19 Apr

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

40 PAGES

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010

JAMADA ALAWAL 5, 1431 AH

Tears and prayers as pope meets abuse victims

Pakistan rock renaissance defies dwindling concerts

Saudis seek to abolish customs duty on steel

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conspiracy theories

Stop! This is taboo!!!

By Badrya Darwish

U

sually countries opt to privatize to enhance services. Usually governments tend to privatize the public sector as a way of enhancing and upgrading the services of this sector, such as railways, electricity and power stations, healthcare, transportation systems - be it underground or airlines - post offices and water systems. The idea of privatization is to allocate greater budgets for such services and to be taken more seriously and with more dedication to reach a better level of service. Privatization makes a lot of difference in the quality of services.

It puts some burden on the citizens but at the end of the day, the customers get a better service.

Hence, we were all happy when we heard that our government is contemplating privatizing a few sectors, such as Kuwait Airways, which has been deteriorating in the past 15 years. Gradually, every Kuwaiti has shun away from the national airline which was the pride of the country in its heyday. Nobody regrets the privatization of Kuwait Airways. On the contrary, people are urging the government to hurry and sign the deal.

Kuwaitis do not mind the privatization of the post office services too. At least we might receive our letters on time, for a change. Telecommunications have done pretty well in the private sector though I am against the monopoly of having one or two telecommunication companies. But that is not the focus of my article today.

The scary thing I heard, and I do not know if it’s a rumour or it’s serious, is the privatization of the oil sector. I am sorry but I consider it more than red lines. It is taboo. You do not touch the country’s only source of income, which is oil. Why do you need to privatize the oil industry? It is giving the government enough revenues to spend left, right and centre whether in the right place or wrong place, it is another discussion.

At the end of the day it is the government who owns and controls the wealth of the country. It is the government which represents the nation and serves as a custodian for the people. Why should the oil go to the private sector? Whatever justification you give I do not think it should be accepted by the nation. The government should remain in power and control because oil is considered national wealth.

It should be supervised and controlled only by the government. Why should Kuwaitis be slaves to a clique of big names. No matter what guarantees the people will be given, certain things should not be touched.

After a little while these guarantees could be thrown in the dustbin. At least, if the government is in control, it will ensure that even if a foreign company, which is the case now, enters the oil sector, there will be strict conditions that the big chunk remains for the country. What is the necessity after all that the government wants to give up oil to the private sector? We have professional and dedicated people. They can run and enhance the situation in the oil fields. There is only need for supervision. Oil is not a sack of potatoes to be sold to the private sector.

Excuse me. I am sure that whoever is suggesting to the government to privatize the oil sector has an agenda - and what an agenda. God Bless Kuwait!

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Arsenal shattered by astonishing Wigan fightback PAGE 20

Kuwait mulls biennial tests for expat drivers

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Kuwait is mulling limiting the validity of foreigners’ driving licenses to two years and making drivers take a driving test every time they apply for a renewal. Under the new regulations, an expatriate’s driving license will be renewed alongside the residence permit, valid for two years. However, the

license will be renewed only if the foreigner submits evidence of a high salary and a university degree and successfully passes a new driving test, informed sources told Kuwait Times. Failure to present the evidence or to pass the test would automatically cancel the driver’s right to renew his or her license. A traffic directorate study concluded that the application of the new rules would

result in the cancellation of 300,000 licenses.

Kuwait has amended its procedures for getting new driving licenses and imposed new conditions stipulating that applicants should have lived in Kuwait for at least two years, hold a university degree and earn a minimum salary of KD 400 ($1,385). Housewives with children, doctors, professors, teachers,

nursing staff, translators and interpreters, accountants, managers, counselors, journalists, company heads, university students, technical staff, engineers and diplomatic staff are exempt from the regulations.

Foreigners who spoke to Kuwait Times said they are upset on the proposed limits on the validity of driving licenses. They added that those apply-

Minister assures MPs on jet deal Rafales to be tested in June • MoD vows transparency

By B Izzak

KUWAIT: Defence Minister Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah (right) smiles during his meeting with the National Assembly’s interior and defence committee at the parliament yesterday. At left is Communications Minister Mohammad Al-Busairi. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

KUWAIT: Defence Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak AlSabah yesterday assured the National Assembly’s interior and defense committee that Kuwait will not sign a deal to purchase a number of Frenchmade Rafale warplanes before completing all constitutional and legal requirements and getting the approval of the Audit Bureau. The assurances came during a meeting between the minister, accompanied by the chief of staff and high-ranking army officers, and committee members and other MPs, government spokesman and Communications Minister Mohammad Al-Busairi told reporters after the meeting.

“The defense minister assured the committee that the deal has not been signed and that it is still in the preliminary stages of offer and technical assessment by the ministry of defense,” Busairi said.

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ing for license renewal should not be required to undergo a driving test again.

“This is irrational. Such a proposal will never solve traffic problems and accidents on roads. The Traffic Department knows who are usually involved in most of the horrendous traffic accidents,” an expat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told Kuwait Times.

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Airport remains in state of alert

By Khaled Abdullah KUWAIT: Kuwait continues to place airport security on high alert to deal with any contingency amid intelligence reports that Iran has ordered proxies to hijack passenger planes from other Gulf states to destroy them either in Iraq or Iran. “The Airport Security Department is fully ready to deal with any emergencies according to an integrated mechanism to ensure the safety of Kuwait International Airport and its facilities,” department director Colonel Iyad AlHaddad said yesterday. Intelligence sources had earlier warned that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) wanted to destroy these aircraft either in Iraq or Iran.

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Saudi prince stars in TV commercial RIYADH: The appearance of a young Saudi prince, a grandson of the king, in a television commercial may have raised eyebrows in his country, but it shows Saudi Arabia’s royal family is slowly changing.

Prince Abdullah bin Meteb’s lead role in an advert for Saudi Arabia’s second-biggest mobile phone operator Etihad Etisalat (Mobily), has sparked a debate among diplomats and Saudis alike on what it could mean for the absolute monarchy, which has always been secretive about its internal affairs.

“Why is a Saudi prince on a television commercial? And why did it have to be the grandson of the king and not someone else?” one Riyadh-

based Western diplomat mused. The advert starring Prince Abdullah, a professional rider, and his sponsorship deal with Mobily, exposes discreet changes that have been affecting the Saudi royal family in recent years as it becomes ever larger and younger, said a Saudi analyst who is familiar with some royals.

There are several thousand Saudi princes, all descendants of the kingdom’s founder King Abdulaziz, who died in 1953.

“They are getting closer to the public. The number of young princes eclipses the number of patriarchs in the Saudi monarchy which is getting more bourgeois in its lifestyle,” the analyst said.

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8,000 fliers stranded in UAE Test flights raise hope for Europe air traffic DUBAI: More than 8,000 transit passengers have been stranded in the Gulf desert emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi by cancelled flights due to Europe’s volcanic ash cloud, Emirati airlines said yesterday. Emirates Airlines “is providing accommodation and three meals a day for approximately 6,000 passengers who were in transit (in Dubai) when the disruption began, at a cost of more than one million dollars a day,” the Dubai-based carrier said.

The disruption has cost the airline more than $50 million and affected a total of over 80,000 passengers, it said.

And 2,500 transit passengers on Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways have been stranded by cancellations since Thursday in the United Arab Emirates capital, a spokeswoman for the airline said. “We are accommodating those passengers in approximately 1,500 rooms in 12 hotels across the city,” the spokeswoman said, without giving an estimate of the costs to the airline.

Emirates said it scrapped all flights to Europe yester-

day except Moscow, Athens, L arnaca, Malta and Istanbul until April 20 due to an ash cloud that has drifted over Europe from a volcano in Iceland. Etihad said later that it has reinstated flights to Russia, but that services were cancelled to “the UK, Ireland, Belarus and the majority of its European destinations until further notice.”

Emirates said about 30 of its aircraft, or one-fifth of its fleet, were grounded due to the ash cloud. “The scale of this crisis is unlike anything I have experienced in my career,” said Emirates president Tim Clark. “The longer it continues, the more complex the recovery process becomes. We estimate it will take around 24 hours to get the flight schedules back to normal” after aircraft are given clearance to fly again, Clark said. “Over 80,000 passengers have been impacted” by the cancellations, Emirates said in a statement.

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Ahmadinejad hails Iran’s military might TEHRAN: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that Israel was on its way to collapse and extolled Iran’s military might during an annual army parade yesterday, saying the country is so powerful today that no one would dare attack it. The parade in Tehran showcased Iran’s surface-to-surface Ghadr, Sajjil and Shahab-3 missiles, which have a range of up to 2,000 km, putting Israel and US bases in the region within Iran’s reach. The Shahab-3 missile is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, adding to the concerns of the United Sates and other nations that fear Iran’s uranium enrichment program masks ambitions to produce an atomic bomb.

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“Today, our armed forces have so much power that no enemy will harbor evil thoughts about laying its hands on Iranian territory,” Ahmadinejad said at the parade marking National Army Day. The speech was broadcast live on state TV, which also showed segments of the parade. While parading, the soldiers were chanting, “On the order of Khamenei, I will give my life!” and “Nuclear energy is our right.” A military personnel carrier meanwhile sported banners reading “Death to America! Death to Israel!”

Ahmadinejad, who previously has angered Israel and Western countries for asserting that the Holocaust is a Continued on Page 14

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (second left) listens to his Defense Minister Gen Ahmad Vahidi, as a rocket is paraded during an army parade ceremony marking National Army Day yesterday. — AP

KRAKOW: Soldiers carry coffin of late Polish President Lech Kaczynski out of the Mariacki church yesterday. — AP

Poles bury president Air chaos keeps many world leaders away KRAKOW, Poland: Around 150,000 grieving Poles thronged Krakow yesterday as President Lech Kaczynski and his wife were buried beside ancient kings, but Europe’s air travel chaos kept many world leaders away. US President Barack Obama and dozens of other dignitaries failed to come to the elaborate state funeral because of a cloud of volcanic ash covering the region but Russian President Dmitry Medvedev arrived to show solidarity.

Medvedev called for the two nations, at loggerheads for decades, to unite in sorrow after the April 10 plane crash in Russia that killed the couple and 94 others, most of them figures from Poland’s military and political elite. Tearful mourners applauded Kaczynski and his wife Maria, tossed flowers and waved red and white flags as the cortege weaved through the narrow

streets of Poland’s former royal capital, after their bodies were flown from Warsaw.

Sirens wailed to mark the start of the funeral mass at the Basilica of Our Lady in Krakow’s central square. Huge crowds gathered outside the Gothic church to see the service relayed live on giant screens. The couple’s coffins were afterwards borne on military gun carriages to Krakow’s Wawel castle, where they were lowered into an amber-coloured sarcophagus in the cathedral crypt alongside Poland’s past monarchs, saints and poets.

The Archbishop of Krakow, Stanislaw Dziwisz, thanked the foreign leaders who came to the service and said he hoped the crash would help end tensions between Russia and Poland, its former client state during the communist era.

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Monday, April 19, 2010

Al-Hayef makes new proposal

Call for religious attachés in Kuwaiti embassies KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti lawmaker has called for the appointment of religious attachés in Kuwaiti embassies in non-Muslim countries. “The attaché should be appointed by the Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Ministry in various Kuwaiti embassies,” MP Mohammad Al-Hayef said. “He will highlight Islamic values in those countries and help Muslim minorities better appreciate Islam,” he said. The attaché , with the same status as the culture or media attachés, would assist Kuwaiti charity work and address the issues they face providing assistance to those in need.

KUWAIT: Undersecretary of the Kuwaiti Public Works Ministry Abdulaziz Al-Kulaib said yesterday the ministry finalized the preparations for its second conference, to be held on April 20-22. The conference titled “solutions and potentials” will focus on three main points namely, the traffic jams and mass transport, tapping into recycled water, and the mechanism for accelerating the implementation of strategic projects, Al-Kolaib said in a press conference here. “The ministry has been preparing for this gathering a long time ago and held a series of seminars each of which dealt with one of three main themes of the conference,” he pointed out. — KUNA

“The attaché will be able to appreciate the problems of Muslims in those countries and offer advice to solve their problems,” Al-Hayef said. The attaché must have a degree from a religious university and must have worked as an imam in a mosque, he added.

The Islamic Affairs Ministry should pay for all his expenses, just as the Education Ministry looks after cultural attachés and the Information Ministry takes care of information attachés, AlHayef said.

Several countries have appointed religious attachés who take on roles similar to those of cultural officers. They often perform public diplomacy and strengthen links between the two countries.

In another development, the Cabinet decision to ban strikes and punish those who carry them out was met with negative reactions from citizens and labor unions, reported Al-Qabas. Opponents to the decision said that the right to strike is a form of freedom that should be protected along with all other freedoms.

Citizens regarded the decision as an attempt to restrict freedom as well as distract attention away from the details of the development plan. MPs continue to voice their rejection to all attempts by the government to restrict freedom, including the punishment of protestors.

The government has pushed for the new regulation in an attempt to address the increasing number of strikes taking place in the country within the past few years. This approach has been widely rejected by the public.

Kuwait highly respected by Germans BERLIN: The upcoming visit of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to Germany comes to highlight the distinguished relations between the two countries, said Secretary General of the German-Arab Chamber of Commerce Abdulaziz AlMikhlafi yesterday.

Speaking on the occasion of the visit, AlMikhlafi said that Kuwait was highly respected by the German society and by official and economic institution, noting that Kuwait was one of the first Arab states to invest in the European country back in the 1970s.

In terms of economy, he said that Kuwait was keen on enhancing its commercial ties with countries of the world, and thus His Highness Sheikh Sabah’s visit to Germany will boost economic and political relations between the two sides.

Al-Mikhlafi noted that the Kuwaiti Amir, who will be accompanied by a high-ranking economic delegation grouping Chairman of Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ali Thunayan Al-Ghanim, would be meeting with representatives of the German economic sector and heads of German companies.

He noted that Kuwait was an active participant in economic activities organized by the German-Arab Chamber of Commerce, explained that the chamber’s main role was to enhance commercial and economic relations between Germany and the Arab world.

Trade exchange between Germany and the Arab world was at its peak in 2008, before falling 13 percent in 2009 due to the global financial crisis.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Foreign Minister of Ethipia Seyoum Mesfinextolled the wisdom of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait

Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah in the foreign affairs and particularly in the Horn of Africa.

During reception of Kuwait’s Ambassador here Ahmad Salem Al-Wuhaib, Mesfin said he has confidence in the wisdom of HH the Amir in running foreign affairs and his keenness in maintaining peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.

He praised his recent visit to Kuwait during which he had met with His Highness the Prime Minister, Kuwait Investment Authority and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) as well as with Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He hailed bilateral ties between his country and Kuwait at all levels. For his part, Al-Wuhaib invited Ethiopian investors to come invest in Kuwait and take advantage of the numerous investment opportunities available in Kuwait.— KUNA

kuwait digest

Fighting AIDS in Kuwait

Q

uoting Awan’s newspaper, issued on April 5th, Dr Yaqub Al-Sharrah in his AlRai column yesterday referred to a report issued by the National Program for Fighting AIDS. The report stated that despite the fact that the first AIDS case was discovered in Kuwait 25 years ago, the country still classifies much AIDS-related information.

‘Withholding information on contagious diseases is much different than withholding information about normal ones,’ he stressed.

Al-Sharrah noted that such information is very important to all people and that is specifically why advanced nations offer comprehensive awareness campaigns; to prevent further people

from getting the infection.

‘AIDS is very dangerous, it could infect a person’s family or acquaintances without their knowledge,’ he continued. It’s a life-threatening disease and when advanced can completely destroy immune systems and nervous systems, he added.

According to the most recent report, made in Dec 2009, there were 160 AIDS patients in Kuwait, he wrote. ‘Only 131 of them were under special medical treatment, 101 males and 30 females.

There are unregistered cases, of course but combating this particular disease needs careful planning, special awareness campaigns and special treatment courses.’

Dual nationality holders to lose Kuwaiti citizenship KUWAIT: An attorney recently addressed the dual citizenship issue, asserting the significance of the citizenship law for the security of the country. He pointed out that the constitution states a citizen is no longer entitled to his Kuwaiti nationality should he willingly accept a second nationality, reported Al-Watan.

“Article 11 of the citizenship law strictly indicates that a citizen automatically loses his or her citizenship should they willingly receive the citizenship of any other country,” said attorney Riyadh Al-Sanea.

He added that there is no need for an official decision to be made and that the decision is automatic.

Furthermore, Al-Sanea indicated that dual citizenship is considered an act of forging an official document.

He explained that since a dual citizen is automatically not allowed his Kuwaiti citizenship, providing authorities with information claiming that he is a citizen would be false and considered an act of forgery.

KUWAIT: The honored employees with senior officials. — KUNA

Zain distinguished employees honored KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Mobile Telecommunications Company (Zain) yesterday said that the human element is the basis major institutions depend on in their success and plans to reach the desired objectives.

Chief Executive Officer Khalid Al-Hajri said during a ceremony to honor a group of distinguished personnel that the human

No fingerprint exemptions KUWAIT: Education minister Dr. Moudhi Al-Humoud has reportedly not yet issued any decision on whether or not to exempt Ministry of Education (MoE) staff with over 20 years’ service from having to use the electronic fingerprint attendance recording system at work.

An education ministry insider told Al-Anba that, whatever the minister’s choice, the ultimate decision in this matter would rest with the Civil Service Commission (CSC), which is the party responsible for regulating work attendance criteria for all ministries.

element is the first step in establishing the administrative structure of the institutions, which they need to overcome the challenges during the implementation of their strategies.

He added that the honoring aims to create a vibrant working environment through which staff can develop their performance and become eligible to benefit

greatly from the opportunities that contribute to raising Zain’s competitiveness and work in a spirit of belonging to the company.

He explained, “From this point, human resources management has adopted this program as an incentive for all staff and workers in the company to improve the overall performance required.” — KUNA

local spotlight

Expats and driving licenses

By Muna Al-Fuzai

K

uwait’s traffic situation is problematic, who is responsible for it? A local official told a newspaper that it is the expatriates’ fault; they obtain driving licenses through deception. Now, where did he get this piece of information from and how true is it?

First of all, if this is true, then the Ministry of Interior (to which the individual is affiliated to) must commence an investigation and arrest those involved in issuing driving licenses to unqualified people who fail to meet the standards set by the ministry as a safety requirement for drivers.

Secondly, if expatriates are the ones creating the mess, then what role does the traffic department and traffic engineers play? Aren’t they in charge of planning out Kuwait’s roads?

Does that mean all Kuwaitis are guileless? It is easy to blame the expatriates here for all our mistakes, even for offenses that directly involves our own country!

I think such allegations are baseless and unjust. This is our country. However, instead of admitting our share of the blame for corruptive practices, some Kuwaitis find it easier to attack others, especially non-Kuwaitis for every fault. I see no harm in allowing anyone obtaining a driving license if he or she meets with the required

criteria.

Honestly, the country’s horrible traffic planning should be discussed more openly. For example, for years people waited for the Fifth Ring Road to be reworked. Now look at it, it is like a snake game. Motorists have been suffering because of the Sheraton roundabout. Look at it, until today we have only been witnessing the roundabout’s expansion. Probably now it is time that authorities thought of turning it into a tunnel!

Now, I was angry to read the falsehoods mouthed by the official. Blaming others will not help resolve the situation. We Kuwaitis should serve as a role model to every expatriate.

Instead of doing so, we like to heap insults on them and accuse them of being cheats simply because they were able to obtain driving licenses. Kuwait has a dry, hot climate and it is impossible to be mobile in this country without a car.

So, yes, everyone wants to buy a car of their own. Also, most working people require a car. If the procedures involved in issuing driving licenses are dishonorable, it doesn’t mean that everyone is a cheat!

Kuwait needs a change. I don’t mean in terms of adjustment but a complete change in road planning. We, Kuwaitis need people to respect traffic laws. When we are ‘perfect’ we can consider ourselves worthy enough to blame those who threaten our traffic system and punish those who flout the norms. muna@kuwaittimes.net

Serviceman assaults Interior staff member KUWAIT: A serviceman who works with the Ministry of Defense was recently arrested after he was caught outside of the Girls’ Commercial Studies Institute in Hawally harassing female students, reported Al-Qabas.

The youngster then physically assaulted the driver of an Interior Ministry bus, which was supposed to take him to detention, before escaping on foot. Following the incident, the driver went to the area’s police station and filed a case against the youth. The youngster now faces charges including; physical assault, offending a state employee while carrying out his duties, and resisting arrest.

Investigations are ongoing in pursuit of the runaway harasser.

Patriotism in Kuwait’s curriculum

By Rawan Khalid KUWAIT: The Ministry of Education plans to change the curriculum of schools so as to include more information on Kuwaiti heritage and patriotism. The changes are expected to affect students in all grades, from kindergarten to high school. Teachers, parents, and students are pleased with the news, excited at the opportunity to learn more about their own

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Monday, April 19, 2010

country or the country where they live as residents.

Muna Mohammad, a mother of two, said “one of my children is in the third grade and I really want him to learn and know more about the country he and his family live in. I want him to be loyal to Kuwait, I want him to be patriotic.”

Laila Fadel, a mother of five, said “all my kids are in school, the youngest one of them is in the 6th grade. Over time the

curriculums have changed a lot. I remember how the curriculum was in our day, with very few details about Kuwait or any other country.”

“I live with my kids every day, Laila added. “I see how the curriculums change every year. The more they change the more details and information gets added to the curriculum about Kuwait. The funny thing is that, as I teach them, I learn just as much about Kuwait as my kids do.”

Travelers wait for volcanic ash cloud to disperse

European air traffic remains paralyzed, travelers stranded

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: The volcanic ash cloud that has paralyzed air traffic across Europe continues to cause chaos as it enters its fifth day today, although air traffic control chiefs yesterday called for reassessment of the resulting travel restrictions. Travelers to and from Kuw ait have altered their travel plans, w aiting for the ash cloud to disperse.

The flight has disrupted the traveling plans of many expatriates and Kuwaitis living in Kuwait. Khaled, 32, cancelled his plans to visit a family member who is receiving treatment in the United Kingdom until further notice. “There is nothing we can do; it is all in the hands of Allah,” he said.

Fear that the ash cloud may continue affecting air traffic for a longer time than first thought has led to a number of people expressing concern about their summer vacations, with many experts predicting that the resultant flight problems could continue for a long time.

Noor, a 20-year old Kuwaiti woman who had planned to travel to France this summer to look into the possibility of studying there, now fears that she might have to reconsider that plan.

“It is a force of nature; we can’t stop it

According to new s reports, the Kuw aiti Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah and his accompanying delegation remain in Paris, although their official mission there ended on Saturday. The delegation’s flight to London w as cancelled, leading to the cancella tion of the Prime Minister’s lecture a t Oxford University’s Center for Islamic Studies w hich w as scheduled to take place today.

and this makes me fear similar things happening in the future. I hope it will pass by the summer, but for now all we can do is just wait and keep hoping,” she said.

Rasha, a Lebanese expat in her thirties who is currently in London on a business trip, told the Kuwait Times that the situation there is really tense as people rush to train stations to make alternative travel arrangements wherever possible.

“Some people might want to seize the day, enjoy being stuck in a metropolitan city and just hit the malls to do more shopping,” she jokingly said, adding on a more serious note, “People are frustrated that this could continue to be the case for a long time. Staying in a hotel is going to cost them, and they have many obligations at home that they need to attend to and look after. Not being home

for these things is also going to cost them.”

According to US weather forecasting site AccuWeather, the ash cloud is expected to become more concentrated over the next two days, posing a greater threat to air travel. At the same time, however, it is also expected to become narrower, affecting a smaller area.

Although jets from two airlines, Berlin Air and KLM, flew through the ash plume yesterday and reported no damage, a number of major airlines have still not mentioned any plans to resume flights in the near future.

The volcano began erupting last Wednesday for the second time in a month from below Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull glacier, hurling a plume of ash between six and 11 kilometers into the atmosphere.

Business owners angry with MSAL’s new system KUWAIT: The owner Waleed Al-Marshud, his wife and the models during the launching ceremony.

—Photo by Joseph Shagra

Atyaab Al-Marshud launches exclusive French perfume

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: The Atyaab Al-Marshud (perfumery) launched its latest French perfume Nabucco at their branch located in Salhiya Complex on Thursday. Nabucco will only be sold at this perfumery, the only outlet in the country to exclusively sell this product.

With this, Atyaab Al-Marshud will gain the unique distinction of being the only Arabic company that will dedicate an entire branch to sell a French perfume.

The opening ceremony was attended by many officials, businessmen and members of the media. Nabucco is one of the most gallant men’s French perfumes, mixed with an Arabic blend. Amytis is the feminine ver-

sion of the perfume. Thanks to its strong concentration, it can last for a few days. In addition, perfume bottle has a beautiful shape.

The ‘N’ of the Nabucco logo is representative of an infinity sign. It consists of a capital letter ‘N’ (in white), positioned flush left and centered, within a bounding rectangle.

Bordered on three sides only, the open side of the ‘N’ reaffirms the infinity ideal; of time and space, creativity and craftsmanship.

It also represents social status, mystery and craftsmanship (it is made of wood; painted in gold). Behind the mask one can, freely express oneself, be liberated of any social stigma (be on equal with all), be brave, individualistic, and innocent.

The Musharabia, is an extension of the mystery of the mask; a certain respect for an individual’s privacy. A repetition of the Nabucco ‘infinity’ logo creates a pleasing symmetrical pattern. The perfume is a realization of something that existed and has been forgotten; a time when fragrances elevated the senses, and applying perfume was a ritual. It was created as a result of a creative collaboration of artisans from varied fields. Their main purpose is to awaken the senses through a collaboration of expertise in perfumery, packaging, food, music, painting and architecture. The makers of the perfume say that it is an expression of an irreverent and eclectic style, not meant to impose but to be shared.

in my view

The power of vivid visual imagery

By Fouad Al-Obaid s I was watching a video clip featuring numerous renowned musicians for Haiti, all that came to mind was wow!

The power of the song, the unity shown by artists along with powerful lyrics, all made for a rather emotional song that appealed to my humanity as I listened to the song while watching the clip.

Without going into a debate about what some Islamist MPs have vis-a-vis music, all I thought while watching the clip is how the different artists, regardless of their differing agendas and objectives within the industry; from old to new, established newly on the scene came together for one noble purpose.

Regardless of that, the time and effort taken to create such a song and video are worthy of study.

Having had numerous talks over the past few weeks with friends from all walks of life, our conversations tended to get rather philosophical and deep. In one of the debates, a rather interesting point of view was brought to the forefront of discussion, where a friend mentioned, “Those that have problems with their past cannot and do not want to live in the present.” What is derived from this simple thought is grandiose.

A

How many times have readers heard of the glory of the Islamic Ummah? How many times have you heard that religion is a source of blessing and grace for humanity, that before the Arabs used to practice female infanticide and that such practices are against religion let alone common human sense and morality?

Now the real question is, how many are aware that the past is gone, and with it all forms of glory? How many are aware that if one is to regain such glory, then they need to be sincere in effort and should strive towards developing the self before calling on empowering others, let alone the nation or Ummah!

Many societies in our region are repressive. A vast majority of the people do not fulfill their duties, out of love for work. Rather it is done out of fear of retribution -various deeds, tasks, and rituals. Should one decide not to follow such works, he or she will most likely be shunned. Depending on cultures and its mores, some might even be called traitors, blasphemers, infidels, and ignorant Imams and Sheikhs, and may not hesitate to call for their murder!

We have, perhaps, had in our history various periods of strength and power. It does not take a genius to see that such might is now a thing of the past. While today as collective Islamic states, we have emerged from mass poverty and backwardness. Such an observation can be viewed as being harsh. However, the reality on the ground in any ‘Islamic’ country is clear. This all goes to say that I believe there is a difference between two distinct

things. Islam the religion is a blessing for humanity, and the book of God. The Holy Quran is a source of immense knowledge and wisdom to those that read it and reflect upon it.

However, the religion and the ‘men of God’ who have no proper schooling. As many commentators have stated time and again, they are nothing more than propaganda PR specialists that for the most part have a sort of charisma and eloquence. They appeal only to those that are uneducated. For those that are educated and use the most precious tools granted to humanity by the Almighty. They will see that many of the self-professed Sheikhs have no problem giving advice. As one commentator states, “They will advice you on prayer, and on embryonic biology, fasting, and industry”!

It is unfortunate to state, however, that only when we will stop living in the past, and start living in the present while looking forward to the future that we will be able to develop and unleash our potentials.

Furthermore, only when we will be able to read the scriptures and understand what it is that we are reading and make informed decisions based on a self analysis of the issues at hand that we will be able to build a pure society, in accordance with the decree of God. If one is to become a leader, those that lead by being role models will aspire to the ones that history will remember and commend. fouad@kuwaittimes.net

in the news Emergency plan effective KUWAIT: The plan put together by the operations department of the Ministry of Interior on how to handle heavy rainfall proved successful against the large storm on Saturday morning, reported Al-Watan. The plan’s efforts helped reduce the damages of the rainfall as much as possible. “The plan was successful in coordinating the departments of security, traffic, police, and civil defense,” said Lieutenant Dr Mustafa Al-Zabi, undersecretary assistant for operations affairs. He added that officials with the Ministry of Public Works, fire services and medical emergency response teams were also well coordinated. The ministry contacted media outlets to spread instruction and messages on how to handle the situation. Meanwhile, security patrols were deployed in order to remove any billboards or trees knocked down by the storm. The efforts proved effective in saving the lives of three Egyptians trapped on a building under construction in Hawally as well as in putting out a fire that occurred in an

apartment in Nugra. No injuries were reported in the operations.

Women’s Economic Forum KUWAIT: A number of prominent women from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia participated in the First GCC Women’s Economic Forum that was held in Kuwait on April 6 and 7. They reached a common consensus on issuing guidelines that contained recommendations to improve women’s role in the economic sector.

Among the recommendations made by participants was a suggestion put forward by Nabeela Al-Anjari to establish a network for GCC businesswomen, in addition to establishing a committee that coordinates between leading female figures in the GCC economic zone. While inviting more leading GCC businesswomen to participate in future courses of the forum, participants also recommended the establishment of a mechanism according to which GCC women can make their presence felt in the GCC General Secretariat.

KUWAIT: Local business owners are reportedly angry at problems with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor’s recently introduced computerized system, which have led to transactions for over 50,000 workers being delayed for more than two weeks, causing financial losses running into thousands of dinars.

While investigations continue into the reasons behind the problems with the new system, it’s believed by some that the government’s determination to stamp out human trafficking in the country by introducing the system have led to those involved in the illegal enterprise putting great efforts into thwarting its successful implementation.

“Human trafficking mafias are doing all they can to ensure the [computer-

ized] system’s failure so that their illegal practices can continue and remain undetected,” said one senior MSAL official. The ministry insider further revealed that a high-level meeting took place at the ministry office in Jabriya where the system is headquartered between senior officials of the MSAL and interior ministry, reported AlWatan. The MSAL insider said that those attending the meeting had concluded that the problems with the system “could not happen unless they were carried out by people with access to the system.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr. Mohammad AlAfasi described the presence of excessive numbers of unskilled expatriate workers in Kuwait as “disturbing,”

emphasizing the importance of the ministry’s taking all the necessary measures to control this phenomenon, which he pointed out has led to Kuwaitis being a minority in their own country.

Speaking at a gathering held at former MP Duaij Al-Shemmari’s diwaniya, Dr. Al-Afasi also revealed that draft bills on Co-op Societies, social assistance and family custody have been presented for parliamentary debate.

He also explained that the establishment of a new public authority for disabled affairs is shortly to be announced, as well as emphasizing the importance of the state sector having control over the charity work being carried out in the country.

NATIONAL

4 Kuwaiti diplomats in Britain exerting efforts to help patients, students LONDON: The Director of Kuwait Health Office in London Dr. Yaqoub Al-Tammar said yesterday the office was exerting relentless efforts to help Kuwaiti patients during period of recovery until their safe return home, noting that due to the shutdown of Heathrow airport for two days, patients were forced to return to the British capital.

Al-Tammar said that there were three to four Kuwaiti patients who ended their treatment and supposed to return home last night, but the closure of Heathrow forced them to return to the health office. He said the office has taken care of their accommodation for next couple of days until the reopening of the airport.

Al-Tammar said office’s staff were always ready to help all Kuwaitis in case of emergency during their travel, calling on Kuwaiti patients who still receive treatment not to hesitate to call in the office in case of emergency.

Earlier today, His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah instructed the offering of all possible assistance to Kuwaitis stranded abroad as a result of the volcanic ash cloud over Europe,

until their return to Kuwait.

Acting Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs Sheikh Ali Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah said in a statement that the competent official authorities and Kuwaiti embassies abroad have been informed of HH the Amir’s orders to follow up issues and conditions of all citizens abroad and those who could not return home because of the paralysis of the international navigation in most European countries as a result of volcanic ash.

For his part, the Director of the Kuwait’s Culture Office in London Dr Bandar Al-Raqqas said the office, acting upon instructions of the Amir, set a telephone hot-line to respond to inquiries by all Kuwaitis studying in UK universities to help them.

Al-Raqqas added that some students who currently back in Kuwait and are facing similar problems returning to their schools after the national vacations here has ended.

The Director noted that his office will contact universities and explain reasons behind the delay, hoping that the administrative departments of the universities would understand the emergency situation the students are facing. —KUNA

Monday, April 19, 2010

Best universities coming

French education expo to go ahead despite flight problems

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Despite continuing flight cancellations and restrictions across Europe due to the Icelandic volcano eruption, the French Embassy in Kuwait announced yesterday that it is going ahead with its education fair scheduled The first event of its kind for the French Embassy in Kuwait, the education fair is due to be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Salwa from 9am-8pm.

“The education fair will be divided into two phases; the first one will be meetings between representatives of French universities and Kuwait universities, while the second phase will be an open house for Kuwaiti students,” he explained.

Deseez admitted that France had not been a customary destination for Kuwaiti students since many would prefer an English-speaking country rather than a Francophone one as their first choice for higher studies.

“We would like to promote our education and develop links between Kuwaiti students and universities here. Language should never be a barrier since subjects are taught in English.

Besides, we have the best universities compared to other EU countries and the lifestyle and the environment are incompa-

rable,” he enthused.

Deseez noted that France welcomes about 100 Kuwaiti students every year, most of them government-sponsored scholars. Most of the Kuwaiti students enter faculties of arts, business, architecture, literature, medicine, law and engineering, he revealed, adding, “We are happy that the education trend is changing, with many Kuwaitis now considering France as the best place for their education.”

Asked about the procedures for student visa application, Deseez mentioned that the French educational authorities have made this easier for foreign students.

Interested students should first report personally at the French Embassy, where they’ll be met by an academic attaché for a short interview and will have to fill in and sign a visa applicant form. After this, they must wait for two weeks for the visa to be processed after which the process is completed.

“We used to give residency

for this Thursday (April 22). The decision was announced by Olivier Deseez, the French Embassy’s Cultural and Education Councilor, at a press conference held at their embassy in Mansouriya yesterday. “Out of 20 participants, only five have cancelled their attendance, so, overall we still have 15 confirmed universities joining the education exhibition on Thursday,” Deseez said.

KUWAIT: Olivier Deseez addressing local media yesterday. —Photo by Joseph Shagra permit once they [the students] were in France,” Deseez explained, “but we’ve now changed this policy so that we give the residency permits once

they get their student visa.”

Kuwait and France signed an education cooperation treaty back in the 1980s and have subsequently had outstanding

cooperation in this field.

Teachers and students exchanges are just two of the most active components of the treaty.

All states must have access to peaceful nuke energy: Kuwait TEHRAN: A senior Kuwaiti official yesterday asserted the right of all states and peoples to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and take advantage of advanced technology in this field.

In a speech delivered at the nuclear disarmament conference taking place in Tehran, Nasser Mehareb, the Acting Director of the Kuwaiti foreign ministry’s Department for International Organizations, said, “The State of Kuwait reaffirms that all states and peoples have the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and technology for peaceful purposes.”

Mehareb explained that the State of Kuwait strongly believes that the possession of any nuclear weapons does not bring security to any state, stressing that the proliferation of such weapons would increase tensions and

The honoring ceremony.

Al-Mutawaa is seen with the coach of the team Waleed Al-Nasser.

Al-Mutawaa poses with the hotel’s director and members of the team.

NBK hosts dinner reception KUWAIT: The Director of Sports Committee Musaed AlMutawwa, National Bank of Kuwait, extended an invitation to the international banks’ football team, to a dinner held in their honor. It was held on

the occasion of the team achieving second place in the football tournament that was organized by Banks Club for employees and subsidiary companies at Kuwait Hayat hotel.

Al-Mutawaa expressed thanks

and appreciation to the Chairman of Kuwait International Bank and top management for honoring the team and allocating special bonuses for their efforts, faithfulness and sportive spirit.

conflicts between peoples, and could lead to a terrifying nuclear arms race in the region that would pose a threat to security and stability.

The senior foreign ministry official also expressed Kuwait’s hope that all member states would comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to work closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

He said that Kuwait stresses the importance of continuing dialogue and negotiations between the IAEA and the Islamic Republic of Iran, voicing Kuwait’s concerns at the current international situation and stating that “Israel’s policy of violating all international and humanitarian laws and its non-compliance with the NPT in defiance of the international community is a very dangerous attitude that undermines all constructive

attempts by the Arab states and threatens peace and security in our region.”

Kuwait calls on Israel to immediately accede to the treaty and abandon its nuclear arsenal and subject all its nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency, said Mehareb, adding that Israel’s situation is a clear violation of the balance of power and a constant concern for the Middle East.

“The State of Kuwait calls on the international community to halt sales of scientific and technological means that contribute to the promotion of nuclear weapons in Israel or any other country seeking to develop its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction”, he said.

The senior Kuwaiti official added that the international community is

still experiencing many challenges that threaten the credibility of treaties and international conventions, asserting that these must be supported and fully implemented, but warning “We are still seeing a significant decline in achieving the universality of the NPT.” Mehareb said that the failure of some states to monitor the implementation of their commitments and their selectivity regarding the extent of their compliance with the treaty would adversely affect their credibility and undermine all the efforts and endeavors, as well as calling into question the NPT’s objectives and universality and creating a rift in the mutual confidence between states, which threatens the issues of balancing security and regional and international stability. —KUNA

Commercial Control sent 133 reports last week KUWAIT: A major shopping store was shutdown following a direct order from the Minister of Commerce and Industry, reported Al-Watan.

Rashid Al-Hajri, head of the consumers’ protection department at the ministry, announced that illegal and inappropriate materials was sold in the store.

The discovery was made during a regular inspection of one of the country’s major malls. After the inappropriate items were discovered, a report was sent to the commercial prosecution and a decision to shut down the store was made.

Within the past week, the commercial prosecution took legal action on 133 similar reports filed by the commercial control department. AlHajri acknowledged the ministry inspectors’ efforts to detect the suspicious activities of these shops.

SANAA: Kuwaiti and Yemeni officials pose for a group photograph. —KUNA

Yemen Society praises Kuwaiti aid SANAA: President of the Yemeni Red Crescent Society, Dr Mohammed Al-Kabbab praised yesterday the Kuwaiti

humanitarian assistance in supporting Yemeni refugees that have fled Saada.

Al-Kabbab said following a meeting with volunteers of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS), that Yemen’s leadership, government and people highly appreciated the efforts made by Kuwaitis in supporting Yemen throughout this crisis.

He said that the State of Kuwait is one of the first countries that provided all kinds of humanitarian aid for the relief of displaced persons from Saada,

stressing that it contributed effectively in lessening their suffering.

He called on all organizations and international humanitarian agencies to increase efforts in lessening the suffering of those in need, and support governmental efforts in the reconstruction of Saada province.

Al-Kabbab added that the fourth batch of aid included foodstuff and a fully equipped ambulance, will be distributed as needed to camps for refugees.

He praised the level of

cooperation between Yemen and Kuwait in various fields, adding that it reflects the leadership’s keenness to enhance bilateral relations. The Kuwait Red Crescent Society sent in mid-February a convoy of relief assistance consisting six trucks that carried 4,000 blankets, 2,000 cans of food in addition to 2,000 food packages, a total 80 tons. Last October, it sent 16 trucks weighing 320 tons, including 4,550 tents 15, 000 blankets, 3,000 plastic covers. —KUNA

Woman held captive, forced into prostitution KUWAIT: The husband of a maid kidnapped in Sulaibikhat at the beginning of last week, whose abductor phoned him to demand a KD 350 ransom for her release before informing him that the woman was being held captive and has been forced into prostitution, has spoken out about the incident, as the police continue to pursue his wife’s captor and free her.

The distraught husband, who works as a chauffeur for a Kuwaiti family, revealed that he had brought his wife to Kuwait to live with him

ten months ago, leaving their fiveyear-old daughter to be cared for by family members back home, finding her a domestic worker’s job with another Kuwaiti family in Sulaibikhat. The woman finished work late one night last week, calling a taxi to take her back to their flat, her husband explained.

“Instead, the taxi driver drove to Al-Hasawi where he sold her to a compatriot who worked as a pimp for 300 dinars,” said her husband, explaining that he had discovered this when he received a phone call

from the kidnapper last Wednesday.

In the call, the kidnapper demanded a KD 350 ransom to release her, threatening to force her permanently into prostitution if the husband refused to pay the money. Nor was this his only threat.

“He threatened to kill her if I informed the authorities,” the husband said, explaining that at this point he had asked for his sponsor’s advice, with the sponsor urging him to contact the Sulaibikhat police and tell them everything, which he immediately did.

NATIONAL

Monday, April 19, 2010

5 A tool for reform, says expert

Kuwait taxation ‘to raise patriotic spirit’

By Ahmad Saeid KUWAIT: Adopting taxation policies will help enhance public services and raise the patriotic spirit of the country, said an economic expert. Hajjaj Bokhathour made his comments folThe expert said that the government needs to adopt a number of policies before starting taxation. “First, they need to raise public awareness about the importance of taxation and how it can enhance the services provided by the government,” Bokhathour said.

“Meanwhile, the government needs to start by imposing service taxes and enhancing consumer protection legislation in order to make sure tax incomes are used to provide better services for consumers.” Bokhathour explained

lowing a recent news report on the likelihood of the Kuwaiti government to adopt an income tax policy as part of the ‘Vision Kuwait 2035’ development plan. “Taxation improves self censorship among citizens and will help reduce the culture of consumption in the society,” Bokhathour told Kuwait Times.

that imposing service taxes on companies will make them search for ways to maximize the efficiency of their services by reducing cost.

He argued that due to the small size of the Kuwaiti market, anti-monopoly regulations must be considered within the taxation policy so that companies with monopolies will pay more taxes to the government.

“The good thing about taxation is that it can be tailor made to suit any situation,” Bokhathour noted. “Although imposing service

taxes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) increased the cost of living in that country, it also helped to offer better services and provided the government a better infrastructure. This is a very close example.”

A number of MPs already expressed their refusal to impose an income tax policy in the country. Meanwhile, the argument over the controversial privatization law continues in the National Assembly. Its first reading was approved with 33 votes in favor of the bill.

kuwait digest

No development without privatization congratulate the Kuwaiti people on the passing of the privatization law at its first parliamentary reading and sincerely hope that, after its decade-long suspension which negatively affected the country’s development, it will be fully endorsed at the second reading, writes columnist Nasser Al-Khorafi in Al-Qabas.

That being said, it’s disappointing to see that a number of MPs have repeatedly attempted to prevent this law from being passed, going so far as to give unrealistic justifications for their claims.

The difficulties faced recently by Kuwaiti private sector companies were caused initially by the insistence on maintaining state control over the private sector in all aspects, unlike other countries regionally and globally, which opted to take the path of productivity and end the unnec-

I

KUWAIT: The parking lots and overhead bridges under construction at public hospitals.

—Photos by KUNA

essary squandering of public funds.

For an example of this, take a look at the projects which the government allowed the private sector to invest in, which managed to achieve great returns for both their private and public sector investors. Meanwhile, those which remained under the government’s control continued to struggle, costing the state major losses.

Not only will privatization increase the country’s revenues, but it will reduce public expenditure, raise the skills, qualifications and productivity levels of Kuwaiti manpower, making citizens and, as a result, their nation more productive.

On the other hand, we can see that a failure to follow the privatization path will allow the use of ‘wasta’ to continue and increase, ensuring that citizens are unin-

terested in real development as long as they have ensured their own public sector jobs, and wasting the real and immense talent of Kuwaiti citizens.

I was especially upset by one MP’s statement in which he claimed that the recent Zain-Africa deal was made for the sole purpose of allowing a major shareholder in the Kuwaiti firm to pay his debts.

Irresponsible statements such as this are of no benefit to anyone and ultimately end up being costly to shareholders and public funds and thus to this country’s economy.

I hope that everyone will shun the pursuit of personal agendas and conspiracy theories on this, as on all such important issues. Instead, we must trust in goodwill and put the public interest and love for our country above all other concerns.

New parking lots at public hospitals Road network behind ‘serious traffic crisis’ KUWAIT: The Ministry of Public Works is constructing six multi-storey parking lots at public hospitals, and is also building overhead bridges to link the buildings of Sabah Hospital, at a total cost of KD 17.838 million.

Project engineer Nabil

Makki said that the six parking lots would have a total capacity of 5,993 cars, constructed at Ibn Sina, Razi, Jahra, Farwaniya, Mubarak and Adan hospitals.

The contract is for 24 months, and the parking lot project up to April 10 was

73.51 percent, while the overhead bridges were 63.67 percent complete, he said, while expecting the project to be fully completed by the end of September of this year.

Makki explained that the project fell within the Ministry of Health’s efforts to provide

the best service to its employees and patients.

In Sabah I, Sabah II, Mubarak, Jahra, Farwaniya and Adan hospitals, the parking lots will each have an area of 40,000 square meters, at a capacity of 1,000 cars at the each of the locations. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A local road safety campaigner has blamed Kuwait’s serious traffic congestion problems on the country’s ageing road network, which he said has become unable to cope with the rapidly increasing traffic volume.

Badr Al-Mutair, the head of

the Kuwait Traffic Safety Association, said that Kuwait’s road congestion problems have escalated to the status of a “serious traffic crisis.”

The campaigner acknowledged the Ministry of Public Works’ (MPW) and other government bodies’ plans, which

Kuwaiti MPs meet Jordanian officials

Press Attache Rachel arrives at US Embassy KUWAIT: The Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Kuwait is pleased to announce the arrival of Press Attaché Rachel S. Mikeska, who started her assignment at the US Embassy on April 11, 2010.

Rachel Mikeska holds a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation from The University of Texas, Austin. Her academic and previous work experience is multi-faceted. Prior to joining the US Department of State in 2008, she worked at the Institute for Classical Archaeology, Chersonessos, in Ukraine. Between 1999 and 2001 she served with the United States Peace Corps, St. Petersburg, Russia.

As the Press Attaché at the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy, Rachel will han-

dle all foreign and local press and media inquiries, and assist the Public Affairs Officer on matters related to the media and public diplomacy.

For all press and media inquiries, Rachel can be reached at +965-2259-1128 or by fax: +965-2259-1294; Email: mikeskars@state.gov The Public Affairs Section conducts public diplomacy programs for the United States Government in Kuwait. Its mission is to promote understanding of American culture, society and values and to explain and advocate US policies.

Through a wide range of cultural, educational and media outreach programs, the section strengthens and expands linkages between the Kuwaiti and American people.

AMMAN: A delegation of the Jordanian-Kuwaiti Parliamentary Friendship Committee yesterday held a series of meetings with members of the Jordanian House of Notables and state officials on boosting bilateral relations.

Head of the delegation MP Yousef Al-Zalzalah said in a statement after the meeting with the head of the house, Taher Al-Masri, the Jordanian-Kuwaiti relations have become an example to follow.

He added the visit to Jordan depicts Kuwait’s strong belief in boosting the bilateral relations at all levels, for Kuwait advocates joint Arab action and development with all Arab countries in the political, economic and human rights’ domains.

For his part, Al-Masri praised the Kuwaiti delegation saying the visit confirms cooperation at both formal and informal levels, he added.

He also praised Kuwait’s role with the Arab countries and its financing of development projects in most of the Arab States.

Meanwhile, members of the delegation met with Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Tawfiq Krishan, who stressed on importance of decision-makers’ visits between the two countries and bilateral relations in various fields.

involve the introduction of longterm traffic-easing measures on the Second and Third Ring Roads, as well as Cairo Street and Damascus Street, which it is believed will significantly improve the situation until at least 2030.

“Road expansion and devel-

Mandatory military service in Kuwait one step closer KUWAIT: A draft law on mandatory national military service in Kuwait will soon be submitted by the government to the Parliament for a final decision, reported AlSeyassah. Under the proposed law, Kuwaiti men between the ages of 20 and 30 will have to serve between six months and one year in the army.

Students, single sons and members of the diplomatic corps will be exempted from the national service. Those handicapped and others with disabilities will have to serve in military administrations.

A wage will be provided to the recruits but the amount will be decided upon by the government and the Parliament.

AMMAN: Members of a delegation of the Jordanian-Kuwaiti Parliamentary Friendship Committee pictured with Jordanian officials yesterday. —KUNA He pointed out the importance of unifying parliamentary positions at international forums and strengthening the joint Arab positions.

The Kuwaiti delegation includes MPs Dr Yousef AlZalzalah, Dr. Mohammad Hadi Al-Huwailah, Khalid Salim Al-Adwa, Falah Mutlaq Al-Sawagh, Mubarak Mohammed Al-Walaan, Salem Namlan Al-Azmi, the head of the parliamentary relations division in the National Assembly, Diab Mohammad Al-Dihani, and

translation specialist Abdullah Hadi Al-Ajmi.

In another meeting, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Jordanian House of Notables Maarouf Bakhit praised Kuwaiti contributions of investing in Jordan, where Kuwait is number one investor in the country.

Kuwait among the Gulf States is the first in attracting skilled Jordanian labor for work in various fields, he added.

Kuwaiti delegation members praised the

Jordanian legislation that led to the increase of the volume of investments in Jordan and exchanging experience in education and health.

The delegation program is to meet with Jordanian Prime Minister Samir Zeid Rifai, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh, and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Walid Al-Maani. The Kuwaiti delegation arrived yesterday in Amman on a tour that includes visiting Syria tomorrow.— KUNA

opment projects are a step in the right direction regarding efforts to contain the traffic problem,” Al-Mutair said, while urging the government to follow this up with other solutions, such as expanding the road network in residential areas and building new housing estates.

The draft law states that the purpose of the military service is to encourage Kuwaitis to help meet the requirements of Ministry of Defense and to defend the country against possible threats.

If the new law is passed, it would replace a law that was suspended in 2001 by the Parliament upon a suggestion by the government.

“The new draft law addresses the deficiencies and negative aspects of the former law,” the paper said. “It will boost their sense of allegiance to the nation and bolster their political, social and moral responsibility towards themselves, their families and their country.”

6

NATIONAL

Monday, April 19, 2010

Doha gas station robbed

Arab trio in police net for mugging Asians KUWAIT: Three Arab men were arrested and charged with impersonating police officers and mugging Asian expats in Farwaniya, reported Al-Rai. The arrest was made after police began investigating the complaints of several Asians who provided identical information about their attackers. The investigation led authorities to the home of one of the criminals in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. After the suspect was arrested, he confessed to the crimes and informed police about his two accomplices. They were all taken to the proper authorities.

Car accident An Iranian man was killed after his vehicle overturned on First Ring Road, reported AlWatan. Police and paramedics responded to the emergency but pronounced the man dead upon their arrival. A case was opened to determine the cause of the accident.

kuwait digest

Rooting out hatred from society ‘H

ate speech is on the rise in our society. With great regret, this calls for serious thought to be given. It is in no way possible to speak about development, improvement and renewal in a torn society, where members hate each other for sectarian and racist reasons,’ wrote Dr Bader Al-Daihani in Aljarida.

Issues should be addressed as they stand, without mixing principles. This will cause great harm to society. Hate speech should not be interpreted as a form of freedom of expression which should be defended. Referring to a previous article, Al-Daihani stressed on the need to start a scientific discussion about this phenomenon that has permeated into Kuwaiti society in an unprecedented manner.

Quoting his previous article, the author stated, ‘Some columnists and some media try to depict hate and racist speech that was expressed and promoted by Al-Juwaihel early on as a free expression of opinion that must be defended even if we do not agree with. This is because it a right guaranteed to all according to Article 36 of the Constitution. Is this so? In other words, can Al-Juwaihel’s inflammatory statements be inferred as being slanderous?’ he asked.

He then went on to analyze each expres-

sion to determine which statements can be attributed to Al-Sour channel, owned by AlJuwaihel, that broadcasted programs and ‘made up’ phone calls and SMS, directed with a deliberate racist tone towards a certain group of people, namely members of Kuwait’s tribes?

He quoted the encyclopedic explanation of freedom of expression: ‘Expressing thoughts and opinions through speech, writing or art with government censorship or restrictions, provided that the content and method do not violate the country’s laws and traditions.’ He also quoted the definition of hate speech, ‘Every address that includes insults, fear or verbal harassment by one individual or a group towards another individual or a group based on ethnicity, political affiliation or personal matters, creed or origin.’

So, most of the laws in democratic countries criminalize speeches, writings or public opinion that discredit any group for religious or ethnic reasons. The writer feels that it is not strange for Kuwait’s Audio-Video law to comply with the world consensus to criminalize calls of hatred and racist allegations. Item 11 of Article 11 banned, “calling for or urging hatred or insult to any group in the society.”

The writer comes to the conclusion that Al-

Juwaihel’s speech, according the two definitions mentioned above is a hate speech that incites societal fragmentation. This is because it contains public insults and directly questions the national loyalty of another group based on political and ethnic considerations. He notes that this clearly contradicts ‘forgiveness’ that is practiced in a democratic system. ‘So it is not right, or let us say it is immoral to justify the racist actions of Al-Juwaihel, and consider what he said as a mere expression of opinion, that must be defended, no matter how much we differ with. This is because inaction will be tantamount to encouraging the racist, no matter who they are, to go further and publish their ideas and visions that calls for hatred and grudges among the components of our society.

This will result in in-fighting among fringe groups that threaten the country’s security and stability,’ Al-Daihani observes.

To the contrary, we must reject the such intolerable practices, condemn racist remarks made by Al-Juwaihel, or even extremist religious outfits belonging to both sects. Hatred exist in multitudes, and we must root them out, he feels. ‘We should seriously look into the reasons behind its existence in our society and effective means to eliminate it,’ he concluded.

KD 120 theft A gas station in Doha was robbed by four masked men who assaulted a worker there and stole KD 120, reported AlWatan. Police are reviewing surveillance footage of the crime and are searching for the suspects.

Rape A Bangladeshi man kidnapped and raped a Bangladeshi woman at knifepoint in Jeleeb Al-Shuyoukh, reported Al-Watan.

The

woman filed an official report with local police and provided them with information about her kidnapper, of whom she had previous knowledge. A case was opened and police are searching for the rapist.

Official assaulted A Kuwait Municipality inspector was verbally and physically assaulted by a bedoon man at the Friday Market, reported Al-Watan. He lodged an official complaint against his assailant at the AlRai police station. In the report the inspector explained that he was assaulted after he tried to prevent someone from selling illegal fireworks at the market.

A case was opened and a police patrol was sent to arrest the vendor.

Fugitive nabbed Hawally police arrested a

fugitive wanted for a money related case worth KD 35 thousand, reported Al-Qabas.

The arrest was made after a police patrol approached a suspiciously parked car in the area during a routine patrol.

After inspecting his identification, they discovered that the man was wanted for questioning. He was referred to the proper authorities.

and a case was opened against him.

Public shooting Jahra police arrested a citizen for firing a number of gunshots at his wife’s family’s home in Nahdha, reported AlQabas. Police responded to the emergency but found that the assailant had already fled the scene. They eventually apprehended him at a checkpoint and found him in possession of the weapon he used in his attack. He was taken to the Qairawan police station

Alcohol trade Police found 38 bottles of homemade liquor in a car parked suspiciously in Mahboula, reported Al-Anba.

Police discovered the alcohol after a number of Asians were spotted surrounding the vehicle. When police approached them they all fled the scene.

Police suspect that the car was being used for a deal and are now in pursuit of the Asians.

Drunk driver An Egyptian man was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, reported Al-Annahar. His intoxication was discovered when he was pulled over at a checkpoint in Khaitan. He was taken to the proper authorities.

in the news MoJ rejects 193 KUWAIT: The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has rejected applications from 193 jobseekers who were put forward by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for positions there last week. In a statement explaining the reasoning behind the decision, the justice ministry explained that the CSC had nominated the candidates in question on the basis of the ministry’s budget rather than the criteria for the positions set out for its e-nomination system. It has also been revealed that the head of the MoJ’s employment department recently met with CSC representatives, with the senior officials agreeing to reduce the number of citizens being nominated for justice ministry positions, reported AlQabas. The updated conditions and list of positions will be released shortly.

GDDC awareness forum KUWAIT: The head of the General Department for Drug Control (GDDC) launched the Sixth Counter Drug Forum for Students, reported Al-Watan. The forum will include seminars at the Gulf University of Science and Technology (GUST) and in several high schools and intermediate schools. During the seminar’s first forum, Thamer AlHajri described the different type of drugs youngsters should be warned against.

He also demonstrated how the directorate pursues criminals responsible for selling drugs in society. Dr Ayed Al-Hamdan discussed the different ways smugglers bring drugs into the country and the punishments they face upon their arrest. He added that some drug dealers may even face the death penalty. The forum is part of the GDDC’s effort to spread awareness on the hazards of drug use.

Municipal conference KUWAIT: Minister of Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Fadhel Safar opened here yesterday the fifth Joint GCC Municipal Action Conference due to last till April 20. Safar said in the opening of the event that the conference would be addressing the Municipal Council’s partnership with the private sector with the B u i l d - O p e r a t e -Tr a n s f e r (BOT) framework. He added that the conferees would be addressing resolutions which came out of the previous conference which was held in Oman in 2009, adding that 27 work-papers on the environment, recycling, state’s hierarchy, as well as food security and safety would be discussed during the event.

The event would hopefully bolster relations on the municipal level amongst GCC states, said Safar.

JEDDAH: Two of the ancient buildings influenced by Al-Hijaz architectural style. — Photos by KUNA

Jeddah ... Arab city that reflects Islamic architectural heritage JEDDAH: Jeddah’s monuments grouping 500-year-old buildings all of which grant the city its position as the most distinguished Saudi Arabian city.

The 400 ancient buildings influenced by Al-Hijaz architectural style are being renovated by the nation’s affiliated bodies in cooperation with international experts to maintain the city’s unique history and identity such as wooden windows known as “Al-Warashin.”

The city was divided into neighborhoods all of which were named after an event or based their geographical location.

Where Al-Mathlom (someone treated unfairly) neighborhood was named after the deceased Abdulkarim AlBirzanji who was assassinated by the Ottoman Empire, Levant, Yemen and Sea neighborhoods were given these names due to their locations.

Jeddah’s traditional markets such as Al-Aalawi, Qaabil, AlKhasikiya, Bedbuin market, AlHaraj, and Al-Hindawiya maintained their position and are still in business.

As for historical sites, Beit Al-Nasif is one of Jeddah’s landmarks as it was used by the

founder of the kingdom King Abdulaziz Al-Saud for receiving Presidents and prominent people since 1908 and was then transformed into a museum and finally a graveyard named after “Eve” who is believed to be buried at the site.

President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA) Prince Sultan bin Salman once said in a statement to the media that Jeddah was the “only remaining” historical city in the Arab World that reflected “all elements of the Islamic architectural heritage.” — KUNA

Monday, April 19, 2010

INTERNATIONAL

Qaeda using ‘H-bomb’

Israel population nears 7.6 million JERUSALEM: Israel’s population is nearing 7.6 million, official figures showed yesterday ahead of the 62nd anniversary of the creation of the Jewish state. Of the 7,587,000 population, 5,726,000, or 75.5 percent, are Jews and 1,548,000, or 20.4 percent, are Arabs, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. The population has grown by 137,000 people in the past year, a 1.8 percent increase. The official statistics for Israel’s Arab population include 270,000 Palestinians living in east Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Six-Day War and annexed in a move not recognized by the international community.

They carry permanent residency IDs but the vast majority have declined citizenship of Israel, which this year celebrates its independence from sunset today to sunset the following day.

Israel’s nearly 1.3 million Arab citizens are descendants of the 160,000 Palestinians who remained in the Jewish state after the Middle East war that erupted following Israel’s creation in 1948.

About 750,000 Palestinians fled or were driven out during the conflict, and now more than 4.7 million UN-registered refugees live in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and neighboring Arab countries.

Meanwhile, Israel has barred the entry of nearly all Palestinians from the West Bank as a security measure because of observances for Memorial Day and Independence Day. The closure is to be lifted at midnight tomorrow.

Israel is always on a heightened state of precaution during national observances. Memorial Day begins today night and is followed

by Independence Day, which begins today night and lasts through tomorrow. The military says Palestinians in need of medical attention will be permitted to enter for care. A small number of media crews and professional groups such as lawyers and religious workers will be allowed to cross over. Humanitarian aid will also be allowed to pass.

Gaza blast kills 2 Two Palestinians have been killed in what appeared to be an accidental explosion in the Gaza Strip near the border with Israel, medics said.

Muawiya Hassanein, the head of Gaza emergency services, said Ayman Abu Khawsa and Naji AlNabahin, both in their 20s, were killed in the blast late Saturday and that body parts had been brought to a nearby hospital. The explosion took place in a home in the Bureij refugee camp near the border and witnesses said it appeared to have been caused by homemade explosives.Accidental explosions are common in Hamas-ruled Gaza, where Palestinian militants assemble makeshift rockets and other weapons in secret locations. The Israeli military said it was not involved in the incident and had not recently carried out any operations in Gaza.— Agencies

New device defies security checks in Baghdad

SIIRT: Photo shows a village guard standing in his shelter in the mountainous southeastern city of Siirt. Dressed in Turkish military fatigues, his Kalashnikov leaned against a wall, Mahsun Alan is among many Kurdish villagers who have volunteered - often grundgingly - to help fight the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). — AFP

Turkish ‘village guards’ tired of conflict with fellow Kurds SIIRT: Dressed in military fatigues, his Kalashnikov leaned against a wall, Mahsun Alan sips tea at a watch post on a steep hill, keeping a sharp eye on a road snaking between rugged mountains. The 44-year-old is among thousands of poor Kurdish villagers who have volunteeredoften grudgingly-to help the Turkish army fight fellow Kurds of the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), only to find themselves caught in the middle of a bloody, long-lasting conflict.

“It is quiet these days,” Alan said, noting however that the arrival of spring, when the snow melts, marks the start of the fighting season, with PKK rebels moving in from bases in Iraq, and the Turkish military bringing in reinforcements. With two comrades, Alan is responsible for surveillance on a road near Siirt, in Turkey’s mainly-Kurdish southeast where the PKK insurgency has claimed more than 45,000 lives since 1984.

Their tiny concrete shelter, overlooking a valley cut by the Carpiran River, doubles as their home away from home. Tea is always at hand and sleeping bags serve as cushions during the day.

The conflict has sharply divided Kurds in the region, where tribal tradition persists and whole communities respect the decision of clan leaders.

Several hamlets have enrolled collectively in the so-called “village guard” supporting the Turkish armed forces-while others have seen their men join the PKK. Since 1985, Ankara has employed about 60,000 Kurds to secure remote settlements and serve as scouts in anti-PKK operations.

“Sometimes they send soldiers from Izmir with no idea about the region,” remarked one of Alan’s colleagues, referring to a Turkish port city on the Aegean Sea that is clear on the other side of the country. The army may be grateful for their services. But the militia has come under harsh criticism for acting outside the law, and human rights groups have mounted calls for its abolition.

Many Kurds, who either fled their villages or were forced out by the military at the peak of the PKK insurgency in the 1990s, found their homes

Press: Don’t recognize Sudan election results KHARTOUM: Sudanese independent and opposition papers yesterday slammed the country’s elections as a sham, urging the world not recognize the result of the vote they say will only preserve the status quo.

“These elections were fake and can only produce fake results,” columnist Faisal Abdelrahman wrote in the daily Rai Al-Shaab, which is considered close to Islamist leader Hassan AlTurabi, once President Omar AlBashir’s mentor who has since become one of his fiercest critics.

The landmark elections that were meant to usher in democratic transformation will do little more than what was already achieved in a 2005 peace deal that ended a decades-long war between north and south Sudan, Abdelrahman said. The results “will preserve the infrastructure of the (peace) agreement,” maintaining the ruling National Congress Party’s grip on north Sudan, and keeping the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in control of the south, he said. Around 16 million registered voters went to the polls from April 11 to 15

7

to choose their president as well as legislative and local representatives in the country’s first multi-party elections in 24 years.

Meanwhile, Sudanese President Omar Hassan AlBashir scored overwhelming victories in a sample of results from national elections marred by fraud accusations and boycotts, state media reported yesterday. Both European Union and Carter Center observers have said last week’s elections did not meet international standards, but stopped short of echoing opposition allegations of widespread rigging. The presidential and legislative polls, set up under a 2005 peace deal that ended two decades of northsouth civil war, were supposed to help transform the troubled oil-producing nation into a democracy.

Bashir won between 70-92 percent of votes cast in presidential ballots in around 35 scattered polling centers, foreign voting posts and one state, said state news agency Suna. Those figures represent a fraction of the country and have not been confirmed by authorities. — Agencies

occupied by the militiamen when they returned.

“The village guards are helping the army. For us, they are traitors,” said Garip Yilmaz, 39, who abandoned his farm in 1994 to settle in Diyarbakir, the largest city in southeastern Turkey. Dozens of village guards have been implicated in serious crimes, abusing their right to carry arms by using them to settle blood feuds or engage in drug-trafficking and abductions.

For Baki Aksoy, provincial head of Turkey’s governing Justice and Development Party in Diyarbakir, the existing system is “unacceptable.”

“The state should employ them, as forest guards for instance, but that will not be possible as long as the PKK is active,” he said. For many Kurds, joining the militia was not a voluntary choice, but a fiat imposed by the realities of war. “We had no other choice. We were caught between the PKK and the army. One night it was the PKK who harrassed us, the other night it was the army,” said Ishan Kuzu, 40, as he stood on watch with nine other village guards on a road near Silvan town.

“The PKK, the army and the Hizbullah ruined my life,” said another, also blaming a local Islamist group that targeted the PKK in the 1990s and is believed to have been tolerated by the state. Kuzu pleaded for peace with an emotional reminder that Turks and Kurds fought together in the defense of the homeland during World War I. “People are tired of war. What we want is a united country...

We went to war together at Gallipoli. The only difference is that we are Kurds,” he said.

Others however are not so ready for reconciliation. “The PKK burned down thousands of villages. The PKK always said ‘you are either with us or you go,’” grumbled Saban Kahraman, 48, former commander of a village guard unit and now the manager of his own security firm. Seated under a portrait of republican Turkey’s founder Ataturk in his office in Van, Kahraman conceded to living under the protection of private bodyguardsthe apparent cost of past services for the Turkish army. — AFP

BAGHDAD: Al-Qaeda in Iraq is rigging houses and shops with explosives in a new tactic that has killed and maimed civilians in recent weeks and defied the thousands of security forces in Baghdad, officials say. The renting of residential buildings for targeted bombings has forced police and the army to adapt their operations, in a bid to prevent more of the attacks that have killed dozens since the country’s inconclusive March 7 election. The US military has even coined a new acronymHBIED (house-borne improvised explosive device) for the bombings, which have also left hundreds wounded in the past month in the Iraqi capital.

The HBIED follows the IED (improvised-explosive devicehomemade bomb) and VBIED (vehicle-borne improvisedexplosive device - car bomb) into a terrorist lexicon started in Iraq and subsequently transported to Afghanistan. “Our forces are focusing on the renting of apartments and buildings,” Major General Qassim Atta, a Baghdad security forces spokesman said. Insurgents were continually looking to exploit gaps in the city’s defenses, he said. “They change their methods periodically because most of their plans and tactics have been discovered. I believe they are already searching for another method of attack, maybe churches or bridges.”

Some 25 people were killed on Election Day, when explosives destroyed two buildings in northeast Baghdad. The US military, which pointed the finger at Al-Qaeda, said the properties had been rented and deliberately blown up. A further 35 people died on April 6, when explosives were planted in houses and shops in mostly Shiite neighborhoods, leading Atta to say Iraq was in an “open war” with Al-Qaeda and loyalists of executed dictator Saddam Hussein.

A number of those properties had also been rented days

BAGHDAD: Iraqis inspect homes which were destroyed in a bomb attack in Baghdad’s Alawi district. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is rigging houses and shops with explosives in a new tactic that has killed and maimed civilians in recent weeks and defied the thousands of security forces in Baghdad. — AFP earlier, security officials said.

Counter-terrorism experts say the insurgents are placing bombs in houses and shops despite the methods being frowned upon by much of AlQaeda. “These stories are credible,” said Brian Fishman, a counter-terrorism research fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington DC, and author of “Dysfunction and Decline: Lessons Learned from Inside Al-Qaeda in Iraq.”

“The tactic is seen as very disreputable, even among active insurgents,” but it allows them “to get around a lot of the tactics developed to prevent car bombs,” such as the mass of security checkpoints in Baghdad, Fishman said. “AlQaeda in Iraq’s propaganda arm has disavowed the tactic and urged supporters to distribute

their statement widely ... but that doesn’t mean they are not doing it,” he added. American officers agree that insurgents, including Al-Qaeda, have adapted their tactics. “The terrorist threat that exists in this country, and it does exist to a degree, will continue to evolve,” said US military spokesman Brigadier General Steve Lanza.

“One of the tactics you have seen is to take buildings and to destroy them, causing a lot of collateral damage and a lot of injuries. The purpose is to foment sectarian violence but they have not succeeded.” A series of massive bombings in Baghdad since last August, including several attacks on government ministries, which killed more than 400 people, has undermined confidence in

Iraq’s security forces. The lack of a clear election winner has also raised fears of a vacuum that could be exploited by insurgents ahead of a pullout of US combat troops in August, followed by a complete military withdrawal at the end of 2011.

An Iraqi military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said would-be bombers attempted to capitalize on any weakness in the wartorn country’s security apparatus. Checkpoints were an inadequate defense, he admitted.

“The streets cannot be controlled,” the officer said.

“When the army and police have doubts about a car, they search the trunk which is seen by the naked eye but they ignore many other parts of the car that may be filled with explosives.” — AFP

Somalia violence kills 14, parliament fails to meet MOGADISHU: A landmine blast in the Somali capital Mogadishu killed eight people, and mortar rounds fired by insurgents at the city airport as the president returned killed six, eyewitnesses and medics said yesterday. Al Shabaab Islamist fighters fired the mortar rounds shortly after President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed and the parliament speaker landed late on Saturday.

Government troops and African

Union (AU) peacekeepers responded by shelling rebel strongholds. “All the mortar rounds missed the airport but landed in civilian areas,” Ali Muse, coordinator of ambulance services, told Reuters.

He said five of the six people killed died in the bustling Bakara market from where Al Shabaab often launches its attacks. Four of them were women. On Tuesday, the United Nations urged Somali security

forces, AU troops and Islamist militants not to indiscriminately shell densely populated areas, saying this was a blatant violation of the laws of war. Mired in violence and awash with weapons since the ousting of a dictator in 1991, Somalia has lacked an effective government for almost two decades.

Residents in the battlescarred capital’s Waberi neighborhood said eight people died when a landmine buried near a

tea shop popular with government soldiers exploded late on Saturday in an apparent attack on the security forces. “The explosion killed five soldiers and three (civilians). Human flesh was everywhere and some of the injured victims were screaming for help,” eyewitness Yusuf Abdulqader said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but bitter relatives of the dead pointed the finger at Al Shabaab. — Reuters

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INTERNATIONAL

Monday, April 19, 2010

Mugabe urges end to violence as Zimbabwe turns 30 Zimbabwe economy in deep crisis HARARE: President Robert Mugabe yesterday urged Zimbabweans to end political violence and focus on rebuilding a devastated economy that critics say is a victim of his three decades in power.

Addressing a rally to mark 30 years of independence from Britain, Mugabe said Zimbabwe would pursue its controversial land seizure policy and plans to transfer control of foreign firms to locals as part of a black empowerment drive.

In a fairly mild speech by his strident standards, Mugabe, now 86, denounced Britain, the United States and other Western countries for imposing sanctions on Zimbabwean leaders over charges of vote rigging and rights abuses. But there was none of the usual name-calling in what has become a traditional attack on what he sees as imperialist forces.

In a conciliatory message to his domestic political opponents, Mugabe

urged Zimbabweans to stop inter-party violence which local rights groups invariably blame on militant supporters of the president’s ZANU-PF party bent on destroying the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) of rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

“Your leadership in the inclusive government urges you to desist from any acts of violence that will cause harm to others and become a blight on our society,” he said at a rally attended by about 30,000 people.

BICKERING Mugabe-who spearheaded a guerrilla war against white minority rule in the then Rhodesia-denies accusations that he has hung onto power over the last 10 years through violence and vote rigging.

Yesterday, the veteran leader called on people to support a constitutional reform program intended to lead to free and fair elections by 2013.

But critics say his ZANU-PF is stalling the process to buy time to reorganize the party.

Mugabe was last year forced into a power-sharing government with Tsvangirai after a political crisis sparked by the disputed general election in 2008.

Although ZANU-PF and Tsvangirai’s MDC continue to bicker over the pace of reforms and appointments of senior state officials, Mugabe said yesterday the power-sharing deal was working and the country was focused on the economy. “Many of the key provisions of the global political agreement which is the maker of our inclusive government, have been and continue to be in the process of being fulfilled.”

Despite criticism that the move will damage the economy and discourage foreign investment, Mugabe said he was pressing on with plans to transfer 51 percent of shareholdings in foreign com-

panies over the next five years to black Zimbabweans after a decade of seizing and transferring white-owned farms to blacks. “The economic empowerment policies are chiefly designed to redress the historic imbalances in the ownership of the economy,” he said.

Tsvangirai and members of his MDC executive-who have criticized the new policy-attended the rally and his MDC supporters in the crowd cheered when Mugabe acknowledged the presence of his arch rival.

The ageing president, who says he will run again for office if his party nominates him, said although the national economy was in a bad shape, Zimbabweans should celebrate their freedom and remain vigilant against incorrigible racism. “No challenge or hardship can overcome our sense of freedom, independence and sovereignty,” he said. — Reuters

HARARE: Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe lights the independence flame at Harare National Stadium during celebrations of Zimbabwe’s 30 years of independence from Britain yesterday. — AFP

Pope meets abuse victims How pope got US lawyer Church wants predator priests brought to justice VALLETTA: Pope Benedict, in his first gesture since a new wave of sexual abuse scandals swept over Roman Catholicism, promised yesterday the Church will do “all in its power” to bring the guilty to justice and protect the young. The Vatican issued a statement after the pope met privately with eight Maltese victims of sexual abuse in the Vatican’s embassy on the second and last day of his trip to Malta. “He prayed with them and assured them that the Church is doing, and will continue to do, all in its power to investigate allegations, to bring to justice those responsible for abuse and to implement effective measures designed to safeguard young people in the future,” the statement said.

The statement was one of the clearest yet from the Vatican that it wanted local bishops to cooperate with civil authorities in prosecuting priests who abused children.

The Maltese abuse victims had asked for a meeting with the pope but the Vatican did not confirm it until after it was over.

“He was deeply moved by their stories and expressed his shame and sorrow over what victims and their families have suffered,” it said, adding he hoped their pain would heal.

A spokesman said the pope met with them as a group and then spoke to each individually before they prayed together. “I lost my faith in the last 20 years,” Lawrence Grech, a 37-

FLORIANA: Pope Benedict XVI celebrates a Pontifical Mass on the Granaries yesterday in Floriana. — AFP year-old victim of sexual abuse, said after the meeting. “I told him ‘you can fill up the emptiness, fill up what the priests took from me when I was young.’” “This experience is going to change my life. Now I can go to my daughter and say ‘I believe,’” he said, breaking into tears.

CHURCH WOUNDED

BY SIN The United States-based support group SNAP-Survivors’

UK race ‘wide open’ as third party surges LONDON: Britain’s election race was thrown “wide open” yesterday, as polls confirmed a stunning surge in support for the Liberal Democrats, normally the third-largest party, ahead of May 6 elections. A series of opinion surveys put the Lib Dems in second or even first place after their leader Nick Clegg’s powerful performance in a first-ever TV debate last week with his Labor and Conservative counterparts.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown, battling to avoid an end to 13 years of Labor rule, admitted he had lost last Thursday’s debate against Clegg and Conservative leader David Cameron.

“I think it’s energized the campaign. It’s thrown the campaign wide, wide open. People thought it was a closed book to start with. I lost on presentation. I lost on style,” he told BBC television. But he insisted: “This isn’t a sprint ...This isn’t an X-Factor talent show,” adding: “I’ve learned at the end of the debate, substance will come through.” Snap polls after last week’s debate showed Clegg the clear winner, and a poll the following day had his Lib Dems up three points at 24 percent in overall voting intentions, although still in third place.

But a series of polls in Sunday newspapers showed an even stronger surge: a BPIX poll in The Mail yesterday even put them in first place on 32 percent, against 31 percent for the Tories and 28 percent for Labor. Three other polls put the Lib Dems in second place, behind the Conservatives but ahead of Labor.

There are still nearly three weeks until the election, but if sustained such figures make a

hung parliament and a rare coalition government seem even more likely.

Under Britain’s electoral system, such a result could see Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his governing Labor Party end up in pole position-despite coming third in the popular vote. The BBC’s seat calculator said those figures would still put Labor on 276 seats — 50 short of a majority; the Conservatives on 226 and the Lib Dems on 119. Clegg said “something exciting is happening” in the British political system, which has seen the Conservatives and Labor trade power for the best part of the last 100 years.

But he dismissed as “completely absurd” a suggestionreported in a Sunday Times front page story-that he was more popular than British wartime leader Winston Churchill. “I think people are getting a little hyped up. The campaign is still in its early stages. It’s only a beginning.

“It’s a small door which has been opened to encourage people they can get engaged, get involved and there are more possibilities available to them than simply repeating the stale old two-party politics of the past.”

Bob Worcester, founder of pollsters MORI, wrote in The Observer newspaper:- “Up to now this election has been static; now it’s electric. “Before last Thursday’s debate, the Liberal Democrats were a sideshow; now they are centre stage.” The main opposition Conservativesconsistently leading in the polls for more than two years-now face a major fight to stop the crucial floating voters they need from switching support to the Lib Dems. — AFP

Network of those Abused by Priests-said it hoped the Maltese victims “feel better since their pain has been validated.

“However, the pope’s professions of ‘sorrow’ don’t keep one child-molesting cleric away from kids, expose one corrupt bishop or make one child more secure. That is where the pope’s focus should be,” said National Outreach Director Barbara Dorris.

The pope’s trip to Malta has been overshadowed by the global church sex-abuse crisis.

Earlier, at an open-air Mass, he heard the island’s leading bishop say the Catholic Church had to be humble enough to recognize its failures. So far on this trip, Benedict has made no direct reference in public to the worldwide crisis. Speaking to reporters aboard the plane taking him to Malta on Saturday, he said Roman Catholicism has

been “wounded by our sins” but did not use the word “abuse”.

Hundreds of cases of sexual and physical abuse of youths in recent decades by priests have come to light in Europe and the United States as disclosures encourage long-silent victims to finally go public with their complaints. The pope himself has been accused of turning a blind eye in 1980, when he was archbishop of Munich in his native Germany, to the case of a priest who was sent there for therapy after sexually abusing children and soon transferred to parish work. The Vatican has said a subordinate took that decision.

ROLE OF POPE JOHN PAUL As Benedict was visiting Malta, the Vatican was swept up in another potentially explosive case. Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, a former Vatican official who congratulated a French bishop for hiding a sexually abusive priest in 2001, told a conference in Spain he acted with the approval of the late Pope John Paul. Last week the Vatican spokesman indirectly confirmed that a 2001 letter Castrillon Hoyos sent to the bishop posted on a French website was authentic and was proof the Vatican was right to tighten up its procedures on sex abuse cases that year. But the spokesman said on Saturday night he had no further comment on the cardinal’s remarks in Spain. — Reuters

Turkish Cypriots vote in landmark election Diplomats fear Eroglu victory would set back talks NICOSIA: Turkish Cypriots voted in a presidential election yesterday expected to influence the fate of reunification talks on the war-divided island and Turkey’s bid to join the EU. The election is a showdown between incumbent leftist Mehmet Ali Talat and Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu. Opinion polls put Eroglu, a hardline supporter of Turkish Cypriot independence, in the lead.

The winner will need more than 50 percent of votes cast, or it will go to a runoff next week.

Diplomats worry an Eroglu victory could slow the pace of reunification talks with Greek Cypriots, who represent Cyprus in the European Union and will stop Turkey joining it as long as the island remains divided. Eroglu says he will continue to negotiate, but his positions are not acceptable to Greek Cypriots.

“If there is a change, the new leader will want to revisit a lot of things and that will slow things down and time is not what people have a lot of,” said Hugh Pope, Turkey/Cyprus director for the International Crisis Group. “The problem is no one will feel the end of the process and it will just stagnate, and we will transition into partition.

Turkey’s EU process will freeze up.” The United Nations, which has been overseeing peace talks launched in 2008, was to undertake a broad review of progress in the peace talks at the end of April, a diplomatic source said.

INDEPENDENCE CALL Eroglu supports more independence for each community in any peace settlement, at odds with the basis of talks till now that the island should be a loose federation of two zones with an effective central government. “I hope the process that follows this election brings an honorable solution that allows Turkish Cypriots to live in peace and security under Turkish guarantees,” Eroglu said. Greek Cypriots reject his independence call, and any suggestion that Turkey should have any major security role in the island after a settlement. Turkey had cited its rights as a guarantor power of Cypriot independence in 1974 to invade after a brief Greek-inspired coup engineered by the military then ruling Greece.

Turkish guarantees are important for Turkish

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican has long let cardinals or its official spokesmen do its talking when scandal hits. But as the Vatican reels from a swirling clerical sex abuse crisis, the Holy See has turned to an unusual advocate: a tennis-loving, Saab-driving solo practitioner from Berkeley, California, whose obscure interest in sovereign immunity law and fluency in Italian landed him the job of the pope’s US lawyer.

Jeffrey Lena’s studied yet creative approach to defending the Vatican in US abuse lawsuits has influenced the Vatican’s new public message as he is increasingly called on to act as Rome’s unofficial US spokesman and strategist. In an exclusive interview Saturday with The Associated Press, Lena conceded he never thought he’d be the Vatican’s lawyer much less it’s very public messenger. “Two weeks ago I was a lawyer minding my own cases.

That’s not what’s happening now,” Lena said.

Still, the 51-year-old former history professor avoids the limelight. He declined to be photographed for this profile, citing security and privacy concerns for his wife and son. He says he has received threats because of his advocacy for the Holy See and has moved his three-person law office to an undisclosed location in Berkeley. The threats stem from the controversial nature of the cases brought against the Vatican in the US over the past 10 years: before the clerical abuse lawsuits targeting the Holy See, Lena defended cases in which the Vatican bank was accused of stashing Nazi loot.

Lena recalls that when looking for co-counsel to represent the Vatican bank, several large firms declined because they didn’t want to defend a Holocaust claims suit. “It deepened in me a sense of the importance of defense work when you could have effectively prominent law firms refuse to serve a client because they thought it was too controversial for their bottom line - that it might affect their image. That annoyed me.”

So Lena agreed to go solo - albeit with some help. An initial collaboration with law professor Ugo Mattei broke off. Lena now works with two main allies in a two-room, nondescript office near the University of California, Berkeley, campus with law books, an unused coffee pot and Nilla wafers on the shelves. Their latest project: defend Pope Benedict XVI against allegations that he personally, and the Vatican generally, turned a blind eye to decades of rapes and molestation of children by priests. The Vatican has vehemently denied such reports, saying the pope has done more than anyone to root out abusers.

“What is most important for people to know is that he does understand, that his heart is moved,” Lena said. “He has seen the files, he gets it, and indeed he got it long before most others did.” Though raised in a Catholic family, religious conviction doesn’t seem to fuel Lena’s defense. He notes that no one at the Vatican ever asked about his faith. Lena grew up in Berkeley

in the 1960s and 70s, the third son of second-generation Italian/Irish immigrants. His father was a public school teacher and his mother was a social worker.

They prized books and open discussions as well as roll-up-your sleeves manual labor. “I did grow up in a family in which intellectual work was admired and physical work was expected,” he said, alluding to his lifelong interest in building and renovating houses. After graduating with honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz, Lena entered Berkeley’s history PhD program in 1984. He completed everything but his dissertation before being drawn to the law after helping his father in a messy family estate problem.

He spent a year of law school studying at the University of Milan where he discovered comparative law, how ideas circulate among different legal systems. It would be key to his later work defending the Holy See, with its own juridical system and canon law, in U.S. courts. Lena was teaching contracts at the University of Turin in 2000 when he was asked to submit his advice on a clamorous lawsuit that had just been filed near his hometown in San Francisco.

Holocaust survivors from Croatia, Ukraine and Yugoslavia had filed suit against the Vatican bank, alleging that it accepted millions of dollars of their valuables stolen by Nazi sympathizers.

Just who asked Lena to take on the case? All roads point to Franzo Grande Stevens, one of Italy’s best-known and respected attorneys, dubbed “l’avvocato del’Avvocato” - the attorney of the late Fiat chairman Gianni Agnelli. Grande Stevens was also the lawyer for the Vatican bank, formally known as the Institute of Religious Works, and the lawyer for the Vatican City state.

Grande Stevens didn’t respond to e-mail requests for comment and Lena declined to say if Stevens made the request. But in a letter to La Stampa newspaper last week, Grande Stevens channeled virtually all of Lena’s key defense strategies in the US sex abuse cases to complain about a profile the paper had run on Lena’s main US adversary, Jeff Anderson. The Holocaust claims suit against the Vatican bank was dismissed in December after an appeals court upheld the bank’s immunity under the foreign sovereign immunities act, one of at least 12 published federal decisions Lena has won in the area of sovereign immunity.

Given Lena’s past, his newfound role as public defender of the pope causes some pause among his friends, who describe him as a reserved history grad student Berkeley with a “playful” intellect who can deconstruct ideas with ease. “I do think with some people think he’s gone to the dark side,” said Maura O’Connor, an associate professor of history at the University of Cincinnati who met Lena in 1985.

“The emotional reaction is he’s defending this.

But he’s not. ... If the Vatican is needing legal advice, he’s giving it.” — AP

US-Russia adoption row highlights risks

NICOSIA: Northern Cyprus presidential candidate Tahsin Ertugruloglu (left) and his wife cast their ballots during leadership elections in the Turkish occupied area in Nicosia yesterday. — AFP Cypriots, many of whom withdrew into enclaves in 1963 and 1964 when an administration with Greek Cypriots collapsed in violence. The conflict not only hampers Turkey’s bid to join the EU, but also makes decision making on defense issues between NATO, of which Turkey is a member, and the EU problematic. Talat has said peace talks with Christofias to re-link the island as a loose federation are promising. “I wish the best for the island and I wish this to be a boost for the solution of the Cyprus problem,” he said after casting his vote.

Attempts to solve the conflict failed in 2004, when Turkish Cypriots accepted a UN peace blueprint rejected by Greek Cypriots just before the island joined the EU. — Reuters

LOS ANGELES: It has been described as “disgusting,” “despicable” and “callous,” a crime deserving of a life prison sentence. But the case of an American woman who sent her adoptive sevenyear-old Russian son back to his homeland has elicited a cautious response from other parents who have adopted children from Eastern Europe.

Tennessee nurse Torry Hansen provoked outrage last week after she packed Artyom Savelyev onto a flight back to Russia with a note to say that she could no longer care for the child, seven months after she had adopted him. Hansen, 32, said the boy was “violent” and “mentally unstable” and had threatened to burn down his adoptive family’s home.

Experts say the case-which led Russia to suspend child adoptions to the United States-is a tragic example of what can happen when a parent is unprepared for the worst case scenario. Joyce Sterkel is the founder of the Montana-based “Ranch for Kids,” a facility which houses around 25 children, mostly adopted from eastern Europe, who have struggled to adapt to their new families.

Sterkel, who worked in Russian maternity hospitals from 1992-1994 before returning to the United States to set up her own adoption agency, says children at her ranch often have “myriad” mental illnesses.

More commonly, the children have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders-the physical, behavioral or cognitive impairments caused by heavy maternal consumption of alcohol during pregnancy. “I do not know the circumstances (in the Hansen case) but it is known that this child was the child of an alcoholic,” Sterkel said. “That already tells me

that the child is probably a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder child, which most likely means he has some organic brain damage which makes it difficult for him to modulate his emotions.”

Sterkel said individuals seeking to adopt in Russia often had little access to the detailed medical histories of adoptive children. “The records are very sketchy,” she said. “You might get a very scant statement such as ‘the mother was an alcoholic.’ You might not have the child’s birth weight.

You might get whatever medical information the orphanage has, but nothing in depth. “So it’s very difficult for someone to make a judgment call based on observing the child.”

Sterkel says she often asks parents how they will cope if their adopted child develops behavioral disorders. “I ask them ‘What are you going to do if your child tries to kill you? What happens if your child harms family pets or other children in your home? “We can assume that in most cases that will not happen. But at least if you get parents thinking about those scenarios you get them asking the question ‘Do I want to take this risk?’”

Ultimately, Sterkel says, adoption is a “game of chance.” “But it is also a game of chance when we give birth. We don’t know if we are going to give birth to a child with autism or Down syndrome,” she said. One 37-year-old woman from northern California, who asked to remain anonymous, said she and her husband fully accepted the risks involved when they adopted their son, who is now five years old. “For me I was willing to take on the risk of if his mother did drugs, or if he had been abused, whatever, I was willing to deal with that,” she said. — AFP

Monday, April 19, 2010

INTERNATIONAL

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For US death row inmates, a long, lonely wait for execution WASHINGTON: They wait alone, in cells of just a few square meters, often for 15 or 20 years, sometimes more. For US inmates on death row, the sentence is just the beginning of a long countdown to execution. The lengthy wait and harsh conditions that US death row prisoners face has sparked debate over whether they are being punished twice, with long-term imprisonment and executionand even US Supreme Court justices have weighed in.

On average, 13 years elapses between the time a death sentence is handed down and carried out.

During that time, inmates are kept under close guard, confined to their cells alone for 23 hours a day with limited visitation opportunities. Their activities are often reduced to nothing more than filing new appeals against their death sentence. In 2005, a record 137 of the 3,263 prisoners on US death row were over 60 years old, almost four times more than a decade earlier.

In Kentucky, more people on death row have died of natural causes than have been executed in

the last 30 years. Pennsylvania has executed just three people since 1976, but it continues to send an average of just over four people a year to death row, and currently has 225 people awaiting execution. In California, there are 694 prisoners on death row, a US record, but all executions in the state have been suspended since January 2006 because of a court battle over the legality of the lethal injection method used in the state.

Anti-death penalty activists describe the long and isolated wait faced by prisoners on death row as a second punishment, and some even believe it amounts to a form of torture. “People on death row live under the threat of death, which is of course an extraordinary psychological trauma, and they are denied most of the ways that people make life in prison more tolerable: meaningful social activity, programming of any kind, activities,” said Craig Haney, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Haney, an expert on prisoners held in isolation, said death row inmates held for years are prone to

OHIO: This undated photo shows inmate Darryl Durr. — AP

depression and mental illness and can became extremely distrustful and completely apathetic.

Some “become so dismayed and despondent that they actually give up,” he said. “I’ve seen some clients who’ve been on death row for over 20 years.

They simply become wound down by the deprivation, wound down by the degradation and wound down by the isolation.

“As a result, in some instances they simply give up the way they live and decide that they can’t endure this any longer, even if there is a possibility that enduring it a little longer would result in their sentence being overturned.” Some, like Lawrence Reynolds, have taken extreme measures.

Reynolds, who was sentenced to death in Ohio in 1994, attempted suicide in March while still on death row. He managed to stockpile medication that he had been prescribed and overdosed. He was found unconscious in his cell and taken to hospital, where he recovered, and was executed a week later. The US Supreme Court has declined on several occasions to formally consider whether long

waits on death row constitute a violation of the US Constitution. But two of the highest court’s justices have raised questions about the practice in rulings on other death penalty issues. In March 2009, ruling on a case involving an execution in Florida, Justice Stephen Breyer questioned “whether the Constitution permits... execution after a delay of 32 years-a delay for which the state was in significant part responsible.

In December 2009, Justice John-Paul Stevens made an even clearer statement about his view of lengthy pre-execution waits. “The delay itself subjects death row inmates to decades of especially severe dehumanizing conditions of confinement,” he wrote in a case involving a prisoner who had spent 29 years on death row. But others say the wait is simply a function of a lengthy appeals process that protects the right of death row inmates to seek a reversal of their sentence. And conservative judges note that death row inmates always have the right to waive their appeals, and move more swiftly towards execution. — AFP

Gates warns White House over ‘Iranian nuke’ policy ‘US lacks a nimble long-term plan’

BOSTON: Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin speaks at a Tea Party rally on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts. — AFP

Clinton: Criticize, don’t demonize officeholders Palin taken aback by Obama ‘superpower’ remark WASHINGTON: Former President Bill Clinton says angry anti-government rhetoric has led to a worrisome increase in threats against the president and other elected officials. Clinton says people should be careful that the words they use to criticize officials don’t demonize them. The twoterm Democratic president tells ABC News’ “This Week” that he worries about threats against President Barack Obama and the Congress.

But he says he also is troubled by “careless language,” citing a leaked memo from a New Jersey teachers union that contained a joke containing a suggestion that Republican Gov. Chris Christie should die. Clinton first addressed the issue in a speech Friday in which he warned of a slippery slope from caustic rhetoric against the government to violence like the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. The former president’s comments were posted on ABC’s website Saturday.

Superpower Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin criticized President Barack Obama on Saturday for saying America is a military superpower “whether we like it or not,” saying she was taken aback by his comment. “I would hope that our leaders in Washington, DC, understand we like to be a dominant superpower,” the former Alaska governor said. “I don’t understand a world view where we have to question whether we like

it or not that America is powerful.” Obama said earlier this week that the United States must do its best to resolve conflicts around the world before they grow too serious.

“It is a vital national security interest of the United States to reduce these conflicts because whether we like it or not, we remain a dominant military superpower, and when conflicts break out, one way or another we get pulled into them,” Obama said. “And that ends up costing us significantly in terms of both blood and treasure.”

Palin’s remarks came in a question-and-answer session after a speech at an event in the central Illinois town of Washington to raise money for scholarships and a community center. She spoke to a crowd of about 1,100.

The Republican criticized Obama throughout her speech - for a healthcare overhaul that she says won’t work, for the increase in the national deficit and for disagreeing with Israeli policies.

Palin said she hopes the November elections will produce winners who believe in limited government and encouraging free enterprise.

She also poked fun at the controversy over the requirements listed in a contract for her speech at a California university. Palin thanked the organizers of Saturday’s event for providing a straw for her water bottle -”the bent kind, which I just read in the media that I supposedly insist upon.” — Agencies

Sharpton is Obama ‘link’ to the streets NEW YORK: The Rev Al Sharpton is a “lightning rod” for President Barack Obama on inner city streets, Obama’s former Harvard mentor and friend said at a forum in Harlem. But Sharpton, who led the event said that America’s first black president “has to work both for us and for others,” and that if Obama were to push a race-based agenda, “that would only organize the right against him.” Sharpton spoke on the last day of an annual conference organized by his National Action Network.

Speakers included three members of Obama’s Cabinet and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, as well as Charles Ogletree, the president’s Harvard Law School professor, now a friend. “Al Sharpton has become the lightning rod in moving Obama’s agenda forward,” Ogletree said, describing Sharpton as a conduit between the disadvantaged and powerful leaders.

“And he has access to both the streets and the suites, to make sure that the people who are voiceless, faceless and powerless finally have some say.” Standing at the back of a balcony overlooking Harlem’s ornate First Corinthian Baptist Church, the 57-year-old lawyer said that some black Americans may be disappointed the president they helped elect isn’t doing more for them.

“And President Obama expected to do a lot more,” said Ogletree, referring to the challenges Obama faces in two wars and the struggling economy. Still, he predicted, the new health care law would affect uninsured black Americans more than any other segment of the population. But clearly, Sharpton was at the center of this forum.

Saturday, the front page of The Washington Post featured a photo of him with a headline that read: “Activist Al Sharpton takes on new role as administration ally.” Sharpton chuckled at the notion.

“I’ve been as much in this White House as I was in George (W) Bush’s - it’s only when Bush invited me to the White House, it was him reaching out; when Obama invites me, all of a sudden, we’re allies,” Sharpton joked during a break, sitting in a pew on the altar that served as a hightech stage. Amid a heated national debate over whether black leaders should align themselves with the president, Sharpton has defended Obama against criticism from television host Tavis Smiley that “black folk are catching hell” and Obama should do more to help them.

Black Americans, Sharpton said, “need to solve our own problems.” Sharpton told the AP that he is working to expand his Harlem-based organization to 100 cities from the current 42, with about 200,000 members, “and to really deliver against unemployment that is disproportionate in the black community, and for health care and education reform.” The four-day conference, focusing on a 12-month plan of action for black leadership, brought together prominent figures from dozens of fields, tackling topics as diverse as finding jobs for men leaving prison and federal subsidies for black farmers.

Sharpton’s “12-month action plan” to better life for black Americans measures its success by individual goal-setting - “every day, every week, every month,” said Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia. Nutter has a big goal: to reach and teach a half million adults in his city who are considered “low-literate,” which means they can read, technically, but have difficulty understanding a newspaper article or even a utility bill. “It is impossible for parents to help their children if they can’t read,” said Nutter, who leads the largest American city with a black mayor. “It is almost impossible to lift yourself out of poverty if you can’t function at a high enough level.” — AP

WASHINGTON: A memo from Defense Secretary Robert Gates to the White House warned that the United States lacks a nimble long-term plan for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, according to a published report. Gates wrote the three-page memo in January and it set off efforts in the Pentagon, White House and intelligence agencies to come up with new options, including the use of the military, The New York Times said in its Sunday editions, quoting unnamed government officials.

White House officials Saturday night strongly disagreed with the comments that the memo caused a reconsideration of the administration’s approach to Iran.

“It is absolutely false that any memo touched off a reassessment of our options,” National Security Council spokesman Benjamin Rhodes said.

“This administration has been planning for all contingencies regarding Iran for many months.” One senior official described the memo as “a wakeup call,” the paper reported. But the recipient of the document, Gen James Jones, President Barack Obama’s national security adviser, told the newspaper in an interview that the administration has a plan that “anticipates the full range of contingencies.” Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell, who did not confirm the memo Saturday night, said the White House has reviewed many Iran options.

“The secretary believes the president and his national security team have spent an extraordinary amount of time and effort considering and preparing for the full range of contingencies with respect to Iran,” Morrell

US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates said. The US is pressing for new international sanctions against Iran. The memo contemplates a situation in which sanctions and diplomacy fail to dissuade Iran from pursuing nuclear capability, the Times said. Obama set a deadline of the end of 2009 for Iran to respond to his offer of dialogue to resolve concerns about Iran’s accelerated nuclear development.

Iran spurned the offer, and since then the administration has pursued what it calls the “pressure track,” a combination

of stepped-up military activity in Iran’s neighborhood and a hard push for a new round of international sanctions that would pinch Iran economically.

Gates and other senior members of the administration have issued increasingly stern warnings to Iran that its nuclear program is costing it friends and options worldwide, while sticking to the long-held view that a US or Israeli military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities would be counterproductive.

Obama and other administration figures have drawn a

Surviving the apocalypse?

Underground bunker equipped with modern comforts WASHINGTON: Worried about where to take refuge in case of an asteroid hitting the Earth, a nuclear attack or some other apocalyptic event?

An American business has the answer: an underground bunker equipped with all the modern comforts. “You can’t predict, but you can prepare,” says the website of Vivos, which plans to sell 4,000 places in 20 nuclear-proof shelters, all on US territory. The cost of admission is 50,000 dollars, and children get half-off. Pets are free. “Sooner or later something is going to cause us to seek shelter,” the company’s owner, Robert Vicino said.

“The threats are all around us.”

His business project merely offers a practical option, he said. “We are not promoting the fear, we are providing the solution, at least a viable one.”

The company’s website features a countdown to the apocalypse supposedly forecast by Nostradamus and the Mayan calendar, noting the time left until December 21, 2012. And even if the world does not end according to prophesy, Vivos carefully lists a myriad of other dire scenarios for prospective customers: solar flares, nuclear terrorism, volcanic eruptions, killer comets, magnetic pole shifts, global tsunamis, and

chemical or biological attacks.

“It’s really not about 2012, something could happen tomorrow or 20 years from now,” Vicino said. He said the threat he fears the most is an American meltdown, “social and economic anarchy.”

Despite the potential dangers, both natural and man-made, only government leaders had a way of staying safe, he said.

“The government has a solution and they’ve been preparing, for the last ten years or so, very large underground shelters for the government and the elite,” he said. “If you’re not connected and you’re not the elite, you’re not going to get in.”

A portion of the bunkers for sale include Cold War-era nuclear shelters that will be refurbished. The bunkers will be designed to withstand outdoor temperatures of 700 degrees Celsius, winds of 700 kilometers an hour, flooding for 500 hours or a wave of earthquakes over 10 on the Richter scale.

And the company promises the bunkers will be outfitted with exercise equipment and an extensive wardrobe supplied with footwear “in all sizes.” “As a co-owner of one of the Vivos shelters, you will only need to get there,” the

website promises.

“Everything else is provided, including food, water, fuel, clothing, medical supplies, communications devices, security measures, as well as extremely comfortable accommodations”. The first shelter, located in the California desert near Barstow, will be ready in September. And Vicino said “hundreds” of applications have already poured in, including inquiries from Europe. But having the financial means will not be enough to win a place in the shelters. Vicino said the company is looking for a range of backgrounds and skills, to ensure a “self-sufficient” community.

He said “we want a little bit of everything in there, like on Noah’s ark, so that they can assist each other.” As for maintaining order, that should not present a problem, as about a third of the applicants come from police departments, private security firms or the US military. “I got a call yesterday from a special forces service member in Afghanistan wanting to sign up. He is very enthusiastic,” he said. Despite his enthusiastic arguments in favor of preparing for the worst, Vicino himself has not yet reserved a spot. “I don’t know if I can afford it!” — AFP

line that says Iran will not be allowed to become a nuclear state, but they have not spelled out what the United States would do if Iran gained the ability to produce a weapon but does not actually field one. Four senior administration officials told Congress last week that Iran is perhaps a year away from being able to build a weapon but that it would take two- to five additional years to turn the device into an effective weapon that could be launched against an enemy.

Iran claims its nuclear pro-

gram is intended for energy production, not a weapon. “All we really know is that Iran is widening and deepening its nuclear weapons capabilities, David Albright, founder and president of the Institute for Science and International Security said. “We don’t have any insight into what they’re thinking about doing - whether they’ll just live with a nuclear weapons capability which will probably include learning more about nuclear weapons themselves, or they’ll actually build them.” — AP

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Monday, April 19, 2010

Thai ‘Yellow Shirts’ issue ultimatum on rival Red rallies BANGKOK: Thailand’s elite-backed “Yellow Shirts” vowed to take action yesterday if the government fails to deal with red-clad protesters within a week, raising fears of clashes between the rival groups.

The “Red Shirts”, who mainly support ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, have occupied the capital for over a month with their anti-government campaign, which led to clashes with security forces last weekend leaving 25 people dead.

Thailand is largely split between the poor and rural Reds and the proestablishment Yellows, who hit the streets ahead of a 2006 coup that ousted their enemy Thaksin and again to see off his allies in 2008.

The Yellows had remained largely silent since the Reds began mass rallies in mid-March demanding immediate elections, but they held a meeting of 3,000 to 5,000 supporters yesterday to discuss a response to the crisis.

“In seven days we hope that the

government will deal with the terrorists from Thaksin immediately, otherwise we will show our voice to protect the country and the royal family,” said Parnthep Pourpongpan, a spokesman for the Yellow group formally known as the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD).

The Yellows are calling on the Reds “to value their own lives by not making any untrue statements saying that the government killed the people,” Parnthep said.

“The Red Shirts should save their lives by stopping the rally,” he said, adding that the PAD’s actions would be “according to the constitution”.

Yellow protesters in 2008 blockaded Bangkok’s two main airports, leading to a controversial court verdict that ousted Thaksin’s allies and allowed a parliamentary vote that brought in the current government.

The Reds, who are campaigning against Thailand’s elite in palace, military and bureaucratic circles, say the government’s rise to power was ille-

BANGKOK: Pro-government demonstrators wave flags and chant slogans during a rally to support Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at Victory monument yesterday. — AP

Kyrgyzstan’s new rulers struggle to restore order Situation fluid in turbulent south JALALABAD: Kyrgyzstan’s interim rulers ran into fresh hostility in the in a violent popular revolt on April 7, went into exile last week after days of restive south yesterday after supporters of the country’s deposed president turmoil that threatened civil war and disrupted military flights from a crucial laid siege to regional government headquarters. Kurmanbek Bakiyev, toppled US air base that supports operations in nearby Afghanistan. who was arrested by the interThe new government, im government last week. which has yet to be formally “We voted for Bakiyev. He is recognized globally, says it our president. I don’t believe controls the entire nation, but that he resigned. I want him the situation appeared fluid in back,” said Sultan-Maksut the south, Bakiyev’s tribal Dubanayev, a 55-year-old resistronghold. Persistent uncerdent of Jalalabad. The events tainty in Kyrgyzstan is a worry have thrown the fate of the US for the United States and air base into question. Hawks Russia, both of which operate in the new administration have military air bases in the called for the US base to be impoverished Muslim nation shut, accusing the United of 5.3 million. Bakiyev supStates of ignoring corruption porters broke into a regional and abuses under Bakiyev in government office in the order to keep the base. southern city of Jalalabad late For now, interim chief Roza on Saturday and briefly seized Otunbayeva says the governa local television channel, witment would abide by its US nesses said. base agreements and allow the Reuters reporters said the lease to be extended automatbuilding was guarded by a ically for another year this group of men who identified summer. There were conflictthemselves as Bakiyev loyaling reports about Bakiyev’s ists. The situation appeared whereabouts. Kazakh officials calm and did not change said he was in the Kazakh city throughout the day. No police of Taraz but some media or security forces were in reported that he had moved on sight. The government says it from there elsewhere. would not use force to interBelarus yesterday offered vene, saying stability will Bakiyev refuge. “We would return after a while. “The receive him as our dearest wave of lawlessness and crimguest, as my colleague, as the inal infighting has reached president of Kyrgyzstan,” Jalalabad,” said Edil Baisalov, Belarussian President the interim chief of staff.

Alexander Lukashenko was “Like elsewhere, this region quoted as saying by state news will also return to calm.” agency Belta.

Any further turbulence in a The new government says country with a south-north it allowed Bakiyev to escape in divide is worrisome since the order to avoid civil war, saying south lies at the heart of that Bakiyev had sent a formal Central Asia’s most flammable letter of resignation shortly corner where hundreds died in after fleeing. His close family the 1990s in ethnic clashes member told Reuters in the between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz. clan village of Teyyit that the Almaz Atambayev, an interim letter, which was shown to deputy premier, arrived in the reporters on Friday, was a ancient Silk Road city of Osh fake and that Bakiyev had in the south in a show of supnever intended to resign. port. “The aim of my visit is to Bakiyev and brother are show that not only the north accused of ordering troops to but also the south supports the open fire on protesters after new government,” he said. anti-Bakiyev demonstrations A few dozen protesters remained outside, some hold- BISHKEK: A Kyrgyz man prays in the Ata-Beyit memorial site outside exploded into a night of guning banners in support of Bishkek yesterday, to pay homage to the victims of April 7 clashes, when 84 fire on April 7. At least 84 people died. — Reuters Bakiyev’s defense minister, people were shot dead.—AFP

Japan falls fast from Obama priority list WASHINGTON: When he took office, US President Barack Obama moved quickly to show his commitment to Japan. He welcomed its then prime minister as his first White House guest and Hillary Clinton made the Asian ally her first destination as secretary of state. What a difference a year makes. When Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama came to Washington last week for a summit on nuclear security, his facetime with Obama consisted of approaching him at a dinner when the president asked guests to enjoy the food before discussions.

Diplomats said the 10-minute encounter consisted mostly of Hatoyama telling Obama that he was still making a decision on the Futenma air base, which some of the prime minister’s left-leaning supporters want off Okinawa island. US officials have publicly said they are willing to consider Hatoyama’s ideas. But privately, many are exasperated that Japan has not put any concrete proposal on the table on a dispute that has been building for months.

Still, advocates for the half-century alliance have voiced alarm that tensions are becoming so visible. Nuclear security is an

issue close to Japan’s heart and Obama found the time to meet 13 other leaders on the summit sidelines including Chinese President Hu Jintao. “I found it absolutely shocking that the two countries couldn’t find a way to arrange a meeting,” said George Packard, president of the United States-Japan Foundation.

Senator Jim Webb, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on East Asia, said that while it was understandable to focus on a rising China, it was vital to keep emphasizing the importance of the alliance with Japan. The strategy is “kind of like birth control. If you cease taking the proper precautions, the possibility of an incident is elevated,” said Webb, a member of Obama’s Democratic Party from Virginia. The United States stations 47,000 troops in Japan, part of an alliance reached after World War II when Tokyo was stripped of its right to maintain a military.

Hatoyama, whose coalition swept out the long-entrenched conservatives in August elections, pledged in his campaign to review a 2006 agreement in which the United States would move 8,000 troops to

Guam. Under the deal, the Futenma air base would shift from an urban area where it has long been a source of grievance to a quiet part of Okinawa. But some of Hatoyama’s supporters want the base out of Okinawa entirely. Hatoyama has pledged to make a decision by the end of May. Weston Konishi, a Japan expert at the Mansfield Foundation think-tank, said that while US officials have not always been delicate on the Futenma issue, the Hatoyama government also had itself to blame for “self-marginalization.”

“American officials are well aware that things move at a glacial pace in Japan and that’s why they gave some slack to the new government after they took power,” Konishi said. “But there have been some very mixed signals that have emanated from Tokyo that have frustrated the American side,” Konishi said.

“I think the president and some policymakers have now in a way written Japan offnot on everything, but the leadership coming from Tokyo on a number of key global issues has been mixed,” he said. Hatoyama has insisted that the US alliance remains

gitimate.

The authorities have so far failed to bring an end to the Reds’ mass rallies. A botched attempt to clear areas occupied by the demonstrators triggered the country’s deadliest civil unrest in 18 years last weekend. The government has asked the police’s special investigation unit to probe the bloodshed, blaming “terrorists” for inciting violence and accusing Thaksin, who lives abroad to avoid a jail term for graft, of stoking the unrest.

The Reds meanwhile announced plans to step up their campaign for snap polls by boosting their numbers on Tuesday in the commercial area they are currently occupying in the heart of the city.

Army spokesman Sunsern Kaewkumnerd said the military would “contain” the protesters. “We will have police and soldiers working together,” he said. The Reds have so far ignored calls by the authorities to disperse from the shopping heart-

land, despite security forces being positioned on top of the area’s skyscrapers and outstanding arrest warrants in place against core leaders.

Leader Nattawut Saikuar said Saturday that 24 senior Reds would hand themselves over to police on May 15 to avoid another attempt to forcibly arrest them after a bungled operation Friday, but he added that they would seek bail.

“For now the 24 of us will keep rallying to show sincerely that we won’t run away,” he said. “I’m sure the order to suppress us will come out soon.” Embattled premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, who cancelled his weekly television broadcast yesterday for unclear reasons, has handed broader powers to his army chief Anupong Paojinda to disperse the protesting crowds.

Emergency services confirmed yesterday that the death toll from the clashes had increased to 25, while more than 800 people were also wounded. — AFP

Australia to re-open controversial centre SYDNEY: Australia yesterday said it was reopening an immigration detention centre that was closed after riots in 2002 as authorities struggle to cope with escalating numbers of asylum-seekers. Immigration Minister Chris Evans said the Curtin air base facility, in a remote part of Western Australia, would house asylumseekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan after Australia stopped processing claims from the two countries. “As a result of (last week’s decision to suspend) applications for asylum seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, we’ll be opening a new immigration facility at the Curtin Air Base,” Evans said.

“Previously, it’s been used for this purpose and initially we’ll be upgrading the facility to accommodate that cohort of persons who have had their asylum claims suspended.” Single male Afghans and Sri Lankans will be transferred in the coming weeks from Christmas

Island, Australia’s main detention centre off its north, which is overflowing with immigrants arriving on rickety boats. “It makes sense for the government to manage this group of asylum seekers in one secure location and the Curtin facility is well placed to provide this accommodation,” Evans said. Australia’s previous conservative government closed Curtin in 2002 after rioting and allegations of violence against detainees. The problems came during a spate of similar incidents in the country’s immigration centers. Evans said another group of men would soon be moved to Darwin while a contingent of unaccompanied children would go to South Australia to ease overcrowding on Christmas Island. The United Nations last week raised concerns about the decision to freeze asylum applications from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, saying it could leave people in detention for prolonged periods. —AFP

Quake death toll hits 1,706; 256 still missing Hu comforts quake victims, promises quick aid JIEGU: Chinese President Hu Jintao cradled an injured Tibetan girl as she wept yesterday and promised speedy aid for the scores left homeless when a massive earthquake struck a remote, mountainous region that has frequently chafed at Beijing’s rule. Hu cut short an official trip to South America to deal with the disaster, which killed more than 1,700 people in far west China’s Qinghai province, where Tibetan resentment over Han Chinese rule has occasionally boiled over into violence.

The president’s carefully scripted trip included visits with displaced families living in tents and rescue teams as they dug through debris. He also sat with injured survivors in a field hospital and promised the Communist Party and the government was doing everything they could to help the quake victims. Most of the affected were Tibetan.

“I guarantee the party and the government will help you build a new home and make sure your children can return to school as soon as possible,” Hu told a family living in a tent.

Footage on China Central Television also showed Hu grasping the hand of a monk as he pledged that every effort would be made to save anyone still trapped under the rubble. “As long as there is a ray of hope we will try 100 times harder to save lives,” he said. Earlier yesterday, the official Xinhua News Agency reported that a 68-yearold man was pulled from the rubble four days after the quake hit Wednesday morning. It said the man, Dawa, only suffered broken ribs and had been trapped in a space that allowed him to move around.

At a field hospital set up on the grounds of a sports stadium, Hu sat on the bed of a Tibetan middle school student identified by China Central Television as Zhuoma, and held her as she wept.

Her right arm was bandaged and supported by a sling. “Rest assured, you will have a full recovery,” he told her. “Don’t worry. I know you are a good girl. Be strong. You will have a bright future.

Grandpa will be thinking of you.” Hu and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao have both cultivated compassionate, grandfatherly images in a bid to portray the leadership as putting people first.

But Tibetans complain they lack religious freedom under Beijing’s secular rule and are troubled by the vitriolic rhetoric the government directs at their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. They also say a flood of majority Han Chinese to the area has imperiled the delicate plateau and cost locals jobs.

The government insists it liberated Tibetans from feudalism and now gives them the freedom to worship as they please. It also says billions of dollars in government aid have dramatically raised the standard of living in Qinghai and surrounding areas.

The death toll rose yesterday by a few hundred to 1,706 with 256 still missing, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the rescue headquarters in Jiegu. It said 12,128 were injured, including 1,424 in serious condition. Most of the survivors who were not evacuated to hospitals elsewhere are now living in tents and have basic food and clean water, Zou Ming, head of disaster relief at the Ministry of Civil Affairs, told a news conference in Beijing. Still, Zou said, getting aid to the region, which is a 12-hour drive from the provincial capital, remains a problem. Hundreds of the dead have been cremated.

In a hillside ceremony Saturday, Buddhist monks in face masks set ablaze piles of blanketwrapped bodies in a mass cremation, as necessity forced them to break with the local tradition of “sky burials” - leaving corpses on a platform to be devoured by vultures. Rescue workers were still searching for survivors and bodies in schools. The quake destroyed more than a third of the school buildings in Jiegu and rendered the rest dangerous, according to the Qinghai provincial government. It said 103 students were killed and 684 students and teachers were injured, and at least 38 others were still missing.

Shattered schools remain a sensitive issue in China, where a devastating 2008 quake killed thousands of students, and school buildings and code enforcement were found to be inferior. But the quake this past week flattened schools and other buildings alike. The first makeshift school started classes Saturday, with 60 elementary and middle school students singing the national anthem, Xinhua said. — AP

the “bedrock” for Japan’s security. But Packard, a former assistant to the US ambassador in Japan, said it was not realistic to expect the alliance to continue unchanged forever. The original treaty was negotiated between “a victor and an occupied nation, not between two sovereign states, and every Japanese voter knows that,” Packard said.

Some Japanese view the Status of Forces Agreement, under which the United States is under no obligation to hand over troops suspected of wrongdoing, as “an extension of the extraterritorial arrangements that characterize Western imperialism in Asia in the 19th century,” Packard said.

“It is only natural that a new generation

of Japanese who did not live through the Cold War will increasingly question why they should put up with foreign troops in bases on their soil,” Packard said. “The US has reduced its military footprint in South Korea, Germany and the Philippines, and it should not be surprising that a new generation of Japanese is growing restive.” — AFP

JIEGU: Chinese President Hu Jintao (right) comforts a girl receiving medical treatment at Jiegu town in earthquake-hit Yushu county in west China’s Qinghai province yesterday. — AP

Monday, April 19, 2010

INTERNATIONAL

11

Counter-insurgency zeal grips eastern Afghanistan

YOUSEF KHEL: US Army Platoon Leader Lieutenant Marcus B Smith (second left) holds the hand of Afghan Sub Governor of Yousef Khel in Paktika province. — AFP

New Afghan vote chief promises ‘clean house’

YOUSEF KHEL: The young governor of Yousef Khel district in eastern Afghanistan takes US Army Lieutenant Marcus Smith by the hand and leads him down a slippery slope. “Partnership,” Smith says, as the two walk hand-inhand over churned-up wheat fields, repeating the message at the heart of the strategy he is trying to implement in the small outpost he commands in Paktika province.

A determination to implement US and NATO commander General Stanley McChrystal’s counter-insurgency strategy is evident among the soldiers in this part of Afghanistan. At bases across the east, inverted pyramids and intricate flow charts are tacked to walls and scrawled on white boards, with slogans such as: “The population is the centre of gravity.” Up mountains and through valleys, soldiers on patrol muse on historical counter-insurgency campaigns and the writings of Che Guevara or Mao Zedong, trying to find analogies for their modern war.

“We came in with a counter-terrorism strategy specifically to remove the Taleban,” said US Army Major Steven

Bower, an intelligence officer for the eastern Afghan provinces of Khost, Paktika and Paktya. “You have to transition into a strategy that looks, smells and tastes like counter-insurgencyyou’ve got to provide security, you’ve got to build capacity and government.”

It has been a bruising year for foreign forces. Some 520 troops died last year, the highest number since the start of the US-led military action to oust the hardline Taleban regime in late 2001.

Troop numbers are set to peak at 150,000 by August as a push against the Taleban in their southern heartland intensifies. Afghan National Army (ANA) numbers are also increasing. On the ground, more bases are being manned jointly by NATO and Afghan forces and NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is funding development projects promoted to Afghans as government initiatives.

Frequent meetings with local elders aim to bring Afghans into contact with local authorities, often for the first time. But implementing the plan creates problems, too.

In some remote areas there is no

government partner. In others, local leaders are too young and inexperienced to have any influence. Rookie Afghan police and army lock horns, while wary tribal elders refuse to cooperate.

Militants are attacking development projects while money is frequently skimmed in the corruption-riddled nation, US officials say. “It’s a very slow and tedious process and you take a couple of steps forward and you take a step backwards here and there,” said Lieutenant Colonel David Fivecoat, commander of 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment in Paktika.

Fivecoat talks about the “oil spot” theory: bringing security and establishing a government presence in one population centre before branching out to smaller, outlying villages. But it is a tugof-war for influence and allegiance, he added, as Taleban attacks and pressure on the locals intensifies. In southern Afghanistan, foreign forces are focused on the first principle of counter-insurgency-restoring security.

Many of the new troops have arrived, launching massive assaults into urban areas to wrest them back from Taleban

control. Eastern Afghanistan has had a NATO presence for much longer, and while attacks are rising, military officials say McChrystal’s strategy is already taking hold. Troops numbers are set to double in the east this year and more civilians are being brought in for development work. “I think I have seen the results here in RC (Regional Command) East,” said Major General Curtis Scaparrotti, head of ISAF operations in the east.

“We have areas that are much more secure now that the Afghan security forces and the civil leadership have taken charge and we’re beginning to expand from those.” But Afghans working the parched fields and trying to dodge the Taleban feel they have a long way to go before their lives improve.

Government officials also see a difficult road ahead. “I don’t think the US are going to leave us by ourselves because our ANA and ANP (Afghan army and police) need more time and more work,” said Abdul Qayum Katawazy, governor of Paktika province. “Then they can leave. But in the current situation, I don’t think so.” — AFP

Opposition leader, West pleased with Karzai’s choice KABUL: Afghanistan’s newly appointed election chief promised yesterday to remove officials responsible for fraud in last year’s presidential vote in time to hold a cleaner parliamentary election this year. Fazl Ahmad Manawi, a former judge tapped by President Hamid Karzai to run the Independent Election Commission as part of a reform package agreed with the United Nations, said security was still the biggest risk to holding a free and fair vote.

Avoiding a repeat of last year’s damaging vote fraud is an important goal in Afghanistan, where Taleban insurgents have expanded the scope and scale of attacks in recent years despite the presence of some 130,000 US and NATO-led foreign troops. Negotiations over the election rules grew into a diplomatic row between Karzai and the White House this month after Karzai accused the West of being behind last year’s fraud, remarks Washington called “disturbing” and untrue.

Both sides have since said they had moved beyond the dispute. Karzai’s opponents had accused Manawi’s predecessor of failing to stop vote fraud, and Western donors threatened to block funding for this year’s vote without reforms. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Saturday the international community was comfortable with the choice of Manawi, and he could now recommend donors pay to fund the vote.

The US embassy, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and the European Union have all praised the changes and said they

are now preparing to help with the vote.

AVOID REPEATING ‘WEAKNESSES’ In a telephone interview with Reuters, Manawi said he would evaluate election commission staff, try to determine who was behind last year’s fraud and either sideline or push them out. “We would like to keep, and even perhaps promote, those who carried out good things in last year’s poll and reshuffle or remove those who committed violations, even if they are in very sensitive posts,” Manawi said. “There will be a meeting with the election team and all of our provincial heads for consulting and evaluating those points which caused weaknesses last year and avoid repeating them.”

Abdullah Abdullah, Karzai’s main presidential challenger and the most outspoken critic of the previous election commission, said he was pleased with the choice of Manawi, but the commission would still have to prove it was independent. “He’s known for being an independent person,” Abdullah told Reuters, referring to Manawi. “The removal of the culprits in the fraud ... that was a positive move. But at the same time, I should say that this is not enough.

Far from it. They have to prove themselves in action.”

Abdullah said officials still had to resolve a question of whether to apply an election decree, issued by Karzai in February, which alters many rules. Parliament’s lower house voted to overturn the decree but Karzai’s camp says it is in force. — Reuters

JAMMU: A nomadic Gujjar girl plays in the River Tawi to get respite from the heat. Places across north India have been experiencing a heat wave condition, with capital New Delhi recording the seasons highest of 42 degree Celsius. — AP

India heat wave kills 80, hurts wheat crop Temperatures hit 44 C, highest in 52 years

KANDAHAR: Afghans walk by a house destroyed in a suicide bombing the previous night in Kandahar, south of Kabul. Fear has gripped the southern city of Kandahar ahead of NATO’s upcoming offensive, with many of the residents blaming foreign troops and the Afghan government as much as the Taleban for pushing the city toward the brink of chaos. — AP

29 militants slain in Afghan north KABUL: At least 29 militants, including two commanders, have been killed over four days of intense fighting aimed at protecting supply routes through northern Afghanistan, the Interior Ministry said yesterday. Elsewhere, a foreign solider was killed by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan on Saturday, NATO said, the third foreign death that day following an earlier announcement of the loss of two Dutch marines in the southern province of Uruzgan.

The third soldier’s nationality and other details of the incident were being withheld pending family notification, it said. So far this month, 24 foreign soldiers have died in Afghanistan, where foreign troop levels are climbing toward 130,000 in a push to cripple the resurgent Taleban insurgency. An Afghan policeman was also killed during mine clearance operations in the southern province of Kandahar, the Interior Ministry said.

Afghan and international forces launched an offensive last week in the northern province of Baghlan to push the Taleban out of a number of districts, including the outskirts of the provincial capital, about 120 miles north of Kabul. Insurgents had stepped up attacks in the formerly calm province as part of efforts to disrupt a key northern overland supply route for international forces. NATO air strikes bombarded insurgent positions, killing 29 and wounding 52, said Zemeri Bashary, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, which oversees the Afghan police force.

At least three Afghan police and four German soldiers have been killed in the fighting. Bashary said the operation was continuing yesterday. Among the Taleban killed were two important commanders, Bashary said, without giving their names or other details. He said he had no information on deaths or

injuries among civilians. “The goal of the operation in Baghlan is to bring peace and stability where it was under the threat of the militants,” Bashary said.

Bashary also said authorities were working to free five Afghan workers for the UN Office of Project Services who were taken hostage Thursday in Baghlan. The UN has said it is working with the Afghan Ministry of Interior to seek their release.

Also yesterday in the northern province of Faryab, one person was killed and 14 wounded when a remote-controlled bomb exploded in a busy market in the town of Dawlatabad, according to Ahmad Jawed Bedar, spokesman for the provincial governor.

It wasn’t clear who set the bomb or what its intended target was. While Faryab has been relatively quiet, it shares a border with volatile Baghdis province. Joint Afghan and NATO patrols also discovered weapons and drug caches in Kandahar and neighboring Helmand province, including more the 2,000 pounds of raw opium, 1,875 pounds of processed opium, and 615 pounds of hashish. The occupants of the trucks were held and the drugs were to be destroyed, NATO said.

Afghanistan produces the raw material for 90 percent of the world’s heroin, much of it drawn from the opium fields of Kandahar and Helmand. Profits from the drug trade fill the Taleban’s coffers. Violence in the north has proved an increasing distraction from NATO’s main focus on Kandahar, the largest city in southern Afghanistan, where Afghan and international forces are conducting operations in preparation for a major push against the Taleban in the group’s spiritual heartland. The operation’s aim is to reassert central government control in the region ahead of parliamentary elections in September. — Reuters

NEW DELHI: A severe heat wave sweeping India, with temperatures of almost 44 C (111 F), the highest in 52 years, has killed at least 80 people this month, officials said yesterday. The scorching weather, which officials say would continue over northern, northwestern and central India in the next 48 hours, also may have some impact on wheat production, exporters and flourmill associations said.

New Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7 degrees Celsius on Saturday, presaging a hot summer in the next two months in the nation’s capital and other parts of northern and eastern India. The highest temperature in the

past 24 hours was 47 C at Ganganagar city, in Rajasthan state. Summer temperatures have been 4-6 degrees Celsius above normal over most parts of northern and central India since March, weather officials said.

In the eastern state of Orissa, authorities have decided to shut down schools from next Tuesday, advancing the annual summer holiday. Authorities said they were investigating reports of 53 deaths from various parts of the state. “District collectors have been asked to investigate and submit reports on other deaths,” Bhimsen Gochhayat, a government official, said. Other deaths were reported from northern state of

Bangladesh jails 57 border guards 9 opposition supporters perish DHAKA: A Bangladeshi special court convicted and jailed 57 border guards yesterday in relation to a bloody mutiny last year that left 74 people dead, a state prosecutor said. Scores of senior army officers were killed in the 33-hour uprising that began when soldiers at the Bangladeshi Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Dhaka went on a killing spree, later hiding the bodies in sewers and shallow graves.

The mutiny swiftly spread to BDR posts outside Dhaka, with thousands of guards taking up arms against their commanding officers in the worst military rebellion in the country’s history. State prosecutor Mosharraf Hossain said that the 57 received jail terms of between four months and seven years for joining the mutiny in the southeastern border town of Feni. “Four were given maximum seven years in jail. All 57 would lose their jobs. Out of 62 charged, five were acquitted,” he said, adding that the charges ranged from looting weapons to terrorizing army officers.

The same court in the past two weeks has sent 79 other soldiers to jail. Another 2,200 guards facing more serious charges, including murder, will be tried separately in civilian courts, where they could face the death penalty. The handling of the crisis caused tensions between the newly elected civilian government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the military, which demanded all mutineers be tried by court martial. The government compromised, offering to try about 3,500 BDR soldiers in the military-run special courts. — Agencies

Uttar Pradesh and central Madhya Pradesh states.

India is expected to produce about 82 million tons of wheat in 2009/10, but there could be a shortage of 1-1.5 million tons due to the heatwave, said Veena Sharma, Secretary General of the Roller Flour Millers Federation of India.

“Most of the harvesting is over, but there definitely will be a slight shortage of 1-1.5 million tons due to the extreme weather conditions,” she told Reuters.

India is relying on a bumper wheat crop to make up for a 14.2 percent drop in rice output, the major summer-sown food grain, marred by the worst monsoon in 37 years last year.

“The time it (wheat) normally takes to get ripe has been shortened and as a result the size of the grain could be smaller with a marginal effect on production,” DP Singh, president of the All India Grain Exporters Association, said yesterday. Weather officials say with summer temperatures in India set to remain above average, there were hopes of heavy rains at the start of the monsoon season that will help early sowing of rice, soybeans and lentils.

A senior weather official said he was expecting temperatures to come down a bit next week, bringing some relief in hilly areas, which could experience light rain. — Reuters

7 die in suicide attack PESHAWAR: Seven people were killed yesterday in the third suicide attack in 24 hours in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Kohat, which has become home to thousands fleeing rampant violence. Police said the target of the latest strike-hours after 42 people were killed by two suicide bombers dressed in burqas - was a police station but the bomber exploded his car early after officers tried to stop him. “The bomber exploded his vehicle at the back of the police station,” city police Chief Dilawar Khan Bangash said. All the dead were civilians, he added.

In all, 26 people were injured in the latest blast, Abdullah Jan, the district’s top police officer, told reporters, adding: “These incidents are a reaction to the military operation in the tribal areas.” The attack destroyed three rooms of the police station in the garrison city and three rooms in a governmentrun primary school for boys, as well as vehicles and seven shops, police said. Saeed Akbar, a watchman employed at a school also damaged in the attack said he rushed inside after sensing danger when the driver failed to stop his car despite police efforts to flag him down.

“I rushed back inside the school and suddenly a huge blast happened. The outer wall of the school fell on me, but myself with the grace of God was in my senses,” he said while being treated for minor injuries. Fida Hussain, a 30-year-old shopkeeper who suffered a shrapnel wound to his forehead said: “I saw a blue flame after the deafening blast.

Something hit me on my forehead and I fell to the

ground.” Yesterday’s attack came a day after two suicide bombers dressed in burqas struck a crowd of displaced people collecting aid handouts. Police said that 42 people were killed and more than 60 wounded.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to fighting extreme Islamists in the northwest as he addressed army officers during the country’s biggest war games in two decades. “Pakistan and its armed forces are fully committed in a fierce struggle on its western border and are continuing to retain their capability to deal with all possible threats in the region,” he told the gathering in Punjab province.

“I urged world leaders to come forward and share the responsibility in helping us fight the menace of terrorism for global peace,” he added. A campaign of suicide and bomb attacks has killed more than 3,200 people in less than three years across the nuclear-armed country of 167 million, blamed on AlQaeda, Taleban and other extremist Islamist groups.

Under US pressure, Pakistan has in the past year significantly increased operations against militants in its tribal belt, which became a haven for hundreds of extremists who fled Afghanistan after the 2001 US-led invasion.

In the two attacks on Saturday the bombers struck minutes apart in the Kacha Pukha camp on the outskirts of Kohat, a registration centre for people fleeing Taleban violence and Pakistani army operations close to the Afghan border. — AFP

OPINION

12

Monday, April 19, 2010

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issues

Blogs go beyond traditional media

By Hisham Khribchi

T

he way mainstream media has covered major events of the past two decades leaves much to be desired. After the 9/11 attacks, rigid, insular debates and discussions too often replaced free and open discourse, creating an environment ripe for the rise of blogs.

The prominence of a “good” versus “evil”, “us” versus “them” discourse and the “clash of civilisations” theory made famous by political scientist Samuel Huntington, which claimed that Islam and the West were headed for conflict, limited the range of views covered by traditional media. Simultaneously, facing tough financial constraints, media has been increasingly consolidated in the hands of a few.

In response, there has been an unprecedented rise in blogs and social networks on the Internet, corresponding with the emergence of new technologies. This shift gave birth to a new kind of media “citizen media” - which has created a paradigm shift in the way information is exchanged and opinions are expressed.

Blogs allow an increasing number of Internet users from different geographic and cultural backgrounds to participate in intercultural, transnational understanding - and to discover that we aren’t so different after all.

One surprising example came about in the summer of 2005 in London. A few days after suicide attacks hit the city, Kamal Raza Butt, a 48year-old Pakistani who had just arrived in London to visit his family, was killed by a group of youngsters who yelled racist insults before they attacked him.

Stereotypes and accusations dominated television, the radio and the press, analysing the motives of the crime and focusing on the “climate of revenge” that was taking over the country. On one side were those who blamed terrorism on the teachings of Islam, and considered the Muslim community widely responsible for the suicide attacks and subsequent climate of fear and mistrust that resulted in Raza’s murder. On the other side were those who blamed Western societies of racism and failure to integrate Muslim minorities. The polarised debate in mainstream media left little space for the mainstream voices that were desperately looking for common ground between those on both sides.

In this context, blogs provided an unexpected opportunity. More than just information sources; they became platforms for all points of view. By commenting on articles and posts, bloggers discovered commonalities as they connected with each other. They agreed, for

instance, that terrorism is in essence counter to all religions’ teachings, including Islam. During the days following the London attacks and Raza’s murder, blogs became a platform for passionate debate, rarely seen in mainstream media.

The brilliant blog “Lenin’s Tomb” constitutes a perfect example. In this left-leaning blog, secular and religious people exchanged their views via online posts and comments. Through blogs and emerging social networks, citizens exchanged their points of view and discussed thorny subjects like Islamophobia.

Although exchanges were not always gentle, a dialogue emerged that spontaneously led to some common ground.

The very nature of the blogosphere allowed for Muslims (and non-Muslims for that matter) in Britain and elsewhere to challenge negative accusations, and to put the London attacks and Raza’s murder in their wider context.

For example, bloggers in England and throughout Europe initiated events to discuss issues like racism, integration and religion in person, and bloggers from all over the world joined virtual agoras, or meeting places, to discuss these topics in more depth.

The positive work of associations combating racist messages came into the spotlight.

Islamophobia Watch, for instance, which was founded early in 2005, rose to prominence soon after the London attacks in part due to its increasing familiarity with Internet users.

In the face of chaos, and maybe because of it, understanding between people with different points of view seemed within reach. Some will say that hatred, slander and ignorance are prevalent on the internet. However, if extremist voices use this medium, they are no longer alone. People with alternative points of view, many of them wanting to create mutual understanding and respect, now have the right to have their say and be heard.

Blogging and social networks have allowed people with different beliefs, political views and cultures to talk about their lives, joys, sorrows and truths. And for Muslim-Western relations, the Internet constitutes an unmatched, eye-opening outlet for voices from all sides to have their say, mitigating divides and misunderstandings. We now know that at the end of day we are not as different as we first thought.

NOTE: Hisham Khribchi is a Moroccan blogger and doctor, living in France and blogging in Arabic at almiraat2wordpress.com. He is a volunteer reporter for Global Voices Online and co-founder of the online forum Talk Morocco —CGNews

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

Those we honor and why

By Dr James J Zogby

T

his week the Arab American Institute (AAI) hosts its annual Kahlil Gibran “Spirit of Humanity” Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. This year’s event also marks the 25th Anniversary of the AAI, but, as in past years, the spotlight will not be on the Institute, but on those who have been selected to receive the Gibran awards. Named for the world renowned Lebanese poet and philosopher, Kahlil Gibran, the awards recognize individuals and institutions, who by the work they do, the values they project, or the challenges they issue forth, exemplify the “Spirit of Humanity”. Past recipients have included: Senator George Mitchell (for his work in Northern Ireland), Lech Walesa (the leader of the Polish Solidarity movement), the YWCA (for its efforts to combat racism), Refugees International, and Mohamed Ali. This year’s honorees are no less significant. UAE businessman and philanthropist, Juma Al-Majid is being honored for his extraordinary efforts to preserve Arab and Islamic culture. The

restoration projects undertaken by his Center for Culture and Heritage have ensured that the magnificent work of the past will be of benefit to future generations. Through his efforts, thousands of books and manuscripts have been saved. It is his gift to us all. AlMajid is revered in his own country for his philanthropy. When Arabs in nine countries were asked to name their favorite personality in the region, in most countries the winners were athletes or entertainers. Emiratis chose Juma Al-Majid.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley is being recognized for his efforts to promote cultural understanding between Chicagoans and the world community.

Under his leadership, Chicago has: established Sister City relationships with Amman, Casablanca and most recently Abu Dhabi; hosted events to promote education, and business and cultural ties with the Arab World; and supported Arabic language training in the city’s public schools.

Daley’s efforts remind us all not only of the need to celebrate our own county’s rich cultural diversity, but of the need for America to make itself

more open to the world.

Since there is no higher calling than to serve the needs of others, this year the AAI also honors the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS). Launched during the Clinton Administration to promote volunteerism and public service, and expanded during the Bush and Obama Administrations, the CNCS has enabled tens of thousands of young Americans to serve their communities through grants and training programs that have supported local projects providing education and social services in underserved areas.

As a result of one such CNCS project, Americorps, scores of young Arab Americans have been able to move from college into work serving the needs of their communities nationwide. The last two honorees are Arab Americans whose personal stories, though different, are both remarkable American stories of service and commitment.

Judge Rosemary Barkett is this year’s recipient of the Najeeb Halaby award. Named for Halaby, whose career in public service began in the

Kennedy Administration and concluded with his Chairmanship of Save the Children, this award is given annually to an accomplished Arab American elected or appointed official.

Born in Mexico of Syrian immigrant parents who later became citizens of the US, Judge Barkett was appointed to the federal bench by President Clinton. For her work promoting justice and equal rights, she has been honored by numerous organizations including those representing women, Hispanics and members of the legal profession. This year Arab Americans are proud to recognize her service and the way she has embodied the values of our heritage in her life’s work.

The story of Abdul Rahman Zeitoun has been told in the best selling book “Zeitoun”, written by David Eggers, and soon to be the subject of a Hollywood film. A hero of the Katrina disaster, Zeitoun risked his life for days on end saving others. In a canoe he went from flooded house to flooded house delivering supplies and rescuing the helpless. Then a week later, this courageous and selfless hero became a victim himself, of cruel discrimination.

He was inexplicably arrested by federal officials and held incommunicado as a suspected terrorist.

He was exonerated and despite an ordeal that would have made a lesser man bitter, Zeitoun has established a foundation donating the proceeds from the book to the rebuilding of his beloved city, New Orleans, and ensuring the rights of all Americans.

When the Institute was founded 25 years ago, its goal was to secure for Arab Americans their rightful place in the mainstream of American political and social life. The community had to face down bigotry and political exclusion, and, after 9/11, suspicion.

To a degree this has borne fruit, though challenges remain. But in honoring those who define the values we share and those whose work we seek to emulate, Arab Americans make a statement about who we are, what we bring to this country and the way forward. This is the community’s tribute to the Spirit of Humanity.

NOTE: Dr James J Zogby is President of the Arab American Institute

British economy at heart of election fight C

By Roland Jackson

utting public spending while not choking off recovery is at the heart of Britain’s election race, as the three main parties pledge to slash debt and crack down on “greedy” bankers to woo wavering voters. Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Labour party, the main opposition Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats will step the campaign up a gear this week, after launching their manifestos and holding their first live TV debate.

And there is all to play for: most polls suggest a Conservative victory, but with no overall majority, which would lead to a so-called hung parliament, where the third party the Lib Dems could prove kingmakers.

Whichever group wins next month’s vote, economists say taxation hikes and spending cuts are needed, as borrowing is forecast to hit a record £167 billion ($257 billion) in 2009-2010.

However the manifestos are unclear on where the axe will fall, according to Linda Yueh, a fellow in economics at Oxford University. “The parties have not given enough detail to assess how far apart they really are on the ways to reduce the budget deficit,” Yueh told AFP. “There are significant unspecified spending cuts that are needed - which have to go beyond just efficiency savings - that make it hard to judge the particular mix of cuts to tax rises which will be implemented.”

Next week, crucial data will reveal the exact level of the nation’s public deficit for the financial year that ended in March. Britain’s deficit is equivalent to around 11.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) - on a par with crisishit Greece, whose deficit stood at 12.7

percent of GDP in 2009. Cutting the deficit has become a crucial theme in the run-up to the general election - but economists and politicians argue that speedy fiscal action could harm Britain’s fragile economy recovery after a record recession.

Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats argue that any cuts would be implemented in 2011 to avoid risking a so-called “double dip” or second phase of recession, after the economy emerged from a record downturn in

late 2009. Conservative leader David Cameron has countered that swift action is needed to axe 6.0 billion pounds of “waste” in this year, adding that immediate deficit reduction would help keep Britain’s top-rated AAA credit rating.

Brown, whose Labour party is aiming to secure a fourth term after 13 years in power, wants to halve Britain’s public deficit by 2014 via “fair” taxation and cuts in “low priority” spending.

Liberal Democrats leader Nick Clegg

has outlined ambitious plans to axe £62.85 billion of spending over the next five years, while handing out a huge income tax cut that would cost almost £17 billion.

The Liberal Democrats won a surge of support on Friday after Clegg was lauded as the winner of a first-ever preelection TV debate between the main contenders, in which he repeatedly referred to “greedy bankers”. The Conservatives have meanwhile pledged to scrap most of a Labour-proposed 1.0-

British Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party Gordon Brown (right), leader of the opposition Conservative party David Cameron (center) and leader of the opposition Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg are seen participating in the first of three live television debates prior to the May 6 election in the ITV studios in Manchester on April 15, 2010. – AFP

percent increase in National Insurance payrolls tax - due to take effect from April 2011 - saying they will pay for this with efficiency savings.

The party won plaudits from senior businessmen for vowing to ditch what they described as a “tax on jobs” - but they ran into fierce criticism from leading academics. Economist Neil MacKinnon at VTB Capital told AFP that it was imperative to wait until the economy has stable growth before swinging the axe. “On budget cuts, it is imperative to secure economic growth first and then have the bulk of the fiscal adjustment on spending restraint rather than tax hikes,” MacKinnon said. “Slash-and-burn budget policies are a disaster and a recipe for economic slump and deflation,” he also warned.

Yueh said that while immediate spending cuts would “generate credibility in bond markets to hold down borrowing costs,” early fiscal tightening “could precipitate a ‘double dip’ recession given the fragile recovery.”

All three main parties were meanwhile seeking various action over the banking sector, widely blamed for the global financial crisis and subsequent worldwide recession. Labour wants to gradually return the partly nationalised banks to the private sector to recoup taxpayers’ cash. The Conservatives would rather give Britons a stake of the banks in a so-called “People’s bank bonus.” The Lib Dems want to slap a 10-percent tax on profits and force the break-up of banking groups. “Bashing the banks is probably good populist politics but bad economics,” said MacKinnon. “Measures which prevent recapitalisation will only delay or restrain credit growth to such degree that it damages the economy.” — AFP

ANALYSIS

Monday, April 19, 2010

13

Uncertain leadership in Vatican as crisis rages

By Tom Heneghan

apologised, most recently in his letter to the Irish, and met victims in the United States, Australia and Malta.

In Valletta yesterday, he pledged the Church would do all it could to bring abusers to justice and protect youths in future. But recent remarks by senior churchmen have given an inside glimpse into how hard it is to turn sincere words into decisive and visible action that would ensure justice is seen to be done.

Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn revealed the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger wanted to probe an Austrian sex abuse scandal in 1995 but was blocked by rivals. He hinted opposition came from then Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano. Former Vatican official Cardinal Dario Castillon Hoyos said the late Pope John Paul authorised him to write a letter in 2001 praising a French bishop for hiding a predator priest. The note caused an uproar when it was posted on the Internet last week.

Many Irish Catholics hoped Benedict would restructure the Church in Ireland and force several bishops to step down after two damning reports on sexual abuse and cover ups there last year.

His disappointed critics overlooked the mention in his letter of an “apostolic visitation”, a Vatican probe into some Irish dioceses that could eventually lead to tough action. But “eventually” can take a longer time at the Vatican, which famously thinks in centuries, than victims or loyal Catholics concerned for their Church’s image want to see.

Benedict also is unlike-

W

hen countries are threatened or institutions are in trouble, they look to their leaders to show the way out of the crisis. The Vatican is in trouble, its moral authority sapped by mounting allegations of sexual abuse of children by priests in the past and coverups by bishops supervising them. But strong leadership from the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church is hard to discern. Pope Benedict rarely mentions the crisis and some aides have made things worse with comments that are mostly defensive and sometimes offend.

Catholic leaders argue the Church is not like secular bodies such as governments or companies, which is true. But it does live in the world and is judged by its legal standards when clergy commit crimes or the hierarchy covers them up.

George Abela, the Catholic president of the very Catholic island state of Malta, stressed this in his welcoming address to the visiting pope on Saturday when he spoke of priests who “unfortunately go astray”. “It is therefore the Church and even the State’s duty to work hand in hand ... to curb cases of abuse so that justice will not only be done but seen to be done,” he declared.

Benedict’s fullest statement on the crisis, his March 20 letter to the Irish, expressed shame and remorse and sharply criticised Ireland’s bishops over their handling of abuse cases. But he neither dismissed bishops nor proposed concrete reforms. “There is nothing in this letter to suggest that any new vision of leadership in the Catholic Church exists,” Maeve Lewis of the victims’ group One in Four said in response.

Within the Vatican, Benedict actually has been the strongest voice calling for tougher treatment of the sexual abuse issue. He has

ly to introduce reforms that critical Catholics or observers outside the Church think are needed.

Some demands bandied about - the pope should quit, scrap celibacy or allow women priests - are not directly relevant to the problem. They will not happen or not happen for a very long time in a Church where tradition counts so much. One leading critical Catholic, Swiss theologian Hans Kueng, has suggested bishops should work on a regional level to push through reforms blocked by the Vatican. That is also very hard to imagine in such a centralised Church.

Even calls for transparency in decision making or women in top level jobs go against the more traditional vision of the priesthood and the Church that Benedict has fostered in hope of restoring the reverence and authority he feels have been lost.

While reporters in several countries dig through documents for any links between Benedict and sex abuse cases years ago, some Catholic publications have highlighted a potentially explosive scandal that could soon batter the Vatican.

The National Catholic Reporter weekly in the United States has alleged the late Fr Marcial Maciel Dellagado, founder of the Legion of Christ order, lavished money on senior Vatican officials to deflect any probes into his double life. A close friend of Pope John Paul, the Mexican priest also had a past record of sexually abusing seminarians and had at least one and possibly several children by mistresses, it said.

Once elected pope, Benedict packed him off to “a life of penitence and prayer”. But one of Maciel’s staunchest defenders is the influential Cardinal Sodano, who on Easter Sunday urged the pope to ignore “the petty gossip of the moment”.

“Media misses the real scandal,” the London Catholic weekly The Tablet titled an editorial urging more focus on the Maciel scandal. The media have a right to probe Church scandals, it said, but may now be “looking entirely in the wrong direction.” — Reuters

Niger pressured for polls but food crisis looms

By David Lewis

N

iger’s military rulers have taken tentative steps towards restoring civilian rule and meeting a donor-imposed deadline of polls by year-end, but the process risks being derailed by a daunting food crisis. A Feb 18 military operation to oust President Mamadou Tandja, internationally criticised for overstaying his term in office, has been followed by two months of slow progress in consolidating political stability in the uranium-exporter.

“From afar, yes, things are on course. We are in a different position than in Guinea. There is much more faith in the institutions to deliver,” said one Western diplomat, comparing similar efforts in Guinea to restore civilian rule. “(But) I think they will have their hands full with the food crisis,” the diplomat added, referring to a looming food problem that aid workers fear could be the nation’s worst in five years.

The junta has openly talked of impending famine, in contrast to Tandja who dismissed suggestions of a growing hunger problem in 2005 until media attention pushed him to acknowledge it. This has helped cooperation between the government and aid workers, who warn that some 7.8 million people - nearly 60 percent of the country’s population - are running out of food after erratic rainfall last year caused crops to fail. But the authorities will have to juggle feeding people with the lengthy process of bringing together Nigeriens to agree on a road map towards civilian rule, which must include a referendum on a new constitution and before elections can take place.

There have already been grumblings in the local media about the slow pace of transition. Yet the process has recently been boosted by the return from exile of two key opposition leaders and the naming of two anti-Tandja figures as heads of the two main bodies involved in the transition. Leading

human rights advocate Morou Amadou has been named as the president of the Consultative Council, a 131-strong body that will give advice on everything from election dates and establishing the election commission to cleaning up politics.

Fatouma Bazai, the former head of Niger’s top court, which was dissolved when it challenged Tandja’s successful bid to extend his rule last year, now presides over the Constitutional Council which will give the final word on election results. “If you take things at face value, you have a situation that is more politically inclusive than during the last six months under Tandja,” said Tom Wilson, an analyst at Control Risks.

The coup was largely popular in the poor desert nation, where many have welcomed the soldiers’ vows to clean up politics and business, as well as hold elections at some stage. Tandja had broken French nuclear giant Areva’s monopoly on uranium mining, opening up the sector to investors from other

nations. But anti-corruption activists allege irregularities in many of the contracts signed. While few believe the military will challenge multi-billion dollar deals with Areva or Chinese oil and mining firms, Control Risks’ Wilson said there was a need to clean up the investment environment - while warning such a move risked opening up a can of worms and leading to a delay in the transition.

Donors are nervous about any such slippage and, without any set timetable for polls, the United States and Canada earlier this month put forward their own. “We strongly encourage the holding of transparent, free, and fair elections this year so that the most important voice, the voice of the people of Niger, can be heard,” they said in a joint statement.

Analysts believe the speedy release by the junta of Tandja supporters arrested on accusations of stirring trouble last month is a sign the soldiers do not want to be seen abusing their powers. Moreover Niger’s reliance on

foreign aid is something which could persuade the junta to step up the pace of the transition, with the possibility of Western donors rewarding positive steps. While humanitarian aid continues to flow, donors cut most development assistance in protest at Tandja’s changing of the constitution to extend his term limit last year.

Donors account for about 40 percent of Niger’s 700 billion CFA franc ($1.46 billion) budget, though diplomats say exact figures were difficult to come by under Tandja’s rule due to offbudget spending. “As the transition goes on, cash-flow pressures are going to tell. How flexible will the donors be?” said Paul Melly, an independent analyst of West Africa’s CFA franc zone. “If the military comes up with a credible road map towards restoring democracy ... if the timetable is not very long, I would think that it is quite likely that the French will push for some flexibility and other EU countries won’t complain too much,” he added. — Reuters

Economy impact to rise sharply if ash cloud lingers

By Peter Apps

T

he economic impact of the volcanic cloud halting flights across Europe will increase sharply the longer disruption continues, forcing holiday cancellations, delaying deliveries and reducing jet fuel demand. African exporters of flowers and vegetables by air to European supermarkets, technology companies relying on “just-in-time” deliveries of components, event organisers and others could all feel the pinch.

Economists say so far they have not changed their models or predictions for European growth, hoping normal service could resume this week. But in a worst-case scenario in which the ash cloud closes European airspace for months, one economist estimates lost travel and tourism revenue alone could knock 1-2 percentage points off regional growth as long as it lasts.European growth had been predicted at 1-1.5 percent for 2010. “That would mean a lot of European countries wouldn’t get any growth this year,” said Vanessa Rossi, senior economic fellow at Chatham House. “It would literally stifle the recovery. But the problem is it is incredibly hard to predict what will happen. Even the geologists can’t tell us.”

The event is a classic example of a “Black Swan”, a totally unexpected event with widespread impact, impossible to predict and hard to model. The key questions now are whether the volcano keeps erupting and spewing ash into the atmosphere, where the wind takes the ash and how long the ash already in the sky remains over Europe. Vulcanologists and meteorologists say they cannot immediately answer those questions as volcanoes are particularly unpredictable. They warn the last time the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier

Passengers queue at the airport of Prat Llobregat near Barcelona yesterday. All flights in and out of Barcelona’s El Prat and 16 other Spanish airports have been grounded. – AP erupted, it lasted more than a year.But it may not continue to spew ash for the entire eruption.

Most had originally expected the cloud and disruption would linger over Europe for several days. Travel and tourism accounts for around five percent of global gross domestic product - some $3 trillion - with Europe accounting for a third of that, much of it accruing over the summer months. Not all of this will be lost, but Rossi estimated a prolonged shutdown could cost up to $5-10 billion dollars a week in the industry.

But the impact will likely be wider. Most of the world’s goods by volume may move by sea and land, but transport analysts estimate 40 percent by value moves by air.

The world’s biggest air freight operators say they are moving what they can by road and looking at contingency plans of using southern European airports that are outside the cloud.

But they say deliveries will be sharply affected. “If your just-intime operation is depending on parts that come from Asia or the US or Africa or the Mideast... , you just can’t get it,” said United Parcel Service Inc spokesman Norman Black.“DHL and UPS use air hubs in Germany, Fedex Corp relies on an air hub in France and all that airspace is closed.

There’s just not an option right at the moment while we all wait and see how long this is going to take.”

Pharmaceutical firms are heavy users of air freight, but

most said on Friday they had enough stocks to avoid a shortterm crunch. Last-minute hightech imports between Asia and the United States are flown over the Pacific and will be unaffected, but European firms may feel the pinch. Most food and beverage deliveries move by sea, but some premium products such as the finest Scotch whiskeys retailing at hundreds of dollars a bottle in China or Japan - can no longer be moved.

That could mean the most vulnerable national economies to the shutdown could prove to be African producers of fruit and flowers that will swiftly perish if not shipped to market. “Kenya, as the largest supplier of cut flowers to Europe, where tourism is also an important sector, is likely to be the most

vulnerable; followed by the East African soft commodity producers more generally,” said Standard Chartered chief Africa economist Razia Khan, herself stranded in Botswana by a cancelled flight.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates airlines are losing $200 million a day from the shutdown, which has caused chaos well beyond the immediate European airspace closed.

Most airlines will be uninsured for this loss, although insurer Munich Re said on Friday it would consider offering cancellation insurance in future should the crisis produce demand.

European airline shares dipped on Friday and will likely fall sharply if it appears disruption will be prolonged. Even if

the wind shifts, ash clouds over the Atlantic and Arctic would continue to disrupt flights to North America and Asia.

Analysts estimate the shutdown is reducing demand for jet fuel by some 2 million barrels a day, last week undermining jet fuel prices. This could filter into the wider oil price if the shutdown continues.

The wider travel and tourism industry so far has suffered less.

The problem will be if the shutdown lasts long enough to deter future travel. “Right now the hotels have people who are stranded. If after a while, no new people arrive, that hurts the hospitality industry, “ said Rajeev Dhawan, director, Economic Forecasting Center at the Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University.

Even if the initial cloud clears, vulcanologists warn the same thing could happen again for as long as the eruption under the glacier lasts, further threatening struggling firms. “If this had happened a couple of years ago, governments would have had the money to step in and provide support,” she said. “But right now, after the crisis, that money isn’t there.This could be enough to push some weaker airlines and travel companies to the wall. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time. On the other hand, it could all clear overnight and we could be back to normal by next week.”

It could be worse. Scientists say this eruption looks unlikely to impact agriculture outside Iceland itself, in contrast to the much larger 1783 Laki eruption, also on Iceland.

“They were famines in France due to crop failure and this might well have been a factor in the French Revolution,” said Prof Steve Sparks, director of the Bristol Environmental Risk Research Centre at Bristol University. — Reuters

focus

Journo in war faces troubling questions

By Christopher Torchia

A

ll around, men roared and rifles thudded.

Sprawled in the earth in an open field, an American soldier to the left handed me a wounded man’s ammunition belt. Even as Taliban bullets whipped overhead, I thought about professional codes of conduct. Carry the belt? Or not? I was a journalist, not a soldier. My job was to observe without bias, not take part.

Yet surely it was a time for instincts rather than circumspection; a time for decisions geared to survival.

In four weeks of reporting on the war in Afghanistan as a journalist embedded with the US military, I found many such troubling questions about my role, and about why I was there in the first place.

So raw and instantaneous, combat inspires introspection.

The premise that war exposes the essential nature of people is hard to dispute, once you have witnessed it. Centuries of literature attest to its magnetism. Combat is the most elemental act, and the most intricate. For all its spectacular horrors, it will never lack an audience.

Most spectators feed their fascination from a safe perch: in front of a television screen, or in a movie theater, or with books and video games. For journalists, the questions begin with the decision to leave home and head into a combat zone. They have the choice, unlike many soldiers who accept grave risk as the institutional trade-off in a military career that can provide education, stability and adventure.

“Are you thrill-seekers?” a military medic asked AP photographer Pier Paolo Cito and me after we climbed into a Stryker infantry vehicle for the first time. “Not really,” I replied, mealy-mouthed.

Maybe he was right. What exactly were we doing there?

Nobody forced us. Time and again, insurgents have hit Strykers with bombs hidden in roads. The underside is flat and low, so a well-timed, powerful blast can rip right through the armor plating. A casket on wheels, the soldiers joke. A mobile coffin. Many soldiers have died in these attacks, and some journalists died with them. They shared the ultimate intimacy: a last instant alive. Death does not distinguish between journalist and soldier.

An embed assignment with the US or any military can erode a journalist’s sense of the professional distance needed to report hard truths.

Embedded journalists are the most dependent of guests.

Their hosts, military units on deployment, provide not just information, but food, shelter, transport and, with luck, some measure of safety. Embedded journalists sign a statement acknowledging the risks and waiving any legal claims. The journalists do not take orders and do not assist in military operations. But they are expected to adapt, and like it or not, they are part of a group.

On balance, the access is a privilege, the antithesis of quick-hit journalism.

Firsthand observations of combat are critical to telling the story. But the downside is that embedded reporters have a blinkered view of the war.

As an embed in the Marjah area, for example, I had to rely on military interpreters to talk to Afghan civilians in the Pashto language, often in circumstances where they were unlikely to speak freely. A lot of the time, they might as well have been cardboard cutouts, mute figures “outside the wire.” Even in keeping their distance, journalists can learn from soldiers who are, after all, trained to accept the prospect of death at almost any time.

American soldiers in Afghanistan traffick in harsh humor and fatalism. Everyone knows someone who died.

They banter about losing limbs. At first, the comments are alien and disturbing. After a while, tasteless makes sense. You laugh, and participate to bury the tension. One morning, 1st Lt Gavin McMahon of New York City rousted the men in his platoon out of their sleeping bags after a cold night on the ground.

Someone said something about going home with both legs intact. “Legs are overrated,” McMahon quipped.

“At this point, I’m like, if I die, whatever,” said Spc Jake Wells of Petersburg, Virginia, a soldier in another unit. “You can’t really control it. If it’s your time, it’s your time.” My friend and colleague, Pier Paolo, got into the spirit. A man jumps out of a skyscraper, he said, and announces half-way down: “So far, so good.” Later, he compared his life to a light switch.

Turn it off, and it is over.

That thinking works in the zone, but not with home.

Three weeks into the embed, I received a personal email: “You give the impression to be able to indulge in the risk of dying. A luxury you seem to be able to afford at no cost, or at whatever cost.” My terse response, short on sympathy: “I am not here for fun and thrills or inspiration. Don’t judge or conclude, please.

There’s a risk here, but I’m working within certain limits . ... Let’s save this conversation for another time.” The unspoken questions shadowing the exchange were: Do I care less about my own life than those closest to me, and isn’t choosing to cover combat then an act of extreme selfishness, or even dysfunction?

Public service, professional acclaim, adrenaline rush, financial gain: none of these are primary to the motive, at least for me. It’s curiosity, the desire to experience, push boundaries, and witness the intensity of the connection between life and death. Or, perhaps, between life and a third, darker, shunned area: the cold, grinding universe of severe injury.

It is a special kind of knowledge, to read what others have written about the battlefield - an Ernest Hemingway character, for example, who ran “until his lungs ached and his mouth was full of the taste of pennies” - and understand more than just the words. None of this would be enough of an incentive to wade into danger without the chance to relate the story. There is a call to duty. But for some, the close calls only increase risk tolerance. Complacency is a constant temptation. It can’t happen to you.

And who can resist the sullied thought: If a hit must occur, let it be someone else in the vehicle, on the patrol.

Attempting to plant feet in the prints of the man in front might reduce the chance of stepping on a booby-trap, but the extra sliver of safety comes at another’s expense.

On the day of the Feb 14 ambush, the ammunition belt beside me, I pondered two or three splashes of bright blood on my fingers in the grime.

Was it my blood or the blood of the wounded man? Mine, I think, from digging my knuckles deep into cracked earth while under fire. There was no pain.

I turned to US Army Spc Nathan Perry of Cedartown, Georgia, lying a couple of meters to the right. “Shall I take this?” I said, motioning to the belt. “It’s you or me,” was the gist of his reply. He had his own gear and weapon, while I had a notebook in my back pocket and a few pens jammed in chest straps on my flak jacket. I thought: I am living, eating and breathing with these guys. They need a little help here. I took the belt. And for the rest of the firefight, I ran, dove and crawled with it until, chest heaving, I dumped it in the back of the Stryker that carried me to relative safety.—AP

NEWS

14

Monday, April 19, 2010

Saudis seek to abolish customs duty on steel RIYADH: Saudi authorities are seeking to abolish a 5 percent customs duty on steel imports to counter a deficit in domestic supply, the head of the kingdom’s biggest steel producer said yesterday. “There is an intention to abolish the duty but it has not been enacted yet. Such decision cannot be taken without consultations with other Gulf Arab countries,” said Mohamed AlMady, Chief Executive of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC).

State-controlled SABIC controls Hadeed, which covers about 62 percent of the kingdom’s steel demand.

SABIC is seen as the Saudi steel industry’s bellwether because of its large production and its closeness to the government. Saudi Arabia and five other Gulf Arab countries including the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have formed a customs union which imposes a common external tariff for products imported from outside their bloc, called the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

A spokesman at the Saudi Commerce and Industr y Ministry said last Monday that the kingdom had lifted the impor t duty on steel rebar to ease a shortage in the country. The ministry

RIYADH: Mohamed Al-Mady, Vice Chairman and CEO of Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC), attends a press conference at SABIC headquarters yesterday. — AP denied the information on Tuesday in comments carried

by Dubai-based al-Arabiya television channel. After a relative lull, steel demand began soaring in the second half of 2009 fuelled mainly by massive state spending in the world’s top oil exporter on infrastructure to diversify the economy and counter the effects of the global economic downturn.

Speaking at a post-earnings press conference, Mady

said Hadeed’s plants were running at full steam but he suggested that other steel producers could have reduced their production.

“There is a deficit in the Saudi steel market, (SABIC) plants are r unning at full capacity ... Hadeed produced 7 percent more than its production capacity (during the first quarter) ... Our (steel) market share rose to 62 from 55 percent,” he said.

SABIC opted not to raise

steel prices in step with the global increase in iron ore prices earlier in the year, Mady said. SABIC raised prices twice this year: Earlier this week by 35 percent - or by a net 700 riyals per tone and in March by 100 riyals per tonne.

Hadeed’s Chair man Abdulaziz AlHumaid said iron ore prices were double their level a year earlier. In 2009, Hadeed accounted for 10 percent of SABIC’s total turnover and some 20 percent of its net profit. Hadeed competes with Al-Ittefaq Steel Products Co and Al-R ajhi Steel. Saudi Arabia, one of the largest steel producers in the region, has the capacity to manufacture 8.4 million tonnes per year, according to industry association Arab Steel.

The world’s biggest chemical firm by market value saw net profit during the first quarter rise 19 percent from the fourth quarter of 2009.

Asked if SABIC would be able to replicate during the second quar ter the same growth rate, Mady said: “All indicators show that (quarter-to-quarter) growth will continue, although at a slower pace”. SABIC’s turnover rose to 34 billion riyals in the first quarter, up from 19.6 billion riyals a year earlier and 32 billion riyals in the fourth quarter of 2009. — Reuters

Airport remains in state of alert Continued from Page 1 Al-Haddad said during a tour by the Interior Ministry’s media team at the airport yesterday that the security precautions and the state of alertness come in case of any sudden incidents or information that may cause a breach of security inside the airport. “Any call should be dealt with seriously,” he stressed.

“Manpower working on gates, around the airport and in open areas has been intensified in order to ensure protection of aircraf t on the ground,” the official

announced.

Al-Haddad pointed out that all personnel of the airport are screened through cooperation with various sectors in the ministry’s traffic operations and public security. He said the airport operates round the clock and applies the system of open skies due to the large number of flights and the high rate of arrivals and departures throughout the year. He called for the need to adhere to the rules of safety and security within the airport and reduce congestion, saying this impedes the movement of travelers during check-

ins.

“There are reports of an imminent IRGC-sponsored attack on Gulf civil aviation,” a Kuwaiti source said. Sources said that security forces were ordered to monitor air traffic to Kuwait, particularly passenger planes from neighboring Iraq.

“The Defense Ministry and Interior Ministry are cooperating in preventing any air strike on Kuwait,” sources said, adding that names of passengers boarding or disembarking - particularly those of foreign Arab nationals - were being closely examined.

Minister assures MPs on jet deal Continued from Page 1 “These assessment studies will continue until June when the jet will be brought to Kuwait for tests,” he said.

Busairi said that the defense minister “pledged during the meeting that the deal will not be signed before completing constitutional and legal requirements, technical and financial assessments and after the deal passes through the Audit Bureau”. Sheikh Jaber also pledged that the same will be applied to all arms deals regardless of the country of origin, Busairi added. He said the meeting, attended by about 15 MPs, did not discuss alternate deals with other countries.

Rapporteur of the committee MP Shuaib Al-Muwaizri also said the defence minister assured the committee that he will not sign deals that are not needed by the Kuwaiti army or those with “suspi-

cions”. He also said that arms deals will be selected on technical merit totally away from political pressure. Muwaizri said the minister did not provide any figures on the expected value of the deal nor the number of Rafale jets to be bought.

But MP Jamaan Al-Harbash, who has been campaigning against the Rafale planes, said that the minister and his team did not answer a number of questions he asked about the deal. He said the ministry did not supply the committee with certain documents about the deal, but the minister said that two members of the assessment committee, who previously voted against the Rafale, will not be excluded from the committee that is due to make the final assessment in June. Harbash however insisted that a number of question marks remain over the deal and vowed to pursue the issue. Last week, Harbash and other members of the

Reform and Development Bloc threatened to grill either the prime minister or the defence minister if the Rafale deal is signed, saying the aircraft is technically inferior and its price is too expensive.

In another development, the Reform and Development Bloc submitted a number of amendments to the privatization law which was passed in the first reading last week. The second and final reading is expected to take place after at least two weeks when the amendments are incorporated in the law. The bloc proposed that oil and natural gas sectors be added to sectors that cannot be privatized with a special law in addition to health and education. Another amendment states that the government must have a “golden share” in each privatized project instead of keeping it optional. The golden share gives the government veto power on major decisions.

Ahmadinejad hails Iran’s military might Continued from Page 1 “myth”, said that the “murderess” Jewish state was behind the turmoil in the region. “This regime is the main instigator of sedition and conflict in the region,” the hardliner, flanked by Iran’s top military brass, said from the podium. “I want its supporters and creators to stop backing it and allow the regional nations and the Palestinians to settle things with them,” he said without elaborating.

Ahmadinejad urged the US to stop supporting Israel and to dismantle the American military presence in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Tehran sees American troops on its doorstep in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Arabian Gulf as a threat, and Ahmadinejad reiterated his allegations that the US presence is the source of the region’s instability. “They have to leave our region. This is not a request, it is an order from the nations of the region. It is the will of the regional nations,” Ahmadinejad said. “If they are interested in helping the security of the region, they have to dismantle their military presence in the region and stop supporting Israel.”

The US has been pressing for a new round of international sanctions against Iran after Tehran spurned President Barack Obama’s offer for dialogue over its accelerated nuclear development. The Obama administration has pursued what it calls the “pressure track” - a combination of stepped-up military activity in Iran’s neighborhood and sanctions that would pinch Iran economically.

But, according to a report by The New York Times yesterday, a January memo from US Defense Secretary Robert Gates to the White House warned that the US

lacks a nimble long-term plan for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. Gates’ threepage memo set off efforts in the Pentagon, White House and intelligence agencies to come up with new options, including the use of the military, the Times said, quoting unnamed government officials.

However, White House officials Saturday night strongly disagreed the memo caused a reconsideration of the US approach to Iran.

Iran launched an arms development program during its 1980-88 war with Iraq to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes. Tehran has been also looking to upgrade its defenses, especially as Israel has refused to rule out an airstrike over concerns that Iran is developing nuclear weapons. Tehran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, such as electricity production. The advances in Iran’s military technology cannot be independently verified.

Iranian news agencies reported that the parade yesterday also displayed an air defense system similar to the Russianmade S-300, which is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of over 145 km and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet.

Iran ordered Russia’s advanced S-300 air defense system in 2007, but none have been delivered, allegedly due to technical glitches, though many believe the delay stems from international opposition to the sale.

Separately, an Iranian-hosted international disarmament conference concluded yesterday with a demand that Israel join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to assure a nuclear weapons-free Middle

EYJAFJALLAJOKULL GLACIER, Iceland: A film crew working for National Geographic publication set up on southern Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull glacier after landing on the glacier, close to the volcanic eruption, yesterday. — AP

8,000 fliers stranded in UAE Continued from Page 1 “The ongoing volcanic ash disruption has already cost (the airline) 50 million dollars.”

Emirates said earlier that 229 of its flights had been cancelled so far.

The Etihad spokeswoman said that 77 of its flights had been scrapped and that more than 16,000 people were affected, with more cancellations expected today. “From the time we would receive the all-clear (for aircraft to fly), it would take 24 to 36 hours” to return to a normal flight schedule, the spokeswoman said.

A volcano on a glacier in Iceland has been erupting since yesterday, sending ash drifting towards Europe at an altitude of about eight to 10 km. About 30 countries have closed or restricted their airspace, although some European airports tentatively reopened yesterday and airlines carried out test flights and pressed for passenger jets to fly again.

Justifying the widespread airport closures, aviation officials have explained that airplane engines could become clogged up and stop working if aircraft tried to fly through the ash.

Europe’s three biggest airports- London Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt - remained shut, leaving passengers stranded around the world as a global backlog grows. In Singapore, Changi airport and airlines have set aside special areas for stranded passengers to eat and sleep and are trying to provide them with free meals,

sleeping bags and even tours of the city. New closures and restrictions were announced or extended into today with only a few airports allowed to briefly reopen in breaks in the cloud.

Amid estimates that airlines are losing more than $200 million a day, Dutch airline KLM staged the first international test flight yesterday, one day after a jet “safely” took off and landed in a domestic airspace.

Germany’s Lufthansa, Air France and an Italian aviation authority plane also carried out test flights amid mounting airline criticism of the government action to close down airspace. Air France said there were no problems with its first test.

Experts have said the particles could clog jet engines. But Lufthansa and Air Berlin, said the decision to ground jets was ordered without proper testing and that their aircraft showed no signs of damage after the flights.

“KLM hopes to resume operations as swiftly as possible, so that passengers can be brought to their destination,” the Dutch airline said.

The impact of the shutdown is likely to exceed the huge losses after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, the International Civil Aviation Organisation has said. The enormous shroud of fine mineral dust particles now stretches from the Arctic Circle in the north to the French Mediterranean coast in the south, and from Spain into Russia. “This is one of the most serious disruptions we have seen

to air travel and our first priority must be the safety of passengers,” British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told BBC television.

“The most important issue is making sure that it is safe to fly. Flights are going up to check whether it is safe to fly - certainly not today - but there will be further announcements made.”

Britain extended a ban on all flights in its airspace until today, while Ireland warned a new extension in restrictions was “likely” due to the prevailing wind. The closures stopped world leaders, including US President Barack Obama, from flying to the Polish city of Krakow for the state funeral of President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria.

Germany and most Scandinavian and central European countries also kept the flight ban in place yesterday, extending the biggest airspace shutdown since World War II. Germany and France allowed some regional airports to reopen. Norway also eased its restrictions. While northern Italy stayed in the no-fly zone, Spain allowed seven airports that were closed to reopen again. The cloud is now heading toward Greece and into Russia however, weather experts said. With hundreds of thousands of travellers stranded around the globe, prevailing winds blowing the massive cloud toward Europe could go on until the middle of the week, Iceland’s Meteorological Office warned. — Agencies

Saudi prince stars in TV commercial Continued from Page 1 “Whether through their involvement in business life or in philanthropy, royalty is becoming part of the Saudi elite”.

King Abdullah has repeatedly stated his commitment to modernising the world’s largest oil exporter with political and economic reforms, but the closest the ageing monarch has come to reforming the monarchy itself was the inception in 2006 of a royal council to appoint future crown princes and kings. Most Saudi princes get stipends from the state budget, although when he was crown prince, King Abdullah

sought to have these reduced. Many princes end up taking senior positions either in the government or in the army, while many others are businessmen.

“Passion for success drives us to take the lead, and we are like that at Mobily,” a voice in the commercial says to a shot of Prince Abdullah taking care of his horse.

The prince and his horse then jump a fence that appears to be on fire. Humoud Al-Ghobaini, Mobily’s vice president for corporate communications, said the company had offered to sponsor the prince as he was a “successful equestrian sportsman”, but had not expected him to accept

the proposal.

“This is the first time a Saudi prince appears in a television commercial. We did not sponsor him and do the commercial because he is a prince. We have sponsored soccer clubs, several sports federations and even schools before we approached His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah,” Ghobaini said. Ghobaini declined to discussed details of the sponsorship deal, and Prince Abdullah could not be reached for comment. Mobily, affiliated to Emirates Telecommunications, competes against state-controlled Saudi Telecom Co and Zain Saudi Arabia. — Reuters

In his five years as president, Kaczynski never visited Moscow. Kaczynski’s daughter Marta and his twin brother Jaroslaw, who heads Poland’s main opposition party, had insisted the funeral go ahead yesterday as planned, despite the ash cloud that has closed Polish and other European airports.

Kaczynski’s nationalist, conservative policies were divisive at home and abroad but his death and those of the others in the crash sparked an outpouring of grief not seen since Polish-born Pope John Paul died in 2005. “It’s an exceptional moment. Poles have to be here,” said Maria Kurowska, mayor of the town of Jaslo, who was in the crowd. Mourners cried out “Thank you” as the coffins were borne past them on their way to Wawel. The couple are buried next to Poland’s revered independence leader, Jozef Pilsudski.

But a shadow was cast over the funeral by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano this

week that has brought European air travel to a virtual halt. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Britain’s Prince Charles and South Korean Prime Minister Chung Un-Chan were among dozens of dignitaries who cancelled.

The leaders of many countries close to Poland, including the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, arrived in Krakow by road and rail instead.

Eurosceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus slammed EU officials for failing to come, saying that “grand phrases about European unity are really nothing but cliches”. Poles lining the streets of Krakow said the foreign no-shows did not detract from the solemnity of the day. “It looks like a higher power is at work but nothing is keeping us away,” said Anna Zajac, 28, who came with her husband and two children from a suburb of Krakow. — Agencies

Poles bury president East. The two-day conference followed closely behind a 47-nation nuclear security conference hosted by Obama in Washington last week, which excluded Iran and nuclear-armed North Korea.

The forum, which Iran said was attended by representatives of 60 countries, gave Tehran a platform for challenging Washington’s assertion that it wants to see a world without nuclear weapons and for defending its own nuclear program. It criticized what it called a double-standard by some nuclear powers that urge disarmament while ignoring the nuclear arsenal Israel is widely believed to possess. A nuclear weapons-free Middle East requires “the Zionist regime to join the NPT”, said the concluding statement of the conference read out by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

Israel, which does not confirm or deny possessing nuclear arms, has refused to sign the NPT, which would require it to open up its nuclear facilities to international inspectors. The conference’s statement, also took issue with perceived threats by the US and Israel to attack Iranian nuclear facilities. “The conference expressed its concerns about the continued existence of Weapons of Mass Destruction - nuclear arms in particular as well as their application or threat to apply them,” the statement said.

Tehran was angered by Obama’s announcement this month of a new US nuclear policy in which he pledged America would not use atomic weapons against nations that do not have them.

Iran and North Korea were pointedly excluded from the non-use pledge, and Iranian leaders took that as an implicit threat.— Agencies

Continued from Page 1 “The empathy and help that we experienced during these days from our Russian brothers raises hope for rapprochement and reconciliation,” he said. “These words I direct to Mister President of Russia.”

Kaczynski’s Tupolev Tu-154 jet slammed into a forest near Smolensk in western Russia while heading for a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre of thousands of Polish officers by Soviet forces in the Katyn forest. “Tragedies can spark difficult emotions, but often they draw people closer and I think this is necessary between the people of our country and the Poles,” Medvedev said in a televised address after the funeral.

The Kremlin leader’s presence was ironic in view of Kaczynski’s frequent criticism of what he called Russia’s “imperialism” towards ex-Soviet republics such as Georgia.

Kuwait mulls biennial tests for expat drivers Continued from Page 1 The expat said authorities should apply the proposed rule only on serious traffic offenders and not on every motorist. This is a blunt violation of human rights, the expat said. “People who are involved in traffic accidents in Kuwait are usually reckless young Kuwaitis. They should be banned from the roads and highways. Why does the authority issues licenses to minors?” wondered the expat.

Another concerned expat said that such a proposed rule is another way of collecting tariffs from foreigners. “Are they not satisfied by fining us KD 5 for illegally

parking in front of our accommodations?

They are part of the problem because most of the residences here in Kuwait are not providing us with proper parking space. I don’t want to mention some insurance and government fees because those are our responsibilities,” said the expat.

While many foreigners were not pleased with the proposed bill, a Kuwaiti driver agreed on the suggestion that it should be imposed selectively. “There are some nationalities in Kuwait causing trouble on the roads. They should be trained properly because they are creating accidents on the highways,” he added. He said certain nationalities should not be granted

licenses in the first place since “they are accustomed to driving rickshaws”. “I suggest that authorities should conduct an annual drivers’ test for uneducated drivers, especially household drivers who do not hold university degrees. It has been proven that such drivers are the major cause of road accidents in the country,” he said.

Another expat said that he agreed with the proposal as long as authorities enforce it on all nationalities including Kuwaitis.

“If we are indeed concerned with the safety of all, the proposed rule should be implemented without exemptions,” the expat said.

SPORTS

Monday, April 19, 2010

15

MLB results/standings Major League Baseball results and standings on Saturday.

Houston 4, Chicago Cubs 3; NY Yankees 7, Texas 3; Washington 8, Milwaukee 0; LA Angels 6, Toronto 3; Minnesota 6, Kansas City 5; Oakland 4, Baltimore 3; San Francisco 9, LA Dodgers 0; Cleveland 3, Chicago White Sox 2; Florida 5, Philadelphia 1; Colorado 4, Atlanta 0; Tampa Bay 3, Boston 1 (1st Game, 12 innings); Tampa Bay 6, Boston 5 (2nd Game); Cincinnati 5, Pittsburgh 4; San Diego 5, Arizona 0; Seattle 4, Detroit 2; Ny Mets 2, St. Louis 1 (20 innings).

American League Eastern Division W L PCT NY Yankees 8 3 .727 Tampa Bay 8 3 .727 Toronto 7 5 .583 Boston 4 7 .364 Baltimore 1 11 .083

GB 1.5 4 7.5

Central Division Minnesota 9 3 .750 Detroit 6 5 .545 Cleveland 5 6 .455 Kansas City 4 7 .364 Chicago White Sox 4 8 .333

2.5 3.5 4.5 5

Western Division 9 4 .692 6 6 .500 5 6 .455 5 7 .417

2.5 3 3.5

Oakland Seattle Texas LA Angels

National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 8 3 Florida 7 5 Atlanta 6 5 Washington 6 5 NY Mets 4 7

.727 .583 .545 .545 .364

1.5 2 2 4

Central Division 7 4 .636 6 5 .545 5 6 .455 5 7 .417 4 7 .364 2 9 .182

1 2 2.5 3 5

Western Division San Francisco 8 3 .727 Colorado 6 5 .545 Arizona 5 6 .455 LA Dodgers 5 6 .455 San Diego 5 6 .455

2 3 3 3

St. Louis Pittsburgh Chicago Cubs Cincinnati Milwaukee Houston

ST LOUIS: New York Mets’ Angel Pagan scores the go ahead run on a sacrifice fly by teammate Jose Reyes during the 20th inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals.—AP

Rockies dominate Braves, Mets beat Cards ATLANTA: Ubaldo Jimenez pitched the first no-hitter in the Colorado Rockies’ 18year history and the majors’ first this season, dominating the Atlanta Braves in a 4-0 victory Saturday night.

Jimenez walked six _ all in the first five innings. He was helped by Dexter Fowler’s diving catch on Troy Glaus’ drive to leftcenter field in the seventh inning. It’s baseball’s first no-hitter since White Sox ace Mark Buehrle threw a perfect game in a 5-0 victory over Tampa Bay on July 23, 2009.

The San Diego Padres, New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays are the remaining teams without a no-hitter. Jimenez was at his best in the final innings, reaching the high 90s mph with his fastball through the last batter. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out seven and had an RBI single in the fourth inning. Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami took the loss.

Mets 2, Cardinals 1 At St. Louis, Jose Reyes hit a sacrifice fly

in the 20th as the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals in the longest game in the majors in two years.

Jeff Francoeur also had a sacrifice fly for New York in the 19th inning, ending a scoreless tie, but Yadier Molina singled in Albert Pujols with two out in the bottom half.

Francisco Rodriguez got the win despite blowing the save in the 19th and Mike Pelfrey finished for his first career save in a game that included 19 pitchers and lasted 6 hours, 53 minutes.

St. Louis left the bases loaded in the 10th, 12th and 14th and stranded 22 runners, including 14 in extra innings. It was the longest game in the majors since Colorado beat San Diego 2-1 in 22 innings on April 17, 2008.

Utilityman Joe Mather became the first position player to lose a game since shortstop Josh Wilson for San Diego in a 9-6 setback in 18 innings against Arizona last June 7, according to STATS LLC.

Astros 4, Cubs 3 At Chicago, Roy Oswalt allowed five hits over seven scoreless innings for his first win and J.R. Towles homered as the Houston Astros hung on for an away win. The Cubs scored three in the eighth and had the tying run on in the ninth after shortstop Tommy Manzella booted Ryan Theriot’s two-out grounder.

Theriot went to second on a wild pitch by Matt Lindstrom, but Kosuke Fukudome struck out, giving the Astros their second win in three games after an 0-8 start.

Chicago’s Tom Gorzelanny gave up two runs in the second and left after being hit in the left arm by Pedro Feliz’s line drive in the third.

Oswalt took sole possession of second place on the Astros’ career wins list with his 138th victory and moved ahead of Larry Dierker.

Nationals 8, Brewers 0 At Washington, Livan Hernandez pitched

his first shutout in nearly six years, allowing only four hits in Washington’s win.

Hernandez didn’t allow a hit after pitcher Randy Wolf’s single in the fifth. He struck out three and walked two in his eighth career shutout _ his first since July 30, 2004, while with Montreal. It was the second straight outstanding start for Hernandez, who threw 112 pitches. Washington (6-5) won its third straight and owns a winning record for the first time since April 4, 2008.

Giants 9, Dodgers 0 At Los Angeles, Tim Lincecum scattered four hits over six innings and had three hits and three RBIs, leading San Francisco to victory.

Lincecum struck out seven and walked two. The two-time Cy Young winner has allowed just two runs over 20 innings in his first three starts.

But it was at the plate where he made the biggest impression.

Lincecum got all three of his RBIs

against knuckleballer Charlie Haeger before the Dodgers got their first hit against the All-Star right-hander as the Giants built an early 5-0 lead. He had only three RBIs last season in 66 at-bats.

Marlins 5, Phillies 1 At Philadelphia, Ricky Nolasco took a four-hitter into the ninth and Ronny Paulino hit a three-run homer for Florida. The Marlins scored all their runs off Jamie Moyer in the first inning. Nolasco didn’t need any more support, shutting down the highest-scoring team in the majors on a chilly night.

He was one out away from his second career shutout when Jayson Werth hit a solo homer. Nolasco retired the first 11 batters before Chase Utley lined a single to center in the fourth.

The right-hander gave up five hits, struck out four and walked three, needing 109 pitches to record his fourth career complete game.

Angels 6, Blue Jays 3 At Toronto, Howie Kendrick and Juan Rivera homered and Joe Saunders pitched eight strong innings for Los Angeles. Kendrick went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and scored twice as the Angels won back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Blue Jays lost consecutive games for the first time.

Saunders, who came in with a 7.36 ERA, allowed two runs — none earned — and five hits. The left-hander walked one, struck out two, lowered his ERA to 4.26 and improved to 11-3 in April. Fernando Rodney closed it out in the ninth for his third save and second in two days.

Twins 6, Royals 5 At Minneapolis, Orlando Hudson hit a game-winning home run lead-

ing off the seventh inning and the Twins’ bullpen pitched four scoreless innings as Minnesota stretched its winning streak to five games.

With the game level at 5-5, Hudson hit a shot off reliever John Parrish that bounced off the facing of the second level of seats in left field at Target Field.

It was Hudson’s first home run since signing with the Twins in the offseason. Brian Duensing pitched two innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win.

Athletics 4, Orioles 3 At Oakland, Ryan Sweeney hit a game-ending, two-run single with one out in the ninth inning as the Athletics improved to 9 wins and four losses for their best start after 13 games since 1992. Jerry Blevins pitched an inning for the win. The Orioles fell to 1-11, their worst start since opening the 1988 season with 21 consecutive losses, and lost third baseman Miguel Tejada to a possible leg injury in the sixth inning.

Rays 5, Red Sox 5 At Boston, Pat Burrell hit a tworun homer in the 12th inning to help Tampa Bay win the completion of a suspended game, then had a threerun double in the first inning of Saturday’s scheduled game to lead the Rays to a 6-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox. In the completion of the suspended game from Friday, Burrell homered with two outs in the 12th to lift the Rays to a 3-1 victory. Evan Longoria connected in Saturday’s game for Tampa Bay, which won its fifth straight. Dustin Pedroia hit his fifth home run - a two-run shot - and

Padres 5, D’backs 0 At San Diego, Nick Hundley homered and drove in three runs, and Kevin Correia pitched 5 2-3 strong innings to help the Padres beat Arizona, giving them their first series win this season. Hundley equaled a career high with three RBIs, including his first homer, a solo shot in the fourth against Arizona starter Kris Benson. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Reno before the game and made just his third big league start since 2006. —AP

Crusaders top Super 14

Yankees stop Rangers NEW YORK: For the first time since 1926 in the days of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, the New York Yankees have won four straight series to start a season.

Alex Rodriguez passed Mark McGwire for eighth place with his 584th home run, Derek Jeter also connected and AJ Burnett pitched seven shutout innings Saturday to lead the surging Yankees over the Rangers 7-3. After taking two of three against Boston, Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Angels, the defending World Series champions swept the opening two games of a three-game set against Texas.

Scott Feldman gave up four runs and seven hits in 2 1-3 innings as Texas lost its third in a row. Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer in the eighth off Alfredo Aceves, Cruz’s major league-leading seventh.

Pirates 5, Reds 4 At Pittsburgh, Garrett Jones singled off the wall in right-center with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth as the hosts came from behind against closer Francisco Cordero to beat Cincinnati.

Jones’ hit — which ended an 0-for-8 stretch for him — on a 3-2 pitch came just after Lastings Milledge drew a bases-loaded walk off Cordero on a 3-2 pitch with two outs to tie the game.

NEW YORK: Yankees’ Brett Gardner follows through with an RBI single during the third inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers.—AP Kevin Youkilis had a two-run homer for Boston. Marco Scutaro hit his first long ball for the Red Sox, but made an error that led to one of five unearned runs.

the eighth to tie it. Matt Thornton gave up Grady Sizemore’s single.

Choo lined a 1-2 pitch to the wall in left-center and Sizemore scored easily.

Indians 3, White Sox 2 At Cleveland, Choo Shin-soo hit a go-ahead RBI double in a two-run eighth inning, lifting the hometeam over the White Sox. Chicago starter Jake Peavy was five outs from his first win of the season, but Asdrubal Cabrera homered with one-out in

Mariners 4, Tigers 2 At Seattle, Casey Kotchman broke a deadlock with an RBI double in the seventh off the glove of leaping Detroit right fielder Ryan Raburn as the Mariners won their fourth straight. Ichiro Suzuki finished a home run short of the cycle and

scored twice for Seattle, which got another strong outing from its starting pitching, this time lefty Ryan Rowland-Smith.

Milton Bradley started the seventh with a walk from Detroit starter Justin Verlander (0-1). Kotchman then lined Verlander’s off-speed pitch to deep right field. Brandon League took over for Rowland-Smith and got out of trouble in the seventh.

David Aardsma picked up his fifth save in five chances pitching the ninth. —AP

WELLINGTON: The seven-time champion Canterbury Crusaders moved atop the Super 14 rugby standings after the weekend’s 10th round as former leaders the Bulls had their second loss of the season.

The defending champion Bulls finished a four-match road trip with a 19-12 loss to the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Saturday night, conceding the No. 1 spot on points differential.

Earlier Saturday, Canterbury beat South Africa’s Cheetahs 45-6 by seven tries to nil to place themselves atop the competition with four regular-season rounds remaining. The Bulls, 2-2 on the road trip, and Crusaders are booked to meet in Pretoria in the 13th round.

Queensland’s win moved it inside the top four for the first time this season, elevating last season’s cellar-dwellers to firm semifinal contenders. The Cape Town-based Stormers, currently the form team of the tournament, also remained in contention for first place when they beat last year’s finalists the Waikato Chiefs 49-15 in Hamilton. The Chiefs have faded from playoff contention after failing to win any of their four home matches in Hamilton this season.

The Stormers’ mix of powerful but mobile forwards, efficient backs and sound goalkicking has helped them compile a 7-2 record which leaves them in third place, but only a point behind the Crusaders and Bulls.

Lock Andries Bekker, with commanding lineout skills and the pace of a sprinter, and hooker Tiaan Liebenberg were prominent in the Stormers’ win on Friday. Each scored a try and both featured repeatedly in some of the sprawling attacking movements which led to the Stormers’ six tries.

The Stormers leave New Zealand with consecutive wins over the Auckland Blues and Chiefs but face a difficult stop in Brisbane against the resurgent Reds before returning to South Africa.

“It’s tough to go back-to-back in this competition but we managed to do it, so it’s been a pretty awesome week,” Stormers captain Schalk Burger said.

“The big thing is we’ve concentrated on accuracy and our structure ... and shown we can score some points.”

The Reds showed strength and smarts to beat the Bulls in front of almost 27,000 fans, denying the defending champions the chance to impose their game plan. “We didn’t want to give them the ball,” Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said.

“It’s hard to play 80 minutes and not actually give them the ball, but that was our intention. We did pretty well.” Bulls coach Frans Ludeke said the Reds are playoff contenders.

“The way they are playing at the moment, you must definitely count them in,” he said. “To keep a ball that long and off the opponent, that was something to see.” Auckland Blues and Wellington Hurricanes kept alive slim playoff hopes with wins while the Chiefs dropped away from semifinal contention.

The Blues beat the Perth-based Western Force 38-17, helped by three tries from winger Joe Rokocoko who has begun to recapture his best form after losing his All Blacks jersey. “Joe’s really enjoying it,” coach Pat Lam said. “He’s contributing really well off the field and he’s kicking on from there.” The Hurricanes overcame a heavy penalty count to beat the ACT Brumbies 23-13 in a scrappy match at Canberra and retain faint playoff hopes from their current eighth place in the standings.

The Brumbies, in sixth, are four points outside the top four but face difficult derby matches in the next two weeks against the New South Wales Waratahs and the Reds. Brumbies coach Andy Friend was disappointed with his team’s performance. “(Having injuries) never helps but we had a good side out there tonight. We should have been better than what we were,” he said.—AP

SPORTS

16

Monday, April 19, 2010

WASHINGTON: Nicklas Backstrom, No. 19 of the Washington Capitals scores a second period goal en route to a hat-trick against the Montreal Canadiens in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.—AFP

Capitals see off Canadiens in OT WASHINGTON: Nicklas Backstrom completed a hat trick by scoring 31 seconds into overtime as the top-seeded Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-5 on Saturday night to level the first-round Eastern Conference playoff series at a game apiece.

Montreal led 2-0 after its first two shots, prompting Washington to replace goalie Jose Theodore, and then went ahead 4-1. But with Alex Ovechkin producing a goal and three assists, the Capitals kept rallying.

Rookie defenseman John Carlson leveled it at 5-all with 1:21 left in regulation, and Backstrom’s wrister past Jaroslav Halak won it. Game 3 is tonight in Montreal.

Andrei Kostitsyn had a hat trick for the eighth-seeded Canadiens, and Tomas Plekanec put them ahead 5-4 with 5:06 left in regulation. But Carlson picked a fine time for his second NHL score — he had one in 22 regular-season games.

Montreal was ahead 4-2 heading into the third period, but Ovechkin’s first goal

of the postseason made it a one-goal game at 2:56. With 10 minutes left in the third, Backstrom poked in a pass from Ovechkin — reversing their usual roles, which designate the Swede as the passer and the Russian as the scorer.

Kings 3, Canucks 2 At Vancouver, Anze Kopitar scored on a power play 7:28 into overtime as Los Angeles overcame a two-goal deficit to level the Western Conference series at a game apiece.

With the Canucks penalized for too

many men on the ice after a sloppy line change, Kopitar got his own rebound in the slot and fired a quick shot that hit Roberto Luongo and then bounced in off the bottom end of the goalie’s stick.

Fredrik Modin and Wayne Simmonds scored 35 seconds apart midway through the second period to equalize for the Kings, who will host Game 3 on Monday night. Jonathan Quick overcame a soft early goal — and two on the first four shots — to finish with 24 saves for his first win in 10 starts dating to March 22.

Bruins 5, Sabres 3 At Buffalo, Michael Ryder and Zdeno Chara scored 2 minutes apart in the third period as Boston rallied to level the Eastern Conference series 1-1.

The Sabres not only squandered a lead entering the third period for the first time this season but also lost leading scorer Thomas Vanek, who didn’t return after he

hurt his left foot in the first period.

Chara and Ryder both scored twice for the Bruins, who erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-2. Chara broke a 3-3 deadlock by snapping a shot over the right shoulder of goalie Ryan Miller with 12:37 left.

Jason Pominville, Matt Ellis and rookie defenseman Tyler Myers scored for Buffalo. Mark Recchi sealed the victory by scoring into an open net as the Bruins ended a seven-game playoff losing streak at Buffalo. Game 3 is Monday night in Boston. —AP

Yang defies weather to clinch China Open

Langer leads Champions Tour LUTZ: Bernhard Langer shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to take a onestroke lead over Mark O’Meara and Mike Reid in the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am. Langer, the German star who won the Allianz Championship in February in Boca Raton for his ninth Champions Tour title, had a 9-under 133 total at TPC Tampa Bay. O’Meara shot a 69, and Reid had a 68.

O’Meara is winless on the Champions Tour after winning 16 times on the PGA Tour.

“I want to win. There’s no question about it,” O’Meara said. “It’s been a while. Second is nice, but I’ve had enough seconds. I don’t want anymore. ...

Bernhard is out there playing well and he’s always a force. I’ve probably got to shoot 4 under or better tomorrow to have a chance.”

Fred Couples, trying to match the Champions Tour record of titles in four consecutive starts, followed his opening 71 — his only score higher than 68 in 14 senior rounds — with a 67 to move into a share of 12th at 4 under. The 50-year-old Couples is coming off a sixth-place finish in the Masters.

Tom Kite (67) was fourth at 7 under, and defending champion Nick Price (70) was another stroke back along with Keith Fergus (68) and Dan Forsman (66).

Tom Watson, the 2007 and 2008 winner, was 5 under after a 70.

A one-stroke winner over Couples in the seasonopening event in Hawaii, the 60-year-old Watson tied for 18th in the Masters. Hal Sutton (67) and Tom Pernice Jr. (70) also were 5 under. —AP

Steve Bernier and Mikael Samuelsson scored first-period goals, Ryan Kesler had two assists and Luongo made 29 saves for the Canucks.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND: Jim Furyk strains to listen to his caddie Mike Cowan line up a putt on the 16th green during the third round of the Verizon Heritage golf tournament.—AP

Furyk ahead at Hilton Head ATLANTA: Jim Furyk coolly rolled in an 11foot birdie putt at the last to break one shot clear of a congested leaderboard in Saturday’s third round of the Heritage Classic in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

With the ocean breezes tugging at his trousers, the American world number six watched as his ball dropped into the cup to compete a flawless four-under-par 67 before tipping his cap to acknowledge the applause of the crowd.

In pursuit of his second PGA Tour title in five weeks, Furyk posted an 11-under total of 202 with Britain’s Brian Davis alone in second place after shooting a 66 at the scenic Harbour Town Golf Links.

American Heath Slocum, who had been one stroke in front playing the last, double-bogeyed

the 18th for a 67 to finish in a seven-way tie for third at nine under.

Level with Slocum were his compatriots Boo Weekley (68), Briny Baird (66), Ricky Barnes (66) and Woody Austin (67), Canadian Stephen Ames (65) and Britain’s Luke Donald (67).

Furyk began the day in a three-way tie for the lead with American Charles Howell III and Britain’s Greg Owen but, by the time he teed off, he had slipped to fourth place as the earlier starters posted low scores.

Out in one-under-par 35, Furyk stayed in contention by recording birdies at the 11th and 13th and narrowly missed further birdie opportunities on 15 and 17 before signing off with a flourish at the par-four last.

“It all feels pretty good,” the 2003 US

Open champion said in a greenside interview.

“I got off to a slow start with my ball-striking today and hit some irons that weren’t so crisp early on.

“But I made some good up-and-downs, kept myself in the game and then down the stretch is probably the best I have hit it all week.”

Furyk, who ended a PGA Tour title drought of almost three years with a oneshot victory at last month’s Tampa Bay Championship, never felt pressured by the tightly packed leaderboard.

“I realised it’s a long day and we still had 36 holes to go,” the 39-year-old said. “My goal really wasn’t to worry about whether I was leading the golf tournament or where I was at.—Reuters

SUZHOU: South Korea’s Yang Yong-Eun won the Volvo China Open by two strokes yesterday to seal his first tournament win since becoming Asia’s first Major winner at last year’s PGA championship.

A closing 71 gave Yang victory in the 2.5-million-dollar event, ahead of Welshmen Rhys Davies, who hit a final round 67, and 2004 champion Stephen Dodd, who carded a 69.

In wet and windy weather, the 38-year-old Yang recorded his only bogey of the weekend at the testing 18th to post a 15under total of 273 at the Suzhou Jinji Lake International Golf Club.

Yang’s first win since his breakthrough Major win last year was followed by jubilant scenes when fellow Korean players ran on to the 18th green to celebrate the victory of their friend and mentor.

“It’s a great feeling to win the Volvo China Open. I love this country and have a special feeling when I come here,” said Yang, who won 416,660 dollars.

“It rained a lot, so it was very special that so many Chinese golf fans came out to support me. It really feels great to win in front of them.

Suzhou and China are definitely special to me and I feel really good right now.”

Yang, who plans to open a golf academy in China, made his name in the country by beating Tiger Woods to win the 2006 HSBC Champions in nearby Shanghai.

“I was really happy with my concentration and form and I played well from the bunkers today in pretty bad weather,” said the Texas-based Korean, who finished joint eighth at the Masters last week.

“It was a long journey from Augusta earlier in the week and I’m a bit tired after a long week. I have blisters and I can

CHINA: YE Yang of Korea holds the Volvo China Open Golf trophy at Suzhou Jinji Lake International Golf Club in Suzhou.—AP assure you it’s not from too much sun.”

Jamie Donaldson (73), another Welshman, Finland’s Mikko Ilonen (73) and Sweden’s Johan Edfors (69) shared fourth on 12-under, one ahead of England’s Oliver Fisher (69).

Kim Do-Hoon of South Korea continued his recent run of form, shooting 72 to finish 10-under alongside the likes of Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, who both shot 69s.

US Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin shot 70 to finish 16th on eight-under, seven ahead of European counterpart Colin Montgomerie.

Chinese number one Liang Wenchong, the winner at Luxehills, tied for 17th on seven-under after a 72. The China Open is co-sanctioned by OneAsia and the European Tour.

The next OneAsia event is the GS Caltex Maekyung Open at the Namseoul Country Club in Seoul from May 6-9.—AFP

SPORTS

Monday, April 19, 2010

17

Cavs stop Bulls charge, Celtics cool Heat CLEVELAND: LeBron James had 24 points and four blocks and a slimmed-down Shaquille O’Neal, playing for the first time since Feb. 25, scored 12 points in 24 minutes to help top-seeded Cleveland beat Chicago 9683 on Saturday in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series.

O’Neal looked remarkably sharp despite missing the Cavs’ final 23 regular-season games after tearing a thumb ligament.

Derrick Rose had 28 points and 10 assists for Chicago, which trimmed a 22-point deficit in the third quarter to seven in the fourth.

But James converted a three-point play with 2:29 left and Mo Williams followed with a 3-pointer to put Cleveland up 94-81. Williams added 19 points and 10 assists, and Antawn Jamison had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Cleveland blocked 12 shots — 10 in the second half. Game 2 is tonight in Cleveland.

Celtics 85, Heat 76 At Boston, Kevin Garnett had 15 points and nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics played Miami-style defense to beat the Heat. Trailing 44-41 at halftime, the Celtics held the Heat to 32 points in the second half. And with substitute guard Tony Allen shadowing Dwyane Wade, the Heat star scored 26 points after averaging 33.7 in three regular-season games against Boston.

Allen also scored a career playoff high 14 points, and Paul Pierce led Boston with 16. Quentin Richardson added 15 for Miami. Game 2 is tomorrow night in Boston.

Hawks 102, Bucks 92 At Atlanta, Joe Johnson scored 22 points, and Mike Bibby had 19 for Atlanta in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series. Jamal Crawford added 17 points for Atlanta in the first postseason appearance in his 10-year career. Rookie Brandon Jennings led Milwaukee with 34 points. The Hawks had mismatches all over the court, taking advantage of the injury that took out Milwaukee center Andrew Bogut late in the season.

The home team never trailed, building a 20-point lead in the first quarter and going to halftime with a 6240 edge. Game 2 is Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Nuggets 126, Jazz 113 At Denver, Carmelo Anthony scored a playoff career-high 42 points and JR Smith’s fourth-quarter flurry of 3-pointers helped Denver beat Utah in Game 1 of the Western Conference playoff series.

Anthony, whose previous playoff high was 41 points against Dallas in the second round last year, benefited from the absence of Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko, who re-injured his strained left calf in practice Thursday and won’t play in the series. Although Carlos Boozer (rib) returned to Utah’s lineup and scored 19 points, the Jazz lost center Mehmet Okur, who aggravated his left Achilles’ tendon injury in the first half, and C.J. Miles also missed some time because of nausea after colliding with Chauncey Billups in the second half. Game 2 is tonight in Denver. —AP

DENVER: Nuggets’ Nene (left) of Brazil drives to the basket as Utah Jazz’s Carlos Boozer defends during the second half of an NBA first-round playoff basketball game. —AP

Bomb blast at IPL cricket raises security concerns LONDON: The double bomb blast at an Indian Premier League stadium in Bangalore has raised concerns among international sports bodies without yet causing any of them to alter their plans to visit India.

New Zealand’s cricket team still expects to tour India, Australia is continuing to prepare for the Oct. 3-14 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, and Cricket Australia said only that it is closely monitoring the security situation.

Britain’s Foreign Office said nothing had changed with regards to its advice for travelers to India, which is hosting the IPL Twenty20 again after the tournament relocated to South Africa last year because of security concerns.

Two small bombs exploded Saturday outside Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is also set to host World Cup cricket matches early next year.

The blasts just before the match between Bangalore and Mumbai injured 14 people and panicked fans. The game, featuring India stars Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, started an hour late with increased

security. South Africa pair Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn were also playing in the evening match along with England’s Kevin Pietersen.

“The ECB will continue to engage in dialogue with the IPL and the relevant franchises in terms of security around the tournament,” the England and Wales Cricket Board said. “We are not aware of any England players returning early from the IPL. “We will continue to monitor the situation and remain in contact with the IPL with relation to the security arrangements for the remaining matches.” No Australians were on either team, although there are about 20, including former test greats Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist, contracted among seven of the eight IPL clubs.

“We are in monitoring mode,” Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said. “We are pleased that there have been no injuries among our playing personnel, and we’re awaiting advice from the IPL. “Australian players are there independent of us. In a formal sense, we are not connected. But we are always concerned about our players and personnel.” The England and

Wales Cricket Board could not be reached for comment.

Sports venues in India have faced tight security amid fears that Islamist radical groups may target them. Neighboring Pakistan, which sees near-daily bombings from militants, has been off limits to foreign cricket teams since gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka team’s bus in Lahore last year, killing six police officers and the van’s driver.

Bangalore’s city police commissioner said four officers and a security guard were among the wounded. The guard’s injuries were serious. Perry Crosswhite, chief executive of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association, said the bombs would not affect the Australian team’s plan to compete in India. “The information we have out of Delhi is that it was not aimed at the (Commonwealth) Games and, therefore, there is nothing in it that would change our plans,” Crosswhite said. “They have all sorts of issues in India, all sorts of groups that are not happy with the Indian government.”

Crosswhite was attending the Australian athletics championships yesterday in Perth,

where many Commonwealth Games athletes were competing.

“I have been speaking to some of our athletes, and they feel, as they did before, that the safest places in Delhi will be the venues and the athletes’ village.” The British government stood by its advice that travelers should be watchful in a region experiencing a high risk of terrorism.

“We continue to work closely with the Indian authorities who are doing everything they can to ensure a safe and secure and successful Games,” the Foreign Office said in a statement.

The International Cricket Council said it was too early to comment on the attack or its ramifications on the 2011 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan said New Zealand’s cricket tour to India in November would likely go ahead.

He said the security implications of the latest attack would be weighed along with other information but there was “no real urgency”

to make a decision. “Obviously, the information around Bangalore will come through in the course of the next few days and that’s something we will assess with our security advisers,” Vaughan said.

New Zealand’s itinerary has yet to be set but the tour is likely to involve three tests and five limited-overs internationals at various venues.

Vaughan said security for a tour by a single team was more straightforward than that for a tournament such as the IPL. The New Zealand Olympic Committee said it “will take action accordingly” and that “athlete safety remains the organization’s highest priority.”

Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull, commentating on the match for television, told New Zealand media he was in the stadium when the bombs exploded. “You couldn’t mistake that sound for anything else,” Doull said.

“It was one of those sounds, while I had never heard it before, you just knew was a bomb.” Doull said he and fellow commentators were escorted with others to a safe area under the grandstands where they were given

a security briefing.

“At first, I think the players were a bit concerned about playing,” Doull said. “But given nobody was killed and that the blast took place outside the stadium, I would probably guess that 90 percent of people inside the stadium wouldn’t have had a clue.

“When we got back to the hotel and discovered that another bomb _ the biggest one of the lot _ had been discovered, we started to wonder whether we should have gone ahead with the match.” Mumbai won by 57 runs.

In February, Australian and New Zealand sports organizations said their athletes planned to compete in India despite a purported threat by an al-Qaida-linked guerrilla group to target major upcoming sports events. The Asia Times Online Web site published a message reportedly from guerrilla commander Ilyas Kashmiri, whose Kashmir-based 313 Brigade is an operational arm of al-Qaida. The message warned of potential attacks on the field hockey World Cup, the IPL tournament and the Commonwealth Games, although the field hockey tournament was eventually not targeted. —AP

KIPCO Kuwait Ladies bring home ME Softball trophy

ATLANTIC CITY: Sergio Martinez of Argentina lands a blow on Kelly Pavlik during the twelfth round in the WBC and WBO Middleweight title boxing match. Martinez won by unanimous decision. —AP

Martinez wins middleweight titles ATLANTIC CITY: Sergio Martinez of Argentina recovered from a knockdown to defeat champion Kelly Pavlik and win the WBO and WBC middleweight titles in Atlantic City on Saturday.

Martinez was knocked down in the seventh round but recovered to inflict a cut above Pavlik’s right eye that turned the bout back in his favour in the ninth. The Argentine built on that momentum and earned a unanimous points victory. “It was a 12 round plan,” Martinez said. “I knew in the long run he would show his true championship colours. But I knew at the end I had to finish off strongly.”

Martinez (45-2-2) dominated the early stages with superior speed and footwork, darting in and out and landing right jabs and straight lefts.

His movement left Pavlik (36-2) off balance, causing him to lunge with his punches and allowing Martinez to land counters over the top of the

American’s jab. Pavlik, however, began to close the distance in the fifth round and cut off the ring more effectively.

Martinez walked into a short right hand that dropped him to the canvas in the seventh round and while he appeared unhurt, the knockdown added to the sense the contest was slipping away from him.

But the Argentine turned the tide two rounds later, opening up a cut above Pavlik’s eye. “At the beginning of the ninth, he landed a good shot and he cut me,” Pavlik said.

“I couldn’t see. It was like a whiteout in my right eye. I could still see punches, but he fought a smart fight, doubling on the left hand. He’d throw a left, I’d block it, and he’d throw another one. “He wasn’t hurting me or nothing, but he was catching me with punches, and it looked bad. “There’s nothing you can do about that.”—Reuters

If it’s spring, it must be time for the Middle East Softball Championship in Dubai. The annual softball tournament took place April 7-10. Kuwait fielded four teams but it was the Kuwait Ladies who brought home the trophy for the third consecutive year. Added to the 2010 championship are winnings from 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002 and 2000.

With the generous sponsorship of Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) KIPCO, the Kuwait Ladies once again were able to field a team comprised of the best athletic Kuwaiti and expatriate talent in Kuwait as well as bring former team members back to play thus ensuring that the championship remained in Kuwait.

The first night of the tournament consisted of round robin games to determine the seeding. Kuwait outscored their opponents Abu Dhabi 155 and Doha Storm of Qatar 20 5 giving them the number one seed and a bye for the first round.

The Ladies’ first tournament game was against Doha Storm. Scoring 5 runs in the first inning with back to back triples by Mikki Manning and Crystal Al-Shatti, the Kuwait Ladies easily advanced to the next round by winning with a final score of 10-3.

In a hard fought game against newcomers Bahrain Xtreme, the Ladies found themselves in the loser’s bracket after a second round loss 9-7. In order to advance to the finals, the Kuwait Ladies faced a must win situation for their third game.

Facing Doha Storm for the third time, Kuwait Ladies pitcher, Carol Ross-Scott, struck out five batters as the Kuwait Ladies won the game 4-3, placing them back in the running to retain the championship.

In order for the Kuwait Ladies to win the overall 2010 Middle East Softball Champions Championship, they would have to defeat the Bahrain Xtreme twice. The first game turned out to be a defensive battle by both teams as the Kuwait Ladies pulled out the win, 5-1.

With both having one loss, the teams had only ten minutes to rest and prepare themselves for the championship game.

Heavy hitting gave Bahrain Xtreme a 3-2 edge at the end of the first inning. There the score would remain until the fifth inning.

As the sweltering heat took its toll on the Xtreme’s pitcher, she gave up 3 hits and 5 walks, allowing the Kuwait Ladies to score ten runs taking a com-

manding lead of 12-3 into the sixth inning. As the Bahrain Xtreme would take their turn at bat, the time limit on the game expired leaving the Kuwait Ladies needing only three outs to win the game.

The Bahrain Xtreme rallied and scored four runs before the final batter hit a pop-up fly ball to the pitcher ending the game.

The Kuwait Ladies won 12-7 and were crowned the 2010 MESC Ladies Tournament Champions once more.

The Most Valuable Player of the tournament was Kuwait Ladies catcher, Nowal Al Najjar, a veteran of the tournament for over 19 years.

Team roster and coaches: Crystal Al-Shatti, 1B;

Sommer Al Nasarallah, 2B/RF; Dee Dee Davis, 3B; Louise Lodge, SS; Kakie Al Najjar, LF; Mikki Manning, LC; Allison Worley, RC; Hala Al Najjar, RF; Nowal Al Najjar, CF;

Denise Davis, RF/C, Carol Ross-Scott, P; Stephanie Knight, 2B; Melissa Al Bannay, DH; Head Coach - Kevin D Scott and Asst. Coach - Eric Davis.

SPORTS

18

Monday, April 19, 2010

SHANGHAI: McLaren Formula One driver Jenson Button of Britain takes a corner on his way to winning the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix. — AP

CHINA: McLarenMercedes driver Jenson Button of Britain holds up the trophy after winning Formula One’s Chinese Grand Prix. — AFP

Button wins wet Chinese Grand Prix SHANGHAI: World champion Jenson Button calmly steered through the chaos of a wet Chinese Grand Prix for his second win of the season yesterday, leading home Lewis Hamilton in a McLaren one-two.

The 30-year-old Briton, who took the lead in the overall standings after celebrating his second win of the season and ninth of his career, yelled “We really earned that one!” on his team radio as he crossed the line.

“For me, it’s my best victory,” the grinning Button, who had started fifth on the grid, told reporters. “It was very tough conditions and the great thing is our pace was good. It wasn’t just the luck of calling the

weather.”

Hamilton carved his way through the field from 12th on lap four to finish 1.530 seconds behind his compatriot in the first British one-two since 1999.

The 25-year-old’s aggressive drive included a clash with Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel in the pit lane and a post-race stewards’ investigation resulted in reprimands for both drivers for dangerous driving.

“I had quite an eventful race,” said Hamilton, the 2008 world champion, who embraced Button and shook his hand afterwards. “I fought my way through and we both did a tremendous job and it’s great for

the team.”

German Nico Rosberg secured his second successive third place for Mercedes with Spain’s Fernando Alonso, who earned a drive-through penalty for a jump start, finishing fourth for Ferrari.

Button now has 60 points overall, 10 clear of Rosberg with Hamilton and Alonso a point further back in third. McLaren lead the constructors’ standings with 109 points to Ferrari’s 90.

Pole-sitter Vettel, who won the last race in Malaysia and here last year, could only manage sixth behind Robert Kubica’s Renault, leaving the Shanghai race still with-

out a repeat winner after seven years.

“Today was very chaotic and in the end to take sixth can be quite important,” said Vettel. “Obviously, our main competitors finished ahead, so that’s not nice. It was a very difficult race for us.”

Renault’s Vitaly Petrov passed both Michael Schumacher of Mercedes and the Red Bull of Mark Webber on the last few laps to take an impressive seventh place in the Russian’s first completed Formula One race.

Alonso’s premature start, a safety car for a three-car pile up on the first corner, heavy rain and another safety car later in the race contributed to an entertaining but chaotic

race.

“I think we stopped five times to change the tyres,” said twice world champion Alonso, who muscled his car past Brazilian team mate and previous championship leader Felipe Massa as both headed into the pits.

“Hopefully, next race we have a normal weekend. We’ve had only one in Bahrain, and we won the race. So we need more normal weekends.”

Rosberg emerged in the lead after the first few laps followed by Button and Kubica with the race favourite Red Bulls and Hamilton scrambling to change tyres to

match the conditions. Hamilton showed through his uncompromising clash with Vettel at both the entrance and exit to the pit lane that he was by no means cowed by criticism of his driving in Malaysia.

The Briton’s drive included an audacious move to pass both Vettel and Adrian Sutil at one corner and a thrilling battle with seventimes world champion Schumacher.

Button overtook Rosberg on the hairpin before the start-finish straight and made his first pit stop immediately afterwards, still getting back out in front just before the second safety car on lap 20 bunched up the field again. — Reuters

Nadal ends title drought

MONACO: (Top and bottom from left) A combo of a photo taken in 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005 shows Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal biting his trophy after winning the 6 last Monte-Carlo ATP Masters Series Tournament tennis match final in Monaco. — AFP

Stosur rips Zvonareva to bag WTA title CHARLESTON: Australian fourth seed Samantha Stosur won her second career WTA title yesterday, routing Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-0, 6-3 in the final of the 700,000-dollar Family Circle Cup. Stosur, whose only prior WTA crown came last year at Osaka, improved to 5-2 all-time against seventh seed Zvonareva, losing twice in 2004 but winning the past five, the most recent prior match a fourth-round win at Indian Wells. With the clay-court title, 11th-ranked Stosur assured she will jump into the top 10 in Monday’s WTA rankings and signaled she could be a threat at the French Open, where she reached the semi-finals in 2009.

At the Australian Open, Stosur lost to eventual winner Serena Williams in the fourth round. The 26-year-old from Brisbane also made a run to the Indian Wells semifinals last month.

Zvonareva, 25, fell to 19-6 on the year and failed in a bid for her 11th career title and her second of the year after a successful title defense in Pattaya City.

Zvonareva, ranked 22nd, reached the final when Danish top seed Caroline Wozniacki retired from a semifinal with a right ankle injury. She also was a runner-up at Charleston in 2008.

Stosur dominated the first set, surrendering only five points to her Russian rival. Stosur broke at love for a 4-0

edge, having allowed Zvonareva only two points in the first four games.

The Aussie then held and broke again to take the set in 18 minutes. Stosur held to open the second set, a forehand winner to the far corner claiming the first game, and broke at love for a 2-0 edge, ripping her 15th forehand winner of the match down the line for the break.

An ace up the middle allowed Stosur to hold at love for a 3-0 edge before Zvonareva tried to disrupt Stosur’s rhythm with high lobs. After fallng behind 15-40, Zvonareva shattered her racket on the court, smashed it twice more and kicked it under her seat in anger.

The tantrum worked as Zvonareva saved two break points and won the next four points, holding to trail 3-1 after taking 35 minutes to finally win a game.

But Stosur, who wore a left wristband bearing the words “attitude” and “composure”, recovered to hold for a 4-1 lead.

Zvonareva held to 4-2, then jumped ahead 0-30 on Stosur’s serve and grabbed her first break when the Aussie sent a backhand wide.

Stosur answered the challenge by seizing two breakpoint chances in the seventh game, capitalizing with a forehand winner down the line to grab a 5-3 lead and she served out at love to claim the match and the title. — AFP

MONACO: Rafael Nadal thrashed Fernando Verdasco 6-0, 6-1 in yesterday’s all-Spanish final to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the sixth straight year and end his title drought.

The second-seeded Nadal clinched his first title since the Rome Masters in May last year by overpowering the sixth-seeded Verdasco with a stunning display of attacking tennis that sends out a stern warning to his clay-court rivals.

Nadal is the only player to win six consecutive titles in the same tournament since tennis turned professional in 1968, and the 23-year-old is level with top-ranked Roger Federer on 16 Masters titles, one behind Andre Agassi’s record.

Nadal sealed the win on his first match point with a forehand pass and fell to the ground, rolling on his back as he savored his victory.

“It was emotional for me today, it was my best week for a long time,” Nadal said. “It’s unbelievable, Monte Carlo is my favorite tournament.”

It was Nadal’s 32nd straight win at Monte Carlo since his third-round loss to Guillermo Coria in 2003, and the relief at clinching his 37th career title was evident as he sobbed into a towel when he sat down.

Although Federer was not playing at Monte Carlo, Nadal’s superb win and early form on clay will make him a serious contender to reclaim his French Open title from the Swiss player at Roland Garros when the tournament starts late next month.

Verdasco simply had no answers as he lost his 10th straight match to Nadal, who covered every part of the court and showed the agility, strength and powerful hitting that were his hallmarks on clay before his sudden dip last year.

“Sorry for today,” Nadal said to a smiling Verdasco as the two players gave their speeches. “I hope one day Rafa gets tired of winning here,” Verdasco said.

Nadal’s victory moved him level with Britain’s Reggie Doherty, who won the Monte Carlo event six times overall, between 1897-99 and 1902-04.

Just like in 2007 and ‘08, Nadal did not drop a set during the tournament, and signaled his intent early by taking Verdasco’s opening service game. In the next game, Nadal’s crosscourt pass stunned Verdasco and left him rooted to the spot.

Trailing 5-0, Verdasco lay down on a towel and had massage treatment to his neck and shoulders for several minutes, and when he resumed playing he rolled his neck to loosen it up more.

Nadal had no pity and took the opening set the following game when a forehand from Verdasco went wide. Verdasco, who has won four career titles but was seeking his first Masters trophy, started the second set aggressively and got a huge roar when he finally held his serve.

Playing his best tennis of the match in the third game, exasperation got the better of Verdasco when Nadal returned a seemingly impossible shot with a dipping forehand crosscourt winner, and Verdasco raised his arms in mock celebration as he tried in vain to find some inspiration from the crowd.

There were jeers for Verdasco when he hit a lazy shot into the net as he lost his serve to trail 4-1, but some spectacular rallying in the sixth game got the crowd back on his side as he forced Nadal to save five break points.

After winning one long rally, Verdasco dropped to his knees and threw his hands up toward the skies as if to thank the heavens after winning a point, and even Prince Albert of Monaco rose out of his seat to join in the applause. — AP

NEW DELHI: South Korea’s Cho Gun-woo (left) and Woo Yeon-seong celebrate after they beat Taiwan’s Hung Ling Chen and Yu Lang Lin in the men’s doubles final of the Yonex-Sunrise Badminton Asia Championships. —AP

Lin wins men’s singles title NEW DELHI: Reigning World and Olympic champion Lin Dan of China defeated compatriot Wang Zhengming in the men’s singles final of the Asian badminton championships at New Delhi’s Siri Fort Badminton Stadium yesterday.

Second-seeded Lin beat Wang, the unseeded 2008 junior world champion, by a score of 21-17, 2115. Li Xuerui overcame stiff resistance from Liu Xin to triumph 2113, 18-21, 21-19 in the all-Chinese women’s singles final featuring two players who had come through the qualifying competition.

“I was determined to win this title as I wasn’t in good form in recent tournaments,” said Lin after clinching his maiden Asian championship title.

Lin, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, completed a hat-trick of World championship titles in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad last year.

“It’s nice to come here and win the Asian championship title,” said Lin. “It’s not easy to play against players from China and Wang’s a

very good player. He’s young and has the ability to be a future star.”

Men’s singles top seed Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia, a former Olympic and world champion, was knocked out in the third round.

Lin led the Chinese domination of the Asian championships despite the absence of the country’s several top players who are training for the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup team championships scheduled for Malaysia next month.

Asian badminton Among the Chinese stars who decided to skip the Asian championships was men’s singles title holder Bao Chun Lai and the women’s singles players who occupy the top five places in the world rankings.

Women’s singles winner Li said she was confident of winning the title after defeating top-seeded Saina Nehwal of India in the semifinal Saturday.

“I was confident of going all the way after the victory against

Nehwal, and my belief in my ability worked in my favor,” said Li, who acknowledged that playing three games in the final left her extremely tired toward the end. Liu said she tried to slow down the pace of the game, but the plan did not work.

“Li’s a very fast player, but unforced errors cost me the final,” she said.

China extended its domination with sixth-seeded pair of Pan Pan and Tian Quig winning the women’s doubles title by posting a 21-10, 216 victory over the Malaysian duo of Vivian Kah Mun Hoo and Woon Khe Wei. Fifth-seeded Cho Gun-woo and Yoo Yeon-seong of South Korea pulled off a shock 21-19, 12-21, 2117 victory over the top-seeded pair of Chen Hung-Ling and Lim YuLang from Taiwan in the men’s doubles final.

Malaysia’s seventh-seeded pair of Chan Peng Soon and Goh Liu Ying won the mixed doubles title with a 21-17, 20-22, 21-19 triumph against the sixth-seeded South Korean duo of Yoo Yeon-seong and Kim Min-jung. — AP

US men hoping to clinch Boston marathon BOSTON: Deriba Merga of Ethiopia is back to defend his Boston Marathon title, with a string of US runners — led by Meb Keflezighi — hoping to end America’s title drought in the venerable race today.

Keflezighi, who makes his home in California, is the reigning New York City Marathon title holder.

He and fellow Californian Ryan Hall give the US a real chance to claim a first men’s victory in 27 years. The way may have been made easier when four-time Boston winner Robert Cheruiyot pulled out with a hip injury. However, nine Kenyans remain in the field hoping to give the country its sixth title in eight years.

Kenya’s Salina Kosgei is the defending champion and women’s favorite. Her compatriot Catherine Ndereba, a four-time winner, withdrew last week with a muscle tear.

It has been 24 years since an American woman won in Boston — when Lisa Larsen-Wiedenbach triumphed in 1985.

Greg Meyer, whose victory in 1983 was the seventh for a US man in nine years - and the most recent - would like to lose the tag of last American man to win here.

“We thought it would keep going on. ... I thought I’d do it again,” Meyer said. “But for American marathoners, that was the high-water mark.”

“By me winning New York, it’s an example that it can happen,” said Keflezighi, who lives near Hall and trains with him in Mammoth Lakes, California.

“We both badly want to win - not for our individual goals only, but for the USA.” Keflezighi says he’s 95 percent recovered from a left knee injury he suffered in training in January.

The 2004 Olympic silver medallist, Keflezighi finished third in Boston in 2006.

Hall ran 2hr 6min 17secs in London in 2008.

Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri is the only runner in the field with a faster personal best, at 2:05:30.

“They are at the top of the list - up there with the Kenyans and Ethiopians,” Boston race director Guy Morse said. “Having the two top American men participate, head-to-head, is a little bit more insurance that you could have a US winner.” Hall led early in Boston last year, but faded in the last 10 miles. He has put in significant training time in the area to prepare for the demanding course - especially the notorious Heartbreak Hill. —AFP

SPORTS

Monday, April 19, 2010

19

Benitez wants final push for top-four finish LIVERPOOL: Rafael Benitez has changed his mind over Liverpool’s bid for a Champions League place by claiming they can still finish in the top four if they beat West Ham United today.

It has been a week of upheaval at Anfield after it was confirmed that coowners George Gillett and Tom Hicks are willing to sell the club after three years in charge, with British Airways chairman Martin Broughton drafted in to help oversee any potential deal.

Despite the off-field issues at the

club, Benitez is more interested in what happens on the pitch and insists that Liverpool can overtake Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, who lost 1-0 to Manchester United on Saturday, in the race for fourth place.

Last week he claimed that Liverpool have too much to do to make it into the final Champions League qualifying spot but the Spaniard has regained his faith.

However, he also acknowledged that any fleeting ambitions to feature

in the competition next season will end on Monday if his side do not defeat Gianfranco Zola’s men at Anfield.

“In football everything can change from one week to the next,” he said.

“Again, this weekend could be crucial for all the teams challenging for fourth place. “There are some important games before we play West Ham. Then we will have to win our match.

“For us, we have to win our four games and take 12 points. After that we will see what happens. But things

can change a lot.

“We play on Monday so we will know what position we are in then.

All we can do is win our games. It will be difficult but we may still have chances.”

Benitez also admitted that Liverpool have struggled this season to cope with the expectation created by last season’s second-place finish.

“We know last year was a really, really good season,” he said. “But in the Premier League the difference in money is so big between some clubs

that, if you want to stay at the same level for a while, you have to do almost everything perfectly.

“It’s not easy to do that when you are pushing all the time. You cannot always keep them working at the same level. “The expectations from last season were really high coming into this one.”

Liverpool could be without Fernando Torres who is struggling to recover from a knee injury that made him miss last weekend’s goalless draw with Fulham.

He would be a huge miss for the Reds but West Ham manager Zola is trying not to get his hopes up that Torres will be absent, despite the boost it would give to his side’s chances.

“Liverpool still have something in their bag to cause us problems,” Zola said. “I know Torres is a big asset for them but to be honest I like David Ngog very much.

“I am sure he could be a problem anyway. We don’t have to really be thinking that if Torres doesn’t play, it

is a big advantage for us. We have to perform.

“Whatever team they play they will always be a tough game for us.

That is for sure. We need to make sure that first of all, we play a good performance and then we will also have to be a little bit lucky.”

Liverpool will be without injured defenders Fabio Aurelio, Emiliano Insua and Martin Skrtel, while for West Ham, Luis Boa Morte, Zavon Hines and James Tomkins look to set to miss out. —AFP

Hertha on the verge of relegation, Bayern top

FRANCE: Montpellier’s Midfielder Alberto Costa (right) vies with Toulouse midfielder Paulo Ricardo Machado (left) during their French League football match. —AFP

Montpellier stumble in Champions League chase PARIS: An injury-time equaliser by Colin Kazim-Richards gave Toulouse a 1-1 draw at Montpellier yesterday that checked the hosts’ push for a Champions League place.

Montpellier led through Alberto Costa’s 32nd-minute opener and weathered heavy pressure in the second period, with AndrePierre Gignac sending a diving header just wide, Paulo Machado clipping the crossbar with a free-kick and substitute Adrien Regattin firing over late on.

The equaliser finally arrived in the 92nd minute when Regattin beat two defenders and squared for on-loan Fenerbahce forward Kazim-Richards to score from close range.

The draw leaves Montpellier fourth, level on 59 points with third-place Lyon but behind them on goal difference.

Lille leap-frogged Bordeaux into fifth

place with a comprehensive 4-0 victory at home to French Cup finalists Monaco.

Midfielder Yohan Cabaye was the star for Lille, teeing up Aurelien Chedjou for a 14thminute header and doubling the hosts’ advantage with a penalty on the cusp of halftime awarded for a foul on Mathieu Debuchy

by Igor Lolo.

Cabaye made the game safe with 15 minutes remaining, sending a sweet volley past Stephane Ruffier from Gervinho’s deft touch, before substitute Tulio De Melo added an injury-time coup de grace with a header. Improving Paris Saint-Germain, who will face Monaco in the French Cup final on May 1, travel to Saint Etienne in Sunday’s late game.

PSG, 10th, are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions, while fourth-bot-

tom Saint-Etienne would go 10 points clear of the relegation zone with victory.

Marseille kept on course for a first French title in 18 years after Taye Taiwo’s injury-time penalty gave them a 2-1 win at second-bottom Boulogne-sur-Mer on Saturday.

Auxerre held onto second place, five points behind Marseille with five points remaining, by beating Lorient 4-1.

Defending champions Bordeaux are now sixth, albeit with a game in hand, after drawing 2-2 at home to Champions League semifinalists Lyon, who are four points shy of Auxerre in third.

The top three sides qualify for a place in next season’s Champions League, with the teams finishing fourth and fifth entering the second-tier Europa League. —AFP

Independiente, Estudiantes lead BUENOS AIRES: Independiente and Estudiantes went top of the Argentine Clausura championship on Saturday as previous leaders Godoy Cruz became the first victims of the Angel Cappa era at River Plate. River ended a 533-minute goal drought spanning more than five matches as they came from a goal down with two in two minutes to win 2-1 at the Monumental, toppling Godoy Cruz and climbing to 14th.

Independiente, who beat title holders Banfield 3-1, and Estudiantes, 2-1 winners at Tigre, have 30 points from 15 matches, two more than Godoy Cruz and Argentinos Juniors, who visit Arsenal on Monday. Banfield have 23.

Central defender Leandro Desabato put Estudiantes in front with an early header from a Juan Sebastian Veron corner and forward Jose Sosa added a brilliant solo goal in the 26th minute. Tigre hit the bar before going two down but reduced the deficit when defender Marcos Rojo headed an own goal trying to clear the ball shortly before halftime.

Both sides hit the woodwork in the second half.

Independiente, who had lost their previous two games, took the lead midway through the first half when striker Andres Silvera scored his seventh goal of the championship. Banfield equalised through Ruben Ramirez in the 36th minute but from the re-start midfielder Leandro Gracian hit a shot from the halfway line that dipped under the bar with keeper Cristian Lucchetti stranded to restore the visitors’ lead. —Reuters

Soccer matches on TV (local timings) English Premier League Liverpool v West Ham...............22:00 ShowSports 1 ShowSports 2 Spanish League Mallorca v Osasuna....................22:00 Al Jazeera Sport +2

BUENOS AIRES: Ariel Rojas of Godoy Cruz (left) and Ariel Ortega of River Plate fight for the ball at an Argentine soccer League match. —AP

Kuwaiti shooters qualify for Beijing tournament BEIJING: Kuwaiti shooters qualified for International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup for skeet, trap, doubletrap and sporting-compact in the Chinese capital Beijing.

Shooter Abdullah Al-Turqi and Zeid AlMutairi succeeded in breaking 48 out of 50 discs, followed by their fellow shooter Nasser Al-Daihani who managed to break 46. The tournament grouping 21 countries

with the participation of world champions is distinguished with heated competition, an official of the Kuwaiti delegation Hamad Al-Ruwaisan told KUNA. Shooters should not be evaluated according to their performance in this round as it is followed by a more important one with 75 discs and the best six shooters are to qualify for the final round, he added. —KUNA

BERLIN: Hertha Berlin look set to be relegated from the Bundesliga after being held to a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt yesterday, with league leaders Bayern Munich looming.

With three games left to go, Berlin are five points from safety and face Bayern at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on May 8, the last day of the season, and face second-placed Schalke 04 and Bayer Leverkusen in the next fortnight.

If Hertha are relegated, it would leave the German capital without a Bundesliga club for next season and would be a dramatic fall from grace for the club who were bidding for the league title last season.

Berlin took the lead in Frankfurt when Serbian midfielder Gojko Kacar scored with a header on 17 minutes, but Austrian striker Uemit Korkmaz equalised on 37 minutes.

Frankfurt had the chance to take the lead when they were awarded a penalty, but Swiss midfielder Pirmin Schwegler fired wide on 42 minutes.

Berlin regained the lead when Brazilian striker Raffael scored less than a minute later, to add insult to injury, but Frankfurt had the last laugh when Marco Russ scored on 63 minutes.

Earlier Hoffenheim earned a 1-1 draw at Dortmund after defender Mats Hummels scored an own-goal. Hummels’ 89thminute strike broke Dortmund hearts and saw his side miss out on claiming third behind Schalke 04, who are bidding for their first Bundesliga title.

On Saturday, Arjen Robben hit a hat-trick as Bayern Munich warmed up for their Champions League semi-final with Lyon by routing Hanover 7-0 to go back to the top of the Bundesliga.

After Schalke had temporarily taken top spot Bayern went back to the summit at Munich’s Allianz Arena thanks to Robben’s triple and two goals apiece from Ivica Olic and Thomas Mueller.

The result left Mirko Slomkacoached Hanover second from bottom with just three games left, while Bayern remain on course for their 22nd German title and will head into the first leg of their tie with Lyon on Wednesday in good heart.

Earlier, Schalke’s Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic netted twice in a 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach to leave the Royal Blues second, two points behind Bayern.

Ten-man Bayer Leverkusen are virtually out of the title race after they were beaten 2-1 at Stuttgart, with striker Stefan Kiessling netting for Bayer before Germany team-mate Cacau scored twice for the hosts.

Leverkusen were reduced to 10 men when Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta was dismissed after just 19 minutes for a second dangerous foul. Cacau scored the equaliser and then smashed home the long-range winner on 85 minutes.

The result dumped Leverkusen down to fourth, seven points behind Schalke with three games left to play this season.

Werder Bremen went third as midfielder Torsten Frings showed Germany coach Joachim Loew what he is missing with two goals in his side’s 4-2 victory at defending champions Wolfsburg.

Loew has not selected Frings for the Germany team since February 2009 after the midfielder slammed him for not showing senior players in the German squad enough respect.

Hamburg were stunned 1-0 at home by mid-table Mainz while Freiburg gave themselves a fighting chance of staying in the Bundesliga with a 2-1 win over fellow relegation candidates Nuremberg. —AFP

GERMANY: Frankfurt’s defender Marco Russ (left) vies for the ball with Hertha Berlin’s Serbian midfielder Gojco Kacar during the German First Division Bundesliga football match. —AFP

German League results/standings Borussia Dortmund 1 (Valdez 57) Hoffenheim 1 (Hummels 89-og); Eintracht Frankfurt 2 (Korkmaz 37, Russ 63) Hertha Berlin 2 (Kacar 17, Raffael 42).

Played Saturday: VfB Stuttgart 2 (Cacau 29, 85) Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Kiessling 13); VfL Wolfsburg 2 (Dzeko 18, Grafite 40) Werder

Bremen 4 (Frings 38-pen, 62, Pizarro 49, Almeida 75); Schalke 3 (Rakitic 8, 47-pen, Farfan 45) Borussia Moenchengladbach 1 (Bobadilla 16); Hamburg 0 Mainz 1 (Bance 20); Freiburg 2 (Maroh 4-og, Cisse 60) Nuremberg 1 (Maroh 79); Bayern Munich 7 (Olic 22, 49, Robben 30, 50, 90+1, Mueller 44, 62) Hanover 0.

German league table after yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Bayern Munich 31 18 9 4 65 28 63 Schalke 04 31 18 7 6 52 29 61 Werder Bremen 31 15 9 7 67 39 54 Bayer Leverkusen 31 14 12 5 60 36 54 Borussia Dortmund 31 15 8 8 49 36 53 VfB Stuttgart 31 14 8 9 46 38 50 Hamburg 31 12 12 7 50 35 48 VfL Wolfsburg 31 13 7 11 60 55 46

Eintracht Frankfurt Mainz 05 Cologne Borussia M’gladbach Hoffenheim Nuremberg VfL Bochum Freiburg Hanover 96 Hertha Berlin

31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31 31

1 12 10 10 9 7 6 7 7 5

9 8 7 7 8 7 10 7 6 8

10 11 12 14 14 17 15 17 18 18

42 31 31 40 36 29 32 29 34 32

46 37 38 52 39 51 56 56 63 51

45 44 37 37 35 28 28 28 27 23

ISTANBUL: Citroen C4 WRC driver Sebastien Loeb of France (center right on the top) and his co-driver Daniel Elena of Monaco seen with team officials after winning the Rally of Turkey during the FIA World Rally Championship. —AP

Loeb wins Rally of Turkey ISTANBUL: World champion Sebastien Loeb of France, driving a Citroen C4, won the Rally of Turkey yesterday ahead of Norway’s Petter Solberg (Citroen C4) and Mikko Hirvonen of Finland (Ford Focus).

Loeb, who this year is aiming to win his seventh straight world drivers title, finished 54 seconds ahead of Solberg and one minute 43 seconds clear of Hirvonen.

The third and final day of the rally, the fourth leg of this year’s championship, opened with the cancellation of the first two stages for

security reasons.

Loeb had taken command of the race on Saturday afternoon when early leader Sebastien Ogier was stopped with a puncture.

It was a 57th World Rally Championship (WRC) victory for the 36-year-old Frenchman and the third in a row this season after Mexico and Jordan. Loeb took second spot in the season opener in Sweden.

“It was a tough fight during the entire rally, I had to battle right to the finish,” said Loeb, who leads the standings on 93 points from

Solberg on 53.

“This is good news for the title, 40 points clear and 57 rallies in all,” he added.

Solberg, driving for a private team, was more than pleased with his runner-up spot. He said: “I’m back (at the highest level) and I’m extremely happy.

“I can’t match Sebastien but I do everything I can in terms of strategy. I was trying to save money and not break too many pieces on the car. “It’s a pleasure being part of a small private team but the problem is the budget.” —AFP

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Wigan’s late fightback destroy Arsenal hopes Wigan 3

Arsenal 2

MADRID: Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal (front) vies for the ball with Valencia’s Alexis Ruano (back) during their Spanish League soccer match.—AP

Real reel in Barcelona MADRID: Real Madrid striking duo Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain grabbed a goal apiece as Real moved to within one point of leaders Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a 2-0 home win over third-placed Valencia yesterday to set up a thrilling finale to the title race.

Barcelona’s 0-0 draw at neighbours Espanyol 24 ours earlier had given Real a chance to close the gap and Real capitalised on the slip with Higuain netting his 25th goal of the season after 25 minutes before Ronaldo finished the game off on 77 minutes with his 20th goal of the season. With five games left Real are just a point behind their arch rivals although if the two teams finish level on points Barcelona, who face Inter Milan on Tuesday in the semi-final of the Champions League, will win the title due to their superior head-to-head record. It was a 16th league home win of the season from 17 games by Real - with a defeat to Barcelona the only blemish - and Higuain is just two goals behind compatriot Lionel Messi who has scored 27 for Barcelona to lead the race for the ‘Pichichi’ or top-scorer crown.

Valencia, a massive 24 points behind Real in third, are five points ahead of fourth-placed Sevilla following their eighth defeat of the campaign and they will rue David Silva’s shot hitting the post minutes before Ronaldo grabbed the second goal.

There was no Kaka again for Real with the Brazilian still not fully fit while Sergio Ramos continued in central defence in the absence of Ezequiel Garay.

For Valencia the spotlight was on midfielder Silva with the Spanish international strongly linked with bigspending Real in the local media.

With eight minutes gone Rafael van der Vaart, who scored the winner in the 2-1 win over Almeria in midweek, shot wide with his weaker right foot.

Guti should have scored on 19 minutes after a great cut-back from Ronaldo but the midfielder pulled his leftfooted shot wide.

It was backs to the wall for Valencia and Higuain struck on 25 minutes with a neat turn to beat his man before dispatching past former Real goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez. Four minutes later Higuain set up van der Vaart but the Dutchman could not apply the finishing touch with defender Alexis Delgado blocking the effort on the line.

Alexis was then in action at the other end on 33 minutes with his header forcing Iker Casillas into a scram-

Spanish League results/standings Tenerife 3 (Nino 30, 69, 76) Getafe 2 (Leon 10, Casquero 75); Malaga 0 Valladolid 0; Xerez 2 (Orellana 6, Sanchez 72) Racing Santander 2 (Tchite 43, 57-pen); Deportivo La Coruna 0 Almeria 0; Athletic Bilbao 0 Real Zaragoza 0; Real Madrid 2 (Higuain 25, Ronaldo 78) Valencia 0 Spanish League table after yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Barcelona Real Madrid Valencia Sevilla Mallorca Villarreal Bilbao Getafe Deportivo Atletico Osasuna Almeria Espanyol Sporting Racing Zaragoza Malaga Tenerife Valladolid Xerez

33 33 33 33 32 33 33 33 33 33 32 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33 33

26 27 17 16 15 14 14 14 12 11 10 9 9 9 8 8 7 8 5 6

6 2 8 6 7 7 7 5 8 7 8 11 11 10 12 10 12 8 14 9

1 4 8 11 10 12 12 14 13 15 14 13 13 14 13 15 14 17 14 18

80 87 52 49 50 48 45 48 33 49 30 34 26 33 36 38 37 34 32 30

19 29 37 38 37 45 44 43 42 52 37 45 40 44 48 56 42 63 54 56

84 83 59 54 52 49 49 47 44 40 38 38 38 37 36 34 33 32 29 27

bling save. Brazilian Marcelo forced save from Cesar early in the second half as Real continued to dominate.

Valencia stayed in the game, however, and Silva thumped a brilliant 25 yard shot off the left hand post on 74 minutes with international team-mate Casillas well beaten. Four minutes later Marcelo raced down the left and set up Ronaldo for the decisive second goal to end Valencia’s resistance.

Elsewhere Tenerife striker Juan Nino scored a hattrick to help the promoted side defeat European hopefuls Getafe 3-2 yesterday and move one point from safety with five games left. —AFP

Sampdoria shatter Milan’s dreams ROME: There was late drama as Sampdoria ended AC Milan’s hopes of winning the Serie A title while boosting their own chances of playing in next season’s Champions League with a 2-1 win in Genoa yesterday.

Giampaolo Pazzini scored the winner two minutes into injury time as the hosts came back from a goal down to beat the seven-time European champions, who had been reduced to 10 men eight minutes into the second half.

Milan are now six points behind leaders Inter Milan with four games left and could find themselves seven points off the top if Roma beat city rivals Lazio in yesterday’s late game. Milan coach Leonardo refused to give up on the scudetto, though.

“Mathematically everything is still possible but of course this defeat weighs heavy,” he said. “It’s not been a disappointing season but not a great one either. We showed we can play and I say that as a matter of fact and not to try to justify my position,” added the under-fire boss.

“But we’ve had many problems from injuries to suspensions.” Sampdoria’s win means they sit fourth, in the final Champions League qualification position, and two points ahead of fifth-placed Palermo, who drew 2-2 at Cagliari. Napoli are sixth after a 2-1 win at Bari but five points behind Samp.

With Inter beating Juventus 2-0 on Friday night, Milan knew they had to win to stand any chance of remaining involved in the title shake-up.

The visitors took a 20th-minute lead when striker Marco Borriello rose in the box to head a Mancini corner past former Milan goalkeeper Marco Storari.

Just three minutes later Milan had a gilt-edged opportunity to double their advantage as Borriello returned the favour for Mancini, teeing him up in front of an open goal only for the Brazilian to send his shot high into the sky. Sampdoria were enjoying plenty of pressure and possession without creating many clear-cut chances, although enigmatic forward

ITALY: AC Milan forward Ronaldinho (right) challenges for the ball with Sampdoria defender Luciano Zauri during a Italian League soccer match.—AP Antonio Cassano was marginally off target with a header. Cassano earned and converted the 54thminute penalty that restored parity, as Daniele Bonera was dismissed for a foul on the errant playmaker, who dusted himself down and converted from 12 yards.

Down to 10 men and having lost one of his centrebacks, Milan coach Leonardo sent on full-back Massimo Oddo for winger Mancini, having also been forced into replacing injured midfielder Massimo Ambrosini with full-back Gianluca Zambrotta early in the second period. It meant Milan were now playing a 4-3-2 but with a full-back and a defensive midfielder in the middle of the park. And yet they came agonisingly close to scoring as Gennaro Gattuso brought a fine save out of Storari and Borriello squandered what looked a certain goal, put on a plate by Ronaldinho, by weakly slicing wide with the goal gaping. —AFP

WIGAN: Wigan shattered Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge with a breathtaking burst of three goals in the last 10 minutes to win 3-2 at the DW Stadium yesterday.

Goals from Theo Walcott and Mikael Silvestre seemed to have put the Gunners on course for a comfortable victory, but Wigan had other ideas as Ben Watson got one back in the 80th minute.

Arsenal were unable to hold on as a terrible mistake by goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who dropped a corner onto Titus Bramble’s head, gifted Wigan their last minute equaliser.

There was still time for Charles N’Zogbia to curl home a superb winner in stoppage time as Arsene Wenger’s team went into meltdown.

The defeat means Arsenal are now six points behind leaders Chelsea with just three games to go and the north Londoners can kiss goodbye to their title hopes.

Wigan move seven points clear of the relegation zone after pulling off their remarkable turnaround. Arsenal were without goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, who has a wrist injury, and the nerves Fabianski displayed from the start seemed to affect the entire Arsenal backline.

A Watson corner beat every single player in the crammed sixyard box as one glorious chance went begging. At the other end, Nicklas Bendtner forced Chris Kirkland into one fine low save, while Walcott also did his best to open the scoring but could not quite break the deadlock.

Walcott made the most of a brilliant ball from Bendtner to give the Gunners the lead in the 41st minute. Bendtner threaded the ball through to Walcott on the edge of the box and he shimmied through the Wigan defence and slotted past Kirkland.

Walcott then almost doubled the lead immediately as he again ran at the Wigan defence but his right footed effort cleared the crossbar with Kirkland well beaten.

Straight after the interval, Samir Nasri appeared to pull Watson down in the box but Wigan’s frantic appeals for a penalty went unheard by referee Lee Mason.

To compound the home side’s anger, Nasri then played a huge part in Arsenal’s second goal as Wenger’s side doubled their advantage in the 48th minute.

He delivered a fine corner from the right and Silvestre was given too much time by Wigan’s defence and the French defender leapt highest to glance a header into the bottom right hand corner.

Wigan refused to be intimidated by the scoreline and kept on pressing to try and get back into the encounter. N’Zogbia had the best opportunity to give Wigan a lifeline after he linked up wonderfully with Watson to carve a hole in the Arsenal defence but, although he was unmarked straight in front of the goal, his poor effort was comfortably saved

by Fabianski.

With 10 minutes to go, Wigan did halve the deficit as Watson finished off a wonderful move to give Wigan a chance of snatching a point.

N’Zogbia charged forward and found Victor Moses unmarked on the right wing who then pulled the ball back for Watson to slam home from 12 yards out.

The game then took a crucial and crazy turn as Fabianski dropped an N’Zogbia corner inside his six-yard box which allowed Bramble to nod home the equaliser.

Arsenal were too shell shocked to react and in the first minute of injury time, N’Zogbia tried his luck from 25 yards and beat Fabianski to send most of the DW Stadium into a frenzy.—AFP

LONDON: Arsenal’s English forward Theo Walcott (right) vies with Wigan Athletic’s Ivorian defender Steve Gohouri during the English Premier league football match.—AFP

Villa stay in hunt for CL spot Portsmouth 1

Aston Villa 2 PORTSMOUTH: Aston Villa remain in the hunt for a Champions League place after Nathan Delfouneso’s first Premier League goal clinched a 21 win against Portsmouth yesterday.

Martin O’Neill’s team fell behind to an early strike from Michael Brown at Fratton Park, but Villa hit back soon after through John Carew, who then saw a penalty saved by David James before half-time.

Carew had no need to rue that miss as teenage striker Delfouneso came off the bench in the 80th minute and scored just two minutes later to lift Villa above Liverpool into sixth place in the table.

Delfouneso has never started a Premier League game but the Birmingham-born 19-year-old is regarded as a potential star at Villa Park and his dramatic intervention means Villa are firmly on course for a Europa League place.

They could even snatch a Champions League spot as they lie six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with four games still to play.

O’Neill saluted Delfouneso and said: “I’ve been saying this for some considerable time, but he’s going to be a proper player and if he keeps his feet on the ground, he’s got a real proper chance. He’s got real ability and his attitude has been excellent.

“To give ourselves any chance (of a top-four finish) we have to win all our games. We go to Hull on Wednesday still full of hope.”

Pompey boss Avram Grant said: “I think you saw we still have a high spirit. We kept fighting even though a few of the players were not 100 percent fit.”

Grant handed 18-year-old defender Leonard Sowah his first start, while James, Aaron Mokoena, Hassan Yebda, Nwankwo Kanu and KevinPrince Boateng returned after missing the mid-week draw at Wigan.

Both sides suffered differing fortunes in their respective games at Wembley last weekend, with Villa crashing out of the FA Cup with a 3-0 defeat against Chelsea and Pompey pulling off a surprise win over Tottenham.

Already-relegated Portsmouth’s first chance came four minutes in when Brad Friedel spilled a John Utaka cross and the ball fell to Kanu but the Nigerian’s shot was blocked by James Collins. —AFP

EPL results/standings Portsmouth 1 (Brown 10) Aston Villa 2 (Carew 16, Delfouneso 82); Wigan 3 (Watson 80, Bramble 89, N’Zogbia 90) Arsenal 2 (Walcott 41, Silvestre 48) Played Saturday Birmingham 0 Hull 0; Blackburn 2 (Nzonzi 69,

Roberts 81) Everton 3 (Arteta 4-pen, Yakubu 79, Cahill 90); Fulham 0 Wolves 0; Man City 0 Man Utd 1 (Scholes 90); Stoke 1 (Kitson 13) Bolton 2 (Taylor 85, 88); Sunderland 2 (Campbell 25, Bent 40) Burnley 1 (Thompson 82); Tottenham 2 (Defoe 15-pen, Bale 44) Chelsea 1 (Lampard 90).

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Blackburn 35 11 10 14 37 53 43 Chelsea 35 24 5 6 86 32 77 Sunderland 35 10 11 14 46 53 41 Man Utd 35 24 4 7 78 27 76 Bolton 35 9 8 18 38 63 35 Arsenal 35 22 5 8 78 39 71 Wigan 35 9 8 18 33 66 35 Tottenham 34 19 7 8 62 34 64 W’hampton 35 8 10 17 28 51 34 Man City 34 17 11 6 69 42 62 West Ham 34 7 10 17 41 57 31 Aston Villa 34 15 13 6 48 35 58 Hull 34 6 10 18 32 70 28 Liverpool 34 16 8 10 54 33 56 Burnley 35 7 6 22 37 74 27 Everton 35 14 12 9 57 48 54 Portsmouth 35 6 6 23 29 62 15 Birmingham 35 12 11 12 35 43 47 Note: Portsmouth deducted 9 points for enterFulham 34 11 10 13 35 37 43 ing administration Stoke 34 10 13 11 33 37 43

Ribery quizzed in prostitution probe

LONDON: Portsmouth’s Kanu (left) and Aston Villa’s Stephen Warnock fight for the ball during their English Premier League soccer match at the Fratton Park Stadium.—AP

Torres to miss rest of season LONDON: Liverpool striker Fernando Torres requires surgery on his problem knee and will miss the rest of the season, a club spokesman announced yesterday.

The operation, due to take place in Spain later yesterday, will rule the 26-year-old Spanish international out of action for around six weeks, not leaving him much time to be fit for the start of the World Cup on June 11. He will miss not only the Premier League run in but also the remainder of Liverpool’s Europa League campaign, which continues this week with a semi-final against Torres’ former club Atletico Madrid. A Liverpool spokesman told the club’s official website.—AFP

PARIS: Bayern Munich’s France international Franck Ribery has been quizzed by French police investigating an affair of prostitution involving a minor.

“He was questioned as a witness - for us the matter stops there,” Ribery’s lawyer, Sophie Bottai, told AFP yesterday. Earlier a judicial source had confirmed that French investigators had questioned two French national team footballers as part of the inquiry.

One of the French players has admitted having a relationship with a prostitute but denied knowing that she was a minor, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The two players, who were not identified, were questioned by investigators working for Paris examining magistrate Yves Dando, the source said confirming a report by the M6 television station.

The investigation concerns a Paris night club, frequented by certain French internationals, which is suspected of employing prostitutes, the source said.

L’Equipe newspaper reported yesterday that a third French international player could be questioned in coming weeks as part of the same investigation.

According to his lawyer Ribery was summoned by police to explain his relationship with one of his acquaintances who had connections with a call girl ring. “It was purely to do with this relationship (that he was quizzed by police),” Bottai told RMC radio. No charges were brought against Ribery, she stressed.—AFP

Etihad wins deal of year for first ECA transactions

Mahmoud Al-Gharabally launches most advanced lubricants

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India to hike rates to tame inflation

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Monday, April 19, 2010

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Dubai World creditors reject 1% interest Nakheel May bond could be repaid without final agreement

ABU DHABI: Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al-Nahayan (center), who was recently named to head the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, looks at a model of the ‘Capital City District’ project at the Cityscape exhibition in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi yesterday. — AFP

Abu Dhabi plans new law to regulate property ABU DHABI: A new real estate law for Abu Dhabi will be ready before the end of this year to tighten regulation of the fast growing property sector in the emirate, a top government official said yesterday.

The draft law was ready some six months ago but had to be re-worked, Ahmed Shareef, Under-Secretary at the Department of Municipal Affairs, Abu Dhabi, told a real estate conference.

“It will be ready by end of the year, latest,”

he said, adding the law would also include guidelines for escrow accounts and mortgage financing among others. Abu Dhabi is seeking to attract long-term investors and partners into its real estate sector. “We do not want speculators,” he said.

Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, is investing billions of dollars in developing infrastructure, real estate and tourism as it seeks to diversify its economy from oil. — Reuters

Europe probes economic fallout from travel chaos MADRID: Europe yesterday ordered a probe into billions of euros potentially lost since an Icelandic volcano erupted, prompting the biggest airspace shutdown since World War II. The head of the European Union’s executive branch Jose Manuel Barroso tasked three of his top lieutenants with assessing the impact on the troubled airline industry-pegged already at one billion euros ($1.35 billion) by one London analyst-and wider costs to Europe’s economy.

Millions of travellers remained stranded across the continent yesterday, with about 30 countries closing or restricting airspace amid safety fears since the volcano first began spewing out clouds of fiery ash miles into the sky on

Wednesday.

European Commission transport boss Siim Kallas, competition regulator Joaquin Almunia and economic affairs supremo Olli Rehn will together “fully assess the impact of the situation created by the volcanic ash cloud on the economy, and the air travel industry in particular,” said a statement from Brussels. The EU’s current Spanish chair later added that an emergency meeting by video-conference of the bloc’s 27 transport ministers was “envisaged” on Monday, with possible aid for carriers whose cashflow was already squeezed amid recession and rising fuel prices high on the agenda.

The International Air Transport Association has warned that the travel mayhem was costing airlines

Geithner: Very close on financial overhaul WASHINGTON: US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said yesterday he was confident there was enough political unity on Capitol Hill for the US Senate to forge a strong financial regulatory bill despite differences over some parts of it.

“I believe that we are very close on this,” Geithner said in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” program, adding that Republicans and Democrats now agree on “the vast bulk of things necessary to end ‘too big to fail.’”

During the financial crisis that struck in force in 2008, taxpayers were put at risk because the government decided it had to bail out ailing banks and other financial firms for fear that not doing so would harm the broader economy. Proposals for winding up or putting ailing big financial firms into bankruptcy have already passed the US House of Representatives but have yet to come before the Senate. A massive financial regulatory bill aimed at tightening oversight of banks and capital markets is expected to come to the Senate floor later this summer for a final vote after Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd steers it through his committee. Geithner, who has spearheaded the Obama administration’s efforts to persuade Congress to move on reforms aimed at preventing a repeat of the devastating financial crisis, conceded there were still some problem areas. “We’re not together on everything.

I think on derivatives and on consumer protection, we’re still some ways apart,” he said. “And we may not get there.”

President Barack Obama said on Friday he would veto any bill that did not impose strong enough controls over markets for derivatives-financial instruments that derive their value from the price of some underlying instrument or event.

Regulators on Friday charged Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs with fraud linked to subprime mortgages, which drove bank shares

more than $200 million (230 million euros) a day, prompting anger over safety testing mechanisms and suggestions that companies could require state aid like broken banks.

European air traffic control and safety agency Eurocontrol said that by the end of yesterday, “we expect that more than 63,000 flights in total will have been cancelled since Thursday.”

Most of Europe remains a virtual no-fly zone. By way of illustration, Rehn left three days of talks between European finance ministers in Madrid early yesterday by car heading for Bordeaux in France before taking a train to Paris in a bid to get back to Brussels on Monday.

The Madrid meetings, especially a forum gathering European and Asia-Pacific nations that started on Saturday, were themselves heavily disrupted by the transport chaos with leading EU finance ministers from France, Germany and Italy all bailing out early. Counterparts from a host of nations including China, Japan, Pakistan and guests Russia were also forced to pull out at the last minute, with European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet following suit. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had still to make it back to Berlin on Sunday afternoon after being stranded in Lisbon.

Germany’s Lufthansa and Air Berlin meanwhile expressed industry anger on Sunday that decisions to close airspace were not based on proper testing and that their aircraft showed no signs of damage after flying through the ash-strewn skies without passengers.

“The flight ban, made on the basis just of computer calculations, is resulting in billion-high losses for the economy,” Lufthansa spokesman Klaus Walter was quoted as saying. Nevertheless, European authorities will have to assess the precise costs to the airline industry for themselves before any decisions on granting state aid exemptions to companies can be taken, the EU’s Spanish presidency also said in Madrid. —AFP

DUBAI: Dubai World offered creditors a 1 percent interest rate on two new tranches of debt as part of its restructuring plan, but they rejected it as too low, two sources close to the discussions told Reuters. A spokesman for Dubai World declined to comment.

Dubai put the restructuring plan to creditors last month, having asked for a delay in repayment of the state-owned conglomerate’s debt in November, and said the deal was conditional upon agreement with the creditors.

The proposal would give bank creditors new debt covering the $14.2 billion they are owed over five to eight years, and repay in full property unit Nakheel’s 2010 and 2011 bonds. The sources told Reuters that Dubai World’s 1 percent rate offer on the new debt was rejected by creditors, who countered the offer with one at market rate, which they estimated to be around 5 percent.

“That’s obviously too wide a divide, so negotiations are continuing,” a person familiar with the ongoing negotiations told Reuters. “All elements of the proposal are conditional on sufficient support,” a spokeswoman for the Dubai government said on Thursday.

“Negotiations are progressing well, and we continue to expect them to do so. If they do, and we feel we’re moving forward constructively, then that would be viewed as sufficient support.”

The next Dubai World-linked debt falling due is Nakheel’s $980 million Islamic bond, or sukuk, which matures on May 13. Bondholders might yet be repaid on time, even without a final agree-

ment between the company and its bank lenders.

In March, the Dubai government said it would spend up to $9.5 billion on the restructuring, and the banks would get a commercial rate on the new debt, but it did not say what the rate would be.

If banks agree to roll over loan repayments for five or eight years below market interest rates, they will have to adjust the valuation of their loan to reflect current market values, effectively taking an immediate hit to profit. One of the sources said negotiations between the company and bank creditors were progressing slowly and there was some discontent over the full and timely repayment being offered to Nakheel’s bondholders under the deal.

Creditors met earlier this week, but no concrete decisions were made, the sources said.

The Dubai government will pump in $3.8 billion from “internal government resources”, expected to be partly funded by asset sales, with any shortfall guaranteed by the government.

“Between asset realization and shortfall guarantee provided by the government, lenders will recover their principal,” a Dubai government spokeswoman said earlier this month, adding that the size of the guarantee was not disclosed.

The banks’ committee is made up of HSBC, Standard Chartered, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds, as well as two UAE banks, Emirates NBD and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.

A seventh lender, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, a unit of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, joined the panel this year. — Reuters

BUSINESS

22

Monday, April 19, 2010

Facility to be used to part finance Airbus A340-600 deal

Reward yourself with ABK

Etihad wins deal of year for first ECA transactions

UAE to hike petrol price DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates, the world’s third-largest oil exporter, would save hundreds of millions of dirhams in subsidies if gasoline prices matched international markets, an oil official said yesterday.

The UAE’s state-run fuel retailers plan to boost gasoline prices by 11 percent this week, UAE state news agency WAM said yesterday. Gasoline in the UAE is subsidized at the pump, with the government covering losses refiners make on the sales at state-mandated prices.

Retailers aim to liberalize prices slowly, WAM said, to cut losses made through subsidies gradually.

“This will for sure reduce some of our losses which were at least in the hundreds of millions of dirhams in 2009,” the official at a state retailer said.

Fuel demand across the Gulf has risen rapidly as subsidized prices encouraged consumption from a growing population enjoying petrodollar-fuelled economic expansion.

The UAE would see demand for oil products rise 3 percent in 2010 to 304,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to Washington-based consultancy PFC Energy.

The price of 95-RON gasoline in the UAE is 1.37 dirhams ($0.373) a litre. That’s about 1.41 a gallon, compared to around 2.27 a gallon for the benchmark US gasoline futures price. Diesel in the UAE is not subsidized and costs around 2.60 UAE dirhams ($0.708) a liter. —Reuters

Saudi’s Al-Rajhi leads banks, bourse lower RIYADH: Al-Rajhi Bank, the largest listed bank in the Middle East, and small lender Bank AlJazira saw quarterly profit slip below forecasts due to provisions, depressing Saudi shares.

The two lenders are the latest banks in the top oil exporter to post lower profits after heavyweights Samba Financial Group and Banque Saudi Fransi announced lower profit on Saturday.

Earnings at most Saudi banks came under pressure in 2009 as a result of provisions against troubled family firms, and first-quarter earnings were depressed by a slowdown in lending.

“Banks are cleaning up their balance sheets through gradual

provisioning before extending new loans, and the private sector also became more risk averse, postponing projects due to high cost of financing,” said Mohammed Ishaq Ali, who manages a Saudi equity fund at Al Rajhi Capital, affiliated to the same bank. “The banks are selective and looking for quality financing with proper security and collateral after stricter risk assessment”.

Al-Rajhi said net profit fell 2.8 percent to 1.68 billion riyals ($439 million), below the average 1.75 billion riyals forecast by five analysts in a Reuters survey. It cited provisions as a reason for the fall, without disclosing either their size nor their purpose. Shares in Al-

Rajhi fell 3 percent with AlJazira easing 2.73 percent, dragging the Saudi index down 1.2 percent, its biggest fall in more than two months.

EFG-Hermes analyst Murad Ansari estimated Rajhi made provisions of 400 million riyals during the first quarter, below the 513.9 million riyals it had set aside for bad loans during the fourth quarter.

Lending income—which the Islamic bank calls net profit from financing and investment — rose 10 percent to 2.2 billion riyals. The loan portfolio was up by 6 percent at 117 billion riyals.

“We believe stronger loan growth ... is an indication of a pickup in retail banking, an area where Al-Rajhi enjoys domi-

nance,” Ansari said. Non-lending income however fell 14 percent to 629 million riyals, and operating costs were up around 14 percent in the quarter compared to last year, according to Reuters calculations.

AlJazira saw first-quarter net profit fall by 87 percent to 13 million riyals after a loss in the fourth quarter. AlJazira’s results were far below the lowest of two forecasts in a Reuters survey this month.

The decline in net profits is due to the bank’s conservative policy in taking provisions,” AlJazira said in a bourse statement, without giving further details. EFG’s Ansari put loan provision at 102 million riyals in the quarter. —Reuters

KUWAIT: Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, was awarded one of the Global Trade Review’s ‘2009 Deals of the Year’, in a ceremony in London last night. The airline received the award for its first European Export Credit Agency (ECA) term loan facility, worth $123 million in support of aircraft acquisitions.

The transaction, signed in August last year, was arranged, facilitated and financed by HSBC and is to be used to part finance an Airbus A340-600 aircraft. It was the first of four European ECA transactions signed by Etihad in the past year.

Commenting on the award, Etihad Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, James Hogan, said: “This award is testament to the success of Etihad’s innovative and broadbased approach to funding through a number of initiatives including export credit financing, commercial financing and Islamic financing structures.

“I believe we enjoy the confidence of the international and regional finance communities and are well positioned to finance our extensive fleet expansion and renewal program over the next 12 years.”

The ‘Deal of the Year’ transaction was covered by the UK’s ECA, ECGD, and then reinsured by France’s Coface and Euler Hermes in Germany. The payment schedule for the transaction is 12 years from the date of delivery by way of 48 equal quarterly instalments on an annuity / mortgage-style basis.

“Our Finance and Treasury team is widely respected in the financial markets, especially in the aviation finance markets, and this is the fourth award the Etihad treasury team has received in the past three years.”

In addition to the initial ECA deal, Etihad signed three other separate European ECA transactions over the past year including: a second ECA facility arranged by HSBC worth USD $95m in December 2009, a $111m facility arranged and financed by Landesbank BadenWuttemberg in September 2009, and a $95m agreement arranged and financed by The Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi in January this year.

The Global Trade Review awards were held at the Hilton Tower Bridge on April 15, 2010 in London. The awards recognize key banks, credit insurers, corporates, traders, law firms, brokers and consultants and are held annually.

KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait is pleased to announce the launch of their new deposit campaign “Reward yourself with ABK”, designed to incentivize customers to save, and win fabulous prizes simultaneously. A customerfocused, unique promotion, it rewards new deposits in ABK accounts across the board.

Stewart Lockie, Acting General Manager, Retail confirmed that “the promotion awards higher interest to Al Manal deposits, upfront interest to fixed deposits, and tiered interest to our Top Saver account. All you have to do is open a new account, or deposit into your existing accounts till the 30th of June and maintain a minimum requirement. This will automatically earn you points and chances to enter the draw to be the proud owner of one of the two GMC Envoys.”

ABK is already in the malls with the World Cup promotion, and this new initiative will gain a similar exposure. ABK would like to reach their valued clients, wherever they may be, and posting a booth and trained personnel in various malls is one of the best ways to reach people. Visitors to the booths have chances to play an interactive game and win gifts on the spot.

Be a winner all the way, with ABK. ABK is always trying to give its customers value added propositions, and with this new promo a way to optimize your savings and deposits.

Stewart Lockie, Acting General Manager, Retail Call Ahlan Ahli at 1899899 or visit your nearest branch to find out more.

X-Cite Electronics celebrates Syrian National Day KUWAIT: X-Cite by Alghanim Electronics celebrated Syria’s National Day at its Al-Rai showroom with a cake-cutting ceremony attended by Bassam Ali Abdul Majeed, the Ambassador of Syria, as well as key dignitaries from the Syrian community in Kuwait.

As the leading electronics retailer in Kuwait, X-Cite by Alghanim Electronics launched its “World of Xcite” program that welcomes

customers from all nationalities to its various outlets spread across Kuwait.

Bassam Ali Abdul Majeed commented on the occasion, stating, “X-Cite by Alghanim Electronics has shown great commitment and innovation in honoring the needs of its customers. We are honored to participate in this joint effort and commend the positive attitude of the team at XCite.”

X-cite by Alghanim

Electronics continues to be the one-stop shop where technology meets excitement. This celebration is one more step in that direction in that it brings its customer closer to X-cite. The tremendous response from its customers is a clear validation of the efforts by X-cite to provide the best products, prices, and top-notch customer service for electronics and home appliances in Kuwait.

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

.2830000 .4390000 .385000 .2680000 .2810000 .2630000 .0045000 .0020000 .0779370 .7593140 .4020000 .0750000 .7443750 .0045000 .0500000 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2871000 .4409510 .3875130 .2704370 .2835670 .0520700 .0399130 .2653940 .0369890 .2086940 .0031140 .0065240 .0025290 .0034480 .0042060 .0782050 .7619240 .4060380 .0765990 .7460880 .0065090 TRANSFER CHEQUES RATES .2892000 .4440650 .2723520 .0770870

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co. Japanese Yen Indian Rupees

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.119 6.467

.2930000 .4470000 .3930000 .2770000 .2900000 .2700000 .0075000 .0035000 .0787200 .7669460 .4170000 .0790000 .7518560 .0072000 .0580000 .2892000 .4440650 .3902500 .2723520 .2855750 .0524390 .0401960 .2672690 .0372510 .2101720 .0031360 .0065710 .0025470 .0034730 .0042360 .0787040 .7667830 .4089140 .0770870 .7508450 .0065560

Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

3.435 2.527 4.044 207.300 37.142 4.159 6.429 8.915 0.301 0.292 GCC COUNTRIES Saudi Riyal 76.880 Qatari Riyal 79.210 Omani Riyal 748.930 Bahraini Dinar 765.640 UAE Dirham 78.513 ARAB COUNTRIES Egyptian Pound - Cash 55.000 Egyptian Pound 52.280 Yemen Riyal 1.284 Tunisian Dinar 208.430 Jordanian Dinar 407.100 Lebanese Lira 193.400 Syrian Lier 6.309 Morocco Dirham 35.574 EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 288.150 Euro 393.040 Sterling Pound 446.040 Canadian dollar 288.440 Turkish lire 193.810 Swiss Franc 273.800 Australian dollar 265.700 US Dollar Buying 286.250 GOLD 20 Gram 225.000 10 Gram 115.000 5 Gram 60.000

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound

SELL CASH 270.300 766.790 4.420 268.700 565.200 15.800 53.500 167.800 54.280

SELL DRAFT 268.800 766.790 4.160 287.200

211.400 52.300

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

393.500 37.860 6.810 0.035 0.293 0.258 3.230 409.310 0.195 92.220 47.000 4.250 208.700 2.185 50.100 749.000 3.500 6.660 79.750 76.990 211.420 41.600 2.733 448.200 41.200 276.000 6.400 9.280 217.900 78.680 288.700 1.380 GOLD 1,244.410 TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 446.200 288.300

392.000 37.710 6.495

407.570 0.194 92.220 4.080 207.200 748.820 3.450 6.495 79.320 76.990 211.420 41.600 2.530 448.200 274.500 9.130 78.580 288.300

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Selling Rate 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

288.250 315.878 446.448 394.373 271.155 706.514 762.958 78.458 79.153 76.835 406.756 52.321 6.513 3.438

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

2.526 4.168 6.485 3.125 8.918 6.288 4.038

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

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

288.450 3.445 6.495 2.540 4.165 6.520 78.595 77.090 766.400 52.275 449.000 0.000032300 4.100 1.550 408.500 5.750 395.200 292.100

Al Mulla Exchange Currency

Transfer rate

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

288.100 391.500 446.000 287.000 3.145 6.477 52.250 2.523 4.162 6.466 3.430 766.500 78.350 76.750

BUSINESS

Monday, April 19, 2010

23

NBK MONEY MARKETS REPORT

Greek bailout fails to boost euro; pound firm KUWAIT: The announcement of the EU/IMF aid plan for Greece provided support for the euro during the early trading hours of the week. The euro subsequently was unable to hold its gain as renewed fears related to the implementation of the plan weighed on the euro and Greek bonds prices. After reaching a week high of 1.3692 on Monday, the euro weakened to a low of 1.3473 on Friday before closing the week at 1.3503. The sterling pound was relatively supported by unwinds of EURGBP short positions and was able to reach a week high of 1.5524 before edging down and closing at 1.5463 on Friday, recording a flat performance for the week. Finally, the Japanese currency traded around its Monday opening level of 93.18 throughout the week before strengthening on Friday and closing at 92.17.

Foreclosure filings in the US rose 16% in the first quarter compared to the previous year as bank seizures against delinquent homeowners rose. On the other hand, housing starts climbed to an annual rate of 626,000 in March, up 1.6% from February’s revised 616,000.

Additionally, building permits, a sign of future construction, rose to 685,000, its highest since October 2008.

Trade balance deficit The trade gap in the US widened by 7.4% to $39.7bn from a revised $37 bn in the prior month. The widening was mostly due to a rise in imports of consumer goods, illustrating the rebound in economic growth; purchases of foreignmade goods such as televisions, computers, toys and pharmaceuticals climbed to $182.9 billion.

Inflation subdued The consumer price index rose in March by 0.1%( MOM) and 2.3% (YOY) indicating a tame inflation is accompanying the economic recovery. The core inflation, which excludes the volatile prices of energy and food, held steady at 0% (MOM) and 1.1% (YOY) in line with market expectations.

Separately, the prices of goods imported into the US as measured by the Labor Department rose less than anticipated, indicating few signs of building inflation pressures from abroad.

The import price index came at 0.7% after a revised -0.2% drop

in February.

The Federal Reserve mentioned in its Beige Book that the “overall economic activity increased somewhat since the last report across all Federal Reserve Districts except St. Louis”. The statement signals that the recovery is broadening without gaining much speed.

The next FOMC meeting will be held on the 28th of April.

Retail sales increased by 1.6% last month, the largest gain in 4 months as more Americans hit shopping malls

and auto showrooms in March.

In parallel, retail sales excluding autos also rose 0.6%, versus expectation of a hike by 0.5%. Separately, the US consumer sentiment measured by the University of Michigan Survey took a surprise negative turn in April due a persistently grim outlook on income and jobs. The index slipped to 69.5 in early April, the lowest level in 5 months. This figure was below the 73.6 reading seen in March and the 75.0 median forecasted by analysts.

Consumer spending fuels about 70% of the US economy.

European governments offered Greece a rescue package in an effort to stem its fiscal crisis and restore confidence in the Euro. The plan includes €30 bn in three-year loans at around 5%, less than the current Greek bonds yield.

Another €15 bn would come from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The plan gave a boost for the Euro at the start of the week, but failed to sustain the positive

mood as markets went back to their cautious stance on the Greek crisis. Later during the week, Greece sold €1.56 of bills attracting bids for more than 6 times of the offered securities. Greece needs to raise €11.6 bn by the end of May, pushing Prime Minister George Papandreou to ask the EU and IMF to meet in Athens to discuss the implementation of the rescue plan.

Higher consumer prices Inflation in the 16-member euro region rose by 1.4% in March from a year earlier, and 0.9% on a monthly basis. Core inflation came at 1% on a yearon-year basis, slightly above the previous month’s figure and the market forecasts. This relatively stable inflation provides room for the European Central Bank to keep interest rates at the current level of 1% as previously hinted by Trichet.

The euro region shifted from a trade deficit of €9 billion in January to a surplus of €2.6 billion ($3.5 bn) in February. Euro-area exports to the US, the region’s secondbiggest trading partner, fell 1% in January compared to a year

ago. Shipments to the UK increased 4% while exports to China surged 45%.

The UK consumer confidence index published by the Nationwide Building Society dropped by 9 points from February to 72, erasing earlier gains in confidence. The drop is the sharpest since July 2008 as the election due within weeks fueled Britons’ doubts about the economy. Polls indicated that neither the Labor Party nor the opposition Conservatives will win enough seats to control Parliament on the May 6th election.

Japan Japan’s producer prices fell by -1.3% in March on a yearon-year basis versus a drop of 1.5% in February and a -1.1% economists’ expectation. On a month-on-month basis, prices were up by 0.2%. Deflation in Japan remains a major recovery hurdle as the latest figure showed a drop of -1.1% in consumer prices on an annual basis.

Gross Domestic product (GDP) in China rose 11.9% from a year earlier, slightly above the market consensus of a rise of 11.6%. This growth

represents the fastest pace for the first quarter in almost 3 years, highlighting overheating risks. A separate report showed that residential and commercial real-estate prices in 70 Chinese cities climbed by 11.7% on year-on-year basis, supporting the asset bubble’s fears. Other regional countries such as India, Australia and Singapore have already started to wind back the stimulus policies adopted during the crisis.

BRIC summit The leaders of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC countries) pledged to resist protectionism and promote steps that will allow trading in local currencies. The leaders during this summit in Brasilia did not discuss the value of the Yuan, and said it was important to maintain the stability of the world’s reserve currencies and major economies’ fiscal policies. Last, the statement cited that the world economy has improved since their last meeting in June 2009 though the recovery “is not yet solid”.

Kuwait Dinar at 0.28765 The USDKWD opened at 0.28765 yesterday morning.

Gas powers to meet in Algerian city of Oran

Oil price rise not due to tight supply: Qatar 76 Lubricants & Kendall Motor Oils from ConocoPhillips and Idemitsu Lubricants from Idemitsu Kosan, Japan are displayed after the launch.

KUWAIT: Dr Talal Al-Garabally, along with other officials, addresses the gathering during the launch ceremony.

Mahmoud Al-Gharabally Trading launches most advanced lubricants KUWAIT: A three-year-old lubricants division arm of Mahmoud Al-Gharabally Trading Co, established in 1973, launched the most advanced lubricants from 76 Lubricants & Kendall Motor Oils from ConocoPhillips and Idemitsu Lubricants from Idemitsu Kosan, Japan. The launch was held at a gala launch ceremony at Crowne Plaza which was attended by esteemed personalities from ministry, top companies, Jamaiyas, auto spare-parts and lubricants dealers, press, etc.

The product launch ceremony was inaugurated by the CEO of the company Dr. Talal Al-Gharabally who in his speech welcomed all the dignitaries, guests and the media, and stated how proud he was of creating a history in Kuwait by launching the world’s most advanced lubricants...76 Lubricants and Kendall Motor Oil from ConocoPhillips Co USA. In his speech he gave a brief details about ConocoPhillips co and its brands, stating how ConocoPhillips as a company was established in United States of America way back in 1875, and its Kendall brand starting in 1881 and 76 brand coming in 1890, a standing testimony that the company and its brand has a storied heritage of many generations.

The ConocoPhillips Co has since grown to be the seventh largest corporation in the world having a turnover of around $230 billion worldwide assets worth $130 billion and stands as one of the six major vertically integrated energy giants in the world , Other brand launched was Idemitsu lubricants from Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd Japan.

This company he explained is

also a fortune 500 company established way back in 1911 in Japan. It’s a petrochemical giant having a turnover of around $32 billion and assets worth $26 billion. He further informed that Idemitsu commands an astonishing 40% market share in Japan and is used as factory fill oil of almost all the major Japanese car and equipment manufacturers like Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Suzuki etc.

Later, Fakhruddin T A, the division manager of Lubricants addressed the gathering and outlined the company’s plans by explaining how the lubricants division was started in 2007. Despite the stiff competition from larger MNCs represented by their twothree decade old ‘big’ merchant families of Kuwait, it was able to garner 6 % market share and hope to get a ‘20%’ market share of lubricants in Kuwait within a span of a year or two with the launch of this products from the ConocoPhillips Co USA and Idemitsu Kosan Co Ltd Japan.

He further outlined the details about the product saying, the products launched from ConocoPhillips Co were the most advanced engine oil on the planet, which provides for better performance than any other oil available in Kuwait.

All the products have the most superior API specification than any other MNC brands in Kuwait, eg for gasoline engine oils API specification of ‘sm’ is being offered as standard in both mineral and synthetic based oil’s and for diesel engine oil segment, API specifications of CI-4+ and the newest specification of API CJ-4, in both mineral and synthetic are being offered for the first time ever in Kuwait.

All the products have an exclusive revolutionary benchmark setting product for the first time ever in lubricants industry .. The ‘liquid titanium’ technology which has been patented by ConocoPhillips Co. This technology was extensively field tested for 6 years and astonishing results were observed. The product provides exceptional reduction in wear and tear of engine parts resulting in lesser overhaul expenses, economises and increases savings with extended drainage interval, lowers fuel consumptions, lowers pollutions hence protecting environment, helps protect engines in hotter climatic conditions.

All the products are manufactured from virgin base stocks produced by ConocoPhillips in-house. All the products are manufactured in ISO certified plants in United States of America and are sourced straight from the Savannah Plant in Georgia USA. All the products have approvals from major OEM Manufacturers and meet the warranty claims. To secure the business interest of customers, ConocoPhillips extends a limited warranty on all its products against any damage of equipment.

The products are available in convenient packings of quarts bottle, 1 gallon cans and 55 gallons drum.

All the products from ConocoPhillips, Idemitsu or Sharlu meet all the criteria and specification guidelines laid down by the Public Authority for Industries and are tested, registered and certified by the standardizing agency allotted by the Kuwait Ministry.

ORAN, Algeria: The recent rise in oil prices was not caused by a shortage of supply, Qatar’s Energy Minister Abdullah Al-Attiyah said yesterday.

Crude prices hit an 18month high of $87.09 a barrel on April 6, although they have since slipped to just under $83. “The oil price is not related at all to there being a shortage,” Attiyah told reporters ahead of a meeting of gas powers in the Algerian city of Oran.

“Inventory is very comfortable and even the highest in history.

Investor expectation that a global recovery would lift oil consumption has led prices to almost triple from a low near $32 in December 2008, even though there have been few signs yet of higher demand materializing.

Fellow OPEC member Algeria on Saturday said perception of recovery was driving the price, rather than any shortage in supply. That gave OPEC little scope for action to dent the price, Algeria’s Energy Minister Chakib Khelil said.

Asked if there was a need for an OPEC to call a meeting before its next scheduled gathering in October, Attiyah replied “No... For what? Could you convince me there is a shortage of supply?”

At a meeting in Vienna last month, OPEC ministers agreed to leave output targets unchanged, continuing with a supply policy agreed at an OPEC meeting in Algeria in December 2008.

Qatar is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. Attiyah was in Oran for a meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

The 11-members of the GECF account for about 70 percent of the world’s gas reserves and are looking for ways to reverse a slump in gas prices. Gas producers would examine a proposal by Algeria to cut spot gas sales to the market, Attiyah said.

Khelil has said he planned to use the gas meeting to ask ministers to study a proposal to make coordinated cuts in supply to the spot market.

The group has never before coordinated supply, and doing so would alarm consuming countries dependent on GECF members for supplies. So far, no other member state has backed the proposal. —Reuters

ORAN: Algerian Energy and Mines Minister Chakib Khelil (left), Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko (second left) and Qatari Minister of Energy and Industry Abdulla Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah drink tea as they visit an exhibition on Liquefied Natural Gaz at the convention centre of Oran yesterday. —AFP

Oman Air reviews status on operations to Europe The Oman Air senior management team met again yesterday and reviewed the situation regarding the ash cloud covering parts of Europe and its impact on airport closures and flight cancellations.

The closure of airspace and the European destinations Oman Air services continues to be in force. As previously announced, the smoke and ash the volcano is sending pose a significant

safety threat to aircraft.

An official Oman Air’s spokesperson said this morning, “The situation that prevailed over the past two days has not changed.

We are in touch with our stranded passengers and are keeping them updated on the status of flights and airports. The situation is being closely monitored on a continuous basis. The team will meet again tomorrow morning to

assess developments, if any,” the spokesperson added.

All passengers are advised to check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport. Oman Air will endeavor to keep you informed as the situation evolves. Further information on: Oman: +968 2453 1111; UK: 08444 822309; France: +33 (0)1 47 64 21 50; Germany: +49 69 58300710.

Capital gain boosts Savola’s net profit RIYADH: Saudi-based Savola Group yesterday beat average analyst forecasts by doubling net profit during the first quarter, helped by non-recurring capital gains.

Savola also said one of its former chief executives and the current head of its edible oil firm Afia, Abdul-Raouf Manaa, would take over as new chief executive when Sami Baroum steps down by the end of June. The firm, whose products include edible oil, sugar and plastics, said it made a net profit of 394 million riyals ($105.1 million) in the three months ending March, compared to 193 million riyals in the same period a year earlier. —Reuters

Gulf Bank’s Al-Danah Account continues to offer more draws for its customers KUWAIT: Gulf Bank continues to offer more draws for its customers with AlDanah. The last date to deposit for the second quarter draw of KD250,000 is April 29. Customers are encouraged to increase their deposits to enhance their chances of winning.

The Bank will also hold its first quarter draw prize of KD125,000 on April 29.

In addition, Gulf Bank’s new Al-Danah offers weekly draws of KD1,000 each to

ten winners. Quarterly draw winners are eligible to win KD250,000 in the second quarter draw, KD500,000 during the third quarter draw, and finally KD1 Million during the fourth quarter.

There are various ways of depositing money for ease of convenience.

Customers can deposit their money using the ATM, online banking, Telebanking, event stands in a number of malls (Avenues, Marina and Al-Kout

Mall) or by visiting any of the Bank’s 51 branches. Customers can also make free standing orders from other Gulf Bank accounts into Al Danah, by using the Bank’s online and Telebanking solutions or call the Telebanking service 1805805 for assistance and guidance. They can also log on to www.e-gulfbank.com, Gulf Bank’s bilingual website, to find all the information regarding Al-Danah or any of the Bank’s products and services.

24

BUSINESS GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

KSE ekes out marginal gains

Markets fall on Dubai world fears, global cues MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended the first trading session of the week on a slightly positive note with marginal gains witnessed in both the KSE Price Index and Global General Index (GGI).

GGI added 0.67 points (+0.33 percent) during yesterday’s session to reach 208.01 points. In addition, the KSE Price Index increased by a marginal 0.1 points yesterday and closed at 7,384.60 points.

Market capitalization was up KD111.29mn yesterday to reach KD34.34bn.

Market breadth During the session, 125 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 49 equities retreated versus 39 that advanced. A total of 123 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday’s trading session. Trading activities ended on a mixed note yesterday as volume of shares traded on the exchange decreased by 16.18 percent to reach 243.26mn shares.

However, value of shares traded gained by 18.98 percent to stand at KD71.78mn. The Investment Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 33.93 percent of total traded volume. The Banking Sector was the value leader, accounting for 32.95 percent of total market value. Al-Safwa Holding Group was the volume leader yesterday, with a total traded volume of 19.40mn.

Kuwait Finance House was the value leader with a total value of KD16.91mn.

In terms of top gainers, AlQurain Holding Company took the top spot for the day, adding 9.26 percent and closed at KD0.029. On the other hand, Mubarrad Transport Company

Monday, April 19, 2010

shed 8.62 percent and closed at KD0.106, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Sectors Regarding Global’s sectoral indices, they ended the day on a mixed Global Food Index being the top gainer yesterday.

The index ended the day up 2.04 percent backed by heavyweight Kuwait Foodstuff Company (Americana), the only gainer in the sector. The scrip ended the day up 2.74 percent and closed at KD1.500.

Global Services Index posted a 1.15 percent increase,

making it the second biggest gainer in the market. The index’s gain was caused by heavyweight Zain which ended the day with a 3.13 percent gain to close at KD1.320. Further contributing to the index’s gain but to a lesser extent was National Petroleum Services Company. The scrip ended the day up 1.82 percent and closed at KD0.280. In terms of decliners, Global Non-Kuwaiti Index took the top spot with a 1.38 percent drop. Egypt Kuwait Holding Company and Ahli United Bank, the only decliners in the sector, ended the day

down 4.41 percent and 2.70 percent, respectively.

Regarding Global’s special indices, they ended on a mixed note with Global Large Cap Index being the top gainer. The index posted a 1.04 percent gain backed by Zain. While Global Islamic Index was the top decliner, down 0.90 percent backed by Kuwait Finance House ending the day down 1.82 percent.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $83.28 a barrel on Thursday, compared

with $82.63 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

Market news National Bank of Kuwait, the country’s largest lender, said first quarter net profit rose 20 percent to reach $264mn, from $220mn a year earlier beating analysts’ forecasts.

NBK Group’s total assets rose by 5.9 percent to $44.1bn at the end of March, the bank said in an e-mailed statement.

Earnings per share for the period were 24 fils, up from 20 fills a year earlier.

DUBAI: Middle East markets fell yesterday as a sell-off in global stock markets and rising concerns over differences between Dubai World and creditors dampened sentiment.

Dubai’s index fell 2.3 percent, in its largest single-day percentage fall for more than two weeks, while Egypt’s index dropped 2.1 percent, the most in a month.

World stock markets dropped on Friday after US regulators charged Goldman Sachs Group Inc with fraud, also hurting oil prices, which fell by $2. Debt-laden Dubai World offered creditors a 1 percent interest rate on two new tranches of debt as part of its restructuring plan, but they rejected it as too low, two sources close to the discussions told Reuters on Thursday.

“The markets have had a bad time. We were rattled by the 1 percent offer to creditors, while the Goldman news had ramifications on global markets and oil prices,” said Keith Edwards, head of asset management at Doha-based investment company First Investor.

Saudi Arabia’s benchmark fell for the second straight session, falling 0.6 percent as investors sold banking stocks following disappointing

results.

Al-Rajhi Bank, the largest listed bank in the Middle East, ended 2.7 percent lower after saying first-quarter profit fell 2.8 percent, below analysts’ forecasts. “Investors held their positions in anticipation of a results driven rally but are now exercising tight protective stops in order to lock in their gains,” said Mohammed Ishaq Ali, a fund manager at Al Rajhi Capital.

In Egypt, index heavyweight Orascom Telecom fell 5.3 percent and Pioneers Holding slumped 5.6 percent as investors booked profit following last week’s rally.

“Egypt’s has been the best performing market in the region and the market is up almost 20 percent to date” from the beginning of the year, said Mohamed Radwan of Pharos Securities.

“So it is justified to see a selloff and to see the market go down,” he adds.

The Abu Dhabi index dropped 1 percent to 2,828 points. Aldar Properties dropped 4.8 percent and Sorouh Real Estate fell 2.9 percent.

Qatar’s index dropped 1 percent to 7,553 points weighed down by banking stocks. Qatar Commercial Bank fell 2.2 percent. In Kuwait, logistics firms came under pressure after

Dubai-based Anham LLC won contract to supply to US military, replacing Agility which has been indicted for overcharging.

Agility fell 3.5 percent, while the index ended flat helped by a rally in telecom operator Zain, which rose 3.1 percent.

HIGHLIGHTS SAUDI ARABIA The measure fell 0.6 percent to 6,844 points DUBAI The index fell 2.3 percent to 1,776 points.

KUWAIT The measure ended flat 7,385 points.

QATAR The index dropped 1 percent to 7,553 points.

ABU DHABI The measure fell 1 percent to 2,828 points.

EGYPT The measure fell 2.1 percent to 7,417 points.

OMAN The index dropped 0.4 percent to 6,905 points.

BAHRAIN The index fell 0.3 percent to 1,555 points. — Reuters

Egypt’s Palm Hills expects Q1 2010 to beat Q1 2009 ABU DHABI: Egyptian real estate developer Palm Hills Developments expects to report stronger results for the first quarter of 2010 than one year ago, the company’s chief portfolio officer said yesterday. “I think definitly, yes, the results will be better on deliveries, sales and very strong brand equity,” Khaled Sedky told Reuters on the sidelines of a property conference.

Egypt’s real estate sector, while not immune to

the financial crisis, has fared relatively well compared with other regional economies, thanks to strong local demand and its insulation from international credit markets.

Palm Hills, which builds mostly in Egypt’s luxury segment, has said it is trying to build cheaper homes, expand into hotel and retail property ownership and accelerate construction to take advantage of cheaper building materials. — Reuters

BUSINESS

Monday, April 19, 2010

25

KAMCO Research: Monthly Oil & Money Market

Kuwait’s money supply reaches KD 25.6bn Residents’ deposit grew by 1.65% in Feb ● OPEC price remains stable KUWAIT: Despite the drop seen in Dec-09, the current month reassured the overall upward trend of last year as Kuwait’s broad measure of money supply (M2) recorded an increase of KD 511 million compared to last month to stand at KD 25.6 billion at the end of February 2010. The increase in M2 during the current month was mainly on the back of the significant increase in Quasi money of KD 355 million or 1.8%, while KD sight deposits also increased by KD 125 million to stand at KD 4.3 billion at the end of the month.

Since December 2009, M2 saw an increase by 3% or KD 749.3 million fuelled primarily by the 10% growth in KD sight deposits, equivalent to an increase of KD 397.2 million. This increase was mainly as a result of the risk aversion preference by investors who remain cautious about investing in stocks due to the invisibility of corporate earnings and cash dividends along with the lack of viable long-term investment opportunities and to avoid any further losses driven by the unsteadiness in the local and regional stock markets. Since the intensification of the financial crisis in September-08, M2 surged 19.8% or KD 4.23 billion, out of which KD 1.33 billion was added during the last four months of 2008. The growth in money supply was not associated with growth in credit due to tight credit markets and the elevation in the risk of default by corporates along with the highly indebted firms which pushed banks to change their lending policy and become stricter in extending loans to the key economic sectors in the country the key economic sectors in the country.

Deposits with local banks Following last month’s upward trend, total residents’ deposits grew by KD 466 million, or 1.65% to stand at KD 28.6 billion at the end of Feb-2010.

The increase is attributable to the rise among private sector sight, saving, and time deposits of KWD 517 million.

During Q4-08 and FY-2009 total deposits grew by KD 1.9 billion and KD 3.3 billion respectively over investors’ fears of another severe correction in the Kuwait Stock Exchange. However, deposit figures for the first 2 months of the current year give a positive signals about an improvement in investors’ sentiments despite a lack of viable investment opportunities in the local stock market coupled with the general risk-aversion and capital preservation preference that has been prevalent in the market as equity markets have witnessed increased levels of risk since the fallout of the financial turmoil.

Private sector deposits, which represent a significant portion of local Banks’ deposit base, with a percentage contribution of 86.7%, witnessed a significant increase of KD 481 million to record KD 24.84 billion at the end of Feb-10. Moreover, private sector deposits denominated in Kuwaiti Dinar compromised the majority of private sector deposits as its accounted for 77.4% or KD 22.16 billion, whereas private sector deposits in foreign currencies constituted the remaining 9.4% or KD 2.68 billion. In comparison to February 2009, private sector deposits have grown 6.7% or around KD 1.56 billion fuelled by the KD 1 billion increase in Time deposits over the same period as the volatile performance of the local and regional stock markets has shifted investors’ preference to

Trend in Money Supply since Feb-09

low-risk return assets rather that risky financial instruments, which in turn have led to a flow back of money into the banking system, hence strengthening the deposit base of local banks.

Following along, government deposits continued the downward trend for the fourth consecutive month to decline by 0.40% equivalent to KD 15 million to stand at KD 3.79 billion at the end of February, hence contributing 13.3% to total banks’ deposits.

For the Full Year 2009, Government deposits grew by 12.71% or KD 449 million down from an increase of KD 1.31 billion during Q4-08 as the banking system showed resilience to the financial turmoil with a solid deposit base and acceptable level of assets quality, while the government intervention maintained confidence in local banks and improved their liquidity. The growth in Government deposits witnessed during the year 2009 came on the back of the government agencies attempts to boost the economy and improve the tight liquidity conditions prevailed in the local financial system, amid the critical financial circumstances, through available monetary tools and fund injections into the banking system to compensate for the withdrawal of funds by foreign depositors and to enhance the liquidity in the market. However, these actions failed to stimulate credit growth over 2009 (credit grew at 6% during 2009) as local banks remained reluctant in extending additional credit to the various economic sectors, namely financial, trade and manufacturing, triggered by the slump in the local stock market and the depreciation in the value of financial assets that have been held as collateral for most corporate loans coupled with the slowdown in the Country’s real economic sectors.

Credit facilities extended by banks Credit facilities extended by local banks to residents witnessed a moderate increase of KD 37.6 million compared to Jan-10 to record at the end of the month around KD 25.15 billion. On a yearly basis, credit facilities witnessed a slight upward movement in 2009, with a growth of 6%, much lower than the 17% growth recorded during 2008. The marginal growth rate in credit facilities during the first two months of this year (around KD 40 million) is mainly due to the liquidity squeeze in the market, tight credit conditions, rise

of default risk by highly indebted local firms along with the deterioration in the prices of financial assets which together pushed banks to implement a conservative and strict lending policies in extending additional facilities particularly with the lack of viable investment opportunities in the real economic sectors and the slowdown in the property market accompanied by the high fluctuations in stock prices and instability in the Kuwait Stock Exchange.

09 compared to 5.7% and 2.9% at the end of 2008 and 2007 respectively).

Loans to Real Estate sector, the second major component of credit facilities, dropped by around KD 52.1 million, to reach KD 6.57 billion, accounting for around 26% of banks’ loan portfolio. Kuwaiti banks’ exposure to the real estate & construction sector is believed to be one of the highest levels in the Gulf region, representing around 33% of local banks’ loan portfolio. The

5.5% in loans to non-bank financial institutions due to the negotiations and debt restructuring for some insolvent and financially troubled companies along with new credit extended to few financial institutions that were able to weather the financial crisis and maintain a solid financial position amid some easing in the credit market.

Interest rates No further cut in CBK discount rate was seen following the 50 basis

Credit’s key component, personal facilities continued its downward movement, yet at a slower pace, to drop by 0.5% or KD 41.2 million to record KD 8.34 billion at the end of February.

Credit facilities for the purchase of securities represented around 33.4% of personal facilities and recorded around KD 2.78 billion, down by KD 17 million compared to last month. Such an exposure to the stock market exposes banks to the risk of rising doubtful debts and thereby loan loss provisions will elevate and adversely impact the profitability of the banking sector. That was evident in the massive provisions and impairments of investments booked by Kuwait banks during 2008 and 2009 which amounted to KWD 883 million and KWD 746 million respectively on the back of surge in Non-performing loans which reached an unprecedented level at KD 3 billion (NPL to Gross loans ratio elevated to 9.7% as of Dec-

extensive lending secured against assets namely real estate or properties, as opposed to cash flow, suggests any significant fluctuation and downturn in property and land prices constitutes a major threat to the quality of secured lending extended by banks.

Loans extended to Non-bank financial institutions increased this month by 0.5% or KD 14.7 million, to reach KD 2.88 billion. During 2009, credit to NonBank financial institutions recorded a marginal growth of 1.21% compared to a significant growth of 18.8% or around KD 453 million during 2008. The first half of 2009 saw a decline of KD 117 million, or 4.1% on the back of the high risk in the market and the strict lending policies following the insolvency issues faced by some major players in the financial services and investment sector triggered by the global financial turmoil; however, the second half of the year saw an increase KD 152 million, or

point slash during February 2010 to 2.5%. The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) continuous efforts to strengthen the foundations of growth in the domestic economy in the face of the challenges of the global financial and economic crisis, helps establishing an appropriate atmosphere to reinforce growth in non-oil sectors in the national economy by reducing the cost of credit and thus enhance the stimulus effect of the CBK monetary policy in the current stage.

During the month of March, the CBK continued its policy of helping banks, who have excess liquidity, to find short-term investment opportunities that could contribute in compensating for the slowdown in credit growth. As a result, the CBK announced the issuance of 3 tranches of one-year Treasury Bonds during the month for a total value of KD 400 million with all carrying a coupon of

Debt crisis a shocking wake-up call for Greeks ATHENS: The debt crisis rocking their country has brought Greeks to the startling realization that life could irreversibly change as their government ponders seeking outside help with its loans. Less than a decade ago, Greeks joined a newly-minted, powerful single European currency that promised prosperity and affordable European Union imports that previously carried a high cost in Greek drachmas.

Times were good, for a while. Though the cost of an average basket of goods did not decline as hoped, cheap money gave rise to a generation of Greek customers accustomed to buying everything on credit, from cars and homes to summer holidays.

But easy living frequently came at the expense of a state that had to sustain a growing army of civil servants appointed by vote-hungry politicians and was chronically short of tax and social payments. Fast forward to this week, when the Greek government set the stage for a possible bailout by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund after being forced to borrow money on world markets at stubbornly high and potentially untenable interest rates.

“We are making all the preparatory moves” required for a possible request, Prime Minister George Papandreou told lawmakers in Athens, referring to fallback loans running into the tens of billions of euros.

With the global financial crisis casting a pitiless spotlight on sovereign debt, Greece has found itself at the mercy of international markets as it struggles to reduce a debt of nearly 300 billion euros ($407 billion).

Many Greeks say the gravity of the crisis is an overdue wake-up call for the country, which has lived beyond its means for years. “Sooner or later the government will have to adopt measures which seem like science fiction today in the Greek political world. It ought to start preparing public opinion and its own cadres,” liberal Kathimerini daily said on Friday.

“The time for gabble has passed, the time of painful reality is coming,” it said.

For a few, the government’s plight has even elicited sympathy.

“I’ve been skimping on my taxes for years but I won’t this time round. Given the situation, I just can’t

1.25% p.a. Treasury Bonds issued by the CBK, which exceeded KD 2 billion since Jan-09, have been formulated to absorb excess liquidity with local banks and to create investment opportunities for risk-averse banks that are still reluctant to extend additional credit to local corporates.

Oil market Oil prices have continued to be influenced by financial market developments, especially equities and currency fluctuations, although the link with the US dollar has somewhat weakened recently due to internal euro-zone problems. OPEC Reference Basket showed a steadiness in prices, fluctuating at a narrower range during March, as the Basket gained momentum during the month, moving to a high of $78.7/b on the back of the gradual restoration in economic growth. On a monthly basis, the OPEC Basket surged by around 5.9% to average around $77.21/b in March 2010 compared to an average of $72.90/b in February-10. However, the average price for Q1-10 reached $75.42/b, while the average price for 2009 was at $61/b compared to an average of $94.45/b for 2008. The Reference Basket saw steadiness in price throughout the month and closed the month at $78.70/b. On the other hand, the Kuwait Blend Spot Price FOB averaged $79/b and closed the month at $81.56/b, the highest level since mid September-08, up from $77.46/b recorded at the end of February.

World oil demand is expected to grow by 0.9 mb/d in 2010, following a contraction of 1.4 mb/d in the previous year, and to average 85.1 mb/d. Oil demand has been highly dependent upon the pace of the global economic recovery. OECD demand is still expected to remain at negative growth around 0.15 mb/d, while non-OECD demand is projected to grow by 1.0 mb/d, driven by China and the Middle East region.

Non-OPEC supply in 2010 is expected to increase by 0.41 mb/d over the previous year to average 51.43 mb/d, representing an upward revision of 0.15 mb/d from the previous month.

Total non-OPEC supply growth remained relatively steady compared to a month earlier, while the historical revisions as well as the estimated processing gains were responsible for the upward change. On a quarterly basis,

non-OPEC supply is expected to average 51.47 mb/d, 51.29 mb/d, 51.21 mb/d and 51.74 respectively. OPEC total crude oil production averaged 29.36 mb/d in February, representing an increase of 192 tb/d from the previous month’s estimate. Production from Iraq, Angola, and Venezuela indicated the highest increase in February, while production from Nigeria experienced the biggest decline. OPEC crude production, excluding Iraq, stood at 26.81 mb/d, an increase of 113 tb/d over the previous month.

Established in 1998 with the mission to significantly alter the local and regional investment landscape, KAMCO is a premier investment company based in Kuwait. A subsidiary of United Gulf Bank (UGB) - the investment banking subsidiary of Kuwait Projects (Holding) Company (KIPCO) KAMCO was listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) in 2003.

After eleven years of conducting business in Kuwait’s dynamic investment industry, KAMCO has successfully established a robust reputation for solidity, characterized by its prudent, conservative investment philosophy which has consistently commanded the goodwill of a wide patron-base.

KAMCO’s Asset Management Division specializes in customized portfolio management, forward trading, access to IPOs, and local and international fund management. The Investment Advisory and Investment Research Division tracks the latest directions and trends across regional and local economies as well as equity markets and offers a range of customized services that focus on maximizing returns, mitigating risks, and maintaining capital appreciation for individual and institutional clients. The Company’s Financial Services and Investment Division offers a full range of advisory services on mergers and acquisitions, underwriting, private placements, debt issuance and restructuring, and private equity management.

In 2010, the Company will further aggressively build upon its core competencies to offer MENA-wide investment management consultancy and services, backed by its proven trackrecord in stringent risk mitigation, investment product innovation, and a cautious investment approach towards local, regional and international capital markets.

Wholesale price inflation riding at 17-month high of 9.90%

India to hike rates again to tame inflation: Report MUMBAI: India’s central bank is set to hike interest rates this week for a second time in just under a month in an attempt to check near double-digit inflation, analysts say. Annual wholesale price inflation, the main cost-of-living measure, is riding at a 17-month high of 9.90 percent, exceeding the Reserve Bank of India’s forecast of 8.5 percent, well above its preferred 5.5 percent pace of increase. India’s central bank “is virtually certain to tighten again” at its policy meeting next Tuesday, said Kevin Grice, economist at Capital Economics.

ATHENS: A man passes by an exchange rates board outside a bank in central Athens on Friday. The euro extended recent losses against the dollar Friday on intensifying worries over Greece’s debt problems as the set the stage for a request for emergency loans, analysts said. —AFP bring myself to,” says Yiannis, a 70-year-old works contractor who declined to give his last name. Analysts note that a growing segment of Greek society has come to understand that major sacrifices will be needed to set the economy on the right track.

“A large section of the Greek public has accepted measures and policies that would have appeared inconceivable a while back,” Thomas Gerakis, head of polling company Marc, said.

The government has already muscled through sweeping cuts in civil servant pay and benefits, and next plans to overhaul the country’s cash-strapped pensions systems after announcing increases in the average retirement age. This week it passed in parliament a new tax law outlawing major business cash transactions in a bid to stamp out endemic tax evasion.

The law also boosts taxation on the real estate and property income of the powerful Orthodox Church of Greece, which has long resisted state levies.

The austerity cuts have sparked a series of strikes and unions intend to keep up the pressure. —AFP

Economists fear inflation in Asia’s third-largest economy could accelerate as demand for cars, appliances and manufactured goods rebounds with economic growth gaining pace, shaking off the effects of the global slump.

Indian inflation has been rising in past months due to spiralling food costs after farm output was hit by the country’s worst monsoon in nearly four decades last year.

But now food inflation is spilling over into the general economy as activity accelerates, pushing the central bank to act, analysts say.

Economists expect the Reserve Bank to raise two key short-term interest rates by 25 basis points at its policy meeting on Tuesday. The interest rate cycle is turning in Asia as the region’s economies recover from the deep global recession. A tightening of liquidity through raising cash reserves which commercial banks must set aside is also not ruled out, but this may not happen immediately, analysts say.

“The bank needs to stabilize market expectations,” said Dipankar Mitra, economist at London-based investment bank Execution Noble. “The direction

is for rates to go up further,” Mitra said. On March 19, India’s central bank, which has joined its peers in such countries as Australia and Malaysia in starting to unwind stimulus aimed at shielding the economy from the downturn, hiked interest rates from record lows.

It raised the repo, the rate at which it lends to commercial banks, by 25 basis points to five percent and also hiked the reverse repo, the rate it pays to banks for deposits, by 25 basis points to 3.5 percent.

It was the first rise in benchmark rates since 2008. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said India’s economic rebound from the global financial crisis will gain pace in 2010, but inflationary pressures will require special attention, a report released last week said.

Inflation is a politically sensitive issue in India and the left-leaning Congress-led government has been under attack from opposition parties for its inability to control food prices.

“Some amount of tightening is required,” government financial services secretary R. Gopalan told

reporters last week. Analysts say inflation could peak at near 11 percent by June, after which the rate could slacken but still be at “uncomfortable levels.”

Goldman Sachs has raised its forecast for inflation for the fiscal year to March 2011 to 7.5 percent from 6.0 percent earlier, stoked by rising consumer and commodity prices.

“Inflation will be high and sticky in 2011,” said Goldman Sach economist Tushar Poddar, forecasting the central bank could hike rates by 150 basis points in 2010.

Growth has been robust in India after last year’s slowdown with industrial output expanding for a sixth straight month. Output by factories, mines and utilities grew 15.1 percent year-on-year in February, latest data showed, lifted by fiscal stimulus, cheap borrowing costs, resurgent consumer consumption and growing export demand.

India’s economy may expand by as much as 8.75 percent in the financial year that began April 1, from an estimated 7.2 percent in the last 12 months and be back at pre-financial crisis levels of nine percent next year, the government says. —AFP

NEW DELHI: Indian customers walk out of a shop offering huge discounts in New Delhi. India’s inflation rate has crept closer to double digits, data showed boosting chances of another interest rate hike to prevent the world’s second fastest-growing economy from overheating. —AFP

26

BUSINESS

Monday, April 19, 2010

Turkey seeks to regain economic foothold in Africa ISTANBUL: A century after the last Ottoman soldier left Libya, Turkey is seeking to make a comeback in Africa, eager to consolidate its status as a regional power and to open new markets.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul’s official visits to Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo last month underscored increased efforts by the Islamist-rooted government for closer contacts with the continent, where many share the country’s predominantly Muslim faith.

In 2008, Turkey held a first summit of cooperation with African leaders, hoping

to organize similar events every five years, and won the status of a “strategic partner” from the African Union.

The number of Turkish embassies on the continent has risen from 12 to 17 in the past two years and preparations are under way to inaugurate 10 more. “Africa is a region on which we will focus a lot in the coming years and decades,” Turkey’s deputy prime minister Ali Babacan, who is responsible for the economy, told AFP. “Turkish business people are really interested in Africa... They go there without encountering any prejudice. They receive a warm welcome.” Turkish

exports to Africa have grown by more than seven times in a decade to reach $10.2 billion in 2009, making approximately 10 percent of its total exports, according to official figures.

Imports from African countries have doubled in the same period, reaching $5.5 billion. Faced with tough competition from Chinese and European traders, Turkish companies rely primarily on textiles as they push for a place on the African market. Some Turkish brands, such as food and beverages giant Ulker, have already established themselves on the continent.

In Africa, “we have begun to distinguish

Turkish goods from Chinese products due to their quality. Turkish goods mean European quality on a cheaper price,” said Abdou Diallo, a Senegalese businessman based in Istanbul.

It was almost by chance that Turkey grasped the potential for revived ties with Africa, where the Ottoman Empire once held vast territories from Algeria to Sudan before losing them to European colonial powers, with the last one-Libya-occupied

by Italy in 1912.

“Turkey discovered Africa when it launched its campaign to become a nonpermanent member of the UN Security

Council,” conceded a Turkish diplomat, who requested anonymity.

Eager for a stronger say on the global diplomatic scene, Turkey led an active campaign to win the two-year seat on the Security Council, reaching its goal in October 2008 with the solid support of African votes.

“Out of the 53 African countries, 51 voted for Turkey,” Babacan recalled.

Since then, efforts at rapprochement with Africa have been stepped up as part of a broader drive to balance Turkish foreign policy, which had focused exclusively on the West since the 1950s, securing the

country a membership in NATO and a candidacy status for European Union accession.

“The government has a firm intention to be everywhere and make Turkey a midscale power that counts,” said Cengiz Aktar, an international relations expert at Istanbul’s Bahcesehir University.

However, the scholar raised doubts on how much influence Turkey could ultimately achieve on the continent. “To speak of a Turkish Africa policy is a little too much... Such a policy lacks an institutional and academic basis as Turks know very little about Africa,” he said. — AFP

China exporters eye stronger yuan Change in fex policy could jeopardize industies BEIJING: Wang Shengpei runs a factory in southern China that churns out leather boots, high heels and trainers for consumers in the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia. And he is worried. Wang is one of thousands of manufacturers across “I hope it will not rise too fast if it has to appreciate,” said Wang, chairman of Dongguan Kuari Shoes Industrial Group based in Guangdong province, the country’s manufacturing hub.

“If the yuan rises by one percent, our profit margin will fall by 0.5 percent because the prices have already been set (with customers). There will be quite a big impact on the overall industry’s profit margins.”

Speculation is growing that Beijing may soon let the yuan appreciate, which will make Chinese shipments of electronics, clothes and shoes more expensive, but help boost consumer spending by reducing the cost of imported products.

Export-driven China has effectively pegged the yuan to around 6.8 to the dollar since July 2008 to support manufacturers battered by the financial crisis and preserve jobs in a sector that employs tens of millions of people.

But critics say it has given Chinese manufacturers an unfair advantage by making their exports cheaper and US lawmakers have been pushing for China to be labelled a “currency manipulator”-opening the door to possible sanctions.

US President Barack Obama pushed Chinese President Hu Jintao on the issue during their recent talks in Washington, saying the yuan was “undervalued”, but Beijing has repeatedly

China bracing for a change in the nation’s exchange rate policy, which he fears could squeeze his already razor-thin profit margins and make it harder to compete in overseas markets.

BEIJING: The shadow of a visitor falls on a huge 100 yuan note on display at an art exhibition in 798 art factory in Beijing. Pressure grew on Beijing to raise interest rates and loosen currency controls after official data showed the economy grew at a red-hot 11.9 percent in the first three months of the year. — AFP said it will not bow to foreign pressure.

The impact of a stronger currency on China’s exporters has weighed heavily on policymakers who have signalled in recent weeks that a change in policy could be in the offing.

The Asian nation overtook Germany in 2009 to become the world’s biggest exporter after

overseas shipments reached $1.2 trillion.

China, has reportedly been testing the potential impact of a strong yuan on its labor-intensive manufacturing sector.

Initial results show that each percentage point rise in the value of the yuan erodes one percentage point in exporters’ profit margins, which average

between three to five percent, state media has said.

China made its currency a little more flexible in 2005, allowing the yuan to appreciate about 20 percent against the dollar. But when the global financial crisis erupted in 2008, it repegged the currency to prop up Chinese exports.

Economists say a strong

yuan is essential if China wants to achieve its goal of reducing its heavy reliance on exports and boosting private consumption as a driver of the world’s third-largest economy.

“Exporters will suffer from a stronger currency,” said Ben Simpfendorfer, an economist at Royal Bank of Scotland in Hong Kong.

“But currency appreciation will also force the pace of structural adjustment in the low value-added export sector, which is a necessary part of domestic rebalancing.”

The exchange rate policy has propped up poor performing exporters at the expense of the broader economy, said Patrick Chovanec, an economics professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

“It’s important to ask why exporters are currently doing well or remaining in business.

Many of them can only do so because they’re able to exchange the dollars they earn for yuan at the peg,” Chovanec said.

“That’s great for exporters but the central bank has to buy all those dollars at the peg, invest them, and neutralize the inflationary effect. That’s a significant burden.”

Faced with the threat of smaller profit margins, exporters will need to raise prices and hold wages steady to cope with the stronger currency, said Wang.

But he admitted that would not be easy. “It depends on the situation firms are facing and whether clients are understanding and accept price hikes,” said Wang.

“It is very hard to raise the price once it is set. There will be less room to raise wages for workers if the yuan appreciates.” — AFP

Financial crisis shakes up sleepy Swiss shareholder meetings ZURICH: Shareholder meetings in Switzerland are usually rather uneventful and staid affairs: executives announce annual earnings and investors pass agenda items with overwhelming majorities.

So when shareholders of the country’s banking icon UBS revolted, it came as something of a shock to the Swiss corporate world.

On Wednesday, shareholders rejected a proposal by management to absolve board members in 2007 of their responsibilities, defying the bank’s chairman Kaspar Villiger, a respected former Swiss finance minister.

He strenuously argued the case to “discharge” the board members.

Peter Kunz, a professor on business law at the University of Bern, said: “Switzerland is similar to Japan, nothing happens usually.”

“The company talks to the the big shareholders and that’s it.

This is the beginning of shareholder activism,” he predicted. Eric Nowak, a specialist on corporate governance at the Swiss Finance Institute, noted that Swiss shareholder activism was in a nascent stage.

“This is the reason why the Swiss boards are not well prepared enough to communicate to the shareholders.

That’s also why they underestimated the discharge issue,” said Nowak.

The financial crisis appeared to have shaken things up in the discreet Swiss banking sector.

Investors have been lining up at shareholder meetings to berate bankers for their compensation excesses and their failure to avoid losses. On Wednesday at UBS, they took a step further by refusing to exonerate ex-managers for their role in the financial crisis, leaving these executives open to potential legal action.

Stewart Hamilton, emeritus professor at Swiss business school IMD, highlighted that in Switzerland “it is shareholders making the running compared with the US or the UK where it’s the government or government agencies” pushing for legal action.

Holding managers accountable has become the trend, Hamilton added, pointing to recent fines imposed by Britain’s Financial Services Authority on two bosses of bank Northern Rock

in Britain for misreporting mortgage arrears data.

“This is the end of the traditional old boys’ club. Pressure is now coming from all directions-from regulators, from institutional shareholders, from the financial press,” said Hamilton, a specialist on corporate failures.

“Shareholders are much more willing to question their appointment,” he added. It could also raise the bar on those who might apply for a post on the board, said Hamilton, noting that companies themselves are also looking for people who can show greater accountability. The professor welcomed the move towards targeting managers for corporate failure.

“Fining the company is just punishing the shareholders. It does not do anything to the people who created these problems. “Unless it is the directors or managers themselves who are made to feel the pain, they will not learn,” Hamilton said.

However, in the case of UBS, analysts believe it is unlikely that the refusal to discharge former board members would lead to legal action, said Nowak.

“It is more an expression of being dissatisfied, but I don’t think that most of the shareholders had voted against the discharge because they wanted to take legal action,” Nowak explained.

Hamilton also noted that building a case could prove difficult, owing to the lack of information in the public realm.

Although around 10 internal and external investigations have been carried out, UBS said they had failed to find any criminal wrongdoing on the part of the former executives.

Hamilton pointed out that the probes had been held behind closed doors and that details were scant.

“I don’t think we have seen any inquiries here with the degree of vigor as in the US or UK,” he said, noting that information revealed during public proceedings could help shareholders build their case.

In addition, it was simply not easy to prove negligence. “One of the difficulties of litigation is that you can’t punish people for stupidity. How do you prove that it is due to gross negligence and not simply stupidity or incompetence?” noted the professor.

A parliamentary commission is expected to begin in June a separate probe on former managers’ handling of the UBS crisis.

UBS sank into the biggest annual loss in Swiss corporate history in 2008, losing 21.29 billion francs ($20.1 billion, 14.9 billion euros) as its bets on the subprime mortgage market in the United States soured. US tax authorities added another blow through two lawsuits against the bank for helping American clients to evade taxes.

The bank paid $780 million to settle one of the cases. In the other case, it agreed to deliver data of 4,450 clients to the US authorities. The bank has been struggling to rebuild its reputation ever since, with outflows reaching 226 billion francs in 2008 and 147.3 billion francs in 2009 as clients took their assets elsewhere. — AFP

BASEL: Executive Director of the Ethos Foundation, Dominique Biedermann (right) waits to enter the Swiss banking giant UBS annual general meeting in Basel. The chairman of UBS apologized on behalf of the Swiss banking giant for its role in helping some US clients to evade taxes, an act which sparked lawsuits from US tax authorities. —AFP

Venezuela says China offers $20bn financing CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Saturday that China was providing his nation with a

long-term, $20 billion financing plan for major projects in the South American oil-exporter.

CARACAS: Venezuelan Minister of Energy and Oil Rafael Ramirez (left) exchanges documents with Chinese Director of the National Energy Administration and Vice-Minister of the State Development and Reform Commission Zhang Guobao (right) during the signing of an oil agreement at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas Saturday. —ADP

“China is going to give financing to Venezuela, to the Venezuelan people, to the Bolivarian Revolution ... over the long-term and in large volume of some $20 billion,” Chavez said at a signing ceremony in Caracas.

The Venezuelan leader said the deal was on top of an existing $12 billion Chinese-Venezuelan investment fund in which Beijing deposits money in return for forward sales of oil. He did not specify what areas the financing were for but China is increasingly involved in Venezuela’s oil, electricity, food, construction and technology sectors.

Chavez had been due to host President Hu Jintao this weekend but the Chinese leader cut short his Latin American visit due to an earthquake at home.

As well as signing the financing agreement, Chavez and Chinese officials penned another six accords covering electricity and oil projects, including ratification of a joint venture to develop a block in the Orinoco crude belt.

The Junin 4 block is expected to require about $16 billion investment over three years and eventually produce more than 400,000 barrels per day. — Reuters

YICHANG, China: A Chinese worker changes the fuel prices at a petrol station in Yichang, in central China’s Hubei province. China raised retail petrol and diesel prices by 320 yuan ($46.9) a ton, marking the first hike in five months as the global economic recovery drives up crude oil prices. —AFP

China looks to become global player in railways BEIJING: Once a gold mine for a select few foreign railway construction companies, China is now looking to compete with the global conglomerates that helped build its rail lines in the first place.

Chinese firms are already building high-speed rail links in Turkey and Venezuela, but the railways ministry has said it wants to export “Chinese technology” to North and South America as well as Europe.

In Saudi Arabia, the German giant Siemens is said to have forged an alliance with a Chinese consortium for a high-speed rail link between the holy cities of Medina and Mecca, after realizing it could lose the tender to the consortium.

The move highlights the emergence of Chinese firms as major players on the railway scene, helped along by government financial support.

Foreign companies are not just competing with individual Chinese firms, they are coming up against a Chinese government eager to develop its rail sector and pouring money into state firms to do it, said Ren Xianfang, analyst at IHS Global Insight. But “on a stand-alone basis, domestic firms in China are obviously still not in the same league as their overseas peers”, Ren said.

The vastness of China’s own rail ambition is another asset. The government plans 120,000 kilometers (74,400 miles) of track by 2020 — up from 86,000 kilometers now-and more than 40 percent of it would be high-speed links.

In December, China inaugurated the fastest high-speed railway in the world between Wuhan in the centre of the country and southern Guangzhou. Thanks to foreign technology transfers, its average speed is 350 kilometers an hour.

“In a few years, half of the world’s high-speed mileage will be in China,” said Frederic Campagnac, founder of consulting firm Clevy China, which specializes in the transport and construction sectors.

“They are also building the most rolling stock at the

moment,” a sector that is “not entirely automated and requires a qualified workforce. China is acquiring know-how fast,” he said.

However, according to a source working for a European railway firm who asked not to be named, the Chinese “still need foreigners for high-speed railways”.

In Chinese-foreign teams such as the alliance in Saudi Arabia, “one can imagine that China brings low-cost production for mechanical parts, and Siemens contributes high-technology and the high-end image”, the source said. “For the moment, we’re in a classic pattern-the Chinese copy what is easy to copy but can’t manage to master the overall system.”

Still, their presence is a growing challenge to traditional giants-Canada’s Bombardier Transportation, France’s Alstom, and Siemens.

Together with the Japanese firm Kawasaki Heavy Industries, they have helped China build 6,550 kilometers of high-speed links thanks to technology transfer, but now find themselves largely on the sidelines of the Chinese market.

Last year, the head of Alstom Transport, Philippe Mellier, even called on Western countries to refuse to buy Chinese trains, denouncing the Asian nation’s gradual shutting down to foreign suppliers.

Technology transfers normally come with clauses saying that the savoir-faire acquired by Beijing can only be used on Chinese territory, but the European railways firm source said the country has found a loophole. “Their method is that they change five percent of the system, and then say they have redeveloped it,” the source said.

“It is very hard to judge whether the corporate strategy of ‘technology for market’ is a wise decision at this moment,” added Ren. “While foreign companies have virtually created competitors of their own through technology transfer, they should have also gained handsomely from their entry into the China market.” — AFP

TECHNOLOGY

Monday, April 19, 2010

27

Towering turbines cast shadow over rural lifestyle ILLINOIS: Months have passed since anyone has waved hello to one another in Waterman or Shabbona in rural DeKalb County, Ill. Some people claim they’ve even stopped going to church to avoid having to talk to former friends.

“It’s gone. The country way of living is gone,” declares Susan Flex, who lives in Waterman with her husband and their nine children.

The animosity stems from the greenest of energy sources: a wind farm.

The turbines started arriving last summer, at a rate of two a day, their parts trucked in on flatbeds. Today 126 turbines dot the county, with another 19 just over the border in Lee County.

They have been making enough electricity since December to power 55,000 homes.

DeKalb County’s efforts appear to be in line with President Barack Obama’s push for the US to produce 25 percent of its energy needs with renewable resources by 2025. Illinois has added more wind power than all but four states.

Yet the story playing out just an hour and half from Chicago is one of policy-meets-reality. While the idea of creating power from the wind sounds ideal, the massive structures that have gone up have dramatically affected the people who live there, country life and the landscape.

Each turbine stands about 400 feet tall from the tips of their blades to the ground — roughly the height of the Wrigley Building in Chicago. Infighting over the turbines has pitted families against landowners, farmers against friends, and even family members against one another.

Proponents are landowners and farmers who say they want to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil. They also point out that the income from leasing land for a turbine is more than what they collect renting to corn and soybean farmers.

The turbines, which are assessed at a million dollars each, represent the largest investment made in the county, said Ruth Anne Tobias, DeKalb County Board chairman. And the expected annual tax revenue is unprecedented: $1.45 million.

Steve Stengel, a spokesman for turbine-owner NextEra Energy Resources, a unit of FPL Group, whose holdings include Florida Power & Light Co., said $50 million in payments is expected to be made to landowners over the 30-year life of the project.

But such windfalls haven’t assuaged people who claim the turbines have harmed their health. They say noise from turbines is disrupting sleep, and they blame the strobe-like flashes produced by the whirling blades in sunlight — “shadow flicker” — for everything from vertigo to migraine headaches.

A group of 36 people who live near the turbines has sued DeKalb County and 75 landowners who leased land for the turbines. They claim the county illegally granted zoning variances and want the turbines taken down. NextEra is seeking to dismiss the suit based on “vague allegations of hypothetical harms.”

Ken Andersen, a county board member who voted to allow the turbines to be built, says he is trying to understand the people voicing concerns. One man, he said, called at 6 a.m. and told him a turbine that sounded like a 747 jet engine was keeping him awake. Andersen said he got out of bed and drove over to listen for himself.

“I went to this man’s yard,” Andersen said. “I made more noise walking across the crunchy snow.” The turbines, he said, “were making their whoosh, whoosh, whoosh noise.”

There is debate over whether there are links between the turbines and health problems. In December, an expert panel, which included doctors, hired by the American Wind Energy Association and the Canadian Wind Energy Association, national trade

ILLINOIS: Don, left, and David Halverson stand near one of their two wind turbines on Thursday, March 4, 2010. They are paid about $9,000 annually for each wind turbine allowed on their property in DeKalb County, Illinois. —MCT associations for the industry, concluded there is “no evidence that the audible or sub-audible sounds emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological effects.”

But Dr. Nina Pierpont, a board-certified pediatrician in Malone, N.Y., who has spent the past four years studying so-called Wind Turbine Syndrome, insists not enough studies have been conducted to rule out any connection between turbine noise and flicker shadow with health complaints.

Pierpont said low-frequency sounds from turbines can throw off a person’s sense of balance and cause unconscious reactions similar to car

sickness. Sleep can also be disrupted.

She said the feeling is similar to when people awake in fear, with a jolt and a racing heart.

Ben Michels’ friends say he may have the worst of it. Five turbines stand in a line behind his home, the nearest 1,430 feet away; the county restricts turbines from being any closer than that.

“I never had problems sleeping,” said Michels, a Vietnam War veteran.

“I went to the (Department of Veterans Affairs) and they put me on sleeping pills. They had to continually upgrade them because they weren’t working.”

Michels, who has raised goats for 20 years and averaged one death per year, said nine have died since December. Autopsies didn’t reveal anything physically wrong with them.

But he said veterinarians told him the goats may have suffered from stress.

“Common sense tells me, it’s got to have something to do with the turbines,” Michels said. Other farmers say the turbines have spooked their horses and other animals.

NextEra, which has more than 70 wind farms in 17 states and two Canadian provinces, is used to such controversies, Stengel said.

“As you move to more heavily pop-

ulated areas, you would see more — I don’t want to say opposition — but you would certainly have more people having questions and issues that needed to be resolved,” Stengel said.

DeKalb County, with a population of more than 100,000, is more densely populated than some areas where wind farms are located. NextEra chose the area, in part, for its proximity to Chicago, which benefits from the power those turbines produce, said John DiDonato, vice president of Midwest wind development for NextEra. NextEra said 147.5 megawatts of energy produced by the DeKalb-Lee wind farm is distributed in 13 states and the District of Columbia, including Chicago and DeKalb County. Another 70 megawatts is sold to a consortium of 39 municipal electric utilities, for customers in and around northern and central Illinois.

Because the power from the turbines flows to areas of the greatest need, little goes to where it’s produced. That irony was highlighted on Christmas Eve when the lights went out in Waterman and Shabbona due to an ice storm and didn’t turn back on again for four days in some places.

Meanwhile, the turbines kept cranking power to homes and businesses hundreds of miles away.

Mark Anderson, who lives in Park Ridge, Ill., and hosts two turbines on investment property he owns in Waterman, said the turbines protect farmland from urban sprawl.

For David Halverson, who leased land for two turbines in Malta, Ill., said it’s a matter of national policy — not giving US dollars to foreign oil.

“I am so pro-wind that I would let them put them up for nothing,” Halverson said.

There’s also the economics. Each turbine, which takes up about 3 acres total, pays Halverson about $9,000 per year, he said. That compares with the going rate of about $180 per acre per

year to lease farmland in DeKalb County, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Yet not everyone who could have profited from the turbines did so.

Ken and Lois Ehrhart originally agreed to allow NextEra to run a power line through their property in Shabbona but then changed their minds. Leasing part of their 320 acres would have provided money to pay off a large hospital bill.

“I says nothing doing,” recalled Ken Ehrhart, who raises soybeans, wheat and corn. “We’re not the highfliers for all the modern ideas.”

Now Ehrhart said he is sure he made the right decision. Ehrhart said he also suffers headaches and nausea from shadow flicker from nearby turbines.

Opponents say it’s difficult to fight what has been held up as an answer to the planet’s energy needs.

“This is a very politically correct thing going on right now, and to say you’re opposed to a renewable energy source is like saying you don’t like mom and apple pie,” said Steve Rosene, who lives in Shabbona. “I used to go out in my front yard in a swing and just watch the sunset,” he said.

Mary Murphy, who hangs her clothes on the line instead of using the dryer, recycles and describes herself as a green person, says the turbines represent “green money” not “green energy.”

Others are so fed up they’re ready to pack up.

Donna Nilles said she has experienced migraine headaches and nausea from the shadow flicker from 22 turbines she can see from her home. She says that red lights atop the turbines have turned the night sky into “an airport” and that her six horses are terrified by noise from the turbines.

“I want out of this state, out of this county as soon as I can,” she said. —MCT

Cars aren’t mere vessels of transport — but an expression of an idea

Fiat design focuses on Italian innovation

Graphic explains how a newly developed touch screen mimics the feel of a keyboard by raising and lowering the surface of the screen. —MCT

Artificial ‘muscles’ pump up touch-screen typing SAN JOSE: Any high schooler sneaking a text message in class can confirm that fingering the right buttons on a cell phone is a cinch, even if it’s hidden in your pocket.

But how about on a glass touch screen?

By next year, these might feel like QWERTY keyboards, too.

A Sunnyvale, Calif., company called Artificial Muscle says its thin plastic “muscle” can push a glass screen ever so slightly, nudging back on a texting finger to create the sensation of typing on a real keyboard.

If the tactile feedback is realistic enough, the technology could add momentum behind touch-screen devices in a market where keyboard phones like the BlackBerry are struggling to keep customers from switching.

Here’s how the muscle works: When you tap a phone lined with artificial muscle under the glass, an electric zap commands the muscle to flatten by a couple tenths of a millimeter, or about

the thickness of a business card.

With an inaudible “click,” the glass pushes back like a physical keyboard does. However, the entire screen moves, not just the spot that’s touched.

“Touch screens have taken away the sense of touch,” said Artificial Muscle co-founder Marcus Rosenthal. Most of his friends have BlackBerrys because they can type faster, but if touch screens felt like keyboards, he thinks they’d switch.

Even if the technology improves the touch experience, some analysts doubt that die-hard keypad users will want to switch.

“The touch screen won’t be perfect,” said Chris Jones, principal analyst at Canalys, predicting that typos will still be commonplace. “This technology may make competitors a bit sexier, but BlackBerrys are still maintaining a large part of the U.S. market.”

A contract factory is already ramping up to produce 1 million of these muscles, or plastic actua-

tors, per month by summer’s end, according to Rosenthal. He said an electronics entertainment product would be released by Christmas, and at least two cell phone companies plan releases for 2011, though he declined to identify them.

The synthetic muscle was dreamed up nearly two decades ago in a basement lab at SRI in Menlo Park, which engineered more than 100 devices utilizing the muscle, including snakelike reconnaissance robots that slither and electric-powered masks that curl into grins. Inventors fashioned Braille touch pads, using the muscle to elevate dots.

The artificial muscle’s home at SRI was just a chocolate river away from being as fantastic as Willy Wonka’s factory. The military funded plenty of projects with the muscle, like military hiking boots that power a battery with each step and reconstructive eyelid surgery for wounded veterans who could no longer blink. —MCT

TURIN: The world is still waiting to see what kind of auto design emerges from the alliance of Italy’s Fiat and US Chrysler.

One thing is clear: there’s a lot of Italian flair to draw on, in the person of Fiat’s design chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti.

Ramaciotti helped design everything from the high-end Ferrari Enzo to the economical Peugeot 407 during his career at independent styling house Pininfarina. Expect some surprises ahead.

“Italian design can’t be repetitive. It must be a design that is a little surprising, with something innovative from one model to the next,” said Ramaciotti in an interview in his modest office at Fiat’s Centro Stile, decorated with logos of the six Fiat brands whose style he commands. How much of that Italian flair will seep into the Chrysler’s designs is still being worked out, nearly a year after Fiat took a controlling stake in the United States’ thirdlargest automaker. Chrysler has its own design operation, but Ramaciotti would be key partner in any cooperation.

In the Ramaciotti world, cars aren’t mere vessels of transport — but an expression of an idea.

Fiat is fun and friendly, simple solutions. Alfa Romeo is fast, sporty, attention-grabbing.

“If you have a car that takes you from point A to point B, why not have it be nice? If you are capable, why not?” Ramaciotti asks.

Lancia, which is being twinned with the Chrysler brand, will be the harbinger of Italian design: “Good taste, proportionality, all the elements that we are recognized for,” he said. By “we,” he meant Italian design, not Fiat.

“Italian automobile design was for many years the beacon for the world. Now it has been weakened. Why? Because we exported our design culture,” Ramaciotti said. First to Japan, where Italians designed a lot of cars in the 1970s. Then in Korea, for Daewoo and Hyundai, and now China. Ramaciotti’s first move at Fiat was to bring all of Fiat’s brands, except the extremely expensive Ferrari, under one roof. No longer designing cars himself, Ramaciotti oversees the the process — keeping the creative staff on deadline — at Fiat’s

TURIN: In this photo taken on Feb. 17, 2010 the director of Fiat Style Center, Engineer Lorenzo Ramaciotti sits in his office in Turin, Italy. The world is still waiting to see what kind of auto design emerges from the alliance of Italy’s Fiat and US Chrysler. Ramaciotti helped design everything from the high-end Ferrari Enzo to the economical Peugeot 407 during his career at independent styling house Pininfarina. —AP sprawling 20,000-square-meter (215,280 sq. feet) design center at the Mirafiori plant in Turin.

Ramaciotti has a broad portfolio, six brands under one roof: the flagship Fiat brand, sporty Alfa Romeo, up-market Lancia, luxury Maserati, amped-up Abarth and sturdy Fiat light commercial vehicles. The two companies will share platforms and the first Fiat to return to the US market — the Cinquecento, or 500 — is being rolled out later this year, with a few tweaks aimed at American tastes. The car will look the same on the outside as the original compact retro-chic three-door hatchback that has charmed Europeans. But the American market required some adjustments: wider seats, cupholders, arm rests, automatic transmissions, and larger license plate holders. Fiat is offering colors, like sand, that are more suited to American tastes than, say, the Italian green-white-and-red striped paint job sold in Europe.

“The general flavor of the car has remained very much Italian,” Ramaciotti said. “It has such per-

sonality that we think that even the Americans will buy it in the Italian colors.

“Someone who buys a 500 does not buy it just as a means of transport, but because it is cute and European.” Fiat isn’t expecting to sell huge volumes of the 500 in the United States — around 50,000 to 80,000 a year — figuring the appeal for the tiny car will mostly be in big cities.

But it is the car that relaunched the Fiat brand in Europe. And it will be the Fiat that introduces American drivers to Chrysler’s new bosses.

While the tiny 500 will be Fiat’s Italian emissary to North America, the zippy new Giulietta, Alfa Romeo’s latest launch, is unlikely to make the trans-Atlantic passage. The Giulietta is a hatchback, and Americans have scorned hatchbacks, despite all their practicality, in favor of SUVs and crossovers, Ramaciotti said. The Giulietta made its debut at the Geneva auto show and will go on sale later this month in Europe.

It is the car that is supposed to

relaunch the Alfa Romeo brand and give it a new chance after a disappointing couple of years.

But what will go to the United States is the new Compact platform that the Giulietta is built on — a billion-dollar investment that Marchionne wants to squeeze at least one million cars from.

In fact, much of what Fiat contributes to Chrysler will not be visible to consumers in terms of style but in the form of cleaner-burning engines and small-car platforms. In Europe, Fiat expects to take advantage of Chrysler’s larger car and minivan platforms.

So far in the alliance, Fiat and Chrysler are maintaining separate design centers. Still, the Fiat and Chrysler alliance is slowly growing more entwined, as evident in the appointment of Lancia brand CEO Olivier Francois to run the Chrysler brand.

The Fiat Design Center has been holding back several new models, waiting for the crisis to abate. Ramaciotti won’t say how

many, deferring until April 21, when Fiat presents its new fiveyear business plan. Analysts expect Fiat will announce plans for a new Panda in 2011, the next generation Punto, new small vans, sometimes called multipurpose vehicles or MPVs, possibly based on Chrysler’s successful minivan, still known in Europe as the Grand Voyager and in the United States as Town & Country. Fiat may also announce a new Lancia Ypsilon, a new Lancia Delta, as well as mid-size and large sedans, based on Chrysler platforms. And there may be a new flagship car for Alfa Romeo.

“To come out with a new car in such a depressed market means losing 20 percent of sales.

The peak, when you theoretically should sell the most cars, is when you present the car. You risk ruining yourself at the best moment,” Ramaciotti said.

“On the other hand, you can’t rely only on the old lineup of cars, with the old cars for an eternity. It’s a difficult choice.” — AP

28

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Monday, April 19, 2010

Ocean census uncovers ‘new world’ of marine microbe life WASHINGTON: An ocean census has revealed a “new world” of richly diverse marine microbe life that could help scientists understand more about key environmental processes on Earth, a study said yesterday.

Scientists participating in the International Census of Marine Microbes (ICoMM) said they had uncovered an astonishing array of hard-to-see marine lifeforms, including microbes, zooplankton and larvae.

Traditional research methods have

already isolated some 20,000 marine microbes, but new data suggests the true numbers are much higher.

“The total number of marine microbes, including both bacteria and archaea (singlecell microorganisms), based on molecular characterization, is likely closer to a billion,” said ICoMM’s scientific advisory council chair John Baross, of the University of Washington.

The marine microbes in fact constitute somewhere between 50 to 90 percent of all ocean biomass, and by volume weigh the

equivalent of 240 billion African elephants, according to the researchers.

“In no other realm of ocean life has the magnitude of Census discovery been as extensive as in the world of microbes,” said Mitch Sogin, of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Massachussetts.

Determining the number, variety and role of different forms of marine microbes provides key insight into “the size, dynamics and stability of the Earth’s food chain, carbon cycle and other planetary fundamentals,” researchers said. This marine life is

responsible for over 95 percent of respiration in the oceans, thereby helping to maintain the conditions humans need to survive on Earth, they added.

They function as key recyclers, turning atmospheric carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean into carbon that goes back into the ground. They perform similar functions for nitrogen, sulfur, iron, manganese and other elements.

Among other discoveries made by the research was the location of massive “mats” of microbes that carpet areas of sea

floor.

One located off the west coast of South America covers a surface comparable in size to Greece and is among Earth’s largest masses of life, researchers said.

The study also found that some microbes and bacteria formed symbiotic relationships with marine animals, living on their skin or in their guts.

The revelation could uncover hundreds of millions of new microbial species and provides “a huge frontier for the next decade,” Baross said.

The research was conducted at more than 1,200 sites worldwide, allowing scientists to amass 18 million DNA sequences of microbial life.

The latest finding is part of the decadelong research involved in the ocean census, which will conclude October 4 with closing ceremonies in London.

Involving more than 2,000 scientists from more than 80 nations, the census is one of the largest global scientific collaborations ever undertaken, according to organizers. — AFP

A find that experts have dubbed one of the most important of recent times

Skeletons provide window into human evolution LOS ANGELES: The middle-aged woman and the young boy, perhaps her son or simply another member of her tribe, were out hunting on the African plains or maybe hunting for water in the midst of a drought when they fell into a In 2008, nearly 2 million years later, anthropologists discovered their nearly complete skeletons in the Malapa cave north of Johannesburg, South Africa, a find that experts have dubbed one of the most important of recent times. The hominid pair may be direct ancestors of humans or they may be from a closely related branch on the human evolutionary tree, South African researchers reported Thursday in the journal Science.

Either way, the rare discovery of nearly intact skeletons, experts agree, provides a key window into evolution during what is considered one of the key periods of human development, when hominids were changing from the apelike species known as Australopithecus into the more modern forms we now know as Homo.

The new skeletons are the only complete specimens that lie between the Australopithecus afarensis known as Lucy, dating from 3 million years ago, and the Homo erectus known as Turkana boy dating from 1.5 million years ago. “This gives us a good chance to look at the rates of change of various parts

of the (body),” said biological anthropologist William Kimbel of Arizona State University, who was not involved in the discovery. It is exceptionally rare to get such insights from single individuals in which all the body parts are together, he added.

“There are very few things that we can call a skeleton from that time period,” added biological anthropologist Christopher Ruff of the Johns Hopkins Medical School, who also was not involved in the research.

Most often, researchers discover isolated craniums or jawbones or limbs and have to extrapolate what the species looked like.

It is very much like the ancient tale of the seven blind men who each touch a different part of an elephant and draw widely differing conclusions about the beast’s shape, Ruff said. The new specimens are important because they provide a glimpse of the whole elephant.

The researchers have Google Earth and another young boy, paleoanthropologist Lee R. Berger’s 9-year-old son Matthew, to thank for the discovery. Berger, from the University of the Witwatersrand in

sinkhole, dying almost instantly. Shortly thereafter, a monsoon or a flood washed them into a deeper basin, where they were covered with mud and rapidly fossilized.

Johannesburg, used images from Google Earth to identify caves in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site that might hold fossil deposits.

On his first visit to the Malapa cave, he took Matthew and suggested that the boy look around outside the cave for fossils. Within 15 minutes, the boy had returned carrying a block of stone bearing a hominid collarbone and a jawbone that had apparently been thrown out of the cave by miners.

Excited by Matthew’s discovery, the team began excavating the cave and found the rest of that skeleton, of what appears to be an 11- to 12-yearold boy and another skeleton of a woman in her mid-30s, as well as skeletons of at least 25 species of animals, including antelope, mice, saber-toothed cats, a wildcat, a brown hyena, a wild dog and even a horse. They have also found at least two other hominid skeletons, another woman and an infant, Berger said in a news conference, but they are not yet reporting on those.

All of the skeletons are in excellent shape because their fall into the pit protected them from scavengers and they were

all fossilized rapidly.

The two “really remarkable skeletons” of primitive hominids that the team is reporting were quite surprising when they were completely unearthed, showing some characteristics of primitive Australopithecines and some of more modern Homo, Berger said.

The boy has a brain volume of about 420 cubic centimeters, less than the 510 cubic centimeters of the smallest known example of Homo and much less than the 1,200 to 1,600 cubic centimeters of modern humans. Both the woman and the boy were about 4 feet tall, about the same as Australopithecines, as were their relatively long arms. The woman weighed about 70 pounds and the boy about 60.

But the skeletons also had the smaller teeth, more prominent nose and less pronounced cheekbones of Homo erectus, as well as longer legs and changes in the pelvis characteristic of more modern hominids.

This overall combination of traits has never been observed in a single specimen.

Hearkening back to the story of the blind men and the elephant, if anthropologists had only the

teeth, they would think they had a species of Homo, if they had only the cranium, they would think it was Australopithecus and if they had only the arm bone, they would think it’s an ape, Berger said.

“What we now know from this is that you need a lot more than just one part of the (body) to define a genus,” he said.

The lower limbs and the pelvis of the creatures, which the team has christened Australopithecus sediba, both indicate that the creature easily walked upright.

(Australopithecus means southern ape, while sediba is Sotho for natural spring, fountain or wellspring.) The long arms, however, indicated that it still climbed trees as well. Despite the name, then, “this is very different from Australopithecines,” Berger said. There are three primary possibilities, Berger said. Australopithecus sediba is either a direct ancestor of Homo erectus, an ancestor of some of the variants within the Homo lineage, or “a very close side branch mimicking the earliest members of Homo.”

Berger noted that the team will hold a competition among African children to give a common name to the boy. — MCT

RAGAMA: A disabled Sri Lankan soldier, tries out his prosthetic legs at a military-run rehabilitation hospital in Ragama on December 30, 2009. Sri Lanka’s leaders have hailed the end of the island’s long civil war as the start of a new era, but for soldiers injured in battle, the future is far from rosy.

Nearly 30,000 government troops were injured and 6,200 killed during the last three years of Sri Lanka’s decades-long war with the separatist Tamil Tigers. — AFP

Large Hadron Collider could reveal our origins

BREMEN: A test person controls the robot ‘Friend’ with his brain activity at the university in the northern German city of Bremen. It is hoped that paralyzed stroke patients or people suffering from multiple sclerosis will be able to use the new technology to assist them perform tasks around the home. — AFP

Foods with high glycemic index may increase women’s heart disease risk LOS ANGELES: All carbohydrates are not created equal, at least when it comes to heart disease. A new study released today finds that carbs with a high glycemic index — those that spike blood glucose levels quickly — may be linked with a higher risk of coronary heart disease in women.

The study, in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine, surveyed 47,749 men and women from various regions of Italy who were given questionnaires or interviewed about their dietary habits. They were followed for an average of eight years. In that time, 463 people, the majority of them women, developed coronary heart disease.

Foods were analyzed to determine their glycemic index and glycemic load. The glycemic index measures how carbs affect blood sugar levels. High-glycemic index foods are quickly digested and release glucose quickly into the bloodstream, making glucose levels jump. High-glycemic index foods include baked potatoes, watermelon and rice. Low glycemic index foods slowly release glucose into the bloodstream, keeping blood glucose levels more steady. Those foods include most fruits and vegetables, plus pasta and milk. Glycemic load refers to a food’s ranking according to how many total grams of carbohydrate it has along with its glycemic index, and is found using a formula.

Other studies have found that high-carb diets increase triglycerides and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels as well as boosting blood glucose and insulin.

The Italian researchers discovered that the 25 percent of the women who ate the most amount of carbs had about twice the risk of heart disease as the 25 percent who ate the least amount of carbs. In terms of quality versus quantity carbs, quality won out: eating more high-glycemic index foods was more strongly linked with a greater risk of coronary heart disease than eating low-glycemic index foods.

In the study, the authors wrote, “a high consumption of carbohydrates from high-glycemic index foods, rather than the overall quantity of carbohydrates consumed, appears to influence the risk of developing coronary heart disease.”

The same corollaries between eating carbs, glycemic index and glycemic load were not found for men. Researchers speculate that a high glycemic diet could trigger harmful changes in triglyceride levels and plasma HDL cholesterol in women, making them more at risk than men for cardiovascular disease.

The authors wrote that while it appears that eating high glycemic foods may make women more vulnerable than men when it comes to heart disease, more research needs to be done. — MCT

WASHINGTON: The biggest science machine ever built has begun churning out the smallest known bits of matter in the universe. Its goal is to uncover some of the deepest, long-hidden secrets of nature.

This enormously ambitious device is the Large Hadron Collider, or LHC, a 17-mile-long ring-shaped tunnel 300 feet under the Swiss-French border near Geneva. It began operations on March 30 and has been called the greatest scientific undertaking since the Manhattan Project, which created the atomic bomb during World War II. Some scientists regard the LHC as nothing less than a “time machine” that may let them go back billions of years to study the origins of the universe. They hope it will shed light on such profound questions as: What happened immediately after the birth of the universe 13.7 billion years ago? What does most of the universe consist of? How did matter come to be? Are there more dimensions of space than the three (plus time) that we’re familiar with?

The answers to those questions may have no immediate practical applications, but history has shown repeatedly that advances in fundamental science usually lead to useful things such as telephones, radios, computers, improved manufacturing, nuclear energy, global positioning satellites and so on.

“Since World War II, science and technology have been responsible for half of America’s economic progress,” said Alan Leshner, the president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.

Here are some common questions and answers about the new collider: Q: What does the name Large Hadron Collider mean?

A: The LHC is “large” because it’s the biggest assemblage of scientific tools ever gathered in one place. It works with “hadrons” — physicist jargon for protons and neutrons that make up the nucleus of an atom. It’s a “collider” because it smashes protons — tiny subatomic particles — together so that scientists can peer at their shattered innards.

Q: Just how big is it?

A: The underground ring is lined with 1,232 50-foot-long magnets, each weighing 35 tons. The tunnel also contains four gigantic particle detectors, as big as apartment buildings, plus two smaller ones, all crammed with scientif-

ic instruments. The whole complex is chilled by 120 tons of liquid helium to almost absolute zero, colder even than outer space.

Q: Who runs the LHC? A: The builder and operator is the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, an acronym for its original, slightly different French name. CERN began as a collaboration of 12 nations in 1952 and now has 20 members. The US joined as an observer, not a full member, in 1997, but hundreds of Americans work there, along with a rotating cast of more than 10,000 scientists, engineers and technicians from around the world.

Q: How does the LHC work?

A: Bunches of protons, the nuclei of hydrogen atoms, are injected into the tunnel by a series of accelerators that boost their speed to 99.9999991 percent of the speed of light. The magnets steer the protons around the ring 11,245 times a second in concentrated beams. They zip through the tunnel in two parallel pipes, half of them running clockwise, half counter-clockwise. At four locations the beams cross each other, crashing protons into each other head on.

Q: What happens then?

A: The proton collisions produce a spray of even tinier particles, mostly “quarks,” which are the smallest, most fundamental building blocks of matter so far discovered. According to CERN, protons are 100,000 times smaller than the simplest atom, hydrogen, and quarks are 10,000 times smaller than protons. For comparison, if a hydrogen atom were six miles across, a quark would still measure less than four-thousandths of an inch.

Q: How powerful are the collisions?

A: Physicists measure a collider’s energy in “electron volts,” which is the tiny force required to move one electron from one side of a one-volt battery to the other side. The LHC collider produces 7 trillion electron volts _ abbreviated as 7 TeV _ of energy. That sounds like a lot, but protons are so small that a little energy goes a long way. To a human, 1 trillion electron volts would feel like a mosquito hitting your skin.

Even so, the LHC is the most powerful proton collider in the world. The current record is 2 TeV at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory in Batavia, Ill. In a few years, if all goes

well, the LHC’s power will be doubled to 14 TeV. Q: What do scientists hope to learn from all this?

A: By slamming subatomic particles together, they aim to recreate the conditions that existed in the first moments after the Big Bang, the theoretical beginning of the universe.

At that time, the infant universe was so hot that it consisted only of a hot soup of quarks and another breed of particles called gluons. Unlike quarks, gluons have no mass and aren’t constituents of matter, but they carry the force that holds quarks together. After a few seconds, the primeval quark-gluon soup, or plasma, cooled enough to allow quarks and gluons to form protons and neutrons, which eventually combined with electrons to make atoms, molecules, stars, chairs and people.

Q: Will the LHC help explain how quarks combined to create matter?

A: That’s one of the major goals of the project. Scientists hope they will find in the debris of the collisions evidence of an as yet undiscovered subatomic particle called the “Higgs boson,” named after a Scottish physicist who predicted such a particle in 1964. Like the gluon, bosons are particles that have no mass but carry a force.

Scientists think the Higgs boson, if it exists, is the particle that allows energy to turn into mass.

The theory is that Higgs bosons are spread throughout the universe, like flowers in a field. Particles acquire mass _ in other words become matter _ by interacting with the Higgs field. That’s why physicist Leon Lederman called the Higgs the “God Particle” in a 1993 book of that name.

Q: What about those theoretical extra dimensions?

A: Many physicists suspect that space contains more dimensions than the familiar up-down, left-right, forward-back trio. These extra dimensions, if they exist, are said to be rolled up so tightly that they’re invisible to human eyes, like a garden hose seen from a space satellite. It’s possible that the LHC might detect evidence of one or more such dimensions.

Q: Could the LHC solve the puzzles of “dark matter” and “dark energy” that make up most of the contents of the universe?

A: The collider’s detectors might

find evidence of other undiscovered particles that are believed to form dark matter, an invisible substance that accounts for 23 percent of the universe, and whose gravity holds galaxies together.

Dark energy is an even more mysterious force that’s driving the galaxies apart at an accelerating pace. It apparently makes up 73 percent of the universe, leaving only 4 percent for ordinary matter, the stuff we can see and feel. It’s unlikely, however, that the LHC will find a satisfactory explanation for dark energy.

Q: How about anti-matter, the so-called “evil twin” of ordinary matter?

A: Anti-matter is just like ordinary matter, except its electric charges are reversed. Anti-protons carry a negative charge, while anti-electrons, also known as positrons, have a positive charge. When matter and anti-matter meet, they annihilate each other.

Scientists believe equal amounts of matter and anti-matter were created in the Big Bang, but almost all the anti-matter is gone. The LHC may provide clues as to why this happened.

Q: What happens to the data generated by the LHC? A: CERN estimates the collider produces about 700 megabytes of data per second, enough to fill a 12-milehigh stack of CDs per year. The material will be distributed worldwide over the Internet.

Q: How much does the LHC cost?

A: About $5 billion so far for design, construction and operation.

Q: Is it possible that the LHC might blow up the world?

A: No, scientists say. The proton collisions produce tiny “fireballs” thousands of times hotter than the sun, but they last only microseconds and scientists say they aren’t dangerous. According to CERN, the fireballs’ energy is much weaker than the cosmic rays from outer space that have bombarded Earth harmlessly for billions of years.

The LCH played a fictional role in Dan Brown’s bestselling novel “Angels & Demons.” Brown wrote that the LCH created enough antimatter to blow up the Vatican. CERN commissioned two studies that declared this impossible. The American Physical Society, an association of US physicists, agreed. — MCT

Monday, April 19, 2010

HEALTH

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Gene doubles risk of Alzheimer’s, researchers say MIAMI: University of Miami researchers have identified a gene that appears to double a person’s risk of developing late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. They called the finding a small step toward understanding and fighting the debilitating disease, which affects 5 million Americans.

“I hope that in the next five to 10 years we can see major improvements — a combination of therapies and prevention through exercise, both physical and mental, diet and other things,” said Margaret Pericak-Vance. She is director of the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miami Medical School and principal investigator in the study.

The study was presented last Tuesday at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto.

Finding the gene “will help us better understand how this disease develops and potentially serve as a marker for people who may be at increased risk,”

New drug helps preserve ‘thinking’ abilities said Adam Naj, an author of the report, who also works at the Hussman Institute. From past studies, researchers knew that people with high levels of the amino acid homocysteine in their blood are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, Pericak-Vance said. The new information gives scientists a cause-and-effect, because the gene just discovered is known to influence the body’s levels of homocysteine, she said.

“In addition, variations of the (gene) have been reported to possibly increase the risk of coronary artery disease.

Since the function of blood vessels in the brain may affect Alzheimer’s disease, this finding may also help us understand how homocysteine levels and blood vessel function in the brain affect Alzheimer’s disease.”

The study involved looking at a gene variation in 2,269 people with late-onset

Alzheimer’s disease and 3,107 people without it. Researchers used thee University of Miami’s $1 million-plus “Illumina Platform,” an ungainly machine that used computer chips to compare, contrast and analyze thousands of genetic-factor samples from thousands of test subjects.

It was based on the mapping of the human genome, a 15-year project by hundreds of genetics researchers completed in 2003, which identified and mapped the 25,000 or so genes that control and operate the human body.

About 18 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s disease, and this is projected to nearly double by 2025, according to the World Health Organization.

Meanwhile, Baxter International Inc.’s immune system drug helped preserve “thinking” abilities and reduced

brain “shrinkage” in a small group of patients with Alzheimer’s disease that have been studied for 18 months, new research released Tuesday afternoon shows.

As the pharmaceutical industry embarks on a critical stage of testing before possible submission to U.S. regulators for possible approval, Baxter’s Gammagard is among those working well enough that Tuesday’s study in 24 patients is further evidence the company’s move is justified to expand research to more than 350 patients in a final-stage US clinical trial. That means, if the finalstage trial just beginning is successful, Baxter could submit the product to the US Food and Drug Administration within two years to three years if all goes well, observers have said.

Although the latest study involved just 24 patients, data revealed that the

16 patients had better cognitive response and related improved memory function, showing significantly “less decline in their overall function and thinking abilities” than eight patients Alzheimer’s patients on placebo, according to the data presented by researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in Toronto. The research looked at patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease who had uninterrupted treatments once or twice a month for 18 months.

Furthermore, researchers said the use of magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, of patients’ brains provided an independent measure showing much lower rates of “ventricular enlargement” and “less whole-brain atrophy.”

“I don’t think anybody debates that when Alzheimer’s disease progresses,

the brain shrinks,” said Dr. Norman Relkin, a professor of neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, will present the study in Toronto on Wednesday morning.

Though MRIs have been used to measure brain shrinkage in the study of potential treatments for Alzheimer’s, such study does not often cover such a lengthy period of time. “Past Alzheimer’s disease studies that used MRI measures found no change or an accelerated rate of brain shrinkage after investigational treatments,” Relkin said.

Researchers eventually hope Gammagard, a biologic derived from plasma, can prove to change the course of the disease. The idea behind the drug is that it can help the body’s immune system to clear the brain of amyloid, a sticky, plaque-like substance thought to be key in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s, which affects nearly 5 million Americans — a number that is rapidly rising. — MCT

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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Monday, April 19, 2010

The Australian College of Kuwait hosts the Minister of Education & Technology of Argentina he Australian College of Kuwait hosted the Minister of Education & Technology of Argentina Mr. Khoceh Lino Barano during his visit to Kuwait. His visit covered most of the College Divisions like the Marine Simulation Center which is the first in the State of Kuwait that provides professional education and training to students as well as to develop the navigation efficiencies of staff and trainees in all military and civil sectors locally and regionally. This center is considered as a scientific edifice and a developed turning point and a significant achievement recordbyby the Australian College. The Minister also viisted the Engineering Department Workshop which provides professional training programs through technologyy specializations so as to graduate students capable for distinction in labor market and to make an outstanding move in their careers at both levels; domestic and international. The Engineering Department is applying theoretical and practical training programs in its syllabus so as to implant knowledge, skill in the personality of the student in addition to self confidence, develop efficiency and enable them of innovation and creation within the patronage environment which

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Australia College is distinguished of.

In addition to the foregoing, Khoceh took around to the aviation maintenance training installations in the Australian College which are considered the best equipped installations in the region in which B737 Boeing is available as a real training utility for the students who are studying mechanical aviation engineering diploma in addition to other engineering subjects.

At the end of his visit, Khoceh praised the efforts which the Australian College exerts to improve and develop its educational infrastructure in general and applied education in particular. He stated that it is a great achievement that such a leading and specialized college like the Australian College to be in Kuwait which works on the development of capabilities and potentialities by using the best scientific and applied means possible.

It is worth mentioning that the Australian College is distinguished by its most developed educational program which is based on practical application and qualifying the students to join work directly after graduation unlike other several regional and global universities.

Abdullah Al-Sharhan, Chairman of Board of Trustees with Argentina Minister Khoceh Lino Barano.

Embassy information EMBASSY OF LAO The Embassy of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic will be reopen today.

EMBASSY OF UKRAINE The Embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait informs that it has started updating the information about Ukrainian citizens, who live and work in Kuwait. In this connection, we are asking you to refer to the Embassy and update your file in consular register in order not to be excluded from it. For additional information please call: 25318507 ext.106 or visit the embassy of Ukraine in the State of Kuwait (address: Hawalli, Jabriya, bl.10, str.6, house 5). The consular section of the Embassy open every day from 09:30 till 14:30 except Friday and Saturday.

EMBASSY OF INDIA

Burgan Bank continues its support to KACCH British Academy of Sport urgan Bank, amongst the leading banks in the state of Kuwait, reiterated its commitment to the community by rendering its support to the Kuwait Association for Care of Children in Hospitals (KACCH).

This is an ongoing commitment which is now in its seventh year.

The association between Burgan Bank and KACCH was avowed at a special visit to Bait Abdullah building site in Sulaibekhat where the Bank’s Chief Marketing Officer, Fadi Matar, presented a cheque to the KACCH Vice President Mrs. Margaret Al Sayer.

Fadi Matar stated: “As caring for children has been an integral part of Burgan Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility framework and Corporate Citizenship program, the Bank is proud to be a benefactor towards KACCH’s yearly funds”.

Over the past Seven years, Burgan Bank’s continual contributions have helped support the development of healthcare and pediatric facilities in over six hospitals which are part of the KACCH, often helping children and their families fund treatment and recovery from fatal illnesses.

The KACCH is a volunteering organization working under the umbrella of World Child Care Program that aims to assist children in coping with the stress of being in hospital for treatment. The association pays great efforts to provide a healthy and entertaining environment to the children through the kids clubs that KACCH established in many hospitals in

holds tennis course

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he British Academy of Sport hosted an excellent Short Tennis course at the British School of Kuwait, Salwa 1, Street 1. Sven Kroger, a qualified Lawn Tennis Association coach and UK qualified PE teacher, and Miss Tiffany Armstrong a Kindergarten Specialist and keen tennis player taught an 11 week course of exciting Tennis. The course took an individual approach, working on aspects of the game relevant to each student’s needs.

Students are grouped according to age and ability and enjoy being taught skills and playing games in a stimulating and positive environment. Students aged from 4 to 6 years usually join the Tennis Seeds. Whilst students aged from 7 to 12 years join the Tennis Champions. The students made outstanding progress and managed to produce some excellent tennis on the Short

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Tennis courts.

The Tennis Seeds enjoyed a variety of approaches to improve their hand eye coordination and racquet head control. Whilst it was equally impressive to see how the Tennis Champions moved from struggling to hit the ball at the beginning of the course, to playing singles matches by the end!

At the end of each course all of the participants were awarded course completion certificates. Whilst at the beginning of each course they receive their special BAS Short Tennis T-shirt.

The British School of Short Tennis starts a new course on Wednesday 14 April 2010, in the British School of Kuwait covered courtyards from 16.30 to 17.30. Call 25625604 / 25620706 X 131 for more details.

Or e-mail : BAS@britishintl.com

Road show event nformation of IEI, Kuwait Chapter and IIT, Bombay, India Road Show event.Who should Attend: Individuals: Mechanical/ Chemical/ Production/ Industrial/ Instrumentation/ Civil/Construction/ Petroleum Engineers in Oil +ACY- Gas, Chemical Process Industry, Power Sector, Cross Country Piping, EPC Companies, Design Contractors +ACY- Consultants, Inspection Agencies, Ship Building Industry, Municipal Corporations in distribution of utilities (gas, water, chilled water), City Gas Distribution etc.

Corporate: Companies in the above manufacturing or service sectors. EPC companies servicing the above sectors. For more information on the Road Show or Course visit: www.CEPGlobe.com Or write to: gvkshmi+AEA-iitb.ac.in ieikwt+AEA-hotmail.com, Contact M.H. Zaidi (00965 66655185) or Ms. G. Vijayalakshmi (9930980980/9920949937).

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Burgan Bank’s Chief Marketing Officer, Fadi with KACCH Vice President Margaret Al Sayer.

Kuwait.

The Bank’s support to KACCH and to other numerous programs under its Corporate Social Responsibility frame-

work avows its true values, commitment, dedication and belief in the importance of supporting the community and humanitarian causes.

Admission to technical institutions in India

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inistry of Human Resources & Development, Govt of India, has entrusted the central coordination of admission under Direct Admission of Students Abroad (DASA) Scheme to NITK Surathkal, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.

Admissions are open for Foreign Nationals / Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) / Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) under DASA Scheme for the Academic Year 2010-11 to various National Institutes of Technology (NITs), and other premier Institutes (for details refer to www.nitk.ac.in). Attention of all interested students is drawn to the revised procedure of drawing up the Merit list for allotment of branches and Institutes based on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT II) subject scores only (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics Level 2). Hence, students are advised to register for SAT examination likely to be conducted on June 05, 2010, whose registration date is May 05, 2010. Please note that students applying under SPDC scheme for seeking admission in NITs are also required to qualify the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT II) examination.

This will, however, not affect students seeking admissions under SPDC to other institutes having an MOU with EdCIL. Complete details about the SAT examination are available at www.collegeboard.com . Detailed admission procedure, online application and brochure for the current revised scheme would also be available on NITK website (www.nitk.ac.in) effective 01.04.2010.

Any queries may be addressed to jsfs@moia.nic.in

ESF students on ski jamboree

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nce again The English School Fahaheel Upper school students ventured on a school trip and hit the snowy mountainous slopes for their annual ski trip. 20 students, accompanied by staff members, hit the slopes of Faraya-Mzaar in picturesque Lebanon. For some it was the first time, but

they were soon sliding down the gentle slopes learning how to turn and stop under control. After 40 cm of snowfall mid-week the weather improved and the whole group were able to make their way to the top of the resort and come down in varying styles and position.

Everyone benefited from the excellent instructors and their encouragement. New friends were made and old ones cemented. It was wonderful to see some students develop new skills and a greater understanding of living with other people. Everyone is now looking forward to the next school trip!!

The Embassy of India has further revamped and improved its Legal Advice Clinic at the Indian Workers Welfare Center, and made the free service available to Indian nationals on all five working days, i.e. from Sunday to Thursday every week. Kuwaiti lawyers would be available at the Legal Advice Clinic daily from Monday to Thursday, while Indian lawyers would be available on Sundays.

Following are the free welfare services provided at the Indian Workers Welfare Center located at the Embassy of India: [i] 24x7 Helpline for Domestic Workers: Accessible by toll free telephone no.

25674163 from anywhere in Kuwait, it provides information and advice exclusively to Indian domestic sector workers (Visa No. 20) as regards their grievances, immigration and other matters. [ii] Help Desk: It offers guidance to Indian nationals on routine immigration, employment, legal, and other issues (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iii) Labour Complaints Desk: It registers labor complaints and provides grievance redressal service to Indian workers (Embassy premises; 9 AM to 1 PM and 2 PM to 4.30 PM, Sunday to Thursday); (iv) Shelters: For female and male domestic workers in distress; (v) Legal Advice Clinic: Provides free legal advice to Indian nationals (Embassy premises; Kuwaiti lawyers 3 PM to 5 PM, Monday to Thursday; Indian lawyers 2 PM to 4 PM on Sunday); and (vi) Attestation of Work Contracts: Private sector worker (Visa No. 18) contracts are accepted at the Embassy; 9 AM to 1 PM; Sunday to Thursday; Domestic sector worker (Visa No. 20) contracts are accepted at Kuwait Union of Domestic Labor Offices (KUDLO), Hawally, Al-Othman Street, Kurd Roundabout, Al-Abraj Complex, Office No 9, Mezzanine Floor; 9 AM to 9 PM, Saturday to Thursday; 5 PM to 9 PM on Friday.

EMBASSY OF PHILIPPINES The Embassy of the Philippines wishes to inform the Filipino community in the State of Kuwait, that the recent supreme court decision to extend the registration of voter’s applies only in local registration in the Philippines under Republic Act no. 8189 and does not apply to overseas voters which is governed by Republic Act no. 9189, hence it has no impact on the plans and preparations on the conduct of overseas absentee voting. The overseas absentee voting for presidential elections will continue uninterrupted until May 10, 2010 daily at the Philippine Embassy.

Registered overseas absentee voters are advised to schedule their days off in advance to avoid complications in their schedules. Qualified voters are encouraged to get out and vote.

Information on Cuba he Government of Cuba decided last February 16, that all travelers, foreign and Cubans living abroad, coming to the island from May 1, 2010 and thereafter shall take out a medical insurance policy. To meet such requirement, travelers shall have a travel insurance which covers medical expenses or a policy for medical expenses with coverage in Cuba. For more information when planning your trip to Cuba please, visit our web site or any Cuba embassy or consulate next to you, or any Cuban Tourism Office. You can visit www.cubatravel.cu or at www.asistur.cu

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WHATʼS ON IN KUWAIT

Monday, April 19, 2010

Announcement Aware diwaniya The AWARE Center cordially invites those interested to its diwaniya on “Communication and time management,” by Linda Fouke. When asked to identify stress in their lives, adults list ‘time’ as one of the top three sources of stress.

Dr Linda is currently a school administrator and former founder of “Room4 Improvement,” a management consulting company, where Linda helped her clients get better organized, increase productivity and decrease their stress levels. If you are looking for tips to improve work performance and remain in control of a busy life, join Dr Linda as she shares ways to hone time management skills on Tuesday April 20 at 7 pm. For more information, please call 25335280/60 ext 105 or e-mail: Htaware.hassan@gmail.com or log onto: www.aware.com.kw”

BSK students participate in ME German photography exhibition he British School of Kuwait was honoured to welcome the German Ambassador, Herr Doktor Michael Worbs, to view the school’s entries to the photography competition ‘Deutschland im Sucher’, organized by the Goethe Institute in Abu Dhabi. The

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theme for the exhibition which was held in The Lowry Gallery was German pictures from Kuwait and the work ranged from cars to football hats with all of the leading German products from the Kuwaiti market on show.

Kerala leaders call for comprehensive immigration act

NAFO Annual Day celebrations National Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait) will celebrate its Sixth Anniversary on Friday, April 23, 2010, at Indian Community Senior School, Salmiya, from 6:00 pm onwards. Indian ambassador Ajai Malhotra will be the chief guest.

Several traditional colorful programs, such as Dasavatharam (choreographed by E K Haridas Kurup of Kalabhavan Kuwait), Layavinayasam (instrumental fusion music by NAFO members and children), Mohiniyattam, inauguration and visual presentation of NAFO title song (written

by Subbaraman and composed by T S Radhakrishnan), comedy skit, cinematic dance (choreographed and performed by NAFO children), puppet show by Madhu Warrier and group and solo and duet songs (by NAFO competition winners) will be some of the highlights of the program. NAFO cultural competition winners and judges will be honored with trophies, certificates and gifts. “Nafoscholarsnet.com” a venture to bring together children of NAFO families studying in India and abroad under a professional network will be inaugurated by the Ambassador.

Auditorium door will be opened from 5:30 pm onwards. Since, NAFO Annual Day celebrations coincide with the festival season of Vishu, the function would begin with traditional Vishukkani and Vishukaineetam.

CHRISCCAA annual meeting Christian College Chengannur - Alumni Association, Kuwait Chapter (CHRISCCAA), executive committee, have decided to conduct its annual general body meeting on Saturday, April 24, at United Indian School, Jleeb, from 8 pm onwards. Presentation of Annual Report, Annual Accounts, selection of Office bearers and executive committee will be held during the meeting. All the association members are requested to attend the meeting. Contact any of the following office bearers for more details.

Mathew Alexander, President (99553036), George Mathew, vice president (94060522), Sunil Thomas, Gen.Secretary (66265702), Jacob Varghese, Treasurer (66223348).

Indian Lawyers Forum Kuwait Indian Lawyers Forum is convened for a family get together at the residence of Adv Sudheer Ramachandran on 30th April at 11 am at Abbassiya (next to BVP). To know the location, please call 99359680. All Indian lawyer members are cordially invited to attend the meeting. Those who are interested may contact: 97203939/ 97260159 or by email: lawyersforum@gmail.com Kala Balakalamela Kerala Art Lovers Association-KALA will conduct Arts and Literature competitions for Indian school children on April 30 at Indian Community School, Khaitan. The items include classical dances, essay writing, elocutions, recitations, singing, classical music and skits. The event is named “Balakalamela-2010”. Prizes to winners will be given away the same evening. Free entry forms are available at all Indian schools, J.Saji, general secretary KALA, said. For assistance and details, the following numbers may be contacted: 97817100 / 99122984/ 24317875.

Al-Thaalib Scholarship 2010 Al-Thaalib Scholarship is a financial aid scheme for under privileged school students in Kuwait, sponsored by Islam Presentation Committee (IPC) & Ministry of Awqaf in association with Friday Forum and Pakistan Kuwait Welfare Association. Last year we were able to provide financial assistance to nearly 900 students of various Indian & Pakistani Schools in Kuwait for the academic year 2008-09. These scholarships were given to the needy students irrespective of their religion or nationality. We are pleased to inform that the process for Al-Thaalib Scholarship for the current academic year, 201011, has begun for all Indian, Philippine and Pakistani Schools in Kuwait.This year we shall endeavor to reach the scholarship to as many needy students as possible to help them continue with their education without any financial hindrance. In order to avail this scholarship, applicants are requested to collect the Application Form, from Al-Thaalib Office located in CAMS, Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, Darwaza, Near Warba Insurance Co, Int’l Islamic Charity Organization Building, 2nd Floor, Al-Sharq. The duly filled application form shall be submitted to Al-Thaalib office on or before April 30, 2010 along with all supporting documents specified in the Application Form. For more information, you may contact 55046318 or 22418934 ext 204/202.

BSK students Mourad Farahat, Fenna Hasche, Halyna Zhmur and James White discussed their photographs with the Ambassador, who was then entertained by Saba al-Tamimi and Janaki Butterworth singing Lieder by the 19th century composer Johannes Brahms.

Happy Birthday

Unveiling fashions of the Middle East Reflections of Who We Are: AWARE & Kuwaiti Youth Volunteers Present: Thursday, April 22 Reflections of Who We Are - “Unveiling the Fashions of the Middle East” A Middle-EasternGulf Country Cultural Clothing Fashion Show & Charity Event (All proceeds will be donated to Animal Friends League) from 7-9 pm at PAAET College, Adaliya. Radiating confidence and reflecting on their cultural roots, Kuwaiti youth join hands with AWARE to model the culturally rich backgrounds of fashion from the MiddleEastern Gulf Countries. Fashion is a prevailing custom or style of dress selected primarily on one’s national identity & religious beliefs.

Nationals of Middle Eastern Gulf countries enjoy a style uniquely their own while sharing an element of modesty in their traditional dress. We invite you to join for a lively, traditional clothing fashion show as our models present, for the first time, costumes from Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

For further details contact AWARE at 2-5335280 or email: info@aware.com.kw

Belated birthday greetings to AHMED JAMIL who celebrated his birthday yesterday. Greetings from papa and mama, sisters Serrit and Zenb (in picture), relatives and friends.

St Peters CSI Church bids farewell he St Peters CSI Church, under the leadership of Church Priest, Rev. Jacob. T. Abraham, gave a warm farewell to the out going Marthoma Church Priests, Rev. Sunny Thomas, Vicar, Marthoma Church, Salmiya and Rev. Raju Thomas, Vicar, Marthoma Church, Kuwait City, as they are transferred to India. This ceremony took place during the CSI Church! S Holy Communion Service time. On this occasion Bobben Mani handed over the gift voucher and P C Johnson expressed the vote of thanks.

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team of Keralite leaders comprising Pinarayi Vijayan Secretary CPI(M) Kerala state committee, A Vijayaraghavan, member CPI(M) central committee, T K Hamza, Chairman of the newly formed Pravasi Welfare Board of Kerala, John Brittas Managing Director Kairali TV, A A Rasheed director Kairali TV, visited Kuwait last week as part of their Gulf tour. Kuwait’s ace Malayalee organization KALA took the lead in organizing a rousing reception to the visiting leaders. Delightful Keralite community packed the reception to see and hear the popular leaders. Men from other prominent Indian groups also attended.

Earlier that day, Pinarayi Vijayan, accompanied by office-bearers of Kerala Art Lovers Association-KALA, had called on the Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra and shared views on issues related to the community.

“We also shared with him our concern

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on the severities suffered by workers; I think the Indian officials back home are no less responsible,” Vijayan told the media. “Rights of the migrant workers can only be safeguarded by a comprehensive immigration law. The Ambassador too has some good judgment of the matter,” he said. On way back from the meeting with the Ambassador, he was able to talk to some run-away workers who were just then walking into the embassy premises.

Later addressing a huge gathering at KALA reception, Pinarayi Vijayan strongly criticized the central government for shying away from rehabilitating the Gulf returnees. He called for immediate legislation to protect the migrant workers. “Despite having a big fund at hand by way of deposits collected from migrants, the central government has no plan to start any scheme for Gulf returnees. Such a lack of concern is dangerous!” he

said.

T K Hamza, Chairman of Pravasi Welfare Board, elaborated Kerala government’s own schemes for the pravasis. He named the benefits one by one that the pravais can draw off from the schemes. A Vijayaraghavan ex-MP mainly spoke on the outstanding nature of the community wherever they dwelled. He attributed the distinctive qualities of Malayalees to the string of uprisings and peoples’ struggles that took place in Kerala in the past centuries.

Kairali TV Managing Director John Brittas, Kairali TV Director A.A.Rasheed also addressed the audience. The meeting, presided over by KALA president J.Albert, began with the welcome speech by J.Saji, general secretary and was concluded by vote of thanks by R.Naganadhan. The visitors left for Oman the following day, where receptions by Indian community groups are waiting for them.

Media has to play a constructive role in upbringing the society T

he world media especially the visual media, have to play a constructive role in upbringing the society by upholding moral values and maintaining the social amity, said Jamat-e-Islami Kerala Assistant Amir, M I Abdul Azeez. He was speaking at the members meet organized by Kerala Islamic Group - KIG at Central School auditorium, Abbasiya.

When we take a cross section of many societies

across the globe, a unique pattern of deterioration in moral values could be visibly observed. Many societies are nose diving in to chaos. Immorality and corruptions are on the rise. Certain sections of the society are being targeted and branded as fundamentalists and terrorists. Unfortunately, the media instead of bringing the true nature of the story, publishes the news instantaneously without checking the authenticity of the news item at first, and often

corrects afterwards. The path breaking change in the newspaper industry brought about by ‘Madhyamam Daily’ in Kerala need to be replicated in the visual media as well. Jamat-e-Islami will always stand up for humanity and high moral values and will look at all possibilities to bring about the change it envisions, M.I. Abdul Azeez continued.

In a farewell function attached to the members meet, a memento was presented by Janab M.I.

Abdul Aziz to T. Abdul Rasheed president of KIG Kuwait City (Hira) unit, who will be leaving Kuwait for good after his long expatriate life in Kuwait. KIG President Sakeer Hussain Tuvvoor presided over the meeting, former president PK Jamal, vice-presidents Faisal Manjeri, VP Shoukath Ali, General Secretary SAP Azad etc., were present. Earlier the program started with recitation of verses form Holy Quran by Anees Abdul Salam.

TV PROGRAMS

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Dubai One - Out and About This Week Want to be kept up-to-date on what’s happening in Dubai? Here’s your weekly rundown on Out & About This Week on Dubai One, the 24-hour free-to-air English language entertainment channel part of Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI).

This week (airing 21st April) Layne gets fit in a session of Kettle Bells before celebrating The Lime Tree Cafés ninth birthday by voting for his favourite cake.

Punam steps into the eco-friendly beauty salon, Zen Beauty Lounge for a toxic – free, organic treatment and enjoys a day kidding around at Chuck E. Cheeses.

Next week (airing 28th April) we enjoy a day out at Aquaplay before finding the perfect shoe at Foot Solutions.

Punam treats herself in The Fish Spa, FISHO at Wild Wadi Waterpark while Layne walks on water using Fun Balls at Ibn Battuta Mall, and we go under water in a Cage Snorkelling Experience at the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo. Don’t miss it.

For all this and more, join us on Out and About This Week on Dubai One, every Wednesday at 9.00pm UAE time.

On Out & About: Out and About This Week is a weekly presenter led 30 minute guide telling

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House Dawson’s Creek Bones One Tree Hill Dawson’s Creek Supernatural CSI House Criminal Minds Cold Case Bones One Tree Hill CSI Supernatural Bones Dawson’s Creek Criminal Minds Cold Case House CSI Hawthorne Saving Grace Supernatural Midnight Man

00:45 Whale Wars 01:40 Untamed & Uncut 02:35 Untamed & Uncut 03:30 Polar Bears: Living on Thin Ice 04:25 Night 04:50 Night 05:20 Animal Cops Phoenix 06:10 RSPCA: Have You Got What it Takes?

06:35 Jockeys 07:00 Wildlife SOS 07:25 Pet Rescue 07:50 Polar Bears: Living on Thin Ice 08:45 Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous...

09:40 Beverly Hills Groomer 10:05 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:30 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 10:55 Monkey Business 11:20 SSPCA: On the Wildside 11:50 Miami Animal Police 12:45 E-Vets: The Interns 13:10 Pet Rescue 13:40 Animal Cops Houston 14:35 Wildlife SOS 15:00 SSPCA: On the Wildside 15:30 Polar Bears: Living on Thin Ice 16:25 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 16:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:20 Beverly Hills Groomer 17:45 Animal Battlegrounds 18:15 Dogs 101 19:10 Planet Earth 20:10 Animal Cops Phoenix 21:05 Untamed & Uncut 22:00 Human Prey 22:55 Animal Cops Houston 23:50 Planet Earth

00:25 Doctor Who 01:10 Hell To Hotel 02:00 Casualty 02:50 Casualty 03:40 Doctors 04:10 Doctors 04:40 Doctors 05:10 Doctors 05:40 Doctors 06:20 Teletubbies 06:45 Me Too 07:05 Tweenies 07:25 Teletubbies 07:50 Me Too 08:10 Tweenies 08:30 Teletubbies 08:55 Me Too 09:15 Tweenies 09:40 Bargain Hunt 10:25 Ancient Rome: Rise And Fall Of An Empire 11:15 2 Point 4 Children 11:45 2 Point 4 Children 12:15 The Weakest Link

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viewers what to expect from the coming week in Dubai. The show covers a range of activities within the city from sport to food to entertainment and so on. By watching our presenters Punam and Layne enjoy what this city has to offer, our viewers get a taste of what is available to them. The aim of our new season is to be even more interactive, as well as remaining current and report-

Eastenders Doctors Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic 2 Point 4 Children 2 Point 4 Children The Weakest Link Doctors Cash In The Attic Robin Hood Coast The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders New Tricks Holby City Holby City

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00:00 Boys’ Weekend 00:25 Boys’ Weekend 00:50 Saturday Kitchen 01:15 Saturday Kitchen 01:45 Living In The Sun 02:30 Cash In The Attic 03:15 Cash In The Attic 04:00 Cash In The Attic 04:45 Chuck’s Day Off 05:05 Chuck’s Day Off 05:30 Trish’s Mediterranean Kitchen 05:55 Gino D’Acampo - An Italian In Mexico 06:15 Living In The Sun 07:10 Saturday Kitchen 07:35 Saturday Kitchen 08:05 The Naked Chef 08:30 Bargain Hunt 09:15 Antiques Roadshow 10:05 Antiques Roadshow 10:55 Cash In The Attic USA 11:20 Hidden Potential 11:45 The Naked Chef 12:10 The Naked Chef 12:35 Living In The Sun 13:25 What Not To Wear 14:15 Bargain Hunt 15:00 Bargain Hunt 15:45 Antiques Roadshow 16:35 Cash In The Attic USA 16:55 Hidden Potential 17:15 The Naked Chef 17:40 The Naked Chef 18:05 Living In The Sun 18:55 Antiques Roadshow 19:45 Daily Cooks Challenge 20:15 Come Dine With Me 20:40 MasterChef Goes Large 21:10 Saturday Kitchen 21:35 Saturday Kitchen 22:00 Cash In The Attic 22:45 How To Find A Husband 23:30 New British Kitchen 23:55 Ainsley’s Gourmet Express

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Wonderland-18 The Apostle-PG15 Max-PG15 Ocean Waves-PG15 Jacquou Le Croquant-PG15 Class Action-PG15 Trekkies 2-PG Princess Mononoke-PG15 Yasmin-PG15 Night Falls On Manhattan-18 El Pasado-18 Arlington Road-18

Gang Wars Rampage!

Nextworld Fifth Gear Fifth Gear American Chopper How Stuff’s Made Destroyed in Seconds Destroyed in Seconds Extreme Explosions Massive Engines Massive Engines

ing on everything new that will be happening in Dubai. This can include anything from a new event in town, to the opening of an F&B outlet, to a must try activity, to an exciting new spa treatment or a new flavored ice cream... the possibilities are endless.

Air time: Wednesdays 9pm.

Repeat times: Thursdays 2.30pm and Fridays 6:30pm.

Top Trumps Street Customs 2008 Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Fifth Gear Fifth Gear Border Security How it’s Made How It’s Made American Chopper Miami Ink Mythbusters Dirty Jobs LA Hard Hats Border Security Street Customs 2008 Destroyed in Seconds How it’s Made How It’s Made Twist the Throttle Extreme Fishing Ultimate Survival

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The Gadget Show Science of the Movies Future Weapons Future Weapons The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Science of the Movies What’s That About?

Test Case Engineered The Kustomizer Ten Ways The Gadget Show The Gadget Show How Does That Work?

Stunt Junkies What’s That About?

Mean Green Machines Weird Connections Ten Ways The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Nextworld How Does That Work?

The Kustomizer Brainiac Eco-Tech Building the Biggest Kings of Construction How It’s Made How It’s Made Mythbusters Building the Biggest Kings of Construction Eco-Tech

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Suite Life On Deck A Kind Of Magic Phineas & Ferb Fairly Odd Parents Replacements Wizards Of Waverly Place Lazytown Imagination Movers Handy Manny Jungle Junction Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Higglytown Heroes My Friends Tigger And Pooh Lazytown Special Agent Oso Imagination Movers Jungle Junction 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 I Got A Rocket Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Replacements A Kind Of Magic Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana The Replacements Jonas Suite Life On Deck Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Wizards Of Waverly Place The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody The Replacements American Dragon Kim Possible I Got A Rocket Fairly Odd Parents Phineas & Ferb

00:40 E!es 01:05 E!es 01:30 E! Investigates 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 Ths 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 E!es 07:45 Style Star 08:10 Style Star 08:35 E! News 09:25 Bank Of Hollywood 10:15 Ths 11:05 Ths 12:00 E! News 12:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 13:40 25 Most Sensational Hollywood Meltdowns 15:25 Behind The Scenes 15:50 Behind The Scenes 16:15 E!es 17:10 Kendra 17:35 Kendra 18:00 E! News 18:50 Streets Of Hollywood 19:15 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 19:40 E!es 21:20 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami 21:45 Kourtney And Khloe Take Miami 22:10 E! News 23:00 Dr 90210 23:50 Wildest Tv Show Moments

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Food Network Challenge Special 30 Minute Meals Food Network Challenge Special Food Network Challenge Special Food Network Challenge Iron Chef America Food Network Challenge Food Network Challenge Iron Chef America Chopped Food Network Challenge Everyday Italian Food Network Challenge Food Network Challenge Great British Menu Daily Cooks Challenge Food Network Challenge 30 Minute Meals 30 Minute Meals Teleshopping Barefoot Contessa Teleshopping Barefoot Contessa Teleshopping Great British Menu Teleshopping Daily Cooks Challenge Teleshopping Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa

Monday, April 19, 2010 Orbit / Showtime Listings

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01:30 03:10 05:05 06:40 08:15 09:55 11:30 13:05 14:40 16:10 18:00 19:40 22:00 23:45

Teleshopping Tyler’s Ultimate Food Network Challenge Tyler’s Ultimate

Undercover Murder Shift On the Case with Paula Zahn Deadly Women Undercover Real Emergency Calls FBI Files Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives FBI Files Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Mystery ER Forensic Detectives FBI Files Mystery ER The Prosecutors Disappeared Forensic Detectives FBI Files Real Emergency Calls Real Emergency Calls Mystery ER Forensic Detectives FBI Files Mystery ER The Prosecutors Disappeared Forensic Justice Dr G: Medical Examiner Dr G: Medical Examiner

Stigmata Belly Of An Architect Love, Cheat & Steal Sweet Lies Kidnapped A Green Journey Joey Crusoe Mr. Accident Of Mice And Men After the Fox F.I.S.T Tortilla Soup The Tie That Binds

00:00 Better Off Ted 00:30 The Office 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 Best ofLate night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Saturday Night Live 04:30 South park 05:00 Better Off Ted 05:30 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 06:30 Everybody Loves Raymond 07:00 Just Shoot me!

07:30 Malcolm in the Middle 08:00 Frasier 08:30 Yes dear 09:00 The Nanny 09:30 Drew Carey 10:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 10:30 Just Shoot me!

11:00 Frasier 11:30 Eight Simple Rules 12:00 Best of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson 13:00 The Office 13:30 Yes dear 14:00 The Nanny 14:30 Malcolm in the Middle 15:00 Saturday Night Live 16:30 Drew Carey 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 Eight Simple Rules 18:30 Just Shoot me!

19:00 Billable Hours 19:30 The Office 20:00 Best of Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 Colbert Report Global 22:00 Monday Stand Up night 23:30 South park

00:00 The Martha Stewart Show 01:00 Downsize Me 02:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 03:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified 04:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Best Of) 05:00 GMA Weekend (Repeat) 06:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified 07:00 Parenting 07:30 Job Club 08:00 The Martha Stewart Show 09:00 Downsize Me 10:00 The Best of Jimmy Kimmel 11:00 The View (repeat) 12:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 13:00 The Martha Stewart Show 14:00 GMA Live 16:00 Ahead of The Curve 16:30 Nature’s Edge 17:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Best Of) 18:00 Turn Back Your Body Clock 18:30 10 Years Younger 19:00 The View (repeat) 20:00 The Ellen DeGeneres Show 21:00 The Best of Jimmy Kimmel

22:00 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (Best Of) 23:00 Moms Get Real / Now you know / Amplified

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Cocaine Cowboys II-18 Shake Hands With The Devil-PG15 For One More Day-PG15 Fireproof-PG The Promotion-PG15 Igor-PG Leatherheads-PG15 Somers Town-PG The Promotion-PG15 Nights In Rodanthe-PG15 Blessed-PG15 The Assassination Of Jesse James

01:00 Smokin’ Aces-18 03:00 Dark Island-PG15 05:00 Stargate: Continuum-PG15 07:00 The Shepherd-PG15 09:00 Palermo Shooting-PG15 11:00 Boa-PG15 13:00 The Watch-PG15 15:00 Palermo Shooting-PG15 17:00 Creature Of Darkness-PG15 19:00 Fight Night-PG15 21:00 Star Trek 10: Nemesis-PG15 23:00 Children Of The Corn VII: Revelation-18

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Going Berserk-PG15 The Birdcage-18 The Coneheads-PG15 Home For The Holidays-PG Clueless-PG15 Good Burger-PG15 Separation City-PG15 Parenthood-PG15 Going Berserk-PG15 Lonely Street-PG15 Jackass: The Movie-18 Vegas Baby-18

00:00 The Three Robbers-PG 02:00 Harriet The Spy-PG 04:00 Aussie And Ted’s Great Adventure 06:00 The Jungle Book II-FAM 08:00 Mamma Moo And Crow-FAM 10:00 Aussie And Ted’s Great Adventure 12:00 Barbie In The 12 Dancing Princesses-FAM 14:00 Harriet The Spy-PG 16:00 Christmas In Wonderland-PG 18:00 Atom Nine Adventures-PG 20:00 How To Eat Fried Worms-FAM 22:00 Barbie In The 12 Dancing Princesses-FAM

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The Ex-list Law & Order: Criminal Intent Breaking Bad Survivor : Samoa Every Body Loves Raymond Coach 24 Emmerdale Coronation Street Law & Order Every Body Loves Raymond Coach Survivor : Samoa 24 Law & Order Emmerdale Coronation Street Every Body Loves Raymond Coach The Ex-list Law & Order: Criminal Intent 24 Survivor : Samoa Emmerdale Coronation Street Ugly Betty Desperate Housewives Law & Order 24 Breaking Bad

01:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 20:30 21:45 22:00

Premier League Futbol Mundial Premier League World Premier League Classics Barclays Premier League Live Premier League Review Show Live Toshiba Monday Night Football Live Premier League

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Premier League NRL Premiership NRL Premiership ICC Cricket World Mobil 1 The Grid Snooker World Championship Live NRL Premiership Futbol Mundial ICC Cricket World Premier League Darts NRL Premiership European PGA Tour Highlights Live Goals On Monday Live Toshiba Monday Night Football Live Premier League

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Guinness Premiership Premier League Darts AFL Toyota Premiership Guinness Premiership World Sport Live Snooker World Championship Premier League World Live Snooker World Championship Futbol Mundial Mobil 1 The Grid Live Snooker World Championship

01:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

UFC - The Ultimate Fighter V8 Supercars Series NCAA Basketball UFC Unleashed WWE Bottomline UAE National Race Day FIM World Cup Brain Cell UFC All Access V8 Supercars Series WWE Vintage Collection NCAA Basketball WWE Smackdown WWE Vintage Collection V8 Supercars Series Highlights UFC - The Ultimate Fighter UFC Wired UFC Unleashed UFC Unleashed

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Taking Chance-PG15 The Nines-PG15 The Children Of Huang Shi-PG15 Things That Hang From Trees The Lakehouse-PG Eavesdrop-PG All Roads Lead Home-PG Greetings From The Shore-PG Racing Daylight-PG15 It’s A Free World-PG15 The Greatest -PG15 Vicky Cristina Barcelona-PG15

01:25 The Night Of The Iguana 03:30 The Screening Room 04:00 Angels & Insects 05:55 The Screening Room 06:25 The Screening Room 07:00 Bhowani Junction 08:50 The Wonderful World Of The Brothers Grimm 10:55 Bad Day At Black Rock 12:15 Mogambo 14:10 The Screening Room 14:40 Viva Las Vegas 16:05 Bhowani Junction 17:55 Where Were You When The Lights Went Out? 19:25 The Screening Room 20:05 The Year Of Living Dangerously 22:00 Angels & Insects

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Monster Quest Dogfights Deep Sea Detectives Lost Worlds Seven Deadly Sins Life After People Ax Men 2 Monster Quest Dogfights

08:10 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:40 12:30 13:20 14:10 15:00 15:55 16:50 17:40 18:30 19:20 20:10 21:00

Deep Sea Detectives Lost Worlds The Universe Life After People Ax Men 2 Monster Quest Dogfights Deep Sea Detectives Lost Worlds The Universe Life After People Ax Men 2 Monster Quest Dogfights Deep Sea Detectives Modern Marvels

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What I Hate About Me My Celebrity Home How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dr 90210 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane Area How Do I Look?

Style Star Style Her Famous My Celebrity Home Style Star Dress My Nest Peter Perfect Whose Wedding Is it Anyway?

Ruby Giuliana & Bill Clean House Clean House Comes Clean Dress My Nest How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dallas Divas & Daughters Style Her Famous Running in Heels Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane Split Ends Clean House Giuliana & Bill Clean House What I Hate About Me

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 03:30 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 21:00 22:00 22:30 23:00 23:30

Globe Trekker Temples In The Clouds Rajasthan - A Colourful Legacy Distant Shores Wild At Heart Angry Planet Culture Shock Temples In The Clouds Globe Trekker Globe Trekker Globe Trekker Essential Dream Destinations Distant Shores Distant Shores Chef Abroad Entrada Planet Food Globe Trekker Chef Abroad The Thirsty Traveler Feast India Entrada Angry Planet Essential Globe Trekker Essential Journey Into Wine- Australia Chef Abroad The Thirsty Traveler Globe Trekker Planet Food Floyd Uncorked Travel Today Culture Shock Essential

The Assassination Of Jesse James on Show Movies

Star Listings (UAE Timings) STAR Movies 20:55 54 22:25 Halloween: Resurrection 23:55 One Fine Day 01:45 Get Shorty 03:30 Predator 2 05:15 54 06:45 VIP Access 07:15 Halloween: Resurrection 08:45 One Fine Day 10:35 Get Shorty 12:20 Predator 2 14:05 Fight Night 15:40 French Kiss 17:30 Little Voice 19:05 Independence Day STAR World 20:00 Mental 20:50 Charlie’s Angels 21:00 The Listener 21:50 Who’s The Boss?

22:00 90210 23:00 [V] Tunes 00:00 [V] Tunes 01:00 [V] Tunes 02:00 7th Heaven 03:00 Scrubs 03:30 The King Of Queens 04:00 Samantha Who? 04:30 Samantha Who?

05:00 05:50 06:00 06:50 07:00 07:50 08:00 08:50 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:50 11:00 11:50 12:00 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:50 17:00 17:50 18:00 18:50 19:00 19:50

Criminal Minds Jackie Chan Adventures Grey’s Anatomy Charlie’s Angels 90210 Who’s The Boss?

Mental Jackie Chan Adventures The King Of Queens The Bold And The Beautiful 7th Heaven Charlie’s Angels Grey’s Anatomy Who’s The Boss?

[V] Tunes Criminal Minds Scrubs The King Of Queens Samantha Who? Samantha Who? October Road Jackie Chan Adventures Reaper Charlie’s Angels Stone Undercover Who’s The Boss?

Criminal Minds Jackie Chan Adventures

Granada TV 20:00 Lewis (Series 1)

22:00 Holiday Homes From Hell ** 23:00 Vroom Vroom (Series 2) 00:00 60 Minute Makeover (Series 3) 01:00 Piers Morgan’s The Dark Side of Fame Mickey Rourke 02:00 Crime Monday: Lewis (Series 1) 04:00 Young, Posh and Loaded 04:30 The Sunshine Girls 05:00 Emmerdale 05:30 Coronation Street 06:00 60 Minute Makeover (Series 3) 07:00 Crime Monday: Lewis (Series 1) 09:00 Piers Morgan’s The Dark Side of Fame Mickey Rourke 10:00 Young, Posh and Loaded 10:30 The Sunshine Girls 11:00 Emmerdale 11:30 Coronation Street 12:00 Teen Fat Camp 13:00 Crime Monday: Lewis (Series 1) 15:00 Piers Morgan’s Life Stories Special With Gordon Brown * 16:00 Emmerdale 16:30 Coronation Street 17:00 Teen Fat Camp 18:00 Crime Monday: Lewis (Series 1) Channel [V] 21:00 [V] Tunes 21:30 [V] Tunes 22:00 Loop

23:00 23:30 00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 19:00

Amp Around Asia [V] Tunes [V] Special XO Loop Backtracks Videoscope [V] Special [V] Tunes [V] Tunes Loop Amp Around Asia [V] Tunes Loop [V] Tunes [V] Plug Loop Backtracks XO [V] Tunes [V] Plug The Playlist [V] Countdown Backtracks Double Shot Loop [V] Tunes [V] Plug Loop Backtracks XO

19:30 [V] Tunes 20:00 [V] Plug 20:30 The Playlist Fox News 00:00 America’s News HQ host Shannon Bream 02:00 Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 03:00 The O’Reilly Factor(repeat) 04:00 America’s News HQ hosts Gregg Jarrett and Julie Banderas 06:00 FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 07:00 FOX Report Sunday host Julie Banderas 08:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee 09:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity 10:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera 11:00 Huckabee with Mike Huckabee 12:00 Hannity with Sean Hannity 13:00 Geraldo At Large with Geraldo Rivera 14:00 FOX News Sunday with Chris Wallace (repeat) 15:00 War Stories with Oliver North 16:00 Bulls and Bears (repeat) 16:30 Cavuto On Business (repeat) 17:00 FORBES on FOX (repeat) 17:30 Cashin’ In (repeat) 18:00 FOX & Friends First Live 19:00 FOX & Friends Live 21:00 America’s Newsroom 22:00 America’s Newsroom

23:00 Happening Now National Geographic Channel 20:00 Inside -Inside- Narco State 21:00 Theme Week -Inside: Undercover In North Korea 22:00 Theme Week -Inside Iraq’s Kill Zone 23:00 Theme Week -Inside : Kung Fu Inc. 00:00 Air Crash Investigation -Air Crash Investigation Specia : Who’s Flying The Plane?

01:00 About Asia -ShowReal Asia : Brat Camp China 02:00 Locked Up Abroad -Philippine Terror 03:00 Dangerous Encounters -Dangerous Encounters With Brad : Monster Bite 04:00 The Living Edens -South Georgia Island: Paradise Of Ice 05:00 ABOUT ASIA -ShowReal Asia : Brat Camp China 06:00 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet -Farm To Fork 06:30 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet -Taste Of Tasmania 07:00 Triumph Of Life -Brain Power 08:00 Locked Up Abroad -Philippine Terror 09:00 Wild Chronicles -11 09:30 Wild Chronicles -12 10:00 Theme Week -Megastructures : The Impossible Build 11:00 Air Crash Investigation -Air Crash Investigation Specia : Who’s Flying The Plane?

Monday, April 19, 2010

33 Flight Schedule Arrival Flights on Monday 19/04/2010 Airlines Flt Route Bangladesh 045 Dhaka/Bahrain Wataniya Airways 188 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 306 Cairo Gulf Air 211 Bahrain Turkish A/L 772 Istanbul Wataniya Airways 322 Sharm El Sheikh Jazeera 435 Mashad Jazeera 267 Beirut DHL 370 Bahrain Emirates 853 Dubai Etihad 305 Abu Dhabi Qatari 138 Doha Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa/Bahrain Jazeera 503 Luxor Falcon 201 Dubai Jazeera 637 Aleppo Jazeera 527 Alexandria Jazeera 529 Assiut Kuwait 412 Manila/Bangkok Kuwait 204 Lahore Kuwait 382 Delhi Kuwait 302 Mumbai Fly Dubai 053 Dubai Kuwait 676 Dubai Kuwait 352 Cochin Kuwait 284 Dhaka Kuwait 362 Colombo Kuwait 344 Chennai Emirates 855 Dubai Arabia 121 Sharjah Qatari 132 Doha Etihad 301 Abu Dhabi Jazeera 425 Bahrain Gulf Air 213 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 182 Bahrain Middle East 404 Beirut Wataniya Airways 102 Dubai Jazeera 165 Dubai Iran Aseman 6521 Lamerd Jazeera 171 Dubai Egypt Air 610 Cairo Kuwait 672 Dubai Oman Air 645 Muscat Jazeera 525 Alexandria Wataniya Airways 432 Damascus Royal Jordanian 800 Amman United A/L 982 Washington DC Dulles Fly Dubai 057 Dubai Jazeera 257 Beirut Wataniya Airways 422 Amman Saudi Arabian A/L 500 Jeddah Kuwait 552 Damascus Nas Air 745 Jeddah Qatari 134 Doha Kuwait 548 Luxor Kuwait 546 Alexandria Kuwait 677 Muscat/Abu Dhabi Kuwait 118 New York Bahrain Air 344 Bahrain Etihad 303 Abu Dhabi Emirates 857 Dubai Jazeera 693 Shiraz Gulf Air 215 Bahrain Wataniya Airways 402 Beirut Jazeera 217 Isfahan Saudi Arabian A/L 510 Riyadh Jazeera 493 Jeddah Jazeera 239 Amman Arabia 125 Sharjah Jazeera 367 Deirezzor Sri Lankan 227 Colombo/Dubai Wataniya Airways 304 Cairo Wataniya Airways 106 Dubai Kuwait 542 Cairo Kuwait 502 Beirut Kuwait 786 Jeddah Kuwait 618 Doha Jazeera 177 Dubai Kuwait 743 Dammam Kuwait 674 Dubai Kuwait 614 Bahrain Kuwait 774 Riyadh Indian 575 Chennai/Goa Fly Dubai 061 Dubai Middle East 402 Beirut Rovos 081 Baghdad Jet A/W 572 Mumbai KLM 0445 Amsterdam Jazeera 459 Damascus DHL 372 Bahrain Gulf Air 217 Bahrain Emirates 859 Dubai Qatari 136 Doha United A/L 981 Bahrain Jazeera 429 Bahrain Jazeera 185 Dubai Tunis Air 327 Tunis Lufthansa 636 Frankfurt Wataniya Airways 108 Dubai Jazeera 263 Beirut

Time 00.05 00:30 00:50 01:05 01:15 01:20 01:30 01:45 02:15 02:25 02:55 03:25 03:30 05:15 05:25 06:45 06:05 06:10 06:15 07:10 07:20 07:50 07:55 08:00 08:05 08:10 08:20 08:20 08:25 08:40 09:00 09:25 10:25 10:45 10:45 10:50 11:05 11:05 11:45 12:50 12:55 13:15 13:15 13:20 13:35 13:35 13:35 13:50 14:10 14:10 14:30 14:35 14:55 15:05 15:10 15:30 15:35 16:15 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:00 17:15 17:15 17:20 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:40 18:00 18:35 18:45 18:50 18:50 18:55 18:55 19:05 19:15 19:20 19:20 19:25 19:30 20:05 20:20 20:30 20:30 20:40 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:35 21:55 22:15 23:05 23:35 23:45 23:55 23:55

Departure Flights on Monday l9/04/2010 Airlines Flt Route Time Jazeera 528 Assiut 00:05 India Express 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode 00:25 KLM 0447 Amsterdam 00:30 Safi A/W 216 Kabul 01:00 Indian 982 Ahmedabad/Chennai 01:05 Pakistan 206 Peshawar/Lahore 01:10 Bangladesh 046 Dhaka 01:15 Turkish A/L 773 Istanbul 02:15 DHL 371 Bahrain 03:15 Emirates 854 Dubai 03:45 Etihad 306 Abu Dhabi 04:00 Ethiopian 622 Addis Ababa 04:15 Qatari 139 Doha 05:00 Wataniya Airways 101 Dubai 06:50 Jazeera 164 Dubai 07:00 Jazeera 524 Alexandria 07:00 Jazeera 422 Bahrain 07:35 Gulf Air 212 Bahrain 07:45 Wataniya Airways 181 Bahrain 07:50 Wataniya Airways 431 Damascus 08:10 Kuwait 545 Alexandria 08:35 Jazeera 256 Beirut 08:35 Fly Dubai 054 Dubai 08:40 Kuwait 678 Abu Dhabi/Muscat 08:45 Kuwait 671 Dubai 09:00 Jazeera 170 Dubai 09:00 Kuwait 551 Damascus 09:10 Wataniya Airways 421 Amman 09:10 Kuwait 547 Luxor 09:20 Arabia 122 Sharjah 09:20 Emirates 856 Dubai 09:40 Qatari 133 Doha 10:00 Etihad 302 Abud Dhabi 10:10 Gulf Air 214 Bahrain 11:35 Wataniya Airways 401 Beirut 11:35 Kuwait 165 Rome/Paris 11:45 Middle East 405 Beirut 11:50 Wataniya Airways 303 Cairo 11:50 Kuwait 541 Cairo 12:00 Jazeera 492 Jeddah 12:15 Jazeera 366 Deirezzor 12:20 Jazeera 238 Amman 12:30 Kuwait 103 London 12:30 Iran Aseman 6522 Lamerd 12:45 Kuwait 50$ Beirut 13:00 Kuwait 785 Jeddah 13:30 Euypt Air 611 Cairo 13:55 Jazeera 692 Shiraz 14:05 Jazeera 216 Isfahan 14:05 Oman Air 646 Muscat 14:15 Wataniya Airways 105 Dubai 14:30 Royal Jordanian 801 Amman 14:30 Fly Dubai 058 Dubai 14:35 United A/L 982 Bahrain 14:50 Jazeera 176 Dubai 14:55 Kuwait 673 Dubai 15:10 Kuwait 617 Doha 15:35 5audi Arabian A/L 501 Jeddah 15:45 Nas Air 746 Jeddah 15:45 Jazeera 458 Damascus 15:50 Kuwait 773 Riyadh 16:05 Qatari 135 Doha 16:20 Kuwait 613 Bahrain 16:20 Kuwait 744 Dammam 16:25 Rovos 082 Baghdad 17:00 Bahrain Air 345 Bahrain 17:25 Etihad 304 Abu Dhabi 17:35 Emirates 858 Dubai 18:05 Wataniya Airways 305 Cairo 18:05 Gulf Air 216 Bahrain 18:05 Kuwait 543 Cairo 18:10 Jazeera 262 Beirut 18:15 Arabia 126 Sharjah 18:20 Saudi Arabian A/L 511 Riyadh 18:35 Jazeera 184 Dubai 19:00 Jazeera 428 Bahrain 19:10 Sri Lankan 228 Dubai/Colombo 19:10 Wataniya Airways 107 Dubai 19:40 Kuwait 283 Dhaka 20:00 Fly Dubai 062 Dubai 20:50 Kuwait 331 Trivandrum 21:00 Middle East 403 Beirut 21:20 Jet A/W 571 Mumbai 21:30 Wataniya Airways 187 Bahrain 21:35 KLM 0445 Bahrain/Amsterdam 21:40 Gulf Air 218 Bahrain 21:55 DHL 373 Bahrain 22:00 Kuwait 675 Dubai 22:10 Emirates 860 Dubai 22:25 Falcon 102 Bahrain 22:30 Kuwait 381 Delhi 22:30 Qatari 137 Doha 22:35 Kuwait 301 Mumbai 22:45 Kuwait 205 Islamabad 22:55 Jazeera 480 Sabiha 23:05 Jazeera 526 Alexandria 23:20 Jazeera 502 Luxor 23:30 Jazeera 636 Aleppo 23:35 United A/L 981 Washington DC Dulles 23:40 Kuwait 411 Bangkok/Manila 23:40

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

ACCOMMODATION Accommodation available now in Abbassiya near Bahrain Exchange for nonsmoking decent Keralites.

Also one room available for a couple or working ladies from middle of May, kitchen available.

Contact: 24334859, 99185377.

(C 2151) Sharing accommodation available for one bachelor to share with Goan family in two bedroom flat in Abbassiya near Unique Store No.2 opposite Uduppi palace hotel from May 2010. Contact: 66110593, 24313908. (C 2152) 19-4-2010

condition, full option, KD 2,250. Contact: 66714700.

(C 2150) 1996 Chev Silverado pick up 2w in very good condition, loaded with options.

KD 2,050.

Contact: 97485532. (C 2149) 19-4-2010 Hummer, black, H2 model, 2005, full options, Alghanim maintained, 97,000 km, excellent condition. Price KD 8,000 (negotiable). Contact: 99728244, 97113173.

Mitsubishi Lancer, 2006 model, metallic silver color, km 118,000, GLX, full options, very good condition, KD 1,650, serious buyers can contact: 60048674. (C 2144)

Single room available in a 2 bedroom flat, preferably for a single person with Goan family, near Khaitan co-op.

Contact: 66531884/99453500.

(C 2145)

Household items for sale, expat leaving Kuwait, fridge, AC, complete bedroom set, TV, sofa, dining table, and many more.

Phone: 66537038. (C 2142) 18-4-2010

Two bedroom flat single room available in Farwaniya near clinic couples or small family, Indians only (family visa only) 60 KD only from 26-5-2010. Tel: 99482666.

(C 2140)

Chery Extra, 2008 model, received from agency, zero

Sharing accommodation available for a small family in a 2 bedroom, hall & kitchen central A/C flat near Emirates hotel Abu Halifa with Keralite Christian family. Contact: 97612421.

(C 2147) 18-4-2010 Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya with Keralite family in a CAC building with separate bathroom from 31st March. Call: 99412951. (C 2136) 17-4-2010

FOR SALE 1998 GMC Sierra - 3500 pick up, 6.5L diesel engine double wheel, in very good

No: 14703

mileage, new. KD 2,250. Tel: 66451465. (C 2137) Jeep Cherokee 1996 in very good condition, price KD 675 o.n.o. Call 25630791/ 66805577.

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited from parents of well educated qualified boys for a Keralite Orthodox girl, 25 years, 165cm, B.Tech (E&C), working in a reputed firm, interested parties may respond with complete profile to seemaanniejohn@hotmail.com (C 2148) 19-4-2010 Proposals invited from parents of well qualified boys working in India or abroad for an Ezhava, Hindu girl, 23, working as lecturer, MES College of Engineering, Kuttivattom, Malappuram Dist. Please contact email: kalabhathilengr@yahoo.co.in (C 2143) 18-4-2010

MIDCELLIANEOUS Personal Training: For help in motivation, commitment, effective technique and results. An experienced international trainer is available to facilitate you achieving and exceeding your fitness goals. For bookings, call 65859449. (2139) 17-4-2010 SITUATION WANTED

I am searching a suitable job as sales executive. I have good PR skills, my qualification is MBA (Marketing) and valid driving license. I can join immediately. Mob: 55355954.

(C 2146) 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. Please contact: 66634322. (C 2148) 18-4-2010

SPECTRUM

34 CROSSWORD 963

Monday, April 19, 2010

Calvin Aries (March 21-April 19) You may want to take advantage of a quiet day today and organize and discipline your mind and methods of communication.

Perhaps this is a time for paying bills, communicating with relatives, planning future car trips, etc. School and studies are a topic of consideration as well. This is a time for perspiration in the idea department. This may be a time during which you consider ways that will move you forward with your goals for the next few years. There is talk of a partnership in a business venture and this would be a good time to review the facts, the statistics and the opinion of others that have been where you want to go. The Internet is a good source for information but can also be a great time waster. Find a variety of avenues to do your research.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) There is a desire to get things done as quickly as possible today. It may be fun to compete with you when it comes to cleaning, chores and updating whatever needs updating before the workweek begins. There is a bit of shopping to do today and there is new drive available for creative endeavors. Life’s goodies seem to just present themselves to you in a very ordinary way.

There could certainly be some opportunities for photographs, enjoying the company of a visitor to your garden, getting a free coupon at the grocery store and any other number of fun things. You may find yourself wanting and able to do almost everything that comes to your attention— balance. You will probably actively seek out a good time with friends this evening.

Pooch Cafe

ACROSS 1. (Scotland) A small loaf or roll of soft bread.

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

8. A federal agency established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products.

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

12. A French abbot.

13. The syllable naming the sixth (submediant) note of a major or minor scale in solmization.

14. (informal) Exceptionally good.

15. Extinct flightless bird of New Zealand.

16. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

17. (usually followed by `to') Naturally disposed toward.

19. Cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables.

23. A tax on employees and employers that is used to fund the Social Security system.

25. The capital of Croatia.

27. A religious belief of African origin involving witchcraft and sorcery.

29. Being one more than two.

30. The place where people vote.

32. Mosses similar to those of genus Bryum but larger.

36. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

37. The basic unit of electric current adopted under the System International d'Unites.

39. Type genus of the Gliridae.

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

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

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

46. The sense organ for hearing and equilibrium.

48. Type genus of the Muridae.

49. The executive agency that advises the President on the federal budget.

50. With no effort to conceal.

51. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

DOWN 1. A small cake leavened with yeast.

2. An association of people to promote the welfare of senior citizens.

3. The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on.

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

5. A defensive missile designed to shoot down incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles.

6. A dark-skinned member of a race of people living in Australia when Europeans arrived.

7. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

8. Loose or flaccid body fat.

9. (Irish) Mother of the Tuatha De Danann.

10. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

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

20. Border consisting of anything placed on the edge to finish something (such as a fringe on clothing or on a rug).

21. 1 species.

22. A type of submachine gun that is designed and manufactured in Israel.

24. A pass between mountain peaks.

26. An anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions.

28. A belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school.

31. English scholastic philosopher and assumed author of Occam's Razor (1285-1349).

33. Tropical American tree grown in southern United States having a whitish pink-tinged fruit.

34. A member of a Turkic people of Chinese Turkestan and neighboring areas (formerly of Mongolia and eastern Turkestan).

35. Small shrubby African tree having compound leaves and racemes of small fragrant green flowers.

38. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

41. Someone who engages in arbitrage (who purchases securities in one market for immediate resale in another in the hope of profiting from the price differential).

43. A logarithmic unit of sound intensity equal to 10 decibels.

44. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

47. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) Before the day begins, you may awaken to questions, chatter and quandaries; mostly from young people, intent on jostling your bed. You can really use your mind to make clear choices no matter what time of day it is. You may have to repeat yourself several times, but they will finally get the picture; so-to-speak. Grab your running garb and join the group in some sort of exercise and then the day just falls into place. Today is one of those days that you join the family and go with the flow.

If you do not have a family nearby, your own enjoyment of the unfolding day is good. You don’t want to plan your future finances or plot on how to get a better step up the working ladder; you just want to enjoy the day? and you will. Enjoy singing, humming or a little whistle.

Non Sequitur

Cancer (June 21-July 22) You have all the enthusiasm and follow-through to accomplish whatever you set out to do. You are understanding and sensitive to the needs of others whenever your attention is needed. An emotionally charged drama may be experienced in the realm of law, politics, education, travel or religion. Very simply, you consider and are guided by the facts in these areas. You could be most persuasive with others and eloquent in getting your message understood. If you usually take the public-transit to work, today will bring you the opportunity to enjoy a drive in the country. You and your mate may enjoy hiking or bicycling. This is a good way to enjoy each other’s company. Good conversations with loved ones tonight leave you feeling at peace with the world.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You could feel frustrated today if you do not speak up when you see that speaking up is needed. This way, your enjoyment of life and others enjoyment of life will not be blocked. Circumstances today may require the use of your knowledge and persuasive communication skills—this could offer you your best opportunity to exercise your own personal power. Concentrate on ways in which to bring about a balance between your responsibilities and your recreation. There will be increased opportunities to reach out to others through a social function this afternoon. This is the start of a new cycle. There could be a window in time that opens now, making insights possible. Take a look. A relationship may become more meaningful this evening.

Zits

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Communication skills are high today. It is almost as though you have a little family within your network of friends. This may be similar to an ongoing soap opera to hear about the next activity or event in someone’s life. Your emotions and the feelings of those around you are very clear. Gossip is prevalent but you will encourage a change in the conversation. Many insights can be gleaned this afternoon from conversations regarding hypothetical situations. Don’t be afraid to speak up when you see a situation that could relate to an increase in finances, especially if you are looking to change jobs. True maturity can be reached when you leave those doubts about your abilities and talents behind you. You are the only one that slows your progress.

Libra (September 23-October 22) You could be slowed down temporarily today by allowing yourself to be pulled into long conversations. While these are fun, time is wasting on that hobby or book or some other activity you have been promising yourself for a long time. Now, come-on . . . you have been saving this sort of day to get into your own agenda. Everyone needs a little rest and relaxation and today is your turn. A loved one may call or turn their attention to you later this afternoon.

Seeing how much fun you are having today may call for a joint learning sessions. Perhaps you and your loved one could take up one new hobby together or attend a class together—perhaps learning about herbs or drying flowers. Whatever the case it will be something you will both enjoy.

Mother Goose and Grimm

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) You may find that people are so busy today that you are not able to finish a conversation. Others may challenge your word or the direction you are taking. Events could make it difficult for you to act, but this could be a good thing. It is a wise person that waits his turn. This afternoon points to your taking the initiative. Your special qualifications and your creativity are more likely to put you ahead of the pack. You will receive the boost you need to be expressive and to move forward with what you think is the best move for now. You also may look forward to some form of sports or exercise with friends. In your personal relationship this evening, your ways of creativity can help you reach out and allow you both to develop a more meaningful way of expression.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) An irresistible force meets an immovable object today. Be wise with your time and your involvement regarding a subject of conversation in which you may not know as much as you think. Proceed with caution! You may be asked questions with which you have no answer. If this is the case, request time to think about the subject and promise to return with your thoughts. There is a lot of interest available for disciplined work—perhaps a hobby or a volunteer situation. Others may follow your lead or the direction you are taking. You add your own special qualities to any project you undertake. Radiate your most positive energies this afternoon. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have a special time with someone you love.

Yesterday’s Solution

yester

Yesterday’s Solution

to

INTERNATIONAL CALLS Kuwait Qatar Abu Dhabi Dubai Raas Al Khayma Al-Shareqa Muscat Jordan Bahrain Riyadh Makkah - Jeddah Cairo Alexandria Beirut Damascus Allepo

00965 00974 009712 009714 009717 009716 00968 009626 00973 009661 009662 00202 00203 009611 0096311 0096321

Tunisia Rabat Washington New York Paris London Madrid Zurich Geneva Monaco Rome Bangkok Hong Kong Pakistan Taiwan Bonn

0021610 002127 001212 001718 00331 004471 00341 00411 004122 0033 00396 00662 00852 0092 00886 0049228

Word Sleuth Solution

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) You may have trouble concentrating this morning. The problem is more likely that you have overlooked your health during this busy time. It would be rejuvenating if you could pop into a spa for a while today. By this afternoon those confusing energies will be gone. There is a massive social change going on now. You may find a new set of friends coming across your path and you may also gain a new interest in a different sort of entertainment than you usually enjoy. Money causes change and some of your new friends may encourage you in those changes. A new friend will lead you in the direction of a new job or new hobby soon. Do not be afraid to ask questions and take notes. Interaction with a mate is most positive this evening.

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You could feel much more intuitive and psychic than before. You may sense and feel things that others do not. This is a good time to be with others and you may find others will confide in you today about matters of a personal nature. You value what is above-board and straightforward and have a particular aversion to what is secret, intense and private. You can keep secrets, however and when someone has a problem, they know they can count on you to listen and not tell what you have heard. You are brilliant when it comes to insights into the mind, psychology and motivation—yours or others. All of this may have you thinking that it is time to consider a different profession. Perhaps a new social worker or psychiatrist is in the making.

Pisces (February 19-March 20) You are in a great mood of self-enjoyment and can appreciate your own better qualities today. You may see value in or feel love for an older person or someone in authority. Any ill feelings or disagreements from an earlier time have been cast aside.

You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others. You may be teaching or helping others to take a more independent approach to their life or career now. Your confidence is high and you can accomplish anything that is before you now. This time in your life can have a profound effect on your psyche and may mark a time when your faith in a higher power as well as other people will be most meaningful.

An attitude of gratefulness is well rewarded.

INFORMATION

Monday, April 19, 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

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22459381

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22451082

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22456536

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22465401

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25746401

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25316254

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25623444

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SPECTRUM

Tilda Swinton looks ‘hauntingly’ beautiful in new campaign

he Oscar-winning actress - who fronted last season’s advertisements for the label - has been photographed alongside Turner prize winner Douglas Turner in an abandoned oyster bay in Loch Fyne, Scotland, and her unique look shines through. Talking about the campaign shot by photographer Ryan McGinley, Pringle creative director Clare Waight Keller told vogue.com: “There were really two moods that I felt strongly about for this campaign. The first was to use the Scottish landscape in quite a surreal way, where Ryan’s spectacular lighting, especially in the night photography, really captured the haunting beauty of Tilda and her surroundings and the uniqueness of Douglas Gordon in a truly stunning combination. “The second was a slightly more boyish, ‘bovver boy’ feel, a bit more casual, hanging out at the back of a bike shed.” Both Tilda and Douglas wear pieces from the menswear collection and Clare was impressed with how much Tilda could pull off the look. She said: “One of my favorite images is of Tilda in a beautiful mohair menswear suit, very Bowie-esque with a shock of red hair.

The combined photographic talent of Ryan’s dramatic composition and light and Tilda’s luminous beauty have really distilled the blend of modern Scotland and the iconic elements of the autumn/winter collection in perfect harmony.”

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Madonna’s daughter enrolls in prestigious NY stage school

Miley Cyrus sings to her boyfriend when he works out

Russell Brand wants to marry Katy Perry in Tokyo

he British comic star is said to be setting his sights on the Far East for his big day and wants to jet off to Japan to wed the pop beauty, despite their friend Rihanna saying they plan to tie the knot in India - where the couple got engaged. A source said: “Russell and Katy are marrying at the end of the year, almost a year to the day he proposed. “They originally planned to wed in India within the grounds of the Taj Rambagh Palace hotel, where Russell popped the question. The pair have a holding reservation but nothing is set in stone yet.

“They want to keep people guessing about the ceremony - even their celebrity pals. “While he was in Los Angeles, Russell told a couple of people that they were also considering Tokyo as a venue. It’s a buzzy, vibrant city and somewhere completely different and unique.

Katy kept jokingly hitting Russell, telling him to keep his big mouth shut.” However, Katy is now so keen on a Japanese wedding she has been looking to purchase a Geisha-inspired gown. The source added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: “She really likes the idea of wearing some kind of Geisha-inspired bridal dress, so Tokyo is a real possibility.” The ‘I Kissed a Girl’ hitmaker is reported to be keen on an unusual gown, and is looking for something to make her “stand-out”. An insider said: “She knows her toned torso is her best feature, so she wants to show it off. “She’s also more than aware that her wedding photos will be seen the world over, so she knows her look needs to stand out. From the back, she wants to look like a traditional bride, with a very long train, but from the front, she wants a Vegas-style sequined number with exposed skin.”

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Monday, April 19, 2010

he actress - who met the Australian hunk on the set of their new movie ‘The Last Song’ - is often asked by the actor to belt out her hit singles while he trains in the gym. Discussing whether he listens to her music while he exercises, Liam said: “She’ll sneak in there every now and then. ‘The Climb’ is good or ‘Party in the USA.’ Even better, I will just get her to sing to me while I work out!” While the 20-year-old star uses surfing, weight-training and boxing to keep fit, singer-and-actress Miley prefers dancing. He explained to People.com: “She does a lot of dancing - so that’s her workout. I couldn’t keep up with her

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dancing because she’s super flexible and she’s throwing up her legs up around her head and stuff like that.”

Earlier this week it was revealed Miley had splashed out and bought her first house. While she is busy decorating the lavish building, Liam plans to add his own personal touch by hanging up signed photographs of himself all around her home.

He added: “I could come in and gather some pictures of myself to put on her wall and see what she says,” he says with a laugh. ‘I’ll sign it for her as well, and it will say, ‘Dear Miley, best wishes with the new house!’

Ben Barnes says acting is his ‘dream job’ he British star - who appears in new comedy ‘Killing Bono’, by director Nick Hamm - feels incredibly lucky to be able to do what he loves for a living and can’t imagine doing anything else. He said: “Acting is my dream job. I’m happy and thankful I’m not one of those people who aren’t sure whether they want to keep doing the job they’ve learnt when they finish their studies. I’m living it!” The 28year-old star shot to fame playing Caspian in the ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ series but he’s keen to branch out and take on different roles.

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He said: “I’m always looking for new things and experiences, because the end of curiosity is always the beginning of boredom. And boredom is hell on earth.”

Despite his growing film career, Ben, 28, is glad he can still go out without being recognized all the time. He previously said: “People don’t really notice me. Maybe it’s because I have my hair back or I have a beard.

People recognize actors they see regularly, like people they see on television every week. For the most part, people probably have only seen me in one or two films.”

Jesse James’ ex-mistress apologizes to Sandra Bullock attoo model Michelle ‘Bombshell’ McGee - who claims to have had an 11month affair with the motorcycle entrepreneur - wants to show the Oscar-winning actress how sorry she is for her actions but is adamant Jesse is the one who should take most of the blame. She said: “Sandra, I’m sorry for your embarrassment. I’m sorry all this is public. I’m sorry for everything. “I feel bad for Sandra. I want to give her a heartfelt apology.” Michelle claims Jesse who is currently in rehab receiving treatment for sex addiction - duped her by saying

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ourdes - the singer’s 13-yearold child with fitness trainer Carlos Leon - currently takes acting classes in Manhattan, but is now said to have auditioned for LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts, which is dubbed the ‘Fame school’ due to its appearance in the movie ‘Fame’. However, some students at the school are concerned the ‘4 Minutes’ singer’s daughter is getting preferential treatment by having a private audition, rather than the usual public one. Brittany Evans, 14, told the New York Daily News

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newspaper: “A lot of kids are talking about how she had an advantage. LaGuardia is a great school. It really is, but I think that sometimes it wants to be more of a ‘Fame’ school.” Madonna’s publicist Liz Rosenberg refused to confirm the rumours. She said: “They live here now. Madonna didn’t tell me, and I know she’s not going to tell.” Luther Cherry from the school’s student government also admits he is unaware if Lourdes is planning to attend or not. He said: “I’ve asked. School officials said, ‘We don’t know until students show up.’

llen DeGeneres, the outspoken ‘American Idol’ judge has revealed her actress wife adores her unconditionally and often tells her she wouldn’t even care if she piled on the pounds - because Portia prefers her to be curvy rather than skinny. Ellen said: “She loves me no matter what. Whenever I feel bad about myself, or if I’m in a period where I’m not working out, she’s constantly telling me that she doesn’t notice, that I look beautiful. She’ll say, ‘I think you could gain 10 more pounds.’

“She would rather have me heavier than thinner, and she really hates that I ever doubt

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Portia de Rossi likes pounds on DeGeneres myself. She loves how I look. She wants me to be happy and never think about it.” The 52year-old openly-gay comedienne believes she has been able to avoid a lot of Hollywood’s pressures to stay thin because of her stand-up routines. She added to America’s Shape magazine: “Either I wasn’t that stereotypical beautiful girl or they just gave up on me. I was just funny. That’s what I was. I never thought I was supposed to dress a certain way or be a certain size. I never put that pressure on myself, and no one ever put it on me.”

— BangShowbiz

he and Sandra were separated. She told Australian TV show ‘Today Tonight’: “I feel like I was duped just as much as Sandra was.

I feel like I was lied to just as much as she was. If Jesse was upfront with me in the beginning, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Since Michelle’s revelations Sandra has fled the family home and is now living in a rented property in an exclusive Los Angeles neighborhood. Jesse’s three children from previous relationships - Chandler, 15, 12-year-old Jesse Jr and Sunny, six - are currently staying with her, and friends say this has lifted

her spirits. One pal told X17Online: “She is really happy right now. The kids have really made her feel good. She’s thrilled that she has impacted their lives. Sandra is much better and stronger than she was a couple of weeks ago. When this thing dies down Sandra will emerge stronger than ever.”

However, the 45-year-old screen beauty is still said to be determined to divorce Jesse who has been accused of having other affairs - once he leaves rehab. The friend added: “When Jesse’s out of rehab, the divorce will speed up.”

SPECTRUM

Monday, April 19, 2010

37

renaissance defies dwindling concerts umby, a diminutive ponytailed drummer, believes Pakistani rock music is vibrant enough to withstand pockets of extremism and shield society at large from Western fears of the Taleban. “I’ve been in the industry more than two decades and have seen Pakistani music rise, fall and rise again. Our culture is resilient, which won’t allow the Taleban to take over our society,” says the 34year-old. Louis John Pinto, better known as Gumby, launched himself on the rock circuit as a drummer and percussionist while a teenager and has played as a session musician with all the major cult bands in the country.

Pakistan has seen creeping religious conservatism for years. Its military is fighting to put down Taleban militants in the northwest and lawless tribal belt on the Afghan border, albeit far from cities populated by the moderate elite.

Extremists have blown up hundreds of music and DVD shops in the northwest, branding them against Islam and forcing traders to display pro-Taleban tirades against the United States to gruesome clips of beheadings and bomb attacks.

But hundreds of miles away in his compact studio in a multistorey building in Clifton, Karachi’s poshest address, Gumby says the

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future of music is promising, with money and passion being injected afresh into the industry. “Making music one’s livelihood was thought to be a taboo for people here, but now parents themselves encourage their children to learn music, which shows we have a brighter future,” he said.

At one recent concert at an open-air amphitheatre in Islamabad, young middle-class Pakistanis dressed in tight jeans braved a chilly night to cheer bands introduced by two young women teetering on high heels. In the more-expensive stalls, parents brought young children, even babies and grandparents to listen to the music. Successive governments have encouraged culture by relaxing curbs on artists and intellectuals. The explosion of independent television and radio in the last decade has also fostered musical talent.

“It is the one thing which comforts our people who are sick of terror attacks and political instability in the country,” said Gumby.

Hamza Jafri agrees. Last year he opened the Guitar School in Lahore, Pakistan’s relatively liberal and wealthy cultural capital in the east, which now teaches rock guitar to dozens of girls and boys aged seven to 20.

“Students are forming bands

percent decline in shows and concerts and overall earnings since 2005,” he told AFP. He accuses “Western powers and their intelligence agencies” of harboring an

Pakistani youth attend a concert of rock star Ali Azmat (not pictured) in Islamabad. — AFP

and the youngest one consists of three seven year olds,” said Abid Khan, one of the founders of the school. Most pupils come from wealthy families and are actively encouraged by their parents. Some dream of going professional. “I want to become a rock star,” gushed a shy 10-year-old who gave his name only as Kashan.

Hasan Zaidi, a film producer and

director who has chronicled Pakistani music, sees a renaissance in underground contemporary pop.

“Pakistani pop is beginning to discover its own voice moving beyond bubblegum songs about love, by creating fusion with indigenous folk and singing songs about what is happening around us,” he said.

But others warn that shows and concerts are declining because of

economic woes and fears of bomb attacks-hammering musicians’ main source of income, which rampant piracy deprives them from in sales of DVDs and CDs. “Terrorism and a weak economy have affected the music industry dearly,” says Ali Azmat, one of the most famous contemporary rock stars in Pakistan.

“There has been a 50- to 60-

A motherʼs love and grief for her family n the first half of Anna Quindlen’s “Every Last One,” the many characters, some lightly sketched, live ordinary lives in a contemporary atmosphere of mundane concerns: What can stop whole colonies of bees from disappearing? What wages should be paid

I

Ambar, a Shih-Tzu, is brushed before the completion.

Kellu, a Chihuahua, sits on the lap of her owner.

Book Review

International Spring Dog Show

Paco, a Chow Chow, cools off close to a fan before competing at the International Spring Dog Show in Havana, Saturday, April 17, 2010. — Photos by AP

to illegal Mexican immigrants? No tragedy looms.

Almost all are educated, well-off people in a small American city. At least one family is prosperous enough to afford a Christmas gift of two round-trip tickets to London for

a literary daughter, still in high school. Only in the second half does the disaster artfully emerge, and the dimensions of the grief it evokes.

This isn’t a novel of entertainment, though the first half has some wry and amusing comment on American family life with a dog named Ginger.

Quindlen - her narrative style could make a page-turner out of a gas bill won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary, and is the author of other novels and nonfiction books.

There are also other kinds of love in this latest story, including a case of puppy love that develops into mindless, murderous rage.

There may have been consequences, too, from the whim of a sensitive woman who loves her husband - moderately - but falls into a short, meaningless affair. What she recalls from the affair most sharply is the livid brand on her thigh from a gypsum wallboard nail in an unfinished garage. That scar, at least, didn’t last. The second half is devoted almost entirely to the grief of a mother, Mary Beth. She tells the story herself, gradually revealing the disaster. Her mourning is never resolved, but that doesn’t make the story dull. If you pick up “Every Last One” to read a few pages after dinner, you’ll want to read another chapter, and another and another, until you get to bed late, feeling sad for her.

agenda against Pakistan. Instead his recent album “Kalashnifolk” focuses on the agonies of social problems that he feels are Pakistan’s real plague.

But six years ago Junaid Jamshed, Pakistan’s most famous frontman-lead singer with Vital Signs, the country’s first rock band that emerged in 1986, renounced music and his playboy-image to turn to religion. Today he owns designer outlets specializing in conservative dress, keeps his beard long and joined preaching

ʻSpoon Fedʼ is a memoir with dash of food history ooking is powerful. It soothes during a crisis, helps keep families together and is the best antidote for anything life throws at you. New York Times food writer Kim Severson shares this lesson and others in her new book, “Spoon Fed: How

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Eight Cooks Saved My Life.”

While big names in food - such as Marcella Hazan, Alice Waters and Rachael Ray - are certainly featured in the book, it is by and large a memoir that recounts Severson’s roving childhood, com-

Johan Terry walks his dog King, a Golden Retriever.

Oxigenado, an Afghan hound, is brushed before competing.

ing out as a lesbian, alcohol addiction and budding journalism career. The theme that unites it all is, of course, food - the way her mother’s pasta sauce provided comfort and consistency amid many moves, the way writing about food helped her figure out who she really was. A conversation Severson had with Marion Cunningham summarizes nicely her belief in the power of grub: “We talked about the magic lessons of the table, about how serving food family style teaches a child to share, to leave something for the next person. How sitting next to someone and eating creates a kind of intimacy and gently teaches the art of conversation and the importance of community.” The book is sprinkled with interesting food history and explanations of how food critics do their job (sample enough to get your benchmarks: the chocolate against which every other chocolate is compared, for example). It also includes at the end of each chapter recipes that have sentimental meaning to the author and the cooks she features. Severson’s writing is vivid and engaging, although maybe not enough to maintain the interest of nonfoodies in this ultimate foodie book.

‘Blue Moment’ examines influence of ‘Kind of Blue’ ichard Williams acknowledges early on in “The Blue Moment” that there is not much more to say about Miles Davis’ jazz masterpiece “Kind of Blue” that hasn’t already been covered in two 2001 books by other authors. Rather, his book is an attempt to examine the groundbreaking album’s impact on the music that followed it: “Like the ripples from a pebble dropped into an ever expanding lagoon.”

Recorded in 1959, “Kind of Blue” is certainly one of the most popular and influential jazz albums of all time with its modal approach signaling a shift away from conventional chord changes to more static patterns that freed up the musicians to improvise in new directions. But while there is little doubt about the album’s importance, Williams follows the pebble’s ripples a little too far, spotting its influence in everything from the minimalist pioneer Terry Riley’s semirandom composition “In C” to the misshapen drumming of The Velvet Underground’s Maureen Tucker to U2’s anthemic arena rock.

Williams’ overly inclusive approach is apparent by the third chapter, where he discusses GrecoRoman conception of the color blue -

R Jose Velasquez brushes his Siberian Husky, Humbo.

organization Tablighi Jamaat.

Critics hold General Zia ul-Haq and his 11 years of military rule from 1977 to 1988 responsible for infringing the country’s pluralistic tolerant culture and initially driving rock music underground. “The early 1980s also saw the rise of political pop, whose lyrics explicitly dealt with issues of freedom and repression,” Zaidi said. Certainly for band Laal, which means Red in Urdu, their music is all about politics and Marxism.

One of their songs became an anthem for the lawyer’s protest movement that resulted last year in the government restoring the independent judiciary after a twoyear hiatus. “We are interested in playing music of resistance, struggle and emancipation,” says lead guitarist Taimur Rehman, who is studying for a doctorate in London.

The band’s most popular song is based on poems of Habib Jalib, a renowned Pakistani poet who opposed military rule and state oppression in the 1960s. Followers believe his words are as relevant today as ever. “You are the truth; they are an illusion, My prayer is that You remain president forever!” is one of their lyrics, which resonates today with critics of President Asif Ali Zardari, who want him to resign over graft allegations. — AFP

they didn’t give it much thought, apparently - to the use of blue dyes in Asia during the Neolithic period.

Picasso’s Blue Period gets a mention, as do blue jeans and the indigo rags of nomadic Tuaregs. By the time

Williams gets around to International Klein Blue, a color developed by French artist Yves Klein, the reader’s face may be positively cerulean.

Oddly, he neglects to mention Klein’s “Monotone-Silence Symphony” that

consists of a single sustained chord played for 20 minutes followed by 20 minutes of silence. The 1949 symphony is widely seen as a precedent to La Monte Young’s drone music which Williams links instead to the Miles Davis album.

When Williams finally gets around to discussing the making of “Kind of Blue,” he breezes through it in a quick two chapters whose principal merits involve reclaiming alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley’s often neglected contribution to the record where he was squeezed between two giants: John Coltrane and Davis himself. The book functions best as a history of the minimalist, experimental and ambient music that came after “Kind of Blue,” but also suffers from long sections where Williams seems to be merely reeling off facts, lists of who played on what album, the discographies, jazz labels and other minutiae. As the book ends, there is a long interview with English experimentalist Brian Eno, who freely concedes he was more aware of Miles Davis as “a cool cat” than through his music. It’s an interesting interview, but it suggests in Williams’ view, one need not even hear “Kind of Blue” to feel its influence. — AP

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SPECTRUM

Monday, April 19, 2010

Justin Bieber: The next big thing? ustin Bieber had finished school for the day, but the threat of detention was still looming. Backstage at “The Tonight Show,” the teen pop star’s personal tutor, Jenny, couldn’t find her cellphone. She suspected her pupil might have hidden it as a prank. “Justin, did you take my phone?” she said, searching under a couch cushion. “Because if you don’t have it, I’m going to have to cancel my plan right now.”

“No! I swear, I didn’t take it,” he said, offering up a convincing puppy dog look and shaking his wispy trademark bangs out of his eyes and walking away. The teacher still seemed skeptical. “I don’t know. It’s April Fools’ Day,” she sighed, “and he’s a 16-year-old boy.” Amid the circus surrounding America’s latest teen sensation, it’s easy to forget that Bieber is still a Doritos-munching kid. One who is only a couple of inches over 5 feet tall; whose voice is still changing; who likes to push the boundaries of his new world.

In the last month, Bieber has performed on “The Late Show With David Letterman,” twice on “The View,” Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards show, and “American Idol.” He played at the White House’s Easter Egg Roll, where First Lady Michelle Obama enthusiastically danced along to his songs. His second album, “My World 2.0.,” was released in March and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. And Saturday, he was the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live,” a gig that many big name performers twice his age can’t land.

As the music industry continues to struggle, Bieber, in the span of less than a year, is suddenly one of its most valuable assets, the evidence being the team of adults on his payroll that follows him nearly everywhere he goes, working to both manage and prolong his success. It’s a lot for a teenag-

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er to process. “I am with adults all day,” said Bieber of his current posse, “and it’s fun sometimes, but sometimes I’m like, ‘No, I want to hang out with my friends my own age.’

But at the same time, it makes me mature a little faster. I think I’m still immature sometimes, but I try not to think I’m hot stuff.”

Team of adults work to keep Justin Bieber from getting too big for his baseball cap Maybe so, but there’s no escaping Bieber Fever. That was apparent last Thursday, when Bieber was shuttled from a morning appearance at Radio Disney to an afternoon taping of “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.” A clutch of young girls was waiting outside the Burbank radio station at 9 am when Bieber arrived, escorted by his bodyguard, publicist, vocal coach, road manager-stylist and a representative from his music label. His manager, mother and tutor Jenny (who asked that her last name not be used to help her avoid female teen hangers-on) would join the entourage later in the day.

“I just want to hug Justin Bieber,” said Isabella Galeazzi, 13, who had skipped school in the hopes of meeting him. “I just want to be friends with him,” chimed in Jessica Hopkins, also 13. “Yeah, I’m OK with that too,” Galeazzi agreed. “I just want him to know me.” Like many of Bieber’s fans, both girls became acquainted with the singer through his YouTube videos, which he began posting online at age 13 after per-

forming in a local talent contest in his native Canada.

Scooter Braun, a 28-year-old Atlanta-based manager who had worked with rapper Asher Roth, stumbled across one such video. Eager to meet Bieber, Braun, tracked him down, persuaded him and his mother, Patti Mallette, to fly to Atlanta - their first airplane flight - for a meeting. That was where Bieber famously ran into Usher Raymond in a parking lot - an occurrence that led the R&B star to go to bat for the then-unknown, helping him land a professional deal and forming a joint-venture label with Braun and Antonio “LA” Reid, the chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group.

“When I met him, his personality just won me over,” recalled Raymond. “And then when he sang, I realized we were dealing with the real thing. His voice just spoke to the type of music I would want to be associated with.” The important endorsement came after months of rejection for Bieber. “Everyone had told me: ‘You don’t have a Nickelodeon or Disney show. You can’t break Justin.’ I wanted him to be the next Michael Jackson. And literally everyone said no,” Braun recalled. “But his talent was undeniable, and his success is a testament to his true ability.”

While Bieber’s vocal chops are his own, the adults surrounding him are molding him in other ways. He is most often seen wearing oversized baseball caps, dog chains and flashy sneakers, a streetwise look that’s been concocted by his road manager and stylist Ryan Good, 26, once dubbed Bieber’s “swagger coach,” a term he now bristles at. Though a product of a middle-class suburban upbringing in Stratford, Ontario, Bieber’s manner of dress and speech (“Wassup man, how you doin’?” or “It’s like, you know, whateva’”) suggest he’s mimicking his favorite rappers. —MCT

Teen singing sensation Justin Bieber, 16, right, poses for pictures with fans after a Radio Disney interview, in Burbank, California. — MCT

Hollywood vs The Volcano: Ash disrupts celebs volcanic cloud of ash hovering over Europe is causing quite a scene in Hollywood and beyond. The ash spat out by an Icelandic volcano that has left thousands of air travelers stranded is also affecting celebrities, filmmakers, musicians and even pro-wrestlers. With almost two-thirds of Europe’s flights grounded, cancelations and postponements were popping up across the entertainment landscape on Saturday as Icelandic scientists warned that volcanic activity had increased and showed no sign of abating.

Organizers of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, tweeted that some acts were forced to pull out of the weekend event. British musicians The Cribs, Bad Lieutenant, Delphic, Talvin Singh and Gary Numan as well as Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit and Chicago brass group Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, who were on tour in Europe, weren’t able to make the lineup. “I can’t tell you how disappointed we all are,” Numan posted on his Web site Saturday.

Bad Lieutenant announced Saturday it was also canceling concert dates through Wednesday in San Francisco, Chicago and New York because of flight disruptions. “We’re stuck in Manchester,” said band member Bernard Sumner in a statement. “We were hoping that conditions might change at the last minute and we’d be able to come and play for our fans. Obviously, this is a situation out of everyone’s control, and we are crushed that we won’t be coming to America for these dates.”

Whitney Houston was forced to ditch a plane for a ferry across the Irish Sea to perform in Dublin. The R&B diva, currently in the middle of her “Nothing But Love” world tour, opted for the not-so-glamorous boat ride after no-fly orders shut down airports across Europe. Houston is scheduled to perform the first of three shows Saturday at the O2 arena in London.

The ash cloud also grounded several other musicians in Europe. Welsh indie pop band Los Campesinos! canceled their Friday appearance at the Culture Shock Festival in Purchase, New York, as well as their Saturday concert in Hoboken, New Jersey. Pop singer Mika postponed his Friday concert in Lisbon, Portugal, after unexpectedly finding himself stranded in Paris.

“Volcano freak out,” he tweeted. “This is bad.”

Scientists were indicating that travel chaos could extend

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Beth Ditto of The Gossip performs.

Mark Mothersbaugh (right) and Gerald Casale of Devo perform during the band’s midnight performance at the close of the second day of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, Saturday, April 17, 2010. — AP into the upcoming week, increasing the threat to New York’s Tribeca Film Festival, which begins Wednesday.

Festival organizers said that some early arrivals - those scheduled to fly in Monday to help promote their films had already been grounded. Tribeca is to feature films from nearly 40 countries, with many filmmakers from Europe expected to attend.

The cloud situation was also causing havoc for World Wrestling Entertainment, the professional wrestling organization nearing the end of a two-week European tour. Several wrestlers and crew members traveled for nearly 17 hours in buses and ferries to make it from

Matt Bellamy of Muse performs. — AP

Lieven, France, to Belfast, Ireland. The trip normally takes about an hour and a half in a plane. WWE spokesman Kevin Hennessy said Friday it was unclear if everyone would arrive in time for Monday night’s scheduled “WWE Raw” event at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. He said the WWE wrestlers and crew normally “fly commercial, but we are booking a charter just to be safe.” Hennessy added that “Yesterday was normally a simple travel day - very easy.” Worldwide press junkets for two of the summer season’s most anticipated films - “Iron Man 2,” starring Robert Downey Jr, and “Robin Hood,” starring Russell

Karaoke industry may be facing the music I

n its heyday, booking a room at the Parao Karaoke Club in Koreatown was tougher than, well, hitting the right note for “My Way.” But these days fewer people are coming to bellow their way through Frank Sinatra ditties and Spice Girls tunes. On the weekends, the most popular time for karaoke, room rentals have dropped by a third, owner Randy Chang said. “People don’t have money to celebrate anymore,” Chang said.

“A lot of parties are being canceled. Even advertising doesn’t work anymore.”

Karaoke isn’t what it used to be. Since hitting a peak in 2002, annual sales of karaoke machines and software have plunged 80 percent to barely

The industry is in a “protracted decline,” said music trade group NAMM, formerly known as the National Association of Music Merchants.

Atlanta writer Angela Osiris Maxwell, 32, has abandoned her boxy karaoke machine and cut back on forays to karaoke bars. Instead, like many others these days, she’s created a homespun karaoke haven, hooking up video games to her TV and belting out “We Are Family” while digitally tracking her performance. Sometimes, during a game based on the popular singing competition “American Idol,” she can even earn an insult or two from an animated version of cranky judge Simon Cowell.

Brandie Posey sings karaoke at her birthday party with Chevy Knight (right) at Rosen Music Studio, a karaoke/restaurant in Los Angeles, California. Sales of karaoke machines have slumped since the karaoke industry peaked in 2002. — MCT $40 million from $200 million. In 2008, the most recent data available, the drop was the steepest among all music products except for electronic player pianos. On top of the slow economy, live karaoke clubs are losing some of their bread-andbutter wannabe pop stars and off-duty office workers to living room video games and online streaming services. At the same time, karaoke record companies are struggling with sky-high licensing fees while the traditional karaoke CD market is being throttled by illegal online downloads.

Maxwell says she knows she’s a lousy singer, but “you don’t care because you’re having such a good time,” she said. She’s never far from a karaoke outlet. Aside from her Nintendo Wii console, she also runs sing-along tracks through her iPod or online through MySpace. The karaoke machine was already falling from grace. It was voted by consumers last year to be the world’s most irritating gadget, even ahead of mobile phones and alarm clocks. The contempt may have translated into off-key sales for sellers like the Singing Machine Company Inc., where revenue

has slid more than two-thirds in recent years to $31.8 million.

In better times, the Florida company was hauling in $95.6 million. Heavy competition and customers returning the products in droves after the holidays exacerbated the losses. For what was supposed to have been a flash in the pan, the karaoke phenomenon has had a long run.

Musician Inoue Daisuke created the karaoke machine in 1971 using a car stereo, a coin box and an amplifier; the first karaoke “box” venue opened in 1984 in a converted freight car in a Japanese rice field.

The 1990s brought a surge in popularity for karaoke, which means “empty orchestra” in Japanese, not “tone-deaf” as urban legends have it. “In the beginning, karaoke was kind of a gimmicky thing,” said Peter Parker, publisher of Karaoke Scene Magazine. “But it’s worked its way into all the cracks in the culture.”

Karaoke addicts can now warble on the go with one of the fad’s newest manifestations: phone applications such as Karaoke Callout and Karaokini. Karaoke hits also stream on the Internet at sites such as the Karaoke Channel Online from Stingray Digital Group Inc. Video games offer many more ways to enjoy sing-along.

With the Karaoke Revolution game, singers can customize their own avatars, or animated figures, as well as the stage they perform on, complete with pyrotechnics. The Rock Band series has various karaoke versions, including one in which a user can be one of the Beatles. Get On Da Mic focuses on hip-hop, and SingStar has a country edition.

Brooklyn, NY-based journalist Brian Raftery, 34, an avid fan of traditional karaoke who has even written a book about it, acknowledges that these new video games are tempting. “If I had been 14 when Rock Band or Guitar Hero had come out, I would probably be completely addicted,” he said.

Still, most experts blame piracy, not pop culture, for crippling traditional karaoke. Karaoke jockeys, who play their collection of karaoke tracks at parties and bars for a fee, rarely pay $18 for CDs that typically contain only nine songs. KJs, as they are known, carry hard drives that can hold thousands of pirated tracks for $300, said Tom Viveiros, cofounder of the Karaoke Industry Alliance of America “Piracy is 90 percent of the problem, and it’s going to end up being the demise of the karaoke industry as we know it,” Viveiros said. “There are more venues with karaoke nights than we’ve seen in 15 years, but with few exceptions they’re all stealing music.” Karaoke companies are also finding it more difficult and costly to get licenses for songs. Record labels are increasingly protective and less likely to sign over the songs’ rights without high fees. —MCT

Crowe - also were still scheduled as planned next weekend in London, according to studio officials. Some US book publishing executives were forced to cancel plans to attend next week’s London Book Fair because of the disrupted air travel. But organizers said Friday the three-day gathering will proceed as scheduled Saturday’s blue-carpet world premiere of Disneynature’s “Oceans,” at the El Capitan Theatre also hit bumpy waters. The film’s French director, Jacques Cluzaud, and producers didn’t attend the debut of their Disney documentary narrated by Pierce Brosnan. They were stuck overseas. — AP

Rejected ‘Idol’ Andrew Garcia rejects jibes liminated “American Idol” contestant Andrew Garcia brushed off suggestions that he failed to live to his early promise on the show, and said he felt the judges had been harsh this season. Garcia, 24, was an early favorite on the Fox TV singing contest after delighting the panel with his acoustic twist on the 1988 Paula Abdul hit single “Straight Up”. But after making the Top 12, Garcia was repeatedly slammed for being unoriginal and failing to show personality.

Simon Cowell at one point suggested that “Straight Up”, which has now been viewed some 3 million times on YouTube, had been a fluke.

“I don’t feel I let my fans down at all.

They get me and that is all that matters,” Garcia told reporters after being voted off the show after Elvis Presley week. Garcia rejected criticism of his “boring” performances.

“On stage, I was focused more on just performing,” he said. (The judges) don’t really hang out with me. If they had hung out with me they would have loved me. I actually did (inject my personality into performances) but they still bashed me. But you can’t win everyone over.”

“I think they (the judges) are being really hard this year. I don’t know why, but they are being really hard,” he said. Garcia said he had not expected to get as far as the final nine on the show and was happy at how well he had done. Katie Stevens, 17, who was also eliminated this week, said standing before the panel had been tougher than performing each week. “It was nerve-racking going into the judging part of it,” she told reporters.

Stevens, one of the two youngest contestants in the Top 12, had repeatedly been urged to make more of her youth. But she told reporters she was used to the company of her older brother and cousins and preferred music from the 1950s and ‘60s. “It was a little bit more difficult for me to be young and go towards that younger vibe because I do spend so much time with people older than me. I love the older music, That’s where my inspiration lies. “I tried my hardest and I’m not ashamed of anything that I did,” she said. Both Garcia and Stevens said they hoped to record albums in the future. — Reuters

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Country music artist Miranda Lambert performs at Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 17, 2010. — AP

Lambert, Shelton, Adkins win early ACM Awards lake Shelton says he’s finally feeling like he’s been accepted in Nashville.

Shelton just won the Academy of Country Music Award for event of the year with Trace Adkins for their hit song “Hillbilly Bone.” The first two ACM Awards were handed out Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and Miranda Lambert won the award for best

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video of the year for “White Liar.” It was Lambert who convinced Shelton to pitch the idea for “Hillbilly Bone” to Adkins.

That marked the third ACM win for Adkins and the first for Shelton.

Lambert, meanwhile, is up for five other awards, including album of the year for “Revolution,” during yesterday’s televised ceremony. — AP

SPECTRUM

Review

Monday, April 19, 2010

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Starry cast brings new life to ʻDeathʼ he original “Death at a Funeral” only came out about three years ago, so it may seem a bit soon to resurrect it. But director Neil LaBute and an all-star cast surprisingly breathe new life into the material. The British farce about an extended family coming together for a funeral, with elaborate hijinks ensuing, debuted in 2007 to mixed

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For Richard Zanuck, films are top priority rowing up with the last name Zanuck in Old Hollywood was just like real life - only different. As a youngster, Richard D Zanuck had to sell copies of the Saturday Evening Post to learn the value of hard work. “Of course,” Zanuck said with a wink, “my dad did have a chauffeur take me to pick up the papers.” And even though Zanuck says he never played “catch on the beach” with his dad, he knew his pop cared - after all, the Hollywood titan bused studio executives to ballgames so they could cheer his son’s name just like extras in a sports movie.

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In this 1968 file photograph, Richard D Zanuck (left) and Fox President Darryl F Zanuck are seen at the 20th Century Fox Annual Meeting. Zanuck, now 75, was born into movie-industry royalty, but he succeeds his way. — MCT Zanuck, now 75, rattles off the anecdotes with a polished comic timing that suggests they’re familiar favorites, but at the same time he’d much rather talk about the vibrant present instead of the complicated past. For four of the last five weeks, the No 1 movie in the country was one that Zanuck had a part in producing, and with “Alice in Wonderland,” which has grossed $311 million since its release last month, he has one of the biggest hits of a long career defined by them.

It was telling that recently Basil Inwanyk, a younger producer who worked with Zanuck on “Clash of the Titans,” went to him with (he thought) a flattering proposal: “I told Dick I want-

ed to do a retrospective of his career, and he absolutely hated the idea. ‘Are you out of your mind? I’m still in the heart of my career.’ And he wasn’t trying to be charming. I mean, he was dead serious.”

For Zanuck, nothing comes ahead of making movies except for family - but, of course, making movies is synonymous with family when your father co-founded 20th Century Fox and your mother was silent-film star Virginia Fox and you grew up playing hide-and-seek on soundstages.

Ask him about the most memorable people he’s worked with and he mentions William Wyler and Paul Newman, Fred Zinnemann and Orson Welles, George Roy Hill and Steven Spielberg, and then he stops because the least interesting part of a movie is the credits - because it means the action is over.“These days, right now, these are the good old days,” he said last year while taking a lunch break on the green-screen set of “Alice in Wonderland” at Sony Pictures Imageworks. “I’ve always approached it that way. That’s why I’m still working. I’m not the guy who is ready to sit by the pool. I’m too damn busy. I’m not a nostalgia guy. These last few years, working with Tim Burton, it’s been the best time I’ve ever had.”

After lunch, Zanuck walked around the studio back lot with the relaxed gait of a lifelong athlete.

“Everything’s changed,” he said. “The technology is the big thing changing now, the way movies like ‘Alice’ or ‘Avatar’ are made. And technology on the other side, the audience side. Word spreads so fast now on a movie, with the Internet, and piracy is something coming down the line like in the music industry.” But his face screwed into a dismissive scowl when asked if he misses the outsized characters of Old Hollywood.

Zanuck has made five pictures with director Burton, and three of those starred Johnny Depp.

The trio are now planning another, “Dark Shadows,” an adaptation of the gothic melodrama that ran on ABC from 1966 to 1971. Burton and Depp both praise Zanuck as an insightful, savvy and pragmatic producer (“A more elegant and distinguished gentleman you couldn’t hope to meet, let alone collaborate with,” Depp says), but it’s clear too that they enjoy the intangible he brings to a movie set - there is no producer or director who is more hard-wired into Old Hollywood than the only son of Darryl F Zanuck.

The two Zanucks could hardly be more different. The father (who died at age 77 in 1979) never made it to high school and, coming west from Nebraska, invented himself just like the plots he wrote for Rin Tin Tin. He picked up best picture Oscars for “All About Eve,” “Gentleman’s Agreement” and “How Green Was My Valley.” He was also a world-class philanderer (Zanuck biographer Leonard Mosley wrote that the studio office would be shut down daily to allow for his liaisons) and a cigar-chomping archetype of the old-school mogul.—MCT

reviews and minimal box office.

The main problem with director Franz Oz’s film was that it was all over the place in tone - veering between dry wit, scatological slapstick and sticky sentimentality with dull sections that dragged in between. This new “Death at a Funeral” works better because at least it knows what it is. LaBute just goes for it, playing up the wilder elements of the story, of which there are plenty. And the hugely talented comic cast, led by Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence and Tracy Morgan, is definitely up for such raunchy physicality.

Now, LaBute would seem an odd choice for a family comedy, having made his name with far darker, crueler humor in movies like “In the Company of Men” and “The Shape of Things.” (He also directed Rock a decade ago in “Nurse Betty.”) But perhaps the twisted elements of the story appealed to him, including hallucinogenic drugs, a profane grand-

pa and a gay dwarf lover. Writer Dean Craig tweaks his own script for this nearly verbatim remake it’s only a minute longer in running time - from chunks of dialogue to wardrobe details like a character answering the door sans pants.

But the setting this time is the Los Angeles home of an upscale black family that’s lost its patriarch. Eldest son Aaron (Rock, who’s also one of the producers) just wants a dignified ceremony, but signals trouble early when he looks inside the coffin and finds that the perfectly embalmed, peaceful-looking man lying there is not his father. Aaron’s wife, Michelle (Regina Hall), doesn’t help matters by reminding him she’s ovulating and demanding he do something about it; his mother (Loretta Devine) is also nagging him about giving her a grandchild, when she’s not bragging about Aaron’s younger brother, the successful author Ryan (Lawrence).

Once the right corpse arrives, the other relatives and friends who show up to pay their respects include cousin Elaine (Zoe Saldana) and her boyfriend, Oscar (James Marsden), whom her father doesn’t approve of; Norman (Morgan) and his buddy Derek (Luke Wilson), who’s still pursuing Elaine after a brief fling; and cantankerous Uncle Russell (Danny Glover), barking orders from his wheelchair. The elderly uncle character provides the same graphic bathroom scene as in the original, which is just as unnecessary now as it was then; “Death at a Funeral” is at its most appealing when it’s daring and a little bit kinky, and doesn’t need to appeal to the lowest common denominator in this manner.

The main stars function solidly as the personae we’ve come to know and appreciate; no one’s working outside his comfort zone. Rock is incredulous at the absurdity of it all, Lawrence is

the smooth talker and Morgan is just ... Morgan. He opens his mouth and adds an irresistible weirdness to any situation.

Marsden takes the role Alan Tudyk played so well in the original - that of an unsuspecting schmo who goes on a bad drug trip when he swallows a pill he believes is Valium - and pretty much does the exact same thing.

But it’s a showy, can’t-miss part, so there’s no need to mess with it too much. And of course, the key figure connecting both movies is Peter Dinklage, reprising his role as a diminutive man who shows up at the house with a big secret - and even bigger demands. His return is a prime reason why “Death at a Funeral” surprisingly deserves a second life. “Death at a Funeral,” a Sony Screen Gems release, is rated R for language, drug content and some sexual humor. Running time: 92 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four. — AP

Get ready for ‘Date Night’ by reliving these bad dates ovies and dates are like flowers and candy. Or flowers and napalm. Or a tuxedo with the zipper down. Or a French poodle with rabies. Many couples who decide to go on a date decide to go to the movies; it can work out well, especially if one uses some discretion in choosing the film: Por n, 10-hour Holocaust movies and Takeshi Miike’s “Audition” - in which a woman goes out with men and then chops them up - probably should be avoided. At the same time, “Audition” makes a very useful point: Many people in the movies go out on dates, and the success rate is abysmal.

That’s because dates - first dates especially - are fraught with peril. So much can go wrong, in so many deliciously awkward ways. Whether this will work out to our comedy advantage with “Date Night” - the Tina FeySteve Carell feature that opened Friday - remains to be seen. Fey and Carell play a married couple, so they sort of have to go home together at the end of the movie; both stars are reactive comedians, so the humor might well achieve inertia. It’s also hard to imagine that whatever goes wrong will be worse than some of the hope-filled romantic collisions cited (in no particular order) below. They may not be the worst dates in movie history, but they’re pretty gruesome.

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“After Hours” (1985) You can kind of tell a date isn’t going well when one of the participants commits suicide. And that’s just one of the many, many bits of insanity that the beleaguered Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) survives in this very black comedy by Martin Scorsese.

Paul, a word processor who lives on the Upper East Side, meets a waitress named Marcy (Rosanna Arquette), gets her number and journeys downtown to see her - ‘80s Manhattan being less user-friendly than it is today - in the process losing his money, encountering assorted mutants and freakazoids, being accused of burglary, and getting chased by a mob of angry homosexuals.

In the midst of the date night from hell, Claire (Tina Fey, left) and Phil (Steve Carell) make a frantic call for help in 20th Century Fox’s, ‘Date Night’.

— MCT

“Spider-Man 2” (2004) When the star-crossed Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) meet in a coffee shop to resolve their romantic impasse, Doctor Octopus shows up and throws a car at them. What follows is a battle that roves all over town, atop buildings and subway trains and involves Mary Jane’s abduction by the betentacled Doc Ock (Alfred Molina). Not exactly the way they describe it on eHarmony.

“The Invention of Lying” (2009) Before their first date is even over, Ricky Gervais gets to listen to Jennifer Garner tell her mother everything that’s wrong with him - and why it will never work out, and why they’ll never see each other again - in this comedy set in a parallel universe where everyone tells the truth. All the time. Which is certainly not the route to romance.

“The Awful Truth” (1937) A shiny old chestnut, this rather daring (for its time) tale of adultery stars Cary Grant, Irene Dunne and Ralph Bellamy, who plays a big hick from Oklahoma smitten by the sophisticated Dunne. After Grant’s date embarrasses him - by performing a virtual striptease

in the nightclub where they all meet Grant gets paid back in full, as Bellamy drags Dunne around the dance floor while performing a kind of demented square dance.

“Date Movie” (2006) Where can you possibly begin?

“She’s Out of My League” (last month) This movie’s a bit too fresh to have achieved classic status, but it has potential: When airport security guy Kirk (Jay Baruchel) brings the gorgeous Molly (Alice Eve) home to meet his baboon-like family, the males drool in unison, the women can’t disguise their envy, and Molly’s admission that she isn’t wearing any underwear almost sets the house on fire. Of course, if love can survive this, it can survive anything.

“Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008) Peter (Jason Segel) thinks he loves the unfaithful Sarah (Kristen Bell), and runs off to Hawaii to forget her - only to find that she and her narcissistic rockstar boyfriend, Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), are at the same resort. When sparks start flying between Peter and hotel clerk Rachel (Mila Kunis), they go

out to dinner, only to be thrown together again with Sarah and Aldous in a painful, cringe-inducing meal during which Peter and the women drink heavily, and Aldous tells them at length about his sexual philosophy.

“Must Love Dogs” (2005) Sometimes, being responsible can be a real drag. So can a prolonged, agonizing trip to where the movie was obviously heading all along. When Sarah (Diane Lane) and Jake (John Cusack) decide to have sex, they don’t have any protection. After a not-quitesuspense-ridden trip to several pharmacies, they never quite find any and, besides, they’re out of the mood. So are we.

“American Pie” (1999) Let’s see ... how do we describe this. ... No, there’s no way. Suffice to say that when Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs) has a study date with Czech exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), their entire, shall we say, interaction (including Jim’s various malfunctions) gets broadcast to the entire high school via Webcam. A cautionary tale, to be sure. But so are most date movies. — MCT

Hong Kong Film Awards

Hong Kong singer Rain Lee poses on the red carpet of the Hong Kong Film Awards in Hong Kong yesterday. — AP photos

Hong Kong’ actor Nicholas Tse celebrates after winning the best supporting actor of his movie ‘Bodyguards And Assassins’.

Hong Kong actress Michelle Ye poses with her trophy after winning the best supporting actress of her movie “Accident”.

Hong Kong director Cheung King Wai celebrates after winning the Best New Director of his movie ‘KJ’.

Hong Kong’s actor Aarif Lee celebrates after winning the Best New Performer of his movie ‘Echoes Of The Rainbow’.

www.kuwaittimes.net

More men are rocking avis Buckley of Mountain House, Califor nia, has rocked his share of diverse dos. But, about 12 years ago, Buckley looked in the mirror and realized he had more cowlicks in front of his hairline than actual hair on his head. So, he grabbed a razor and set his dome free.

He’s been bald and beautiful ever since. “I’m fascinated with my bald head,” says Buckley, now 47. “I always knew I had a pretty good round one. And my wife loves it. She rubs it all the time.”

Bare heads are in. Seal.

Br uce Willis. Taye Diggs.

Michael Jordan. Some of Hollywood’s biggest hotties have nothing on top, and Web sites such as Baldly go and Sly Bald Guys offer tips and support for budding baldies. Now, it seems men ever ywhere are embracing the look, regardless whether they’re losing their hair naturally.

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Javis Buckley, 47 (left) of Mountain House, California, is encouraging son-in-law Deondra Crittenden, 31, to follow in his footsteps and keep his bald look. — MCT photos

Darren Nicholson, 35, of Danville, California, started shaving his head when he was 23. He is a middle school baseball coach and the moms think he looks great with a shaved head.

You can’t beat the low maintenance or female attention, not to mention how much more youthful a tan, shiny head feels when compared to grays or comb-overs, men say. The trick is to make sure you approach the shave carefully, and that nature has blessed you with a nicely shaped noggin. Twice a week, Buckley covers his head in shaving cream. He shaves against the grain in long, careful sweeps, then applies an af ter-shave lotion “to keep the bumps down.” That’s his regimen.

Darren Nicholson’s grooming is slightly more involved.

Nicholson, 35, began shaving his head when hair loss hit at age 23. Nicholson, a Danville, Calif., middle school baseball coach, takes clippers to his head once a week and follows up with conditioner. In the summer, he rubs on moisturizer. One time, a student’s mother told Nicholson that she thought most men look scary with shaved heads, but not him. He was flattered. “Before, losing your hair made you think, ‘Oh, I’m some old bald guy,’”

of Oakley, Calif, consider it a fetish. “I get giddy over it. It’s so smooth. It is so sexy. It makes their whole look come together,” says Parla, 46.

Nicholson says it helps that he comes from a long line of men blessed with good heads: Round with limited lumps and bumps and a forehead that isn’t too long. But, if you’re considering the look, how do you know you’ve got the right dome? “You really have to feel your head,” says Cornelius Hankins of The Barber Lounge in San Francisco.

“A lot of people have lumps or bumps or excess skin on the back of their head, where the cranium meets the neck.”

Hankins, a barber who shaves his own head, consults with clients about the shape of their faces and recommends products specifically designed for the scalp. He’s against bar soap because it dries out the scalp, he says. Also, if you tend to bang your head on things, the

Walter Lowhorn, of Oakland, California, poses for a photograph at his home. Lowhorn has been shaving his head for about 10 years now, after his hair started thinning and turning gray.

Nicholson says. “But it’s considered such a good look now that you can feel confident about it.”

Women interviewed for this story were split on the bald look.

But the ones who like it really like it. Some, like Denise Parla,

bald look may not be for you. It’s tough to shave your scalp when it’s constantly covered in cuts and br uises, he adds.

Nevertheless, chrome domes look good on a lot of people, especially those who sport facial

Mike Dorrance, of Danville, California, sits inside his office in Danville.

Dorrance says he’ll “never, ever go back” to having hair. “I got tired of combing it,” says Dorrance, a father of four.

hair. “A lot of guys are growing facial hair and thinning on top, so I try to give them a shorter look and blend it into their beard,” Hankins says. “I encourage a lot of guys to shave it all off. It hides the gray and adds a lot of youthfulness to an older face.”

Walter L owhor n of Oakland, Calif, concurs.

“It kind of suspends you in time,” says Lowhorn, who is 46 and started sporting the look 10 years ago. His job in building maintenance requires him to wake up way too early to worry about his hair. While he recognizes the trend, Lowhorn says the bald choice runs deeper than that. “Hair is a status symbol, and I think we’re finally getting past that,” he says. “Shaving your head is about being comfortable with yourself. It’s about confidence.”

The community forum at Sly Bald Guys, a Sunnyvale, Califbased Web site with 1 million page views a month, is rife with such discussions. Founder Tyler Smith launched the site in 2006 so men who are losing their hair would have a positive place to go. About one-third of the site’s visitors are bald by choice, meaning they are not necessarily suffering from hair loss. “When people start losing their hair, the first thing they do is try to find a

way to get it back,” says Smith, who is 32 and has been shaving his head for seven years.

“But the confidence they were looking for all along usually comes from taking the hair off instead of trying to put it back on.”

Mike Dorrance of Danville says he’ll “never, ever go back” to having hair. “I got tired of combing it,” says Dorrance, a

father of four. “No more shampoos, haircuts, blow dryers. I just shave my scalp every other day in the shower.” His wife, Kris, walked in on him when he first reached for the clippers five years ago. He was about 75 percent closer to resembling Mr. Clean - Dorrance is a redhead with a ruddy complexion - when she screamed, “What the hell are you doing?” Now that she’s used it? “Not everyone can pull it off, but on him, it’s sexy as hell,” she says. “It suits him. He’s fit. He’s athletic. He’s all man.” — MCT

HEAD SHAVER 101 ant to shave your head? Follow these tips from Tyler Smith, founder of Sly Bald Guys, a Web site and community forum that embraces bald-

W

ness.

Get a fresh blade for your razor and replace it every seven days.

Invest in good shaving cream, shaving gel or shaving oil. If it foams and comes out of a can, it’s not what you want. Using an exfoliant before shaving can help lift stubborn hairs and provide a smoother shave.

To avoid bumps or cuts, do not apply pressure to blade.

A sharp blade does the work for you.

Each person’s hair grows differently. Shave with the grain first and then venture to other directions to find the best shave for you.

Protect your shaved head with at least SPF 15 sunscreen every day.

Wedding couple boldly goes where no one has gone before he bride wore a burnt umber Uhura number, and the groom turned out in tasteful Vulcan blue. Standing at the threshold between the perpetual darkness of deep space and the perpetual light of deep love, Nancy Kerr and Kyle Sessions, of Berkeley, California, said “I do” Saturday in a “Star Trek” wedding at San Jose’s Tech Museum. The happy couple stood on the bridge of the USS Enterprise - recreated for “Star Trek: The Exhibition,” which closed yesterday - beaming up at their hand-picked officiant, the Rev Rabbit Matthews.

Instead of a Bible, Matthews recited the vows they’d prepared using a Kindle wireless device.

“Do you promise to honor her and her commitment to the integrity of her mission?” Matthews asked Sessions, 27. “Do you promise to uphold the sacraments of marriage as described in Starfleet regulations, including cohabitation of quarters, equal division of domestic labor and loyalty to one’s commander and crew?”

Kerr and Sessions had won the museum’s “Ultimate ‘Star Trek’ Wedding Contest” on Facebook, defeating 13 other couples by garnering nearly a quarter of the 2,189 votes cast. The victory brought them to an altar of their own fevered imagining for a renewal of vows the couple first made in an Episcopal church in Utah six years ago. They originally planned to wait until their 10th anniversary to renew their vows at the “Star Trek Experience” exhibit in L as Vegas, but that exhibition closed. The Tech’s version drew more than 75,000 visitors during its run, although it shut down for about 45 minutes Saturday to accommodate the couple’s exchange of vows.

“Ending with a wedding makes sense because ‘Star Trek’ is about the future,” said Elizabeth Williams, the museum’s vicepresident for marketing. “It’s an optimistic show.”

‘Mixed relationship’ Among the visitors booted out of the museum so the wedding could proceed were Linda Roberts

The sole of an artist

T

ohn Marra couldn’t quite believe it when mommy blogger Dooce went online last month to rave about his custom sneakers.

It’s something special to get a mention from one of the most influential bloggers in the country. But when she calls your work “genius,” it’s cause for celebration - to say nothing of increased orders. “It was totally, totally unexpected,” says Marra, a Baltimore artist who works behind the name (real-bot).

“I don’t even have business cards!”

Marra, who is 25, lives in a shared house near the Charles Village neighborhood and makes ends meet by waiting tables at Donna’s and giving art lessons to at-risk children through the Art with a Heart program. He has also lent his illustrations for the Web site Green Eyed Monster, which also sells two canvas bags that he designed. Around Baltimore, people might be more familiar with his work decorating walls and pillars. There’s the huge mural he contributed to in Fells Point on the side of the Bank of America building.

And his unmistakable style brightens a pillar under the Jones Falls Expressway where the downtown farmers’ market sets up on seasonal Sundays.

His signature look is a collision of cartooning and graffiti. Brightly colored monsters are his trademark, but he prefers his creatures to be of the cute, cheerful variety. “I think there’s something really wonderfully playful and smart about John’s work,” says Ashley Ulmer, who runs Green Eyed Monster with her sister and was Marra’s resident hall adviser at Goucher College. “There’s something very endearing about what he does.” Marra hopes to propel the Dooce (www.dooce.com) buzz about his custom accessories into a steadier paycheck.

He got blogger Heather B Armstrong’s attention in January when he sent her a pair of shoes for her baby, Marlo. She fell for the tennies, which he painted with clouds and flying hippos. The blogger has a well-known affec-

J

tion for hippos. Armstrong sent him back a postcard of thanks, but didn’t mention that she’d soon be blogging about his work. After the late-February mention, Marra has seen steady orders for the shoes - which cost $150 for adult pairs, $80 for children’s sizes and $50 for baby pairs. The Green Eyed Monster site handles his sales. —MCT

John Marra, 25, a local artist, works from his home in the Barclay neighborhood in Baltimore, Maryland. Marra recently started painting his designs on canvas sneakers and his business got a big boost from a popular national blog, Dooce.com, where they were featured. — MCT

and Robert Green, who had driven up from Los Angeles to see the exhibit. Green was wearing a “Star Trek” uniform shirt that Roberts had bought at a thrift shop. Green didn’t mind leaving while the wedding took place, but he acknowledged potential problems with entering such a union himself.

“We’re in a mixed relationship,” he deadpanned. “She’s a ‘Star Trek’ fan, and I’m a fan of

museum’s gift shop that morning.

The bleeps and blorts of a battleready starship provided calliopelike accompaniment as the ceremony unfolded. When Matthews declared, “It is done,” a vapor lock exhaled. The couple kissed for about 20 seconds, briefly achieving suborbital flight. About 35 of the couple’s friends attended, among them Mark Wilde, who had just returned from shopping for his blue “Trek” shirt at Pierre

said, then caught herself. “I mean Nancy’s.”

Matthews then spread her fingers in the “V” Vulcan salute and exhorted Kerr and Sessions to “live long and prosper.” Then she led the first of several toasts in the museum’s VIP lounge. “May your engines always be at full throttle ... and may you always have all the dilithium you need,” she said, letting her purple hair down. Benedek Nyikos leaped to

Nancy Kerr (foreground left) and husband Kyle Session, of Berkeley, California, renew their wedding vows in the re-created set of the USS Enterprise bridge inside “Star Trek: The Exhibition,” at the San Jose Tech Museum, in San Jose, California. — MCT ‘Star Wars.’ Lots of arguments about how to raise the kids.”

Once the bridge had been cleared, Sessions and Kerr entered while reciting lines from Mr Spock’s tragic near-marriage to T’Pring, who jilted him at the altar.

“Parted from me and never parted, never and always touching and touched,” Kerr said as she mounted a small staircase, “we meet at the appointed place.”

Instead of exchanging rings, the couple exchanged “Star Trek” communicators they bought in the

Silber in Santa Clara, Calif. “It’s an adult costume and lingerie shop,” he said, “but they also have ‘Star Trek’ costumes.”

Perfect Klingon After the ceremony, Matthews immediately instructed the guests to “form an orderly line” to have photos taken with the bride and groom. Matthews, owner of The Sacred Well in Oakland, Calif, where “magic happens every day,” couldn’t take her eyes off the electronic tablet she was holding. “This is Uhura’s Kindle,” she

his feet and delivered a lengthy toast in perfect Klingon. “Actually, it’s a Klingon drinking song,” he conceded later, “but nobody knows that, so I figured I could get away with it.” There seemed little doubt that the bridal couple’s union would now be binding no matter where they went. “I’m a legal minister in the state of California,” Rabbit Matthews said.

“I assume I’m legal in other galaxies. Whenever I’ve teleported myself there, I’ve never had a problem.” — MCT