30 April

Kuwait Times

April 30, 2010

FREE

NO: 14714

INSIDE

Cycle of life: Kuwaiti rides for a cause PAge 6

Thai protest rivals want military to end ‘anarchy’ PAge 14

KUWAIT: File picture dated June 18, 2005 shows Kuwaiti honor guard troops standing in front of an Iraqi Airways plane during an official welcoming ceremony for Iraq’s prime minister then, Ibrahim Jaafari, at Kuwait International Airport. — AFP

Iraq’s nightmare flight CEO’s passport seized by KAC attorney team

Siobhan Magnus voted off ‘American Idol’ PAge 55

Bucks shoot down Hawks PAge 58

BAGHDAD: The first commercial flight between Baghdad and London in 20 years has turned into a nightmare for Iraq after its national airline boss had his passport seized and a chartered plane was impounded.

The transport ministry in Baghdad yesterday confirmed that Iraqi Airways chief Kifah Hassan’s travel document was taken after papers were served by lawyers acting for Kuwait Airways, which says it is owed $1.2 billion.

The dispute dates back to now executed dictator Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, when, according to the oil-rich emirate, 10 of its planes were plundered after its airport had been seized.

“When the airplane arrived at Gatwick (airport) in London, the lawyer for the Kuwaiti authority tried

to seize it, but he failed, because the airplane belongs to a Swedish company,” said transport ministry spokesman Akil Kawthar.

“But they did not stop, and presented a lawsuit on the British company that contracts with Iraqi Airways, then got a decision from the British authorities to prevent the director general of Iraqi Airways from leaving London.

“They took his passport and all other documents that he has,” said Kawthar. The plane was subsequently impounded. Transport Minister Amer Abduljabbar Ismail was also on Sunday’s commercial flight, the airline’s first since UN sanctions came into effect after Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait.

Kawthar hit out at Kuwait’s actions

which he said had damaged Iraqi efforts to “reduce the suffering of its people by providing them with the best possible (air) services,” that would save them time and money.

“The ministry is surprised by this escalating and provocative behavior by Kuwait,” he said.

“We demand all our Arab brothers and friends put pressure on Kuwait to stop actions that do not serve our two peoples, and help them to forget the past and open a new page in bilateral relations,” he added.

No one from Kuwait Airways was immediately available for comment.

However, a statement published in The Times of London, quoting lawyers acting for Kuwait, was adamant that its actions were merited under a court order granted in 2004.

“It was unrealistic of Iraqi Airways to think that it could start flights to a jurisdiction where it owes $1.2 billion without consequences,” said Chris Gooding of law firm Fasken Martineau.

“Refusing to accept the freezing order is indicative of the ostrich-like attitude of Iraqi Airways to the debts it owes.”

Iraq has previously said four of the plundered Kuwaiti aircraft were destroyed in the northern city of Mosul in an allied air strike in January or February 1991, during the Gulf War over Kuwait.

The other six aircraft were sent to neighboring Iran who returned the planes directly to Kuwait in summer 1992, according to the Baghdad government. — AFP

Page 2

LOCAL

Friday, April 30, 2010

HalluciNations

The real impact of fictional lines

By Ahmad Saeid he idea for this article occurred to me about two weeks ago, when the volcano in Iceland began replacing planes with ash over the European skies. Like many people, I was following the news on several TV channels, when a reporter mentioned a detail that grabbed my attention. He said that the last time this volcano had erupted, it displaced so many residents of Iceland, who left the island and went on to live in other parts of Europe.

At that moment, my mind drifted away. I remembered a National Geographic documentary that I watched almost a year ago. It was called ‘Strange days on planet Earth.’

The film looks into a number of phenomena

T

that was never studied before. Mainly, the impacts of industrialization, development of means of transport and communication and other factors on natural life.

For example, the documentary looks into the fact that the large number of trade ships that sail around the world are relocating the habitats of marine life between continents, thereby altering the harmony of natural life in many places. It also looks into the impact of global warming, the use of pesticides, and the extinction of predators in a number of areas across the globe. The numerous examples illustrate how the smallest changes people make to their environment, have a tremendous impact on the natural flow of life.

Which brings us back to the main point of this article: I decided to write after listening to another news report. It addresses the new amendments made to the immigration law, recently adopted in the American state of Arizona, where millions of people who travel

from all over South America, through Mexico cross the borders to the United States in search of better opportunities.

The news highlighted yet another limitation imposed by borders on humanity - the economical aspect. Two centuries ago, if a region was hit by a natural disaster, people were able to flee the area, and move to an area of safety. If one area offered plenty of resources, then people from other less fortunate areas could move there and start benefitting from them. Freedom of movement allowed people to create a natural balance on this planet.

I find it laughable that we - the people invented borders during the same era in which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was constituted; it guarantees the fundamental Right of Movement to every single individual. At the same time, when humanity is developing all these incredible ways to help people connect with each other, we

devised something that is as odd and unnatural as borders. I find it even funnier that the more advanced we become, the more we invent ways to protect and strengthen those borders, rather than arriving at solutions to eliminate them forever.

How many people have died of hunger, while food is piled up in trash containers just across the borders? How many wars and conflicts have been fought over these fictional lines that exist only on papers? How many people have died because of these wars?

How many resources were used to fuel these wars? How many global challenges have occurred as a result of borders? Hunger, corruption, refugees, human trafficking, illegal immigration, exploitation, statelessness, dual citizenship - all these issues occurred as a result of the existence of something unnatural called borders, and the complete impacts of these lines are yet to be studied. saeid@kuwaittimes.net

Friday spOTlighT

Newcomers are NOT invaders!

By Muna Al-Fuzai o we Kuwaitis pay attention to what newcomers think about us and our country? If yes, then how are we doing it? If not, then maybe we should because Kuwait is not only about Kuwaitis but what is also important to everyone who lives in the country. It is essential to examine newcomers’ views in order to know how they perceive us.

It is fun to be a newcomer to any part of the world. It has a charming mystery because your fantasies may create a magic about what you see or hear. It could even happen to you. All these new experiences may leave an indelible mark. In my field of business, I’ve been in contact with newcomers on a daily basis. In many cases, we meet face to face. Sometimes, newcomers to Kuwait feel that it is easier to keep in touch via emails and express their view of Kuwait and its people in writing.

Westerners, do not have a favorable opinion of Kuwait. For Asians who come from poor countries, there is no comparison between Kuwait and their native land at all.

I feel that newcomers serve as barometers that indicate our successes or failures, just like every experiment that needs an instrument to rectify mistakes and success-

D

es. Take for instance, the airport. This is the first place that welcomes all newcomers. It creates a first impression of the country. How they are received is of great importance and their first experience should be made pleasant. Next come customs officers. They should be conversant in basic English and be skilled in the art of welcoming people. However, staff members who sit behind the desk instead put on a grouchy appearance as if newcomers are seeking charity instead of getting their official documents stamped. I have seen such treatment meted out to passengers in the airport many times. Why? What grudges to these staff members hold against newcomers who are poor Asian workers?

These days the Ministry of Social Affairs is trying to revamp document processing by converting it into an electronic system.

Well, the idea was well-received. However, when it was time for implementation, those in charge of dealing with the system complained about queues and lack of familiarity with the new system.

Newcomers serve an integral role in measuring our achievements and indicate how successful we are, in what we are trying to work toward or promote in our lives.

We need to give them their due importance.

Newcomers are not invaders. What they want is to make a life and a decent living.

We should not look at them from an ivory tower and falsely believe that they are weak. muna@kuwaittimes.net

LOCAL

Friday, April 30, 2010 conspiracy theories

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Bigotry beyond borders

By Badr ya Dar wish hree days ago, I was driving in Hawally where the lanes, as you know, are very narrow.

Sometimes there is enough space just for one car to pass. There are many shops and people park wrongly to buy sandwiches. The whole of Hawally is hectic and is full of small shops and eateries.

All of a sudden, a 4-wheel drive jumps in front of my car from a house at the edge of the road. I tried to take a reverse and turned my head around, only to find out that there were already four-five cars behind me. The only way to get out of the dilemma was for the young man to take a reverse back to the space where he came from, and let me pass.

Then he could again drive away. To my utter dismay, he rolled down his window and shouted me: “I am a Kuwaiti. You! Foreigner.... You go back.” I did not want to get into an argument about nationalities and tell him that I am a Kuwaiti too. Kuwaiti or no Kuwaiti, we should all abide by traffic rules, regulations and manners. So, I plainly made a sign to him indicating that there

T

SATIRE WIRE

henever I inform someone that I will be traveling, I always end with “do you need anything from there?” Growing up I always heard my parents saying it to family and friends whenever we were about to take a trip; it’s kind of an Arab culture thing. It only seems natural to know if you can assist someone since you will already be in that country anyway. The usual answer to that question is “I want you to come back safe and sound.” The only problem with this question is when the person actually says yes.

Just recently I was on a trip to the US, where I ended up getting stuck due to the volcano in Iceland. Being that I was there for so long, I had the opportunity to ask many people if they needed something from the US. To my surprise, everyone said yes. Yes I need

W

were cars lined up behind me, and I could not move back. It was not that I was stubborn or trying to be a hero. He would not change his mind. He became ruder and in a louder voice started insulting me. I do not know why he kept on insisting that he was a Kuwaiti. Was he phobic that he was not a Kuwaiti and his nationality might be stripped away from him? Every two words he said were: “ I am a Kuwaiti, you foreigner go back.”

Anyway, drivers in the cars behind me were so understanding and they all took reverse turns to make space for me to pass.

They gave me a chance to pass so that this narrow-minded person could go on his way.

When I heard on the news about the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown forgetting that the microphone was on and describing a lady as “bigoted,” I remembered my encounter in Hawally. I told myself “Hey! That guy in Hawally is bigoted.”

There are bigoted people everywhere in the world and they tarnish the face of the nation.

Everyone who meets such a person will have a bad idea about Kuwait and Kuwaitis.

The only thing which made me sad about this person is that he had four kids in his car.

They witnessed the whole fiasco. What do you think they will inherit from their father? www.badryadarwish.com

Do you need anything?

By Sawsan Kazak

Page 3

medication, yes I need electronics, yes I need books, yes I need anything from there.

This in turn sent me on a statewide ‘treasure hunt’. I don’t usually mind buying gifts for close friends and family, but when virtual strangers start asking for medication, heavy books or other strange and heavy items, a problem develops.

Finding all the items was bad enough, I then had to bring all the stuff back with me.

This resulted in the purchasing of extra suitcases in order to fit all new items. This is probably a situation where I should have used the sentence “do you need anything from there?” in moderation.

And another thing, asking for items that are hard to find where you live or more expensive is understandable, but asking for random items that are available here is wrong; I asked you if you ‘needed’ anything, not if you want anything (there is a difference). I did however learn a valuable lesson, not everyone understand the intricacies of the Arab culture and that some questions are not meant literally. saw sank@kuwaittimes.net

hefner of the Middle east recently received a letter from the District Attor ney requesting my attendance to discuss the details of a complaint filed against the n e w s p a p e r.

Naturally, I called to inquire about the complaint to understand what it was about, but the person from the DA’s office refused to disclose any information about it. All he had to say was that a member of the public had filed a complaint against the paper for something that was published. I don’t understand what the big secret is about. If there is a matter to be discussed with the newspaper, it would make sense.

If we know what the complaint is about, we would be ready with all the answers such as what article, when it was published, who wrote it and what sources did we use. However, that is not how it works. All you need to know is that there is a complaint and that your attendance is required. As if this is part of data protection laws that are non-existent!

Anyway, we complied with the request and I went to the DA’s office along with the Kuwait Times’ lawyers. The complaint was about pictures published by the Kuwait Times in the entertainment sections of the paper last year. Basically, a member of the public (we’ll just call him Mr X) felt that pictures of western actresses, singers and fashion shows were too revealing and that they are of pornographic nature. Mr X continued to level accusations as he described the pictures dent Islamic and Kuwaiti values. At that moment, I felt like I was the Hugh Hefner of Middle East, and this was the Playboy magazine rather than the Kuwait Times.

First of all, I don’t understand how a person that has no relation whatsoever to the pictures published, is allowed to dictate what is right or wrong for us to publish. We are under the guidance of a press law that has been enforced by the

I

Ministry of Information (MoI). Since all that has been published causes him and his family no harm, and the MoI has no complaints, why should this be an issue?

Mr X claimed that the pictures were so sexually graphic that it caused him ‘moral damages’! I would like to find a logical explanation as to how it violated the strict moral code of Mr X? I am sorry if this sounds absurd or insulting, but it appears as if he has noticed that perhaps something is missing in his life and that KT reminded him of it.

Again, I am astonished as to why a person like Mr X is allowed to file such a complaint while the simple solution to his problem would be as easy as to stop reading the Kuwait Times. I raised that question to the DA who simply said that Mr X admitted on record that ‘he only reads the Kuwait Times to look for such things.’ I think that just explains it all.

The case has been taken to court, which means that there is enough reason to carry on with it. Looking at recent similar events, I wouldn’t be surprised if we lose the case and end up paying a compensation even though we have not published anything that is nearly as revealing as we see on a daily basis at the beaches, islands and the shopping malls of Kuwait.

What is going to happen next? Are we all going to follow beautiful women around and sue them for ‘moral damages’? The way things are going on, you will never know.

Let me know what you think: email me at myopinion@kuwaittimes.net

Abd AlRahman Alyan Editor-in-Chief

locAl

Page 4

Friday, April 30, 2010

Stretching as far as it goes

‘Combating flab has to be a way of life.’

The ‘Bridge’ is good for the abdomen muscles.

The ‘6’o clock position’ where one foot firmly grounded and the other rocketed is ‘not at all impossible’ for Fanni.

By Sunil Cherian

W

hat brought Fanni Steib, a 23-year-old Hungarian fitness instructor to Kuwait is her flexibility, both of the mind and body. Fanni can stretch her body into a bridge, flying bird, whip, a question mark or the letter ‘O’ which she says stands for ‘gestalt’, the German word for wholeness. The Hungarian-born, tough-minded but tender-hearted Fanni is the dear but scary physical education instructor at Kuwait Bilingual School, Jahra. On the opening day of the fitness club at the school, teachers and students admired her stretching, especially the ‘6’o clock position’ in which she stood one leg firmly grounded while the other rocketed into the air. The students and the adults alike wondered, but how?

“Combating flab has to be a way of life,” opines Fanni who has a long 18-year practice in fitness training. “I started at the age of five participating in my school gymnastics and winning many medals for many years”. Fanni remembers some of her friends for whom gymnastics was as hard as mathematics. “It wasn’t easy at all. But I had a craving for it,” she said.

“There are no secrets to my fitness,” she said. “Daily workout at the school gym, regular jogging, sound sleep and saying a big no to fatty food is the key. I have my supper at 6 pm after which I don’t eat anything”. The old adages are also her way of life: Early to bed, early to rise and an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Hailing from Hungarian town Salgo’tarja’n, 120 km from the capital city Budapest, Fanni had her school days in a place bordered by beautiful forest and hills that had remnants of old castles. Though missing her family and background, she is excited about her life in Kuwait. “The vastness is remarkable and I take immense pleasure in resisting the food that is around the town”, she said.

“Teaching my students suppleness is my goal for the

The ‘upside-down’ position is good for the brain.

Fanni Steib year. Let’s see how far it goes,” she said, as she got busy playing football with grade 7 girls in the school playground.

“Ms Fanni is an exclamation mark,” said one of her students.

This one is from yoga, a practice slowly gaining its momentum as a sports discipline in schools all over the world.

Friday, April 30, 2010

LOCAL

Page 5

MPs’ games vs women’s sports

By Abdullah Al-Qattan

S

ports just like any other issue in Kuwait has been largely politicized. Things become even more complicated when the topic under discussion is women in sports. Although, the issue of women in sports has been raising questions in Kuwait since the mid-1970s, when women here first entered this field, some argue that Kuwaiti families at that stage were not ready to accept that novelty. Against all odds, however, Kuwaiti sportswomen did compete in the Olympic Games as early as the mid-eighties.

Back then, though, Kuwaiti families were stricter than they are today when it is common to see a female fencer, equestrian or athlete. In the 1970s, every Kuwaiti had heard of Jamila and Nadia Al-Mutawa, as well as Sheika Barea’a Salem Al-Sabah who were awarded the first three medals in the Asian Tournament held in India in 1982. In those days, winning a medal was not a political issue, but was a matter of taking pride in one’s country. Today, the discussion of women in sports is gaining momentum because of the dress code. Sportswear, it seems, is preventing today’s female athletes from representing the country at international events.

Against all odds Article 10 of the Constitution stipulates that Kuwait permits every individual to take part in sports without differentiating between the sexes.

In reality, however, women face obstacles in participating in sports. Some female athletes have expressed disappointment with the fact that women in Kuwait can hardly find a government club that features women’s sports all the way to the professional level.

One of the most common criticisms of Islamic MPs is the “inappropriate outfit” that the Kuwaiti women’s football team players were wearing when they lost 17 - nil in a match against Palestine. Instead of commenting on the lack of sporting stamina, for instance, MPs opposed the wearing of shorts, saying that “our beliefs and traditions prohibit us from allowing our daughters and wives from dressing like that.”

In response, female MPs, such as Dr Aseel Al-Awadhi, referred the Islamist parliamentarians to the constitution, reiterating that equality in sports is for all. Balsam Al-Ayoob a known athlete who won the Oshakka award for social excellence and who is the current female fencing champion suggests a new way of looking at things, arguing that the decision-making process concerning women in sports should be done by women. “We should award sportspeople not based on the money they save per year but on the achievements they have,” she said.

Al-Ayoob goes so far as to propose the establishment of a female sports union that would have the task of evaluating women’s success and achievements in the sports field.

“And in our case, we should ask, why did we lose 17 to nothing instead of asking why the girls weren’t dressed properly!” said Balsam, explaining that doing so is the way to achieve real development in sports.

The sporting champion added that a woman should be assigned to the post of supervising women’s sports, while a man should be in charge of male sports, since at the end of the day a man simply cannot understand a female athlete’s position. Men are less likely to be able to separate sports and politics, which are wholly unconnected issues, she said, as well as being

Kuwaiti sportswomen reject Islamists’ condemnation less likely to comprehend that religion is a personal matter which nobody else can or should control in another person.

Hanan Boshairi, a 20-year-old basketball player said that she’s been interested in the sport since first taking it up as a hobby six years ago.

Up till now, however, she’s been unable to make the transition from a beginner to a professionallevel player since the issue of women’s sports is made more complicated than it should be, she complained.

All sports have certain dress codes, which must be adhered to, along with other regulations created according to the nature of the activity, such as no jewelry, make-up, etc, she continued, yet despite this the hardliners had overlooked all these issues, instead leaping in to condemn women’s sports immediately.

Sport, religion, politics Boshairi asserted that parliament should not be making things more difficult than they already are and should strive to adopt a professional attitude towards sporting attire rather than taking an obsessive interest in how female athletes look or dress.

“This can only be achieved by familiarizing ourselves with the sports codes, then being serious in applying them,” she added.

Boshairi echoed Balsam’s comments about the need to separate sport from religion and politics, insisting that athletes’ only focus should be on performing in the best, most professional way they can.

24-year-old female footballer Aisha Mohammed said that despite football being the world’s most famous and favorite sport, Kuwait’s women footballers still find it difficult to compete or even participate in the game. She pointed out that it is virtually impossible for a girl to play football in an open, outdoor pitch in Kuwait, while the lack of fenced-off football fields makes playing regularly in one of those extremely difficult too, saying that these two factors explain the Kuwaiti women’s football team’s comprehensive loss to their Palestinian counterparts.

“Officials have to consider women’s sport more seriously and stop playing games that will delay such an important issue” she insisted.

Twenty-four-year-old Nada Fares, another female Kuwaiti football player, said that at one time Kuwait laid a lot of importance and emphasis on sports, but had not done so as much in recent years. Added to this, she said, the fundamentalist Islamist movement had made things even more difficult for Kuwaiti sportswomen by introducing strict and inflexible traditions that weren’t even Kuwaiti in origin, “and since we were a country interested in sports in the past, how is forbidding women from competing considered a tradition?”

Fares said that in reality sports are simply a mixture of entertainment and a healthy lifestyle, but now the perception has shifted to something more complex, with the unwelcome addition of

money and hunger for political power into the equation meaning that it’s unrealistic to expect the necessary level of professionalism to be maintained, let alone increased.

“The upside that Kuwait’s women athletes are looking up to today, is the fact that we have four female MPs who are fighting for equality between men and women in all fields, including

sports,” Fares said, explaining that the country’s female athletes are now knocking on doors closed to women for a very long time in the hope of reclaiming their rights.

She also pointed out that for some reasons the Islamists apply the Islamic clothing traditions only to women, yet when male athletes are seen competing in shorts above the knee and swimming trunks none of the same Islamists raises the fact that such attire is forbidden in Islam. This makes it clear, she said, that women here are suffering from gender discrimination.

Fares added, however, that looking on the bright side Kuwait has seen dramatic changes in a short period of time over recent years, with the country soon to have four official women’s sports clubs to help the country’s female athletes improve their competitive abilities and represent their country.

local

Page 6

Friday, april 30, 2010

‘

Each person has to take responsibility and try to make a difference in his own way.

‘

Kuwaiti cyclist Bader Al-Shaiji in Bahrain

Cycle of life: Kuwaiti rides for a cause

By Abdullah Al-Qattan

Kuwaiti cyclist Bader Al-Shaiji has begun his sporting endeavor under the motto ‘No to Poverty’ aimed at raising money to assist the less fortunate. Bader embarked on his bicycle tour from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and finally to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) all the way back to Kuwait.

Al-Shaiji poses with the Kuwaiti ambassador in Abu Dhabi.

Bader Al-Shaiji said that the latest statistics have proven that over 4 billion people suffer from poverty worldwide. He added that poverty poses a main threat to society due to the prevalence of ignorance, sickness and inequality. Al-Shaiji was inspired by Terry Fox, the cancer patient who successfully completed the tour with the goal of collecting $1 million for cancer research. He, however, ended up collecting more than $24 million from various companies and organizations that wanted to help put an end to this struggle.

“Each person has to take responsibility and try to make a difference in his own way, and I have found that I can influence sports figures,” Al-Shaiji said. He also explained that sports is a universal activity that places countries from around the world in competition with each other. Through the medium of sports, he met with a number of Kuwaiti ambassadors that are appointed across all the Gulf countries. He also discussed and explained the goals behind his trip and what he had hoped to accomplish.

The General Coordinator Anas Al-Shaiji shed some light on the fact that Bader Al-Shaiji had sustained an injury during the trip.

However, the one-man trip has not affected any part of the plan that was scheduled earlier.

Anas Al-Shaiji also added that the 15-day trip was aimed at collecting donations from charitable individuals - merchants, charity organizations or city officials. So far, they were able to collect a decent amount while managing to spread awareness on the crisis. Bader Anas Al-Shaiji concluded, “This was only the first phase of the campaign in which we hoped to raise awareness and make people pay more attention to the problem at hand. More tours and attempts will be made to alleviate the problem.”

Al-Shaiji enjoys the company of camels during his journey.

The mechanics who helped keep Al-Shaiji’s cycle in perfect working condition pose for a snap.

local

Friday, april 30, 2010

Page 7

KUWAIT: Families try to escape from the summer heat with water activities. —Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Blame it on boredom

By Hussain Al-Qatari

S

ummertime is not a time of the year to spend inside Kuwait. It is hot - very hot, and people from different nationalities do their best to spend some, if not all, of it abroad where the weather is better and more tolerable.

However, the weather is not the only factor pushing people to spend time abroad-it is only one of many factors that make people’s stay in Kuwait very lethargic, mundane and intolerable. Kuwaitis and nonKuwaitis are both victims of this unshakable boredom, with not much to do but complain, or await the next break from the country to refresh their minds.

For many expats, Kuwait has become a place that must be left; opportunities are scarce, benefits are little and recognition of hard work is almost nonexistent. For Kuwaitis, the routine is a killer, the lack of incentive to be productive is producing more couch potatoes and the unavailability of a recreational life is letting frustration take control. Leaving,

whether for good or for a while, has become many people’s agenda and the reasons are various.

The Friday Times spoke to a number of people and asked them about what makes life here intolerable.

Attitude, opportunities and more Marwa, a 29-year old Kuwaiti, believes that it is not the weather as much as it is the attitude of people that makes her want to leave for a break any time she can. “It is difficult to live an easy-going life here in Kuwait. It is very difficult; you are always faced with the eternal questions of ‘what would people say?’ Even if what you like to do is something simple like sit in a restaurant or a cafe and read a book,” she says. The judgmental attitude of society for Marwa is something that makes it difficult to spend a weekend anywhere to unwind.

Having to ‘act’ and ‘behave’ a specific way is one of the things that makes being part of the society quite exhausting, she believes. “I don’t think that this is an exaggeration; I feel it everywhere I go,” she says.

For Shereen, a 25-year old Iranian living in Kuwait, the heat can be tolerable if opportunities were allowed for non-citizens. “I was born and raised here, and yet I am always reminded that I don’t belong to this country. I don’t go to Iran; I don’t speak Persian except little. I speak Arabic with a Kuwaiti dialect, and yet I don’t get to go to university here, I don’t get any good positions where I work. I don’t get to start a business without the need for the help of a Kuwaiti to register it under their name,” she says.

Shereen and her sister Darya took up knitting as a hobby at young age, and they design small home accessories with knitted material. They have attempted to join a few youth exhibitions, but the majority was exclusively for Kuwaiti entrepreneurs and small business owners. “I never considered this growing up, but now that my father has passed away and my mother is getting old, I feel like we need to relocate, find a place that we can call home to spend the rest of our lives in; we’re never going back to Iran-it is near impossible

to make a living there and I don’t even speak the language,” explains Shereen.

Marginalized art-lovers Mohammad, a 38-year old Kuwaiti who works as a sound technician in a television station believes that the most exhausting of all in Kuwait is the lack of a cultural scene that appeals to everybody. Even though there are private exhibitions that are reputable, and despite the fact that there are culture-related events that take place inside Kuwait throughout the year, Mohammad believes that they don’t appeal to everyone, and those who are creative and who try to present new and different art are marginalized. “We only see humble efforts on a very small scale; there is no culture of book reading in Kuwait, no film culture or comic book culture. It is dead, and this is something that has been going on for a long time now,” he says.

Mohammad insists that there is a need to shake off the dust and bring new art, allow new blood to pump creativity in the current scene. “People have

enough shopping malls and restaurants; they want things that they can enjoy,” he says, noting that allowing other options for people is certainly going to help out a lot.

Mishaal, a 26-year old Kuwaiti echoed Mohammad’s sentiment, stressing that the lack of recreational activities in Kuwait is what makes people want to leave for other places where ‘fun’ is allowed.

“I’m not talking about bringing bars, but they can allow people to hold concerts and enjoy music without making them feel like it is the end of the world. Banning these things is not going to stop anyone from getting a ticket and going to any of the near Gulf countries where this is allowed,” he says. Mishaal thinks that allowing these events should be regulated, but not completely banned as is the case nowadays. “Even when celebrating the National and Independence Days, we are not allowed to enjoy our time. So everyone either travels or resorts to joining the uncivilized annoying parades they organize on the streets with hooligans; it is a disgrace,” he lamented.

local

Page 8

MILAN: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah receives a warm welcome at the airport. — Photos by KUNA

Friday, april 30, 2010

STUTTGART: His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah is seen at the Daimler-Benz museum on Wednesday.

Amir visits Daimler museum in Germany STUTTGART: His Highness Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Wednesday carried out a visit to the museum of German luxury car-maker Daimler-Benz in

Stuttgart, accompanied by Deputy Chief-of-Staff of the Kuwait National Guard Sheikh Mishaal AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His Highness witnessed the auto-

maker’s history over a 100-year time span.

The visit was followed by a dinner banquet in honor of His Highness the Amir, hosted by

Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG/Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, Dieter Zetsche, who gave a welcoming word which also detailed Kuwait’s

Finance panel delays decision on privatization

By B Izzak KUWAIT: The National Assembly financial and economic affairs committee yesterday postponed its decision on controversial amendments to the privatization law before its approval in the second and final round. The main debate in the committee focused on the amendments submitted by the parliamentary Popular Action Bloc which wants strict safeguards against privatizing natural resources, especially oil facilities.

Head of the committee MP Youssef Al-Zalzalah said that a majority of the seven members of the panel rejected the Popular Bloc’s agenda and only him and MP Ahmad AlSaadoun, a leading member of the bloc, approved the amendments. Zalzalah said as a result, the committee

decided to take a final decision on the amendments until next Monday when other amendments submitted by other MPs will also be considered.

The main demand of the Popular Bloc and a large number of MPs is for the law to explicitly ban the privatization of oil, health and

such amendments were incorporated in the law, it will effectively obstruct the process of privatization. The law, which was passed in the first reading about two weeks ago, calls for establishing public shareholding companies to run the privatized projects, in which 40 percent of the shares will

One-year jail term for women harassers education sectors, to oblige the government to have a golden share in the privatized facility which will give the government the veto power.

MPs also want several safeguards to ensure job security for the Kuwaiti staff currently employed in services that would be privatized.

But several MPs say that if

be given to Kuwaiti citizens, 35 percent to a strategic local or foreign investor, 20 percent for the government and five percent for the Kuwaiti employees.

In the meantime, the Assembly’s committee for combating alien practices yesterday passed a draft law to combat teasing of women in public places. Head of the

committee MP Mohammad Hayef said the bill stipulated a one-year jail term and a fine of KD 1,000 for teasers.

Meanwhile, controversy continued over a draft law for women’s civil and social rights between Islamist and liberal MPs. The draft law was supposed to have been debated last Tuesday but the Assembly rejected and asked the women’s affairs committee to prepare a new report. Member of the committee MP Maasouma AlMubarak said the new report will be ready before May 25 and the panel will take into consideration MPs’ demands for early retirement of women. Another member, MP Aseel Al-Awadhi said that a number of legislation related to women must be amended at the same time to fulfill womens’ rights.

support of the company. His Highness Sheikh Sabah presented a simliar speech, expressing his best wishes to the company and its staff. —KUNA

Zain auction sells 27 diamond phone digits Number 90000000 sold for KD 116,500 KUWAIT: Hall number 8 at Kuwait International Fairgrounds in Mishref witnessed a record sale of 27 diamond Zain lines including numbers such as 90000000, 90000009 and 90009000. Bidding in the auction organized

by Kuwait Group for Public Auctions on the Zain City Exhibition, for the first number started with KD 50,000 and ended with the aforementioned figure. Notably, owners of the new lines will enjoy making open local calls for a year in addition to five gigabyte of monthly data transfer services for the same period of time.

Tehran wants Kuwait to drop visas TEHRAN: Tehran has suggested that Kuwait and Iran drop the visas required from their nationals when they visit each other’s country, a Kuwaiti newspaper reported. The Iranian request was made during a meeting between officials from the foreign ministries of both countries. The Kuwaitis promised to look into the suggestion and report their decision to the Iranian authorities. A similar request had been put forward by Mustafa Dhul Qadr, the Iranian head of the parliamentary Iran-Kuwait friendship committee. Only Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) nationals are exempted from entry visas into Kuwait, while citizens of some countries and foreigners living in one of the other GCC countries can obtain visas upon arrival at Kuwait airport. Kuwait has the largest concentration of Iranians in a GCC country. —IRNA

MidEast, Asia fail to protect domestic workers, claims HRW KUALA LUMPUR: Middle East and Asian nations, which draw millions of foreign domestic workers, have failed to take action to tackle widespread abuse of the vulnerable women, Human Rights Watch said. “The reforms undertaken by Middle Eastern and Asian governments fall far short of the minimum protections needed to tackle abuses against migrant domestic workers,” the US-based group said. “Despite recent improvements, millions of Asian and African women workers

remain at high risk of exploitation and violence, with little hope of redress,” it said in a report launched ahead of International Labor Day on May 1.

The report focused on Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Singapore. HRW said that several nations had made improvements but far more must be done. “In general, reforms have been slow, incremental, and hard-fought,” said Nisha Varia, the group’s

women’s rights researcher.

“Jordan deserves credit for including domestic work in their labor law, but enforcement remains a big concern. Singapore has prosecuted physical abuse against domestic workers vigorously, but fails to guarantee them even one day off a week.”

Households across the region rely on foreign maids to cook, clean and care for children and the elderly. Saudi Arabia alone absorbs 1.5 million foreign domestic workers, and there are

196,000 in the tiny city-state of Singapore. The workers come from Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and other countries in Asia and Africa, and their earnings contribute billions to their home countries, often making up a good chunk of those economies.

HRW said the women are too often subjected to physical and sexual violence, forced isolation in private homes, excessive working hours with no rest, and unpaid wages for months of hard labor.

“Reforms often encounter stiff

resistance both from employers used to having a domestic worker on call around the clock, and labor brokers profiting handsomely off a poorly regulated system,” Varia said. “Governments should make protecting these vulnerable workers a priority.” HRW called on governments to bring domestic workers under the protective umbrella of labor laws, reform repressive immigration laws that contribute to abuse, and ensure police and courts respond to abuse cases. —AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Page 10

Friday, April 30, 2010

Lebanese villagers kill suspect in vengeance BEIRUT: A crowd of angry Lebanese villagers stabbed to death an Egyptian man yesterday and paraded his body through town in a revenge attack after he was arrested on suspicion of killing four members of a local family, security officials said. The rare mob attack shocked many, and security officials said police who were escorting the man at the time were unable to prevent the killing in the Chouf mountain

town of Ketermaya.

Interior Minister Ziad Baroud ordered an investigation and said such vigilante justice was “extremely dangerous.”

Mohammed Msallem, a 38year-old Egyptian who worked as a butcher in had been Ketermaya, arrested a day earlier on suspicion of shooting to death an elderly couple and their two young granddaughters, aged 7 and 9. He was leading

police investigators through a reenactment of the killings when dozens of residents attacked him with sticks and knives, security officials and witnesses said.

Police rushed Msallem to the intensive care unit of a nearby hospital, but residents broke in, dragged him out and pounded him with sticks, the witnesses said. A security official said police on the scene could not stop the attackers, who blocked

streets in the village to prevent police reinforcements from reaching the scene. He and other security officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

After killing Msallem, the attackers stripped his bloody body down to the underpants and drove it through town on a car hood, with several local men standing on the hood cheering. They then hanged the body from a pole in the

center of town as residents cried “Allahu Akbar,” or God is great and some in the crowd took pictures. His body hung from the pole for about 10 minutes before Lebanese army troops took him down and drove him away in a jeep, an AP photographer at the scene said. Security officials said Msallem had confessed to killing the four family members, but the motive was not immediately clear. One

official said Ketermaya residents also believed Msallem had raped a 15-yearold local girl a month earlier, but that report could not be independently confirmed.

There was no immediate word of arrests in the attack.

Crime has been on the rise in Lebanon but such vigilante mob killings have been rare since the end of the 1975-90 civil war, during which violence was political common. —AP

Country under pressure to shut down hundreds of tunnels

Egypt rejects claims it gassed Gaza tunnels CAIRO: An Egyptian intelligence official yesterday denied allegations leveled by Hamas that Egypt pumped gas into a cross-border tunnel used to smuggle goods into the Gaza Strip, killing four Palestinians. Egypt has

been under pressure to shut down the hundreds of tunnels that are a key economic lifeline for the blockaded Palestinian territory but which are also used to bring in weapons for the Islamic militant group.

The intelligence official confirmed that Egyptian security forces destroyed the entrances to several tunnels this week, but said that no gas was used in the operations. He said that Egypt routinely blows up the mouths to the tunnels to seal them off, and that the blast and an ensuing fire could quickly use up all the oxygen in the confined space, causing people caught inside to suffocate. Egypt’s denial comes a day after Hamas accused Egyptian forces of killing four Palestinians by pumping gas into a smuggling tunnel. The Hamas Interior Ministry said in a statement late Wednesday that the gas used GAZA STRIP: Palestinian mourners carry the bodies of smuggling-tunnel to try to clear the tunnel was workers Muhammad Ali Abu Jamous, 25, and his brother Osama Abu poisonous. It said six people Jamous, 20, background, during their funeral in Bureij refugee camp, were also injured. It was not immediately clear what central Gaza Strip yesterday. —AP evidence Hamas was basing its allegations on.

Mohammed al-Osh, the medical director of the Abu Yusef al-Najar hospital in the Gaza border town of Rafah where some of the dead and injured were taken, could not confirm those killed had JERUSALEM : Ultranationalist Israeli settlers soldiers raided Yitzhar and arrested seven inhaled poison gas. He said yesterday surrounded a Palestinian home near settlers, including three minors, for the hospital did not have the a West Bank settlement and hurled rocks unspecified “disturbances,” police spokesman equipment or specialists through windows to avenge a string of early Micky Rosenfeld said. Yitzhar settler Avraham needed to conduct the morning arrests by Israeli police. Residents of Binyamin said Israeli police detained the necessary tests on lungs and the Yitzhar settlement, in the northern West settlers for 10 or 15 minutes at around 4:30 clothing. Israel and Egypt Bank, marched through the neighboring a.m. have kept Gaza’s official After police attempted to arrest another Palestinian village of Hawara in a show of anger border crossings closed since over what they said was a police campaign settler later yesterday morning, a group of Hamas seized control of the against them. Yitzhar is among the most radical Yitzhar residents tried to block them, then coastal strip in 2007 from settlements in the West Bank, and its residents later marched to Hawara “to demonstrate forces loyal to Westernhave scuffled with Israeli forces several times against the crusade that the police are backed Palestinian President enacting,” Binyamin said. Palestinian villagers in recent weeks.

Mahmoud Abbas, who now Friction is common between the 2.5 million said the settlers fled only after people inside only governs in the West Palestinians and 300,000 Israeli settlers in the the house called for help through a loudspeaker Bank.

West Bank, which Israel has occupied since and a crowd of Palestinians converged on the The United States and 1967. Palestinians view the more than 120 area. Israeli soldiers later arrived on the scene Israel have been pushing settlements that Israel has built across the to keep the sides separated.

Egypt to do more to try to Binyamin said the violent demonstration West Bank as a key obstacle to setting up their close the tunnels, which own state. Hardline settlers, including was part of what the settlers call their “price residents of Yitzhar, believe they are returning tag” policy, going after Palestinian targets to provide Hamas with a lifeline avenge Israeli police actions against the to lands promised to the Jews by God. helping it to stay in power in The latest unrest occurred hours after settlers. —AP Gaza. —AP

West Bank settlers hurl rocks at Palestinian homes

CHOUF MOUNTAINS: A Lebanese policeman, right, tries to disperse people as he stands near the body of Egyptian Mohammed Msallem that was stabbed to death in Ketermaya village in the central Chouf mountains, Lebanon yesterday. —AP

Hezbollah says Egypt court verdicts political BEIRUT: The leader of Hezbollah yesterday slammed an Egyptian court verdict that convicted 26 men of spying for the militant group and plotting attacks in Egypt, calling the ruling “political and unjust.” In comments to Kuwait’s Rai TV distributed by Hezbollah’s media office, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said the men are only guilty of carrying out their “duty” by offering support for militants in Gaza who are fighting Israel.

The men were convicted of planning attacks on tourists and shipping in the Suez Canal, and sending operatives and explosives to Gaza to aid militants there. An Egyptian court sentenced the men Wednesday to prison terms ranging from six months to life.

“The verdicts that were issued against the mujahedeen (holy fighters) who were offering support for the mujahedeen in the Gaza Strip are political and unjust,” Nasrallah said. He called the ruling “a badge of honor” for the 26 men.

The trial, which started in August 2009, marks the first time Egypt has prosecuted alleged Hezbollah activists. In April of that year, Egyptian security officials said they had uncovered a Hezbollah cell plotting to destabilize the country.

It was also the first time Egypt has convicted people involved in the smuggling trade with Gaza. Nasrallah has acknowledged sending an agent to supervise weapons shipments to Hamas in Gaza, but he has denied seeking to undermine Egypt’s security. The Egyptian verdict cannot be appealed and the convicts can only be released if Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak grants them pardon. Nasrallah said he would seek to overturn the verdicts through “political and diplomatic channels.”—AP

international

Friday, april 30, 2010

Page 11

Baghdad vote recount to take about 2-3 weeks BAGHDAD: Iraq’s election officials said yesterday that a recount of the Baghdad ballots could take up to three weeks , possibly even longer than it took to count the whole country’s ballots after the March 7 election. The timeline means another delay for an election process that has already dragged on for weeks and threatens to undermine the country’s fragile stability. Since Iraq’s landmark parliamentary elections on March 7, the country’s political factions have been wrestling over the results of the close-fought contest. But little progress

has been made toward forming a new government, prompting fears of renewed violence just as US combat forces prepare to go home.

“I can’t predict when the final results will be ratified by the Supreme Court as many things still need to be done,” the head of Independent High Electoral Commission, Faraj Al-Haidari, told a press conference. Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s Shiite coalition narrowly lost by two seats to former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi’s bloc.

Al-Maliki has challenged the results, alleging fraud and issued a flurry of appeals for

recounts. While rejecting recount requests in other provinces, Iraq’s judiciary approved one for Baghdad , a key province and home to nearly a quarter of the country’s population. There are 68 seats in Baghdad up for grabs in the new 325-seat parliament, and new vote tallies could easily erase Allawi’s razor-thin lead.

Allawi’s supporters have cried foul and say that AlMaliki is trying to subvert “the will of the people” with his various challenges to the results. The three-judge committee overseeing election-related disputes will

also make a decision on May 10 whether to bar nine winning candidates for alleged ties to Saddam Hussein’s ruling party, Al-Haidari said.

The names were recommended by the Accountability and Justice Commission that vets all politicians for ties to the Baath Party. “Since the commission continues with its work then there could be more names to come,” Al-Haidari cautioned.

Meanwhile, the court will rule on Monday on whether to accede to Kurdish demands for a recount in the largely Sunni northern town of Hawija. — AP

BAGHDAD: Faraj Al-Haidari, chairman of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), speaks to reporters in Baghdad, Iraq yesterday. —AP

Ahmadinejad, Clinton to attend

Iran, Egypt ready for battle at nuclear meet DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Assad, right, shakes hands with Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi, left, in Damascus, Syria yesterday. The visit comes a day after a statement made by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates accusing Syria and Iran of supplying Hezbollah with increasingly sophisticated weaponry. —AP

Qaeda ‘postman’ dispatched Iraq chiefs to deaths: Probe BAGHDAD: An Al-Qaeda messenger unwittingly dispatched two top Islamist commanders to their deaths this month, when a USbacked force tracked him to their den and killed them, investigators told AFP yesterday. Abu Omar AlBaghdadi and Abu Ayub AlMasri, who had direct links with Osama bin Laden, were killed in a shootout when a joint Iraqi-US force raided their safe house north of Baghdad on April 18.

Baghdadi was the political leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) while Masri, an Egyptian militant, was the insurgent group’s self-styled “minister of war.” The pair, according to investigators, did not use cell phones or the Internet but relied on their own postman who relayed messages between them and other insurgents.

Once a week the man, whose identity was not revealed, sat in a Baghdad cafe where he discreetly made contact with insurgents, delivering messages from Baghdadi and receiving others for the top Al-Qaeda operative. Iraqi officials learned of the messenger’s existence on

March 11 when security forces captured Munaf Abdul Rahim al-Rawi, the Al-Qaeda chief in the Iraqi capital who was known as the “governor of Baghdad.”

Officials say that Rawi, a low-level industry ministry employee, planned the bombings of government ministries and hotels in the capital that have killed hundreds and wounded thousands of people since August last year. “During his interrogation, Ghawi admitted that he received his orders from one of Baghdadi’s messengers,” an officer who took part in the deadly raid against Al-Qaeda told AFP. Ghawi told investigators that “he met the messenger once a week in a Baghdad cafe, where the man would sit for an hour before leaving.” The information was immediately shared with US forces who sent American drones into action to capture images and identify the messenger and his contacts.

Ghawi was confronted with the pictures taken by the pilotless planes and confirmed that the man they showed was Baghdadi’s messenger. — AFP

UNITED NATIONS: Iran and Egypt are gearing up for battle against the United States and its allies over Israel and developing countries’ rights to atomic technology at a major meeting on the NonProliferation Treaty. Iranian President Mahmoud

Ahmadinejad is expected to attend the conference, which opens on Monday and runs until May 28. He will be facing off with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who heads the US delegation at the meeting at UN headquarters.

Western envoys expect Ahmadinejad to take a defiant stand against the United States and its Western allies, accusing them of trying to deprive developing states of nuclear technology while turning a blind eye toward Israel’s nuclear capability.

An Iranian diplomat in New York told Reuters that “this participation at the highest level is a demonstration of Iran’s firm commitment to the NPT and to the success of the review conference.” He declined to be identified by name.

The 189 signatories of the landmark 1970 arms control treaty-which is intended to stop the spread of nuclear weapons and calls on those with atomic warheads to abandon themgather every five years to assess compliance with the pact and progress made

have a nuclear arsenal but does not confirm or deny it.

Like India and Pakistan, it has not signed the NPT and will not participate in the conference.

Ahmadinejad is the highest-ranking official attending the conference.

He will travel to New York as diplomats from the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany are meeting nearly every day in Manhattan to hammer out a draft resolution imposing a fourth round of sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program. Diplomats say the six are far from agreement as Russia and China push to dilute a U.Sdrafted sanctions proposal.

The powerful 118-nation bloc of non-aligned developing nations, which Egypt chairs and Iran is a member of, issued a “plan of action” to eliminate nuclear

toward achieving its goals.

The last NPT review conference in 2005 was widely considered a disaster.

After weeks of procedural bickering led by the former US administration, Egypt and Iran, the meeting ended with no agreement on a final declaration. NPT review conferences make decisions on the basis of consensus.

Analysts and UN diplomats hope things will be different this time and that the conference can breathe new life into a treaty that has failed to prevent North Korea from building a nuclear bomb or force Iran to stop uranium enrichment. A Pakistani-led illicit nuclear supply network and slow progress on disarmament have also highlighted the NPT’s weaknesses.

Israel is presumed to

weapons.

The move appeared to bolster Egypt’s and Iran’s positions on Israel and against the nuclear weapons states. Without mentioning the Jewish state by name, it called for the scrapping of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, further disarmament moves by the NPT’s five nuclear powersthe United States, Britain, France, China and Russiaand the negotiation of a treaty banning the use of atomic weapons and other steps.

“A successful conference would add legitimacy to the treaty at a time when its effectiveness is in doubt because of Iran’s and North Korea’s nuclear programs,” David Albright, of the Institute for Science and International Security, told the USHouse of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs. — Reuters

Ahmadinejad wants Iranians to have more kids TEHRAN: Hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad mocked Iran’s award-winning family planning policy yesterday, insisting Iranians need to have more children, local media reported. In a meeting with town council members, Ahmadinejad warned that 30 years from now Iran will be stuck with an ageing population like in the West and the situation will be “dangerous.”

“Westerners said 40 years ago ‘let us control the population’... now look at them. Their population is old and ageing,” Ahmadinejad said, according to a report by ISNA news agency.

“Some people turned up in our country and blindly said let us do what they are

doing and said that two kids are enough and also passed a law concerning this.”

He was referring to a 1993 family planning law passed to control population growth in Iran after the baby boom years which followed the 1979 Islamic revolution, when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini urged Iranians to have more kids. Iran’s population grew at an annual rate of 3.2 percent for more than a decade from around 36 million around the time of the revolution.

The swelling demographics forced the regime to implement the family planning law in 1993 as government representatives went door to door handing contraceptives and educating

people about the benefits of small families. Since then the annual population growth rate has dipped to around 1.6 percent and Iran eventually won a United Nations award for its family planning program.

“Now the average Iranian family is under four people. We will face a dangerous situation 30 years from now,” Ahmadinejad said. He insisted that Iranian “people want to have kids” adding that “God is there to nourish them.” Ahmadinejad has previously also made such calls, but has faced opposition from some former health ministers.

Iran’s population currently stands at around 74 million, of which 60 percent are below 30 years of age. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Page 12

Friday, April 30, 2010

Brown seeks redemption at debate after big gaffe Britain’s 3 main candidates neck-and-neck ahead of election LONDON: Britain’s final TV election debate yesterday may be Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s last chance to repair his tarnished reputation, after an open microphone caught him dismissing an elderly Labor voter as a “bigoted woman.” Brown’s campaign gaffe, dragged out for hours on television with him finally going back to the woman’s house to apologize, dominated the news. But candidates yesterday had to tackle an even thornier issue, how to kick-start Britain’s sluggish economy amid deepening economic troubles in Europe.

And with Britain’s three main candidates neck-andneck ahead of the May 6 national election, the country appears headed toward a hung parliament in which no group holds a majority and urgently needed decisions on the economy may be delayed by the need to build coalitions. Britain’s firstever televised debates, three in all, have already spurred an unexpected transformation in the country’s politics. Nick Clegg, leader of the perennially third-place Liberal Democrats, has turned in two sparkling performances, shocking the election’s two heavyweights, Brown of the ruling Labor Party and David Cameron of the Conservatives.

The Liberal Democrats

have even leapfrogged over Labor into the second spot in many recent surveys. But the most decisive TV debate could come yesterday, with the toxic topic of the economy.

Britain has struggled through a deep 18month recession in which around 1.3 million people have been laid off and 50,000 families have had their homes repossessed.

Whoever governs Britain after the May 6 vote must quickly tame a mammoth 152.84 billion pounds ($235.9 billion) deficit racked up during the global financial crisis. Britain will likely suffer the largest cuts to public services since World War II, taxes are sure to rise and efforts to cut unemployment will take

time.

“It really is the defining issue of the campaign, so we’ll have to hope that they will finally be nailed down on the subject,” said Howard Archer, chief UK economist at IHS Global Insight.

Archer said all three main parties have been so far reluctant to give “the gruesome details” of the trimming and budget economic constraints that lie ahead. “Of course, they’re not particularly vote-winning policies,” he said.

After a bruising 24 hours, Brown appeared grateful to take on what has long been his strongest subject.

“Yesterday was yesterday,” Brown said, referring to his embarrassing flub. “Today I want to talk about the future

ROCHDALE: Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown leaves the home of local resident Gillian Duffy, 65, in Rochdale, England, Wednesday. —AP

French army says it killed four Afghans by mistake PARIS: Embattled French troops mistakenly killed four Afghan civilians and seriously wounded one during a clash with insurgents east of Kabul, the French military said yesterday after concluding an investigation into the bloodshed.

The incident occurred on April 6 as a section of French Mountaineer Brigade troops were fighting insurgents in Bedraou, a section of the strategic Tagab Valley in the foothills of the Hindu Kush just 30 miles (45 kilometers)

of the capital, the military said. During the prolonged fight, French observer troops spotted a group of seven insurgents hiding behind a wall to prepare an ambush, said Adm. Christophe Prazuck, the French military spokesman.

“There were no civilians visible around, so they got clearance to shoot,” Prazuck said on the telephone. But it turned out that five young men, civilians, were huddling undetected under trees nearby, he said. Four died

from shrapnel from the surface-to-surface missile that French troops fired, Prazuck said. One young man is recovering at a Kabul hospital, he said.

Families are being compensated in cash and other benefits according to NATO policies in Afghanistan, he said. France is the fourthlargest NATO contributor to the US-led war against the Taliban in Afghanistan, with more than 3,000 troops stationed mostly in the east of the country. — AP

of the economy.” He promised to use the debate to remind voters of his handling of the economic storm and to discuss fears that Greece’s debt crisis could spread through Europe.

Currencies and stock markets tumbled Wednesday on fears over Athens’ plight.

Brown vowed to focus on “how our economy can move through what are difficult times, given what we see happening in the rest of Europe, in Greece and elsewhere.” His rivals too were careful not to exploit Brown’s misstep. “The words speak for themselves , I’ll leave that to others,” said Cameron. “He’s apologized, he’s explained why what happened happened , and I’m certainly not going to start commenting,” said Clegg.

In two weeks since the first debate, Clegg has emerged as a credible new contender to lead Britain , shaking up the dominance of Labor and the Conservatives, the two major parties who have traded power since the 1930s.

Support for the Liberal Democrats has jumped dramatically, to about 30 percent of potential votes in opinion polls , from 18 percent. The latest surveys show Cameron’s party leads with about 33 percent and Brown’s Labor sits third with 28 percent.

Economic policies will be key for the uncertain voters that all three parties need.

In the struggling town of Lowestoft, on England’s eastern coast, a once bustling port has suffered from sharp decline, with little interest in the dwindling catches offered for sale at a daily fish market. Resident Daniel Edwards said there’s one key issue for him.

“Employment.

There are no jobs in Lowestoft, I’ve been unemployed for six months to a year,” he said. Some angry Britons blame an influx of 6 million foreigners since Brown’s Labor took office in 1997 for worsening their plight. Immigrants , many from poor countries , have been accused of snatching jobs, pushing down wages and overwhelming welfare services.

It has driven some to back the far-right British National Party. The issue also got the prime minister into trouble. — AP

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI acknowledges faithful during his weekly general audience, in St Peter’s Square, at the Vatican Wednesday. —AP

Pope urges bishops to fight polygamy in Africa VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI urged African bishops in a meeting at the Vatican yesterday to preach against polygamy and divorce, as the Catholic Church remains mired in paedophile priest scandals.

“In an environment affected by divorce and polygamy, you should promote the unity and well-being of the Christian family, founded on the sacrament of marriage”, Benedict said to bishops from Liberia, Gambia and Sierra Leone.

“The initiatives and associations dedicated to the sanctification of this fundamental community

deserve your full support”, he said in his address, released in a statement by the Vatican. The pope, who remains under fire for the child sexual abuse revelations rocking the Church, also asked African bishops to be “attentive to the training of priests, who are bishops’ closest collaborators”.

The number of Catholics in Africa has increased by 33 percent between 2000 and 2008, according to statistics released by the Vatican Tuesday. The 173 million Catholics in Africa account for some 17.77 percent of the continent’s population.— AFP

President postpones Central African polls BANGUI: The president of the Central African Republic scrapped plans yesterday for May 16 polls dogged by organizational problems, and immediately cast doubt on a planned June step-down. President Francois Bozize, who seized power in a coup in 2003 before winning elections two years later, announced the postponement of next month’s presidential and legislative polls after the elections commission warned it would be unable to organise them in time.

It was the second time this year that Bozize has been forced to postpone the polls in the cash-strapped country.

This time, however, he set no new date, warning that failure to hold elections soon would mean him remaining president beyond the formal end of his mandate on June 11. “The elections will not be held on May 16. We will go to the polls when all the parties involved in these elections, including the international community, will be ready,” said Bozize after a meeting with the electoral commission, diplomats, political parties, ex-rebels and civil society groups.

“We will leave the rest to the national assembly, because it could be that June 11 will be overtaken,” he added. Bozize is running for re-election, faced by the man he deposed in the 2003 coup, Ange-Felix Patasse, who returned from exile last year to run as an independent.

The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) told Bozize at the start of the meeting that it would be unable to organise the mid-May polls, even though Bozize had previously ordered them put back from April 25.

CEI spokesman Rigobert Vondo told the meeting the commission would even be unable to complete new voter lists in time for the polls. The CEI said it needed 5.3 million euros (7.0 million dollars) to organise the polls.

Chairman Joseph Binguimale said more than one million euros alone was needed to print voting cards, “a sum we don’t have”. The opposition Forces of Change Collective has already announced it was boycotting the polls on the ground they were being held in “conditions that do not guarantee credibility, reliability and transparence.”

Decades of insurgency and unrest have hampered the country’s economy and it remains one of the world’s poorest. Armed groups remain active, including the Lord’s Resistance Army from neighboring Uganda. — AFP

INTERNATIONAL

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 13

Chavez foes fielding unified lineup for election

CIUDAD JUAREZ: Police forensic experts place a dead man into a body bag after eight men were executed in the northern border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico Wednesday. —AP

Shootings kill 16 people in Mexican border city

CARACAS: Foes of President Hugo Chavez have largely put their differences aside and come up with a unified lineup of candidates, hoping to win control of a congress that has done the socialist leader’s bidding for Pro-democracy years. activists, jailed government opponents, journalists, businessmen and union leaders are among the diverse cast of opposition candidates who hope to increase their influence in the Sept. 26 voting for 165 seats in the National Assembly.

The legislature has been dominated by Chavez supporters since opposition parties boycotted the last congressional elections in 2005, alleging irregularities in the run-up to the ballot.

This time a coalition of antiChavez groups reached agreements on 143

candidates to represent the opposition and then held primaries last weekend to pick the remaining 22 slots in their election slate.

It’s still possible some government foes not included on the coalition’s list could run independently, potentially splitting the opposition vote in several districts. But analysts don’t expect many Chavez opponents to break ranks because they would run the risk of being ostracized by like-minded allies.

Chavez has recently seen his popularity slip amid a recession, 26 percent inflation and widespread crime. But polls indicate he remains the country’s most popular politician, and opponents say he is a formidable campaigner with a party operation, large resources and state media outlets. — AP

Battles between gangs makes city one of the world’s deadliest CIUDAD JUAREZ: Gunmen stormed into a bar, dragged out eight people and killed them in the parking lot, the first of several shootings in this violent border city Wednesday that left 16 dead, including a man in a wheelchair.

In one incident, a car chase and shootout killed three people in front of an elementary school, creating a panic among students, teachers and parents.

Battles between rival drug gangs have made Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, one of the world’s deadliest cities.

More than 800 people have been killed this year in the city of 1.3 million people.

Armed men burst into the Aristos bar in the middle of the night, said Arturo Sandoval, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general’s office. Eight people were forced out into the parking lot and shot to death.

The victims had not been identified, but Sandoval said at least one appeared to be a teenage boy. The shootout in front of the Benito Juarez elementary school erupted hours later. Sandoval said a woman and two men were

found dead inside a car.

Gunmen in a car chased down another vehicle and opened fire in front of the school around noon, said a teacher who asked not to be quoted by name out of fear for his safety. The teacher said a pregnant teacher and three students suffered panic attacks and were taken to a hospital.

Classes were canceled for the rest of the day, and parents rushed to pick up their children.

Gunmen opened fire on another car elsewhere in the city, killing four young men inside, Sandoval said.

Separately, a gang of armed men killed a man sitting in a wheelchair on the sidewalk, he said. Police had no information on the identities of any of the gunmen. The army, meanwhile, reported that it freed 16 hostages Tuesday at a house in Sabinas Hidalgo, a town near the northern city of

Monterrey. One of the hostages was a 1-year-old child.

Troops acting on an anonymous tip arrived at the house in helicopters, a statement said. Gunmen opened fire and soldiers fired back from the air. Two people were found dead inside the house but it was unclear if they were captors or hostages. Soldiers also seized two tons of marijuana, nine guns and a grenade launcher. It was unclear why the 16 people were being held hostage. It was the second time in two days that soldiers freed hostages in the northern state of Nuevo Leon. On Monday, troops killed three suspected kidnappers and freed seven of their captives during a raid on a ranch. Two rotting bodies were found in a truck near the ranch. Meanwhile, four inmates were killed early Tuesday when an

armed gang stormed a prison in the northern town of Altamira, the Tamaulipas state government said in a statement.

It was unclear who killed the two men and two women.

A local police report said the gang attacked as 11 inmates were being transferred to the prison, but authorities did not confirm reports that the raid was an attempt to free prisoners or that a gunfight broke out with security forces.

Gang raids on prisons are common in Tamaulipas, a state bordering Texas where a bloody battle has broken out between the Gulf cartel and its former ally, the Zetas gang of hit men.

In the Pacific coast state of Guerrero on Wednesday, gunmen killed the mayor of the small town of Zapotitlan Tablas while he was in the state capital of Chilpancingo. — AP

BRASILIA: Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, left, speaks during a press conference at the Itamaraty palace in Brasilia, Wednesday. —AP

Obama salutes Height’s place in US history WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama says civil rights leader Dorothy Height lived a righteous life that changed the United States for the better. Obama spoke yesterday during a funeral service for Height at Washington National Cathedral. She led the National Council of Negro Women for decades and marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. She

died last week at age 98.

Obama praised Height for contributing to civil rights advances, sometimes at personal risk.

He said she “deserves a place” in history books and America’s memory, Obama spoke of the environment in which Height was raised, where lynching was still commonplace and many black people were denied opportunity. —AP

Canadian air force colonel charged in 82 break-ins OTTAWA: A Canadian colonel who once commanded air force bases and is accused of murdering two women was charged yesterday with 82 break-ins.

Police arrested Russell Williams, 46, in February for the disappearance and death of a 27-year-old woman last heard from on January 28.

He was also charged in the murder of a female corporal under his command at the Trenton military base in November, and in two home invasions in September in which two women were confined and sexually assaulted.

Hours before his first scheduled court

appearance, Ontario Provincial Police announced that Williams faced an additional 82 counts of break and enter and attempted break and enter in Ottawa, Belleville and Tweed.

“Following an extensive review of unsolved crimes relating to homicides, missing persons, sexual assaults and break and enters within these jurisdictions, these charges ... represent the known offences that have been linked to Russell Williams to date,” Ontario police said in a statement.

Williams, who is married, once

piloted the jet used to ferry Canada’s governor general and prime minister, as well as the British royal family on a visit. He commanded the 437 Squadron in Trenton, east of Toronto, for more than a year. Previously he was in charge of Canada’s secretive Camp Mirage in the Middle East, said to be located near Dubai.

The Trenton base is one of Canada’s busiest air force bases. The bodies of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, arrive in Trenton, and daily aid flights to Haiti following January’s devastating earthquake depart from the base.—AFP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama speaks during Dorothy Height’s funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington yesterday. —AP

INTERNATIONAL

Page 14

Friday, April 30, 2010

Re-emergence of Yellow Shirts adds to volatility

Thai protest rivals want military to end ‘anarchy’ BANGKOK: Thailand’s pro-establishment activists demanded military action against anti-government protesters and an end to “anarchy” in the capital yesterday, a day after clashes turned a busy expressway into a deadly battle zone.

The re-emergence of the so-called Yellow Shirts , notorious for shutting Bangkok’s airports for a week in 2008 , added to the volatility on the streets of the Thai capital, where a seven-week standoff has killed at least 27 people and wounded nearly 1,000.

Chamlong Srimuang, one of the top Yellow Shirt leaders, has suggested that martial law be implemented , which would hand over most state functions to the military , and called on the army to stop the protesters on its own if the government would not, warning that otherwise civil war might ensue.

The crisis also spilled into the diplomatic arena, with the foreign minister chastizing diplomats based here for interfering in Thailand’s internal affairs. The Yellow Shirts draw their support from Thailand’s business and bureaucratic elite, whose pervasive influence is deeply resented by the Red Shirts , supported by the rural and urban poor who make up the vast majority of the country’s more than 60 million people.

The current bout of unrest is the culmination of a four-year political standoff following the 2006 ouster of populist former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a military coup. Thaksin is a hero for the Red Shirts, but is loathed by the Yellow camp. The Red Shirts are seeking the resignation of current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva , whose government they viewed as supported by the military and illegitimate , and fresh elections.

The crisis has hurt business in the capital and devastated Thailand’s vital tourist industry, which accounts for 6 percent of the economy. The Red Shirts

BANGKOK: A progovernment demonstrator chants slogans during a rally outside a military barrack on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand yesterday. —AP have turned parts of Bangkok’s commercial heart into a protest camp, forcing the closure of some of the city’s ritziest malls and hotels. Yesterday, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya censured some envoys for meeting last week with Red Shirt leaders. “We do not want to see that happening again,” Kasit told reporters during a visit to Jakarta, Indonesia. Kasit said he had

earlier met with the Philippine Ambassador Antonio V. Rodriguez, the dean of the Bangkok diplomatic corps, to express his concern.

In a note to other diplomats based in Thailand, Rodriguez said Kasit accused some ambassadors of voicing opposition to the constitutional monarchy and criticizing the government’s handling of the crisis. Kasit was a public supporter of the Yellow Shirt movement before becoming foreign minister.

“These actions have gone beyond the limits of diplomatic practice and were unacceptable to the Thai government,” was how his note summarized Kasit’s position. “The envoys’ opposition to the government and to the monarchy was inappropriate and will not be tolerated.”

Thailand’s king is nearly universally revered, and laws severely restrict discussion of him.

In Washington, State Department spokesman P J Crowley told reporters Wednesday that US diplomats are “intensively engaged in discussions” with Thai government officials and with opposition forces.

“Our message remains what it has been since this situation evolved, which is to peacefully resolve the situation,” he said.

A statement from the European Union said EU Ambassador David Lipman met briefly with the protesters and called for “constructive dialogue and a negotiated solution to the current political crisis.” Yellow Shirt rallies were held yesterday at military bases nationwide with the main gathering in Bangkok outside the 11th Infantry Regiment, where Abhisit has stayed since the Red Shirts launched protests in mid-March. —AP

Chinese man stabs 28 kids in copycat rampage TAIXING: A knife-wielding man attacked a kindergarten class of 4-year-olds in eastern China yesterday, slashing 28 children in what an expert said was a copycat rampage of two other episodes at Chinese schools in the past month. A 47-year-old jobless man, Xu Yuyuan, burst into a classroom at the Zhongxin Kindergarten early yesterday, waving an eight-inch (20centimeter) knife and stabbing a security guard who tried to stop him, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

Five students were in critical condition following the attack in Jiangsu province’s Taixing city and two teachers and the security guard were injured, said Zhu Guiming, an official with the Taixing propaganda department. A series of school attacks in China in recent years have mostly been blamed on people with personal grudges or suffering from mental illness, leading to calls for improved security.

China’s inadequate mental health network has left

millions of unstable people without the help they need.

Many otherwise healthy Chinese also feel frustrated and powerless because they aren’t able to adapt to the constant social upheaval and because they believe the changes favor the corrupt.

That kind of anger has occasionally erupted in mass violence and in isolated attacks. It is not known why schools are targeted. On Wednesday, a teacher on sick leave due to mental illness broke into a primary school in Guangdong province’s Leizhou city in southern China and wounded 15 students and a teacher in a knife attack. That attack came on the same day a man was executed for killing eight children last month in stabbings that shocked China.

It was not known if Xu knew about the previous day’s attack in Guangdong, but Zhou Xiaozheng, a sociology professor at Renmin University in Beijing, said these sorts of violent attacks often happen in clusters because one may trigger

copycat attacks.

“It’s like suicide, which is another type of mental health problem that can spread in a community,” said Zhou.

“Normally, with these kind of violent events we hope the media won’t blow them up too much. Because that tends to make it spread.” A survey of mental health in four

Chinese provinces jointly done by Chinese and U.S. doctors that was published in the Lancet in June concluded that China likely had about 173 million adults nationwide with mental health disorders and that most, 158 million, had never gotten any professional help for their problems. — AP

GUANGDONG: In this photo taken Wednesday April 28, 2010, a child who sustained a head injury after a man attacked a primary school recuperates at a hospital in Leizhou city in south China’s Guangdong province. —AP

SEOUL: South Korean mourners pay a silent tribute for the deceased sailors from the sunken South Korean naval ship Cheonan during a memorial service held at Seoul City Hall Plaza in Seoul, South Korea yesterday. —AP

S Korea buries sailors killed in ship sinking DAEJEON: South Korea laid to rest 46 sailors killed in the sinking of a navy warship during an emotional and solemn burial yesterday, as officials vowed retaliation against those responsible for what many believe was a North Korean attack.

Wailing families placed white chrysanthemums, burned incense and bowed in front of the framed photos of the men before their cremated ashes were buried at the country’s national cemetery in the central city of Daejeon. Buddhist and Christian clergy offered prayers, a navy band played a dirge and troops fired a rifle salute. Some mothers clad in black Korean traditional mourning dress wailed uncontrollably, touching photos of their sons and their urns wrapped in white cloth.

“It’s your mother! Please answer me! Please answer me!” one mother shouted.

The sailors went down with the 1,200-ton Cheonan near the tense western sea border with North Korea on March 26 shortly after it was split in two by what investigators believe was an underwater blast from outside the ship. Fifty-eight people survived the disaster, and the bodies of 40 of the sailors were recovered, while six others remain unaccounted for and are presumed dead. Hair and nails from the missing were burned and those ashes were among those buried yesterday. Seamen and air force pilots in South Korea are required to submit bits of hair and nail in case they die in action and their remains cannot be recovered to ensure there is something to be buried in line with Confucian tradition.

South Korea has not directly blamed its Cold Warera rival North Korea, but suspicion has focused on Pyongyang given its history of provocations and attacks on the South. South Korea’s defense minister said this week the blast was most likely caused by a torpedo attack. North Korea has

denied any role in what was one of the South’s worst naval disasters.

The ship’s two main pieces have been hoisted, with investigators examining them to find any clues to the cause of the blast. But analysts, such as Paik Haksoon at the private Sejong Institute, said the exact reason may never be known.

Earlier yesterday, sirens blared across South Korea when the funeral started at the 2nd Fleet headquarters in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul, the ship’s home base.

Warships anchored there sounded whistles, and seamen aboard saluted when the vehicles carrying the ashes left for the cemetery.

About 3,000 white and black balloons were released into the air.

A somber President Lee Myung-bak, who joined 2,800 mourners at the ceremony, placed military decorations on a giant altar below photos of each sailor. They were all posthumously promoted by one rank earlier this week.

“We cannot forgive this and must not forgive it and must not forget it,” Navy Chief of Staff Kim Sung-chan said in a speech at the funeral. “We will never sit idly by in the face of whoever inflicted huge pain to our people.” Military retaliation against Pyongyang, however, is considered unlikely as it could lead to major conflict and frighten away investors at a time when South Korea is recovering fast from the global financial meltdown. “A military response is both unrealistic and impossible,” said Kim Yong-hyun, a North Korea expert at Seoul’s Dongguk University.

“That would further deepen military tension on the Korean peninsula.” The Cheonan was on a routine patrol before it sank near the disputed western sea border, a scene of three bloody sea battles between the rival Koreas that remain locked in a state of war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce instead of a peace treaty. — AP

internAtiOnAL

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 15

Afghanistan lawmaker’s relative killed in night raid Hundreds flood the streets in protest KABUL: NATO and Afghan forces raided a lawmaker’s home and fatally shot the woman’s brother-in-law at night in eastern Afghanistan, sending hundreds of people into the streets shouting ‘Death to America!’ in

THIMPHU: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, right, walks behind Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, before a meeting on the sidelines of the 16th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Thimphu, Bhutan yesterday. —AP

India, Pakistan leaders agree on new peace talks THIMPHU: The prime ministers of India and Pakistan agreed yesterday to resume peace talks between their top diplomats and work toward rebuilding trust shattered by the deadly 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that New Delhi blamed on Pakistani militants. Officials said India’s Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart, Yousuf Raza Gilani, agreed on the need to normalize relations, dogged by more than six decades of hostility since both gained independence from Britain.

They deputed their foreign ministers to meet at a later date to discuss the resumption of a wide-ranging formal dialogue that began in 2004 but was suspended after the Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.

The two prime ministers met for more than one hour in the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, on the sidelines of a summit of South Asian leaders. It was their first meeting in eight months.

India’s foreign secretary, Nirupama Rao, said Gilani assured India that Pakistan would not allow its territory to be used for terrorist activity directed against India and it would expedite the trial of suspects of the Mumbai attacks it is holding in Pakistan.

The two prime ministers “agreed that relations between the two countries should be normalized and the channels of contact should work effectively to enlarge the constituency of peace in both countries,” Rao told reporters.

Pakistan’s foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, described it as a “very friendly” meeting and signaled that he thought the resumption of the dialogue , which covers a range of issues from border disputes, nuclear weapons and the two countries’ dispute over Kashmir , was a formality.

“The two prime ministers have agreed to resume a

dialogue process that remained suspended for so many months. Both foreign ministers have been asked to work out modalities of engagement. The climate has changed,” Qureshi told reporters.

“I don’t think that either side was expecting such a positive turn in dialogue.” Rao was more equivocal. She said India was willing to discuss and resolve all outstanding issues with Pakistan , including terrorism and the rise in infiltration by Islamic insurgents. She said the foreign ministers have been charged with “thinking afresh and working out ways to restore trust and confidence in the relationship.” No date has been set for the meeting.

India and Pakistan have been under pressure to resume their peace dialogue , which eased historic tensions although it made little headway on the key issue of Kashmir, which they both claim in entirety and have fought two of their three wars over since gaining independence in 1947.

The United States hopes that if tensions on the subcontinent ease, Pakistan will be able to deploy resources to fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaeda on its western border with Afghanistan. “The issue of terrorism was holding back progress,” Singh was quoted as telling his Pakistani counterpart. “Pakistan has to address the issue of terrorism.

The terror machine that operates from Pakistan needs to be eliminated.” Pakistan is trying seven men on charges they planned and carried out the Mumbai attacks, but the militant network blamed for the assault continues to operate relatively freely in the country. India also accuses Pakistan of supporting militants fighting Indian rule in the portion of Kashmir it controls , a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives over two decades. —AP

After a storm of complaints from Afghan people, NATO’s top commander in Afghanistan issued a directive earlier this year to avoid night raids when possible. Safiya Sidiqi, the member of parliament whose brotherin-law was killed, said family members told her that about 100 NATO soldiers stormed her home, near the city of Jalalabad, about 11:30 pm Wednesday.

She was not home at the time.

Hundreds gathered on streets near Jalalabad yesterday, burning tires and shouting anti-US slogans.

A crowd gathered around the body, covered in a white sheet, and cried “Long live Islam!”

NATO said yesterday that a joint operation with Afghan forces killed “one armed individual while pursuing a Taliban facilitator” on Wednesday night. The person killed ignored demands given in English and through an Afghan interpreter to lower his weapon, NATO said, without giving details of the person’s identity.

Sidiqi said the soldiers broke the windows of her home, entered and pulled out 15 members of her family who were then photographed and fingerprinted. Eventually, she said, they opened fire on her brother-in-law. She called the raid “barbaric.”

Sidiqi did not respond specifically to questions about whether her brotherin-law was armed.

“Whatever happened, it was the mistake of NATO,” she told The Associated Press. “They have abused my family.” Police are investigating the raid, said Nangarhar provincial police spokesman Ghafor Khan.

Civilian deaths at the hands of US and other international forces are highly sensitive in Afghanistan.

Public outrage over such deaths prompted the top commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal last year to tighten the rules on the use of airstrikes and other weaponry if civilians are at risk.

In January, McChrystal ordered coalition forces to avoid night raids when possible, and to bring Afghan troops along with them if they do enter homes after dark. — AP

protest, the lawmaker said yesterday. The military operation tapped into a well of resentment about raids

by American and local troops that have been known to wound or kill civilians as well as insurgents.

KABUL: Afghans burn tires during a protest in Surkh Rod district of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan yesterday. —AP

Indian spy for Pakistan had low-level access: Minister NEW DELHI: An Indian diplomat arrested on suspicion of spying for Pakistan did not have access to highly classified material and is “cooperating” with investigators, a minister said yesterday. Madhuri Gupta, who worked in the information service of the Indian embassy in Islamabad as an Urdu translator, was arrested by police last week when she was summoned to New Delhi after being trailed for months.

Gupta, dubbed “Pakistan’s Indian mole” by India’s media, is the first woman Indian diplomat to face charges of spying for Pakistan. “The position occupied by the official did not involve access to highly classified material,” junior state minister Preneet Kaur told parliament.

“The official is cooperating with us in our inquiries. At this stage, for national security reasons, it is not possible to divulge more detail about the information that may have been compromised,” Kaur added. The bespectacled Gupta, 53, a second secretary at the embassy, has been accused of breaching India’s Official Secrets Act, an offence which carries a maximum 14-year jail sentence.

Gupta had been working in the Islamabad mission for three years and came under suspicion because of the

“extraordinary interest” she started taking in subjects unrelated to her assignment, Indian media reported. She is alleged to have passed on information from the Islamabad head of India’s external intelligence service.

Gupta was asked to return to New Delhi on the pretext of preparing for an upcoming South Asian summit when she was arrested, according to media reports. Her case appears to be “a serious breach of our national security,” said B.

Raman, a retired senior Indian intelligence official.

“The very fact that the Pakistani intelligence succeeded in recruiting her speaks poorly of our counter-intelligence controls,” Raman added.

But her arrest appeared to cast no shadow yesterday’s meeting between the premiers of India and Pakistan, on the sidelines of the summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Conference (SAARC) in Bhutan. — AFP

One killed as bomb targets Bangladesh concert: Police DHAKA: Bangladeshi police have arrested four people after one man was killed and four injured by a hand-made bomb thrown at spectators watching a music concert, police said yesterday. The device was thrown late Wednesday into a 300-strong crowd at a concert in Benapole on the country’s western border to celebrate Bengali New Year, which falls in April, local police chief Aslam Khan told AFP. “One young man aged around 25 years died in the blast.

At least four others were injured but not seriously,” he said. Khan said the bomb appeared to be hand-made and the blast could be linked to a local dispute, although he would not rule out the possibility that Islamic militants or outlawed Maoists were behind the attack.

The deputy police chief in Benapole, S M Shafiullah, told AFP four people had been arrested. Maoist groups have been active in the Benapole area around the Bangladesh-Indian border, and in the past have been involved in attacks on journalists and local politicians in Bangladesh. Until a major crackdown in 2006, members of banned Islamic groups threw bombs and grenades at musical and cultural events that left dozens killed, as part of a campaign against what they said were antiIslamic activities. —AFP

BUSINESS

Page 16

Friday, April 30, 2010

Bank sees positive outlook for 2010

Boubyan Bank to focus on retail sector: CEO KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Boubyan Bank CEO Adel Al-Majid said here yesterday that the bank would focus on retail sector, individual, productive corporate and banking services in the future. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the bank’s general assembly meeting, he said 2010 would be a favorable year for the bank should things

go on just as planned. Favorable indications are now showing up as the bank has posted net profits of KD 1.6 million in the first half of this year compared to a loss of KD 11.7 million in the same period last year, he said.

The bank is also planning to notch up a phased-in growth, rather than jumps in profits, Al-Majid added.

KUWAIT: Boubyan Bank’s CEO Adel Al-Majid addresses a press conference in Kuwait yesterday. —KUNA

Kuwait current account surplus dives in 2009 KUWAIT: Kuwait’s current account surplus dived by around half last year due to a sharp decline in the value of crude exports, central bank figures showed yesterday.

The current account surplus dropped from KD16.2 billion ($56.2 billion) in 2008 to KD8.1 billion ($28 billion) last year, the bank said in a provisional statistical report.

The drop is attributed to a 40 percent fall in the value of oil exports from $77.1 billion in 2008 to just $46.5 billion last year, the bank said. Oil exports made up more than 92 percent of all Kuwaiti exports last year.

As a result, the trade surplus contracted from $59.7 billion in 2008 to $33.3 billion last year, a 44.4 percent decline, the report said. —AFP

Dubai World ups offer to lenders DUBAI: Dubai World, which is in talks to restructure $26 billion in debt, has made a revised offer to lenders but the sweetened deal is unlikely to satisfy banks, analysts said yesterday.

The new offer is for 1 percent cash interest and 1 percent payment-in-kind interest note, a source familiar with the matter said, an upgrade from its opening 1 percent interest rate which was rejected as being too low.

Dubai unveiled a $9.5 billion rescue plan for stateowned conglomerate Dubai World and its property unit Nakheel in March. The source, who asked not to be identified, said Dubai World added the 1 percent payment-in-kind option this week to sweeten the offer.

“(It’s) fish market haggling over prices, only this is played out in the media,” said another source familiar with the process.

A Dubai government spokeswoman declined to comment yesterday, reiterating that the government’s plan called for a cash interest payment as well as a payment-in-kind.

Under Dubai’s debt deal, lenders would receive new debt covering the $14.2 billion they are owed over five to eight years at an undislosed commercial rate.

“It’s a step in the right direction but I am not sure the offer will be overwhelmingly accepted by the creditors,” said John Bates, head of fixed income at asset management firm Silk Invest in London.

“It’s looking closer now but there’s still quite a gap between the current level (2 percent) and the level being offered to trade creditors.”

Nakheel’s trade creditors have been offered repayment through a mix of 40 percent cash and 60 percent in a sukuk, with a 10 percent annual return.

In contrast, Dubai Electricty and Water Authority (DEWA) offered an 8.5 percent coupon on a recent bond issue. “If you think DEWA’s offer, which is not part of the Dubai World group, was priced at 8.5 percent, I feel that it really ought to be at that kind of level,” Bates added. “I would say 4 to 5 percent interest rates is the kind of level that is likely to be an acceptable offer.” —Reuters

On the positions of Islamic banks in Kuwait, he said their assets make up roughly 36 percent of the Kuwaiti banks’ total assets, compared to 22 percent in 2005, something which indicates growing demand for Islamic financial services. In earlier remarks, the Boubyan Bank CEO hailed his bank’s recent capital increase as a step on the right direction.

The bank had raised it capital up to KD 240 million.

Boubyan Bank Board Chairman Ibrahim Al-Qadhi told reporters that the year 2009 was the most tumultuous one with all challenges encountered by the global economies in general and Kuwaiti economy in particular due to the repercussions of the global financial crisis. During 2009, the global economy has witnessed the worst recession and uncertainty following the downturns in the major stock markets, closure of hundreds of banks and thousands of companies around the world and record hike in unemployment rate giving rise to the greatest bail-out campaigns by various world governments, in particular developed countries’ government, to move beyond the crisis, he said.

Being part of the global economy, the regional markets were hit by such a crisis.

However, level of severity varied from one GCC country to another let to speak of stock market crash and deterioration of asset values leading to a crisis mainly suffered by local investment companies, he added.

In Kuwait, the global financial crisis hit all economic sectors, in particular investment sector, which has been crippled due to the unprecedented deterioration of asset value and increasing debt burdens on some assets against shareholders’ equity, he said.

Likewise, the banking system in Kuwait has been affected by the crisis to the extent that the Kuwaiti banks took precautionary actions adversely reflected in their financial results and reduced the year-end profits; some of those banks recorded unrealized losses due to provisions against delinquent customers and impairment of some portfolio components, Al-Qadhi added.

On the other hand, actions taken by both legislative and executive authorities, mainly the promulgation of the deposit guarantee law, provides more confidence and stability in the Kuwaiti market, he concluded. —KUNA

ATHENS: Immigrants who live in Greece carry rugs outside the headquarters of the National Bank of Greece, the biggest bank in the country, in Athens yesterday. The European Union said it expects to conclude talks with the IMF and Greek officials on a deal to lift Greece out of its ‘debt spiral’ by the weekend. —AP

Greece vows deeper defense budget cuts ATHENS: Greece’s defense minister yesterday promised “colossal” cuts in military operating costs to help the debt-ridden country emerge from its financial crisis and speed up plans to modernize the armed forces.

Defense Minister Evangelos Venizelos Greece is aiming to slash operating costs by up to 25 percent in 2010 from 2009, instead of the planned reduction of 12.6 percent listed in this year’s budget.

“That is a colossal amount, reaching the margin of our operating needs,” Venizelos said, insisting that the cuts were not a direct result of the Greek debt crisis, nor would affect the strategic balance with historic rival Turkey.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to visit Athens next month.

The European Union said yesterday it expects to conclude talks with the IMF and Greek officials on a deal to lift Greece out of its “debt spiral” by the weekend. “I am confident the talks will be concluded in the next days,” said EU Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn.

He said in the past 10 days, European Commission, European Central Bank and International Monetary Fund experts “have worked extremely effectively and hard with the Greek government to work out a program ... to reverse the debt spiral of Greece and restore its overall economic competitiveness.” He said the negotiators, “working day and night,” were nearing an agreement on “a multiannual program that will lead to a major fiscal and also structural adjustments” required to ease Athens’ massive debt burden.

Officials originally said it would be worth $60 billion (€45 billion) for the first year but there are now reports of a larger package over more years.

Greece remains at odds with neighbor and NATO ally Turkey over the divided island of Cyprus and boundaries in

the Aegean Sea but has improved ties over the past decade. Venizelos did not give details of how the cuts would be achieved, saying only that results of a major armed forces review would be outlined in “several weeks”.

“We are reducing operating costs ... We are not doing this because of economic pressure, we are doing this because this is mandated by the modern views of military planning,” he said.

The minister added that the reduction would not affect arms orders, but implied that Greece’s NATO allies remained keen to sell weapons to his government.

“Countries that produce weapons programs are allies and friends, countries that are now called upon to help us with the fiscal crisis. So we do raise this issue,” he said.

Venizelos said Greece will spend about 6 billion euros-or 4.8 percent of GDP-on defense, with about 2.3 billion euros going an arms spending as measured by EU accounting rules and the rest used for paying personnel and operating costs. Athens is currently in talks with the European Union and IMF for a rescue package worth 45 billion euros ($60 billion) this year, and more for the following two years, to cope with its acute financing crisis that has brought it to the brink of default.

The prospect of a deal eased massive pressure on Greece in the bond markets and saw shares on the Athens Stock Exchange rebound strongly after days of heavy losses. The bourse’s General Index shot up by 7.71 percent to 1,839.06 points in afternoon trading, while the spread on Greek 10-year bonds dipped to 6.48 percentage points over their benchmark German equivalent, from 10 points Wednesday.

But unions, angry at the prospect of more austerity measures are planning a general strike on May 5 as part of a renewed protest campaign. —AP

BUSINESS

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 17

Labor market still struggling to emerge from recession

US jobless claims fall, slow recovery seen MADRID: A man walks past the stock index curve at Madrid’s Stock Exchange in Madrid yesterday. The Spanish government insisted that Standard & Poor’s had underestimated Spain’s growth prospects a day after the ratings agency downgraded the country’s credit standing. — AFP

Spain looks to reassure markets after downgrade MADRID: Fearful of a spreading European debt crisis, Spain’s government is seeking to reassure markets over its finances after Standard & Poor’s decision to downgrade the country’s credit rating.

Finance Minister Elena Salgado noted late Wednesday that Spain’s rating is still high and that two other agencies still assign Spanish government bonds the highest-level rating.

She said S&P’s move is equivalent to being downgraded “from nine to eight” on a scale of 10. The agency announced Wednesday it was cutting Spain’s rating to AA from AA+ amid concerns about the country’s growth prospects following the collapse of a construction bubble.

Markets are worried that Spain could become engulfed in a debt crisis like Greece’s,

where a lack of trust in government finances causes borrowing costs to spiral higher.

Salgado said the agency later clarified that it feels Spain’s current government debt levels are not the main problem. Spain’s overall debt stood at 53 percent of economic output last year and its deficit was equivalent to 11.2 percent of GDP. The government has enacted a §50 billion ($66.22 billion) austerity program to get the deficit down to the EU limit of 3 percent in 2013. “We are implementing it and fulfilling the timetables we have set step by step, and the markets are going to see this,” Salgado said.

She said that, were it not for the debt crisis in Greece, the decision to downgrade Spain’s rating would not have attracted so much attention. — AP

Exxon Mobil Q1 profit jumps 38% NEW YORK: Exxon Mobil Corp said yesterday its quarterly profit jumped 38 percent as oil prices rose in the first three months of the year. That marks the first year-over-year increase in profits for Exxon since it posted an all-time record of $14.83 billion in the third quarter of 2008. Still, earnings remain significantly below that level. During the first three months of this year, the Irving, Texas, oil giant had a profit of $6.3 billion, or $1.33 per share. That compares with $4.55 billion, or 92 cents per share, in the same period last year. Two years ago, Exxon earned $10.89 billion in the first quarter. Revenue jumped 41 percent to $90.25 billion. Analysts had expected earnings of $1.41 a share on revenue of $96.41 billion.

Exxon’s profit relied heavily on its exploration and production of oil and gas. Oil prices surged over the past 12 months, jumping from a low of $33 a barrel in the first quarter of 2009 to more than $80 a barrel this year. The company responded to the rise in price by pumping more from the ground, boosting production 4.5 percent from the first quarter of 2009.

Natural gas prices flattened during the quarter, however.

Exxon said increased natural gas production boosted profits by $190 million nevertheless. Exxon said it plans to complete its acquisition of natural gas producer XTO by the end of the second quarter. — AP

WASHINGTON: The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits dropped for a second consecutive week, further evidence that the US job market is slowly improving.

The Labor Department said yesterday that initial applications for jobless benefits dropped by 11,000 to 448,000, the lowest level in four weeks.

The new total was slightly higher than economists had expected. The four-week average for claims edged up slightly to 462,500, still above the level that economists believe signals sustained improvements in the job market. Claims have been on a roller coaster in recent weeks, posting sharp increases in the first two weeks of April and then falling for the past two weeks. Part of those swings reflected troubles that the government has in seasonally adjusting the figures around Easter which falls at different times each year.

However, economists said the uneven declines in claims also reflect the fact that the labor market is still struggling to emerge from the country’s worst recession since the 1930s.

The unemployment rate has been stuck at 9.7 percent for three consecutive months. Many economists believe that the 10.1 percent jobless rate hit in October may turn out to be the peak for unemployment in this slump but they are not forecasting a rapid improvement given all the headwinds still facing the economy. The economy did add 162,000 jobs in March, the largest increase in three years. Many analysts believe that the fourweek moving average needs to fall below 425,000 to signal sustained job growth. Applications for jobless benefits peaked during the recession at 651,000 in March 2009. The number of people continuing to claims benefits fell by 18,000 to 4.65 million.

That figure lags the initial claims by one week. It doesn’t include millions of people who have used up the regular 26 weeks of benefits typically provided by states and are receiving extended benefits of up to 73 additional weeks paid by the federal government. About 5.4 million people were receiving extended benefits for the week ending April 10, the latest data available. The department said that 43 states and territories had declines in claims for the week ending April 17 while 10 states saw increases.

The states with the largest declines were New York, a drop of 21,000 which was attributed to fewer layoffs in the service and transportation industries, and California, which saw claims fall by 15,380.

The states and territories with the largest increases in claims for the week of April 17 were Puerto Rico, up 3,549; Iowa, up 1,606, and Georgia, up 1,412. There have been some hopeful signs recently in the economy. Many companies are reporting strong first-quarter profits as consumers, who account for 70 percent of the total economy, spend more.

While the profit turnaround has not yet produced a dramatic increase in hiring, it at least provides hope that the worst of the economic slump is over.

Companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index have reported 76 percent higher operating earnings than a year ago — on pace to be the biggest year-overyear increase ever, according to S&P analyst Howard Silverblatt. Nearly half the companies in the index have reported earnings so far. Part of the reason for the big jump is that the economy was hitting the depths of the recession a year ago, making the rebound look more impressive.

Among the winners was Ford Motor Co. which reported a $2.1 billion profit on 15 percent higher revenue for the first quarter this year and said it plans to boost production. Caterpillar Inc. also reversed a loss from a year ago and said demand for its construction and mining equipment is surging.

A number of major corporations have boosted their full-year profit forecasts this month. This week alone, the list includes DuPont Co, Estee Lauder Cos. and Whirlpool Corp. — AP

SAN JOSE: Gas prices are displayed outside of a ConocoPhillips gas station in San Jose, California. Oil company ConocoPhillips said yesterday its firstquarter earnings more than doubled on the back of rising oil prices. — AP

ConocoPhillips Q1 profit jumps on oil HOUSTON: ConocoPhillips said yesterday that its first-quarter earnings more than doubled as oil prices climbed. Oil prices were about twice as high during the quarter as they were year ago, and more than offset the company’s losses from its refining business.

ConocoPhillips, based in Houston, made $2.1 billion, or $1.40 per share, for the quarter ended March 31, compared with $840 million, or 56 cents per share, in the year ago quarter.

Refiners have had difficulty passing higher fuel costs on to customers as energy demand continues to be weak as the economy recovers from the recession. Revenue totaled $44.8 billion in the quarter, up from $30.7 billion in the year-ago quarter. Discounting one-time charges of $110 million, the company said it would have made $2.2 billion, or $1.47 per share.

The charge is connected to its pullout from two projects in the Middle East. Production fell to 1.8 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, compared with 1.9 million barrels per day a year ago.

ConocoPhillips’ average oil price was about $72 a barrel

during the quarter, compared with $40 a year ago when the recession sent energy prices tumbling. Crude is above $80 a barrel now.

ConocoPhillips has taken steps to become a smaller company. It announced last year that it intends unload $10 billion in assets in 2010 and 2011, as it reconfigured itself into a more profitable company with less debt and fewer costly projects.

This month, ConocoPhillips agreed to sell its interest in a Canadian oil sand projects for $4.65 billion. The company also began efforts to sell its stake in the 2,000-mile Rockies Express natural gas pipeline along with other properties in the Lower 48 and Canada. It also intends to sell half of its 20 percent stake in Russian oil giant Lukoil.

ConocoPhillips invested heavily in acquisitions and projects during the heyday of the oil industry a few years ago and built up sizable debt. It bought oiland-gas producer Burlington Resources in 2006 for about $35 billion in cash and additional debt.

ConocoPhillips shares rose 35 cents to $58.90 in pre-market trading. — AP

BUSINESS

Page 18

GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT

KSE stocks remain mixed KUWAIT: The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended the last trading session of the week on a mixed note, with the KSE Price Index ending in the green, while Global General Index (GGI) ended in the red backed by losses witnessed in the blue-chip stocks. On a weekly basis, GGI ended with a slight gain of 0.63 percent.

Market indices GGI shed 1.06 points (-0.51 percent) during yesterday’s session to reach 207.34 points. However, the KSE Price Index increased by 16.90 points (+ 0.23 percent) and closed at 7,299.40 points.

Market capitalization was down KD174.58mn yesterday to reach KD34.22bn.

During the session, 134 companies were traded.

Market breadth was skewed towards decliners as 46 equities retreated versus 42 that advanced. A total of 123 stocks remained unchanged during yesterday’s trading session.

Trading activities ended on a negative note yesterday as volume of shares traded on the exchange decreased by 36.16 percent to reach 178.21mn shares.

Furthermore, value of shares traded dropped by 34.73 percent to stand at KD39.06mn.

The Services Sector was the volume and value leader yesterday, accounting for 42.25percent of total traded volume and 48.19 percent of total market value. Jazeera Airways Company was the volume and value leader yesterday, with a total traded volume of 14.24mn at a total traded value of KD3.18mn.

In terms of top gainers United Gulf Bank took the top spot for the day, adding 9.80 percent and closed at KD0.280. On the other hand, Arkan Al-Kuwait Real Estate Company shed 7.94 percent and closed at KD0.058,

making it the biggest decliner in the market.

Regarding Global’s sectoral indices, they ended the day on a mixed note with Global Services Index being the top decliner. The index shed 1.44 percent backed by heavyweight Zain ending the day down 2.94 percent to close at KD1.320. Further contributing to the index’ decline was City Group Company which ended the day down 4.55 percent and closed at KD0.630.

Global Banking Index was the second biggest decliner in the market, with a drop of 0.84 percent. While a majority of the banks ended in the red, heavyweights National Bank of Kuwait and Kuwait Finance House has the biggest impact on the index’s decline by ending yesterday’s trading session down 1.59 percent and 1.89 percent, respectively.

In terms of advancers, Global Non-Kuwaiti Index took the leader, up 1.62 percent backed by United Gulf Bank, the top gainer in the sector, ending the day up 9.80 percent and closed at KD0.280. Ahli United Bank also aided the sector by posting a 3.57 percent gain and closed at KD0.232.

Global High Yield Index was the only gainer among Global’s special indices. The index posted a 0.47 percent gain backed by Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) ending the day up 2.41 percent. On the other side, Global Large Cap Index was the top decliner, down 1.46 percent backed by heavyweights National Bank of Kuwait and Zain.

Oil news The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $82.13 a barrel on Wednesday, compared with $83.03 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

ExxonMobil sells May Yanbu fuel oil SINGAPORE: ExxonMobil sold up to 90,000 tons of high-viscosity fuel oil for mid-May loading from Yanbu at a higher price amid an improving market that has seen the product’s prompt timespreads rise to month-high levels, traders said yesterday. The 700centistoke (cst) parcel, for May 11-13 lifting from its jointventure Samref refinery with Saudi Aramco, was sold to Middle East trader FAL Oil at a discount of $23.00-$24.00 a ton on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, up from minus $27.00-$28.00 previously. “It’s a significantly higher price but given the way the market has improved, it’s not really a surprise. The cargo will likely stay in the Middle East,” a Singapore-based Western trader said.

“Also, with the peak summer demand coming from Saudi Arabia, supplies would also start to thin so we should see higher price levels going forward.”

Last week, ExxonMobil sold a similar cargo, for April 30-May 2 loading, to Vitol at a discount of $27.00-$28.00 a ton to Singapore spot quotes on a free-on-board (FOB) basis. Both the Singapore and Middle East markets have been heavily supplied this month, depressing the timespreads and pushing some Middle East cargoes eastwards, including the Vitol parcel. —Reuters

Global Investment House, Kuwait’s largest investment bank, said it has appointed Ahmed Ali as Chief Executive of Global Investment House Egypt.

Boubyan Bank said first

quarter net profit reach KD1.62mn, compared with net loss KD11.72mn a year earlier. Boubyan Bank total assets increased by 24.94 percent to KD1.13bn at the end of March, the bank said.

Friday, April 30, 2010

BUSINESS

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 19

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS

Emaar lifts Dubai; markets edge higher DUBAI: Emaar Properties ended a three-day losing streak yesterday, rallying on technical support, helping Dubai’s index make its largest gain for more than two weeks.

Most Middle East benchmarks rose, with a steady performance from US stocks overnight easing nerves following a turmoil on European markets. Emaar climbed 3.2 percent to 3.91

dirhams, bouncing back after falling 6.2 percent in the preceding three days. The stock has support at 3.75 dirhams, technical analysts said, while resistance comes at the 3.90-3.95 dirhams

range.

“UAE sentiment is mixed - there are a lot of traders supporting the index, but there’s no new cash coming in and foreigners have been net sellers,” said Adel Nasr,

United Securities brokerage manager.

“Their holdings in Emaar and Arabtec are going down, but the market could bounce back if Dubai World announces a full solution to its debt restructuring.”

After market hours, a source told Reuters Dubai World revised its offer to lenders, offering 1 percent cash interest and 1 percent payment-in-kind.

Dubai’s index climbed 1.5 percent, its biggest gain since April 11 to ease away from Wednesday’s seven-week low.

“Clients are watching global markets and they don’t want to hold positions open over the weekend because global markets are unstable,” said Shawkat Raslan, Prime Emirates head of sales.

In Abu Dhabi, Waha Capital climbed 2.7 percent after reporting a net profit of $9.1 million, having made a loss in the corresponding period of 2009, while Sorouh Real Estate rose 1.8 percent after posting a 1-percent rise in first-quarter profit.

Kuwait’s Agility ended flat at 630 fils after trading in a 4.9 percent range, with the stock seen highly volatile until there is a conclusion to a US court case where it stands accused of defrauding the US army. Earlier this month the firm was replaced as the US military’s main supplier in Kuwait and Iraq.

“Agility is very tough to call and the only way I would play the stock is to buy it when it is oversold around the 530 fils levels,” said a Kuwait analyst who asked not to be identified. “This is what

happened, with the stock moving towards 700 fils where it can again be sensitive to negative news.

Nobody can say how the court case will end and what the consequences will be-this is a job for lawyers, not analysts.”

Bank Muscat climbed 1.6 percent and National Bank of Oman added 0.6 percent, helping Oman’s index rise for a third day in four. “Foreign investors accounted for about 28 percent of trading, which is the highest for three months and they are buying into Bank Muscat, plus National Bank of Oman,” said Adel Nasr, United Securities brokerage manager.

“Foreigners are convinced about Bank Muscat - it posted good Q1 results and after taking high provisions in 2009, it entered this year with a good balance sheet and clean loan book.”

HIGHLIGHTS EGYPT The benchmark fell 0.7 percent to 7,452 points.

DUBAI The index rose 1.5 percent to 1,740 points.

ABU DHABI The measure slipped 0.03 percent to 2,777 points.

KUWAIT The measure rose 0.2 percent to 7,299 points.

QATAR The index edged up 0.06 percent to 7,547 points.

OMAN The index rose 0.3 percent to 6,830 points.

BAHRAIN The index rose 0.7 percent to 1,591 points.

—Reuters

Oil jumps to $85 as EU debt woes ease LONDON: Oil rose towards $85 yesterday on encouraging signs of buoyant US fuel demand and hopes for a rescue package to help Greece service its debts.

Standard & Poor’s on Wednesday cut Spain’s rating one notch a day after lowering Greece to junk status and downgrading Portugal, raising concerns of spreading sovereign credit risk. But the market is now hopeful that an aid package can be swiftly implemented to prevent contagion after German Chancellor Angela Merkel threw her weight behind a deal, analysts said.

Euro zone economic sentiment in April was better than expected in a move that could also lift fuel consumption going forward. US crude for June delivery rose $1.56 to $84.78 a barrel by 1312 GMT, after climbing almost 1 percent on Wednesday, boosted by rising stock markets.

ICE Brent crude for June rose $1.23 to $87.39, keeping a near $3 premium to front-month US crude. “The oil complex is being fuelled by a little less worry over the situation in Greece as both the EU leadership (including Germany) and the IMF accelerate talks to get the bailout package in place,” said Dominick Chirichella of Energy Market Analysis, adding the stronger euro was also supportive for oil.

The euro bounced from a one-year low against the dollar the previous day, making dollar-denominated oil cheaper for buyers of other currencies.

Oil extended gains yesterday as global stocks rallied after US jobless claims fell by 11,000 last week, although this was less than initially expected. —Reuters

business

Page 20

IMF mission to arrive in Kiev on May 17

Ukraine eyes $19bn credit deal in June KIEV: An International Monetary Fund mission will visit Ukraine next month for talks on a new credit program

that the government hopes the Fund will agree to in June, Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Tigipko said yesterday.

The Motorola logo is seen at the companyís exhibit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Motorola said yesterday it posted an unexpected profit in the first quarter, as sales of its new phones outdid its own forecasts. —AP

Motorola posts Q1 profit, strong sales; stock jumps NEW YORK: Motorola Inc posted an unexpected profit in the first quarter, as sales of its new phones outdid its own forecasts. It also gave an outlook that was brighter than Wall Street was predicting, and its shares jumped in premarket trading.

However, it has lost its position as the largest US maker of phones to Apple Inc. Motorola sold a total of 8.5 million phones in the quarter, while Apple sold 8.8 million iPhones. Four years ago,

when the Razr was still popular, Motorola sold 46.1 million phones in the first quarter. The Schaumburg, Illinois, company has been trying to turn around that long slide in phone sales by focusing on new smart phones, including the Droid.

That strategy is bearing fruit, but too slowly to compensate for the drop in overall phone sales. Motorola sold 2.3 million smart phones in the first three months of the year.

It had said it expected to sell

less than 2 million.

A year ago, Motorola sold 14.7 million phones in the fourth quarter.

The drop in phone revenue in the latest quarter was just 9 percent — less steep than the drop in overall unit sales would suggest.

Motorola can charge much more for the new smart phones than for run-of-themill phones. As a whole, Motorola earned $69 million, or 3 cents per share in the quarter. — AFP

Lufthansa sees demand for flights, cargo improving BERLIN: Demand for flights and cargo services is growing as first signs of a global economic recovery have encouraged consumers and businesses to start spending more again, German flag carrier Deutsche Lufthansa said.

“The outlook is better than it was a few weeks ago,” Chief Executive Wolfgang Mayrhuber said at the airline’s annual general meeting yesterday.

Airlines suffered their worst year in decades in 2009 as demand dropped amid the global economic crisis, but industry group International Air Transport Association said on Wednesday demand for air travel and cargo had accelerated in March.

Mayhuber said Lufthansa still aims to

improve its 2010 group operating profit from last year’s 130 million euros ($173.1 million) and aims for a profit in the cargo division.

The company is due to report firstquarter results on May 5.

Lufthansa shares were up 1.52 percent at 12.39 euros at 0859 GMT. The shares have underperformed peers British Airways and Air France-KLM so far this year as investors focus more on catalysts at the German carrier’s rivals, such as an $8 billion merger deal BA signed with Iberia. Lufthansa’s share price has edged up only 3.9 percent so far this year, compared with 5.6 percent for Air France and 21 percent for BA. Air FranceKLM reports fiscal full-year results on May 19, and BA follows on May 21. —Reuters

Tigipko, speaking on his return from a week of talks in Washington with IMF officials, said Ukraine was seeking a $19 billion program though he said the Fund had not given a firm answer on this. A senior IMF official said on Wednesday that the ex-Soviet republic needed to provide more detail on fiscal and financial reform plans before loose ends on a new multi-billion-dollar program could be tied up.

A $16.4 billion bailout program was suspended last year by the IMF because the previous Ukrainian leadership reneged on pledges of financial restraint.

Tigipko said the IMF, whose mission would arrive in Kiev on May 17, was particularly focused on revenue figures in the government’s 2010 budget which has just been approved by parliament.

Tigipko indicated that the Fund regarded them as overoptimistic, but he hoped the IMF mission would be convinced by economic performance in April.

“We must show the revenue part of the budget and show how realistic it is.

There are differences, but they are theoretical at the moment ... There will be April which will show the realistic tendency in budget revenue,” he said. IMF First Deputy Managing Director John Lipsky, in a statement on Wednesday, said “outstanding issues” had to be clarified including fiscal consolidation, in addition to financial sector and other reforms.

The new administration of President Viktor Yanukovich is anxious to get a new IMF stand-by program under way to help restore investor confidence in Ukraine’s struggling economy, which was hit hard by the global downturn. At the end of 2008 the hryvnia lost more than 60 percent of its value against the dollar because of shrinking markets for Ukraine’s main export industries of steel and chemicals and huge foreign debt repayments.

Hampered by a lack of investment and loans, the economy shrank by more than 15 percent in 2009. Parliament on Tuesday hastily approved a 2010 state budget with a relatively tight deficit target of 5.3 percent of gross domestic product, one of the key requirements of the IMF for further credit. — Reuters

Friday, April 30, 2010

Corporate briefs Starwood profit rises in quarter WHITE PLAINS, New York: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc said hotel demand rose in the first quarter, particularly at its luxury brands, pushing its first-quarter profit sharply higher. The results, released yesterday, handily beat Wall Street’s expectations. The owner of the Sheraton, W, Westin and other hotel brands also expects its full-year and second-quarter earnings will top analysts’ estimates. Many companies have started to see demand increase of late as the economy improves. For the hotel industry, both leisure and business travelers are starting to return, which is filling more rooms.

Kodak posts $119m profit in first quarter ROCHESTER, New York: Eastman Kodak says it posted a profit in the first quarter in contrast to a loss a year ago, lifted by inkjet printer sales and royalties on digital imaging patents. Its adjusted earnings fell short of Wall Street expectations, but a 31 percent rise on revenue matched what analysts had expected. Its shares slipped 16 cents to $8.19 in pre-opening trading. The Rochester, New York, photography pioneer said yesterday it earned $119 million, or 40 cents a share, in the January-March period. That contrasts to a loss of $353 million, or $1.32 a share, a year earlier. Excluding one-items items, Kodak says it earned 82 cents a share. Analysts expected Kodak to earn 90 cents per share. It says sales rose to $1.93 billion from $1.48 billion.

Bad winter weather hurts Burger King MIAMI: Burger King Holdings Inc. said its fiscal thirdquarter profit fell 13 percent on a higher tax rate and bad winter weather that crimped sales, but the performance still managed to narrowly top Wall Street’s forecast. Cautious about signs of an improving economy — as unemployment remains high — the burger chain is working to provide menu items that appeal to both value-driven customers and those who are ready to spend a bit more. Burger King earned $41 million, or 30 cents per share, compared with $47.1 million, or 34 cents per share, a year earlier. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters, whose estimates usually remove one-time items, predicted a profit 29 cents per share.

A customer leaves a Burger King in San Jose, Calif., Wednesday, April 28, 2010.

Burger King said yesterday, its fiscal thirdquarter profit fell 13 percent, hurt by a higher tax rate and bad winter weather that crimped sales. — AP Bristol-Myers sees big jumps in sales TRENTON, New Jersey: Drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb Co yesterday reported double-digit jumps in first-quarter sales and net income, beating Wall Street expectations, but it lowered its 2010 profit forecast by a nickel due to the impact of the health care overhaul. Still, the maker of blockbuster blood thinner Plavix posted a very healthy improvement in first-quarter profit, which jumped 16.5 percent to $743 million, or 43 cents per share, from $638 million or 32 cents per share, in the first quarter of 2009.

Excluding restructuring and other one-time charges totaling $224 million, or 13 cents per share, the company’s earnings would have been 56 cents a share. That topped by a nickel what analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters were expecting, on average.

Venezuela charge hurts Colgate-Palmolive NEW YORK: Colgate-Palmolive Co’s first-quarter earnings fell 30 percent even as sales improved worldwide because of a big charge related to Venezuela’s currency devaluation.

The maker of Palmolive dishwashing liquid, Ajax cleanser and Colgate toothpaste earned $357 million, or 69 cents per share, in the three months ending March 31.

business

Friday, April 30, 2010

Commercial real estate vacancy rates have stayed relatively steady over the past year, though they remain well up from a few years back. Rents have also fallen during that time. New vehicle registrations did a little better than in the same period of 2009 while overall taxable sales were fractionally lower for the fourth quarter of 2009.

Page 21

Sabrina Sigal, 14, and Makenna Spiegel, 14, (left) look at clothing at Forever XXI in Los Angeles. The teen sector has suffered during the recession with parents giving kids less money to spend, but the demographic that retailers love the most is bouncing back. —MCT

Amid the gloom, glimmers of hope Recession continues to plague US businesses

T

he economic recession continued to plague local business performance in the first quarter of 2010, though there were signs of improving conditions. As the accompanying numbers show, most of the measurable economic data points for the Fredericksburg area didn’t improve much in the first quarter, and some of them worsened.

The Fredericksburg area’s unemployment rate was at 7.3 percent in February, the latest month available. That’s near a 20-year high, and it’s gone up from the past two years. Some of the increase may be due to the record snowfall, and the numbers usually improve into the spring.

Commercial real estate vacancy rates have stayed relatively steady over the past year, though they remain well up from a few years back. Rents have also fallen during that time.

New vehicle registrations did a little better than in the same period of 2009, while overall taxable sales (which don’t include automotive) were fractionally lower for the fourth quarter of 2009.

Housing continued to bump along what is perhaps a market bottom in the first quarter, with median prices staying about where they’ve been for more than a year and sales slightly down from the first quarter of 2009.

Realtors report increased activity this month as the federal tax credit

deadline looms and the spring and summer selling seasons arrive.

Perhaps the most encouraging sign from the first quarter was the strong gains — 55 percent from the same period in 2009 — in building permits for single-family detached houses.

Some of that gain was likely due to builders trying to get houses up in advance of the April 30 first-time home buyer’s tax credit, but it also speaks to optimism over better days to come as new jobs move into the area from the BRAC actions, the opening of the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center and more. Many national builders reportedly are flush with cash and ready to start spending on new projects. — MCT

Mark and Melissa Wolff, of Wylie, Texas, have made several adjustments in their finances since the recession has put a dent in their income. —MCT

Deals in first quarter: How markets moved

T

he pace of economic announcements over the past couple of months also speaks to renewed optimism as credit markets thaw and people see their portfolios recover. Here is a short review of some of the headline-making business stories from the first quarter: Record snowfall slows construction projects and leads to sluggish sales, but it’s a bonanza for people who plow snow for extra money.

Ukrop’s grocery store in Spotsylvania County closed on Jan 30 after the Richmond-based chain was acquired.

Union Bankshares Corp purchases First Market Bank and later merges FMB with Union Bank & Trust to form Union First Market Bank.

Kalahari Resorts, granted access to $25 million in tax-free financing from governor’s office as part of federal stimulus act, continues to move forward with plans for $260 million project in Celebrate Virginia South. Virginia Partners Bank opens downtown headquarters branch. Las Palmas Cafe opens across William Street from the new bank, and down the street the high-end Amelia Square townhouse community is planned. Proposed King George County greenhouse project receives $1 million grant from federal stimulus.

Walmart reveals plans to open anchor store at King George Gateway shopping center.

UMW Foundation acquires additional properties in and around Eagle Village shopping center, continues development of center.

Decision to allow sophomores to live in apartments there leads to full occupancy for 2010-11 academic year.

Stafford County makes a play at attracting Northrop Grumman’s corporate headquarters. Quantico Corporate Center plans for third office building, while third building gets under way at Stafford Commerce Park.

MediCorp becomes Mary Washington Healthcare. Home builders rush to finish construction projects in advance of April 30 tax-credit deadline. Surgi-Center of Central Virginia breaks ground on new building on Dixon Street. Print Innovators opens on Belman Road in Fredericksburg and begins printing The Free Lance-Star.

Muvico/Splitsville project nears completion behind Spotsylvania Towne Centre.

Finishing touches placed on Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center; bridge over Interstate 95 linking Spotsylvania Parkway to hospital completed.

Local job fairs draw thousands of people hoping to get back to work, as area unemployment remains at 18-year highs. —MCT

CAREER

Page 22

Friday, April 30, 2010

Energize your workspace

ffice Feng Shui is an important consideration assuming you create and operate your income streams from your workplace.

Asian have been businessmen successfully utilizing workplace Feng Shui for centuries and in recent years their counterparts around the world have taken up the practice with enthusiasm. This topic is divided into business office guidelines and home office guidelines because you’ll generally have more control over a home office than you will at work.

Additional considerations apply to owning your own company if you are in the position of choosing the location of your business premises.

O

Office Feng Shui The exterior aspects of any building where your business is located are as important as the internal office Feng Shui.

When first setting up your business premises, choose an office or work space in a prosperous neighborhood.

Make sure the entrance to your building or premises looks inviting rather than nondescript. You may need to make some simple cosmetic changes to achieve this effect.

Avoid renting premises at the end of a T intersection. If you do, research the Feng Shui cures that counteract the resulting negative energy flow.

The best site for a building is on a corner, with the entrance on a diagonal to the corner itself.

Use the Feng Shui bagua to organize the interior layout of the premises. Then use the guidelines in the next section for each individual room as well.

Workplace office Whether you are an employee or a business owner with his or her own office, your first step is to stand at the doorway of your office or work space and map out the areas according to the bagua. Your main focus will be your wealth and fame areas, although you should also pay attention to the other six areas and decorate them accordingly.

Here are some tips to keep the energy flowing in your office: According to office Feng Shui guidelines, your desk should be placed at a diagonal to the doorway or directly facing it, rather than with your back to it.

If there’s more than one desk, place two on a diagonal facing towards the door and any others on a diagonal facing into the center of the room. They should not be placed in rows in a traditional classroom layout or back to back.

If the doorways of offices that face each other across a hallway are not exactly aligned, place a mirror on the front of each door.

If you face a partial wall or partition when entering an office, place a mirror on the partition.

Soften jutting walls with plants.

Break up dull walls with mirrors or paintings.

The Feng Shui elements that

are easiest to blend into an office decor are pictures and photographs. Look for pictures that represent the various aspects and display them in the appropriate areas. Very obvious Feng Shui symbols might invite unwelcome questions from visitors or coworkers.

Home office Use office Feng Shui if you’re working from home to maintain a professional approach to your business.

Use a separate entrance to your office if at all possible.

Otherwise, choose a room near the front or back door of the house or apartment.

Separate your office from living areas to keep your business and personal lives separate.

If your office space is part of another room, divide it from the rest of the room with a screen or large plants.

Take a short walk before entering your office to work each day and another one at the end of your working day. This separates the business and personal aspects of your life.

Place your desk on the corner diagonally opposite to the doorway.

Don’t place your desk under a window, but let the light reflect on it from the side. Some people prefer to have their desks facing east.

Leave space between your furniture (bookshelves etc.) and

the walls. Feng Shui experts suggest leaving a 7-9 inch gap.

An important aspect of office Feng Shui is to keep your work space tidy to allow a free flow of energy throughout the room.

Differentiate between clutter and storage. Stored items don’t have to be catalogued and labeled but they should be stacked neatly in a cupboard or in binders so as not to impede energy flow.

Wealth area in office Using the first bagua placement system, stand in the doorway to your office and locate your wealth area in the upper left hand corner of the room. Here are some traditional Feng Shui aids you can use to enhance your wealth area: Place a picture of a lake, waterfall or any other water scene on one of the walls in your wealth corner. Water represents energy flow. Use an aquarium or small fountain if you prefer.

Place a green, smooth-leafed plant (eg a jade plant) on a shelf in this corner. You can substitute an artificial plant if you tend to neglect live ones. The allusion to growing wealth is obvious.

Place other symbols of wealth in the corner. They can include: Red eggs symbolizing wealth creation Red envelope containing several coins Crystal on a red ribbon near the window Three Chinese coins tied with a

red ribbon Pearl or anything spherical (to curb unbridled ambition) Wheel or bell representing power Symbol or picture of red fish symbolizing wealth Lotus flower symbolizing great achievements from humble beginnings In addition, you can place a decorative jar of water near the entrance to your office.

Make sure all items in your Feng Shui wealth areas pertain to wealth. In term of office Feng Shui, they might include a bookshelf with all your business or wealth creation books, your business computer, your diplomas and business awards.

Add any inspirational pictures, quotes, affirmations, etc. to your area, in other words, anything that moves you to take action.

Use the bagua to determine the wealth area of your desk, your bookshelves and so on. Then place additional symbols there as well.

If fame is a component of your drive to success, you can add some additional items to the fame area of your office: Any item that’s red (representing fire) Any item made of wood A conch shell representing a prosperous voyage A wheel or bell representing power A phoenix, rooster or peacock symbolizing good fortune

Office Feng Shui benefits Regardless of whether you see Feng Shui as a valid way of influencing events or as another form of superstition, there are a number of benefits in experimenting with both office Feng Shui and Feng Shui in general: Feng Shui makes you more conscious of how your environment influences your state of mind. An uncluttered work space with sufficient room to move will help you think more clearly and productively.

Utilizing the office Feng Shui guidelines will help you stay organized.

Any form of simplification will also reduce stress. Office Feng Shui helps you focus on the task at hand. If you remove all uncompleted projects and potential future ones to a separate storage area (where you won’t see them from your work space), you’ll eliminate a key source of distraction.

When you’ve finished decorating your work space, take a walk through it and note your first impressions: Is it uncluttered?

Does it suggest flow? Are your tools placed logically and within easy reach?

Is it aesthetically pleasing? Do you enjoy being in this space?

Does it suggest focus? Power?

Efficiency?

Is it inspiring? Motivating? www.hidden-wealth-keys.com

TECHNOLOGY

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 23

Beat hackers at their own game Better safe than sorry s your privacy protected online? Find out the answer to this question too late, and you could be facing some serious hassles: identity theft, compromised financial information, or simply dozens of annoyances coming through your inbox in the form of spam.

That’s why the best way to ensure that your privacy is protected in cyberspace is to take precautionary steps beforehand. Here are a few.

Keep personal information personal: There are more opportunities than ever to give away personal information online-knowingly or inadvertently. Social networks, forums, blogs-all encourage interactivity. And, as you get comfortable with your online friends, it’s tempting to reveal personal details. Just remember that when you write something on a social website, its usually there for all to see. So be very careful about what information you divulge about yourself voluntarily.

How closely does your screen name or username resemble your real name? Have you posted your age, location, or other identifying information on any websites? In the course of conversing online, do you routinely drop details about yourself that someone with less than altruistic intentions could use to invade your privacy or compromise your security? And how about members of your family? Do you have kids who might unwittingly be providing personal information about themselves, you, or your family? All of the security software in the world won’t protect your privacy if you or your loved ones aren’t careful with personal information online. It’s a good idea to have a chat with family members about what information is and is not acceptable to divulge online to complete strangers.

Use good security software: Good security software can go a long way toward protecting you.

And these days, this type of software does not have to cost you much, if anything. Windows users have it easy. Microsoft’s new Security Essentials combines antivirus, anti spyware, and malware protection in one product. Even better, the tool is well rated by AV-Comparatives.org and free to registered Windows users.

Avira AntiVir Personal also free, is another popular option.

Both can protect you from websites that contain harmful code. Mac users looking for a free security solution can try PC Tools iAntiVirus, which contains not only antivirus protection, but can also guard against infiltrations designed to allow hackers to access your files and personal information. — dpa

I

anking has never been easier.

Type in one simple Web address and you have access to your bank for almost anything, from viewing the latest balance to transferring money to your friend to paying for that online purchase. However, this convenience has its set of risks too. The stepping of financial institutions into the virtual realm has lead to a new breed of financial criminals; criminals, who largely thrive on the innocuousness of netizens and technology loopholes. Here are some simple tips to prevent you from falling into the trap of these cyber criminals.

Remember, a simple ignorance or oversight can make a huge dent in your hard-earned savings.

Always check the URL of your bank’s web site. Fraudsters can lure you to enter your user ID and password at a fake web site that resembles your bank. If you see anything other than the bank’s genuine URL, it has to be fake.

Never enter your user ID or password or such sensitive information without ascertaining that you are on the right web site. Always type the Web address of your bank into the browser address space. Never click on the link in the email.

B

automatically check for new updates.

Change your online banking password at regular intervals.

Also, avoid easy-to-guess passwords, like first names, birthdays, kid’s or spouse’s name and telephone

online and keep these tips in mind. So, by upgrading your browser today, making sure the other software on your PC is up to date, and learning how to identify and avoid common attacks, you can better protect your

Some banks have enhanced security features in Internet banking. For example, if the money that you want to transfer online to another account exceeds a particular sum, you may have to enter a specific password. Several banks require password to validate highvalue transactions.

Make sure that the banking website address starts with https (SSL protected) which ensures encryption protected communications.

Most banks have a ‘last logged in’ panel on their web sites. If your bank has it, check the panel whenever you log in.

If you notice irregularities (like you are logging in after two days, but the panel says you logged in that morning!), report the matter immediately to your bank and change your password right away.

Always log out when you exit the online banking portal. Close the browser to ensure that your secure session is terminated. Never exit simply by closing the browser.

Don’t leave the PC unattended after keying in information while transacting on the web site. Avoid accessing your bank online at cyber cafes or on a share or public computer.

Also, avoid locations that offer online connections through wireless networks (WiFi), where privacy and

Tips to safer online banking

Regularly check for security updates for your computer operating system.

Most security updates are aimed at reducing risks to your computer, these may be data-related or otherwise. Make sure that your operating system and browser have the latest security patches installed. And, always install these only from trusted web sites.

Install a personal firewall to prevent hackers from gaining unauthorized access to your computer, especially if you connect to the Internet through a cable or a DSL modem.

It is very important to check the websites of your operating system and web-browser for software “patches” and “updates”. Some operating systems and software can be configured to

numbers. Try to have an alpha-numeric password, one that combines alphabets and numbers.

If you have several bank accounts, never use the same online banking password for all. Never select the option on browser that stores or retains user name and password as it can easily be cracked by cyber criminals.

Also, never paste your password, always type it in. This little amount of `finger exercise’ will go a long way in safety. To protect your banking data, it’s a good idea to create strong passwords and keep them secret. Also, you should always change your online banking passwords periodically at least every month. According to Microsoft, the key is to be aware when you are surfing

computer and your personal information.

It is a good idea to register yourself to your banks Mobile Banking service so that you keep receiving alerts whenever there is a significant transaction made in your account. This will also help you identify and report any transactions that are not legitimate.

It is important to completely log off from your Internet banking session; simply closing the window you performed the transaction in may not close the banking session. According to Microsoft, this could mean that your session may become hijacked by a criminal and can be used for illegitimate financial transactions. It is also advisable to disconnect from the Internet if you are not planning to use it.

security are minimal.

In case you’re using a public computer to check your bank account or for online payments, it’s a good idea to use InPrivate Browsing — a feature that helps prevent your browsing history, cookies, and other information from being saved on the computer.

Avoid filling out forms in email messages that ask for personal financial information, like account or credit card numbers. Never, in response to any email, provide your online banking user ID, passwords, credit and debit card numbers. No bank’s representative will ever ask for your user ID/ credit or debit card number/ password in any form. If they do, change the bank!

—www.infotech.indiatimes.com

beauty

Page 24

Friday, aprilt 30, 2010

“If I had to teach someone just one thing about lip color it would be this: Find a lipstick that looks good on your face when you are wearing absolutely no makeup.”Bobbi Brown

Color me this, color me that! icking the right shade of lip color may seem like rocket science, but it really ain’t; though it may take you 15 years of buying the wrong shades of lip color to find this out.

The simple way to finding the best shade of lip color The most flattering lip tones will be one or two shades darker than your natural lip color, according to makeup artist Bobbi Brown. To test shades, apply lipstick or gloss to one lip. If that color is just a shade or two deeper than your bare lip, then you’ve found your shade. Yes, it’s a simple as that. So what to do if you like to buy your lipsticks at a

P

grocery store or department store like Wal-Mart, where you can’t try the lipsticks out before you buy? You can trust the color printed on the box.

Simply hold it up to your lips in the store and check it out in the mirror. Or better yet, check the color out in a window, where natural light shines through.

How to pick the right shade of red Many women wrongly believe they can’t wear red lipstick. The secret to choosing the right red lip color is in the undertones. Pink-skinned girls should opt for cherry red. Those with olive skin can wear fire-engine red. Dark skin

looks great with deep reds. One big red lipstick no-no: It’s best not to match lips to your outfit. Don’t want to go all out with red lipstick? Create a red lip stain with a little trick from InStyle Magazine’s August 2007 issue. Makeup artist Angela Levin smooths on Dr Hauschka lip balm, then applies red lipstick over it with her finger. The result is a gorgeous sheen of red.

When to use a lip br ush Use a lip brush when applying strong colors. You need a mirror and expert application so you don’t paint the outside edges of your mouth.

How to use lip liner

While you can line lips before or after lipstick or gloss application, lips tend to look more natural when you line lips after you apply lipstick. To keep lipstick from wearing off so fast, fill in lips with liner before applying lipstick. This acts as a color base, so when the lipstick wears off you still have color.

T he more complica ted w ay to choose While picking the right shade is as easy as going a couple shades darker than your natural lip color, we can delve just a wee bit deeper in the science of shades and skin tone. Women with fair skin, look great in lipstick shades such

as nudes in a slightly apricot shade, pinks and light corals. Stay away from browns, which will appear blah.

Those with a medium skin tone can go a bit darker. You’ll look great in roses, mauves and berries. Skip the bright reds and consider a deep burgundy instead.

Deep plum, chocolate or red is fabulous with dark or black skin. According to the editors of Allure’s “Confessions of a Beauty Editor,” women with dark skin “can go in one of two directions: toward brown or purple. Think caramel or walnut for day, and plum or wine for evening.” www.beauty.about.com

Read my lips ou should always pick your best feature and play it up, so if you are complimented often on your lips, consider yourself lucky - it’s time to accentuate them! Here are some tips on how to apply lipstick.

D on’t play up the eyes and the mouth Women who wear heavy eye makeup and dark lipstick can look clownish. If you want to wear red lipstick, keep the rest of your makeup light. If you are playing up the eyes, keep your mouth light with a gloss or light lip color that doesn’t stand out. For “plump” lips, apply liner just outside your natural lip line. Dab a bit of gloss in the middle of your bottom lip.

How to appl y lipstick?

There are no hard-and-fast rules to applying lipstick. Some women use special lipstick brushes. Most women apply right from the tube. Choose what’s right for you; as long as the color gets on the lips, you’re good.

Use l iner on your lips as a base Lipstick will last longer if you fill in your lips with the liner first. If you’re using light lipstick, try a nude liner. Then slick your lipstick on top. Lip gloss is infamous for wearing off fast, but if you fill in lips first with the liner, the gloss has something to stick to.

Never use a dar k line r with light lipstick Defined lips are great, but make sure the liner matches the lipstick or gloss. Dark liner and light lips is tacky.

Never use a test li pstick on your l ips It’s just plain unhygienic. Instead, test

Y

lipstick on your fingertips. It’s a closer fit to your lips than the back of your hand.

Don’t throw out a bad c olor li pstick Beauty editors know you can create a great lipcolor by blending lipsticks you don’t like. You can also color in lips with a darker liner before applying a lipstick that’s too bright.

Keep lipstick off glass Discreetly lick your lips before taking a sip from a glass. It works! Keep lipstick off your teeth with this trick After applying lipstick, take your index finger and pop it in your mouth, then pull it out. The excess lipstick will come off on your finger rather

than your teeth.

Lipstick can act as a blush But never use blush as a lipstick.

The older you are, the “creamier” your lips should look If your lips are thinned out and wrinkled, avoid matte or a gloss and stick with a creamy lipstick.

Not all lipstick shades look good on everyone Your skin color will determine what shades are right on you. You may like a lipstick on your friend, but it may not look good on you. Orange or brown shades, including corals, look good on few people.

These shades tend to make teeth appear yellow.

Camouflage yellowed teeth To downplay a yellow cast to teeth, try lipsticks with a bluish undertone. Shades that work include plums, pinks, wines and violets, according to Lazarus, a NYC makeup artist, in the June, 2007, issue of O magazine.

Heal-don’t throw out-a broken lipstick If your lipstick breaks off, simply take off the broken portion with a tissue, then slowly wave a lit match under the broken piece of lipstick. When it’s melted a bit, put it back on the base, swivel it down and put it in the fridge-uncovered-for 30 minutes.

Lipstick done?

You might notice there’s still a bit of lipstick down in the tube. Scrape out the last bits with a cotton swap or orange stick and mix it with Vaseline or lip gloss in a lipstick palette. Use a lip brush to apply.

How to get stained lips he hot look of the moment is “stained lips” — lips with barely there color. To get this look, apply a lip balm to moisturize lips then either put lipstick on your finger and dab on lips or apply lipstick to lips then blot most of it away with a tissue, leaving a “stain.”

T

beauty

Friday, aprilt 30, 2010

Page 25

Look hot even when it’s sultry!

ummer is here! And it is time to shine- not melt in the sun! Heat can reek havoc on makeup, and leave your beautifully painted eyes dripping down your face... since most of us don’t want to go without makeup, here are a few pointers to keep yourself looking fresh and great no matter how hot it gets!

So put on those summer clothes and get out there!

A few steps to glow in the sun First switch to products that can handle the heat. Needless to say this includes long wearing or waterproof mascara, the choice of eye pencils over liquid liners, and switch to shadows that harden to a cream once applied. If you can do away with the shadow, it would be even better, as shadows look a wee bit cheap especially in an office setting.

If you really have to go out for a party, it would be smarter for you to use false lashes to hide out the portion of the shadow. After all you need a pair of goodlooking eyes right!

Go easy on the eyes. Line the upper lash line, or settle for a sweep of a light shadow, if you really must! Shadow from

S

lash line to brow is more likely to cake or crease in the heat, and darker colors are prone to bleeding more, making them a bit more apparent.

Skip the eyeliner and mascara on the lower lashes. In a sweaty under-eye area, liners and mascaras bleed and make you look like you’re having a black eye. Avoid Kohl pencils, as most of these smudge, irrespective of what brand you buy.

Set eye makeup with a light dusting of loose powder. This not only helps in absorbing any moisture that may cause eye makeup to melt, but also gives a glimmer to your face. Besides you look a lot fresher all the time!

Use a non-powdered blotting paper to remove any under-eye perspiration when you do notice streaking. Wipe away any eye makeup with a clean cotton swab.

Always keep a small bottle of cleansing milk along with you, you never know when you might require it.

Reapply faded makeup sparingly.

Constant re-application can make your face look absolutely patched up and hardly the kind that looks neat.

A few tips to help you:

Try and limit yourself to one coat of mascara. You could use hair accessories or great looking scarves to move away the attention from the eyes. This could even be a great pair of shades that you wear during this season.

Consider permanent makeup. It’s now possible to have your brows and lash line permanently tinted, if you’re really into applying make-up frequently.

Don’t apply additional mascara to the lashes during the day.

This may lead to a caked or clumpy look. If you really want to feel good that your eyes have that starched lash look, go and splash your eyes with water, it not only helps you feel fresh but also gives you the mascara look!

Keep an eye shadow brush in your purse or backpack to blend shadow in the crease during the day. If you don’t want to use your nice expensive brushes then the little, cheap, nylon-bristle brushes that come with compacts work brilliantly.

Last, don’t use the sponge-tip applicators for this. They just pick all the shadow and make it look uneven. www.hubpages.com

Make brown eyes stand out T

he eye makeup for brown eyes is wide and varied. Depending on the desired look, one can go alluringly bold, or demurely subtle.

Many women lament their brown eyes, falsely believing that the eye color is plain or boring. Au contraire! Using the right eye makeup for brown eyes can yield intensely dramatic looks, or subtle styles that are every bit as captivating as their bold cousins!

C hoosing the r ight colors One of the best ways to ensure that brown eyes look alluring is to choose the right colors. This needn’t be difficult. To help, think of the wheel.

Colors that fall on the opposite side of the color wheel sharply contrast one another, and thereby make the first color “pop” (this one of the reasons why red and green go together so nicely at Christmas time).

For brown eyes, locate brown on the color wheel and find the colors on the opposite side (namely purple and blue). These makeup colors help brown eyes stand out in the most attractive of ways.

For those who are wary of color, opt for sheer shades of violet or blue.

These shades present a more subtle palette that may be easier to pull off during the daytime hours. On the other hand, nighttime hours are the perfect time to choose intense shades of purple and indigo.

Subtle looks Brown shadow works well for brown eyes. Sometimes dramatic eye makeup is unnecessary, or inappropriate. At times like these, employing a subtle look can be the perfect answer.

To achieve a subtle eye look, without looking barefaced, reach for the lighter shades. Consider using eye shadows in champagne, peach, or light pink. This will lighten and “open” up the entire eye area.

From there, choose an eyeliner. For a soft look, reach for brown eyeliner, or a white eye pencil. Next, it’s time to focus on the lashes (grab an eyelash curler to make them look long and luxurious). Reach for a softly colored brown or a clear mascara to add the finishing touch, and remember to clear up any stray hairs that may mar the brows. Beautiful!

Go for the gold How to do metallic smoky eyes for summer moky eye makeup (often referred to as “the little black dress of makeup”) elevates your evening look to something truly dramatic when punctuated with metallic glimmer. For summer, we’ve come up with a few creative combinations to brighten the smoky eye look and give it a 24k goddess effect. Try on metallic eye makeup in our virtual makeover studio.

“Smoky eyes can make fair skin look sooty and dark skin look muddy, if done improperly. A metallic gold works on all skin tones to make the look light and sexy.”

To start your metallic smoky eye, determine which eye shadows complement your eye color. Brown

S

and hazel eyes look gorgeous in metallic golds, blues are pretty in metallic pinks with golden undertones and green eyes stand out in metallic plum or violet shades. A touch of metallic in the center of the lid or at the browbone can open up the eyes tremendously and impart a glowy goddess look.

To apply: Begin with eye shadow.

The darkest eye shadow can be applied all over the eye lid, or in the crease, depending upon the shape of your eye and the look you desire.

Applying dark color in the crease and blending it upward and outward toward the browbone elongates round eyes; many Asian women prefer to create depth by putting dark color all

over hooded eye lids. Apply metallic eye shadow all over the lid or at the inner corner of each eye and keep the brow bone light.

Line the upper lashes from corner to corner; line the lower lashes just three quarters of the way, beginning from the outer corner of the eye. For an intensely metallic smoky eye, dip a flathead eyeliner brush into classic black liquid eyeliner (brick brown or plum if you have green eyes) and push it into the lashline. Do the same with black powder eye shadow (brick brown or plum if you have green eyes). Layering your liner with different formulations (pencil, powder, liquid) will give your look staying power.

health

Page 26

Friday, april 30, 2010

Put your best leg forward Fundamental leg exercises for strength and fitness

L

eg exercises of numerous types are critical for fitness success. They are critical for leg muscle development because your leg muscles are some of the hardest muscle groups to increase in size, strength and definition if you aren’t aware of a number of factors. On the other hand, if you are aware of the best leg exercises and how to properly utilize those exercises, your legs can develop extremely fast.

Some of the main keys to leg development include proper form and technique, the right amount of volume of work for the legs and even more importantly, the leg exercises you do. The order you do your leg exercises and the periodization model you use for your exercises for your leg muscles will also determine your success or failure. One thing that adds to the confusion of what leg exercises to do is the way a lot of physicians have inaccurately stated that certain leg exercises can be damaging to your knees despite the fact that there is no scientific or medical evidence to back up these statements. Part of the problem stems from the fact that doctors only see people after they have sustained an injury leaving them to guess that the cause may have been certain exercises for your leg muscles. It’s now been proven that many exercises for your leg muscles that were once thought to cause knee problems have determined that these exercises for your leg muscles actually improve knee stability when the leg exercises are done with proper lifting form.

Like a lot of other exercises for physique development and body building you need to use a variety of leg exercises at various angles to properly stimulate growth. A variety of angles and a variety of volume on leg exercises is necessary to achieve maximum benefit from any exercises for your leg muscles. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s very easy to perform any leg exercises and get good physique development. You need to consider all the variables with all the leg exercises to be successful with your exercises for your leg muscles.

As with any lift exercises, when performing leg exercises you need to ensure proper lifting form and technique on every rep and set of all leg exercises.

When using any leg exercises, the form and technique you use allows for the maximum recruitment of muscle fibers. Also, remember that everyone is different and it does depend to some extent on your genetics, but in spite of that you still can improve upon what you currently have if you use the proper leg exercises in the proper manner.

The following information discusses the best exercises for your leg muscles for dramatic increases in strength, size and muscularity. Some of these exercises for your leg muscles may be new to you while other exercises for your leg muscles may be ones you are already using. The point is that all of these leg exercises listed, with information on how to perform them properly, because they are indeed the best leg exercises to get the results you want.

Barbell Squats: This is by far the most effective and efficient exercise for overall leg development. Stand with a barbell resting on your traps and hold on to the bar with your hands wider than shoulder width. Have your feet at shoulder width apart. Keep your head forward your back straight and your feet flat on the floor. Keeping your back as straight as possible and your chin up, bend your knees and slowly lower your hips straight down until your thighs are past parallel with the floor. Once you reach the bottom position, press the weight up with your heels. Be careful and don’t lean forward or curve your back. This will stress your back and decrease the effectiveness of the exercise.

Lunges: Leg exercises like this can be performed either with a barbell or a set of dumbbells. Either way it’s a very good exercise for working the glutes, quads, inner and outer thighs and hamstrings. You can also perform leg exercises like lunges in either a stationary position, or you can walk across a large area in a straight line. For dumbbell lunges hold a dumbbell in each hand and pull your shoulders back. Lift your chest up and look straight ahead. Position your right leg forward in a long stride. Your foot should be far enough in front of you so that when you bend your right knee, your thigh and lower leg form a right angle. Slowly bend your knee lowering your hips so your knee just clears the floor.

Pause briefly in this position, then slowly straighten your legs and raise your body back up to the standing position. Complete a full set, then switch legs and repeat. Or you can switch legs and move forward

Lunges

Barbell Squats across the floor with each repetition. To do leg exercises like this with a barbell the following will apply. Position the barbell on your traps just as if you were about to perform a squat. Keep you your chest up and look straight ahead. The rest of the leg exercise is the same as the dumbbell lunge. Try and pay close attention to the angle formed by your thigh and lower leg. Your knee should be directly over your ankle.

Don’t let your knee stray over your toes. Your knee and toes should be pointed in the same direction.

Quadriceps workout Leg Press: Leg press weight lifting exercises are excellent for developing muscular, strong quadriceps.

Adjust safety the back support to allow for full range of motion without forcing your hips to bend at your waist.

Sit on a 45 degree leg press machine with your back firmly against the backrest and position your feet together against the footrest about shoulder width apart with your toes pointed slightly outward. Grip the handles or the sides of the seat and release the supports on each side and extend your legs to just before lockout. Bend your knees and lower the weight as far as possible without changing the position of your hips. Don’t lower the weight so far that your hips start to curl up off the seat. This is an angle of slightly less than 90 degrees or so, depending on your physical height. Pause briefly in the bottom position then push the weight back up using your heels, not your toes. Do not lock your knees at the top, but rather take the weight to just before lockout. Then begin to lower the weight again in a slow and deliberate fashion.

Leg extensions: Leg extension leg weight lifting exercises will help to define and shape your quads. But with leg extension leg exercises the machines at various gyms may vary in design and effectiveness.

Using the leg extension machine, sit in the seat and hook your feet under the padded bar. Adjust the pad or the seat so that your knees hang off the end of the seat and the foot pad rests on the lowest part of your shins, right above your ankle. The pad should not be on your

Leg Press

feet or in the middle of your shins. Grip the handles on the machine or hold onto the edges of the seat to keep your hips from lifting up as you perform the exercise.

Extend your legs until your knees are straight, making sure you remain seated flat on the machine. Raise the weight up all the way, lock and hold briefly, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. It’s very important to get the full range of motion and for you to feel the contraction in your muscles all the way up and down.

Dead-lifts Dead-lifts: You will perform this exercise the exact same way as you would a barbell squat with the exception being that you are holding the bar and weight in front of you instead of it being on your shoulders. You will start leg weight lifting exercises like this with the bar loaded with weights on the floor.

Go up to the far and place you feet shoulder width apart. Grip the barbell in a position that has your arms just outside of your legs. Your feet should point straight ahead with your shins a couple of inches away from the bar. Your spine should remain neutral throughout the lift, meaning you should not let it curve. Look straight ahead during the lift. As you stand up push with your heels. Your hips and shoulders should rise up at the same time. Lift up until your legs are locked, then slowly lower to the starting position, under control.

Wall Squats: For the most part leg weight lifting exercises like the wall squat will work primarily the same muscles as the traditional barbell squats do. It helps to increase leg muscle strength and create an isometric contraction on your erector spinae to help strengthen your back. It’s also a great exercise for stabilizing the knee joints and your trunk. For this exercise place an exercise ball in the lower portion of your back and hold it against the wall. Pick-up a dumbbell set and hold one in each hand. Place your feet approximately shoulder width apart and far enough from the wall to ensure that your knees do not extend past your toes. Keep your abdominals tight and bend your knees and lower your body to at least 90 degrees. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Lying or Seated Hamstring Curls: For leg weight lifting exercises like hamstring curls, you can use either a seated or lying down hamstring machine. In this case, we are going to use the lying down machine

Leg extensions

Dead-lifts to explain the exercise. To begin this exercise, lie face down on the leg curl machine and hook your heels under their roller pads. Your legs should be stretched out straight so that the pads rest on the back of your ankles. Grab onto the handles under the bench for support. Remaining flat on the bench, curl your legs up until your hamstrings are fully contracted. Release and lower the weight slowly back to the starting position.

Concentrate on using a full range of motion.

Straight Leg Dead-lifts: Leg weight lifting exercises like the straight leg dead-lifts are excellent for hamstring development. But leg weight lifting exercises like this will also work your glutes and lower back. Grab onto a barbell with both hands using an overhand grip, stand up straight with your hands and feet shoulder width apart. Keeping your legs nearly locked, bend forward at the waist until your upper body is almost parallel with the floor, keep your back straight and your eye’s looking straight ahead. The barbell should be hanging at arms length below you. Continue to look straight ahead and keep your back straight as you use the muscles in the back of your legs to return to the starting position. The barbell should rub against your legs on the way up. Be careful and try not to hunch your back or lean backwards as this can increase your risk of back injury. Keep your back fairly straight throughout the exercise. Looking straight ahead of you will help you keep your back straight. Once you have mastered this leg exercise you can stand up on a platform or bench to make it even more effective.

Russian Dead-lifts: Leg weight lifting exercises like this are also known as good-mornings. Goodmorning leg weight lifting exercises need to be incorporated into your hamstring exercises. Russian dead-lifts are the best because they are the stiff-legged type. You will get much better hamstring development with this version. To start place a barbell on your shoulders just as if you were about to do squats. Use a wider grip than you would with squats. Place your feet about shoulder width apart. Keep your legs straight and bend your upper body forward while at the same time push your butt back and bring your hips back, then return to a straight standing position. Do not round your back at any time.

Back Extensions: Back extension leg exercises are good for your lower back, glutes and hamstrings. This exercise is preferred over lower back machines because there is far less compressive forces on the spine. Lie face down on a back extension bench and lock your ankles in place, or hook them under the roller pad if a footrest is not available. Adjust your hips on the pads so that when you bend forward your back is perpendicular to the floor, but not rounded. Your hips should extend over the edge of the pad. Fold your hands across your chest.

Keeping your head in alignment with your spine lift your torso until your back is perpendicular to the floor.

Lifting your torso higher than parallel is unnecessary and may place harmful stress on your back. Reverse the technique to return to the start. After a few workouts, when the exercise becomes easier, hold a weight plate across your chest to increase resistance.

Do not, however, place any weight on your head or neck or this could result in injury. www.man-health-fitness-solutions.com

health

Friday, april 30, 2010

Dead-lifts

Page 27

Seated Hamstring Curls

Prevent leg-muscle injuries

A

muscle strain (muscle pull or tear) is a common injury, particularly among people who participate in sports. The thigh has three sets of strong muscles: the hamstring muscles in the back of the thigh, the quadriceps muscles in the front, and the adductor muscles on the inside. The quadriceps muscles and hamstring muscles work together to straighten (extend) and bend (flex) the leg.

The adductor muscles pull the legs together.

The hamstring and quadriceps muscle groups are particularly at risk for muscle strains because they cross both the hip and knee joints.

They are also used for high-speed activities, such as track and field events (running, hurdles, long jump), football, basketball, and soccer.

Symptoms A person who experiences a muscle strain in the thigh will frequently describe a popping or snapping sensation as the muscle tears. Pain is sudden and may be severe. The area around the injury may be tender to the touch, with visible bruising if blood vessels are also broken.

Muscle strains usually happen when a muscle is stretched beyond its limit, tearing the muscle fibers. They frequently occur near the point where the muscle joins the tough, fibrous connective tissue of the tendon. A similar injury occurs if there is a direct blow to the muscle.

Muscle strains in the thigh can be quite painful.

Once a muscle strain occurs, the muscle is vulnerable to reinjury; therefore, it is important to let the muscle heal properly and to follow preventive protocols.

Diagnosis Your physician will ask about the injury and examine your thigh for tenderness or bruising.

You may be asked to bend or straighten your knee and/or hip so the doctor can confirm the diagnosis.

An x-ray may be needed if there is a possible fracture or other injury to the bone. Muscle strains are graded according to their severity. A grade 1 strain is mild and usually heals readily, whereas a grade 3 strain is a severe tear of the muscle that may take months to heal.

Straight Leg Dead-lifts Treatment Most muscle strains can be treated with the RICE protocol. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

Rest. Take a break from the activity that caused the strain. Your physician may recommend that you use crutches to avoid putting weight on the leg.

Ice. Do not apply ice directly to the skin. Use cold packs for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.

Compression. To prevent additional swelling and blood loss, wear an elastic compression bandage.

Elevation. To minimize swelling, keep your leg up higher than your heart.

Your doctor may recommend a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, such as aspirin or another analgesic for pain relief. As the pain and swelling subside, physical therapy will help improve range of motion and strength. The muscle should be at full strength and pain-free before

Back Extensions you return to sports. This will help prevent additional injury.

Preventing muscle strains Several factors can predispose you to muscle strains, including: Muscle tightness. Tight muscles are vulnerable to strain. Athletes should follow a year-round program of daily stretching exercises.

Muscle imbalance. Because the quadriceps and hamstring muscles work together, if one is stronger than the other, the weaker muscle can become strained.

Poor conditioning. If your muscles are weak, they are less able to cope with the stress of exercise and are more likely to be injured.

Muscle fatigue. Fatigue reduces the energyabsorbing capabilities of muscle, making them more susceptible to injury.

The importance of warming-up A proper warm-up is protective because it increases range of motion and reduces stiffness.

You can take the following precautions to help prevent muscle strain: Warm up before any exercise session or sports activity, including practice. This will help increase your speed and endurance.

Stretch slowly and gradually, holding each stretch to give the muscle time to respond and lengthen. You can find examples of stretching exercises on this website or ask your physician or coach for help in developing a routine.

Condition your muscles with a regular program of exercises. You can ask your physician about exercise programs for people of your age and activity level.

If you are injured, take the time needed to let the muscle heal before you return to sports. Wait until your muscle strength and flexibility return to preinjury levels. This can take 10 days to 3 weeks for a mild strain, and up to 6 months for a severe strain, such as a hamstring strain. www.orthoinfo.aaos.org

pets

page 28

Friday, April 30, 2010

He looks cuddly, but that ain’t no Rover n Southwest Ranches, Florida, a 100-pound Siberian lynx named Sasha roams Steve and Barbara Burk’s house like the alpha-male predator he is. At times the powerful cat paws playfully at a llama, a goat or another critter in the menagerie of animals the Burks invite in to wander the house. At other times Sasha grows bored with the barnyard hoi polloi and retires to his bedroom, furnished with a double bed and a television.

“He is very socialized, very affectionate,” said Barbara Burk. “If he wanted to, he probably could kill me. He has never given me any reason to be worried, but I always have to think that possibility is there.” About 30 residents of Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties in Florida hold licenses from the state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to keep as personal pets carnivores that include all wild felines with the exception of lions, tigers, leopards and jaguars.

Many who have exotic medium-sized cats including cougars, servals, and caracals, for example keep the animals caged outdoors as they would be in South Florida zoos and wildlife sanctuaries. But other wild cats have been turned into household pets.

They are let loose in the living room, walked outside on leashes and lavished with the same affection and trust as any dog or domestic cat.

West of Lake Worth, Bob the bobcat also has his own bedroom. There he romps with his owners, Felicia Serpico and David Linde, and likes to dart through a 7-foot polyester tunnel from Ikea.

“He’s very loving, very happy,” said Serpico, a psychologist with a private practice in Sunrise, Fla. At about 30 pounds, Bob is a third Sasha’s weight, but he, too, is a wild cat.

Serpico keeps that in mind.

“We can trust that he is a bobcat,” said Serpico of Bob. “He has strength, stubbornness, agility and sharp teeth. We read him really well. If he’s in a bad mood, we’re not playing.”

Many wildlife organizations and government agencies oppose keeping wild animals as pets. Beth Preiss of the Humane Society of the United States, said, “A smaller cat such as a bobcat can be as dangerous to a child as a lion or tiger.” Capt John West, the commission’s wildlife coordinator, said, “Wild animals are not recommended” as pets.

I

Barbara Burk drinks her morning coffee at home surrounded by her pet Siberian Lynx, Sasha, and her goat, Sammi in Southwest Ranches, Florida. — MCT “They are not domestic, and you are not going to domesticate them,” he said.

Injuries have happened.

In November a 16-year-old girl was mauled by a cougar in Miami-Dade County.

Earlier in the year, two recently adopted cheetahs attacked Judy Berens during a fundraiser at her Panther Ridge Conservation Center in Wellington, Fla. And in a highly publicized 2004 incident, a wildlife officer shot and killed a 600-pound Bengal tiger named Bobo after it escaped from the Loxahatchee, home of former Tarzan actor Steve Sipek.

Still, if properly housed by licensed owners in rooms or cages that must be inspected two times a year, keeping wild animals as personal pets is legal in Florida. Owners say they know the risks, and they also understand the time and money required.

Captive wild animals require special diets of whole animals or raw meat, vitamin supplements and, in Bob’s case, $130 a month in medications.

Cleaning up is nearly a fulltime job.

“This is a lifetime commitment,” said Serpico, whose 4-year-old cat has epilepsy and takes drugs to control gran mal seizures.

Explained Barbara Burk

Bob the bobcat hangs out with Felicia Serpico and David Linde at their home in Boynton Beach, Florida. — MCT about Sasha: “To those people who see him and say, ‘I want one, too,’ I say, ‘You have no idea.’” In choosing to take in an exotic, Palm Beach County

conservation commission investigator Shannon Wiyda said, “Your entire life is dedicated to these animals.

It has to be. You can’t ask the neighborhood kid to

watch your pet lynx or bobcat.” Indeed, the daily schedules of the Burks, Serpico and Linde are designed to accommodate the 24-hour demands of a household pet who may be awake all night, has a tendency to spray urine to mark territory and could be a serious danger to himself or others if allowed to escape.

The potential for escapes is a major concern of law enforcement. “Some people like to have these things roaming around their house as a status symbol,” said Lt Pat Reynolds, a wildlife commission inspector in Miami.

But, he added, “Most of our escapes occur when it runs out the front door.

That’s the No 1 problem with these small cats.”

Serpico and Linde decided to adopt Bob several months ago after meeting the captive-born kitten at Panther Ridge, where they volunteered.

“It is not about having this animal, but helping this animal,” said Linde, a software engineer. “If we didn’t have the right to keep him in our house, he probably would have to be put down.”

Like Bob, Sasha also was born in captivity. The Burks got him at 3 months from a dealer after their beloved 6-foot water

monitor died. “I was looking for a challenge,” said Burk, 66, once a body builder who finished second in a Mr USA competition.

The Burks moved in 2005 from Miami Beach to the 4acre Broward County, compound where they board 15 horses and spend nearly every waking hour feeding, mopping up and refereeing inter-specie squabbles among their pets.

At times, the Burks’ 7,500-square-foot house resembles a chaotic Noah’s Ark, or a fever-dream movie set for a “Doctor Dolittle” remake. On a recent morning, for example, Buddy the llama and two goats were scampering through the living room while Phil, a Sicilian donkey, tempted fate by nipping at Sasha’s neck as the cat sprawled languidly on the floor.

With a large, squawking hyacinth macaw named Rio flying around, Barbara Burk sat on a couch - tattered by teeth, hoofs and beaks - and stroked a hedgehog the size of a bread loaf. In the kitchen, Steve prepared a bountiful salad plate for the Sulcata African tortoise one day closer to gaining his full-grown weight of 100 pounds - and then tossed a handful of live worms to two bearded dragons.

“We’re retired,” said Steve.

“This is our job.” — MCT

relationship

Friday, april 30, 2010

page 29

Available: Free, reliable, endless babysitting ith three children younger than 6, date night could’ve easily run the Dillmans of San Ramon, California, almost $100 - and that’s just for the high school baby sitter. Never mind that many high school kids have never changed a diaper; they’re also rarely available in a midday pinch, when doctor’s appointments coincide with baby naps. The family’s child-care options expanded a year ago when Danae Dillman and others in the Iron Horse Mothers Club started a baby-sitting co-op, a communityfocused trend in child care exchange. While some co-ops have bylaws and hundreds of members, others keep it simple. Many co-ops consist of a few overwhelmed parents who join forces because they believe watching someone’s child is the neighborly thing to do.

Since more young couples live far away from grandmas and aunties, many co-ops grew out of a need for reliable, free child care in an increasingly tight economy.

Need to hit the gym or get your hair cut? Request a sit using hours that are accumulated when you watch someone else’s child.

Dillman is the president of her coop, which consists of 12 parents in the Windemere area of San Ramon, Calif.

She and her board members meet monthly to make sure the children’s medical records are up to date and to visit homes of new recruits for safety and childproofing. They also run new members’ names through the Megan’s Law Web site to check for sexual offenders. An annual fee of $12 covers administrative costs, including a quarterly barbecue.

From there, members log into the co-op’s Yahoo group and post “sit requests” with logistics - “I will bring my two boys over for an hour after lunch.” Average sits are requested 48 hours in advance, and they usually get filled, Dillman says.

It works in emergencies, too.

One woman relied on the co-op to watch her first child when she went into labor. Another used it to attend a funeral. “I’ve been able to get my nails done and do my Christmas shopping,” says Dillman, 35 and a stay-at-home mom. “My husband and I went to the drive-in and saw a double feature. I personally wouldn’t think to use a high school kid anymore.”

W

Building bonds At first, Melanie Beardslee was skeptical about leaving her two children with “strangers.” So, Beardslee, a full-time speech therapist, spent a little time getting to know the Windemere co-op members, which is something experts like Washington-based Gary Myers, author of “Smart Mom’s Baby-sitting Co-op Handbook” (Tukwila; 2000) suggest.

“It’s easier to start and build a co-op than find one,” says Myers, who wrote his handbook based on his wife’s experience in Tacoma’s University Place Co-op. “You don’t want strangers in your co-op, so all you need is two friends and you’re up and running.” After a few visits, Beardslee, 41, realized she and her neighbors were all in the same

the club does what they call a baby brigade. “When you have a baby, people bring you dinner for the first three weeks,” says Peterson, who is 35 and expecting her second baby next month. Once a month, members also alternate hosting a kids’ movie night at their homes.

It’s an instant date night for everyone else in the co-op.

‘At the end of the day, when we’re dragging our feet, there’s nothing better than having someone drop off their kids to entertain yours.’ situation. “We have the same values,” she says. “We have the same needs for our kids.” The coop allowed Beardslee to join a tennis league. More importantly, it has made her community stronger and given her unexpected breaks, she says. “When you go to someone else’s house for a sit, you can’t wash dishes or do your laundry,” she says. “So you can put your feet up and not feel guilty about it. And, other people’s kids are usually way better behaved when they are with you.”

Most co-op members are moms, but dads do participate. Paul Greenstone, 43, of San Ramon, California, accumulates points during the week when he’s working from home. “It’s a piece of cake,” says Greenstone, who is a photographer and stay-at-home dad to his 14-month-old son. “A mom will send out an e-blast saying she’s got to take one child to the doctor and needs to drop the other one off. I say, ‘Bring him over.’ It’s been a great way for us to meet people and make friends.”

Rebecca Peterson (left) pushes Julien Gardner, 3, and her daughter Eleanor Ahern, 2, on a trike as they play in the yard of Peterson’s home in Oakland, California. — MCT When Rebecca Peterson moved to Oakland, she and her husband didn’t know any families in the area. Their daughter, Eleanor, was 6 months old, and with her closest relatives in New York, Peterson, a

freelance art director, went to the local Gymboree to meet people. A mom there told her about the Crocker Highlands co-op, which has been active for 50 years. In addition to a baby-sitting exchange,

Like family When you’re a single mom and work full time, like Nichole Soterwood, co-ops can ensure you actually have a dating life.

Soterwood joined one in Santa Clara three years ago after relocating from Arizona with her two kids, who are 6 and 4. “I use it for everything, from dates to helping out in my kids’ classrooms,” says Soterwood, a systems engineer. Her ex is also in the co-op. They have 16 members and manage their hours on a password protected Web site. Most members come from referral through the children’s preschool.

Ultimately, for the families who use them, co-ops are more than a source of baby-sitting. The members are like family, says Ingrid Dick, a 39-year-old mother of two and president of the Las Madres Playgroup in Santa Clara.

The group boasts 1,500 total members and is divided into sub play groups organized by the year of the child’s birth. Dick’s play group has 40 members. That’s 40 people she can count on since she left her family and in-laws in Australia 12 years ago. “I can’t even explain what this co-op means to us,” she says. “At the end of the day, when we’re dragging our feet, there’s nothing better than having someone drop off their kids to entertain yours.” — MCT

Melanie Beardslee, of San Ramon (center) babysits Julia Nolen, 2, (left) and Grant Nolen, 4, in San Ramon, California. — MCT

FOOD

Page 30

Friday, April 30, 2010

Everyday cooking

Enjoy these refreshing salads S alads might be the easiest no-fuss recipes you can ever encounter. All you need is a few ingredients, some kitchen utensils and almost no culinary talents aside from the basic chopping and cutting of veggies.

Mix everything together, and you’re ready for a satisfying meal. Enjoy these salads and don’t forget to send your suggestions to : saw sank@kuw aittimes.net

Warm potato and tuna salad

Creamy potato salad Ingredients: • 200g broad beans , fresh and podded, or frozen • 750g potatoes • 1 red onion , very thinly sliced

• • • • •

2 tbsp white vinegar 1/2 tsp sugar 150ml pot soured cream bunch chives , snipped 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Method

Ingredients 650g new potatoes, halved lengthways if large • 2 tbsp pesto • 4 tbsp olive oil • 8 cherry tomatoes • 175g can tuna • 200g green beans, halved • couple of handfuls of spinach, preferably baby leaves, tear if larger

1. Put the potatoes in a pan of boiling water, bring back to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes until tender.

2. Meanwhile, mix the pesto and oil to make a dressing. Halve the tomatoes, drain and flake the tuna. Add the beans to the potatoes for the last 3 minutes of cooking time.

3. Drain the potatoes and beans and tip into a salad bowl. Stir in the spinach so that it wilts a little in the warmth from the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Scatter the tomatoes and tuna on top, drizzle with the pesto and gently toss everything together.

Method: 1. Heat a pan of salted water; once boiling, add the broad beans. Bring the pan back to the boil for 2 mins, then lift the beans out with a slotted spoon into a bowl of cold water. Tip the potatoes into the pan, then boil for 15-20 mins or until tender. Drain and leave to cool. While the potatoes are cooking, put the onion into a shallow bowl, splash with the vinegar and scatter over the sugar, then leave to soak.

Pop the beans out of their jackets.

2. For the dressing, mix the soured cream, chives, mustard, 1 tbsp water and plenty of seasoning, measure 2 tsp of the vinegary juices from the onion, then stir to combine. Taste and add more of the vinegar if you like, then discard the rest.

Peel the skins off the potatoes if you like, then cut them in half or into quarters and toss with the dressing and onions.

Ingredients • 250g bunch beetroot • 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil • zest 1 orange • 1kg frozen soya beans • 3 thyme sprigs • 11/2 tbsp vinegar • 1 small shallot , finely chopped

Method 1. Heat oven to 180ºC/fan 160ºC/gas 4. Wearing kitchen gloves, peel and trim the beets and cut into 2cm wedges. Place them on a large sheet of tin foil, then toss with 1 tbsp oil, half the orange zest and seasoning.

Cook for 45 mins-1 hr until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Leave to cool.

2. Cook soya beans for 3 mins in boiling water until softened. Drain, cool under the cold tap, then drain again.

Strip leaves from the thyme and whisk with the vinegar, remaining olive oil and shallot. When you’re ready to serve, toss everything together and scatter over the remaining zest.

Avocado and leaf salad

Beetroot and bean salad

Ingredients • 100g mixed rocket , spinach and watercress leaves • 2 avocados, peeled, stoned and cut into chunks • 50g ready-made croutons (or make your own) FOR THE DRESSING • 1 tsp Dijon mustard • 1 tbsp vinegar , any type • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method Make the dressing by whisking the mustard, vinegar and oil together, along with 1 tsp water. Season well.

Place the salad leaves and avocado chunks in a large bowl, then use your hands to toss the dressing through. Add the croutons just before serving so they stay nice and crisp.

FOOD

Friday, April 30, 2010

Vietnamese carrot salad

Tomato, cucumber and coriander salad

• a large bunch mint , chopped • a large handful peanuts , toasted and chopped Method 1. Mix the lime juice, fish sauce, chilli sauce and ginger. Add the carrot, cabbage and mint and toss.

2. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve as a side dish.

Ingredients • 6 ripe vine tomatoes, deseeded and chopped • 1 small cucumber, diced • 1 red onion , very finely chopped • 6 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Method Mix together the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and chopped coriander, but don’t season until just before serving

Ingredients • 300g couscous or bulghar wheat • vegetable stock • 2 courgettes • 1 tbsp olive oil • 100g feta cheese , crumbled • 20g pack parsley , chopped • juice 1 lemon Method 1. Cook the couscous or bulghar wheat in vegetable stock according to pack instructions. Trim the ends off the courgettes, then cut into slices.

2. Heat a griddle pan or grill.

Drizzle the courgette slices with oil, then season. Cook for 2 mins, then turn over and cook 1-2 mins more until softened and golden brown. Tip into a large bowl along with the cooked couscous or bulghar wheat, then mix through the remaining ingredients. Serve at room temperature.

Mexican bean salad

Tangy couscous salad

Ingredients • 2 limes , 1 juiced and 1 cut into cheeks to serve • 3 tbsp fish sauce • 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce • 2 cm chunk root ginger , finely grated • 3 large carrots , finely shredded - a mandolin does the job quickly • 1/2 white cabbage , very finely shredded

Page 31

Ingredients • 4 eggs • 2 avocados , peeled and stoned • 2 x 400g cans of beans, (we used pinto bean and kidney beans, rinsed and drained • small red onion , finely sliced • large bunch coriander , leaves only, roughly chopped • 250g punnet cherry tomatoes, halved • bottle bought good-quality dressing, like lime & coriander or vinaigrette • 1 red chilli , deseeded and finely sliced • 1/2 tsp cumin

Method Lower the eggs into boiling water and boil for 6 1/2 mins, then put into a bowl of cold water to cool. Slice the avocados and place in a large bowl with the beans, onion, coriander and tomatoes. Measure 3 tbsp of the dressing into a small bowl, then mix in the chilli and cumin. Once the eggs have cooled but are still warm, peel off the shells and cut into quarters. Toss the salad with the dressing and nestle in the eggs. Serve straight away delicious with toasted tortillas.

THEY ARE THE 99!

99 Mystical Noor Stones carry all that is left of the wisdom and knowledge of the lost civilization of Baghdad. But the Noor Stones lie scattered across the globe - now little more than a legend. One man has made it his life’s mission to seek out what was lost. His name is Dr. Ramzi Razem and he has searched fruitlessly for the Noor Stones all his life. Now, his luck is about to change - the first of the stones have been rediscovered and with them a special type of human who can unlock the gem’s mystical power. Ramzi brings these gem - bearers together to form a new force for good in the world. A force known as ... the 99!

Jami the Assembler asks Fattah, Hadya, and Baeth to help him bring a dangerous object to his new laboratory: F.R.A.N.K.I.E., a giant robot that once nearly destroyed the 99 Steps Foundation. But an accident splits F.R.A.N.K.I.E. into a hundred tiny robots -which proceed to cause havoc throughout The 99’s new headquarters!

www.the99.org

The 99 ® and all related characters ® and © 2010, Teshkeel Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

THE STORY SO FAR :

TRAVEL

Page 34

Top 10 diving

Friday, April 30, 2010

sites in the world

From the weird micro-creatures at the bottom of the Bismarck Sea to shark feeding frenzies off Cocos Island, here is a list of where to experience the thrills of the deep.

Jump in to experience nirvana!

1. Rocktail Bay, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

T

he water in the Maputaland Marine Reserve can be on the cool side, but there are plenty of tropical fish and excellent chances of seeing some really big pelagic species. Rocktail Bay Lodge has the only dive boat on this stretch of fabulous coast, and you can even see bottlenosed dolphins and humpback whales on the way

to the dive site. Between November and February you will see nesting leatherback turtles along the wild sandy shores of Manzengwenya.

Dive details: The Lodge costs from £125pp a night including all meals, with diving around £35 a dive.

2. Rangiroa, Polynesia 3. Sulawesi, Indonesia

T

he dive sites around the small cluster of islands off the tip of Sulawesi have some of the greatest marine biodiversity on Earth. I spent most of my time here looking for pygmy seahorses, but there are more fish, nudibranchs, flat worms and healthy corals than anyone can name, not to mention the chance of bigger things swimming in from the blue. The Bunaken National Marine Park is a world leader in sustainable tourism with every diver paying a park fee that is shared

among local communities. Staying with the eccentric but lovable fishobsessed Christianne Muller and her team at Froggies Divers on Bunaken is unforgettable, with communal dinners each night where everyone talks about the day’s diving, fish, sharks and where they will dive tomorrow.

Dive details: Froggies Divers from £15pp a night and expect to pay £40 for a two tank dive with a maximum of two divers per guide.

F

ew places have captured my imagination like Polynesia, and the beautiful islands of the Tuamotu Archipelago about 250 miles from Tahiti felt incredibly remote. Rangiroa means “Long Sky” and it is the second largest atoll in the world. Two passes, or channels, named Tiputa and Avatoru, allow the Pacific into and out of the lagoon twice daily when the tides turn. I remember being carried through by the

incoming tide and sharing the ride with scores of grey reef sharks, dolphins, mantas and sometimes large hammerhead sharks, too. It is high adrenalin diving, but above water, the atoll is one of the most laidback places in the world.

Dive details: Dive with The Six Passengers and stay in a locally run pension such as the Tuanake for around £50pp a night.

4. The Maldives

T

he best way to see the Maldives is on a dedicated live-aboard boat: you get as many as four dives a day and it works out good value for money. From May until September (during the south-west monsoon) you are pretty much guaranteed to see manta rays but they are there all year round. North Male atoll and South Ari atoll provide reliably good

diving around the atoll walls, with healthy numbers of sharks, turtles and schooling game fish as well as all the small colorful reef life you expect to see. The Maldives still have the best all-round diving in the Indian Ocean, and I feel the adventure begins the minute I get picked up from the airport for a speedboat ride to the dive boat.

Dive details: Maldives Scuba Tours run two excellent live-aboards - MV Sea Spirit and MV Sea Queen with some special expeditions where divers can help with manta ray research - from £1,350 for a week’s all inclusive diving including airfares from London.

TRAVEL

Friday, April 30, 2010

5. Little Cayman, British West Indies

M

ost Caribbean diving is not what it once was, having fallen prey to pollution caused by overdevelopment, golf courses and general over-fishing, but Little Cayman still has a special atmosphere. The island is small about ten miles long - with just 200 permanent residents. On the northern shore there is the spectacular Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson’s Point, where a sheer coral cliff drops 2,000 meters (7,000ft) into a submarine trench. The wall made me feel dizzy the first time I swam

over the edge because the water is so miraculously clear. It is not where I would go to see big fish or loads of sharks, but for relaxing warm water diving in fairly easy conditions this is very hard to beat.

Dive details: Unspoiled diving does not come cheap this close to the USA, so expect to pay around £1,500 for a week’s diving and accommodation. The best place to stay on Little Cayman is the Southern Cross Club.

8. Sipadan Island, Malaysian Borneo

M

alaysia’s only oceanic island is a tiny dot in the South China Sea. Underwater it is a magnet for fish: schools of barracuda, trevally and horse-eye jacks swarm over the reefs, which are also home to dozens of breeding hawksbill and green turtles. The turtles are accustomed to divers and I have never found a better place to get up close to these gentlest of reptiles. Shark encounters are reliably good here, though the currents can be

6. Cocos and Malpelo, Eastern Pacific

T

hese two isolated islands are visited only by divers and members of the Costa Rican and Colombian coast guard. I have never heard of anyone going to Cocos and not seeing schools of hammerhead sharks, nocturnal feeding frenzies by white tip reef sharks and silky sharks. Both islands are marine reserves and have their own endemic land and marine species. The islands are stunningly beautiful, and their isolation gives them a degree of

protection. Big schools of tuna and jacks come swooping in from the blue and there are more than two dozen endemic fish species on Cocos alone, including the weird looking red-lipped batfish. The only way to visit the islands is on a dedicated safari boat such as the Undersea Hunter.

Dive details: Undersea Hunter - around £2,500 for a 13-day voyage visiting both islands.

I

the abyss in the Bismarck Sea cured me of my fear of being in the sea at night. Apart from the big stuff, you will see squat lobsters and sponge crabs, dwarf scorpion fish and pygmy seahorses.

Some of the best shore diving in the world is accessible from the Walindi Plantation Resort in Kimbe Bay, where biologists have identified more than 800 marine species.

Dive details: Walindi Plantation Resort around £100 a night on full board.

strong and I would not recommend Sipadan for inexperienced divers. Close by, the reefs of Mabul and Kapalai are fantastic for spotting rare mandarin fish (I saw them mating at dusk), sea wasps and lots of nudibranchs.

Dive details: Dive Worldwide offers seven nights at Kapalai Resort from £1,603 (full board) including flights via Singapore with up to three boat dives a day and unlimited shore diving.

9. Surin and Similan Islands, Thailand

C

lose to the border between Thai and Burmese waters lie a string of islands in the Andaman Sea. There is an element of “wilderness diving” hereabouts and a huge choice of little visited dive sites.

At Koh Bon, the pinnacle rises from the ocean depths and attracts groups of feeding game-fish as well as whale sharks, mantas and leopard sharks. Richelieu Rock is a

7. The Bismarck Sea, Papua New Guinea

happen to like coral and sponges and sea slugs and all the weirdly shaped microcreatures that crawl, slither and hop along the reefs. That is why I love the “fertile triangle” of the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea (PNG), where marine biodiversity is the highest on the planet. Getting to PNG from Europe is a long slog, and once in Port Moresby you need to fly on to New Britain Island, but the diving makes up for it. Night diving on the offshore sea mounts rising from

Page 35

similarly rich site, world famous among experienced divers for the plethora of macro-life inhabiting its coral encrusted slopes.

Dive details: The best way to visit the islands is on the luxury live-aboard Ocean Rover - £1,270 for seven-night cruises departing from Phuket.

10. Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands

T

his is shipwreck heaven. I am not a big fan of wreck diving but I would still put Bikini Atoll very near the top of my wishlist.

Halfway between Australia and Honolulu, the Marshall Islands have some of the least explored diving sites on the planet. Bikini Atoll, famously used as an atomic test site in the 1950s is the resting place of several warships including the USS Saratoga - an aircraft carrier longer than the Titanic. Because the island itself is uninhabited (contaminated by

radiation), Bikini lagoon has become an unofficial marine reserve where the fish life is stunning. For 10 years a small number of scuba divers have been allowed to dive on the sunken war ships - including a Japanese submarine and several US Navy destroyers. It is the kind of place divers dream of - at a price.

Dive details: Expect to pay around £3,500 for a week’s diving and airfares via Honolulu, Majuro and Bikini.

Page 36

BOOKS

Friday, April 30, 2010

Up close and personal with author Gregory Maguire

G

regory Maguire is the bestselling author of Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, Lost, Mirror Mirror, and the Wicked Years series, which includes Wicked, Son of a Witch, and A Lion among Men. Wicked, now a beloved

classic, is the basis for the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. Maguire has lectured on art, literature, and culture both at home and abroad.

He lives with his family near Boston, Massachusetts.

Q: Describe your latest project.

A: A Lion among Men is volume three in the Wicked Years, my cycle of Oz histories.

The project began with Wicked, about Elphaba Thropp, who would come to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West; continued in Son of a Witch, regarding the abandoned boy Liir; and now presents A Lion among Men. The central character in A Lion among Men is, of course, the Cowardly Lion, known from infancy as Brrr. A talking Animal who more or less raised himself from cubdom in the Great Gillikin Forest, Brrr finds himself on the wrong side of nearly every political engagement in Oz, until he is forced to face a prison sentence or become a stooge for the despotic Emperor of Oz. Thus he finds an assignment to interview Yackle, the mysterious crone who had lingered on the sidelines of Elphaba Thropp’s life, and who has questions and ambitions of her own. Whether or not they make common cause, and to whose benefit, is the central question of the novel. In A Lion among Men we see that little Matter of Dorothy played out again, this time through a Lion whose eyes are neither blinkered by sentiment nor refined by a lifelong practice of adroit observation.

experience first, and better, than I ever could. But I chastised myself about that and read it this summer, and admire it hugely. There is a line toward the end that could be a crystallization of much of what I have tried to say in the Wicked Years; I deeply admire it: “Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind.” He’s a wonderful writer, that Eugenides.

Q: Have you ever made a literary pilgrimage?

A: I have made many, to the homes and haunts of writers living and dead. Among the living, to the medieval castle called the Manor House, Hemingford Grey, where Lucy Boston set her Greene Knowe novels; to the homes of Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are) in Connecticut and P. L. Travers (Mary Poppins) in Chelsea, London. Among the deceased writers I admire, and there are many, I have seen Isak Dinesen’s home in Karen, outside Nairobi; Emily Dickinson’s homestead in Amherst, Massachusetts; and the Keats house in Hampstead, London. Each visit refreshes me.

Q: Why do you write?

A: I write because I admire the act of rationalization, of seeking clarity in one’s understanding of the complexities of life, and I’m bad at it. I’m slow. Writing, which is an arduous and slow process, proceeds at the same rate as my sloth-like mind. In writing, I find out what I think about things: like the nature of evil (in Wicked), or the relative values of beauty (in Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister), or the virtue of story in a dark, dark time (Whatthe-Dickens). Or, most recently, about the capacities of the individual in a world of prophecy, and the limits and reaches of free will (A Lion among Men).

Q: Introduce one other author you think people should read, and suggest a good book with which to start.

A: If readers are not familiar with the work of Jill Paton Walsh, I would propose that they find her novel Unleaving. It is under 150 pages, I think, originally published for teen readers (and then republished for adults), and it is one of the most thoughtprovoking, beautifully written novels of ideas (that means the novel provides you grist for thinking as well as memorable characters and a gripping plot). I am not sure Unleaving is even in print at the moment, but it ought to be; find it in a library or on eBay. Q: Offer a favorite sentence or passage from another writer.

A: It’s a bit of a cheat to give the end of a book, but since I have mentioned Unleaving above, I shall provide you the final paragraphs. (It doesn’t give anything of the searing plot away. No spoilers.) A child asks his grandmother what is there to sing about, in the hard life that includes death and pain, loss and regret.

From Unleaving: “What shall we sing about?” he asks her, but his solemnity is tripping over into laughter, is getting too much for him. And, what shall we sing about? Madge asks herself.

Why, whatever brute or blackguard, or random chance made the world, was surely a marvelous conjurer, a dab hand at spectacle! What shall we sing about? Fish to eat fresh from the salt sea, sweet berries from the thorn, bread from the brown furrow, and the orient wheat. We shall see every day, if we just raise our

eyes to the hills, the movements of wind and water, and the fall of the light. There are never two moments the same, what with sky and weather, and tide, the passage of time, and the random fall of the rain. To be alive is to be bodily present, to notice where and when one is. Here we are: like amateur actors on some magnificent stage, dwarfed by the cosmic grandeur of our setting, muffing our lines, but producing now and then a fitful gleam

of our own, an act of mortal beauty. “What shall we clap?” she says to Peter. “The lifeboat in the storm. What shall we sing?

The beauty of the world!”

Q: How did the last good book you read end up in your hands and why did you read it?

A: Having some Greek roots of my own, I more or less avoided Jeffrey Eugenides’s Middlesex as I didn’t want to feel ashamed that he had gotten to the Greek-American

Q: Aside from other writers, name some artists from whom you draw inspiration and talk a little about their work.

A: My husband, Andy Newman, is a painter, and so we talk all the time - not just about form and content, but about the fickle and unreliable reaction of critics and buyers.

Interestingly, we have similar experiences and similar hesitations about our lives in the arts. Being able to lean on one another provides us an unusual support system, one many artists don’t have. I am always thrilled with the work of Stephen Sondheim, the work of Maurice Sendak, and one or two others. There are few people living today (whose work I understand, at any rate) who I think qualify as near genius level, in that everything, even throwaway scraps, are interesting and carry in them the DNA of a coherent if mysterious and ineluctable spirit. Sendak and Sondheim make me glad to have a mind of my own, and they are among my living heroes.

Q: If you could have been someone else, who would that be and why?

A: I do love to sing. Had I a longer set of

BOOKS

Friday, April 30, 2010 thigh bones and a sweeter voice, I should have loved to be a performer. I can sing, and not poorly (I hope). My kids call it “bellowing.” In fact, I sang my way through college and directed a choir, etc. But if I had to give up my talent at writing for another talent, I should choose singing first and foremost.

I actually prefer female voices to listen to, mostly, but among the male singers whose voices I like are Jeff Buckley, Art Garfunkel, that sort of voice.

Contemporary crooners rather than rockers.

Q: Recommend five or more books on a single subject of personal interest or expertise.

A: Five Books That Remind You That Individual Books Can Be Works of Art in

1.

2.

Form as Well as in Content.

A Visit to William Blake’s Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard and Alice and Martin Provensen (Illustrators) Books inspired by great writers often become a mishmash, a pastiche, but this book is informed by Blake and not cowed by his phenomenal achievements. You close it and say, “Now THAT is a book!” A series of linked poems that doubles as a kind of fantasy voyage.

The Life of Emily Dickinson by Richard Sewall. Because Emily Dickinson was so private, Sewall had to find a new way to talk about her. The arrangement of his material - exploring all the people around her as a way to see toward the space she must inevitably occupy, like positing the existence of an invisible

Page 37 the older boys taking the little black kid down off the moon: it is Christian iconography come home to roost, a sermon as well as a jeremiad.

moon due to the gravitational pull it appears to be exerting - was a revelation, and helped me figure out how to organize Wicked.

3.

The Once and Future King by T. H. White. I always mention this book as it, too, helped me conceive of Wicked. The fact that White was erudite and comical, moral and sensual, and that he poured all of himself into his retelling of a famous legend as if it had never been told before - well, that inspired me to try the same.

4.

We Are All in the Dumps with Jack and Guy by Maurice Sendak. The picture book has never been stronger than in this stirring and compassionate tale of two street urchins who rescue and raise a third. Check out the double spread of

5.

My Grandmothers and I by Diana Holman-Hunt. I have just finished reading this, so it is on my mind.

Originally appearing in 1960, it has been reissued by a small press in London (Slightly Foxed Editions).Diana Holman Hunt was raised by two grandmothers, one of whom was married to the preRaphaelite painter William Holman Hunt. The memoir is funny, cunningly written, and when one least expects it, oddly moving. I suspect it was a favorite of the young Jane Gardam (who is another favorite English novelist of mine, too).

The Wicked Years series by Gregory Maguire

2. Son of a Witch Beloved novelist Gregory Maguire returns at last to the land of Oz. There he introduces us to Liir, an adolescent boy last seen hiding in the shadows of the castle after Dorothy did in the Witch. Bruised, comatose, and left for dead in a gully, Liir is shattered in spirit as well as in form. But he is tended at the Cloister of Saint Glinda by the silent novice called Candle, who wills him back to life with her musical gifts.

What dark force left Liir in this condition? Is he really Elphaba’s son? He has her broom and her cape — but what of her powers?

Can he find his supposed halfsister, Nor, last seen in the forbidding prison, Southstairs? In an Oz that, since the Wizard’s departure, is under new and dangerous management, can Liir keep his head down long enough to grow up?

3. A Lion Among Men

1. Wicked An astonishingly rich recreation of the land of Oz, this book retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn’t so wicked after all. Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, Wicked just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature

A Lion Among Men complements the New York Times bestseller Son of a Witch in fleshing out the world of Oz, seen this time through the eyes of the Cowardly Lionremembered from Wicked as a tiny cub defended by Elphaba. While civil war looms in Oz, an ancient and tetchy oracle named Yackle prepares for death. Before she can return to dust, however, the Cowardly Lion, an enigmatic figure named Brrr, arrives in search of information about Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. As payment, Yackle, who hovered on the sidelines of Elphaba’s life, demands some answers of her own.

Abandoned as a cub, Brrr’s earliest memories are only gluey hazes. But his path from infancy in the Great Gillikin Forest is no Yellow Brick Road. Seeking to redress an early mistake, he tumbles though a swamp of ghosts, becomes implicated in a massacre of trolls, and falls in love with a Cat princess.

Sidestepping the laws that oppress talking Animals, Brrr cannily avoids a jail sentence by agreeing to serve as a lackey to the warmongering Emperor of Oz.

children

Page 38

Sudoku for Kids

Friday, April 30, 2010

Solution

children

Friday, April 30, 2010

Big Turtle M

any years ago the world had two parts. Animals lived in the lower part, which was was completely covered in water and had no land or soil.

Above was the Sky World, where the sky people lived.

The Sky World had lots of soil, with beautiful mountains and valleys. One day a girl from the Sky World went for a long walk and became very tired.

“I’m so tired, I need to rest” she said. She sat down under the spreading branches of an apple tree and quickly fell asleep.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound like thunder and the ground began to crack.

A big hole opened up next to the apple tree.

“What’s happening?” screamed the frightened girl. She tried to move but it was too late. She and the tree slid through the hole and tumbled over and over towards the watery world below.

“Help me! Help me!” screamed the girl.

Luckily two swans were swimming below and saw the girl tumbling down from the sky.

“Come on!” yelled one swan. “Let’s catch her before she hits the water” “Okay!” yelled the other.

The swans spread their wings together and caught the girl on their soft feather backs.

“Whew! That was lucky” said the girl.

“But what do I do now? I can’t get back up to the Sky World and I can’t stay on your backs forever.”

“We’ll take you to Big turtle” said the swans. “He knows everything.”

After hearing what happened, the Big Turtle called all the animals in the water world to a meeting. He told them an old story about soil being found deep under the water.

“If we can get some of that soil, we can build an island on my back for you to live on” said the Big Turtle. “Sounds good to me” said the young girl.

The Otter, Beaver and Muskrat started arguing over who would dive for the soil.

“I’ll go” said the sleek Otter, brushing his glossy fur.

“No! I’ll go” said Beaver, slapping the water with his big flat tail.

“I’m the best swimmer” said Muskrat “I’ll go.”

“Aaaachooo!” sneezed the young girl.

“Guys, guys, would just one of you go.

These swan feathers are getting up my nose

and making me sneeze.”

“Sorry” said the swans.

“That’s alright” said the young Sky girl.

Then Toskwaye the little Toad, popped up out of the water. “I’ll go. I can dive very deep” she said.

The other animals started laughing and pointing at Toskwaye. “You! You’re too small and ugly to help.” cried the others, laughing.

“Be quiet!” said Big Turtle in a loud, stern voice. “Everyone is equal and everyone will have a chance to try.”

The sleek Otter smoothed his glossy fur, took a deep breath and slid into the water.

He was gone for a long time before he came up gasping for air.

“It was too deep” he said. “I couldn’t dive that far.

“Now it’s my turn” said Beaver. He slapped the water with his tail as he disappeared. After a long time he came to the surface again.

“It’s too far” he gasped. “No one can dive that deep.”

Muskrat tried next and failed.

“Aaaachoo!” sneezed the young girl. “This is not looking good” “Now it’s my turn” said little Toskwaye the Toad. She took a deep breath and jumped into the water. She was gone a very long time and everyone thought they wouldn’t see her again.

Suddenly Otter pointed at the water, shouting “Look, look! Bubbles!”

Toskwaye’s small, ugly face appeared through the water. She spat a few grains of soil onto the Big Turtle’s back, then fell back into the water - dead.The Turtle ordered the others to rub the soil grains and spread them around on his shell. The grains grew and grew, until a large island was formed - big enough for the girl to live on.

It grew into our world as we know it today. And the descendants of the Sky girl became the Earth’s people.

Today, some people say the whole world still rests on Big Turtles back. When he gets tired and changes his position, we have earthquakes.

Toad has not been forgotten either.

American native Indians call her “Mashutaha”, which means ‘Our Grandmother’. No one is allowed to harm her. www.plantozkids.com

Page 39

Page 40

oPinion

Friday, April 30, 2010

Dirty bombs revisited

By Scott Stewart

A

s Stratfor has noted for several years now, media coverage of the threat posed by dirty bombs runs in a perceptible cycle with distinct spikes and lulls. We are currently in one of the periods of heightened awareness and media coverage. A number of factors appear to have sparked the current interest, including the recently concluded Nuclear Security Summit hosted by US President Barack Obama. Other factors include the resurfacing rumors that Al Qaeda militant Adnan El Shukrijumah may have returned to the United States and is planning to conduct an attack, as well as recent statements by members of the Obama administration regarding the threat of jihadist militants using weapons of mass destruction (WMD). A recent incident in India in which a number of people were sickened by radioactive metal at a scrap yard in a New Delhi slum also has received a great deal of media coverage.

In spite of the fact that dirty bombs have been discussed widely in the press for many years now especially since the highly publicized arrest of Jose Padilla in May 2002 - much misinformation and disinformation continues to circulate regarding dirty bombs. The misinformation stems from long-held misconceptions and ignorance, while the disinformation comes from scaremongers hyping the threat for financial or political reasons. Frankly, many people have made a lot of money by promoting fear since 9/11.

Just last week, we read a newspaper article in which a purported expert interviewed by the reporter discussed how a dirty bomb would “immediately cause hundreds or even thousands of deaths.” This is simply not true. A number of radiological accidents have demonstrated that a dirty bomb will not cause this type of death toll. Indeed, the panic generated by a dirty bomb attack could very well result in more immediate deaths than the detonation of the device itself.

Unfortunately, media stories hyping the threat of these devices may foster such panic, thus increasing the death toll. To counter this irrational fear, we feel it is time once again to discuss dirty bombs in detail and provide our readers with a realistic assessment of the threat they pose.

Dirty Bombs Defined A dirty bomb is a type of radiological dispersal device (RDD), and RDDs are, as the name implies, devices that disperse a radiological isotope. Depending on the motives of those planning the attack, an RDD could be a low-key weapon that surreptitiously releases aerosolized radioactive material, dumps out a finely powdered radioactive material or dissolves a radioactive material in water. Such surreptitious dispersal methods would be intended to slowly expose as many people as possible to the radiation and to prolong their exposure.

Unless large amounts of a very strong radioactive material are used, however, the effects of such an exposure will be limited. People are commonly exposed to heightened levels of radiation during activities such as air travel and mountain climbing. To cause adverse effects, radiation exposure must occur either in a very high dose over a short period or in smaller doses sustained over a longer period. This is not to say that radiation is not dangerous, but rather the idea that the slightest amount of exposure to radiation causes measurable harm is not accurate.

By its very nature, the RDD is contradictory.

Maximizing the harmful effects of radiation involves maximizing the exposure of the victims to the highest possible concentration of a radioisotope. When dispersing the radioisotope, by definition and design the RDD dilutes the concentration of the radiation source, spreading smaller amounts of radiation over a larger area. Additionally, the use of an explosion to disperse the radioisotope alerts the intended victims, who can then evacuate the affected area and be decontaminated. These factors make it very difficult for an attacker to administer a deadly dose of radiation via a dirty bomb.

It is important to note that a dirty bomb is not a nuclear device, and no nuclear reaction occurs. A dirty bomb will not produce an effect like the nuclear devices dropped on Hiroshima or Nagasaki. A dirty bomb is quite simply an RDD that uses explosives as the means to disperse a radioactive isotope, and the only blast effect will be from the explosives used to disperse the radioisotope.

In a dirty bomb attack, radioactive material not only is dispersed, but the dispersal is accomplished in an obvious manner, and the explosion immediately alerts the victims and authorities that an attack has taken

place. The attackers hope that notice of their attack will cause mass panic - in other words, the RDD is a weapon of fear and terror.

The radioisotopes that can be used to construct an RDD are fairly common. Even those materials considered by many to be the most likely to be used in an RDD, such as cobalt-60 and cesium-137, have legitimate medical, commercial and industrial uses.

Organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency warn that such radioisotopes are readily available to virtually any country in the world, and they are almost certainly not beyond the reach of even moderately capable non-state actors. Indeed, given the ease of obtaining radiological isotopes and the ease with which a dirty bomb can be constructed, we are surprised that we have not seen one successfully used in a terror attack. We continue to believe that it is only a matter of time before a dirty bomb is effectively employed somewhere. Because of this, let’s examine what effectively employing a dirty bomb means.

Dirty Bomb Effectiveness Like a nonexplosive RDD, unless a dirty bomb contains a large amount of very strong radioactive material, the effects of the device are not likely to be immediate and dramatic. In fact, the explosive effect of the RDD is likely to kill more people than the device’s radiological effect. This need for a large quantity of a radioisotope not only creates the challenge of obtaining that much radioactive material, it also means that such a device would be large and unwieldy - and therefore difficult to smuggle into a target such as a subway or stadium.

In practical terms, a dirty bomb can produce a wide range of effects depending on the size of the improvised explosive device (IED) and the amount and type of radioactive material involved. (Powdered radioisotopes are easier to disperse than materials in solid form.) Environmental factors such as terrain, weather conditions and population density would also play an important role in determining the effects of such a device.

Significantly, while the radiological effects of a dirty bomb may not be instantly lethal, the radiological impact of an RDD will in all likelihood affect an area larger than the killing radius of the IED itself, and will persist for far longer. The explosion from a conventional IED is over in an instant, but radiation released by a RDD can persist for decades unless the

area is decontaminated.

While the radiation level may not be strong enough to affect people exposed briefly in the initial explosion, the radiation will persist in the contaminated area, and the cumulative effects of such radiation could prove very hazardous. (Here again, the area contaminated and the ease of decontamination will depend on the type and quantity of the radioactive material used.

Materials in a fine powdered form are easier to disperse and harder to clean up than solid blocks of material.) In either case, it will be necessary to evacuate people from the contaminated area, and people will need to stay out of the area until it can be decontaminated, a process that could prove lengthy and expensive.

Therefore, while a dirty bomb is not truly a WMD like a nuclear device, we frequently refer to them as “weapons of mass disruption” or “weapons of mass dislocation” because they may temporarily render contaminated areas uninhabitable. The expense of decontaminating a large, densely populated area, such as a section of London or Washington, is potentially quite high. This cost would also make a dirty bomb a type of economic weapon.

Historical Precedents The world has not yet witnessed a successful dirty bomb attack by a terrorist or militant group. That does not necessarily mean that militant groups have not been interested in radiological weapons, however.

Chechen militants have perhaps been the most active in the realm of radioactive materials. In Nov 1995, Chechen militants under the command of Shamil Basayev placed a small quantity of cesium-137 in Moscow’s Izmailovsky Park. Rather than disperse the material, however, the Chechens used the material as a psychological weapon by directing a TV news crew to the location and thus creating a media storm and fostering public fear. The material in this incident was thought to have been obtained from a nuclear waste or isotope storage facility in the Chechen capital of Grozny.

In Dec 1998, the pro-Russian Chechen Security Service announced it had found a dirty bomb consisting of a land mine combined with radioactive materials next to a railway line frequently used to transport Russian troops. It is believed that Chechen militants planted the device. In Sept 1999, two Chechen militants who attempted to steal highly

radioactive materials from a chemical plant in Grozny were incapacitated after carrying the container for only a few minutes each; one reportedly died. This highlights another difficulty with producing a really effective dirty bomb: The strongest radioactive material is dangerous to handle, and even a suicide operative might not be able to move and employ it before being overtaken by its effects.

Still, none of these Chechen incidents really provided a very good example of what a dirty bomb detonation would actually look like. To do this, we need to look at incidents where radiological isotopes were dispersed by accident. In 1987, in Goiania, Brazil, a tiny radiotherapy capsule of cesium chloride salt was accidentally broken open after being salvaged from a radiation therapy machine left at an abandoned healthcare facility. Over the course of 15 days, the capsule containing the radioisotope was handled by a number of people who were fascinated by the faint blue glow it gave off. Some victims reportedly even smeared the substance on their bodies.

The radiation was then dispersed by these people to various parts of the surrounding neighborhood, and some of it was even taken to nearby towns. In all, more than 1,000 people were contaminated during the incident and some 244 were found to have significant radioactive material in or on their bodies. Still, only four people died from the incident, and most of those who died had sustained exposure to the contamination.

In addition to the human toll, the cleanup operation in Goiania cost more than $100 million, as many houses had to be razed and substantial quantities of contaminated soil had to be removed from the area.

In a more recent case involving a scrap dealer, this time in a slum outside New Delhi, India, eight people were admitted to the hospital because of radiation exposure after a scrap dealer dismantled an object containing cobalt-60. The material apparently arrived at a scrap shop March 12, and the owner of the shop was admitted to the hospital April 4 suffering from radiation-poisoning symptoms (again another case involving prolonged exposure to a radiation source).

The radiation source was found at the scrap yard April 5 and identified as cobalt-60. Indian authorities hauled away eight piles of contaminated scrap.

The cleanup operation was easier in the Indian incident, since the radioactive material was in metallic form and found in larger pieces rather than in powdered form seen in the cesium in Goiania.

Intriguingly, a nearby scrap shop also was found to be contaminated April 16, but it appears from initial reports that the second site was contaminated by a second radioactive source that contained a weaker form of cobalt-60. Though we are watching for additional details on this case, so far, despite the longterm exposure to a potent radioactive source, no deaths have been reported.

At the other end of the spectrum from the Goiania and New Delhi accidents is the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in northern Ukraine, when a 1gigawatt power reactor exploded. It is estimated that more than one hundred times the radiation of the Hiroshima bomb was released during the accident the equivalent of 50 million to 250 million grams of radium. More than 40 different radioisotopes were released, and there was a measurable rise in cesium137 levels across the entire European continent. No RDD could ever aspire to anything close to such an effect.

Chernobyl wrought untold suffering, and estimates suggest that it may ultimately contribute to the deaths of 9,000 people. But many of those affected by the radiation are still alive more than 20 years after the accident. While Stratfor by no means seeks to downplay the tragic human or environmental consequences of this disaster, the incident is instructive when contemplating the potential effects of a dirty bomb attack.

In spite of the incredible amounts of radioactive material released at Chernobyl, only 31 people died in the explosion and immediate aftermath. Today, 5.5 million people live in the contaminated zone - many within or near the specified EU dosage limits for people living near operational nuclear power plants.

It is this type of historical example that causes us to be so skeptical regarding claims that a small dirty bomb will cause hundreds or even thousands of deaths.

Instead, the most strategic consequences of this sort of destruction are economic. By some estimates, the Chernobyl disaster will ultimately cost well in excess of $100 billion. Again, in our opinion, a dirty bomb should be considered a weapon of disruption - one that will cause economic loss, but would not cause mass casualties or any real mass destruction. —Stratfor

Friday, April 30, 2010

oPinion

Page 41

Baghdad politics and the US-Iran balance

By George Friedman

T

he status of Iraq has always framed the strategic challenge of Iran. Until 2003, regional stability - such as it was - was based on the Iran-Iraq balance of power. The United States invaded Iraq on the assumption that it could quickly defeat and dismantle the Iraqi government and armed forces and replace them with a cohesive and effective proAmerican government and armed forces, thereby restoring the balance of power. When that expectation proved faulty, the United States was forced into two missions. The first was stabilizing Iraq. The second was providing the force for countering Iran.

The United States and Iran both wanted to destroy Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime, and they collaborated to some extent during the invasion. But from there, their goals diverged. The Iranians hoped to establish a Shiite regime in Baghdad that would be under Tehran’s influence. The United States wanted to establish a regime that would block the Iranians.

The US Challenge in Iraq In retrospect, US strategy in Iraq was incoherent at base. On one hand, the American debaathification program drove the Sunni community into opposition and insurgency. Convinced that they faced catastrophe from the Americans on the one side and the proIranian government forming in Baghdad on the other, the Iraqi Sunni Baathists united in resistance with foreign jihadists. At the same time the Americans were signaling hostility toward the Sunnis, they also moved to prevent the formation of a pro-Iranian government. This created a war between three factions (the Americans, the Shiites and the Sunnis) that plunged Iraq into chaos, shattered the balance of power with Iran and made the United States the only counterweight to the Iranians.

All of this turned what was intended to be a shortterm operation into an extended war from which the United States could not extract itself. The United States could not leave because it had created a situation in which the Iranian military was the most powerful force in the Arabian Gulf region. Absent the United States, the Iranians would dominate Iraq. They would not actually have to invade (Iran’s military has a limited ability to project force far from its borders in any case) to extract massive political and economic concessions from both Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula.

An unchecked Iran, quite apart from its not-yetextant nuclear capability, represents a profound strategic threat to the balance of power in the Gulf.

Assuming the nuclear issue was settled tomorrow either diplomatically or through attacks, the strategic problem would remain unchanged, as the central problem is conventional, not nuclear.

The United States is set to complete the withdrawal of its combat forces from Iraq this summer, leaving behind a residual force of about 50,000 support personnel. This drawdown is according to a plan former US President George W Bush laid down in 2008, and that US President Barack Obama has sped up only by a few months. Therefore, this is not a political issue but one on which there has been consensus. The reason for the withdrawal is that US forces are needed in Afghanistan. Even more important, the United States has no strategic reserve for its ground forces. It has fought a two-theater, multidivisional war for seven years. The Army is stretched to the limit, and should another crisis develop elsewhere in the world, the United States would lack the land power to respond decisively.

Avoiding this potential situation requires drawing down US forces from Iraq. But simply abandoning the Gulf to Iranian military and political power also represents a dangerous situation for the Americans.

Therefore, the United States must balance two unacceptable realities.

The only hope the United States has of attaining this balance would be to achieve some semblance of its expectations of 2003. This would mean creating a cohesive Iraqi government with sufficient military and security capabilities to enforce its will internally and to deter an attack by an Iranian force. At the very least, the Iraqis would have to be able to hold off an Iranian attack long enough to allow the United States to rush

forces back into Iraq and to suppress insurgent elements from all Iraqi communities, both Sunni and Shiite. If Iraq could do the former, the Iranians likely would refrain from an attack. Iranian rhetoric may be extreme, but the Iranians are risk-averse in their actions. If Iraq could do the latter, then they eliminate Iran’s preferred mode of operations, which is covert subversion through proxies.

The issue therefore boils down to how the United States answers this question: Can the Iraqis form a coherent government in Baghdad capable of making decisions and a force capable of achieving the goals laid out above? Both the government and the force have to exist; if either one is lacking, the other is meaningless.

But alongside this question are others. Does Iraq have any strategic consensus whatsoever? If so, does it parallel American strategic interests? Assuming the Iraqis create a government and build a significant force, will they act as the Americans want them to?

State vs Faction The United States is a country that believes in training. It has devoted enormous efforts to building an Iraqi military and police force able to control Iraq.

The Americans have tried to imbue Iraq’s security forces with “professionalism,” which in the US context means a force fully capable of carrying out its mission and prepared to do so if its civilian masters issue the orders. As professionals, they are the

technicians of warfare and policing.

But perhaps the fundamental question of any military force, one that comes before training, is loyalty. In some militaries, the primary loyalty is to oneself. In such militaries, one joins to make a living, steal what one can and simply survive. In other militaries, the primary loyalty is not to the state, but some faction of the country, be it religious, ethnic or geographical. No one is going to give his life defending a state to which he is indifferent or even hostile, no matter how carefully trained in handling his weapon or how well-lectured he is on the question of professional responsibility. Neither of these conditions allows for a successful military in the end. A man in it for himself is not going to go into harm’s way if he can help it. A man in the military to protect his clan is not going to die to protect those to whom he has no loyalty.

The US Army has trained tens of thousands of Iraqis. And Americans are great trainers. But the problem isn’t training, it is loyalty. Professionalism doesn’t imbue anyone with self-sacrifice to something alien to him. And this is the challenge the United States faces in the Iraqi government, which like most governments, consists of many factions with diverging interests. In viable states, however, fundamental values shared by the overwhelming majority lie beneath the competing interests, be they a myth of country or of the moral principles of a constitution. It

is simply not apparent that Iraqi factions have a core understanding of what Iraq should be, however, nor is it clear whether they owe their primary loyalty to the state or to some faction of Iraq.

Saddam Hussein held the state together by a complex of benefits and terror. He became the center of Iraq, and in a sense became Iraq. Once he was destroyed, Iraq’s factions went to war with each other and with the United States, pursuing goals inimical to a united Iraq. Therefore Iraq’s reconstituted military and security forces, however intermixed or homogenized they may be, still owe their individual loyalties to their factions, which will call on them to serve their people, a subset of Iraq.

The United States plans to withdraw its combat forces by the summer. Leaving aside how wellprotected the remaining 50,000 noncombat troops will be, the question persists on who will hold the country together. The Iranians certainly are not eager to see the Iraqi situation resolved in favor of a government that can block Iran’s ambitions. The Iranians have longstanding relations with any number of Iraqi Shiite groups, and even with some Kurdish and Sunni groups. Iran would have every reason to do what it can to destabilize Iraq above and beyond any indigenous destabilization of Iraq in order to help shape a government it can dominate. In our view, Tehran has the tools to do this effectively.

The American leadership is certainly aware of this.

It may hope or even believe that a stable Iraqi government will emerge, and it will certainly not say anything publicly that would decrease confidence in the process. But at the same time, the American leadership must privately know that the probability of a cohesive Iraqi government commanding a capable and loyal security force is far from a slam dunk.

In Search of a Plan B Therefore, logic tells us that the United States must have a Plan B. This could be a plan to halt withdrawals. The problem with that plan is that there is no assurance that in three months or a year the core divisions of Iraq could be solved. The United States could be left without forces for a strategic reserve without any guarantee that time would solve the problem. A strategy of delay calls for some clear idea of what delay would bring.

Or the United States could complete the withdrawal on the assumption that the Iranians would not dare attack Iraq directly while the residual US force remained. The problem with this strategy is that it is built on an assumption. This assumption is not unreasonable, but it is still an assumption, not a certainty. Moreover, Iran could covertly destabilize Iraq, putting US forces without sufficient combat capability in harm’s way from Iranian-supplied forces.

Finally, Iran’s major audience consists of the oil powers of the Arabian Peninsula. Tehran wants to show the Gulf Arabs that the United States will withdraw from Iraq regardless of potential consequences to them, reducing their confidence in the United States and forcing them to contemplate an accommodation with Iran.

Halting the withdrawal therefore poses substantial challenges, and completing the withdrawal poses even more. This is particularly the case if the United States completes the withdrawal without reaching some accommodation with Iran. But negotiating with the Iranians from a position of weakness is not an attractive option. The Iranians’ price would be higher than the United States wants to pay. Therefore, the United States would have to make some show of power to the Iranians that will convince the Iranians that they are at risk. Bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities could fit the bill, but it has two drawbacks. First, the attacks might fail. Second, even if they succeeded, they would not have addressed the conventional problem.

Washington’s way forward depends upon what the American government believes the probabilities are at this point for a viable Iraqi government and security force able to suppress insurgencies, including those fomented by Iran. If the Americans believe a viable Iraqi government is a possibility, they should roll the dice and withdraw. But it is not clear from our point of view what Washington is seeing. —Stratfor

spotlight

page 42

Friday, April 30, 2010

Courtney Love and her now-reconstituted band Hole, returned to the stage at the Henry Ford Theatre/Music Box, April 21 2010, in Los Angeles, California. —MCT

Courtney Love resuscitates Hole hen Courtney Love first announced that she was resuscitating her volatile, beloved band Hole, the news arrived with two very different possibilities as to how it might play out. The immediate question was whether Love was in creative shape for this. For younger listeners who missed her first turn as the frost-eyed fulfillment of Riot Grrl rage, Love had become something of a Miss Havisham of the blogosphere. Known for creatively punctuated missives against all the celebrities who crossed her (Lily Allen, John Mayer and Billy Corgan among them), her music was eclipsed by her role as a one-woman gossip maelstrom for much of the late ‘00s.

At the revived Hole’s LA debut at the Music Box, Love cleared that bar easily. Her feral wail, always seemingly on the edge between an earth-detonating argument and delirious makeup sex, has settled into a sly, been-there pugnacity.

Songs from Hole’s forthcoming “Nobody’s Daughter” split a nifty

W

difference between the bottled fury of “Live Through This” and the sunnier melodicism of Love’s later work.

The bigger issue going into these shows, though, was what this reunion meant for the idea of Hole.

Like Liz Phair, Love has been embroiled in a career-long battle with her biggest fans , the young women who decried and articulated the thousand patronizing cuts of the male imagination through songs like “Doll Parts.” Her songs, and her vision of female potential, were incredibly influential, but she hasn’t been that woman in years.

So when Love, looking as healthy and tack-sharp as ever, pulled back the curtain to reveal this new, all-male incarnation of Hole with her as the sole original member, it felt like a warning shot to anyone hoping to validate their late-teen angst. If there was any question as to how she sees the band, Hole is about Love and her songs, not you and your feminist anxiety.

All well within her rights

Songs from Hole’s forthcoming “Nobody’s Daughter” split a nifty difference between the bottled fury of “Live Through This” and the sunnier melodicism of Love’s later work. indeed. But those had better be some fantastic new songs.

Surprisingly, some were.

“Samantha” had a teen-noir quality that allowed its bleak tale of emotional consumption to go down easy. Love’s voice has lost its hurricane gale, but not always to a bad effect , here her constant rush for breath made the song feel resigned in a smirking, goodbye-toall-that way. “Skinny Little Bitch”

is most akin to the early Hole favorites, and it felt like a rebuttal to the beach-dream underground rock of today’s twentysomethings.

The tune hit like a tossed-off, selfdeprecating joke at a party but hinted at a deep well of darkness underneath.

Hole’s most cherished singles suffered the most in this new setting. Love struggled to re-create the throat-shred of “Violet” and

constantly fell a step behind its gnarled chorus. “Doll Parts,” by contrast, felt exaggerated in its snarl, the original earned its strength from its loneliness, not its fangs. Love abruptly ended the set after around 45 minutes (with two very quick encores), and though the leave-them-wanting strategy is a great one in live music, fans expecting a deep conversation with Hole’s catalog had reason to feel cut off a bit early.

But what she had offered before Hole’s departure was satisfying, especially the jangle-pop of “Pacific Coast Highway” and “Malibu.” She noted the irony in the latter song with a telling aside: “I keep writing songs about Malibu and I don’t know why,” Love said. “None of them want me there.”

Spurned by the rich and beautiful crowd she aspires to join, at the expense of the disaffected, adoring old crowd she has pointedly left behind? Sounds like difficult, honest emotional terrain to mine. Hole should really write a song about it. —MCT

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 43

Page 44

Friday, April 30, 2010 CROSSWORD 9974

Word Sleuth Solution

Yesterday’s Solution

ACROSS 1. (computer science) A computer that is running software that allows users to leave messages and access information of general interest.

4. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

7. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

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

12. How long something has existed.

13. In bed.

14. A pilgrimage to Mecca.

15. An associate degree in applied science.

16. Moderate or restrain.

17. The small projection of a mammary gland.

20. A colorless explosive liquid that is volatile and poisonous and foul-smelling.

21. A member of the Siouan people formerly living in the Missouri river valley in NE Nebraska.

25. A member of the Siouan people of the Arkansas river valley in Arkansas.

29. Make synchronous and adjust in time or manner.

30. The (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb.

31. A unit of luminous flux equal to the amount of light given out through a solid angle of 1 steradian by a point source of 1 candela intensity radiating uniformly in all directions.

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

34. Saudi Arabian minister of petroleum who was a central figure in the creation of OPEC (born in 1930).

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

42. Block consisting of a thick piece of something.

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

46. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

47. A thrusting blow with a knife.

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

49. A recurring sleep state during which dreaming occurs.

50. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into

the Rhine.

51. A human limb.

52. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

DOWN 1. The basic unit of money in Thailand.

2. (Scottish) Bluish-black or gray-blue.

3. A mountain peak in the Andes in Bolivia (21,391 feet high).

4. The cry made by sheep.

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

6. A potent estrogen used in medicine and in feed for livestock and poultry.

7. A small cake leavened with yeast.

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

9. The 9th letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

10. Chief port of Yemen.

18. (military) Signal to turn the lights out.

19. A radioactive transuranic element.

22. Austrian composer who influenced the classical form of the symphony (1732-1809).

23. Slender bristlelike appendage found on the bracts of grasses.

24. A period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event.

26. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

27. An associate degree in nursing.

28. A bachelor's degree in religion.

32. A republic on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean.

35. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion.

36. A French abbot.

37. The United Nations agency concerned with atomic energy.

38. A radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons.

39. A sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure.

40. A primeval personification of air and breath.

41. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

44. The month following March and preceding May. 45. The most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on.

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

Yesterday’s Solution

Page 45

Friday, April 30, 2010

COUNTRY CODES

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Aries (March 21-April 19) "In a recipe for salsa published recently, one of the ingredients was misstated, due to an error," said an apology run by a local newspaper.

"The correct ingredient is '2 tsp. of cilantro' instead of '2 tsp. of cement.'" This is an example of the kind of miscue you should be alert for in your own life during the coming week, Aries. As long as you pay close attention and spot the tiny booboos as they arise, you won't end up dipping your chips into a gritty, gravely mess.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) A little knowledge can be dangerous.

I constantly meet people who have boxed themselves into tight spots by misusing their smattering of astrological information. There's no better example of this than the superstition about Mercury retrograde, which is supposedly a bad time to begin anything new. During one such period last year, an acquaintance of mine decided to delay accepting a dream job offer as editor of a magazine. By the time Mercury returned to normal, the magazine had hired another applicant. I wish I'd have known, because I would have told her what I'll tell you: Some of America's biggest, most enduring Fortune 500 companies began when Mercury was retrograde, including Disney, Goodyear, and Boeing. The moral of the story: Of all the signs of the zodiac, it's most important that you Tauruses don't worry about launching new projects during the current Mercury retrograde.

Ge min i (May 2 1-J une 2 0) Would you really prefer it if you had no problems? Do you imagine you'd enjoy life more if everything was pure fun and smoothly easy?

Here's an astrological perspective: People who have an over-abundance of positive aspects in their natal horoscopes often turn out to be lucky but lazy bums who never accomplish much. So I say, be thankful for the complications that are visiting you.

I bet they will make a man out of you if you're a woman, or a woman out of you if you're a man. If you're white, they'll help you get blacker, and if you're black, they'll make you whiter. Catch my drift? As you do your best to solve the knotty riddle, you'll become better balanced and more versatile than folks who are rarely challenged.

Cancer (June 21- July 22) Here's the most important rule for you in the coming week: Keep your eyes fixed on a vision of your shining destiny. If you do, you'll be unflappable, indefatigable, and irrepressible. Your luck will be so crazy good it'll be almost spooky. Noble deeds you did in the past will finally bring the rewards you deserve. Allies will conspire to assist you, sometimes in ways you couldn't have predicted. I'm not exaggerating, Cancerian. If you stay focused on the highest prize, you'll live a charmed life.

Leo (July 23-August 22) In 1990, my rock band World Entertainment War played at a San Francisco nightclub on the same bill as the Beatnigs, an assemblage fronted

by Michael Franti. Their avant-garde industrial music featured band members rhythmically hitting a steel bar with a power saw and slapping a long chain against a piece of sheet metal hanging from the back wall. Fast-forward to 2009, when Franti's latest band Spearhead released a catchy romantic pop ditty titled "Say Hey (I Love You)," which reached number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. I predict a comparable development for you in the next six months, Leo: moving from a state of raw, dark, obscure power to a state of bright, refined, accessible power.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Mangosteens and rambutans are exotic fruits that grow in faraway places. The mangosteen is creamy and purple, with a peachy citrus taste, while the rambutan is like a big hairy red grape. This is a perfect moment, astrologically speaking, to invite them into your mouth. Likewise, the time is right for you to consider welcoming other colorful, striking, and foreign elements into your life.

So maybe consider making friends with a Paraguayan acrobat. Sing Vietnamese folk songs.

Read the memoirs of an Iranian exile. Exchange conspiracy theories with an Icelandic fairy.

Libra (September 23- October 22 ) A reader named Emory proposes that we add a new meme to the cultural lexicon: interpersonal intellectual orgasm. Here's how he describes it: "It happens when your conversation with another person becomes so intense that nothing else matters except the dialog you're creating together. The two of you are so in-tune, so intellectually bonded, that the sensation is almost like making love. For that time, it's like that person is in you and you are in that person; you are one because you understand each other so completely." I bring this to your attention, Libra, because you're in a phase of your astrological cycle when the interpersonal intellectual orgasm is far more likely than usual to occur.

Scorpio (October 23-November 2 1 ) Unlike people who cheat on their mates, polyamorists carry on two or more intimate relationships but don't lie about it. Their lovers know about each other and have agreed to the arrangement. I applaud those who have the inclination to pull off this tricky work, even though I personally couldn't manage it.

Handling just a single intense bond takes improbable amounts of my ingenuity. If I were trying to weave my fate together with more than one partner, I wouldn't have any energy left over to write these horoscopes or do anything else. How about you, Scorpio? You're in a phase when splitting your attention might be tempting, not just in regards to your love life but in other areas, too. Whether that's the right thing to do, I can't say. Here's what I do know: You can either go deeper or wider, but not both.

Sagittarius (November 22D ec em ber 21) "Never bear more than one trouble at a time," wrote author and clergyman Edward Everett Hale. "Some people bear three kinds -- all they have had, all they have now, and all they expect to have." That's good advice for you, Sagittarius. Please just stick to the trouble you have, and drop the other two kinds.

There's no need to fill up your beautiful head with extra torment. Besides, you're much more likely to wrestle the current trouble into submission if you're not weighted down by unnecessary extras.

C ap ric orn (D ec emb er 22 January 19) What excites you?

What makes you itch with a longing to be surprised? What fills you to the brim with curiosity and an agitated sense of wonder? You may not know even half of what you could potentially realize about these matters. Have you ever sat down and taken a formal inventory? Have you ever dedicated yourself to figuring out all the things that would inspire you most? Do it sometime soon, please; attend to this glorious task. According to my reading of the omens, it's prime time to do so.

Aquar ius (January 20Fe br u a r y 18 ) It's a good thing Margaret Mitchell suffered a broken ankle back in 1925. She got so bored as she lay around the house recuperating that she started writing a book. Eventually it blossomed into the 423,000-word blockbuster Gone with the Wind, which sold 30 million copies and won her the Pulitzer Prize. Judging from your current astrological omens, Aquarius, I suspect that you too may soon be offered an opportunity disguised as a ho-hum problem.

Pisces ( Febr uary 19-March 20 ) I was pleased when I discovered a website with a video of quirky songstress Cat Power singing David Bowie's iconic song "Space Oddity."

I love her, I love Bowie, and I love the tune. And yet a wave of disappointment broke over me when I realized, 30 seconds into the performance, that it was actually a car commercial. I felt duped.

Appalled. Outraged. Any pleasure I'd gotten from the experience was ruined. Don't be like me, Pisces. You, too, may soon receive a blessing that has some minor annoyance. Don't overreact like me. Look past the blemish and enjoy the gift.

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guyana Haiti Holland (Netherlands) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Ibiza (Spain) Iceland India Indian Ocean Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345 00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689 00241 00220 00995 0049 00233 00350 0030 00299 001473 00590 001671 00502 00224 00592 00509 0031 00504 00852 0036 0034 00354 0091 00873 0062 0098 00964 00353 0039 00225 001876 0081 00962 007 00254 00686 00965

Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Majorca Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar (Burma) Namibia Nepal Netherlands (Holland) Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Nigar Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Ireland (UK) North Korea Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts Saint Lucia Saint Pierre Saint Vincent Samoa US Samoa West San Marino Sao Tone Saudi Arabia Scotland (UK) Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Toga Tonga Tokelau Trinidad Tunisia Turkey Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Uruguay

00996 00856 00371 00961 00231 00218 00370 00352 00853 00389 00261 0034 00265 0060 00960 00223 00356 00692 00596 00222 00230 00269 0052 00691 00373 00377 00976 001664 00212 00258 0095 00264 00977 0031 00599 00687 0064 00505 00227 00234 00683 00672 0044 00850 0047 00968 0092 00680 00507 00675 00595 0051 0063 0048 00351 001787 00974 0040 007 00250 00290 001869 001758 00508 001784 00684 00685 00378 00239 00966 0044 00221 00284 00232 0065 00421 00386 00677 00252 0027 0082 0034 0094 00249 00597 00268 0046 0041 00963 00886 00255 0066 00228 00676 00690 001868 00216 0090 00688 00256 00380 00976 0044 00598

what's on

Page 46

Friday, april 30, 2010

ESF talent excels in Cinderella

T

he English School Fahaheel recently excelled in their rendition of “Cinderella”-the classic fairy tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. The songs were beautifully sung and the cast was very effective in their dialogue delivery and acting talent. The Year 2 production was put on with the assistance of staff and parents. A big thank you goes to them for a colorful and magical end of year production!

Announcement Indian Lawyers Forum Kuwait ndian Lawyers Forum is convened for a family get-together at the residence of Adv Sudheer Ramachandran today 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

I

■■■■■■ Kala Balakalamela erala Art Lovers Association-KALA will conduct Arts and Literature competitions for Indian school children today at Indian Community School, Khaitan. The items include classical dances, essay writing, elocutions, recitations, singing, classical music and skits. The event is named “Balakalamela2010”. 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

K

numbers may be contacted: 97817100 / 99122984/ 24317875.

■■■■■■ Al-Thaalib Scholarship 2010 l-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, 2010-11, 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

A

scholarship, applicants are requested to collect the Application Form, from AlThaalib Office located in CAMS, Ahmed Al-Jaber Street, Darwaza, Near Warba Insurance Co, Int’l Islamic Charity Organization Building, 2nd Floor, AlSharq. The duly filled application form shall be submitted to Al-Thaalib office today along with all supporting documents specified in the Application Form. For more information, you may contact 55046318 or 22418934 ext 204/202.

■■■■■■ Food competition n the occasion of MES Ladies Wing’s 5th Anniversary Celebration a food competition will be held today at Kuwait Medical Association Hall - Jabriya from 3 to 6 pm. It is open to all residing in Kuwait. The first 15 entries will be accepted from each category. The three categories are Dessert, Snacks, Biriyani.

Interested persons can contact on Tel: 99862430, 99135198, and 97299734 for registration. Valuable prizes will be awarded for the 1st 2nd 3rd prize winners

O

from each category. The Judges interpretation and decision will be final.

The judging panel headed by Dr Lakshmi Nair, from Kirali TV will select the winners.

■■■■■■

A

Vanithavedi anniversary

s part of the on going 10th anniversary celebrations of Vanithavedi - Kuwait, May day will be celebrated tomorrow ‘10 from 2 PM at Abbassiya United Indian School. It will start with the Painting competition for children and women along with the exhibition of the selected works of women painters.A legal workshop focusing on difficulties and problems faced by women workforce and the available legal protection will be held at 5 P.M. Adv. Twinkle Annie Chacko will give the keynote address.

Representatives from various Indian organizations will participate in the ensuing discussions. Phone numbers 24342807, 24312180 and 97114331 can be contacted for details.

what's on

Friday, april 30, 2010

Page 47

Embassy information Embassy of NigEria The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to invite all Nigerians residing in Kuwait to come and register with the Embassy. The registration is compulsory for all Nigerians residing /visiting Kuwait. Kindly bring the following documents along with you: • A photocopy of the Nigerian passport • One passport photograph • Copy of the civil identification card or visa For additional information please call: 25620278 or visit the Embassy at Block, 4, Malik Bin Anas Street, Avenue 44, House 31, Along Al-Aqsa Road, Rumaithiya. The Consular Section opens Sunday - Thursday from 9 am - 3 pm Your prompt response is highly solicited.

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 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.

TMCA executive committee meets Ambassador of India

T

amilnadu Muslim Cultural Association (TMCA) new officebearers of 2010 - 2011 met with His Excellency Ajai Malhotra Ambassador of India in his esteemed office on 21 April, 2010 at 4:00 pm the Ambassador welcomed all office bearers N A M Abdul Aleem President, A Hidayathulla - Vice-

President, Avoor A. Basheer - General Secretary, Alwany Abdul Razack Deputy General Secretary & H Zahir Hussain - Treasurer.

The meeting was highly informative as they Interacted on many aspects in Kuwait and India including the common problems of Indians particularly In the domestic sector and

TMCA’s new activities. The Ambassador expressed his pleasures and satisfactions over TMCA saying that ‘among other associations, the TMCA is always stands out’. The incumbents informed the forthcoming events such as “Educational Awareness” which will take place on May 20, 2010.

PTA at Fawzia Sultan International School MES ladies

T

he Parent Teacher Association at Fawzia Sultan International School (A school for children with learning difficulties) is happy once again to sponsor our students’ fifth annual Art Exhibition, which will be held at the FSIS school campus on Tuesday & Wednesday, May 4th and May 5th 2010. The exhibition will be open to visitors from 1:00 - 8:00 pm, in Room 107/108, at FSIS’ first floor, which is located in Hawally, Beirut Street, behind “Dar Al-Shifa” hospital.

Bunts Get-Together 2010

I

n commemoration of nine successive years, Buntara Sangha Kuwait proudly announces “Bunts Get-Together 2010’ for all its members and their families at Indian Community School Auditorium, Khaitan today from 2 pm to 9 pm. As a Chief Guest, Nagaraj Shetty (Ex minister & Chairman Karnataka State Coastal Development Authority) will be presiding this special occasion. Several cultural programs are planned by members and kids for entertainment. All members are requested to co-operate, assist and support the event in making it a grand success.

wing 5th anniversary celebration

MES Ladies Wing a socio cultural and educational organization working in Kuwait will be celebrating its 5th Anniversary on Friday 30th April, 2010. The program will be held at Kuwait Medical Association (KMA) hall at 6.30 pm. As part of the program a cooking contest will take place from 3.00 pm. to 6.00 pm. The event will be inaugurated by HE the Ambassador of India, Ajai Malhothra. A recipe book titled “Art of Cooking” in English and Malayalam language will be released during the function.

Eminent personalities from India Dr Fazal Gafoor, President MES Kerala State will be Guest of honor of the function. Dr Lakshmi Nair - Prominent presenter of cookery program in the leading television channel in India and author of many recipe books is program’s chief guest and will lead the Judging panel of the cooking competition.

Other dignitaries include Ira Malhothra, Mrs. Shameela Gafoor, Anwar Jawad Yali (MD-FFC), Dr Hanadi Al-Hamli (Manager KFH), T A Ramesh (Gulfmart) will attend the function. For the event attraction a variety of entertainment programs by children will be held as a conclusion. All are invited by the organizers.

Page 48

Friday, April 30, 2010

FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION 161

FLIGHT SCHEDULE

IN CASE YOU ARE NOT TRAVELLING, YOUR PROPER CANCELLATION OF BOOKINGS WILL HELP OTHER PASSENGERS TO USE SEATS. Airlines Wataniya Airways Tunis Air Wataniya Airways Kuwait Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Turkish A/L Pakistan Wataniya Airways Jazeeera Jazeera DHL Emirates Etihad Jazeera Qatari Air France Ethiopian Jazeeera Jazeeera British Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Fly Dubai Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Emirates Arabia Qatari Etihad Jazeera Iran Air Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Middle East Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Yemania Jazeera Egypt Air Jazeera Kuwait Jazeera United A/L Royal Jordanian Wataniya Airways Fly Dubai Jazeera Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Qatari Kuwait Jazeera Bahrain Air Mihin Lanka Jazeera Etihad Emirates Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Jazeera Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera

Arrival Flights on Friday 30/04/2010 Flt Route 188 Bahrain 327 Dubai/Tunis 308 Cairo 544 Cairo 408 Beirut 211 Bahrain 772 Istanbul 215 Karachi 322 Sharm El Sheikh 513 Sharm El Sheikh 267 Beirut 370 Bahrain 853 Dubai 305 Abu Dhabi 241 Amman 138 Doha 6770 Paris 622 Addis Ababa/Bahrain 503 Luxor 527 Alexandria 157 London 416 Jakarta/Kuala Lumpur 481 Sabiha 206 Islamabad 529 Assiut 302 Mumbai 053 Dubai 676 Dubai 286 Chittagong 352 Cochin 284 Dhaka 362 Colombo 855 Dubai 121 Sharjah 132 Doha 301 Abu Dhabi 425 Bahrain 619 Lar 182 Bahrain 213 Bahrain 404 Beirut 102 Dubai 165 Dubai 447 Doha 113 Abu Dhabi 825 Sanaa 171 Dubai 610 Cairo 457 Damascus 672 Dubai 525 Alexandria 982 Washington Dc Dulles 800 Amman 432 Damascus 057 Dubai 257 Beirut 422 Amman 552 Damascus 744 Dammam 693 Shiraz 134 Doha 546 Alexandria 173 Dubai 344 Bahrain 403 Colombo/Dubai 427 Bahrain 303 Abu Dhabi 857 Dubai 402 Beirut 215 Bahrain 217 Isfahan 510 Riyadh 239 Amman

Time 00:30 00:35 00:50 00:50 01:05 01:05 01:15 01:15 01:20 01:45 01:45 02:15 02:25 02:55 02:55 03:25 03:25 03:30 05:15 06:05 06:30 06:35 06:40 07:15 07:30 07:50 07:55 08:00 08:05 08:05 08:10 08:20 08:25 08:40 09:00 09:25 10:25 10:40 10:45 10:45 10:50 11:05 11:05 11:10 11:20 12:00 12:50 12:55 13:10 13:15 13:20 13:35 13:35 13:35 13:50 14:10 14:10 14:35 14:40 14:45 15:05 15:30 15:55 16:40 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:15 17:20 17:20 17:35

Jazeera Arabia Jazeera Srilankan Wataniya Airways Kuwait Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Kuwait Indian Kuwait Fly Dubai Oman Air Middle East Jet A/W Rovos Saudi Arabian A/L Wataniya Airways Jazeera DHL Gulf Air Qatari United A/L Emirates Jazeera Lufthansa Egypt Air Shaheen Air Jazeera KLM Wataniya Airways Jazeera Airlines Jazeera Bangladesh India Express Lufthansa Indian Pak1sta Tunis Air Turkish A/L Pakistan DHL Emirates Etihad Ethiopian Qatari Air France Wataniya Airways Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera Gulf Air Wataniya Airways Jazeera Wataniya Airways British Kuwait Jazeera Fly Dubai Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Kuwait

367 125 497 227 304 166 106 502 542 618 786 177 614 674 774 102 575 562 061 647 402 572 081 506 404 459 372 217 136 981 859 429 636 612 441 185 0447 108 263

Deirezzor Sharjah Riyadh Colombo/Dubai Cairo Paris/Rome Dubai Beirut Cairo Doha Jeddah Dubai Bahrain Dubai Riyadh New York/London Chennai/Goa Amman Dubai Muscat Beirut Mumbai Baghdad Jeddah Beirut Damascus Bahrain Bahrain Doha Bahrain Dubai Bahrain Frankfurt Cairo Lahore/Karachi Dubai Amsterdam/Bahrain Dubai Beirut

Departure Flight on Friday 30/04/2010 Flt Route 528 Assiut 044 Dhaka 390 Mangalore/Kozhikode 637 Frankfurt 982 Ahmedabad/ Chennai 206 Lahore 328 Tunis 773 Istanbul 216 Karachi 371 Bahrain 854 Dubai 306 Abu Dhabi 622 Addis Ababa 139 Doha 6770 Dubai/Hong Kong 101 Dubai 164 Dubai 524 Alexandria 112 Abu Dhabi 422 Bahrain 446 Doha 212 Bahrain 181 Bahrain 456 Damascus 431 Damascus 156 London 545 Alexandria 256 Beirut 054 Dubai 177 Frankfurt/Geneva 170 Dubai 671 Dubai 551 Damascus

17:40 17:40 17:55 18:00 18:35 18:40 18:45 18:50 18:50 18:55 18:55 19:05 19:20 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:30 19:40 20:05 20:15 20:20 20:30 20:30 20:35 20:50 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:35 21:55 22:00 22:15 22:30 22:55 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:55 23:55 Time 00:05 00:15 00:25 00:50 01:05 01:10 01:25 02:15 02:30 03:15 03:45 04:00 04:15 05:00 05:15 06:50 07:00 07:00 07:15 07:35 07:40 07:45 07:50 08:05 08:10 08:25 08:35 08:35 08:40 08:55 09:00 09:00 09:10

Wataniya Airways Arabia Emirates Qatari Kuwait Etihad Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Iran Air Middle East Wataniya Airways Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Jazeera Jazeera Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Yemenia Kuwait Jazeera Egypt Air Jazeera Wataniya Airways Royal Jordanian Fly Dubai Kuwait United A/L Jazeera Jazeera Kuwait Wataniya Airways Kuwait Jazeera Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Rovos Bahrain Air Etihad Mihin Lanka Gulf Air Wataniya Airways Emirates Jazeera Arabia Saudi Arabian A/L Jazeera Jazeera Srilankan Wataniya Airways Kuwait Kuwait Fly Dubai Kuwait Kuwait Oman Air Middle East Jet A/W Wataniya Airways Gulf Air Saudi Arabian A/L DHL Kuwait Qatari Kuwait Kuwait Emirates Jazeera Jazeera Jazeera United A/L Kuwait Egypt Air

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

421 122 856 133 117 302 401 214 618 405 303 743 172 541 692 366 103 238 501 825 785 426 611 216 105 801 058 561 982 176 496 673 403 617 458 773 135 613 082 345 304 404 216 305 858 262 126 511 184 428 228 107 283 361 062 331 343 648 403 571 187 218 507 373 675 137 203 301 860 526 502 636 981 411 613

Amman Sharjah Dubai Doha New York Abu Dhabi Beirut Bahrain Lar Beirut Cairo Dammam Dubai Cairo Shiraz Deirezzor London Amman Beirut Doha/Sanaa Jeddah Bahrain Cairo Isfahan Dubai Amman Dubai Amman Bahrain Dubai Riyadh Dubai Beirut Doha Damascus Riyadh Doha Bahrain Baghdad Bahrain Abu Dhabi Dubai/Colombo Bahrain Cairo Dubai Beirut Sharjah Riyadh Dubai Bahrain Dubai/Colombo Dubai Dhaka Colombo Dubai Trivandrum Chennai Muscat Beirut Mumbai Bahrain Bahrain Jeddah Bahrain Dubai Doha Lahore Mumbai Dubai Alexandria Luxor Aleppo Washington Dc Dulles Bangkok/Manila Cairo

09:10 09:20 09:40 10:00 10:00 10:10 11:35 11:35 1l:40 11:50 11:50 11:55 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:20 12:30 12:30 13:00 13:00 13:30 13:55 13:55 14:05 14:30 14:30 14:35 14:35 14:50 14:55 15:00 15:10 15:10 15:35 15:50 16:05 16:20 16:20 17:00 17:25 17:35 17:40 18:05 18:05 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:35 19:00 19:10 19:10 19:40 20:00 20:20 20:50 21:00 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:30 21:35 21:55 21:55 22:00 22:10 22:35 22:40 22:45 23:10 23:20 23:30 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:55

CLASSIFIEDS

Friday, April 30, 2010

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya with Keralite family, couple & working ladies are preferred. Tel: 97501647.

(C 2197) Sharing accommodation available in a CAC flat at Jabriya, area 10 near Jabriya Indian School for working ladies or decent family from 1st June 2010.

Mob: 99300513. (C 2200) 29-4-2010 Single room available in 2 BR flat in Salmiya near Don Bosco school for Keralite couple/ working lady/ bachelor with Keralite family.

Call 66949177/ 66429915/ 25643721. (C 2195) Sharing accommodation available for one bachelor Catholic/Hindu to share with another bachelor in a 2 bedroom flat in Abbassiya near Unique store no. 2 from 1st May 2010, kitchen facilities available, rent KD 30. Contact: 66110593 or 24313908. (C 2193) Sharing available for a single Indian bachelor in a furnished studio room close to Khaitan cinema bus stop and jamiyya with a Mangalorean Catholic bachelor (kitchen and bathroom attached), rent KD 20. Contact: 66036893. (C 2183) 28-4-2010 One big room to let from 1/6/10 to a single executive bachelor for KD 75 in spa-

cious flat near city. Please contact: 97407275.

(C 2189) Accommodation available in Abbassiya near Oman Exchange for decent and non-smoking Keralites.

Contact: 24334859, 99185377. (C 2191) 27-4-2010 Sharing accommodation in Jabriya, separate room in mulhak for decent Muslim bachelor, rent KD 65, near Al Hadi hospital, from 1st May, phone facilities.

Contact: 99546413. (C 2177).

25-4-2010 Sharing accommodation available for 1 Keralite bachelor in a C-AC flat in Abbassiya near Caesar’s cargo/ opposite Al Jas Int’l Shipping. Call 66349475.

(C 2173) Sharing accommodation available for Keralite couple to share with Keralite family in 2 bedroom 2 bathroom flat in Abbassiya. Call: 97168979. (C 2175) 24-4-2010 A sharing room available for a decent bachelor (preferably Mangalorean) with another Mangalorean in Abbassiya near United Indian School. Contact: 97539726. (C 2169) Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan and Dar Al Saha polyclinic, for single family. Contact: 66533471. (C 2172)

Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya for visiting family or two working ladies or couples in new CAC fully furnished two bedroom, two bathroom (attached) flat with Keralite family from 7th June 2010.

Contact: 66013882, 99494359. (C 2170) 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)

FOR SALE Mitsubishi Galant, model 1998, passing till April 2011, km 180,000, very good condition, serious buyer contact: 66063764.

(C 2198) Laptop IBM Intel Centrino, RAM 512, HD 30 GB, WiFi, Bluetooth, DVD + CD writer, price KD 65 & IBM PC P4, 2.8 Intel original, RAM 256, HD 40 GB, with LCD, price KD 60, all in excellent condition. Call: 99322585.

(C 2196) 29-10-2010 Toyota Camry, model 2005, GLi, white color, low mileage, price KD 2,750.

Call: 60667860. (C 2188) Honda Civil, model 2008, color white, km 23,000, maintained under warranty, excellent condition, price KD 2,950.

Contact: 66013800, 66235897.

(C 2187)

Page 49

Expat leaving, quality household goods, electronics on sale, Block 10, St 2, House 175, 3rd floor, Salwa. Call before coming 97447513, 66038947, 99848794.

Expat leaving Kuwait, electronic and household items for immediate sale at a very reasonable price.

Please contact: 25661859.

(2190) 27-4-2010 Mitsubishi jeep Nativa, model 2008, silver color, excellent condition, cash price KD 2,800, done 65,000 kms only, Contact: 66211779. (C 2184) 26-4-2010 Nissan Pathfinder 2005, (XES 3.5), color grey, run 130,000 km, passing up to April 2011, new tires and very good condition. Price KD 3,100 (negotiable). Call 99338742. (C 2176) Laptop IBM Intel Centrino, RAM 512, HD 30 GB, WiFi, DVD-CD-WR, price KD 65 & IBM PC P4, CPU Intel original 2.8, RAM 256, HD 40 GB, price KD 35, all in excellent condition, call 99322585. (C 2180) Honda Accord, 2004 model, gold color, full options, 120,000 km, excellent condition. Price KD 2,800. Call: 55522942. (C 2181) 25-4-2010

SITUATION WANTED Indian male, B.Tech electronics + MBA Marketing, 2 years experience in

sales/marketing/management, proficient in computer applications, good communication skills, seeks suitable employment. Tel: 65170157. Email: baby_eldhose@yahoo.co.in (C 2179) I need full/part-time job as accountant, I am commerce graduate, with 3 years experience in Kuwait.

I can use different financial packages, good MIS skills.

Call: 55355954. (C 2182) 25-4-2010

jibyvandakom@yahoo.in (C 2186) 26-4-2010

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited from parents of well educated, qualified girls for a Keralite Marthomite boy, 29 years 175cm, MBA working in MNC, interested parties may respond with complete profile to varghese8192@gmail.com (C 2194) 28-4-2010 Invited from parents of well educated qualified boy for a Keralite Roman Catholic (RC) girl 25/slim/fair working as Saudi MOH nurse.

Interested parents may respond with complete profile to

SITUATION VACANT Part time maid required in Messila area for a small family. Contact: 99754411 (C 2185) 26-4-2010

CHANGE OF NAME I, Thejmen Mukriyakath, holder Indian Passport No: E 8956697 hereby change my name to Thejmel Mukriyakath. (C 2192) 28-4-2010 Old name: Pichai Senthil Kumar, Passport No: F8462965. New name: P. Sayed Ahmed. (C 2174) 24-4-2010

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists: Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 5622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 5752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 5321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 5739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 5757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 5732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 5732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT): Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz

4555050 Ext 510 5644660 5646478 5311996 5731988 2620166 5651426

General Practitioners: Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi Dr. Yousef Al-Omar Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem Dr. Kathem Maarafi Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae

4555050 Ext 123 4719312 3926920 5730465 5655528 4577781 5333501

Urologists: Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 2641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 2639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 2616660

Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 5313120 Plastic Surgeons: Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari Dr. Abdel Quttainah

2547272 2617700 5625030/60

Family Doctor: Dr Divya Damodar

3729596/3729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

2635047 2613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians: Dr Adrian Harbe Dr. Verginia s.Marin Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly Dr. Salem soso

3729596/3729581 572-6666 ext 8321 2655539 5343406 5739272 2618787

General Surgeons: Dr. Abidallah Behbahani 5717111 Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer 2610044 Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher 5327148

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra Dr. Mobarak Aldoub Dr Nasser Behbehani

5728004 5355515 4726446 5654300/3

Paediatricians: Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed Dr. Zahra Qabazard Dr. Sohail Qamar Dr. Snaa Maaroof Dr. Pradip Gujare Dr. Zacharias Mathew

5340300 5710444 2621099 5713514 3713100 4334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada) 5655535 Dentists: Dr Anil Thomas Dr. Shamah Al-Matar Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

3729596/3729581 2641071/2 2562226 2561444 2619557 2525888 5653755 5620111

Internists, Chest & Heart: Dr. Adnan Ebil Dr. Mousa Khadada

2639939 2666300

Neurologists: Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri 5633324 Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan 5345875

Gastrologists Dr. Sami Aman 2636464 Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly 5322030 Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali 2633135 Endocrinologist: Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman 5339330 Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 5658888 Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 5329924 Physiotherapists & VD: Dr. Deyaa Shehab Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

5722291 2666288

Rheumatologists: Dr. Adel Al-Awadi 5330060 Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah 5722290 Internist, Chest & Heart: DR.Mohammes Akkad 4555050 Ext 210 Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Tel: 5339667 Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Consultant Cardiologist Tel: 2611555-2622555

Page 50

Friday, April 30, 2010

TV Listings Orbit /Showtime Channels

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

00:45 01:40 02:35 03:30 04:25 05:20 05:45 Baker 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:25 07:50 08:45 09:40 10:05 10:30 10:55 11:20 11:50 12:45 13:10 13:40 14:35 15:00 15:30 16:25 16:50 17:20 17:45 18:15 18:40 19:10 Brink 20:10 21:05 22:00

00:15 00:45 01:35 02:05 02:35 03:05 03:40 04:15 04:45 05:35 06:20 06:45 07:05 07:25 07:50 08:10 08:30 08:55 09:15 09:40 10:25 11:15 11:45 12:15 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:45 15:15 15:45 16:15 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30

Big Love Dawson’s Creek Bones Kathy Griffin Dawson’s Creek Sons of Anarchy CSI New York Big Love Without a Trace Ghost Whisperer Bones Kathy Griffin CSI New York Sons of Anarchy Bones Dawson’s Creek Without a Trace Ghost Whisperer Big Love Beauty and the Geek The Pacific Survivor The Closer Rescue Me

Animal Cops Houston Untamed & Uncut Jungle Animal Cops Houston Animal Precinct Monkey Business Deep Into the Wild with Nick E-Vets: The Interns SSPCA: On the Wildside Wildlife SOS Pet Rescue Planet Earth Austin Stevens Adventures Beverly Hills Groomer The Planet’s Funniest Animals The Planet’s Funniest Animals Monkey Business SSPCA: On the Wildside Animal Precinct E-Vets: The Interns Pet Rescue Animal Cops Houston Wildlife SOS SSPCA: On the Wildside Planet Earth The Planet’s Funniest Animals The Planet’s Funniest Animals Beverly Hills Groomer Animal Battlegrounds Amazon Abyss Amazon Abyss Saving a Species: Gorillas on the Animal Cops Houston Untamed & Uncut Animal Witness

The Fast Show Terry Jones’ Barbarians 2 Point 4 Children 2 Point 4 Children Hyperdrive Carrie And Barry The Keith Barret Show The League Of Gentlemen Terry Jones’ Barbarians Bargain Hunt Teletubbies Me Too Fimbles Teletubbies Me Too Fimbles Teletubbies Me Too Fimbles Bargain Hunt Terry Jones’ Barbarians 2 Point 4 Children 2 Point 4 Children The Weakest Link Eastenders Doctors Bargain Hunt Cash In The Attic 2 Point 4 Children 2 Point 4 Children The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Blackadder Ii Blackadder Ii

19:00 20:00 20:45 21:15 22:50 23:35

Coast The Weakest Link Doctors Perfect Day Robin Hood New Tricks

00:05 00:30 00:55 01:20 01:45 02:10 03:00 03:45 04:10 04:35 05:05 05:30 05:50 06:35 07:05 07:35 08:05 08:25 09:10 10:00 10:50 11:10 11:30 11:55 12:20 13:10 14:00 14:45 15:30 16:20 16:45 17:10 17:40 18:05 18:55 19:45 20:15 20:40 21:05 21:30 22:00 22:45 23:35

The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Come Dine With Me Come Dine With Me Sweet Baby James Sweet Baby James The Home Show The Home Show What To Eat Now - Autumn The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Daily Cooks Challenge Cash In The Attic USA Hidden Potential The Home Show What To Eat Now - Autumn The Hairy Bikers’ Cookbook Cash In The Attic USA Cash In The Attic USA Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Antiques Roadshow Cash In The Attic USA Hidden Potential Sweet Baby James Sweet Baby James The Home Show The Home Show Bargain Hunt Bargain Hunt Antiques Roadshow Cash In The Attic USA Hidden Potential Sweet Baby James Sweet Baby James The Home Show Antiques Roadshow Daily Cooks Challenge Come Dine With Me MasterChef Goes Large The Naked Chef The Naked Chef Living In The Sun What Not To Wear What To Eat Now - Autumn

01:00 03:15 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 PG15 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:15

Liberty Heights-18 Le Prix A Payer-PG Almost Famous-PG15 CJ7-PG Bopha!-PG15 I Love You, I Love You Not-

00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00 02:55 03:50 04:15 04:45 05:40 06:05 07:00 07:30 07:55 08:20 09:15 10:10 11:05 12:00 12:30 12:55 13:20 14:15 15:10 16:05 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Moll Flanders-PG15 The Truman Show-PG15 Charlotte Gray-PG15 Man On Wire-PG15 A Few Good Men-PG15 Primo Basilio-PG15

Border Security Destroyed in Seconds Miami Ink Street Customs Heartland Thunder Massive Machines Massive Machines Mythbusters How It’s Made Dirty Jobs Massive Machines Massive Machines Wreck Rescue Street Customs Mythbusters Ultimate Survival Heartland Thunder Border Security How It’s Made How It’s Made American Chopper Miami Ink Mythbusters Dirty Jobs World’s Toughest Jobs Border Security Street Customs Destroyed in Seconds How It’s Made How It’s Made Fifth Gear Fifth Gear American Chopper Heartland Thunder

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:50 04:45 05:10 05:40 06:10 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:55 10:20 10:50 11:45 12:10 12:40 13:35 14:30 15:25 15:55 16:50 17:45 18:40 19:05 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 22:00 22:25

Human Body: Ultimate Machine Science of the Movies I, Videogame Beyond Tomorrow NASA’s Greatest Missions How Does That Work?

Green Wheels Weird Connections Human Body: Ultimate Machine Scrappy Races NASA’s Greatest Missions Science of the Movies How Does That Work?

Stunt Junkies Human Body: Ultimate Machine Green Wheels Weird Connections NASA’s Greatest Missions Science of the Movies Ecopolis How Does That Work?

Scrappy Races Brainiac Mega World The Gadget Show The Gadget Show Space Pioneer How It’s Made How It’s Made Mythbusters The Gadget Show The Gadget Show

00:00 00:20 00:45 01:10 01:35 02:00 02:25 02:45 03:10 03:35 04:00 04:25 04:45 05:10 05:25 06:00 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:20 07:45 08:10 08:35 09:00 09:25 09:45 10:10 10:35 11:00 11:25 11:45 12:10 12:35 12:55 13:20 13:40 14:05 14:30 14:55 15:15 15:40 16:00 16:25 16:45 17:10 17:15 17:35 17:40 18:00 18:05 18:25 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50

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 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 Mackenzie Falls Sonny With A Chance Mackenzie Falls Sonny With A Chance Mackenzie Falls Sonny With A Chance Mackenzie Falls The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody American Dragon Kim Possible I Got A Rocket

00:15 Streets Of Hollywood 00:40 E!es 01:30 Extreme Hollywood 02:20 Sexiest 03:15 Ths 05:05 Dr 90210 06:00 30 Best And Worst Beach Bodies 07:45 25 Most Stylish 08:35 E! News 09:00 The Daily 10 09:25 Keeping Up With The

Kardashians 09:50 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 10:15 Ths 11:05 Ths 12:00 E! News 12:25 The Daily 10 12:50 Bank Of Hollywood 13:40 Ths 15:25 Behind The Scenes 15:50 Behind The Scenes 16:15 Ths 17:10 Leave It To Lamas 17:35 Leave It To Lamas 18:00 E! News 18:25 The Daily 10 18:50 Streets Of Hollywood 19:15 Battle Of The Hollywood Hotties 19:40 Ths 20:30 Ths 21:20 Kendra 21:45 Kendra 22:10 E! News 22:35 The Daily 10 23:00 Dr 90210 23:50 Wildest Tv Show Moments

00:00 01:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:00 06:00 06:00 07:00 07:00 08:00 08:00 09:00 09:00 10:00 10:00 11:00 11:00 12:00 12:40 13:00 14:00 14:20 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Giada At Home Food Network Challenge Great British Menu Daily Cooks Challenge Barefoot Contessa Iron Chef America Barefoot Contessa Great British Menu Iron Chef America Chopped Food Network Challenge Everyday Italian Iron Chef America Great British Menu Iron Chef America Chopped Daily Cooks Challenge 30 Minute Meals Food Network Challenge 30 Minute Meals Food Network Challenge Iron Chef America Barefoot Contessa Teleshopping Teleshopping Barefoot Contessa Teleshopping Great British Menu Teleshopping Daily Cooks Challenge Teleshopping Barefoot Contessa Barefoot Contessa Teleshopping Tyler’s Ultimate Food Network Challenge

01:00 Inside the PGA Tour 01:30 Seamaster 02:00 The Golf Channel - TBA 03:30 The Golf Channel - TBA 05:00 MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres 08:00 ARCA Racing Series: Talladega 250 Talladega, AL 10:30 PGA Tour: Quail Hollow Championship Rd. 1 Charlotte, NC 13:30 Golf Central International 14:00 World Sport 2010 14:30 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final Geneva, Switzerland 15:30 Seamaster 16:00 Inside the PGA Tour 16:30 European Tour Open de Espana Rd. 2 Sevilla, Spain 19:30 MLB: Milwaukee Brewers at San Diego Padres 22:00 PGA Tour: Quail Hollow Championship Rd. 2 Charlotte, NC

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:05 04:00 04:55 05:20 06:10 06:35 07:00 07:50

Dead Tenants FBI Files On the Case with Paula Zahn Crimes That Shook the World Forensic Detectives Amsterdam Vice Dr G: Medical Examiner Ghosthunters Ghosthunters Forensic Detectives FBI Files

Friday The 13th on Show Movies 08:40 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

CSU The Prosecutors Forensic Detectives FBI Files Diagnosis: Unknown Solved Mystery ER Forensic Detectives FBI Files CSU The Prosecutors Forensic Detectives FBI Files Diagnosis: Unknown Solved Mystery ER Undercover Fugitive Strike Force Dr G: Medical Examiner

01:10 02:35 04:10 05:35 07:20 08:40 10:00 11:30 13:20 14:50 16:55 18:20 20:10 22:00 23:30

Hi Mom Playing Mona Lisa Love At Stake Neon City The Lost Brigade Napoleon Mr. North Huckleberry Finn Mr. Accident The Russians Are Coming Miracle Beach The Playboys The Rose Garden Trade Off Legend of the Lost

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

The Kill Zone Evolutions Prehistoric Predators Frogs: The Thin Green Line World’s Deadliest Animals Valley Of The Wolves The Kill Zone Evolutions Prehistoric Predators Frogs: The Thin Green Line World’s Deadliest Animals Animals Like Us Animals Like Us Evolutions Thailand:Jewel Of The Orient Lizard Kings World’s Deadliest Animals Animals Like Us Animals Like Us Evolutions Thailand:Jewel Of The Orient Lizard Kings World’s Deadliest Animals Animals Like Us

00:00 Modern Family 00:30 New adventures of old Christine 01:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 01:30 The Colbert Report 02:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 03:00 Family Guy 03:30 Hung 04:00 Sauturday Night Live 05:00 Modern Family 05:30 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 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 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 The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson 13:00 New adventures of old Christine 13:30 Tyler Perry’s House of Payne 14:00 The Nanny 14:30 Three sisters 15:00 Modern Family 15:30 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 Family Biz 17:00 Everybody Loves Raymond 17:30 Frasier 18:00 The Bernie Mac Show 18:30 Dharma & Greg 19:00 Watching Ellie 19:30 Two and a half men 20:00 Late night with Jimmy Fallon 21:00 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Cougar Town 22:30 American Dad 23:00 Sauturday Night Live

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00

What’s Good For You 10 Years Younger Look A Like The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Monique Show The Tonight show with Jay Leno GMA (repeat) GMA Health What’s the Buzz The Martha Stewart Show Look A Like 10 Years Younger Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Page 51

Friday, April 30, 2010 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 Leno 23:00

00:00 00:50 01:40 02:30 03:20 04:10 05:00 05:10 06:00 06:50 07:00 07:50 08:40 Pooh 09:20 10:10 11:00 11:20 11:50 12:10 12:40 12:40 13:30 14:20 15:10 16:00 16:40 17:30 18:20 19:10 20:00

The View The Ellen DeGeneres Show What’s Good For You GMA Live GMA Health What’s the Buzz The Tonight show with Jay Leno Look A Like 10 Years Younger The View The Ellen DeGeneres Show Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The Tonight Show with Jay The Monique Show

Imagination Movers Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jo Jo’s Circus Jo Jo’s Circus Higglytown Heroes Higglytown Heroes Happy Monster Band My Friends Tigger And Pooh Handy Manny Happy Monster Band Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent OSO New Adventures Of Winnie The Imagination Movers Handy Manny Special Agent OSO Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Handy Manny Handy Manny Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Imagination Movers Lazytown Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent OSO Imagination Movers My Friends Tigger And Pooh Lazytown Little Einsteins

The Hunting Party-PG15 Multiple Sarcasms-18 A Plumm Summer-PG15 Three Investigators-PG15 Confessions Of A Shopaholic-PG Not Easily Broken-PG15 Drillbit Taylor-PG15 Jonas Brothers Concert-PG Confessions Of A Shopaholic-PG Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins-

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 PG15 20:00 22:00

Friday The 13th-18 Tropic Thunder-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:20 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Wild Things-18 Starship Troopers 3: MarauderStargate: The Ark Of Truth-PG Street Fighter II-PG No Escape-PG15 Shaft-18 Godzilla-PG15 No Escape-PG15 High Crimes-PG15 Blood Brothers-PG15 The Host-18 Quarantine-18

00:00 Zoolander-PG15 02:00 The Immaculuate Conception Of Little Dizzle-PG15 04:00 Skills Like This-PG15 06:00 Black Knight-PG15 08:00 Dan In Real Life-PG15 10:00 Mchale’s Navy-PG15 12:00 The Utopian Society-PG15 14:00 Doctor Dolittle 4: Tail To The Chief-PG 16:00 Zoolander-PG15 18:00 National Lampoon’s One Two Many-18 20:00 Santa Baby 2-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00

Barbie Mariposa-FAM Bedtime Stories-FAM Harriet The Spy-PG First Kid-PG Patoruzito-FAM Harriet The Spy-PG Basket Fever-FAM

14:00 Bedtime Stories-FAM 16:00 The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian-PG 18:30 Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who!-FAM 20:00 Labou-FAM 22:00 Basket Fever-FAM

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 04:30 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

13:50 16:04 17:00 18:00 18:45 20:04 20:45 21:00

Wallender Dollhouse Whitechapel Lipstick Jungle Every Body Loves Raymond Coach The Unusuals Emmerdale Huey’s Cooking Adventure Cold Case Every Body Loves Raymond Coach Lipstick Jungle The Unusuals Cold Case Emmerdale Huey’s Cooking Adventure Every Body Loves Raymond Coach Wallender Dollhouse The Unusuals Lipstick Jungle Better off Ted Billable Hours 24 24 Flash Forwards The Unusuals Whitechapel

01:00 Premier League World 01:30 Premier League Classics 02:00 Goals Goals Goals 02:30 Barclays Premier League Highlights 03:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 04:00 Premier League 06:00 Premier League Classics 06:30 Premier League Classics 07:00 Premier League World 07:30 Brazil League Highlights 08:00 Premier League 10:00 Barclays Premier League Highlights 11:00 Premier League Classics 11:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 12:00 Live Snooker World Championship 16:00 Futbol Mundial 16:30 Live Snooker World Championship 20:30 Portugol 21:00 Brazil League Highlights 21:30 Live Premier League Preview Show 22:30 Futbol Mundial

01:00 European PGA Tour Weekly 01:30 European PGA Tour Golf 05:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 06:00 Futbol Mundial 06:30 European PGA Tour Weekly 07:00 AFL Premiership 10:00 ICC Cricket World 10:30 Super 14 12:30 Premier League World 13:00 World Sport 13:30 Braclays Premier League Highlights 14:30 NRL Premiership 16:30 Premier League World 17:00 AFL Premiership 19:30 AFL Premiership Highlights 20:30 Live Super 14 23:00 Goals Goals Goals

00:00 AFL Premiership Highlights 01:00 ICC Cricket World 01:30 Premier League World 02:00 Mobil 1 The Grid 02:30 Premier League Darts 06:30 World Sport 07:00 PGA European Tour 10:30 Premier League Darts 14:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 15:00 World Sport 15:30 ICC Cricket World 16:00 European Tour Weekly 16:30 Live PGA European Tour 19:30 Barclays Premier League Highlights 20:30 Premier League World

Playlist Hit US Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Latina Playlist Focus

00:00 Globe Trekker 01:00 Angry Planet 01:30 The Thirsty Traveler 02:00 Culture Shock 02:30 How To Holiday Greener 03:00 Distant Shores 03:30 Wild At Heart 04:00 Secrets of Ancient China 05:00 Globe Trekker 06:00 Planet Food 07:00 The Thirsty Traveler 07:30 Angry Planet 08:00 Globe Trekker 09:00 Essential 09:30 Dream Destinations 10:00 Distant Shores 10:30 Feast India 11:00 Chef Abroad 11:30 Entrada 12:00 Planet Food 13:00 Globe Trekker 14:00 Chef Abroad 14:30 The Thirsty Traveler 15:00 Journey Into Wine- Australia 15:30 Entrada 16:00 Top Travel 16:30 Culture Shock 17:00 Globe Trekker 18:00 Essential 18:30 Journey Into Wine-Spain & Portugal 19:00 Chef Abroad 19:30 The Thirsty Traveler 20:00 Globe Trekker 21:00 Globe Trekker 22:00 Cruising the Spirit of Adventure 23:00 Angry Planet

00:00 00:30 01:00 02:00 05:00 07:00 09:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 19:00

Rendition on SuperMovies

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 22:00 23:00

WWE NXT UFC - The Ultimate Fighter WWE Vintage Collection Bushido NCAA Basketball UFC Unleashed WWE NXT V8 Supercars Series Highlights City Centre Races UAE National Race Day UAE National Race Day FIM World Cup Bushido WWE NXT NCAA Basketball V8 Supercars Series Highlights V8 Supercars Series Highlights UFC - The Ultimate Fighter UFC All Access V8 Supercars Extra WWE NXT WWE Smackdown WWE Bottomline UFC - The Ultimate Fighter

01:00 Wanted-18 03:00 Yes Man-PG15 05:00 Northern Lights-PG 07:00 Dr. Dolittle: Million Dollars Mutts-PG 09:00 Diamonds Pt 1-PG15 11:00 Diamonds Pt 2-PG15 13:00 Rachel Getting Married-PG 15:00 The Golden Compass-PG 17:00 Sunshine Cleaning-PG15 19:00 Casino Royale-PG15 21:00 Bride Wars-PG15 23:00 Rendition-18

02:00 A Hole In The Head 04:00 Mutiny On The Bounty 07:00 Hot Millions 08:45 The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight 10:20 Meet Me In St. Louis 12:10 Never So Few 14:10 Canadian Bacon 15:45 Hot Millions 17:30 The Screening Room 17:55 The Champ 20:00 2010 22:00 Passion Fish

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:55 04:50 05:40 06:30 07:20 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 21:55

The Universe 3 Human Weapon Ice Road Truckers 3 Life After People Evolve Dinosaur Secrets Prehistoric Mega Storms The Universe 3 Human Weapon Ice Road Truckers 3 Life After People Evolve Dinosaur Secrets Prehistoric Mega Storms The Universe 3 Human Weapon Ice Road Truckers 3 Life After People Evolve Dinosaur Secrets Prehistoric Mega Storms The Universe 3 Human Weapon Ice Road Truckers 3 Ax Men 2 Tunnellers

00:00 01:00 01:30 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 05:30 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 09:30 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 14:30 15:00 16:00 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00

Dr 90210 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane Dallas Divas & Daughters How Do I Look?

Split Ends Dr 90210 Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane Area How Do I Look?

Style Star Style Her Famous My Celebrity Home Style Star Dress My Nest Peter Perfect Whose Wedding Is it Anyway?

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 Dress My Nest

01:04 01:45 02:00 02:45 05:04 05:18 08:04 08:45 13:04

RNB Playlist Urban Hit Playlist Guest Star Playlist New Playlist Urban Hit

Vh1 Rocks So 80’s Greatest Hits Vh1 Music Chill Out Vh1 Hits Vh1 Music Aerobic Top 10 Comedy Videos Music For The Masses Vh1 Pop Chart Vh1 Music Music For The Masses Vh1 Music Vh1 Viewer’s Jukebox Rock

00:05 Cow & Chicken 00:30 Cramp Twins 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Adrenalini Brothers 01:45 Eliot Kid 02:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 02:35 Class Of 3000 03:00 The Powerpuff Girls 03:15 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 03:40 The Secret Saturdays 04:05 Codename: Kids Next Door 04:30 Ben 10 04:55 Best Ed 05:20 Samurai Jack 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 07:25 Chowder 07:50 Best Ed 08:15 Chop Socky Chooks 08:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 09:05 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 09:30 Knd 60 10:30 Squirrel Boy 10:55 Robotboy 11:20 Camp Lazlo 11:45 The Powerpuff Girls 12:10 Class Of 3000 12:35 Ed, Edd N Eddy 13:00 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 13:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 13:50 Ben 10 14:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 14:40 Squirrel Boy 15:05 Eliot Kid 15:35 Casper’s Scare School 16:00 Skunk Fu! 16:25 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 16:50 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 17:15 The Secret Saturdays

SPECTRUM

Page 52

Friday, April 30, 2010

Julia Roberts named ‘world’s most beautiful’ by People J

P

aris Hilton won’t “think about” her split from Doug Reinhardt. The socialite who recently ended her 14-month romance with the reality TV star - is relying on the support of her family and friends to help take her mind off her single status.

She said: “It’s all about surrounding yourself with your family and your friends and people that you love. There’s so much going on right now.” “It’s about not thinking about it.

Moving on. I’m fine, I’m over it.”

Despite previously insisting she is “better off” without the 24year-old star, Paris, 29, insists she

Kardashian’s pillow rear

Hilton ignores Doug

ulia Roberts topped the list of People magazine’s “World’s Most Beautiful People” on Wednesday, marking the 12th time that the “Pretty Woman” star has appeared in the annual special issue. Roberts, 42, the mother of 5-year-old twins and a 2 year-old son, is joined

by Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez on the 2010 list. Garry Marshall, who directed Roberts in her breakout role as a prostitute with a heart of gold in the movie “Pretty Woman” 20 years ago, said she was “as beautiful as ever.”

She’s much more centered and calm now and not so stressed.

She is quite the mom-very nurturing,” Marshall told People. Roberts, who won an Oscar in 2001 for her lead role in “Erin Brockovich”, will be seen next in August in the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” based on the

bears no ill will towards Doug.

She added to gossip website PopEater: “I’m just happy it’s done. I’ve moved on with my life and I wish him the best. Life goes on.” While Paris has no animosity towards Doug, she snubbed him at a Hollywood party earlier this week. The heiress joined guests including the former ‘Hills’ star at the grand opening of the Syndicate Group’s MyStudio in Los Angeles, but failed to catch her former beau’s eye, despite his attempts to speak to her. A source said: “He was staring at her the whole time, but she didn’t acknowledge him.”

K

best-selling book of the same name by Elizabeth Gilbert. Ashley Greene, 23, who plays a vampire in the “Twilight” hit movie franchise, was among the newcomers to the widely-read list that annually is a measure of celebrity status. Her “Twilight” co-star, heartthrob Robert Pattinson, as well as Canadian teen singer Justin Bieber and 2009 “American Idol” runner-up Adam Lambert made it to the male section of “world’s most beautiful”, while actresses Jessica Biel, Jessica Alba and singer Jessica Simpson were featured in a new “Beautiful Jessicas” section. While Roberts appeared on the cover of the People magazine special edition, other celebrities were not ranked but included Jennifer Aniston, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Bradley Cooper, Johnny Depp and Patrick Dempsey. Last year’s title was awarded by People magazine to actress Christina Applegate, who had previously made public her battle with breast cancer and double mastectomy.

im Kardashian’s bottom is like a portable “pillow”. The US reality TV star - who is famous for her curvy derriere lent her rear end to younger sister Khloe Kardashian when she needed a nap mid-way through a launch party recently.

Writing on her blog, Khloe said: “At one point I got really tired, so I had to take a nap on Kim’s booty. It really does make the best pillow.” Khloe explained she was desperate for some rest because of all the work she’d been doing recently. She added: “These long days are killing me!!! LOL. (sic)” Kim’s bottom was recently praised as being “like a water bomb.” The brunette beauty invited Australian talk show host Chrissie Swan to grab her rump in order to prove its authenticity live on television, prompting her

to compare it to a soft, waterfilled balloon. Referring to her behind, Kim said: “While I’ve been here, a few people have asked if it’s real, so you can grab it if you want.” Chrissie duly obliged and proclaimed: “It’s juicy and real! It’s like a water bomb. “ Kim questioned: “Maybe a little too juicy?” However, 29-year-old Kim has claimed her backside isn’t actually that large.

She said: “My butt is probably not as big as you might think, because I have small legs and a small waist, which makes it appear bigger.

Sandra Bullock will continue to co-parent Jesse James’ children

T

he Oscar-winning actress - who has filed for divorce from the ‘Monster Garage’ host following allegations he cheated on her with at least four women - says she still wants to play a role in the lives of Chandler, 15, Jesse Jr., 12, and sixyear-old Sunny even though she’s no longer with their father. She told People magazine: “I don’t want to know what life is like without those kids. Whatever we need to do, in the healthiest way, we are going to be co-parenting.” Yesterday , the 45-year-old beauty announced she had adopted a three-month-old baby boy, Louis Bardo, in January with Jesse but would now be raising him as a single parent.

Sandra filed for divorce on April 23 in Travis County District Court in Austin, Texas, after the marriage became “insupportable”. Papers obtained by ‘Access Hollywood’ stated: “The marriage... has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities that destroys the legitimate end of the marriage/relationship and prevents any reasonable expectations of reconciliation.”

Speaking about the legal separation, Sandra said: “I’m sad and I’m scared.” Jesse, 41, has also spoken out about the divorce, saying losing Sandra is the “hardest” thing he has ever faced and is devastated she will now be the sole guardian of Louis. He said: “My whole life has been full of hard decisions. The decision to let my wife end our marriage, and continue the adoption of Louis on her own, has been the hardest. The love I have for Louis cannot be put to words. Not having him around to love and to hold has left a huge hole in my heart.”

SPECTRUM

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 53

about how d her son also spoke has tamed n is worrie er so in d k o il o W , endra motherh he form f adventure to o is a dog. T d e e se h ri n s ar k se m r in e k is th h o an h H w d e an is odel Playboy m ler Hank Baskett - for revealing sh ped out “at p al s ro tb e d o at o y d F tl y n n la ce ca re Ameri ge some p e n nd” from a h ra co w ar o se n to the last askett IV B desperate k an expedition H e g as h -old shark divin ing in four-month ore aware of people for ay m ts while holid said: “We is growing ly has the family pe to lift e h S n g i. o n ai ti y tl aw ar H and curren : “He’s st so id ach other ’s sa e e e at h .H S d .. e d y. k n o u an o lo p it? ar m h co ok s it wort d really lo ng to thought, ‘I on’t come his head an imics. “He’s starti e d m ar What if we ant the baby smart. He ogs; he’s like ‘What d w e n W d fi ?’ e k to th t ac b star notice arents! ally want to around. I don’t ays have p re w I al ?’ to se o th e what I’m s he can b g.”

You know g for other babie inking that he’s a do eone m not livin I’ “ ? m th g so in f y o sa a e u o id y want him more, ady has an ourtney myself any ving for him.

Kendra alre ank to befriend - K li m I’ n H ? so know t to she wants and Scott Disick’s . aby. I wan b ld o e n s th ia th h r n o as o F m ep of r st Kard u fo ry e so totally ev o is al y she make sure ith love and trust. It Mason, wh which celebrity bab ndra w is d Ke his way When aske k to hang out with, ney’s! our life.” rt changes y wanted Han kly magazine: “Kou 24, , ee told Us W aby Mason.” Kendra B Of course!

K Theron takes mother’s advice

Dannii Minogue is ‘too busy’ to get married

T C

harlize Theron’s mother has taught her to never give too much away.

The Oscar-winning actress - who recently split from long-term partner Stuart Townsend - likes to keep some things to herself as she believes it improves the quality of her life. She said: “There are little things that I want to hang on to for myself. I really do believe you can make certain choices in your life that give you the life you really do like. “There are certain things in my life that I hold on to very sacredly.

Maybe it was the way I was raised. My mom used to always say, ‘There’s certain things that are yours and you

don’t share that.’ “I know that so much of my life is out there already. Quality of life is incredibly important to me, and I don’t know how much quality of life you can really have if it’s all out there for the world.” South African-born Charlize has recently launched the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project and says she wanted to give something back to her native country.

She added to E! Online: “For me, going there when we launched, it was eyeopening that the things we take for granted are not the things that you can expect in rural communities in South Africa.”

Anastacia has filed for divorce

T

he ‘I’m Outta Love’ singer has decided to legally end her marriage to bodyguard Wayne Newton, citing irreconcilable differences, according to website RadarOnline.com. The couple - who had no children - married in April 2007, but didn’t sign a pre-nuptial agreement. Anastacia - who overcame breast cancer in 2003 - had previously spoken of her happiness at being married to Wayne but admitted it may not last forever. She said: “There is a totally different vibe being married. I have wonderful security and hope we’ll grow old together. I’ll be sitting there with my crows feet and about two feet shorter. I really love being married. “I’m not claiming I’m going to make it forever. I’m just saying that I’m going to try. We both have no idea what the situation is going to be like in ten years.” The 41-year-old star also said she and Wayne had decided not to have kids together as she was happy being a stepmother to his two sons.

She said: “Wayne and I have chosen not to have children. My husband has two boys already that I’ve grown very close to. It’s an aspect of my life that I’ve chosen not to explore.”

he Australian star - who is expecting her first child with boyfriend Kris Smith - thinks the former rugby star will be the “perfect husband” but wants to focus on motherhood before walking down the aisle. Dannii who was previously married to actor Julian McMahon - told the Daily Mirror newspaper: “He’ll be the perfect husband. We have talked about it, but this year is just hectic, it’s crazy. So there’s nothing planned. “I never thought this would happen to me, it’s going to be such a big shock and a change.

“You think you’re going have it all under control, but your world goes upside down - in a good way. “I’ll just be concentrating on being a mum. That’s what I’ll be focusing on.” Dannii, 38, admitted to gorging on sugary treats during the pregnancy,

but is amazed that she hasn’t gained as much weight as she expected. She added: “I haven’t put on that much weight considering I’ve been eating like a pig. I had 36 Lola’s cupcakes sent up to me today - I didn’t eat them all, though. “I should be a lot bigger. The baby is using the energy.” Dannii - who launched her Project D clothing line in London this week -is also working on her autobiography and hinted she is planning to use the book to get revenge on one enemy in particular. The brunette beauty had a fierce rivalry with Sharon Osbourne when they both judged UK TV show ‘The X Factor’ and warned the outspoken matriarch will be unhappy with the contents of the tome.

Speaking about her fellow ‘X Factor’ judges, she said: “Will Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh want copy approval? I don’t think so. “Maybe Sharon Osbourne will want to take a look at it first. I’ve not heard from her in a while. She’s not on speed dial.”— Bang Showbiz

SPECTRUM

Page 54

Friday, April 30, 2010

Music & Movies

Bollywood power couple back together on screen

B

ollywood’s leading couple, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, are teaming up for their first film together in two years, hoping to harness the power of the Internet to make it a box office hit.

“Raavan,” with music by Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire” composer A.R. Rahman, is a modern-day take on The Ramayana epic of Hindu mythology, which sees Raavan, ruler of Sri Lanka, abduct the wife of Lord Ram, Sita. The couple star as an onscreen couple, Beera and Ragini, and have described the film, which hits screens next month, as their most challenging to date.

The Hindi-language movie is largely set in the sweltering jungles of central Madya Pradesh state, and the actors braved snakes, leeches and stood for hours under waterfalls during shooting. “After a point, we stopped acting. We are just reacting naturally,” Bachchan, 34, told reporters in Mumbai last weekend. Bachchan and Rai were last seen together on the big screen in “Guru” in 2007 and the thriller “Sarkar Raj” (Rule of the Overlord) in 2008. “Guru,” said to be loosely based on the life of tycoon

Dhirubhai Ambani, was a hit-attributed in part to interest in the couple before their high-society wedding that year-while “Sarkar Raj” was only a moderate success.

Like an increasing number of Bollywood stars, Bachchan is using the microblogging site Twitter to promote the movie and has posted a link for a promotional clip on the video-sharing site YouTube.

The clip, already seen by more than 200,000 people, shows Bachchan jumping from a cliff into a river.

“It is a new medium and a direct way to communicate with fans. By doing so you create awareness among your fans,” he said. “In just two days ‘Raavan’ promos got more than two lakh (200,000) views.” Bachchan is the son of screen legend Amitabh Bachchan and his actress wife Jaya, while Rai is a top model and former Miss World.

As part of Bollywood’s “first family”, they attract a fanatical following in movie-mad India, but scrutiny of their private lives and love of the showbusiness social circuit have often eclipsed their acting roles.

Bachchan starred with his mother in the high-profile

science-fiction flop “Drona” (Saviour) in 2008, before seeing more success in “Paa” (Father) with Amitabh, about a child with a rare rapid ageing condition.

The film brought Bachchan senior a best actor gong at the Filmfare Awards, India’s equivalent of the Oscars, although the family boycotted the ceremony in a row over media reports on Rai’s health and whether she could have children.

Rai, 36, was recently seen in “The Pink Panther 2,” a remake of the classic Peter Sellers films and continues modeling work as the face of a major cosmetics company.

Like “Guru,” “Raavan” is directed by Mani Ratnam and Bachchan is hoping it is a good omen.

“Whenever my career is on a downswing I get a Mani Ratnam film and I am back on the upswing,” he said.

“I hope he takes me in his next film too.” Bachchan has nearly 160,000 followers on Twitter and has been updating them on the progress of shooting. A Tamillanguage version of the film, called “Raavanan,” is also being made and it will be dubbed into Telugu to tap into the lucrative south Indian market. — AFP

In a file picture taken on April 24, 2010 Indian Bollywood actors Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan perform at the unveiling ceremony for Hindi movie ‘Raavan’ directed and produced by Mani Ratnam in Mumbai. —AFP

Randy Quaid, wife settle legal tussle in California

A

ctor Randy Quaid and his wife settled their legal dispute with California authorities Wednesday as Evi Quaid pleaded no contest to defrauding an innkeeper and paid $10,500 in restitution. A similar charge against Randy Quaid, who has appeared in movies such as “Brokeback Mountain,” was dropped, said a spokesman for the Santa Barbara County District Attorney. Evi Quaid, who oversees the financial accounting for her and her husband, was ordered to perform 240 hours of community service and told to stay away from two hotels in the Santa Barbara area, which is northwest of Los Angeles. The

US actress Jennifer Lopez attends the premiere of the movie ‘The Back-Up Plan’, in London, Wednesday.

—AP

Lopez indulges herself for ‘The Back-Up Plan’

H

ollywood star Jennifer Lopez told Wednesday at the London premiere of her new movie “The Back-Up Plan” how she pigged out and broke wind in the film to show what being pregnant is really like. The singer and actress plays a successful career woman who is artificially inseminated only to meet the love of her life on the same day in the romantic comedy.

“There’s a couple of scenes in the movie where I’m eating and pigging out and they didn’t put them in the first cut-I was like ‘Listen guys, this is extremely important for women’,” said Lopez at the premiere in Leicester Square. “They need to see me pigging out. This is what happens when you get pregnant. You get really sleepy. You get really hungry. You get gas.” The 40-year-old mother-of-two, who showed off her famous curves in a black leather dress, warmly greeted fans, signing autographs and posing for pictures. — AFP

dispute erupted late last year over a claim by the San Ysidro Ranch, a hotel in the seaside enclave of Santa Barbara County, that the Quaids failed to pay a $10,000 hotel bill.

The Quaids claimed that they had paid the bill, and that the matter was a misunderstanding. But an arrest warrant was issued last September and thus began their legal troubles with county officials. The pair were arrested again earlier this week for missing several court appearances in the matter, which ultimately led to Wednesday’s settlement. Randy Quaid is the brother of Hollywood actor Dennis Quaid. — Reuters

Lennon’s ‘Day in the Life’ lyrics for sale

J

ohn Lennon’s handwritten lyrics to “A Day in the Life,” considered one of the Beatles’ greatest songs and the final track on “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” will go on sale in New York in June. Sotheby’s auctioneer, which described it as “the revolutionary song that marked the Beatles’ transformation from pop icons to artists,” expects the manuscript to fetch $500-700,000 when it goes under the hammer on June 18.

The single sheet of paper features a rough draft of the lyrics, including crossings out and a spelling error where “film” is written as “flim.” On the reverse side is a neater version written in capital letters and with fewer corrections. Apparently added later is the line: “I love to turn you on,” for which the song was banned by the BBC when it first came out in 1967 because the words were deemed to be a reference to taking drugs.

That did little to prevent the album on which the song appeared from becoming one of the Beatles’ most successful. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band topped the US and British charts, won four Grammy awards in 1968 and is ranked number 26 in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The lyrics once belonged to Mal Evans, the Beatles’ road manager.

In this undated photo released by Sotheby’s Auction House in New York, one side of a handwritten, autographed manuscript by the late John Lennon is shown.—AP Newspaper headlines The lyrics provide a glimpse into the band’s methods, with Lennon noting where Paul McCartney would insert his

more upbeat verse. Lennon’s words appear to be inspired by newspaper headlines and articles. The song includes the words “He blew his mind out in a car/He didn’t notice that the lights had changed,” widely accepted to be a reference to the accidental death in a car crash of Lennon and McCartney’s friend Tara Browne.

On a lighter note, the final verse about “four thousand holes in Blackburn Lancashire” was taken from a report on the high number of potholes on the roads. McCartney’s contribution, an upbeat middle passage about falling out of bed and dashing to catch the bus, does not appear on the manuscript to be sold.

“With its languorous cry of ‘I’d love to turn you on,’ the song was generally interpreted as a hymn to drug use,” said Philip Norman, a leading Beatles biographer and author of “John Lennon: The Life.” “Actually, it is a cry of despair from John, trapped as he then was in the Beatles’ smiley collective image and an atrophied first marriage, yet still lacking the resolution to break out, join forces with Yoko Ono and become the ‘real’ artist he had always pined to be.” According to Sotheby’s, the record for Beatles lyrics at auction is $1 million paid for “All You Need Is Love” in 2005. — Reuters

SPECTRUM

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 55

Music & Movies

Bali’s beach boys reject gigolo slur

F

un-loving local beach boys are as much a fixture and, for some women, an attraction of Bali as the sun and surf, but all that could be about to change thanks to a controversial new film. The documentary, “Cowboys in Paradise”

by Singapore-based writer and director Amit Virmani, sparked panic among Bali’s tourism officials when it was released at a film festival in South Korea earlier this month.

Its candid interviews with the local men who flirt with and seduce foreign tourists has severely tarnished the resort island’s image, officials say. “Certainly it’s worrying. We’ll take action so the image of Bali as a spiritual island isn’t tainted,” Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika told reporters. Police have rounded up almost 30 of the so-called beach “cowboys” in a bid to “clean up the beach of prostitution”, Bali police spokesman Gede Sugianyar said. Some of the men at the centre of the brouhaha said they were distressed and angry at being hounded as gigolos, and flatly denied offering sexual favours for money.

“I’m stressed by the raids. I wonder if the authorities are coming after me next,” 29-yearold surf instructor Rosnan Efendi told AFP. “I’m also angry the filmmaker twisted the story. We were told it was a documentary about love and relationships between locals and foreigners,” he added. Well-built, tanned and sporting shoulderlength wavy hair, Efendi said he met his German

girlfriend on the beach four years ago and fell in love.

“We’re together because of love, not money.

When we go out, we split the bills. She doesn’t pay for me,” he said. “The documentary is a lie.

There’s no such thing as Kuta cowboys or Bali gigolos.” Another surf instructor, 53-year-old Bobbi, who claims to be a sort of mentor for Kuta’s beach boys, said: “We’re friendly people so we chat with everybody including female tourists. What’s wrong with joking, laughing, giving massages to one another after a tiring day of surfing? It’s nothing more than that”.

Laughing heartily, he added: “If the beach boys charged money for befriending tourists they’d all be rich by now. It’s unlikely since they can’t even buy themselves a meal without getting into debt”. Filmmaker Virmani said he was “extremely disheartened” over the police raids and insisted his documentary was an attempt to deconstruct the image of the beach gigolo.

“All they did was speak honestly about their lives. No one should be harmed for that,” he said. “I wanted to understand the men behind the cowboy myth. People never got past looking at them as gigolos. That’s so one dimensional. I wanted to know why they are so appealing to women? What are their relationships like?... I wanted to humanize them. “I personally believe the beach would be a very dull place without

their friendliness.”

An American woman tourist interviewed in the documentary-segments of which have been posted across the Internet after appearing on YouTube-said the beach boys just “love to have fun”. “The women that come... what they’re feeling is that these people feel safe to them and they love to have fun. They’ll get out and sing and dance and joke and they’ll include you in everything,” she said.

Another woman, an Australian, told the documentary-makers: “There’s a lot of frustrated Western women out there. Just look at the sales of ‘Eat, Pray, Love’,” referring to Elizabeth Gilbert’s romantic memoir of selfdiscovery. “Women don’t want to be women anymore and instead they want to be feminine, so I can understand why they come here and they’re searching for something and suddenly this environment provides that.”

Asked whether the beach boys were gigolos, another Western woman interviewed for the documentary added: “No I don’t think they’re really gigolos. I just think they love women and there’s nothing wrong about that, and when you’re here and when you have a boyfriend it’s for real”. Police spokesman Sugianyar admitted it would be difficult proving any prostitution charges against the detained “cowboys”.

“Like many places in the world, there are indications of male prostitution in Bali. This has

In this photograph taken on April 27, 2010 local surf instructor Rosnan Efendi, 29, talks on a mobile phone in Kuta beach on the resort island of Bali. — AFP been happening for some time but it’s hard to prove as the men are discreet,” he told AFP. “They don’t have sex on the beach, they do it elsewhere. The beach is only a meeting place for them and their potential clients. “We can’t get rid of them 100 percent. There’s a supply because there’s a demand. It takes two hands to clap.”— AFP

Siobhan Magnus voted off ‘American Idol’ In this image released by Fox, Shania Twain, third from right, mentors the top 6 finalists, from left, Casey James, Lee DeWyze, Siobhan Magnus, Aaron Kelly, Crystal Bowersox and, Michael Lynche for the singing competition series ‘American Idol,’ in Los Angeles.—AP

T

he music of country singer Shania Twain spelled Siobhan Magnus’ downfall Wednesday, leaving only one woman among the five remaining finalists on “American Idol.”

After 33 million votes Magnus, a tattooed, punk-styled singer from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, was eliminated from the hit television show’s ninth-season despite the judges’ overall praise for her rendition of “Any Man of Mine.”

Magnus showed very little emotion at being voted off the singing contest, saying she had done her best before launching a farewell performance of “Think.” The other two singers at the bottom of this week’s pack were Casey James and Michael Lynche. All of the performers had landed in the bottom three in past weeks, and Lynche was actually voted off by fans before being spared by the judges, who used their once-per-season save to keep him singing.

The other remaining finalists are teenager Aaron Kelly, Lee Dewyze and Crystal Bowersox, this season’s last woman singing

and a strong contender to win, despite uncharacteristically tepid feedback from the judges this week. Wednesday’s live broadcast included several musical performances, including Rascal Flatts singing “Unstoppable” before they teamed up with Colombian pop singer Shakira, debuting her new single “Gypsy.”

Sons of Sylvia, introduced by season No. 4 winner Carrie Underwood, sang “Love Left to Lose” while Lady Antebellum took to the stage for “Need You Now.” Cameron Diaz and Antonio Banderas also made a brief appearance to promote their new movie “Shrek Forever After.”

Harry Connick Jr. will next mentor the finalists for a songs-of-Sinatra themed week.

The finale airs in May, when the next “Idol” winner lands a recording contract and enviable media exposure. Past champions such as Kelly Clarkson and Underwood have achieved major stardom, but last year’s winner Kris Allen has been overshadowed by runner-up, glam-pop singer Adam Lambert. — Reuters

People stand near the newly restored facade of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow yesterday. — AFP

Moscow unveils restored Bolshoi facade

R

ussia’s famed Bolshoi Theatre, long covered by scaffolding, unveiled its new facade yesterday amid a controversial restoration due be completed in October 2011. The legendary music and ballet theatre in the Russian capital shut its doors in 2005 for the major reconstruction, initially supposed to have been completed in 2008. But the unveiling of the facade was rushed in time for the 65th anniversary celebrations of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany on May 9 and end of World War IIknown in Russia as the Great Patriotic War. “Today on the eve of the great celebration... we are re-opening this square, which was after 1945 the gathering point for veterans,” Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, quoted by news agency RIA Novosti.

Culture Minister Alexander Avdeyev hailed the Bolshoi as one of the most enduring symbols of World War II in the Russian capital, saying: “It is a symbol of the victory and we won’t forget this.”

Nevertheless, the trademark hammer-and-sickle emblem of the Soviet Union adorning the theatre’s Romanesque facade has been replaced

amid the restoration with the symbol of the modern Russian state, the double-headed eagle.

The switch is among many changes effected by restorers in an effort to be true to the sketches of architect Albert Cavos, who rebuilt the 18thcentury theatre to its modern-day form after a fire in 1953. Once a pure white, the Bolshoi has been restored to golden and sand-colored tones, with only its portico and stone colonnades still gleaming white. The Bolshoi stage, built between 1821 and 1825, had long been in need of major repairs when it closed, with visible cracks on the facade and performers hampered by a lack of backstage space.

But the much-delayed reconstruction has proven a major embarrassment for Russia’s cultural authorities and Russian investigators are already probing allegations that millions of dollars have been embezzled. Authorities Thursday again pledged construction would be completed on time, if not ahead of the new 2011 deadline.

“Construction on the old Bolshoi Theatre has passed its crisis point, building is moving ahead normally,” Adeyev said. — AFP

SPECTRUM

Page 56

Friday, April 30, 2010

Lifestyle Swiss rankle as scholar hints at Heidi’s German origins T

he legend of Heidi, the storybook character cherished as a national icon in Switzerland, has been shaken in recent weeks after a German scholar questioned her Swiss origins. Peter Buettner claimed that the popular 19th-century novel by Swiss children’s author Johanna Spyri was at least inspired by an earlier German tale. His assertion was highlighted in a recent documentary broadcast on Swiss television, rankling the country’s Alpine foothills where the fictional blonde, ponytailed young girl is regarded as one of their own.

It has also fueled traditional German-speaking eastern Swiss animosity towards what they regard as the “arrogance” of their big northern neighbors in Germany. Buettner, a specialist in German culture and literature, told AFP he came across a largely forgotten short story while conducting research in Frankfurt.

Entitled “Adelaide, the Girl from the Alpine Peaks” (“Adelaide, das Maedchen vom Alpengebirge”), the tale was written by a German author named Adam von Kamp.

“I immediately noticed the same narrative structure: a little girl brought up by her grandfather, who left her homeland and grew unhappy abroad until she could go home,” he explained. Published in the early 1880s, “Heidi”-originally in two volumes-is the story of an orphan who lives with her rural grandfather in the pristine Alpine meadows. She becomes homesick when she is forced to join her aunt in the German city of Frankfurt, where she faces a disciplined education.

But the sequel a year later brought a happy ending as Heidi escapes urban life to return to her rural idyll and friends. The story struck a chord in the late 19th century. While its charm crossed borders-the book has been translated into dozens of languages and millions of copies sold world-wide-its impact back home was enormous. “Heidi” swiftly became an inherent part of Swiss popular culture and lore, to the extent that the frontiers between fiction and reality

Dummies representing Heidi and Peter sit in a room inside the ‘Heidi’s House’ at the ‘Heididorf’ above Maienfeld, eastern Switzerland.—AFP are today sometimes blurred.

‘I never wanted to take Heidi from the Swiss’ “The story is popular in Switzerland because so many people find it familiar,” said Judith Stump, owner of the village shop in Maienfeld, Perched 100 kilometres (62 miles) southeast of Zurich in the midst of rolling green hills with a snow-tipped rugged Alpine backdrop, Maienfeld was the novel’s setting and is commonly dubbed “Heididorf”-Heidi’s village.

The idyllic picture postcard image of Switzerland is completed by the stone and wood chalets and herds of cows out to pasture. “I didn’t say Spyri copied,” von

Magnets are displayed at the “Heidishop” in Maienfeld, eastern Switzerland.—AFP

Kamp, said Buettner, denying he had accused the 19th-century Swiss author of plagiarism. “But I’m assuming that Spyri knew the work and it helped inspire her.” The German scholar also points to similarities in the vocabulary and the Swiss heroin’s name, Heidi, a diminutive of the German Adelaide.

“The words used were the vocabulary of the time,” retorted Andreas von Sprecher, owner of the Heidi theme village by Maienfeld. The story also exposed a common characteristic of Swiss society a century ago, he argued.

“It was a well known feature at the time, when children from rural areas were sent to the cities,” said

von Sprecher, rejecting the idea that Spyri used von Kamp’s work, while acknowledging that she could have read it. Regine Schnidler, of the Swiss institute for youth and media, told the Swiss newspaper Neue Zuercher Zeitung that all the evidence indicated that Heidi’s story was influenced by Spyri’s experiences and her own unhappiness in Zurich.

Adelaide’s story, meanwhile, runs to just 30 pages, while Heidi’s is a rich fable that is 10 times as thick.

“Millions of copies of ‘Heidi’ have been published,” underlined Buettner, currently working on a doctorate at University of Zurich. He insists that he “never wanted to take Heidi away from the Swiss.”— AFP

Frida Kahlo retrospective opens in Berlin

A

new retrospective of Frida Kahlo’s work uses photographs of the Mexican artist combined with examples of her writings and sketches to portray a complete picture of the painter as a person. The exhibition, which opens Friday at the Martin-Gropius-Bau museum in Berlin and runs through Aug 9, includes more than 150 drawings and paintings all drawn from major Mexican and several private art collections in Mexico and the US. It includes the plaster corset that Kahlo painted and works from the last year of her life. The paintings are enhanced by dozens of photographs-some well-known portraits from famous photographers, others from her family’s private collection. They are curated by Kahlo’s great-niece, Cristina Kahlo.

“If you see the photographs and you see the paintings, you have a whole idea about Frida’s life and work,” she said. “With the

documents, you can understand much more the paintings.” Born July 6, 1907, Kahlo had polio as a child and was crippled in a bus crash when she was 18. While bedridden, she started painting.

Kahlo underwent seven operations on her spine from 1950 to 1951. During that time, she developed a very close relationship with her doctor, writing in her diary that he “saved my life.” As a gift of thanks, she painted “Self-portrait with Dr Farill,” for him, showing herself sitting in a wheelchair, her palette in her lap and a portrait of the doctor resting on an easel behind her. A photograph from the same year shows Kahlo together with her doctor in front of the portrait.

“It’s like seeing a double image. That’s something very interesting, to see the photographs, how a photographer makes an interpretation of the painting and the subject

at the same time,” Cristina Kahlo said.

Kahlo died in 1954 at the age of 47 and only began to gain iconic status in the late 1970s.

She is best-known for her many selfportraits that she used to deal with the accident, her tumultuous marriage to muralist Diego Rivera and her inability to have children. Her self-portrait, “The Broken Column,” depicts the artist’s spine as a crumbling Greek column held together by buckled straps and nails. “I think it shows everything of Frida Kahlo: her broken body, the surrealism, the dry landscape that looks like a moon landscape, which depicts her inability to have children,” said CarlosPhillip Olmedo, who loaned paintings to the museum for the exhibit. “And then she’s crying, but the drops are not really coming out, they are kind of floating, which shows the strength she had.”—AP

Businessmen take part in a cyclist event yesterday, in Bucharest. — AFP

Bucharest businessmen combine cycling and chic

I

A photographer takes pictures of the painting “Self-Portrait as Tehuana or Diego on My Mind”.

A visitor looks at the painting “Portrait of Marucha Lavin”.

n the city called “Apocalypse on Wheels” for its risky roads and gridlocked traffic, a hundred suit-clad businessmen cycled in Bucharest yesterday to reclaim the capital’s streets in style. “We want to prove that you can bike to work and be well dressed”, Tudor Maxim, president of the Junior Chamber International, an organization of young leaders and entrepreneurs, explained to AFP. “Mentalities have to change in Romania about biking.

Lots of people do not imagine you can go to work on a bike,” said Maxim, who was also Romania’s entrepreneur of the year in 2008.

Impeccably tailored men and women pedaled to work hoping the “business on a bike”

scheme will change the image of cycling, but also encourage the municipality to build more bike lanes. The Romanian capital’s roads are far from biker-friendly, counting just 45 kilometers (28 miles) of cycle lanes in a city of two million inhabitants, compared to 500 kilometers (310 miles) in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam. In 2008 the Romanian documentary “Apocalypse on Wheels” evoked the city’s endless traffic jams and erratic car drivers.

Raluca Teodor, 29, director of a tourist agency, on her two wheels wearing fine black tights and a short dress, cycles daily and uses her bike to visit her grandmother 30 kilometers (20 miles) away.—AFP

SPECTRUM

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 57

Fashion

M

ove over Gucci. Here comes Forever 21.

Trend-conscious Japan is outgrowing its longtime love affair with luxury brands and turning to a new passion: Fast fashion. The star brand of American mall-style clothing-reputed for delivering runway looks at cheap prices-opened Thursday in Matsuzakaya department store in Tokyo’s upscale glitzy Ginza district. In a move symbolic of the shift to bargain hunting in slowdown-struck Japan, Forever 21 is replacing what was a Gucci boutique, packing five floors with colorful racks of 350 yen ($4) tank tops and 1,580 yen ($17) frilly skirts.

“It’s a surprise to find good bargains in a department store,” said Fusako Suzuki, one of the first customers, clutching her purchase of eight items, including socks and summer tunics, adding up to a thrifty 10,000 yen ($100). “I used to go to expensive brands when I was single but not anymore, now that I’m married,” the 33year-old pharmacist said of former favorites like Burberry. The department store replaced Gucci with Forever 21 in the hope of drawing more business and is offering freebies and discounts to those who buy merchandise worth 2,100 yen ($22) at Forever 21.

The new Forever 21 store is just its second in Japan. The first opened in the teenybopper Harajuku district a year earlier, drawing a line a kilometer (half a mile) long. Its aisles are still overflowing with shoppers, who are buying up Forever 21’s street-style wear with the same frenzy for local brands famous for “kawaii,” or cuteness. The second store seeks to cater to an older but young-at-heart crowd in Ginza and has a children’s section. It drew a shorter line for the opening but it was packed compared to the rest of the department store. Ginza still boasts its established European brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Hermes, carrying price tags of thousands of dollars (millions of yen), including a Gucci store around the corner from

In this Wednesday, salesclerks arrange clothes for Thursday’s grand opening of ‘Forever 21’ in Tokyo, Japan.—AP Forever 21.

But its landscape is changing with the arrival in recent years of Swedish chain Hennes & Mauritz AB, or H&M, Zara of Spain, and Japan’s own fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo. Analysts say Forever 21, offering 1,680 yen ($18) tops that get marked down to 399 yen ($4) on sale, has a good chance of securing a piece of what Tokyobased think-tank Yano Research Institute estimates is Japan’s 10 trillion yen ($108 billion) apparel business.

Younger Japanese are becoming more frugal than their parents and more confident about how they dress, rather than depending on high-end brands for status. They also love the variety available at Forever 21, which updates its stock every day, says Paul McInnes, editor of Tokyofashion.com. “The stores have copies of luxury brands, but they are produced very quickly-and very cheaply,” he said in an

interview with The Associated Press.

But McInnes and other experts warn foreign brands can fail in Japan, and the key is not only speed and price but also being in tune with local tastes. In fast food, Krispy Kreme and McDonald’s have emerged big winners here while Dunkin’ Donuts and Wendy’s have been forced to leave the market. Among the imports that appear to be struggling is US preppy brand Abercrombie & Fitch Co, which opened in the Ginza, across the street from Forever 21, in December, analysts say.

Although the skimpily clad male sales clerks drew initial media attention, the crowds have dissipated, partly because some of its clothes are sold at double its US prices. That’s something that may have worked in the past but no longer because Japanese check prices online and more have shopped in the US. The look was also all wrong, given the trend here for

androgyny in men-just the opposite from the macho casual attire being pushed by Abercrombie & Fitch, says Timothy Schepis, a fashion expert who consults for businesses setting up shop in Japan.

“Japanese consumers’ priorities have changed a lot since the recession. They’ve become more mature shoppers due to the Internet, where they can find the prices of things easily and multiple places to compare,” he said. The Forever 21 chain, based in Los Angeles, has grown since 1984 to 480 stores in 15 countries. It is hoping to open some 10 stores a year in Japan. Two are set to open in May, said Executive Vice President Lawrence Meyer, while declining to give Japan profit numbers or targets. “Japan is our No 1 market in Asia,” he said. “We are very pleased with the way the Japanese customer has accepted our brand.”—AP

Australian designer Collette Dinnigan joins the models on the runway for the finale of her Autumn Winter 2010 Bella Sicilia Collection show in Sydney yesterday. It was the first time in ten years that the internationally renowned designer held a fashion show in Australia.—AFP

sports

page 58

Friday, April 30, 2010

Bucks shoot down Hawks NBA

ATLANTA: The Milwaukee Bucks produced a stunning late comeback to snatch a 91-87 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday and close in on a major series upset.

Trailing by nine points with four minutes remaining, the Bucks constructed a 14-0 run and surged into a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven first-round series.

Rookie point guard Brandon Jennings led the way with 25 points and John Salmons scored eight of his 19 in the pivotal fourth quarter run for the Bucks.

“This would have to be the best game of the whole year because it’s the playoffs,” Jennings told reporters.

“I had got a little motivation before the game so that made me want to come out and really play.

I knew I had to come out aggressive.”

Milwaukee had not reached the playoffs since 2006 but after winning three games in a row following two losses at the start of the series, the sixth seeds can eliminate Atlanta with a home win today.

The Hawks have struggled on the road and did not seriously threaten during back-to-back losses in Milwaukee but were expected to return to winning form at home.

Al Horford had 25 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for Atlanta while Marvin Williams had 22 points, but their team mates struggled to contribute and top scorer Joe Johnson fouled out in the fourth with 13 points.

Jamal Crawford, who earlier this week was named the National Basketball Association’s best player in a reserve role, managed just 4-for-18 shooting to finish with 11 points.

After a tight first half, Atlanta built a 13-point lead in the third quarter and looked on course for victory before Milwaukee’s late charge put the visitors in control of the series. In Denver, the Nuggets kept their season alive with a 116-102 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Carmelo Anthony recorded 26 points and 11 rebounds as the Nuggets cut their best-of-seven series deficit to 3-2. Utah point guard Deron Williams had 34 points and 10 assists in the loss, but the Jazz will have another chance to close out the series Friday at home. —Reuters

Sharp-shooter Anthony keeps Nuggets alive

Trophy tour comes to ice hockey country TORONTO: The World Cup trophy ventured into Stanley Cup territory on Wednesday, providing onlookers a glimpse of the contrasting lifestyles for two of sport’s most cherished and wellrecognized prizes.

The 18-carat gold trophy, on an eightmonth tour stretched across five continents and 83 countries ahead of this year’s World Cup in South Africa, came to Canada, a soccer outpost that has only qualified for one World Cup and failed to score a goal. But despite the lack of a soccer pedigree, the icehockey crazed Canadians showed the World Cup trophy plenty of love and snapped up thousands of free tickets to have photos taken with soccer’s top prize.

The trophy could not be touched and was stored in a clear protective case displayed in a no-touch zone that was enforced by security fit of a president.

When it was time to pack up the World Cup a black velvet blanket raised around the stand - and when it dropped the trophy was gone.

“There’s no big mystery, it is just part of the security measures,” FIFA spokesman Bryan Chenault told Reuters about the trophy’s disappearing act. “All I can tell you is that it is guarded around the clock and under lock and key.” Chenault said when the trophy is not being shipped around the world it is stored in Zurich at an undisclosed location.

ATLANTA: Milwaukee Bucks’ Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) is fouled by Atlanta Hawks’ Jamal Crawford (right) as Hawks’ Josh Smith covers in the second quarter of an NBA first-round playoff basketball game in Atlanta. — AP

Canadiens eliminate of Capitals WASHINGTON: The Montreal Canadiens beat the Washington Capitals 2-1 on Wednesday to complete a come-from-behind 4-3 series victory and the shock elimination of the NHL’s best regular-season team in the first round of the playoffs. Led by Jaroslav Halak’s spectacular, acrobatic goaltending, Montreal slowed Alex Ovechkin and the rest of Washington’s high-powered offense to complete a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit against the team that many had favored to win the Stanley Cup. The Canadiens are the ninth No 8-seeded team to knock off a No. 1 in 32 matchups since the NHL went to its current playoff format in 1994 - and the first to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.

Halak made 41 saves, while MarcAndre Bergeron scored a 4-on-3 goal in the last 30 seconds of the opening period and Dominic Moore put the visitors up 2-0 with 3-1/2 minutes left. Brooks Laich cut Washington’s deficit to a goal by poking home a shot while down on his knees after Ovechkin put the puck on net off a rebound.

That made it 2-1 with 2:16 left, and the Capitals kept pushing frantically forward, pulling their goalie for an extra attacker.

NHL A high-sticking penalty on Montreal defenseman Ryan O’Byrne with 1:44 to go put the Capitals on the power play, which they made a 6-on-4 skating edge with the goalie benched. But Halak was up to the task every time. His teammates piled on him at the final horn, while Ovechkin skated alone toward the other end of the ice, his stick resting on his knees, and his head bowed. The league’s two-time MVP has played in four career playoff series, and each has gone to a Game 7. The Capitals are 1-3 in those deciding contests.

Montreal, meanwhile, moves on to face the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins in the second round, with Game 1 at Pittsburgh on Friday. The fourthseeded Penguins were the only

higher-seeded team to win a firstround series in the Eastern Conference. All three division champions in the East are out already: Washington, New Jersey and Buffalo.

This series represented a monumental collapse by Washington, which blew its big lead after entering the playoffs with such high hopes thanks to earning a third straight Southeast Division title, compiling the league’s best record for the first time and leading the NHL in goals.

This is also a club that preceded each home game against Montreal with a video display that included an image of the Stanley Cup and the words, “Nothing Else Matters”, while the Metallica song of that name blared. The Capitals owned the best home record in the NHL during the regular season, but lost Games 1, 5 and 7 in Washington. Montreal allowed more goals than it scored this season and only qualified for the playoffs on the final weekend, sneaking in with the worst record of any of the 16 teams in the postseason. — AP

RECLUSIVE ROYAL While the World Cup trophy lives the life of a reclusive royal cloistered in a top-secret location between appearances, ice hockey’s Stanley Cupgiven to the National Hockey League championship team-might be considered a party animal.

Taken home for a day by each member of the winning team, the Stanley Cup has visited war zones, strip clubs, been used for a child’s christening and a dog food bowl. Unlike soccer’s trophy which travels with an entourage of 14 people in a sort of trophy Pope-mobile, the Stanley Cup has occasionally been spotted strapped to a car’s passenger seat.

While onlookers at the World Cup trophy display were being kept at arms length from the treasure, the Stanley Cup’s home a few blocks away inside the Hockey Hall of Fame allows people to touch and pose with the trophy.

The World Cup trophy is handled only by FIFA members, winning players, heads of state and on Wednesday an unknown security guard.

Media were not allowed to talk to the gloved worker in charge of securing the World Cup trophy in its case. “I understand why the Stanley Cup has the notoriety it has and it’s quite fun that it is able to be passed around,” said Chenault. “It might end up in a bar and the next day on a shelf but this trophy is only meant to be handled by FIFA members, World Cup winners and heads of state.” — Reuters

SPORTS

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 59

All Whites begin ‘cut-throat’ WCup camp AUCKLAND: Dwarfed by the main stand at North Harbour Stadium yesterday, New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert scrutinized 15 players hoping to make his final World Cup squad. “This is really the last piece of the puzzle,” Herbert told reporters as his four-year campaign to get the All Whites back to the World Cup finals entered its last steps. “We’ve got a real diverse group, players that will go to the World Cup and some that are challenging,” he added at a 12-day camp, which had its first full

training session yesterday. “We’ve set the bar extremely high this week and if they haven’t come wellequipped for that then they may struggle.”

Herbert said the majority of his 23-man squad had already been penciled in for the June 11-July 11 finals in South Africa, though there were still “four or five spots” available. “It’s all down to performances now, it’s really quite simple for them,” he said. “We’ve built a fantastic brand in the group over four years and its real strong

and tight. “But this camp is a little bit diverse and spots are up for grabs. While there is a collective approach going into games it will be cut-throat. “It’s dog eat dog a little bit through the week and I think ‘Bring it on!’ because that’s what we’re looking for.”

DOOR OPEN The camp, which is made up of only Australasian-based players, will conclude with a match between an All Whites eleven and a selection from the domestic league, and

Herbert also said players in that selection could even force their way in. “When a tournament of this stature is up for grabs and you want to be part of it and I would be disappointed if I didn’t see it,” said Herbert, who was a central defender when New Zealand made their only other World Cup appearance in Spain in 1982.

Goalkeeper Mark Paston, who required knee surgery, and midfielder Jeremy Brockie, who broke his leg in January and had to have a plate inserted, both took part

Resurgent Henin focuses on the Roland Garros challenge STUTTGART: Former world number one Justine Henin admits she will face a tough challenge after nearly two years away from the clay courts as she bids to win Roland Garros for a fifth time next month. The 27year-old had a tough battle to beat Germany’s Julia Goerges in the first round of the Stuttgart WTA tournament on Wednesday in her first game on clay since announcing her retirement in May 2008.

Wearing a splint to protect the broken finger she suffered in training last week, Henin needed 53 minutes for the first set after Goerges forced a tiebreaker. Despite her two-year hiatus from claycourt tennis, Henin, who only came out of retirement in January, showed her class by taking control in the second set for a 7-6 (7/3), 61 victory. Henin now has the WTA tournament in Madrid, starting on May 8, before the French Open begins at Roland Garros on May 24 to get ready.

Since taking time away from tennis, Henin has travelled and worked on some charity projects, but insists she has her passion for tennis back. “It’s going to be a big challenge for me to get ready for Roland Garros,” said Henin who has seven Grand Slam titles under her belt. “Especially as the courts we will face here, in Madrid and in Paris are so different and the conditions will be very difficult. “It is good to play matches on different types of clay and to get the matches under my belt. That is what I need at the moment. “It is also good that I can still play with the finger injury, I feel lucky.”

Having insisted she played no tennis on her self-imposed break from tennis, Henin explained the challenges she faces from the indoor claycourt in Stuttgart before heading to Madrid and Paris. “The courts here are very different to what we will get in Paris, there is not much clay on the courts here, they are quite dry,” she explained. “You can slide a lot, but it is a good surface, they did an amazing job to put a claycourt indoors which is not easy. “But it is very different, because you can slide, so it is much better to be aggressive and attacking, rather than on defense.” —AFP

STUTTGART: Justine Henin of Belgium prepares to serve the ball to Julia Goerges of Germany during a match of the WTA Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in the southern German city of Stuttgart. Henin won the match 7-6 (7/3), 6-1. —AFP

in training. “I’ve had a couple of months now building up trainingwise and my knee has been pretty good, so I’m pretty happy with it,” said Paston, whose penalty save in the second leg of the Asia/Oceania playoff with Bahrain last November ensured the All Whites qualified for South Africa. “I’ve had plenty of time to get some training under my belt for it not to be a problem. It’s been hard and sometimes you thing ‘am I going to get there?’ But week by week you get stronger so I think I’m a lot closer.” —Reuters

Mosley predicts Mayweather KO LAS VEGAS: WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley is unconcerned about being labeled an underdog for tomorrow’s fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas, believing he will knock out his opponent. Mayweather, renowned as a superlative defensive fighter, has never been knocked down or defeated and is a strong favorite to record his 41st victory tomorrow but Mosley believes he can shock the world and deliver a stoppage win.

Mosley, 46-5 (39 knockouts), however, has not fought since a ninth-round TKO upset of feared Mexican slugger Antonio Margarito in January 2009. “I really don’t care,” the 38-year-old champion told reporters on Wednesday about the underdog tag. “They were picking Margarito to win by landslide, and people were worried about my health and saying he was going to retire me. “I’m saying to you guys again, that isn’t going to happen. He’s not going to beat me.”

Mayweather retired as the sport’s pound-for-pound number one fighter after beating Ricky Hatton in Dec. 2007 but returned in style in September, outclassing Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez over 12 rounds. He had been expected to fight Filipino Manny Pacquiao but the pair could not agree to a drug testing procedure leading to Mayweather agreeing to take on Mosley, which the champion believes could be a mistake. “Fighting me can be hazardous,” Mosley said. “The times I have knocked out people, a lot of the fighters don’t come back the same.

Mosley acknowledged that it would be “shocking” to see his opponent lying on the canvas but it was something he would look forward to witnessing. “I go for a knockout, but I’ll be shocked to see him just laying there on his back like that,” he admitted. “Happy, but shocked.” Mosley, who has also won world titles at lightweight and light middleweight, said he anticipates feeling out Mayweather in the opening stages but that he will have a sense of the bout’s likely direction early on.

“When the fight starts, I’m going to go out there, I’m going to throw some traps here and there, touch him here and there, see what’s going on,” he revealed. “I’ll probably be able to tell from the first bell what kind of fight it’s going to be.” Although Mayweather, 40-0 (25 KOs), has won most of his bouts with relative ease, some observers have pointed to his split decision win over Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007 as providing the blueprint to defeating him.

De La Hoya troubled Mayweather in the first half of the contest with a stiff left jab, a punch that Mosley agreed could be a key tomorrow. “It’s been proven,” he said. “Not just Oscar, but other fighters. Some of the southpaws fought him pretty good with their left hands. So maybe it’s not a jab, maybe it’s just a left hand. “But that’s just one strategy.

I can’t just base my fight on throwing a jab. You have to be ready for a bunch of different things, because you’re fighting a special fighter.” —Reuters

‘Pained’ China accepts Sydney medal loss

BEIJING: China was ‘pained’ by the loss of a women’s gymnastics team bronze medal from the Sydney Olympics but respected the decision to withdraw it after team member Dong Fangxiao was adjudged to have lied about her age. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) asked for the medal to be returned on Wednesday after an International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) probe into Dong’s age concluded she had been younger than the minimum age

requirement of 16 in 2000. “The Chinese Gymnastics Association respects the decision of IOC and will actively cooperate with the IOC to deal with this issue according to relevant regulations and requirements,” a spokesman told the Xinhua news agency.

“We feel deeply pained by it. We will take it as a lesson to learn, and furthermore will comprehensively intensify the all round management over the athletes to

firmly prevent similar things happening.”

In a separate statement, the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) wholeheartedly endorsed the decision.

“The COC requires Chinese sports associations to regulate and intensify their education on rules, to take this case as a lesson to learn and resolutely prevent similar cases from happening.”

Dong registered different ages at Sydney and the 2008 Beijing Games,

where she served as a technical official.

Her five team mates-Yang Yun, Liu Xuan, Ling Jie, Huang Mandan, Kui Yuanyuanwill also lose their medals. The CGA also suggested that frequent changes to the FIG’s age eligibility rules had contributed to the problem. “The FIG continuously changes the rule of age limit, which requires us to update the information in time and keep strict monitoring and careful supervision. —Reuters

sports

page 60

Friday, April 30, 2010

Ochoa set for swansong tournament on home soil MORELIA: Lorena Ochoa, who is leaving the sport on her own terms, will say goodbye to golf by finishing her brilliant career on her home soil at the LPGA’s Tres Marias Championship. The 28-year-old Ochoa leaves the LPGA tour with two major titles and almost 15 million dollars in earnings. The world number one has 27 wins heading into this week’s 1.3 million dollar tournament where she will be paired with Japan’s Ai Miyazato and American Natalie Gulbis. Ochoa shocked the golfing community by announcing last week she was leaving the game to concentrate on starting a family and continue her charity work. “I’m not going away because I am not playing good golf,” Ochoa said, “I’m going away because this is the right time for

me. I’ve achieved my goals, I’m happy and I want to leave as No. 1.”

The event features six of the top 10 players in the world battling for 195,000 dollars in first-place prize money. Ochoa is gunning for her fourth Tres Marias Championship in six years and a victory would be a nice finishing touch to a career that already includes a Hall of Fame induction. Organizers say they are expecting record crowds of Ochoa’s countrymen trying to get a final glimpse of her. Despite golf’s low profile, Ochoa is ranked among Mexico’s five most prominent athletes, joining baseball pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, boxer Julio Cesar Chavez, 400-metre runner Ana Guevara and soccer player Hugo Sanchez.

Ochoa faces a strong field of 132

golfers and is expected to be challenged this week by players such as world number four Suzann Pettersen who finished second to her at last year’s tournament.

Pettersen is also fresh off a runnerup finish at the LPGA’s first major of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Michelle Wie, world number seven Anna Nordqvist and Angela Stanford are also in the field.

Kraft Nabisco winner Tseng Yani and the world’s number two Shin Jiyai are skipping this week’s tournament.

Ochoa will tee off in the first two rounds with Gulbis and Miyazato.

Ochoa specifically requested they be in her group. Gulbis and Ochoa advanced through junior golf together. Miyazato is a rising star on the tour. “I think she’s the nicest

girl on tour,” Ochoa said of Miyazato. Ochoa is extremely popular among her golfing peers.

“Lorena is a better person than a golfer,” said tour player Reilley Rankin. “I think we all knew it was coming within a couple of years, but to be honest with you I don’t think Lorena knew it was coming this soon.

“She has just always been so real and very well-balanced, and as soon as that balance in her life was a little off she was aware of it.” Ochoa recently married airline executive Andres Conesa and is now a stepmother of three. The loss of the Mexican is a major blow to the LPGA, already struggling with fewer tournaments and lost sponsors because of economic setbacks. The LPGA was hit in 2008

Woods battles Quail Hollow course, paparazzi, copters CHARLOTTE: Tiger Woods answered questions for 16 minutes on Wednesday but offered few new revelations of his private troubles other than that the paparazzi are still camped outside his gated community in Florida.

“There’s paparazzi everywhere, helicopters here and there, people driving by, paparazzi camping out in front of the gates,” he said on the eve of the PGA Tour’s Quail Hollow Championship, his second tournament appearance, after the Masters, since revelations of his multiple marital infidelity became public last November. Woods clearly was irked that he was criticized by some for attending a rock concert last week, rather than staying at home and working on repairing his marriage.

“I went to the (Nickelback) concert. A couple of the band members are friends of mine, and that’s why I went. I just had a great time and unfortunately I got criticized for seeing my friends. “As far as golf-wise, I’ve been working on a few things from Augusta. I had five months off and I knew things weren’t going to be quite right.

“There were some things I didn’t like in my golf swing, so I started to work on that, simplify things a little bit, got everything more fine-tuned and I feel very comfortable.”

He all but admitted, however, that he had behaved churlishly during a television interview immediately after this month’s Masters.

“Immediately after the event they asked me how did I feel about it and I wasn’t happy that I lost.

But given a little time to reflect on it, it was an incredible week. “I think it went as well as it could possibly have gone, and obviously I didn’t do what I needed to do on the weekend, but overall after not playing for that long and coming back and finishing fourth, I think that’s pretty reasonable.

“I’ve had a lot of struggles internally for a while now and that’s one of the reasons why it (playing golf) wasn’t that much fun. Even though I do it for a living, it’s still a game and it wasn’t that for a while.” On the golf course, Woods got a loud cheer when he was introduced on the first tee.

The biggest applause came at the end of the proam Wednesday. “I have to say, this feels a heck of a lot more normal than the Masters did,” Woods said.

Woods’ appearance here this week suggests his life, on the course at least, is back to normal, but he says it’s premature to assume he will play his usual slate of tournaments this year. “As far as my playing schedule, it’s kind of up in the air,” he said. “I’m trying to get back to normalcy in that.” Wood has committed to next week’s Players Championship in Florida, as well as the US Open in June, and the AT and T National two weeks after that. These are all tournaments he has generally played, injury permitting, which has led to speculation that it’s business as usual from now on. — AFP

with the retirement of long-time world number one Annika Sorenstam of Sweden, but Sorenstam was 37 when she said farewell to start a family.

Last season, Ochoa edged South Korea Shin Jiyai to claim her fourth consecutive LPGA Player of the Year award. She won three times in 2009 after collecting seven titles in 2008, eight in 2007 and six in 2006.

Ochoa won her first major title in 2007 at the Women’s British Open and added another at the 2008 Kraft Nabisco. She doesn’t plan to disappear completely, saying she would like to play each year in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in November in Guadalajara. “I feel light. I feel happier,” she said. “It’s been easier the last couple of weeks.” — AFP

No easy Ryder for US in Wales LOS ANGELES: The United States will need meticulous preparation and an “extraordinary” team to win their first Ryder Cup victory on European soil since 1993, former US captain Paul Azinger said on Wednesday. Under the innovative Azinger, the Americans ended a run of three successive defeats when they beat Europe in Louisville, Kentucky in 2008, but this year he believes they face a much more daunting task in their bid to retain the trophy. Speaking to Reuters about the Oct 1-3 contest at Celtic Manor, Wales, Azinger said an unfamiliar course, time change, weather and a pro-European crowd are among the challenges the Americans will have to contend with.

Golf

NORTH CAROLINA: Tiger Woods reacts after his second shot on the 10th hole during the first round of the Quail Hollow Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte. — AP

“Generally the Europeans have always had the advantage of playing the Ryder Cup on courses they are very familiar with and the Americans have to come over and figure it out in a very short time,” said Azinger. “They have always been able to capitalize, whether it was to neutralize our strengths or to exploit theirs. We have to go over there with an extraordinary team in order to win this time,” added Azinger, who revamped the US selection system for the 2008 matches by doubling his number of wildcard picks to four.

Corey Pavin will captain the US team at Celtic Manor and Azinger feels detailed preparation and an attempt to alleviate the huge level of expectation will be his primary roles. “The trick is to be able to drill the idea of preparation into the players’ minds,” Azinger said. “My philosophy was to create the best environment for our guys to be successful, and that environment had nothing to do with winning and losing.

TEAM UNITY Perhaps Azinger’s most remarkable achievement in 2008 was infusing the US team with a level of unity and ease under pressure that had not been seen in recent American line-ups. Many of his predecessors failed to find the ideal blend between the journeyman player and the leading lights, but Azinger succeeded with a strategy he modeled on the military.

Azinger, whose book on the subject called “Cracking the Code” will be published next month, split the 12 players into four groups and used an outside-the-box, Navy SEALS approach.

“I got them sold-out for each other within their team, and sold-out with the idea that they would prepare together. —Reuters

SPORTS

Friday, April 30, 2010

Page 61

West Indies look to Gayle force in Ireland’s opener PROVIDENCE: West Indies captain Chris Gayle struck Australia fast bowler Brett Lee for 27 runs in one over at last year’s World Twenty20 so Ireland’s attack could be forgiven for fearing the worst. Hosts West Indies face Ireland, looking for yet more giantkilling success, on the first day of this year’s World here today.

One Twenty20 consolation for Ireland is that the form of the West Indies in general and Gayle in particular is far from consistent.

But if Gayle, whose 117 against South Africa in the inaugural 2007 edition remains the only century at a World Twenty20, does find his

form then Ireland’s bowlers will be hard pressed to keep him in check.

This month the West Indies beat Ireland by six wickets on the Duckworth/Lewis method in a oneday international in Jamaica but trying to apply conclusions from other forms of cricket to Twenty20 is fraught with risk.

Logically, West Indies should win but Ireland have enjoyed upsetting the odds on the world stage. At last year’s World Twenty20 they beat Test nation Bangladesh and at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean they knocked former champions Pakistan out of the tournament.

Ireland relish their role as

underdogs on the big stage but for the home side are under pressure.

The team was reduced to a bitpart role at the 2007 World Cup and defeat today would lead to more frustration amongst their fans who recently saw the team beaten by Zimbabwe in a one-day international, although the West Indies did go on to win that series 41. It is six years since the West Indies won a major international tournament, the 2004 Champions Trophy and batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, a veteran of that success, believes the current side are in a position to make the most of their local knowledge.

“We have a very good chance of winning this competition. We are at home and that gives us an advantage,” he said. “What is important is that we play as a team and try and support each other as much as we can, whether it’s in the field or when we are batting or bowling. “We hope we can do it on a consistent basis.” Ireland may entrust eight overs to teenage spinners George Dockrell and Paul Stirling, who both got through their full quota in Tuesday’s 40-run warm-up defeat by New Zealand, with Dockrell taking three wickets.

It was in 1969 that Ireland made the cricket world sit up and take

Afghanistan boosted by Ireland warm-up victory B R I D G E T O W N : Afghanistan cruised to a fivewicket win over Ireland in their World Twenty20 warmup on Wednesday, showing that they are ready for their world championship debut.

Ireland made 133-9 off their 20 overs with John Mooney top-scoring with 42 but debutant seamer Dawlat Ahmadzai grabbed the headlines with 4-15 before Afghanistan reached their target with three balls to spare in Guyana.

Cricket When they batted, Afghanistan showed their allround mettle with Ashghar Stanikzai and Mohammad Nabi adding 66 for the fifth wicket in six overs. “Any team wants a jump start, no matter who you are playing against,” said Afghanistan coach Kabir Khan. “Ireland are one of the best Associate teams and as a coach the promising thing is that the boys are fighting hard and they are coming back into games which is not very easy in Twenty20.”

Afghanistan begin their World Twenty20 campaign tomorrow against India. A fine unbeaten 61 from Chamara Kapugedera was in vain as Sri Lanka slumped to a five-wicket defeat to South Africa with three balls to spare in Barbados.

Kapugedera and veteran Sanath Jayasuriya helped Sri Lanka post 137 for 8 before a 61-run partnership between Mark Boucher and Johan Botha allowed South Africa to squeeze home in the final over.

Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara opted to bat first after winning the toss at the Kensington Oval but Tillakaratne Dilshan fell first ball to Rory Kleinveldt.

Charl Langeveldt then struck twice to remove Sangakkara and Mahela

GEORGETOWN: Afghanistan’s Dawlat Ahmadzai celebrates after catching and bowling out Ireland’s batsman Paul Stirling during a warm up match ahead of the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in Georgetown, Guyana. The cup is scheduled to start today. — AP Jayawardene as Sri Lanka slipped to 22 for 3. Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Matthews soon followed as Sri Lanka, runners-up to Pakistan in the 2009 Twenty20 final, collapsed to 42 for 5 in the ninth over. But Jayasuriya (33) helped steady the ship before Kapugedera gave his side a fighting

chance with three fours and five sixes.

South African skipper Graeme Smith was dismissed

by Nuwan Kulasekara in the first over for one befor Loots Bosman hit a quick 20. Botha and Boucher put South Africa on their way, scoring at more than 11 runs an over. At the same venue, England eased

past Bangladesh by seven wickets. Bangladesh were limited to 126-7 with slow left-armer Michael Yardy taking 3-20 before Ravi Bopara hit 62 from 48 balls to steer England to victory in the 18th over. West Indies lost by seven runs to New Zealand in a warm-up later in Guyana. — AFP

notice by dismissing the touring West Indies for just 25 on what remains one of the most famous days in Irish cricket history. Now Ireland are coached by a former West Indies batsman in Phil Simmons and he reckons the compressed nature of Twenty20 makes upsets more likely. “I think it’s easier to pull off a shock in Twenty20 because recovery time is less than in 50 overs,” said Simmons. “We have played that little bit more Twenty20 than we had going into the last World Cup so we are slightly wiser about Twenty20 cricket. That has to be a good thing.” — AFP

NZ aim to have Lanka in a spin PROVIDENCE: Brendon McCullum’s prowess as a Twenty20 batsman is well known but older brother Nathan could also have an important role to play in the upcoming World Twenty20. The Black Caps open the competition against Sri Lanka here today and, with warm-up matches suggesting pitches will take spin, offbreak bowler Nathan is set for some key overs in an attack where New Zealand captain and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori has been the mainstay for several years now.

McCullum was given the new ball in New Zealand’s 40-run warm-up win over Ireland here on Tuesday, reviving memories of Martin Crowe’s ploy of using offspinner Dipak Patel at the start of the innings at the 1992 World Cup - a tactic that helped the Black Caps get to the last four of that event.

Against Ireland, McCullum took three wickets for 25 runs and Vettori, who went wicketless, said: “Nathan McCullum was outstanding with the ball. On a wicket like that you’ve got to be inch perfect because it’s so slow.” The Black Caps’ pace attack is led by fast bowler Shane Bond and it won’t just be Kiwi fans who will be hoping the former policeman, whose career has been blighted by injuries, can come through this tournament unscathed.

New Zealand headed to the Caribbean with fitness doubts over several senior players but batsman Jesse Ryder suggested he was over the groin strain that forced his withdrawal from the Indian Premier League with a brisk 64 against the Irish.

Together with Brendon McCullum he forms an explosive opening partnership with McCullum posting an unbeaten 116,

one short of Chris Gayle’s world record, when New Zealand beat Australia in a Twenty20 match in February. McCullum is one of the most dangerous batsmen around in this format and Vettori was in no doubt of his value to New Zealand.

“McCullum at the top of the order is the real key. If he has a good tournament I think the team will fire.” Sri Lanka, last year’s losing finalists, appear to have one of the best balanced squads for this form of cricket with the pace of Lasith Malinga to the spin of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis posing problems for most batsmen. Tillakaratne Dilshan, player of the tournament in England in 2009 and veteran Sanath Jayasuriya are just two of the island nation’s batsmen capable of fast scoring.

The Sri Lankans lost by five wickets to South Africa in a warm-up match on Wednesday but did not have their strongest side out in a clash that, in any event, went to the last over.

Whether the fact that most of the squad have been taking part in the lucrative Indian Premier League will catch up with Sri Lanka, remains to be seen but conditions, at least, should hold no fears for a side who reached the final of the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

At it was in Guyana where the unorthodox Malinga made history in 2007, taking four wickets in four balls against South Africa. But former captain Mahela Jayawardene knows Sri Lanka, now led by the experienced and talented Kumar Sangakkara, could have had an easier opening fixture. “New Zealand has got a really good all-round team which can be totally devastating,” he said. To back him up, New Zealand beat West Indies by seven runs in their second warmup on Wednesday. — AFP

sports

page 62

Friday, April 30, 2010

Modest Auxerre dismiss title talks as per normal PARIS: Second-placed Auxerre dismissed title discussions as they prepared to host leaders Olympique Marseille in today’s Ligue 1 showdown. Auxerre, led by Guy Roux from 1961 to 2005, have not changed since their colorful former manager retired and Jean Fernandez, who took charge in 2006, has the same modest philosophy.

While Roux only talked about staying in the top flight when his team were en route to their only league title in 1996, Fernandez barely concedes Auxerre might

secure a top-three finish that would guarantee at least a Champions League playoff spot. With 66 points they lead fourth-placed Montpellier by six points and trail leaders Marseille by five, though victory today would cut their deficit. “If we only win one of our four remaining games we will be in the top five,” Fernandez told Reuters on Wednesday.

“If we win two of them, then yes we might finish in the top three. But it is still too soon to talk about a Champions League spot.” Auxerre, who have the top-flight’s best

defense, have lost only one of their last 19 league games while Marseille are on a seven-match winning streak. Marseille coach Didier Deschamps also tried to play

French League Preview down the significance of today’s game. “It’s not a final. At the end of a final there is a trophy. There will be nothing (after this game),” he told reporters. “There are only

three possible results. Two are good for us, one is not.”

HUGE STEP However, Marseille midfielder Mathieu Valbuena said victory could decide the destiny of the Ligue 1 crown. “Mathematically we will not be champions if we win at Auxerre.

But that would be a huge step towards the title,” said Valbuena.

Elsewhere, the race for the Champions League playoff spot will hot up on Sunday as fourth-placed Montpellier host Olympique Lyon who are fifth.

Promoted Montpellier trail third-

placed Lille by one point but lead Lyon by a single point. Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas was confident his team would bounce back from Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final elimination by Bayern Munich. “It will be tough but Lyon are a great team and great teams never die,” he said. Also on Sunday, Lille entertain Nancy and sixth-placed Girondins Bordeaux host Toulouse. No games will be played on Saturday as Paris St Germain and Monaco meet in the French Cup final at the Stade de France. — Reuters

10-man Flamengo stun Corinthians Mixed night as Banfield, Sao Paulo draw 0-0 BUENOS AIRES: Ten-man Flamengo beat Corinthians 1-0 with an Adriano penalty on a mixed night for Brazilian teams in firstleg action in the Libertadores Cup last 16 on Wednesday.

Internacional lost 3-1 away to Argentina’s Banfield and Sao Paulo drew 0-0 with Peruvian champions Universitario in Lima.

Both Brazilian teams had players sent off.

A crowd of 72,000 gathered at the Maracana to watch the clash between Brazil’s two most popular teams after contrasting results in the group phase.

Corinthians, previously unbeaten, had the best record and Flamengo the worst among the qualifiers for the first knockout round. Flamengo, who won the trophy in 1981, were a man short from the 37th minute when midfielder Michael was sent off for his second booking after two bad tackles in the space of seven minutes.

A first half in pouring rain gave way to a better second and Brazil’s Adriano converted a 64th minute penalty, his first goal for a month, after left back Juan was brought down by Moacir.

It was Flamengo’s first match since sacking coach Andrade, who had steered them to the Brazilian title last year, after a poor group performance.

“In our circumstances, I think the victory was excellent. Congratulations to the players who honored this shirt in a marvelous way,” said caretaker coach Rogerio Lourenco, Andrade’s former assistant.

TWO-GOAL LEAD In Buenos Aires, Colombian forward James Rodriguez scored his fifth

goal of the competition to put Banfield ahead less than two minutes into the second half.

He ghosted in unmarked on the left to shoot from a tight angle past Inter’s Argentine keeper Roberto Abbondanzieri. Inter hit back three minutes later when defender Kleber volleyed into the top corner from the edge of the box, but the goalscorer was sent off seven minutes later for stamping on Banfield playmaker Walter Erviti.

Banfield went ahead again from the free kick thanks to a goal by midfielder Roberto Battion, which video replays showed was offside.

Tempers flared for a few minutes when Inter’s Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati was hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd. Banfield sealed the win 10 minutes from time through Uruguay striker Sebastian Fernandez. “We beat a great rival. Luckily we got a good difference (in the score) but it’s not decisive,” Erviti told Fox Sports. Sao Paulo, three times South American champions, were the more dangerous team at the Monumental in Lima where they hit the post in the first half and had another effort cleared off the line.

They were a man short for the last 25 minutes after forward Richarlyson was shown a straight red card for a nasty tackle on midfielder Rodolfo Espinoza. Tuesday was a mixed night for Argentine teams on their visits to Mexico where holders Estudiantes beat San Luis 1-0 but Velez Sarsfield lost 3-0 to Guadalajara. — Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s Flamengo David Filho (top) vies for the ball with Brazil’s Corinthians’ Rodrigo Souza during their Libertadores Cup match at Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Flamengo won 1-0. — AFP

PSG seek to calm social tensions ahead of final PARIS: The French Cup final between Paris St Germain and Monaco may yield drama on the pitch this week but off the field, hooliganism and racism threaten to tear Paris’s top club apart and spark a bout of social tension.

Soccer hooliganism in Europe is not uncommon but unlike much of the rest of the continent, PSG’s fanaticism is within its own stands and creating an example that is spreading into other clubs, such as Lyon, Nice and into Corsica.

France’s government on Thursday announced a ban on five Paris St Germain (PSG) fan associations after a supporter was killed following riots outside the club’s stadium in February. At the heart of the violence lies the rivalry between two sets of supporters-”Boulogne” known for far-right views and “Auteuil”, which was set up to provide a multi-ethnic fanbase.

“When we think of PSG, we think racism,” said Christophe Huldry, a spokesman for one the Auteuil associations, whose

supporters were blamed for the murder. “When we go to a football match, it’s not to die.

We can’t not do anything anymore.” The February riots saw about 150 Boulogne fans chanting slogans such as “Hitler for President”. A group of Auteuil fans is teaming up with anti-racism groups to file 30 complaints against fellow supporters for racial slurs and violence.

The club, whose fans include French President Nicolas Sarkozy and veteran actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, was forced to play games behind closed doors and the management has cut ticket sales. “These penalties (are aimed) at eliminating from our stadiums pseudo supporters with totally unacceptable behavior,” Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said of the government ban, which means five groups will be dissolved.

But the government has stopped short of evoking the racism issue, which has plagued PSG’s stands for about 20 years.

“What’s shocking is the

Interior Ministry has recognized the problem of violence, but a lot less the subject of racism,” said Carine Bloch, president of the sport’s commission for the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA). Britain fought a crusade against hooligans during the 1980s. More recently racist incidents primarily in Italy involving chants from home fans have blighted matches, forcing European soccer body UEFA to issue guidelines to handle the chants. “At a time of crisis, we are seeing a push across Europe in nationalism and identity politics,” Bloch said.

NATIONAL IDENTITY The racism complaints come when France is again gripped by issues of race and national identity. Paris suburbs are the backdrop for bus burnings, stone-throwing and drug trafficking by disaffected youth, many of them from an immigrant background. Still smarting from a beating in March’s regional elections, Sarkozy has also revived a strident tone on law and order.

Boulogne spokesman Philippe Perreira has admitted that some fans in his stand are guilty of making Nazi salutes and chanting slogans, something that he condemns, but says is rife among “a young generation” and is being stamped out by older fans. It remains an unwritten rule that nobody of color enters the Boulogne stand, be it supporters or stewards.

While the Auteuil fans were turning to anti-racism groups, they also had a militant side, LICRA’s Bloch said. Perreira has described Auteuil fans turning up at a match dressed in traditional Arab gowns in January, as “provocation”.

PSG, lying 25 points off the pace in the league, will hope Saturday’s match provides a good result to help calm its fans. But the club’s woes are of its own making after years of neglect and a decline on the pitch, stemming from uncertainty at the top. Its current majority shareholder, Colony Capital, is unpopular accused of a lack of investment and interest. —Reuters

sports

Friday, April 30, 2010

page 63

Roma do the unthinkable Players, fans to cheer bitter rivals Lazio

MILAN: AS Roma’s players and fans will go against everything they hold sacred this weekend when they cheer on bitter rivals Lazio against Inter Milan. Claudio Ranieri’s Roma surrendered the Serie A lead to Inter last weekend when they lost for the first time in 25 league matches at home to Sampdoria. Now with three games left, they must first win at Parma tomorrow (1600 GMT) before risking the wrath of the Roman gods by supporting Lazio for the first

time in their lives in the home match with Inter on Sunday (1845). Roma and Lazio have one of the most heated rivalries in soccer with the former’s win in the city derby earlier this month prompting an on-pitch brawl and violence on the streets.

Some Lazio fans are so desperate for Roma to miss out on the title that they have besieged internet message boards to demand their side lose on Sunday now they are almost safe from relegation, six points above the drop

zone. However, coach Edy Reja, banned from the dugout for arguing with officials in last Sunday’s win at Genoa, is having none of it. “Safety has still not been reached and against Inter we cannot afford any slips. We will try to get

Roma as they seek a fifth straight scudetto, meet Lazio on a high after reaching the Champions League final having overcome Barcelona on Wednesday. The Lazio clash looks to be Inter’s most

Italian League Preview the best result possible,” he told Italian radio.

ROME DEFEAT Inter, two points ahead of

difficult on paper in the title run-in and Jose Mourinho’s men lost on their previous visit to Rome’s intimidating Stadio Olimpico, succumbing

to Roma last month. Roma will not have it their own way either against mid-table Parma and their former Inter striker Hernan Crespo.

“We’ve got to believe, the battle for the scudetto is not over,” Ranieri told reporters.

Treble-chasing Inter will be back in the capital again next Wednesday for the Italian Cup final against who else but Roma.

Faltering AC Milan, in third, need a win at home to Fiorentina tomorrow (1845) with Sampdoria four points

Creaking Barca give Real hope in title run-in

Magath no longer Bayern’s cup of tea

Barca need quick tonic at Villarreal MADRID: Pep Guardiola has 72 hours to repair the battered morale of his Barcelona side before resuming the defense of their La Liga title at Villarreal tomorrow (2000 GMT).

Barca top the standings with 87 points, just one ahead of Real Madrid with four games to go, and must bounce back quickly after being dumped out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage by Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan side on Wednesday.

“The players are down and sad but we have to pick ourselves up. Tomorrow we have La Liga and we have to go out and win,” Guardiola said after their defense of the European Cup ended. Barca’s aura of invincibility is slipping after winning six trophies last year and they only have the league left to focus on now. They have a harder run-in than their arch-rivals Real, starting with a trip to a side who have a knack of making life difficult for them.

Unlike Inter or Espanyol, who build a wall in front of the goal, Villarreal have been effective at taking on Barca at their own game, winning five of their last seven meetings at the Madrigal. The hosts have recovered since Juan Carlos Garrido replaced Ernesto Valverde as coach in February and have climbed back into contention for a place in Europe next season.

They lie sixth with 52 points in the Europa League qualification places, four behind fourth-placed Real Mallorca and the Champions League slots.

REASONS TO BELIEVE Real will be relieved knowing Barca will not be playing the Champions League final at the Bernabeu, and have been given more reasons to believe the leaders could trip up before their own match at home to Osasuna on Sunday (1700). Manuel Pellegrini’s side have won all but one league match at the Bernabeu this season and are supremely confident Barca will stumble on the run in.

“We have a strong chance of winning the league,” Brazil midfielder Kaka told a news conference. “The dressing room believes we can do it. One point isn’t much of a difference and we are confident we can overhaul Barca if we win all our remaining games.” Kaka scored on his return from injury as a substitute last weekend and is likely to start against Osasuna with both Rafael van der Vaart and Raul out with injury. On Sunday (1500), fifth-placed Sevilla receive Atletico Madrid in a dress rehearsal for next month’s King’s Cup final between the two sides. —Reuters

behind them in the race for the last automatic Champions League berth.

Samp, two above Palermo in the fight for fourth spot and a Champions League qualifying round place, host already-relegated Livorno on Sunday (1300). Siena will follow Livorno through the trapdoor if they fail to beat Palermo (1300) or Bologna pick up at least a point at third-bottom Atalanta, who could also go down if they lose and other results go against them. —Reuters

BARCELONA: Barcelona’s coach Pep Guardiola talks with Barcelona’s Argentinean forward Lionel Messi in this file photo during their Spanish League football match at Camp Nou stadium. —AFP

Liverpool fans in quandary over Chelsea title bid

LONDON: One scouse prankster this week posted a spoof Liverpool team to face Chelsea in Sunday’s pivotal Premier League match on a fans’ internet chatroom, a motley crew including singer Cilla Black and comedian Ken Dodd. Various other Merseyside celebrities were included on a team sheet that lacked any actual footballers apart from Lucas, a player still to win over the Liverpool fans.

Chelsea’s visit to Anfield on Sunday has

certainly enlivened debate on the streets of Liverpool where victory, or even a draw, for Rafael Benitez’s side would open the door for bitter rivals Manchester United to snatch the title.

There is a school of thought that Liverpool fans would rather lose to Chelsea to prevent United, who are away to Sunderland later on Sunday, moving ahead of Liverpool’s cherished record of 18 league titles. —Reuters

STUTTGART: Felix Magath won successive league and cup doubles during his spell as Bayern Munich coach but now he is attempting to wreck their season for the second time in a row. Just over one year ago, Magath’s VfL Wolfsburg team handed Bayern a humiliating 5-1 defeat which sent the Bavarians into freefall and put his own team on course for the title. This time, Magath, who gives most of his news conferences drinking tea and dunking the bag into his cup, is threatening to destroy Bayern’s hopes of winning a league, cup and Champions League treble by leading Schalke 04 to the title.

Schalke’s last-gasp win at Hertha Berlin last Saturday pulled them level on points with Bayern at the top with two matches left to set up a nailbiting finale to the league. Bayern still have the better goal difference but Schalke do not have any other commitments to distract them. It is often felt that Magath-known as a tough disciplinarian who likes his teams to play on the counter-attack — has unfinished business with Bayern after they sacked him midway through the 2006/07 season, six months after he won the double for the second time in a row. Known as Quaelix, a mixture of his first name and the German verb for to torture, Magath comes across as thoughtful and pensive in television appearances but is reputed to be a fearsome task master for his players.

MIND GAMES Magath has already started playing mind games with his former club and coach Louis van Gaal. “We have the more difficult run-in,” he said.

“But Bayern have not done so well against less strong teams. I think they will stumble. “I’m sure that Bayern will not win both their final two games.” However, he played down any bad feelings with his former club. “I don’t have a feud with Bayern. It’s just that we have the same goal.”

Schalke could not be further removed from their rivals in terms of personality. While Bayern are regarded as Germany’s most glamorous club, the Royal Blues are based in the industrial city of Gelsenkirchen where they have an almost cultlike following. Their stadium is one of the most atmospheric in the Bundesliga and, packed with denim-clad fans, often harks back to the 1980s.

They won the last of their seven titles in 1958 but have been runners-up three times since 2001.

Schalke have a tough match tomorrow as they host third-placed Werder Bremen, the league’s highest scoring team, while Bayern host relegation-threatened VfL Bochum. Schalke then travel to Mainz for their final game the following weekend while Bayern are at bottom club Hertha, who may have been condemned to relegation by then. Bayern, who face Werder Bremen in the Cup final on May 15, will have to contend with a wave of euphoria tomorrow, following their 3-0 win away to Olympique Lyon in their Champions League semi-final second leg last Tuesday. —Reuters

www.kuwaittimes.net

BARCELONA: Inter Milan’s Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho (right) and Cameroonian forward Samuel Eto’o celebrate after winning the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg football match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona. —AFP

Mourinho: ‘Sweetest defeat of my life’

BARCELONA: Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho described his team’s qualification for the Champions League final as the greatest moment of his life. It as “the sweetest 1-0 defeat of my life”, he said. Inter beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in their semi-final despite losing the second leg 1-0 and playing an hour of the game at the Nou Camp with 10 men.

Mourinho’s Inter, who won the first game 3-1 last week, will face Bayern Munich in the final on May 22 in Madrid. “It’s the greatest moment of my career,” said Mourinho. “For the players, me, the fans, it’s the greatest.”

Despite Gerard Pique’s 84th-minute goal, defending champions Barcelona were unable to find the crucial second goal as 10-man Inter held on, breathing a sigh of relief when Bojan Krkic had a stoppagetime effort chalked off for handball. Inter will be playing in their first European Cup final since 1972 while Mourinho will attempt to lead the Italian giants to Europe’s most prestigious prize for the first time since 1965. “It’s been 38 years since Inter played in the final. This is not a team of young players who can wait 15 years to make the final - they will not have another 10 opportunities to play in one.

“Against Barcelona, it’s difficult with 11 players but with 10, it’s an historic achievement to win like this. It’s the most beautiful defeat of my life.” Mourinho’s

Italian press hails guru Mourinho side survived the first half dismissal of Thiago Motta to blunt Barca’s famous cutting edge where even Lionel Messi, with the exception of one first-half chance, was largely anonymous. “The season doesn’t finish here,” warned Mourinho,

whose team are also in pole position to defend their Italian league title. “We have five games left in all competitions. Tonight we will party, tomorrow we will sleep and after that prepare to face Lazio on Sunday.

“I ask the fans for another favor - come

to Milan airport and welcome this splendid team home. Come to Rome on Sunday for the game with Lazio and then come to the Italian Cup final next Wednesday. I was close to the fans when I was at Chelsea, but I am even closer to the Inter fans. I

Barca stunned by Italian wall of defiance BARCELONA: Inter Milan ended Barcelona’s reign as European champions on Wednesday, but their semi-final victory was dismissed as an ugly bodyblow to the soul of the ‘beautiful game’. “Inter stayed at the back and defended and the result is sad for the fans and the team,” said Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, one of the loudest critics of the dogged, unfussy Italian style. “We couldn’t do anything with the way the opposition played and the referee didn’t help us. We knew what we wanted to do but luck was not with us.”

Despite boasting the talents of Lionel Messi, Barcelona failed to break down an Italian wall of defiance, made even more resolute by the red-card handed out to Thiago Motta after half an hour. Inter Milan, whose last European title was in 1965 and whose last appearance in the final was in 1972, were inspired by coach Jose Mourinho and their 1-0 defeat on Wednesday was not enough to cancel out their 3-1 advantage from the first leg of their semi-final.

Their reward is a May 22 final date against Bayern Munich in Madrid. “When a team defends like Inter you have to open up the pitch and try to take advantage of the middle, but we were not able to link-up well and one-against-one it always led

to a foul,” said Guardiola. “When nine players defend it is difficult to overcome them, (Diego) Milito and (Samuel) Eto’o played almost like full-backs, but whoever wins always has reason and you have to give it to them.”

Mourinho, who sprinted onto the Nou Camp pitch at the final whistle to absorb the praise of the small contingent of Inter fans squeezed into a ground dominated by 90,000 Barca supporters, defended his tactics. “The game started badly for us because we had to play (Cristian) Chivu ahead of (Goran) Pandev (who picked up a knock in the warm-up) and we are used to having three forwards in Europe,” said the former Barca assistant coach.

“It meant we had to be more defensive. It was an exceptional display and the best defeat of my life, although the players deserved a draw because their defending was spectacular. Barcelona were very offensive in their play and if we had not been organized then we would have been eliminated. It is always difficult to play with ten but against Barcelona it is almost impossible. I didn’t want possession of the ball. In the first leg we played nearer to their area and here all we wanted to do was to defend.” —AFP

love Inter and the supporters, but not Italian football. I respect it, but I don’t love it.” Inter’s Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder paid tribute to Mourinho. “The coach was screaming in the dressing room, it was very emotional,” he said.

“We defended with 10 men for so long.

We were compact, fought for every meter and gave everything. Mourinho always gets his tactics right to destroy the opponents. We did it in Milan and we did it again tonight but in a different way.”

Barcelona president Joan Laporta appealed to the fans to get behind the team in their darkest hour. “Today, it was our turn to suffer the cruel side of football,” said Laporta. “Now we must recover our morale for La Liga (where Barcelona are battling Real Madrid for the title). Now, more than ever, we have to support this team.

“I expected Inter to be defensive. It was hard to break down their two defensive lines. They made it very hard for us.” Inter Milan midfielder Javier Zanetti praised the character of his side after they overcame an intimidating atmosphere at the Nou Camp. “This result was down to the spirit we have. We worked hard to deal with the tough reception that we received and we were able to cope. Now we are in the final and we can concentrate on that,” said the Argentine. —Agencies