RI PT IO N BS C SU THE LEADING INDEPENDENT DAILY IN THE ARABIAN GULF
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TUESDAY, MARCH 16, 2010
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Rosy vision By Badrya Darwish
esterday, I was overwhelmed and excited coming out of the Amiri Diwan where a conference was held by the Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah and the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and State Minister for Administrative Development and Housing Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahd. At the event, the two ministers introduced Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair in his capacity as a consultant on a large-scale project for Kuwait. Blair is a consultant to the implementation of the project envisioned by our Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah on how to build Kuwait to become a financial hub in the world stretching from the Middle East to the southeast and beyond Turkey across to Europe. The project aims to diversify the economy of Kuwait away from oil. What a beautiful and rosy dream! I am sure that every Kuwaiti dreams of such an advanced country. But there are millions of buts before we can implement it. Mr Blair was candid in his opinion. He presented a thorough study. Something like 1,901 suggestions. I think that most of the people in Kuwait know what is wrong with the system in the country. There is an Arabic proverb that goes like this: “The people of Makkah know its backyard lanes.” Mr Blair, with all due respect, to implement one of your suggestions we need a miracle in Kuwait. Our problem in Kuwait in simple mathematics, and without me being paid by any consultancy because I am doing it free of charge due to patriotism, is the constant rivalry between the parliament and the government. Mr Blair, we have a parliament which still believes in segregation, tribalism and writing off debts. Mind you! These debts were not incurred during the invasion or a natural disaster. They are simply consumer loans. So where do you start correcting this situation? The education, the curriculum? You must be dreaming. At the conference you kept mentioning that we face the same problems that you have faced in the United Kingdom during your term of office and the difficulties you faced when you tried to introduce changes to the education system. Your kinds of difficulties were far different from ours. Ours are tribalism, sectarianism, extremism, etc. It will take as long as till 2035 to change the mentality of the MPs here. As you mentioned, sometimes laws have to be enforced by a strong government. I salute you for that remark. Yes, Mr Blair, if we get a very strong government which enforces laws without compromising with any sectarian or tribal system, we will build the rosy Kuwait which our Amir dreams of. And we will be able to build it much earlier than 2035. I can go beyond 2,035 words in this column and stretch all the way to China and Singapore but my editor gave me a warning signal that I am exceeding my space. Maybe I will revisit this topic later on. Have a good day!
Beckham undergoes surgery, set to miss World Cup PAGE 18
Blair proposes solutions to key Kuwait issues KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti government has received a report titled “Kuwait Vision 2035” prepared by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Minister of the Amiri Diwan Sheikh Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah said yesterday. Sheikh Nasser said the report “analyzes the major issues facing the country and presents detailed proposals” to address them. “If these (proposals) are implemented, they will change the direction of the country and help it achieve its vision,” he said in a meeting with chief editors of local newspapers and the Board Chairman and Director General of
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Sheikh Mubarak Duaij Al-Sabah. Blair and Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs, Minister of State for Development and Minister of State for Housing Sheikh Ahmad Fahd Al-Sabah were also present. Blair called on the importance of adopting decisive policies by the Kuwaiti government to address current and future problems to achieve the Kuwaiti vision by 2035. Kuwait has an ambitious development plan, which was a positive indicator because it included the necessary legislations, he said. The Kuwait Vision 2035 is based on addressing
the structural problems, like the importance of improving the investment environment and the development of infrastructure, said the former British premier. Meanwhile, Sheikh Ahmad said the Blair report aimed at identifying and correcting problems in all sectors. The vision, he said, was a result of popular demands not only by the government. The Kuwait Vision 2035, said Sheikh Ahmad, has two pillars: making Kuwait an important trade port in the region and turning the country into a financial hub. — KUNA (See Page 2)
KUWAIT: (From left) Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs Sheikh Ahmad AlFahd Al-Sabah, Britain’s former PM Tony Blair and Minister of Amiri Diwan Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah are seen. — KUNA
Al-Khorafi against any attack on Iran Speaker rejects Kuwait as launchpad for strikes DOHA: National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi sounded the alarm yesterday about a potential military offensive against Iran. In an interview by Qatar’s Al Sharq newspaper, the speaker admonished that the use of force to resolve the Iranian nuclear crisis would bring catastrophic consequences to the entire region. Khorafi reiterated his country’s principled position rejecting the looming launch of a military strike at Tehran from Kuwaiti territories, hoping that all parties involved could find a settlement to the problem through dialogue, rather than stricter sanctions that would surely affect the Iranian people. In this context, he stressed that the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is a right that is enshrined in international law, saying that if Western countries and the US are concerned over the Iranian nuclear file, the region’s peoples are equally worried about Israeli nuclear activity. “Kuwait’s opposition to any military act against any of its neighboring country through its territories is a principled stance that runs compatible with the Kuwaiti constitution,” he said. On the relationship between Kuwaiti parliament and government, Khorafi said Continued on Page 14
KUWAIT: Firemen wait for water supplies as a fire rages in a tyre warehouse in Shuwaikh industrial area yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat
Inferno guts Shuwaikh warehouse By Ahmad Saeid and Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Kuwaiti army fire brigades were called in along with 70 firemen from seven other fire brigades to put out a blazing inferno that broke out in a large car tyre warehouse in Shuwaikh industrial area yesterday. Fire fighters spent over seven hours combating to contain flames from spreading to adja-
cent facilities in the crowded area. Four firemen were slightly injured during the operation, and were transferred to Al-Sabah hospital to receive medical treatment. No other injuries were reported. The fire started in the 1000 sq m facility containing 12 car repair shops and a tyre warehouse on Canada Dry street. The fire is believed to have started in the warehouse before
spreading to the other shops. The smoke from the fire was visible from long distances, and the closure of nearby roads caused traffic jams for hours while firemen fought the blaze. The Fire Depar tment launched an investigation to look into the cause of the fire, and urged owners of warehouses to follow safety procedures to reduce fire hazards.
Sun sets on India’s beloved scooter TEHRAN: An Iranian man looks at a government-issued pamphlet on marriage and matchmaking on Sunday. — AFP
Iran offers diplomas to slash divorce rate TEHRAN: Iranian youths can attend courtship classes and earn a diploma before tying the knot as part of a newly launched government scheme to cut the divorce rate. The National Youth Organisation has unveiled an
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conspiracy theories
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Thai PM rejects protesters’ call for new elections
Iraq’s Arab neighbors wary of Shiite sway
Rice insists Iran greatest near-term challenge
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online course to educate the Islamic republic’s overwhelmingly young population on how to find Mr or Mrs Right, pop the question, and live happily ever after. Continued on Page 14
NEW DELHI: It was a purchase to be remembered. There was the years-long waiting list to buy it and the jealous stares once you finally got it home. There was the pride of that first ride when, weaving through the streets, you knew that you’d finally finally! - made it to the middle class. Outwardly it was just a scooter, a spluttering two-stroke Indian-made Bajaj with three gears. All too often, it came painted a sickly avocado-green. But in a time of empty shops and a hobbled economy, it was success. Continued on Page 14
Assembly gears for 6th grilling By B Izzak KUWAIT: The National Assembly will debate today the grilling of Information and Oil Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah over allegations that he failed to apply media-related laws, thus putting national unity at risk. It will be the sixth grilling debate since the new Assembly was elected in May last year. So far, the prime minister and ministers of defense and public works have been grilled while the interior minister has been grilled twice. Sheikh Ahmad, who holds the portfolios of oil and information, has categorically denied the allegations, stressing that he will easily refute the charges during the debate. The grilling was triggered when private TV channel Al-Soor, owned by Mohammad AlJuwaihel, broadcast material that deemed offensive to Kuwaiti tribes. Opposition MPs have claimed that the minister failed to apply the law on the station and other stations that they called “corrupt media”, which they said had placed Kuwait’s national unity at risk. According to the Kuwait constitution and the National Assembly’s internal charter, the grilling debate begins with the griller or grillers explaining their view points and their justifications for filing the grilling. The griller in this case, MP Ali Al-Deqbasi, is allowed to explain the reasons for his grilling for a maximum of 90 minutes. Then the minister is allowed an equal duration to respond to the accusations and refute them. He can seek the help of his ministry staff. After that, the griller is given a new 30 minutes to respond to the minister who is also given an equal time to make his final response. After that, at least six MPs — three supporters of the grilling and three opponents — will speak alternately for 15 minutes each. Then, the minister will be given enough time to make his final comments on the issue. The grilling debate can end at this point without any further action, but it can also end with 10 MPs filing a no-confidence motion against the minister. Two requests are allowed to be submitted provided each is signed by 10 different lawmakers. Voting on the no-confidence motion can take place only after at least seven days and can lead to ousting the minister from office. To pass, the no-confidence motion requires a simple majority of the elected MPs only as cabinet ministers are barred from voting on such issues. In the present assembly, the required number is 25 votes. Sheikh Ahmad faced a similar situation in 2007 when he was grilled as health minister. As a result, the Cabinet resigned and Sheikh Ahmad was not included in the new cabinet. Since Kuwait embraced parliamentary democracy in 1962, no minister had been voted out of office in a grilling because they either defeated the no-confidence motion or resigned before the vote or even the whole cabinet resigned and the minister either dropped or moved to a new portfolio. Supporters of the grilling claim to have enough backing to oust the minister in a no-confidence motion, but the government and the minister’s camp insist that the griller does not have the backing of the required 25 votes.
US demands Israel scrap building plan Israel vows more settlements
NEW DELHI: Pronob Biswas rides with his family on his Bajaj scooter in this March 3, 2010 photo. — AP
JERUSALEM: The Obama administration is demanding that Israel call off a contentious building project in east Jerusalem and make a public gesture toward the Palestinians to help defuse one of the worst US-Israeli feuds in memory, officials on both sides said yesterday. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed little sign of yielding, saying Jewish construction in east Jerusalem “in no way” hurts
Palestinians. “Construction will continue in Jerusalem as this has been the case over the past 42 years,” Netanyahu told members of his Likud party. A Jerusalem city spokesman suggested Jewish building there would continue. Announcement of the plan to build 1,600 apartments for Jews in the Ramot Shlomo neighborhood came during Vice President Joe Biden’s visit last week, embarrassing Continued on Page 14
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Air conditioning systems not working
Students suffer from rising temperature By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: Parents and students expressed their irritation at the current situation in several schools across Kuwait where the air conditioning system has been in a state of malfunction due to the ministry’s negligence
KUWAIT: Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Dr Mirko Cvetkovic and the accompanying delegation arrived here yesterday starting a few days official visit to Kuwait in response to an invitation by HH the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. HH the Prime Minister led an official reception at the Bayan Palace organized for the guest. The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr. Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, Head of the honorary mission accompanying the guest, Advisor at the Diwan of HH the Prime Minister, Dr. Rasha Al-Hmoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Sheikhs, Ministers, Governors, top Army, Police and National Guards commanders as well as dean of the diplomatic corp, the Ambassador of Senegal and the two countries’ ambassadors were present.
local spotlight
Child abuse widespread in Kuwait By Muna Al-Fuzai f a child in Kuwait was attacked by one or both of his or her parents, could he or she call the police? Would the young victim be entitled to request police protection and help, and how much of either would they be given? What is the usual police method employed in handling such family conflicts? Is sending the juvenile victim back home with his/her abuser home a mistake? If the answer to this last question is yes, then what should we do to stop such terrible things from happening?! Despite the fact that child abuse in Kuwaiti society is a very serious issue urgently requiring attention and action, the matter was neglected for many long years. The spotlight is now firmly back on the issue after a number of activists and MPs introduced a bill to protect children’s rights and safeguard them from abuse. It is quite surprising that despite Kuwait’s wealth and its many highly educated citizens, the issue of children’s rights has been and still seems to be vacillating between expressing the wish to act and doing so! I believe that this is shameful. There is nothing we Kuwaitis can say to justify our laziness and slowness in acting to secure children’s rights. Children must be given the right to register a complaint against any adult abuse, whether by
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a close family member such as a parent, uncle, aunt or grandparent, or anyone else around them who believes that a child’s youth and small stature means that they can be exploited or abused. While abusers may not believe or realize that they are doing something wrong due to their own psychological illness, we - society - must be responsible for stopping such crimes from occurring or continuing, as we read, hear and see through all communication channels. Yet, we apparently think that as long as it’s not our own kids who are being abused or harmed it’s somehow okay, even acceptable to some degree, to know about such abuse taking place and do nothing to stop it. But we must establish children’s rights to protect all kids from such harm, whether they’re our own or anyone else’s - that simply doesn’t matter, what matters is child safety! If a child is physically abused by one or both parents, after all, he or she might die or go on to perpetuate that cycle on violence against others, possibly another kid, maybe your child who you assume is safe from the ripple effects of such violence although he or she really isn’t. I realize that there is disrespect for human rights in the Arab world, but we are not talking about the Arab world here, but solely about Kuwait, an oil-rich country whose constitution stresses and affirms the need to help children and young people; when the police discover that a child is being abused, however, they simply send him or her home with the abuser since we have no dedicated shelter for abused kids! Why not? I believe that we need to create such a shelter urgently, just as we already have created children’s homes and orphanages.
This doesn’t mean that we should mix all these categories of kids together, of course, since abused kids need specialist care from many experts due to the possibility of them having deeper problems than may be outwardly apparent. It is so tragic to admit that if your next door neighbor’s young daughter were being sexually abused by her own father and came to you for help, you could do virtually nothing to protect her; if you took her to the police they would do nothing for her as the victim, while seeing you as having no legal right to take any action and sending her back home to her abuser! This is, frankly, criminal; we all have dirty hands in the matter and if we don’t demand legislation to protect children from abuse, we should be ashamed of everything we think we stand for! There is one non-governmental organization (NGO) here called the Kuwait Child’s Rights Society, but even this organization doesn’t have an official refuge for abused kids. I find it hard to even admit the reason why, but it is because only a few Kuwaitis actually care about the issue of child abuse and nobody actually listens to the society or supports its good cause! We need to introduce legislation that complies with international laws and fulfills the articles in the constitution dealing with youth and childhood. We need private refuges for abused kids. We need to learn from the police themselves how they handle such cases. And of course, we need less career politicians and more sincere believers like those few MPs who believe that this is an issue we can win on. Email: muna@kuwaittimes.net
“They spend most of their day at school, which is not airconditioned. This is not an environment where I want my kids to be; it is ridiculous that this is happening in a rich country like ours,” exclaimed the father. He added that he was shocked to see a number of ambulances at one of the schools, and after asking around, found that some kids
have had severe asthma attacks due to this. “Our winter lasts only two months a year. Why can’t the Ministry of Education learn to schedule its maintenance more efficiently?” he asked. Laila Al-Kandari, a 42-yearold parent said that she has decided not to send her 9-yearold daughter to her school in Mangaf until the issue has been
in maintaining the machines. Schools in South Surra, Fintas, Mangaf and Qurain were among many others in which the students still suffer from the heat. The Ministry of Education’s negligence, said a 34-year-old parent of Abdulhameed Dashti, has been damaging students’ health. resolved. “I care about my child’s education. But I also care about her health; leaving her in school has become a heavy burden. It is all I think about all day until I take her back home after the school day is over,” she said. Umm Sulaiman, a parent in her late forties, said that many of the teachers and principals are trying their best to make the
condition better for students. Lauding their efforts, she said that many teachers have been distributing cold water bottles and juice cans to students. “They can’t do anything on their own. The ministry officials must interfere and put an end to this. I wish that they would attend a full school day to experience the terrible situation firsthand,” she concluded.
Official calls for greater food safety efforts KUWAIT: A high-ranking Ministry of Health (MoH) official called yesterday for a redoubling of the efforts to improve Kuwait’s health services by devising modern ways of ensuring food safety. Speaking at the opening of Kuwait’s first Food Conference, Assistant MoH Undersecretary for Medical Support Services Dr Qais Al-Duwairi said that the event is an exemplary illustration of both the government’s policy and the ministry’s strategy to upgrade the country’s health services. He affirmed keenness of the ministry on enhancing skills of the national cadres to meet the needs in this sector. Dr. Nawal Al-Hamad, the director of the department of nutrition at the ministry, said in a statement food safety is an inseparable aspect of the overall national development strategy. Conferees will discuss issues related to the basic theme, food safety, successful experiences in some advanced nations in this domain, influence of the media on the consumer culture, health safety at hospitals, hotels and restaurants. International health agencies affirm that many diseases spread through food. The conference, held under sponsorship of Health Minister Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer, is partly aimed at discussing laws and rules for regulating the sector of food safety. The participants will also discuss international developments in the field of food safety and applying Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system in the areas of manufacturing and food production.— KUNA
KUWAIT: Kuwait Journalists Association (KJA) Sec Gen Faisal Al-Qenai (left) and KJA Treasurer Adnan Al-Rashed are seen with former British PM Tony Blair. — Photos by KUNA
‘Kuwait Vision 2035’ KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti government received a report entitled “Kuwait Vision 2035” compiled by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Minister of the Amiri Diwan Sheikh Nasser Sabah AlAhmad Al-Sabah said yesterday. Sheikh Nasser Sabah AlAhmad said the report, prepared by Blair’s team, “analyzes the major issues facing the country and presents detailed proposals” to addressing them. “If they (proposals) are implemented, they will change the direction of the country and help it achieve its vision,” he said in a meeting with editors-in-chief of local newspapers, Board Chairman and Director General of Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) Sheikh Mubarak Duaij AlSabah, in the presence of Blair and Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs, Minister of State for Development and Minister of State for Housing Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad AlSabah. Sheikh Nasser said the vision of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to turn Kuwait into a regional financial and economic hub was based on “the history of the country in initiating the spirit of commerce...” The Amir’s vision, he added, aimed at making Kuwait reachable to markets in Central Asia, Turkey, China and Eruope. This very vision, said Sheikh Nasser, seeks to diversify income. The Amir wants to invest the geographic status of Kuwait and guarantee a prosperous life for Kuwaitis. The Blair report, added Sheikh Nasser, identifies chal-
Kuwait Times General Manager Badrya Darwish is seen with Blair lenges and necessary reforms in order to turn the Amir’s vision into reality. “The report affirms that our current system is not sustainable, however it has the potentials for a great and prosperous future,” he said. Blair, meanwhile, stressed on importance of adopting decisive policies by the Kuwaiti government to address the current and future problems thus, achieving the Kuwaiti vision 2035. Kuwait has an ambitious development plan, which was a positive indicator because it included the necessary legislations, he said. The Kuwait Vision 2035 is based on addressing the structural problems, like importance of improving the investment environment and the development of infrastructure, said the former British Premier. Blair underlined the necessity of supporting the new
generation of Kuwaitis and paying more attention on education. Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said the Blair report aimed at identifying and correcting problems in all sectors. The vision, he said, was a result of popular demands not only by the government. The Kuwait Vision 2035, said Sheikh Ahmad, has two pillars: making Kuwait an important trade port in the region and turning the country into a financial hub. The government, he said, also pays more attention to education, health, improving administration and minimizing red-tape. The State plan, said the minister, has three parts: economic and financial by increasing income, developing infrastructure and spreading a new culture among citizens to deal with it. —KUNA
NATIONAL
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The Labor Law Section Three Employment of Juveniles Article (19) It shall be prohibited to employ persons who are below the age of 15 years. Article (20) Subject to the approval of the ministry, it shall be allowed to emptoy juveniles who reached 15 years of age but did not exceed 18 years subject to the following conditions: a- They shall not be employed in industries or professions that are, by a resolution of the Minister, classified as hazardous or harmful to their health. b- They shall have a medical examination before the start of employment and thereafter have periodical similar examinations at intervals not exceeding six months. The Minister shall issue a resolution in which he shall determine these industries and professions, as well as procedures for and intervals of such medical examinations. Article (21) Juveniles shall work for maximum of six hours per day, and shall not be employed for more than four hours straight, followed by a break of not less than one hour. They shall not be employed for overtime working hours, on weekly rest days, official holidays or at any time from 7:00 in the evening to 6:00 in the morning.
Section Four Employment of women Article (22) It is prohibited to employ women at night during the period from 10:00 at night to 7:00 in the morning. This excludes hospitals, sanatoriums, private treatment homes and establishments in respect of which a resolution by the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor shall be issued. The employer shall, in all cases referred to in this article, provide them with all security requirements as well as transportation means from and to the workplace. The working hours during the holy month of Ramadan shall be excluded from the provisions of this Article. Article (23) It shall be prohibited to employ any woman in works that are hazardous, arduous or harmful to health. It shall also be prohibited to employ any woman in jobs that violate morals and that exploit her femininity in violation of public morals. No woman shall be made to work at establishments that provide services exclusively for men. Such works and establishments shall be specified by a resolution from the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor after consultation with the Labor Affairs Consulting Committee and the competent organization. Article (24) A pregnant working woman shall be entitled to a paid maternity leave of 70 days, not included in her other leaves, provided that she gives birth within this period. After the end of the maternity leave, the employer may give the working woman, at her request, an unpaid leave for a period not exceeding four months to take care of the baby. The employer may not terminate the services of a working woman while she is on such leave or during her absence from work because of a sickness that is proved by a medical certificate that states that the sickness resulted from pregnancy or giving birth. Article (25) The working woman shall be allowed a two-
hour break during her working hours in order to feed her baby according to such conditions as shall be set forth in the Ministry’s decision. The employer shall establish a nursery for children below the age of 4 at the place of work in the event where the number of female workers exceeds 50 or the number of workers exceeds 200.
Chapter Three Individual Work Contract Section One Work Contract Structure Article (27) Anyone who has completed 15 years of age shall be eligible to conclude a work contract if the period of the contract is not specified. In the event where the period is specified, it should not exceed one year, until he will reach 16 years of age. Article (28) The work contract shall be made in writing and contain, in particular, the signing and effective dates of the contract, the amount of remuneration, the term of the contract if it is for a specific period and the nature of work. The contract shall be made in three copies, one for each party and the third shall be lodged with the competent authority at the Ministry. In the event where the work contract is not established by means of a written document, it shall still be deemed to exist and the worker may, in such event, establish his rights by all means of evidence. Regardless of whether the work contract is for a specific or an indefinite term, the remuneration of the worker may not be reduced during the contract validity period. Any agreement to the contrary, whether made before or after the effective date of the contract, shall be deemed null and void because this matter is related to the general order. The employer may not assign to the worker any task that is not consistent with nature of the work stated in the contract or that is unsuitable to the worker’s qualifications and experience on the basis of which the contract was signed with him. Article (29) All contracts shall be written in Arabic and translations to any another language may be added thereto, provided that the Arabic version shall prevail in the event of any dispute. The provision of this Article shall apply to all correspondences, publications, bylaws and circulars issued by the employer to his workers. Article (30) In the event where the term of the work contract is specified, such term shall not exceed five years nor shall it be less than a year. The contract may be renewed after the expiry of the specified period with the consent of both parties. Article (31) If the period of the work contract is specified and both parties continue to implement it after the expiry of the period thereof without formal renewal, the contract shall be deemed renewed for a similar period with the same conditions, unless both parties agree to renew it under other conditions. In all events, renewal may not adversely affect the worker’s entitlements acquired under the previous contract. (TO BE CONTINUED)
Life is beautiful A
re hardships, dramas, and sadness part of a life conspiracy that makes a majority of the world miserable? Are they necessities - ingredients that would, spice up our lives allowing us to truly enjoy the good days filled with happiness and fun? If we spend our lives living happily ever after as if we were in a fairytale, as humans, we’d get bored fairly quickly. It seems that our human attributes require sorrow for us to experience the pleasures of happiness. The belief that “after the rain comes sunshine...” is what we tell ourselves when things are rough. Tomorrow will bring around a newer, better day. We all know that this life is nothing more than an illusion that death will separate us from any moment. All it takes is the sight of a car crash and a life rendered soul less for us to realize that we are finite and that all the power we muster will surely fade. Ironically, such is what life entails. While we are on earth, while we are alive, we pursue different possibilities that life offers us. Not all are born with silver spoons in their mouths. Actually, little are those whom life has treated kindly. Yet, many are those blessed with the hope of a better tomorrow. As humans, we have a constant desire to believe that our situation in the given future will be better.
Underage, female workers react to new labor law By Ben Garcia
Article (26) A working woman shall be entitled to a remuneration similar to the remuneration of a man if she performs the same kind of work.
in my view
By Fouad Al-Obaid
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We will go from our given state to a better one. The hope of a new tomorrow is what pushes us to work harder today. While we work arduously, toiling the fields, it seems that not many people take the time to appreciate the simple things in life. We have, it seems, come to accept that our modern world is complex, interconnected digitally. We are unable to live in the ‘real’ world away from the virtual one we have constructed! Simplicity, as Phillips states in its ads; simple pleasures, the smell of fresh air, sitting beneath a tree waiting for a breeze to come our way are things that many seem not to even consider. Looking at a tree in a park and marveling in its creation, looking at the stars at night and contemplating the vastness of our universe, are some things that many it seems do, let alone take time to explore. Yet, these are the things that we ought to reflect upon to understand. We are really nothing in the cosmic scale of things, and that all the money we accumulate - as much as it brings in much pleasure, it is nevertheless something that is temporal and is bound to vanish. Perhaps today, dear readers, you’ll take the time to appreciate the simple things that make this life of ours great. Tell those you love how much they mean to you. You never know what destiny will bring your way tomorrow. Appreciate life, and contemplate in awe at its magnitude, and if you manage to do that, please tell me how. fouad@kuwaittimes.net
KUWAIT: Abd Rahman (not his real name) works as a helper in an auto mechanic shop in Salmiya and is aged below 16. His father allowed him to work so that he could save money for his college expenses. The new law on Abd Rahman’s job as an auto-mechanic falls under the hazardous category, and the Labor Ministry could refuse issuing a work permit under the new law. Abd Rahman claimed that he worked for eight hours a day that sometimes exceeds six hours per day as permissible by the law. “I am working because I want to save money for col-
lege. My father told me it’s temporary anyway. Maybe I’ll be in college next year,” he said. Marissa (not her real name) worked for 24 hours in a department store. Since her appointment, she has been assigned to almost all the shifts appointed to them by their immediate superiors. However, according to the
juvenile employment prohibits employment of persons who are below the age of 15. Since Abd Rahman is above 15 but does not exceed 18 years in age, he can be allowed to work, subject to the ministry’s approval. Such adolescents can be allowed to work, though not in industries or professions that are classified as being hazardous and harmful to health.
new law, women are only allowed to work during day time with the exception of female workers at hospitals, sanatoriums and private clinics. The Chapter two, section four, Article 22 states: “It is prohibited to employ any women at night during the period from 10 pm until 7am. However, until now, Marissa worked a ‘graveyard’ shift. “I
don’t complain about my schedule at night because this time is the most convenient period for us in the store. Less customers, therefore, less work pressure,” she said. Aileen (not her real name) who works at a restaurant at Gulf Road hopes that the new law will be imposed strictly. “The management will not follow that. Our restaurant is
open until 11pm. You know the system here, you have to stay until they’re done. You don’t leave station as if nothing happened. We need to do a closing routine and the next thing we know, it was already 12 am. So we work until 12 midnight. I hope they’ll follow the new law. I think it will not be difficult as we have many male workers,” she mentioned.
MPs criticize Co-ops Law proposal KUWAIT: Two members of the Parliament have joined forces with co-operative societies’ union to reject the new proposed draft law for co-operative societies. They announced their plans to vote against the bill and return it for discussion, asserting on the importance of taking co-operative societies’ boards into account. MP Dr Faisal Al-Mislem said that MPs only learnt about the new law after being informed by co-op societies. He further accused the Parliament’s health committee, which passed the law, of having been ‘kidnapped’ and ‘is more loyal to the government members than the Cabinet itself.’ In addition, he said that the new law aims to privatize co-op societies, as he urged his fellow MPs to vote against it, reported Al-Watan. MP Mubarak Al-Waalan, who is a member of the National Assembly’s health committee, announced his rejection of the draft law. He added that the majority possessed by other committee members MPs Rola Dashti, Aseel Al-Awadhi and Salwa AlJassar has surpassed his expectations. The two MPs were speaking during the second co-operative society’s forum held at the diwaniya of the Chairman of the Khaitan Co-op Society. It featured participation from a lot of ‘cooperative’ figures. They agreed that the proposed law paves the way for privatizing co-operative societies and eliminating cooperative work.
KUWAIT: Lt Gen Meshaal Al-Zabn shaking hands with members of the Military Defense Council and ranking personnel. — KUNA
Kuwait, Jordan hold military talks KUWAIT: Chief of the Kuwaiti Army General Staff Lt Gen Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled AlSabah yesterday held official talks with Chief of the General Staff of the Jordanian Armed Forces Lt Gen Meshaal Al-Zabn and the delegation accompanying him. This came during an official
in the news Mother’s Day celebration KUWAIT: The Kuwait Towers, one of the Touristic Enterprises Company’s (TEC) facilities, will be celebrating Mother’s Day on March 21. The relevant announcement was made by the TEC’s Deputy Assistant for Tourism Affairs, Meshary Al-Sanousi. During the event, mothers will be allowed a free invitation for lunch or dinner buffet (with four companions as a condition). Free cakes will be distributed during the event. The Kuwait Towers will continue to host a chocolate festival which will be held till March 20 in cooperation with Al-Kazmi food company. In addition, healthy dishes prepared from ostrich meat will be put on display. Um Al-Haiman’s solution KUWAIT: MPs from the Fifth Constituency gave the Cabinet two choices to choose from regarding the Um Al-Haiman pollution crisis, reported Al-Watan. They offered to either evaluate the area’s homes and provide citizens with suitable alternatives or to relocate the violating factories. During a seminar hosted by members of the voluntary environmental committee for the Ali Sabah AlSalem area, Abdulla Duwaiyan, MPs indicated that more than 40 thousand people are living in extremely polluted situations caused by factory emissions. They also noted that the pollution was confirmed by the government in a report acknowledging the effect of the factories. Salaries to double in 5 years KUWAIT: According to a report by the International Bank, the volume of salaries is expected to double within the next five years, reported Al-Qabas. The report also warned against submitting to the demands of issuing further allowances. Regarding the expected inflation, the report asserted the importance of limiting any financial increases. It pointed out that the financial burden of cadres contributed to a 21% increase in the total amount of salaries within the past three years. The report also criticized the government’s failure to object to the demand of employees and indicated that it is a limitation of the Civil Service Commission and demonstrates their inability to improve Man rapes former wife KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti woman has accused her former husband, also a Kuwaiti, of raping her and threatening to do her further violence if she told the police what he had done. The woman told police that her ex-spouse had raped her at her home in Mubarak Al-Kabeer after coming round to visit her ostensibly to talk about various outstanding issues between them. After he was finished sexually assaulting her, she said, he threatened to do her further harm if she told police about the incident, before leaving the house and driving away. An investigation has been launched and police are summoning the accused man for questioning.
meeting with Lt. Gen. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled and his Jordanian counterpart, in which the latter shook hands with members of the Military Defense Council and ranking personnel. The two chiefs of staff headed the sixth meeting of the Kuwaiti-Jordanian Higher
Military Committee. They evaluated and exchanged views on bilateral cooperation, issues of common interest relating to the military, and ways of upgrading the military establishments in both countries. Lt. Gen. Al-Zabn and his delegation, upon their arrival at Kuwait Airport yesterday, met
with Lt. General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled, members of the military council, Jordan’s ambassador to Kuwait and a number of senior army officers. Lt. General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khaled held a banquet, last night, in honor of his Jordanian counterpart and the delegation accompanying him.— KUNA
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
‘China playing major role’
Iran greatest near-term challenge, says Rice By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Fighting extremism, consolidating the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq and dealing with the Palestinian-Israeli issue are among the formidable challenges on the international scene at present. According to former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, however, the greatest near-term
Crown Prince patronizes KU graduation KUWAIT: His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah yesterday patronized the graduation ceremony of the 39th batch of Kuwait University (KU) students at the Shuwaikh Stadium. Sheikh Nawaf was received upon arrival by Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr Moudi Al-Homoud. National Assembly Speaker Jassem AlKhorafi, Sheikhs, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Premier and Defense Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, senior officials and students’ families. — KUNA
kuwait digest
The minister’s resignation bdul-Wahab Al-Essa, in his column yesterday with Al-Watan, wrote that he is not convinced by the clauses of the upcoming interpellation against the Minister of Information. In the grilling, proposed by MP Ali AlDeqbasi, the first clause discusses the proper enforcement of the futile audio-visual law, he continued. The law only allows the minister to stop a TV show from running and does not give him the authority to punish anyone for their remarks on TV, he pointed out. ‘Also, it’s feared that the Cabinet could make use of the second clause of the interpellation and enforce more restrictions against the media,’ he added.
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Even though he does not agree with the clauses of the grilling, he still supports the removal of the minister from his post. ‘I believe that a successful grilling would result in the resignation of the minister from his post because neither of the minister’s proposed amendments have passed,’ he asserted. He pointed out that his resignation from the Ministry of Information would allow him to focus solely on the responsibilities of the Ministry of Oil. ‘The Ministry of Oil is considered one of the most important and busiest ministries of the country. Pairing this responsibility with the responsibility of another ministry is something that contradicts the direction of supporting development in the country,’ he continued.
“Hu Jintao said that China needed to grow 25 million jobs a year and that it needs 10-11 percent growth to do that,” Rice stated. “China also needs energy and other mineral resources. If one look to China’s foreign policy interest these days and if one look into what’s driving China’s decisions on the foreign policy side, one has to say that they are driven largely by the economic and social concerns of the leadership at home.” As a result of this, she asserted, when the international community tries to act in a concerted fashion, whether on Sudan or Iran, China will look firstly to protecting its own economic interests. “That will make it more difficult to take concerted action in the United Nations, so that Iran has an opportunity to take a different course with the international community,” she warned. Iran is a country of outwardlooking people with its own great culture, Rice said, but is also, unfortunately, a nation currently run and governed by a leadership which, despite repeated actions and repeated efforts to set the nation on a course that is non-confrontational with the international community, has instead chosen the path of confrontation. “The Iranians say that they wish to have civil nuclear power and there are options for it to have this,” she said. “Russia has given Iran an option for this, the international community has given Iran options for civil nuclear power, and yet they haven’t taken the options.” The former Bush administration senior official accused Iran of continuing to support organizations such as Hamas and Hezbollah, which she said have disrupted Middle East peace, adding that Hezbollah opposes the two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. “With the event of June last year, Iran is also showing a different set of circumstances internally,” she asserted. “The Iranian population is 70 percent under the age of 30. That means that the memories of that population are not of the Iraq-Iran war or the revolution, but of what happened on the streets of Tehran in June.” Rice talked about the need to maintain pressure on the Iranian regime, saying, “It is my hope that that the pressure on that regime, will lead to more reasonable people emerging who recognize the need to integrate Iran within the international system, rather than live under fear. Iran cannot win that con-
challenge is how to confront the issue of Iran. Speaking at a forum organized by the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Kuwait City, Rice outlined some of the challenges facing the international community, focusing especially on the Iranian issue. The former Secretary of State suggested that China is somehow playing a major role in Iran’s choice to pursue a different strategy with the international community.
KUWAIT: Former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice addresses a conference organized by the National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) on Sunday. -— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat frontation ultimately and the Iranian people deserve better.” The former Secretary of State also discussed the global economic crisis and its implications for diplomacy and global order. The economic crisis has called into question the dominant economic model which encourages free trade and openness, she said, adding that although some are challenging the legitimacy of this model she believes that it remains the strongest and most durable one. “They said openness has got us into trouble,” Rice said. “But I would like to remind people that the system also produced the longest single period of economic expansion in postwar history. I don’t know that anyone has the alternative to that system.” The former senior official said that, for a number of reasons, the European Union, had not coped well with the current crisis. “I don’t just mean economically; there was a sense that the EU would act as one unit economically and, perhaps more importantly, politically, but the economic crisis came at a particularly bad time for the EU as they are trying to make a transition to a greater political power.” She touched on the current economic woes of Greece as it struggles to escape from a fiscal and budgetary crisis, saying that
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these problems are leading to the obligations of the more affluent member nations being called into question. “The EU did not do well,” she said, bluntly. “If I may add, the growing demographic problems in the EU, slow growth, very difficult problems of an ageing domestic workforce, yet with an enormous benefit system that causes most of the problems. You will see that the EU is, if anything, fading as a political power in the international system.” She added, however, that the EU will retain a position of some importance in the international community, despite the problems. “The EU is important, but the hope of a united EU playing this major political role and promising economic and political strength, that will be difficult for EU as they’ve been hurt by this crisis,” she stated. On the subject of Russia and its economic prospects, Rice was once again downbeat, although she was more positive about the emerging South American and South Asian economies. “Russia too has not come out of this crisis very well, but of course the emerging economies have come through much better,” she said. “In Brazil and India, we have seen that continued economic growth over the last decade has made these
KUWAIT: Rice shares a conversation with Al-Sayer, Dabdoub, Al-Saqr, Al-Bahar, and Aazar.
NBK welcomes Condoleezza Rice KUWAIT: Former United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, was welcomed recently in the country by National Bank of Kuwait senior officials who had sent her an invitation to visit Kuwait to participate in the NBK Annual Global Seminar. Following her arrival, Rice met with the NBK CEO Ibraheem Dabdoub, Deputy CEO Nassir Al-Sayer, Executive Director Issam AlSaqr, and Deputy Executive Director, Sheikha
Al-Bahar. Rice was also welcomed by HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at the Amiri Diwan. The invitation of an important figure such as professor Rice is a significant addition to the annual seminar, due to the great experience that she has during her work as the US Secretary of State from 2005 until 2009, and the US National Security Advisor between 2001 and 2005.
KD 1.5 billion contract KUWAIT: A local firm listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) is set to sign a contract for logistical provisions with the US military in Kuwait within the next few days, according to a KSE insider. The contract may be worth up to KD 1.5 billion, said the insider, adding that the reports had seen the company’s share prices soar, with trade on the market picking up as a result, reported Al-Anba. Family court cases KUWAIT: The number of civil suits heard in Kuwait’s family courts in 2009 saw a sharp increase on previous years, rising to 18,000 in total. The majority of the cases involved Sunni appellants, with 14,448 being standard legal cases regarding divorce, alimony, custody and visitation rights, reported AlJarida. A further 881 cases were related to kinship issues, while the remaining 2,671 cases were brought by Shiite appellants, with the latter cases heard only at the Riqqa Courts Complex. Canadian delegation KUWAIT: A Canadian health delegation will visit Kuwait on March 24, to sign an agreement with the Chest Hospital. A contract will be signed between the Health Ministry and McGill University, Canada, reported AlJarida. As per the terms of the contract, a Canadian in the field of heart and blood vessels surgery, education and research, in addition to developing human resources and improving the services extended to heart patients.
and low taxation. “Most important is the free movement of people,” she said. “We are a country of immigrants. One reason that the US doesn’t have the demographic problem which a lot of countries have was that we built a country of immigrants. And if we are true to those immigrants and continue to remain open, I think the United States will weather the storm and will do just fine.” On the Middle East Peace Process, she was upbeat, saying, “We look forward to the Middle East Peace Process moving forward. There is no other solution but two states, not just for Palestinians to be well-served but for the Israelis to be secure.” At the conclusion of her speech, the former Secretary of State explained why she had begun her address with an optimistic approach, asserting that people who are cynical and pessimistic don’t search very hard for answers. “They turn inwards; they look inward to protect themselves,” said Rice. “If this is how we respond to the crisis we face, we most certainly will not come out of this crisis. There are more reasons to be optimistic for, many times in human history, things that seemed impossible one day after they happened seemed inevitable in retrospect.”
Eating disorders dangerous trend among youth By Abdullah Al-Qattan
KUWAIT: Rice in a picture with Al-Bahar, head of the NBK’s foreign branches group; Randa Sadiq, and the NBK’s senior economist, Dr Randa Aazar
countries more economically resilient to the economic crisis.” Rice acknowledged China’s economic miracle, but questioned the ability of the East Asian giant to surpass the US as the most important global economic player. “China has gone through one of the most rapid economic and social transformations ever known to humankind,” she said, but cautioned that large parts of the country’s population are still mired in poverty, with the Chinese political system being a rigid and inflexible one that is experiencing considerable difficulty in responding to the challenge of rapid social and economic growth. Rice pointed out that several riots had taken place last year in China, concerning a variety of issues, including lack of product safety, the collapse of a school filled with children during an earthquake, internet censorship and Information Technologyrelated matters. “I admired what China has achieved, but I would also question if in fact what China has achieved can make them a kind of global leader,” she stated. “I would suggest to you, it cannot.” The former US administration official insisted that the United States continues to play to its strengths, to creativity and innovation, minimal regulations
KUWAIT: When young people prepare to attend university, some are interested in the education they will receive there. Some care more about what their first car is going to be while others are preoccupied with the way they look and how their physique is admired by others. For some people the usual mixture of dieting, working out and counting calories does the job. Others however, tend to go to the extreme in order to reach their ideal perfection. People who obsess over their physical appearances often develop eating disorders which can have extremely damaging effects on their health. Sometimes, those with an eating disorder manage to avoid the worst excesses of the behavior. In other cases however, the eating disorder is just as much a dangerous addiction as drugs are to a junkie. Anorexia is the most common and widespread eating disorder and tends to effect women more than men. It is described as a condition where a person has a distorted body image and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. A person with this disorder goes to extremes in order to stay thin or to lose weight. Recently, some cases have popped up in different universities and has received some attention from offi-
cials who specialize in such disorders. The disorder has spread among a vast percentage of woman in their late teen years to their mid-twenties. It is often characterized by ingesting more than the recommended amount of fat burning pills by a manufacturer and can lead to a severe hormone disorder. It can also be characterized by the action of vomiting up what a person has just eaten in order to avoid gaining weight from consumed food. This kind of eating disorder is also known as Bulimia. Mona Al-Shaheen, a 19-yearold, admits that she has suffered from Anorexia for more than two years and fears becoming overweight. As a result, she suffers from weakened bones and tissue loss all over her body. “My mother found out I was Anorexic when she asked me for the name of the diet pills was taking and I couldn’t answer,” she said. Just like anyone else who doesn’t know the cause of their sickness, Mona went to see a physician. She was later advised to go to a psychiatrist while adhering to a healthy, weight gaining diet. What is slightly odd about eating disorders in Kuwait is that many men think of Anorexia as a quick way to get a fake six pack. Anorexia however, can have several dangerous complications such as decreased energy, low blood pressure, dizziness, fainting spells and
feeling cold much of the time. Hammad Bohammad said he picked up the trick from a friend of his in college and another one from the gym. He was told that he could lose weight faster by eating smaller quantities and throwing up large meals after simply enjoying the taste. “Throwing up can be quite painful when it’s being forced. Once you start seeing results though, you overlook all the hair and tooth loss,” he said. Bohammad is a very skinny 21year-old man who thinks he is in the best shape of his life. He has refused to talk to therapists several times and has been hospitalized for losing brain tissue and muscle tissue, including the heart muscle tissue, because of his eating disorder. This problem, slowly spreading across universities all over Kuwait, has become a dangerous trend. Doctors now ask if a person got the idea to restrict their diet themselves or if it was suggested to them by a friend. Parents should understand how the problem starts and watch for suspicious behavior from their children, or their children’s friends. Therapists say that the best way to cure a person of their eating disorder is to make them fully aware of its side effects. Anorexia is a dangerous illness and is best treated with consensual therapy sessions.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
NATIONAL
5 Iraqi connection suspected
Drug dealers busted in sting operation By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: Two drugdealers, a bedoon and a Pakistani, were arrested red-handed in a sting operation by General Department for Drug Control (GDDC) officers. The operation came after an investigation launched by GDDC head Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalifa after he received a tip-off about their
KUWAIT: The accident in which two citizens died yesterday. — Photos by Hanan Al-Saadoun
Environmental problems worsening By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: Kuwait’s environmental problems are worsening, due to which, more people have been paying attention to an environmental issue. More organizations are being founded to fight pollution that has been harming the environment. The Kuwaiti Green Peace Organization (MSK) is a new non-profit organization that was officially launched on Sunday at the Kuwait Teachers’ Association’s premises. The MSK aims to be clubbed under the umbrella of the International Green Peace Organization. On this occasion, they held a press conference to highlight their goals and work plan. Environmental issues and problems are gaining increasing importance among citizens as it directly affects their lives. “People now realize the magnitude of danger that is involved in pollution on their present and future. They also know
that it’s important to protect the environment to avoid future calamities. All the efforts made in this field reflect deep understanding of the importance of environmental issues on human life,” noted Dr Hamad Al-Matar, Associate Professor Chemistry Department at the Kuwait University during the press conference. “Caring about the environment reflects the level of culture enjoyed by any society. Even Islam advises us about treating the environment and protecting it as a joint responsibility. Our protection of the environment is a source of development. The violation of the environment is a violation of human dignity and his existence,” he added. MSK aims to preserve and protect the Kuwaiti environment by increasing environmental awareness. “We aim to strengthen the technical and environmental abilities of individuals and NGOs for the benefit of our country. We also have certain goals and aim to improve the envi-
ronment situation and protect it. We also plan to implement some projects that are aimed at cleaning, awareness campaigns, training courses and seminars, greenery campaigns, establishing an environment club for kids, and a library,” Dr Al-Matar further said. The Umm Al-Haiman pollution issue is a very serious environmental problem that has been persisting for a few years. “The Umm Al-Haiman pollution issue causes many health complications to the residents of this area. In fact, both the factories and houses located there are ‘mistakes.’ The government didn’t receive an approval by the Public Authority of Environment (PAE) to establish a residential area there, and this was a mistake. In my opinion, it is almost impossible to relocate factories. So, I think it is better to shift their houses, so that these people can live in non-polluted areas,” concluded Al-Matar.
GDDC officers put the truck under covert surveillance, with two bedoon men appearing after 24 hours, first wandering around the area to check that they couldn’t be seen before one of them opened the secret compartment in the truck’s body where the drugs were stashed and took them out. The two men were immediately arrested, with one of them, a drug dealer, admitting when questioned that he had made arrangements with an Iraqi counterpart to receive the drugs and had paid for them via bank transfer. He further explained that his usual practice was to wait until the truck drivers were asleep before hiding the drugs in different non-visible parts of their vehicle. The dealers would then tail the trucks and check that they had crossed the border before telling their contacts on the other side to notify them that the shipment would be arriving. Two die in crash Two Kuwaiti men were killed in a high speed collision yesterday, with one of the vehicles bursting into flames following the crash with the motorist still inside. The remains of both
activities. The men were apparently among a number of dealers recruited by Iraqi drug dealers to smuggle drugs across the border in exchange for payment. A team of detectives tailed the suspects before discovering that a shipment of drugs was due to cross the border hidden in a truck, which officers managed to identify within 48 hours and traced it in an isolated area of Jahra.
drivers were removed for autopsy. Child dies in fall A young girl died instantly when she fell from the balcony of her family’s fifth floor apartment in Abu Halifa. A case has also been filed against the mother for leaving the child unattended. Nadha stabbing A Kuwaiti man was stabbed in his right thigh and brutally beaten by two unidentified assailants in the Nadha area. The man was driving his car along a local street when he found that his vehicle was being pursued by another one, which forced him to pull over. When the other men got out of his own car and approached the complainant’s vehicle, he hit and stabbed him for no apparent reason before fleeing. The victim has provided detectives with the assailant’s car license plate details and a hunt is underway for the deranged driver. Suicide An Asian man was founded dead in a barn he worked at Kabad after intentionally killing himself by drinking pesticide.
KUWAIT: The drug duo pictured after their arrest.
Female Kuwaiti student sexually assaulted KUWAIT: A female Kuwaiti student at Kuwait University has filed a complaint at Riqqa police station, claiming that she was abducted and raped outside the university. The young woman said that she was standing outside the university waiting for a cab to return to her home in Al-Aquila when a man in an American car pulled up, forced her into the vehicle and took her to an isolated spot where he raped
her, reported Al-Watan. After he had finished sexually assaulting her, she said, he dumped her in the Riqqa area, where she went straight to the police station to report the traumatic incident. A hunt is underway for the accused man. Accidents An Indian man suffered severe injuries when a minibus he was driving on Jamal Abdul-
Nassir road overturned after being struck by an SUV. The driver of the SUV, a female citizen, fled the scene after the accident. The man was taken to a nearby hospital and police are still searching for the hit-and-run driver. Investigators were able to get the license plate from those who witnessed the accident. Meanwhile, a child was killed after she was struck by a bus in Salmiya.
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Embodiment of common aspirations
‘Kuwaiti Days in Egypt’ festival opens in Luxor LUXOR: Kuwaiti ambassador here Dr Rashid Hamad Al-Hamad inaugurated Sunday night a festival titled “Kuwaiti Days in Egypt” at Mubarak’s Library in Luxor governorate, southern of Egypt under the sponsorship of the Kuwaiti Ministry of Information and the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA). Al-Hamad said in an opening address that “this festival that is held on this good land, the country of civilization and the cradle of history is but a love song sung by the brethern and a distinctive cultural and media interaction through which the Kuwaiti culture intermingles with the fragrant aroma of the Egyptian history as a new phase of communication that culminates the previous ones between the two brotherly peoples.”
Arabs to discuss climate change CAIRO: The executive bureau of the Arab Ministerial Council on the environmental affairs is to hold an extra-ordinary meeting at the Arab League’s headquarters here today. The meeting is to be chaired by the director general of meteorology and environmental protection in Saudi Arabia, Turki bin Nasser bin Abdulaziz. The meeting, called upon by the Arab League, would discuss setting up a mechanism aimed at taking an Arab stand on the international arena regarding the climate change, Director of the environment and sustainable development department at the Arab League, Dr. Gamal Gaballah, said in a press statement yesterday.
The meeting is aimed at discussing the new developments on the climate change negotiations, he pointed out. Gaballah made clear that ‘especially that the 2009 Copenhagen conference ended without reaching an international deal except for an unbinding voluntary statement, preparations are made at the international level for holding the Mexico conference at the end of this year.’ Gaballah said that there are some preparatory meetings that will be held in Germany prior to the Mexico conference, asserting that there is an attempt on the side of the U.S. and some western countries to put pressures toward adopting voluntary
Copenhagen declaration as the basis of the climate change negotiations before reaching an international accord in this respect. In the same vein, Gaballah held that there is total rejection to such drive by the Third world countries as they desire that climate change negotiations remain within its legal framework which is the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change. The executive bureau of the Arab Ministrial Council includes within its membership Saudi Arabi, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, D’jibouti, Syria, Qatar, Libya, in addition to Saudi Arabia and the Arab League as a panArab body. — KUNA
Kuwait hosts meeting of Francophonie countries
KUWAIT: Officials who attended the opening of a two-day workshop in Kuwait yesterday.
UNHCR official lauds Kuwaiti role KUWAIT: Head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) officer here Wahid bin Omar lauded yesterday the Kuwaiti role in helping refugees worldwide saying these humanitarian effort reflected Kuwait’s belief in aiding those suffering. This came at the opening of a two-day workshop aimed at developing the skills of aid workers, stated the official,
adding the event would aim at promoting the principles of international protection, and international agreements of political asylum, and to highlight the UNHCR’s role in the protection of refugees. Meanwhile, GCC states representative at the UNHCR Hamdi Bukhari lauded the continuous cooperation between the GCC and the UNHCR in helping
refugees. Resident representative of the UN in Kuwait Saleh Brujini said that the UNHCR had been doing its part to support the needy worldwide since it was established in 1950, affirming that through the contribution of states like Kuwait the commission had been further developing to reach places it did not reach before. — KUNA
KUWAIT: Envoys of several French-speaking nations gathered at the official residence of the Swiss ambassador to Kuwait yesterday, to announce the ‘Francophonie Week’ of cultural promotion, which this year, starting from March 20 is set to take on more of a political dimension. In a keynote speech, Swiss Ambassador to Kuwait Michel Gottret who presided a press conference on the matter, said the week of French art, cultural and education-related activities in Kuwait, will emphasis on politics as well. Attendees of the conference included envoys and representatives from Morocco, Egypt, Mauratania, France, Belgium, Canada, Benin, Thailand and Laos among others including Switzerland. The Organization of the Francophonie (OIF) spread across 70 countries in five continents, recently selected former Senegal President Abdou Diouf as OIF Secretary-General, for the organization to take on a more positive political role, Gottret said. Issues that are to be additionally addressed include “questions of peace, democracy, and human rights,” said the ambassador. These will combine with former issues raised like “the economy, sustainable development, energy, the environment and information technology,” he added. Another issue the OIF is set to promote is cultural diversity. “These beliefs led the Francophonie to open the development of its cooperation with the Lusophonie (Portuguesespeakers), the Hispanophonie (Spanish), the Latin Union, the Commonwealth (English), as well as the Arab world, in particular,” the envoy noted. In 2009, the Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), the OIF and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), initiated the adoption of the Declaration of Kairouan, with the intention of promoting cultural diversity. The notion behind this, is for people to learn how to handle cultural diversity, not seldom by maintaining it, but by helping “peoples of various traditions and beliefs to talk and eventually understand each other.” Furthermore, “the Arab League Organization for Education, Culture and Science (ALECSO) and the OIF jointly annually award the Ibn Khaldoun/Senghor Prize for the best translation of works from French to Arabic or vice versa, he added. — KUNA
Al-Hamad went on to say that “we look forward, through this big festival, to introduce a true and honorable image of the spiritual fusion between our peoples in what asserts the deep-seated bonds and the profound historical ties that hark back to the depth of the rich Arab soil.” Al-Hamad pointed out that this festival has many activities including the inauguration of two exhibitions, one for books and the other for photos, besides organizing a number of seminars that go in line with the time-honored features of such spot and asserts the depth of closeness and intermingleness between culture and society in the two countries.” He also noted that these activities represent an embodiment of the common aspirations toward boosting the bilateral ties within the popular diplomacy that “we adopt as an integrated approach that proved its high efficacy and big success through the previous festivals that traveled all over Egyptian governorates. Additionally, he also drew attentions to the keenness of the state of Kuwait on establishing an annual festival in an Egyptian governorate in what stresses the joint endeavor toward civilizational and cultural communication between two brotherly peoples and countries sharing a lot of common factors including the unity of history, language, heritage and culture. Further, Al-Hamad expressed his hope that this festival will be a serious attempt toward achieving a big goal that features the unity and strength of bonds combining both of Egypt and Kuwait under the banner of a single Arab nation. He also stressed the efforts exerted toward pushing the level of bilateral cooperation between the two countries to a new high in the field of archaeology and heritage. Al-Hamad also pointed out that the state of Kuwait is keen on protecting and sponsoring its old heritage out of its firm belief
LUXOR: Kuwaiti Ambassador Dr Rashid Hamad Al-Hamad inaugurating “Kuwaiti Days in Egypt” festival. — KUNA in the importance of conserving such legacy with the aim of developing the nation’s awareness of its glory, civilization and heritage. In this respect, he noted that the first beginnings of EgyptianKuwaiti cooperation in this field dates back to the Kuwaiti archaeological mission sponsored by the Kuwait university from 1985 to 1987 for unearthing the monuments of Bahnsa in the Upper Egypt. He also noted that this mission managed to discover several important antiquities in this area, at the top of them is dozens of precious gold coins, besides the most ancient tomb in Bahnsa dating back to 245 BC along with a collection of pottery and porcelain and many invaluable Islamic antiquities. Al-Hamad concluded his address saying “I express my utmost congratulations, on my part and on behalf of the state of Kuwait represented by HH the Amir, the government and the people, for President Hosni Mubarak on the success of the
surgery that he underwent, wishing him good and constant health”. On his part, governor of Luxor Dr Samir Farag described the Kuwaiti festival as a “cultural gala” held by a brotherly country, pointing that his governorate will see soon the Kuwaiti fair book that is annually organized in Cairo, Alexandria as well as Luxor. Farag also pointed to the support lent by the state of Kuwait to various Arab countries including Egypt through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) in order to subsidize the various development projects. As for the supervisor of antiquities and museums in the Kuwait National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) Sultan Al-Daweish, he said during a forum titled “Archaeological finds in the State of Kuwait, Proofs and Horizons” and administered by journalist Abdou Moubasher on the sidelines of the festival that
antiquities found as a result of excavations under the Kuwait soil and some of its islands assert its vital cultural role throughout historical eras. Al-Daweish affirmed that Kuwait could play throughout various historical eras a distinctive role in navigation, international trade and cultural contacts thanks to its long shore on the Arab Gulf on one side and its location at the land trade route on the other side. He also said that the archaeological relics found in both of Burgan basin and Al-Qareen heights signify that Kuwait is one the oldest sites in the old east to be inhabited by man. Finally, he made clear that the ancient inhabitants of AlSabia area in Kuwait knew the means of marine transport since an early time of the emergence of their civilization, pointing out the joint British-Kuwaiti archaeological mission unearthed during its excavations a porcelain boat model made according to a high level of fineness and artisanship. — KUNA
Jowhar poses questions to commerce minister KUWAIT: MP Dr Hassan Jowhar will pose questions to the Minister of Commerce and Industry, especially on those that pertain to the customs departments, monopoly and the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE). The questions will focus on accusations of lack of proper enforcement of the Customs Law. Merchandise will continue
to be held for eight days, especially that which causes a price increase. Also, they will focus on a ‘lack of transparency in operations of the KSE’ and a lack of monitoring of companies “which makes citizens the only parties that suffer from losses.” Meanwhile, the ministry announced that 14 containers containing food sup-
plies were caught on their way to be smuggled outside of the country through Al-Salmi land port. The minister Ahmad Al-Haroun announced that the groceries distribution system will be revised in order to address any shortcomings which may be manipulated by merchants to commit violations.
Gulf Bank sponsors ‘Proud 2 Be Kuwaiti’ forum KUWAIT: Gulf Bank has announced that it will sponsor, for the third consecutive year, the much anticipated “Proud 2 Be Kuwaiti” (P2BK) Forum under the Patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammed AlAhmad Al-Sabah. The fourday event, which is being held from March 16 to 19 at the Mishref International Exhibition Fairground, will provide a platform for young aspiring entrepreneurs in Kuwait to meet and interact in a robust business environment. As the Gold Sponsor of the P2BK Forum, Gulf Bank reinforces its commitment to providing a helping hand to aspiring young Kuwaitis and their small business ventures. Gulf Bank was the first bank in Kuwait to offer a comprehensive banking solution for small and medium businesses through its SME website, along with business saver accounts and the SME rewards program. Michel Accad, Gulf Bank’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief General Manager said: “Gulf Bank has always been an advocate of promoting positive change and development within Kuwait. From the outset, we have witnessed the growth of P2BK, and we are very proud to associate ourselves with it. Gulf Bank will always support initiatives that add a great value to youth as well as the
Kuwaiti society.” “Not only is Gulf Bank the main sponsor of the Forum, but it is also a dynamic participant. Staff members as well as volunteers from the Bank contributed in many ways to help the organizers execute this successful event. Gulf Bank, as part of its core human development training vision, continues to strongly invest in the country’s most important asset, the Kuwaiti youth, to further develop their skills and talents,” said Mr. Accad. P2BK was set up by a group of professional Kuwaiti
individuals with the aim of providing a structured forum for Kuwaiti youth to meet and interact with experienced professionals, to help them gain greater exposure for their products and services. It is a unique venture that delivers tangible benefits to the businesses attending. Attending the signing of the contract was the founder of P2BK, Dhari Al-Wazzan, along with the Bank’s senior management, Fawzy Al-Thunayan, General Manager of Board Affairs, and Surour Alsamerai, General Manager of Human Resources.
Previously, Gulf Bank sponsored the ‘Proud 2 Be Kuwaiti’ Ishta Forum as part of its comprehensive corporate social responsibility that supports all sectors of the Kuwaiti society including young entrepreneurs. For further information about any Gulf Bank’s products and services and its regular promotions and offers, visit one of Gulf Bank’s 51 conveniently located branches or call the Telebanking service on 1805805. Customers can also log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website, for more information.
INTERNATIONAL
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Illegal charcoal exports fuel war Exports destined for Gulf states NAIROBI: Illegal charcoal exports to Gulf states are a big source of income for rebel groups in Somalia, injecting millions of dollars to the war that has devastated the nation, its environment minister said yesterday. The Horn of African country’s environment ministry, which receives just a $12,000 monthly budget, says the level of destruction the business has caused is huge. “These radical groups cut the trees and allow corrupt businessmen to export charcoal from ports they control, and the money is used to perpetuate the killing of civilians,” Burci Hamza said in the Kenyan capital Nairobi. “We cannot wait for security to come while ignoring this disaster.” The minister said his government is in discussions with Gulf states and the Arab League to bar charcoal imports from Somalia. “At this stage, if we convince these countries to stop importing charcoal, they (exporters) will not have a market.” Hamza, who spearheaded Somalia’s signing of
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) treaty in December, said his government would also enlist youths to replant trees in depleted areas. “We have to do something; engage the youth in reforestation projects, offer them an alternative that will have double benefit for the country; security and preserving the environment.” REBELS CONTROL PORTS The UN-backed administration of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, which controls just a few blocks of the capital, outlawed charcoal exports in April 2009, but the order was only enforced at the port of Mogadishu. Al Shabaab, an AlQaeda-linked rebel group, controls the other three ports in the south; Barawe, Merka and Kismayu. The minister warned a human-made disaster was in the making for Somali which has had five years of successive droughts. An environmental campaigner who did not want to be
Yemen seizes Iran ship SANAA: Yemen’s security forces have detained an Iranian ship in Yemeni coastal waters off the island of Socotra because of suspicions about its cargo, and the crew are under investigation, state media said yesterday. The ship, which state media said had entered Yemeni waters illegally, was held after fishermen reported its presence to authorities. The crew, 15 Pakistani sailors and an Iranian captain, are being investigated and the ship searched. “The security apparatus in the Socotra archipelago does not rule out that the Iranian ship may have been involved in smuggling drugs to Yemen,” the Defense Ministry’s online newspaper said. It did not say when the ship was detained. Yemen, at the forefront of Western security concerns since a failed December attack on a USbound plane, boosted security on its coast earlier this year to prevent militants reaching its shores from nearby Somalia to reinforce Al-Qaeda in Yemen. Al Qaeda’s Yemen-based arm claimed responsibility for the failed December attack. Western allies and neighboring oil exporter Saudi Arabia fear Al-Qaeda is exploiting instability on several fronts in impoverished Yemen to recruit and train militants for attacks in the region and beyond. Yemen, whose location at the southern rim of the Arabian Peninsula places it near one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors, is a long-standing base of support for Al-Qaeda. Militants bombed the US Navy warship USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden in 2000, killing 17 US sailors. Yemenis were one of the largest groups to train in Al-Qaeda’s camps in Afghanistan before the Sept 11 attacks in 2001. — Reuters
Israeli journalist detained in Egypt JERUSALEM: Egyptian security officials arrested an Israeli journalist as he tried to sneak across the porous IsraeliEgyptian border with African migrants, his newspaper reported yesterday. An Egyptian security official said the Israeli had no identification papers or money but told his investigators he was reporting on African migrants sneaking into Israel from Egypt. The Haaretz newspaper identified the man as one of its reporters, Yotam Feldman. The paper said the reporter had taken a leave of absence to work on a story for an Israeli TV station. The Israeli military said it was trying to secure the man’s release. A medical official in the Egyptian city of Rafah said the 30-year-old Israeli hurt his hand on the barbed wire fence as he tried to cross the border. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the arrest. Smugglers help thou-
sands of African migrants to cross into Israel every year from Egypt. Would-be border crossers travel thousands of miles and pay about $400 to Bedouin smugglers to sneak them across the border on foot, according to Israeli groups who try to help the migrants. The crossings usually happen late at night to avoid detection by Egyptian border guards, who have been criticized by the United Nations and other international agencies for shooting at migrants as they attempt to breach the border into Israel. Around 60 have been shot dead trying to cross, according to the UN. Over the past few years, the number of illegal migrants attempting to cross into Israel has spiked. Most come from Sudan and the horn of Africa, and many attempt to secure political asylum once they arrive. The number of African asylum-seekers in Israel is around 20,000. — AP
Egypt’s president ‘progressing well’ BERLIN: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is doing well after undergoing surgery just over a week ago, the German hospital that is treating him said yesterday, although shares in Cairo slid on concerns about his health. Mubarak, 81, who has ruled Egypt for almost three decades, had gallbladder surgery on March 6, treatment that has sparked rumors about the seriousness of his condition and weighed on the Egyptian stock exchange. Some traders say the market is unlikely to regain its poise until the president appears on television. “The recovery is progressing well,” said the spokeswoman for Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany. Egypt’s Middle East News Agency reported that Mubarak had sent a cable to congratulate Ireland’s president, Mary McAleese, on an Irish holiday. Though a routine item, any activity related to the president is being watched closely by markets and others. The president temporarily handed powers to his prime minister, Ahmed Nazif, before the surgery. As with other occasions in recent years when Mubarak has been sick or had hospital treatment, the market has reflected concerns among Egyptian and foreign investors about the health of the president, who has no clearly designated successor. — Reuters
named said residents’ attempts at reforestation were thwarted by rebels. “If we try to replant some trees in the areas they have cleared, they think we are working there on behalf of other international organizations. They do not think the residents can take the initiative,” he said. A truck driver who transports charcoal from across the southern region to the Barawe port said smaller forests were disappearing fast as charcoal burners cut down big trees. “About three ships leave every month from the town of Barawe alone,” he said. “Big ships wait offshore and smaller boats take the charcoal to them.” “The cost of this manmade disaster is human lives,” said Bashir Mohamed Abdulkadir, a member of the National Association of Science and Environmental Journalists. “The locals should not be overly confident in their traditional belief that the environment is natural and protected by Allah, they need to stop this business,” he told Reuters. — Reuters
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Israel, US in ‘crisis of historic proportions’ Washington fumes over Israel’s insult JERUSALEM: Israel and the United States are in a “crisis of historic proportions” over a settlement dispute that has brought relations to a 35-year low, Israel’s ambassador to Washington was quoted yesterday as saying. The comments attributed to envoy Michael Oren clashed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attempts to play down tensions with US President Barack Obama’s administration over a West Bank settlement project threatening to derail the renewal of IsraeliPalestinian talks. “Israel’s ties with the United States are in their worst crisis since 1975 ... a crisis of historic proportions,” the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted Oren as telling other Israeli diplomats in a telephone briefing over the weekend. The remarks, also carried by other Israeli media, appeared to refer to US pressure in 1975 for an Israeli redeployment in the Egyptian Sinai, occupied by Israel since the 1967 war and the site of renewed fighting in 1973. Israel’s Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment. An Israeli plan to build 1,600 more homes for Jews in West Bank land annexed to Jerusalem was announced during a visit by US Vice President Joe Biden aimed at ushering in indirect peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Using unusually blunt language, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Israel’s behav-
RAMALLAH: A masked Palestinian runs from tear gas as another flashes V-signs during clashes with Israeli security forces (not seen) at Atara checkpoint north of the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday. — AP ior “insulting”. But in a CNN interview on Friday, she said bilateral ties were “not at risk. I mean, our relationship is durable and strong.” Netanyahu voiced regret on Sunday for what he described as bureaucratic happenstance. “We know how to deal with these situations-with equanimity,
responsibly and seriously,” he said. SETTLEMENT CONSTRUCTION Israeli media reported that Clinton, in a telephone call to Netanyahu on Friday, demanded he reverse the decision to construct the settler homes at Ramat Shlomo. A spokesman for Netanyahu declined to
comment. Palestinian officials have said indirect peace talks, which they agreed last week to hold with Israel under US mediation, could not begin unless the settlement project was cancelled. Scrapping the construction could destabilize Netanyahu’s governing coalition, dominated by pro-settler parties, including his own. During his visit to Israel, Biden steered clear of any public demand of Israel to cancel the project. He termed “significant” assurances from Netanyahu that building at the site, a religious settlement, would not start for years. In Washington, the influential pro-Israel lobbying group, AIPAC, weighed in with a statement that called on the White House to take immediate steps to defuse tension with Israel. “The Obama administration’s recent statements regarding the US relationship with Israel are a matter of serious concern,” AIPAC said. Netanyahu, who has vowed to continue building in and around Jerusalem while reining in construction of Jewish settlements on other occupied land where Palestinians seek a state, is due to attend AIPAC’s annual conference in Washington next week. A US envoy is expected back in the region later in the week to try to get peace talks, suspended since December 2008, under way. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had resisted restarting negotiations without a settlement freeze. — Reuters
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Backlash mounts over Georgia ‘invasion’ hoax TBILISI: Washington and Moscow joined a chorus of criticism yesterday of a Georgian television channel which bewildered and panicked viewers by airing a faked newscast announcing that Russia had invaded. Arch-foe Russia predictably slammed the broadcast as evidence of President Mikheil Saakashvili’s “paranoia” but its chief ally the United States also expressed sharp disapproval over the bizarre incident. Adding to the controversy, the head of the television channel defended the false newscast while Saakashvili made little attempt to distance himself from the furor, saying Georgia remained threatened by a Russian invasion.
The report-aired Saturday night on Imedi television-said Russian tanks were headed for the capital Tbilisi, that Saakashvili had been killed and that some opposition leaders had sided with invading forces. Imedi is seen by some analysts as being linked to the government although its true ownership structure remains a mystery. Previously a pro-opposition channel, it was shut down by police during anti-government protests in 2007 and later sold off under disputed circumstances. Giorgi Arveladze, a close ally of Saakashvili who once served as the president’s chief of staff, took charge of Imedi last year. Arveladze apologized for caus-
ing “shock” with the faked report but said it was not intended to spread panic. “Our goal was to openly lay out the plan prepared in Moscow with all its painful details,” the civil.ge news website quoted him as telling Georgian Public Television in a Sunday night interview. The report showed footage taken from the August 2008 war that saw Russian forces pour into Georgia and bomb targets across the country. A brief notice before the report said it was a “simulation” of possible events but the report itself carried no warning it was a fake. Saakashvili has also appeared to defend the program, saying it depicted an “unpleasant” possible reality, but other
government officials have been highly critical. Despite Imedi’s purported links with the government, analysts said it was unlikely the scandal would do serious damage to Saakashvili and his allies, who rose to power in the 2003 Rose Revolution that ousted the old elite. “Many people are very angry that they were misled,” political analyst Gia Nodia said. “There is a lot of criticism but the government has managed to distance itself from this programming. The criticism will continue for some days but I don’t think it will have a lasting impact.” In a rare American rebuke over Georgia, US ambassador to Tbilisi John Bass slammed the program as not “par-
ticularly constructive” and said he did not see how it could help address security threats. “That is, to my mind, quite irresponsible. It’s not in keeping to what we would consider standards of professional journalism,” civil.ge quoted him as saying in a televised interview Sunday. Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said “the provocative broadcast has had a negative effect on security and stability in the region.” “Political paranoia has never had a positive effect,” he added. Georgia’s opposition claimed the broadcast was a state-sponsored stunt aimed at smearing government critics by portraying them as
potential traitors. They have long accused the authorities of using national television networks including Imedi to attack government critics. The country has been coming under increasing fire from international press-freedom groups over the government’s alleged manipulation of the media, in particular television news. In his interview, Arveladze seemed to imply that viewers were to blame for not understanding that the report was a fake. “It was a miscalculation to think that the society would have perceived the broadcast adequately,” he said, adding that no one at the channel would face disciplinary action over the incident. — AFP
Putin’s party wins regional elections as support wanes Opposition say elections marred by violations
MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin talks during a session of the Russian Geographic Society in Moscow yesterday. — AP
First non US-built Black Hawk unveiled in Poland Weak Polish arms industry hit by crisis MIELEC: The first US Black Hawk S-70i military helicopter to be made outside of the United States was unveiled in Poland yesterday at a plant that once serviced Nazi aircraft and built planes for the Communist bloc. The US Sikorsky Aircraft Corp, an arm of United Technologies, bought the PZL Mielec plane plant in 2007 after it had fallen into decline. “We are the first site of Black Hawk S-70i production outside the United States. It’s such a renowned product, we are proud of it,” the plant director, Janusz Zakrecki said. The $12-14 million helicopter will now go for quality tests in the United States and be offered for sale in late 2010, Zakrecki said, adding he planned to have a second aircraft ready in the autumn. “In two or three years time we plan to produce around 20 such helicopters annually. With bigger output we will need to hire more people,” he said. About 2,000 workers
currently work at the plant and any new jobs will be welcome news to this city of 62,000 in the southeast, one of Poland’s poorest regions. Aircraft production in Mielec started before World War Two serving the Polish armed forces, but after Germany invaded in 1939 the Nazi’s used the site to fix their planes. After the war it produced planes for the Soviet Union. The plant was central to the town’s prosperity, employing as many as 23,000 workers at its peak. After the fall of communism in 1989 the plant experienced a slump in orders, a decline compounded by the recent economic crisis and cuts in Polish defense spending. “I’m sure that alone we would not have managed to keep it running. And with the economic crisis, this would most certainly bring a catastrophe to the factory if the investor (United Technologies) was not here. The plant was on the edge already when the investor appeared,” Mielec mayor,
Janusz Chodorowski, told Reuters. Sikorsky has some 17,000 employees worldwide including a plant producing Black Hawk cabins in the neighboring Czech Republic and a similar facility in Turkey. Unemployment in Mielec stands at about 12 percent, just below the national average of about 13 percent. “The best proof of the change that occurred here is the look of the hangars themselves. The working culture the Americans brought here is really high,” said Grzegorz Czachor, who has worked for PZL Mielec since 1985. “The money they invested, the technology they brought here is a good prognosis for the future for us,” he said at the Black Hawks construction hangar. “We found the skill-set, expertise and craftsmanship in Mielec that met our requirements,” said Matthew Rodgers, a Sikorsky PR officer. “We’re here for the long-haul.” —Reuters
Brown vows to stay put LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said yesterday that he intended to stay on as leader of the Labor party, even if it fails to win a majority at an election expected in May. The opposition Conservative party, seeking to end 13 years of Labor government in Britain, are ahead in opinion polls by a slim margin, with some surveys suggesting a hung parliament, in which neither main party wins a parliamentary majority. Asked whether he owed it to the Labor party to quit as leader if he failed to get a “decent” majority in the election, Brown told BBC Radio 4: “I owe it to people to continue and complete the work we have started of taking this country out of the most difficult global financial recession.” “I’ll keep going,” he added. “I’ll keep going because I want a majority. I’ll keep going.” If no party wins a majority in the election, the party with the most seats could attempt to push ahead with minority support, rather than try and form a coalition, and then hold another election later in the year to try and secure a majority. Brown, who is under pressure to detail the government’s plans to deal with a record budget deficit, also said there would be “more information” in the budget on March 24 about already announced spending cuts,
such as to public sector pay. But he reiterated that economic uncertainty remained. “We don’t know yet what savings we can get from keeping unemployment down, but that runs into billions of pounds,” he said. “If we have these savings we can use them to fund our departments, if we don’t have these savings it makes it more difficult.” “So there is a degree of uncertainty at the moment about what you can do in the future because of what is happening to both
unemployment and debt interest rates and the growth of the economy.” Both Labor and the Conservatives have said they were committed to tackling the deficit, which is projected to grow to more than 12 percent of GDP this year, but they disagree about the timing. Labor argues that withdrawing stimulus too soon would endanger a nascent recovery, while the Conservatives say the debt is holding back growth and tough action is necessary now. — Reuters
TAMWORTH: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (center) looks on during the Basra Memorial Wall service of rededication at the National Memorial Arboretum in this file photo.—AFP
MOSCOW: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s ruling party won a string of regional elections but its support dropped sharply in some areas, results showed yesterday, amid rising anger at price rises and growing unemployment. Opposition parties said the elections were marred by widespread violations and showed President Dmitry Medvedev had failed to follow through on a pledge to loosen the Kremlin’s grip of the political system. About 32 million of Russia’s 110 million registered voters were eligible to vote in Sunday elections for eight of 83 regional parliaments, five city mayors and dozens of town councils. The turnout in the elections was about 43 percent. United Russia easily won control of all eight regional parliaments, but its support was down significantly in seven compared with 2007 parliamentary elections. The party’s support fell by about 25 percentage points compared with 2007 in the Urals Mountains region of Sverdlovsk to 39.79 percent, results showed. It grew in one region, Voronezh, by 14 percentage points to 62 percent. In another blow, United Russia was beaten in the election for mayor in the Siberian city of Irkutsk to a candidate from the opposition Communist Party. “United Russia’s popularity is clearly falling due to the crisis,” said Nikolai Petrov, an analyst with the US-funded Carnegie Centre in Moscow. United Russia’s popularity has taken a hit since the global economic crisis brought an abrupt halt to 10 years of rapid economic growth. The party spent much of its campaign trying to deflect growing anger over rapid hikes in prices for communal services and growing unemployment, which has sparked a series of large opposition protests in recent months. Golos, Russia’s leading election watchdog, said the election campaign was as dirty as any in recent years, complaining of United Russia’s domination of the media. The electoral commission blocked the opposition Yabloko party from standing in two regional votes after thousands of signatures collected by the party were ruled invalid. Federal election officials have dismissed opposition complaints of bias and said it had received almost 50 percent fewer complaints than during the last round of regional elections in October last year. “Of course there were minor violations, but nothing that would affect the results of the elections,” senior United Russia parliamentarian Andrei Vorobyov told Vesti-24 television. —Reuters
MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gestures while delivering a speech at the Kremlin yesterday.—AFP
Medvedev’s anti-corruption drive makes little difference Russian corruption ‘may force Western firms to quit’ MOSCOW: Extortion by corrupt officials in Russia has got so bad that some Western multinationals are considering pulling out altogether, the head of a US anti-bribery group said in an interview. Alexandra Wrage, whose non-profit organization TRACE International advises firms on how to avoid bribery, told Reuters the “rampant endemic” corruption in Russia was much worse than in other big emerging economies. “My recommendation is: ‘Maybe you should reconsider doing business in Russia’”, she said. “I am considerably more optimistic about Nigeria than I am about Russia on this issue.” Berlin-based NGO Transparency International rates Russia joint 146th out of 180 nations in its Corruption Perception Index, saying bribe-taking is worth about $300 billion a year. “A lot of the conversations (with businesses) around Russia are: ‘Can we stay there ?’,” Wrage said during a visit to Moscow last week to run a workshop for over 100 mainly Western firms. “Companies are fearful of the US Department of Justice or the UK SFO (Serious Fraud Office) ... they are really scrambling to get it right, and really struggling and, in the case of more than one company, talking about pulling out.” Wrage declined to name firms considering leaving but Swedish furniture retailer IKEA said last year it was halting further expansion in Russia because of “the unpredictable character of administrative procedures in some regions”. Wrage recalled a question at her first workshop in Moscow in 2002 which underlined the unique dangers of Russian corruption: “Somebody came up to me in the break and said: ‘If I don’t pay the bribes here, I am really worried that my office will be burned to the ground’”. Her reply? “Well, I have nothing to give you. I don’t have any best practice tips to help with that scenario.” Corruption in emerging market economies
typically involves payments to secure business but in Russia most bribes go to officials to stop them from abusing their office, Wrage said. Questions included how to avoid getting your company shut down on a trumped-up charge if you did not pay off an official, through to corporate raiding by Russian competitors with official connivance which could mean losing the whole company. Businesses were asking: “How do we survive here without paying bribes, because we’re not sure it’s possible,” she added. Wrage serves on a US-Russia government commission created to strengthen ties by sharing expertise. She was skeptical about Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s repeated pledges to fight corruption, though she acknowledged they had contributed to a bigger public debate on the issue. “There is a new and exciting anti-corruption initiative here with startling regularity,” she said. “We don’t need any more initiatives, we need results.” TRACE has studied other leading emerging economies. In China, it describes corruption as an “inverted pyramid”, with most bribery at the top while India is the opposite, with corruption rampant at lower levels but tapering off higher up. “Russia is a solid block. There is bribery at all levels,” Wrage said. “There appears to be sense of near-complete impunity, a sense of entitlement ... there is no sympathetic low level management, no sympathetic mid-level management, or sympathy at the top (for anti-bribery efforts).” “Each time I leave here, I sit at the airport and send my husband an e-mail saying: ‘I think I’m going to wrap up our efforts here, I don’t feel like I can advance ... and then I go back and we poll our member companies and they go: “‘Can we do another workshop on Russia because we’re really worried about Russia ?’” — Reuters
Swoop on mafia nets 69 MADRID: Authorities arrested at least 69 people in six European countries yesterday in a swoop on the Georgian mafia, a Spanish judicial official said. Most of the arrests were in Spain, Germany and Austria, but suspects were also picked up in Switzerland, Italy and France, the official said on condition of anonymity. They were detained on suspicion of drugs and weapons trafficking, money laundering, extortion and conspiracy to murder, the source said. Spanish national radio said the suspects were mostly Georgians and Russians. A police source had said earlier the operation, called “Java”, was aimed at the Russian mafia. The judicial official said 24 of those held were arrested in Spain, most of them in Barcelona and Valencia. The suspects were employed by the Georgian mafia after arriving in Spain, where they led quiet
lives, avoiding conspicuous displays of wealth, the source said. Three suspects were arrested in France, near Paris, as part of the operation and accused of theft and receiving stolen goods, police said. The crackdown was coordinated at a European level by anti-corruption prosecutors in Spain, who described it as a “major” operation, the judicial source said. The operation is the third in Spain against organized crime gangs from eastern Europe. Operation Avispa in 2005 and 2006 led to the arrests of 28 Russians, Ukrainians, Georgians and Spaniards. In Operation Troika in 2008, Spanish police broke up an organized crime network based in the Russian city of St Petersburg, arresting 20 people. Police described that gang, the Tambovskaya-Malyshevskaya, as “one of the four biggest in the world”. — AFP
INTERNATIONAL
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Radio station, a lifeline in quake-stricken Chilean town CONSTITUCION: Two days after Chile’s monster earthquake and tsunami pummeled this seaside town, the manager of its sole news radio station hauled broadcast gear three blocks from its damaged studio to a bench outside town hall. There he ran an antenna up the flagpole and plugged into city hall’s emergency power grid, courtesy of Mayor Hugo Telleria. “This is 100.5 FM, Radio Nuevo Mundo, broadcasting from Constitucion, a city getting back in its feet!” Roden Arevalo Parada, 41, cried into a microphone one recent afternoon as he adjusted sound levels on the mixer. “Have strength, Chile! Have strength, Constitucion!” The 8.8-magnitude quake that struck on February 27 destroyed about a third of the buildings in this town of 50,000. Its waterfront was reduced to a mass of twisted metal and split wood by giant tsunami waves that
followed the quake. Some 85 Constitucion residents died in the quake, though many more are believed to have been swept away by the ocean. Arevalo and his only employee, Moises Fuenzalia, aired their show from the bench for nearly two weeks, from mid-morning until power was cut off an hour before midnight. Along with an evangelical station called Radio Apocalipsis, Nuevo Mundo-New World-is one of just two local stations on air since the quake. There are no local TV stations on air. Following strong aftershocks and a downtown tsunami alert, by Sunday they were temporarily back in their damaged broadcast studio, with intermittent access to electricity. “The walls are cracked but we have no option, we must continue broadcasting,” Arevalo said. Arevalo hooks up to Nuevo Mundo’s national
network three times a day. “In the first days after the earthquake we were able to get personal messages out to the rest of the country,” he said. “I’m heard from Iquique to Punta Arenas,” far northern and far southern cities along Chile’s 4,300 kilometer long coastline. On a recent evening Fuenzalia cornered Laura Albornoz, Santiago’s representative in town, outside the two-story, whitewashed municipal building. “Why is aid so slow in arriving here?” he demanded. “Why has power not been restored yet? There are hungry people here!” Angel Galvez Gonzalez, who lived near the waterfront, fled with his family to high ground and escaped the tsunami. The waves destroyed his home and his eight-meter long fishing boat. “I’ve lost my livelihood,” he told Arevalo, who at the time was broadcasting from the bench. But that was
CONSTITUCION: Chilean radio jockey Roden Arevalo Parada is on the air from a park bench in Constitucion, Chile. — AFP
not why he wanted to go on air. Arevalo put him on. “I’m trying to get food for 25 families in the Estadio neighborhood,” said Galvez. “The local government is very disorganized-how can it be that more than a week after the earthquake we haven’t received help? “We are all families that depend on fishing. We can get back to work immediately, but we lost everything and need help,” he said. Exhausted city workers were driving around town dropping off bags of food to families in need, an effort heavily dependent on donated food and volunteers. With thousands of people in Constitucion still without running water and food stores closed, it’s impossible for them to feed the whole city. The army set up a field soup kitchen, and for a few days a supermarket chain handed out free warm meals in the main plaza.
Occasionally a truck pulls up on a street corner and its driver hands out supplies, courtesy of ad-hoc donors. Money is especially scarce. The quake struck the day before payday. Galvez said that many employers were now reluctant to pay. Locals approach Arevalo sometimes when he is on air and deliver hand-written lists detailing their needs. “We need milk, diapers and bread in the Cerro Alto neighborhood,” read a note signed by Daniel Torres. A woman named Lucia Arellano said she needed a kettle, a pot, and size 44 men’s shoes. Another woman said she needed diapers and shoes for her children, but forgot to mention what size. Two young men approached Arevalo: “We hitchhiked from Santiago to help,” one of them said. “We’re available to move things, to clean up-whatever is needed.” Fernando Mejias needed help mov-
ing furniture from his tsunami-damaged home. “I have a few things left to move a very short distance,” he said. “I’ll wait in front of the municipal building.” Arevalo said he must constantly rally his listeners, many of whom are sinking into a postquake depression. “If you see an old man, or old lady, or someone who seems disheartened, help them! We are all together here working hard- Constitucion is recovering!” Many locals fear an even stronger earthquake, said Barbara Concha, 19. “This creates a state of psychosis,” she said. Powerful aftershocks only reinforced that fear. The visitors dispersed, and Arevalo plugged in some music. He took off his headphones and sat down on the bench. “Radio has momentarily recovered the place of importance that it had back in the old days,” he said with a weary smile. — AFP
‘Hit teams’ attack US consular staff
CIUDAD JUAREZ: The crashed car of a US consulate employee and her husband sit at a crime scene in Ciudad Juarez. — AP
Defense official running ‘private spy operation’ WASHINGTON: A Defense Department official is under investigation for hiring private contractors to gather intelligence on suspected insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan, The New York Times reported Sunday. That information was then supplied to military units and intelligence officials, the Times said, citing anonymous military and business sources in the United States and Afghanistan. The scheme violated US policy against using contractors as spies. Michael D Furlong was reported to have hired contractors from a private company run by retired Special Forces officers for what some of
the Times’ sources described as an off-thebooks spy operation. Some of the Times’ sources said the information gathered by the contractors was used by the military to track down and attack militants. The officials who spoke to the newspaper said they were not sure who condoned Furlong’s operation, and it may have been funded by diverting money from a program intended to merely gather information about the area. They also said the operation appears to have been shut down while Furlong is under criminal investigation by the Defense Department. — AP
SANTIAGO: A car’s lights illuminate a building during a blackout in Santiago. More than half of the country was affected by the blackout. — AP
Power blackout hits quake-ravaged Chile Transformer failure knocks out a main power grid SANTIAGO: Cities across Chile were without power on Sunday and output at some mines disrupted after a main power grid failed in an outage in the wake of a massive earthquake that killed hundreds and ravaged infrastructure a fortnight ago. Energy Minister Ricardo Rainieri said the quake had left Chile’s power grid fragile, and urged ordinary Chileans to hold back on energy consumption. State mining giant Codelco, the world’s top copper producer, said the disruption shut its mines in central Chile. Codelco’s Teniente division was operating with emergency equipment and output was partially affected, a mine official said, though power was returning. But Codelco’s Norte division in the northern part of the country was unaffected. Global miner BHP Billiton’s Escondida deposit, the world’s largest copper mine, was operating normally and was not affected, a union leader said. Most of Chile’s copper mines are on the northern power grid, which was not hit by the blackout on the central grid. The power outage comes just days after conservative President Sebastian Pinera took power, ending two-decades of centerleft rule. Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter said the blackout was due to a problem with a-500 kilowatt transformer. “Fortunately the reason for the failure has been identified,” he said. “Electricity is
gradually returning and hopefully it will resume in the coming hours.” Hinzpeter told Radio Cooperativa Chile could fully recover power by midnight (0300 GMT). The blackout began at 8:50 pm and affected the capital, Santiago, as well as cities such as the quake- devastated city of Concepcion. Eduardo Ricke Munoz, director of the country’s main power grid, told local television that electricity could return within two hours. Hinzpeter said that while the power outage was not directly related to an 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Feb. 27, there would be an investigation to see whether there was an indirect cause. Electricity distribution was affected in the immediate aftermath of the quake. Power was slowly coming back to some parts of Santiago, but many other cities were still in darkness. Phone service was also down in much of the country, witnesses said. “To be honest, I’m not scared,” said 24-year-old mechanic Francisco Silva. “They say it was a power cut because the earthquake left the electricity lines weakened.” “I am calm, because I think the government can solve the problems,” he added. “We have no option but to confide in it.” The Central Interconnected System, or SIC grid, was the one affected. It delivers power to many cities in the country including the capital. — Reuters
CIUDAD JUAREZ: Gunmen in the drug war-plagued Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez killed two Americans and a Mexican linked to the local US consulate and President Barack Obama expressed outrage at the attack. An American woman working at the consulate in Ciudad Juarez, just over the border from El Paso, Texas, and her US husband were shot dead by suspected drug gang hitmen in broad daylight on Saturday as they left a consulate social event, US and Mexican officials said. A Mexican man married to another consulate employee was killed around the same time in another part of the city after he and his wife left the same event, a US official said. The official, who asked not to be identified, said it was not clear if the victims had been specifically targeted, and the motive for the attacks was unknown. Bloodshed has exploded in recent months in Ciudad Juarez as the head of the Juarez cartel, Vicente Carrillo Fuentes, fights off a
AIPAC raises alarm over US-Israel spat WASHINGTON: A major proIsrael US lobby group has warned that recent US administration remarks about bilateral ties with Israel were “of serious concern,” and urged the White House to ease tensions. Remarks by President Barack Obama’s administration “regarding the US relationship with Israel are a matter of serious concern,” said the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in a statement issued Sunday. “AIPAC calls on the administration to take immediate steps to defuse the tension with the Jewish State,” it added. The statement came amid diplomatic upheaval between Washington and Jerusalem after Israel announced new settlement construction as US Vice President Joe Biden visited the region to boost indirect peace talks. Administration officials including Biden, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and senior Obama advisor David Axelrod have slammed the new construction and the timing of the announcement as insulting and destructive. AIPAC, considered the most influential pro-Israel pressure group in the United States, has support across the political spectrum in Congress and routinely attracts senior US and Israeli political figures to its annual conference. This year, both Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are due to address the conference, scheduled for March 2123. In their statement Sunday, AIPAC warned that “the escalated rhetoric of recent days” was distracting from “the urgent issue of Iran’s rapid pursuit of nuclear weapons, and the pursuit of peace between Israel and all her Arab neighbors.” “The administration should make a conscious effort to move away from public demands and unilateral deadlines directed at Israel, with whom the United States shares basic, fundamental, and strategic interests,” AIPAC added. In an attempt at damage control, Netanyahu has set up a committee to investigate the settlement announcement, allegedly made without his knowledge, and offered an apology for its timing. — AFP
Obama outraged; Juarez cartel suspected bloody offensive by Mexico’s No. 1 fugitive drug lord, Joaquin “Shorty” Guzman, at the worst hotspot of Mexico’s three-year-old drug war. “The president is deeply saddened and outraged by the news,” said White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer. He said Obama “shares in the outrage of the Mexican people at the murders of thousands in Ciudad Juarez and elsewhere in Mexico.” The State Department updated its warning on travel to Mexico to say it had authorized the departure of dependents of US government personnel from consulates in Ciudad Juarez and five other northern border cities. “The safety and security of our personnel and their families in Mexico and at posts around the world is always our highest priority,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in statement. “These appalling assaults on members of our
own State Department family are, sadly, part of a growing tragedy besetting many communities in Mexico.” Nearly 19,000 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon came to power in Mexico in late 2006 and launched a military assault on the country’s powerful drug cartels, sparking a surge in violence that has alarmed Washington, foreign investors and tourists. Most victims are rival traffickers and police, and to a lesser extent soldiers, local officials and bystanders. It is rare for drug gang hitmen to target foreigners. Saturday’s murders may be have been carried out by gangs related to the Juarez cartel, which has controlled cocaine trafficking in the region, the Chihuahua state government said in a statement. “The Mexican authorities are determined to clarify what happened and bring those responsible to justice,” the
Mexican Foreign Ministry said of the killings. CHILDREN SURVIVE SHOOTING The attack on the US couple began with a car chase and ended in front of the main border crossing into El Paso, an area heavily patrolled by soldiers, local newspaper El Diario reported. The couple’s baby girl survived the attack. The Mexican spouse was murdered in an upscale neighborhood of the city when gunmen boxed in his car with other vehicles and shot him, according to a local newspaper photographer who soon arrived at the scene. The dead man’s wife, who was following in a second car, was unhurt, but their two children were wounded. Calderon was already scheduled to visit Ciudad Juarez on Tuesday, his third trip there in a month, as he scrambles to find a way to deal with a surge in killings that
8,000 troops and federal police on the ground have failed to curb. The drug war has killed more than 4,600 people in the manufacturing city in two years, and constant scenes of bullet-ridden vehicles and bodies lying in pools of blood have prompted many middle-class residents to flee. Across Mexico, drug violence is at its worst level ever, and many US students have heeded warnings not to cross the border this year for their annual “spring break” vacation. A burst of drug gang clashes killed at least 27 people, including four who were beheaded, this weekend around the Pacific resort of Acapulco. At least 13 were killed on Saturday and at least 14 on Sunday, police said. They included nine men killed in a shootout and a young woman shot as she drove by in a taxi. Obama voiced his support for Calderon’s drug war during a visit to Mexico last year, but the rising violence along the border with Mexico has become a big concern for Washington. — Reuters
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Britain’s Miliband visits China amid rancor BEIJING: Iran’s nuclear program poses a “real threat” to international security and leading nations need to join ranks to prevent the country becoming a nuclear weapons state, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said yesterday. Miliband’s comments came on the first day of a visit to China, which is resisting a push by Britain, the US and others for a fourth round of sanctions to pressure Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program. With Russia appearing to move closer to supporting new sanctions, China, which depends on Iran for much of its energy needs - would be the only one of five vetowielding permanent UN Security Council members opposed to the measures. Despite the disagreement, the five countries are “all agreed on the end goal which is that Iran must not become a nuclear weapons state,” Miliband said while visiting a training base for UN peacekeepers on the outskirts of Beijing. “And we all agreed on a dual-track strategy which is on the one hand engagement with Iran and at the same time pres-
sure,” he said. Miliband said he would use talks with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to “discuss further how we address this real threat that the Iranian nuclear program poses to international security.” Iran denies it intends to build nuclear weapons and says its program is only for peaceful purposes like power generation. Miliband’s visit is also being seen as an opportunity to smooth rancor with Beijing over the failure of December’s Copenhagen climate change talks to forge a binding accord on cutting emissions and the execution of a British drug smuggler thought to be mentally ill. During an earlier stop in China’s financial hub of Shanghai, Miliband inaugurated the $38 million British pavilion at the Shanghai Expo and made a speech to students that called for progress on a global warming agreement and warned of the dangers of new barriers for foreign businesses in developing nations.
SHANGHAI: British Foreign Secretary David Miliband delivers a speech in front of the nearly completed United Kingdom pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai yesterday.— AFP
China takes over from West as Iran’s economic partner Bilateral trade worth $21.2 billion TEHRAN: China has emerged as Iran’s top economic partner, investing heavily in the energy sector and filling the gaps left by Western firms forced out by international sanctions. In 2009, China became Iran’s premier trade partner, with bilateral trade worth 21.2 billion dollars against 14.4 billion dollars three years earlier. The figures confirm the exponential growth in commer-
cial ties between the two countries, which were almost non-existent 15 years ago, when trade volumes amounted to just 400 million dollars. According to official data, Western sanctions have opened the way for Chinese companies, which last year directly supplied Iran with 13 percent ($7.9 billion) of its imports.
BANGKOK: Supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra march to the 11th Infantry Regiment headquarters where Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been hunkered down in Bangkok yesterday. — AP
Will Thai government ride out the storm? BANGKOK: Streams of Thai “red shirt” protesters converged yesterday on a military base housing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to press him to call a new election, a demand he refused to meet. While the protests by supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra have had no significant impact on Thailand’s stock market so far, the size of the rally and simmering tensions highlight a deep political divide that could hurt growth, consumer confidence and the country’s long-term investment image. Following are possible scenarios: GOVERNMENT RIDES OUT PROTESTS; STOCK MARKET RISES The ability of the “red shirts” to mobilize more than 150,000 rural people has delivered a strong message of public discontent but will probably fail to topple a government backed by the powerful military and establishment elite. Failure to oust the government would prolong an uneasy status quo, but that has not affected financial markets much in recent weeks, with foreign investors continuing to pour money into relatively cheap Thailand and other regional markets. However, the rally has illustrated the extent of the polarization, which has made investors think twice about expansion in Thailand over the longer term. If another pro-Thaksin party eventually returns to power, it will probably face protests of its own, another intervention by the military or the kind of judicial intervention that put paid to pro-Thaksin governments in 2008. While foreign investors are piling into Thailand’s stock market, foreign companies are less enthusiastic about capital investment and are forecast to cut investment pledges this year by 15 percent.
VIOLENCE ERUPTS BUT QUELLED; NEAR-TERM MARKET VOLATILITY Violence breaks out, triggered either by “red shirts” or outside agitators keen to stir up trouble to discredit the movement. This could cause near-term volatility in Thai stocks, with selling by small investors offset by buying by foreign investors focused on longer-term economic fundamentals in a region bouncing back from the financial crisis. Foreign investors helped to drive a 63 percent rise in Thai stocks last year despite violent riots in April. Bond yields could fall on expectations the Bank of Thailand would keep its benchmark rate at a record low of 1.25 percent longer than expected. Economists expect an increase around the middle of the year as the economy recovers. The likely scenario would see security forces breaking up the rally, handing a public relations victory to the government and further denting the reputation of the “red shirts”, vilified after last year’s riots. A measured response by the government could bring confidence to investors in the short term but, again, political divisions would continue to cloud the long-term investment outlook, with an election due to be called by the end of next year. PROTEST CAUSES COALITION TO CRUMBLE; MARKETS TAKE HIT The mild-tempered protest becomes more heated, piling pressure on the government, increasing tension in the capital and leading to the invoking of an emergency decree. This response could raise questions about the government’s stability and spark a flurry of behind-the-scenes negotiations among the political parties, with Thaksin sure to be involved. Some of Abhisit’s already disgruntled
coalition partners could break away, with money politics prevailing, leading to switches of allegiance to the pro-Thaksin opposition, the Puea Thai Party, which remains popular in the vote-rich countryside. In this scenario, Puea Thai would table a no-confidence motion against Abhisit, which gets the backing of the house. Puea Thai would then lead a new coalition government. Markets would fall on concerns about instability that could ensue, given the likelihood a Puea Thai-led government would anger the potent “yellow shirts” movement, increasing the risk of another pro-Thaksin government being toppled and a backlash by supporters of the new administration. But this scenario remains unlikely due to the staunch backing Abhist enjoys from Thailand’s army, royal advisers and business elites. Coalition partners may not be entirely happy with Abhisit but the likely promise of bigger budgets for them to oversee will keep them onside. PROTESTS TURN VIOLENT Violence ensues, security forces are unable to control the crowd and a state of emergency is declared. Bangkok is paralyzed, government buildings are targeted. A crackdown by the military causes many casualties. Abhisit is no longer able to govern and announces parliament has been dissolved. He serves as a caretaker until new elections. This scenario, highly unlikely, could prompt mass selling by local and foreign investors fearful of heightened instability and the potential for more stalemate and unrest. Faced with the possibility of a proThaksin government winning the election, and the strong chance of another intervention by Thaksin’s powerful opponents, foreign investors would prefer other regional markets with recovering economies and shun Thailand. — Reuters
Iranian estimates also suggest that an equivalent amount was imported indirectly through the United Arab Emirates in 2009. The West is pressuring China, one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, to back further sanctions against Iran over its controversial nuclear program. But new sanctions could harm the Asian powerhouse’s burgeoning economic ties with the Islamic republic and Beijing insists diplomacy is the best way to end the standoff. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband is in China this week for talks in which Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions are certain to be raised. Prior to China’s ascendancy, Germany was Iran’s largest importer for more than 20 years. Now the growth in Sino-Iranian trade ties is expected to continue in 2010 with the recovery of the global economy, according to a European analyst. Chinese companies are also making investments in a number of major projects in Iran, like the construction of a motorway linking Tehran and the Caspian Sea, via the Alborz mountains. China is investing significantly in Iran’s energy sector, although its oil purchases from the Islamic republic are a meager 11.4 percent, far behind Angola and Saudi Arabia, which supply more than half of Beijing’s crude imports. With some 15 to 20 billion dollars worth of oil and gas contracts signed and an equivalent amount of new investments being negotiated, according to oil experts in Tehran, energy-hungry China has emerged as Iran’s largest foreign investor. “There is only Beijing which is still investing massively in Iran,” said one expert, speaking on condition of anonymity. “The political pressures, financial problems caused by the banking restrictions and the uncertain economic returns have discouraged companies like Total, Shell, ENI and Statoil from renewing their investments in Iran,” he added. “China, which does not have these constraints and is concerned with securing its longterm energy needs, has taken the lead since 2005.” Iranian Oil Minister Masoud Mirkazemi backs this arguments, saying Chinese leaders will not “allow others to intervene” when it comes to Beijing’s ties with Tehran. “We have good cooperation with China. I congratulate the Chinese leadership which is seeking its nation’s interest and wants to have a secure source of energy,” Mirkazemi told reporters yesterday. China National Petroleum Corp, the country’s largest oil firm, and its subsidiary Petrochina agreed last year to invest some eight to nine billion dollars in one gas and two oil projects in Iran. The oil projects are in Khuzestan, in southwestern Iran, while the gas project is at the giant South Pars field in the Gulf, where the Chinese firms replaced France’s Total. Sinopec, China’s largest oil refining company, has also been involved since 2007 in exploiting Khuzestan’s Yadavaran oil field, which envisages an investment of nearly three billion dollars. Britain’s Financial Times said in a report this month that Chinese companies are now supplying one-third of Iranian imports of petroleum products following the withdrawal of major Western suppliers. — AFP
“This not only increases protectionist pressures in Europe and the US. It also deprives China and other emerging economies of cutting-edge technologies, which, in turn, raises their own competitiveness,” Miliband said. His speech made no mention of Iran or the continuing friction between London and Beijing that has played out in dueling accusations, diplomatic protests and statements in the media. Britain-China ties deteriorated last December after China ignored personal appeals from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown not to execute 53-year-old Akmal Shaikh for drug smuggling. Shaikh’s family said he was mentally unstable and was lured to China from a life on the street in Poland by men playing on his dreams to record a pop song for world peace. Brown said he was “appalled” by the execution - China’s first of a European citizen in nearly 60 years - prompting a warning from Beijing that such comments threatened to damage ties. Even before that exchange, the two had clashed over December’s UN-spon-
sored Copenhagen climate talks that ended without a binding agreement on emissions reductions. In the aftermath, Britain’s climate change minister, Edward Miliband David Miliband’s brother - published an editorial singling out China as the culprit behind the talks’ near collapse. Milliband did not refer to that dispute, but said Britain was “very disappointed” by Copenhagen and greater efforts were needed to come up with an agreement ahead of the next major climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico, in December. China’s relations with the United States have also been fraught with tension over US arms sales to Taiwan, President Barack Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama, trade issues and China’s handling of the Iran nuclear issue. While Beijing has lately cooled its angry rhetoric over such issues, a fence-mending visit to Beijing this month by US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg and senior White House Asia adviser Jeffrey Bader apparently produced no breakthroughs. — AP
Flamboyant ‘princeling’ eyes China’s top ranks BEIJING: All smiles and lanky grace, and 45 minutes late for maximum effect, the top official of China’s southwestern city of Chongqing swept into a weekend parliamentary meeting preceded by a wave of TV cameras and popping flashbulbs. Welcome to China’s first modern political campaign. Chongqing Communist Party Secretary Bo Xilai is mounting a daring bid for the nation’s top political body, the Party’s Politburo Standing Committee, by appealing to millions with no votejournalists, common people and Internet users. It is far from clear if Bo will succeed, but if he does he will have made an end-run on the Communists’ carefully managed leadership succession plan for 2012, designed so that infighting would not derail the Party’s grip on power. Bo has captured national attention with a crackdown on gangs and corrupt police officers in Chongqing, China’s wartime capital, but he has also alienated political peers. The anti-mafia campaign has nabbed more than 3,300 people, including the city’s powerful police chief, and tapped into popular anger over the corruption and collusion that has accompanied China’s economic boom. “Bo has a good chance at the standing committee in 2012,” said Bo Zhiyue, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore. “A few months ago it was not certain, because he was gaining popularity with the netizens and local people, but alienating a lot of elites. With this popular pressure, now elites are coming around.” But other analysts say Bo’s flamboyant style is likely to hurt, not help, his bid. Yet others say he departed from the Communist tradition of keeping one’s head low because Bo is already out of the running. Bo, a former commerce minister and mayor of the northeastern port city of Dalian where he wooed foreign investors, dresses sharply and has a flair for the dramatic. His directness and independent streak impresses foreigners but annoys peers, who prefer to rule through backdoor consensus and stilted slogans. ‘HERO IN PEACETIME’ TRIBUTE “Amongst Communist Party leaders, he’s extremely charming. He’s very popular, and is bold and decisive in his actions,” said musician Li Lei, who hailed Bo as a “Hero in Peacetime” in an earnest online tribute. “He has done some real good for the common people. His attack on organized crime has been extremely popular,” Li added. But analysts note that no one in the top leadership has publicly praised Bo or the crackdown on organized crime. Bo treated journalists to a two-hour news conference complete with his star entrance, photogenic smile and humorous chiding after the rare question he did not want to answer.
“I’ve gotten lots of support from online. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank netizens across China for their support,” said Bo, who appeared to revel in the limelight. Bo, 60, is a son of late vicepremier Bi Yibo, making the younger Bo a “princeling”-the children of incumbent, retired or late leaders. His wife is a lawyer and their son, Bo Guagua, a student at Oxford University whose Facebook photos from parties caused their own Internet stir. Bo’s campaign directly challenges his immediate predecessors. Standing Committee member He Guoqiang and Wang Yang, up-andcoming Party secretary of the booming southern province of Guangdong and a close ally of President Hu Jintao. “We couldn’t not do the crackdown,” Bo said at Saturday’s parliamentary session. He pointedly added that many of the unsolved cases dated back seven years, as delegates listened in deep silence, their expressions ranging from grim to grins. “I was very surprised there were so many problems. It was more serious than I thought.” China’s most populous city, Chongqing, is poised to become an economic powerhouse. While wooing investors, Bo also envisions atcost housing for rural poor and migrant laborers, designed to appeal to President Hu’s goal of creating a “harmonious society”. He calls his vision “Peaceful Chongqing.” It includes text messages with Maoist slogans and group singing of old-style revolutionary songs by civil servants, who must also adopt poor families and staff petition offices where citizens can complain. The city spent 50 billion yuan ($7.33 billion) last year to address petitioners’ problems, he says. “I think this campaign has improved Bo’s chances of getting back to Beijing. At least, they are better than when he first got to Chongqing,” said Simon Kei, author of “China’s New Deal”, a book based in part on Kei’s news reporting in Chongqing. “This campaign has pleased the “two olds”, old cadres and the ‘old hundred names’,” a Chinese term for common people, he said. But the quick, sensationalist trials have alarmed legal activists. One case in particular has upset reformists-the 18-month jail sentence for high-flying lawyer Li Zhuang, who was accused of instructing his client, a gang leader, to falsely claim he had been tortured. “If lawyers are outside the law, isn’t that also lawlessness?” Bo said in defense. “We used law to take care of one lawyer. We are willing to take on the whole country, any group that disapproves. No group should be outside the law.” Li’s law firm is headed by another princeling, further muddying the waters of interests antagonized by Bo’s drive. — Reuters
Hatoyama’s brother quits oppn party LDP Japan PM denies plans to work with brother TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama’s brother, himself a former cabinet minister, has quit the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and plans to form a new party. The move will further fragment the national political scene ahead of a key upper house election expected in July, in which the ruling Democratic Party may struggle to secure the majority it needs to pass bills smoothly. Kunio Hatoyama submitted his resignation to the party yesterday, he
told reporters, adding that he wanted to form a new political group by the end of April. “This country is on the road to ruin,” he said. “I made the decision to form a new group that can provide a strong opposition.” Other LDP lawmakers, including popular former health minister Yoichi Masuzoe, have also hinted they may leave the party. Asked about the possibility of cooperating with the Democrats, Kyodo news quoted Kunio as saying: “The chances may not be zero,
TOKYO: Kunio Hatoyama (center), the younger brother of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, leaves his office after quitting the opposition conservative Liberal Democratic Party yesterday. — AFP
but it would not be easy.” But the prime minister told reporters he had no plans to work with his brother. Kunio previously left the LDP in 1996 to help form the Democratic Party with his brother, but later returned to the fold and has since been a vocal critic of the Democrats’ policies. Yukio went on to lead the Democrats to a landslide election victory last summer, but sagging support rates may force him to seek new coalition partners ahead of the election. Both brothers have been criticized over their financial dealings after it emerged that their mother, a wealthy heiress to the Bridgestone Corp tyre fortune, had been making substantial donations to their political funds. If the ruling Democrats fail to secure a majority in the less powerful upper house, they could face policy deadlock as they struggle to control the country’s massive debt while sustaining a fragile economic recovery. While serving as justice minister, Kunio was dubbed “the Grim Reaper” for approving death sentences at a record pace. He also sparked controversy by telling a news conference that a “friend of a friend” was a member of al Qaeda who had frequently visited Japan. — Reuters
INTERNATIONAL
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Commando-style raid foiled Kandahar bombings a ‘warning’ to NATO
LASHKAR GAH: Afghan refugee from Marjah, Nangialai (center) sits in the courtyard of a relative’s home in a poor neighborhood of Lashkar Gah. — AFP
Afghan refugees fall between cracks LASHKAR GAH: Beyond the runway at Lashkar Gar’s new airstrip, Mohammad Khan stands in a mud-brick courtyard holding up his blackened hands to prove he is a motorbike mechanic. He left his home in Marjah, a farming area in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province, almost a month ago, he said, because his family were being used as human shields by Taleban militants fighting US-led troops. As he talks children clamber around his knees and behind him, through a low doorway, his wife hides in the shadows with a couple of toddlers. They have no water or electricity, nowhere to cook and nowhere to bathe. They are miserable, destitute and dirty. Khan said no one from the local government or international aid agencies had come to offer help. “I want to get a job,” he said. “I’m a good mechanic and I need to feed my family.” He and many others living in similar squalor in Lashkar Gah, Helmand’s provincial capital, appear to have fallen between bureaucratic cracks after leaving everything behind in Marjah to escape the assault on the Taleban. Local authorities and British officials at the provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Lashkar Gah said people who sought refuge from Marjah had stayed with relatives and had mostly returned. But this week it was not difficult to find Marjah families in Lashkar Gah who said they had not registered, had received no assistance, were not staying with relatives, and had no immediate plans to return. Khan said he fled Marjah along with many other families after the fighting began on Feburary 13, when US Marines led a force of 15,000 international and Afghan troops on the 200-square-kilometre farming region. “The Taleban told us not to move from the village, because we were useful to them,” Khan said. “They hid in our house once the bombing began and basically used us as cover as they were fighting with the American soldiers from our house,” he said. “A lot of people left Marjah at the same time as us. Some came here, others went to Nimroz (province) and other districts. “We don’t even have enough money to feed the children, whether we’re here or back in Marjah, so it makes no difference whether we go back or not at this stage. We have nothing, no matter where we are.” Operation Mushtarak (“together” in Dari and Pahsto) has been billed as the biggest offensive of the war, now in its ninth year. It is setting the agenda for a wider 12- to 18month counter-insurgency campaign to end the control the Taleban and drugs cartels have over
poppy-producing areas of Helmand and neighboring Kandahar province. The United States and NATO have 121,000 troops in Afghanistan, rising to 150,000 by August, mostly for the campaign in the south. Provincial government spokesman Daud Ahmadi said Mushtarak had displaced 3,835 families, all of whom sought refuge in and around Lashkar Gah. Most had received emergency aid packages, he said, adding: “Now almost all the families have returned to their homes on their own initiative.” The International Council for Security and Development (ICOS) this week spoke to around 100 families who said they left the fighting in Marjah but had not registered with authorities. ICOS president Norine MacDonald said their presence was evidence of a lack of preparation for the residents of Marjah, even though the military assault was widely publicized by NATO for weeks ahead. “There was a great deal of forward planning done and money spent on the military side of this operation,” MacDonald said. “Unfortunately we have not seen the same amount of forward planning or money spent on considering the enormous negative impact the operation would have on the local population.” Humanitarian workers in Lashkar Gah said preparations for the welfare of Marjah residents had not begun in earnest until days before the assault. “It was chaotic preparation because it did not even begin until the last week before the operation,” said one Western aid worker who asked not to be named. “There was a lot of tension, they were meeting several times a day, accusing each other and the UN of not being cooperative, pressuring other agencies to move materials in,” he said. While PRT officials denied the existence of squatter camps in Lashkar Gah, ICOS said people displaced from Marjah had found their way to at least three camps in and around the town. Outside the razor wire at the end of the airstrip, Nangialai, another Marjah resident, said he fled with his family as the bombs fell and would not return until he was sure they would be safe. There was nothing wrong with the way the militants and drug smugglers ran Marjah, he said. “People were happy, it was secure. If the Afghan authorities want to stay in charge, he said, “they should maintain a level of security and make sure they stay, to make sure the people feel safe. “If not, the Taleban will return and the fighting will start again.” — AFP
KABUL: Afghanistan’s security forces killed five suicide bombers who planned to carry out a commando-style raid on government buildings yesterday in southeastern Paktika province, the Interior Ministry said. The security forces shot dead three of the wouldbe attackers before they were able to conduct a raid in the remote Barmal district which lies near the border with Pakistan. The other two fled to a shop and were killed there after putting up brief resistance. Taleban guerrillas have increasingly used the tactic of coordinated commando-style strikes, which usually feature several suicide bombers and gunmen seizing buildings in towns across southern Afghanistan as well as the capital, Kabul. In the latest such incident, more than 30 people, including police officers and civilians, were killed late Saturday in a series of attacks in the southern city of Kandahar. The Taleban have claimed responsibility for the strikes in Kandahar, saying they were a pre-emptive response to an expected offensive by US and NATO-led forces in the city, birthplace of the Taleban movement. There are more than 120,000 NATO-led troops stationed in Afghanistan to fight the resurgent Taleban, rising to about 150,000 this year after US President Barack Obama announced a “surge” of extra forces in December. Meanwhile, Taleban have called their deadly bomb attacks on the southern city of Kandahar a warning to NATO’s top general that the insurgents are ready for the war’s next major offensive in their heartland. The series of bombings Saturday night demolished buildings and killed dozens - including 10 people at a wedding and prompted the provincial governor to plead for more security in the area. Fearful residents said they had no confidence that either government or foreign troops can protect them. Taleban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said Sunday that the attacks proved the insurgents were still able to operate despite the buildup of Afghan and international troops in preparation for a push into Kandahar province. A Taleban-linked Web site called the attacks in the south’s largest city a “warning” to NATO’s Gen Stanley McChrystal, who has said coalition forces will target Kandahar later this year after driving the insurgents from a key stronghold in neighboring Helmand province. “Gen. McChrystal has said that soon they will start their operations, and now we have already started our operations,” Ahmadi said in a telephone interview. “With all the preparations they have taken, still they are not able to stop us.” However, Ministry of Interior spokesman Zemeri Bashary said the attacks failed to achieve their main objective, which was apparently to repeat the success of a 2008 suicide bombing at the city’s prison gates that freed hundreds of criminals and suspected insurgents. Canadian troops had recently reinforced the lockup with cement block,
India’s missile shield test fails BHUBANESWAR: India’s homegrown interceptor defense shield developed to detect and destroy incoming ballistic missiles failed during a test yesterday, military officials said. The test was abandoned when the radars following the target, a nuclear-capable missile, lost track of it after it blasted off from a site 200 kilometers from Bhubaneswar in eastern India. “The ‘hostile’ missile went off the radars after it took off and deviated from its trajectory and so the interceptor was not
launched,” an official from Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) said, asking not to be named. DRDO spokesman Ravi Gupta in New Delhi confirmed the seven-meter interceptor missile was not launched during Monday’s botched test. India would join Israel, Russia and the United States in developing and possessing such technology if it is rolled out per schedule this year. The system’s tracking and fire control radars have been devel-
oped by the DRDO jointly with Israel and France. Last month, India announced it would test a nuclear-capable missile with a range of over 5,000 kilometers within a year. India’s current longest-range nuclearcapable missile, Agni-III, can travel 3,500 kilometers. Nuclear-armed Pakistan, with which India has fought three wars since their independence six decades ago, has said India’s missile program could trigger a new arms race in the region. — AFP
in the news 26 students killed JODHPUR: At least 26 students were killed and 34 injured yesterday when a bus plunged off a bridge into a dry river bed in India’s western desert state of Rajasthan, police said. The bus collided with a stationary vehicle and fell off the bridge, Vikas Kumar, the local police superintendent said. “All the victims were students from a teachers’ training institute,” he said. The bus, which had 62 passengers on board, was returning from Hindu pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh state when the accident occurred. India has the highest annual road death toll in the world, bigger than the more populous China, according to the World Health Organization, with accidents caused by speeding, bad roads, overcrowding and poor vehicle maintenance. Police figures show that more than 110,000 people die annually nationwide on the roads.
Slain toddler cremated KOTKAPURA: Hundreds of mourners in northern India yesterday attended the final rites of a three-year-old boy who was killed and dumped beside a road in Australia earlier this month. An Indian man who lived with the child’s family in Melbourne has been charged with manslaughter by criminal negligence over the death of Gurshan Singh and is being held in custody. “We have cremated our little boy. Everybody is sad and we want justice,” said Gurjeet Singh, uncle of the victim, at the funeral in Kotkapura, 430 kilometers from New Delhi. Singh demanded the Indian government put pressure on Australian authorities to speed up the investigation into the death. Gurshan’s parents returned to India with their son’s body on Sunday.
‘No democracy’ in S Lanka NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka’s former chief justice slammed the arrest of ex-army chief and opposition leader Sarath Fonseka yesterday on the eve of his court martial, saying there was “no democracy” in the country. Retired chief justice Sarath Silva criticized the treatment of Fonseka, who challenged President Mahinda Rajapakse at January elections, as hundreds of supporters of the ex-army boss demonstrated in Colombo. “In my view, there is no democracy since there is no room for dissent,” Silva told reporters. “There is no freedom of expression. The arrest and detention of General Sarath Fonseka is against the constitution.” Silva, who retired as the head of the Supreme Court last June, supported Fonseka’s bid for the presidency after accusing Rajapakse of failing to uphold the constitution. Fonseka and the president were allies in the crushing of Tamil Tiger rebels last May, which ended their 37-year separatist struggle that left up to 100,000 people dead according to a UN estimate.
Sri Lanka slams US report COLOMBO: Sri Lanka dismissed a US State Department report yesterday accusing it of violating citizens’ rights, saying the allegations were unsubstantiated and based on reports by unnamed sources. The State Department’s annual human rights survey faulted both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger separatists in the island’s 25-year-civil war which ended last year. It said government forces and the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam used excessive force and committed abuses against civilians. “The document is a conflation of historical background, repetition of statements in earlier reports, unverified assertions of facts and broad generalizations,” said a statement by the Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Disaster Management and Human Rights. The ministry said the allegations were based on “reports that are mainly attributed to anonymous NGO’s, international sources, human rights groups, observers and other unnamed sources.”
KABUL: A former member of Taleban look at weapons during a ceremony to hand them over to the Afghan government in Herat, west of Kabul. Thirty Taleban militants have joined the peace process and delivered their weapons and ammunition to the Regional Peace and Reconciliation Commission-Western Afghanistan in Herat province. — AP so Saturday’s blast did not break through and no inmates escaped this time. “They wanted to free the prisoners ... but they failed in their mission,” Bashary said. The multiple explosions - there were at least five blasts, four of them suicide attacks - killed at least 35 people, according to the Ministry of Interior. Another 57 were wounded in the attacks, which hit the prison, police headquarters, a wedding hall next door and other areas on roads leading to the prison. Kandahar provincial Gov Tooryalai Wesa told reporters that he had asked the central government in Kabul for more Afghan troops to protect the city in the run-up to the expected offensive in the province, which is the spiritual birthplace of the Taleban. He also said he wants to coordinate with NATO forces to improve security. Bashary said the government was considering Wesa’s request. Kandahar city, population 800,000, was the seat of government for the Taleban when it ruled Afghanistan, imposing its vision of Islamic theocracy for five years before being toppled by US-backed forces in 2001. The province of the same name is the insurgents’ base, and militants control most villages surrounding the city. Residents said Sunday that Taleban can also operate freely in Kandahar city. “They can do what they intend and want, and the government can’t control the situation,” said Javed Ahmad, 40, of Kandahar. “We don’t feel secure in the presence of all the forces in
India opens door to foreign universities NEW DELHI: India’s cabinet yesterday approved legislation that would allow foreign universities to open campuses in the country, paving the way for massive reform in the education system. The law will be put before parliament shortly and could see famous universities such as Harvard, Yale and Oxford, which have previously established tie-ups in India, setting up in the country. India has a severe shortage of higher education institutions for its booming population where more than 30 percent of its 1.1 billion people are under 14 years old. Education is seen as a priority for many Indian households, with children put under constant pressure to attain good marks in exams and earn places at universities that then lead to well-paid jobs. “This is a milestone which will enhance choices, and increase competition and benchmark quality,” Human Resources Minister Kapil Sibal was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India news agency. Only 12 percent of all Indian college applicants get a place, but the government hopes to raise the figure to 30 percent by 2020. The proposed law sets out rules and regulations that foreign educational institutions would have to follow before opening in India. The process would take at least eight months. For decades, the country’s brightest and most privileged students have headed abroad to complete their studies with many never returning home. But the government has said that improving education facilities is key to the country’s future development. — AFP
Afghanistan, and it’s terrible for us to live in this kind of situation. We don’t feel safe even at home, and we can’t walk around.” Among the dead were 13 policemen and 22 civilians, including six women and three children, the interior ministry said. Most of the casualties occurred at the police headquarters and at the wedding hall. “Last night was like doomsday for all of Kandahar’s people,” said Mohammad Anwar, a 30-year-old shopkeeper, whose relative lost a son in the attacks. He said residents blamed the United States and international forces for not battling the militants strongly enough. “It is difficult for us to bear this kind of situation anymore,” Anwar said. “We don’t know the aim of these people,” he said, referring to the insurgents. “Are they trying to kill civilians or eliminate the system? The government is too weak to control these kind of attacks.” The offensive that US, NATO and Afghan forces are planning in Kandahar later this year is a follow-up to the ongoing military operation in Helmand province’s Marjah district. The operation is the first test of McChrystal’s strategy to rout insurgents from areas, set up new governance and rush in development aid in hopes of winning the loyalty of the residents. Afghan National Police forces were the first to respond to Saturday’s explosions and some Canadian troops later deployed to support them, Canadian military spokeswoman Capt Cynthia LaRue said.
“The most important part here is to remember that ANP did a very good job and responded quickly,” LaRue said of the police, which are traditionally one of Afghanistan’s least-trusted institutions. US and Canadian troops have been working in Kandahar to build up a 2,000-strong local police force. The training has become a priority as international forces try to build trust in the Afghan government, which they hope will eventually be able to take over security. The 2,800 Canadian troops who oversee operations in Kandahar city and the surrounding province are due to leave Afghanistan next year. Another roadside bomb Sunday morning targeted a car carrying Pakistani construction workers south of Kandahar in the district of Dand, according to the governor. Four of the Pakistani workers and their Afghan driver were wounded. In the western province of Herat on Sunday, 30 Taleban fighters handed over their weapons to a government peace commission. Dressed in traditional clothes and surrounded by guns and ammunition, the militants pledged not to fight the government anymore. President Hamid Karzai has been promoting a plan to peel off lower-level Taleban fighters with promises of jobs, and he has called a peace conference for next month in the capital, inviting top insurgent leaders to negotiate. The Taleban has generally rejected any talks until foreign troops leave Afghanistan. Khan reported from Kandahar and Johnson from Kabul. — AP
OPINION
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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issues
India govt in bind on nuclear damages bill By Sunrita Sen, dpa
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he Indian government decided yesterday not to table a nuclear liability bill in Parliament after major opposition parties and rights activists expressed reservations. The government decided instead to “hold further consultations” on the bill, which would cap liabilities in a nuclear accident, Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan said. Critics said the bill would cap the state’s compensation to victims of an accident at a nuclear installation at too low of a level. The bill was also under fire for absolving foreign firms who supply nuclear equipment or installations to India from significant compensation obligations to victims of accidents in which their products or services are involved. The government said the bill is needed to bring India in line with international standards, to make it able to trade with foreign suppliers of nuclear technology and to kick-start its ambitious nuclear power program. The bill limits the liability of a nuclear plant operator to 5 billion rupees (about $110 million) in an accident. In India, the sole operator of nuclear plants is the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation India Ltd. The government would be liable for up to a further 21.33 billion rupees. Any liability beyond that would in theory be sourced from a fund set up by international agencies although this fund has not yet been clearly defined. The legislation would also set up a commission with the powers of a civil court to investigate accidents and determine responsibility. Rights activists are particularly angered by a clause that sets a 10-year limit for seeking compensation from the date of the accident. The effects of a nuclear disaster can impact future generations, they argued, and could take more than a decade to become apparent. India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and four leftist parties have criticized in particular the bill’s capping of the state’s liability and the absolving of foreign firms from extensive liability. In the case of an accident caused by a defect in a foreignbuilt nuclear reactor, the bill “practically makes it impossible to assign liability to the supplier,” the leftist parties said in a joint statement. Lawyer Soli Sorabji told the environmentalist group Greenpeace that the bill was “discriminatory” while strategic affairs commentator Brahma Chellaney said it favoured the interests of foreign reactor builders. In defence of the bill, Chavan said if the cap were too high, insurance companies would refuse to insure the operator and no one would want to invest in India.
A three-decade ban on the trading of nuclear materials with India was lifted in 2008 by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a 46-nation body that works to control the international movements of fissile material, after India and the United States signed a landmark civilian nuclear agreement. But even after the lifting of the ban, nuclear equipment manufacturers in the US may not sell their equipment to countries that do not have a liability law in place. “All the effort that went into securing the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement will go to waste if we do not follow up with this legislation,” Chavan said. French and Russian suppliers also required New Delhi to pass the legislation before they could sell to India, he added. Chavan said the level of the liability cap was decided after examining similar laws in other countries. But the vociferous opposition by the BJP and the left has forced the government to ease off. “There is no hurry to introduce the bill,” Chavan said soon after the government informed the speaker of the Lok Sabha, or lower house of Parliament, that it would not be tabling the bill Monday. “We will hold further consultations.” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is believed to have wanted the bill passed before he goes to the US in April for a nuclear security meeting. Singh’s government narrowly escaped being voted out of power in 2008 when the leftist parties withdrew their support over the India-US Civil Nuclear Agreement. Both the BJP and the left have accused the government of bias in favour of US firms with the bill. “It is a harmful piece of legislation meant to serve the interests of the US and its nuclear industry,” BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said. India was under no real obligation to pass the bill even if the government said otherwise, Chellaney wrote in an editorial in the newspaper The Hindu. Despite international efforts to create a common standard on liability and compensation since the Chernobyl disaster, little headway has been made in the area, he wrote. “In seeking to invite US reactor builders, should a poor country rush to pass a special law that skews business terms in their favour, gratuitously burdens the Indian taxpayer and ignores lessons of the Bhopal disaster?” Chellaney asked.More than 15,250 people died in 2004 in a gas leak at the US company Union Carbide’s plant in the central Indian town of Bhopal, and the health of another 100,000 was affected permanently. The survivors are still fighting for criminal proceedings against accused officials and what they term just compensation. — dpa
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Political backing for Malaysia reforms stalls By David Chance and Razak Ahmad
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uoyed by strong oil prices and the prospect of 5 percent economic growth this year, Malaysia’s government has backed off unpopular reforms, fearing a backlash that could end its 52-year monopoly on power. At the weekend the government abandoned plans to introduce a goods and services tax just weeks after it halted implementation of petrol price hikes aimed at cutting its subsidy bill and electricity price rises. In all three cases it cited the need to “engage with the public”, a message that may derail Malaysia’s bid to reverse investment outflows and tackle a budget deficit that has overshot its targets since 2007 to hit a more than 20-year high of 7.4 percent of gross domestic product in 2009. “They have obviously got a huge deficit building up and so the fact that they’re delaying fiscal management at the expense of looking at the elections will obviously not be taken that well by the markets,” said Anthony Nafte, senior economist at CLSA. Longer term, failure to implement fiscal reform leaves Malaysia, Asia’s third-most trade dependent economy, vulnerable to external economic and commodity price shocks. When Najib Razak became premier last April, replacing the man who in 2008 led the National Front government to its worst ever election results, he pledged to soothe battered relations between Malaysia’s races and to speed economic reforms. A year on and amid vocal complaints by Malay Muslims, who account for 55 percent of this Southeast Asian country’s 28 million population, over issues like Christians’ use of the word “Allah”, that message has been diluted. “What Najib is now doing is backing away from reforms to consolidate his power base,” said Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia expert at Singapore Management University. Najib’s United Malays National Organisation faces a growing challenge from the
opposition Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). Elections do not have to be held until 2013, but it is increasingly likely that they could be held either in conjunction with state polls in Sarawak on Borneo Island, expected in the first quarter of 2011, or shortly afterwards. Sarawak provides the National Front with 30 of its 137 MPs in a parliament where the government lost its two thirds majority and thus its ability to change the constitution and to redraw electoral boundaries for the first time in 2008. Independent political analyst Ong Kian Ming calculates that UMNO won 58 percent of the Malay vote in mainland Malaysia in 2008. That is too narrow a margin to risk in any new elections and Najib will need to ensure that he is seen as a clear winner in mainland Malaysia, not just a winner in Sarawak. “I don’t think Najib will call for elections too early. As it is, he has the upper hand and... by attrition and harassment he can win a lot of ground against the opposition,” said Ooi Kee Beng, fellow at Singapore’s Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. While Malaysia has leaked money over the past two years to the tune of $61 billion, according to government investment flow data last week, neighbouring Indonesia has seen investment surge. The Malaysia data comprises portfolio and direct investment and “other” flows, according to the Statistical Office. Even though economists say that as one of Asia’s largest bond markets Malaysia was bound to be hit by a wave of selling during the global financial crisis, outflows have continued in 2009. “Najib needs to bring in foreign investment to move Malaysia from a middle income country that is dependent on commodities and electronics exports to a more robust economy,” said Singapore Management University’s Welsh. In 2009 Indonesia graduated to the top of the emerging market class, joining Brazil, Russia, India and China, the so-called BRIC countries. It attracted $10 billion of portfolio investment last year.
Malaysia by contrast has seen many of its biggest companies such as leisure group Genting, Axiata Group and YTL Corp seek investment opportunities in faster growing markets overseas. That has stymied Malaysia’s ability to use its
ample domestic savings to fund investment and investment rates stand at around 19 percent of GDP, according to the International Monetary Fund, one of the lowest levels in Asia. The traditional dynamics of the
National Front are also changing with UMNO’s allies still weakened by the 2008 general election when ethnic Chinese and Indian voters deserted the coalition, worried by corruption and rising sectarianism. — Reuters
Opportunity, not panacea By Sameer Jarrah
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t the end of 2009, King Abdullah II of Jordan dissolved Parliament halfway through its four-year term, claiming that it was handling legislation poorly. Prime Minister Samir Rifai assured local media that parliamentary elections would take place no later than the end of 2010. In the midst of this controversy, key findings of Freedom House’s latest “Freedom in the World” report were released – with Jordan in the “not free” category, due to the regression of political and civil rights in the country. In the past decade, Jordan has strived to overcome the political, legislative and social obstacles preventing full democratisation and the emergence of a strong civil society. However, the emergence of a genuinely influential and politically independent civil society still remains a distant – though not unachievable – goal. In the 1980s, Jordan faced an acute economic crisis when declining oil prices in the Arab Gulf states resulted in reduced remittances and foreign aid to Jordan. By the end of 1980s, the economic situation deteriorated with the devaluation of the Jordanian dinar, rising unemployment and popular unrest. To resolve the economic crisis, the country agreed to accept a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In return, a number of political reforms had to be implemented, including building a more active civil society. As a result, the number of civil society organisations (CSOs) grew. Although the concept of civil society is relatively new in Jordan, the history of CSOs dates back to the country’s beginnings. Throughout much of Jordan’s 64-year statehood, CSOs have focused mostly on charity and development. Currently, there are over 1,600 of them across the country. However, the proliferation of CSOs was not a bottom-up process or the result of pressure from civil society groups, but part of Jordan’s obligation to implement political reforms in exchange for international aid. Therefore, CSOs were not created for the purpose of strengthening a functioning society independent of the state, as is theoretically their goal. As such, their role as active players able to make a social and political impact in Jordan is yet to be realised. And they will not be able to achieve this role without the necessary
institutional and legal framework. Jordanian law is not conducive to the independent functioning of non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In July 2009, the government passed a law strengthening administrative control over establishing, operating and funding NGOs. Under this new law, groups receiving foreign funding must notify the government of the sources, conditions and purpose of funding. The government also has the power to dissolve the leadership of any organisation and appoint a temporary Board of Directors. This is not to suggest, however, that the state is solely responsible for the weaknesses of Jordanian CSOs. CSOs in Jordan suffer from a number of internal weaknesses, including limited organisational capacity, lack of funding and lack of mass support. As such, these organisations must conduct internal reforms. At the same time, the monarchy and the Jordanian government must also recognise that opening up the public arena is in everyone’s best interests as it creates avenues for grassroots participation and reduces the incentive for citizens to act clandestinely and circumvent restrictive laws. The monarchy should work to remove legal impediments to the independence of CSOs. In addition, the government should establish an independent constitutional court, which would decide on the constitutionality of laws, check the power of the executive branch and effectively curtail the direct control it has on various CSOs. CSOs should not be seen as a panacea for all of Jordan’s problems, but their emancipation is crucial for political development. The Jordanian case demonstrates that the mere existence of CSOs is not sufficient for the creation of a burgeoning civil society. What matters is their effective functioning, responsiveness to people’s needs and the ability to exert pressure on the government. They must be given opportunities to organise peacefully and advocate for their needs and priorities to increase Jordan’s overall security and stability, as well as its prospects for effective democratic reform. NOTE: Sameer Jarrah is a Jordanian international lawyer with extensive experience in democracy and human rights, as well as Project Director of the New Generation Program in the Middle East and North Africa at Freedom House.
French Socialists try to keep dominance By Deborah Seward
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resh with a first-place showing in round one of regional elections over President Nicolas Sarkozy’s governing UMP party, France’s Socialists now have a week of dealmaking with rival leftist parties to try to secure dominance in the upcoming runoff - and 21/2 years to transform its regional success into victory in the 2012 presidential vote. The Socialists refrained from trumpeting their success in Sunday’s vote. After all, the Socialists trounced the conservatives in the 2004 regional vote, only to lose the 2007 presidential election three years later after a bitter battle within the party to nominate their own candidate. Final figures released by the Interior Ministry early yesterday morning showed the Socialist-led left with 53.5 percent with the UMP-led conservatives at 39.9 percent amid record abstention. Although widely seen as a referendum on Sarkozy’s 34 months in power, 53 percent stayed away from the polls. That is much higher than in 2004, when abstention was 39 percent on the first
Head of the French Socialist party Martine Aubry gestures while speaking to the media, at the party’s headquarters in Paris Sunday. – AP round. Xavier Bertrand, the pugnacious general secretary of Sarkozy’s UMP, warned the left not to engage in “triumphalism.” “There is a new election that is starting tonight,” he said as results poured in Sunday. Like other conservatives, Bertrand said the low turnout meant the vote did not represent his party’s true power.
However, a snap poll released Monday predicted more bad news for the conservatives Sunday when the second round is held. The survey by CSA polling firm for the Le Parisen newspaper and Europe-1 radio predicted that the left would emerge even stronger after the runoff with 55 percent and that the conservatives would
do even worse than in the first round, in what is the last major election before the presidential vote in just over two years time. No party outright won any region in Sunday’s first round of voting, meaning the runoff is crucial everywhere. Any party that gets more than 10 percent in round one can team up with any party that won more than 5 percent and present a joint list of candidates in Sunday’s runoff. The scramble to put together joint lists was well underway yesterday, with Europe Ecologie, an amalgam of green parties created several years ago, emerging as the kingpin. The demise of the French Communist Party over the last 20 years has left the Socialist Party seeking a new major ally to form coalitions to beat the conservatives. The collapse Sunday of the centrist MoDem party, and Europe Ecologie’s strong showing, has given the greens a real chance at shaping regional politics now and even national politics going forward. Europe Ecologie appeared ready to drive a hard bargain in terms of both seats and policy. “The Socialists now have the responsibility not to revive
their hegemonic temptation,” Cecile Duflot, the head of Europe Ecologie, told France-Info radio Monday. For their part, the Socialists appeared determined to welcome the rest of the left in alliances rather than insisting on playing first fiddle in all region as they have in the past. In recent years, the Socialists consistently have done well in regional and municipal balloting only to falter on the national level - and they have not won the presidency in more than two decades. “The vote next Sunday is decisive,” said Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry, a potential leftist candidate for the presidency. Former party leader Francois Hollande promised “total unity” among leftist parties. The strong leftist showing comes as Sarkozy increasingly appears ineffective and isolated. France has emerged from recesssion but is shedding jobs daily. The public, worried about unemployment and immigration, appears fatigued by his frenetic style of leadership and his marriage to an ex-supermodel and singer hasn’t boosted his popularity, now dismal at less than 40 percent. — AP
ANALYSIS
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Maliki risks Sunni ire if he shuns Allawi By Alistair Lyon
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raq’s Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki may get first go at forming a government, early election results show, but Sunnis will fume if he cuts out his secular rival Iyad Allawi, the man most of them voted for. The March 7 vote for a 325-seat parliament has reshaped a fractured Iraqi political landscape which is likely to undergo further shifts in tough coalition bargaining that lies ahead. Maliki’s State of Law coalition leads in seven of Iraq’s 18 provinces, with Allawi’s Iraqiya list ahead in five. The Iraqi National Alliance (INA), dominated by Shiite Islamist factions, and a Kurdish alliance are each in front in three provinces. The Kurdish alliance was slightly behind Iraqiya in the disputed city of Kirkuk, while Goran, a Kurdish reform movement, eroded its hegemony in the autonomous northern Kurdistan region. The overall picture is incomplete, with results released so far representing just over a quarter of 12 million votes cast, and may change, particularly in Baghdad and Kirkuk. But politicians hoping to govern Iraq as U.S. troops prepare to leave are already jostling for possible coalition partners. Maliki’s potential allies include INA, led by the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (ISCI), and the Kurdish parties, as well as Iraqiya. But these
Iraqis walk past a poster of Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki in Baghdad on March 12, 2010. – AP groups might join forces to thwart his return to power. Rival blocs may dissolve and reform. “It’s going to be another wild ride to see which way it goes,” said David Newton, a former U.S. envoy to Iraq. “Iraqis seem to be able to solve things at 10 minutes after midnight.” He said Sunnis would take it very badly if Maliki moved toward ISCI - viewed by many of them as a proxy of Iran. They
Burning desire likely to see Beckham soldier on By Mark Meadows
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burning desire to compete that has marked his career from the outset means David Beckham is unlikely to quit football despite being likely to miss this year’s World Cup due to an agonising Achilles tendon tear. The 34year-old England midfielder, who suffered the injury in AC Milan’s 1-0 win over Chievo on Sunday, has shown his battling qualities time and again during a career where he has been portrayed as a fashion icon as much as a football player. “The guy sees himself primarily as a footballer and if he can come back, he will,” Simon Chadwick, Professor of Sport Business Strategy and Marketing at Coventry University, told Reuters. Already in the twilight of his career, a determined Beckham had persuaded Los Angeles Galaxy to let him have two loan spells at Milan in order to stay in the reckoning for an England squad place at what would have been a fourth World Cup. Now that his dreams of playing in South Africa in June look in tatters, given the recovery period from such an injury is generally over three months, the former Manchester United and Real Madrid winger will be contemplating his future. He already holds a record 115 caps for an England outfield player but the prospect of missing the World Cup has hit him hard, judging by the touchline tears on Sunday and his dejected look when leaving his hotel to fly to Finland for an operation. One of the most marketable sportsmen in the world had previously said he had no intention of retiring from the international game after the tournam e n t despite his a g e . Beckham has consistently said how inspired he was by former Milan team mate Paolo Maldini, w h o played on until he was 40, but the Londoner would also accept his recent form
has been well below the heights he reached in his prime. A humbling 4-0 defeat by United in the Champions League last week at his beloved former Old Trafford home will have left him with mixed emotions too. Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani is sure he will return to club football at least and has offered him the chance to play for the Italian side again next season even with no World Cup in sight. “He came to Milan in order to be called up by England coach Fabio Capello. Unfortunately this is football but he has a real strength of mind,” Galliani said, aware Beckham is due to return to Galaxy and the less high profile US league in July. That inner desire to prove people wrong has been burning within Beckham since he burst onto the scene at Manchester United in the mid-1990s. He was reviled for being sent off in England’s World Cup defeat by Argentina at the 1998 World Cup but came back to help United lift the 1999 Champions League. The national captain shrugged off a metatarsal injury to participate in the 2002 tournament and when he left United in 2003, Beckham became a rare English player to be successful abroad during his fouryear spell at Real. His mega-money move to Major League Soccer club Galaxy, where he still has two years left on his contract, demonstrated his shrewd business brain and he will not be short of opportunities if he fails to make a sporting comeback. “I don’t think he necessarily does need to come back to football from a commercial point of view. He’s created a post-career business empire if he doesn’t come back,” Professor Chadwick added. “Milan reinvigorated his football career and he put commercial activities to one side. But there’s only one thing certain with an athlete brand, they are going to get old and retire.” — Reuters
favour Allawi, a secular Shiite who led a transitional 2004-05 government and who looks poised to be a major player again. Yahya al-Kubaisy, a researcher at the Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies, said a government excluding Iraqiya risked fuelling resentment felt by the Sunni minority since the 2003 US-led invasion ended its entrenched grip on power. “If this happens, we must expect a
return of violence to Iraq,” he said. A bloody Sunni insurgency against US and Iraqi troops only calmed after local tribes turned against Al-Qaeda Islamists, joining forces with a ramped-up US military presence. Maliki based his re-election campaign partly on improved security after the sectarian carnage of 2006-07, and on plans for reconstruction to be funded from oil deals his
government signed with foreign firms to unlock Iraq’s vast energy wealth. His message struck a chord with many voters in Baghdad despite a series of deadly bombings by Al-Qaeda-linked militants that has hit government targets in the capital since August. “Maliki is doing fantastically well in Baghdad and most places south of it, but dismally in (Sunni-dominated areas) to the north of the Iraqi capital,” said Iraq expert Reidar Visser. Iraq could wind up with a prime minister whose party had won only one or two percent of the vote in the Sunni heartland of Anbar and the volatile northern province of Mosul, he said. “Allawi is doing better in Shiite areas than Maliki is doing in Sunni areas, but he may get a smaller total number of deputies and will therefore need more coalition partners to form a government,” Visser argued. He said Maliki’s support for a pre-election move to bar hundreds of candidates for alleged links to Saddam Hussein’s now outlawed Baath party had alienated many Sunnis. “The deBaathification campaign has clearly reduced his ability to rise above sectarianism and act as a national leader.” Toby Dodge, an Iraq expert at Queen Mary, University of London, predicted that Maliki would rely on Shiite support in his quest for a coalition that could keep him in power, rather than on some form of cross-sectarian nationalism. “Given his behaviour dur-
ing the campaign, I would bet on sectarianism and some form of alliance with all or elements of INA,” Dodge said, referring to Maliki’s Shiite former allies. Maliki far outpolled INA in the southern oil city of Basra, where he sent troops to combat Shiite militia in 2008. Aqil Abdul Hussein, a Basra University professor, said the results so far were predictable. “They reflect the feelings of Basra residents, who have taken note of progress and security improvements over the past two years.” The vote in Kirkuk, where Allawi’s list edged ahead, could damage the longstanding Kurdish claim that the oil city belongs to Kurdistan - although the Kurds are sure to try to use coalition bargaining to wrest concessions on the issue. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani’s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Kurdish President Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) faced an unprecedented challenge to their hold on the Kurdish vote from the reform-minded Goran group. Khaled Suleiman, an analyst in northern Iraq, said the Kurds would speak with one voice in Baghdad, despite the rise of Goran, “especially on issues related to Kurdish destiny such as recovering Kirkuk and the issue of Peshmerga (Kurdish forces)”. He said the Kurds would again play kingmakers in Iraqi national politics. “No government can be formed without Kurds.” — Reuters
focus
Will Jerusalem spat undo peacemaking? By Barry Schweid
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ice President Joe Biden’s trip to Israel and the West Bank was designed to underscore the Obama administration’s commitment to support Israeli security as it approaches indirect negotiations with the Palestinians. The jarring Israeli announcement that 1,600 Jewish homes would be constructed in East Jerusalem rattled the exercise, focusing attention on serious differences between the United States and Israel on key elements of any peace deal before the negotiations had even begun. The spat embarrassed Biden, a close supporter of Israel, and prompted him to condemn the Israeli move, an exceptionally strong diplomatic criticism. On Thursday, in another speech in Jerusalem, he tried to smooth over the situation by extolling the countries’ close relationship. “The Israeli bilateral relationship with the United States has just become much more difficult,” said Haim Malka, deputy director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, after the housing announcement. “It is hard to remember a time when a senior US official used the word ‘condemn’ to describe the actions of any ally,
let alone a close ally such as Israel, but that is precisely what the vice president did,” Malka said. The Obama administration favors a broad Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank as part of a statehood deal and implies US support for East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital. There are deep doubts in Israel, however, that a treaty sharply reducing its territory would enhance the country’s security. The housing announcement was generated by the Interior Ministry, headed by a hard-line opponent of negotiations over Jerusalem’s future. While internal politics is just beneath the surface, the issue of the city’s future is bound to take front and center at some point if serious peace talks get under way. Biden’s aim was to inform Israel and its foes, including Iran, that Israel has solid security backing from the Obama administration. Yet Lots of space, approaching a chasm, was apparent when Biden told the Palestinians that the state they seek should be viable and contiguous - that is, without Israeli settlements in the way. Biden’s remarks would seem to undercut any Israeli hopes of retaining some of the towns that have grown up on the West Bank amid the Palestinians and more significantly Jewish housing in East Jerusalem. — AP
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Iraq’s Arab neighbors Thai PM rejects ultimatum Thaksin spotted in Montenegro as ‘Red Shirts’ protest cautious of Shiite sway DUBAI: Iraq’s Arab neighbours fear a split Iraqi election could further marginalise minority Sunnis and hope any coalition government formed by the Shiite frontrunner will resist Iran’s sway. Many Sunni Arabs had wanted a stronger showing by secularists, who they now hope will bring cross-sectarian balance to any coalition government that could be formed by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki. “These election results show that there is a Shiite wave in the region which threatens Arab security in the region. Iran has a hidden role in the Arab region and it supports Shiite elements in the area, particularly in Iraq,” said Magid Mazloum from the Centre for Gulf Studies in Cairo. “Sunnis in Iraq are a scattered minority stuck between Shiites on the one hand and Kurds on the other. This is bound to create instability in the country.” Early election results showed Maliki pulling ahead on Sunday in an election Iraqis hoped would end years of sectarian strife, but a divided vote suggested long and fraught talks to form a government are ahead. But the overall picture, reflecting a nation fragmented by decades of sectarian and ethnic conflict, was still incomplete a week after the vote. Results released so far represent just over a quarter of 12 million votes cast, and may change. Sunni-led Arab countries, particularly in the Gulf where there are significant and marginalised Shiite minorities, worry
about the repercussions of Iranian influence in Iraq. They are concerned that the Shiite majority is trying to deprive Iraq’s once dominant Sunnis of their fair share of power. They fear meddling by Shiite non-Arab Iran in Iraq, an Arab country with a Shiite Muslim majority, could incite their own Shiite populations and that sectarian instability in Iraq could spill over. “The big worry for us is that such a divided and sectarian Iraq is easily penetrated by regional powers and here of course Iran comes as the biggest and meddling regional power,” said Emirati analyst Abdul-Khaleq Abdullah. “That really does not settle very nicely with the GCC, the smaller Gulf countries,” he added, referring to a bloc of six Gulf Arab states, including top oil exporter Saudi Arabia. The outcome of Iraq’s first parliamentary poll since 2005 will shape its future as its stability is tested by an upcoming US troop withdrawal and political struggles undermining Iraq’s efforts to reestablish itself on the world stage. While Maliki’s State of Law bloc appeared to be ahead in seven of 18 provinces, the secularist Iraqiya list headed by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a secular Shiite, was leading in five. The Iraqi National Alliance (INA), Maliki’s main competitor and led by a party with close ties to Iran, trailed close behind. Maliki would likely get first go at forming a government. “From my point of view I hope they mix the authorities
together. It’s the best choice they have ... That’s why a coalition would be a good thing,” said Yasser Ahmed Ali, 28, an Emirati production engineer. Final results are not expected for weeks. “The new Iraq will be an imbalanced Iraq. Results show Shiites in the lead,” said Abdullah Al-Ashaal, former assistant to Egypt’s minister of foreign affairs. “Such results are in line of what Iran wants and the Shiite coalitions seem to be with Iran.” Few Arabs thought that elections in Iraq would put pressure on other Arab governments to give voices to their own citizens. But Saudi commentator Abdullah bin Bijad Al-Oteiby said the vote showed fragile but growing democracy there. “Everyone knows that Iraq is still a stage for regional and international influences, but the Iraqi citizen’s awareness of the vote’s value has increased,” he wrote in a column in Okaz newspaper. Western diplomats say Riyadh, the leading political player in the Gulf, fears Iraq’s democracy inspiring Saudis to question the system of government in the absolute monarchy. In Kuwait, with often tense ties to Iraq, said it did not matter whether the government was led by Sunnis or Shiites. “Any result of a democratic process in Iraq is a gain for us and the region,” said Ali AlBaghli, Kuwaiti political analyst and former oil minister. “Kuwait was threatened by Iraq several times when it was under a Sunni ruler (Saddam Hussein). It was Sunni Iraq that threatened Kuwait and it was Sunni Iraq that invaded Kuwait,” he added. — Reuters
Sun sets on India’s beloved scooter Continued from Page 1 “This was something big,” said Yash Tekwani, a well-to-do New Delhi businessman who can still picture the day in the early 1970s when his father, who ran a tobacco shop, drove home a blue Bajaj. In a working-class neighborhood where most people had only bicycles, the neighbors turned out to gawk. “It was a joyous occasion.” The joy, though, is ending. Later this month, Bajaj’s last scooter factory will roll out its last scooter, ending an era in India’s transition from dreary socialist behemoth into a consumerist powerhouse. And those one-time icons of middle-class achievement will be left to secondhand dealers and armies of sidewalk mechanics. Because in modern India, modest dependability just isn’t enough. “People have more money to spend today,” said Pradeep Tyagi. He sells used motorcycles in the New Delhi neighborhood of Karol Bagh, where dozens of used-car and motorcycle dealers - and a handful of scooter shops - are jammed into a few narrow lanes. “No one wants to spend that money on a scooter.” Wander among the neighborhood’s tiny, dusty shops and it becomes clear how India’s aspirations have changed. Because while India still has desperate poverty - more than one-third of the population lives on less than $1 per day - it has also become a nation of fierce consumers, its buying habits nurtured by a growing economy, easier loans and relentless advertising. In places like Karol Bagh, that means people who once would have aspired to scooters now want motorcycles. And everyone dreams of cars. Just ask Maug Lal. On a recent morning, the 32-year-old garbage collector was outside a Karol Bagh shop, staring longingly at a Honda motorcycle. The bike was red, streaked with racing decals and only slightly used. He had come to look at scooters. Instead, he found himself among the motorcycles. He couldn’t afford one - a low-end used model costs $350; a decent used scooter costs less than half that - but he mumbled that eventually he would be able to save up the money. It would only take four years. Lal kept his fingers resting on the Honda as a friend spoke up for him. “The motorcycle is a real man’s vehicle,” said
Mohammed Tajuddin Khan. “When you sit on it you look strong.” It wasn’t always like this. Thirty years ago, India’s economy was mired in central planning and government regulations, back when foreign companies were largely frozen out of the Indian market and only a handful of people could afford anything more than a bicycle. Enter the Bajaj family, owners of a business empire with roots in cotton, steel mills and the beginnings of the scooter business. Bajaj brought mobility to the Indian masses, making a clunky, affordable machine that, with a little squeezing, could carry an entire family. That image - dad driving with one child standing between his knees, while mom rides behind him holding the baby - became emblematic of India’s slow move into modernity. It seemed like a miracle. And one where only the driver had to wear a helmet. At one point, the best-selling Bajaj model, the Chetak, was selling 100,000 units per month. The waiting list could last a decade and desperate buyers would pay huge premiums above the list price to get one. For a time, Bajaj was the world’s largest scooter manufacturer. Its 1980s sales campaign, an ode to patriotism and nascent consumerism, became iconic on its own, with TV ads showing young boys clutching Indian flags and happy families gathering around scooters. “The Bajaj is ours,” the jingle said, ignoring the fact that the design was largely borrowed from the Italian Vespa. So when Bajaj announced late last year it was discontinuing its scooter business to concentrate on motorcycles, the news set off a wave of hand-wringing: Indian newspaper editorials bemoaned the changing times; Old Bajaj scooter ads became TV and Internet sensations. “Exit an icon,” the Statesman newspaper declared. “Salute the scooter.” Bajaj, though, wasn’t thinking about icons when it made its decision. Scooter sales have plummeted in this decade as motorcycle sales have boomed. Bajaj stopped most scooter production four years ago. “We too feel nostalgic about how dear Bajaj scooters have been to the Indian middle class,” Milind Bade, a top Bajaj official told reporters. “But the business has to move on.” In many ways, Bajaj was simply moving with the Indian economy, which has blossomed since it
was opened to outside investment in the late 1980s. By conservative estimates, the Indian middle class is now thought to number about 50 million people, more than five times as many as the early 1970s. More generous estimates put the middle class as high as 250 million - roughly a quarter of the population. They are desperate to buy. The avalanche of advertising - for TVs, apartment complexes, cars, cell phones, sex therapists, silk suits and saris - can make this country look like another America, a place where buying is a sport and a pastime. Along the way, Bajaj has also changed. First it modernized its scooters for increasingly finicky buyers, and then shifted decisively to motorcycles. Its last scooter, the Kristal, sells for about $750 compared to nearly $2,000 for its bestselling Pulsar motorcycle. Despite the price difference, motorcycle sales reached almost 220,000 in December, an 86 percent increase compared to the same month one year earlier. Only a few hundred scooters were sold. And cars? They are now the new middle-class aspiration. Car sales reached almost 154,000 in February - the highestselling month ever, and 33 percent more than one year earlier. Last year the Indianmade Tata Nano went on sale at around $2,400, making headlines with its claim to be the world’s cheapest car. While not yet in full production and fairly uncommon on Indian roads, analysts expect the Nano to soon become ubiquitous. If this can make India seem like a place where those clunky Bajaj scooters will soon be forgotten, Neeraj Marwah will make sure that won’t happen. He is an often-scowling man with a scraggly three-day beard whose family has been selling used scooters for two generations. He works out of a concrete store the size of a garage, sitting behind a desk that looks ready to collapse. Young people prefer motorcycles these days, he admits, but there are still millions of Indians out there yearning for their first Bajaj scooter. They are cheap, dependable and easy to repair. Marwah says he’ll be fixing them up and selling them for decades. “Every day I sell at least one of these things,” he said, shrugging. “Bajaj can shut down, but I’ll still be selling them. People will always want them, and I’ll always have some to sell.”— AP
Al-Khorafi against any attack on Iran Continued from Page 1 it is a shared responsibility between the executive and the legislative to have a stable relationship. “This relationship should be based on constitutional principles and commitments, and efficient political performance,” he said. He said the government had secured the required parliamentary majority in the recent four interpellations when it committed itself to the constitution and performed satisfactorily. However, he maintained, the door is now open for the government to go ahead with its program of action following a period of threatened interpellations. On mass media, Khorafi said although media are a key partner in democracy, they have favorable and negative impacts on democratic practice. Out of keenness for national mass media and their role and position, he believed that it is necessary for mass media to reassess their performance and methods. Everybody in the country should seek in earnest to maintain and preserve national democratic gains and unity, and to harness all capabilities for buttressing economic and social development, Khorafi noted.
However, he dismissed allegations as baseless that the National Assembly, due to its disputes and disagreements, is mainly to blame for delayed national development projects in Kuwait. Development is a shared responsibility, and it is the government which should be competent to put its program of action in place, he said. Aggravated use of parliamentary control tools and political accountability should not be an excuse for the government to shirk its responsibilities for carrying out development projects, the speaker asked. Should the government have a clearcut and unequivocal vision and decision and performs satisfactorily, it could secure parliament majority, Khorafi reminded. On calls for creating political parties in Kuwait, he said political parties have become necessary for completing and regulating political and democratic practices. On a proposed Gulf parliament, Khorafi said it is a developed idea in the philosophy of cooperation among the GCC member states, but, he said, there are several obstacles on the application of this idea. The main obstacle in this respect is slowness in the march of Gulf
integration and unity, he said. On interArab relations, he wished that the recent reconciliatory initiative by HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad AlJaber Al-Sabah could be used as a springboard for a final settlement to all outstanding Arab disagreements. He also looked forward to seeing Arab leaders continuing their backing to development projects and programs decided during the Arab Economic Summit in Kuwait in Jan 2009. Regarding Iraq, he said this neighboring Arab country is steadily developing in democracy, security and stability despite obstacles and impediments facing its people. Iraq’s stability is a core element of regional stability, he said, reaffirming Kuwait’s unshakeable support for Iraq’s security and territorial integrity. On Palestine, Khorafi called on all Palestinian factions to bury the hatchet and get into reconciliatory steps as soon as possible so that they could continue their struggle for regaining their legitimate rights. He also urged Palestinian leaders to live up to their responsibility for the time being by achieving national reconciliation and setting Palestinian unity as their top priority. — KUNA
BANGKOK: Thailand’s prime minister rejected yesterday an ultimatum by tens of thousands of protesters who demanded immediate elections as they besieged a military base where his government was holed up. The “Red Shirts”, loyal to deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, massed in front of a barracks on the northern outskirts of Bangkok where top ministers and military brass had taken refuge amid fears of violence by saboteurs. After Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva rejected their demands and left the base by helicopter, tensions increased when four grenades hit a separate barracks across the city, prompting heightened security measures. It was not immediately clear if the protesters were linked to the explosions, which wounded one soldier in the arm and the other in the stomach, army spokesman Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said. “Initially we suspect that the grenades were fired from a car,” said Sunsern. A senior police official said a male suspect had been arrested and his car confiscated, but the man denied any involvement in the attacks. Earlier Abhisit, who heads a fragile six-party coalition, made a nationally televised address to reject the red-clad crowd’s demand, saying: “The coalition parties agree the demand cannot be met. Elections must be held under common rules and genuine calm. We have to listen to other people’s voices, not just the protesters.” The Red Shirts rail against the perceived elitism of the government and say it is undemocratic, as it came to power via a Dec
BANGKOK: Supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra make their way to the 11th Infantry Regiment headquarters where Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has been hunkered down in recent days yesterday. — AP 2008 parliamentary vote that followed a controversial court ruling ousting Thaksin’s allies. The protesters, who come largely from the poor rural north, support expremier Thaksin for his populist policies. He was deposed in a 2006 coup and lives abroad to avoid a jail term for corruption. Last month Thailand’s top court confiscated $1.4 billion of the telecoms tycoon’s wealth. He made an impassioned plea to supporters by video link on Sunday, urging them to fight on. Thaksin left his main base in Dubai on Saturday and was spotted over the weekend in Montenegro enjoying coffee and cakes in a luxury hotel with his entourage. At
least 86,000 Red Shirts have congregated since Saturday at a site near government offices. Soldiers and riot police have been deployed under a strict security law allowing authorities to ban gatherings and impose curfews. Authorities said a 50,000strong security force was on hand across Bangkok and surrounding provinces. The rally moved yesterday to the army barracks, where Sunsern said about 2,000 soldiers were providing security with three helicopters on standby, before the Reds returned to their original site in the city’s historic quarter. In a bizarre development, protest leader Nattawut Saikur said the Red Shirts would each
let a small amount of blood today and spill it at the gates of Government House in a show of their fierce determination. Since the 2006 coup Thailand has been wracked by protests by the Red Shirts and their rival Yellow Shirts, whose campaign in 2008 led to a crippling nine-day blockade of the country’s airports. Twice-elected Thaksin is loathed by the yellow movement, which is supported by Bangkok’s establishment and accuses him of corruption and disloyalty to the revered royal family. The current rally is the largest in Bangkok since the Reds rioted in April last year, leaving two people dead and scores injured. — AFP
US demands Israel scrap building plan Continued from Page 1 him and the Obama administration, angering Palestinians and endangering the start of indirect peace negotiations that are to be mediated by a US envoy. Adding to tensions was a ceremony yesterday in the walled Old City in east Jerusalem, where Jews rededicated an ancient synagogue destroyed after the war that followed Israel’s creation in 1948. Israeli police sent in reinforcements to prevent riots. The synagogue is in the Jewish Quarter, but Palestinians still saw the colorful celebration as an affront. After a weekend of rare broadsides from top US officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, American demands became clear yesterday. The US wants Israel to cancel the construction plan, US and Israeli officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made. American officials said they were also insisting that Israel take significant steps to get peace talks back on track. These might include releasing Palestinian prisoners or turning over additional West Bank land to Palestinian control. Washington, the officials added, also has demanded that Israel officially declare that talks with the Palestinians will deal with all the conflict’s big issues, including final borders, the status of Jerusalem and the fate of Palestinian refugees who lost their homes during the war that followed Israel’s 1948 creation. But Netanyahu appeared unreceptive to the main demand, defending four decades of construction for Israelis in east Jerusalem. “The building of those Jewish neigh-
borhoods in no way hurt the Arabs of east Jerusalem and did not come at their expense,” he told his parliament yesterday. Netanyahu has apologized for the timing of the project’s approval but has not said he will cancel it. Palestinians say Jewish building in east Jerusalem, an area they hope to make their capital, eats up land they want for a future state, cuts off east Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank and prevents the expansion of Arab neighborhoods. The Palestinians also point out that much of the land used for Jewish construction was expropriated from Arab owners. Stephan Miller, a Jerusalem spokesman, said the city will not change its policies - meaning Jewish construction in the part of the city Palestinians claim will continue. “We are developing the entire city for the benefit of all residents,” he said. Most Israelis accept the Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem as part of Israel, differentiating them from West Bank settlements, which many Israelis oppose. But since the world does not recognize Israel’s annexation of east Jerusalem, the international legal status of the neighborhoods is the same as the settlements, which are considered illegal. The unusually harsh US criticism has undercut Netanyahu’s efforts to play down the crisis. Israeli newspapers reported yesterday that Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, told Israeli diplomats in a conference call Saturday night that their country’s relations with the US haven’t been this tense in decades. Israel does not stand to benefit from antagonizing its most important ally, but Netanyahu has historically taken a hard line against territorial concessions
to the Palestinians. A curb on east Jerusalem construction also could fracture his hawkish governing coalition. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit called for international moves against Israel, calling its Jerusalem policy “absurd, an evasion, maneuvering and an attempt to suffocate the Palestinians.” Jerusalem is the most explosive issue in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Israel captured east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it, claiming the whole city as its capital. No other country has recognized the annexation. At the emotional and religious center of the dispute is Jerusalem’s Old City, with shrines holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims. For a fourth straight day, Israel deployed hundreds of police around the area and restricted Palestinian access in anticipation of possible unrest. Israel also maintained a closure that barred virtually all West Bank Palestinians from entering Israel. In the West Bank, Israeli troops dispersed 70 Palestinians hurling rocks and burning tires north of Jerusalem, the military said, wounding at least four people. In Egypt, meanwhile, thousands of students at six universities protested against Israel, shouting, “Arm us and send us to Al-Aqsa,” Islam’s third holiest site, also located in the Old City. Today, about 180,000 Israelis live in east Jerusalem, in addition to nearly 300,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Israel withdrew its 8,000 settlers from Gaza five years ago, though it continues to control that territory’s borders, airspace and sea coast. Palestinians hope to establish a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. — AP
Iran offers diplomas to slash divorce rate Continued from Page 1 Interactive and lasting three months, the course designed by academics and clerics requires pupils seeking the diploma to sit for weekly tests. Iran’s hardline leaders condemn dating and relationships out of wedlock and like to see men and women married off ideally in their early 20s in a country where traditionalists frown upon singles in their 30s. But according to official estimates, the average age of marriage has risen to 29, mainly due to economic hardship and a change in priorities and values, especially for women who outnumber men at college. Since rising to power five years ago, conservatives in the parliament and government have made a mantra of “facilitating marriage for young people” in Iran, where about 60 percent of the 70-million population is under 30. The concept of a “marriage diploma” has already unleashed a torrent of jokes on the Internet, but officials insist Iranians need awareness without revealing much about the content of the course. “Marriage needs hundreds of hours of education,” Mehrdad Bazrpash, a deputy to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and head of the National Youth Organisation, said on Saturday as he inaugurated the program in Tehran. Ahmad Borjali, a psychologist and adviser to the initiative, said the divorce rate has gone up steadily since 2006, rising by 15.7 percent in 2009 compared with the previous year, against a 2.1-percent increase in marriages. One in every four marriages ends in
divorce in Tehran alone, he said, citing research by social workers as blaming “sexual” and “communication troubles” among main reasons for the problem nationwide. “Divorce is taboo and against values, but educational work does not cost much,” he said in a speech. “Face-to-face education is much more important and this can be a start given the size of the country.” Despite its lofty goals the new initiative has been met with scepticism among government critics and academics. “Awareness is fine but the question is what kind of a family they are seeking to promote,” prominent sociologist Shahla Ezazi told AFP. “Our society is confused between tradition and modernity, there are both traditional arranged marriages and modern love marriages. But most propaganda is focused on reinforcing men’s leadership and women’s obedience,” she said. Publicity material for the course distributed at the launch showed a very conservative approach by authorities, shunning unmarried romantic relationships and encouraging traditional match-making. “It is wiser to have different relationships ... I will hang out with a few and then choose one,” a boy with a Westernised appearance is depicted as saying in a booklet mocking such lifestyles. It was contrasted by a bearded, pious-looking young man who says “short-term illegitimate relationships harm dignity, but God has left the halal (religiously correct) path open.” Ezazi said the current authorities only favour traditional, arranged marriages and
“consider giving men and women equal rights a terrible feminist thing”. “But people do not live as advised by the government and changes do not happen based on its orders,” she said. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran has been under conservative clerical rule which favours segregation of the sexes and penalises “illegitimate relationships” such as adultery punished by death. But this has not prevented mainly urban youths from dating and mingling under the regime’s beady eyes, although moving in and living with a partner out of marriage is almost unheard of. Some among the authorities have for years sought to promote an Islamic substitute for dating in the form of “Sigheh”, or temporary marriage, a Shiite practice which allows a man and a woman to be married for even an hour. But it is generally frowned upon by Iranians. The authorities have also urged young people and their families to rein in their ambitions, avoid lavish weddings and drop materialistic goals in a bid to boost marriage. Ahmadinejad has also vowed to create jobs and provide cheap housing to young couples but it is unclear how well he has delivered on his promises as critics accuse his government of fiddling with statistics. But all that 27-year-old Mina, a dentist’s assistant, wants is to live under the same roof with her fiance of two years. Her fiance, a civil engineer of the same age, has just been laid off. “We know everything that there is to know about each other and we get along great,” she said. “But we have to postpone the wedding yet again.”— AFP
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Capitals down Blackhawks
DALLAS: Joshua Clottey of Ghana (left) exchanges blows with Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines (right) during their World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title fight on Saturday. — AFP
Pacquiao marches on as true star of boxing ARLINGTON: The fight was long over and most of the biggest crowd to see a fight in the U.S. in 17 years had found their way out of massive Cowboys Stadium. Manny Pacquiao had easily disposed of a timid Joshua Clottey, and now he had a concert to perform. There was only a few minutes to talk about Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his run for congress in the Philippines in May. The postfight party awaited, and once more the star was ready to perform. “The first song I’m going to sing is ‘La Bamba,”’ Pacquiao said. It’s a good time to be Manny Pacquiao, and Texas proved to be a good host to the hottest fighter around. Nearly 51,000 made their way into the edifice built by Jerry Jones to watch him fight Saturday night and few seemed to leave disappointed, even if Clottey’s reluctance to mix it up deprived them of a spectacular fight. Pacquiao won every round on one judge’s scorecard and all but one on the other two. By the time they count all the pay-per-view receipts he’ll probably head home at least $15 million richer, and he didn’t have to put up with Mayweather’s antics to make another huge payday. The fight that never was may still happen, perhaps in November, perhaps at Cowboys Stadium. Pacquiao made it clear he still wants it, and both his trainer and promoter seem to want it even more badly than the fighter himself. “We will crush him,” trainer Freddie Roach said. It wasn’t an idle boast, and it wasn’t a way to hype the fight because it doesn’t need hyping. Before it fell apart over Mayweather’s insistence on blood testing, the bout was supposed to have taken place Saturday night and likely would have been the richest ever in boxing. But Mayweather must first now get past a fight of his own, a May 1 bout against Shane Mosley that may be his toughest yet. And promoter Bob Arum made it clear that there will be no negotiations this time around about any sort of blood testing no matter how much Mayweather might try to raise the point.
There clearly isn’t any need for Pacquiao’s camp to bend on the issue. Any thought that Mayweather diminished his popularity when he insinuated Pacquiao must be juiced to have won titles from 112 to 147 pounds evaporated when they opened the doors at Cowboys Stadium and throngs of people poured in hours early for the party. Pacquiao did the best he could to force the issue, throwing punch after punch after punch — more than 1,200 in all. Someone who managed to get a microphone at the postfight news conference congratulated Clottey for making it through 12 rounds, and asked him what his secret for success was. “Manny Pacquiao is beating everybody,” Clottey said. “He’s knocking them out. I have to do what I can and I think I did my best.” Arum didn’t seem to mind that he had just paid someone $2 million to go into a shell. “What was he supposed to do?” Arum said. “If he played offense he’d get knocked out.” This was a freebie for Pacquiao, and one he had probably earned. It’s hard to blame him for having an opponent just trying to stay upright, not after what he did to Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto in his previous three fights. This, apparently, is what it has come to with Pacman. No longer just content to beat fighters he’s now a 145 3/4 pounds of sheer intimidation, kind of a junior Mike Tyson who takes on his business with a smile instead of a scowl. He’s so good that a very good and veteran practicer of the sweet science decided that it was better to survive intact than go down in a blaze of glory. So good that there wouldn’t be any question about his place on boxing’s hierarchy if there wasn’t this annoyance named Floyd Mayweather. So good that the only worry in his camp is that he will actually win a seat in congress back home and not fight anymore. The glow of his latest win had even his tough guy trainer speaking fondly about the fighter he has helped transform a tough sport. “I’m just happy to be a part of Manny Pacquiao’s life,” Roach said. — AP
French firepower can land grand slam: Coach MARCOUSSIS: France have the firepower to defeat England and secure a Six Nations grand slam at the Stade de France on Saturday, coach Marc Lievremont said. France have retained the squad that beat Italy 46-20 on Sunday, following up wins over Scotland, Ireland and Wales. “It’s our belief that this France team has the weapons to beat England even if we can have no certainty of success,” Lievremont told a news conference yesterday. France have a first Six Nations championship since 2007 in sight. They lead the standings with eight points and a points difference of +64 while second-placed
Ireland, who host Scotland on Saturday, are on six points and a +14 points difference. Lievremont said to miss out on a first grand slam since 2004 would be “a disappointment” but denied that a defeat to England would “call into question all the progress made in the first two years” of his tenure. “In terms of players, in terms of consistency in the way we play and in results, in terms of confidence, in terms of efficiency in the fundamentals of the game, we are a better team,” he said. “We are not pretending to dominate the championship head and shoulders. We
expect a strong challenge from England and we know we’ll have to be at our best to beat them.” France squad: Forwards: Thomas Domingo, Clement Baiocco, Nicolas Mas, Jean-Baptiste Poux, William Servat, Dimitri Szarzewski, Sebastien Chabal, Julien Pierre, Lionel Nallet, Julien Bonnaire, Thierry Dusautoir (captain), Imanol Harinordoquy, Alexandre Lapandry. Backs: Morgan Parra, Dimitri Yachvili, Francois Trinh-Duc, Mathieu Bastareaud, Yannick Jauzion, David Marty, Alexis Palisson, Julien Malzieu, Marc Andreu, Clement Poitrenaud. — Reuters
Rochette to miss worlds OTTAWA: Canadian figure skater Joannie Rochette, who won a bronze medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympics four days after her mother died of a heart attack, will not compete in next week’s World Championships. The emotional toll of the past few weeks has proven too much for Rochette to compete in the world field at Turin, Italy, according to a statement by Skate Canada released to CBC television that said Myriane Samson will take her spot. “With everything that has happened over the past few weeks, I have missed a significant amount of training time,” Rochette said in the statement. “That means I’m not prepared either emotionally or physically to skate well at these championships and once again challenge for the podium. “Whenever I compete I want to give my best to the fans, and to respect the competitive nature of the sport. I just would not be able to do that for either the fans or myself next week.”
Rochette, 24, served as Canada’s flag bearer at the closing ceremony after her emotional medal performance, joining champion Kim YuNa of South Korea and runner-up Mao Asada on the podium. The Chicago Tribune reported yesterday that the International Skating Union (ISU) had threatened to declare Rochette ineligible if she skated an exhibition tribute to her late mother, Therese, at a made-for-television event Thursday. Rochette performed the emotional tribute at the exhibition gala in Vancouver following Olympic competition, but the ISU threatened a penalty if she took part in the unsanctioned “Thin Ice” event at a Connecticut casino. Rochette, second at last year’s worlds, had asked Skate Canada for permission to compete at “Thin Ice” and was expected to meet with officials yesterday regarding the matter. Calls to Skate Canada were not immediately returned. — AFP
CHICAGO: Nicklas Backstrom scored in overtime Sunday as the Washington Capitals completed a remarkable comeback without star Alex Ovechkin to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Backstrom skated up the side, went around Chicago’s Brent Seabrook in the left circle and beat Antti Niemi for his second goal of the game. Ovechkin, the two-time MVP and the league’s leading scorer this season, got a game misconduct in the first period for knocking Brian Campbell into the boards. Washington fell behind 3-0 after two periods, but rallied with a quick three-goal spurt in the final period, showing why it has the NHL’s top record and also is the highest scoring team. Jonathan Toews had two goals, and John Madden also scored for Chicago. Penguins 2, Lightning 1 At Tampa, Florida, Pascal Dupuis and Sergei Gonchar scored in a 2:57 span in the third period, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 21 saves for Pittsburgh. Gonchar scored the winning goal at 5:17, blasting a slap shot past Antero Niittymaki from just inside the blue line. Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier opened the scoring with his fifth goal in six games. Rangers 3, Flyers 1 At New York, Sean Avery scored twice and helped New York climb within a point of eighthplace Boston in the Eastern Conference. Michal Rozsival had the goahead goal in the second period, and Henrik Lundqvist made 17 saves for New York. Danny Briere scored for Philadelphia. Coyotes 3, Thrashers 2 At Atlanta, Adrian Aucoin scored the shootout winner and Lee Stempniak had his sixth goal in five games with Phoenix as the Coyotes won their fifth straight. Phoenix has won 13 of its last 17 games. After setting a Coyotes singleseason record with a 4-0 win Saturday at Carolina, Phoenix has 42 victories, one away from tying the franchise mark set by Winnipeg in 1984-85 - when overtime ties were not broken in shootouts. Atlanta has lost six straight, including four at home. Matthew Lombardi also scored for Phoenix. Maxim Afinogenov and Nik Antropov scored powerplay goals for Atlanta in the third. Ducks 4, Sharks 2 At Anaheim, Teemu Selanne scored his 599th goal, and Jonas Hiller made 31 saves to help Anaheim end a five-game winless streak. Selanne gave the Ducks a scare early in the third period, when his head and left shoulder slammed into the boards after he failed to convert a pass from Saku Koivu and lost his balance. Selanne remained on the ice hunched over for a couple of minutes before making it back to the dressing room under his own power, but did not return. Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan and Lubomir Visnovsky also scored. Joe Thornton and Jamie McGinn scored third-period goals for Western Conference-leading San Jose. The Sharks began a sixgame trip with their second straight loss. Canucks 3, Flames 1 At Vancouver, identical twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin set each other up for first-period goals and Roberto Luongo made 32 saves for the Canucks. Ryan Kesler also scored in the first period for the Canucks, who won for a second straight night at home after spending the previous six weeks playing an NHL-record 14 consecutive road games while Vancouver hosted the Olympics. Robyn Regehr spoiled Luongo’s shutout with 8:10 left. The Flames are a point behind Detroit for the final Western Conference playoff spot. Predators 3, Kings 2 At Los Angeles, Patric Hornqvist scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:31 to play, and Pekka Rinne made 18 saves for Nashville. Steve Sullivan and Colin Wilson also scored in the Predators’ seventh straight victory over Los Angeles. Anze Kopitar scored his career hightying 32nd goal, and Dustin Brown also scored for the Kings. Wild 4, Blues 2 At St. Paul, Josh Harding made 36 saves, and Mikko Koivu had a power-play goal and two assists, propelling Minnesota past St. Louis. Andrew Brunette and Guillaume Latendresse also scored in a three-goal first period
VANCOUVER: David Moss No.25 of the Calgary Flames gets tripped up after getting hit by Mason Raymond No.21 of the Vancouver Canucks during the first period of NHL action. — AFP for Minnesota, which pulled within a point of 10th-place St. Louis in the Western Conference. Patrik Berglund and Paul Kariya scored for St. Louis. Avalanche 5, Stars 3 At Dallas, Craig Anderson made 48 saves, Paul Stastny scored twice, and Colorado rallied to beat Dallas. Chris Stewart, Darcy Tucker and Milan Hejduk also scored for the Avalanche. Brandon Segal scored twice in a 1:22 span in the second, and Jamie Benn added a goal for Dallas, 1-51 since the Olympic break. Islanders 4, Maple Leafs 1 At Uniondale, Richard Park scored a short-handed goal and added an assist, and Martin Biron made 26 saves for New York.Tim Jackman, Frans Nielsen and Matt Moulson also scored, and Blake Comeau added three assists. Nikolai Kulemin scored for Toronto. The Maple Leafs had their season-high winning streak ended at three. — AP
NHL results/standings NHL results and standings on Sunday. Washington 4, Chicago 3 (OT); Colorado 5, Dallas 3; Nashville 3, Los Angeles 2; NY Rangers 3, Philadelphia 1; NY Islanders 4, Toronto 1; Phoenix 3, Atlanta 2 (SO); Pittsburgh 2, Tampa Bay 1; Minnesota 4, St. Louis 2; Anaheim 4, San Jose 2; Vancouver 3, Calgary 1. (OT Denotes Overtime Win, So Indicates Shootout Win) Eastern Conference Western Conference Central Division Atlantic Division Chicago 44 18 6 225 170 94 W L OTL GF GA PTS Nashville 38 26 5 193 198 81 Pittsburgh 41 23 5 217 197 87 Detroit 33 23 12 185 185 78 New Jersey 40 24 3 180 162 83 St. Louis 32 27 9 186 188 73 Philadelphia 36 28 4 203 185 76 Columbus 27 31 11 178 223 65 NY Rangers 31 29 9 181 188 71 NY Islanders 28 32 9 180 214 65 Northwest Division Vancouver 43 23 3 228 176 89 northeast division Colorado 39 23 6 204 179 84 Buffalo 36 21 10 183 170 82 Calgary 34 25 9 173 170 77 Ottawa 37 27 5 186 197 79 Minnesota 33 29 6 188 197 72 Edmonton 21 40 7 171 236 49 Montreal 35 29 6 191 194 76 Boston 30 25 12 167 172 72 Pacific Division Toronto 23 34 12 183 234 58 San Jose 43 15 10 224 172 96 Phoenix 42 22 5 187 169 89 Southeast Division Los Angeles 40 23 5 206 182 85 Washington 46 14 9 270 195 101 Dallas 29 26 13 191 218 71 Tampa Bay 28 28 12 182 209 68 Anaheim 31 29 8 189 209 70 Atlanta 28 29 11 200 221 67 Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point Florida 28 29 10 174 193 66 in the standings and are not included in the loss Carolina 28 32 8 189 211 64 column (L)
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Button must close gap on Hamilton, says Fry LONDON: Jenson Button was warned he was stepping into the lions’ den at McLaren and, even if the Formula One champion has yet to be mauled, he has a few things to think about after a disappointing debut in Bahrain. “There’s clearly a gap that Jenson is going to have to close. It’s absolutely selfevident,” his former Brawn team managing director Nick Fry told Reuters after the Briton finished seventh in Sunday’s seasonopener while team mate Lewis Hamilton was third. Hamilton, the 2008 champion who has been backed by McLaren for more than a decade, had started fourth but gained from Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull suffering an engine problem that dropped him from first to fourth.
“I’m sure he’ll be looking after this weekend at what he can do to close the gap to Lewis,” said Fry, whose team was taken over by Mercedes and now has seven times champion Michael Schumacher in Button’s place, when asked about Button’s performance. Both Mercedes drivers finished ahead of Button. “Lewis does have ‘home team advantage’ at the moment but the longer Jenson stays with the team, the more that reason goes away,” continued Fry. “He’ll have to be looking at all the aspects of his own performance, not only how he drives but also the way he works with the team. Jenson will know all those things and he’s got to work hard.” McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh felt sure Button, who won six of
the first seven races with Brawn last season, would do a better job at the next race in Australia. “I think in fairness on Saturday, Jenson was disappointed with his qualifying, and understandably,” he told reporters. “He didn’t get the clean air. “He was quicker than the Mercedes (during the race) but couldn’t get past him (the returning Michael Schumacher), just as Lewis could not get past him (Nico Rosberg) earlier on,” added Whitmarsh. “Lewis had a decent spell of clear air and he could demonstrate what he could do, Jenson didn’t get that decent spell of clean air. “It was a reasonable start, I am sure we want to do better than that,” continued Whitmarsh. “We will see, going into
Australia, we are hopefully going to bring a few bits to the car.” After agreeing on the Saturday that McLaren were not quick enough, Hamilton sounded pleasantly surprised by his Sunday showing and certainly far happier than last year when the team started the season well off the pace. “I think we’re lacking in a little bit of downforce compared to the Ferraris and especially the Red Bulls, but we’re not in a bad position,” he said after the race. “I think we just need to try to make a step closer to them which will enable us to compete for the win.” Meanwhile, Formula One bosses are already calling for further rule changes after the first race of what had been billed as a potentially epic and explosive season turned
out to be a bit of a dud. The ban on refuelling, and the end of the strategies that went with it, meant that most drivers made just one pitstop to change tyres in Bahrain on Sunday and created a situation where the action fell a long way short of the hype. “I caught up with Michael (Schumacher) and then sat behind him for the rest of the race,” lamented McLaren’s world champion Jenson Button after starting eighth and finishing seventh. “I couldn’t get any closer.” Qualifying dictated the race and had Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull not been slowed by a faulty spark plug while the German was leading, the eventual result would have been a start to finish procession. Instead it was a straightforward Ferrari one-two, with race winner Fernando Alonso
effectively sealing the victory on his debut for the team when the Spaniard squirmed past Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa on the first lap. Some team bosses and pundits said afterwards that the rules should be tweaked to introduce a second mandatory pitstop while tyre compounds could also be changed to make them less durable. “I think it would be bad if we didn’t react,” Mercedes F1 team managing director Nick Fry told reporters when asked whether the race had been bad for the sport after such high expectations. “I think we’ve all seen a race which is far from the most exciting we have ever seen and what we now need to do is between us have a look at this and establish what we do need to do.—Reuters
SAO PAULO: Brazilian Indy car driver Mario Moraes flies over Marco Andrettti’s car during the start of Brazil’s Indy 300. None of the drivers were hurt in the accident. — AFP
Power clinches rain-hit IndyCar opener in Brazil SAO PAULO: Will Power made a late overtaking move to take the lead from Ryan Hunter-Reay to win the rain-shortened IndyCar season-opener on the streets of Sao Paulo. The Australian passed the American with three laps to go, clinching the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300 for his second career victory. Power crossed the line 1.858 seconds ahead of Hunter-Reay when the race ended at the two-hour time-limit with only 61 of the 75 scheduled laps completed. The race had to be red-flagged near its halfway point after heavy rains made track conditions unsafe, marking another setback for the track which was initially being hailed as one of the highlights of the season but faced problems throughout the weekend. Home-crowd favorite Vitor Meira was third, followed by compatriot Raphael Matos at the 2.6-mile (4.2-kilometer), 11-turn Anhembi temporary circuit in South America’s biggest city. Power, whose other victory was last year in Edmonton, got out of his car and celebrated with the thousands of fans packing
the grandstands of the stadium-like Sambadrome where the race took place. “I feel awesome,” the Penske driver said. “We battled it out, it was a great day.” There were only about three minutes left when Power overtook Hunter-Reay, breaking late to make the pass at the end of the long backstretch. The win was extra special for Power, who last year sustained a season-ending back injury in a crash in Sonoma and only landed a full-season deal with Penske late. “It’s been a tough recovery,” he said. “I’m very grateful to be given this opportunity. I laid in bed at the hospital and never thought it was going to happen.” Power survived a gearbox problem that almost kept him from finishing qualifying, and severe blisters that required medical treatment after the race. “Man, it was hurting,” said the 29-yearold Australian, who started the race from fifth place. Hunter-Reay dominated much of the race with his Andretti Autosport car, but was not able to contend at the end. “I had a blast all day,” said Hunter-Reay, who led for the first time since Watkins Glen in 2008.
“I had so much fun with conditions changing all the time, that’s what racing is about.” Power’s Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe got past Hunter-Reay for the lead late in the race, but he crashed with about 13 minutes left after missing a corner. Both had been battling each other for several laps until Briscoe lost control. It was the first time in IndyCar Series history that the race was ran on the same day as qualifying, which was postponed from Saturday because the front straight was too slick and drivers complained it made racing unsafe. Officials added grooves to the track overnight and fixed the problem in time for qualifying. Defending series champion Dario Franchitti earned his 13th career pole earlier in the day. He led the race in the beginning and after it was interrupted, but eventually fell to seventh at the end after sticking with rain tires longer than the other drivers. The race had to be red-flagged when pouring rain created deep puddles of water throughout the newly built street track. Danica Patrick lost control of her car as it
started raining, finishing only 15th, a lap down. Just before the red flag, Alex Tagliani - who led early in the race - crashed with Brazil’s Tony Kanaan after being touched from behind by Dan Wheldon. The start of the race was marked by a scary incident involving U.S. driver Marco Andretti, who escaped injury after his car was hit from behind. The car of Brazilian driver Mario Moraes finished on top of Andretti’s and they slid tangled for several yards. The bottom of Moraes’ car appeared to be touching Andretti’s helmet, and it took more than five minutes for officials to remove Moraes’ car so the medical team could attend to Andretti. Andretti and Moraes were slowing down as other cars made contact in front of them, including former Formula One driver Takuma Sato, Franchitti’s teammate Scott Dixon, three-time Indy 500 Helio Castroneves and even Briscoe. It was extremely dusty where the grooves were added and dirt was being constantly thrown into the air, causing visibility problems.
The Sambadrome straight stretches for about a third of a mile (500 meters) and was the only part of the track with concrete instead of asphalt, which was what caused the grip problems and forced officials to work overnight to allow drivers to race hard in qualifying and the race. The street circuit was set up in about three months and was expected to be one of the highlights of the season, with the Sambadrome and the series’ longest ever straight, which is just short of a mile (1.6 kilometers) and allowed for a lot of overtaking on Sunday. “That’s what we need on these street circuits and road courses,” the 29-year-old Hunter-Reay said. “A lot of passing like that.” But the problems on the track this weekend dampened much of that enthusiasm. IndyCar officials were hoping for a clean race as the series tries to expand in the United States and abroad, looking to carry the momentum from a thrilling season a year ago when three drivers reached the final race with a chance to take the title. — AP
Schumacher gets mixed reviews BERLIN: Michael Schumacher’s comeback performance earned him a name he won’t have seen often before in his native Germany: “Creeping Schumi.” That was the mass-circulation Bild daily’s front-page headline yesterday after the seven-time champion finished sixth on his Formula One comeback in Bahrain. It asked: “How long will Schumi be trailing behind?” “Thanks to the Schumacher comeback, Germany was back in a Formula One rush,” commentator Matthias Bruegelmann wrote. “But the hangover is heavy,” he added, writing that Schumacher and Mercedes must work hard to catch up. Fernando Alonso won the race for Schumacher’s former employer, Ferrari. The BZ tabloid headlined its Schumacher story: “Red Goddess steals Schumi’s show.” The daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung captioned its front-page picture of Schumacher with the words “third-best German” — a reference to the fact he finished behind Sebastian Vettel and Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg. Still, reviews were mixed. The daily Berliner
Kurier wrote that the 41-year-old is “top-fit and can easily keep up with the whippersnappers.” Schumacher was “better than the world champion,” Jenson Button, said Berlin’s Tagesspiegel. Schumacher himself accentuated the positive. “All in all I have to say: I am very, very happy and proud about how it went, considering I was completely out for three years and did not have a lot of driving for preparation,” he said on his Web site. “It would be strange to assume that I would come in, sit in the car and drive circles around the others,” he added. “I, for my part, did not assume that in any case.” Schumacher said that, physically, “this race was not at all difficult for me and I was not exhausted at all.” Hype surrounding Schumacher’s comeback helped boost television ratings for Sunday’s race. RTL television, which aired it live in Germany, said Sunday’s race drew an average 10.51 million viewers — up from 5.35 million for last year’s Bahrain race. Meanwhile, Lotus are setting their sights on shaking up the Formula One establishment after finishing the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix as best of the new teams.—AP
SAO PAULO: Will Power of Australia celebrates after winning the IRL IndyCar Series Sao Paulo Indy 300. — AFP
Rachel Alexandra will not face Zenyatta in Blossom
BAHRAIN: Mercedes GP’s German driver Michael Schumacher drives ahead of Red Bull’s Australian driver Mark Webber at the Bahrain international circuit. — AFP
NEW YORK: Rachel Alexandra will not run in the Apple Blossom Invitational next month, ending the highly anticipated match-up against undefeated 2009 Breeders’ Cup Classic champion Zenyatta. The move comes after Rachel Alexandra, the US Horse of the Year in 2009, ran out of steam in the stretch in her first race in six months and finished a disappointing second to Zardana in the New Orleans Ladies on Saturday. “Yesterday’s race while a disappointment, helped us define Rachel Alexandra’s racing condition,” owner Jess Jackson said in a statement on Sunday. “While she is healthy,
just as I had anticipated, she is not in top form. Therefore, I decided today she will not be going to the Oaklawn Invitational on April 9.” Jackson said he had discussed the situation with trainer Steve Asmussen. “We now regret we tried to accelerate her training in order to meet the Apple Blossom schedule,” said Jackson. “We have a whole season before us to help define her greatness. “She will tell us when her next race will be.” Zenyatta, who won the $250,000 Santa Margarita Invitational on Saturday, will still head to Oaklawn Park in Arkansas for the Grade I Apple Blossom. —Reuters
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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CHITTAGONG: England’s Graeme Swann (right) plays a shot as Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim looks on during the fourth day of their first Test cricket match. —AP
Sixth-wicket pair frustrate England CHITTAGONG: Zunaed Siddique and Mushfiqur Rahim delayed England’s victory charge in the first Test with an unbroken 81-run stand to help Bangladesh reach 191 for five in their second innings yesterday. Zunaed eked out a patient halfcentury to remain 68 not out alongside Rahim (47 not out) at the close on the fourth day. The hosts are chasing 513 to win after England declared their second innings on 209 for seven. Coming together around 20 minutes before the tea break, the pair
batted out the entire final session to frustrate England. “At no stage did we sit back and say we were going to finish this game today. We said we wanted to bowl as many dot balls as possible, build pressure on Bangladesh, and that will get us wickets,” England pacer Steven Finn told reporters. “They aren’t going to be walked over because they’ve got good batsmen. We just wanted to bowl dot balls, good deliveries, and hopefully they’ll get themselves out,” he added. Tim Bresnan struck twice in the
second session before skipper Shakib Al Hasan fell to a controversial lbw decision off Graeme Swann. Bresnan ended a stubborn 54-run third-wicket partnership when he had Aftab Ahmed caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior for 26 and then bowled Mahmudullah for five. Bangladesh suffered a huge blow when Shakib was given out leg before off Swann, with replays suggesting he got a full glove on his sweep shot. Swann had earlier bowled Tamim Iqbal for 14 in his second over. Imrul Kayes survived strong
Scoreboard Scoreboard at the close of the fourth day of the first test between Bangladesh and England at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong, Bangladesh yesterday. England first innings 599-6 dec (A. Cook 173, K. Pietersen 99, P. Collingwood 145, I. Bell 84) Bangladesh first innings 296 (T. Iqbal 86, Mahmudullah 51, M. Rahim 79; G. Swann 5-90) 47 England second innings 209-7 dec (S. M. Rahim not out Extras (b-2 lb-2) 4 Hasan 4-62) Total (five wickets, 75 overs) 191 Bangladesh second innings To bat: N. Islam, A. Razzak, R. Hossain, S. T. Iqbal b Swann 14 Hossain I. Kayes c Prior b Finn 23 Fall of wickets: 1-33 2-45 3-99 4-105 5-110 Z. Siddique not out 68 Bowling: Broad 12-5-34-0, Bresnan 16-4-45-2, A. Ahmed c Prior b Bresnan 26 Finn 11-4-31-1, Swann 29-6-61-2, Pietersen 5-1Mahmudullah b Bresnan 5 11-0, Trott 2-0-5-0. S. Hasan lbw b Swann 4
Els triumphs in Miami
Kiwis tour to Zimbabwe off again WELLINGTON: New Zealand Cricket canceled its June tour to Zimbabwe yesterday but said it may play the matches later at a neutral venue. NZC chief executive Justin Vaughan said concerns over the stability of the African nation and the collapse of its health system led to the decision which was taken in consultation with the New Zealand government. “It was a decision made with the Government but we are looking at other options like playing the tour at a neutral venue, most likely South Africa,” Vaughan said. He said the matches might be played in June, 2011. Zimbabwe had raised few objections when informed of New Zealand’s decision, he said. The series of three limited-overs internationals in Zimbabwe was originally scheduled for July last year but was postponed for 12 months. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key also expressed concerns for the team’s safety. Key told reporters yesterday he had not personally been involved in the New Zealand Cricket decision though there had been discussions with ministers. “The safety and security of the players were the major issues when we last looked at this,” Key said. “Our players could genuinely be at risk if they went there and that was a risk I was uncomfortable with 12 months ago. I certainly support the action NZC has taken today.”—AP
appeals for lbw and a catch at leggully before he finally edged Finn to Prior for 23. “We already lost five wickets and their score is also very high. We will try to occupy the crease. If we can get a good partnership then the positives will come out hopefully,” said Zunaed. England, resuming on 131-5, lost overnight batsman Prior (seven) in the fourth over, but Ian Bell and Swann batted aggressively to help the tourists declare their second innings with an hour remaining in the first session. —Reuters
DORAL: Ernie Els of South Africa holds up his trophy after winning the CA Championship golf tournament. —AP
MIAMI: South African Ernie Els ended his barren two year spell by winning the WGC-CA Championship by four strokes on Sunday after a classy six-under-par final round of 66 held off compatriot Charl Schwartzel. Els last won on the tour in March 2008 at the Honda Classic, and his victory comes just a week after he tied for 67th at the same event in Palm Beach Gardens. “I’m 40 years old but I still had my hairs on end,” said a beaming Els after Schwartzel, 15 years his junior, bogeyed three times on the back nine while Els held his nerve with two birdies down the stretch in his bogey-free round. American Matt Kuchar, Germany’s Martin Kaymer and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington were tied in third, seven strokes behind Els. Schwartzel had been in outstanding form, winning two European Tour events already this season, but was unable to match Els’ steeliness after the turn and momentum swung to the two-time U.S. Open champion on 14 when he saved par with a magnificent 24-foot putt to maintain the one stroke lead he had from the front nine. Schwartzel’s challenge then evaporated on 15 when he chipped out of the front greenside bunker and rolled into another sand trap at the back and bogeyed. The two stroke advantage with three holes remaining was always going to be tough for the 25-year-old to make up and it was all over on the par four 17th when Schwartzel found rough and then missed a seven foot putt for par. Els, who made just five bogeys all week, found the green in two and then sunk home a four foot birdie putt and ensured the final hole was just a formality. “He played flawless golf today, if you make six birdies and no bogeys on a windy day like this you are almost bound to win,” said Schwartzel. “But I played really well and this shows me that I can play against the best in the world. My time will come, I suppose.” —Reuters
Kuwait karate tourney KUWAIT: Kuwait Karate Association organized the Second Liberation tournament for juniors and youth from March 7-14. 400 players representing 14 clubs participated in the tournament. The results were as follows: Yarmouk club was first scoring 38 points, Shaab second with 31 points, Qadisiya club emerged third with 26 points
followed by Salmiyah club with 24 points and Kuwait club with 17 points . Al-Arabi placed sixth with 13 points, Al-Tadhamun seventh with 12 points. Deputy chairman of the board Emad Behbehani, Secretary Khalaf Al-Saeedi and board members were present at the finals.
Streelman and Collins lead SAN JUAN: Americans Kevin Streelman and Chad Collins shared the lead during the third round at the weather-affected Puerto Rico Open on Sunday but play was not to be completed until late yesterday. Streelman had completed seven holes of his third round and Collins just five of his before darkness ended play. The pair were locked on
12-under par. Heavy rain on Thursday and Friday caused lengthy delays that have forced the tournament into an extra day. Derek Lamely, Steve Wheatcroft and Kris Blanks are a shot back with Australia’s James Nitties, tied for sixth, two strokes behind the leaders and the best placed international player. —Reuters
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Beckham the player who won’t be hugely missed PARIS: David Beckham won’t be the only player forced to watch the World Cup on television but he is going to be one of the most sorely missed. In pure footballing terms, however, the unvarnished truth is that his absence will hardly be felt. Given how hard Beckham toiled to realize his unlikely ambition at age 34 of getting to South Africa this June, it is heartbreaking that a ruptured Achilles tendon has now abruptly and cruelly dashed his hopes. The apparent seriousness of the injury and Beckham’s advancing years together make it likely that he will never play for England again. Slower than he once was and no longer indispensable, Beckham was never going to be the World Cup’s top scorer or its standout star. It was never even guaranteed that he would make England manager Fabio Capello’s squad. If he had, Beckham would have spent much, if not most or even all the World Cup
warming the bench, a Hollywood-famous understudy for younger and speedier wingers like Theo Walcott or Aaron Lennon. Beckham knew that, but he didn’t care. He just wanted to be there, for his fourth and final World Cup. Not because of money — he already has plenty of that — or to boost the Beckham brand, which now thrives independent of the fact that age has blunted some of his footballing skills although, to his credit, not his desire. No, this time his motivations were far purer, at least that is how it appeared. He hoped to break former goalkeeper Peter Shilton’s record of 125 appearances for England. He felt his two decades of experience could help England’s cause. On the field, he might even have had a chance to make up for the agonies of his previous three World Cups — his sending off in 1998 against Argentina that turned him into a
figure of hate for mindless England fans and injuries that marred his tournaments in 2002 and 2006. His earnestness and dedication over the past year was endearing and impressive, a shut-up to those skeptics who claim that modern footballers are interested only in money. To persuade the unsentimental Capello that he could still be useful, if not decisive, Beckham became one of the busiest players on the planet — turning out for two teams on opposite sides of the globe, the Los Angeles Galaxy and AC Milan. Now, in light of his injury, one can’t help but wonder whether Beckham’s tendon betrayed him because he simply didn’t get enough rest over the past 12 months while putting in double shifts to impress Capello. Saying “it’s never bothered me,” Beckham had brushed off those who questioned whether he risked playing himself into the ground —
concerns that seem prophetic now. The millionaire even reached into his own very deep pockets to compensate the Galaxy while he stayed for longer than originally planned at Milan, where Capello also had played and later coached. Beckham also juggled his marketing obligations, promoted England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup and, sporting a Mohican haircut and beautifully tailored suit, stole some of the limelight assisting at the World Cup draw in December. Somewhere, somehow, one assumes, he must also have made time for his wife Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham and their three sons. It was, in hindsight, either going to all add up to a World Cup place for Beckham or a breakdown. There is a tragic irony to the fact that Beckham’s spell at Milan both achieved his goal of impressing Capello but also proved to be his undoing. His Achilles tore in the closing minutes of
a 1-0 win over Chievo Verona on Sunday that moved Milan to within one point of Serie A leader Inter Milan. “David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow,” Capello said. What Capello is far too diplomatic to say is that he would have been absolutely crushed had this been a season-ending injury to Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand or other mainstays of the England squad. Before operating on the world’s most famous tendon, Finnish surgeon Sakari Orava spoke yesterday of a “glimmer of hope” that Beckham might recover for the World Cup. Unlikely. If this was Rooney, England would bend over backward to rush the striker back into action - as it did for Beckham when he broke a bone in his left foot two months before the 2002 World Cup. But that won’t happen for a player who will
turn 35 in May. Rooney, especially, has been scoring so many for Manchester United that it is hard to see England going far in South Africa without him. The same was no longer true of Beckham. He was only ever going to be a substitute, at best, in South Africa. It would have been nostalgic, heartwarming and a fitting reward for his efforts to see Beckham play — as it was last week when Milan manager Leonardo fielded him for the last 25 minutes of the Italian side’s 4-0 Champions League defeat to Manchester United. Beckham’s crosses in front of goal were still laser-like in their accuracy and he nearly scored with a powerful volley.
The Old Trafford crowd, for old times sake, gave the former United player a rousing welcome. But, unlike Rooney, who scored twice, Beckham was never going to win the game.—AP
Capello starts planning for WCup without Beckham
SAN SIRO: AC Milan English soccer star David Beckham (top) receives a kick from Chievo Verona midfielder Giampiero Pinzi during the Italian League soccer match on Sunday. —AP
Hull’s successful manager placed on gardening leave LONDON: Phil Brown, the colorful manager who led Hull City to the top flight of English football for the first time, was relieved of his duties yesterday as the club fights to hang on to their Premier League status. A statement on the club’s website (www.hullcityafc.net) said Brown had been “relieved of his managerial duties and placed on gardening leave with immediate effect. Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will take charge of first-team duties until further notice”. The statement continued: “We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Phil for the major success achieved during a period of four seasons in charge at the club and wish him every success for the future. “Promotion to the Premier League in 2008 and retention of our status on the last day of the 2009 season are unique events in the history of Hull City and both were achieved under Phil’s stewardship during a period which will never be forgotten by all connected with the club. “However, the retention of Premier League status is paramount and the board believes that a change in managerial direction is the correct option at this time.” Hull, close to going out of business 20 years ago and languishing in League Two (fourth division) only six years ago, were taken into the Premier League by Brown in one of the great fairytales of the modern game. Having gone up they defied the odds and stayed up last season, clinging on at the end after a dizzying start to Premier League life that brought wins over Arsenal, Fulham and
Tottenham Hotspur, a draw at Liverpool and a memorable day at Old Trafford when they pushed Manchester United all the way before losing 4-3. Brown, outspoken and sometimes controversial - he kept his players on the pitch for their half-time team talk after a woeful first-half display against Manchester City last season - has had a rougher ride this season as Hull’s performances on the pitch have mirrored on-going problems in the
boardroom. It has been a struggle from the beginning though and, with nine games remaining, Hull are second-last on 24 points, three points adrift of safety. Last Saturday’s injury-time 2-1 home defeat by Arsenal appears to have been the final straw for the board and Horton and Parkin will take over for next weekend’s game against bottom side Portsmouth.—Reuters
LONDON: Hull’s manager Phil Brown is seen in this file photo. —AP
LONDON: England coach Fabio Capello expressed sadness yesterday that David Beckham’s ruptured Achilles’ tendon is expected to prevent him from playing at the World Cup. Beckham flew yesterday to Finland for surgery on his left Achilles’ tendon, but he is unlikely to recover in time for the World Cup, which begins for England on June 12 against the United States. “I am very sad for David that he has suffered this injury,” Capello said yesterday. “We have to wait for the results of the scan, but it looks like he is out of the World Cup. “I spoke with him after the game on Sunday night to offer my support, as did (assistant) Franco Baldini. David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow.” The Italian’s plans in South Africa aren’t likely to be affected much by the injury. The 34-year-old Beckham stayed on the bench in the friendly against Egypt earlier this month and was only used as a substitute in the last two World Cup qualifiers. But Capello, who previously coached Beckham at Real Madrid, has insisted that Beckham was still “really dangerous” with his crossing and viewed his experience as a key weapon for South Africa. Beckham joined Milan on loan from the Los Angeles Galaxy to stay in shape during the MLS offseason to boost his chances of becoming the country’s first player to appear at four World Cups. Football Association chairman David Triesman paid tribute to Beckham’s determination to make the South Africa squad by going almost directly from the MLS season to Milan instead of opting to rest up. “I am very, very sad for David that he has suffered this kind of injury at a time when he might have set a record for World Cup appearances,” Triesman told The Associated Press. “David put a huge amount of work in playing much longer than a normal season to ensure he was fit and ready to play in the World Cup. “Fabio Capello chooses the squad and the teams, but I do know just how committed David has been to playing in the World Cup and everybody knows just how strongly he feels about representing England. I feel for him as a sportsman and a patriotic Englishman.” Beckham could still be in South Africa as part of the England bid team campaigning to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022, but Triesman says the FA is just focused on Beckham’s recovery. “He has gone off to see what can be done to repair the damage and I’ll be waiting to hear that his health is fully restored,” Triesman said. “We aren’t ready to speculate when he would be ready to do things (for the bid) since our first thoughts are that he recovers. “He is a huge asset to the bid — there is no question about to that. He is very charismatic and an extremely decent person who will do all and anything to help his country.” Beckham was injured Sunday during the final minutes of a 1-0 Italian league win over Chievo Verona when he was by himself with the ball at his feet. He shifted his weight, reached a hand down to his left heel and then stood up and snapped his wrists like he was breaking a twig in half. Beckham’s international career could now be over after 115 appearances, second in English history behind only goalkeeper Peter Shilton’s 125.—AP
BUENOS AIRES: River Plate’s Marcelo Gallardo (left) fights for the ball with Gaston Esmerado during an Argentinean soccer league match.—AP
River Plate ready for Boca showdown MEXICO CITY: Argentina’s River Plate had a 2-0 victory Sunday at home against Huracan, the perfect confidence builder for next weekend’s “Super Clasico” against Buenos Aires archrival Boca Juniors. Boca did not get the same lift on Sunday. In fact, a 3-0 loss against Tigre will make Boca fans even more demanding than usual in next Sunday’s match at Boca’s La Bombonera stadium. River and Boca are Argentina’s two most popular clubs, but they are far from the best this season in Argentina’s Clausura tournament. Boca has not won in seven matches and has only eight points in nine games. River has 12 points, but both are far behind league-leading Independiente with 20. Godoy Cruz is second with 18. Banfield and Velez Sarsfield, winners of the last two championships, each have 15. Independiente won on Saturday at Chacarita 10 on defender Eduardo Tuzzio’s fourth-minute header. River Plate earned its victory on a goal by Gustavo Canales and an own goal from Huracan. Forward Carlos Luna scored three for Tigres in the 10th, 44th and 78th minutes. In Brazil, Santos went down 4-3 to Palmeiras in the Sao Paulo state championship. League-leaders Santos went up 2-0 on goals by Para in the 10th and 18-year-old Neymar in the 30th. But Robert scored twice in two minutes late in the half to level. Souza gave Palmeiras a 3-2 lead in the 56th. But Madson made it 3-3 in the 80th, setting the stage for Robert’s third goal — and the winner — in the 87th. In the Rio de Janeiro state championship, striker Adriano converted a penalty in the 46th to give Flamengo a 10 win over crosstown rival Vasco. Adriano, who has missed recent practice ses-
sions due to personal problems, celebrated the goal by removing his jersey to reveal a handscrawled message on a white undershirt which read: “May God forgive these evil people.” The message was an apparent response to intense coverage in Brazil’s sports pages in the past week predicting Adriano’s downfall. Flamengo club director Marcos Braz said earlier that Adriano had a drinking problem, which was why he had been away from the club. In Mexico, defending champion Monterrey missed a chance at a share of the lead in the Clausura tournament, drawing 1-1 at Puebla. Orlando Rincon scored an own-goal in the 47th minute to give Puebla a 1-0 lead, but American Herculez Gomez came off the bench to level in the 65th on a cross from Sergio Rosas. It was Gomez’ sixth goal in his first season in Mexico. Monterrey has 23 points, two fewer than Chivas Guadalajara. The two teams face off next weekend in Monterrey. Guadalajara improved to 25 points with a 0-0 home draw on Saturday against Pumas. Santos improved to 21 points on Saturday, beating Pachuca 3-0 on goals by Carlos Quintero, Juan Pablo Rodriguez and Daniel Luduena. Miguel Sabah was named Sunday to fill in for Matias Vuoso in Mexico’s friendly on Wednesday against North Korea. Vuoso, a naturalized Mexican born in Argentina, injured his left leg in Santos’ victory over Pachuca. In Uruguay, Antonio Pacheco scored both goals in Penarol’s 20 victory over Central. Penarol leads Uruguay’s Clausura tournament with 24 points, five ahead of Fenix. No league matches were played in Colombia on Sunday, a pause for national legislative elections across the country. —AP
Nigeria face shock CHAN exit LAGOS: Nigeria could again miss out on the Championship of African Nations (CHAN) after they lost 2-0 to hosts Niger in Niamey as champions DR Congo got off to a winning start in Gabon at the weekend. Nigeria fell behind after only 18 minutes through a goal by Abdoulaye Mohamed at the Seyni Kountche Stadium in Niamey, before the home team doubled their advantage five minutes from the break courtesy of Modibo Sidi. Nigeria’s build-up to the match in Niamey suffered a major setback when top Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) official, Alili Galadima, died in a car accident on his way to this game. “That result is a disgrace,” said a keen Nigerian football follower, Bertram Ekenwa. “However, the writing was on the wall after the core of the team that has been in camp for a long time was dropped by a new set of coaches less than a week to the match in Niger.” Last year, Nigeria failed to qualify for the inaugural competition in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, exclusively reserved for players plying their trade in their respective local leagues, after they were eliminated by Ghana. Defending champions DR Congo, who earlier this month lost 5-2 to Nigeria in Abuja in a warm-up to the CHAN qualifiers, won 2-1 away in Gabon with TP Mazembe midfielder Alain Kaluyituka Dioko grabbing a first-half brace. DRC dominated the clash and took a deserved lead after 24 minutes and just before half time, Dioko dribbled through the Gabon defence, beat two defenders and rounded the
goalkeeper before firing into an empty net. The home team fought back on resumption and reduced the deficit in the 86th minute through Yohan Ngualama. However, the match-up between Ghana, beaten by DR Congo in last year’s maiden tournament final, and neighbours Burkina Faso finished goalless in Ouagadougou, meaning qualification is very wide open. The Flames of Malawi were the biggest winners at the weekend after they turned away Mozambique 3-0 in Blantyre. Bernard Harawa and Davi Banda shot the home team into a two-goal lead in the first half before Green Harawa sealed victory in the 65th minute. Malawi coach Kinnah Phiri saluted his team, but warned they still had a second leg to play in a fortnight before they could ensure qualification to the tournament proper next year in Sudan. “It’s good that we have started our campaign with a win and a convincing margin. But it is not over. We will have to focus on the return match and fly the Malawi flag high,” said Phiri, who was also in charge of the full international team at the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. In Kolea, northern Algeria, the home team scrapped a 1-0 win over Libya with youngster Youssef Ghazali scoring the winner in the second half of the closely-contested tie in which Algeria’s Hocine Metref saw red in the dying moments. Libya, who were the only north African team at the inaugural tournament, will now have to overturn this result in the reverse fixture in Tripoli to again feature in the tournament proper.—AFP
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Mourinho plots sweet revenge over Chelsea LONDON: Jose Mourinho, the self-confessed Special One, returns to Stamford Bridge today plotting the Champions League downfall of the club he admits is still close to his heart. “I will be there with my heart fully on either side. That’s what a professional does,” Mourinho, whose Inter Milan side will be protecting a 2-1 first leg lead in the last-16 clash against Chelsea, told UEFA.com. “I don’t hide that Chelsea are a very important part of my life.”
Preview
SPAIN: CSKA Moscow’s midfielder Alan Zagoyev controls the ball during a training session. — AFP
Sevilla keen to make history with CSKA win MADRID: Sevilla can reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time today if they defeat CSKA Moscow in the second leg of their last 16 tie after battling to a 1-1 draw in the opener. Sevilla won back-to-back UEFA Cups in 2006 and 2007 but have never gone beyond the last 16 of the Champions League while this is the first time CSKA, 2005 UEFA Cup victors, have reached the knockout stage. Sevilla can become the first Spanish side, with Real Madrid already out and Barcelona playing VfB Stuttgart on Wednesday, to book their place among the last eight. “We will go in Tuesday’s match against CSKA with high hopes and will go for the victory without thinking about the result from the first leg,” insisted Sevilla coach Manolo Jimenez. “We are involved in three competitions which we can be proud of. It takes its toll but we want to do well today (against CSKA), be in the Champions League next season and win the (Kings) Cup.” Sevilla drew 1-1 at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday to stay fourth in the table but Jimenez called for his team to start killing teams off. “We have to be more clinical in front of goal,” explained Jimenez. “We have three magnificent strikers in (Luis) Fabiano, (Frederic) Kanoute and (Alvaro) Negredo but they haven’t been able to hit top form at the same time mainly due to injuries. Kanoute, Fabiano and Negredo, who scored the goal in the first leg in Moscow, are all fit to play giving Jimenez a tough decision to make. French defender Julien Escude believes Sevilla have been unfairly criticised for recent displays and said the club was due some luck. “We have received a lot of criticism, but lately
we have changed, and have more possession now in the centre of the pitch,” said Escude. “We just need that bit of luck to make it work, which hopefully will arrive today.” Sevilla can get through with a 0-0 draw while CSKA know they have to score to have any chance of reaching the last eight. Sevilla were unbeaten at home in the group stage drawing with VfB Stuttgart and defeating FC Unirea Urziceni and Rangers but the Russians, just one game into their domestic campaign, have already shown their potential on the road drawing 3-3 at Manchester United in this season’s group stage. “Sevilla have a group of top-class attacking players but, like any side, they have their weaknesses and we’ll try to exploit them,” said CSKA manager Leonid Slutsky. Slutsky will pin hopes on highly-rated Serbia and Montenegro midfielder Milos Krasic, 25, who has scored four goals in this season’s Champions League. —AFP
Matches on TV (local timings) UEFA Champions League Chelsea v Inter .......................... 22:45 Al Jazeera Sport +4 Sevilla v CSKA ........................... 22:45 Al Jazeera Sport +5 English Premier League Wigan v Aston Villa .................... 22:45 ShowSports 2
Zidane launches reality TV search for new soccer talent MADRID: Reality TV has helped discover fresh musical talent and now two veteran football stars in Spain plan to use the format in a global search for a new star of the game. France legend Zinedine Zidane and Enzo Francescoli of Uruguay yesterday unveiled a new reality show called “Football Cracks” which will follow the progress of 17 promising young players from around the world who are selected to attend a six-week training camp near Madrid. The participants will work with top trainers, sports nutritionists and a psychologist, and the winner will receive the opportunity to strut their stuff during the 2010-11 pre-season at a Spanish first division club. “I hope everyone will enjoy it, that there will be a lot of talent and that we are going to discover many young people for the future,” Zidane told a news conference at Las Rozas just outside of Madrid where the camp will be held. The former Real Madrid star currently works as an advisor to the club’s chairman, Florentino Perez.
Castings for the show will take place in 20 cities in various countries, including Argentina, Colombia, Ghana, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Spain and the United States, as well as online. The 50 best candidates will travel to Madrid on April 23 when the lucky 17 who will take part in the training camp will be selected. The show will be produced by Spain’s MonoFilms and it will be broadcast on its web page www.crackstv.com. Producers are also in talks with television stations in several nations, including China, Spain and the United States, to sell the rights to air the show. “This is an opportunity for kids to understand that it is not just talent that is needed, that there is a ton of other things that are needed to be a professional footballer,” said Francescoli. For his part Zidane, who named his oldest son Enzo after Francescoli, said he was “pleased” to work on the show with the former Uruguay international, who was his childhood idol. —AFP
Chelsea’s second leg with Inter today is the most intriguing of the week’s clashes which also include reigning champions Barcelona at home to Stuttgart on Wednesday following a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Germany. The Catalans warmed up with a 3-0 victory over Valencia on Sunday in which Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick. Seville take on CSKA Moscow today, also level at 1-1, while French champions Bordeaux will be favorites to reach the quarterfinals for the first time having won 1-0 in Greece against Olympiakos. All eyes will be on Mourinho, however, as the charismatic Portuguese takes his place in the visitors dug-out at Stamford Bridge-just metres away from the seat where he orchestrated the greatest chapter in Chelsea’s history. “The good thing is that I don’t have far to walk,” he said. “From the dressing room to the bench is five metres. I don’t have to cross the stadium, I don’t have to feel the emotions from the crowd. I will just sit there and play my game.” Mourinho is assured a great reception by the fans who will be forever grateful for the two Premier League titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup he won in three seasons before his sudden departure in 2007. But the sentimentality will end once the whistle blows. Mourinho, who got his hands on the trophy with Porto in 2004, knows how desperate Chelsea are to land Europe’s biggest club prize, having twice reached the semi-finals under him and losing to Manchester United on penalties in the final led by his successor Avram Grant. Carlo Ancelotti, the latest coach entrusted with the task by owner Roman Abramovich, knows what it takes to win the Champions League, having done it twice with Inter’s fierce rivals Milan. Like most of the 40,000 fans wedged into Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, Ancelotti will know that Inter pose a serious threat despite stuttering domestic form simply because of who is in charge of picking the team. Many of the Chelsea squad, including the likes of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, still hold Mourinho in high regard and Ancelotti knows he might be left in the shade a little before the whistle blows. “Mourinho deserves to have a good reception because he did a fantastic job,” says Ancelotti told Chelsea’s website. “Together with Roman he put a team into the best position in the world. “I just hope that in the future, in a very long time, when I come back to Chelsea, I’ll have this same reception.” A Champions League triumph would guarantee that but there is much hard work ahead, starting with overturning Inter’s lead. “I don’t think we have to score early,” Ancelotti said. “We need to play well, in a game with balance, because then we can still score in the last minute of the game. “We want to start the game well and play well but we don’t need a goal straight away.” Inter striker Samuel Eto’o has been in patchy form since his July swap deal with Barcelona’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic but is still likely to start alongside Diego Milito. Chelsea’s biggest worry is in the goalkeeping department with Petr Cech and Hilario both injured, although Ross Turnbull impressed on his league debut on Saturday when Drogba warmed up with two goals in a 41 defeat of West Ham United. Inter’s preparations were less impressive, losing 3-1 to Catania on Friday. —Reuters
LONDON: Chelsea’s Frank Lampard (center) challenges Chelsea’s Sam Hutchinson during a Chelsea training session at Stamford Bridge. — AP
English soccer heading for salary caps LONDON: English soccer clubs must be prepared for salary capping, former Football League chairman Brian Mawhinney warned yesterday. The 60-year-old, who was succeeded after seven years by businessman Greg Clarke on Friday, believes that the current financial model at league clubs outside of the Premier League is not sustainable. “The business model of professional football in this country doesn’t work, it’s broke and you see that reflected in the
administrations and all the rest of it,” Mawhinney said. Speaking to the BBC, Mawhinney said a salary cap throughout the Football League from Championship (second division) to League Two (fourth division) would halt spiralling debts. “I have some clubs in the Football League who are paying up to 85 percent of their income in wages. I don’t care how great you are, you may be the best business entrepreneur the country has ever come up
with but you cannot run a sustainable business with that sort of model.” An increasing number of league clubs have fallen into administration in recent years, while many are laden with mounting debts. Last week Championship side Cardiff City were given 56 days to pay off arrears of around 1.9 million pounds ($2.88 million), and the problem is creeping into the Premier League with Portsmouth in administration with debts of around 78 million. —Reuters
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No room at the top for European title rivals PARIS: After the weekend’s matches, the aggregate gap between the top two sides in Europe’s five major leagues-England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain-is just five points. In England, Manchester United lead Chelsea and Arsenal by two points, although the Blues have a game in hand, while Bayern Munich currently enjoy a two-point advantage over Schalke in the Bundesliga. Inter Milan’s advantage over city rivals AC Milan was sliced to a single point when Leonardo’s side beat Chievo on Sunday night, while in France and Spain, the title contenders are separated by goal difference alone. Overall it is a far cry from the same
stage of last season, by which time eventual champions Manchester United, Barcelona and Inter had already established leads of four, six and seven points respectively. Not since the 2001-02 season have the top three in the English Premier League been so close together with only eight matches to play. That year it was Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool tussling for the title, while this season Chelsea have assumed the Merseysiders’ place. Arsenal crossed the finish line in first place in 2002 and United coach Sir Alex Ferguson feels Arsene Wenger’s men, who have won their last five consecutive league games, are well placed to repeat the trick.
“We are back in the lead, but Chelsea have a game in hand,” Ferguson said after his side’s 3-0 defeat of Fulham on Sunday. “It’s also going to be a hard-fought tussle, with Arsenal coming strongly now, and I have a suspicion that they might yet mount the biggest challenge. “It’s looking very tight. We have only got eight games left, Chelsea have nine games left, so you never know.” David Beckham’s season-ending injury grabbed the headlines in Italy but his Milan side’s 1-0 victory at home to Chievo looks set to prove the catalyst for a renewed assault on Inter’s Serie A stranglehold. “I think Inter still have the ball in their court. They’ve been winning for a long time, have many resources and are very
strong,” said Milan coach Leonardo. “We must continue our path without making too many calculations. There are 10 games to go and we need to focus only on what we achieve. Then, step by step, we’ll see where we end up.” Real Madrid and Barcelona continue to match each other stride for stride in Spain, with Real currently top owing to a +50 goal difference that is just two goals superior to the Catalans’. Barcelona put the pressure on their old foes by defeating Valencia 3-0 thanks to a wonderful hat-trick from Argentina star Lionel Messi on Sunday, only for Real to reply in kind with a 4-1 triumph at Valladolid inspired by a treble from their own Argentine international, Gonzalo
Higuain. “We scored four goals, which is always a reason to be satisfied,” said Real midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, whose side were dumped out of the Champions League by Lyon last week. “Matches like this one are very important. All we have left is La Liga and we want to win it.” Nowhere are things more congested at the top of the table than in France, with defending champions Bordeaux, Montpellier, Auxerre, Lille, Lyon and Marseille seperated by just three points. Fourth-placed Lille were the only side from the top six to win at the weekend and coach Rudi Garcia says they are quietly moving into position. “We’re jockeying for the best position behind Bordeaux and we want to be there
when the final straight comes around,” he said. “For the moment, that’s our objective. The big sides have been there for a while, we knew they would be. But we’re there too.” In Germany, Bayern’s rise to the top of the table suggests they are clicking into form at an ominous time for their rivals, after an underwhelming start to the campaign in which they won just three of their opening eight league games. “We’ve been confident since November,” said captain Mark van Bommel. “We’re on a terrific run, we’re in the cup and the Champions League, and top of the table.”—AFP
Sharapova makes early exit
OKLAHOMA: Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer (top) is fouled by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka of Congo as he goes up for a shot in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game.—AP
Cavs see off Celtics CLEVELAND: LeBron James scored 30 points, including 24 in the second half, as Cleveland wore down the aging Boston Celtics for a 104-93 victory on Sunday, the Cavaliers’ second decisive win over one of the East’s premier teams in less than a month. The Cavaliers were closer to full strength with the return of forward Antawn Jamison, who had 15 points and 12 rebounds after missing one game with a sore knee. Ray Allen scored 20, while Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett had 18 apiece for the Celtics.
Bobcats 96, Magic 89 At Orlando, Stephen Jackson scored 28 points and Raymond Felton had 16 as Charlotte held on for its sixth straight victory. Stephen Graham added 12 points to help the Bobcats pull away with a late 12-3 run for their first win in four chances this season against the Southeast Division leader. And they did it without All-Star Gerald Wallace, out with an injured left ankle. Dwight Howard had 27 points and 16 rebounds, and Vince Carter finished with 23 points for the Magic, who had their eight-game winning streak stopped.
Thunder 119, Jazz 111 At Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant scored 35 points, while Russell Westbrook added 30 points and 11 assists as Oklahoma City made up ground in the race for home-court advantage in the playoffs with a victory over short-handed Utah. The Thunder shot a season-best 60 percent and never trailed while moving within a half-game of fourth-place Utah in the Western Conference. Oklahoma City has won 17 of its last 20 games and will finish no worse than .500 after going 23-59 last season. Wesley Matthews hit six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 29 points for the Jazz, who played without injured starters Mehmet Okur (back) and Andrei Kirilenko (calf).
Bucks 98, Pacers 94 At Milwaukee, Jerry Stackhouse equaled his season high with 20 points as Milwaukee survived a late rally from short-handed Indiana to win its sixth straight. Andrew Bogut added 17 points and 12 rebounds, and John Salmons had 12 points for the Bucks, who have won 12 of their last 13. Danny Granger scored 14 of his 29 points in the third quarter but missed a potential game-tying bas-
ket with just seconds remaining as the Pacers were swept in the season series.
Heat 104, 76ers 91 At Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 38 points to help Miami beat Philadelphia. With Wade resting on the bench and center Jermaine O’Neal out after being ejected, the Heat went on a 14-3 run to start the final period. James Jones sank a pair of 3-pointers during the spurt, and Jamaal Magloire’s running dunk punctuated it to give Miami a 16-point lead. The Heat won their third consecutive game to start a six-game homestand. They’ve won six in a row at home, their longest such streak in three seasons.
Suns 120, Hornets 106 At Phoenix, Steve Nash had 13 points and 12 assists in his 1,000th NBA game and Amare Stoudemire had a dominant 36-point, 12-rebound performance as Phoenix beat injury-depleted New Orleans. Stoudemire, playing just 32 minutes, topped 30 points for the fourth time in five games. The exception was a 29-point effort against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. The Hornets, with only eight players in uniform for the second game in a row, have lost nine of 11. Marcus Thornton scored 28 points and David West scored 24 for New Orleans.
T Blazers 109, Raptors 98 At Portland, Nicolas Batum scored 22 points, making five of six 3-point attempts, as Portland won its fourth straight. LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who have won nine of 11. Brandon Roy had 20 points. Chris Bosh had 28 points and seven rebounds for the Raptors, who have lost five straight, matching a season high.
Kings 114, T’wolves 100 At Sacramento, Tyreke Evans had 29 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds to lead Sacramento over Minnesota, which has lost nine straight. Donte Greene had 19 points and eight rebounds, helping the Kings avoid their fifth loss in six games. Jason Thompson had 15 points and eight rebounds, Carl Landry scored 13 points and Andres Nocioni had 12. Al Jefferson had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who played without leading rebounder Kevin Love for the second consecutive game.—AP
NBA results/standings NBA results and standings on Sunday. Milwaukee 98, Indiana 94; Cleveland 104, Boston 93; Miami 104, Philadelphia 91; Charlotte 96, Orlando 89;
Boston Toronto Philadelphia NY Knicks New Jersey Cleveland Milwaukee Chicago Detroit Indiana Orlando Atlanta Charlotte Miami Washington
Eastern Conference Atlantic Division W L PCT 41 24 .631 32 33 .492 23 43 .348 23 43 .348 7 59 .106 Central Division 52 15 .776 36 29 .554 31 34 .477 23 43 .348 21 45 .318 Southeast Division 47 21 .691 42 23 .646 34 31 .523 35 32 .522 21 43 .328
GB 9 18.5 18.5 34.5 15 20 28.5 30.5 3.5 11.5 11.5 24
Oklahoma City 119, Utah 111; Phoenix 120, New Orleans 106; Portland 109, Toronto 98; Sacramento 114, Minnesota 100. Western Conference Northwest Division Denver 45 21 .682 Utah 42 24 .636 Oklahoma City 41 24 .631 Portland 41 28 .594 Minnesota 14 53 .209 Pacific Division LA Lakers 48 18 .727 Phoenix 41 26 .612 LA Clippers 25 42 .373 Sacramento 23 44 .343 Golden State 18 47 .277 Southwest Division Dallas 45 22 .672 San Antonio 39 25 .609 Memphis 35 32 .522 Houston 33 31 .516 New Orleans 32 35 .478
3 3.5 5.5 31.5 7.5 23.5 25.5 29.5 4.5 10 10.5 13
INDIAN WELLS: Former champion and 10th seed Maria Sharapova of Russia was knocked out of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Sunday, losing an error-strewn marathon to China’s Zheng Jie 6-3 2-6 6-3. While Sharapova made a premature exit, it was plain sailing for second-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki, who hammered Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-0 6-3, and fourth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia, who eased past Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-4 6-2. Zheng, a surprise semi-finalist at the Australian Open in January, broke Sharapova three times in the final set before clinching victory in a little under three hours with a searing forehand winner that clipped the baseline. The 26-year-old Chinese, seeded 18th, punched her right fist in delight after booking a place in the fourth round against Australian wildcard Alicia Molik, a 6-0 6-2 winner over British qualifier Elena Baltacha. “It was a tough match,” a smiling Zheng told reporters. “It was good fighting in the final set. I was 2-3 down and I come back to 6-3. It’s not easy and I’m so tired. “She played so hard... but I tried to serve to her body more, because she has long arms. If I serve too wide, it’s easy (for her) to hit winner. My serve always go to her body.” Zheng broke the former world number one three times to win the opening set but the 2006 champion followed suit in a protracted second set that lasted one hour eight minutes to level the match. Early service breaks were traded in the third before Sharapova appeared to take control when she again broke the Chinese, forcing a baseline error by her opponent with a powerful forehand to lead 3-1. After taking a medical timeout for treatment on her right elbow, Sharapova was then broken in her next two service games and Zheng, a feisty counter-puncher, took advantage by holding her own serve to close out the match. Sharapova, who had clinched her 21st WTA title in Memphis last month, piled up 62 unforced errors in the third-round encounter compared to 40 by Zheng. “I’d have periods of good games, and then the problem is trying to keep them all together and not be so up-and-down,” the 22-year-old Russian said. “It was just very inconsistent. “She’s like a ball machine. She hits a lot of balls back, hits them hard and deep. I should have done a much better job on her serve because that is definitely one of her weaker parts of the game.” Asked how much her problem elbow affected her in the final set, Sharapova replied: “Not in my game, but on my serve it was really blocked extending it. “I just felt like I couldn’t really extend it all the way. It was a little stuck. I’m sure I’ll have a check-up on it.” Earlier, fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland swept aside 31st-seeded Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-1 6-0 and 11th seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli crushed American Jill Craybas 6-2 6-0.—Reuters
INDIAN WELLS: Maria Sharapova of Russia follows through on a serve against Zheng Jie of China during the BNP Paribas Open.—AFP
Federer survives scare, Murray eases through
INDIAN WELLS: Andreas Seppi of Italy serves to Andy Murray of Great Britain during the BNP Paribas Open. —AFP
INDIAN WELLS: Threetimes champion Roger Federer survived a second-set wobble to overcome Romania’s Victor Hanescu 6-3 6-7 6-1 in the second round of the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Sunday. While the Swiss world number one had to work harder than expected in his first match back since winning the Australian Open in January, Britain’s Andy Murray shook off a bit of rust to outclass Italian Andreas Seppi 6-4 6-4. In other matches, sixth seed Swede Robin Soderling crushed Evgeny Korolev of Kazakhstan 6-2 6-4 and seventh-seeded American Andy Roddick eased past qualifier Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan 6-4 64. Federer, seeking a record fourth title at Indian Wells, appeared on track for a clinical victory when he broke Hanescu in the second game before winning the opening set in 30 minutes. However, the 16-times grand slam champion was surprisingly broken in the sixth game of the second when the Romanian struck a backhand return winner down the line. Although Federer fought back to 6-6, he fell behind 0-3 in the tiebreak, which Hansecu won 7-5 to level the match when the Swiss hit a backhand long. Normal order was restored in the third set, though, as Federer broke his opponent in the second and sixth games to seal victory. He will next meet 27th-seeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis. “I was happy with the way I played,” Federer, 28, told reporters. “Not having played for so long, I thought it was a good match overall. “I missed some of the
clutch serving when I really needed it, couldn’t really get that one perfect serve I was sometimes looking for, but that’s something that happens. “Victor did well to hang in there because I was all over him for at least a set-and-ahalf and I could have made a difference really early in the match, and I didn’t. “I didn’t play the best tiebreaker, but still had a small chance,” added the Swiss who is back to full fitness after suffering from a lung infection last month. “I remained calm in the third, and I played good tennis.” Murray, although not at his very best, broke Seppi in the seventh game of the second set when the Italian pushed a backhand volley wide before wrapping up the win in 86 minutes. The fourth-seeded Scot ended the match with a crunching forehand winner down the line on a sunny, breezy afternoon and will next meet American Michael Russell. “It was a pretty scrappy match today,” Murray, 22, said after competing for the first time on the ATP Tour since losing in the second round of last month’s Dubai Championships. “There wasn’t a particular point where I felt in a lot of trouble but it’s just because you’ve not played for a while. “Obviously I started the year well in Australia and you remember the feelings you had there,” said Murray, who was beaten by Federer in the Australian Open final. Earlier, Spaniard Nicolas Almagro upset 23rd-seeded Croatian Ivo Karlovic 7-5 7-6 and Baghdatis eased past Frenchman Arnaud Clement 7-6 6-1.—Reuters
Flydubai takes delivery of its seventh aircraft
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Wataniya Telecom introduces Wcharger
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Brown wades into BA’s labor dispute
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Abu Dhabi wealth fund starts to open up ABU DHABI: The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority broke with its customary privacy by issuing its first yearly statement yesterday, marking one of the biggest steps yet by the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund to increase transparency. The document, called an “annual review,” provides a rare window into the publicity-shy fund’s operations and investment strategy. A revamped website launching Monday aims to further humanize ADIA by including video soundbites from key players and photos offering a glimpse inside the fund’s iconic glass tower, the tallest in the Emirati capital. The increased openness could help address Western policy makers’ concerns about the Abu Dhabi fund’s motives at a time when the neighboring emirate Dubai is under fire for a perceived lack of financial transparency amid the handling of its debt crisis. ADIA has repeatedly said its investments, including a $7.5 billion cash injection into Citigroup Inc in 2007, are driven by financial, not political, considerations. “We have worked hard to develop strong relationships, built on mutual trust and respect, with governments, regulators and investment partners around the world,” Managing Director Ahmed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said in the 28-page report’s introductory letter. “We also understand that trust must both be earned over time and maintained through ongoing actions.” The report shows that the bulk of the fund’s holdings are targeted toward conventional investments such as stocks and bonds, primarily in North America and Europe. It does not, however, contain highly sought-after information, such as balance sheet details or the overall size of the fund’s holdings. Analysts believe ADIA is the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, with estimates of its size having ranged from less than $400 billion to $875 billion and beyond. The fund, like other investors, is believed to have lost considerable value during the market downturn before bouncing back somewhat over the past year. ADIA’s report provided only limited details on the fund’s performance, listing annualized returns over the past two to three decades. The fund said it gained 6.5 percent annually over the past 20 years and 8 percent annually over the last 30 years through the end of 2009. That compares with a gain of 6.1 percent and 7.6 percent over similar periods through the end of 2008. The fund, the biggest of several Abu Dhabi uses to manage its oil wealth, is controlled by the emirate’s hereditary ruler. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the
United Arab Emirates and holder of nearly all the OPEC member’s oil reserves. The federation as a whole is the world’s third-largest oil exporter. ADIA’s decision to publish the report comes after it and other countries’ sovereign wealth funds agreed on a voluntary set of principles in October 2008 that called for greater openness by the pools of government-held wealth. That move came amid scrutiny by politicians — particularly in the US and Europe — concerned about the funds’ growing size and clout. Much of the criticism focused on the funds’ lack of transparency and fears that their investments could be politically motivated and give foreign governments too much control over prized companies. “The last few years have seen a surge in the level of public and political interest in sovereign wealth funds,” ADIA’s annual review notes. “At ADIA, we recognize the importance of building a clear understanding of who we are, what we invest in and why.” The report shows that about four-fifths of ADIA’s holdings are chosen by outside fund managers. Like many individual investors’ retirement funds, ADIA relies on tracking indexes such as the S&P 500 for about 60 percent of its investments. ADIA’s report does not list individual holdings, but provides ranges for different types of assets. Stocks and other equities in the developed world make up the largest class, ranging from 35 to 45 percent of the fund’s holdings. Between 35 and 50 percent of ADIA’s investments are typically in North America, and another 25 to 35 percent are in Europe, according to the report. Rachel Ziemba, an analyst at Roubini Global Economics who monitors Gulf economies, welcomed ADIA’s latest disclosure as significant and an indication of the growing role played by sovereign wealth funds in the global economy. “ADIA has been one of the more opaque funds,” she said. “Its opacity posed questions for recipient countries and may also have increased local pressure to spend more” at home. Ziemba estimates ADIA’s holdings to be worth about $425 billion through the end of February. Abu Dhabi’s funds have been gradually opening up in recent years. In January, German business daily Handelsblatt published an interview with ADIA’s managing director, a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, in which he outlined in broad strokes much of the information yesterday’s report. Another far smaller Abu Dhabi fund, Mubadala Development Co, released a detailed financial report — its first — last April. Its 2009 report has not yet been released. — AP
Annual review provides rare window into fund’s investment strategy
ANHUI: Chinese men learn to distinguish between real and fake Chinese renminbi money during a campaign to mark the World Consumer Rights Day in Fuyang in central China’s Anhui province yesterday. — AP
OPEC to urge compliance, keep output target steady VIENNA: OPEC ministers due to arrive here for their meeting on March 17 say there is no need to change output targets with oil prices above their preferred range, but soft demand is prompting calls to curb overproduction. “In my opinion, I don’t think we are going to see any change, even though inventories are high,” Qatar’s Oil Minister Abdullah Al-Attiyah told Reuters by telephone yesterday. “The oil price and fluctuation is one of the many reasons that would lead to a rollover in supply targets.” Benchmark US crude futures were trading just shy of $80 per barrel yesterday, down from Friday’s $81.24 settlement, pressured by a strengthening dollar and expectations China might tighten credit again. That is at the top end of the $70-80 range that OPEC’s top producer Saudi Arabia has named as a fair price for both producers and consumers of oil. “Supply and demand are playing little role because the main thing is speculation which results sometimes
Moody’s warning on US, British ratings lifts dollar NEW YORK: The dollar got a lift yesterday morning after a leading credit ratings agency warned that the US and the UK could see a downgrade of their top AAA credit rating. That triggered a pull-back from riskier assets such as emerging-market currencies and stocks as investors sought safety in the dollar. In morning trading in New York, the 16-nation euro fell to $1.3713 from $1.3757 late Friday, even as fears of a crisis because of Greek debt subsided. Heavy debt loads in several smaller European countries have weighed on the euro this year. Greece said Friday it had exceeded its deficit-cutting targets in January and February. Finance ministers from countries that use the euro yesterday were discussing whether to guarantee Greek debts. The British pound fell to $1.5064 from $1.5179, while the dollar rose to 90.71 Japanese yen from 90.51 yen. The dollar also rose versus emerging-market currencies in Latin America and Asia, as well as the New Zealand, Australian and Canadian dollars. World stock markets and the euro fell yesterday as investors awaited confirmation from a meeting of European finance ministers of a rescue package for debt-laden Greece. In Europe, the FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was down 21.42 points, or 0.4 percent, at 5,604.23 while Germany’s DAX fell 13.45 points, or 0.2 percent, to 5,931.66. The CAC-40 in France was 18.18 points, or 0.5 percent, lower at 3,909.22. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 19.04 points, or 0.2 percent, at 10,605.65 soon after the open while the broader Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 4.7 points, or 0.4 percent, at 1,145.29. The United States and Britain are more likely than Germany and France to witness an embarrassing downgrade of their top debt rating, agency Moody’s Investors Service said yesterday. In a quarterly report assessing the
World markets crash on downgrade threat
from political comments and the dollar situation and high inventories,” Libya’s top energy official, Shokri Ghanem, told Reuters in an interview. Oil price volatility “makes visibility unclear so the organization cannot take any decision to change the output ceiling,” he said. OPEC last agreed to cut output in December 2008, slashing a record 4.2 million barrels per day (bpd) from production to 24.84 million bpd as the world reeled into recession. In the past year, rising prices and a hesitant global recovery have encouraged OPEC members to add supply to the market, however. In February, OPEC delivered just 53 percent of pledged output curbs it agreed in late 2008 — down from 81 percent a year ago. High inventories showed there was no shortage of crude in the market, Attiyah said, and OPEC will discuss adherence to existing supply curbs.
“We need very strong compliance,” he said. “If we say rollover, it means with existing targets.” Ghanem echoed that call, saying members would be called on to comply with the group’s decisions on production. Forecasts from OPEC as well as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the US government all suggest demand has been better than expected and could continue to rise this year. “If you take the average forecast for OPEC demand, you’re looking at 29.2 million bpd, which is in line with production. That’s an indication that things will be the same until the end of the year,” one OPEC delegate said. OPEC, including Iraq which does not have a quota, pumped 29.28 million bpd in February, a 14-month high, according to a Reuters survey. “I personally think that because of demand revisions upwards, there a is a need for every drop of oil being supplied,” the delegate said. —Reuters
in the news Kingdom Holding eyes buyout of hotel unit CAIRO: The investment company headed by the Saudi billionaire prince with a major Citigroup stake says it wants to buy all shares of Kingdom Hotel Investments that it doesn’t already own. In an e-mailed statement yesterday, Kingdom Holding Co, headed by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, said its Kingdom K-5KR211 unit will offer $5 for per share and GDS for the 44 percent stake it does not already own in in KHI. It valued KHI at $843 million. Alwaleed, ranked this month by Forbes as the world’s 19th wealthiest billionaire, said the deal offers minority stakeholders short-term liquidity at attractive terms. KHI, explaining the offer, said while it has a strong balance sheet, its share price has been, and will continue to be affected, by low liquidity and limited trading volumes.
UAE restricts VoIP to local firms: Regulator ABU DHABI: The telecoms regulator in the United Arab Emirates said yesterday that international companies will not be given licenses yet for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). “No licenses for international companies like Skype for the time being, they can join existing licensees and have partnerships with them,” Mohammed Gheyath, executive director for technology development affairs, Telecoms Regulatory Authority (TRA), told reporters. Asked when the UAE would open up for foreign companies, he said, “there is no timeframe.” Currently, local operators Etisalat and du as well as satellite firms Yahsat and Thuraya are licensed to offer VoIP, he said. Local operators have been providing VoIP within the UAE but this could change by the year end. “It is left to the
service providers to start offering VoIP internationally. We hope they will start by this year end,” he said. Qatar, Volkswagen agree to more cooperation FRANKFURT: German carmaker Volkswagen AG says it plans to extend its cooperation with the Emirate of Qatar especially in research and development and education. Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest carmaker, said in a statement yesterday the Wolfsburg-based company foresees possible research cooperation into new materials, energy production and storage, fuel economy optimization in engines, and establishing a vehicle materials test laboratory. Qatar Holding LLC, a state-backed investment company, owns around 17 percent of VW’s shares. The VW shareholding is the Emirate’s largest single investment.
EU finance ministers talk help for Greece NEW YORK: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks fell yesterday after Moody’s Investors Service said the US could eventually lose its top-notch credit rating.—AP prospects of the triple A-rated countries, including Spain and the “less fiscally challenged” Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, Moody’s warned that the economic recovery remained fragile in many advanced economies. “This exposes governments to substantial execution risk in the implementation of their exit strategies, which could yet make their credit more vulnerable,” says Arnaud Mares, senior vice president in Moody’s sovereign risk group and the main author of the report. Governments and central banks are looking at when and how to unwind their massive
stimulus measures, which include historically-low interest rates, liquidity provisions, industry incentives and increased spending. Although some experts warn that exiting these policies too early risks creating a new economic downturn, they are also straining government finances. For now though, Moody’s said the triple A governments don’t face an immediate threat to their top ratings as the servicing of the debt remains manageable-the top credit rating reduces the interest payments countries have to pay on their debt when going to the bond markets to raise capital. —AP
BRUSSELS: Euro-zone finance ministers discussed yesterday whether to guarantee a financial lifeline to Greece if it can’t borrow from wary bond markets and to check that its austerity measures are going far enough to reduce its massive debt load. Greece says it is only looking for “political” support — a pledge of aid should it be faced with default — instead of an immediate cash handout. It needs to borrow 54 billion euros ($74 billion) this year — 20 billion euros of that in April and May — to plug a yawning gap between revenue and expenses, and has been forced to offer high interest rates to get investors to lend it money. Euro-zone nations have promised to help if needed, but have demanded that Greece make big budget cuts before any bailout. Last month they set Athens a deadline of March 16 to toughen its austerity program, warning that they would order cuts if Greece didn’t make them itself. Greece duly announced more budget reductions to save another €4.8 billion this year
including public sector wage cuts that angered unions and sparked two nationwide strikes last week. The government concede that the cutbacks will worsen the economic recession this year. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has warned that he will turn to the International Monetary Fund if euro-zone nations don’t follow through a vague pledge to help the country. He has so far won support in fighting financial market speculation on the country’s borrowings French, German and Spanish leaders have called for an EU crackdown on credit default swaps on bonds, which insure traders against the risk of a country’s default. Markets are still not convinced that Greece’s debt is a good investment without a bailout from the EU. The spread, or difference, between 10year German and Greek bonds remained around 3 percentage points yesterday. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble talked down any immediate announcement of concrete details of a Greek rescue in a Sunday interview with Bild
newspaper, where he said there was currently “no reason to make any decisions about financial aid.” EU officials said Saturday that there are a set of options to help Greece overcome its financial crisis, but that Athens would have to arrange for possible loan guarantees with each individual government. Berlin has so far bristled at the idea of extending aid to Greece. “There are intensive consultations on a bilateral basis in case that Greece needs support for a special loan guarantee that a number of countries could come to provide,” said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for the Spanish presidency of the 27-nation EU. Gallach emphasized that Athens has said it would not need any such help, but that the EU must be ready “just in case Greece comes and says we need a bailout.” Schaeuble has called for a bigger solution such as a European Monetary Fund, a bailout fund for euro-zone nations in trouble and tougher threats for countries that don’t stick to EU limits on debt and deficit — including being kicked out of the currency union. — AP
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BUSINESS
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Kayal wins BMW car in Sony Gulf’s month-long promotion campaign
Flydubai takes delivery of its seventh aircraft KUWAIT: The first Boeing NextGeneration 737 aircraft equipped with Goodrich Corporation DURACARB carbon brakes has been delivered to flydubai, Dubai’s first low cost airline. This is the seventh Next-Generation 737 the airline has received in less than 10 months of commercial operations. Goodrich will supply wheels and carbon brake equipment for flydubai’s entire fleet of more than 50 Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft and will retrofit their existing six aircraft. The wheels and carbon brakes will provide a weight savings of approximately 700 pounds (318 kg) per airplane compared to high capacity steel brakes, and 550 pounds (250 kg) compared to standard capacity steel brakes. In addition to the fuel cost savings from the reduced weight, the Goodrich DURACARB carbon brake also offers airlines significantly higher brake life compared to the steel brakes. Jim Wharton, vice president of sales and program management for Goodrich Aircraft Wheels and Brakes, said “Goodrich is now able to offer a carbon brake option for all models of the Boeing Next Generation 737 platform. Airlines have expressed great interest in
First Boeing next-generation 737 with Goodrich carbon brakes
our carbon brake option due to the lower weight and resulting fuel burn reduction. Our DURACARB carbon material continues to demonstrate superior brake life performance on other in-service programs and we now look forward to providing the same benefit to new and existing 737 Next Generation operators.”
Ghaith al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said, “We believe that we are setting a new standard by being the first airline using Boeing NextGeneration 737 aircraft to receive Goodrich’s carbon brakes. The many advantages of using these brakes will enable us to keep our costs low and make savings which
we can pass onto our customers. The on time delivery of this new aircraft also marks the arrival of flydubai’s seventh Boeing NextGeneration 737-800 in a span of just 10 months since we started commercial flights. It also ensures we can keep the expansion of the airline on track with the start of services to
our 12th and 13th destinations, Muscat, Oman and Kuwait City, Kuwait.” Owned by the government of Dubai, flydubai is Dubai’s first low cost airline and started commercial flights on June 1, 2009. The airline already operates six Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft on 11 routes, making it one of the fastest growing start-up airlines in the world. The airline’s operational destinations are: Beirut-Lebanon, Amman-Jordan, Damascus and Aleppo-Syria, Alexandria-Egypt, Djibouti-Africa, Doha-Qatar, Khartoum-Sudan, BakuAzerbaijan, Bahrain and Kathmandu-Nepal. flydubai recently announced Kuwait City and Muscat as its next double daily routes with flights to Muscat starting on Sunday, March 28th, and Kuwait on Tuesday, March 30th. Goodrich Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, is a global supplier of systems and services to aerospace, defense and homeland security markets. With one of the most strategically diversified portfolios of products in the industry, Goodrich serves a global customer base with significant worldwide manufacturing and service facilities.
Shuaa’s Saudi unit in $130m hotel land deal DUBAI: Shuua Capital’s Saudi Arabian unit said its hospitality fund had bought land in Jeddah for a hotel development worth more than $130 million, the first ever land acquisition by a hospitality fund in the kingdom. The fund, worth over $500 million, is tapping growing demand for hotels in the world’s largest oil exporter and will build a luxury project in the Red Sea city worth 500 million riyals ($133.3 million), Shuaa Capital Saudi Arabia said. “The
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is experiencing a sustained boom in business and leisure travel and the Shuaa Saudi Hospitality Fund is in an excellent position to benefit from that,” the firm’s chief executive, Omar Al-Jaroudi, said. An increasing number of Gulf firms have recently announced funds to tap opportunities in the kingdom’s property sector. Saudi Arabia has earmarked around $400 billion to boost infrastructure over the next five years and is look-
ing to cater to growing demand for new housing from the kingdom’s young population. Al Rajhi Capital, the investment arm of Saudi Arabia’s Al-Rajhi Bank, and Bahrain’s Arcapita Bank in February launched a $500 million Gulf property income fund. Dubai-based Rasmala Investments said in October it was setting up a 500 million-riyal Islamic property fund to pursue opportunities in mid-income housing. However, in Dubai, which has
been worst affected in the region by the economic downturn, the emirate’s second-largest developer by market value, Deyaar, in February postponed a 500 million dirham ($136.2 million) distressed property fund after international investors withdrew previously committed funds. Property prices in Dubai have plunged some 60 percent since their peaks in 2008 and billions of dollars worth of projects have been put on hold or cancelled. — Reuters
DUBAI: Dharmendra Lalai (left), Head of IT Marketing Division at Sony Gulf, presents Firas Kayal with the keys of a BMW 5-Series at the Sony showroom in Dubai Mall. Kayal was the winner of a month-long campaign Sony Gulf organised from 4 February, offering purchasers of VAIO laptops an opportunity to win a BMW 5-Series. The latest range of VAIO notebooks - the VAIO CW-series, VAIO W-series, VAIO F-
series, VAIO S-series and VAIO Y-series - are compact, easy to carry and boast comprehensive features that are normally found on bigger and bulkier notebooks. Beautifully designed to look great at home or on the move, the new VAIO makes mainstream computing brilliantly affordable. Delivering all the processing power, graphics muscle and easy-to-use productivity features, the new offerings in the VAIO bouquet add a whole new definition to digital life.
In March 1980, Audi quattro the sporty coupe with four-wheel-drive on the Audi stand caused a great sensation at the Geneva Motor Show.
Audi celebrates 30 years of quattro Current model range includes 126 all-wheel-drive versions DUBAI: Exactly 30 years ago a car that was destined to revolutionize automotive technology arrived on the scene: The first Audi quattro grabbed the public’s attention at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3, 1980. This born winner with the four rings marked the start of a success story that is still continuing. The birth of the first quattro is the story of driving trials in the snow and a trailblazing idea a hollow shaft in the transmission that transmits engine power to both the front and rear wheels. With the added touch of a center differential, the first Audi quattro went on sale at the end of 1980. The angular coupÈ became an instant sales hit. With its permanent all-wheel drive and the 200 hp five cylinder turbo engine it opened up a dimension of dynamism and driving fun that had previously been unavailable. On the rally circuits Audi’s quattro models scooped two drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles each in the World Rally Championship between 1982 and 1984. The brand subsequently shifted its focus to circuit racing, where permanent all-wheel drive demonstrated its superior-
On the rally circuits Audi’s quattro models scooped two drivers’ and manufacturers’ titles each in the World Rally Championship between 1982 and 1984. ity anew. Audi’s drivers captured the most prestigious trophies up for grabs in Europe and the United States. quattro has long since become one of the core technologies of the Audi brand. In time the first Audi quattro, now frequently referred to as the Urquattro, was joined by a whole family of roadgoing cars with permanent all-wheel drive that became more and more diverse. As of the end of 2009, Audi had built exactly 3,296,917 quattros. The current model range
includes 126 all-wheel-drive versions. The fascination of this technology is stronger and more alive than ever. Permanent allwheel drive stands for stability and traction, driving safety and dynamism. Audi is also extending its Vorsprung durch Technik when it comes to permanent allwheel drive. The next quattro generation made its debut 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The new Audi RS 5 high-performance coupÈ redefines the benchmark for high performance, flexibility and efficiency.
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 .4340000 .383000 .2690000 .2800000 .2600000 .0045000 .0020000 .07791770 .7597100 .4020000 .0750000 .7447630 .0045000 .0500000
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 .2872500 .4363550 .3953840 .2714090 .2819320 .0531400 .0408180 .2628470 .0370290 .2060100 .0031720 .0063470 .0025250 .0034090 .0042080 .0782460 .7623220 .4062500 .0766390 .7464770 .0063120
US Dollar Sterling pounds Swiss Francs Saudi Riyals
TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2893500 .4394370 .2733310 .0771280
.2930000 .4440000 .4000000 .2770000 .2880000 .2680000 .0075000 .0035000 .0787610 .7673450 .4180000 .0790000 .7522490 .0072000 .0580000
284.430 189.110 273.400 263.800 287.000 ASIAN COUNTRIES
Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash
3.201 6.331 3.415 2.524 3.981 207.100 37.224 4.167 6.307 8.866 0.301 0.292 GCC COUNTRIES
.2893500 .4394370 .3981760 .2733310 .2839290 .0535170 .0411070 .2647040 .0372920 .2074690 .0031940 .0063920 .0025430 .0034330 .0042380 .0787450 .7671830 .4091270 .0771280 .7512370 .0063570
Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham
76.030 79.360 750.400 767.110 78.670 ARAB COUNTRIES
Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham
56.250 52.760 1.339 210.730 407.900 193.800 6.307 35.910 GOLD
20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram
216.000 112.000 57.500
Bahrain Exchange Company
Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer Euro Sterling Pound
Canadian dollar Turkish lire Swiss Franc Australian dollar US Dollar Buying
288.700 397.400 438.820
COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash
SELL CASH 267.300 767.690 4.410 287.200 566.800 15.800 54.200 167.800 56.500 400.500
SELL DRAFT 265.800 767.590 4.168 285.700
206.600 52.786 399.000
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
37.860 6.590 0.035 0.296 0.261 3.290 409.730 0.195 89.300 47.700 4.260 206.300 2.183 50.600 749.780 3.540 6.490 79.830 77.070 208.620 41.380 2.773 442.500 41.600 276.300 6.400 9.220 217.900 78.760 289.000 1.380
37.710 6.335
408.000 0.194 89.300 3.990 204.800
274.800 9.040 78.700 288.600
1,197.140
Sterling Pound US Dollar
Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 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 440.500 288.600
288.750 3.430 6.340 2.540 4.175 6.340 78.680 77.170 767.200 52.755 443.100 0.0000314 3.990 1.550 409.900 5.750 402.200 290.700
Al Mulla Exchange Currency
Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd 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
2.530 4.180 6.305 3.180 8.854 5.556 3.968
Currency 749.600 3.440 6.315 79.400 77.070 208.620 41.380 2.528 440.500
GOLD 10 Tola
Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees
288.550 287.570 442.855 401.780 271.948 707.250 763.755 78.540 79.155 76.915 407.180 52.650 6.345 3.425
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 288.400 398.850 440.600 285.550 3.205 6.335 52.730 2.528 4.170 6.310 3.425 767.400 78.600 77.000
BUSINESS
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Management table: Sahar Al-Thurban, public relations manager, Fajer Al-Mutairi, marketing manager, Abdulla Al-Ousta, Board secretary, Ali Al-Baghli, public relations, and Fareed Gebrayel.
KUWAIT: Sahar Al-Thurban, public relations manager at ABK speaking at the event.
23
KUWAIT: Kuwait Times receiving the award from Board Secretary of ABK Abdulla Al-Ousta (second left). Sahar Al-Thurban, public relations manager (third left). — Photos by Fouad Al Shaikh
KUWAIT: Ali Al-Baghli, public relations incharge speaking during the event.
Al-Ahli Bank honors media representatives By Nisreen Zahreddine KUWAIT: The Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait (ABK) hosted a special event to honor the representatives of the media at JW Marriott. Representatives from several media outlets attended the gathering and were awarded for their transparent
coverage of the Bank’s activities. The event was also attended by the management of Al-Ahli Bank. Sahar Al-Thurban, Manager of Public Relations at Al-Ahli Bank, welcomed guests and thanked them for their objective reporting and analysis of the financial market and news. She added that
Travel expert hails Oman Air’s luxury service MUSCAT: The Middle East’s most exciting airline, the Sultanate of Oman’s national carrier Oman Air, has been praised by one of the world’s leading luxury travel experts. Varun Sharma, presenter of Inside Luxury Travel with Varun Sharma, the satellite, cable & terrestrial TV program that is beamed into over 390 million homes, in 18 languages across the globe each week, described Oman Air’s premium cabins as “superb, with Varun Sharma extremely comfortable seating and absolutely delicious food.” Varun’s comments came after he experienced Oman Air’s new First Class service from London to Oman’s capital of Muscat and the airline’s new Business Class service from Muscat to Bangkok. The trips were made in the course of filming programs about Oman and Thailand for his show, which is broadcast on Travel Channel, CNBC, Showtime and ATV. Varun says: “Oman Air is a young airline but shows all the promise to be one of the leading carriers in the Middle East ... and beyond.” Varun also describes the Sultanate of Oman in glowing terms: “Oman is one of the very few true luxury destinations in the world. Everything there is done on a grand, but tasteful, scale. Service is, on the whole, fantastic and it’s certainly NOT a destination for those looking for high-rise, low-quality hotel and resort properties that are so prevalent in the region today.” The Inside Luxury Travel focus on Oman was broadcast in the second week of February, once production of the entire series had been completed. This marathon task involved the editing of 21 hours of videotape to create a one-hour program. Varun Sharma comments: “The task was huge and we had to make some very difficult choices. We saw so many wonderful and fascinating destinations, hotels and attractions that, inevitably, some ended up on the cutting room floor. “Fortunately, however, we were able to convey a sense of the beauty and luxury available to visitors to all the destinations we visited - none more so than in Oman. “Having arrived in such style - and having enjoyed the service, the dining and the sheer sense of exclusivity that comes with flying in Oman Air’s new First Class cabin - I was delighted by the hospitality of the Omani people. The addition of outstanding hotels, fantastic adventures in the desert and the sea, and a rich culture ensured that my visit was unforgettable.” “In fact, I loved Oman so much that, as soon as I got home from my hectic filming schedule, I booked a holiday there. And I couldn’t wait until Oman Air took me away from the cold of a British winter, to the warmth of an Omani welcome and the heat of the Muscat sun.” Philippe Georgiou, Oman Air’s Chief Officer Corporate Affairs, who oversees the airline’s communications and customer service department, says: “We are delighted that Varun enjoyed his flights with Oman Air and we are equally delighted that he has chosen to share his experiences with so many people around the world. With our new aircraft, new cabins and continually increasing choice of destinations, Varun could not have chosen a better time to fly with Oman Air and we look forward to welcoming him, and his many millions of viewers, whenever they wish to fly with us.”
CMA revokes Ernst & Young’s business license in Saudi RIYADH: The Saudi Capital Market’s Authority (CMA) has announced yesterday that it has revoked the Securities Business License of Ernst & Young Consulting Limited, Saudi Arabia. We fully respect the CMA’s decision. This decision is limited to the services provided by one of the entities of Ernst & Young in Saudi Arabia, Ernst & Young Consulting Limited, Saudi Arabia (EYCSA), and does not affect any other Ernst & Young entity in Saudi Arabia. The circumstances leading to that decision are not related to standards or quality of client service. In 2005 it became apparent that certain of our existing Transaction Advisory services could possibly fall under the new regulations issued by the CMA. In accordance with these regulations, such activities required to be carried out
under a separate legal entity. Hence, EYCSA was established and subsequently authorized by the CMA in 2006 to conduct regulated Advising and Arranging business in Saudi Arabia. It is fair to say that expected business opportunities in the regulated Advising and Arranging marketplace did not emerge for professional services firms as hoped. Therefore, they did not form a significant part of Ernst & Young’s core Transaction Advisory services. These services have not been impacted in Saudi Arabia or anywhere in the Middle East. Our clients are not and will not be affected by the CMA’s decision. Ernst & Young has been operating in Saudi Arabia for over 30 years and continues to provide Assurance, Advisory, Transactions and Tax services to a large number of local and multinational companies.
transparency is what everyone strives to accomplish in the financial sector. She said that building the economy of the country is also at the heart of what they do and reporting the news professionally, without bias, is also what makes this partnership so important. The evening included a detailed pres-
entation of the bank’s history and evolution in recent years. It included an explanation of the expansion of the bank’s branches and the innovative services it has started to develop. The presentation also included a review of ABK’s financial results. Al-Thurban reaffirmed the bank’s
commitment to its corporate social responsibility program. She pointed out how the bank has sponsored several activities supporting society and Kuwaiti youth as well as the tremendous success of its Kuwaitization program. The highlight of the evening was an
award ceremony for all the members of the media. They all received awards of appreciation for their role in covering the news and in strengthening their relationship with the bank. The evening also included games, entertainment and a raffle for two tickets to Dubai and Sharm Al Sheikh.
Wataniya Telecom introduces Wcharger Product enables user to transfer credit from postpaid to prepaid KUWAIT: Wataniya Telecoms is introducing a special service beneficial for both prepaid and postpaid customers. The new service entitled “Wcharger” is designed to allow postpaid customers to transfer credit to prepaid customers. Additional to its first launch back in July 2005, when “W Charger” allowed customers to transfer If you’re not able to purchase W recharge card because it is midnight time and the closest store to you is closed; or in case you decided to control your kid’s spending on their prepaid line and manage your own, and if you’re running out of credit and there is a very important person awaiting your call or you are expecting a very urgent call, this new “Wataniya W charger” can fulfill all you needs. It should maximize all methods, assures your line recharged and definitely enables you to get in touch with your loved ones! “Providing our customers with the most reliable and excellent services and ensuring their satisfaction with any service renders to them is one of our main priorities”, stated Abdolaziz Al-Balool, Wataniya Public Relations Manager. He explained the new innovated service saying that “Following our eagerness in doing this, W charger is reintroduced once again and is ensuring customers to stay in touch and benefiting one another. Al-Balool
added. It is easy and simple to use this service, all what you have to do is to dial 444 insert prepaid phone number*amount in KD #. To get a more clear vision here is an example: To transfer 3KD to the number 66661234 you should dial : *444*66661234*3# from your phone. After choosing the number you would like to transfer credits to, and indicating how much in Kuwaiti dinars, the prepaid customer account will automatically be topped up with the amount transferred. As for the postpaid customer, the amount will be added to his/her monthly bill. Interested customers in the transfer credit service should be aware of the following requirements: the maximum monthly transfer from the postpaid customer to the prepaid is 25KD, and a minimum of 1KD transfer in one go will be permitted. Prepaid customers will be able to transfer money in multiples of 1; Ex. 1KD, 2KD and 3KD. Each 1KD transfer of credit will be valid for 20 days; Ex. 1KD 20 days, 2 KD 40 days and 3KD 60 days.
credit from a prepaid line; it is redesigned to carry out more advantages to customers. Now, Wataniya ensures all with prepaid and postpaid subscribers the continuous connectivity with each other. They will always be in touch with family and friends. To learn more about the transfer credit service and the wide range of products Wataniya provides to its postpaid and prepaid customers please visit www.wataniya.com or call customer care on 121. We are delighted to serve you!
Abdolaziz Al-Balool
About Wataniya Telecom Wataniya Telecom was commercially launched in 1999 as the first privately owned operator in Kuwait. In March 2007, Qatar Telecom (Qtel) acquired 51% of Wataniya Telecom shares from Kuwait Projects Company Holding KSC (KIPCO) group. Wataniya is a customer driven company that aims to provide product and service excellence that is leading to a real customer value. The company has been a driving force in increasing the mobile market penetration in Kuwait (over 80%) Wataniya Telecom has grown rapidly through acquisitions and enjoys a remarkable expansion in MENA & ASIA. Driving operations in Kuwait, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Algeria and in Palestine.
Super-Max opens global distribution HQ in Dubai Leading brand in razors relocates to Jebel Ali Zone DUBAI: Super-Max, the world’s second largest brand of razors, announced the inauguration of its global distribution headquarters in Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai. The brand, which has a formidable presence in over 140 countries, has relocated its headquarters from London to Dubai. The new state-of-the-art facility in JAFZA has been built with an investment of over AED 100 million. Sprawling across 50,000 square feet, the establishment is an ultra-modern logistics and warehousing facility and is expected to be fully completed in 2011. Launched in 1986, SuperMax has grown from strength to strength and is today one of the leading brands in its category worldwide. Super-Max offers an exhaustive range of products which cater to all segments of the market. Commenting on the occasion, Ajay Bindroo, Group CEO of Wesley International Ltd, global distributor of Super-Max, said, “Dubai is considered among the most advantageous platforms for business and development in the world today. Our move from London to Dubai is a strategic decision based on the lucrative opportunities offered by this market. Dubai has the key resources to channel our growth and expansion across the globe.” “Dubai has witnessed exponential growth in the recent years under the guidance of its visionary leader. Encouraged by the city’s dynamic initiatives, astute planning and remarkable insights, Super-Max has made a geographical leap to Dubai with the assurance to kindle unprecedented growth in this region and worldwide,” he added. Speaking at the inauguration of the Super-Max headquarters,
been available in the Middle Eastern markets since early 1990’s in the wholesale channel. However the branded distribution to modern and retail formats started in 1997 in Oman and soon after in other GCC countries. The brand has had tremendous success in the GCC. Super-Max became the market leader in Oman within 5 years of commencement of operations and continues to enjoy market leadership with a volume share of 48 per cent as of 2009. It is the second largest shaving brand in other GCC countries with volume shares of 41 per cent in Bahrain, 31 per cent in Saudi Arabia, 24 per cent in UAE and 13 per cent in Kuwait. Ibrahim Al-Janahi, Chief Commercial Officer, JAFZA said: “Super-Max products hold a strong presence globally and we are very pleased that the company has chosen the Jebel Ali Free Zone as its global base. JAFZA’s strategic location and its exceptional logistics infrastructure, build-to-suit solutions and services will facilitate Wesley’s business and help the company gain competitive advantages in the various regional markets the company will target.” For the celebrations of the inauguration of the Super-Max headquarters, the company played host to its global associates, who joined in the festivities from over a 100 countries. Other guests included the local dignitaries and members of the Super-Max group. The celebrations continued on February 19 and 20, 2010 at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi where the Super-Max-Kelly Racing team competed with other teams from across the world in the V8 400 Supercars Championship Series. Super-Max products have
MasterCard congratulates KFH Kuwait’s first bank to introduce MasterCard SecureCode KUWAIT: Kuwait Finance House (KFH), the region’s leading Islamic bank, has become the first bank in Kuwait to introduce MasterCard SecureCode, a technological platform which provides enhanced security standards for both acquiring and issuing transactions. MasterCard SecureCode is a simple and secure way for KFH’s MasterCard credit and prepaid cardholders to pay at thousands of online stores while adding an extra security layer. A private code, known only to the cardholders and the bank, is provided to KFH’s MasterCard credit and prepaid cardholders to enhance their accounts by protecting them against unauthorized use of their cards when shopping online at participating online retailers. KFH is also the first bank in Kuwait to use MasterCard Internet Gateway Service (MiGS) as a payment platform for secured issuing and acquiring processes. MiGS ensures safe and secure online transactions for a wide
range of payment transactions. All transactions used to make online purchases are now processed through MiGS and settled by the bank of choice. “Implementing MasterCard SecureCode gives our MasterCard cardholders a secure online shopping experience at millions of online stores without leaving the comfort of home,” said Moahmmed Fouzan, Assistant General Manager- Banking Sector, Kuwait Finance House. “Cardholders can easily register for the MasterCard SecureCode Service at KFH Online free of charge, to make sure their e-commerce transactions are safer than ever before.” Julio Lobo, Director- Banking Cards Department, Kuwait Finance House said: “Shopping on the internet is now a common trend for our customers as it is just as convenient as shopping at conventional stores. The new MasterCard SecureCode Service enables cardholders to use a password with their KFH MasterCard credit and prepaid cards, giving them an added assurance while
making purchases over the web.” With the implementation of this secure platform, KFH continues to introduce tailor-made products and services aimed at meeting clients’ needs and lifestyle requirements. As a leading provider of internet payment solutions in the region, KFH is committed to develop world-class internet payment services to facilitate customers’ payment needs. MasterCard MiGS provides KFH’s merchants with secure platform to enable credit card payment processing across multiple acquirers and on global basis. “KFH is amongst the Middle East’s leading financial institutions providing cutting edge payment solutions for cardholders and merchants. We are delighted to collaborate with KFH to introduce MasterCard SecureCode for the first time in Kuwait. MasterCard SecureCode enhances financial institutions’ offering and allows service providers to offer cardholders a secure and convenient shopping experience at participating on-line retailers.
BUSINESS
24
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
KSE stocks make marginal gains Dubai snaps rally, GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT Saudi shares drop
KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) and major indicators ended yesterday’s trading session in the green for the second consecutive day. The market witnessed marginal gains backed by the slightly positive performance of the Banking and Services Sectors at the last minute trading. GGI added 0.52 points (+0.25 percent) during yesterday’s session to reach 209.63 points. Furthermore, the KSE Price Index increased by a marginal 9 points (+0.12 percent) and closed at 7,495.80 points. Market capitalization was up KD84.81mn yesterday to reach KD34.27bn.
Market breadth During the session, 138 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 55 equities retreated versus 42 that advanced. A total of 110 stocks remained unchanged during the trading session. Trading activities ended on a negative note as volume of shares traded on the exchange decreased by 20.26 percent to reach 404.27mn shares. In addition, value of shares traded dropped by 21.97 percent to stand at KD57.49mn. The Investment Sector was the volume leader accounting for 41.07 percent of total market volume. The Services Sector was the value leader with 36.10 percent of total traded value. Gulfinvest International Company saw 46.64mn shares changing hands, making it the volume leader. Zain was the value leader, with a total traded value of KD5.42mn. In terms of top gainers, Kuwait Bahrain International Exchange Company was the top gainer for the day, adding 10 percent and closed at KD0.275.
MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS
On the other hand, Hilal Cement Company shed 8.62 percent and closed at KD0.265, making it the biggest decliner in the market yesterday. Sectors Regarding Global’s sectoral indices, they ended on a mixed note, with Global Services Index being the top gainer. The index ended the day up 0.75 percent backed by heavyweight Zain ending the day with a gain of 1.47 percent to close at KD1.380. Furthermore, Oula Fuel Marketing Company also aided the index posting a 5.62 percent gain and closed at KD0.470. Global Non-Kuwaiti Index
was the second biggest gainer, up 0.59 percent backed by Ahli United Bank ending the day up 2.38 percent and closed at KD0.172. In addition, United Gulf Bank was also a contributing factor to the index’s gain. The scrip ended the day up 3.39 percent and closed at KD0.305. In terms of decliners, Global Food Index took the top spot with a 0.67 percent drop. The index’s decline was aided by heavyweight Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana) being the only decliner in the index. The scrip ended the day down 1.19 percent and closed at KD1.660. Global’s special indices all ended in the red except for
Global Large Cap Index which was the only gainer. The index ended the day up 0.45 percent backed by Zain. On the other hand, Global Small Cap Index posted a 1.90 percent loss, making it the top decliner backed by Strategia Investment Company and Gulfinvest International Company ending the day down 6.15 percent and 6 percent, respectively. Market new s The government of Kuwait approved a bill Sunday evening to changing the name of the Bank of Kuwait and the Middle East (BKME) into Al-Ahli United Bank. Minister of Commerce and Industry Ahmad
Al-Haroun, speaking to KUNA after a weekly cabinet meeting, said Al-Ahli United Bank would function in compliance with Islamic Sharia laws. The cabinet also approved a bill to increase capital of Burgan Bank from KD104mn to KD140mn, with face value of 100fils and a bonus issue of 180fils. The cabinet also agreed to change Burgan Bank’s statute. A’ayan Real Estate Company Board of Directors recommended a bonus share distribution at 5 percent of paid-in capital, or 5for-100 for the FY that ended on 31/12/2009. The distribution will be effected to shareholders of record on the general meeting date.
DUBAI: Dubai shares fell for the first session in three yesterday as investors booked profits in the absence of a Dubai World debt deal, and Egyptian stocks tumbled on concerns over President Hosni Mubarak’s health. A drop in Kingdom Holding shares pulled Saudi Arabia’s index lower for the first session in four while Qatar’s index bucked the trend, hitting a three-week high helped by banking stocks. Egypt’s main index tumbled 3.8 percent, its biggest one-day drop since Nov. 30, on concerns about Mubarak’s health because he has not appeared on television since his surgery. Orascom Telecom fell 6.7 percent. “The market has been hammered,” said Teymour el-Derini of Naeem Brokerage. “The uncertainty in the market is causing chaos... Until something comes out and clarifies things, it will continue.” Property heavyweight Emaar Properties led decliners in Dubai, closing down 3.2 percent, its largest percentage fall in more than two weeks. Bourse operator Dubai Financial Market fell 1.1 percent after closing up for six straight sessions. “Markets have really rallied on hopes of a resolution to Dubai World’s debt. But investors get ahead of themselves at times and hence we saw some profit booking today,” said Keith Edwards, head of asset management at Doha-based investment firm The First Investor. Dubai’s index fell 1.4 percent to 1,723 points while Abu Dhabi’s index closed down 0.1 percent lower at 2,866 points. “Most of the volumes we saw in Dubai were in Emaar and DFM. There is not enough depth in the market for a long-term rally,” said Chamel Fahmy, regional senior sales trader at Beltone Financial. Saudi Arabia’s bourse ended its winning streak, with the index falling 0.4 percent to 6,578 points. “We believe Saudi Arabia still has some
steam behind it. Infrastructure spending in the region, banks lending more are all positives about the region,” said First Investor’s Edwards. Qatar’s index bucked the downward trend in the region, rising 0.8 percent, as banking stocks rose. Late buying helped Kuwait’s index close 0.1 percent higher with heavyweight Zain rising 1.5 percent. Oman’s index fell 0.5 percent weighed by a sell-off in banking stocks. Bank Muscat fell 1.3 percent while Bank Sohar fell 1.7 percent. “(The) market seems to be on a technical correction mode. Historically, the month of March ends lower due to dividend adjustments,” said Ajeev Gopinath, assistant vice president for asset management at Gulf Baader Capital Markets. HIGHLIGHTS DUBAI The index fell 1.4 percent to 1,723 points. EGYPT The index fell 3.8 percent to 6,353 points. ABU DHABI The benchmark slips 0.1 percent to 2,866 points. SAUDI ARABIA The index fell 0.4 percent to 6,578 points. KUWAIT The measure rose 0.1 percent to 7,496 points. QATAR The index climbed 0.8 percent to 6,935 points. OMAN The benchmark fell 0.5 percent to 6,609 points. BAHRAIN The index rose 0.8 percent to 1,509 points. —Reuters
BUSINESS
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Recovery tests Fed’s low rates GLOBAL ECONOMY WEEKAHEAD WASHINGTON: US consumers are buying more than just the basics and companies appear to be on the cusp of resuming hiring, which means the Federal Reserve has some thinking to do about its ultra-low interest rate pledge. Economists widely expect the Fed, the US central bank, to repeat its promise to keep borrowing costs exceptionally low for an “extended period” when it concludes its policysetting meeting today. The federal funds rate has been near zero since December 2008. Investors interpret that phrase-which the Fed has used in every statement announcing its monetary policy decisions since March 2009 — as a signal that the first rate hike is still several months away, although there is no consensus among Fed officials about precisely how long an extended period is. Regardless of the exact meaning, the phrase’s days may be numbered as the economic recovery broadens and builds. Ryan Sweet, senior economist at Moody’s economy.com, said the Fed may change the language at its June meeting and will probably talk about it this week. “Debate may be sharp... but little of it is likely to show up in the policymakers’ postmeeting statement,” he said. US retail sales were stronger than expected in February, and purchases of discretionary items like electronics and appliances picked up. Although the economy shed jobs last month, many economists think March’s payrolls will grow. “Low interest rates are clearly no longer needed to help the normalization of the credit markets, and it is looking like the economy’s recovery is less fragile than thought at the start of the year,” said Chris Rupkey, an economist with Bank of TokyoMitsubishi in New York. “Our guess is they will limit the length of time that they promise to keep their foot down hard on the monetary policy accelerator. It is time to lift their foot up a little as this economy is running fast enough to not need as much gas.” A Reuters poll of economists last week showed they expected the first rate hike in the fourth quarter of this year. The Bank of Japan holds its policy-setting meeting tomoorow, and is also expected to hold its benchmark rate near zero. Economists in the Reuters poll thought the rate would stay at 0.1 percent until the middle of 2011. Some Fed officials have expressed discomfort with
the “extended period” pledge. Kansas City Fed President Tom Hoenig dissented at the Fed’s last meeting in January because he thought the phrase was no longer warranted, and investors will be watching closely for any more dissents today. Despite all the attention given to those two words, the best clues about when the Fed might hike rates may be lurking elsewhere in the statement. The central banks has three preconditions for keeping rates near zero: low levels of resource usage, subdued inflation trends, and stable inflation expectations. For the first item, high unemployment leaves plenty of untapped human resources. The Fed’s industrial output data yesterday will provide an update on free factory space. As for inflation, reports tomorrow and Thursday are both expected to show little or no price pressures, although those figures come after the Fed’s rate decision. To understand how the Fed sees the economy evolving, the first paragraph of the statement is required reading. It normally includes a rundown of how the central bank views consumer spending, business investment, employment, housing and financial markets. Economists are looking for an upgrade to the assessment of household and business spending, and perhaps a reference to some modest improvement in the still-weak labor market. Its view of housing, which was at the core of the recession and remains a big impediment to the recovery, may be murkier because recent readings on home sales have been weak. In the statement following its last meeting in January, the Fed removed its reference to housing altogether. Another area that has yet to register any improvement is consumer confidence, which deteriorated in March, according to Friday’s Reuters/University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. However, given the surprising strength in retail sales, some economists opted to focus on what consumers did rather than what they said. “Ultimately, the ringing of cash registers is the best indicator of how upbeat consumers are,” said Bernard Baumohl, chief economist at the Economic Outlook Group in Princeton, New Jersey. “In terms of retail sales, it has risen for four of the past five months and that trumps the small drop in the consumer sentiment in our opinion.” — Reuters
Libya plans new energy law: Oil chief Ghanem TRIPOLI: Libya is drafting its first new framework hydrocarbon law in more than 50 years, its top energy official said in an interview, but he did not say if it would change conditions for foreign oil companies. Shokri Ghanem, the head of state energy firm NOC and the country’s OPEC representative, also said Libya was putting on hold plans for a second gas export pipeline until demand on the world energy market stabilized. He said Libya was seeking foreign partners to help increase its refining capacity, and said that early indications from major exploration work by BP on two Libyan permits was “encouraging.” Ghanem, speaking in an interview with Reuters late on Sunday, said the current hydrocarbon law dated back to 1955 and though it has since been amended, a replacement was needed to bring it up to date with the modern energy industry. “It is an appropriate time to review the old law,” he said. “We have prepared a draft law which needs further discussion by the National Oil Corporation and others so it can take into account all important changes in
the global oil market.” Libya has in the past had discussions with foreign partners about building a second gas pipeline under the Mediterranean to Europe, but Ghanem said this was now on hold. “Regarding exports we have yet to consider building new pipelines until the visibility becomes clear on the oil and gas market,” he said. On refining capacity, Ghanem said Libya was looking for foreign partners to help increase output at its 120,000 barrel per day Zawia plant, the country’s second biggest, and two other smaller refineries. BP’s two exploration permits in Libya, the offshore Sirte basin and the Ghadames basin in the Sahara desert, represent the company’s biggest single exploration commitment. It has carried out seismic studies and has said it will start exploratory drilling this year. “We think there are encouraging signals but it is too early to know the size of the discovery and to define the reserves,” Ghanem said. “That will not happen until the drilling starts.” — Reuters
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Strike deplorable, call to cancel walkout
Brown wades into BA row LONDON: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown waded into the acrimonious dispute between British Airways PLC and its cabin crew yesterday, calling a planned strike by workers “deplorable” and urging union leaders to cancel the walkout. Brown’s rare direct intervention in an industrial matter comes ahead of a looming general election, which political analysts expect to be a close run affair with the ruling Labor Party currently lagging in the polls behind the main opposition Conservative Party. The walkouts scheduled by the Unite union for a total of seven days in the run-up to the busy Easter holidays are expected to affect hundreds of thousands of travelers. There are also fears of wider industrial unrest after thousands of rail workers voted in favor of strike action that their union has said will likely target the Easter long weekend. “It is the wrong time, it is unjustified, it is deplorable, we shouldn’t have a strike,” Brown told BBC radio of the BA walkout. “It is not in the company’s interest, it is not in the workers’ interest and it is certainly not in the national interest.” Brown’s public hardline stance against Unite, one of the Labor Party’s major donors, comes after he spoke with the union’s leaders over the weekend. The union is enraged at the intervention, calling Brown’s Transport Minister Andrew Adonis “badly informed” after he too spoke out against the walkout. The planned action is the latest move in a long-running dispute between Unite’s 12,000 cabin crew members and BA management over a pay freeze and changes to working conditions that also led to a narrowly averted strike over the Christmas and New Year break. The courts ordered that walkout be canceled because of technical irregularities in Unite’s ballot of its members. Negotiations since then to try to find a resolution have failed amid accusations from Unite of intimidation and charges from BA that the union is trying to bring the airline to its knees. The carrier has been particularly hard hit by the global economic recession because of its heavy running costs and reliance on increasingly unpopular first- and businessclass fares. It argues that the disputed changes — including a pay freeze in 2010, a switch to part-time work for 3,000 staff and a reduction in cabin crew sizes from 15 to 14 on long-haul flights from Heathrow airport — are critical for its survival. Unite argues it was not properly consulted on the changes and that the airline has ignored valid alternatives. Unite had planned to put the latest offer from BA to workers before the announced strike dates — three days from March 20 and four days from March 27 — and pledged to call off the walkouts if they approved. However, union leaders added they would not recommend the offer and BA retaliated by pulling it off the table. BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh has said he remains available for talks 24 hours a day, but stressed that he planned to focus on looking after the airline’s customers. BA has been training around 1,000 workers who volunteered from other departments at the airline to stand in for cabin crew in the event of a walkout. Unite has attacked that decision, saying it will put BA’s passengers’ at risk in emergency situations. The airline is also trying to obtain seats on flights operated by rival airlines to pass on to its own customers. It has said it plans to operate all flights from London City airport, including long-haul services to New York. From Gatwick, it plans to operate all long-haul services and about 50 percent of short-haul. From Heathrow, it plans to operate a “substantial part” of both long-haul and short-haul schedules. Unite stuck by a pledge not to hold a strike over the busy Easter period, after the planned Christmas walkout resulted in a public backlash against workers. But Unite assistant general secretary Len McCluskey said further action would take place after April 14 if the dispute is not resolved. The RMT rail union, which represents some 10,000 rail workers around the country, revealed last week that maintenance workers had voted in favor of a walkout. It has not yet announced strike dates, but RMT leader Bob Crow warned passengers not to make travel arrangements over Easter. — AP
LONDON: British Airways aircraft at Heathrow Airport, west of London. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown waded into the acrimonious dispute between British Airways PLC and its cabin crew yesterday, calling a planned strike by workers ‘deplorable’ and urging union leaders to cancel the walkout. — AFP
BOE’s Barker sees risk of new GDP fall, no recession LONDON: Britain’s economy may contract again for one quarter, but is unlikely to return to recession, Bank of England policymaker Kate Barker said in a newspaper interview published over the weekend. Barker said the harsh winter weather hit retail sales at the start of this year but that February’s business surveys had painted a more upbeat picture of the economy, in an interview that did not touch directly on the outlook for monetary policy. “I think lots of things were going on at the start of the year which makes it difficult. We had the VAT rise, where some people bought goods ahead of the increase, and we had the bad weather in the first part which, I’m sure, affected retail sales figures,” she told Saturday’s Western Morning News. “It’s possible we will have a quarter when GDP falls, but I don’t think it will be a double dip. I would be surprised if we go back to recession but I think recovery will be bumpy and fragile.” Britain’s economy grew by 0.3 percent in the final three months of 2009 after an 18-month recession that was the deepest in its post-war history. Recessions are usually defined as a period of at least two consecutive quarters of falling GDP. Unexpectedly weak retail sales and trade and manufacturing figures for January have cast doubt on the strength of the recovery-though economists say that at least some of the weakness may have been due to transport disruption from Britain’s coldest winter in 30 years. Barker identified fiscal tightening by government and tight credit conditions for businesses as a brake on future recovery. “We are talking about a protracted period where credit is more expensive while there is pain from the public finance side,” she said. Britain is set to run a record budget deficit this year and financial markets are likely to put intense pressure on the victor of national elections, expected in early May, to announce detailed plans to reduce annual borrowing. Moreover, the BOE’s decision to cut interest rates to 0.5 percent and spend 200 billion pounds of newly created money on buying up financial assets
WHITLEY BAY, UK: A man cycles past a fake shop front in a street in Whitley Bay, north-east England. The shop front, which is made to look like a delicatessen, is covering a now closed clothing shop while the property is empty. Fake businesses are being used to lessen the impact of the recession on high streets in North Tyneside. — AFP has only partly reversed the rise in corporate borrowing costs caused by the credit crunch. Most economists do not expect the BOE to start to tighten monetary policy before the end of the year because of ongoing economic weakness, and Barker said that firms would have to get used to higher credit costs than before the downturn. “It will be a different world in the sense we are not expecting credit to be as easy as it was before the crisis for a considerable time,” Barker said. “Some people say never-I
think it’s rash to say never, but for the foreseeable future it will be this way.” Barker, who has served on the BOE’s rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee since 2001, will step down at the end of May. She took part in a regional visit to southwest England on Thursday and Friday, and told the newspaper that she was encouraged that firms in the area said they were considering hiring again, albeit in the face of credit constraints. — Reuters
China cuts back its US Treasury bond holdings
TOKYO: Enterprise Confederation President Wang Zhongyu (second left) answers questions during a press conference following the Asian Business Summit meeting in Tokyo yesterday. Representatives from 13 business organizations from 11 Asian economies came together in Tokyo to take part in the Asian Business Summit, hosted by the Japan Business Federation. — AFP
WASHINGTON: China cut back its Treasury bond holdings in January but remained the top owner of US government debt, the Treasury Department said yesterday. China held $889.0 billion in Treasury securities at the end of January compared with $894.8 billion in December, the department’s latest figures on international capital flows showed. Japan was far behind on the number two spot with $765.4 billion in Treasury bonds, little changed from its December figure of $765.7 billion, the data showed. The Treasury Department created a stir last month when it announced China had slashed its bond holdings to $755.4 billion in December-the biggest drop since August 2000, allowing Japan to become the top holder of American government debt. But two days later, the department produced sharply revised data indicating that while China had cut back on its bond holdings, the level was still well above that of Japan. The revision came when the department looked at Chinese holdings in US Treasuries held in third markets such as Britain and Hong Kong, which were not picked up by the earlier estimates. Some US experts had told a Congressional forum last month that China appeared to be secretly buying bonds via third locations to hide its importance as a major creditor to Washington, experts told a congressional forum Thursday. They said China-linked entities may be scooping up US bonds in London, Hong Kong or other locations, pointing out that official data almost certainly understates Beijing’s US government debt holdings. Some say the massive holdings by China have implications for US national security, making it harder for Washington to carry out policies in conflict with Beijing. — AFP
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
US Senate financial reform bill boosts Fed WASHINGTON: The Federal Reserve would gain new powers over non-bank financial firms and keep much of its authority over banks under a new bill being unveiled by the US Senate’s architect of financial reform. In a turnaround for the central bank after months of public criticism, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd was poised to release a bill that leans heavily on the Fed to fix the U.S. financial system, sources said on Sunday. Not only would a new government watchdog for financial consumers be housed within the Fed, it would also retain much of its present authority over large bank holding companies and gain new authority over selected non-bank financial firms. Sources said the Fed would also continue supervising smaller, statechartered banks now in the Fed system-a change from an earlier proposal that would have transferred those banks to Federal Deposit Insurance Corp supervision. The plans could yet change, sources said, with weeks to go before Congress completes its long debate on regulatory reform after the worst US financial crisis in generations tipped the economy into recession and shook markets worldwide. With Republicans and bank lobbyists working to weaken and block new rules, the push for reform could fail in the Senate. That would hurt
Democrats and President Barack Obama as they head into November elections already short on achievements. But the release yesterday of Dodd’s bill will move the Senate closer to a decisive vote. In an interview, Dodd, a Democrat, told Reuters he would present his bill at a news conference scheduled for 1800 GMT and he threw down a challenge to Republican committee colleagues who wrote him a letter on Friday seeking more time to study the issue. He called their demands “terribly naive.” After months of debate, Dodd told Reuters, the road to financial reform is still difficult, but navigable. “If you want to work with me ... we can do it. If you don’t, you can walk away or delay or say we shouldn’t be meeting. But if you’re interested in getting a bill, the door’s open,” Dodd said. Tightening oversight of banks and capital markets is a top priority for Obama. But almost two years since the near collapse of former Wall Street giant Bear Stearns, followed by the fall of Lehman Brothers, regulation has changed little. Obama proposed sweeping reforms in mid-2009. Most of them were approved in December by the House of Representatives. The Senate has yet to act. Dodd released a draft bill in November that Republicans immediately rejected. He has been working to find compro-
WASHINGTON: Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (left) delivers an opening statement during the committee’s hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. Dodd is expected today to announce his regulatory proposal after months of bipartisan negotiations.— AP mises ever since. He told Reuters his new bill will call for “orderly liquidation” of large financial firms that get into trouble and pose a risk to economic stability. The goal is to avoid on-the-fly bailouts like the ones the Bush
administration undertook in 2008 for AIG and Citigroup. Dodd said his bill would set up a council of regulators “that has power, authority and responsibility to look over the landscape, both at home and abroad, for emerging prob-
lems that could pose a systemic risk to our financial system.” He said the bill will contain the same proposals he made in November for policing the $450-trillion over-the-counter derivatives market, partly through more trading
on exchanges. But he said he was open to ideas being discussed by committee members Democrat Jack Reed and Republican Judd Gregg. He also said the bill will have provisions offering investors greater power in corporate governance. On bank supervision, sources who asked not to be named said the Dodd bill would give the Fed authority to supervise bank holding companies with more than $50 billion in assets, lower than an earlier proposed threshold of $100 billion. The bill will also preserve the Fed’s power over state-chartered banks with less than $50 billion in assets that are already in the Federal Reserve system, sources said. An earlier proposal had called for transferring responsibility for supervising such banks to the FDIC, which already oversees state-chartered banks outside the Fed system. If the state-chartered banks stay under the Fed’s umbrella, it would have power over hundreds of banks large and small, as well as branches of foreign banks, sources said. In addition, the bill would empower the Fed to supervise non-bank firms designated as “systemically important” by the council of regulators. Before its bailout, former insurance giant American International Group (AIG) would likely have fit into that category, for instance. Dodd sharply criticized the Fed last year, calling its track record as a bank supervisor and consumer protection regulator an “abysmal fail-
ure.” In an early draft of his own reform plan, he proposed stripping the Fed of bank supervision and consumer protection duties, leaving it focused almost exclusively on its role as a monetary policy manager. But Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, other Fed insiders and some banking interests have pushed back hard in recent months to shield the institution, and it appears to have worked. Dodd plans to put Obama’s proposed financial consumer watchdog inside the Fed, rather than make it an independent agency. To win support among Democrats for this, he will give the watchdog considerable power and autonomy, sources said. Dodd said: “I want a very authoritative, very independent consumer division, agency, bureau, however that emerges.” With a clear majority in the committee, Dodd probably can push his bill through, likely before the end of March. A bipartisan compromise might even be reached. In either case, committee approval would send the measure to the full Senate. There its fate is more precarious. The Democrats are one vote short of 60 votes needed to overcome procedural roadblocks sure to be thrown up by Republicans. If Dodd can cobble together enough votes to get a bill through the Senate, it would then have to be merged with the measure approved in December by the House before unified legislation could be sent to Obama to be signed into law. — Reuters
Policymakers under pressure to unwind stimulus
Food prices drive India’s inflation higher to 9.9% MUMBAI: India’s inflation accelerated faster than expected to 9.9 percent in February, driven by high food prices, adding to pressure on policymakers to continue unwinding stimulus measures, government data showed yesterday. Since October, when the government began reporting monthly — instead of weekly — data, headline inflation has increased nearly seven-fold. That’s been driven by spiraling food prices due to drought and rising rural incomes, but it has begun to spill over into nonfood areas as India’s economy picks up and global commodities prices rise, putting pressure on margins of manufacturers. “In my view, the monetary policy is behind the curve as a conscious policy choice in a bid to ensure growth is back and is sustainable. The current inflation was essentially from supply side, but demand side factors could come into play ahead,” said Mridul Saggar, chief economist at Mumbai’s Kotak Securities. He calculates that India has the second highest consumer price inflation — 16.2
NEW DELHI: Indian vendors sell delicacies on a street in New Delhi yesterday. India’s inflation accelerated faster than expected to 9.9 percent in February, driven by high food prices, adding to pressure on policymakers to continue unwinding stimulus measures, government data showed yesterday.— AFP percent — in the world, after Venezuela’s 27 percent. India also runs the most negative real
interest rate of the G-20 nations, -13 percent, far more than, for instance, the UK’s -3
percent, he said. That’s a problem because it discourages saving and can lead to asset price
EADS has received no word from US on tanker PARIS: Airbus parent EADS has received no word of any changes to a contest to supply aerial refuelling tankers to the United States, the head of Airbus Military said yesterday. A source familiar with Pentagon thinking said on Friday the United States may extend a deadline for bids on its aerial refuelling tanker to give EADS an opportunity to consider whether to compete against Boeing on the project. EADS partner Northrop Grumman boycotted the tender last week, saying the rules favoured Boeing. Airbus Military head Domingo Urena said he had nothing to add to company statements last week when EADS ruled out bidding as a team with Northrop. “You know the situation today and I think we will define the position of the company as information comes in,” he said. Company executives have said it has no plans to mount a solo bid without a US partner, but have not ruled out bidding with a new partner if given more time. Asked at a breakfast with journalists whether EADS believed it would be given more time to weigh up its options, Urena said: “We have received nothing”. On the delayed A400M European airlifter program, Urena reiterated a target of 500 future plane exports. This includes a target of 200 to the United States, home to the Lockheed Martin C-130 and Boeing C-17 transporters. But he said EADS would not rush into an export campaign, giving first priority to stabilizing the troubled program for
PARIS: EADS CEO Louis Gallois (left) from France and CFO Hans-Peter Ring address the EADS annual results press conference in Paris. European aerospace giant EADS accused the US government of skewing a huge military contract towards rival Boeing and also revealed a plunge into loss because of a military project in Europe. — AFP domestic European buyers. The A400M has been hit by delays and cost overruns, forcing European nations to step in with a 3.5 billion euro bailout including 1.5 billion to be repaid from future exports. Urena declined to say whether EADS would partner Northrop in any A400M export drive to the United States, saying Northrop was a reference point for EADS but “not the only one”. The A400M will be delivered first to France in 2013, followed by Britain and Germany, Urena said. Urena said the company would produce 4 A400Ms in 2013 and 8 in 2014. He said 2015 would be a transitional year on
the way to series production of 24 planes from 2016. Seven European NATO nations have ordered 180 planes. The group also includes Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg and Turkey. Malaysia is so far the only export client after South Africa to have cancelled an order last year. Urena said Airbus remained in talks with South Africa to understand its reasons. Two South African firms are involved in help to build the A400M and Urena said these contracts would be fulfilled. He confirmed that EADS and a group of engine makers had filed claims and counterclaims over A400M delays but said there was no formal litigation. — Reuters
bubbles in real estate and commodities. He expects inflation to peak around 11 percent next month, before the new winter crop hits markets and helps lower food prices. But he said inflation could be around 7 percent by September 2010 — higher than the central bank likes — because wages are rising and manufacturers are passing on higher commodities prices to consumers. “With inflation being a lot bigger risk than growth, we expect RBI to go ahead with more monetary tightening, raising policy rates by 50-100 bps on April 20,” he said. Food inflation for February was 17.8 percent, up from 17.4 percent in January, the Ministry of Commerce said. Fuel and power inflation was 10.2 percent in February, up from 6.9 in January. Inflation in manufacturing was 7.4 percent, up from 6.6 in January. The central bank had been expecting inflation to hit 8.5 percent by the end of March. The Ministry of Commerce also said December inflation was 8.1 percent, not 7.3 percent as earlier estimated. — AP
UBS faces tax queries from Australia, Britain, Canada ZURICH: Swiss banking giant UBS said yesterday that Australian, British and Canadian tax authorities have filed requests for information after it settled a massive tax evasion case with US authorities. Following the deal with the US “tax and regulatory authorities in a number of countries have requested information relating to the cross-border wealth management services provided by UBS and other financial institutions,” it said. “In particular, the revenue services of Canada, the UK and Australia have served requests upon, or made inquiries of, UBS and other Swiss and non-Swiss financial institutions providing cross-border wealth management services,” it added in its annual report. The bank did not provide further information on the various requests, although it said it was cooperating “within the limits of financial privacy obligations.” “It is premature to speculate on the outcome of any such inquiries,” it added. UBS, the US and Swiss governments reached in August 2009 an agreement which requires the bank to reveal the identities of some 4,450 American account holders suspected of having evaded US taxes. In return, US authorities would drop their lawsuit against the bank. The deal is now pending approval from Swiss lawmakers. — AFP
CHENGDU, China: A visitor looks at vehicles at a BYD dealership in Chengdu, in southwestern China’s Sichuan province. China is urging its automakers to upgrade quality and set up accountable recall systems to handle defects.— AP
China urges carmakers to upgrade quality SHANGHAI: China is urging its automakers to upgrade quality and set up accountable recall systems to handle defects, amid growing awareness of such issues following Toyota’s recent recalls. Chinese vehicle sales surged 45 percent last year, to over 13 million units, making China the world’s biggest auto market. Sales growth this year remains in the double digits so far, prompting local automakers to announce major expansion plans. As they rush to meet surging demand, car makers need to guard against “blind expansion,” the Ministry of Information and Technology said in a statement issued on the eve of yesterday’s World Consumer Rights Day. “China has become a world automobile producing and consuming power, but it should also be noted that the industry still lacks core technology and has weak innovative capabilities,” said the ministry, which shares oversight of China’s automakers with other agencies. “This creates hidden dangers for public safety,” it said. China has an auto recall system, put in place in 2004, but such recalls generally are conducted at the request of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, also known as AQSIQ. Automakers who refuse to
comply face a modest maximum fine of 30,000 yuan (about $4,400). There is no compulsory compensation for car buyers. Critics of the system are urging the government to enact a law to ensure better enforcement of recalls. The Ministry of Information and Technology urged automakers to “put quality first” and ensure control over supply chains — a factor cited as one reason for the quality problems that led Toyota Motor Corp. to recall more than 8 million vehicles worldwide due to troubles with acceleration, braking and floor mats that could cause gas pedals to stick. In China, Toyota has recalled 75,522 RAV4s. Of the 212 recalls, involving 3.21 million vehicles, initiated in China in the past five years, only seven were by Chinese automakers, according to state media reports, citing the AQSIQ. But the lower rate of recalls is widely thought to reflect the weak system for catching and reporting defects rather than superior quality. China’s market is also dominated by foreign brand vehicles, generally produced in joint ventures with local partners. As homegrown manufacturers are beginning to take a larger share of sales — they took about half of the total in February — they are facing closer scrutiny on quality, services and value. — AP
Euro-zone Q4 employment falls, points to weak growth BRUSSELS: The euro-zone lost 347,000 jobs in the last quarter of 2009, data showed yesterday, as the 16-country area’s economic recovery remained beset by fragility. The number of employed fell 0.2 percent in the final three months of the year against the previous quarter to 144.3 million, pulled down by job losses in the industrial sector, European Union statistics office Eurostat said. Employment during the fourth quarter fell 2.0 percent year-on-year. The data showed that although the euro zone is recovering from the worst economic crisis since World War Two, it continues to shed jobs, hitting people’s spending power and undermining future growth. “The 0.2 percent quarterly fall was the sixth in a row, confirming that the modest economic recovery has yet to encourage hiring,” said Jennifer McKeown, analyst at Capital Economics. The euro zone’s gross domestic product grew by 0.1 percent in last year’s final three months against the third quarter and contracted by 2.1 percent from a year earlier. Eurostat said employment fell 1.1 percent quarter-on-quarter in manufacturing, 0.4 percent in construction, 0.5 percent in trade, transport and commu-
nications and 0.1 percent in the financial sector. “We believe that growth in most countries is unlikely to be strong enough to generate net jobs for some time to come and businesses will consequently be keen to keep their workforces as tight as possible,” said Howard Archer, chief European economist at IHS Global Insight. Employment in the public sector, health care and administration increased 0.2 percent. The steepest drops were registered in Greece and Spain, both at 0.8 percent. The two countries have been hit especially hard by the crisis, with Greece undergoing a severe austerity program after years of overspending. The euro zone’s unemployment stayed flat in January from the previous month at 9.9 percent. Joblessness last reached such a level in October 1998. The data strengthened expectations that the European Central Bank would keep its main interest rate at a historic low of 1.0 percent for many months. “Ongoing soft labor markets in 2010 are likely to hold down wage growth and limit the upside for consumer spending. Consequently, there remains a compelling case for the ECB to keep interest rates down at 1.00 percent for many months to come,” IHS Global Insight’s Archer said. — Reuters
TECHNOLOGY
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Japan auto, power giants target global electric car standard TOKYO: Four Japanese auto giants and the country’s largest power company joined forces yesterday to set up a common system to recharge electric cars, with the aim of creating a global standard. The growth of the electric vehicle sector has been hampered by the chicken-or-egg question of what should come first: zero-emission cars or the networks of recharging stations to keep them on the road. Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors and Fuji Heavy Industries have linked up with Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) as the organising members of the new grouping called “CHAdeMO”. The name is derived from a combination of the words
“Charge” and “Move” and a pun on a popular Japanese phrase. In total 158 companies and government bodies are members, including 20 foreign firms, among them Bosch, Peugeot SA and Enel SpA. Standardizing charging infrastructure is vital to making electric vehicles popular, TEPCO chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata said. “We need to make this protocol a standard protocol outside of Japan,” he told a gathering in a Tokyo hotel. Zero-emission cars are gaining traction globally as concern has grown over pollution from the exhaust pipes of conventional petrol cars and its impact on the environment. Mitsubishi Motors last year rolled
out the i-MiEV and Fuji Heavy the Subaru Plug-in Stella, both in Japan. Nissan is set to launch the world’s first mass market electric vehicle, the Leaf, later this year. Toyota, which has focused on hybrids, has promised to launch its own version by 2012. It has already begun leasing a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle since late last year, one year earlier than initially planned. Electric cars still face key hurdles such as costly batteries and the lack of conveniently-located recharging points, which limits their operating radius. Standardisation would require all makers to agree on the kind of outlet and the voltage, which currently differ among firms. “It’s like establishing
a common operation manual or a code that allows the charging machine to work across a broad range of electric vehicles,” said Takafumi Anegawa, electric vehicle manager at TEPCO. The Japanese government is throwing its support behind the move, and has earmarked 12.4 billion yen (13.7 million dollars) in the budget for fiscal 2010 starting in April to develop a recharging grid. Some officials pointed at hurdles in creating a global standard. “It will be a big and difficult challenge for the entire world to reach the same method” in charging EVs, Toyota managing officer Koei Saga said. “In the end, we may just need to adhere to the methods in each country.”— AFP
Search engine claims was hit by hacking from within China
China talks continue, but pullout signs grow: Google TOKYO: Board members of the new “CHAdeMO” association join hands at a general meeting to establish the association in Tokyo yesterday. More than 100 business entities, including auto makers, electric power companies and electric makers are part of the association to standardize a quick charging system for electric vehicles. —AFP
News sites popular but few click on ads or will pay WASHINGTON: The good news for traditional US news organizations? Their websites are popular. The bad news? Few news consumers click on ads and hardly any are prepared to pay for news online. These and other findings are contained in a “State of the Media” report released yesterday by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. The report examines the potential of online revenue models for traditional news outlets and also the contrasting news agendas of the mainstream press and bloggers and social media. According to the report, newspaper ad revenue fell 26 percent last year US newspapers are spending 1.6 billion dollars less annually on reporting and editing than they did a decade ago. Network television news division resources have been cut by more than half since the late 1980s and ad revenue was down eight percent last year. Local television newsrooms have shed some six percent of their workforce in the past two years, the report said, and ad revenue was 22 percent lower last year. Radio ad revenue fell 22 percent in 2009 compared with the previous year and magazine ad revenue was down 17 percent. Overall online ad revenue also dropped in 2009 — by five percent-and only cable television news channels did not suffer declining revenue and layoffs last year. “Last year was significantly harder on the news industry even than 2008, and the report predicts still more cutbacks in 2010, even with an improving economy,” PEJ director Tom Rosenstiel said.
“And while there is more discussion of alternative ways of financing the news, there is not yet much concrete progress,” Rosenstiel said. The websites of traditional news organizations continue to garner the most traffic-at least for now, the report found. Using data from Nielsen NetRatings, it said that of the 4,600 news sites Nielsen tracks, the top seven percent get 80 percent of the traffic and their collected number of unique visitors grow 9.25 percent last year. Of the top 200 news sites, “legacy media” account for 67 percent. Thirteen percent are aggregators such as Google News while 14 percent are online-only sites that produce original content. “Legacy media still make up the majority of the most popular destinations, although each year newly created websites are joining the list,” the report said. It noted that online ad revenue at US newspapers has failed to keep pace with the steady erosion of print ad revenue. Seventy-nine percent of the online news consumers surveyed said they never or only rarely clicked on an online ad. “They don’t mind them. They simply ignore them,” the report said. Seventy-one percent of Internet users, or 53 percent of all American adults, get news online, according to the report. Only 35 percent of online news consumers said they have a “favorite” news website, and of this group, considered the most likely to pay for content, only 19 percent said they would pay to visit their favorite site. “Because so few online news consumers even have a favorite site this translates to only
seven percent of all people who get news online having a favorite online news source that they say they would pay for,” the report said. Currently, the only major US newspaper successfully charging readers for full access online is The Wall Street Journal although Journal owner Rupert Murdoch has announced plans to erect pay walls around all of his newspapers. The New York Times has also said it will begin charging on the Web in 2011. On the news agendas of the mainstream press and bloggers, the report found that the top linked to news story among bloggers matched the top story in the mainstream press just 13 out of 47 weeks studied. On Twitter, the top story was the same just four of the 27 weeks studied. Traditional media continues, however, continues to play a large role in the blogosphere and legacy outlets like newspapers and broadcast networks accounted for 80 percent of all linked-to stories on blogs, the report found. “While new media-particularly bloggerscongregated around different story lines than the national press, it was still traditional outlets that provided most of the original reporting, it said. Three outlets provided 65 percent of bloggers’ linked-to news articles-The New York Times with 28.7 percent of the links followed by CNN with 18.9 percent and the BBC with 17.6 percent. The report was compiled from Nielsen data and a December 28-January 19 survey of 2,259 American adults with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points.— AFP
Kyrgyz activists call for Europe’s help over websites BISHKEK: Shouting “Freedom!” and waving banners, Kyrgyz protesters appealed yesterday to European organizations to help them regain access to independent news websites they say have been blocked by the state. Internet users in the mainly Muslim Central Asian nation have been unable to access websites such as ferghana.ru, a leading news website, and paruskg.info, a local opposition website, for about a week. At a rally outside the Kyrgyzstan office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, about 50 activists rallied to urge European officials to intervene. “This rally is a symbol of our demand that Kyrgyzstan fulfill its obligations,” said Dinara Oshurakhunova, one of the organizers. “We demand that local authorities and international organizations take action over what is happening in Kyrgyzstan.” Battered by an economic slump, the poor nation has seen a rise in public discontent this year, with the opposition seeking to seize the
opportunity to consolidate their movement. Kyrgyzstan is home to U.S. and Russian military air bases and its stability is key to preserving calm in Central Asia. Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov, addressing reporters earlier in the day, said he was unaware of any websites being blocked. Kyrgyz telecommunications officials said it could be a technical glitch related to regulation policies in neighboring Kazakhstan. President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who came to power in 2005 after riots toppled his predecessor, has been accused by the opposition of tightening his grip on power and failing to alleviate poverty and corruption. Rally participants said the websites have been inaccessible since a March 10 protest against a government decision to raise utility prices in the town of Naryn. They said the Kyrgyz-language radio station of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has also been unavailable in most parts of the country for days. Officials could not be reached for comment on the possible reason.—Reuters
SHANGHAI/BEIJING: Google said yesterday it remained in talks with the Chinese government about censorship of its Chinese-language search portal, despite mounting signs the company could soon shut the site. Google Inc, the world’s biggest search engine, has been in a two-month standoff with Beijing over restrictions on the Internet and Google’s claims that it and other companies were hit by hacking from within China. The company’s chief executive, “Our forecast has always remained firm that once Google announced it would not accept censorship, then it was nearly impossible to imagine a scenario either where Google didn’t act on that or the government accepted their position,” Mark Natkin, managing director of Marbridge Consulting, told Reuters. Marbridge Consulting is a Beijing-based company that advises on China’s IT and telecommunications sectors. A Google spokesperson said yesterday talks with Chinese authorities had not ended, but added that the company was adamant about not accepting self-censorship. “We’ve been very clear that we are no longer going to self-censor our search results,” the spokesperson told Reuters. The spokesperson commented on condition of anonymity, citing company policy. “We are in active discussions with the Chinese government, but we are not going to engage in a running commentary about those conversations,” said the spokesperson. Foreign news reports and China’s own state-run media, however, have reflected growing signs that Google could soon acknowledge that its effort to free up its Chinese website faces a deadlock and the company will prepare to shut it down. A critical commentary on the website of the official Xinhua news agency appeared to assume that Google’s pullback was a certainty. “The planet won’t stop spinning because Google leaves, and Chinese Internet users will still remain online without Google,” said the Chinese-language comment issued on Sunday. “In the past, China’s Internet developed very well without Google, and we can be sure that in the future, it will also develop in the same healthy way without Google.” The New York Times reported yesterday that Google’s online partners in China had received a government notice on what to do if censoring stops, warning them not to follow the U.S. company’s example. China obliges Internet operators to block words and images the ruling Communist Party deems unacceptable. Internationally popular websites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are entirely blocked in China, which uses a filtering “firewall” to block Internet users from other overseas website content banned by authorities. Google is likely to move in careful steps intended to minimise any risks and disruption to its staff and continued activities in China, said Natkin, the industry consultant. “Google is very sensitive to protecting its people, and making decisions in a way that will limit the impact on them,” he said. The head of a research firm in Beijing, whose company is working with Google on a project, told Reuters it is likely a Google research and development team will stay in China. “Google and our staff had communications on product development, so the R&D side is going okay,” he said.—Reuters
Eric Schmidt, said last week he hoped to announce soon an outcome from talks with Chinese officials on offering an uncensored search engine in that country of 384 million Internet users. Many experts have doubted China’s ruling Communist Party would compromise on censorship, and on the weekend the Financial Times reported the talks had reached an impasse and Google was “99.9 percent” certain to shut its Chinese search engine, Google.cn.
BEIJING: Google China headquarters building is seen in Beijing yesterday. A newspaper Web site is reporting that Google Inc. is “99.9 percent” sure to close its search engine in China after negotiations over censorship stalled.— AP
Facebook announces India expansion MUMBAI: Facebook said yesterday it would open its first office in India to help it tap the increasing popularity of social networking via the Internet in the country. The office will be located in the southern city of Hyderabad and work along similar lines to other operation centres in the United States and Ireland, with online advertising and support teams.
Facebook’s director of global online operations, Don Faul, wrote on the firm’s blog: “In India alone, we’ve seen rapid growth and now have more than eight million people there actively connecting on Facebook.” Social networking has taken off in India, with Facebook and Google’s Orkut both popular, particularly in urban areas where Internet access is
increasing. The new office is part of Facebook’s strategy of having support centers around the world in different time zones providing round-the-clock support in multiple languages. “Seventy percent of the people using Facebook are outside the US and are accessing the service from more than 70 languages,” added Faul.— AFP
HP extends laptop warranty after China starts probe SHANGHAI: US computer giant Hewlett-Packard yesterday issued an apology and extended the warranty for certain laptops after China launched an investigation into consumer complaints of faulty products. HP said it was “working closely” with the country’s product quality watchdog to ensure customer concerns over certain laptops were addressed. The General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said Sunday it was investigating complaints filed by 60 laptop users that certain HP computers were defective. “HP apologizes to our customers and regrets any inconvenience incurred,” Isaiah Cheung, vice president and general manager of the Personal Systems Group for HP China and Hong Kong, said in a statement. “HP is implementing an expanded customer care program in China ... for customers with certain HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario notebook PCs.” More than 500 laptop users have contacted lawyers claiming their computers were flawed, Jiang Suhua, a lawyer representing some of the consumers, told AFP, with some requesting a recall. Most of the complaints, dating back to 2007,
focus on overheated graphic chips and display screen problems. So far only 60 complaints have been successfully filed with the product quality agency, he said. HP, which last week said it had a limited warranty service enhancement program
starting November 2007, claimed the latest expanded customer care package would “address customer concerns directly”. But Jiang said his clients were “unsatisfied” at HP’s response and needed an explanation on whether the
products had defects. China has detailed rules on the recall of automobiles, food, toys and medicine but has yet to establish a law governing the recall of flawed products such as consumer electronics and home appliances.— AFP
HYDERABAD: A visually impaired Indian student takes the Intermediate (10+2) Political Science (Civics) examination on a laptop at an examination centre on the outskirts of Hyderabad yesterday. Nethra Vidyalaya Junior college provides free education exclusively for low socio-econimic underprivileged blind students.— AFP
HEALTH & SCIENCE
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Merck drug found safer in mid-stage study
Experimental blood-thinner found effective GEORGIA: An experimental blood thinner developed by Merck and Portola Pharmaceuticals was found to be safe and effective in a mid-stage study presented yesterday, with a lower incidence of serious bleeding than current drugs. The Phase II randomized trial compared the effects of betrixaban, which is part of a new class of drugs, to the widely used warfarin in 508 patients in the United States, Canada and Germany over 12 months. All patients suffered from atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that significantly increases stroke risks, and at least one additional stroke risk factor, such as obesity or diabetes. “Betrixaban appears to be safe and well-tolerated in a real-life, diverse atrial fibrillation population,” said Michael Ezekowitz, lead author and vice president of the Lankanau Institute for Medical Research outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. But he noted that the study was a preliminary
one and that “a definitive evaluation can only be accomplished through a large, Phase III clinical trial.” Betrixaban is part of a new class of drugs called factor Xa inhibitors that prevent blood clots and are being developed by several pharmaceutical companies. But unlike its rival factor Xa drugs, betrixaban is not cleared by the kidneys, which gives it an advantage. “It can be used in patients with severe kidney dysfunction... It has a rapid onset of action, permits once-daily dosing and unlike warfarin, does not require constant monitoring,” Ezekowitz explained in presenting the study at the American College of Cardiology annual scientific meeting in Atlanta, Georgia. Because it is metabolized differently, betrixaban could have less harmful interactions with other drugs, one of the drawbacks of warfarin, which also requires frequent dosage adjustments and monitoring as a harmful dose can lead to serious bleeding. — AFP
Tissue-freezing balloon beats drugs in study GEORGIA: An experimental ablation therapy system that freezes heart tissue with a balloon catheter to treat a common heart rhythm disorder is far more effective than drug therapy, a study found yesterday. Researchers compared the safety and efficacy of the Arctic Front CryoAblation Catheter System produced by US firm Medtronic to drug therapy over at least one year in 245 patients in the United States and Canada. A year after the non-surgical procedure, nearly 70 percent of patients treated by the system no longer suffered from paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Only seven percent of patients treated with traditional drug therapy, which can have significant secondary effects, no longer experience the irregular heart rhythm that starts and stops on its own. Patients randomly received ablation therapy or commonly used drug treatments for the trial, whose results were presented at the 59th annual conference of the American College of Cardiology in Atlanta, Georgia. For every three participating patients, about two received ablation therapy and one received drug treatment. Researchers, led by Douglas Packer of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, will submit their results to be considered
for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the Medtronic system. FDA approval would give the procedure access to the US market. Untreated atrial fibrillation patients have between two and seven times higher risk of stroke. Some 2.2 million people suffer from this irregular or rapid heart rhythm in the United States. Atrial fibrillation, which affects over seven million people worldwide, is responsible for inefficient pumping of the heart and can provide other heart rhythm problems, heart failure and chronic fatigue. During the Medtronic system procedure, which lasts at least three hours, doctors insert a balloon catheter into a vein into the heart’s left auricle. The balloon is then filled with a liquid cooled at very low temperature to cryogenically destroy the tissue where the anomaly takes place. Only about three percent of the patients treated with the Medtronic system suffered serious complications related to a narrowing pulmonary vein. Yet some 98 percent of those cases were remediated during the 12-month follow-up period. Although it is considered experimental and is not currently available for sale in the United States, the Medtronic procedure is already available commercially in Europe and Australia. — AFP
SYDNEY: The newborn male Asian elephant, nicknamed ‘Mr Shuffles’ by staff, shelters under his mother ‘Porntip’ during his first public appearance at Taronga Zoo in Sydney on Sunday. The baby elephant was believed to have died during labour but was born alive on March 10, amazing its keepers and defying expert opinion that such an outcome would take a “miracle”. — AFP
Psychopaths wired to seek reward at any cost: Study PARIS: The brains of psychopaths could be hardwired to seek reward even when the consequences are life-threatening to others or themselves, according to a study released Sunday. A naturally-occurring chemical, dopamine, plays a key role in some forms of pathologically violent behavior and drug addiction, the study found. Previous research has focused on what psychopaths tend to lack fear, empathy and the ability to maintain normal relationships. But a team led by Joshua Buckholtz of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee examined what there is too much of, namely impulsiveness and an extreme attraction to risk-taking and rewards. “Lack of sensitivity to punishment and a lack of fear are not particularly good predictors of violence or criminal behavior,” said
colleague and co-author David Zald. The new data, published in Nature Neuroscience, suggests that psychopaths “have such a strong draw to reward-to the carrot-that it overwhelms the sense of risk or concern about the stick,” he said. The key may be dopamine, a neurotransmitter known to affect cognition and behaviour, especially related to motivation, punishment and gratification. Cocaine, alcohol and nicotine all stimulate the brain’s dopamine circuits. Other pathological states linked to dopamine dysfunction include autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). “Psychopaths are often thought of as coldblooded criminals who take what they want without thinking about consequences,” Buckholtz said. “We found that a hyper-reactive
dopamine reward system may be the foundation for some of the most problematic behaviors associated with psychopathy, such as violent crime, recidivism and substance abuse.” The evidence came from brain scans of volunteers ranked according to their psychopathic traits through psychological testing. Violent criminals were at the far end of the spectrum, followed by normally functioning persons who were nonetheless manipulative, aggressive and risk-takers. In the first experiment, positron emission tomography, or PET, imaging was used to measure dopamine release in the brain after the participants had been given a dose of amphetamine, more commonly known as “speed”. “Our hypothesis was the psychopathic traits are also linked to dysfunction in dopamine reward circuitry,” Buckholtz said. As predicted, the drug triggered the
release of nearly four times as much dopamine in people at the high end of the psychopathy scale. In the second test, volunteers were told they would receive money for completing a simple task. Their brains were scanned via functional magnetic imaging, or fMRI, as they did so. Once again, in those individuals scoring high on the ranking, the dopamine-related reward centre in the brain was far more active than in the other participants. “It may be that because of these exaggerated dopamine responses, once they focus on the chance to get a reward, psychopaths are unable to alter their attention until they get what they’re after,” Buckholtz said. “With these two very different techniques, we saw a very similar pattern-both were heightened in individuals with psychopathic traits,” he added. — AFP
Scientists crack opium poppy’s genetic code PARIS: Researchers have discovered the genes that allow the opium poppy to make codeine and morphine, according to a new study. The findings could lead to engineered plants and microorganisms that efficiently make codeine, one of the most widely prescribed painkillers in the world, the researchers said. Unlike morphine, codeine cannot be easily converted to heroin. “The enzymes encoded by these two genes have eluded plant bio-
chemists for a half-century,” said Peter Facchini, a professor at the University of Calgary in Canada and co-author of the paper. “In finding not only the enzymes but also the genes, we’ve make a major step forward,” he said in a press release. Opium poppy remains the world’s dominant source of codeine, morphine and another opiate called oxycodone, according to the study, published Sunday in Nature Chemical Biology. In clinical medicine, morphine is often
regarded as the drug-of-first-choice to relieve severe pain and suffering. Codeine can be extracted directly from the opium plant, but mostly it is synthesized from the much more abundant morphine found in the opium poppy. Most morphine produced for pharmaceutical use around the world is converted into codeine. Once ingested, codeine is converted by an enzyme in the liver to morphine, which is the active painkiller and a naturally occurring compound in humans. “With this
discovery, we can potentially create plants that will stop production at codeine,” said Facchini. “Our discovery now makes it possible to use microorganisms to produce opiate drugs and other important pharmaceuticals.” Co-author Jillian Hagel, a post-doctoral scientist in Facchini’s laboratory, used cutting-edge sequencing techniques to sift through some 23,000 different genes to find the one-codeine O-dementhylase (CODM) — that produces the plant
enzyme which converts codeine into morphine. “We have found the missing pieces that were needed to understand how the opium poppy makes morphine,” she said. The opium poppy has been grown and exploited for thousands of years for both its medicinal and mind-altering properties. Morphine was isolated in the early 19th century, while codeine was first identified in 1832 by French chemist Pierre Robiquet. — AFP
Kuwait Diabetes Society endorses ‘DEVOTED’ KUWAIT: Some of the most experienced diabetes specialists from across the Middle East gathered in Abu Dhabi, UAE for the start of a two day brainstorming and knowledge sharing session known as DEVOTED. Their aim is simple - to help raise awareness and reduce incidence and burden of type 2 diabetes; which is running riot in the Middle East. Out of the six countries with the world’s highest prevalence of diabetes, five are members of the GCC. The initiative is endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Health, the Emirates Diabetes Society, the Kuwait Diabetes Society, and organized by Sanofiaventis Middle East. Dr Abdullah Ben Nakhi, Head of the Kuwait Diabetes Society (KDS) described the think tank as a positive and practical way forward. “Any kind of program to raise awareness for diabetes is to be commended, but here we have a great meeting of
medical and ethical minds who, I am sure will make a significant contribution to managing this disease, which is now affecting around one in six Kuwaitis. Since its inception in 2007, DEVOTED has aimed to raise awareness of diabetes within the Middle-East and support the significant efforts that are currently being made to tackle this epidemic in the region. By ensuring the availability of essential information, disseminating training to enhance key diagnosis and treatment skills, and, actively encouraging debate on the topic, DEVOTED aims to empower policy makers, physicians, healthcare providers and patients to work in the best interests of the region and help lessen the impact of the diabetes epidemic. Recently, several countries in our region have taken action at a national level to plan or implement a National Diabetes Program, and through presentations from those with firsthand experience with set-
ting up local programs, complemented by lectures from International experts in the field of diabetes, DEVOTED hopes to inspire participants to share best practice to benefit the entire region. In 2009, Sanofi-aventis provided sole sponsorship for funding a series of awards worth 141,262 Kuwaiti Dinars that aim to support the execution of projects submitted by experts from the Middle East countries to make a valuable contribution to research, education and management of diabetes. Sixteen gold, silver and bronze awards were given in total. “To adopt this approach of exploring new avenues of education is a great initiative. It’s a very proactive, very hands-on and very astute way of getting the points across. It takes a lot of effort to make the information available, but it only becomes valuable when it is shared,” stressed Dr. Nakhi, “We need more of these submissions, more involvement, more initiatives and an even greater effort to
achieve better results,” Over the two days, the assembly will review current strategies and address optimum ways for countries to implement new awareness methods, including leveraging politicians and other key opinion leaders. Dr Abdulrazzaq A. Madani, Consultant Endocrinologist and Head of Emirates Diabetes Society (EDS) said: “Diabetes is largely preventable and certainly manageable with the right advice, and we all have a responsibility to try to provide that advice. Nearly one in five of my countrymen are afflicted with this disease and it is not just them who suffer. This affects whole families and communities and we have to make a difference, we have to inform and educate.” As the media is known to be one of the key influencers in people’s lives, and due to the pivotal role the media plays in raising public awareness and
communicating health information, a two hour seminar, dedicated solely to media professionals, was run in parallel to the DEVOTED initiative. Health editors and reporters from the Levant, Egypt and the GCC shared latest diabetes information, views and concerns, with key diabetes experts in the region. Dr Mounira Al Arouj, Consultant Diabetologist, Secretary General, Kuwait Diabetes Society, & Assistant Director General, Dasman Institute Kuwait, said: “It is fundamental to join forces with the media and emphasize the urgency of placing diabetes at the top of the health agenda in order to gain a better standard of care in the Middle East,” he said. “The members of the press are the knowledge base of our community; they have the power to steer our society to greener and healthy pastures. I thank them for their interest, support and enthusiasm in helping our community fight diabetes.”
WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Sports day at KNES uwait National English School in Hawally was honored by the presence of Sheikha Sheikha AlAbdullah Al-Khalifa AlSabah at the Annual Sports Day for its Special Educational Needs Department. Madame Chantal Al Gharabally thanks Sheika Sheika Al-Abdullah AlKhalifa Al-Sabah for attending and also thanked staff for their efforts in making it such a memorable event for the children.
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‘Crystal Serenity’ in Kuwait rans Continental Shipping Services Co. W.L.L. Kuwait (TCS) handled one of the biggest Cruise Vessel call to Kuwait Shuwaikh Port, on her maiden voyage ‘Crystal Serenity’ on the 8th March 2010. Captain Glenn Edvardsen was personable and the crew and staff were all extremely professional and helpful in all aspects. ‘Crystal Serenity’ is a totally self-contained floating
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city, complete with all necessary and enjoyable services needed by vibrant people. From various restaurants, casino, shopping mall, movie theaters to other luxury, there is a place for most specialty services. ‘Crystal Serenity’ had a crew strength of 621 crews, with over 450 passengers. and comply with maritime regulations, and assure smooth and above quality operation at all times.
It has been refreshing to see the crews and passengers participation and interest when they were taken out for a sight seeing tour of’ Kuwait, says TCS General Manager Mahmood Ismail. The feedback and responses have been tremendous. The guests received personalized and professional ser~ ice throughout their Slav in Kuwait. Any and all challenges ~~ere addressed instantly and efficiently in
co-ordination with all concerned officials. TCS ensured that the overall operation was carried out in accordance to Company’s level of standards and policies, and that top quality guest service is achieved on a consistent basis. TCS is constantly evolving to ensure that every Principal’s they handle has the best experience possible. Mahmood Ismail further emphasized that, in all instances, we are in the service business, and
Principals should be given the utmost care and attention. As much as minor incidents might ruin their overall impression towards us TCS has always protected its customers and as a result we owe a great deal of appreciation and thanks to our staff, our partners and as importantly to the very loyal Cruise clientele that we have had the privilege of serving.
Artist presents ‘gift’ to Indian politicians
Johnarts presents caricatures of (from left) Ex MLA VM Augusthy, MLAs VD Satheesan and KC Joseph. rominent Indian artist and caricaturist Johnarts presented caricatures to three Indian politicians who visited Kuwait last month. Johnarts, a resident at Abbasiya who has been teaching art lessons to hundreds in Kuwait and famous for felicitating celebrities with his hand drawn caricatures bestowed his works to legislative members of Kerala’s assembly, V D Satheesan and KC Joseph and ex MLA VM Augusthy at various functions, including Indian Overseas Congress anniversary. So far Johnarts has drawn over 600 caricatures and presented 168 of them to various personalities.
P AUK hosts 5th Annual International Week celebrating diversity T he Office of Student Life at The American University of Kuwait organized its 5th Annual International Week on March 7-11, 2010. International Week was a collaborative effort that included numerous and diverse events including informational booths represented by various countries’ embassies, the Global Warming Forum, cultural foods, and traditional arts and clothing. These events support the mission of the Office of Student Life by celebrating cultural diversity to reflect current issues in the world and by providing more personal development opportunities for students. The program was executed in association with AUK clubs and organizations such as the Diplomatic Club, MUN-AUK, Al Akhdar Environmental Club, and the
Entrepreneurship and Business Club. A number of volunteer students joined forces with The Office of Student Life to ensure the smooth running of the diverse events that the week offered. Each day of the week was dedicated to a region of the world. The first day, Africa and the Arab World Day, saw representatives from a variety of African and Arab embassies in Kuwait participate in the Country Recourses Fair. The Participating countries include Niger, Sudan, Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Other countries represented by AUK students included Qatar and Lebanon. The second day was designated as Europe day. This day saw a variety of European countries’ embassies partake in
the Country Resource Fair. Representatives from countries like France, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland and Azerbaijan were all present on campus. Other countries represented by AUK students included Belgium, Spain, Italy and Armenia. The third day, North and South America Day, witnessed representatives from the embassies of the United States of America, Canada and Argentina take part in the Country Resource Fair. In addition to these countries, Amideast Organization was also present on campus. The same day was host to The Global Warming Forum. This event involved a fruitful discussion presented by Dr. Lulwa Ali an Environmental Research Scientist from Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Ms. Sandra Al-Saleh Managing Partner of Equilibrium, Prof. Ralph Palliam - AUK’s Associate Professor of Business Administration, AUK’s Prof. Ahlam Alaki Assistant Professor of English and MUNAUK and Al Akhdar Environmental Club representatives. The discussion panel oversaw the effects of global warming and climate change from a scientific, social and economic stand point. Asia Day, saw representatives from a variety of countries’ embassies in Kuwait partake in the Country Resources Fair; countries included Russia, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Japan. During the Country Resources Fair, countries had the opportunity to represent themselves to a diverse body of AUK students, faculty and staff. This AUK body had the opportunity to ask the representatives from the various embassies a large array of questions related to the countries people, their history, culture and tourism. Representatives also offered informational presentations. On the last day, The Global Village Day, students were encouraged to celebrate cultural diversity. Students represented their culture through traditionally rich elements, such as food, music, and art. A competition was held for the best country representation where the best three student-run groups were awarded prizes. The Global Village Day activities also included a traditional dress competition where three winners were awarded prizes. The 5th Annual International Week provided various opportunities for students to interact and engage in meaningful experiential learning activities. This allowed them to deepen their understanding and appreciation of cultural differences. It also cultivated a sense of social responsibility to others, fostered cultural collaboration, and communication, as well as offered civic, personal, and organizational leadership.
Najlaa Al-Naqi Forum honors Nahid Yusri rtist Nahid Yusri, who is currently visiting the country, was honored at the Najlaa Al-Naqi forum for her life achievements in an event that was attended by many guests including fellow artists Afaf Shuwaib, Jassem AlNabhan, Mohammad AlBloushi, and the head of the artists union, Dr. Nabeel Al-Failakawi. Yusri expressed her appreciation for this initiative, and talked about her future plans which will include producing educational TV programs for children. She had taken part of an interview with Al-Watan TV prior to the event.
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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Celebrities from Egypt gather at Holiday Inn Kuwait I
t is a week full of fun and excitement at Holiday Inn Kuwait - Salmiya, as they warmly welcomed a group of celebrities arriving from Egypt. The ambiance and atmosphere the Holiday Inn hotel is experiencing these days is like no other with the grand arrival of a big number of Arab celebrities from all around the Arab countries to participate in “All for the love of Kuwait” festival. The first group of celebrities included Somaiya Al Khashab, Nadia Al Gendy, and Nelly all famous actors from the well known world of Arab cinema and successful television series who were grandiosely welcomed by Mr. Ramy Heykal and the Marketing Team. Nelly speaking to one of the hotel members said, “This is not my first time to visit Kuwait, I
am used to their warm welcome and generosity”. Nadia El Gendy included, “It is indeed an honor to participate in such a festival that unites the entire Arab world to celebrate these festive days and staying at the Holiday Inn has added a unique and pleasant touch to our stay”. Regardless of being exhausted from their travel, the celebrities enjoyed the interesting chitchat with the Holiday Inn team at the hotel lobby. Nadia El Gendy, Nelly, and Somaiya Al Khashab, then gathered for a photo shoot with the Holiday Inn management for a memorable starry night. The Arab celebrities had a comfortable and enjoyable stay thanks to the great efforts put forth by the entire team at Holiday Inn Kuwait.
MP Al-Awadhi chats with AUK Community
Greetings
he American University of Kuwait’s Division of Student Affairs celebrated International Women’s Day by inviting one of Kuwait’s first female Parliamentarians for a mid-morning chat with students, staff and faculty. The discussion took place on Thursday, March 11 at 10 am in AUK’s multipurpose room in front of a full audience. MP Al-Awadhi took questions from the crowd regarding some of the challenges she faces as a female in Parliament, the future of education in Kuwait and the current state of politics and policy making in the country. In the spirit of International Women’s Day, MP Al-Awadhi advised young females to have confidence in themselves and in their abilities and to be persistent in whatever it is they try to attain in life. She encouraged them to raise society’s standards of women and to formulate their own identity. MP Al-Awadhi ended the lively discussion by thanking the audience and AUK for inviting her and for creating a venue whereby such discussions can take place.
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asan Mohamed Suhail celebrates his 3rd birthday. Best wishes from parents and H grandparents.
AMIE SUMMER 2010 EXAMINATION he AMIE Summer 2010 examination will be held between June 5-11, 2010. The last date of submission of examination application forms will be February 15 to March 22, 2010, for candidates who did not appear for Winter 2009 examination and March 22 to April 19, 2010 for candidates who appeared the Winter 2009 examination. Candidates intending to appear for the Summer 2010 examination must apply directly to Kolkata by filling the prescribed application form along with requisite amount of demand draft in favour of The Institution of Engineers (India), payable at Kolkata. The details of the examination is available at the website www.ieindia.org .
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Ahmad Eisa celebrates his 5th birthday. Best wishes from his whole family. Islam
IEI, Kuwait Chapter “VALEDICTORY FUNCTION” he Institution of Engineers (India), Kuwait Chapter shall organize Valedictory function on 26th March, 2010 at Carmel School, Khaitan, Kuwait. The function will be marked by a scintillating dance performance on a medley of numbers by the Ballerine’s Kittens. Also showcased will be Kathak by Ms. Piyali Gupta and her troupe. The Science club booklet “SPANDAN” will be formally released on the day. The Executive Committee members of the IEI, Kuwait Chapter invite all IEI members with the family to attend the function. Please register yourself by sending mail to ieikwt@hotmail.com. For further queries please feel free to contact Engr. Sushant A. Chakravarty-65987313/ Engr. V.P. Tewari- 99560784
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Exhibition showcases young Kuwaiti entrepreneurs Start Time: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 10:00am End Time: Friday, March 19, 2010 at 8:30pm Location: Kuwait International Fairgrounds, Hall 8, Mishref Description P2bK 2010 is an annual forum that helps support and promote small Kuwaiti Businesses, Kuwaiti achievements, Kuwaiti Talents, and help enrich the youth with aspects of our culture increasing the patriotism amongst them of our beloved Kuwait.
KES celebrates win uwait English School boys celebrate their success in winning the U13 and U15 ISACK Table Tennis Tournament 11/3/10. Coach John Barry praised the positive attitude of all the competitors and said it was a double treat for the new Head of P.E. Andrew Wyeth, whose birthday was on the same day.
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TV PROGRAMS
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Orbit / Showtime Listings
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14:20 NEXT X U.S SHORTS 14:30 Jimmy Two-Shoes 15:00 American Dragon 15:30 Yin Yang Yo 16:00 Phineas & Ferb 16:30 Kid vs Kat 17:00 Power Rangers Jungle Fury 17:30 American Dragon 18:00 K9 ADVENTURES 18:30 Phil Of The Future 19:00 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures 19:25 Kid vs Kat 20:00 Zeke & Luther 20:30 Phil Of The Future 21:00 Phineas & Ferb 21:30 Pokemon DP: Battle Dimension 22:00 Phineas & Ferb 22:25 Iron Man: Armoured Adventures
ER In Plain Sight Inside the Actors Studio Murdoch Mysteries In Plain Sight Supernatural Damages ER Big Love Saving Grace Inside the Actors Studio Murdoch Mysteries Damages Supernatural Inside the Actors Studio In Plain Sight Big Love Saving Grace ER Damages Dollhouse Flash Forward Burn Notice True Blood
00:50 Into The Lion’s Den 01:45 Animal Cops Houston 02:40 Untamed And Uncut 03:35 I’m Alive 04:30 Animal Cops Phoenix 05:25 Animal Precinct 06:20 Monkey Life 06:45 Shamwari: A Wild Life 07:10 Vet On The Loose 07:35 Rspca: Have You Got What It Takes? 08:00 Wildlife SOS 08:25 Pet Rescue 08:50 Into The Lion’s Den 09:45 The Jeff Corwin Experience 10:40 Britain’s Worst Pet 11:05 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 11:30 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 11:55 Monkey Life 12:20 Shamwari: A Wild Life 12:50 Animal Precinct 13:45 Vet On The Loose 14:10 Pet Rescue 14:40 Animal Cops Phoenix 15:35 Wildlife SOS 16:00 Rspca: Have You Got What It Takes? 16:30 Into The Lion’s Den 17:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 18:20 Britain’s Worst Pet 18:45 Animal Battlegrounds 19:15 Cell Dogs 20:10 Surviving Sharks 21:10 Animal Cops Phoenix 22:05 Untamed And Uncut 23:00 Cell Dogs
00:35 Holby City 01:25 Life In The Undergrowth 02:15 Paradise Or Bust 03:05 Holby City 03:55 Holby City 04:45 Doctors 05:15 Life In The Undergrowth 06:05 Cash In The Attic 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 11:30 Life In The Undergrowth 12:25 Paradise Or Bust 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 Holby City 20:00 Holby City 21:00 The Weakest Link 21:45 Doctors 22:15 Eastenders 22:45 The Inspector Lynley Mysteries 23:35 Freezing
00:05 Ching’s Kitchen 00:30 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 01:20 Cash In The Attic Usa 02:00 Hidden Potential 02:30 Antiques Roadshow 03:30 Antiques Roadshow 04:30 Coleen’s Real Women 05:42 Cash In The Attic Usa 06:15 Living In The Sun 07:00 Coleen’s Real Women 08:10 Antiques Roadshow 09:00 Cash In The Attic Usa 09:25 Hidden Potential 09:45 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 10:30 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 11:30 Living In The Sun
The Wrestler on Show Movies Action 12:20 Antiques Roadshow 13:10 Coleen’s Real Women 14:00 Gary Rhodes’ Local Food Heroes 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 Coleen’s Real Women 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 Big Chef Takes On Little Chef 22:00 Bargain Hunt 22:45 10 Years Younger 23:35 The Naked Chef
01:00 Straw Dogs-R 03:00 L’affaire Farewell-PG15 05:00 Where’s Marlowe?-18 07:00 There’s Only One Jimmy Grimble-PG15 09:00 An American Rhapsody-PG 11:00 Napoleon Part 2-PG 13:00 Unspoken Love-PG15 15:00 Ensemble C’est Tout-PG15 17:00 Class Action-PG15 19:00 Land Of Plenty-PG15 21:00 Bridges To Madison CountyPG15 23:30 Nearing Grace-18
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Untamed & Uncut Miami Ink Street Customs Berlin American Chopper Beetle Crisis Beetle Crisis Mythbusters How Do They Do It? Dirty Jobs Man Made Marvels Asia Beetle Crisis Beetle Crisis Street Customs Berlin How Do They Do It? Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Extreme Loggers How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? American Chopper Miami Ink Mythbusters Dirty Jobs Extreme Loggers Street Customs Berlin Destroyed In Seconds How Do They Do It? How Do They Do It? Industrial Junkie Industrial Junkie Man Made Marvels Asia Extreme Explosions
Extreme Engineering Nextworld Nyc: Inside Out Mega Builders Beyond Tomorrow Nasa’s Greatest Missions How Stuff’s Made Mean Green Machines One Step Beyond Nextworld Thunder Races Cosmic Collisions Nyc: Inside Out How Stuff’s Made Stunt Junkies Nextworld
12:45 13:10 13:40 14:35 15:30 15:55 16:25 16:55 17:50 18:45 19:40 20:30 20:55 21:20 21:45 22:10 23:00 23:50
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
Mean Green Machines One Step Beyond Cosmic Collisions Nyc: Inside Out Japanese Schoolgirls Japanese Schoolgirls How Stuff’s Made Thunder Races Brainiac Extreme Engineering Ecopolis Green Wheels Green Wheels How It’s Made How It’s Made Mythbusters Ecopolis Green Wheels
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
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 K9 ADVENTURES 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
23:15 Iron Man E! ENTERTAINMENT 00:15 Streets Of Hollywood 00:40 E!es 01:30 Extreme Hollywood 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 20 Best And Worst Celebrity Plastic... 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 30 Best And Worst Beach Bodies 07:45 Style Star 08:10 Style Star 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 Perfect Catch 10:15 Ths 11:05 Ths 12:00 E! News 12:25 The Daily 10 12:50 Wildest Tv Show Moments 13:15 Wildest Tv Show Moments 13:40 25 Hottest Hollywood Cougar Tales 15:25 Behind The Scenes 15:50 Behind The Scenes 16:15 E!es 17:10 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 17:35 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Streets Of Hollywood 19:15 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties
00:40 01:30 02:20 03:10 04:05 05:00 05:55 06:20 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:50 09:40 10:30 11:20 12:10 13:00 13:50 14:40 15:30 16:20 17:10 18:00 18:50 19:40
01:10 03:10 04:50 06:25 08:20 10:25 12:15 13:50 15:25 16:55 18:20 20:10 21:50
Dr G: Medical Examiner Fbi Files A Haunting Forensic Justice Dr G: Medical Examiner Forensic Detectives Crime Scene Psychics Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Extreme Forensics Diagnosis: Unknown Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Guilty Or Innocent? Diagnosis: Unknown Fugitive Strike Force Forensic Detectives Fbi Files Extreme Forensics Diagnosis: Unknown Forensic Detectives Fbi Files
Triumph Of The Spirit A Dangerous Woman Grievous Bodily Harm Jason’s Lyric The Russians Are Coming Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell Babes In Toyland The Man Inside My American Cousin The Fantasticks The Playboys The Winter People The Cure
00:00 Billable Hours 00:30 Will and Grace 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Monday night Stand Up 04:30 Life & Times of Tim 05:00 Billable Hours 05:30 Best of 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 Best of 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 Scrubs 19:30 Will and Grace 20:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
00:00 The Martha Stewart Show 01:00 10 Years younger S3 01:30 Eat Yourself Sexy 02:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 03:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified 04:00 Never Trust A Skinny Cook 04:30 Fresh 05:00 GMA (repeat) 07:00 GMA Health 07:30 What’s the Buzz 08:00 The Martha Stewart Show 09:00 Never Trust A Skinny Cook 09:30 Fresh 10:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 11:00 Downsize Me S2 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 The Martha Stewart Show 14:00 GMA Live 16:00 GMA Health 16:30 What’s the Buzz 17:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 18:00 Eat Yourself Sexy 18:30 10 Years younger S3 19:00 The View 20:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 21:00 Jimmy Kimmel Live! 22:00 The Tonight show with Jay Leno 23:00 The Monique Show
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Holly-R Romulus My Father-PG15 For One More Day-PG15 The Mist-PG15 Before The Rains-PG15 Not Easily Broken-PG15 Hotel For Dogs-FAM Quid Pro Quo-PG15 Before The Rains-PG15 Gracie-PG15 Pink Panther 2-PG15 The Wrestler-18
01:00 Conspiracy-18 03:00 Die Hard-PG15 05:10 The Scorpion King 2: Rise Of A Warrior-PG15 07:00 The Hideout-PG15 09:00 Franck Spadone-PG15 10:50 Die Hard-PG15 13:00 Solo-PG15 15:00 Franck Spadone-PG15 17:00 Solstice-18 19:00 Doomsday-18 21:00 The Purifiers-PG15 23:00 W Delta Z-18
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
My Name is Earl Smallville (TBA) C.S.I Emmerdale Coronation Street Frasier Coach Ugly Betty Desperate Housewives Sons of Anarchy Smallville Emmerdale Coronation Street C.S.I: NY C.S.I: NY
01:00 Premier League Classics 01:30 Premier League 07:00 Premier League Review Show 08:30 Premier League 12:30 Premier League Review Show 14:00 Premier League 16:00 Premier League Classics 17:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 17:30 Premier League World 18:00 Premier League
01:00 Premier League World 01:30 Goals On Monday 03:00 Scottish Premier League Highlights 03:30 NRL Premiership 05:30 Premier League World 06:00 Mobil 1 06:30 Premier League Classics 07:00 Goals On Monday 08:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 09:00 Super 14 11:00 Weber Cup Bowling 12:00 World Hockey 12:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 13:00 Premier League Classics 13:30 Futbol Mundial 14:00 Goals On Monday 15:30 Super League 17:00 Weber Cup Bowling 18:00 Anglo-Welsh Cup 20:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 21:00 Futbol Mundial 21:30 Fut Brasil 22:00 FIH Hockey World Cup
00:00 Super League 01:45 Super 14 03:30 Goals On Monday 05:00 Angelo Welsh Cup 07:00 NRL Premiership 09:00 Premier League World 09:30 Goals On Monday 11:00 Premier League Classics 11:30 Premier League Darts 15:30 Scottish Cup 17:30 World Hockey 18:00 NRL Premiership 20:00 Super League 22:00 Futbol Mundial 22:30 Barclays Premier League Highlights 23:30 Premier League Classics
00:00 Futurama: Bender’s Big ScorePG15 02:00 The Lonely Guy-PG15 04:00 Griffin And Phoenix-PG15 06:00 Big Daddy-PG15 08:00 Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants 2-PG15 10:00 Doctor Dolittle 4: Tail To The Chief-PG 12:00 The Broken Hearts Club-PG 14:00 The Odd Couple 2-PG15 16:00 Futurama: Bender’s Big ScorePG15 18:00 National Lampoon’s One Two Many-18 20:00 Lucky Break-U
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V8 Supercars WWE Vintage Collection Bushido UFC - The Ultimate Fighter UFC - The Ultimate Fighter UFC - The Ultimate Fighter WWE ECW FIM World Cup UAE National Race Day City Centre Races UFC All Access WWE ECW NCAA Basketball Red Bull X-Fighters UAE National Race Day City Centre Races V8 Supercars LG Action Sport NCAA Basketball UFC - The Ultimate Fighter
01:00 Harriet The Spy-PG 02:40 D2: The Mighty Ducks-PG 04:40 That Darn Cat-PG 06:30 Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker-PG 08:00 The Missing Lynx-PG 10:00 D2: The Mighty Ducks-PG 12:00 The Trumpet Of The Swan 14:00 Harriet The Spy-PG 16:00 Gnomes And Trolls: The Secret Chamber-FAM 18:00 Scooby-Doo And The Reluctant Werewolf-FAM 20:00 Little Giants-FAM 22:00 The Trumpet Of The Swan
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The Happening-18 The Moon And The Stars-PG Stan Lee: The Condor-PG Familiar Strangers-PG Last Of The Romantics-PG15 Kisses-PG15 Racing Daylight-PG15 Frame Of Mind-PG15 Last Of The Romantics-PG15 Cairo Time-PG15 It’s A Free World-PG The Kingdom-18
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01:00 02:20 05:00 07:30 08:00 09:40 11:35 12:05 13:40 16:20 18:25
House Of Usher The Alamo Anchors Aweigh The Screening Room Jailhouse Rock Mogambo The Screening Room Elvis On Tour The Alamo Never So Few Anchors Aweigh
Ugly Betty Desperate Housewives Janice Dickinson Smallville C.S.I Fraisier My Name is Earl Emmerdale Coronation Street Sons of Anarchy Frasier
20:45 North By Northwest 23:00 Cannery Row
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 23:50
Battle 360 Deep Sea Detectives Warriors Modern Marvels Deep Sea Salvage Ax Men Battle Stations Battle 360 Deep Sea Detectives Warriors Modern Marvels Deep Sea Salvage Ax Men Battle Stations Battle 360 Deep Sea Detectives Warriors Modern Marvels Deep Sea Salvage Ax Men Battle Stations Battle 360 Deep Sea Detectives Warriors Modern Marvels The Korean War The American Revolution The Battle for Rome
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 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30
Clean House Peter Perfect Kimora’s Home Movies The Dish How Do I Look? Split Ends Dr 90210 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Area How Do I Look? Style Star Style Her Famous My Celebrity Home Style Star Dress My Nest Peter Perfect Whose Wedding Is It Anyway? Ruby Giuliana And Bill Clean House Clean House Comes Clean Dress My Nest What I Hate About Me Split Ends Dallas Divas And Daughters The Dish Running In Heels Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Split Ends Clean House Dress My Nest Style Her Famous
01:04 01:45 02:00 02:45 05:04 05:18 08:04 08:45 13:04 13:50 16:04
RNB Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Guest Star Playlist New Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Hit US
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Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Latina Playlist Focus Playlist
00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Angry Planet 01:30 The Thirsty Traveler 02:00 Planet Food 03:00 Floyd Uncorked 03:30 Travel Today 04:00 Essential 04:30 Chef Abroad 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Swiss Railway Journeys 07:00 The Thirsty Traveler 07:30 Angry Planet 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Travel Today 09:30 Dream Destinations 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 Feast India 15:30 Entrada 16:00 Planet Food 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Essential 18:30 Hollywood And Vines 19:00 Chef Abroad 19:30 The Thirsty Traveler 20:00 Globe Trekker 21:00 Floyd On Africa 21:30 Chef Abroad 22:00 Chef Abroad 22:30 Essential 23:00 Inside Luxury Travel-varun Sharma
00:00 Bondi Rescue 00:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 01:30 Jailed Abroad 02:30 Jailed Abroad 03:30 Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall 04:00 Finding Genghis 04:30 Lonely Planet 05:30 Bondi Rescue 06:00 Bondi Rescue 06:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 07:30 Jailed Abroad 08:30 Jailed Abroad 09:30 Cycling Home With Rob Lilwall 10:00 Treks In A Wild World 10:30 Madventures 11:00 Chasing Time 11:30 Word Travels 12:00 Word Travels 12:30 Pressure Cook 13:00 Pressure Cook 13:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 14:30 Bondi Rescue 15:00 Destination Extreme 15:30 Surfer’s Journal 16:00 Treks In A Wild World 16:30 Madventures 17:00 Chasing Time 17:30 Word Travels 18:00 Word Travels 18:30 Pressure Cook 19:00 Pressure Cook 19:30 Cruise Ship Diaries
The Happening on Super Movies
Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Movies 21:00 22:45 00:20 02:10 03:50 05:35 07:10 09:00 09:30 11:10 13:00 14:35 16:05 17:30 19:15
A Simple Twist Of Fate The Perfect Assistant Return To Oz What’s The Worst That Could Happen? A Simple Twist Of Fate The Perfect Assistant Return To Oz VIP Access What’s The Worst That Could Happen? Gone Baby Gone Rocketman Sand Serpents C.I. Frank Mcklusky Wargames: The Dead Code No Bad Days
STAR World 20:00 Kyle XY 20:50 Married With Children 21:00 Reaper 21:50 Different Strokes 22:00 Stone Undercover 22:50 Married With Children 23:00 Criminal Minds 23:50 Married With Children 00:00 Reaper 00:50 Different Strokes 01:00 Stone Undercover
01:50 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:50 10:00 10:50 11:00 11:50 12:00 12:50 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:50 15:00 15:50 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00
Married With Children Kyle XY [V] Tunes [V] Tunes [V] Tunes 7th Heaven Scrubs The King Of Queens According To Jim According To Jim Criminal Minds Married With Children Grey’s Anatomy Different Strokes Kyle XY Married With Children Reaper Married With Children The King Of Queens The Bold And The Beautiful 7th Heaven Different Strokes Grey’s Anatomy Married With Children [V] Tunes Criminal Minds Scrubs The King Of Queens According To Jim
19:30 According To Jim Granada TV 20:30 Shampoo 21:00 Total Emergency 22:00 Emmerdale 22:30 Coronation Street 23:00 Total Emergency 00:00 The Paul O’Grady Show 01:00 Trinny And Susannah Undress (Series 1) 02:00 Mystery Tuesday: Secret Smile 03:30 Strange But True? (Series 4) 04:00 New Homes From Hell 05:00 Emmerdale 05:30 Coronation Street 06:00 The Paul O’Grady Show 07:00 Trinny And Susannah Undress (Series 1) 08:00 Mystery Tuesday: Secret Smile 09:30 Strange But True? (Series 4) 10:00 Dentists From Hell 11:00 Emmerdale 11:30 Coronation Street 12:00 The Paul O’Grady Show 13:00 The Crunch 14:00 Mystery Tuesday: Time Of Your Life (Double Bill) 16:00 Emmerdale
16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 The Paul O’Grady Show 18:00 The Crunch 19:00 Mystery Tuesday: Time Of Your Life (Double Bill) 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 The List 05:00 [V] Tunes 06:00 Double Shot 07:00 Backtracks 08:00 Loop 09:00 [V] Plug 09:30 Double Shot 10:00 Backtracks 11:00 [V] Tunes 12:00 [V] Plug 12:30 The Playlist 13:00 Loop 14:00 [V] Countdown 16:00 Backtracks
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[V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist Loop [V] Countdown [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 Inside -Inside: Undercover In North Korea 21:00 Helicopter Wars -Vietnam Firefight 22:00 Megastructures -USS Virginia 23:00 Theme Week -China Quake 00:00 Air Crash Investigation -Fatal Distraction S5 01:00 ABOUT ASIA -Vultures: Death Watch 02:00 Situation Critical -Moscow Theatre Siege 03:00 Animal Extractors -The Raccoon Attack S1-1 04:00 Monster Fish -Mongolian Terror Trout 05:00 ABOUT ASIA -Vultures: Death Watch 06:00 Meet The Natives - USA -L.A. L.A. Land 4 07:00 The Living Edens -Namib: Africa’s Burning Shore 08:00 Situation Critical -Moscow Theatre Siege 09:00 Hayden Turner’s Wildlife Chall -Black Bears 7 09:30 Hidden Worlds -Down By The Billabong 10:00 Theme Week -Seconds From Disaster
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
33 ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available for a Christian bachelor at Abbassiya near Neethi store from 1st April, rent KD 25. Contact: 66063182. (C 20451) Fully furnished bedroom with separate bathroom in a 2 bedroom flat including kitchen facilities available with Keralite family, in new Viji studio building near United Indian school at Abbassiya for couple or working ladies from 16th March. Contact: 97841925. (C 20454) 15-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near German Clinic, with Keralite family 2 bed 2 bathroom CAC flat. Please contact: 66877073. (C 20442) One room in 3 bedroom CAC flat with 2 baths, fully furnished with complete household facilities in Ashbiliya Opp Farwaniya. Contact 99714430. (C 20448) Accommodation available for non-smoking couples/ working ladies/executive bachelors in a 2 bedroom CAC flat in Abbassiya near Integrated School. Contact: 97199124. (C 20446) Sharing accommodation availale for bachelors with Keralite family, near Classic typing center, Abbassiya. Call: 66829585. (C 20447) 14-3-2010 Sharing accommodation available for a family in a new building with two rooms and two toilets behind United Indian School, Abbassiya from April 1st onwards. Please contact: 66772421, 66552412. (C 20431)
MATRIMONIAL XP, Price KD 75. Call: 65099674. (C 20443)
FOR SALE Corolla 2005, 1.8 Xli, red color, 12,000 km, Mazda box delivery van 2006 model. Phone: 66052331. (C 20459) Household items for sale, furniture, double bed, bunk bed, study table, chairs, cabinet, fridge, dining table, sofa set, washing machine, airconditions, near to Untied Indian School Abbassiya. Contact: 97645193. (C 20458) 16-3-2010 Toyota Corolla model 2006 1.8, white, color low mileage very god condition, price KD 2,700. Call: 99891838. (C 20453) 15-3-2010 Mitsubishi Pajero 2006 V6, golden color, option, DVD, alloy wheels, run 87,000 km, price KD 3,500. Contact: 99881982. (C 20450) Dell desktop PC in box, HD 80, DVD RW Intel Pentium with 2CPU 1.8 GHz, 19 inch LCD, RAM 1MB, original
Contents of fully furnished two bedroom central A/C flat for immediate sale at reasonable price in city. Contact: 66651954, 22414365, 22415701. (C 20441) Pentium 4, Intel, 3 GHz, 1GB DDR RAM, 60 GB HDD, DVD combo, 56k modem, sound card, USB speakers, 17� CRT monitor, ready for internet, KD 55. P4, Intel, 40 GB HDD, 256 MB RAM with 17� CRT monitor, KD 35. Contact: 66244192. (C 20449) 14-3-2010
Sunni Muslim parents from Hyderabad (India) seeks alliance for their daughter very fair 20 years, BA, boys should be well settled in Kuwait and well educated. Only Hyderabad boy contact by email: shaikh_750@yahoo.com (C 20457) Proposals are invited from parents of qualified boys for an RCSC girl, 27 years, 157 cm, B.Com, GNM practicing in a famous hospital in central Kerala. Contact email: vincentanila@yahoo.com (C 20460) 16-3-2010
Hummer H2, 2003, brown, very good condition. Price KD 5,900. Tel: 97487676. (C 20440) 13-3-2010
Proposals invited for Orthodox girl, MBA (Fin), 27/160, working as business development executive in a reputed firm in Kuwait. Contact: gegekutty@hotmail.com (C 20432)
Furnished double bedroom flat in Jleeb near Integrated Indian School with or without household goods rent KD 135 (including water and electricity). Contact: 99763183. (C 20438) 12-3-2010
Keralite Jacobite boy, 28/172, B.Com working as Junior Accountant, invites proposals from parents of girls working in Kuwait. Contact email: babypaily@hotmail.com (C 20437) 11-3-2010
SITUATION WANTED Malaysian, PhD holder looking for IT/Academic job in Kuwait. Prefer consultant, middle management, teaching or research-oriented job. Contact dhaneshr@gmail.com (C 20456) 16-3-2010 Indian female, electronics and communication engineer, experienced in software field with standard chartered bank, India, seeking for job, proficient in Oracle, MS Office, Java, Unix, holding valid transferable visa. Contact: 67050674, email: pritymary.Mmathew@gmail.co m (C 20452) 15-3-2010
Indian female (MBA in HR), 10 years experience in HR/administration, specializing in recruitments, PMS, MIS reports & overall Admin functions. Proficient in MS Office. Good communication skills. Contact: 66634322. (C 20439) 12-3-2010 SITUATION VACANT
Wanted full-time live-in maid for an Indian family (one child) in Mahboula. Contact: 66781734. (C 20455) 16-3-2010 Required English speaking maid for a family living in Mangaf. Preferably Indian. If interested, please contact 60055305 or 23741548. 11-3-2010
No: 14669
Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Tuesday 16/03/2010 Airlines Flt Route Jazeera 0263 Beirut Royal Jordanian 802 Amman Wataniya Airways 2103 Beirut Gulf Air 211 Bahrain Kuwait 544 Cairo Jazeera 0513 Sharm El Sheikh Turkish A/L 1172 Istanbul DHL 370 Bahrain Jazeera 0241 Amman Emirates 853 Dubai Etihad 0305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 0138 Doha Falcon 201 Dubai Jazeera 0503 Luxor Jazeera 0527 Alexandria Jazeera 0529 Assiut British 0157 London Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok Kuwait 206 Islamabad Kuwait 382 Delhi Kuwait 302 Mumbai Kuwait 362 Colombo Kuwait 332 Trivandrum Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 284 Dhaka Emirates 855 Dubai Kuwait 286 Chittagong Arabia 0121 Sharjah Qatari 0132 Doha Etihad 0301 Abu Dhabi Iran Air 603 Shiraz Falcon 203 Dubai Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1121 Bahrain Jazeera 0447 Doha Jazeera 0165 Dubai Jazeera 0425 Bahrain Iran Aseman 6801 Ahwaz Wataniya Airways 1021 Dubai Iran Air 615 Shahre Kord Airquarius 061 Baghdad/Basrah Egypt Air 610 Cairo Kuwait 672 Dubai Jazeera 0171 Dubai Wataniya Airways 2301 Damascus Kuwait 512 Tehran Jazeera 0525 Alexandria Kuwait 774 Riyadh Jazeera 0257 Beirut Wataniya Airways 2001 Cairo
Time 00:05 00:35 00:50 01:05 01:15 01:25 02:15 02:15 02:30 02:35 03:00 03:25 05:25 05:35 06:10 06:30 06:40 06:45 07:40 07:50 07:55 07:55 08:05 08:10 08:15 08:30 08:35 08:55 09:00 09:35 09:40 10:30 10:45 10:45 11:00 11:05 11:10 11:15 11:20 11:35 12:00 12:55 13:25 13:35 13:35 13:40 14:05 14:05 14:10 14:20
Saudi Arabian A/L Kuwait Jazeera Qatari Royal Jordanian Jazeera Emirates Gulf Air Saudi Arabian A/L Etihad Jazeera Jazeera Arabia Jazeera Wataniya Airways Nas Air Srilankan United A/L Wataniya Airways DHL Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Singapore Airlines Kuwait Oman Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Middle East Qatari Emirates Kuwait Indian Jazeera Jazeera Global Jazeera Jazeera India Express Lufthansa Bangladesh Wataniya Airways Pakistan
500 Jeddah 562 Amman 0457 Damascus 0134 Doha 800 Amman 0693 Shiraz 857 Dubai 215 Bahrain 510 Riyadh 0303 Abu Dhabi 0239 Amman 0217 Isfahan 0125 Sharjah 0367 Deirezzor 2101 Beirut 703 Medinah 227 Colombo/Dubai 982 Washington Dc Dulles 2003 Cairo 473 Baghdad 1025 Dubai 502 Beirut 542 Cairo 0177 Dubai 618 Doha 674 Dubai 166 Paris/Rome 786 Jeddah 614 Bahrain 744 Dammam 102 New York/London 458 Singapore/Abu Dhabi 552 Damascus 0647 Muscat 0459 Damascus 2011 Sharm El Sheikh 217 Bahrain 402 Beirut 0136 Doha 859 Dubai 172 Frankfurt 981 Chennai/Hyderabad/Ahmedabad 0449 Doha 0429 Bahrain 081 Baghdad 0117 Abu Dhabi 0185 Dubai 389 Kozhikode/Mangalore 636 Frankfurt 043 Dhaka 1029 Dubai 205 Lahore
14:30 14:35 14:45 15:00 15:40 16:45 16:55 17:05 17:15 17:15 17:35 17:40 17:40 17:45 17:50 18:00 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:30 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:55 18:55 18:55 19:00 19:10 19:20 19:25 19:35 19:45 20:00 20:20 20:40 20:45 21:05 21:20 21:35 21:40 21:45 22:05 22:10 22:15 22:20 22:25 22:40 23:15 23:30 23:40 23:45 23:55
Departure Flights on Tuesday 16/3/2010 Airlines Flt Route Egypt Air 607 Luxor Jazeera 0528 Assiut India Express 396 Cochin/Kozhikode Indian 994 Mumbai/Chennai Ariana 406 Kabul Bangladesh 044 Dhaka Lufthansa 637 Frankfurt DHL 371 Bahrain Turkish A/L 1173 Istanbul Emirates 854 Dubai Etihad 0306 Abu Dhabi Qatari 0139 Doha Jazeera 0164 Dubai Wataniya Airways 1020 Dubai Royal Jordanian 803 Amman Jazeera 0524 Alexandria Wataniya Airways 2000 Cairo Jazeera 0446 Doha Gulf Air 212 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 1120 Bahrain Jazeera 0422 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 2300 Damascus Jazeera 0256 Beirut British 0156 London Kuwait 171 Frankfurt Kuwait 671 Dubai Kuwait 511 Tehran Kuwait 561 Amman Jazeera 0456 Damascus Jazeera 0170 Dubai Arabia 0122 Sharjah Emirates 856 Dubai Qatari 0133 Doha Kuwait 117 New York Etihad 0302 Abu Dhabi Iran Air 602 Shiraz Kuwait 773 Riyadh Wataniya Airways 2002 Cairo Gulf Air 214 Bahrain Falcon 204 Baghdad Kuwait 541 Cairo Wataniya Airways 2100 Beirut Iran Aseman 6802 Ahwaz Jazeera 0366 Deirezzor Jazeera 0238 Amman Kuwait 103 London Iran Air 614 Shahre Kord Kuwait 501 Beirut Airquarius 060 Basrah/Baghdad Kuwait 785 Jeddah Egypt Air 611 Cairo
FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161
Time 00:01 00:05 00:30 00:50 01:05 01:15 01:20 03:15 03:15 03:50 04:10 05:00 07:00 07:00 07:05 07:20 07:20 07:40 07:45 07:50 07:55 08:10 08:35 08:55 09:00 09:00 09:15 09:15 09:25 09:30 09:35 09:40 10:00 10:00 10:20 10:40 10:45 11:30 11:40 11:45 12:00 12:05 12:15 12:20 12:25 12:30 12:35 13:00 13:30 13:40 13:55
Jazeera Wataniya Airways Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Jazeera Wataniya Airways Jazeera Kuwait Saudi Arabia A/L Kuwait Royal Jordanian Qatari Kuwait Gulf Air Etihad Emirates Arabia Jazeera Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Global Nas Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Srilankan 228 Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Oman Air Wataniya Airways Singapore Airlines Gulf Air DHL Kuwait Middle East Kuwait Falcon Qatari Kuwait Emirates Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera Kuwait United A/L Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait
0692 Shiraz 1024 Dubai 673 Dubai 0216 Isfahan 551 Damascus 0176 Duba1 2010 Sharm El Sheikh 0458 Damascus 617 Doha 503 Medinah/Jeddah 613 Bahrain 801 Amman 0135 Doha 743 Dammam 216 Bahrain 0304 Abu Dhabi 858 Dubai 0126 Sharjah 0262 Beirut 511 Riyadh 0184 Dubai 0116 Abu Dhabi 0448 Doha 082 Baghdad 704 Riyadh 0428 Bahrain 2102 Beirut Dubai/Colombo 1028 Dubai 283 Dhaka 361 Colombo 351 Cochin 0648 Muscat 1128 Bahrain 457 Abu Dhabi/Singapore 218 Bahrain 171 Bahrain 675 Dubai 403 Beirut 381 Delhi 102 Bahrain 0137 Doha 301 Mumbai 860 Dubai 205 Islamabad 0636 Aleppo 0526 Alexandria 343 Chennai 981 Washington Dc Dulles 415 Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta 0502 Luxor 411 Bangkok/Manila
14:00 14:25 14:30 14:35 14:40 15:05 15:10 15:30 15:35 15:45 16:20 16:25 16:30 16:40 17:55 18:00 18:10 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:40 18:50 18:50 18:55 19:00 19:05 19:15 19:30 20:15 20:20 20:55 21:20 21:30 21:45 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:20 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:50 22:55 23:20 23:25 23:30 23:40 23:45 23:50 23:55
SPECTRUM
34 CROSSWORD 929
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Calvin Aries (March 21-April 19) This is generally a good
day. You will find your concentration and interests may be mostly focused on the business world and your progress. This however, may not be the greatest time to make any concrete decisions about a relationship or a business deal. You may be more reflective and nostalgic than usual and if you try to assert yourself today, you will be pleasantly pleased at the results. Make your sensitive nature work for you by turning your focus inward for now. You will discover new areas in which you can gain energy and insight. You have the answers you need, so make it a habit to search your own inner being to find those answers. Nurture yourself by finding a way to serve others—it is a sure fire way to gain inner peace. Taurus (April 20-May 20) Since the answers to life’s
mysteries do not seem to be coming forth just now, you may wish to seek help from disciplines that dig a little deeper into people and phenomena, such as psychology, astrology, the occult, or perhaps Zen or Yoga. Try to keep an open mind, no matter what happens. If your mind becomes totally preoccupied with one particular thought, try to shake it out. There are some financial changes that will benefit you now. Pay your debt first and look for ways in which you can save. Holding on to money may be difficult and you must be careful when giving to charities or causes that solicit your aid. Remember that where charities are concerned it may sometimes be more important to give of your time than your money.
Pooch Cafe
ACROSS 1. In bed. 5. Destruction of heart tissue resulting from obstruction of the blood supply to the heart muscle. 7. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates. 11. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann. 12. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal. 13. A language unit by which a person or thing is known. 14. (physics and chemistry) The smallest component of an element having the chemical properties of the element. 16. A metric unit of volume or capacity equal to 10 liters. 21. Type genus of the Otariidae. 24. A island in the Netherlands Antilles that is the top of an extinct volcano. 28. A small cake leavened with yeast. 29. Nocturnal mouselike mammal with forelimbs modified to form membranous wings and anatomical adaptations for echolocation by which they navigate. 32. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders. 33. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits. 35. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables. 39. The 10th letter of the Greek alphabet. 43. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth. 44. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey). 47. Aromatic bulb used as seasoning. 48. Extinct flightless bird of New Zealand. 49. Not only so, but. 50. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects. 51. The part of the nervous system of vertebrates that controls involuntary actions of the smooth muscles and heart and glands. 52. (prefix) In front of or before in space. 53. A master's degree in fine arts. DOWN 1. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind. 2. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad. 3. An organic compound that contains a hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom which in turn is doubly bonded to another carbon atom. 4. A barrier constructed to contain the flow or water or to keep out the sea. 5. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric. 6. A class of proteins produced in lymph tissue in vertebrates and that function as antibodies in the immune response. 7. A genus of tropical American plants have sword-shaped leaves and a fleshy compound fruits composed of the fruits of several flowers (such as pineapples). 8. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America. 9. An independent ruler or chieftain (especially in Africa or Arabia). 10. Having been read. 15. Extremely pleasing. 17. The Tibeto-Burman language spoken in the Dali region of Yunnan. 18. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light. 19. Pasture grass of plains of South America and western North America. 20. A light touch or stroke. 22. A hard gray lustrous metallic element that is highly corrosionresistant. 23. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens. 25. Before noon. 26. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun. 27. A public promotion of some product or service. 30. A radioactive element of the actinide series. 31. Flightless New Zealand birds similar to gallinules. 34. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group. 36. Very dark black. 37. South African term for `boss'. 38. Common Indian weaverbird. 39. A radioactive element of the actinide series. 40. The inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers. 41. French cabaret singer (1915-1963). 42. Type genus of the Alcidae comprising solely the razorbill. 45. (British) Informal term for information. 46. Headdress that protects the head from bad weather.
Gemini (May 21-June 20) Your goals and objectives are very clear today and you proceed, not only with selfconfidence, but with a clear understanding of the hard work that is necessary. If others are involved in your goals, you could accept a leadership role; otherwise, you prefer to work alone. Open up all communication channels between yourself and higher-ups. There could be some possibilities lurking around that will help you to move into a higher position. Most of the remainder of this month you will have your head down working, but there are opportunities to improve your job position, if you are looking. New ideas are needed—and you have plenty. Don’t push projects toward an inappropriate conclusion. Thoroughness is more important than speed.
Non Sequitur
Cancer (June 21-July 22) This is a good day for making decisions, carrying out plans and communicating to others just where you stand. Make sure the dialogue goes both ways, however. Others have good ideas, too. If you stick to the main subjects and do not become distracted with trivialities, you should do well. Learning new techniques, particularly in working with electronic equipment, can help you lay the groundwork for future successes. If you have a yearning to get into automated information equipment, do so, but do not let the special effects distract you. Anxiety can be your bogeyman if you let it. Learn some meditation techniques and do not overload your work load. New inventions are fascinating and you may find your evening filled with reading activity. Leo (July 23-August 22) A knack for knowing how to put people, ideas and things together profitably will be put to good use today. Business will have its positive aspects. A business associate or friend will bring you good information on ways to improve your finances. If finances and business are all you think about, you will find it hard to enjoy this day. This afternoon there are opportunities to enjoy your friends and perhaps make a few decisions on how you will change and encourage a change for a better environment in your neighborhood or city. You encourage others to stand strong for their beliefs. You find ways to make changes in a harmonious way for everyone concerned. You should open up to relatives— this is a good time for emotional support.
Zits
Virgo (August 23-September 22) Routine work goes well today. As you step quickly through the day, there are plenty of things to keep your mind busy. Some sort of artistic endeavor or project, perhaps a decoration job, is on your agenda later this day. It is time to prepare for a party or some other fun celebration. Do not hesitate to get help—time and work will go faster with others to help you. Who knows, it may also free you for another opportunity to be with your sweetheart. There is talk of used furniture and used clothing this afternoon and it gives you some great ideas for the next big successful garage sale. You have several opportunities to improve your finances in the next few days and this just may be one way. Decorating for parties could be another way. Libra (September 23-October 22) Today you may feel that you did not have enough time to visit with family members over the weekend. Everyone seemed to be going in different directions. Your friends can benefit from your advice or your presence but you would be wise to plan more time with family members—these are your support team throughout all your life. Your office gets hectic in the afternoon but you will be very pleased with the level of accomplishment you are able to perform. A coworker needs your advice about something pressing and you have time to stop and help. This evening you think about the possibilities that are in your future and you look forward to the time to talk with a loved one about these things. Enjoy a stroll with your loved one tonight.
Mother Goose and Grimm
Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You are curious and
talkative today—adept at conversation. Unexpected communication happens all day long—in the work place as well as in your personal surroundings. A coworker friend of long ago may pop into the office for a visit. Whatever the case, the office seems to be full of a fun sort of energy that is not always available—enjoy. Consider yourself the cook this evening. Spend a good part of this evening getting to know your sweetheart better. Play it cool, hold back—restrain your passion. For now, no matter what amount of time you have been with this person, get to know them better. This will be intriguing to your lover and insightful for you. Now is the time to listen. Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) A professional project is successful and may bring about new opportunities for you. This is an excellent time to begin thinking about a new project or endeavor—the potential for financial growth is great. Just make sure you check out any prospects for investment before giving away your money. There are increased responsibilities and perhaps even a promotion in the works. Some major changes are coming your way so make each day a day of new understandings. Staying mentally focused may call for an exercise break this afternoon. You are an excellent listener and anyone who comes to you for counsel will have excellent constructive help. Gambling opportunities are presented this evening.
Yesterday’s Solution
Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Today
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
there are energies at work that encourage you to clean out your desk and perform a bit of spring cleaning around the work place. A legal, financial or educational requirement could be slowing you from what you really need to do just now. There are things you can do to speed some work along—take action. Following through on a few details will put you on the path to success regarding your goals. Sometimes the difference between a negative and a positive attitude lies in recognizing a job and taking action. You are headed toward establishing a firm footing for home and family life; ideal for rearing happy children. Very soon good news will come concerning romance, family or property that will make your hard work all worthwhile. Aquarius (January 20- February 18) An important piece of your daily life is changing. This may be a familiar person that you greet each morning or the move of a regular radio station or a building that is being moved or refurbished. You may decide that taking a few pictures will help you to keep the memory of people and events in your mind. You love progress and now it is time to just enjoy the in-between times. This afternoon you pay bills, complete paperwork, write letters or make phone calls—your phone will probably be ringing anyway. You may create some gelatin treats for later this week. Tonight you enjoy a bit of writing or a creative project. You may even catch the wave and choose to make some changes around your home place. Planning the future is fun. Pisces (February 19-March 20) A number of work projects have your attention this morning. After writing a proposal you may find a higher-up is very interested in your ideas. With whatever support necessary behind you, it may feel as if the sky is the limit. You reach your goals through your determination. Once you set your mind to seeing something through to the end . . . watch out people! This afternoon you shop for some new clothes and enjoy pampering yourself. All that warmth and affection you have grown to expect from your loved ones may be harder to find this afternoon. Others are also preoccupied with business or chores and you may not receive satisfaction when seeking attention. This is a very short-lived period, as far as emotions are concerned—tomorrow is just a day away!
INFORMATION
Tuesday, March 16, 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
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This file picture taken during the 1964 Cannes Film Festival shows Italian actress Sophia Loren waving to photographers. —AFP ore than six million Italians tuned in for the first installment of a television biopic of screen goddess Sophia Loren, in which she plays her own mother. With an audience share of 26 percent, “La Mia Casa E Piena di Specchi” (My House Is Full of Mirrors) on Sunday left the Italian version of “Big Brother” in the dust, the Auditel ratings agency said yesterday. Loren, now 75, plays her mother, a tenacious stage mom bent on ensuring stardom for her daughter. Presenting the film at a news conference last week, Loren could not hold back the tears, saying: “Things stay inside you, you never forget and you can’t help it.” “My life was a wonderful fairytale (but also) a story of war, hunger and begging, because that’s what my mother did for us: she fought to give her daughters a name and a future that would not be poor.” The two-part series, based on a book by the actress’s sister
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Maria Scicolone, covers Loren’s dazzling career, beginning with her role as an extra in “Quo Vadis” (1950). Margareth Made, 28, who starred in Giuseppe Tornatore’s Sicilian village blockbuster “Baaria,” plays the young Loren. But the central character is the mother, Romilda Villani, whose parents thwarted her ambitions for the silver screen, stoked when she won a Greta Garbo look-alike contest. Villani was determined to realise this broken dream vicariously through Sophia, whom she raised alone along with sister Maria after the father abandoned the family. In a career spanning more than five decades, Loren played opposite Clark Gable, Peter Sellers, John Wayne and Frank Sinatra, winning a best actress Oscar for her role in “La Ciociara” (Running Away) in 1962. The biopic also recounts Loren’s meeting with the producer Carlo Ponti, whom she married in 1966 and who died in 2007. —AFP
Hungarian Vizsla is top dog at Britainʼs Crufts Hungarian Vizsla named Yogi has been awarded the top prize at Cruf ts dog show in Britain, which is the biggest in the world. The seven-year-old beat off competition Sunday from six other finalists to take the coveted title of best in show at the culmination of the four-day competition in Birmingham, central England. “He is just such a wonderful dog, I am just pleased that he stood up to it,” said his handler John Thirlwell. The dog, from Carlisle, northwest England, is the first Hungarian Vizsla to clinch the top prize and also won the gundog category. Almost 22,000 dogs across 187 breeds were entered for best in show this year, said the Kennel Club, which runs the pres-
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tigious event. Thousands of dog-lovers cheered on the competitors, and refused to be put off by a bannerwielding protester or a streaker who invaded the arena as the winner of the gundog prize was being judged. Crufts was not shown by the BBC this year after the broadcaster said it was dropping its coverage in December 2008. It was shown on an alternative channel, More4. The move followed claims in a hardhitting BBC documentary that Crufts allowed damaging breeding practices that cause disease and deformities. An inquiry set up in the wake of the documentary reported in January that major changes are needed in the way pedigree dogs are bred in Britain. — AFP
A man and his dog perform Heelwork to Music at the Cruf ts Dog Show in Birmingham. —AFP
Kuwaitʼs fashion brand debuts
Sophia Loren plays her own mother in TV biopic
he Tahir Sultan brand to you. Tahir Sultan is a label out of the Middle East (Kuwait) that is just over a year old. It has caught the attention of magazines like Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and a host of other international magazines. The Spring Summer 2010 collection combines old school charm with modern sensibilities. The cut forms and shapes all echo the designer’s background in architecture and embody the quirky sophistication and elegance he picked up while working at John Galliano. The clothes speak volumes in themselves.
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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Lifestyle
Max new spring collection confirms Spring arrival through style, comfort and color. The leisure camp features colorful shirts and relaxed chinos teamed with clean and precise checks and stripes. Linens are in, with newness being injected with fresh and bright colors. Formals take a new approach with premium fabrics in smart and contemporary fits. Banker shirts and slim-fit formal trousers add style to the range. Denims featuring upgraded fabrics and stone washing with hints of dirt and stain marks influences contribute to a smartly diluted high street look. Detail is key: right whiskers, fray marks, rips and washes give vintage denim the best value for its competitive price. The Max Spring Collection also features tees, checked shirts, chinos and knit wear decorated with embroideries, studs, and distorted flock effects. A wide range of sport jackets and hooded shirts are also available at terrific value. Kidswear at Max this season reflects lots of fun and spirit in the most smart and cool outfits. Sports graphics are key for boys with preppy,
t’s time to shake off the winter clothes and adorn fresh new styles as the sun shines and temperatures rise. Max brings you a palette of fresher colors consisting of warm corals, purples in the form of violet and orchid tones. Dresses are integral to the season and a key look in the collection is the ‘Prairie look’- consisting of washed out denims in soft mid-tones, pretty plaids and soft muted floral prints. The look consists of pretty shirt dresses, draped harem pants, pretty embroidered tops and tunics. Nautical collections come with a twist this spring, florals, stripes and polka dots are mixed with the classic nautical colours. Florals are big and garments are swathed in flowers. Animal prints are still in vogue so also are Checks and plaids. Winter’s buttoned up look move away towards a more laid back unstructured vibe. Two key trends are driving the season ahead- Global traveller and Comfort dressing. These ranges falls neatly into the trends that reflect classic menswear with lots of relaxed elements shown
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Damas opens outlet in Salhiya complex By Rawan Khalid
KUWAIT: Mohammad Abdullah, Deputy Managing Director of Damas is cutting the ribbon to open the new store of Damas. —Photos by Joseph Shagra
The three limited edition sets from Damas.
The Fourth set of Damas limited edition collection.
New Damas store at Salhiya Commercial Complex.
Mohammad Abdullah is taking a tour inside Damas Store to see the new collection.
KUWAIT: Damas jewelry store was opened at AlSalhiya Complex on Sunday. The event was attended by the Deputy Managing Director of Damas, Mohammad Tamjid Abdullah and the Damas team. Members of the local media were also present at the store’s inauguration. On display at the newly opened store are the four limitededition diamond pieces, which were first displayed at the Kuwaiti market and the GCC stores of Damas. Speaking to reporters during the occasion, Mohammad Tamjid Abdullah said, “All the pieces that are on display today at the Salhiya store are limited edition ones, and it’s hard to produce other pieces again. All the stones on the (jewelry) sets are real and rare. These four sets are meant for the lady who wants to be distinguished.” “Our stores have made their presence felt in the GCC for three years. Damas is different from other stores because of suitable prices, our delicate production, and the quality,” Tamjid Abdullah said. “Damas was affected during the economic crisis that took place in the GCC countries. Thank God we were never affected in Kuwait. Our profits in year 2009 are better than in year 2008,” he added. Tamjid Abdullah added that, its jewelry designs are inspired by women and everything feminine. Our new collection is inspired from nature, and it is called ‘Farasha’ which means butterfly. “We deal with 228 different nationalities in the world. What makes us unique is the mixture that we have from all over the world,” he explained. “We have factories in different countries. Our limited editions are manufactured in Milano, Italy, factories in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras AlKhaima, Al-Sharjah, China, India, Hong Kong, and Thailand.” Mohammad stated. Damas was awarded the title of Best Jewelry Design in the World during the years 2000, 2004, and 2008.
varsity-inspired tees throwing in lot of newness to the range. Max also offers Backto-School styles, with vest tops, T-shirts and cropped jogging pants seen in tones of burnt yellow, cream and blues. Racing, nautical and robot themes are also key this spring with items like hoodies, layered tees and smart denims. For girls tropical prints on dresses accompanied by bright stripers is trending. Colour blocking is big this season with dresses being the
main styles to carry off this detail. The rock chic look is accentuated with fun animal prints, rock graphics and purple and fuchsia colors accompanied by bright yellows. Boho pieces with embroidery detailing, cotton skirts and gypsy tops bestow that fresh pretty feel on young princesses. Experience the freshest and trendiest fashion in town at any of the Max showrooms located at Al Rai, Salmiya, Hawally, Fahaheel, Khaitan and The Avenues.
The raw beauty in Fathi’s paintings he Third Line presents a solo exhibition of new paintings by Golnaz Fathi that will be showcased at Sultan Gallery, Kuwait from 6 till 22nd of April. Fathi incorporates bold strokes and traditional calligraphy which resonates raw emotion and silenced expression in her series of new works. After several series executed primarily in black and white, with only occasional and cautious uses of red, Fathi’s current series, Ride Like the Wind, erupts with a broad spectrum of colour against a backdrop of thick, black strokes and illegible text. Splashes of green, blue, purple and red are loudly introduced, dripping down and spreading with veins across the canvas. Her once tight, almost obsessively repetitive lines are now replaced with grandeur sweeping forms, layered with an abandon and frenzy that is tempered by Fathi’s strong intuitive sense of arrangement. In some works Fathi divides the canvas with a thin steady line, separating opposing fields which share a common yet disoriented background. Continuing her practice of utilizing expressive calligraphic forms to blur between the legible and illegible, the dramatic flow of colour and line creating a visual struggle. The dominating colour stream brightly opposes the congregation of black lines, creating a sense of a onesided struggle within the compositional space. Enter the thickness and force of
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the rounded black script counteracting the imbalance - as the colour trail retreats to the edges. The power str uggle shif ts throughout the paintings; stronger and overbearing in one and losing ground in another. Yet amidst the turmoil there is a strength and vibrancy that cannot be contained resulting in a compromised balance. Fathi’s work entails
script that has been perfected on two levels: the painterly range of strokes and gestures, and the technical master y with the script. She has then incorporated the element of colour which interweaves into an imposing relationship of aesthetic complement and divided energy. The result is of the raw beauty apparent in these works; a silver lining amongst the chaos.
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Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Travel
:
By Kuwait Times travel editor ur journey began in Kuwait International Airport at 11 pm. The airport was, as usual, packed with all those trying to escape over the National and Independence Day holidays. We jetted off on a Qatar Airways flight and an hour later we were at Doha, boarding our plane for Male 50 minutes after that. The trip took approximately four hours. Upon our arrival we were told we had to wait three hours to catch our connecting flight to Gan International Airport which is the nearest airport to the new Shangri-La resort which we were invited to. Finally, we had an eight-minute boat trip to the resort. This was beginning to feel like an Indiana Jones movie. We were tired, sleepy and already regretting this endeavor. We arrived at the main reception where the resort staff were waiting for us and greeted us with the classic welcome drinks, a revitalizing ginger and mint tea cocktail, which tasted as if it were created with our long journey in mind. The wonderful Leslie GarciaMoica, the resort’s director of communications, met us at the pier and informed us that our beach villa was ready before escorting us via buggy to Villa Number 26. Thirty seconds into the tour of the villa, my wife and I looked at each other and agreed that this completely compensated - in fact, overcompensated - for the horrific journey Within seconds, all the frustration and fatigue was gone! The villa was divided into two small sections, the living room which was entirely separated from the sleeping quarters and bathrooms. Between them was the outside dining area and our own infinity pool overlooking the beach. I am one of those people who hate the cliched term ‘heaven on earth.’ I believe it’s overused and, most of the time, an exaggeration; however , I failed to find a better or more fitting description for this resort. Located south of the Equator on one of the largest islands in the Maldives. It has the largest number of water villas. For those new to the Maldives like myself, a water villa is one which is actually
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Dr Aliʼs Restaurant, exterior evening.
Dr Aliʼs Restaurant Indian Ocean.
‘The Shangri-La is a new resort. There are amazing offers available for this season and I am confident that there will still be some for next season.’ over the water . The resort has three main restaurants, one of which, Dr Ali’s, is actually an amalgamation of three restaurants under one roof and a truly divine dining experience. Their talented world class chefs, together with
the same. But my better half insisted that the young one comes along for the trip. We both knew this would be somewhat difficult, but we were up to the challenge. For those who thought the Maldives was not a suitable desti-
who wanted more than the relaxing atmosphere of sunbathing on the beach. Parasailing, scuba diving and dolphin-spotting boat trips are just a few of them. The resort can also arrange trips to the local islands where you can mingle with the true Maldivians I left the best for last. The ‘The Chi’ spa. Simply mentioning it fills me with the same sense of blissful relaxation that I had when I was getting my treatment. With more than 11 therapy villas , there is literally nothing they can’t offer you. The Maldives is not known for
being cheap. It’s generally a five star destination with five star prices, however I will share a little secret with you. The ShangriLa is a new resort. There are amazing offers available for this season and I am confident that there will still be some for next season. You can tell them I said so! If you are thinking of saving for a trip, believe me when I say it’s worth every penny. Sitting here in my office looking out at a sand storm from my window, I’m thinking it’s already time for another Shangri-La trip! See you there........
Water Villa the breathtaking scenic view, make for a great culinary experience. Our table that night was literally on - or over - the ocean. When friends heard we were taking our one-year-old with us to the Maldives they all advised against it. The Maldives is a honeymoon destination, they insisted, a romantic location solely for couples. In all honesty I thought
nation for families with children, think again. The Shangri-La has reinvented the Maldives. Their 24-hour babysitting service and children’s adventure zone allowed us to have the best of both worlds; the romantic trip that was long overdue and the family holiday we needed . There was a large number of activities to be enjoyed for those
Ayurvedic spa treatment.
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Travel
Amenities: Each villa has centralized air conditioning with thermostat control and has the following key features: two iPods and a docking station, a 40-inch television, a DVD player, IDD telephones with voice mail and wake-up call services, laundry and valet services, wellstocked minibar, espresso machine, personal safe, hairdryer, bathrobes, slippers and a pillow menu. Restaurants & bars: Javvu Restaurant & Bar: Cafe dining by day and in the evening, refined Western cuisine - prime steaks and seafood, with a touch of the Mediterranean. The stylish bar offers a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere with ambient music in the day and up tempo electronic and dance music in the evenings. Dr Ali’s Restaurant & Bar: Three “living rooms” offering three distinct culture cuisine and dining concepts themed to regional cuisines from the Indian Ocean, South China Sea and the Arabian Gulf. The ambient chill Arabic and Asian lounge music sets the mood for the seductive, intimate and opulent bar. Fashala Lounge: Contemporary and relaxed lounge with breath-taking views. Featuring seafood nights on selected evenings. Manzaru Bar: Perfect spot to people watch and relax to chill-out music. Just the place to lie back and enjoy the views over the lagoon. Endheri Pool Bar: Heart of the resort, idyllic spot for complete relaxation. Special dining arrangements: For those who seek dining experiences with a difference, the resort will surprise with special arrangements from a romantic evening on a sandbank to a jungle themed dinner in the heart of the island’s forest.
The kid’s Adventure Zone provides a lively place for active children below 12 years old to spend their time - monkey bars, mini flying fox and swings. They will also be entertained by other educational activities. An Entertainment Centre with play-stations, billiard table, and pinball machines and various computer gaming stations. There ia a bar serving beverages and snacks. Shangri-La Eco Centre: A place to learn about the conservation works around Villingili and how visitors can support these efforts. Information on island’s nature trails, surrounding underwater beauty and best dive sites nearby.
Jungle Dinner
Javvu Restaurant interior
Business services: The 24-hour Business Centre provides a range of services including secretarial services and internet access. Health, fitness & water sports: CHI, The Spa, is located at the highest geographical point on the resort- 2.3 meters above sea level. Offering innovative therapies and healthy lifestyle programs, there is a full-range of spa products and beauty and body treatments based on the ancient Chinese and Himalayan healing traditions, philosophies and rituals. The resort has a well-equipped gym and fitness centre, tennis courts, a water sports and dive centre with a decompression chamber Water activities available include wave-surfing, scubadiving, kayaking, water-skiing, sailing, deepsea fishing, or a sunset cruise on a luxury yacht. There is a house reef with colorful corals and exotic reef fish. For less experienced swimmers, there are ‘snorkel gardens’ close to the shoreline. Diving: For diving enthusiasts, there are more than 25 dive sites teeming with marine life. There is also the dramatic 140-metre “British Loyalty” shipwreck with its hull resting at 33metres, just a half-hour boat ride away from Villingili Island.
Couple at the bow of Horizon - the resortʼs luxury yacht.
Other activities: Take the regular speedboat runs to Gan and explore by bicycle the five neighboring islands connected by a 17-kilometre road which is the longest in the Maldives. Set out with a picnic and discover the fascinating lifestyle and culture of untouched Maldivian villages or stop at a coffee shop to chat with the locals over a meal. Book a luxury yacht to enjoy a different perspective of the stunning island views and have lunch on the equator, something very few can say they have done.
Villa Muthee bathroom
Accommodation: From private ocean retreats to tropical tree houses with panoramic views, resort accommodation features six distinct different styles of luxurious villas. The villas are a minimum of 133 square meters in size, while the two presidential villas measure up to 957 square meters. Guest room
Water Villa from the lagoon
Location: Villingili Island, Addu Atoll, Republic of Maldives Pre-opening Office, MalÈ 4th floor, Champa Center Point 02 Chandhanee Magu Male 20189, Republic of Maldives Tel: (960) 689 7888 Fax: (960) 689 7999 E-mail: slmd@shangri-la.com The resort is a 70-minute domestic flight from Male International Airport and an eight-minute boat ride from Gan International Airport on Addu Atoll. General Manager: Jens Moesker Director of Sales & Marketing: Gerhard Fink Architect: Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo Designers: Lim Teo+Wilkes Design Works (LTW Design Works) Design Bube
Tree House Villa entrance at dusk
Opened: 26 July 2009
Hotel services & facilities: 24-hour butler, front desk, concierge and in-room dining services. Laundry, dry cleaning and pressing services. Use of lounge at MalÈ domestic airport, meet and greet service at MalÈ and Gan Airports, complimentary speedboat transfer from Gan island to resort. Baby sitting service on request. Four retail shops, a beauty salon and a medical centre with 24-hour doctor services.
Electric current: Electric current of the Maldives is 230V and 50 cycles. Adapters are available upon request.
CHI The Spa Cowrie Shells
Reservations: For reservations, please call any Shangri-La sales and reservations office, contact the resort directly, or book on-line at www.shangri-la.com.
Beach Villa exterior
Villa Muthee bedroom
Overview: Located south of the equator on Villingili Island, on the southern-most tip of Addu Atoll, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa offers guests a stylish and luxurious experience in a spacious, and boutique-style environment. The natural dense vegetation of the island sets it apart from many other Maldives resorts. The three-kilometer-long island features 12 hectares of lush vegetation, towering banyan trees, 17,000 coconut trees, 45 species of plants, three natural lagoons and nature trails for guests to explore.
Manzaru exterior
Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort and Spa, Maldives
Fashala Lounge
www.kuwaittimes.net
Crucifixion year bad for Bavarian village barbers O
nce every 10 years, this Bavarian village crucifies Jesus all over again and local hairdressers nearly go out of business. That’s because nearly half the 5,300-strong village lets both hair and beards grow for over a year to better resemble the Jews they will interpret in the Passion play which has been running here for nearly 375 years. The tradition goes back to 1633 when the plague struck the Alpine village and locals vowed, if they were spared, to put on a play about the crucifixion and reincarnation of Jesus once every 10 years-forever. “A lot of people, including some 600 children stop having their hair cut from Ash Wednesday (February 25) 2009 to October 3, 2010” when the play packs up for nine years, says Doris Renner, 51, who runs one of the village’s three hairdressing shops. “That means a tremendous loss of business and shorter working hours for some employees,” she adds. But “Jesus”, for his part, is working overtime. Frederik Mayet, 30, a marketing student, is both “Jesus” and spokesman for the play. To take part in the “Passion”, “you have to be born in the village, have lived here for 20 years, or be married to someone from the vil-
lage for over 10 years”, he says. The “Passion” is the “social event of the decade”, says play director Christian Stueckl. “Some want to take part because it’s a tradition. Others for religious reasons. Still others, who aren’t at all religious, just don’t want to miss out,” according to Stueckl, a village native who usually runs the Munich Volkstheater. Villagers give up a lot of time to take part. They will be playing to packed audiences in a made-to-purpose theatre, which can seat nearly 5,000, for five hours a day, five times a week, from May 15 to October 3 — and that does not include rehearsals. Nearly 1,000 villagers have acting roles-for crowd scenes up to 900 at a time can gather on stage-while others play in the orchestra, sing in the choir, sew costumes, or work backstage. Donkeys, camels, sheep, goats, and doves will also be on hand. Political edge to the Passion The Passion “is very important for tourism and economically” for the village, says mayor Arno Nunn, a former policeman who has only lived here for 12 years and is therefore excluded from the play. “In 2000 we made net earnings of
Director Christian Stueckl rehearses one of the many living tableaux in the Oberammergau Passion play in Oberammergau March 9, 2010.—AFP some 25 million euros (34 million dollars), and we hope for much the same this year”, according to the mayor who hopes for half a million spectators despite the fact that
reservations are down because of the economic slump. “Ordinary tickets are sold out, but only 75 percent of tickets sold in combination with hotel bookings
have gone to date so we’re hoping for a pick-up in last minute reservations”, says Nunn who points to the importance of the foreign market as half the overseas’ visitors
are from Britain or the United States. Choosing the actors is done at Easter, the year before the play, with names written up on a large board for all to see. “Of course, sometimes people are disappointed they haven’t got the role they wanted”, says Nunn. Town councilors used to decide who got what, but this year Stueckl made all the casting decisions and the town hall, which had a veto right for the top roles, went along with them. “I was euphoric when it was announced I would be Jesus,” said Mayet, a Catholic. “Everyone in the village came to clap me on the back to congratulate me. It’s a great honor,” he added. But there has always been a political edge to the Passion. Married people only won the right to take part in 1990 after going to court, while nonChristians, including Muslims, have only been included since 2000. And big decisions regarding the play are still taken by village referendums. “In the Middle Ages, such Passion plays often fanned antiJewish propaganda and there’s been a lot of discussion about antiJewishness in the play in the wake of the Third Reich” and Adolf Hitler, says Stueckl. Last year rab-
bis from the US Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee came to discuss the production with Stueckl and Catholic experts. “Such exchanges are important and help improve the play” which is spoken in German, says Stueckl. Rabbi Eric Greenberg of the AntiDefamation League welcomes changes away from “ancient negative stereotypes of Judaism and Jews”, but still has concerns about some of the visual images in the play and over how responsibility for crucifying Jesus is shared out between Pontius Pilate and the Jewish High Priests. As for “Judas”, he’s played this year by a Protestant, Carsten Lueck, 40, who normally works on stage construction for television and theatres. “Of course one feels a little more religious when one takes part in the play because we spend a lot of time reading up on theology and the Bible,” he says. “The worst part is growing the beard. I’ll be rid of it as soon as the play’s over,” he says. Renner’s hairdressing shop plans to open late Sunday on October 3. “They’ll be coming in droves and we’ll be working flat out from 10 am to 10 pm for days,” she says with relish.—AFP
Pink Everest: Nepal appeals for gay tourists
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epal wants to paint Mount Everest pink. It wants gay honeymooners trekking through the Himalayas. It wants to host the world’s highest same-sex wedding at Everest base camp. But mainly, the conservative Hindu nation wants a chunk of the multibillion dollar gay tourist market to help pull it out of poverty. That quest-brushing aside historical biases in pursuit of economic opportunity-is symbolic of one of the gay rights movement’s most stunning successes. Just five years ago, police were beating gays and transsexuals in the streets. Now, the issue of gay rights is almost passe here. Nepal has an openly gay parliamentarian, it is issuing “third gender” identity cards and it appears set to enshrine gay rights-and possibly even same-sex marriage-in a new constitution. “(It) is not an issue anymore, for anybody,” said Vishnu Adhikari, a 21year-old lesbian. “Society has basically accepted us.” That acceptance has become a major marketing opportunity for a country cursed by desperate poverty, but blessed with majestic beauty. Tourism is one of the main drivers of Nepal’s economy, worth about $350 million last year, and government officials are determined to double tourism to 1 million visitors next year. They hope gay tourists will be far more lucrative than the backpackers who stay in cheap hotels here and travel on shoestring budgets. “They do have a lot of income ... they are high-spending consumers,” said Aditya Baral, spokesman for the Nepal Tourism Board. “If they behave well, if they have money, we don’t discriminate.” The driving force is Sunil Pant, a member of parliament, the nation’s most prominent gay activist and founder of the new Pink Mountain tour company. The nation’s mountains, food and cul-
In this photo taken Saturday, Feb 13, 2010, associates of Blue Diamond Society, a gay rights group, are seen at a sex-gender workshop in Katmandu, Nepal.—AP ture are a natural tourist magnet, he said. Additionally, gay tourists could get married at Everest base camp and honeymoon on an elephant safari-though since Nepal doesn’t marry foreigners, such weddings would have no legal status, he said. “With that, money will come here and jobs will be created,” he said. A growing segment of the gay tourism market-worth $63 billion in the US alone-craves adventure travel and exotic locations, especially if they are seen as hospitable to gay travelers, said John Tanzella, president of the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association. As for an Everest wedding, “I think there would certainly be a niche within our community that would be very excited for this type of memorable experience,” he said. Pant says Nepal also has a huge advantage in appealing to
this niche because its neighbors in South Asia-some of them with laws outlawing homosexual sex-are not seen as gayfriendly destinations. “There is virtually no competition,” he said. Nepal’s own journey into gay acceptance has been a near-revolution, born out of chaos and conflict that decimated the nation’s traditional political and social systems. A few years ago, the kingdom was torn by a civil war between the government and Maoist insurgents, and fighters on both sides preyed on marginalized communities and outcasts. Transgender men, known as metis or eunuchs, were often robbed, beaten and sometimes raped at Maoist checkpoints, and again at government checkpoints, said Pant, head of the Blue Diamond Society, a gay rights group. Other than the metis, homosexuality was almost
never discussed in the rural areas, where tradition pushed people into arranged marriages at a young age, he said. Then, in 2006, the government signed a peace accord with the Maoists. Street protests forced the king to end his brief grab for absolute power and the centuries old monarchy was abolished. In 2007, the Supreme Court ordered the government to draw up new laws to protect gay rights. Now, the gay community stands to win big as the country writes a new constitution aimed at remaking the entire government, turning the nation into a republic and cementing peace. The government has issued a handful of third gender identity cards. The next census is expected to allow respondents to choose between male, female or third gender. Parliament is working on a same-sex marriage law even as the constitution drafters are incorporating gay rights into the document expected to be ratified later this year, said Pant. “It’s a land of minorities and we support each other,” Pant said. “We all have been marginalized so long and it makes sense that we extend solidarity to each other’s rights and issues.” In a sign of how much the nation of 30 million has changed, the gay community faces no real opposition in its fight for expanded rights, said Ameet Dhakal, editor in chief of the Republica daily. The major parties, battling for votes, see no benefit to alienating a community that Pant says numbers at least 200,000, and religious leaders here generally stay out of politics. Dev Gurung, a senior Maoist party leader who was once viewed as a strong opponent of gay rights, now publicly supports legal protections for the community. “People, including lawmakers and government officials, were not aware that people like them even existed in the past,” he said.—AP
Penn spends serious time helping post-quake Haiti
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ook closely at the foreigners buzzing around a hospital tent above one of Haiti’s biggest earthquake-refugee camps and a face stands out: There, carrying the box of supplies, that’s Sean Penn. Now he’s guiding a Haitian girl to waiting doctors. Now he’s lobbying the chief of UN peacekeeping operations to provide better security for the camp’s 45,000 people. And now he’s talking to the press. “These people are going to have nowhere to go, by and large, in the rainy season,” the Oscar-winning actor told The Associated Press. “The efforts that we’ve seen ... have been extraordinarydown the line. But this is an impossible kind of situation.” The 49-year-old actor came to Haiti about a week after the Jan. 12 quake killed a government-estimated 230,000 people and made 1.3 million homeless. He’s left just a few times since-mostly for Haiti-related meetings, he said, and to present the Oscar for best actress-and doesn’t plan to leave again until mid-April. His blue-shirted workers with the newly formed Jenkins-Penn Haiti Relief Organization provide medical care, water filters and food. On Sunday, they opened a health clinic for mothers and victims of a growing sexual assault epidemic. “As long as this camp is here, we’ll stay here. When this camp’s not here anymore then we’ll have to be where we are accessible to people,” Penn said. The ridge where the group is based is a short but taxing walk uphill from an increasingly fetid sprawl of makeshift tarp-and-tent homes.
French chef Marc Briand gives a lesson to his Polish students on February 19, 2010 in a hotel near Olsztyn, eastern Poland.—AFP
French chefs to the rescue of Polish cuisine F
rench chefs are cooking up a sophisticated new style of cuisine and service in Poland’s Warmia-Mazurian lake district, a tourism magnet for sailing and watersports, all courtesy of the European Union. Dressed in white aprons and armed with cell phones, eight professional chefs from the region film Marc Briand, head of a three star hotel in Brittany, north-west of France, as he carefully puts the finishing touches on a charlotte au chocolat, a French desert favorite. Together, they whipped up 60 recipes in a week as part of this professional development program financed by the European Union. “I teach them the recipe from scratch, how to prepare pork and beef or fish from the lake and desserts,” Marc Briand, 45, told AFP at a hotel in Olsztyn, the regional capital of 170,000. A partnership between the Warmia-Mazury region and the Chamber of Trades and Crafts of the French department of Cotes d’Armor, will see 48 Polish cooks, working in groups of eight, trained free-of-charge by French chefs under an EU program this year. “I enrolled to expand my knowledge, to learn how to make sauces and new dishes. I want to change restaurants. The more qualified I become, the greater chance I have of finding a good job,” says Krystyna Wieczkowska , 28, who has worked for seven years as a cook in a small hotel in Olsztyn. A hit with tourists during the summer months, the Warmia-Mazury lake district must however
struggle to attract visitors during the long days of fall and winter. “The waiters and cooks are hired for the tourist season. They often don’t have the appropriate training,” says Elzbieta Pierzchala, one of the creators of the partnership. Through the partnership program, lasting from 2007-13 at a cost of nearly 14 million euros (19 million dollars), the region hopes to improve the quality of its restaurant and hotel services, by offering restaurateurs better-trained staff. The four training centers in the region are also to be renovated using the funds provided by the European Union to accelerate development in the relatively poor north-eastern Polish region. In addition to cooking classes, the French are also training waiters with some 32 set to hone their service skills in 2010. “We try to show them how to best organize service, floral decorations and how to welcome the customer,” says Sylvie Le Meaux Sorin, a co-director of a hotel in Brittany and group trainer. The Warmia and Mazury region is also twinned with the province of Perugia, Italy, and Italian chefs are expected to start cooking in Olsztyn at the end of the year. “We want to be inspired by the French and Italian masters, who are proper chefs, not shortorder cooks,” says Igor Hutnikiewicz, director of Warmia and Mazury branding bureau which awards select establishments with the “Culinary Heritage” label. —AFP
ʻMission: Impossibleʼ star Peter Graves dies in LA
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US actors Sean Penn and Maria Bello walk toward the field hospital run by his aid group at the makeshift camp for earthquake survivors set up at the Petionville Golf Club in Portau-Prince, Sunday.—AP Thousands of families came to the valley golf course in the days after the quake, following the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and its food distributions onto the steep country club grounds. The group got a major boost Sunday in a visit by UN SecretaryGeneral Ban Ki-moon. He toured the facilities with Penn and actress-turned-aid worker Maria Bello-best known among the thinning crowd of US soldiers for her
turn in “Coyote Ugly.” Penn had never been to Haiti before — “It was just, you know, I saw ten minutes of news and we started organizing,” he said.-but after two months he talks like a veteran volunteer. “I don’t think that anybody who hasn’t been in places like this really understands what poverty is, and what a real lack of infrastructure is,” he said. But he speaks more freely than most aid workers do, decrying disaster profiteers and corrupt
local officials who siphon aid, calling for more floored tents to help families at risk for disease and floods, and warning that recent outbursts of violence in the camp could be signs of rising tension. When a Haitian reporter walks up and asks him about his personal accomplishments in Haiti, the actor cringes. “What have I been doing? Well, I’ve spent the last 20 minutes talking to you.” He turns around, and goes back to work.—AP
ctor Peter Graves, who starred in the 1960s TV show “Mission: Impossible” and the “Airplane!” movies, died in Los Angeles Sunday. He was 83. Graves’ spokesman said the actor died of an apparent heart attack at his house in the coastal suburb of Pacific Palisades. He had returned home after attending a family brunch to celebrate his upcoming birthday on Thursday. The younger brother of “Gunsmoke” actor Jim Arness, Graves gained widespread recognition in 1967, when he took the role as leader of the “Impossible Missions Force” on popular TV spy drama “Mission: Impossible.” He portrayed Jim Phelps, who would receive his team’s next mission instructions on a tape that would self-destruct in a puff of smoke. Graves stayed on the US series until it was cancelled in
Peter Graves 1973, then later reprised the role in a TV revival from 1988-1990. Graves is perhaps better known to modern audiences for his deadpan comedic role in 1980 spoof “Airplane!” in which he played the not-so-subtle pedophile pilot of a seemingly doomed jet.
The actor often told a story that he initially wanted to turn down the role, but was talked into it after being convinced by the filmmakers that his dry, deadpan delivery was exactly what was needed to make the spoof work. Graves appeared in about 130 films and television shows. In recent years, he hosted US cable TV series, including the A&E Network’s long-running historical series, “Biography.” Born Peter Aurness on March 18, 1926, in Minneapolis, Graves worked at a local radio station as a teenager and later attended the University of Minnesota, where he majored in drama. He made his film debut in the 1951 crime drama “Rogue River,” and two years later won acclaim portraying a German spy placed among allied prisoners of war in “Stalag 17.”—Reuters