27 23 19 32
Division 4 179 9 168 6 168 11 150 11 163
183 155 177 158 213
76 75 66 65 49
Washington Atlanta Tampa Bay Florida Carolina
Southeast 41 13 27 24 26 25 24 28 25 30
Division 8 247 10 186 11 162 10 157 7 173
177 196 189 181 195
90 64 63 58 57
Western Conference Central Division Chicago 41 16 5 202 151 Nashville 34 23 5 174 176 Detroit 29 21 12 162 166 St. Louis 29 25 9 168 174 Columbus 25 28 11 169 207
87 73 70 67 61
Vancouver Colorado Calgary Minnesota Edmonton
Northwest 38 22 35 21 30 23 30 27 19 37
Division 2 198 6 180 9 156 4 171 6 156
155 161 156 178 215
78 76 69 64 44
Pacific Division San Jose 40 14 9 207 157 89 Los Angeles 38 20 4 190 167 80 Phoenix 37 22 5 169 163 79 Dallas 28 22 12 176 191 68 Anaheim 30 25 7 177 189 67 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in the standings and are not included in the loss column (L)
GLENDALE: Brad Winchester No.15 of the St. Louis Blues skates with the puck past Martin Hanzal No.11 of the Phoenix Coyotes during the third period of the NHL game.—AFP
Penguins get past Sabres, Kings march on PITTSBURGH: Ruslan Fedotenko had a goal and an assist and Sidney Crosby — in his first game since winning the Olympics for Canada — set up Sergei Gonchar’s 200th career goal to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins past the Buffalo Sabres 3-2 on Tuesday. Crosby, playing two days after beating United States goalie Ryan Miller for the game-winning overtime goal for Canada in Vancouver. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff chose to start backup goalie Patrick Lalime and rested Miller for the game. The pro-Olympic buzz created by the memorable Canada-US game was evidenced by the standing ovations given Miller and Crosby during pregame introductions.
Kings 5, Stars 1
Rangers 4, Senators 1 At Ottawa, Ryan Callahan had two goals as the New York Rangers scored three times within 2:02 late in the second period of a victory over Ottawa. Callahan, a member of the US Olympic team that won the silver medal, scored 22 seconds into the second to tie it at 2. He added his second of the game during New York’s three-goal outburst late in the middle period, which chased Ottawa’s Brian Elliott from the net. Henrik Lundqvist made 24 saves for New York, which has won three in a row. Milan Michalek scored his 21st for Ottawa, which entered the break in first place in the Northeast Division.
Canadiens 4, Bruins 1
At Dallas, Alexander Frolov had a goal and two assists, and Jonathan Quick stopped 31 shots as Los Angeles downed Dallas. Quick allowed only a power-play goal and improved to 11-1 in his last 12 games, setting a Kings record with his 36th win of the season. Marty Turco had 17 saves in his 500th game for the Stars.
At Boston, Glen Metropolit tied the game early in the third period, and Maxim Lapierre scored the go-ahead goal for Montreal as the Canadiens scored four times in the final period to beat Boston. Mathieu Darche had a goal and an assist for Montreal, scoring to make it 3-1 with 2:30 left. Carey Price stopped 23 shots for
the Canadiens, who had lost three of four before the Olympic break. Tuukka Rask made 28 saves for Boston, which had won four straight before the Olympics.
Islanders 5, Blackhawks 3 At Uniondale, New York, Blake Comeau had his first career hat trick and sparked a four-goal, second-period rally to lift the New York Islanders over Chicago. Comeau, Jon Sim and Richard Park scored three goals in a 4:39 stretch in the second, helping the Islanders win for the just the third time in 12 games. US Olympian Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists. Brian Campbell and Dustin Byfuglien also scored, but the Blackhawks lost for the first time in five games. Dwayne Roloson made 41 saves in his first win since Jan. 21.
Thrashers 4, Panthers 2 At Atlanta, Rich Peverley scored and added an assist to reach 100 career points, and Johan Hedberg made 34 saves as Atlanta defeated Florida. Colby Armstrong, Todd White and Pavel
Kubina also scored for Atlanta, which returned from the Olympic break just outside a playoff spot in the NHL’s Eastern Conference. Stephen Weiss scored for Florida and David Booth, who missed 45 games with a concussion, had his first goal since Oct. 24 and had an assist. Backup goaltender Scott Clemmensen made his first start time since Dec. 27 and made 35 saves.
shots as Carolina beat Toronto. Tuomo Ruutu, Brandon Sutter, Jussi Jokinen and Sergei Samsonov also scored for the Hurricanes, and Joni Pitkanen had two assists. LaRose returned to the lineup after missing the previous seven games before the break due to injury, and Peters was making just his third NHL start.
Canucks 4, Blue Jackets 3
At Tampa, Florida, Mike Richards had a goal and three assists as Philadelphia used a five-goal third period to beat Tampa Bay for its fifth straight win. Simon Gagne scored two power-play goals, Claude Giroux had a man-advantage goal, Jeff Carter contributed a short-handed goal and James Van Riemsdyk added an even-strength goal in the third. Dan Carcillo also scored for the Flyers. Steven Stamkos had two goals to set a Tampa Bay record by extending his points streak to 14 games.
At Columbus, Ohio, defenseman Christian Ehrhoff scored 1:33 into overtime as Vancouver rallied to beat Columbus. Kyle Wellwood scored the tying goal, his eighth, with 5:19 left in regulation. Alexandre Burrows and Pavol Demitra also found the net for Vancouver. Andrew Raycroft finished with 27 saves, filling in for Roberto Luongo, who won an Olympic gold medal with the Canadian team. Andrew Murray, Antoine Vermette and Derek Dorsett scored for Columbus.
Hurricanes 5, Maple Leafs 1 At Toronto, Chad LaRose had a goal and two assists, and Justin Peters stopped 32
Flyers 7, Lightning 2
Predators 4, Oilers 3 At Nashville, Tennessee, Jason Arnott scored the tiebreaking goal 5:02 into the third period to lift Nashville over Edmonton.
round of the MERC, but has the pace and experience to challenge for honours in his QMMF-backed Subaru Impreza N15. “This is my big chance to take a first rally win at this level,” said Al-Marri. “I need to be clever and not take risks, but I know I will have to push hard at good times to have a chance of the win.” Sheikh Khalid Al-Qassimi entered the series at the 11th hour and is perhaps the favourite to take his seventh regional rally victory with Ulster co-driver Michael Orr in his new Ford Fiesta S2000. The Abu Dhabi driver set several fastest stage times in Qatar in January and overcame early teething problems with the new Ford to show its potential in a desert rallying environment. The Emirati starts at two, ahead of Saudi Arabia’s Yazeed AlRajhi - the winner of the Kuwait Rally when it ran as a candidate event in 2008. Al-Rajhi failed to finish the recent Qatar round of the series in his Peugeot 207 S2000, but arrived in Kuwait fresh from taking a superb victory in the Saudi Arabian Ha’il Baja with an ex-factory Mitsubishi Lancer. The fourth of the expected pacesetters is Rashid Al-Ketbi. The Emirati and co-driver Khaled Al-Kendi proved in Dubai last December that their new Skoda Fabia S2000 has the pace to win stages and Al-Ketbi will be looking for his first ever MERC victory to rekindle his championship challenge. Sheikh Abdullah Al-Qassimi is a multiple regional Group N champion and won one round of the series in Abu Dhabi in 2000. The
Sharjah driver failed to finish in Qatar recently and needs points on the board if he is to challenge for the title this season. Veteran Michel Saleh won the Kuwait Rally with Tony Samia way back in 1984 with a Toyota Celica GT and the Lebanese driver has tackled more rounds of the series than any other driver. He retains a competitive pace and an infectious enthusiasm for the sport and will be pushing for the top five again this weekend. There are 10 Kuwaiti drivers on the entry list, headed by the eighth-seeded Mufeed Mubarak with his new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Mubarak lies sixth in the regional series after round one and will be determined to add to his points’ tally at home. Sandwiched between Mubarak and Kuwait’s second major challenger, Meshari Al-Thafiri, is the rejuvenated Sheikh Hamed Bin Eid Al-Thani. The Qatari won the regional title back in 1993, but a stunning podium finish on his home round in Doha in January has given Sheikh Hamed an unlikely third in the championship after round one. Al-Thafiri finished runner-up in last year’s Pirelli Star Driver competition in the Middle East region and will be looking to build upon that success this weekend. Other Kuwaiti drivers on the entry list include Saleh Bin Eidan - who returns to international motor sport after serious injury Meshal Al-Nejadi and Essam AlNejadi in a pair of Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IXs, Abdullah Al-Hajri at the wheel of a Subaru Impreza and Elie Chichati in a
Blues 5, Coyotes 2 At Glendale, Arizona, Andy McDonald scored his team-leading 20th goal and T.J. Oshie added a goal and an assist to help St. Louis beat Phoenix for their fourth straight win. David Backes had a goal and an assist, and Jay McClement also scored for the Blues. Joel Perrault scored his first goal and Matthew Lombardi also had a goal for the Coyotes.
Devils 4, Sharks 3 At San Jose, California, Ilya Kovalchuk scored a power-play goal against Olympic teammate Evgeni Nabokov to cap New Jersey win over San Jose. Dainius Zubrus and Mark Fraser scored goals 35 seconds apart earlier in the second period against Nabokov, who played his first game since allowing six goals in less than two periods in Russia’s 7-3 loss to Canada in the quarterfinals of the Olympics. —AP
All eyes turn to ‘value for money’ at London 2012
Thirty teams set to tackle Kuwait International Rally KUWAIT: Thirty of the leading rally teams in the Middle East will provisionally line-up at the start of the 2010 Kuwait International Rally, round two of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship (MERC), today afternoon. With the exception of defending regional champion, Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah - who is taking part in the Rally Mexico this weekend - all the serious contenders for the 2010 regional title will tackle the three-day desert rally, which gets underway with a ceremonial start at the Kuwait Towers in Kuwait City from 15.00 hrs today afternoon. The Kuwait Motor Sports Club (KMSC) will run 14 timed special stages under the patronage of His Excellency the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlAhmad Al-Sabah and under the presidency of Sheikh Ahmad AlDawood Al-Sabah, President of the KMSC and chairman of the organising committee. Clerk of the course Walid Mihyar has introduced several new stages and modified sections of other routes through the Kuwait desert. The competitive distance will total 252.24km in a total route of 816.17km and the stage action gets underway from 15.30hrs today afternoon with a 3.5km super special stage. Qatar’s Misfer Al-Marri and Italian co-driver Nicola Arena will lead the 30-car field into the second Kuwait round of the regional series to be held since the event returned to the championship last season after an absence of 13 years. Al-Marri has never won a
Colin Wilson, Denis Grebeshkov and Shea Weber also scored for Nashville. Mike Comrie, Gilbert Brule, and Marc Pouliot scored for Edmonton.
KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Mufeed Mubarak is one of the leading runners from a strong local entry for round two of the FIA Middle East Rally Championship.
KUWAIT: Saudi Arabiaís Yazeed Al-Rajhi will be bidding for a second victory in the Kuwait International Rally this weekend. Mitsubishi. The local contingent is completed by Fahad Askanani (Mitsubishi), Mubarak Al-Thafiri (Mitsubishi) and Dawood AlGharabally (Mitsubishi). Qatar drivers also feature strongly further down the entry list: Mubarak Al-Hajri, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Jaber Al-Marri will be chasing championship points and Khalid Al-Suwaidi will be looking to put his Qatar Rally disappointment behind him. Other
Qatari entrants include Mohammed Al-Mannai, Abdullah Al-Rabban and Mohammed AlMarri. In the absence of Amjad Farrah, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is represented by Faris Hijazi, Mazen Tantash, female driver Abir Al-Batikhi and Hani AlBast, while Saudi Arabia’s Ahmed Al-Sabban and Palestine’s Rami Jaber (Fiat Stilo) complete the provisional starting line-up. “We would like to welcome all
our officials and competitors to Jahra for the start of the 2010 Kuwait International Rally,” said Sheikh Ahmad Al-Dawood AlSabah, President of the KMSC and chairman of the organising committee. “Our team has put together a challenging route and a revised format and we have been rewarded with a superb international entry. We wish everyone a safe and successful weekend’s motor sport.”
LONDON: Organisers of the 2012 Olympics will be hoping to emulate the street-party atmosphere of Vancouver now that the curtain has come down on the Winter Games and all eyes turn to London. London organisers have always promised a “compact and atmospheric” Summer Games, largely as an antidote to the glitz of Beijing which is estimated to have spent 40 billion pounds ($59.58 billion) on staging the 2008 Olympics. London also pledged it would provide efficiency, with the added commitment of delivering a legacy which would avoid the white elephants of some previous Games such as Athens. It has been efficient with its 9.3-billion-pound budget- rather in the vein of 1948, the last time London staged the Olympics, when economic hardship resulted in the so-called austerity Games. The current economic downturn has again forced belt-tightening, with some planned new, temporary sites, such as the fencing and badminton arenas, being scrapped in favour of existing ones. Regeneration of a once deprived part of east London is under way, with improved transport links, new housing and the prospect of high-tech businesses moving in to what will become Britain’s largest urban park for more than 100 years. “Each Olympics is distinctive for different reasons, and I think that despite the amount of money being spent on London, there is a return to normality, looking for value for money and making sure there is a tangible legacy,” Simon Chadwick, professor of sport busi-
ness strategy and marketing at Coventry University Business School, told Reuters. Any hopes that London would be “a back to reality” Games may be exaggerated partly because London has a global reputation it cannot afford to jeopardise, but mainly because the Olympics have become so commercial. London is “on budget and on time”, according to organisers, but the cost is about three times the original estimate. The economic downturn scuppered its private and public partnership plans for two of the park’s biggest projects, the Olympic Village and media centre, forcing the taxpayer to step in. Experts say the security budget of 600 million pounds, the same as Vancouver, is hopelessly optimistic given that Britain will be a much bigger target for potential attackers after its support of US military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Other financial risks lie ahead, including a potential shortfall in the estimated sales revenue of the Olympic Village after the Games. Despite London’s legacy promises, some lawmakers fear a lack of stadium tenants after the Games will result in venues lying empty at a cost of 276 million pounds, and fears are mounting that regeneration will just result in gentrification, with affluent residents moving in and pushing locals out. Moves to safeguard company trademarks and stamp out ambush marketing, to preserve the monopoly of official advertisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) logo, are raising concerns among civil liberty groups.—-Reuters
SPORTS
16
Thursday, March 4, 2010
West Indies look to put Zimbabweans in their place GEORGETOWN: Sunday’s result in the Twenty20 International between West Indies and Zimbabwe have raised the stakes in the One-day International series between the two sides which opens today at the Guyana National Stadium. Zimbabwe, choosing to bat, dragged themselves back from no runs for three wickets to complete a stunning, 26-run victory over West Indies in Trinidad. The Zimbabweans used a slew of spin bowlers to exploit the hard, slow Queen’s Park Oval pitch which offered generous turn to upset West
Indies, as they chased a modest target of 106 from their allocation of 20 overs. It was a wake-up call for the home team, and gave their new coach Ottis Gibson a wake up call as to the size of the challenge that he faces to restore West Indies battered image. Zimbabwe have made it clear that they plan to put a lot of faith in their spin bowlers for the five ODIs that the two sides will contest here and in St. Vincent, since the conditions are likely to be similar. This means the home team will have to brace themselves for a battle
with the likes of Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya and his off-spinners, along with left-arm spinner Ray Price, and leg-spinner Graeme Cremer, as well as the occasional offspin of Greg Lamb, Stuart Matsikenyeri, and even Brendan Taylor. But the visitors should be aware that the West Indies too, have spin bowling options led by Sulieman Benn, whose four wickets flattened their top-order batting, fellow leftarm spinner Nikita Miler, as well as the part-time off-spin of West Indies captain Chris Gayle and Narsingh
Deonarine. So the series will ultimately be decided upon the backs of which side manages its batting resources better - and neither side proved they were head and shoulders above the other in Sunday’s T20I, despite West Indies’ meltdown. The 50 overs-a-side format offers batsmen on both sides a chance to settle down, and build an innings, rather than the crash, bang, wallop of the T20. Zimbabwe have a number of batsmen that have scaled the heights previously, including Charles
Coventry, whose 194 was overhauled by Sachin Tendulkar last week as the highest individual innings in ODIs. Others like Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, Matsikenyeri, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu, and Taylor have all had their moments in the sun in the past, and will have to step-up. Gayle’s return, following compassionate leave to visit his ill mother in Jamaica, should fortify West Indies’ batting, so too, the addition of Deonarine, whose batting on the recent travels to
Australia promised much. Zimbabwe have never beaten West Indies in a bilateral ODI series, and the past results are heavily skewered in favour of the home team which has won 27 of the 36 matches they have contested. This includes an 82-run triumph at Bourda Oval, the previous international venue in Guyana, four years ago. But there is cause for optimism from Zimbabwe, since West Indies have lost two of the three ODIs they have contested at the new venue. Squads: West Indies (from): Chris Gayle
(captain), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Andre Fletcher, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Dwayne Smith Zimbabwe (from): Prosper Utseya (captain), Hamilton Masakadza (vicecaptain), Elton Chigumbura, Charles Coventry, Graeme Cremer, Kyle Jarvis, Greg Lamb, Tim Maruma, Shingirai Masakadza, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Chris Mpofu, Ray Price, Vusimuzi Sibanda, Tatenda Taibu, Brendan Taylor. —AFP
Pakistan mark one year since Sri Lanka attacks
KFH receives the winners trophy
KFH lifts BKME cricket trophy KUWAIT: Irfan Bhatti and Faraz batted magnificently to give KFH second trophy of the season when KFH beat Boubyan Bank by nine wickets in the finals of the prestigious BKME Cricket Trophy sponsored by BKME and organized by KOC Cricket Committee at KOC’s Ahmadi Cricket Ground. KFH captain Fazal’s decision to put Boubyan Bank into bat after winning the toss proved to be wrong as Khawar and Faraz scored freely taking the Boubyan total to 62 off 10 overs. Boubyan then lost three quick wickets. First Khawar was caught off Arif for 28 scored with a six and two fours, Faraaz was caught off Fazal for 33 which had three boundaries and Qader was bowled by Zahid for 6. Mazhar scored quick 24 runs with one six and two fours, Akber (18) and Mateen (17) batted sensibly to post a defendable
total of 147 runs off the 20 overs. Fazal took 3 for 32 and Irfan took 2 for 34. Arif and Zahid claimed one wicket each. Irfan Bhatti & Zahid opened KFH innings with Irfan doing most of the scoring. Zahid was out cheaply caught off Riaz for 10. But thereafter, Irfan Bhatti and Faraz delighted everyone with dazzling display of strokefull batting. Irfan’s unbeaten innings of 83 contained nine sixes and three boundaries while a subdued Faraz had three sixes and two boundaries in his unbeaten 43 runs. KFH romped home with 7 overs to spare. Fazalur Rahman, captain of KFH received the winner’s cup and Faraaz, captain of Boubyan Bank received the runners up cup from Mahmood Bastaki and Capt. Mohammad Al-Basry of KOC. Iqbal Vanoo, GS KOC CC thanked the management of BKME for sponsoring BKME
Trophy for almost over a decade and gave a very emotional farewell to BKME Cricket Trophy which was held for the last time as BKME will soon be an Islamic Bank under a new name. Mahmood Bastaki of BKME was presented a memento by Capt. Mohammad Al-Basry of KOC for not only for sponsoring the BKME trophy but for also promoting cricket amongst the banks as Vice Chairman of KBC. Mahmood Bastaki thanked all banks for participating in their trophy and assured continued support for cricket in the coming season too. Waleed AlYaquot, GM Admin. And Qutayba Al-Bassam, Manager PR & A of Boubyan were other guests. Mohd. Arif, Arshad Mahmood of bank’s league coordination committee were also present. Mahmood Rashid and Mohd. Idrees were the officiating umpires.
KUWAIT: Finalists with guests and sponsors
Star primed for Tank battle in Gold Cup DITCHEAT: Kauto Star is a big softie, Denman is a brute who would bite your hand off. They live side by side in equine luxury and are best pals who spend their summers together. Both are brilliant racehorses but for around six minutes and 45 seconds at Cheltenham racecourse on March 19 the pair will become fierce rivals again in an eagerly-anticipated Gold Cup showdown being billed in some quarters as “Clash of the Titans”. The score stands at 1-1 between them. Kauto Star won British jump racing’s blue-riband event in 2007 and 2009. Denman, nicknamed “The Tank”, dethroned the champion in 2008 when Kauto Star was second but the places were reversed last year when Kauto Star became the first horse to regain the crown. He is hot favourite again to claim a third success. Both are trained by Paul Nicholls in the small Somerset village of Ditcheat, where the tranquil surroundings of the English countryside house an all-conquering stable that turns out a production line of equine talent. Nicholls, 47, is a former jump jockey who has
trained at Manor Farm stables since 1991. He enjoyed his first Gold Cup triumph in 1999 and has been champion trainer for the last four seasons. Pride of place at Manor Farm goes to Kauto Star who, as befitting his status as one of the greatest chasers the sport has known, occupies the first box as you enter the stables. Next door lives Denman, a muscular, chestnut powerhouse. “They are different types of horses,” Nicholls told Reuters. “Kauto doesn’t need as much work as Denman. Denman is a bit of a brute...he’d sort of kill you if you look at him over the box...he’d snap your hand off. “Kauto is the complete opposite...a bit of a softie. But they are good pals together. They spend their summers together and probably spend most of their time together really.” Kauto Star is bidding to join an elite group who have won the Gold Cup at least three times. Cottage Rake (1948-1950), Arkle (1964-66) and Best Mate (2002-04) did so but Golden Miller, who won the Gold Cup for five successive years from 1932, remains the most successful horse in the event. —Reuters
LAHORE: Pakistan yesterday marked the first anniversary of a deadly attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team, striving to revive the game in the cricket-mad nation and forge a path out of isolation. Seven Sri Lankan players and their assistant coach were injured and eight Pakistanis killed when attackers on foot opened fire and hurled grenades at the cricketers’ bus en route to the Gaddafi Stadium in the eastern city of Lahore. The militants escaped, the second Test was abandoned and the Sri Lankan team flown home as condemnation poured in and the Al-Qaeda-linked menace in Pakistan was again flung under the spotlight. Lahore police chief Pervez Rathor told private TV channel Express that, one year later, two presumed attackers had been charged, one killed in a shootout and five were on the run. Pakistan blamed the assault on the Taliban and the attack ended any hopes of hosting international matches in the immediate future. Pakistan had already been a virtual no-go zone for foreign teams since the September 11, 2001 attacks, which put the nucleararmed country on the frontline of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan and the war against Al-Qaeda. The Sri Lankan team were in Pakistan as a replacement for India, which cancelled a tour after the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, blamed on Pakistani militants. On Wednesday, police and the law minister of Punjab province, Rana Sanaullah, laid wreaths at the scene of the attack in Liberty Square, saluting six police and two civilians who were killed and watched by tearful relatives. “We are here to remember the sacrifices given by our brave policemen. The whole nation is proud of them,” said Sanaullah. “Terrorists want to destroy peace in Pakistan,” he added. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and players also marked the sombre anniversary. Board officials joined by cricket fans laid floral tributes to the victims at the scene of attack and observed a minute’s silence. “We pause to remember the victims, to grieve with the families and friends of those who died, and to honour the heroes of that day who sacrificed their lives to save others,” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said in a statement. “Even though a year has passed, it has not erased the shock, horror and pain that we all felt on that day.” PCB chief operating officer Waseem Bari said the International Cricket Council (ICC) had formed a special task force to help Pakistan revive its reputation in the face of Islamist attacks. “Cricket is the lifeline of Pakistan and we want to expand it,” he said. A month after the March 3, 2009 attacks, the ICC stripped Pakistan of the 14 matches it had been scheduled to host for the 2011 World Cup. Butt has said Pakistan lost at least 40 million dollars over India’s tour cancellation and feared an annual 70-million-dollar loss in television rights if teams continued to refuse tours. “We hope that as ground realities change, things will improve and international cricket will be revived in Pakistan,” Bari told AFP. More than 1,130 people have died in suicide and bomb attacks across Pakistan since the Sri Lankan assault, bringing to more than 3,000 the number to have died in an Al-Qaeda and Talibanlinked campaign since July 2007. “Pakistan is suffering its impact not only in cricket but also in other sports as we have not been able to host any international sporting event,” said former captain Ramiz Raja, a commentator during the ill-fated Sri Lanka Test. Over the last year, Pakistan have been forced to play their home series in United Arab Emirates and New Zealand. —AFP
Victorious Pakistan XI team
Pakistan XI lift Multi-Nations trophy KUWAIT: The Multi-Nations trophy organized by KVCC under the auspices of Ambassador of India Ajay Malhotra provided exciting cricket festival celebrating National and Liberation holidays. Teams participated were Pakistan, India, Kuwaiti Nationals Team, and KOTC a last minute replacement for UAE National Team.
Kuwaiti national team clinch Silver Plate Pakistan XI edged the Indian XI in a pulsating final winning in the last over by 3 runs. No doubt the talk of the day were Kuwaiti National Team, an exceptional team led by an all rounder evergreen captain Taher Bastaki. After losing the first match against a strong Pakistan line-up the skipper gathered his players boosting their morale and they were all keen to give their best performance against KOTC. Winning the toss skipper Bastaki opted to field being confident of his brilliant team in the fielding department, KOTC opened with Melwyn and Harish. Harish was aggressive till Mahmud Abdullah better known as Abu Nader, Kuwait wicketkeeper attempted for a hard catch edging his gloves only to find Tariq Razooki in the second slip taking a diving catch. Meiwyn soon was victim of another low diving catch by Fahad Bastaki a promising future star. At this stage Fahim steadied the innings of KOTC with the board reading 58 runs in the 12th over. Abdul Rahman Dashti took another diving catch of Raj Captain KOTC but the blow came when already well settled Fahim was caught in another diving action in the slips by Tariq Razooki this action was highly applauded by spectators and KOTC team members. Catches Wins Matches was applied in the game for the Kuwaitis. The fielding skills of the Kuwaitis was a treat to watch containing KOTC to 95 runs. Skipper Bastaki changed the batting line-up sending Abu Nader and Marwan both batsman put a decent score 58 for no loss when Abu Nader departed then Fahad Bastaki finished the task along with his unbeaten partner Ahmed . Te Ambassador Ajay Malhotra was highly impressed to see Kuwaiti Nationals brilliant performance and in his speech thanked KVCC Chairman Taher Bastaki and Vice Chairman Mahmoud Abdullah for inviting him at this great event to celebrate the Kuwait’s National Day. Faleh Al Ajmi ex-KOC Cricket Committee Chairman
Kuwait XI team
Indian XI team
KOTC XI team spoke highly about the game of cricket being a gentleman’s game and further emphasized that cricket plays
a great role in bringing all the communities of the country together. Indian Ambassador Ajay
Malhotra and Faleh Al Ajmi gave away the prizes, trophies and plaques to all participating teams.
SPORTS
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Dutch flair ground high-flying Kiwis
LOS ANGELES: Lakers center Andrew Bynum dunks during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers.—AP
Wade, Heat escape to defeat Warriors
MIAMI: Dwyane Wade had 35 points and 12 assists as the Miami Heat snapped a four-game slide by digging deep late to beat the undermanned Golden State Warriors 110-106 on Tuesday. Quentin Richardson scored 15, including two big 3-pointers in the final minutes, for the Heat. Michael Beasley also had 15 points, while Jermaine O’Neal and Carlos Arroyo each added 14 for Miami, which moved a half-game ahead of Charlotte in the race for the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. Anthony Morrow scored 24 points, CJ Watson had 20 and Stephen Curry added 18 for Golden State.
Celtics 105, Pistons 100 At Auburn Hill, Michigan, Nate Robinson scored 14 points in 16 minutes and Rajon Rondo added 15 points and 11 assists as Boston beat Detroit. The Celtics, playing for the first time since a humiliating home loss to the NBA-worst New Jersey Nets on Saturday, got 18 points from Ray Allen. Jonas Jerebko scored 16 points for Detroit, which lost its fourth straight.
Lakers 122, Pacers 99 At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 24 points,
hitting 14 of 15 free throws, as Los Angeles pulled away with a dominating third-quarter run. Andrew Bynum added 16 points and Pau Gasol had 14 points and 16 rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who fell behind early before improving to 14-0 against the Pacers at Staples Center. Troy Murphy had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Dahntay Jones scored 16 points, Josh McRoberts had 15 and Earl Watson finished with 10 assists for the Pacers. They dropped to 7-24 on the road and have lost eight of their last 10 overall.
Thunder 113, Kings 107 At Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant had 39 points and 10 rebounds, and Russell Westbrook added 30 points and 13 assists as Oklahoma City beat Sacramento to complete a perfect three-game homestand. Rookie Tyreke Evans led Sacramento with 27 points. Carl Landry added 17 points, and Beno Udrih and Francisco Garcia scored 13 apiece. The Kings played without reserve Andres Nocioni, who was suspended after he pleaded no contest to a drunken driving charge. Jeff Green had 15 points and Nenad Krstic finished with 14 points and nine rebounds for Oklahoma City.—AP
NBA results/standings NBA results and standings on Tuesday: Boston 105, Detroit 100; Miami 110, Golden State 106; Oklahoma City 113, Sacramento 107; LA Lakers 122, Indiana 99. Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT Boston 37 21 .638 Toronto 31 28 .525 Philadelphia 22 37 .373 NY Knicks 20 39 .339 New Jersey 6 53 .102
GB 6.5 15.5 17.5 31.5
West ern Conference Northwest Division Denver 39 21 .650 Utah 38 22 .633 Oklahoma City 36 23 .610 36 27 .571 Portland Minnesota 14 47 .230 Pacific Division 46 15 38 24 25 35 20 40 17 42
1 2.5 4.5 25.5
Cleveland Chicago Milwaukee Detroit Indiana
Cent ral Division 47 14 .770 31 29 .517 30 29 .508 21 39 .350 20 40 .333
15.5 16 25.5 26.5
LA Lakers Phoenix LA Clippers Sacramento Golden State
.754 .613 .417 .333 .288
8.5 20.5 25.5 28
Orlando Atlanta Miami Charlotte Washington
Southeast Division 41 20 .672 38 21 .644 30 31 .492 28 30 .483 21 36 .368
2 11 11.5 18
Southwest Division Dallas 40 21 .656 San Antonio 34 24 .586 Houston 30 29 .508 New Orleans 31 30 .508 Memphis 30 30 .500
4.5 9 9 9.5
Laura manages career with lack of practice GOLD COAST: All of Laura Davies’ jokes over the years about her disdain of practice has had a more serious effect on her career — four decades of golf, and very few injuries. Davies arrived at this week’s ANZ Australian Ladies Masters after claiming her 73rd worldwide title at the New Zealand Open last Sunday. It was also her 39th title on the Ladies European Tour. She’s also won four majors, including the 1987 US Open, and is close to being considered for the Hall of Fame, needing just one more major or two LPGA wins. The way she’s been playing lately — eight straight sub-par rounds, including a share of sixth place at an LPGA event in Thailand before winning the New Zealand Open — she might not be far away from either category. The 46-year-old Davies credits her longevity — and recent form — with the lack of practice. “You see so many young players now injured all the time, maybe it has something to do with all the practice,” Davies said yesterday. “If you want to play the amount of time I have played — this is my 23rd season — you can’t stand on the range all day. You have to be sensible.” Davies said too much practice could have been the reason for No. 3 Suzann Pettersen of Norway, a six-time winner on the LPGA Tour, pulling out of the Masters with a hip injury.
17
Still in the tournament which begins Thursday on the Royal Pines resort course are defending champion Katherine Hull of Australia, three major winners on the LPGA Tour last year — American Brittany Lincicome (Kraft Nabisco), Eun Hee Ji of South Korea (U.S. Open) and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (LPGA Championship). Karrie Webb is also in the field, seeking her seventh Australian Ladies Masters title. Heavy rain — over 200 milliliters (eight inches) has hit the course over the past two days, canceling yesterday’s pro-am and allowing for little practice time. That suits Davies — a long hitter who has won here three times, including for the first time in 1993. “It’s going to be playing wetter and longer than it usually does,” Davies said. “Anyone who carries the ball a long way will have an advantage. Accuracy is important, but this week it could be more about length.” It’s just down to putting down here. If I can get the putter going early, and get some confidence on the greens, who knows?” Davies, who has been in Australia for five of the past six weeks, also likes her chances of securing her fifth major this season. “Nabisco, I love that golf course, I should have won once or twice there,” Davies said. “The U.S. Open I’m not qualified, but I’ll prequalify if I have do, and the British Open is at Royal Birkdale, which I know.” —AP
NEW DELHI: The Netherlands took a clear lead in Group A of the men’s field hockey World Cup with a 3-1 win over New Zealand yesterday. All four goals came in the first half after New Zealand captain Phillip Burrows had put his team ahead in the opening minute of the game. Ronald Brouwer drew level immediately in the second minute, Taeke Taekema scored a penalty corner in the seventh, before Jeroen Hertzberger completed the tally in the 27th. The Dutch moved to six points from two matches as defending champions Germany and Asia’s number one South Korea went to second place with four points each following their first wins in the tournament. New Zealand, who had defeated Canada in their opening match, are on three points. The Germans, seeking a hat-trick of World Cup titles, came back strongly after a 22 draw against the Koreans to trounce Canada 6-0. It was their biggest World Cup win since the 7-0 romp over India in the 1978 edition in Argentina while playing as the West German team. South Korea clinched a 21 win over Argentina with Nam Hyun-Woo converting a last-minute penalty corner. Germany, the reigning Olympic champions, pumped in four goals in the first half, three of them with penalty corners after Benjamin Wess had put them ahead in the 3rd minute with a field goal. Jan-Marco Montag, Max Muller and Martin Haner fired in set-piece goals, before man-of-the-match Florian Fuchs sealed the emphatic win by striking twice in the second session. Germany won the last two World Cups in 2002 and 2006 before underlining their supremacy with a gold at the Beijing Olympics two years ago. The 11th-ranked Canada remain without a point. “We analysed our first game to draw up a things-todo list,” said German coach Markus Weise. “I am glad some of those negatives have been ticked off. “We you are not playing a top side, you look to score five to six goals, and we were able to achieve that today.” South Korea and Argentina produced a barren first half as both sides wasted scoring opportunities, including two penalty corners by the Asian team. Argentina took the lead in the 53rd minute through Facundo Callioni after the Koreans were reduced to 10 men following a green card to Kyung Min-Jun. Lee Nam Yong drew level eight minutes later and Nam Hyun-Woo slammed the last-minute winner when South Korea were awarded a penalty corner by the video umpire. Argentina have lost both matches so far. Dutch coach Michel van den Heuvel said the win over New Zealand was satisfying. “We are on the right path,” he said. “We played better than in the last game and it was nice to see the boys fighting back after the early goal. “The whole team is taking turns to make a mark and that augurs well for the rest of the tournament.” In the next round of group A matches on Friday, South Korea take on New Zealand, the Netherlands meet Canada and Germany clashes with Argentina.—AFP
NEW DELHI: German hockey player Maximillian Muller (left) and Canadian hockey player Wayne Fernandes (right, in white) vie for the ball during their World Cup 2010 match at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium. —AFP
World Cupresults/standings NEW DELHI: Collated results from the fourth day of the men’s field hockey World Cup in New Delhi yesterday: 1 (Facundo Callioni 53) Group A Germany 6 (Benjamin Wess 3, Jan-Marco Montag 21, Max Muller H-t: 0-0 The Netherlands 3 (Ronald Brouwer 2, Taeke Taekema 7, Jeroen 23, Martin Haner 28, Florian Fuchs 58, 64) Canada 0 Hertzberger 27) New Zealand 1 (Phillip Burrows 1) H-t : 4-0 South Korea 2 (Lee Nam-Yong 61, Nam Hyun-Woo 70) Argentina H-t: 3-1 League table after the fourth day of the men’s field hockey World Cup on Wednesday (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Group A Netherlands Germany South Korea New Zealand Argentina Canada
2 2 2 2 2 2
2 1 1 1 0 0
0 1 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 1 2 2
6 8 4 4 1 2
1 2 3 5 5 9
6 4 4 3 0 0
Group B England 2 2 0 0 9 6 Australia 2 1 0 1 7 5 Spain 2 1 0 1 5 4 India 2 1 0 1 6 6 Pakistan 2 1 0 1 3 5 South Africa 2 0 0 2 6 10 Two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
6 3 3 3 3 0
Armstrong focusing on time trial in the Tour of Murcia
SPAIN: US’ Lance Armstrong rides during the first stage of the Cycling Tour of Murcia yesterday. —AP
SPAIN: Lance Armstrong is looking to improve his time trial performance in the Tour of Murcia as part of his Tour de France preparations. The American said the five-day race along the southeastern Mediterranean coast, starting late yesterday, will boost his hopes of winning an eighth Tour de France. “Considering we haven’t raced since January, it’s important. It’s definitely important,” the Team RadioShack rider said. On Tuesday, team boss Johan Bruyneel said he believed the 38-year-old Armstrong was looking better than when he returned in 2009 after a 3 1/2-year retirement. But the Texan isn’t so sure his physical condition has improved. “Maybe it’s similar. It’s a little different too, because last year we had the benefit of a hard Tour of California which this year we didn’t have,” said Armstrong, who hasn’t raced since January’s Tour Down Under in Australia. Armstrong said he has been focusing on getting his body position right for Saturday’s 22-kilometer (13.7-mile) time trial. “I’ve tried to work on the positioning and on the training aspects,” he said. “Last year, I didn’t train very much on the time trial bike, which was my mistake. (It) requires a lot of specific training, which I didn’t do. “We tweaked the position a little bit. We also worked on the bike, which has continued to evolve and the helmet has evolved.” Armstrong says he is more relaxed and feels less pressure as cycling is no longer his No. 1 priority. He wouldn’t predict how he’d fare in the time trial, saying “the most important thing is to ride as hard as I can and run a smart race, a time trial that’s well tempo-ed.” RadioSchack is one of 16 teams taking part in the five-day race, which includes other Tour hopefuls like Bradley Wiggins of Team Sky and Denis Menchov of Rabobank. There are no Italian teams involved but race director Francisco Guzman denied reports that organizers had banned them due to ongoing problems with Alejandro Valverde, a Murcia native who cannot compete in Italy due to an ongoing doping case. “I made a mistake in the press conference when I said that we preferred not to have Italian teams of a low level because of everything that has happened with Valverde,” Guzman said. “But they were never denied, they just could not make it due to scheduling conflicts.” Late yesterday’s opening leg was a 166.5-kilometer (103-mile) ride around the coastal town of San Pedro del Pinatar.—AP
SPORTS
18
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Button sees seven-way F1 title tussle Calendar & circuit details LONDON: The Formula One season will have a recordequalling 19 races in 2010, with South Korea making its debut and Canada returning after a year’s absence. The following details the circuits involved (all starting times are 1200 GMT/1400 local unless stated): March 14 - BAHRAIN (Sakhir). Circuit length 6,299km, 49 laps, 308.405km. 2009 winner: Jenson Button (Britain) Brawn GP. Starts at 1200 GMT (1500 local). One of two races in the Middle East, the desert track is one of the most modern but sand can be a problem. The circuit has been extended from last year’s 5.412km, with an extra loop of corners after turn four. March 28 - AUSTRALIA (Albert Park, Melbourne). 5.303km, 58 laps, 307.574km. Button. Starts at 0600 GMT (1700 local). A temporary parkland circuit but still way better than many permanent ones in Europe. The late start is to cater for European television audiences and the setting sun caused problems last year for some drivers, who felt conditions were dangerous. Melbourne was the season-opener in 2009. April 4 - MALAYSIA (Sepang). 5.543km, 56 laps, 310.408km. Button. Starts at 0800 GMT (1600 local). The high humidity makes this a strength-sapping race for drivers. The start has been brought forward an hour from last year, when the race had to be stopped early due to a tropical downpour. April 18 - CHINA (Shanghai). 5.451km, 56 laps, 305.066km. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull. Starts at 0700 GMT (1500 local). A vast state-of-the-art circuit lacking the passion and soul of older European venues. To the north-east of Shanghai, it can seat 200,000 spectators. May 9 - SPAIN (Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona). 4.655km, 66 laps, 307.104km. Button. A familiar circuit to all the teams from testing. On the calendar since 1991 but races have often been processional. Spain is the only country with two races. May 16 - MONACO 3.340km, 78 laps, 260.520km. Button. The jewel in the crown and still the most glamorous street race of them all, despite competition from Singapore. Qualifying is crucial due to the difficulty of overtaking.
Because the circuit is infrequently used, it can be very dusty. June 27 - EUROPE (Valencia, Spain). 5.419km, 57 laps, 308.883km. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil), Brawn. Made its debut in 2008 with the dullest race of the season. Europe’s second street circuit. Moved forward from midAugust last year. July 11 - BRITAIN (Silverstone). 5.901km, 52 laps, 306.747km. Vettel. Starts 1200 GMT (1300 local). The circuit hosted the first championship GP in 1950. Already one of the longest tracks in F1, the layout has been extended with a new Arena section. This year’s race is on the same day as the soccer World Cup final. July 25 - GERMANY (Hockenheim). 4.574km, 67 laps, 306.458km. Mark Webber (Australia), Red Bull. Now alternating with Nuerburgring as host of Germany’s sole race. Aug. 1 - HUNGARY (Hungaroring, Budapest). 4.381km, 70 laps, 306.630km. Lewis Hamilton (Britain), McLaren. The first race behind the old Iron Curtain, still the only one in Eastern Europe. A slow track, with overtaking difficult. Aug. 29 - BELGIUM (Spa-Francorchamps). 7.004km, 44 laps, 308.052km. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland), Ferrari. The longest and second fastest race on the calendar and a classic track, despite struggling with poor attendances and financial problems. Weather conditions are unpredictable. The left-right sweep of Eau Rouge is less awesome than it was but still a big test of bravery. Sept. 12 - ITALY (Monza). 5.793km, 53 laps, 306.720km. Barrichello. The oldest and fastest race. Set in a royal park north-east of Milan, where speeds top 360kph and an average of more than 240kph per lap. No other circuit has hosted more races. Sept. 26 - SINGAPORE. 5.073km, 61 laps, 309.316km. Hamilton. Starts at 1200 GMT (2000 local). The sport’s first night race and Formula One’s first street circuit in Asia, lapping the Marina Bay area.
WOKING: Formula One world champion Jenson Button thinks as many as seven teams could be battling it out throughout 2010 for the end-of-season honors. “I think there are more than four teams at the front,” he told Reuters Television at his team McLaren’s base in Woking outside London. “You’ve got us, Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, but you’ve also got Sauber, Force India are not far behind, and the Williams. So it’s very, very competitive, which is good to see.” Compatriot and team mate Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, finished fastest in the final preseason testing session in Barcelona on Sunday just ahead of Red Bull’s Mark Webber and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. Seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher of Mercedes came in sixth despite being out of the sport since 2006, and Hamilton cannot wait to pit his skills against the 41-year-old German. “To be on the same track as him will be a really cool feeling,” he said, a broad grin breaking out on his face. “He’s a legend in the sport.” Button, like Hamilton, was eager to get the season underway at the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 14. “I’m going to be a part of it all, which is great. Going into the race with the number one on the car, what a challenge,” he said. Meanwhile, the troubled USF1 team have asked to defer their Formula One debut for a year to 2011, team principal Ken Anderson said. “We have applied to the FIA (International Automobile Federation) to hold our entry until 2011,” he told the autosport.com website. “We are waiting for a reply from the FIA and are working with them. “In the meantime, there is nothing for the employees to do, so we have told them to stop working on the current car until we have a decision.” The governing body, who sent F1 race director Charlie Whiting on a fact-finding visit to the team factory last week, is expected to announce a final entry list in the next
Formula One changes LONDON: Formula One has tossed the refuelling rigs on the scrapheap, souped-up the scoring system and stretched the starting grid and the race calendar for 2010.The main aim is to make the glamour sport more exciting and encourage drivers to do their utmost to try to win races, rather than settling for second place and safe points. The following looks at the main novelties and changes for the 19-race season starting in Bahrain on March 14, as well as their likely impact on what happens on the track: REFUELLING BAN For the first time since 1993, cars must start with a full tank of fuel to last the entire race. Fuel tanks have increased in size from around 80 litres to 250, and the cars have a longer wheelbase. Drivers will still have to stop for tyre changes which could now take as little as three seconds and become a key strategic focus. “I think, looking at testing, we are going to get a lot of very unusual strategies in the race,” says world champion Jenson Button. “I think you are going to have some teams trying to stop two or three laps before their rivals so they can get out on new tyres and maybe bump them. “You’ll also have the teams that aren’t so competitive trying crazy strategies like pitting after lap one and hoping to run to the end of the race.” With more emphasis on fuel economy, the sport also hopes to present a greener image. The starting weights of cars will no longer be published. POINTS The scoring system now looks more like that used in MotoGP, with the top 10 picking up points and the winner getting 25 rather than 10. The new system adopts a 25-18-15-12-108-6-4-2-1 format.
KERS Teams have agreed not to use the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) that helped McLaren and Ferrari to win races last season. The system, used to telling effect by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen at Spa in Belgium last year, gave drivers a short extra burst of power at the push of a button. The minimum weight of cars has been raised from 605kg to 620.
May 30 - TURKEY (Istanbul Park). 5.338km, 58 laps, 309.396km. Button. One of three anti-clockwise circuits in the championship, the others being Interlagos in Brazil and Singapore. Likened to Spa for its fast and undulating layout, the circuit is on the Asian side of Istanbul.
SPAIN: Mercedes GP seven-times world champion German Michael Schumacher in action during a training session at Catalunya racetrack in Montmelo, near Barcelona. — AFP Oct. 10 - JAPAN (Suzuka). 5.807km, 53 laps, 307.573km. Vettel. Starts at 0600 GMT (1500 local). Honda-owned, a high-speed circuit much-loved by the drivers. Oct. 24 - SOUTH KOREA (Korea Auto Valley). 5.621km, 55 laps, 309.155km. No previous race. Starts at 0600 GMT (1500 local). The coastal circuit is some 300km from Seoul in the southwestern region of South Cholla province. Nov. 7 - BRAZIL (Interlagos, Sao Paulo). 4.309km, 71 laps, 305.909km. Webber. Starts at 1600 GMT (1300 local). Has been the title-decider for the past five seasons. The sheer passion of the locals and the bowl-like amphitheatre make up for ramshackle facilities. Rain is always a risk. June 13 - CANADA (Circuit Gilles Villeneuve). 4.361km, 70 laps, 305.270km. No race last year. Starts at 1600 GMT (1200 local). The track is on the Ile de Notre Dame, a man-made island on the St Lawrence seaway that was built for the 1976 EXPO exhibition and first hosted the race in 1978.
Nov. 14 - ABU DHABI (Yas Marina). 5.554km, 55 laps, 305.355km. Vettel. Starts at 1300 GMT (1700 local). The sport’s first day-to-night race. A lavish noexpense-spared facility, costing $1 billion to build according to some estimates. — Reuters
day or two for the season starting in Bahrain next week. USF1, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, are one of four new teams handed a slot on the starting grid for 2010 after checks by the governing body, but have struggled to raise finance and are in no position to race. They had announced in January that Argentina’s Jose Maria Lopez would drive for them in a deal backed by that country’s government. The Serbian-backed Stefan GP team, who have taken over the cars designed by Toyota before that Japanese manufacturer pulled out at the end of last year, have been lobbying hard to take USF1’s place. “SGP would like to re-confirm its desire and...its ability to compete in the whole of the FIA 2010 Formula One World Championship,” the team said on their website (www.stefangp.com) at the weekend. “It recognises that this can only happen with the consent of the FIA and the FOM (commercial rights holder), but has faith that the Formula One ‘family’ will make the correct decision in the end.”— Agencies
TYRES The front tyres have been made narrower. Compounds will also be harder to compensate for the cars being heavier. Drivers who reach the third and final phase of qualifying will have to start the race on the same set of tyres with which their grid time was set. This will introduce an additional strategic element to the race. The number of sets of dry weather tyres allocated to each team per race has been reduced from 14 to 11. One set must be returned after first practice and two after second practice. Wheel rim covers, used by many in 2009, are not allowed. TESTING In-season testing remains banned but a new regulation allows teams to test a replacement driver if he has not taken part in a grand prix in the two previous calendar years. In such a case, one day of track testing will be allowed at a circuit not used by Formula One and “between the start of the week preceding the second event and the last event of the championship”. TEAMS AND RACES The grid has been expanded from 10 teams and 20 cars to 13 teams and 26 cars. Four new teams were given slots-Virgin Racing, Lotus F1, Campos Meta and US F1. However, there could be only 12 teams in Bahrain with USF1 seemingly unready to race. Another outfit, Stefan GP, are waiting in the wings with the car designed by Toyota before the Japanese manufacturer pulled out at the end of last year. The championship has been expanded from 17 to 19 races, with the addition of South Korea and return of Canada. QUALIFYING If there are 26 cars, then the slowest eight (instead of five in 2009) will be eliminated after the first qualifying session and a further eight after the second. All will qualify on low fuel. STEWARDS Experienced former F1 drivers will form part of the stewards’ panel, with four stewards sitting at each race instead of the previous three. — Reuters
Team by team prospects LONDON: Team by team prospects for the Formula One season starting in Bahrain on March 14 (listed in championship order): MERCEDES (BRAWN GP) Michael Schumacher (Germany), Nico Rosberg (Germany) The return of seven-times champion Schumacher, who retired from Ferrari in 2006, is the big story along with Jenson Button’s departure to McLaren. Schumacher, winner of 91 races, showed in testing that he still has the pace, although the Mercedes has not looked the fastest car. Rosberg, son of former champion Keke, has yet to win a race after four seasons with Williams but is now well placed. With Ross Brawn in charge, the resources of Mercedes and the presence of Schumacher, the team should again be contenders for both titles but it may be a race or two before they are fully up to speed.
ble of winning races, and have been assured of equal treatment, and if they do their stuff then McLaren may end the year as constructors’ champions for the first time since 1998. The car has been strong and reliable in testing but there is still plenty of room for improvement. FERRARI Fernando Alonso (Spain), Felipe Massa (Brazil) New arrival Alonso and Ferrari look an irresistible combination. At Renault, he beat Ferrari and Schumacher to the title in 2005 and 2006 and will be many people’s favourite to add a third crown. Ominously, the Spaniard said last month the Ferrari F10 was the best car he has driven and the team were hiding their true potential. Massa is returning from the life-threatening head injury he suffered in Hungary last July and is determined to show he is as competitive as ever. Ferrari have been working on this car intensively since mid-2009 and have looked very quick in testing.
RED BULL Mark Webber (Australia), Sebastian Vettel (Germany) The only top team with an unchanged line-up, Red Bull won the last three races of 2009 and are a good bet to pick up where they left off. They look to be on a par with Ferrari after quick times in testing, but will need better reliability than last year. Given Adrian Newey’s brilliance as chief designer, expect them to be title contenders again. Webber has overcome last year’s leg injury and, with his contract expiring, is determined to succeed. Vettel was runnerup last year and will want to remind Schumacher who is currently the top-ranked German.
SAUBER Pedro de la Rosa (Spain), Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) The car, designed before former owners BMW quit the scene, has looked competitive in testing although pre-season appearances can be deceptive. Budget and resources could be a problem but the pairing of drivers looks solid. De la Rosa is a veteran with years of experience as McLaren’s tester while rookie Kobayashi won plenty of admirers with his performance as a stand-in for Toyota at the end of last year. Should be mid-table, but the podium may be out of reach.
MCLAREN Jenson Button (Britain), Lewis Hamilton (Britain) The arrival of Button makes McLaren the first team to start a season with the last two title-holders in their lineup and the first since 1989 with two champions.That could be a recipe for friction, as well as possibly opening the door for someone else in the title race if they take points off each other. Both should have a car capa-
WILLIAMS Rubens Barrichello (Brazil), Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) The former world champions have not won a race since 2004 and will need everything to fall into place if they are to break out of the midfield this year. Barrichello brings plenty of experience as a race winner, which will help highly-rated rookie Hulkenberg who has had an impressive few months in testing. A question mark hangs over the
Cosworth engine, although the last pre-season test in Barcelona went well. RENAULT Robert Kubica (Poland), Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Much has changed since the days when Renault were the team to beat. The car has lacked grip in testing but the team should have improvements for Bahrain. Luxembourg-based businessman Gerard Lopez is now calling the shots, while Eric Boullier has taken over as principal in the post-Flavio Briatore era. Kubica is the prize asset, a talented and determined driver who will push the team hard. Petrov is Russia’s first F1 driver but faces a steep learning curve. Renault are racing under a suspended permanent ban after last year’s race-fixing furore. FORCE INDIA Vitantonio Liuzzi (Italy), Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India showed last season that they are up-and-coming, taking their first pole, points and podium finish. The Mercedes engine is strong and the cooperation agreement with McLaren is also an advantage. Despite owner Vijay Mallya’s millions, budgets remain tight. Liuzzi is quick and eager to show he deserves his place while Sutil is approaching a watershed after staying on for a fourth successive season. He needs to deliver solid results. The car has looked consistent in testing. TORO ROSSO Jaime Alguersuari (Spain), Sebastian Buemi (Switzerland) Ferrari-powered and running their own car after previously sharing designs with sister team Red Bull. The extraordinary high of winning at Monza in 2008 has gone and Toro Rosso struggled last season. There is nothing to suggest this year will be much different, although Alguersuari, who turns 20 this month, at least knows most of the circuits now. Buemi, still only 21, is almost an older statesman in comparison.
LOTUS F1 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland), Jarno Trulli (Italy) The Malaysian-backed team could turn out to be the best of the newcomers, reviving one of the sport’s greatest and most successful marques after a 16-year absence, but they still look miles off the pace. They were five seconds slower than McLaren in Barcelona. Technical head Mike Gascoyne is an astute and fierce competitor who has been around the block a few times and both drivers are past winners with plenty of experience. A new aero package due by May should help to narrow the gap. VIRGIN RACING Timo Glock (Germany), Lucas di Grassi (Brazil) Has one of the smallest budgets in the sport and a car designed exclusively on computers rather than in wind tunnels. Pre-season testing has been problematic, particularly with the hydraulic system, and the car has been more than five seconds off the pace. Team boss John Booth is well-versed in the world of motorsport after working with drivers such as Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen at his Manor F3 team. Designer Nick Wirth is promising regular updates and is confident his strategy is the right one. There are plenty of doubters among his rivals. CAMPOS META Bruno Senna (Brazil) Just turning up in Bahrain will be a success for Campos, who have struggled to stay afloat. The team, now run by former Spyker and Force India boss Colin Kolles, have not taken part in any pre-season tests due to a lack of finance. Senna, nephew of late triple champion Ayrton, was a runner-up in the GP2 support series. Indian rookie Karun Chandhok could be his team mate. US F1 Non-starters. They have no car ready to race and have sought to suspend their entry. Argentina’s Jose Maria Lopez was originally signed as one driver. — Reuters
SPORTS
Thursday, March 4, 2010
19
S Africa footballers can’t hide their excitement DURBAN: South Africa’s footballers could not hide their excitement yesterday as the 100-day countdown to the World Cup passed, but the team faces a huge test to qualify for the second round of the tournament. In the east coast city of Durban for the friendly against Namibia at the new Moses Mabhida Stadium, South Africa defender Bevan Fransman said the reality of hosting and playing in the one of the world’s biggest sporting events is hitting home. “There is no turning back,” Fransman
said. “When we got the bid everybody said ‘We’ve got the World Cup,’ well the reality is hitting now. It’s time to get ready.” Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has told his players to make the most of the opportunity to play at a World Cup, calling it a “priceless feeling.” With much of the preparations out of the way, local focus will shift to the host team and its performances. South Africa opens the tournament on June 11 with a Group A match against Mexico, before games against Uruguay and France. It will be viewed as a
failure if the home team does not reach the knockout stage. Fransman, who plays for Maccabi Netanya in Israel, was one of a string of foreign-based players called up by Parreira for the Namibia game as the Brazilian looks to finalize his squad. Also included was Germany-based veteran defender Bradley Carnell, Bryce Moon of Greek club PAOK and Anele Ngcongca, who plays in Belgium. Ngcongca said there was no looking back. “Time goes by so quick,” the K.R.C.
Ghenk midfielder said. “We have to look forward because the other day we thought this day would not come and here we are now, the countdown shows there is no looking back.” Midfielder Moon said, “We are ready to give our best to the country. It’s very close because time flies. We are ready to take the challenge, and we will see what happens.” Defender Siyanda Xulu added, “We must start believing in ourselves.” Lebohang Mokoena, a midfielder with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, was brought in by
Parreira four years after playing his last game for his country. “It’s been too long that I haven’t been in the national team, but I have always kept faith that given a chance at club level I will bounce back,” he said. “So it’s just up to me to play well when given a chance in the national team because the World Cup is close. “We are moving closer to the biggest tournament in the world, and as for the players it gets more exciting to say, ‘We are almost there,”’ Mokoena added.
The team was joined at a training session on Tuesday by Brazil’s two-time World Cup winner Cafu as Parreira uses all of his contacts to inspire his team. Cafu played under Parreira in the World Cup-winning team in the US in 1994. Late yesterday’s match against neighbor Namibia is part of the 100-day celebrations but its also one of precious few warmup games left for South Africa. The South African Football Association said tickets for the game at the 70,000-seat Moses Mabhida Stadium had sold out. — AP
Gerrard backs Capello’s stance on stars’ scandals Skynet team
Veterans team
Skynet, Veterans and Fahaheel Bros advance KUWAIT: The ongoing league of Indian Football Federation Kuwait is finally reaching its pinnacle with matches being held continuously at the Astro Turf ground in Daya. The 13th round matches were held on Feb 26. In the first match title contenders Skynet took on Indians. The match was played at a slow and cautious pace. Skynet after gauging the situation took the lead through Caridado and UniKrishnan consolidated it to make it 2-0 at half time.
The second match was played between Dominic Savio and Veterans. Both the teams displayed good technique and skill. Veterans with their experience and skill matched their young opponents in every department of the game. Dominic Savio defended boldly with Alex marshalling the defence, but Veterans took the lead through their evergreen midfielder Rubin who has been enthralling the Indian footballing community for so many years with the same passion and zeal of yester-
Abdul Rahman and an upset was on the cards. But Fahaheel Bros had other ideas and slowed the tempo of the match and reduced the margin through Mustafa who volleyed from the right with MAC goalkeeper rooted to the ground. With this goal Fahaheel Bros upped the tempo of the match and scored the equaliser through Riyas Babu. Mustafa missed a penalty to put Fahaheel Bros on top, but scored again through another penalty to go into the lemon time with the score line of 3-
Indian Football Federation Kuwait League Star midfielder Philip Ferrao and Unikrishnan score again to win the match 40 for Skynet. Indian as usual did contain the opposition for a while, but could not do much in the frontline and succumbed to yet another defeat. Skynet showed tremendous skill in the midfield with the introduction of Shabbir who has been missing from their earlier matches. He along with Phillip Ferrao mesmerised the entire opposition with their excellent display of football. It was a pleasant sight to watch Skynet President and IFFK council member Ivan Barretto showing his exquisite footballing skills in the first half.
years. Dominic Savio tried to force the pace with Savio excelling in the midfield, but the experience of Veterans snuffed their hopes. In the second half Veterans maestro Rubin once again scored from the top of the box with a scorcher to increase the lead and win the match for Veterans 2-0. The third match was played between another title contender Fahaheel Bros and MAC. The match started with a blistering pace and MAC stunned the opposition and the fans by scoring the fastest goal of the league through Fayas Kakkot. Before Fahaheel Bros could settle in the game MAC scored the second goal through
2 in favor of Fahaheel Bros. The second half saw Fahaheel Bros consolidating their lead through Abdul Kader. MAC tried in vain to reduce the margin and force back in the game, but Fahaheel Bros controlled the midfield play and came out victorious 4-2 The matches were supervised by Indian Football Referees Association — IFRA, the only professional and competent body of Indian Referees in the region. The schedule of the 14th round to be played on 5th March 2010 at the Daya Grounds is as follows: 1st Match MAC v/s DHL; 2nd Match Fahaheel Bros v/s Skynet; 3rd Match DBO v/s AVC
Boca draw 4-4 at Velez BUENOS AIRES: Striker Santiago Silva stated his case for a place in Uruguay’s World Cup squad with two goals in Velez Sarsfield’s 4-4 draw with Boca Juniors in the Argentine Clausura championship on Tuesday. Veteran Martin Palermo confirmed to Argentina coach Diego Maradona his form with one of Boca’s goals and, despite also missing a penalty, tied his club’s all time goals record of 218 held by Roberto Cherro since 1938. Not to be left out, Chile defender Gary “Pitbull” Medel popped up on the right to equalize in the 89th minute after Velez had fought back from 3-1 down in the best match of the Argentine season so far. Both teams served up a feast of attacking soccer as they recovered from poor weekend results, Boca having conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 home draw with Estudiantes and Velez having lost 3-2 at Huracan. The result leaves Boca in mid table while Velez, with 12 points from seven matches, took a share of the lead in the standings with Godoy Cruz, who are at home to Lanus on Wednesday, and Colon, away to title holders Banfield today. Midfielder Victor Zapata headed
Velez in front from a free kick after a quarter of an hour of the match at Velez’s El Fortin ground in the capital. Boca then scored three unanswered goals with left back Luciano Monzon equalising from a tight angle in the 36th minute. Palermo, who had a 26thminute penalty saved by German Montoya, struck in the 39th from Juan Roman Riquelme’s square pass from the left and forward Nicolas Gaitan ended a fine move with a brilliant third just before the hour. Silva pulled one back with a header in the 62nd minute and substitute Juan Martinez rifled in an equaliser in the 74th. The 29-year-old Uruguayan striker got his second goal, and fifth this year, when he chased a long ball out of defence, shrugged off Boca’s Brazilian centre back Luiz Alberto and shot under advancing keeper Javier Garcia to put Velez ahead again. Medel, who would not have been playing had Chile’s World Cup warm-ups on Wednesday not been cancelled because of Saturday’s devastating earthquake in his home country, then pounced on the rebound from Montoya, who had dived to save Riquelme’s low left-footed shot from outside the box. — Reuters
BUENOS AIRES: Boca Juniors’ Martin Palermo, top, celebrates after scoring as Velez Sarsfield’s goalkeeper German Montoya reacts during an Argentinean league soccer match. — AP
LONDON: Steven Gerrard admits England’s stars must follow Fabio Capello’s warning to stay out of the spotlight from now until the World Cup. Gerrard is fed up of hearing the tawdry tales involving England team-mates John Terry and Ashley Cole and the Liverpool midfielder believes it is time to banish tabloid revelations about affairs and marital strife for good. England coach Capello delivered a stern warning to his players to stay out of trouble when they met up for this week’s friendly against Egypt and Gerrard agrees that it is time to settle down and concentrate on fine-tuning World Cup preparations. “Of course you can’t ignore it because it’s on the front and back pages of every paper and it’s on every TV channel,” Gerrard said. “But we’ve got to forget about it. We’ve got to move forward and put it all behind us. We’ve got a massive tournament, the biggest tournament you could ever play in as a footballer coming up. “It’s around the corner. It’s important that we don’t lose any focus. Forget about what’s being written about players’ private lives and focus on football. That is what I will be doing. “The manager let us know that again on Monday but we know as players. We are mature individvuals, we understand the responsibilities and know we are role models for kids. “He told us as soon as he saw us when we arrived for our first meeting on the training pitch. “It was short and sweet. He told us to focus on the football. We have a massive tournament coming and he said we have responsibilities as players on and off the pitch.” Gerrard acknowledges that the public have turned on Terry, who reportedly had an affair with the girlfriend of international teammate Wayne Bridge, and Cole, whose extra-marital affairs appear to have led to the end of his marriage to pop star Cheryl. And, while he wasn’t going to join in the criticism, he admitted top players have to be more aware that they have a responsibility to stay out of trouble. “We are in the spotlight. Sometimes it is difficult but we have got to behave on and off the pitch. Everyone is aware of that,” he said. “The spotlight will be on us even more because of what has happened recently but we have to accept that and deal with it. “The spotlight is on every single player, even more so leading up to the World Cup. The manager has made the decision to take the captaincy off John and as a player you have to respect that. “We know there are a lot of opinions about this squad from the outside. But the most important thing is we are united. For us to be successful at the World Cup we are need to stick together. “We know each other inside out now. That will help. We have had enough time under Fabio to realise what the manager. I’ve seen enough to know over the last few days to know we haven’t been affected.” After England’s 2006 World Cup campaign was distrupted by the rowdy behaviour of the players’ wives and girlfriends in the team’s Baden-Baden base, Capello has been keen to keep them as far away as possible this time. He will allow players to see the WAGS for one day after matches but Gerrard revealed that he won’t ask his wife Alex to fly out to South Africa unless England reach the semi-finals. “I don’t know if having the WAGS over there in Germany affected our performance. I can’t tell you that and time will tell out it works out this time,” Gerrard said. “My wife won’t be there unless we get maybe to the semis or the final. “It was my decision. She has got two kids, they will be in school and obviously it’s a long way to go. If we get to the semis she deserves to come and see me.” — AFP
LONDON: England footballer Steven Gerrard (left) stretches next to team-mate Jermain Defoe in this file photo. — AFP
Utd fans’ campaign against Glazers continues to grow MANCHESTER: More than 20,000 Manchester United fans have joined the campaign to force out the club’s US owners in the last 24 hours, the leader of the protest group said yesterday. Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) are campaigning to force the Glazer family to sell the club, which now carries debts of about 716.5 million pounds ($1.07 billion). MUST are backing a move by a group of wealthy supporters, known as the “Red Knights” who are planning to raise more than 1.0 billion pounds to buy the club from the US family, who have owned it since 2005. The Glazers launched a bond issue last month to raise 500 million pounds in a bid to re-align their debts. Duncan Drasdo, chief executive of MUST said yesterday that after the Red Knights plans were made public a day earlier, there had been an “incredible uptake” in support of the campaign. “A month ago, prior to the publication of the bond prospectus, MUST membership stood at 36,000 members. Last night, that figure had doubled to an amazing 78,000 members... now bigger than Old Trafford itself,” Drasdo said.. “The majority of that growth has come in the last 24 hours and with a membership counter ticking over on the website it has generated huge interest. “MUST has set an initial, highly ambitious goal of growing to 100,000 members. “An incredible first 24 hours means we are well
on our way and we are now appealing to the millions of United supporters around the world to come together, and show the Red Knights there is a passionate desire to see a better ownership model for Manchester United.” Meanwhile, club chief executive David Gill said on Tuesday that Manchester United continued to be a well-run professional club after it reported an improved financial performance in the first half of its fiscal year to Dec. 31. Revenue increased to 144.7 million pounds with media revenue up 33 percent and matchday revenue rising 10 percent, benefiting from two extra Premier League games in the period. The club cut its pretax loss to 1.9 million pounds during the half year, compared with 23.9 million the year before. Gill will address delegates at the Soccerex business convention in Manchester later on Wednesday and is expected to confirm that the Glazers have no intention of selling United. The Glazers, who also own the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American NFL team, bought United in 2005 for about 790 million pounds ($1.2 billion) against a wave of opposition from fans who feared they were loading it up with too much debt. “Manchester United Football Club is not for sale,” a spokesman for the Glazer family told Reuters on Tuesday. — Reuters
Skynet defeat Kuwait Bangladesh Challengers EFFK Asian Football League KUWAIT: Skynet proved to be no match for the Kuwait Bangladesh Challengers (KBC) in a very exciting but one sided game in the EFFK Asian Football League sponsored by CDS Soccer Inc, Agility Logistics and Al-Mailem Group of Companies. All goals were scored in the first half. After lemon time, KBC took to the defensive positions and did not let Skynet penetrate the side. A goal each by Skynet’s Remedio, Terence, Gebrial, and two goals by Unii sealed the fate of of KBC. Who put in a lot of attempts by couldn’t finish it off to the goal line. KBC’s Aziz & Juel both get yellow card for rough playing. Goa Boys vs Churchill India Breathtaking game between both the Indian teams, Miguel scored first for Goa Boys. While Churchill Brothers are left on 0, it was a very tough and exciting encounter between the both. In the excitement, both teams tried their level best to put in their best performance, and at times, due to wrong trackles, the referee had to be firm to caution the players - Cristi and Elvis from Goa Boys team. The game finished at 1:0 score. Game Breakerz vs Thailand Ricky from Game Breakerz shot his 1st goal in
the 11th minute of the game! While a comeback goal from Witmi from the Thailand side, was not enough and the spectators had a good time watching both the teams display brilliant football. Thailand again scored a few minutes later through their midfielder Ansor, but a short while later Ricky once again hits his 2nd goal. A caution card for Sam of Game Breakerz was shown the yellow card and the match ended in a draw 2:2. Milton Lord, one of the organizers representing Expats Football Federation Kuwait can be contacted at Tel: +965-99989200 or by email milton@effkuwait.com. To know more about the federation, visit www.effkuwait.com The matches are officiated by Indian Football Referees Association (IFRA). FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE The forthcoming schedule for Friday, 5th March 2010 will commence at 5:00 p.m. where Nepal will play with Kuwait Lankan, followed by Rangers F.C. v/s Thailand at 6:00 p.m. and Goa Boys to take on Bangladesh FT at 7:00 p.m. at the floodlit grass-turf Shuwaikh Fire Station Grounds. EFFK thanks all the spectators and families who join in the promotion of football activities. Kids have their own place to enjoy their weekend.
www.kuwaittimes.net
OMAN: Kuwaiti’s team celebrates at the end of their 2011 AFC Asian Cup Group B qualifying football match against Oman in Muscat. The match ended in a 0-0 draw with Kuwait qualifying for the finals.—AFP
Kuwait, Australia, Jordan secure Asian Cup spots SINGAPORE: Australia qualified for the 2011 Asian Cup finals with a 1-0 defeat of Indonesia yesterday, while Kuwait and Jordan snatched the last berths at the tournament on the final day of qualifying. Pim Verbeek’s Socceroos dominated possession for long periods of their game in Brisbane but it was a solitary goal from defender Mark Milligan in the 42nd minute that wrapped up all three points. Australia topped Group A with three wins, two draws and a defeat to their name, while Indonesia finished rock bottom on three points. “I can only be happy with the result, but of course we would have been happier if we had scored more goals,” said Verbeek. “I think we tried everything to score more goals. Defensively we played concentrated and didn’t give anything away, but attacking-wise we know it’s difficult to
play against a team that’s defending with nine players in their own half.” Kuwait joined pool winners Australia in qualifying from Group B after they eked out a 0-0 draw away to Oman in Muscat. The 1980 Asian Cup winners needed only a point to qualify and survived some difficult moments with goalkeeper Nawaf Al Khaldi producing a number of top quality saves, including from Khalifa Ayil in the second minute of stoppage time. Jordan went into their home match with Singapore at the bottom of Group E, but they guaranteed qualification thanks to a 2-1 win that means they join group winners Iran at next January’s Qatar showpiece. Thailand could have booked their tickets to Qatar with victory against Iran in Tehran but the side coached by former England captain Bryan Robson were defeated 1-0 thanks to Osasuna midfielder
Javad Nekounam’s last-minute winner. Meanwhile, Syria sealed first place in Group D above China by thrashing Lebanon 4-0 in Damascus. The final game in Group C saw already-qualified pair Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates battle it out for top spot in the group in the Uzbek capital Tashkent. UAE ultimately prevailed after a goal in the third minute of injury time by midfielder Sultan Bargash, with the visitors topping the final standings on goal difference. Earlier, Japan defeated Bahrain 2-0 to make sure they finished top of Group B, with both sides having already qualified. The Blue Samurai won thanks to a 36th-minute diving header by forward Shinji Okazaki and an injury-time strike from highly-rated CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda. In the other Group B game, Hong
Kong drew 0-0 at home to Yemen. Japan finished the qualifying campaign with 15 points after five wins and a single defeat, with Bahrain three points behind. “I missed a shot from Shunsuke Nakamura’s pass shortly before, so I was determined to score that time,” said Okazaki. Japan coach Takeshi Okada also appeared relieved after the team’s dismal performances at the East Asian Championship, where they finished in third place in front of their home fans. “We went into the game saying we have no excuse, we must win, and my players did exactly what I had asked them to do,” said Okada. “But we had so many chances. We should have scored more goals, but I’m satisfied that we scored another at the very end. “Honda plays in quite a different style to old days. He also defended very well. His presence improves our performance.”—AFP
Asian Cup results/standings SINGAPORE: Asian Cup 2011 qualifying standings after the final round of matches on Wednesday (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Group A Japan 6 Bahrain 6 Yemen 6 Hong Kong 6 Group B Australia Kuwait Oman Indonesia
5 4 2 0
0 0 1 1
1 2 3 5
17 12 7 1
4 6 9 18
15 12 7 1
- qualified - qualified
6 6 6 6
3 2 2 0
2 3 2 3
1 1 2 3
6 6 4 3
4 5 4 6
11 9 8 3
- qualified - qualified
Group C UAE 4 Uzbekistan 4 Malaysia 4
3 3 0
0 0 0
1 1 4
7 7 2
1 3 12
9 9 0
-qualified - qualified
the Iceland goal-mouth and just eluded striker Andreas Papathanasiou. The Cypriots again came close in the 44th when Efstathios Aloneftis did well to evade a defender and pass to Christofi, who failed to get his foot on the ball in front of goal. Cyprus’ Konstantinos Makridis had a 20meter blast in the 62nd that was stopped in a diving save by substitute goalkeeper Gunnleifur Gunnleifson, who then scrambled to push wide a shot from point-blank range by Paraskevas Christou on the rebound. Iceland picked up the pace in the second half and put some pressure on the Cyprus defense, hitting the crossbar three times, twice from Rurik Gislason’s long-range efforts in the 68th and 77th. Turkey win over Honduras ISTANBUL: Emre Gungor and Hamit Altintop scored to give Turkey a 2-0 win over Honduras in an international friendly match in Istanbul. Arda Turan headed a corner from the right down to the feet of defender Emre, who made no mistake from close range to open the scoring in the 41st minute. Hamit then slammed the ball from the edge of the penalty area into the top right-hand corner of the net in the 55th minute for the second. Honduras will this summer be making its first World Cup appearance since 1982. It is in Group H with European champion Spain, Chile and Switzerland. Turkey, which finished third in the 2002 World Cup, failed to qualify for the tournament in South Africa. Serbia thrash Algeria ALGIERS: An early goal from Marko Pantelic and second-half strikes by substitutes Zdravko Kuzmanovic and Dusko Tosic gave Serbia a 3-0 win over fellow World Cup qualifier Algeria in a friendly match yesterday. Ajax striker Pantelic opened the scoring in the 15th minute after Algeria goalkeeper Lounes Gaouaoui came for a cross and missed it. Following a swift counterattack, Algeria striker Karim Matmour found himself alone in the box only to see goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic deny his effort with a fine save
in the 28th minute. Without several regular starters, Algeria created another chance just before halftime after Matmour sped down the right side and won a good free kick but Nadir Belhadj’s attempt was easily blocked by Stojkovic in the 45th minute. Kuzmanovic doubled Serbia’s lead in the 56th from close range after Algeria’s defense failed to clear a freekick. Tosic capped his team’s fine performance in the 65th with the third goal from a quick counterattack. Serbia, which won its European qualifying group to secure a place at the World Cup in South Africa for the first time, will play Ghana, Germany and Australia in the group stage. Hungary and Russia draw GYOR: Guus Hiddink’s last match as Russia coach saw his team draw 1-1 with Hungary in an international friendly. Hungary went ahead in the 39th minute when Vilmos Vanczak scored his first goal for his national team, the defender controlling the ball in the penalty area and beating Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev from 10 yards out. Striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, on as a substitute, leveled the scores in the 59th minute when he kneed the ball in from close range after a defensive lapse allowed him to latch onto a corner kick. Neither team qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Hiddink is set to become Turkey coach in August. Mphela rescues S Africa DURBAN: Katlego Mphela grabbed a 70th minute equalizer to save South Africa’s blushes and salvage a 1-1 draw for the World Cup host against neighbor Namibia in a friendly in Durban. Rudolf Bester scored just before halftime to give the visitors a surprise lead at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Wednesday and spoil the final part of the 100-day countdown celebrations. Razundara Tjikuzu crossed for Bester to send his shot into the corner of the net and stun the 70,000 sellout crowd. South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira responded with five substitutions in a bid to inspire his team. Mamelodi Sundowns striker Mphela then came to the host’s rescue with 20 minutes to go as he fired in the equalizer. —AFP
6 6 6 6
4 4 1 0
2 1 2 1
0 1 3 5
10 13 6 2
2 5 11 13
14 13 5 1
- qualified - qualified
Group E Iran Jordan Thailand Singapore
6 6 6 6
4 2 1 2
1 2 3 0
1 2 2 4
11 4 3 6
2 4 3 15
13 8 6 6
- qualified - qualified
Note: The top two in each group qualify for the finals in Qatar. Hosts Qatar as well as Iraq, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, the top three in the 2007 tournament, qualify automatically, as do India, the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup winners. The 2010 AFC Challenge Cup winners will also qualify.
Robinho sparkles as Brazil defeat Ireland
S Korea blank Ivory Coast LONDON: Goals from Lee Dong-gook and substitute Kwak Tae-hee gave South Korea a 2-0 win over Ivory Coast in yesterday’s friendly at Loftus Road. Lee’s volley gave the Koreans a fourth minute lead in front of a small crowd of its red-shirted fans at the home ground of English Championship side Queens Park Rangers. Defender Kwak sealed victory for the Koreans when he headed home Kim Jae-sung’s corner in the 90th minute. “We played very well and it is a good win for us but there is a lot of work still to do before the World Cup,” South Korea coach Huh Jung-moo said. Ivory Coast, who fired coach Vahid Halilhodzic last weekend after a poor African Cup of Nations, played under the temporary charge of Georges Kouadio as it chases the services of Guus Hiddink for the upcoming World Cup. Kouadio declined to speak to the media after his side’s defeat. Senegal beat Greece VOLOS: Second-half goals by Mamadou Niang and substitute Guirane Ndaw gave Senegal a 2-0 away win over Greece in a friendly international. Greece in no way justified its 10th place in the world rankings — up from 12th last month — announced by FIFA a few hours before the match as it was outplayed throughout. It was Greece’s first preparation game ahead of the World Cup in South Africa — it will play further friendlies against Paraguay and North Korea before this summer’s finals, where it will take on Nigeria, Argentina and South Korea in Group B. Both teams started tentatively and it was not until the 27th minute that a chance was created, Niang breaking free only to see his shot blocked by goalkeeper Alexandros Tzorvas. Cyprus hold Iceland LARNACA: Cyprus and Iceland battled to a scoreless draw yesterday in a friendly between two teams that will face each other in qualifying for the 2012 European Championship. In an evenly contested first half, Cyprus had the better chances, including a 26th-minute cross from forward Dimitris Christofi that sailed across
Group D Syria China Vietnam Lebanon
LONDON: Ivory Coast’s defender Sol Bamba (left) fights for the ball with South Korea’s striker Lee KeunHo (right) during their International friendly football match. South Korea won 2-0.— AFP
LONDON: Robinho made a productive return to England on Tuesday, scoring one goal and setting up the other to guide five-times world champions Brazil to a 2-0 win over Ireland in a friendly at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Brazil took the lead when a cross from the right by striker Robinho, who seemed to be in an offside position when he received the ball from Kaka, was turned into his own net from close range by Keith Andrews one minute before halftime. Substitute Daniel Alves should have doubled the lead after the break when he rounded Ireland keeper Shay Given and shot wide of the empty net. Robinho, who ended an unhappy spell with Manchester City by returning home to join former club Santos on loan in January, added a second on 76 minutes with a neat side-footed finish following a quick passing move involving Kaka and Grafite. “Robinho is someone who has always had big emotion for the national team and he was decisive today,” Brazil coach Dunga told reporters. “Sometimes people ... talk bad about him. Everybody can go through a good or a bad
moment but ... certain players are very important to us and the whole team has to be behind those players.” Ireland matched Brazil in the first half but the South Americans were completely on top in the second period, with Robinho and Kaka combining particularly well. The only blot on the evening for Robinho came in the second half when he spooned a chance over the bar from eight metres after another flowing move down the right. Brazil begin their World Cup challenge when they face Group G rivals North Korea in Johannesburg on June 15. They then face Ivory Coast five days later and Portugal on June 25. Ireland were playing their first game since their World Cup qualification dreams ended in despair in November when France claimed a controversial playoff victory. “For 45 minutes we saw a very beautiful game,” said Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni. “I think we played at the same level as Brazil. “I thought in this moment we could also hope ... for a good result (but) the first goal was offside by one metre,” added the Italian.—Reuters
Asia fears US-style property bubble
EU unveils 2020 vision for economy
23
25
Sweeping changes needed to save US post office
26
Thursday, March 4, 2010
www.kuwaittimes.net
Asian newcomers take stage at Motor Show
GENEVA: The New Twizy Z E electric concept car is shown at the 80th Geneva International Motor Show yesterday. —AP GENEVA: Two Asian newcomers gained a foothold at the Geneva motor show this week, vowing to become a permanent fixture at the prestige European showcase where others have come and gone. BYD (Build Your Dream) Autos of China, which specializes in thrifty mass produced family carriers, and small volume Malaysian luxury manufacturer Bufori, bear as much resemblance as chalk and cheese. Both are nonethless hoping that their individual recipes will thrive where other emerging Asian newcomers, notably those from China, have failed in recent years. “BYD is a feature of the Geneva show from now on,” proclaimed a European executive, as his company announced a tie-up with German giant Daimler to develop an electric car for China. One of its domestic rivals, Brilliance, has disappeared from Geneva since it became the first Chinese carmaker ever to display here in 2007 with ambitions of breaking into the European market within five years. Indian industrial giant Tata’s own brand has repeatedly professed long term optimism in the Swiss city and was on show here yesterday
for the 12th year running. But it’s much touted Nano, billed as the world’s cheapest car, has yet to be put on sale in Europe and local ambitions ride for now on luxury British made Jaguar and Land Rover, which Tata bought in 2008. “It won’t really work for Tata I don’t think,” said Frank Schwope, an analyst for German bank NordLB. “But the Chinese companies will have a much bigger role in the world. They’re already big.” Shenzen-based BYD Auto, whose sales have boomed at home, has been making inroads into the emerging markets in Asia and the Middle East while it builds up a sales network in Europe and improves quality. In Geneva it announced that sales of a hybrid saloon and its new all electric E6 people carrier would be rolled out in Europe over the coming two years. BYD’s tentative cooperation deal with Daimler, which is primarily aimed at the Chinese market, also involves exchanging vehicle-making nowhow with the German carmaker. Although they often assemble vehicles for Japanese, US and European brands in China, previous attempts by Chinese firms to export their own cars
GENEVA: AC Car MK VI is shown at the 80th Geneva International Motor Show yesterday in Geneva, Switzerland. —AP have foundered on European technical and safety standards. “If they want to go for an export strategy they’ve got to raise their game,” said Colin Couchman, automotive analyst at Global Insight. “There’s no one obvious. They’re in the early part of their learning
curve,” he added. Bufori’s approach is different, building on 24 years of making just a few dozen vehicles year in Malaysia aimed resolutely at luxury and a particular brand of classical styling. Its new “Geneva” four-door saloon, an opulent mix of
handstitched leather and high tech carbon fibre and Kevlar bodywork, even offers a built in Chinese tea set complete with a kettle. “We are in a niche and our specialty is contemporary classic designs, there are not many manufacturers out there which offer
this sort of mix,” General Manager Felix Haller said. “It’s true that in markets like Europe where heritage is strong we have to fight with a little bit of prejudice,” added Haller, a German national. “People think we went to Malaysia for low cost labor, it’s
Greece heads for draconian action sion reported. The government is acting with a third round of tough decisions under the huge pressure of debt payments falling due, supervision by the European Union and skepticism on financial markets. Papandreou warned members of parliament on Tuesday: “We find ourselves today in a wartime situation.” He said that Greece had to avoid “a nightmare of bankruptcy in which the state would not be able to pay salaries or pensions.” That would create a huge headache for its European partners which are alarmed that the crisis in Greece, a member of the eurozone, could cause lasting damage to the credibility and discipline which underpin the entire single currency area. The latest measures are believed to include a two-percent increase in sales tax, a pension freeze, heavier benefit cuts for civil servants and steeper tobacco and fuel duties. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, insists that Greeks must sort out their fiscal mess-which includes a public debt of nearly 300 billion euros ($407 billion) - before expecting any outside help. Time is short. Papandreou has said that financing needs are assured until the middle of March. Greece needs more than 20 billion euros (27 billion dollars) by May to redeem old debt falling due and thereby avoid default. It also needs to borrow heavily to finance a public deficit which is close to 13 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Overall, the government is desperate to improve its downgraded credit rating and thereby reduce the crippling interest rate, currently slightly above 6.0 percent, which it has to pay to borrow from international investment funds. A total of 54 billion euros will have to be raised this year to cover the public deficit which has swollen way beyond the three-percent EU limit. Moody’s rating agency has estimated that about 15 percent of tax revenues will be absorbed by debt charges this year. —AFP
Bufori is making its first appearance at the show, which opens to the public from March 4 to 14. “It is expensive but it’s definitely worth it. It’s something our customers would expect because it’s a luxury car,” said Haller. “We have a voice here.” —AFP
Etisalat claims 24% of Afghan mobile market
Greek ministers meet to avert bankruptcy ATHENS: The Greek government, facing a debt crisis of “wartime” dimensions and fighting to avert bankruptcy, held a special session yesterday to launch draconian new budget action. Time is short for Greece to convince its European partners and financial markets that it has credible reforms to hand to correct heavily indebted public finances, since it faces huge debt payments soon. But signs are growing that the situation, which is undermining the credibility of the entire eurozone, may evolve in the days after the latest measures are announced. Greece said that Prime Minister George Papandreou, who flies to Berlin tomorrow for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, would then go to Paris on Sunday to meet French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Merkel, who is widely regarded as holding the key to any European bailout, held latenight crisis talks with senior government figures to prepare a backup plan if Greece needs a bailout, German media in Berlin reported. Merkel has so far rejected any formal European rescue. Sentiment on financial markets about the course of events in Greece is highly uncertain, although there is a suspicion that if the latest round of measures satisfies EU authorities, some sort of support for Greece may emerge in the next week or so. A Greek official told Dow Jones Newswires that Athens would issue a 10year bond to raise between three and five billion euros “within days of the announcement of the austerity package.” And economist Neil MacKinnon at VTB Capital said that a rescue “has to be agreed, whether it is some sort of loan package contingent on evidence of Greek budget cuts or debt purchases by EU governments and/or state owned entities or some sort of debt guarantees.” In Athens, Papandreou opened the extraordinary meeting of his ministers to complete the latest measures, set to include tax increases and spending cuts, public televi-
not, it’s for the workmanship.” The Malaysian carmaker said its new model would be tested under European standards. “If you want to survive in this environment you need a car that has all the technologies that allow it to be compliant,” Haller acknowledged.
ATHENS: Pensioners chant anti-government slogans during a demonstration in central Athens yesterday. —AP
ABU DHABI: Emirates Telecommunications Company said yesterday it commands a 24 percent share of the mobile telephone market and revenues grew three-fold in 2009 in Afghanistan, one the most difficult markets. Etisalat, which entered Afghanistan in 2007, has invested $300 million and employs some 10,000 Afghans, Saeed Al Hamili, chief executive of Etisalat Afghanistan said. “We managed to attract nearly three million customers and control 24 percent market share in 27 provinces in Afghanistan. In 2009 our revenues have grown three times compared to 2008,” he said in a statement. “We will continue to reach more areas of Afghanistan and introduce more voice and data services,” he said. Currently, Etisalat’s network has reached some 90 percent of Afghanistan, despite the security issues and geographical conditions” said Kheyal Mohammed, head of the telecommunications and information technology committee in the Afghan parliament. —Reuters
EFG lifts Egypt, Saudi up DUBAI: EFG -Her mes made its largest gain in more than seven months yesterday, lifting Egypt’s index, as investors bet on a possible extra-dividend. Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) hit a fiveweek high as the Saudi bourse rose for a second day and Abu Dhabi gained, but other regional markets fell in muted trading. EFG jumped 7 percent after it said it was opening an office in Syria, while rumors also boosted the stock. “There is market talk of a possible distribution of special dividends related to (the) Audi bank deal,” s a i d M o h a m e d Ko t b o f N a e e m Holding. EFG sold its 28 percent stake in Lebanon’s Bank Audi for $913.4 million earlier this year. Egypt’s index climbed 1.6 percent, with Orascom Telecom rising 4.2 percent after Algeria signaled it
was not trying to force Orascom out of the country. “All the money that has been outflowing from the stock on the Algerian issue is coming back,” Kotb added. Disappointing earnings condemned Dubai’s market to its second straight decline. Arabtec fell 1.9 percent after reporting its first ever quarterly loss, having taken about $80 million in provisions. “That should be seen by educated fundamental investors as a step in the right direction, but the majority of active investors are day traders and speculators and so they won’t b e t o o h a p p y, ” s a i d Ay m a n e l Saheb, Darahem Fi n a n c i a l Brokerage director of operations. Dubai Financial Market slipped 1 . 4 p e rc e n t a f t e r p ro p o s i n g a reduced dividend as full-year net profit fell by nearly half. “The DFM
news was to be expected because trading turnover has been very low compared to previous years, but cutting dividends is usually taken negatively by retail investors,” said Marwan Shurrab, vice-president and chief trader at Gulfmena Alternative Investments. Volumes were light as investors await news on Dubai World’s restructuring. “Company financials haven’t had much effect on the market-Dubai World and the lack of liquidity is really controlling the attitude of investors,” said Samer Al-Jaouni, general manager of Middle East Financial Brokerage Co SABIC rose 0.8 percent. Oil prices have doubled in the past year, boosting petrochemical producers’ income stream. “(With) oil prices holding steady above $70 in 2010, they will be in a stronger position to grow
their revenues substantially, especially with the expansionary budget of the kingdom,” said Mohammed Yasin, Shuaa Securities chief executive. Qatar’s index fell to a threeweek low. “Qatar has been an enigma for everybody-the macro picture is robust and corporate results a re q u i t e d e c e n t , ” s a i d S h a h i d Hameed, Global Investment House head of Gulf asset management. “But the market remains lackluster and there’s a lack of investor interest. The market is illiquid and so the focus has shifted away to more liquid markets such as Saudi Arabia a n d m o re re c e n t l y Ku w a i t . ” I n Ku w a i t , National Mobile Telecommunications Co dropped 3.7 percent. It is down 4.8 percent since reporting a 23 percent drop in quarterly profit. —Reuters
22
BUSINESS
Thursday, March 4, 2010
AUB posts profit of $200.7 million
BAE Systems secures MRAP major contract Deal worth more than $140 million BENONI: BAE Systems Land Systems OMC, through its partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS-C), was awarded a follow on order for the supply of 250 RG31 Mk5E vehicles in support of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected A further enhancement includes an independent suspension system, which improves vehicle mobility and ride comfort. Combined with ease of handling, improved crew comfort, Vshaped hull for excellent mine and IED protection, the RG31 is one of the best
vehicles for the harsh off road conditions of Afghanistan, where the vehicles will be deployed. All vehicles will be manufactured in South Africa and delivery of the vehicles to GDLS-C will take place in 2010. Johan Steyn, Managing Director of BAE Systems
(MRAP) vehicle program for US forces. The new RG31 Mk5E version utilizes the same driveline as the RG31 Mk5EM, 100 of which were sold during the previous MRAP contract completed in May 2009.
Land Systems South Africa, said: “This follow-on order testifies both to the reliability of the RG31 design and its build quality, but more importantly, the capability this battle proven vehicle with its superior protection levels gives to the men and
women in uniform. It proves once again the integrity of BAE Systems’ engineering and manufacturing excellence”. About BAE SYSTEMS BAE Systems is a global defense, security and aerospace company with approximately 107,000 employees
worldwide. The Company delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. In 2009 BAE Systems reported sales of £22.4 billion ($336.2 billion).
ICAEW moves into DIFC DUBAI: The world leader of the accountancy and finance profession, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), strengthens its position in the Middle East region by moving into its office in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The ICAEW, a professional body headquartered in the UK with more than 132,000 members in over 160 countries, has established its DIFC office as part of its campaign to set up regional offices around the world to work more closely with key stakeholders globally and to offer better support to its members and students around the world. The DIFC presence will bring enhanced knowledge transfer and training expertise in international accounting standards and practices, not only to firms within DIFC, but to the wider UAE and Middle East region. The move also will facilitate the institution in attracting more member firms. Amanda Line ACA was appointed as the ICAEW’s regional director for the Middle East last autumn and is responsible for the ICAEW’s activity in the region. There are more than 800 ICAEW members with the globally recognized ACA qualification (Associate Chartered Accountant) in the Middle East, of which more than 400
are located in the UAE. “The success of the DIFC as a leading International Financial Centre was contributed to by the highly skilled and knowledgeable professional services industry operating from the centre. We welcome ICAEW to DIFC as an important driver of enhanced excellence in this field, as well as an valuable resource for the development of accountancy and finance professionals across the region,” said Abdulla Al Awar, CEO of the DIFC Authority. Amanda Line, Regional Director, ICAEW Middle East, said: “As the accountancy and finance profession becomes increasingly global, we need to offer better support to our members where they are based. Having an office in the DIFC will allow us to fulfil our commitment to the growing number of members and students in the Middle East, many of whom are based in the DIFC. “We are also keen to share our expertise and experience with other stakeholders - governments, regulators, businesses - in the Middle East to strengthen the profession and increase the number of qualified chartered accountants. The DIFC is a very convenient location for our office and our expanding team, given that it pro-
vides us with easy access to many major stakeholders, some of which we are already working closely with, in addition to the purely infrastructural and logistical benefits it offers.” Dhaher Bin Dhaher, Executive Director of Ancillary Services at the DIFC Authority, said: “It is a key priority of DIFC to provide a international-calibre operating environment, and that includes making DIFC an attractive and value-added location in which professional serv-
ice providers and related entities can base their local and regional operations. It is a great pleasure to have ICAEW come into DIFC as an important organization for the accounting and finance profession within the centre and across the wider region.” The ICAEW Middle East office which is based at the DIFC will cover the following countries including, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan.
KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank (AUB) has announced its financial results for the year 2009. The Bank has achieved a 5% growth in total operating income which increased to $696.4 million, supported by a 15.7% increase in net interest income to $466.6 million (2008: $403.1 million). Despite the tight liquidity and credit conditions that prevailed in the first half of 2009, the Bank successfully managed to contain its cost of funding through tight asset liability management and asset repricing resulting in improving Net Interest Margin from 2.1% (2008) to 2.4% (2009). The Bank’s reported net profit of US$ 200.7 million for the year, a drop of 21.5% over the $255.7 million net profit of 2008, was impacted by increased levels of provisioning on its loans portfolio to ensure prudent mitigation of identified risks given the continuing uncertain operating environment further affected by regional credit events. Consequently, the charge for provisions for loan losses and contingencies rose to $228.1 million (2008: $98.6 million). This included provisions of $171.5 million exceeding 90% coverage for its entire portfolio exposures to specified impaired Saudi corporate assets so as to fully absorb any potential losses related to these accounts. Non-performing loans portfolio represented 2.8% of its total loan portfolio in 2009. Despite the adverse operating environment and the prudent approach in terms of loan loss provisions, the Bank’s strong underlying operating income generated a Q/4-2009 net profit of $17.0 million which represented a major improvement in earnings by $41.4 million vis-avis a loss of $24.4 million during Q/42008. In view of the uncertainty in timing and prospects of economic recovery, the Bank adopted a very prudent and controlled risk stance in 2009, thus containing the loans and advances portfolio at $13.3 billion (2008: $13.6 billion). A phased de-risking of the balancesheet profile was also undertaken by deploying liquidity from corporate credits to sovereign and quasi sovereign bond and FRN exposures resulting in non-trading investments rising to $3.9 billion (2008: $3.4 billion) providing an improvement in spread income with a reduction in assessed credit risk. Total assets of $23.6 billion remained essentially flat in 2009 (2008 - $23.6 billion) as the Bank focused on liability management and improving capital and liquidity ratios. Customer deposits were held at US$13.2 billion while wholesale bank & financial institutional deposits rose by 7.7% to $5.5 billion (2008: $5.2 billion) reflecting continuing and growing confidence in the Bank’s credentials corroborated by a re-affirmation of AUB credit ratings by S & P, Fitch and Capital Intelligence at A-, A- & A respectively with a Stable outlook. The Bank also continued its focus on achieving sustainable process efficiencies and cost controls, which resulted in the cost to income ratio reducing to 34.2% (2009) from 39.1% (2008). The Bank’s diluted earnings per share for the period was US cents 4.2 (2008: US cents 5.3). In view of the continuing challenging operating environment, the Board of Directors has recommended a cash dividend of 8% (2008: 10%) subject to approval by the shareholders. The regulatory capital adequacy ratio of the Bank improved during the year standing at a solid 15.1% (2008: 13.8%) comfortably above the regulatory mini-
AUB Chairman Fahad Al-Rajaan mum requirement of 12.0%, with a tier 1 component of 10.9% (2008: 9.0 %). “2009 continued to pose operating challenges given the economic slowdown and the related larger provisioning requirements. We are however encouraged by the Bank’s resilience and strong fundamentals which have enabled it to navigate the regional ripple effects of the global and regional economic slowdowns and to effectively address all identified impairment challenges in a full and unambiguous manner”, said Fahad Al-Rajaan, Chairman of AUB. “While 2010 remains a challenging year, we nevertheless see solid opportunities for growth on a number of fronts. One of these is the potential to further enhance AUB’s business leverage and contribution in Egypt after raising our stake in Ahli United Bank, Egypt (AUBE) to c.79.6% through a path breaking tender offer successfully closed in January 2010. Moreover, we are seeking to enhance our presence in the MENA region by acquiring a strategic shareholding in United Bank for Commerce and Investment in Libya, which complements our expanded presence in Egypt. Furthermore, we are confident of AUB Group tapping the large potential arising from the forthcoming conversion of its c.75% subsidiary - Bank of Kuwait and the Middle East (BKME) into a fully Sharia compliant Islamic institution in Q/2-2010. This will add a very important product dimension to the AUB Group range of products and services and will also involve the re-branding of BKME as Ahli United Bank K.S.C which will reinforce our cross border brand identification. It is also gratifying to note that AUB, in partnership with the UK based, Legal & General Group Plc, one of the world’s largest life insurance companies, has commenced offering life insurance products and services beginning with Bahrain through our equally owned conventional and Takaful joint venture companies in furtherance of AUB’s objective of gradually becoming a broadened provider of financial services”. During 2009, AUB’s strong underlying fundamentals enabled it to continue to earn a number of prestigious awards, including the ‘Best Bank in Middle East 2009’; ‘Best Foreign Exchange Bank Middle East’ from Global Finance; ‘Best Bank - Bahrain’ from Global Finance and The Banker and ‘Best Trade Finance Bank in Bahrain’ from Global Finance.
EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds
.2830000 .4310000 .390000 .2660000 .2760000 .2580000 .0045000 .0020000 .0782480 .7623490 .4020000 .0750000 .7473510 .0045000 .0500000
.2940000 .4400000 .3980000 .2740000 .2840000 .2650000 .0075000 .0035000 .0790350 .7700110 .4180000 .0790000 .7548620 .0072000 .0580000
US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso
CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2876000 .4330180 .3924000 .2681540 .2784080 .0527230 .0402120 .2604490 .0370440 .2052300 .0032410 .0062860 .0025230 .0034030 .0042130 .0783410 .7632490 .4067440 .0767320 .7473850 .0062860
.2897000 .4360760 .3951710 .2700530 .2803800 .0530960 .0404970 .2622890 .0373060 .2066830 .0032640 .0063300 .0025400 .0034270 .0042430 .0788410 .7681160 .4096250 .0772210 .7521510 .0063300
US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals
TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2897000 .4360760 .2700530 .0772210
Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES Japanese Yen 3.259 Indian Rupees 6.294 Pakistani Rupees 3.407
Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash
2.522 3.949 206.700 37.230 4.172 6.273 8.856 0.301 0.292 GCC COUNTRIES 77.081 79.412 750.900 767.640 78.720
Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham
ARAB COUNTRIES 56.500 52.710 1.363 208.740 408.200 193.900 6.312 35.670
EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 288.900 Euro 395.100 Sterling Pound 435.230 Canadian dollar 280.620 Turkish lire 188.540 Swiss Franc 270.130 Australian dollar 261.200 US Dollar Buying 287.000 GOLD 221.000 113.500 59.000
20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram
SELL CASH 265.000 768.120 4.410 282.900 567.200 15.800 53.400 167.800 56.250 398.100
37.880 6.570 0.035 0.296 0.261 3.350 410.010 0.195 87.550 47.400 4.260 205.300 2.183 49.700 750.300 3.500 6.410 79.880 77.120 207.430 40.630 2.774 439.300 41.400 272.800 6.400 9.080 217.900 78.810 289.200 1.390
10 Tola
GOLD 1,230.370
Sterling Pound US Dollar
37.730 6.295
408.280 0.194 87.550 3.960 203.800
SELL DRAFT 263.500 768.120 4.171 281.400
207.400 52.678 396.600
US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Cyprus Pound Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees
Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees
Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co.
271.300 8.990 78.810 288.800
Rate per 1000 (Tran)
US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Candaian Dollars
TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 437.300 288.800
289.050 278.515 443.415 400.625 268.420 708.480 766.505 78.675 79.305 77.110 407.980 52.725 6.260 3.405
2.520 4.180 6.270 3.240 8.770 5.568 3.922
Currency 750.120 3.410 6.275 79.450 77.120 207.430 40.630 2.520 437.300
Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd
Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash
Hongkong dollar Indian rupees Indonesia Iranian tuman Iraqi dinar Japanese yen Jordanian dinar Lebanese pound Malaysian ringgit Morocco dirham Nepalese Rupees New Zealand dollar Nigeria Norwegian krone Omani Riyal Pakistani rupees Philippine peso Qatari riyal Saudi riyal Singapore dollar South Africa Sri Lankan rupees Sterling pound Swedish krona Swiss franc Syrian pound Thai bhat Tunisian dollar UAE dirham U.S. dollars Yemeni Riyal
288.950 3.405 6.305 2.530 4.175 6.310 78.730 77.220 767.700 52.695 440.400 0.0000314 3.930 1.550 410.200 5.750 399.900 286.800
Al Mulla Exchange Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal *Rates are subject to change
Transfer rate 288.600 396.450 435.550 281.300 3.268 6.295 52.680 2.519 4.170 6.280 3.398 768.000 78.675 77.080
BUSINESS
Thursday, March 4, 2010
23
Panasonic chief says TV business to turn profit TOKYO: Panasonic’s chief is optimistic about profit opportunities from taking over Japanese rival Sanyo, especially in solar panels, and vowed to return the company’s money-losing TV business to the black by March 2011. Panasonic Corp President Fumio Ohtsubo was upbeat about taking advantage of what he said was Sanyo Electric Co’s technological lead in solar panels and batteries. Panasonic, which makes Viera TVs and Lumix digital cameras, bought its smaller and unprofitable Japanese rival Sanyo for $4.6 billion last year forming one of the world’s largest electronics makers. Panasonic, while turning
around money-losing Sanyo, must fight off the threat of Samsung Electronics Co of South Korea, which has been reporting booming profits recently. New kind of batteries called lithium-ion - in which Sanyo is among the top makers in the world - are now mostly used in gadgets like laptops and cell phones. But they are expected to become key in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Sanyo’s tieup with Panasonic, based in Osaka, can potentially work as a plus because production in bigger numbers leads to cost cuts, critical for the proliferation of the fledgling, still costly, battery technology for cars.
Panasonic also has a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp to produce batteries for hybrids and electric vehicles. Sanyo, which already does business with Honda Motor Co, Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co, is likely to be expanding partnerships with other automakers. Ohtsubo said that kind of difference in approaches was likely to continue. “If we deny each other’s corporate cultures, then there is no meaning,” he told reporters yesterday at the company’s Tokyo office. “We can learn from each other.” Analysts have been mostly positive about the Panasonic-Sanyo partnership. “While the Sanyo acquisition
may give an impression of less benefit due to acquisition-related charges, we believe that Panasonic management has already made actions to turn around Sanyo,” Macquarie Equities Research in Tokyo said in a report this week. Panasonic’s profits are likely to get a lift from recovering US sales and the introduction of 3D TVs, it said. Solar panels are one area where the companies are certain to boost sales together by selling Sanyo panels through Panasonic’s home business, according to Ohtsubo. Panasonic does not make solar panels but has major consumer electronics and housing units. Details of where else they
can produce a win-win situation are still being worked out, Ohtsubo said. Much of Sanyo and Panasonic’s product offerings, such as washing machines and digital cameras, overlap and may end up merely competing with each other. Ohtsubo also said its money-losing TV business is recovering and will likely turn profitable during the fiscal year ending March 2011. That will help the overall bottom line, and he was determined to avoid a third straight year of red ink for Panasonic. “I would be too embarrassed to go out and say that,” Ohtsubo said. — AP
Nikkei rises 0.3% Toyota up as Feb sales fall less than feared TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei average rose 0.3 percent yesterday, supported by hopes for a bailout package for debt-ridden Greece, but the yen’s advance to a more than two-month high against the dollar weighed on some
exporters. Recall-hit Toyota Motor Corp gained 3.2 percent on short-covering after a drop in its February US sales of nearly 9 percent was better than expected.
HONG KONG: People walk past a China Mobile shop in Hong Kong. Telecoms giant China Mobile said yesterday it is in talks with Shanghai Pudong Development Bank over plans to buy new shares in the lender. —AFP
Asia acts over fears of property bubble Policymakers fear disastrous US-style property bubble SINGAPORE: Asian countries fearing a disastrous US-style property bubble are striving to cool down their real-estate markets as the region powers out of the global financial crisis. Policymakers are worried that excessive exuberance could push property prices far above their real value, only to crash and bring down with them banks that lent money too freely and individuals who borrowed beyond their means. “It is better to pre-empt a bubble than wait for it to get serious and have to take more drastic measures,” Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said last month after the city-state took fresh measures against speculation. Singapore was one of the countries hit by the 1997-1998 Asian financial meltdown. That crisis followed a property crash, leaving a blighted landscape of unfinished projects across the region and banks gasping for lifelines. Problems in the US housing market had set off the devastating financial firestorm that swept across the world in late 2008 and lasted well into 2009. While Asia is now leading the global economic recovery, officials are determined to avert another crisis. Low interest rates, strong demand and speculation have pushed property prices in many Asian cities higher, in some cases surpassing peaks reached in 2007. “The risk of an asset bubble is quite high in certain (economies) such as China, Hong Kong and Singapore,” said Chua Yang Liang, head of Southeast Asia research at
property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle. A bursting of that bubble could “potentially derail economic growth, especially if banks and other investment houses are overly exposed to those sectors”, Chua said, singling out real estate as a cause of concern. In China, property prices in 70 major cities hit a 21month high in January. Beijing has tightened lending, requiring buyers of second homes to put up a downpayment of at least 40 percent, and they also face higher interest rates on their mortgage loans. In Singapore, where housing prices have been heating up since last year, the government slapped additional duties on sellers who flip a residential property within a year
of buying it. Home buyers are also now limited to borrowing up to 80 percent of the property’s value, instead of 90 percent. In densely packed Hong Kong, home to one of the world’s most frenetic property markets, authorities are fretting about a surge of speculative money since late 2008. Starting April, the territory will increase the stamp duty for sales of flats worth 20 million Hong Kong dollars (2.6 million US) or more from 3.75 percent to 4.25 percent. Prices of some Hong Kong luxury flats have returned to 1997 boom levels. In October last year, Henderson Land Development said it had sold a luxury duplex apartment for a world record of 88,000 Hong Kong dollars
(11,300 US) per square foot, or a price tag of 57 million US dollars. Australia’s central bank on Tuesday lifted interest rates afresh. One factor it cited was a “solid” increase in mortgages, “and dwelling prices have risen significantly over the past year”. Median house prices in Sydney rose 12.1 percent in 2009 and 18.5 percent in Melbourne, and observers said the rise was likely to continue. But Simon Vinson, head of Asian property at AMP Capital Investors, said he did not see the overall Asian market overheating. “It’s really only been the residential market that has experienced strong price growth. Commercial markets remain less buoyant,” he said. —AFP
SINGAPORE: People play basketball in front of a government public housing apartment in Singapore. — AFP
But investors were reluctant to form new positions due to uncertainty over a potential bailout for Greece and ahead of US jobs data due out tomorrow, which may provide clues about the strength of the US economic recovery after a string of mixed indicators. “There’s a sense of hope because other countries are already holding meetings this month regarding Greece’s problems. But the plan is still unknown and that is making it hard for investors to move in one specific direction,” said Yumi Nishimura, deputy general manager at Daiwa Securities Capital Markets. “Investors are also taking a wait-and-see approach before the jobs data as recent US data has tended to come in weaker than market expectations.” In thin trade, the benchmark Nikkei rose 31.30 points to 10,253.14, while the broader Topix added 0.3 percent to 905.65. The dollar fell to its lowest in more than two months against the yen yesterday as investors cut long positions versus other currencies. Investors fret about a stronger yen because it eats into exporter profits when repatriated. The dollar fell as far as 88.47 yen on trading platform EBS, the lowest since mid-December, before recovering to 88.85 yen. It is expected to show that US payrolls shed 20,000 jobs last month after losing 22,000 jobs in January, according to a median estimate from economists polled by Reuters. Some 1.7 billion shares changed hands on the Tokyo Exchange’s first section, well below last year’s daily average of 2.3 billion shares. Advancing stocks and declining ones were almost evenly matched, 753 to 739. TOYOTA GAINS, RESOURCE STOCKS UP Toyota rose 3.2 percent to 3,420 yen on the smaller-thanexpected fall in sales. “There’d been predictions of two-digit sales falls due to the recalls, so what we’ve seen today was short-covering on relief about that as well as on the Congressional hearings being over,” said Takashi Ushio, head of the investment strategy division at Marusan Securities. Toyota officials, including president Akio Toyoda, testified before congressional committees last week and this week. “But I think we’ll have to see the March sales figures as well before we can really relax,” added Ushio. Shares of trading house Mitsubishi Corp and other companies that rely on commodities for profits rose on oil’s jump to a seven-week intraday high and gains in metals prices. Mitsubishi rose 2.1 percent to 2,295 yen. Ferronickel producer Pacific Metals jumped 3.6 percent to 690 yen and smelter Sumitomo Metal Mining rose 2.5 percent to 1,317 yen. Shares of Fast Retailing shot up 4.7 percent to 15,930 yen, after it said same-store sales at its Uniqlo fashion chain rose 1.8 percent in February from a year earlier due to solid sales of spring items. But Daiichi Sankyo slipped 3.3 percent to 1,757 yen after majority-owned Ranbaxy Laboratories said it was not able to launch a generic version of a urinary drug in the United States as scheduled in the absence of final approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Some exporters lost ground, with Panasonic down 1.5 percent at 1,246 yen and Toshiba Corp losing 1.3 percent to 451 yen. —Reuters
TOKYO: Panasonic Corp President Fumio Ohtsubo speaks during an interview at the electronics maker’s Tokyo office yesterday. — AP
Wataniya, Ericsson launch mobile advertising service KUWAIT: For the first time in Kuwait, Wataniya Telecom, Kuwait’s leading telecommunication company and Ericsson, the world’s leading provider of telecommunication services and equipment to operators, announced the launch of the mobile advertising service. Wataniya Telecom has selected Ericsson to provide this innovative communication tool which can offer potential for advertisers, operators and end users alike by providing an offering that allows operators and media entities to reach consumers in a highly targeted way. “The Mobile Advertising service is tailor made to advertisers to keep their customers informed with up-to-date and relevant information on special offers and promotions, and even chances to win prizes. People look for the best offers at the best places which is why Mobile Advertising is the perfect advertising medium that caters to this specific need.” said Scott Gegenheimer, CEO & General Manager at Wataniya Telecom. On his part, Bo Erik, Head of Market Unit Middle East, Ericsson, said, “We are glad to partner with Wataniya in the provision of mobile advertising, which in turn, brings new opportunities for advertisers who get visibility in new channels. As the mobile market fosters the link between advertisers, consumers and operators, we are confident in the added value it delivers to the end-customer experience.” In addition, through the mobile channel, Ericsson provides the players (ie the network provider, platform provider, media agency, advertising agency, advertisers/clients) in the mobile advertising value chain with the facility to deliver the exact content in the exact context to a target audience. Mobile marketing creates new revenue streams for network operators and advertising agencies, being integrated into different services. Hence, vendors of the rank of Ericsson are keen to tap on that potential by offering a cross-channel solution that enables both operators and media houses to reach consumers in a highly targeted way. Mobile advertisements are interactive and customized to ensure their relevance to individual users; therefore, they are tailored to the user’s age, gender and personal
Scott Gegenheimer interests. The service is launched and operated under the name “Mobile Media”. Signing up for the service is convenient and easy. Wataniya subscribers receive an SMS asking whether they would like to subscribe and answer 3 profile questions that will help advertisers understand customers better. This innovative service also allows the customers to cancel their subscription and therefore excludes them from receiving commercial messages at any time. Apart from the SMS, the subscribers can also subscribe via web, and can share more profile information such as interest, occupation, area of residence, nationality, language, gender, age etc. Mobile Media subscribers are to be assured that they will receive relevant messages on promotions in Kuwait. The cross media connection between Internet advertising and mobile marketing will develop a new technological revolution. Advertising content will also span an array of formats including videos. Predictably, customers will benefit from a range of innovative services, the cost of which will be paid by the advertiser.
Sinking dollar lifts gold, copper, oil Cocoa at 6-month low; cotton snaps 3-session win NEW YORK: Gold and copper prices hit sixweek highs on Tuesday and oil seven-week peaks as fresh hopes for Greece’s debt crisis lifted the euro, making commodities priced in dollars cheaper for those using the single European currency. Equity markets, a proxy for business confidence, rose too, boosting the outlook for raw materials demand, as investors held out hope for some type of help from the European Union for Greece. The 19-commodity Reuters-Jefferies CRB index was up about 1 percent by 3:30 pm EST (2030 GMT) as the euro rebounded from a 9-1/2-month low against the euro. The dollar’s value often decides the direction for commodity prices. Copper and gold reached their highest prices since Jan 20. Crude oil hit a high dating back to Jan 12. Not all commodities ended up, though. Cocoa closed at a six-month low on improved crop prospects in No 1 grower Ivory Coast. Cotton also fell, ending a three-session winning streak. Gold hit six-week highs in dollar terms, and record highs when priced in the sterling and euro, as volatility in foreign exchange markets boosted buying of the precious metal. “Everyone’s paying attention to the dollar,” said VTB Capital analyst Andrey Kryuchenkov, who follows metals. “At the moment, the euro is probably in for a rebound because there is so much negativity priced in already.” Spot gold, which reflects the price of bullion, was bid at $1,132.30 an ounce, against $1,118.40 late in New York on Monday. Benchmark US gold futures for April settled up $19.10 at $1,137.40 an ounce. Copper extended its rally from the previous day, sparked by fears about production outages in earthquake-ravaged Chile, which supplies about a fifth of the world’s copper. Copper’s benchmark three-month contract
on the London Metal Exchange closed up $90 at $7,490 a ton. The metal, used in power and construction, rose on Monday to a session peak of $7,600 a ton, its highest since Jan. 20. In New York, US copper futures’ benchmark May contract settled up 6.15 cents, or 1.8 percent, at $3.4115 a lb. Some analysts said the red metal could stay on an uptrend if supply concerns persist. “The unfortunate earthquake in Chile highlights the potential threat to the copper production base,” UK investment bank Fairfax said in a note. Others were less bullish, citing the profittaking that occurred in copper during Monday’s session after news that some Chilean mines were back to work as power supply was restored gradually following the quake. The dollar, up about 3 percent since December, could also pose more challenges for commodities as the year progressed. “We think the dollar can actually be the dominant theme for commodities in 2010, as it very well could strengthen over the course of the year, given the lack of a viable alternative to the US currency,” said Edward Meir, an analyst for broker MF Global in New York. John Kilduff, oil trader at Round Earth Capital in New York, seemed to agree with that view. “Crude is going to remain volatile and subject to currency influences as the crisis focus meanders between the euro zone and the UK,” said Kilduff. He said, however, he expected oil prices to trade near $80 due to “enough positive economic data.” US crude’s benchmark front-month April contract settled up 98 cents at at $79.68 a barrel, after rising to a session high of $80.95. Traders were awaiting oil supply/demand data, from the US Energy Information Administration to decide where prices go next. — Reuters
24
BUSINESS
KSE ends trading with marginal loss Global Daily Market Report KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended yesterday’s trading session with a marginal loss. Gains witnessed in the Banking sector helped to lessen the market’s overall losses. Global General Index (GGI) shed 0.08 points (-0.04 percent) during yesterday’s session to reach 207.29 points. Furthermore, the KSE Price Index dropped by a marginal 7.40 points (- 0.10 percent) yesterday and closed at 7,398.80 points. Market capitalization was down KD12.33mn yesterday to reach KD33.88bn. During yesterday’s session, 141 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 67 equities retreated versus 42 that advanced. A total of 98 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday’s trading session. Daily Trading Activity Trading activities ended on a positive note yesterday as volume of shares traded on the exchange increased by 1.98 percent to reach 395.01mn shares. In addition, value of shares traded gained by 17.65 percent to stand at KD85.42mn. The Investment Sector was the volume leader, with 28.52 percent of total traded volume. While the Banking Sector was the value leader with 34.89 percent of total traded value. Kuwait Real Estate Company saw 46.20mn shares changing hands, making it the volume leader. National Bank of Kuwait, on the other hand, was the value leader, with a total traded value of KD10.93mn. Top Gainers and Biggest Decliners In terms of top gainers, Mena Holding Group was the top gainer for the day, adding 9.09 percent and closed at KD0.300. On the other hand, Arabi Group Holding Company shed 6.33 percent and closed at KD0.148, making it the biggest decliner in the market yesterday.
Sectors Wise Regarding Global’s sectoral indices, they ended on a mixed note with Global Banking Index being the top gainer. The index ended the day up 2.02 percent backed by heavyweights National Bank of Kuwait and Gulf Bank which ended the day up 3.13 percent and 7.04 percent, respectively. Global Food Index added 1.36 percent yesterday, making it the second biggest gainer. Contributing to the index’s gain was
Kout Food Group, which was the top gainer in the sector. The scrip ended the day up 7.14 percent and closed at KD0.375. However, it was heavyweight Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana) that had the biggest impact on the index’s gain by ending the day with a 1.27 percent gain and closed at KD1.600. In terms of decliners, Global Services Index took the top spot with a 2.27 percent loss backed by heavyweights Zain and Agility ending the day down 3.03 per-
cent and 1.56 percent, respectively. Global’s special indices ended in the green yesterday except for Global Small Cap Index which was the only decliner. The index ended the day down 0.19 percent backed by Equipment Holding Company being the only decliner in the index. The scrip ended the day down 1.52 percent and closed at KD0.065. Global Islamic Index posted a 1.05 percent increase, making it the top gainer buoyed by Kuwait Finance House ending the day up 1.67 percent.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
KFH: New projects key to boosting economy KUWAIT: The most effective way to kick-start Kuwait’s economy would be to launch a number of major infrastructure projects in partnership with the private sector, according to the CEO of the Islamic Bank, Kuwait Finance House. Mohammed Al Omar said he believed the development and construction of extensive works would prove to be a more fruitful means of boosting economic activity than continuing to increase the country’s money supply, as long as private firms were brought on board. Speaking exclusively to Oxford Business Group (OBG), a leading global publishing, research and consultancy firm, Al Omar said: “This would limit the government having to use its own resources, while providing much-needed opportunities for the private sector.” The interview with Al Omar will appear in The Report: Kuwait 2010, OBG’s recently published report on the country’s economy. The highly-anticipated report serves to reinforce OBG’s place as a world market leader in providing accurate, insightful economic information on developing and emerging economies across the continents. Al Omar acknowledged that the economic crisis had served as a stern reminder for financial institutions of the need to ensure their investment portfolios were diversified. “Firms that adhered to these lessons have been able to weather the storm with greater success than those who didn’t,” he said. He challenged the criticism sometimes leveled at Islamic banks that they were overexposed to real estate, highlighting the financing opportunities that development projects had produced across the region. These, he said, were pivotal for Islamic financial institutions whose options for making investments were somewhat restricted. “Countries in this region are in need of infrastructure development and they have addressed this by making land available and engaging the private sector,” he said. “While there are many opportunities within the GCC for structured financing across asset classes, real estate development is in demand and it is in our interest to focus on catering to this market.” Al Omar also urged a change in the mindset of the business community towards shortterm financing which, he said, needed to be balanced with long-term borrowing were appropriate. “There has been little financial incentive to raise long-term capital,” he said. “It was always easier and more cost-efficient to secure short-term financing.” One means of addressing the imbalance could be the issuing of sukuks, according to Al Omar, particularly in the medium term when the economy was expected to pick up. The CEO also highlighted the potential of convertible sukuks which, he said, would provide the flexibility that firms struggling in the current economic environment needed. “By
Mohammed Al Omar, CEO of KFH issuing sukuks for a distressed company you are providing them with a solution for an immediate concern: lack of finance,” he said. “In the future should the company manage to improve its position you can convert your sukuk into shares.” Prepared by a team of OBG analysts based on the ground in Kuwait over a six-month period, The Report: Kuwait 2010 offers unrivalled, up-to-date analysis of political, macroeconomic and sectoral developments in the country, including conventional and Islamic finance, capital markets, energy, infrastructure, industry and insurance. It will also include interviews with leading political, economic and business figures, including the Governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait, H.E. Sheikh Salem AbdulAziz Al-Sabah. The Report: Kuwait 2010 is available in print form and online. About Oxford Business Group Oxford Business Group (OBG) is a global publishing, research and consultancy firm, which publishes economic and political intelligence on the markets of the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. Through its range of print and online products, OBG offers comprehensive and accurate analysis of political, macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, insurance, energy, transport, industry and telecoms. The critically acclaimed economic, political and business reports have become the leading source of business intelligence on developing countries in the regions they cover. OBG’s online economic briefings provide up-to-date in-depth analysis on the issues that matter for tens of thousands of subscribers worldwide. OBG’s consultancy arm offers tailor-made market intelligence and advice to firms currently operating in these markets and those looking to enter them.
BUSINESS
Thursday, March 4, 2010
25
Russian businesses fight corrupt officialdom MOSCOW: Seven months in jail on a trumped up charge persuaded Yana Yakovleva to set up a movement defending Russia’s entrepreneurs from their worst enemies: corrupt officials. Yakovleva, an intense, 38year-old redhead with piercing eyes, told how she fought back after local officials tried to move in on the chemicals company she had helped set up and where she worked as finance director. “One fine day, in 2006, staff from the anti-drugs service arrived at our
office saying they were there to check the chemical products we were using,” she recalled. In fact, she said, they were trying to milk them for bribes, using the threat of Russia’s dangerously vague laws on economic crime. Yakovleva and her partner refused point blank to give in to the blackmail and so the officials started proceedings against them. “After six months, we were arrested and put in prison,” awaiting trial, she said. Supporters mounted a high-profile campaign to free them, organizing
Sterling’s perfect storm By Nick Beecroft LONDON: Sterling has sailed into a Perfect Storm of negativity. Not only is it assailed by political uncertainty as the Conservative Party poll lead evaporates, raising the ugly specter of a ‘hung’ Parliament, with Labor forming the largest party, but it also has to contend with Prudential’s monster $35bn acquisition of AIG’s Asia operation, AIA. How much foreign exchange selling of sterling to raise these dollars will this deal imply? A rights issue on the London Stock Exchange will raise Sterling proceeds, as will the eventual sale of the Pru stock given to AIG. The prospect of orders to sell the equivalent, £23bn, is hanging over the market. Another threat to Sterling comes in the shape of this week’s BOE MPC meeting. Several members, including Governor King, have remained steadfastly bearish on the economy’s prospects and have kept the option of rejuvenating the BOE’s QE program on the table. Cranking up the printing presses would accelerate the pound’s collapse, but the market is coming to suspect that this is the plan-given the unavoidably tight fiscal stance that any incoming government will be forced to adopt, maybe the powers-thatbe are adopting the classic solution to a debt mountain, devaluation, spurred on by an ultra loose monetary policy. Tight fiscal, loose monetary-the traditional death-knell for any currency. Finally, and maybe most importantly over the mediumterm, is the global Sovereign debt problem. In 2009, the West seemed to have ‘got out of jail free’ in some senses- the private debt problems which drove the banking system to the edge of destruction were replaced with government debt. This neat arrangement is now being shown for what it is-a Chimera. The problem wasn’t solved, it was merely passed into another accounting entry, and now the markets are waking up to this, as displayed by their fears over Greece. The UK, with similar debt profiles, could be next in line. Just to round off the grim backdrop, we are starting to see economic releases in the US, the Eurozone and the UK suggesting that economic recovery is slowing-raising fears of ‘double-dips’, with all the attendant, unwelcome drops in tax rev-
enues that would accompany reduced activity. Is there any wonder that investors are turning to the world’s perceived least worst currency, the only true reserve currency, the USD? This is what happened in Q4 2008, as the financial system teetered on the brink, this is what will happen in 2010 as we enter this new, frightening phase of the crisis. An Honors Graduate from Oxford University, Nick Beecroft brings over 25 years of international trading experience within the financial industry, including senior Global Markets roles at Standard Chartered Bank, Deutsche Bank and Citibank. Nick was a member of the Bank of England’s Foreign Exchange Joint Standing Committee. Nick also contributes to contributor to Saxo Bank’s Tradingfloor website and relishes regular dialogue on the markets with clients at industry gatherings, such as awards dinners and conferences, at which he has in the past spoken. About Saxo Bank Saxo Bank is an online trading and investment specialist, enabling clients to trade Forex, CFDs, Stocks, Futures, Options and other derivatives, as well as providing portfolio management via SaxoWebTrader and SaxoTrader, the leading online trading platforms. SaxoTrader is available directly through Saxo Bank or through one of the Bank’s global partners. White label is a significant business area for Saxo Bank, and involves customised and branding the Bank’s online trading platform for other financial institutions and brokers. Saxo Bank has more than 100 white label partners and boasts thousands of clients in over 180 countries. Saxo Bank is headquartered in Copenhagen with offices in Australia, China, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK, and the United Arab Emirates.
FTSE slips 0.1 percent LONDON: Britain’s top shares were 0.1 percent lower in midday trade yesterday as falls in energy stocks and drugmakers offset a rebound in life insurers and a rally by Vodafone. At 1148 GMT, the FTSE 100 was down 5.85 points at 5,478.21, having gained 1.5 percent to hit a six-week high on Tuesday. The index has rallied almost 9 percent since its year-low in early February when the FTSE was weighed by fears over the impact of monetary tightening in China and Greece’s debt issue, and is now up 1.2 percent in the year to date. “Given the strong gains of the past few sessions, it is not too surprising to see some sideways trading so far this morning,” said Tim Hughes, head of sales trading at IG Index. Energy stocks were the heaviest fallers. Cairn Energy dropped 0.9 percent, pressured by a price target cut from Morgan Stanley, while BG Group, Royal Dutch Shell and BP fell 0.3-0.8 percent. But oil explorer Tullow Oil bucked the sector trend, rising 0.8 percent as Morgan Stanley said recent falls presented an excellent buying opportunity. Investors banked profits in drugmakers following a recent strong run, with AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline and Shire off 0.60.7 percent. The banking sector was weighed by a 1.7 percent fall from Europe’s largest bank HSBC, which on Monday reported below-forecast numbers. HSBC’s shares have seesawed over the past couple of days, recovering on Tuesday after Monday’s sharp post-results fall. Other banks, however, were in positive territory after Standard Chartered, the emerging marketsoriented bank, posted in-line results
and said 2010 started strongly. Standard Chartered added 2.5 percent, while Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland put on 0.8-2.5 percent. Irish Life & Permanent, up 3.8 percent said it sees Royal Bank of Scotland’s Ulster Bank unit as a potential partner for its banking unit in an expected consolidation. Among individual issues, British Airways shed 1.4 percent ahead of traffic data due at 1415 GMT. Exdividend factors knocked 4.83 points off the FTSE 100 index yesterday, with Alliance Trust, BHP Billiton, Diageo, Hammerson and RSA Insurance all losing their dividend attractions. INSURERS SHOW LIFE Prudential rose 4.3 percent after falling around 20 percent in the past two days since agreeing a $35.5 billion takeover of the Asian life business of AIG. Market players also pointed to talk the fall in the share price may make it a takeover target for overseas companies. Peers, Legal & General, Aviva and Standard Life also recovered after recent falls, up 1.5-3.3 percent. Mobile telecoms heavyweight Vodafone added most points to the FTSE 100 index, up 1.2 percent as BofA Merrill Lynch added the stock to its influential “Europe 1” investment list. Miners were back on the front foot. Kazakhmys, Antofagasta, Xstrata and Anglo American were up between 0.8-1.9 percent. On the economic front, the US ADP Employment Report, Challenger US jobs cut report and US ISM nonmanufacturing in US were due for release yesterday, and will be watched as pointers towards tomorrow’s key US February non-farm payrolls. — Reuters
demonstrations, writing to politicians and getting articles in the press: anything to highlight their case. And in the end, it paid off: they were both freed and then cleared following a trial in 2008. But Yakovleva decided to set up her group “BiznessSolidarnost” because she knows not everyone has been so fortunate. “Out of a million people imprisoned in Russia, we estimate that about 200,000 of that number are people charged with economic crimes,” she said.
So far as she is concerned, a large proportion of them are innocent. The problem, she said, was the imprecisely worded laws on economic crimes that made it easy for investigators to abuse with impunity-laws such as the one covering the remand in custody of business executives. “The criminal code says that the choice to arrest should only be made when it’s not possible to use a softer measure,” said Alexander Varvarin, legal director of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs
(RSPP). But often it is used a way of putting pressure on a suspect, he said. “Sometimes, it is an attempt to push someone to give a bribe,” he added-or to force them to sell their share in the business. The abuse of the laws was cruelly exposed by the case of high-profile lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died while in pretrial custody on tax fraud charges. His death last month of heart failure sparked an outcry from rights activists over the treatment of white-
collar prisoners in the country’s notoriously overcrowded jails. He had repeatedly complained before his death of “disgusting sanitation and poor hygiene conditions” and being denied medical treatment in jail in Moscow, where he had been held for over a year in pre-trial detention. President Dmitry Medvedev sacked several top prison officials and ordered an investigation into the affair. Having promised to modernize Russia’s economy to be more attrac-
tive for foreign investors, he called for a new law forbidding pre-trial imprisonment for white-collar suspects. The pro-Kremlin United Russia party has recently lodged such a draft law in Russia’s lower parliamentary chamber, the Duma. Vladimir Gruzdev, one of the deputies behind the proposed law, said: “Rapists, murderers, terrorist and members of organized crime should be locked up in prison-but not entrepreneurs” suspected of having broken the law. — AFP
Standard Chartered posts record profit StanChart sees talent fight as FY profit tops $5 bn LONDON: Standard Chartered said it would pay staff $1.1 billion in bonuses in a “red hot” fight for talent after strong investment banking in its core Asian markets in 2009 helped fuel record profits. The bank said yesterday it would give bonuses to management, unlike many of its London-listed rivals, but Chief Executive Peter Sands said he would give his $3.2 million bonus to charity. Sands, who has led the bank for just over three years and steered it through the financial crisis better than most rivals thanks to strong capital and liquidity and resilient Asian markets, said it was right to “pay for success”. “The talent markets in our markets are very competitive, with a lot of competition for the best talent. We will remain competitive in the way we compensate people,” Sands told reporters on a conference call. Sands, whose bank has not received any direct state aid during the financial crisis, also said he expected to raise between $500 million and $750 million by listing the bank’s shares in India in the first half of this year. Standard Chartered posted a 13 percent rise in 2009 pretax profit to $5.15 billion, just ahead of an average forecast for $5.1 billion in a Reuters poll of analysts. By 0920 GMT, Standard Chartered’s London listed shares were up 2 percent at 16.22 pounds, its highest level for seven weeks and topping the UK blue-chip share leaderboard. Mike Trippitt, an analyst at Oriel Securities, said the results were good, with trends in income, consumer banking and impairments positive for the group. “What is not going to happen is people reaching for the EPS (earnings
half.
HONG KONG: (From left) Standard Chartered Bank’s Chief Executive Officer of Hong Kong Benjamin Hung, Group Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Asia Jaspal Bindra and Chief Financial Officer of Asia Julian Fong attend a press conference announcing the bank’s 2009 results yesterday. — AP per share) 2010 upgrade button, but then that’s where we are in the cycle. They have come through the year with no government support and produced 9 percent income growth-a good performance,” he said.
Compensation compared to revenue was 32 percent for the year, down from 34 percent in 2008 and 36 percent in 2007, and below ratios of nearer 35 to 40 percent at most rivals. The bank’s bad debts jumped by half on the year to
Real estate activity eases
EU unveils its 2020 vision for economy BRUSSELS: The European Commission yesterday proposed a new green, innovative economy for Europe, seeking to avoid the “decline” of a bloc weakened by the global crisis. “Europe must react,” the EU’s executive arm will warn in a document called “Europe 2020,” which provides the main planks of an economic strategy for the 27nation European Union over the next decade. The paper, seen by AFP, pulls few punches. “Europe’s structural weaknesses have been exposed” by the financial and economic crises, the text proclaims. It goes on to list low growth rates and productivity, and a lack of investment in research and innovation-a key factor in a world of fast-changing technology. An aging population and relatively high unemployment rates add to the problems. The report also highlights a tardiness to develop a “green” economy, pointing to “strong dependence on fossil fuels and inefficient use of raw materials.” “Europe is left with a clear yet challenging choice. Either we continue at a slow and largely uncoordinated pace of reforms and we risk ending up with a permanent loss in wealth, a sluggish growth rate, high levels of unemployment and social distress, and a relative decline on the world scene... or we face up collectively to the immediate challenge of the recovery,” the document says. Fears are growing in Europe of a ‘G2’ economic grouping-the United States and China-dominating as the EU loses influence. The unspoken phrase here is the “economic government” for Europe, championed by EU president Herman Van Rompuy, to coordinate the divergent economies, and economic policies in the bloc of 27 countries and their half a billion people, or at least the 16 nations which use the euro. However even before the great plan was unveiled German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed concern that the new goals may lessen the focus on the bloc’s Stability Pact which enshrines fiscal discipline. The commission is also keen to respond to criticism of its ambitious “Lisbon Strategy” launched in 2000 as a road-map for Europe’s economy over the past decade. The 2000-2010 strategy was aimed at building the most competitive and dynamic economy in the world but is now seen largely as a failure, a list of good intentions without any effective levers. In a bid to avoid a repetition, Brussels makes clear that measures will have to be taken at national level and at European level, where it envisages a kind of economic government-notably for the eurozone-to better coordinate national policies, something already done in the area of budget deficits.
$2 billion, largely due to a jump in consumer loan losses in the Middle East to $285 million, up 60 percent as unemployment hit the United Arab Emirates. Loan losses across the bank fell in the second half of the year from the first
INDIA LISTING Profits in India topped $1 billion last year, the second country to do so after Hong Kong, and the plan to list in Mumbai will build on that, Sands said. “The point about the listing in India is about building our brand and profile in one of our most important markets,” he said, adding that raising funds would help liquidity for the local listing. The 48-year-old former McKinsey directoran ardent Arsenal Football Club supporter whose wife Betsy Tobin is the author of historical novels-said 2010 had started “very strongly” and was ahead of a year ago. The main risk ahead was the pace of regulatory change, he said, but added that proposed Basel III capital changes should impact it less than its rivals. Wholesale banking continued to drive growth, with 2009 profit of $4.1 billion, up over a third from 2008. The business includes typical investment banking activity such as debt and equity capital markets and foreign exchange, and other services to major corporate clients, such as loans and trade finance. The consumer arm has fared less well due to the economic slowdown, rise in bad debts and as its business in Korea has struggled. Its profit fell a fifth to $867 million Korea delivered a better performance in the second half of the year, and is expected to further improve this year. The bank said the Middle East region would remain difficult due to problems in Dubai and credit problems elsewhere. The bank’s core Tier 1 ratio ended 2009 at 8.9 percent, better than expected and up from 7.5 percent a year earlier. — Reuters
BRUSSELS: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso gestures during his press conference on the commencement of the spring European council on Europe 2020 at the EU headquarters. — AFP Not everyone is convinced, with some economists seeing merely a Lisbon Strategy II with no more guarantee of success than its predecessor. “There’s no substance, nothing concrete,” complained Daniel Gros of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), who sees “no change from the past.” One of the detailed goals proposed by the commission is to increase levels of investment in research and development from the mere 1.9 percent of Europe’s GDP they currently take up to three percent. — AFP
LUDWIGSHAFEN: A handout file photo released by BASF shows a person holding some Amflora potatoes. Brussels has authorizes growing GMO potato in Europe. — AFP
KUWAIT: In its latest economic brief on the monthly statistics of registered real estate contracts issued by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), excluding sales conducted through agents, National Bank of Kuwait reports that, after accelerating at the end of 2009, real estate activity fell back somewhat in January 2010, its first monthly decline since September. The total number of sales transactions (residential, commercial and retail) stood at 387, down 34% from December. Nevertheless, this is unlikely to reflect a material weakening in market fundamentals. Not only are the monthly numbers volatile, but we had warned last month that the pace of recovery in transactions towards the end of 2009 may have been exaggerated by an unusually large number of private land sales. These dropped off in January, leaving the level of market activity more or less back at mid-2009 levels. We continue to expect a steady rise in transactions levels through 2010, driven by the important residential segment. In KD value terms too, NBK noted that the transactions were down considerably. Total sales dropped 29% from December to KD 116 million. Although the year-on-year increases are still very high - some 48% in January - this is largely a base effect reflecting very weak sales a year ago. In both volume and value terms, a gap appears to be opening up between the performance of the different sub-sectors, with a steady or improving trend in the residential and apartments sector contrasting continued weakness in the commercial segment. This reflects what we see as key medium-term market fundamentals; a shortage of residential housing versus strong supply growth and credit constraints in the commercial sector. Sales - residential (mostly villas and land) Sales in the residential sector fell 40% from December to 285. However, this still is above the average of 238 recorded in 1H09. The main reason for the month-on-month drop was the lower level of land purchases. These had been unusually high of late, possibly related to government approvals for the installation of infrastructure in certain areas. Stripping out these sales, the number of home purchases was in fact slightly higher in January than in December. Sales - investment (mostly apartments) NBK noticed that sales in this segment stood at 102 in January, unchanged from December. In
broad terms, however, activity seems to have improved somewhat from the lows of 1H09. In value terms, sales are much improved, reaching around double the levels seen at times in 1H09. This appears to suggest a rebound in sales prices for investment properties, which were hit especially hard during 2008 and early 2009 when fears over the impact of the global crisis on the Kuwaiti economy were at their height. Indeed, the previous fall in prices may be one reason why transaction levels have recovered fairly quickly, with investment property seen as relatively attractive compared to other asset classes. Sales - commercial There were no sales of commercial property during January, down from 4 in December and an average of 6 per month in 2009 as a whole. Although activity in this segment can be very ‘lumpy’ on a month-to-month basis, we are inclined to view this as further evidence of a more enduring period of weakness. This is the second ‘zero’ month in the past five - before which they had been scarce. Weak demand, financing constraints and a lack of confidence may be contributing to the continued lack of activity in this sector. Savings and Credit Bank loans NBK also noticed that the number of loans approved by the Savings and Credit Bank (SCB) fell 9% between December and January to 322 after three successive monthly increases. In value terms, loans also declined, by 3% to KD 9 million. After surging in mid-2008, the number of loan approvals fell sharply through 2009, partly because of the low number of plots being allocated under the government’s housing scheme. The recent rise in approvals has been largely associated with more loans for maintenance and improvement purposes, which tend to be of lower value than those for outright purchases. The latter are showing some signs of recovery, however. Loans for purchases increased 15% in the three months to January. Most encouragingly, loans for purchases of existing homes - which are not dictated by the pace of the government’s housing scheme - are running at close to double the levels seen at the beginning of 2009, suggesting that a degree of confidence has filtered back into the market. Moreover, the number of loans for purchases could be boosted over coming months by an acceleration in the government’s land distribution program.
BUSINESS
26
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Sweeping changes needed to save US post office WASHINGTON: The 235-yearold US Postal Service must change the way it does business or risk going belly-up as the Internet eats into the mail market, driving post office revenues down, its head said Tuesday. “Lifestyles and ways of doing business have changed dramatically in the last 40 years,” but the USPS hasn’t kept up, Postmaster General John Potter said as he presented a report by experts outlining ways to save the service. From its foundation in 1775 until the advent of the Internet some 300 years later, the USPS “business model
worked well because mail volume increased steadily as the nation grew,” said the report by three consultancy groups. But “new technology has changed how Americans communicate and do business,” it said, pointing out that more and more Americans are paying bills or sending birthday cards electronically rather than by what some deride as “snail mail”. The junk mail and advertising fliers that used to land in mailboxes around the United States are now posted online or sent to people’s email inboxes, taking away another source of revenue
for the post office. The sharp decline in mail volume is expected to continue throughout the next decade, with experts projecting the post office will carry 10 billion fewer letters and parcels in 2010 than last year - 167 billion compared to 177 billion-and only 150 billion pieces of mail by 2020. Adding to the postal service’s woes is a piece of legislation passed in 2006 which obliged the USPS to set aside 5.6 billion dollars on average every year for retired employees’ health benefits, and capped prices for mail services.
If none of that is changed, the USPS will be 238 billion dollars in the red by 2020, the experts projected. The report suggests a whole slew of measures to save the USPS, including ending mail deliveries on Saturday, which on its own would save the post office three billion dollars a year. More postal services should be offered through the very instrument that has contributed to its woes-the Internet-allowing customers to access most postal services without leaving their home or office, the report says.
Postal services kiosks should be set up in supermarkets and other places where people normally shop, and under-used post offices shut down, the report says. And to become a leaner organization, the USPS should not replace workers who retire with other full-time employees, but use more part-time workers. Part-time postal workers currently make up just 13 percent of the USPS workforce, compared with 22 percent in Britain’s Royal Mail and 40 percent in the Deutsche Post in Germany.—AFP
COMMODITIES REVIEW
Platinum and palladium rise on upbeat auto sales
RUMALIA: Workers are seen at the Rumalia oil field in southern Iraq. — AP
Oil price edges back towards 80 dollars API says US crude stockpiles rose 2.7 m barrels LONDON: Oil climbed to around $80 a barrel yesterday as the dollar weakened and investors looked ahead to a US inventory report expected to show a fall in distillates stocks and higher crude supplies. The euro rose as details emerged of Greece’s plan for extra austerity measures to tackle its debt problems. A weak dollar makes dollar-denominated commodities cheaper for other currency holders and tends to support oil prices. US crude was up 42 cents at $80.10 a barrel by 1214 GMT, trading as high as $80.19 intra-day. Brent crude was up 38 cents at $78.56. “We’re still fluctuating in a very narrow range between $78 and $80,” said Carsten Fritsch, analyst at Commerzbank. “The dollar could be one driver.” “In the medium term, we expect lower prices given weak fundamentals but at the
moment positive market sentiment prevails and so a break higher is still a possibility.” The US government’s Energy Information Administration issues its weekly inventory data at 1530 GMT. Analysts expect a 1.4 million-barrel increase in crude stocks and a 900,000-barrel drop in distillates, which include heating oil. Oil in New York on Tuesday hit a seven-week intra-day high of $80.95. It reached $83.95 on Jan. 11, the highest in 15 months. But it closed below $80 and $80.50 on Tuesday, levels which have capped rallies. Some analysts see a chance that oil could move above its trading range. “Crude oil’s charts look fairly constructive,” said Edward Meir at MF Global in a report. “Given that we are in shooting distance of the January 2010 highs, we cannot exclude a test of those lev-
els.” The EIA report on US inventories will follow data from industry body the American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday, which showed a 4.1-million-barrel drop in distillate supplies and a 2.7 million barrel rise in crude inventories. Investors have looked to wider economic data over the past year for signs of economic recovery and a potential rebound in energy demand. The all-important US non-farm payrolls data is due on Friday. While global oil consumption is expected to return to growth in 2010 following a decline last year, producers remain cautious about the oil market’s underlying fundamentals of supply and demand. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries meets on March 17 and ministers are already suggesting there will be no change to current output targets.— Reuters
Middle Eastern mobile operators outperform Western counterparts DUBAI: A new study by global management consultancy PRTM shows that Egypt’s Orascom Telecom has become the eighth largest mobile network in the world by customer numbers, overtaking some of the wellestablished international operators. PRTM’s report, “The Future of Mobile Telecommunications-New Operating Strategies for a New World,” shows that fundamental change of operational models is central to sustained leadership and that significantly emerging markets have altered the telecommunications landscape. According to the study, seven multinational operators with origins in this regionEtisalat, Orascom, Qtel, STC, Zain from the Middle East, and MTN and Millicom in Africahave more than 300 million subscribers and have expanded across Africa and parts of Asia to sustain growth momentum. “The past decade has been a highly successful one for the leading Middle Eastern and African operators. Supported by typically affluent and growing home markets and benign competition, both revenue growth and cash flow have been strong. And the leading operators have used this cash flow, supplemented by the ready availability of private capital, to build regional
multinationals,” said Anil Khurana, lead director of PRTM’s Middle East Region and coauthor of the report. Ameet Shah, head of PRTM’s mobile services practice, served as lead author of the report. Between 2003 and 2009, the leader board of the world’s 30 largest mobile operators changed dramatically, according to this first-of-its kind report. The report identifies 19 new mobile leaders worldwide, measured either by number of subscribers or revenue. A common thread among these leaders is the continuous adaptation of their operating models to address new market conditionscrucial within a mobile industry where the game can change rapidly and where new players can quickly overtake yesterday’s leaders. “The rise of operators from emerging markets is testament to two factors: the rapid growth in their domestic markets, and their drive to play in multiple markets. But, as their existing markets start to mature, it is not yet clear that these companies will be able to revamp their operating models and sustain continued growth based on innovation, cost management, outsourcing, and the like ,” added Khurana, who calls these operators the “new multinationals.” The analysis reveals that the highest ranking
mobile players over the past five years have modified their business models in ways that have led to profitable growth and support from shareholders, resulting in acquisitions and overseas expansion. Telefonica and Telenor are prime examples of companies that have successfully ridden the boom of mobile usage in developing countries through strategic changes to their operating models. This trend is evident in the emergence of large multinational operators from Russia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. It is also reflected through market consolidation within the US and through the growing importance of the leading Chinese and Indian operators. Those who have not adapted their operational models, including some major European operators, have experienced relative decline. The report argues that operators that create the right operating models will increase performance and win investor backing in the international M&A game that is rationalizing many individual operators into global groups. Consolidation during the next five years will mean an operator may need 300 million subscribers, or $50 billion in revenue, to be among the global top 10 in 2014.
NEW YORK: Platinum and palladium led metals higher Tuesday following upbeat reports on auto sales. The two metals are used to make catalytic converters for automobiles, so any signs of growing demand for cars drives prices higher. “As long as investors feel relatively comfortable with auto sales, platinum and palladium will do very well,” said Nicholas Brooks, head of research and investment strategy at ETF Securities. Ford Motor Co said its US sales jumped 43 percent in February, while General Motors Co reported an 11.5 percent jump. Platinum for April delivery rose $32.00, or 2.1 percent, to settle at $1,576.00 an ounce. March palladium climbed $6.95 to settle at $443.45 an ounce. Other metals with major industrial uses also rose. Silver jumped 59.5 cents, or 3.6 percent, to settle at $17.064 an ounce. Copper rose 6.15 cents to $3.4115 a pound. Copper rose even after initial concerns dissipated that supply would be disrupted in Chilean mines and plants following a major earthquake there. Gold prices also rose, hitting their highest level since the middle of January. Gold has rallied in recent days as investors sell off euros and dollars as investors increasingly see gold as an alternative to making currency bets. The euro has been weakening because of concerns that debt problems in countries like Greece and Spain could devalue the currency. April gold rose $19.10 to settle at $1,137.40 an ounce. Gold also got a boost after breaching a technical trading barrier of $1,130 an ounce, said Jon Nadler, an analyst at Kitco Bullion Dealers. Energy prices also all rose. Prices for oil and gas products often rise in March as refiners switch to producing more expensive blends of gasoline to meet tougher pollution standards during the peak summer driving season between April and September. Benchmark crude for April delivery rose 98 cents to settle at $79.68 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil prices have largely traded between $70 and $80 a barrel in recent months. Gasoline for April delivery rose 4.1 cents to $2.1966 a gallon. Heating oil jumped 3.26 cents to settle at $2.0561. Natural gas rose 2.9 cents to $4.708 per 1,000 cubic feet. Elsewhere, grain prices were mixed. May soybeans rose 1 cent to settle at $9.635 a bushel. Wheat was unchanged at $5.045 a bushel, while corn fell 0.25 cents to settle at $3.815 a bushel. Cotton retreated sharply following steady gains for the past month. Supply concerns had sent the price of cotton higher. May cotton fell 1.44 cents to settle at 81.85 cents a pound. Most of the trading in cotton contracts has rolled over to the May contract. The March contract, which fell 1.54 cents to 81.91 cents a pound, expires in a week. — AP
CALIFORNIA: US Postal Service lettercarrier Raymond Hou delivers mail along his route in San Francisco, California.— AFP
VIVA Kuwait welcomes VIVA Bahrain to the family KUWAIT: VIVA Kuwait is pleased to announce the official launch of its sister company, VIVA Bahrain. The expansion is part of VIVA’s plan to offer its services more widely in the region, and to make them available to an ever-growing number of customers. Najeeb Al- Awadhi, CEO of VIVA Kuwait, said, “We are delighted to welcome VIVA Bahrain to the VIVA family. The growing scale of our operations will allow us to offer even better services; and we look forward to making a positive impact on the Kingdom and community of Bahrain through our leading-edge technology and superior customer service. Further crosspromotional packages are planned, which will help to underline the fact that VIVA makes more things ‘possible’ for our customers.”
Najeeb Al-Awadhi
Etihad launches new management company ABU DHABI: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is expanding the range of services it offers business and leisure travelers with the launch today of its new destination management company - Hala Abu Dhabi. Hala Abu Dhabi will be based in the nation’s capital but offer travel products, services and activities throughout all seven Emirates of the UAE. Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, said: “Etihad Airways already plays a crucial role in bringing visitors to Abu Dhabi, and the introduction of Hala Abu Dhabi will enable us to take that role a step further at what is a very exciting time for tourism in the region. Through Hala Abu Dhabi, we will offer a range of unique ground services and travel solutions to visitors to the UAE, further supporting Abu Dhabi’s goal of becoming one of the world’s most attractive business and leisure destinations. “We look forward to working closely with our destination partners and tourism services in Abu Dhabi and across all seven Emirates to provide a one-stop inbound tourism shop delivering integrated travel solutions and unique experiences of consistently high quality.” The range of travel products offered under the Hala Abu Dhabi brand from Etihad and various local service providers includes: tours and desert safaris; event management; bespoke experience packages and VIP services; airport meet and assist; ground transportation; a full range of accommodation options - from luxury to economy; world-class business conference and meeting venues with state of the art technology and facili-
ties. Etihad Airways has brought together an experienced team of specialists to work on the Hala Abu Dhabi portfolio. “Our Hala Abu Dhabi team has recently developed and managed inbound packages for the very successful Formula 1(tm) Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009, and the V8 Supercars hosted in Abu Dhabi last month,” Mr Baumgartner said. More than 1.5 million hotel guests visited Abu Dhabi in 2009, many of whom travelled to the city to visit specific tourist attractions. Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has targeted 1.65 million hotel guests for 2010. The 10 per cent rise in hotel guests this year will be driven by Abu Dhabi’s aggressive longterm tourism development plan, which will see the development of numerous visitor attractions including Ferrari World Abu Dhabi - the world’s largest indoor theme park -, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and the ecofriendly Saadiyat Beach Golf Course, designed by golfing legend Gary Player as the Arabian Gulf’s only ‘ocean’ course with several beachfront holes. The logo of Hala Abu Dhabi has been designed to reflect the heritage and culture of the United Arab Emirates as well as a focus on quality, which Hala Abu Dhabi is dedicated to delivering to all its clients. Working closely with Etihad Holidays, Hala Abu Dhabi boasts a strong Emirati representation. More than 50 per cent of the tourism professionals in the company are UAE nationals who possess invaluable knowledge about the rich Emirati culture, customs and traditions and must see attractions across the country.
Australia economic growth accelerates Economy to expand 2.7 percent SYDNEY: Australia’s economy shrugged off the first global contraction since World War II to expand 2.7 percent last year, putting other developed countries in the shade, official figures showed yesterday. The “wonder from Down Under” leaped 0.9 percent in the three months to December, its steepest rise since the pre-crisis quarter of March 2008, the government’s statistics bureau said. The annual result means Australia impressively stayed on track despite the biggest global collapse since the Great Depression, which shaved 0.8 percent off the world economy. Australia was the only major Western economy to avoid recession in the downturn, thanks to 70 billion dollars (63.2 billion US) in stimulus spending and ongoing Asian demand for its raw materials, particularly from China. Treasurer Wayne Swan said Australia’s growth was “the envy of the developed world”. “This is an exceptional outcome in what has been a devastating year for the global economy,” Swan said. “During the worst global financial and economic crisis in 75 years, when most advanced economies contracted, the Australian economy not only continued to grow, but grew solidly.” Swan voiced renewed confidence that Australia is set for prosperous economic times, after central bank officials tipped years, if not decades, of growth as Asian giants China and
India urbanize and industrialize. “The fact that our economy grew in every single quarter of 2009, while other advanced economies contracted sharply, is a tribute to all those Australians who got in behind the stimulus,” he told reporters. “These are very pleasing numbers today. They give us cause for optimism that we can have sustainable growth well into the future if we keep getting all the big calls right.” The annual result beat analyst forecasts of 2.3 percent, while the quarterly figure follows the September quarter’s adjusted 0.3 percent growth and 0.6 percent growth in the three months to June. The figures smash results from other advanced economies, which were largely in the red last year with the United States shrinking 2.4 percent and Germany and Japan receding five percent. On Tuesday, the central bank announced its fourth interest rate rise since October, by 25 basis points to 4.0 percent, to curb inflation as growth and unemployment return to normal. “It’s quite remarkable to see that the Australian economy is getting close to three percent growth, given the depth of the financial crisis and the state of developed nations across the globe,” said CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian. “There are some very good signs that the economy is rebounding and rebounding well,” he added. — AFP
TECHNOLOGY
Thursday, March 4, 2010
27
Google firm on China censoring, but no timetable set WASHINGTON: A top Google executive said Tuesday that the Internet giant has set no timetable for its operations in China but remains firm in its plan to end censorship of Web search results there. “We are reviewing our business operations (in China) now,” Google vice president and deputy general counsel Nicole Wong told a congressional hearing on
“Global Internet Freedom and the Rule of Law.” Asked by the panel chairman, Senator Dick Durbin, whether Google has a timetable for ending the censorship of its Web search engine in China, Wong said: “We don’t have a specific timetable.” “Having said that, we are firm in our decision that we will not censor our search
results in China and we are working towards that end,” she said. Wong said Google has “many employees on the ground” in China “so we recognize both the seriousness and the sensitivity of the decision we are making. “We want to get to that end-of stopping censoring our search results-in a way that is appropriate and responsible,” Wong
said. “We are working on that as hard as we can but it’s a very human issue for us.” Wong gave few new details on the midDecember cyberattack on Google originating from China that was partly responsible for the California company’s decision to no longer censor its Chinese search engine, Google.cn. In her prepared remarks to the Senate
Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Human Rights, Wong also said that more than 25 governments have blocked Google services over the past few years. Wong said YouTube has been blocked at least 13 countries since 2007: China, Thailand, Turkey, Pakistan, Morocco, Brazil, Syria, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Myanmar, Bangladesh and
Turkmenistan. She said Google blogging platforms Blogger and BlogSpot had been blocked in at least seven countries in the last two years: China, Spain, India, Pakistan, Iran, Myanmar and Ethiopia. And the social networking site Orkut has been blocked recently in Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, she said. — AFP
US cyber defense strategy details hit the Internet Plan crafted during Bush era SAN FRANCISCO: The White House has pulled back the curtain on portions of a secret US cyber defense strategy crafted during the administration of former president George W Bush. White House Internet security coordinator Howard Schmidt described bits of the strategy at the RSA cybersecurity conference here, saying the revelation was part of a promise of transparency by President Barack Obama.
Volkswagen launches custom Scirocco R-Line DUBAI: Not content with resting on its laurels after 36 years as the most successful Volkswagen coupé of all time, the legendary two-door Scirocco has once again rocketed into the limelight with a new ‘R-line’ version now available in the region. Launched in the Middle East in 2009 as an affordable sports car on wheels fit for use every day of the year, the generation III Scirocco and the customers who have made the car a success, have been rewarded with a regal re-vamp by the customizing specialists at Volkswagen Exclusive. “The cult status of the Scirocco is well deserved, and is without doubt the sportiest car ever produced by Volkswagen,” said Stefan Mecha, Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East - the regional office of Europe’s largest car manufacturer. “It is because of this we decided to reward the Scirocco’s accomplishments and our customers with the special Volkswagen Exclusive treatment. “The R-Line version of our star coupé is for those who want highly dynamic styling on the car body and interior in the spirit of the powerenhanced R models, yet prefer an engine with less power.” In configuring their new car, buyers can choose between an interior and an exterior package. The two R-Line packages may also be ordered together. Exterior package: Its body appearance has been customized with 17-inch alloy wheels in a new design (“Mallory” type, 18-inch optional), sport chassis, body colored side skirts and bumpers that have been modified compared to the normal Golf. The exterior is completed by decorative door tread plates with R-Line logo, a roof edge spoiler (“GTI”), high-gloss black ventilation
grille (radiator and lower air intake) as well as a diffuser also in glossy black. The lens covers of the taillights are also smoked. On its sides, the Scirocco is identified by R-Line logos (front fender at height of A-pillar). The interior package of the R-Line program impresses with a leather multifunction steering wheel (three spokes, R-Line logo in lower spoke, multifunction keys in the two cross spokes), stainless steel pedal caps and foot support, R-Line door tread plates, sport seats (“R-Look” fabric design) with R-Line logo integrated in the head restraints and a R-Line specific interior decor. All seams are in “Art Grey”, a light tone of grey. A full leather interior (“Vienna”) will be available as an option. The Scirocco offers pure driving pleasure, a powerful design, high-end technologies such as DCC adaptive chassis control and the new 7speed DSG dual clutch transmission. In addition, the Scirocco provides exclusive use of efficient turbo engines with up to 147 kW / 200 hp, space for four adults despite its sporty image, an extremely high level of safety and the everyday utility that is typical of all Volkswagen vehicles. This mix of passion and logic costs far less than expected based on the car’s key data. Although the third generation of the Scirocco follows exactly the same positioning as the first one, Volkswagen intentionally did not include the retro elements that were prominent in the original version. Conceptually the Scirocco is a counterpart to the original version; this is because in the mid-1970s the successor to the Karmann Ghia also set out on new paths, both technically and visually.
Isolated Aussies at forefront of social networking craze SYDNEY: From the moment she wakes in inner-west Sydney, Danielle Warby is online. She checks Facebook, she reads Twitter. She blogs and Tweets during the day, in spare moments between her marketing job at Sydney University. Later, she’ll submit real-time restaurant reviews as she eats her dinner. “My smartphone changed my life. Serious. It has my calendar, all my contacts and is an easy and intuitive communication tool,” Warby, 34, told AFP. Warby is not alone. According to Nielsen research, Australia’s Web users are at the forefront of the social networking craze,
posting, poking and Twittering nearly seven hours a month more than the United States, Britain or Japan. The figure may not seem high but it is an average taken from Australia’s entire web-using population, including those who do not use the social networking sites at all. It compares with a global average of five-and-ahalf hours, making Australians the “world’s most prolific users of social media”, according to Nielsen. The study found the social sites, whose use exploded 82 percent worldwide last year, were used by an estimated 9.9 million of Australia’s 22 million population. The findings
jar with Australia’s reputation as more beach resort than tech haven. But an estimated 80 percent of Australians now have access to high-speed broadband and use the Internet, again more than the United States. According to experts, this embracing of the new technology reflects the desire of mainly young Australians to bridge the country’s global and internal isolation and make their voices heard. “Distance is a tyranny in this country,” said Mike Minehan, a communications lecturer from the University of Technology Sydney’s Insearch college. — AFP
TOKYO: Japanese fuel cell battery company “FC-R and D” demonstrates a prototype model of the humanoid robot “Ema”, powered by a fuel cell battery at the annual International Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Expo in Tokyo yesterday. Some 1,200 companies exhibited their latest technologies at the three-day event. — AFP
Parts of a Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative (CNCI) declassified by Obama became available online Tuesday at whitehouse.gov/cybersecurity. “We can’t ask industry to help government and government can’t help industry if we don’t have transparency,” Schmidt said while making the announcement. “It gives the American people the ability to partner with their government.” Scott Charney, Microsoft corporate vice president of Trustworthy Computing, was among those that welcomed the idea of the government being more forthcoming with cyber defense information. “The public-private partnership is in need of improvement; it always has been,” said Charney, who was head of computer crime prosecution at the Justice Department from 1991 to 1999. “It seems the government has moved from a phase of consideration to a phase of action, and that is a good thing.” Sharing cyberattack informa-
tion between government and private business has been muted by national security concerns on one side and fears of tainting brand images on the other. “It never really happened,” Charney said. “The government didn’t share and the industry didn’t share.” Schmidt said he hoped releasing declassified versions of the strategy would drive alliances between government cyber warriors and security firms, academics and others skilled in the field. “Our collective knowledge is our biggest strength,” Schmidt said. “We will not beat our adversaries because they are weak; we will beat them because we become stronger.” CNCI was crafted as the result of a presidential directive signed by Bush in January of 2008. Its budget remains a mystery but is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. The declassified strategy includes consolidating the government computer network and deploying sensors to detect intrusions. Government agencies must work
together on research and link “cyber ops” centers to more astutely assess situations, according to the CNCI. “There is a pressing need to ensure that government information security offices and strategic operations centers share data regarding malicious activities against federal systems,” according to freshly declassified documents. One of the initiatives calls for a government-wide cyber counterintelligence plan to “detect, deter, and mitigate the foreign-sponsored cyber intelligence threat” to US networks and private businesses. The government must also figure out its role in the cyber defenses of power grids, financial markets and other computer infrastructure that have become critical to daily life in this country, according to the CNCI. The US government will need to show it can be trusted to fairly balance cyber defense with respect for privacy of online information. Some RSA attendees were skeptical, citing Bush-
era shenanigans that evidently included snooping on email and other Internet communications without proper court orders. “You lose trust, it gets harder to do the right thing,” Charney said. “If you are Howard Schmidt, the NSA, or whoever, you need to explain what you want to accomplish and how you will execute on it while balancing privacy concerns.” Public-private partnership is imperative to cyber defenses, said Melissa Hathaway, who served as interim cyber chief for Obama before becoming a consultant to computer security firms such as Cisco. “We are almost at epidemic levels of online fraud and crime; pillaging and looting on the Internet,” she said at RSA. Hathaway proposed the creation of a non-profit organization to act as a neutral party or “safe house” for inside information shared by businesses to alleviate fears of disclosing weaknesses to competitors. — AFP
Chatty robots, flying alarm clocks at top high-tech fair HANOVER: Robots that teach Chinese, computers controlled by moving the eyes and flying alarm clocks were among the weird and wonderful gadgets wowing crowds yesterday at the world’s top high-tech fair. As the IT sector seeks to bounce back after a disastrous 2009, firms sought to woo punters at this year’s CeBIT fair in northern Germany with fun and futuristic inventions ranging from the mind-boggling to the downright silly. Learning Chinese but finding it tough to find people to practice with? Meet Amy, the beautiful and uber-smart talking robot with 400,000 sentences at her command and a brain that is programmed with the entire knowledge of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Using artificial intelligence and voice recognition, Amy can chat for hours with her owner, without ever getting bored or tired and never running out of conversation. About 35 centimetres (14 inches) tall, with a screen for a face and a laser arm to project her image onto a wall, Amy is due to hit the market towards the end of 2010, said Bruce Han from viewmotion, the South Korean firm that created her. “At the moment, she can only speak Chinese and English, but we hope in a few years to have French, German, Italian and Japanese,” he said. Big crowds also gathered around the “eye tracking” stand run by Tobii Technology, a Swedish company. Its system allows users to control computers using just the motion of their eyes, from scrolling through a selection of music tracks to enabling market researchers to monitor what consumers look at first from a shelf of products. A similar technology was unveiled by the Fraunhofer Institute, whereby users can point at a screen from up to 20 metres (65 feet) away and “touch” icons or control a cursor just as they would with a touch-screen. With music devices like the iPod and MP3 players now so common, several firms used the CeBIT to showcase new ways of enjoying music on the move. The “Tunebug Vibe” is a small device that musiclovers can plug into their iPod, place on any surface-a pizza box, a table, a wall, a ceiling-and it instantly becomes a speaker, converting the vibrations of the music into sound. There was plenty of offer for the practi-
HANOVER: An exhibitor plays on a flipper machine, using an EEG to measure neurons in the brain at the world’s biggest high-tech fair, the CeBIT yesterday. — AFP cal joker, too. Getdigital.de, whose company slogan is “gadgets and more for geeks”, offered a tiny remote control device that can surreptitiously turn on or off almost any European television. And from British gadget firm Satzuma, a must for any serious office joker: a small missile launcher controlled by computer that can fire foam rockets at unsuspecting colleagues. Getdigital.de also proudly unveiled a flying alarm clock for those who all too often hit the snooze button in the early morning. When this alarm goes off, the whole clock takes off and flies off around the room, forcing its sleepy owner to chase it, catch it and put it back in its stand, by which time he or she is wide awake. But the real showstoppers this year were four pint-sized robot footballers that had huge cheering crowds marveling at their silky skills and long-distance goal-scoring ability. Named Rajesh, Penny, Leonard and Sheldon, the agile white robots, a mere 60cm (23 inches) high, were part of the team that won the 2009 Robot Football World Cup in Austria
and hope to defend their title this year in Singapore. They use color and line recognition to “see” the ball (orange), pitch (green) and goals (yellow
and blue). When they sense they are near the ball, they kick out towards the goal, with stunning results. But beware, as any football manager
knows, talent like this doesn’t come cheap. To snap up one of these players will set you back a cool 10,000 euros (13,500 dollars). — AFP
HANOVER: An exhibitor presents Smart Health Assistant, a steady-bike connected to a computer and a screen, allowing the user to virtualy tour a city and simultaneously giving information about distance, heartbeat and burned callories at the world’s biggest high-tech fair, the CeBIT yesterday. — AFP
HEALTH & SCIENCE
28
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Food-borne illnesses cost US $152 billion WASHINGTON: Food-borne illnesses, such as E. coli and salmonella, cost the United States $152 billion annually in health care and other losses, according to a report released yesterday by a food safety group. The report comes as the US Senate considers legislation that would require more government inspections of food manufacturers and give the Food and Drug Administration new authority to order recalls, among other things. The House passed a similar bill last year. The government estimates 76 million
people each year are sickened by food-borne illness, hundreds of thousands are hospitalized and about 5,000 die. Recent outbreaks have resulted in large recalls of peanuts, spinach and peppers. The financial cost determined in the new report published by the Produce Safety Project, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts, was significantly higher than the $35 billion reported by the Agriculture Department in 1997. That analysis looked only at some health costs related to a handful of pathogens, said author Robert L. Scharff, an Ohio State University
assistant professor of consumer sciences and former Food and Drug Administration economist. Scharff’s study examined government data on all food-borne illnesses and included a broader set of economic losses. They included the costs of emergency and ongoing medical care, pain and suffering and death. The peer-reviewed report also assigned costs to food-borne illnesses whose source was not identified, which the federal government estimates is more than three-fourths of all cases.
The report did not include costs associated with food recalls or to industries involved, which are also substantial, Scharff said. “The take away message from the report is that this estimate demonstrates that foodborne illness is a serious burden to our society,” said Sandra Eskin, director of Pew Charitable Trusts’ food safety campaign. The group is a member of the Make Our Food Safe coalition that includes other public health and consumer safety groups pushing for food safety legislation.
US Rep Rosa DeLauro, called the costs “shockingly high” and said the US needs to reduce the risk of these preventable illnesses. “If people can’t engage in this issue because of the humanitarian aspect or the public health aspect, maybe they’re willing to listen because of the economic aspect,” she said in a conference call with reporters. The Agriculture Department inspects meat and poultry and shares inspection of eggs with the FDA. The FDA inspects most other foods, but at least 15 government agencies are a part of the food safety system.
The Agriculture Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Dr. Jeff Farrar, FDA’s associate commissioner for food protection, said the agency had not had an opportunity to review the report. “We welcome all contributions toward a better understanding the impact of food safety in the United States,” he said. “The cost of food-borne illness is undoubtedly high and underscores the need for rapid passage of bipartisan legislation to provide new food safety tools for FDA.” — AP
Secondhand smoke damages arteries in teens, study finds Children can tolerate no tobacco smoke: Researchers
Part-time mothers have healthier kids, study finds SYDNEY: Mothers who work part-time are more likely to have healthier children than those who work full-time or who are not in the workforce, the author of an Australian study said yesterday. Children whose mothers worked parttime watched about an hour less television per week and had a healthier lifestyle, Jan Nicholson of Melbourne’s Murdoch Childrens Research Institute said. “The main finding that we have is that the children of mothers who worked part-time were healthier in their weight and that was related to watching less television, snacking less and being more physically active,” she told AFP. “And that was compared to children whose mothers were in full-time employ-
ment and also those whose mothers were at home full time.” The research, contained in the paper “Do working mothers raise couch potato kids?” examined the weight and lifestyle of some 2,500 children when they were four or five and again when they were six or seven. The paper, published in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine, revealed that between 18 and 20 percent of children were obese or overweight. Associate professor Nicholson said the research was designed to add to the debate about whether the west’s childhood obesity epidemic was linked to mothers’ increased participation in the workforce. “And I guess what we are really doing is trying to see is, after we take account of
everything else that we know is going on, is there really a relationship here? And the answer is, yes, there is.” The study, conducted with the University of New England and the Australian National University, said mothers with full-time careers may have less time to encourage physically active play or prepare home-cooked meals. Nicholson said the study could not explain why stay-at-home mums were more likely to have overweight children but she said mothers who worked part-time might be better able to balance their work and family demands. “They reschedule activities, sleepless and allocate less time to personal care and leisure to ensure that time with children is protected,” she said.—AFP
COLOMBO: A White Tiger (Panthera Tigris) walks in the Zoological Gardens in Colombo on Tuesday. A pair of tigers were presented by The Chinese government to the Sri Lankan zoo as a mark of friendship. —AFP
WASHINGTON: Children as young as 13 who have evidence of secondhand smoke in their blood also have visibly thicker arteries, Finnish researchers reported on Tuesday. Their study suggests that the damage caused by secondhand tobacco smoke starts in childhood and causes measurable damage by the teen years. “Although previous research has found that passive smoke may be harmful for blood vessels among adults, we did not know until this study that these specific effects also happen among children and adolescents,” Dr. Katariina Kallio of the University of Turku in Finland, who led the study, said in a statement. Her team studied 494 children aged 8 to 13 taking part in ongoing research on heart disease. They measured levels of cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine that is found in the blood after someone breathes in tobacco smoke. They divided the children into groups with high, intermediate and low cotinine levels. Ultrasound was used to measure the thickness of the aorta and of the carotid artery in the neck. Artery walls look thicker on an ultrasound if they are damaged by the process of atherosclerosis. The children with the most cotinine in their blood had carotid artery walls that were, on average, 7 percent thicker than the children with the lowest cotinine levels, Kallio’s team reported in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. Their aortas were 8 percent thicker. The researchers also did a test that measures the flexibility of the arteries in the arm, another measure of blood vessel health and heart disease risk. This measurement, called brachial artery flowmediated dilation, was 15 percent lower in teenagers with the highest levels of cotinine, they found. And measures of cholesterol showed unhealthier levels among the children with more smoke in their blood. “These findings suggest that children should not face exposure to tobacco smoke at all,” Kallio said. “Even a little exposure to tobacco smoke may be harmful for blood vessels.” In October, the US Institute of Medicine reported that indoor smoking bans lower the risk of heart attack even among nonsmokers by reducing exposure to secondhand smoke. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association say secondhand smoke kills an estimated 46,000 Americans from heart disease every year. The World Lung Foundation and the American Cancer Society jointly project that tobacco use will kill 6 million people next year from cancer, heart disease, emphysema and other ills, with direct medical costs to the global economy of $500 billion a year. In their cancer atlas, available at http://www.tobaccoatlas.org/, the groups say that 1 billion men and 250 million women globally smoke daily.—Reuters
BERLIN: Picture shows Knut, the 3-year-old polar bear (L) and Giovanna, a female polar bear on loan from the Munich zoo, playing in their enclosure at Berlin’s Zoologischer Garten zoo January 8, 2010. —AFP
Obesity hits New York’s poorest neighborhoods NEW YORK: New York City’s obesity rate has climbed in recent years, but with lower income neighborhoods hit hardest while wealthier areas like Manhattan’s Upper East Side and Chelsea remain slim, a new study found. Researchers from New York University and the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, found between 2003 and 2007, the prevalence of obesity citywide increased to 22 percent from 20 percent but with large variations in neighborhoods. That was still lower than national and statewide rates, which stood at roughly 27 percent and 25 percent around the same time. In more affluent areas, like the Upper East Side, Chelsea and the West Village, obesity rates hovered around 8 percent across the period of the study that is published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. In contrast, obesity was a more common and growing problem in other city neighborhoods, many of which are lower-income. In 2003, only one neighborhood-East Harlemhad an obesity rate higher than 30 percent. By 2007, six neighborhoods had joined it-three in the Bronx, the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, Rockaway in Queens and northern Staten Island. Researcher Dr. Jennifer Black from the University of British Columbia said understanding neighborhood-by-neighborhood variations could help in efforts to combat obesity as obesity rates balloon across the United States. “If we can figure out what types of neighbor-
hood characteristics make it easier for people to make healthy choices, and what kinds of factors are barriers to good health, we will be able to come up with more effective interventions,” Black told Reuters Health. “(This may) help people maintain a healthy body weight and reduce their risks of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.” Black and colleague James Macinko, of New York University, found that neighborhoods with a wider variety of food stores and more fitness centers were associated with lower obesity rates. The finding does not prove that better food selections and gyms prevent obesity. “But what this study does tell us is that substantial differences (in obesity) exist between neighborhoods with different levels of access to food and fitness amenities,” said Black. She said such neighborhood features remained linked to obesity even when the researchers accounted for factors like residents’ age, race and education levels, which were gathered from an annual health survey that covered more than 48,000 New Yorkers in 34 city neighborhoods. The researchers noted that New York City recently launched a “Green Cart” program designed to offer lower income residents a better selection of fresh produce. The city made available 1,000 new permits for mobile carts selling raw fruits and vegetables to be set up in specified “underserved” neighborhoods in the city’s five boroughs.—Reuters
Tree provides low-cost water purification for developing world A low-cost water purification technique published in Current Protocols in Microbiology could help drastically reduce the incidence of waterborne disease in the developing world. The procedure, which uses seeds from the Moringa oleifera tree, can produce a 90.00% to 99.99% bacterial reduction in previously untreated water, and has been made free to download as part of access programs under John Wiley & Sons’ Corporate Citizenship Initiative. A billion people across Asia, Africa, and Latin America are estimated to rely on untreated surface water sources for their daily water needs. Of these, some two million are thought to die from diseases caught from contaminated water every year, with the majority of these deaths occurring among children under five years of age. Michael Lea, a Current Protocols author, and a researcher at Clearinghouse, a Canadian organisation dedicated to investigating and implementing low-cost water purification technologies, believes the Moringa oleifera tree could go a long way to providing a solution. “Moringa oleifera is a vegetable tree which is grown in Africa, Central and South America, the Indian subcontinent, and South East Asia. It could be considered to be one of the world’s most useful trees,” said Lea. “Not only is it drought resistant, it also yields cooking and lighting oil, soil fertilizer, as well as highly nutritious food in the form of its pods, leaves, seeds and flowers. Perhaps most important-
ly, its seeds can be used to purify drinking water at virtually no cost.” Moringa tree seeds, when crushed into powder, can be used as a water-soluble extract in suspension, resulting in an effective natural clarification agent for highly turbid and untreated pathogenic surface water. As well as improving drinkability, this technique reduces water turbidity (cloudiness) making the result aesthetically as well as microbiologically more acceptable for human consumption. Despite its live-saving potential, the technique is still not widely known, even in areas where the Moringa is routinely cultivated. It is therefore Lea’s hope that the publication of this technique in a freely available protocol format, a first, will make it easier to disseminate the procedure to the communities that need it. “This technique does not represent a total solution to the threat of waterborne disease,” concluded Lea. “However, given that the cultivation and use of the Moringa tree can bring benefits in the shape of nutrition and income as well as of far purer water, there is the possibility that thousands of 21st century families could find themselves liberated from what should now be universally seen as 19th century causes of death and disease. This is an amazing prospect, and one in which a huge amount of human potential could be released. This is particularly mindboggling when you think it might all come down to one incredibly useful tree.” —Life Science News
Targeting Leukaemia gene ‘addiction’ presents new strategy for treatment An international team of scientists studying acute forms of Leukaemia have identified a new drug target to inhibit the genes which are vital for the growth of diseased cells. The research, reported in EMBO Molecular Medicine, reveals how leukaemia cells become ‘addicted’ to genes, which if targeted could prevent diseased cells from developing. The team, led by Dr Veronika Sexl from the University of Vienna, carried out their research on acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) and chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML), which can both be caused by fusion protein, Bcr-Abl, created through the joining of two or more genes originally coded for sepa-
rate proteins. This joining of genes results in a complex tumor supporting ‘network’ which supports the growth and survival of the leukaemic cells. Inhibitor drugs such as ‘Imatinib’ can block vital signals and lead to leukemia cell death, but there are several mutations which can resist these inhibitors, making them ineffective. As an alternative strategy the team investigated transcription factors Stat3 and Stat5 which are linked to bcr/abl-induced transformation. The team tested whether Stat3 and Stat5, acting downstream of BcrAbl are critical for leukaemia maintenance and if they could be a alternative target for treatment.
30
WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Embassy information EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait informs that it has started updating the information about Ukrainian citizens, who live and work in Kuwait. In this connection, we are asking you to refer to the Embassy and update your file in consular register in order not to be excluded from it. Please note, that the last day of updating your data is 20th of March, 2010. For additional information please call: 25318507 ext.106 or visit the embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait (address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str.6, house 5). The consular section of the Embassy open every day from 09:30 till 14:30 except Friday and Saturday.
National, Liberation Day celebration at KNES “Happy Faces” - Students at Kuwait National English School (KNES) — Hawally proudly celebrated Kuwait National Day and Liberation Day on Wednesday, February 24. The School Director Madame Chantal Al Gharabally thanked the members of the staff in the Islamic and Arabic Departments for their effort in organizing the event.
F
ormer Minister and Member of Parliament K.C. Venugopal along with the Managing Partner of Orma Jewellery Abey Varicad presenting the gold gift to the lucky draw winner of Orma Jewellery’s Gold Gift Scheme at the Abbassiya showroom.
EMBASSY OF PHILIPPINES The Embassy of the Philippines wishes to inform the Filipino community in the State of Kuwait, that the recent supreme court decision to extend the registration of voter’s applies only in local registration in the Philippines under Republic Act no. 8189 and does not apply to overseas voters which is governed by Republic Act no. 9189, hence it has no impact on the plans and preparations on the conduct of overseas absentee voting. The overseas absentee voting for presidential elections will start on 10 April 2010 and will continue uninterrupted until 10 May 2010 daily at the Philippine Embassy. Registered overseas absentee voters are advised to schedule their days off in advance to avoid complications in their schedules. Qualified voters are encouraged to get out and vote.
IEAS athletes attend CBSE Nationals
A
n eight member all-girls team was sent by Indian English Academy School to represent Kuwait in the CBSE Nationals held at Jaipur, India in December 2009. Their coach Ivan D’Souza and their teacher Ms Pauline D’Souza accompanied the students. The following student athletes made up the team; Jona Thomas, Sharon Lewis, Melinda Fernandes, Tamara D’Silva, Fiona D’Silva, Paula Sequiera, Salome Mithiranesan and Dilshi Priyarangika. The students had all trained vigorously and strived to
EMBASSY OF INDIA The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays. Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no. 25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday.
excel in the Nationals. The participation of this team was only possible due to the generous sponsorship of Gulf Bank. Their timely financial assistance and consistent support through all our endeavours, is highly appreciated by the IEAS family. It is due to their spontaneous generosity that our students were able to attend such prestigious events and gain a unique experience of a lifetime. Congratulations to our team! We hope they will continue to bring laurels for IEAS, true to their motto, ‘I am born for greater things’.
Greetings
B
elated 12th birthday wishes to Samar Al Salem who celebrated her birthday on February 19. Greetings coming from her loving Mama Cecel Ronquillo of UNO.CO. Wishing you a bright future and healthy life. Greetings coming from her Titas, Titos, friends and FCC family.
The Radisson Blu Hotel welcomes you to an amazing trip to Rome with Qatar Airways
D
ine and win at any of our exclusive specialty restaurants: Al Bustan, Al Boom, Peacock or Rangoli. Spend 20 KD or more and win an amazing trip to Rome * for two, tickets are courtesy of Qatar Airways and a two nights complimentary stay at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Rome. *Offer valid until 31st March 2010. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity.
31
WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Announcements MARCH 5 World Mother tongue day: Ponguthamizh Manram is happy to announce a function to commemorate “The World Mother tongue Day and The International Women’s Day”. Many challenging competitions and interesting events are being planned for the commemoration. The function will be conducted between 0930 hrs to 1300 hrs on the 5th March, 2010 at Kohinoor Restaurant, Fahaheel, to register for various competitions & for further detailed information, visit us at www.pongutamil.org or call us on 66852906 or Email us thro thamizh@pongutamil.org. PAYYOLEES meeting: Payyoli Association Kuwait (PAYYOLEES) is convening its Annual General Body Meeting on Friday 05 March at 6 pm at Orma Auditorium Abbassiya. President of the Payyoli Association, Adv Razak M Payyoli said that Abu Backer Payyoli will welcome the gathering, Mr Mujeeb Chemmikkatt will present the Report of Activities, Financial Report will be presented by Kalathil Abdurahiman and KK Mehaboob will deliver vote of thanks. Meeting will be presiding over by Adv Razak M Payyoli and a new committee for 2010 will be elected from the General Body. Cultural Activities will be followed. MARCH 7 International Women’s Group: To prepare us for spring, our next meeting will be about physical beauty. Mrs Mokhtaria Bouhend-Haddou, a fellow member, has kindly arranged an extravaganza by Lancome with various beauty demonstrations and product gifts. The meeting Will be held at Radisson Blu Hotel-Al Boubiyan on Sunday 7th March. Doors open at 9:30 am with breakfast at 10:00 am, to be followed by beauty presentations at 11:00 am. We look forward to seeing all of you at this ‘beautiful’ event. MARCH 26 Ugadi carnival: Kalanjali Kuwait plans to organize Carnival & Musical Nite of Sri Koti, on 26th March 2010, in American International School - Maidan Hawally, on the occasion of UGADI - Telugu New Year’s Day. Sri Koti with his troupe from Hyderabad will present some of his hits. Kalanjali plans to conduct “Painting Competition” for school children & adults, as well as “RANGOLI Competition” for ladies, “Salad Cutting Competitions” for MEN during this occasion. There will be an Inter-School “Youth Festival Competition” among the Indian School Children. Schools interested in participating can contact us. Persons interested to keep Game Stalls, Food Stalls and ready to participate in various games & sports, or present any musical talents / perform any talents, can send an email to kalanjaliq8@gmail.com or contact 55457286 for further details.
UIS retain Bosconian basketball trophy nited Indian School, Kuwait once again shot into limelight at the Bosconian Inter School Basketball Tournament by winning the overall trophy for the 7th time in a row. This repeated victory added one more feather to the glory in the basketball history of UIS. The tournament was conducted by Don Bosco Past Pupils Association in U-12, U-14 & U-16 categories for boys and girls. In U-12 girls category, UIS - A team had an easy win over UIS - B team in the finals to lift the cup. UIS - A Captain
U
Ashmiya top scored in the match. The other members were Mary, Rinnah, Henrietta, Amalu, Reshma, Inn, Liya, Lisha, Sandra, Aleena & Namrita. Merlin of UIS - B team top scored for the runner up team. The members are Captain Stephie, Anetia, Reeba, Samyukta, Vanessa, Apsy, Shawn, Anusree, Sneha, Nitya and Christila. In U-14 girls Category UIS defeated Don Bosco School by 37-11. Vice Captain Reena top scored with 12 points followed by Rinu 10 points and Captain Roshni 8
points. The other team members are Ashley, Natasha, Sherilyn, Sanjna, Sreedevi, Shilpa, Varsha, Priya and Anila. In the fabulous final in the U-16 girls Category the victory finally belonged to UIS beating Carmel School by 23-17. Captain Sofiyamma was the highest scorer well supported by Vice Captain Aishwarya. The members of the team are Anjali, Preethy, Sneha, Rinsa, Megna, Nishanthi, Preethi Manoj, Tessa, Naznin and Ankita. In U-12 boys Category UIS young tal-
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
tributed 8 points. The team was welt assisted by Anu and Nevil. The other members are Asrar, Sony, Mathew, Syno, Shaun and Rickson. 132 players (11 teams) who represented the UIS proved their might and skill at this tournament. UIS Principal Mrs. Susan Roy, Vice principal Mr. Cherian Thomas and parents of UIS came to witness this tournament. UIS family expresses the gratitude to all for winning the crown for the seventh time in a row.
Islamic centre holds family picnic
I
slamic Teaching Center (Markiz Duwait-ul-Jaliat) arranged a family picnic at Jahra desert last Friday. A large number of Pakistani and Indian families participated in the event. There were separate camps for the ladies and men. On the male side, program started soon after breakfast. Hafiz Habib Ullah
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. All those who wish to participate in this competition are requested to submit their application along with a copy of their script before February 15th 2010. For further details you may contact 65071434, 99860832. MAY 6 2010 Mayflower Ball: The Social & Cultural Exchange Group - a multi-lingual, multi-cultural association will present the Mayflower Ball Dinner Dance & Beauty Pageant contest at a gliterring venue with a live music band from the western coast of India and renowned DJs. A galaxy of prizes awaits for the participants and to learn more about the show to be held on Thursday, 6th May 2010, watch out for more details in your favourite newspaper.
ents defeated Don Bosco by 50-24. Captain Edwin, Vice Captain Joji, Kevin Kris, Nikhil and Sujin were the main scorers. The other team members are Don, Jacob, Kiran, Nithin, Rubin, Umar and Nevin. In U-16 boys Category UIS team played a professional game beating ICS by 62-28. Captain Abhishek was the top scorer with 28 points. Vice Captain Fantin controlled the game and scored 11 points. Justin the promising star of UIS scored 12 points and Sijo con-
Carmel School celebrates Kuwait National Day
O
n February 23, 2010 Carmel School had a special assembly honouring Kuwait on its National Day. With great pride the students saluted the Kuwait flag and sang the National Anthem followed by a prayer invoking God’s
blessings on the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlSabah, its people and the country at large. An Arabic dance, a skit and a poem was presented by the students to highlight the culture of Kuwait. The chief guest Mr. M.N. Menon -
General Manager, Al-Ruwaiz Modern import and export Company; gave a brief account of the history of Kuwait, bringing to light its culture and heritage. May God bless the Amir, Kuwait and its people.
Shah Bokhari gave Daris-ulQuran. After that there were different sports competitions for age groups from 15-17 years. They all participated with keen interest. The Friday sermon was delivered by Hafiz Mohammad Ishaq Zahid. Maulana Isla-ul-Din a prominent scholar of Indian community briefly explained
the importance of “salat” (prayer). After lunch break, program restarted with quiz competition. After the “Asar prayer” prizes were distributed among the winners of quiz and sports competitions. The program finished with the prayers for the welfare and prosperity of the Muslim ummah.
TV PROGRAMS
32
Thursday, March 4, 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
14:20 NEXT X U.S SHORTS 14:30 Jimmy Two-Shoes 15:00 American Dragon 15:30 Yin Yang Yo 16:00 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 16:30 Kid vs Kat 17:00 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 17:30 American Dragon 18:00 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 18:30 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 19:00 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 19:25 Kid vs Kat 20:00 Zeke & Luther 20:30 K9 ADVENTURES 21:00 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 21:30 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension 22:00 Phineas & Ferb 22:25 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 22:50 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 23:15 Incredible Hulk
Kathy Griffin Prison Break Friday Night Lights Dawson’s Creek Prison Break One Tree Hill No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Kathy Griffin Dollhouse Flash Forward Friday Night Lights Dawson’s Creek No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency One Tree Hill Friday Night Lights Prison Break Dollhouse Flash Forward Kathy Griffin No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Lie to Me
00:50 Animal Cops Houston 01:45 Killer Whales: Up Close And Personal 02:40 Untamed And Uncut 03:35 K9 Cops 04:30 Animal Cops Miami 05:25 Animal Cops Houston 06:20 Lemur Street 06:45 Monkey Life 07:10 Rspca: Have You Got What It Takes? 07:35 Dolphin Days 08:00 Wildlife SOS 08:25 Pet Rescue 08:50 Animal Precinct 09:45 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:10 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:40 Rspca: Have You Got What It Takes? 11:05 Animal Cops Houston 11:55 Corwin’s Quest 12:50 Wildlife SOS 13:15 Pet Rescue 13:45 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 14:10 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 14:40 Killer Whales: Up Close And Personal 15:35 Lemur Street 16:00 Monkey Life 16:30 Pet Rescue 16:55 Dolphin Days 17:25 Wildlife SOS 17:50 Rspca: Have You Got What It Takes? 18:20 Animal Cops Miami 19:15 Journey Of Life
01:15 Teen Angels 02:20 Days That Shook The World 03:15 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 04:05 Judge John Deed 05:35 Teen Angels 06:35 Bargain Hunt 07:20 Balamory 07:40 Fimbles 08:00 The Roly Mo Show 08:15 Tikkabilla 08:45 Yoho Ahoy 08:50 Little Robots 09:00 Balamory 09:20 Fimbles 09:40 The Roly Mo Show 09:55 Tikkabilla 10:25 Yoho Ahoy 10:30 Little Robots 10:40 Bargain Hunt 11:25 Teen Angels 12:25 Days That Shook The World 13:15 The Weakest Link 14:00 Eastenders 14:30 Doctors 15:00 Bargain Hunt 15:45 Cash In The Attic 16:15 Red Dwarf 16:45 Red Dwarf 17:15 The Weakest Link 18:00 Doctors 18:30 Eastenders 19:00 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 20:00 Antiques Roadshow 21:00 The Weakest Link 21:45 Doctors 22:15 Eastenders 22:45 Love Soup 23:15 Love Soup 23:45 Casualty
00:05 Glamour Puds 00:30 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 01:20 Cash In The Attic Usa 01:45 Hidden Potential 02:15 Antiques Roadshow 03:00 Antiques Roadshow 04:00 10 Years Younger 04:45 Cash In The Attic Usa 05:15 Cash In The Attic Usa 05:45 Hidden Potential 06:10 Living In The Sun 07:10 10 Years Younger 08:10 Antiques Roadshow 09:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 09:25 Hidden Potential 09:45 Rhodes Across India 10:30 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes
Body Of Lies on Show Movies 11:30 Living In The Sun 12:20 Antiques Roadshow 13:10 10 Years Younger 14:00 Rhodes Across India 14:50 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 15:40 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:05 Daily Cooks Challenge 16:30 Cash In The Attic Usa 16:50 Hidden Potential 17:15 10 Years Younger 18:00 Antiques Roadshow 18:50 Antiques Roadshow 19:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:15 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:40 Masterchef Goes Large 21:10 Come Dine With Me 21:35 Come Dine With Me 22:00 Fantasy Homes By The Sea
00:00 02:00 04:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 16:45 18:45 21:00
In The Cut-R The Company You Keep-18 Topsy Turvy-PG15 Mean Creek-PG15 Xanadu-PG Last Orders-PG West Of Here-PG15 Only The Strong Survive-PG15 Class Action-PG15 A Few Good Men-PG15 Land Of Plenty-PG15
00:00 01:00 02:00 02:55 03:50 Shine 04:45 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:55 Shine 08:50 09:45 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:55 13:25 13:50 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:30 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00
Untamed & Uncut Miami Ink Street Customs 2008 American Chopper Hot Rod Apprentice: Hard Mythbusters How Does It Work Dirty Jobs Extreme Engineering Hot Rod Apprentice: Hard Street Customs 2008 How Do They Do It? Mythbusters Ultimate Survival American Loggers How Do They Do It? How Does It Work American Chopper Miami Ink Mythbusters Dirty Jobs American Loggers Street Customs 2008 Destroyed In Seconds How Do They Do It? How Does It Work Smash Lab Time Warp Mythbusters
00:40 Monster Moves 01:30 Suv Revolution 02:20 Build It Bigger: Rebuilding Greensburg 03:10 The Electric Garage 04:00 Beyond Tomorrow 04:50 Race To Mars 05:45 How Does That Work? 06:10 Green Wheels 06:40 One Step Beyond 07:10 Suv Revolution 08:00 Thunder Races 09:00 Race To Mars 10:00 Sci-Trek 10:55 How Does That Work? 11:20 Stuntdawgs 11:50 Suv Revolution 12:45 Green Wheels 13:10 One Step Beyond 13:40 Race To Mars 14:35 Sci-Trek
15:30 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:05 20:30 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:25 23:50
Engineered How Does That Work? Thunder Races Brainiac - History Abuse Monster Moves How It’s Made How It’s Made What’s That About? How It’s Made How It’s Made Mythbusters Specials How It’s Made How It’s Made What’s That About?
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 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:20 07:45 08:10 08:35 09:00 09:25 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:45 12:10 12:35 12:55 13:20 13:40 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:15 15:40 16:00 16:25 16:45 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:45 19:00 19:25 19:50 20:15 20:35 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 Higglytown Heroes 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 Suite Life On Deck Replacements American Dragon Kim Possible Famous Five Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Replacements I Got A Rocket Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana The Replacements Jonas Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody
07:00 Yin Yang Yo 07:25 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 07:50 Kid vs Kat 08:15 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 08:40 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 09:05 American Dragon 09:30 Kid vs Kat 10:00 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension 10:30 The Suite Life of Zack & Cody 11:00 Phil Of The Future 11:30 Jimmy Two-Shoes 12:00 Kid vs Kat 12:30 Phineas & Ferb 13:00 Aaron Stone 13:25 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 13:50 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension
00:15 Streets Of Hollywood 00:40 Ths 01:30 Extreme Hollywood 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 Ths 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 Beauty Queens Gone Wrong 07:45 Style Star 08:10 Style Star 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 09:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:15 Ths 11:05 Ths 12:00 E! News 12:25 The Daily 10 12:50 Leave It To Lamas 13:15 Leave It To Lamas 13:40 15 Remarkable Celebrity Body Bouncebacks 15:25 Behind The Scenes 15:50 Behind The Scenes 16:15 E!es 17:10 Kendra 17:35 Kendra 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Streets Of Hollywood 19:15 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 19:40 E!es 20:05 E!es 20:30 E!es 21:20 Bank Of Hollywood 22:10 E! News
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 14:15 14:40 15:30 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40 20:30 21:20 21:45
01:25 02:55 04:30 06:00 07:40 09:10 10:45 12:30 14:15 15:45 17:15 18:55 20:25 22:00
Dr G: Medical Examiner Fbi Files Dead Tenants Deadly Women Undercover Forensic Detectives Amsterdam Vice Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Fugitive Strike Force Solved Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Solved Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Royal Inquest Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Fugitive Strike Force Solved Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Solved Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls
Golden Gate Keaton’s Cop Seven Hours to Judgement A Dangerous Woman Sticky Fingers Crusoe Nobody’s Fool Cooley High My American Cousin Mr. Accident The House On Carroll Street Teen Wolf A Doll’s House Elmer Gantry
00:00 Rita Rocks 00:30 Will and Grace 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Reno 911 03:30 State of the Union 04:00 The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson 05:00 Rita Rocks 05:30 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon 06:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 07:00 Home Improvement 07:30 Malcolm in the Middle 08:00 Coach 08:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 09:00 The Colbert Report 09:30 Drew Carey
10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Frasier 11:00 Til’ Death 11:30 Eight Simple Rules 12:00 The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson 13:00 Will and Grace 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 Home Improvement 14:30 Malcolm in the Middle 15:00 Coach 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Drew Carey 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 Eight Simple Rules 18:30 Til’ Death 19:00 Rita Rocks 19:30 10 Things I Hate About You 20:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Reno 911 22:30 State of the Union 23:00 The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:00 Leno 06:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 Leno
The Martha Stewart Show 10 Years younger S3 Eat Yourself Sexy The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Monique Show Huey’s Cooking Adventures Fresh The Tonight show with Jay GMA Live GMA Health What’s the Buzz The Martha Stewart Show Jimmy Kimmel Live! The View The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Martha Stewart Show Huey’s Cooking Adventures Fresh GMA Live GMA Health What’s the Buzz Look A Like S2 10 Years younger S3 The View The Ellen DeGeneres Show Jimmy Kimmel Live! The Tonight show with Jay
00:00 Death In Love-R 02:00 And When Did You Last See Your Father-PG15 04:00 Call Of The North-PG 06:00 A Previous Engagement-PG15 08:00 The Promotion-PG15 09:45 Honeydripper-PG15 12:00 The Perfect Child-PG15 13:45 Mongol-PG15 16:00 The Promotion-PG15 17:45 Brideshead Revisited-PG15 20:00 Body Of Lies-18 22:30 The Love Guru-18
01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:15 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00
Boa-PG15 The Mutant Chronicles-PG15 The X Files-PG15 Redbelt-PG15 Street Fighter-PG Battle Of Wits-PG15 The Watch-PG15 Street Fighter-PG Ba’al-PG15 Underground-PG15 The Abyss -PG15
00:00 The Deal-PG15 02:00 Dream For An InsomniacPG15 04:00 Pretty In Pink-PG15 06:00 Together Again For The First Time-PG15 08:00 Another Cinderella Story-PG 10:00 Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day-PG15 12:00 Rat-PG 14:00 Will You Merry Me-PG15 16:00 The Deal-PG15 18:00 The Last Request-PG15 20:00 The War Of The Roses-PG15 22:00 Still Crazy-PG15
00:30 Zeus And Roxanne-PG 02:20 Casper Haunted Xmas-FAM 04:00 Robotech - The Shadow Chronicles-FAM 06:00 Legend Of The Titanic-FAM 08:00 Felix 1-FAM 10:00 Casper Haunted Xmas-FAM 11:30 Barbie As Rapunzel-FAM 12:55 Zeus And Roxanne-PG 14:30 Felix 1-FAM 16:00 Scooby-Doo And The Ghoul School-FAM 18:00 Happy Feet-PG 20:00 War Of The Buttons-PG 22:00 Barbie As Rapunzel-FAM
00:00 C.S.I: NY 01:00 C.S.I: NY
02:00 02:30 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 23:30
Sex and the City Sex and the City “24” C.S.I Every Body Loves Raymond My Name is Earl Emmerdale Coronation Street Sons of Anarchy Every Body Loves Raymond My Name is Earl “24” The Beast C.S.I Emmerdale Coronation Street Every Body Loves Raymond My Name is Earl C.S.I: NY C.S.I: NY Sons of Anarchy “24” Emmerdale Coronation Street Grey’s Anatomy Private Practice The Murdoch Mysteries Sons of Anarchy Sex and the City Sex and the City
01:00 Premier League 03:00 Fut Brasil 03:30 Barclays Premier League Review 05:00 Premier League 07:00 Portugol 07:30 Fut Brasil 08:00 Premier League 10:00 Portuguese Liga 12:00 Goals Goals Goals 12:30 Portugol 13:00 Fut Brasil 13:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 14:00 Premier League 16:00 Futbol Mundial 16:30 Goals Goals Goals 17:00 Premier League 19:00 Premier League 21:00 Goals Goals Goals 21:30 Barclays Premier League Review 23:00 Premier League Classics 23:30 Premier League Classics
00:00 Portugol 00:30 Fut Brasil 01:00 Futbol Mundial 01:30 Super League 03:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 04:00 Super 14 06:00 World Sport 06:30 Futbol Mundial 07:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 07:30 Portuguese Liga 09:30 Goals On Monday 11:00 Weber Cup Bowling 12:00 Super League 14:00 Super 14 16:00 Premier League Classics 16:30 Futbol Mundial 17:00 Weber Cup Bowling 18:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 19:00 FEI Equestrain World 19:30 European Tour Weekly 20:00 Mobil 1 20:30 Portugol 21:00 Premier League Classics 21:30 Premier League World 22:00 Futbol Mundial 22:30 European Tour Weekly 23:00 Super 14
01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00
The Oxford Murders-PG15 Impact 1-PG15 Against The Current-PG15 The Nines-PG15 Georgia Rule-PG15 Genghis Khan-PG15 Mamma Mia-PG15 Impact 2-PG15 Greetings From The Shore-PG Georgia Rule-PG15 W-PG15 Mamma Mia-PG15
00:40 02:05 03:25 05:00 07:30 08:00 09:50 11:45 14:15 16:10 16:35 19:15 21:05 23:00
Westworld House Of Usher Angels With Dirty Faces The Comedians The Screening Room Young Cassidy All The Fine Young Cannibals The Comedians Silk Stockings The Screening Room Raintree County Where The Spies Are The Last Time I Saw Paris The Time Machine
00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:00 04:55 05:50 06:40 07:30 08:20 09:10 10:00 10:55 11:50 12:40 13:30 14:20 15:10 16:00 16:55 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:55
Battlefield Detectives Dogfights Ice Road Truckers 2 Deep Sea Detectives Hell’s Battlefield The American Revolution Battle Stations Battlefield Detectives Dogfights Ice Road Truckers 2 Deep Sea Detectives Hell’s Battlefield The American Revolution Battle Stations Battlefield Detectives Dogfights Ice Road Truckers 2 Deep Sea Detectives Hell’s Battlefield The American Revolution Battle Stations Battlefield Detectives Dogfights Ice Road Truckers 2 Deep Sea Detectives Dead Men’s Secrets The Nazi Officer’s Wife
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 10:30 11:00 12:00
Clean House Peter Perfect Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Dallas Divas And Daughters How Do I Look? Split Ends Dr 90210 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Area How Do I Look? Style Star Style Her Famous My Celebrity Home Style Star Dress My Nest Peter Perfect Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?
13:00 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30
Ruby Clean House Clean House Comes Clean Dress My Nest How Do I Look? Split Ends Dallas Divas And Daughters Style Her Famous Running In Heels Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Split Ends Clean House Dress My Nest Style Her Famous Ruby Ruby
01:04 01:45 02:00 02:45 05:04 06:04 08:04 09:00 09:24 13:04 13:50 16:04 16:45 18:00 18:45 19:00 20:04 20:45 21:00 22:00
French Only Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Focus Playlist Hit US Code Compilation Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Sound System Playlist Urban Hit Guest Star Playlist RNB Playlist Legend Playlist
00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Angry Planet 01:30 The Thirsty Traveler 02:00 Travel Today 02:30 Chef Abroad 03:00 Chef Abroad 03:30 Essential 04:00 Inside Luxury Travel-varun Sharma 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Swiss Railway Journeys 07:00 The Thirsty Traveler 07:30 Angry Planet 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Essential 09:30 Rudy Maxa’s World 10:00 Distant Shores 10:30 Distant Shores 11:00 Chef Abroad 11:30 Entrada 12:00 Planet Food 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 Chef Abroad 14:30 The Thirsty Traveler 15:00 Taste Takes Off 15:30 Entrada 16:00 Chef Abroad 16:30 Chef Abroad 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Skier’s World 18:30 Hollywood And Vines 19:00 Chef Abroad 19:30 The Thirsty Traveler 20:00 Globe Trekker 21:00 Inside Luxury Travel-varun Sharma 22:00 Planet Food 23:00 Intrepid Journeys
00:00 FIH Hockey World Cup 02:00 FIH Hockey World Cup 04:00 FIH Hockey World Cup 06:00 Portugol 06:30 Premier League Classics 07:00 World Sport 07:30 Super 14 09:30 Fut Brasil 10:00 Futbol Mundial 10:30 World Sport 11:00 Premier League Classics 11:30 Premier League Classics 12:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 13:00 World Hockey 13:30 Futbol Mundial 14:00 Live FIH Hockey World Cup 16:00 Live FIH Hockey World Cup 18:00 Live FIH Hockey World Cup 20:00 Rugby League 22:00 Mobil 1
00:00 03:00 04:00 06:15 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 18:00 19:00 21:00 22:00
UFC 110 UFC Unleashed Live NCAA Basketball UFC - The Ultimate Fighter WWE Vintage Collection LG Action Sport British Triathlon Series NCAA Basketball Bushido WWE Vintage Collection FIA GT FIM World Cup British Triathlon Series NCAA Basketball Drambuie Pursuit NCAA Basketball UFC - The Ultimate Fighter UFC - The Ultimate Fighter
Against The Current on Super Movies
Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Movies 20:20 Driving Lessons 22:00 I’m Reed Fish 23:40 Xtra Credit 01:10 VIP Access 01:40 Driving Lessons 03:20 I’m Reed Fish 04:55 Xtra Credit 06:25 I Think I Love My Wife 07:50 The Thin Red Line 10:40 Driving Lessons 12:20 The Banger Sisters 14:00 Sand Serpents 15:30 Home Alone 2: Lost In New York 17:30 Moulin Rouge 19:40 Day Watch STAR World 20:00 American Idol 22:00 The Unit 22:50 Married With Children 23:00 American Idol 01:00 The Unit 01:50 Married With Children 02:00 Brothers & Sisters 03:00 [V] Tunes 04:00 [V] Tunes 05:00 [V] Tunes
06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:50 15:00 15:50 16:00 17:00 19:00
7th Heaven The Goode Family The King Of Queens Boston Legal American Idol American Idol The King Of Queens The Bold And The Beautiful 7th Heaven Different Strokes Brothers & Sisters Married With Children [V] Tunes American Idol Boston Legal
Granada TV 21:00 ...And Proud 22:00 Emmerdale 22:30 Coronation Street 23:00 ...And Proud 00:00 The Springer Show 01:00 Coach Trip (Series 1) 02:00 Action Thursday: Love Lies Bleeding 03:30 Beyond Boiling Point 04:00 For One Night Only 05:00 Emmerdale 05:30 Coronation Street
06:00 07:00 08:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00
The Springer Show Coach Trip (Series 1) Action Thursday: Love Lies Bleeding Beyond Boiling Point For One Night Only Emmerdale Coronation Street The Springer Show American Princess (Series 1) Action Thursday: Love Lies Bleeding Beyond Boiling Point Emmerdale Coronation Street The Springer Show American Princess (Series 1) Action Thursday: Love Lies Bleeding
Channel [V] 22:00 [V] Plug 22:30 The Playlist 23:00 Loop 00:00 Backtracks 01:00 Double Shot 02:00 [V] Plug 02:30 The Playlist 03:00 Loop 04:00 Parental Control Double Bill 05:00 [V] Tunes
06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00
Double Shot Backtracks Loop [V] Plug Double Shot Backtracks [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist Loop Videoscope [V] Tunes Backtracks [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist Parental Control Double Bill Videoscope [V] Tunes
Fox News 20:00 Happening Now 22:00 The Live Desk 00:00 Studio B with Shepard Smith Live 01:00 Your World with Neil Cavuto 02:00 Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck 03:00 Special Report with Bret Baier 04:00 The FOX Report with Shepard Smith
05:00 The O’Reilly Factor 06:00 Hannity 07:00 On the Record with Greta Van Susteren 08:00 The O’Reilly Factor 09:00 Hannity 10:00 On the Record with Greta Van Susteren 11:00 Glenn Beck with Glenn Beck 12:00 Fox Report 13:00 Special Report with Bret Baier 14:00 The O’Reilly Factor 15:00 FOX & Friends First Live 16:00 FOX & Friends Live 18:00 America’s Newsroom 19:00 America’s Newsroom National Geographic Channel 20:00 Super Factories -UPS 21:00 Wild Wednesday -Grizzly Cauldron 22:00 Wild Wednesday -Animal Autopsy : Whale 23:00 Theme Week -Situation Critical : Moscow Theatre Siege 00:00 Seconds From Disaster -Alpine Tsunami S2-2 01:00 ABOUT ASIA -Malaysian Journey with Jason Scott Lee
02:00 Against All Odds -Falling from the Sky S1-2 03:00 Animal Autopsy -Elephant 04:00 Hunter Hunted -Tanzania Terror S2-1 05:00 ABOUT ASIA -Malaysian Journey with Jason Scott Lee 06:00 Somewhere In China -Silk Road 1 07:00 Built For The Kill -Cats 08:00 Against All Odds -Falling from the Sky S1-2 09:00 Monkey Thieves -The Monkey Catcher 3 09:30 More Amazing Moments -S2-5 10:00 Theme Week -Situation Critical : Nightmare on Mount. Hood 11:00 Seconds From Disaster -Alpine Tsunami S2-2 12:00 ABOUT ASIA -Malaysian Journey with Jason Scott Lee 13:00 Megastructures -World’s Toughest Fixes : Lock And Load 14:00 Megastructures -Mega Factories : Porsche 15:00 Theme Week -Situation Critical : Nightmare on Mount. Hood 16:00 Super Factories -Caterpillar 17:00 Seconds From Disaster -Alpine Tsunami S2-2
Thursday, March 4, 2010
33 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for couples or working ladies in Abbassiya. Please contact: 66538532. (C 20404) Accommodation available for non-smoking bachelor in 2 BR CA/C flat in Abbassiya near Integrated School. Contact: 97199124. (C 20407) Sharing accommodation available for Indian bachelor to share with other Indian bachelors at Salmiya behind Apollo hospital in CA/C building. Contact: 97961405. (C 20405) Room available to share with a working lady at Salmiya, close to Indian Community senior school, working ladies/girls. Contact: 66231580. (C 20408) 4-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for Keralite couples only KD 50/month. Contact: 97145592. (C 20402) Sharing accommodation (fully furnished room) available for an executive bachelor with Keralite family, near Classic typing center, Abbassiya. Call 66829585. (C 20401) Sharing accommodation available with food for 2 Goan or Manglorean bachelors to share with a Goan family in Abbassiya. Contact: 66269035. (C 20399) Nangangai langan 2 pilipinang bed spacer sa Salmiya, likod ng Gulf Mart. tumawag sa 99101530 or 99132471. (C 20400) 3-3-2010 Furnished room with attached bath and AC available for rent from 1st March 2010 in Farwaniya next to main street. Rent KD 75. Interested call on 24748837, 66509289. (C 20396) Room (new central A/C building) available for rent on sharing basis in Salmiya near Apollo hospital/Al Rasheed hospital, preference to south Indian family, for more information contact: 97301765. (C 20394) Furnished room with carpet, curtain, bed, cupboard, fridge in CAC 2 BR for non-
smoking executive bachelor in Abbassiya near Integrated School. Rent KD 80. Contact: 60049556. (C 20398) Accommodation for family, couple, ladies, big room attached kitchen, bathroom, KD 130 & KD 100 with kitchen, for Indian, Pakistani, Iranian. Swaber Complex, Kuwait City, bed 30 KD for girls. Call: 99581583. (C20397) 2-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available for couple or one/two decent Indian bachelor with an Indian Christian family in Abbassiya in C-AC building, behind telecommunication, near Shrouq Al Kuwait store. Tel: 24331569. (C 20391)
FOR SALE
SITUATION VACANT
Live-in Indian driver required for an Indian family with transferable residence 18 or 20. Contact: 22406645. (C 20406) 4-3-2010
SITUATION WANTED Indian male on visit with nine years Gulf experience seeks job as IT consultant/manager experienced in document/project management, pre-sales, technical support. Call: 60049783. (C 20395) 2-3-2010
Indian female (MBA in HR), 10 years experience in HR/Admin functions. Proficient in MS Office and other computer applications. Commendable in English, multi-tasker and highly efficient. Please contact: 66634322. (C 20370) 1-3-2010
No: 14657
1997 Mercedes Benz Class for sale, insurance up to 14th Feb 2011. Please contact: 99256044. Corolla 1.8 2003 model, totally maintained by Al Sayer, all 4 tyres new top condition, price KD 1800. Phone: 97848077. (C 20403) 4-3-2010 Honda Accord 1999 coupe black, excellent condition, full option, price KD 1,300. Call: 55522942. (C 20392) 3-3-2010 Nissan Pathfinder, model 1999, silver color, full options, KD 1,900. Mob: 66729295. (C 20393) 2-3-2010
Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Thursday 04/03/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0263 Beirut Gulf Air 211 Bahrain DHL 370 Bahrain Turkish A/L 1172 Istanbul Emirates 853 Dubai Etihad 0305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 0138 Doha Kuwait 802 Cairo Falcon 201 Dubai Jazeera 0503 Luxor Cargolux 792 Luxembourg Jazeera 0527 Alexandria Jazeera 0529 Assiut Jazeera 0481 Sabiha British 0157 London Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok Kuwait 352 Cochin Jazeera 0161 Dubai Kuwait 302 Mumbai Kuwait 344 Chennai Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 362 Colombo Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 0121 Sharjah Qatari 0132 Doha Iran Air 3406 Mashad Etihad 0301 Abu Dhabi Iran Air 603 Shiraz Falcon 203 Dubai Wataniya Airways 1121 Bahrain Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Iran Aseman 6791 Mashad Jazeera 0447 Doha Jazeera 0165 Dubai Jazeera 0425 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1021 Dubai Jazeera 0113 Abu Dhabi Middle East 404 Beirut Kuwait 382 Delhi Mahan Air 5066 Mashad Egypt Air 610 Cairo Jazeera 0171 Dubai Kuwait 672 Dubai Syrian Arab A/L 343 Damascus Saudi Arabian A/L 3504 Jeddah Saudi Arabian A/L 508 Riyadh Wataniya Airways 2301 Damascus Egypt Air 621 Assiut Nas Air 745 Jeddah Jazeera 0525 Alexandria Jazeera 0257 Beirut Wataniya Airways 2001 Cairo Nas Air 703 Riyadh Saudi Arabian A/L 500 Jeddah Global 063 Najaf Kuwait 562 Amman Kuwait 551 Damascus Jazeera 0457 Damascus Qatari 0134 Doha
Time 00:05 01:05 02:15 02:15 02:35 03:00 03:25 04:45 05:25 05:35 05:45 06:10 06:30 06:35 06:40 06:45 07:49 07:45 07:55 08:10 08:10 08:20 08:30 08:55 09:00 09:05 09:35 09:40 10:30 10:45 10:45 10:55 11:00 11:05 11:10 11:20 11:20 11:55 12:45 12:55 12:55 13:05 13:25 13:25 13:30 13:30 13:35 13:55 14:00 14:05 14:10 14:20 14:25 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:40 14:45 15:00
Kuwait Kuwait Royal Jordanian Jazeera Almasria Universal Global Emirates Gulf Air Saudi Arabian A/L Etihad Jazeera Jazeera Arabia Jazeera Wataniya Airways Jazeera Srilankan United A/L Jazeera Wataniya Airways DHL Wataniya Airways Yemeniya Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Indian Kuwait Kuwait Jet Airways Oman Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Middle East Qatari Emirates Kuwait Wataniya Airways Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera Global Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Kuwait Shaheen Air Indian Express Lufthansa Bangladesh Wataniya Airways Wataniya Airways Pakistan
284 546 800 0173 109 061 857 215 510 0303 0493 0239 0125 0367 2101 0497 227 982 0427 2003 473 1025 824 542 618 674 166 1552 0177 786 614 575 774 102 572 0647 0459 2013 217 402 0136 859 502 1120 1554 0449 0429 081 0117 0433 0185 0695 548 441 393 636 045 2201 1029 205
Dhaka Alexandria Amman Dubai Alexandria/Assiut Baghdad Dubai Bahrain Riyadh Abu Dhabi Jeddah Amman Sharjah Deirezzor Beirut Riyadh Colombo/Dubai Washington Dc Dulles Bahrain Cairo Baghdad Dubai Sana/Doha Cairo Doha Dubai Paris/Rome Damascus Dubai Jeddah Bahrain Chennai/Goa Riyadh New York Mumbai Muscat Damascus Beirut Bahrain Beirut Doha Dubai Beirut Bahrain Damascus Doha Bahrain Baghdad Abu Dhabi Mashad Dubai Shiraz Sharm El Sheikh Lahore Kozhikode/Cochin Frankfurt Dhaka/Doha Amman Dubai Karachi
15:10 15:30 15:40 16:05 16:25 16:50 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:15 17:30 17:35 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:40 18:50 18:55 18:55 19:00 19:00 19:05 19:10 19:20 19:30 19:30 19:35 20:05 20:20 20:40 20:55 21:05 21:20 21:35 21:40 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:35 22:40 22:40 22:55 23:05 23:15 23:30 23:40 23:40 23:45 23:55
Departure Flights on Thursday 04/03/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0528 Assiut Shaheen Air 442 Lahore India Express 394 Cochin/Kozhikode Cargolux 792 Hong Kong United A/L 981 Washington Dc Dulles Indian 576 Goa/Chennai Bangladesh 046 Dhaka Pakistan 216 Karachi Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt KLM 0447 Amsterdam Kuwait 283 Dhaka DHL 371 Bahrain Turkish A/L 1173 Istanbul Emirates 854 Dubai Etihad 0306 Abu Dhabi Qatari 0139 Doha Wataniya Airways 1020 Dubai Jazeera 0164 Dubai Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa Jazeera 0524 Alexandria Wataniya Airways 2000 Cairo Jazeera 0112 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 0446 Doha Kuwait 677 Abu Dhabi/Muscat Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1120 Bahrain Jazeera 0422 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 2300 Damascus Kuwait 545 Alexandria Jazeera 0256 Beirut British 0156 London Kuwait 671 Dubai Jazeera 0170 Dubai Kuwait 551 Damascus Kuwait 561 Amman Kuwait 771 Riyadh Jazeera 0456 Damascus Arabia 0122 Sharjah Kuwait 101 London/New York Emirates 856 Dubai Kuwait 1783 Jeddah Qatari 0133 Doha Iran Air 606 Mashad Etihad 0302 Abu Dhabi Cargolux 794 Singapore Wataniya Airways 2002 Cairo Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Kuwait 165 Rome/Paris Jazeera 0342 Bahrain/Sanaa Kuwait 541 Cairo Jazeera 0172 Dubai Jazeera 0432 Mashad Wataniya Airways 2100 Beirut Jazeera 0492 Jeddah Kuwait 785 Jeddah Egypt Air 611 Cairo Syrian Arab A/L 342 Damascus Wataniya Airways 1024 Dubai Kuwait 673 Dubai
FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161
Time 00:05 00:15 00:30 00:40 00:40 00:50 01:00 01:10 01:20 01:25 02:55 03:15 03:15 03:50 04:10 05:00 07:00 07:00 07:15 07:20 07:30 07:35 07:40 07:40 07:45 07:50 07:55 08:10 08:30 08:35 08:55 09:00 09:00 09:10 09:15 09:20 09:25 09:35 09:35 09:40 09:50 10:00 10:15 10:20 11:15 11:30 11:40 11:45 11:50 12:00 12:00 12:05 12:05 12:15 13:40 13:55 14:00 14:25 14:30
Jazeera Egypt Air Nas Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Saudi Arabian A/L Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Royal Jordanian Qatari Kuwait Bahrain Air Mihin Lanka Gulf Air Etihad Emirates Arabia Jazeera Kuwait Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera Jazeera Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Thai Wataniya Airways Kuwait Srilankan Wataniya Airways Jazeera Kuwait Iran Air Kuwait Wataniya Airways Jet A/W Oman Air Jazeera Egypt Air Singapore A/L Gulf Air DHL Kuwait Middle East Falcon Jazeera Qatari Kuwait Emirates Kuwait KLM Jazeera Jazeera Kuwait Egypt Air Jazeera Kuwait
0216 622 746 0176 1200 0426 0458 505 501 773 613 801 0135 617 345 404 216 0304 858 0126 0262 543 511 0184 0116 2010 0448 0428 520 2102 285 228 1028 0512 361 616 351 1128 571 0648 0240 619 457 218 171 675 403 102 0188 0137 301 860 205 0445 0480 0526 415 613 0502 411
Isfahan Assiut Jeddah Dubai Jeddah Bahrain Damascus Jeddah Beirut Riyadh Bahrain Amman Doha Doha Bahrain Dubai/Colombo Bahrain Abu Dhabi Dubai Sharjah Beirut Cairo Riyadh Dubai Abu Dhabi Sharm El Sheikh Doha Bahrain Bangkok Beirut Chittagong Dubai/Colombo Dubai Sharm El Sheikh Colombo Ahwaz Cochin Bahrain Mumbai Muscat Amman Alexandria Abu Dhabi/Singapore Bahrain Bahrain Dubai Beirut Bahrain Dubai Doha Mumbai Dubai Islamabad Bahrain/Amsterdam Sabiha Alexandria Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta Cairo Luxor Bangkok/Manila
14:35 14:50 14:55 15:05 15:10 15:20 15:30 16:00 16:10 16:10 16:20 16:25 16:30 16:35 17:35 17:40 17:55 18:00 18:10 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:40 18:50 19:00 19:05 19:05 19:10 19:15 19:30 19:50 20:20 20:25 20:55 21:00 21:10 21:20 21:25 21:35 21:45 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:20 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:50 22:55 22:55 23:00 23:25 23:45 23:45 23:50 23:55
34
SPECTRUM
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Calvin
CROSSWORD 917
Aries (March 21-April 19) You may have some difficulty speaking or getting your ideas and thoughts across to others today. Your abstract thinking is sometimes considered weird by others. However, great discoveries are made in this realm of thinking. While this process is natural for you, you must realize, other people do not always follow your line of thinking—although they can be caught up in the general idea. You might say the wrong thing. However, luck seems to be on your side and plans, decisions and just finding your way through the problems you discover will end on a positive note. Good advice from a guide or older person will be a blessing—listen. You may find yourself being put to good use by your friends. Laughter and encouragement is good for all. Taurus (April 20-May 20) This is one of your best overall days. You are buoyed with confidence now to succeed at any project you attempt. You will be selfassertive, independent and can see clearly what your own interests are this whole month. It is time for deep thought about a career change or conditions that affect your reputation. It is essential to become more effective in expressing your own thoughts as well as gaining the needed response or information from others by asking the right questions. Obtaining and exchanging information takes on more emotional significance for you now. Communicating feelings becomes more important. You could clash with young people or old habits. Your support system and environment may feel stressed but is of short duration.
Pooch Cafe
ACROSS 1. Any of various units of capacity. 4. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind. 8. The compass point that is one point south of due east. 11. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma. 12. A sock with a separation for the big toe. 13. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects. 14. The bill in a restaurant. 15. The sixth month of the civil year. 16. Type genus of the family Myacidae. 17. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal. 19. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens. 21. A public promotion of some product or service. 24. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits. 26. Rich and superior in quality. 28. A very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk. 29. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of intense vermilion velvettextured blooms and yielding a yellow dye. 30. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad. 34. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light. 38. (Old Testament) The second patriarch. 42. Scale-like structure between the base of the wing and the halter of a two-winged fly. 44. Capital and largest city of Iraq. 46. (folklore) A corpse that rises at night to drink the blood of the living. 47. European strong-scented perennial herb with gray-green bittertasting leaves. 48. 10 grams. 50. A heavy long-handled hammer used to drive stakes or wedges. 51. A chronic skin disease occurring primarily in women between the ages of 20 and 40. 52. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number). 53. The highest level or degree attainable. DOWN 1. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad. 2. (informal) Exceptionally good. 3. A workplace for the conduct of scientific research. 4. A drug (trade names Atarax and Vistaril) used as a tranquilizer to treat anxiety and motion sickness. 5. An informal term for a father. 6. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth. 7. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984). 8. Any of various trees of the genus Ulmus. 9. Common Indian weaverbird. 10. Any of a number of fishes of the family Carangidae. 18. A hospital unit staffed and equipped to provide intensive care. 20. A small cake leavened with yeast. 22. A kind of person. 23. An unabridged dictionary constructed on historical principles. 25. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group. 27. (Akkadian) God of wisdom. 31. A radioactive element of the actinide series. 32. Any of numerous local fertility and nature deities worshipped by ancient Semitic peoples. 33. Someone who is morally reprehensible. 35. Wood of a sumac. 36. An ancient city in Asia Minor that was the site of the Trojan War. 37. A river that rises in central Germany and flows north to join the Elbe River. 39. (Old Testament) The first king of the Israelites who defended Israel against many enemies (especially the Philistines). 40. American novelist (1909-1955). 41. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its mother and raised by hand. 42. A public promotion of some product or service. 43. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism. 44. A unit of luminous flux equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle of 1 steradian by a point source of 1 candela intensity radiating uniformly in all directions. 45. A light touch or stroke. 49. A unit of magnetomotive force equal to 0.7958 ampere-turns. 50. A radioactive element of the actinide series.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) Acting on impulse today can be riskier than usual: get a grip and do not just react to stimuli and situations. If you are helping others with financial investments like the stock market, take a deep breath before you obligate someone’s finances. You want to shape events now—not be shaped by them! This is a day for creative thinking. You will be making a journey but it is not a physical journey. This is an inward journey to explore inner thoughts and heightened your intuitive instincts. A change in your lifestyle is likely now and could result in environment changes. You may feel like talking a bit more than usual, exploring new ideas or getting happily lost in a conversation. There will be an urge to communicate and perhaps, to do a little sightseeing.
Non Sequitur Cancer (June 21-July 22) Success in the work place is easy to find because your determination and concentration is strong today. Your imagination comes in very useful later today when you could be asked to counsel someone in matters of work issues. It may be easy to overextend your time or energies—work at a balance and teach through example. Your best friend, lover or mate may not be in the best of shape today. Do not worry, it is not your fault and before the day is over, you will see some improvement. An understanding, however, is essential. If you are to experience growth in a relationship, you must develop the ability to remove your emotions and practice asking yourself if you are thinking in a realistic way. Consider the purchase of some music. Leo (July 23-August 22) With the energies that are available today, you will find meaningful spiritual awakenings if you remain open to them. This may begin with the view of a sunrise before you drive into work and end with a determination to dedicate yourself to a dream. A problem-solving class will meet in groups and will benefit you in solving some challenging areas where you want growth or you want to give expression. Knowing things without knowing how you know them is typical for now. It is time to really gain a focus on what and where you want the main path of your life to go from here. Allow family members or friends to help you bust into spontaneous laughter—or see if you can create that for another. Enjoy new insights and a light heart today.
Zits
Virgo (August 23-September 22) You are able to serve as a messenger today and some of what you impart is not just business. You enhance and encourage other people to improve and move forward upon their life path. You will carefully consider all the options in some particular situation today. There is some concern that someone might call you a coward if you pause too long in thought. Caution should not be mistaken for being slow. You are wise to have caution when others try to talk you into some activity that is not really very good for anyone—careful. This is the month to tend to your finances and if you are in debt, begin now to find a plan of payoff. You enjoy a little time on the computer tonight to talk to your computer friends and pick up the latest news.
Libra (September 23-October 22) You may have that feeling that anything is possible today. You are feeling good and everything around you seems to be coming up roses! Stability and permanence satisfy a deep emotional need. You are good at organizing your thoughts when you take the time to write out a list for yourself. You could write that book or take that course. Your thoughts count now—so use your mind. New ways to communicate or an easy manner will make conversations and interactions go well. You may find yourself inventing or contributing to some design or art project today as well. A dialogue with an older person may take place this afternoon. You seem more concerned now than ever with your relationships and now is when they are the most stable.
Mother Goose and Grimm
Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Career demands require hard work and long hours. This afternoon you may want to spend some time making some calls and setting appointments. There are opportunities to help friends today. You feel good about being able to help others. Try to use caution in setting a time limit or a dollar limit as to your commitment. Look at the long-term and help the other person to do the same. Sometimes it is important to lend a helping hand and sometimes it is important to only lend your supportive assistance. Find ways to blend your energies now to eliminate frustrations. Find ways to bring the spiritual into your everyday life experience. Romance is highlighted this evening and there is a desire to try something new or go somewhere previously unexplored. Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You may find that you need to analyze a situation before you can give input today. Let others know that you will be working in calculating projects or working with numbers; they will leave you to your thinking. High stress demands may be using up your spare time today. Find ways to cut corners soon. Take it easy on yourself and others by making notes of things you see that need changing. In a few days look at the notes again and see if you feel the same. A little humor will see you through the rough spots now. Saying and writing things with style counts for a lot and this tends to bring out the social butterfly in all of us. This evening, neighbors or brothers and sisters will likely bring all kinds of good experiences to you.
Yesterday’s Solution
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
Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Ambitious schemes and the pursuit of success and status take on a high priority now. This brings a focus on the practical, the successful, the pragmatic—whatever it takes to get you ahead in the long run. The meek may inherit the earth, but the shrewd will collect the rent. Great temptations to spend money can be headed off by thinking longterm. Think of the future and what you really want instead of desire for the moment. You might want to tape a little note into your build-fold, credit cards or car that will help remind you to keep a focus on your goals. You should find this day running in a smooth manner. Working with— rather than against—the flow should be easy to do. It is okay to use your creative finesse to entice a mate.
Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You need emotional stimulation today and should enjoy a diversified lifestyle. Don’t spread yourself too thin and if possible, delegate responsibilities. Check all the aspects of a project you are working on to find out where your energies can be best applied. Obtaining and exchanging information takes priority this morning. You will find your friends true to their word and very helpful today. The more fact-gathering and detail-hunting you do—the closer you are to making your dreams a reality. Make a list of repair needs that you can correct yourself, instead of calling in costly repair people. Plant some spring flowers today. This evening is a wonderful time to celebrate life with your family and friends in a leisure setting. Pisces (February 19-March 20) This is not the best time for career or vocational decisions and practical advice to others. Instead, you find yourself feeling more need for solitude. This is a great time to tend to paper work or research. Follow through this week with any plans you made last week regarding higher education. Concentrate on the possible. Throughout today and the rest of this month, take on the art of being patient-there will be many times where this will really pay off for you. Find things to do that will keep you busy and productive when you may have to wait in a line or perhaps ride on public transportation. If you are thinking about a job in your home, think about the service industry. Consider some type of volunteer service within these agencies . . . making life easier.
INFORMATION
Thursday, March 4, 2010
35 FIRE BRIGADE Operation Room 777 Al-Madena 22418714 Al-Shohada始a 22545171 Al-Shuwaikh 24810598 Al-Nuzha 22545171 Sabhan 24742838 Al-Helaly 22434853 Al-Fayhaa 22545051 Al-Farwaniya 24711433 Al-Sulaibikhat 24316983 Al-Fahaheel 23927002 Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh 24316983 Ahmadi 23980088 Al-Mangaf 23711183 Al-Shuaiba 23262845 Al-Jahra 25610011 Al-Salmiya 25616368
Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw
For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128 HOSPITALS Sabah Hospital
24812000
Amiri Hospital
22450005
Maternity Hospital
24843100
Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital
25312700
Chest Hospital
24849400
Farwaniya Hospital
24892010
Adan Hospital
23940620
Ibn Sina Hospital
24840300
Al-Razi Hospital
24846000
Physiotherapy Hospital
POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha始a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station
24874330/9 CLINICS
Roudha
22517733
Adhaliya
22517144
Khaldiya
24848075
Keifan
24849807
Shamiya
24848913
Shuwaikh
24814507
Abdullah Salim
22549134
Al-Nuzha
22526804
Industrial Shuwaikh
24814764
Al-Khadissiya
22515088
Dasmah
22532265
Bneid Al-Ghar
22531908
Al-Shaab
22518752
Al-Kibla
22459381
Ayoun Al-Kibla
22451082
Al-Mirqab
22456536
Sharq
22465401
Salmiya
25746401
Jabriya
25316254
Maidan Hawally
25623444
Bayan
25388462
Mishref
25381200
W.Hawally
22630786
Sabah
24810221
Jahra
24770319
New Jahra
24575755
West Jahra
24772608
South Jahra
24775066
North Jahra
24775992
North Jleeb
24311795
Al-Ardhiya
24884079
Firdous
4892674
Al-Omariya
4719048
N.Kheitan
4710044
Rabiya
4732263
Fintas
3900322
THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988 AIRLINES
PHARMACIES ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE Ahmadi
PHARMACY Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan
ADDRESS Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd
PHONE 23915883 23715414 23726558
Jahra
Modern Jahra Madina Munawara
Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92
24575518 24566622
Capital
Ahlam Khaldiya Coop
Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop
22436184 24833967
Farwaniya
New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan
Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11
24734000 24881201 24726638
Hawally
Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy
Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B
25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554
EMERGENCY 112
PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea Dr. Masoma Habeeb Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy Dr. Mohsen Abel Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly
25622444 25752222 25321171 25739999 25757700 25732223 25732223
Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf 22547272
22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801
Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah
22617700 25625030/60
Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar 23729596/23729581
Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.
Zahra Qabazard Sohail Qamar Snaa Maaroof Pradip Gujare Zacharias Mathew
25710444 22621099 25713514 23713100 24334282
(1) Ear, Nose and Throat Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari 22635047 Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan 22613623/0 Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe 23729596/23729581 Dr. Verginia s.Marin 2572-6666 ext 8321 Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan 22655539 Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami 25343406 Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly 25739272 Dr. Salem soso 22618787 General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 25717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 22610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 25327148
Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed 25340300
Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 25330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 25722290
(2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)
25655535 Dentists:
Dr Anil Thomas
3729596/3729581
Dr. Shamah Al-Matar
22641071/2
Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed
22562226
Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer
22561444
Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan
22619557
Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash
22525888
Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan
25653755
Dr. Bader Al-Ansari
25620111
Neurologists:
Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 24555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 25339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555 Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123
Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 25633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan
Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil 22639939 Dr. Mousa Khadada 22666300 Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan 25728004 Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra 25355515 Dr. Mobarak Aldoub 24726446 Dr Nasser Behbehani 25654300/3
Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab 25722291 Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees 22666288
25345875
Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman
22636464
Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 25322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali
22633135
Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 25339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari
25658888
Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr
25329924
Psychologists/Psychotherapists Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688 info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677 William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677
Kuwait Airways Wataniya Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines
22433377 24379900 177 22477631 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1
INTERNATIONAL CALLS Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK)
0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345 00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044
Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Holland (Netherlands) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Ibiza (Spain) Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia
00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689 00241 00220 00995 0049 00233 00350 0030 00299 001473 00590 001671 00502 00224 00592 00509 0031 00504 00852 0036 0034 00354 0091 00873 0062 0098 00964 00353 0039 00225 001876 0081 00962 007 00254 00686 00965 00996 00856 00371 00961 00231 00218 00370 00352 00853 00389
36
SPECTRUM
No one-night stand
for ‘domestic’ Fox
nothing like her sex siren image and is happy living a quiet life with former ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ star Brian and his eight-year-old son, Kassius. The 23-year-old screen beauty told Britain’s Harper’s Bazaar magazine: “I am a stepmother to the fullest extent. I have looked after Kassius since he was three and he has no memory of life without me. “For some reason, no one wants to look at me that way, but I am responsible for him and I’ve never struggled with that, from bedtime stories to the school run.” Megan and Brian, 36, split briefly last year but soon rekindled their romance.
M
Christian Bale’s sister filed for bankruptcy he ‘Dark Knight’ star - whose family had him arrested in July 2008 on assault charges after an incident at London’s Dorchester hotel - is unlikely to offer his sister Sharon any of his £30 million fortune, despite the charges later being dropped, because they have not spoken since. His sister Sharon, 42, faced the bankruptcy hearing at Bournemouth County Court, and is in the precarious financial situation because of a number of disastrous property investments. She said:
T
“Christian doesn’t know about the bankruptcy. I wouldn’t expect him to help. We don’t speak anymore. It’s totally his decision and it makes us all very sad. I started my own property investment company and made some mistakes.” Christian’s 61-year-old mother Jenny whose daughter now faces the possibility of losing her home - revealed they not had any contact with Christian for the past year. She said: “Sharon is in a pretty dire situation and has always tried her hardest to support her family. We don’t have Christian’s current number and he doesn’t know anything about what’s happening.” Speaking of the incident which led to the family feud - where Christian was questioned for four hours and required to supply his fingerprints, DNA saliva sample and a photograph - Sharon told The Sun newspaper: “I had an argument with him because he was totally out of order in front of my children. I’d had enough of the violent behavior. It flared up into a ridiculous thing and he has not spoken to us since. I regret going to the police.”
Lohan thinks her dad is ‘nuts’ indsay Lohan thinks her dad is “nuts” and should be in rehab. The ‘Mean Girls’ actress has blasted Michael Lohan’s claims that she needs to seek help for alleged problems with substance abuse, insisting he only speaks out about her because he is desperate for attention. She said: “I’m not really speaking to him. Him saying those things is the last thing that’s going to get me to speak to him and I’ve told him that. “He’s nuts. He is someone who is crying out for help and attention. He is the one who should be in rehab. He has been on and off like this my whole life. “The real issue here? I don’t condone that he has never paid child support. He has never stepped up. It’s not fair, my mom has been such a great mother and has done such a great job raising us.” Despite her unhappiness with her father’s behavior, Lindsay insists she is “grateful” to him because he brought her family - including her mother Dina, sister Ali and brothers Michael Jr. and Cody - closer together. She added to Britain’s OK! magazine: “I’m very tight with my siblings and mom and my grandmother, so I’m lucky. “In a way, I’m grateful for how he has behaved, because it’s brought us closer together. We’re very protective of each other.”
L
Gyllenhaal’s lazy Oscar night
M
egan Fox has only slept with two men. The ‘Transformers’ actress - who is regarded as one of the world’s sexiest women - insists she has only been intimate with long-term partner Brian Austin Green and her first boyfriend as she can only have sex with people she loves. She said: “I’ve only been with two men my entire life. My childhood sweetheart and Brian. I can never have sex with someone that I don’t love, ever. The idea makes me sick. I’ve never even come close to having a one-night stand.” Megan - who has previously claimed she is bisexual - insists she is
Thursday, March 4, 2010
aggie Gyllenhaal watched last year’s Oscar’s ceremony in bed eating cereal. The 32-year-old starwho has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ‘Crazy Heart’ - admitted she was so tired from her work that she shunned attending the prestigious ceremony in favor of relaxing at home. She said: “I’ve gone to the Academy Awards before. Once I presented the technical awards. And of course I was there when my brother was nominated. “Last year I was doing the play ‘Uncle Vanya’ and I made a huge bowl of cereal and sat up in bed, still with my period corset on, watching.” Since being nominated for the 2010 ceremony which takes place at Los Angeles Kodak Theatre on Sunday - Maggie admitted she’s secretly very excited, but is trying not to show it. She told the New York Post newspaper: “This time I’m really even more into it. I’m thinking, well, maybe, these things really do mean something. But I did let go of the attachment because this time I seemed not to be getting any of the pre-Oscar nominations. I know I do want to go to the parties. I’m working with a couple of designers, and I’m still looking at dresses.”
Robert Pattinson to get waxwork
R
obert Pattinson is to be immortalized in wax. The ‘Twilight’ actor is the latest star to be honored with his own waxwork by famous museum Madame Tussauds and his figure will be unveiled in both the New York and London branches. Artist Luke Fisher is keen to give the statues a true resemblance and has received a lot of help from other members of staff. Madame Tussauds said: “They have been studying hundreds of photos and pouring through hours of video to ensure that they capture R-Pattz’s trademark sultry expression and inimitable style.” Robert follows in the footsteps of a host of stars to have been immortalized in wax including Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Marilyn Monroe and David and Victoria Beckham. The waxworks will give fans on both sides of the Atlantic a rare chance to get close to the heartthrob as he recently revealed he hides from his followers because he finds the attention hard to deal with. He said: “You are trying to limit the amount of time you have to deal with it. I do a bit of hiding.”
J
ulianne Moore got married on the advice of her therapist. The ‘Chloe’ actress - who tied the knot with her second husband, director Bart Freundlich in 2003 - admits she only chose to walk down the aisle again to provide their children Caleb, 12, and seven-year-old Liv, with stability. She said: “For me the only reason to get married was my children. I had a therapist who said marriage is really a container for a family. Freud says you need love and work, and a family and a job give you a balance. One element can’t give you everything. You can have friends in movies and plays you make, but they’re not your family. And you can’t expect family to give you the stimulation work is going to provide, because that is not their responsibility.” Despite her happiness with Bart, 49-year-old Julianne admits their relationship isn’t without its struggles
and they find it particularly difficult getting time alone away from the children. She added to the Scotsman website: “Your relationship is never going to be what it was at the start - and the fact it’s not is something that we struggle with. My husband and I try to spend time alone, but it is hard because the kids go, ‘Why are you going out, you went out last night?’ So we try to make time for each other, and maybe take trips away together but we’re like everyone else in that respect.” Julianne was previously married to actor Jon Gould Rubin for nine years from 1986.
Moore?s marriage advice
Madonna gives relationship advice
M
Cattrall?s communication halt
K
im Cattrall has banned herself from calling her family. The Liverpool-born actress - whose family emigrated to Canada when she was just three months old, returning for five years when she was 11 plays British divorcee Amanda in new play ‘Private Lives’ on London’s West End and she has had to take drastic measures to ensure nothing jeopardizes her accurate portrayal of the character. She said: “I’m not calling home as much as I used to because I start sounding American again. “I’ve been around British accents all my life. But I’ve worked quite hard to get it right.” Kim - who worked with a dialect coach and immersed herself in British television to prepare for the play - is best known for her role as Samantha Jones in ‘Sex and the City’. Despite being divorced three times, the 53-yearold star insists she is nothing like her man-eater alter ego. She added to the BBC: “As you can see, I don’t talk like Samantha or act like Samantha unless I’m paid to. In some ways, I wish I was more like her, she’s so ballsy.” Kim is proud of her youthful looks but admits she hates having her appearance judged on her age. She fumed: “This adage ‘She looks good for her age’... Why can’t I just ‘look good?’ “ Despite her advancing years, Kim insists she has no desire to turn back the clock. Asked if she wanted to be 25 again, she told Easy Living magazine: “God, no. No, no, no. I had a good time but I don’t want to be 25, and I don’t want to look that way, either. I like the way I look, and I like the way I feel.” — BangShowbiz
adonna was furious when her relationship advice was ignored on a TV show. The twice-divorced singer - who is currently dating Brazilian model Jesus Luz - was one of the celebrity panelists on new show ‘The Marriage Ref’ and was livid when the show’s mediator, comedian Tom Papa, sided with the suggestions of another guest. The show features a series of relationship problems, with the celebrities asked to give their opinions before Tom - who is ‘The Ref’ makes the final choice on the advice they should follow and despite both the ‘4 Minutes’ hitmaker and comic Ricky Gervais agreeing on one dilemma, Tom opted to put forward the suggestions given by ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ star Larry David. Madonna said: “This is a recipe for disaster. It’s two against two!”
She was backed up by Ricky, who added: “What are we here for? It was two to one! Why does he get the final vote?” At the end of the program - which has been panned by critics - all of the celebrities seemed bemused by the experience. Larry said: “This is easily the most uncomfortable hour I’ve ever spent in my life.” Madonna sniped back: “Why? Because you’re sitting next to a woman who is standing up to you?” The show, which revolves around real life couples who are embroiled in an on-going fight, was given a half hour preview to American audiences on Sunday (28.02.10), but will officially premiere this Thursday (04.03.10). Other celebrities to guest star as panelists on the show in future episodes include the actress Eva Longoria and actors Alec Baldwin and Matthew Broderick.
SPECTRUM
Thursday, Marrch 4, 2010
37
Music & Movies
Lebanese Trio Tomb sisters from (left): Ronza, Amal and Fayida perform in Manama as the Gulf kingdom’s fifth spring cultural festival kicked off on March 1, 2010. — AFP
Fire delays Lil Wayne sentencing
Lady Antebellum leads ACM Awards nods with 7
n astounding run keeps getting better for Lady Antebellum. Already buoyed by the crossover success of its latest album, the country trio learned it’s up for a leading seven Academy of Country Music Awards when nominations were announced Tuesday, including five for the gravitydefying hit “Need You Now.” “You always hear about the power of a great song, and there’s no doubt that ‘Need You Now’ has definitely been a careerchanger for us ... but seven nominations?” Dave Haywood said in a statement released as the band was flying cross country. “We are blown away.” Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood are next with six nominations, Taylor Swift has five and Kenny Chesney and Brad Paisley each have four. The Zac Brown Band and its frontman also had a big haul with the band receiving four nominations and Brown taking two more individually. The nominations were announced by Reba McEntire and Blake Shelton on CBS’ “The Early Show.” Lady A received nods for top vocal group and album of the year for its debut, “Lady Antebellum,” as well as single record as artist and producer, song as artist
A
Rapper Lil Wayne performs before accepting the Best Rap Solo Performance award during the 51st annual Grammy awards held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in this February 8, 2009 file photo.—AFP latinum-selling rapper Lil Wayne appeared to have won at least one more day of freedom Tuesday when his sentencing on a weapons charge in New York was delayed due to a courthouse fire. The fire at the New York state court complex in downtown Manhattan injured eight people, including a prisoner and five firefighters, before the building was evacuated and the flames extinguished. The diminutive, heavily tattooed singer, winner of four Grammys in 2009, had already managed to delay his expected one-year sentence by a month when the New York judge allowed him to stay on bail for dental work. Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Michael Carter, pleaded guilty in October to weapons possession after a loaded .40 caliber pistol was found on his tour bus. The 27-year-old rapper, whose songs and videos deal with the usual rap themes of gun violence, police, money and scantily-clad women, could have faced as many as 15 years under New York’s tough firearms laws. The light sentence reflected a plea deal made with prosecutors. He could get out after as little as eight months with good behavior. Along with his dental procedures, he has also been using his last days of freedom to
P
make sure his musical career doesn’t get locked up with him while in jail. He told MTV music channel he’d shot seven videos just before his day in court. “Still got two days left. I lost count. We shot seven videos last night. Tonight, we gonna eat, then go to the studio, then we gonna get some verses in and party,” he told MTV News. The question now is whether Wayne will receive special treatment while in prison, or whether he will have to negotiate the same infamously tough conditions as less prestigious convicts. MTV reported that on Sunday Wayne held a farewell party in Miami with his Cash Money Records crew. He was presented with a cake inscribed: “Keep Your Head Up Weezy! We love U.” MTV quoted a New York corrections officer saying that Wayne would be housed and treated just like other prisoners. In blogs, rap fans question whether Wayne, who has made references to the notorious Bloods gang in his songs, can be kept safe from rival Crips gang members in prison, or even Bloods members. The singer won four Grammys in 2009, including awards for best rap song, best rap album and best rap solo performance. — AFP
This Jan 31, 2010 file photo shows from left, Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley, of Lady Antebellum, arriving at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. — AP year for “Play On.” Chesney is going for a fifth entertainer of the year award and is just one of three singers with four wins. He won from 2005-08 before Underwood ended his run. He’s nominated in the top male vocalist category
with Paisley, who’s won three straight, George Strait, Keith Urban and Darius Rucker. Lambert is fresh off the success of her first No. 1 song, “White Liar,” which netted her three nominations. She also is up for album of the
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli receives Walk of Fame star ndrea Bocelli, who describes himself as “a modern but oldfashioned tenor” in a highly successful career mixing opera with classical and popular music, received the 2,402nd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday. Born Sept 22, 1958 in Lajatico in Tuscany, Bocelli grew up on his family’s farm and began studying piano when he was six years old, later learning to play the flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, harp, guitar and drums. Bocelli had problems with his sight from birth and was eventually diagnosed with glaucoma. When he was 12 years old, he completely lost his sight after an accident at a soccer game. Despite his blindness, Bocelli won his first song competition at the age of 14 and went on to complete law school. He spent a year as a courtappointed lawyer, earning extra money performing evenings in piano bars. In 1992, the Italian rock star Zucchero held auditions for tenors to make a demo tape with him of the
A
Son concerned for detained Iranian director he son of Iranian film director Jafar maker of gritty films that examine social Panahi, detained this week with his wife issues in the Islamic Republic, including difand daughter, said he did not know ficulties facing women, Panahi backed where they had been taken, an opposition Mousavi in last year’s disputed presidential website reported on Wednesday. “I do not election, which plunged Iran into months of have any information about their where- political turmoil. Tehran prosecutor Abbas abouts and their situation,” Jafari Dolatabadi on Tuesday conKaleme quoted Panah Panahi as firmed Panahi’s arrest but said it saying, a day after it reported the was not politically motivated. arrest of the prominent filmKaleme said Panah Panahi maker, an opposition supporter denied reports that his father was making an anti-government film who has won many international without permission from the awards. “I’m very worried about authorities. It did not say which my family,” he said. Kaleme, the reports he was referring to. “My website of opposition leader father had permission ... he has Mirhossein Mousavi, never made a movie about recent on Tuesday said Panahi, his events,” he said, referring to the wife, daughter and 15 guests were June election and its turbulent held by security forces at his home the previous evening. A Jafar Panahi aftermath. — Reuters
T
and composer and video of the year for “Need You Now.” The run for Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Haywood started last July when “I Run To You” hit No 1. The band picked up two Country Music Association Awards in November, both the single “Need You Now” and the album of the same name have exceeded sales expectations and the band picked up a Grammy Award, too. “Great songs, great music, they’re fresh, they’re new,” McEntire said when asked on air about their platinum popularity. “Their music is totally different and we love it.” Underwood, Chesney, Swift, Paisley, the Zac Brown Band, George Strait, Keith Urban and Toby Keith are nominated for entertainer of the year, the top honor given out at the April 18 awards in Las Vegas. Underwood’s going for her second straight entertainer award, one of five categories voted on by fans. She would become the first woman to receive two entertainer awards if she wins again. She’s also up for what would be a fourth straight top female vocalist award-with Swift, Lambert, McEntire and Lee Ann Womack-and album of the
song “Misere,” from his album of the same name to send to Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti. After hearing Bocelli on tape, Pavarotti urged Zucchero to use Bocelli instead of him. In 1994, Bocelli made his opera debut in Verdi’s “Macbeth” in the role of Macduff. Bocelli’s 1996 recording of “Con te Partiro” and its later arrangement as a duet with Sara Brightman with the title “Time to Say Goodbye,” was a worldwide hit. In Germany, the duet became the bestselling single of all-time. Bocelli’s subsequent opera roles would include Rodolfo in Puccini’s “La Boheme” in Cagliari; “Carmen” at the Rome Opera; Puccini’s “Messa di Gloria” in Padova; and Turiddu in “Cavalleria Rusticana” at Berlin’s Deutsche Opera. Bocelli’s classical recordings include “Viaggio Italiano,” “Aria-The Opera Album,” “Sacred Arias”; “Il Trovatore” and Massenet’s “Werther.” His most recent album, “My Christmas,” was second on the Billboard Top 200 Chart for six weeks.www.nbcphiladelphia.com
Flash entertainment announces Il Divo in concert live in Abu Dhabi lash Entertainment, the Abu Dhabi-based live events organisers, announced a date for an Il Divo concert - due to take place at Emirates Palace, West Park on 2nd April and showcased as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival 2010. Combining all of the popular appeal of previous Flash Entertainment events such as Rihanna and Coldplay, along with the classical gravitas of Andrea Bocelli; the Il Divo concert promises to shatter preconceived ideas of music with a performance of romantic and popular songs in an operatic style. The talented quartet will showcase their most recent album; ‘The Promise’, with versions of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s ‘The Power of Love’ and ABBA’s ‘Winner Takes It All’ alongside much loved classics such as ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Adagio’. The album combines semiorchestral arrangements and close harmonies to create a confident and accomplished collection. “We’re determined to keep raising the bar for entertainment in Abu Dhabi, with a wide range of acts and events throughout the year. This concert will bring something completely new to the capital, bridging the gap between classical music and pop culture and introducing the younger generations to a whole new style of music”, commented John
F
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli poses after being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in Hollywood, California on March 2, 2010. —AFP
Jane?s Addiction member quits after Australia tour he bass player with Jane’s Addiction has quit the band, and will reportedly be replaced by former Guns N’ Roses rocker Duff McKagan. Eric Avery, 44, announced his departure through a Twitter message on Monday, hours after the band completed a seven-date Australian tour in Perth “That’s it,” he wrote. “With equal parts regret and relief, the Jane’s Addiction experiment is at an end.” Guitarist Dave Navarro confirmed Avery’s departure on Tuesday, saying on Twitter “We wish him all the best!” Singer Perry Farrell also took to Twitter on Tuesday, offering a morecryptic perspective: “Slipping out of that shell of a past. Gripping; wow
T
we’re onto something faster now. And so worth the wait. It’s the Art Of Great Escape.” McKagan, 46, will join Jane’s Addiction in the studio as it attempts to record the follow-up to its 2003 album “Strays,” according to various unconfirmed reports. Avery had previously indicated he was not writing songs for the album. Spokeswomen for McKagan and Avery did not immediately respond to emails seeking more information. McKagan’s post-Guns N’ Roses band, Velvet Revolver, has been on hiatus since a messy split with singer Scott Weiland in 2008. Jane’s Addiction emerged from the Los Angeles rock underground in the 1980s, distinguishing itself from other
post-punk groups with Farrell’s sexually ambiguous stagecraft and the musicians’ deft ear for melodic tunes. They recorded just three albums and scored radio play with such songs as “Been Caught Stealing” and “Jane Says.” But drug-fueled friction led to the band’s demise and the original lineup played its last gig in Hawaii in 1991. The band reunited in 1997 with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea coming aboard as the first of several substitutes for Avery. Avery eventually rejoined the band in 2008, when it played its first shows since a 2003 tour was cut short by a flare-up of internal tensions. The band toured with Nine Inch Nails last year. — Reuters
year for the highly regarded “Revolution.” “She’s blown away,” said Lambert’s boyfriend, Shelton, who also is nominated in the vocal event category for his “Hillbilly Bone” collaboration with Trace Adkins. “I think she’s on Cloud 9. It’s one thing to get a nomination here or there. It’s another thing whenever you dominate the nominations. She and Lady Antebellum I think did that.” The Zac Brown Band, last year’s top new vocal group and a recent Grammy winner for best new artist, was nominated for top vocal group, album for “The Foundation” and single record for “Toes.” Brown also is up as a producer for the album and single record nominations. Along with entertainer of the year, fans cast votes on the Internet for top new solo vocalist, top new vocal group and top new vocal duo. The winners in those categories then vie for top new artist, which also is voted on by fans. The nominees for top new solo vocalist are Luke Bryan, Jamey Johnson and Chris Young. Bomshel, Joey + Rory and Steel Magnolia are up for top new vocal duo and the Eli Young Band, Gloriana and The Lost Trailers vie for top new vocal group. — AP
Lickrish, Managing Director of Flash Entertainment. “Flash is committed to bringing the world’s leading performers to the capital, whether from the sporting arenas or the world of performing arts, to put Abu Dhabi on the map as a hub for entertainment and culture. Il Divo was formed in 2004 as a multinational operatic pop vocal group, with members from Switzerland, the USA, Spain and France. Il Divo has since become the most successful international break out story of the past few years, selling more than 25million albums. Conquering the hearts of fans and the charts of nations all around the world, the group has garnered over 150 gold and platinum awards in 33 countries. They have performed for over 2 million people on their recent tours and won last year’s Billboard Breakthrough Award for having one of the year’s top grossing tours; playing 130 arena shows across six continents. Echoing the cultural diversity of Abu Dhabi itself, Il Divo’s music appeals to every nationality, whilst simultaneously introducing lovers of popular music to the operatic style. Sebastien Izambard from Il Divo stated “We’re really excited to be finally making it to Abu Dhabi and playing this special show as part of the Abu Dhabi Festival.
SPECTRUM
38
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Fashion
he new spring / summer collection 2010 of Versace was launched on Tuesday evening at the Versace boutique in Salhiya Complex. In this collection Alice in Wonderland strays into a Baroque world and discovers a place where the imagination explodes into a mega-mix of prints that alternate, overlap with one another and mingle in a continuous whirl, as if in a dreamscape of optical illusions and micro patterns. The Versace woman for Spring/Summer 2010 is extremely sexy and iridescent. She wears micro skirts with embroidered seams and intertwining micro chains, while super tight trousers serve as a second skin and mini dresses come in rubber or lacquer finish mesh. Intriguing and brilliant colors - like fluorescents in mandarin or pink highlight the convey movement of stretch fabrics, ultra crisp cottons and jersey. There are mix and match prints in an apparently never ending choice of combinations, their vibrancy underpinned by solid details such as studs and micro chains. Look out for tops in printed jersey with deep reflective metallic cuffs and miniskirts in laser cut leather with micro chain inlays for an optical effect Totem pattern jackets are extra fitted, with metal inserts and concealed zips, and are worn with leggings in black or white. There are vibrant block colors for the evening: turquoise, and fluorescent hues of pink and peach. Chiffon gowns come with the bodice criss-crossed and embroidered with micro chains, and are also embellished with slits and ruches, or otherwise crafted with leather triangles and metal mesh joined together with corset lacing. Bags present a display of soft shapes in an almost infinite array of prints, colors and materials. Throughout the collection there is an interplay of threaded details, double braiding, laser cut details, plus flashes of light delivered by cone shaped studs, micro chains and patent leather inserts. And above all, there is a marked return of the Medusa as the identifying emblem of the Maison. This Wonderland approach with its free mingling of prints and materials is also apparent in the shoes with 18 cm heels. Boot-leggings come in python skin or woven leather, and there are printed pumps, sandals with double fastenings and slightly masculine-shaped ankle boots. All these make a strong graphic impact and many feature an un-aligned sole for an aerodynamic effect.
T
— Photos by Yasser Al- Zayyat
39
SPECTRUM
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Fashion
No charges for Naomi Campbell in NYC driver flap man hired to drive Naomi Campbell told police she assaulted him from the back seat of a luxury sport utility vehicle on Tuesday before hopping out and running away, but the supermodel likely won’t face criminal charges. Police consulted with the Manhattan district attorney’s office and issued a harassment report, which doesn’t carry any penalty, because no officer witnessed what took place between the driver and Campbell, whose feisty temper has led to previous legal troubles. They said no arrests were anticipated. The driver, who also drives Campbell’s boyfriend, decided not to pursue the matter criminally. It’s unclear if he would pursue it in civil court.
A
Earlier Tuesday, the man told police Campbell hit him from behind and his head struck the steering wheel of the black Cadillac Escalade, causing bruising under his right eye. He pulled over in midtown Manhattan and got out to speak to a traffic agent, who alerted police. Campbell was not at the scene when officers arrived, police said. Campbell did not speak to police, but her assistant went to the station house where the driver gave his account. A spokesman for Campbell, who has previously pleaded guilty to assaulting people hired to work for her, said she would cooperate with police. “There shouldn’t be a rush to judgment,” spokesman Jeff Raymond said. “Naomi will cooperate voluntarily,
and there is more to the story than meets the eye.” The 27-year-old driver, apparently hired just for the day, told police he picked Campbell up at a Manhattan hotel and was taking her to Astoria Studios, a TV and film studio complex in the borough of Queens, New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said. Campbell faced a series of lawsuits and criminal cases accusing her of attacking her household employees and two police officers at London’s Heathrow Airport. She pleaded guilty in the Heathrow case in June 2008 after prosecutors said she cursed, kicked and spat at police in a rage over a missing piece of luggage; she was sentenced to 200 hours of community service.
She also did a week of community service sweeping floors and scrubbing toilets in a Manhattan garbagetruck garage in 2007 after pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault for hurling a cell phone at her maid because of a vanished pair of jeans. In 2000, Campbell pleaded guilty in Toronto to an assault charge for beating an assistant who said the model whacked her on the head with a phone. A few of Campbell’s former aides and maids have sued her, accusing her of violent outbursts; some cases have been settled on undisclosed terms. Campbell, of Britain, became one of the world’s highest-paid models after being discovered at age 15. — AP
This November 22, 2007 file photo shows British model Naomi Campbell arriving at the French Embassy in Madrid for the twentieth anniversary of Marie Claire magazine and its fashion awards. — AFP
Blunt and Jones: Get the red-carpet look at home ollywood folk have two secret weapons when it comes to looking picture perfect for a big red-carpet event like the Oscars: hair and makeup. Sure, the dress is a big deal, but the total look is incomplete without the right hairstyle, lipstick color and oh-so-long lashes. And the wrong makeup drags down a dress. Gwyneth Paltrow was the Oscar belle of the ball back in 1999 in her pink Ralph Lauren dress that, quite frankly, did not fit her very well; you hardly noticed with her princess-style bun and fresh-faced makeup. She did not fare as well a few years later in a Goth dress by Alexander McQueen, yet it is those raccoon eyes that really linger in our collective memories. Increasingly, stars know how important the total look is, and they will book their beauty team for an event weeks in advance. The challenge for the beauty team, though, is that the dress is often a last-minute choice so they show up with the tools to do retro-glam, smoky-sexy or cutting edge-cool styles with a few strokes of their brushes. The Associated Press asked two experts, hairstylist Oscar Blandi, who has his own salon on New York’s Madison Avenue, and Ricky Wilson, celebrity makeup artist for Dior, to craft beauty routines that would capture the striking Golden Globe looks of Emily Blunt and January Jones. Both these looks, while very Hollywood, can be appropriate for a cocktail party, maybe even a dinner date, says Wilson.
H
Models present creations by French designer Quentin Veron during the autumnwinter 2010 pret-a-porter collection show. — AFP
EMILY BLUNT Blunt’s feminine look, complemented by a softpink, delicate gown by Dolce & Gabbana, started with flawless skin, says Wilson. “You want to look really beautiful, natural-like I woke up and look this great. Of course, it can take a lot of work.” Wilson, who counts Beyonce and Sharon Stone as clients, starts with a radiance serum to brighten and smooth the skin and then a breathable foundation to even out the tone. He uses a brush to apply everything because, although fingers are a little more agile, a brush has a light touch and can get into fine lines. Nothing can look heavy here, and it is important to have a very even hand. For the eyes, Wilson uses a light, buttery but not opaque shade of white to be used from crease to brow bone, followed by a lavender-gray shade on the lid only. It will open up the eye, he explains, which will be further enhanced by dabbing a little light shimmer right at the inside corner of the eye. Then comes the black eyeliner, not applied in one straight line but using many short strokes along both the upper and lower lashline, and then several coats of black mascara, letting the layers dry before applying the next one. Dewy lips come with an application of lip balm with the fingers, creating a smooth surface before the lipstick goes on. “It’s like a slip,” Wilson says. His favorite lip product is Dior’s Lip Glow — “modern-day mood lipstick,” according to Wilson. It is a pretty pink shade in the tube but actually responds to each person, creating a unique shade that should flatter the wearer’s coloring. Blandi also says Blunt’s oh-so-natural look for her hair has many more steps than you’d think, yet isn’t hard to do. Hair preparation is the key, he says, by blow drying the hair without ever pulling it tight (and using a diffuser instead of straight-on heat) and taming flyaways with jasmine oil. “This is a sexy approach. It’s ‘bedroom hair,”‘ describes Blandi, who works with Jennifer Garner, Katie Holmes and Julianne Moore, among other celebrities. He thinks it was the right look for Blunt
because the dress did not have a lot of accouterments. “If your dress is simple, amplify the hair and makeup, and vice versa.” Blandi then uses the curling iron, alternating the position of the cord with each section of hair: If one curl, held for 10-15 seconds, is done with the cord facing upward vertically, the next one has the cord facing downward. He saves the crown for last, working only with the cord facing down and loosening up on the curl. His tip to at-home stylists: take smaller chunks of hair in the curling iron. Use your fingers to tousle the hair; a brush would undo the work you just did. A cool, quick blow-dry on medium speed, again with the diffuser, will set the style. “The best part of this look is it looks better later on,” Blandi says. JANUARY JONES Jones’ dramatic, asymmetric black Lanvin dress, which made sure she wouldn’t be confused with Betty Draper, required equally striking makeup and hair. Pulling together the bottom half of the hair into a pony tail, saving a strip of hair that will later be used to hide a rubber band, Blandi teases with a brush already spritzed with hairspray to reach the crown of the hair. He secures the top with bobby pins in the middle of the back of the head. Then he teases the pony tail so the hair has a lot of body before he swirls it into a loose bun. The position of the bun at the nape of the neck is important with the most flattering spot matching the jawline, Blandi says. He takes the last hanging strip of hair and camouflages the rubber band and tucks the end into the chignon. He uses bobby pins to keep the bun in place. Jones wore a stretchy black headband to add to the drama; a similar one is easty to find at a mass-market store. Blandi positioned the bottom back of the band below the bun and stretched the rest to land just behind the ears and about a half-inch above the hairline in the front. The slightly pouffy top gives height behind the headband. A lot of hairspray is the final step for the hair. Wilson takes over the modern pinup look with just a little powder on the T-zone and matte bronzer to sculpt the cheeks, but not much else on the skin so it will not distract from the very black eyelashes and red lips he plans. With his finger, he applies a light beige powder eye shadow under the brow, pressing it in so it does not “drip,” and then a lighter champagne-colored shadow on the lid. A brown shadow goes on the crease from the outside edge of the eye to about two-thirds in. He uses an eyelash curler before he applies no fewer than three coats of mascara. (If you get mascara on the lid, wait until it dries before you gently scratch it off with a cotton swab to avoid smudging, he advises.) To create a clean backdrop for the red lips, Wilson uses a little more light powder on the bow between the mouth and nose, and then he uses a cherry red lip pencil to create the boundaries for the lipstick. “There’s a red out there for every woman,” Wilson insists. However, he adds, it will take trial and error to find out if a blue-toned red or an orange-toned red is best for you. After Wilson has found and applied the right red, Wilson cleans up the edges with a bit of concealer on a makeup sponge. Because of the bold color, a neat, perfect application can make the difference, he says. OK, so the lip is really bold and you are worried about it. It probably looks great, Wilson says, but a touch of shimmery gloss just at the center of the top and bottom lip should alleviate any apprehension. He adds: “The celebrity look can push women out of their regular box, which is where they should be for special events.”—AP
Helmets becoming the norm in snowsports elmets, among the fastest growth articles in snow sports, have moved over the hump and are no longer considered too niche or unfashionable for the masses. Safety is the driving reason to wear them, of course, but improved styling and comfort may be what make them an unquestioned asset. “In the last couple of years, you see a big movement toward helmets — it just makes sense,” says Ted Ligety, the US Olympic skier who sported a bright orange helmet at the Vancouver Olympics. “I started wearing a helmet when I was 4 years old. I feel supernaked if I’m not wearing a helmet. My parents did a good job ingraining it in my head.” Wearing helmets for recreational skiing and snowboarding often starts with the kids. Then parents, who find it easier to practice what they preach than incite a meltdown, find they are comfortable, warm and sometimes wired for cell phones and iPods. Snowmass and Aspen Mountain,
H
both in Colorado, instituted a policy in 2001 that all children 12 and under in its ski-school programs must wear helmets. Once kids become used to them, they are likely to keep wearing them as adults, says Jeff Hanle, director of public relations for the mountains. The helmets are as much a part of their gear as boots or a parka. Skicrosser Casey Puckett feels like not wearing one actually draws unwanted attention. “I never used to wear one when I was younger. Ski helmets just weren’t really a consideration. But probably in the last five to 10 years, helmets have made a real push onto the scene to the point where it’s almost like you look strange if you just go out with a hat or something,” Puckett says. Of course, high-profile accidents, such as actress Natasha Richardson’s death last year of a head injury sustained while skiing without a helmet, also raise awareness of helmet use. Hanle says he doesn’t expect hel-
This photo taken Jan 29, 2010 shows POC helmets lining a wall at their booth at the SIA Snow Show in Denver.—AP
met use to reach 100 percent unless they are made mandatory, but the numbers should continue to rise. According to the trade group SnowSports Industries America 656,523 helmets, valued at $11 million, were sold through December, representing unit sales up 29 percent over the previous season. Ligety has tapped into the business with his own line of helmets with the brand name Shred, which he started first with the plan of making goggles. The protective eyewear was so intertwined with the protective headgear, he decided to do both. “Being a ski racer, I knew what feels good and what works. I knew I had to have the highest quality and safety. We’ve tried to make them light and adjustable so it feels like you get a custom fit.” Some Olympic skiers, including US medalist Julia Mancuso and the entire Swedish team, are wearing helmets by the Swedish company POC. “There’s a trend in society toward
anything to do with safety and health, and that drives helmets as well,” says company founder and CEO Stefan Ytterborn. He also thinks there is a link between increased helmet use and the carving skis that started to boom about 10 years ago. “Everyone suddenly became much, much better skiers, and people started to ski faster,” Ytterborn says. It also has changed the lines of skiing, with more carved turns, and there also are more daredevils out there in this X-Games generation. “Kids want to jump 25 meters (82 feet). When they crash, they hurt themselves and helmets have become a necessity for these skiers,” Ytterborn said. “I feel uncomfortable not wearing a helmet. It makes me feel safe and it just makes me feel like I’m having a better time when I do wear a helmet,” says Jeret “Speedy” Peterson, an Olympic freestyle aerialist. “Plus, they are warm. It’s the way to go.”
Alpine skier Stacey Cook said she learned to wear a helmet the hard way: she sustained several concussions. “I think it’s a very valuable thing not only for me but for other people out on the ski hill to protect that noggin,” she says. POC’s president of US operations, Jarka Duba, predicts improving technology and electronics will lead to more safety features in the near future, including the ability to track a skier or boarder who has crashed in a remote area. There also has been development of multi-impact helmets, which will serve like the crumple zone of a car’s bumper, Darba says. Even the best, more advanced helmet will not help, though, if people do not wear it, says snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, who developed her signature camel-colored helmet with Oakley. Helmets should become the norm, and they are headed that way, she says. “If everyone is wearing them, then they’re not uncool.”—AP
www.kuwaittimes.net
Sculptures ‘Cinderella’ and ‘Burka’ (left) by Joana Vasconcelos on March 1, 2010 during the press premiere of her exhibition ‘Netless’, at the Berardo contemporary art museum in Lisbon. The retrospective brings together nearly 40 works by the Portuguese born artist and runs until May 18, 2010.—AFP
Palestinian village known for protests sees cultural rebirth
O
n Fridays they chant slogans and hurl stones at Israeli soldiers, but on Saturdays the youth of this small Palestinian village head into a newly-restored citadel for music practice. A cultural renaissance of sorts is unfolding in Nilin, led by the same local leaders who have put the farming village on the map in the last two years by spearheading weekly protests against Israel’s controversial West Bank barrier. “Culture in all of its forms is a kind of resistance,” says protest organizer Salah al-Khawaja. “Popular resistance does not only mean daily confrontations with demonstrations and sit-ins. It could mean giving children skills to
match their aspirations.” It all started with the decision to renovate a 200-year-old Ottoman-era stronghold in the centre of the village that had been abandoned by a prominent Palestinian family during the 1967 Six Day War in which Israel seized the West Bank. “We thought about renovating the citadel and making it a place where the young people could do activities, and to teach them things they could use in the future,” says Azmi al-Khawaja, 74, who headed the project. “The houses were old and falling apart. They were filled with dust and grass was growing on them,” added Azmi, who is related to Salah. The 300,000-dollar project
was mostly funded by Sweden’s international development agency, which since 2002 has spent more than 15 million euros (20 million dollars) on renovating some 100 sites across the West Bank. Now one of the rooms in the community centre is used for band practice, with musical instruments donated by Palestinians living in the United States. Another room is used for computer classes, and a third is for local teachers to meet and discuss ways of improving education. Last spring the village held a festival to celebrate prickly pears, the main cash crop in the region, and more recently the citadel has been used in anti-
Palestinian children attend a music lesson at the court of a restored citadel in the West Bank village of Nilin, near Ramallah, on February 22, 2010.—AFP
drug campaigns aimed at local youth. Salah al-Khawaja argues that all the activities are part of the village’s “popular resistance” to the Israeli occupation which, aside from the weekly stonethrowing, is entirely non-violent. “Reading books at an Israeli checkpoint is a type of resistance,” he says. “We feel that many of these young men and women are starting to believe in this.” With peace talks at a standstill and the most recent intifada, or violent uprising, having petered out nearly five years ago, the weekly protests are one of the last remaining expressions of the Palestinian struggle in the
West Bank. The demonstrations are aimed at halting the construction of the separation barrier, which is mostly built inside the occupied territory and cuts off farmers from their land in border communities like Nilin. Israel credits the barrier with preventing attacks, while the Palestinians view it as a land grab that carves out major Jewish settlements and threatens the creation of a viable future Palestinian state. The protests in Nilin usually turn violent, with teenagers throwing rocks and Israeli troops firing tear gas and rubber bullets. Five Nilin residents have been killed and scores wounded since
the gatherings began in 2008. On a recent Saturday Loay, 15, who the day before had wrapped a chequered kuffiyeh around his face and used a slingshot to hurl rocks over the wall at Israeli army jeeps, sat hunched over a piano, pecking out chords. “I want to learn everything, and to be a famous piano player,” he says, asking that his real name not be used for fear of arrest. “Yesterday I took part in the demonstration against the Israeli army, which wants to steal our land. Today I am studying music so that, in the future, I can express my rejection of this occupation with songs.”—AFP
Palestinian children take a music lesson at the restored citadel.—AFP
Sudan’s land of ‘black pharaohs’ a trove for archaeologists
T
here is not a tourist in sight as the sun sets over sand-swept pyramids at Meroe, but archaeologists say the Nubian Desert of northern Sudan holds mysteries to rival ancient Egypt. “There is a magic beauty about these sites that is heightened by the privilege of being able to admire them alone, with the pyramids, the dunes and the sun,” says Guillemette Andreu, head of antiquities at Paris’ Louvre museum. “It really sets them apart from the Egyptian pyramids, whose beauty is slightly overshadowed by the tourist crowds.” Meroe lies around 200 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of Sudan’s capital Khartoum and
was the last capital of Kush, also called Nubia, an ancient kingdom centered on the confluence of the Blue Nile, the White Nile and the River Atbara. Kush was one of the earliest civilizations in the Nile valley and, at first, was dominated by Egypt. The Nubians eventually gained their independence and, at the height of their power, they turned the table on Egypt and conquered it in the 8th century BC. They occupied the entire Nile valley for a century before being forced back into what is now Sudan. At the end of March, the Louvre will host its first exhibition on the Meroe dynasty, the last in a line of “black pharaohs” that ruled Kush for more than
1,000 years until the kingdom’s demise in 350 AD. Meroe had three cemeteries containing more than 100 pyramids that are smaller than their Egyptian counterparts. The largest are 30 meters (98 feet) high and the angles are steep, some close to 70 degrees. Although the pyramids have been thoroughly excavated, yielding a treasure trove of knowledge about Kushite culture, many aspects of Kushite civilization remain shrouded in mystery for archaeologists. “We have a chronology, but it’s not very precise,” says Salah Mohammed Ahmed, deputy director of Sudan antiquities. Archaeologists have also discovered numerous stelae, or inscribed stone pillars.
A Sudanese man sits on a camel as he looks at the pyramids in the Meroe desert, north of Khartoum.
However, they cannot read the inscriptions. While the hieroglyphics have been deciphered, the language of the ancient Nubians remains a mystery. “We know about 50 words in Meroitic, but we need about a thousand of them to understand a language. So we have an enormous amount of work to do,” says Claude Rilly, head of the French section of Sudanese antiquities in Khartoum and a leading expert in the ancient language.
Julie Anderson, an archaeologist at the British Museum and co-director with Ahmed of the Dangeil excavations in northern Sudan, says that “if we manage to decipher this language, a new world is opened to us, as if the ancient Kushites were speaking to us.” Their team recently discovered a massive, one-tone statue of King Taharqa, the most famous of the “black pharaohs,” who ruled in the 7th century BC. Although very much in
A picture shows the pyramids in the Meroe desert, north of Khartoum.—AFP photos
Egypt’s shadow, Sudan remains a gold mine for archaeologists because it has been far less explored. “Egypt is fabulous, it is fantastic, but Sudan is a paradise for archaeologists because every time you excavate there, you write a new page in the country’s history,” says Ahmed, adding that 30 archaeological teams are working in Sudan compared with more than 1,000 in its northern neighbor. Sudan is full of untouched sites, explains Rilly. “There is an unimaginable number of them to excavate. In some cases, we know that there’s something there but we simply don’t have enough teams to do the work.” “And then there are sites that are completely ignored, about which we know nothing,” she adds. A few years ago, a team from the Louvre began working at Al-Muweis, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) north of Khartoum, which had been untouched for many years. “It’s absolutely amazing what has emerged. There are several temples, a huge palace and houses, in a place where I would never have thought of finding anything,” Rilly says. Swiss archaeologist Mattieu Honeggar recently discovered a site at Wadi Al-Arab, in a corner of the desert area of north Sudan that was inhabited nearly 10,000 years ago, many millennia before the “black pharaohs,” and could allow a better understanding of man’s transition to a sedentary lifestyle.—AFP
Mohawks kick non-aboriginals off lands in Quebec
A
lvin Delisle is Mohawk. Pauline Labelle is not. They have spent a decade together, but are being forced to separate as their leaders have ordered all non-aboriginals off their lands in eastern Canada. “Absolutely it’s racist,” said Labelle. “They’re evicting me because I’m white.” Twenty-five eviction notices were recently sent to non-aboriginal residents of the Kahnawake reservation near Montreal. The directives were backed by calls for protecting the Mohawk cultural identity and lineage, amid a swell of intermarriages with non-natives, and complaints the territory is overcrowded, with more than 8,000 people living on 48 square kilometers (18.5 square miles) of land. Many also lament that non-natives living on the reservation are sharing in benefits meant strictly for indigenous peoples, such as a tax exemption for goods and services. Delisle and Labelle, both in their 60s, are fighting the eviction, but do not hold out much hope. The Mohawk people have admittedly been kicked around in the past, said Delisle. “Now, we’re the ones doing the mistreating of people who are here. It makes no sense,” he said. Native rights advocates say the expulsions, which are not new in Canada, are justified under Canadian laws and treaties that set up native reservations. Mohawk chief Martin Leborgne said the people who were asked to leave “are not aboriginal” and “do not have a right to reside here.” “It’s not pretty, but it’s your government, your white government that set up reservations for aboriginals to live, and only us,” he said. Constitutional law professor Jean Leclair said the residency rules adopted by the Kahnawake band council are “radical”, even “stupid” as they require residents to be at least 50 percent Mohawk. Asking outsiders to integrate into Mohawk culture would have been more reasonable, he said. But he also says he understands the band’s motivations. “It’s a racial policy, sure. But natives cannot help but be preoccupied with racial issues, or they risk disappearing. One in two aboriginals marries a non-aboriginal,” he noted. “The Mohawks are not the most threatened. There are 6,000 of them, while there are other nations with just 50 to 60 members, out of the 630 bands across Canada.” At the local post office, the chiefs have organized a survey expected to show broad support for the measure. Resident Clint Meloche approves of it. “They do not have a right to live on our territory in order to benefit from our taxation system,” he said. But Ellen Gabriel, president of the Quebec Aboriginal Women’s Association does not agree with the council. “There’s a danger of rupturing families and violating human rights.” An editorial in the daily La Presse commented: “Breaking up families in the name of blood purity? There’s a name for that and it’s racism.” Ottawa has declined to intervene in what Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl described as a “troubling situation which has divided the community,” saying it is an “internal” matter to be decided by Mohawks. “The band council of the Mohawks of Kahnawake made this decision based on their internal policies,” Strahl’s spokeswoman Genevieve Guibert told AFP. “It is not appropriate for the minister to decide on the validity of such policies and rules.” In theory, non-Mohawks living on the Kahnawake reservation could assert their rights against discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act. But this will only be possible beginning in mid-2011 when First Nations’ decisions respecting employment, housing and essential services will be subject to review under the act. That will be too late for Pauline Labelle who must leave Kahnawake in the coming days.—AFP
Performers representing the diverse aboriginal peoples of Canada take part in the Winter Olympics opening ceremonies in Vancouver in February 2010..—AFP