02 May 2011

ON SC RI PT I SU B

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

PA honors Kuwait Times, other local media delegates

Obama mocks Trump’s presidential ambitions

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JAMADI ALAWWAL 29, 1432 AH

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Arsenal beat United to keep title race alive

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Gaddafi survives NATO air strikes, son killed Vandals torch British, Italian embassies in Libya

TRIPOLI: Libya said yesterday Muammar Gaddafi’s youngest son and three grandchildren were killed in a NATO air strike and Britain said that while it was not targeting the leader, it was homing in on his military machine. Libyan government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said Gaddafi was unharmed and in good health despite what he called “a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country”. The deaths have not been independently confirmed. But they will be sure to heap pressure on NATO from critics who say it is overstepping a UN mandate to protect Libyan civilians and could trigger a backlash against the West and a renewed government push against rebels supported by the strikes.

Britain and Italy’s embassies in Tripoli were attacked after Gaddafi loyalists were shown on Libyan television vowing vengeance following the air strike. Britain expelled the Libyan ambassador and Italy condemned the attack on its embassy as a grave and vile act. In the afternoon, smoke could still be seen rising from the buildings, located in the same street as Libyan state television. Most Western countries closed their embassies in Tripoli before the NATO military intervention began several weeks ago.

Libyan officials took journalists to a Tripoli house that had been hit by at least three missiles. The roof had collapsed in places. Glass and debris covered the lawns and what appeared to be an unexploded missile lay in one corner. “What we have now is the law of the jungle,” Ibrahim said. “We think now it is clear to everyone that what is happening in Libya has nothing to do with the protection of civilians.” Libya’s civil war, which grew out street demonstrations for greater political freedoms that have rippled across the Arab world, has reached stalemate in recent weeks.

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MPs slam Iran’s statements on Arabian Gulf MoD scraps jets’ deal

By B Izzak KUWAIT: MPs yesterday blasted Iran and called for holding an urgent special session to discuss the latest Iranian provocative statements, with some warning of a serious Iranian plot against Kuwait and the rest of the Gulf. National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi said he was “surprised” by the statements which do not serve bilateral relations between Tehran and Kuwait. The reactions by Kuwaiti MPs came after Iranian armed forces chief of staff General Hassan Firouzabadi claimed on Saturday that the Arabian Gulf which he named Persian Gulf “belonged to Iran forever”. He also described Arab leaders in the Gulf as dictators and called on them to relinquish power and let their people determine their own future.

“I was surprised with the statement of the Iranian chief of staff and believe it is not in line with the desire to improve relations between countries in the region,” Khorafi said. Khorafi called on “brothers in Iran take into account good neighbourly and bilateral relations and stay away from negative statements which will stir only negative reactions”.

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Max 33 Min 22 Low Tide 04:52 : 17:37 High Tide 10:47 & 23:46

A wounded Libyan rebel is carried away as the body of a comrade killed by a mortar shell fired by Muammar Gaddafi’s forces lies in front of a house in Al-Ghiran near Misrata airport yesterday as a salvo of rockets hit the besieged city of Misrata. (Inset) Libyans hold a photo of Gaddafi’s son Seif al-Arab given by a Libyan official yesterday in Tripoli. —AFP/AP

Hundreds of thousands march in May Day rallies

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal (right) and GCC secretary general Abdul Latif Al-Zayyani (left) greet Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabah (center) upon his arrival to attend an extraordinary meeting of GCC foreign ministers to discuss the situation in Yemen yesterday. — AFP

Yemen deal teetering as Saleh fails to sign SANAA: A Gulf-brokered deal to ease Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh out of power neared collapse yesterday after he refused to sign, raising the threat of increased instability in the Arabian Peninsula state. The pact would have made Saleh, a shrewd political survivor who has been in power for 33 years, the third ruler ousted by a wave of popular pro-democracy uprisings sweeping the Arab world. He had been due to sign the deal on Saturday. Yemen’s opposition, furious over the last-minute change of heart that it described as political manoeuvring, said it was considering escalating pressure on the president to step aside after three months of street protests demanding his ouster.

“We are studying the options of escalations and waiting for a US-European stance on Saleh’s refusal to sign,” a senior opposition leader told Reuters, declining to be named because no formal decision had been taken. The Gulf powers who brokered the plan to nudge Saleh from office looked no closer to doing so, ending a meeting over the crisis in Saudi Arabia yesterday without a deal or an announced strategy for reaching one. “ The council expresses its hope of removing all the obstacles that still block a final agreement, and its Secretary General will head to Sanaa for that pur-

pose,” a statement by foreign ministers of the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council said.

A Gulf source said a formal signing ceremony in Riyadh yesterday in which the opposition had been due to seal the deal was postponed after Saleh’s refusal.

The source gave no word on whether or when it might be rescheduled. The United States and neighbouring oil giant Saudi Arabia want the Yemen standoff resolved to avert chaos that could make a Yemen wing of Al-Qaeda a greater threat to the region. But the opposition said it would not travel to Riyadh yesterday to join the talks, saying there was no reason to attend.

Gulf Cooperation Council mediators told Yemen’s opposition on Saturday Saleh had been willing to sign the deal as leader of his party but had refused in his capacity as president. The GCC secretarygeneral, who was in Sanaa for the signing, left Yemen without securing Saleh’s signature. “This is very typical Saleh. He is trying to get more time. He puts off the inevitable. This is part of his personality,” said Dubai-based security analyst Theodore Karasik. “I think a negotiated solution is slowly slipping away, and that some type of pressure is going to have to be applied as opposed to words.”

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PARIS: Hundreds of thousands of people around the world attended May Day rallies yesterday to defend workers’ rights many say are under fresh attack, and to press for social justice and democratic reform. From Hong Kong to Indonesia, Moscow to Paris, protesters marched and rallied in largely peaceful demonstrations for international Labour Day. In Russia, hundreds of thousands took to the streets in May Day rallies, with pro-government demonstrations organized by pro-Kremlin parties and trade unions far outnumbering those protesting the current regime.

From Moscow to the eastern port of Vladivostok on the Pacific, crowds waved balloons and blue or red flags in carefully choreographed rallies reminiscent of the Soviet era. But there were some dissident voices. In central Moscow, Left Front leftist activists urged Russians to follow the example of the Arab world and turn against their leaders. “Whether Cairo or Moscow, only through fighting will you obtain rights!” they chanted.

In New York, labor leaders from Wisconsin joined activists to march for the rights of America’s immigrants and workers. Immigration advocates latched onto the May Day tradition in 2006. The noon rally in Manhattan’s Union Square was one of dozens around the nation. Marchers planned to walk down Broadway to lower Manhattan for a second rally. In Cuba, hundreds of thousands of people marched through Havana and other cities to mark May Day in a demonstration touted as a vast show of support for economic changes recently approved by the Communist Party.

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ISTANBUL: Turkish protesters gather at Taksim square during a May Day rally in central Istanbul yesterday. — AFP

John Paul beatified before huge crowd

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI kneels before the coffin of his predecessor Pope John Paul II in St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican following his beatification yesterday. — AP

VATICAN CITY: The late Pope John Paul II moved a major step closer to sainthood yesterday at a ceremony that drew about a million and half people, the largest crowd in Rome since his funeral six years ago. “From now on Pope John Paul shall be called ‘blessed’”, Pope Benedict XVI, wearing white and gold robes, proclaimed in Latin, establishing that his predecessor’s feast day would be Oct 22, the day of the inauguration of John Paul’s pontificate in 1978. To the cheers of the crowd, a tapestry showing a smiling John Paul was unveiled after Benedict read the proclamation.

St Peter’s Square was packed and the crowd stretched as far back as the Tiber River, more than half a km away.

The devotees, many carrying national flags and singing, moved towards the Vatican area from all directions from before dawn to get a good spot for the Mass. Police estimated the crowd in the Vatican area at about 1.5 million people. Many camped out during the night in the square, which was bedecked with posters of the late pope and one of his most famous sayings, “Do not be afraid!”

In his homily, Benedict noted that the late Pope, whom he praised as having had “the strength of a titan” and who gave millions of people “the strength to believe”, had blessed crowds thousands of times from his window overlooking the same square.

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LOCAL

Years

PNA honors Kuwait Times, other local media delegates

By Hussain Al-Qatari KUWAIT: The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) yesterday held an awards ceremony to honor members of the Kuwaiti media who visited Jerusalem last year. The event, which took place in the Movenpick Hotel in Shuwaikh’s Free Trade Zone, featured a performance by a Palestinian folk group and a lavish banquet lunch. It was attended by members of the Kuwaiti media and representatives of the PNA. Last year, the Kuwait Journalist Association (KJA) and the PNA jointly organized two visits to Palestine by Kuwaiti media delegations, with representatives of the Kuwait Times newspaper taking part in both trips. Amongst those honored at yesterday’s event were the Kuwait Times’ Editor-in-Chief, Abd Al-Rahman Alyan, the paper’s General Manager Badrya Darweesh, and the head of its advertising department Adnan Saad.

Representing the PNA President Mahmoud Abbas at the ceremony was Darweesh Abdulnabi, a member of the Palestinian Writers and Journalists Union.

In his speech during the ceremony, Abdulnabi said: “Kuwait and Palestine have a very strong bond, and Kuwait has been supportive of the Palestinian cause for many years. The Kuwaiti people and government alike have been generous in their financial support for Palestinians, and for that we are grateful.”

Also during the ceremony, Abdulnabi read the attendees a letter from President Abbas, in which the Palestinian leader wrote, “I would have loved to be amongst you at this celebration, but the circumstances are not in my favor. Kuwait in its leadership and people continues to support democracy and equality, and to advocate peace and justice. We will continue to fight for our rights, for the cause that you have been supporting with us. There is no solution to our dilemma other than establishing an independent Palestinian state and making Jerusalem the capital of that state. We will continue to strive for unity, because we are ardent believers that unity will protect us and help us achieve our goals and ambitions.”

In his speech of thanks during the event, Faisal Al-Qinae, the head of the Kuwaiti media delegation to Palestine and the Secretary General of the Kuwait Journalist Association (KJA), thanked the organizers and stressed that Kuwait fully supports Palestine. “By Palestine, I mean the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem, and I mean all Palestinians. We don’t see the divisions, whether geographical or ideological,” he stressed. “We see Palestine as one united nation, and we hope that in our future visits the situation will have improved a lot.”

Al-Qinae thanked Kuwait’s former information minister Sheikh Sabah AlKhalid Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti Embassy in Jordan, and the Jordanian and Egyptian authorities for their efforts in making the media delegation’s visits successful.

Later during the ceremony, the journalists and activists who made up the delegations during the two visits were presented with plaques on behalf of the PNA, after which they were served a traditional Palestinian lunch.

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti delegation that visited Palestine last year (from right) Bader Hammad, Yousuf Al-Marzouq, Muna Shashtar, Darweesh Abdulnabi, Iqbal AlAhmad, Ahmad Al-Jarrallah, Badrya Darweesh, Adnan Al-Rashed and Khaled Ma’rafi are pictured at the awards ceremony. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

Kuwait Digest

Abandon govt’s nuclear plans

By Dr Yaqoub Al-Sharrah

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he government’s desire to build a nuclear plant for peaceful purposes is supported by many who believe in such a plan’s ability to boost the state’s power production, as well as protect the country’s oil reserve.

On the other hand, a lot of people are concerned about such a project due to its negative aspects, mainly with regard to security . This concern has grown further after the Japanese Fukushima reactor sustained damages and posed a threat to the citizens’ health following the earthquake and tsunami.

The idea of having a nuclear project might be attractive from the perspective of achieving unprecedented growth in the Arab World. But we have to consider the recent horrifying natural disaster when Japan was subjected to what Chernobyl witnessed 25 years ago.

Japan went on to incur a loss of nearly $35 billion in only three minutes while their highly advanced technology was nothing more than a mere mute spectator.

In addition to the high risk posed by natural circumstances, a nuclear plant project in Kuwait would require a lot of attention and funds to be allocated. The budget for this will most likely deprive other developmental projects which are more important to the daily lives of citizens.

Therefore, I believe that the Cabinet and the parliament must take action to cancel the nuclear plant project in Kuwait, in order to avoid wasting time, effort and money. — Al-Rai

KUWAIT: Kuwait Times General Manager Badrya Darweesh (left) receives her plaque from PNA representative Darweesh Abdulnabi.

KUWAIT: Al-Anbaa Editor-in-Chief Yousuf A-Marzouq receives a plaque from the PNA representative.

KUWAIT: Barrak Al-Hendi from the Kuwait Times receives a plaque from the PNA representative on behalf of the paper’s Editor-in-Chief Abd Al-Rahman Alyan.

KUWAIT: KJA Secretary Adnan Al-Rashed receives a plaque from the PNA representative.

KUWAIT: Members of the Palestinian band Al-Ahd perform at the awards ceremony.

KUWAIT: Adnan Al-Rashed, Naeem Al-Astal, Sulaiman Al-Astal and other visitors at the ceremony

Informatics Award for King Abdulaziz City KUWAIT: Board of trustees of His Highness Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Informatics Award announced here yesterday granting its medal for this year to King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST).

The medal was granted to KACST due to major transformations it contributed in the fields of science and informatics, as well as fostering creativity and boosting development in Saudi Arabia and leads it to become a knowhow society through its 190 programs, a statement by the board said.

Founded in 1985, KACST is an independent scientific organization administratively reporting to the Prime Minister. KACST is both the Saudi Arabian national science agency and its national laboratories. The science agency function involves science and technology policy making, data collection, funding of external research, and services such as the patent office.

Its main responsibilities, among others, include proposing a national policy for the development of science and technology and develop strategies and plans necessary to

implement them, coordinating with government agencies, scientific institutions and research centers in the Kingdom to enhance research exchange information and expertise and conducting applied research and provide advice to the government on science and technology matters.

Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Informatics Award is an independent non-profit award that was founded by, with a support from, and under the patronage of the Natinal Guards Chief HH Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah in 2001, then it was expanded to include all Arab countries in 2007. —- KUNA

Car testing company inaugurated KUWAIT: A ceremony was held yesterday to celebrate the inauguration of the opening of Al-Dhaman Center for Technical Car Testing, a private company. This event was held in the presence of the Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs Brig Saleh Al-Najem and Assistant Directors Brigadier Ihsan Al-Awaish, Brigadier Mijhem Al-Sahli, Director of Al-Dhaman Center for

Technical Car Testing Abdullah Al-Ajmi and the Director of Vehicles Technical Testing Administration Brigadier Abdullah Al-Sinafi and traffic department directors Brig Al-Najem conveyed the best wishes of the Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affair Lt General Mahmoud AlDawseri. He said that the traffic department encourages any such activity which helps to develop technical testing.

Brigadier Al-Sanafi part concentrated on the importance of technical safety for the vehicle. Al-Dhaman Technical Center Director Abdullah Al-Ajmi expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the traffic department and the technical committee for their efforts and pointed out that special accredit equipment have been imported for car testing.

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

LOCAL Kuwait Digest

Environment al apathy

By Ahmad Al-Sarraf

I

believe that the environment issue doesn’t get the attention it deserves from the government, which explains why it’s deteriorating in the country.

MP Aseel Al-Awadhi made an inquiry regarding mismanagement in the Environment Public Authority (EPA) to the Chairman of the Supreme Council of Environment, the Minister of Defense Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah (I always thought it was quite absurd to have the top environmental body in the government assigned to the state’s defense minister).

This inquisition motivated me to contact the EPA chairman and inquire about the same allegations mentioned in Al-Awadhi’s questions. The chairman was traveling at that time, but he returned my call and agreed to meet with me. In the meantime, I was able to obtain a copy of the regulations that pertain to penalties against environmental violations.

After reading the list, I realized that the EPA needs a complete overhaul to address the various issues which we need to deal with in Kuwait.

For example, a chemical or a nuclear company would be required to pay a KD1,000 fine if they fail to build hazardous liquid waste treatment units.

Meanwhile, a company is fined only KD250 if they fail to install emission detectors, while a KD150 fine is listed as a penalty for companies that fail to build a separate painting room inside a factory or workshop.

This is only a sample of limited fines that a lot of companies would rather pay instead of spending thousands of dinars in buying and building environmental devices. I wrote this article before the release of the court order which found the employment decision of EPA chairman Dr Saleh AlMadhahi invalid owing to failure of meeting necessary conditions. I wonder who is going to solve these environmental problems, especially since the defense minister wouldn’t have time to focus on them.— Al-Qabas

Filipinos in Kuwait thrilled to call John Paul a ‘blessed’ Millions witness beatification ceremony

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: Filipinos in Kuwait were delighted to witness the beatification of late John Paul II yesterday at the Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City.

The beatification ceremony was witnessed by millions of people around the world, especially in the Philippines, where over 95 percent of its 92 million population follow the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

The beatification became possible after the Vatican confirmed a miracle attributed to John Paul’s intercession the unexplained healing of a French nun, Marie Simon-Pierre, from Parkinson’s Disease. But the church has to certify a second miracle before Pope John Paul can be declared a saint. Epifanio Santiago, 62, from Conception Tarlac, shared his personal devotion to Pope John Paul II via telephone from Mina Abdullah area where he works as an Equipment Engineering supervisor. “I was really moved when I heard that he is now just a step away from becoming a saint. I was eagerly waiting for it,” he told Kuwait Times.

“Even when he was alive, I considered him a living saint. Every time I came across his pictures, I bowed my head before him and prayed. I have a large collection of Pope John Paul II’s photos and most of them are pictures when he visited the Philippines. I am the happiest person to hear about his beatification,” he ecstatically shared .

“In my old age now, I am still very energetic. I know that God is protecting me and my devotion to John Paul is something extraordinary that I want to share with the rest of the world; especially the way I get this extra strength just by looking at his picture,” he added. Father Fred Micua, Filipino Parish Priest at Ahmadi’s Our Lady of Arabia Church recalled his first meeting with John Paul at the Vatican. “I

Fausti gun firm looking to succeed in Kuwaiti market

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The direc tor of Fausti Shotguns, one of the firms that participated in the just-concluded Hunting and Shooting Exhibition, told the Kuwait Times yesterday that the company founder, her father Stefano Fausti, had always wanted to have a boy since he was afraid that a woman wouldn’t be able to work in the shotgun business. Barbara Fausti, who’s gone on with her sisters to prove her father’s doubts wholly unfounded, explained that her Italian father set up the firm in 1948 and worked hard to ensure that his three daughters received the best possible firearms training, always involving them in the family business.

Speaking on the last day of the exhibition at the Mishref Fairground, Fausti said that whilst the people of the Middle East may not be familiar with the Fausti brand, she has found them extremely friendly, knowledgeable and appreciative of high-quality products.

Saying that she is greatly looking for ward to the company ’s having greater success in the Kuwaiti market,

Barbara Fausti

Fausti also thanked the sponsor of the exhibition, Sheikh Salman Sabah AlSabah, who is the president of the Kuwaiti and Asian Shooting Sports Federation and Vice-President of the I nternational Shooting Spor ts Federation, for inviting the company to take part in the event.

KUWAIT: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah left here for Riyadh to attend an extraordinary GCC ministerial meeting on Yemen. Once the 35th GCC ministerial meeting is over, Sheikh Mohammad will then fly to Abu Dhabi to participate in a GCC-Chinese strategic dialogue meeting.

Dissolution acceptable price for cabinet change, says MP KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti MP claimed on Saturday that “certain parties” in the country are seeking parliamentary dissolution, which he said would be acceptable “as long as it serves as the price to change the cabinet.” MP Mubarak Al-Waalan also accused the country’s government of deliberately obstructing parliamentary sessions “because the cabinet seeks to subvert the constitution.”

Although the cabinet should “respect the legislative authority,” said Al-Waalan, he was pessimistic of this occurring “because the cabinet of yesterday is the same as the cabi-

net of tomorrow.” Whilst he is supportive of constitutional amendments, said the MP, these could be “a setback if taken by the current cabinet in light of the current parliamentary lineup.”

Al-Waalan praised the parliamentary coalition of anti-government MPs, saying that it is “increasing in numbers through drawing more supporters from the pro-government majority,” which he supported by indicating the increased number of votes in favor of the last no-confidence motion against the premier, when 22 voted for the motion. — Al-Rai

MANILA: A Filipino woman prays in front of a picture of the late Pope John Paul II framed with a cloth taken from his cassock which he wore shortly before he passed away in 2005 as devotees line up to get a glimpse at a church in Manila yesterday. Filipinos who adored John Paul II celebrated his beatification with prayers and treasured mementos. The popular pontiff has a large following in this predominantly Roman Catholic nation.—AP only had one chance encounter with late Pope John Paul in Rome,” Micua recounted. “It was a very pleasing experience and I treasure it in my heart. I can attest to his holiness... he really exudes holiness and saintly charisma,” he reiterated.

Micua noted the warm embrace and fatherly approach of John Paul II when he was alive. “The love and gentle attitude of Pope John Paul II when he was alive was very evident. That is why Pope John Paul has a special place in the hearts of Filipino people,” he said. Asked if there are special masses held in the Catholic Church in Kuwait reserved or offered to John Paul II, he said “There are some special tributes and remembrances but not to the level of a saint; but we respect him

so much - especially after 27 years of service in the Holy Church,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI bestowed the status of “blessed” on John Paul II at the Vatican six years after his death.

John Paul’s papacy was a remarkable tenure, during which the Pope survived an assassination attempt in 1981. He also built ties with Judaism and Islam and apologized for the sins of the Catholic Church. John Paul was elected pope in 1978, becoming the first non-Italian pontiff in more than four centuries. He became known for his extensive foreign travel and succeeded in giving new strength to the church before he succumbed to illness. He died on April 2, 2005, in an acute case of Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 84 years.

Number of drug crimes increase in jail KUWAIT: The number of drug abuse cases registered in the Central Jail since the beginning of 2010 are 105, according to “confidential statistics” that a local daily claims to have obtained from the Public Prosecution. A total of 43 of those cases are filed against unknown suspects which indicate that the drugs were discovered outside the prison cells.

Sources who are quoted in the report as speaking on condition of anonymity wondered how drugs can make their way into the Central Jail past all security measures, including surveillance cameras and 24hours-a-day security.

And while numbers don’t lie, the same sources admitted that the data proves that there are drug addicts and dealers inside the Central Jail.

“Investigations revealed that some drug addicts receive enough experience in detention and this enables them to become drug dealers after they finish serving their time”. They also added that there have been cases of inmates who became drug addicts and dealers even though they were apprehended in cases unrelated to drugs. In addition, the sources warned that there are drug dealers who run their operations outside through their cells. The sources also revealed that 100 cell phones were found with inmates during a single inspection operation and that phones are sold at a price of KD1,000 to inmates, while SIM cards are sold at KD500. — Al-Qabas

Mutairi blames Safar, Subaih for foul food KUWAIT: The Municipal Council member, Faraz Al-Mutairi said that the foul meat issue has become the trump card used by the minster and the director of Kuwait municipality. He added that such inedible items had existed earlier and that the minister was just wasting his time. “Where are the tons of foul meat you have been confiscating and how did you destroy them?”, asked Al-Mutairi expressing doubts that municipality officials had ever destroyed the meat.

He also highlighted that such meat should be disposed off hygienically and added that the importers of such meat should be dealt with harshly instead of just fining them a few dinars each time. — Al-Jarida

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Years

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

local kuwait digest

SABR aspirations

MP demands severing of ties after Iranian military chief’s statement True colonial ambitions of Iran revealed

By Mohammed Al-Washaihi

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’ve always been asked why I haven’t been imprisoned so far. My answer is that I’m like a movie star in an Indian movie who can jump from a horse to a boat to save his beloved, then bounce up to grasp a helicopter flown by the gang leader (who trades in children, foul food and launders money) before I shoot a bullet backwards without looking back to cut a rope by which my friend was about to be hung. The gang besieges me and starts shooting as I escape without being hit. They shoot hundreds of bullets; one hits a vase smashing it and scattering flowers all around, another hits a table plate, a third hits a water pipe and water immediately splashes flooding the street and another and another. Thousands of bullets land near my feet without hitting me. On the other hand, I only fire three shots which hit them correctly without any problem to me - except that my hair gets messed and falls and covers my eyes!

However, today after my friend Soud Al-Asfour and I decided to launch our SABR webpage (blog), I thought my movie would end catastrophically and those bullets would hit me. I also believe we will surely be imprisoned at some point in time. In addition, an e-publishing law quickly might come into existence to get us imprisoned only to please someone.

I will not go to jail before Soud, though. My father had once written a poem about the rights of a friend in which he stressed that if a friend wishes to climb something, one should carry him on his shoulder to do so; if he wishes to walk a step ahead, one should slow down and so on as long as this friend was worth it. My friend Soud is the best which is why I intend to slow down on our way to prison.

Journalism is an incurable disease. It is a tempting meal that one can never get enough of; our website might witness the death of our Indian movie star or his survival with some bullet wounds to his legs and thighs.

In the meanwhile, I did not have a chance to watch the wedding of the century but I read that the bride, Kate, refused to take the church’s oath which compel her to completely obey her husband as she believes that all arguments should be solved through dialogue and mutual respect. That was exactly what her late mother in law, Diana Spencer did, which made millions praise her.

However, whether she obeys her husband, washes his feet or beats him, that is too personal and I’m not paparazzi to be interested in it. What matters to me is that she refused to take the oath as she truly respects her obligations. This makes me wonder why our MPs and ministers don’t refuse taking the oath as long as they are eager to ‘loot’. Ladies and gentlemen, no oaths anymore! Take my advice and just loot us bluntly! —Al-Jarida

KUWAIT: Islamist MP Walid Al-Tabtabae yesterday called for “severing diplomatic ties with Iran.” The MP was responding to remarks made earlier by the Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Gen Hassan Firouzabadi, who, according to Iranian media, claimed that “the (Arabian) Gulf has always belonged to Iran”. “[Gen Firouzabadi’s] statements reveal the true colonial ambitions of Iran in the Arabian Gulf region”, insisted AlTabtabae, adding that the Iranian military chief ’s statements “are the most serious comments to be made by Iranian officials” to date.

An official from Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) was also quoted as questioning Gen. Firouzabadi’s “unreasonable statements,” saying, “We seek calm while they [the Iranian leadership] clearly seek escalation.”.

Responding to Gen Firouzabadi’s statement, a senior Kuwaiti military said that Kuwait and the other Gulf states seek only peace and stability in the Gulf region and the rest of the world. “Our states are exerting their best efforts to ensure the stability of the Gulf states and to make them as secure as possible,” the official stressed.

On Gen Firouzabadi’s remarks about “Arab dictatorial regimes,” the senior official asser ted that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states had never been enemies to any other nations, asking when they had become enemies with Iran.

“Where are the Arab dictatorships which the Iranian Chief of Staff talked about?” the Kuwaiti official asked.

In response to Gen Firouzabadi’s contentious assertion that “the Persian Gulf has belonged to Iran forever,” the Kuwaiti official insisted, “Our Gulf is Arabian and so it will remain. We don’t care about any other talk.”

Meanwhile, a diplomatic insider suggested that the Iranian military chief’s statement was simply political gamesmanship rather than a demonstration of any actual escalation of hostilities on the part of the Iranian government.

The diplomatic official stressed that the Arab nations in the Gulf region do not accept any behavior which does not serve peace and stability.

In related news, MoFA Undersecretar y Khalid Al-Jarallah announced on Saturday that Kuwait’s Ambassador to Bhutan, Numair Al-

Quraini, has been recalled following accusations by another Islamist lawmaker, Mohammad Hayef, that the ambassador had been “showing support for [Iranian] interference in the Kingdom of Bahrain”.

Hayef, who along with Al-Tabtabae, is considered amongst the fiercest critics of Iranian policy in the Kuwaiti parliament, has demanded that the foreign ministry take action against what he said were statements on Ambassador Quraini’s Facebook page, which the MP claimed “support Iran’s interference pushing for a coup against the ruling system in Bahrain.”

The MP also demanded that the ambassador be immediately relieved of his duties “after showing an opposite stance to the official stance of Kuwait, which is consistent with the collective GCC one.”

Another MP, Development and Reform Bloc (DRB) member Falah AlSawagh, insisted that the Iranian military chief’s statement had shown overt hostility to the GCC member states. The MP further asserted that this was all part of an Iranian plan to exploit recent unrest in Bahrain and the arrest of members of a sleeper cell of Iranian spies in Kuwait, adding, “We should deal seriously with such statements.”

On another issue, Shiite MP Hussein Al-Qallaf has reportedly received death threats for supporting the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad, which is accused of brutally suppressing protests by demonstrators seeking reform in the Arab republic.According to credible sources, Al-Qallaf told local authorities that he has received threatening phone calls and text messages from Kuwaitbased numbers, demanding that he “shut up” in his support for Assad’s government. Fellow Shiite lawmakers Faisal Al-Duwaisan, Adnan Al-Mutawa and Maasouma Al-Mubarak condemned this “serious development,” calling for immediate action to ensure Al-Qallaf’s safety.

In another statement issued on Saturday, meanwhile, MP Al-Tabtabae expressed his backing for the Syrian protesters, calling for “financial support for revolutions that bother Iran”, and specifically citing the demonstrations against the rule of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad “who allowed Syria to become a suitable ground for Iran’s hostile plans.” — Agencies

Seminar on administration crisis held

Accidents deaths Twenty-nine people - 16 Kuwaitis and 13 expatriates died in road accidents last month in Kuwait, according to the Ministry of Interior ’s monthly report. The MoI expressed deep sorrow at the unexpected rise in the number of road deaths, urging drivers to take extra care and comply with traffic rules and regulations in order to ensure greater safety for themselves and other road users.

presenters like Muhammad AlMo’amen.

The minister lauded the radio station, saying that Kuwait Radio has kept up with the rapidly developing nature of contemporary media through constantly striving to maintain the highest standards in order to remain at the technological forefront.

During the celebratory event, the minister also helped to formally launch Kuwait’s newest radio station, ‘Huna Al-Kuwait’ (Here’s Kuwait), with his voice being amongst the first to be heard on the new station, along with pioneering presenters, including Amal Abdullah and Majid Al-Shatti. — KUNA

local providers for a number of years, said an insider, with MoC officials awaiting the formal announcement of the new communications minister ’s appointment in order to ensure that the price reductions can be agreed upon as soon as possible in order to revive the local internet market. — Al-Jarida

Municipality confiscates 15 tons of pest-infested cashews

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Five hurt in road accidents

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior has requested all citizens and expatriate residents to cooperate with security officers regarding any information they might possess about the Central Prison fugitive, GCC national Ayyad Awwad AlRasheedi. The ministry has asked anyone who has any information to call their local police station or flag down a patrol vehicle, or phone the emergency services number, 112.

KUWAIT: Kuwait ’s Minister of Information, Sheik h Ahmad AlAbdullah Al-Sabah, stressed yesterday that the ministry has no intention of privatizing the state radio station Kuwait Radio, which he called “a governmental monument and mouthpiece.”

At a ceremony hosted by the station to mark its sixtieth anniversary, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah, who is also minister of oil, praised the role of Kuwait Radio’s employees over the years, including the late announcer Mubarak Al-Mayyal, who was the very first voice heard on the national station, as well as other well-known

KUWAIT: The Ministr y of Communications (MoC) is reportedly awaiting the official announcement of the new cabinet to begin work on introducing reductions in prices for internet services.

The issue of reducing prices for these services has been under discussion with

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Army, represented by Air Defense Brigade, celebrated yesterday the conclusion of training programs and events. This year’s training programs witnessed a demonstration that was carried out by the (Sky Guard) missile brigade system. The closing ceremony was held under the auspices of Chief of General Staff of the Army Lt Gen Ahmed Khaled Al-Sabah. The ceremony honored those who have passed the training courses on equipment and units of the brigade air defense.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

Govt has no intention of privatizing Kuwait Radio: Minister

MOC awaits new cabinet to reduce Internet prices

KUWAIT: National Security College, represented in the Strategic Studies Institute held a seminar titled ‘Administration Crisis and Dealing with Catastrophes’ on April 27 and 28 at the Marina hotel. The seminar was held at the instructions of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hmoud Al-Jaber AlSabah’s Assistant Undersecretary General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Nawaf, and in the presence of the General Director of National Security Director Lt General Mohammad Rafie AlDeehani.

The seminar focused on several subjects and the speakers were Retired Lt General Dr Saud Ben Siraj Abed, the Head of the Department of Strategic Studies at Arabian Neyef University for Security Science. He spoke on the concept of crisis administration, its relation to the Arab world and reasons and causes apart from dangers.

Many members from the Ministry of Interior participated in the seminar: Lt General Jassem Al-Failakawi and Brigadiers Abdul Lateef Al-Wahaib, Bader Al-Najjar, Zuhair Al-Nasrullah Fawzi Suwailem, Asad Al-Rumaih Saleh Budastour, Fuad Al-Athari, Fahad Al-Shuwai and Colonel Falah Al-Mutairi. At the end of the seminar, diplomas and memorial shields were distributed to the participants.

Info wanted on fugitive

KUWAIT: Information Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah pictured during the ceremony.

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti man was rushed to Farwaniya Hospital after sustaining multiple injuries when his vehicle overturned on the Seventh Ring Road just before the Miqwaa Bridge.

In a separate incident, a 26-year-old Egyptian man suffered an open wound to one knee when his motorcycle overturned, throwing him into the road, between Farwaniya and Omariya. He was taken to Farwaniya Hospital.

In another accident, an 18-year-old Kuwaiti man suffered cuts to the tongue and heavy bruising all over, whilst a 21-year-old male compatriot sustained an injury to his right knee, in a crash on the Second Ring Road. Both were taken to Amiri Hospital.

In a fourth incident, an 18-year-old Kuwaiti man was taken to Jahra Hospital after suffering lacerations to

the scalp in a collision in the Saad AlAbdullah area.

Zahra suicide An Indian woman, whose age was unknown at the time of going to press, committed suicide by hanging herself in a home in Zahra. The body was removed for autopsy.

Motorist shot Police are hunting for the gunman who shot and injured a 24-year-old Egyptian motorist on King Fahad Road just after the Ahmadi Bridge. The wounded man was rushed to Adan Hospital.

Drunk detained An unidentified man was taken into police custody after officers found him in a drunken condition in a street in Hawally.

KUWAIT: The municipality’s food inspection team has confiscated 15 tons of cashew nuts unfit for human consumption from a s tora g e warehou s e in Shuwaikh’s industrial zone.

Istiqlal Al-Musallam, the director of the mu nicipa lit y ’s impor ted foods depar tment, revealed that the entire shipment of nuts stored at the ware house was infested with insects, adding

that the warehouse owner had been given the option of either having the shipment destroyed or re-exporting it to the cou ntr y of origin within the three month grace period allowed for such violations.

The head of the municipality’s monitoring and inspection department, Ahmad AlAttar, also revealed that the inspection team also confiscated 2.6 kilograms of guava and Raihan leaves and other herbs from the same storage facility.

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CBK ‘Amateurs Exhibition’ proves popular KUWAIT: The Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK) held its ‘8th Amateurs Exhibition’ from April 28-30 at Qurtuba’s Salem Al-Ali Hall.

The event was held under the patronage of Sheikha Noof Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah, the head of the bank’s advertizing and PR Department, who inaugurated the Exhibition last Thursday. The event was also attended by high-level CBK officials, includ-

ing chairman Ali Al-Awadhi and the advertising and PR department’s executive officer Amani Al-Werae, along with other senior bank personnel.

Fifty participants of CBK employees and their families participated in the exhibition, which showcased various handicraft items designed and made by the multi-skilled bank staff in their free time. Many of the

Fall in food violations thanks to municipality campaigns KUWAIT: A significant decline has been registered in the number of food violations recorded in Kuwait thanks to the measures taken by the municipality, said a senior official yesterday. Istiqlal Al-Musallem, the director of the municipality’s imported foods department, said that the extensive series of inspection campaigns in local food warehouses and outlets conducted by municipality staff was the principal reason for the decline in foodstuff-related violations.

Al-Musallem revealed that municipality inspectors recently found 15 tons of nuts past their expiry date in one food warehouse in Shuwaik h alone. Food retailers responsible for these violations are given a grace period of three months in which they can either destroy the goods in question or re-export them back to their country of origin, she explained.

The senior municipalit y official

stressed the importance of spreading awareness amongst food retailers of the need to ensure that all their goods are fit for human consumption and have been approved for sale by the country’s specialist laboratories before putting them on sale.

Another senior municipality official, Ahmad Al-Attar, revealed that inspectors with the municipality have confiscated a total of 2.6 tons of food unfit for human consumption from local retailers and merchants since February of this year.

The violations registered by the municipality against those responsible include dealing in expired foodstuffs, operating storage warehouses without official permission from the municipality and failure to comply with general hygiene rules, Al-Attar explained.

He also praised the efforts exerted by the municipality inspection teams across the country. —KUNA

Defense Ministry cancels freighters deal KUWAIT: The Ministry of Defense (MoD) has reportedly canceled a controversial cargo airplanes deal after the other party demanded the finalization of the agreement before May 1. According to a news report, the MoD explained that they are committed to constitutional procedures that include taking permission from local monitoring institutions before going ahead with the deal. The ministry decided to call off the deal after the company insisted on the May 1 deadline.

A committee has been formed to investigate claims that individuals stood to benefit from the deal and the probe report is set to be released soon. It was suspected that the deal was forced on the ministry to pur-

chase two aircraft - despite a nonrequirement - which in turn would have lined a few pockets.

Meanwhile, a news report quoting sources close to the parliament’s public funds committee claimed that the mastermind behind the deal is a Ministry of Defense official, whose brother is one of the LoadAir owners.

The report also indicated that the panel’s investigations have revealed that the contract includes a stipulation by which the MoD were obliged to receive the two cargo planes from any part of the world regardless of their condition. This would have made them legally powerless to annul the contract if the freighters were not in a good state.

—Al-Jarida, Al-Rai

CSC rejects bedoon imams proposal KUWAIT: The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has rejected a proposal from the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (MAIA) to recruit bedoon (stateless) residents as imams or muezzins (prayer- callers) for local mosques, according to a senior MAIA official.

I n a press release issued on Saturday, Walid Al-Shuwaib, the MAIA’s Assistant Undersecretary for Mosque Division Affairs, said that the CSC had not given a reason for its rejection of the proposal.

Al-Shuwaib confirmed that the min-

istry recently concluded its latest overseas recruitment drive, with the majority of the successful applicants from Yemen already arriving in Kuwait. He further revealed that the MAIA would begin testing local applicants for these positions from today (Monday), adding that the ministry has submitted a proposal to the CSC requesting approval for an additional annual sum of KD2.5 million to be added to its budget in order to pay accommodation allowances for expatriate imams.

—Al-Qabas

exhibitors and their family members wore traditional costumes for the event, with a diverse range of accessories and other goods on offer to satisfy the tastes of the many visitors.

Sheikha Noof said that the exhibition provided a great opportunity for CBK employees to meet outside the work environment and further strengthen their famil-

ial and social relations with one another.

“This exhibition also supports [the staff members’] artistic and cultural talents and helps to improve them,” she said in her inaugural speech, further explaining that the event formed “a part of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility program.”

Al-Werae, who also delivered a speech during the opening ceremony, said that the

fact that this is the eighth year in which CBK has staged the exhibition demonstrates the great success the event has enjoyed.

“We received numerous applications from CBK clients and others to participate in our ‘Amateurs’ Exhibition,’ she revealed, adding, “This shows that the success of the exhibition reaches beyond the bank and its staff.”

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

LOCAL

Central Prison inmate escapes during break Two Kuwaitis injured in fight KUWAIT: An investigation has been launched into the escape of a Central Prison inmate, who managed to squeeze through a break in a chain-link fence at the prison during a break period whilst guards’ attention was distracted. The prisoner, a GCC national who had been held for two weeks in a drug-related case, was supposed to meet with other inmates during the Friday prayer break. Instead, he was squeezed through the small gap in the fence between Block 6 of the prison and the prison mosque. From there he climbed to the roof of the single-storey building and crawled 500 meters towards a building under construction. From there, he simply lifted a corrugated iron barrier, walked under it and escaped to a waiting car. The breakout was discovered a short time later while the guards were checking the inmates on their way back from prayers. The prisoners were immediately questioned about their fellow inmate’s escape, and sniffer dogs were brought in to track the route taken by the escapee, whilst CCTV cameras showed him crossing the roof during his flight. A hunt is underway for the fugitive.

KUWAIT: Opening of an art exhibition by Abdullah Al-Zaid yesterday.

Kuwait needs galleries, museums for formative artists’ work KUWAIT: Kuwaiti formative artist Abdullah Al-Zaid yesterday called for the establishment of museums and art galleries in Kuwait to showcase the work of the country’s formative artists past, present and future.

Al-Zaid said that at present, due to the small number of galleries and other suitable public spaces, Kuwaiti formative artists can’t publicly exhibit their paintings for more than one week.

The country’s art bodies, such as the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) and the Kuwait Society for Formative Arts (KSFA) have only limited space in which to showcase artists’ work, he went on, adding that the weak support for formative artists from Kuwait’s public and private sectors has seen a steady decline in the number of artists working in the country. This compares poorly with countries such as the UAE, which offer tremendous support to the formative arts, hosting a large number of galleries, as well as regular auctions of Islamic antiquities, said Al-Zaid.

Formative art is practiced in Kuwait as a pastime, with very few professional artists working in the field full-time as in European countries, noted the artist, who has participated in numerous regional and international exhibitions over the past 12 years, exhbiting his work in locations as diverse as Tunisia, Berlin, Bahrain and Russia.

Al-Zaid, who won the Khalifa AlQattan creativity prize in 2008, also held solo exhibitions of his work in January, August and September of last year.— KUNA

Grenades found Police recovered three live hand grenades and 12 rounds of ammunition from their hiding place in a location behind a mosque in Omariya after a Kuwaiti citizen reported finding them there. An investigation is underway to find the person who hid the items there.

Bad cop caught A police officer was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, damaging property, assaulting fellow officers, resisting arrest and attacking police performing their duties. Security officers had headed to a location in Al-Daiya where an Arab man reported being verbally assaulted by a drunk driver, who also threw an empty liquor bottle at him, as well as intentionally smashing his car into other vehicles. The suspect was eventually caught in AlRumathiya following a hot pursuit, with officers recovering a bottle of liquor and a large amount of cash from his possession. The suspect violently resisted arrest, resulting in several officers sustaining light injuries whilst subduing him. On checking the man’s ID, it was discovered that he is a Lance Corporal with the Shuwaikh police force.

Drug busts Two young men were arrested

separately in drugs-related cases, with the first being found in possession of hashish during a routine stop-and-search by Ahmadi traffic police. In the second case, police conducting another routine stopand-search operation, this time by on King Fahad Motorway, recovered 16 narcotic tablets from the detainee. Both have been referred to the General Directorate for Drug Control (GDDC).

Porn peddlers Four Asian men were arrested in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh in possession of a large number of pornographic DVDs which they were selling in the area. The suspects were caught redhanded in a police ambush, with a security source estimating that officers recovered 12,000 DVDs from the men’s possession.

Paper assault Ahmadi police summoned a Kuwaiti man to the local police station after a paperboy there accused him of assault. The victim told officers that the man had physically assaulted him after the boy informed him that he should direct any complaints about irregular newspaper deliveries to the newspaper’s distribution department.

The man denied the charges, insisting that he had only told the paperboy that he should do his job properly.

Scrap thief Jahra police arrested a man who had been stealing spare car body parts from the local scrapyard and selling them to garage owners.

Police went to the scrapyard after a worker their caught the man trying to escape with a car part which he had stolen. The suspect, a GCC national, admitted during questioning that he had been responsible for the theft in question and for previous thefts there.

—Al-Rai, Al-Qabas, Al-Watan

Lulu Hypermarket unveils longest sandwich at fest

Important role for women in society KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Women’s Committee, a body affiliated to the Cabinet, stressed on women’s important role of serving and developing the society.

The committee recommended, at a seminar titled “Role of Kuwaiti Women in Development and Progress,” held late on Saturday, providing the women with educational opportunities, practical experience, sufficient health and education care as well as scientific expertise.

Salmiya brawl Two Kuwaiti men sustained serious stab wounds in a fight with three other men, who were allegedly drunk, with the brawl apparently beginning in Salmiya and ending at the side of the Fifth Ring Road some distance away. Police quickly broke up the altercation, with one of the two injured men being rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of a local hospital in a comatose state, whilst the other was taken to the casualty ward. The three other men involved in the fight were taken into custody.

Police investigating the incident received differing accounts as to what had taken place from those involved and eyewitnesses.

According to one account, the brawl began after the three drunken men

began harassing two women accompanying the other two men whilst they were outside a building in Salmiya known to host illegal parties, resulting in a car chase and fight. In the other account, the drunks began harassing the two men whilst both groups were in their cars on a Salmiya Street, with both groups exchanging insults from their vehicles until one of the two Kuwaiti men hurled a heavy, unidentified object through a window of the other men’s vehicle, precipitating the fight. The investigation into the incident is continuing.

It stressed significance of granting residential care to women, removing all forms of discrimination, supporting women’s committees in the community to achieve their developmental and opportunities for volunteer work.

The commission illustrated the role of women in family and developing females’ skills intellectually and culturally, also expanding mechanism of communication between women and “other members of the

community.” Moreover, it advised strengthening joint GCC cooperation for the advancement of Gulf women as well as organizing conferences and seminars to exchange women’s experiences with other countries and to activate cooperation with Arab world. Also, the committee explained the vital role of communicating with the media to promote and enhance the women cultural and social roles, namely the service of family. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Lulu Hypermarket, the largest retail and lifestyle shopping destination in Kuwait, launched the grand Food Festival 2011, at their Al-Rai and Al-Qurain outlets on April 25. The 18-day festival, which draws to a close on May 12, has so far seen a huge flow of customers thronging both venues.

While the inauguration ceremony was marked by the cutting of an enormous, record-breaking 22meter cake, the chefs at Lulu Hypermarket recently displayed further culinary dexterity by creating the longest sandwich. The 25meter long smoked turkey sandwich, which was unveiled at the AlQurain branch, provided a visual extravaganza that and turned out to be a gastronomic delight when it was cut and shared among cus-

tomers. Customers at Lulu Hypermarket have expressed their eagerness to participate in the various attractive promotions and

exciting competitions arranged by them as a part of the food festival that celebrates great culinary specialties from around the globe.

Kuwait to host 8th Future Forum in November KUWAIT: Kuwait will host the ministerial meeting of the Eighth Future Forum in November, which is set to discuss crucial issues, including strengthening democracy and combating corruption, said a foreign ministry official yesterday.

Ambassador Jassem Al-Mubaraki, the director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MoFA) international organizations department, said that the

upcoming meeting, to be co-chaired

by Kuwait and France, would involve representatives from the G-8 member states, as well as from 22 Middle Eastern and North African countries.

The forum is a significant political event, held regularly in the Middle East with the participation of government representatives from the G-8, Middle Eastern and North African countries, as well as representatives

of the civil community and the private sector.

The event aims to promote an atmosphere of free, candid and comprehensive dialogue, which is designed to enhance women’s social role, promote education and civil associations’ involvement in development, and support the integration of modern economies with adequate capacity into the world economy.

It’s also designed to create a partnership and work framework at the ministerial level to hold dialogue among the eight industrial nations, Middle Eastern countries and business leaders.

Elaborating further, Ambassador Al-Mubaraki stated that the forthcoming forum would be co-chaired

by Kuwait and France, along with the attendance of delegations represent-

ing the G-8 nations-France, Canada, the US, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the UK-in addition to Middle Eastern and North African countries, including Kuwait, Afghanistan, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Bahrain, Egypt, the UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iran, Yemen, Sudan and Mauritania.

A preparatory meeting will be held

in France on October 5 and 6, said the senior diplomatic official. The forum will be also preceded by three workshops, with one to be held in Kuwait, entitled “Equality between the two genders,” on May 4 and 5, another, entitled in France, under the title “Economic Dimensions,” on June 6 and 7, and the third, titled “Education and the internet,” venue of which has not been set yet. —KUNA

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

Iranian commander warns Saudi of domestic unrest Page 8

Copter carrying Indian Chief Minister vanishes Page 11

Syrian troops shell restive city Sweeping arrests in Daraa

HAMA AL-SHMISIA: Photo shows the funeral procession of Nidal Habib in the village of Hama Al-Shmisia, north of the capital Damascus. Habib was killed following days of unrest between government troops and protesters calling for an end to the regime of President Bashar Al-Assad.— AFP

CAIRO: Syrian army tanks shelled the old quarter of a city at the heart of the country’s six-week-old uprising yesterday and rolled in more reinforcements to the area, which has been under siege for nearly a week, said an eyewitness. Residents appeared to remain defiant: Unable to leave their homes, they chanted “God is Great!” to each other from their windows, infuriating security forces and raising each other’s spirits. “Our houses are close to each other, so even though we can’t go outside, we stand by the windows and chant,” said a Daraa resident, speaking to The Associated Press by satellite phone. “Our neighbors can hear us and they respond.” Daraa has been without water, fuel or electricity since last Monday, when the regime sent in troops backed by tanks and snipers to crush protests seeking an end to President Bashar Assad’s authoritarian rule. Tanks and armored personal vehicles have cut off neighborhoods, and snipers nesting on rooftops throughout the city have kept residents pinned in their homes. Other areas of the country also have come under military control, but Daraa has faced the most serious stranglehold.

The death toll has soared to 535 nationwide from government forces firing on demonstrators - action that has drawn international condemnation and US financial penalties on top figures in his regime. Tanks fired shells into the heart of Daraa’s ancient Roman quarter yesterday, said a resident who lives on the outskirts of the city. He said he could identify the weaponry because he was a former soldier. Men were for-

bidden to leave their homes but women were allowed out in the early morning to search for bread, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear that Syrian forces would identify him. The witness’ accounts could not be independently verified. Syria has banned nearly all foreign media and restricted access to trouble spots, making it almost impossible to confirm the dramatic events shaking one of the most authoritarian regimes in the Arab world. In addition to the military siege, security forces continued their arrest campaign of activists and suspected demonstrators, said Damascus-based activist Razan Zaitouneh, who is in hiding with her husband. “They want to paralyze the (protest) movement,” Zaitouneh said yesterday. Zaitouneh said security forces arrested her husband’s 20year-old brother to pressure the couple to turn themselves in. She said the arrest happened on Saturday afternoon after the young man was checking on their house in Damascus.

“He called us saying they (security forces) are banging heavily on the door. He was terribly frightened and he said they would rip off the door,” Zaitouneh said. An hour later, Zaitouneh said the young man called them again, clearly shaken.

“He said: come, I want to see you - it was clear he was under pressure to talk to us,” she said. They have not been able to contact the young man since. On Saturday, Syrian troops killed four people while storming a mosque that became a focal point for protesters in Daraa, and security forces in Damascus kept dozens of

women from marching on parliament to urge Assad to end his crackdown on the uprising.

The military raid on the Omari mosque in Daraa came a day after 65 people were killed - most of them in Daraa, a southern city near the border with Jordan. Friday was the second deadliest day since the uprising began in mid-March in Daraa, kicked off by the arrest of a group of teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a wall. The protest movement quickly spread nationwide and is now posing the gravest threat to the 40-year ruling dynasty of the Assad family. The president has responded with overtures of reform coupled with a brutal crackdown - although in the past week, the regime has intensified its attempts to crush the revolt by force. On Saturday, Syrian Prime Minister Adel Safar said the government is preparing a “comprehensive plan for the aspired reforms” in the coming weeks “in response to the citizens’ demands and needs.” But previous overtures have failed to dampen the protesters, who are now seeking Assad’s ouster. The mounting death toll has served to embolden the movement, which at first appeared only to be demanding reforms.

Heaping further punishment on relatives of those killed Friday, they were told to hold small funerals with only family members invited, an activist said, in an apparent attempt to keep the services from turning into anti-Assad protests. Similar orders were given last week, but most people did not follow them, said the activist, Ammar Qurabi, who heads the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria. The Obama administration imposed financial penalties on three top Syrian officials, including Assad’s brother, Maher, as well as Syria’s intelligence agency and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard over the crackdown. The unrest in Syria - one of the most repressive and tightly controlled countries in the Middle East - has repercussions far beyond its borders because of the country’s alliances with militant groups like Lebanon’s Hezbollah and with Shiite powerhouse Iran.— AP

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Israel halts cash to Palestinians after Hamas deal JERUSALEM: Israel has suspended tax transfers to the Palestinians, its finance minister said yesterday, fearing the money will be used to fund Hamas after President Mahmoud Abbas struck a unity deal with the Islamists. The Palestinian Authority (PA), led by US-backed Abbas, asked foreign powers to stop Israel from blocking the transfers, which make up 70 percent of its revenues. A senior Palestinian official said Israel, by its action, had “started a war”.

Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said he had suspended a routine handover of 300 million shekels ($88 million) in customs and other levies that Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinians under interim peace deals. In an interview on Army Radio, Steinitz said Israel feared the money would go to fund Hamas, an Islamist militant group that runs the Gaza Strip and whose charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. Israel had threatened sanctions last week in response to Abbas’s surprise announcement of a unity deal with Hamas that envisages the formation of an interim government and elections later this year.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the PA was “in contact with all international influential forces and parties to stop Israel from taking these measures”, the official WAFA news agency reported.

“Threats ... will not deter us from concluding our reconciliation process. It is our policy and we must work harder to end our divisions as soon as possible,” added Fayyad. The PA is also heavily dependent on aid from donors including the United States, which has said its future assistance will depend on the

shape of a new Palestinian government, expected to be formed under the unity agreement.

In public remarks to the Israeli cabinet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his opposi-

tion to the unity pact and said the reconciliation should worry “all those throughout the world” who aspire to Middle East peace. “Peace is possible only with those who want to live in peace with us, and not

WEST BANK: Palestinian security officers loyal to president Mahmoud Abbas march during a training session in the West Bank city of Jenin. — AP

with those who seek to destroy us,” said Netanyahu, who travels to Britain and France later this week for talks with their leaders. Palestinian leaders have been invited by Egypt to Cairo for a three-day ceremony starting today that will end with the signing of the unity agreement, Palestinian officials said.

Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah said it could take up to six weeks to form a new government. He said it would be made up of independents with no connection to Abbas’s Fatah movement or Hamas, and foreign states should have no reason to boycott it. Hamas is shunned by the West over its refusal to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept the interim peace accords.

US-backed Israeli-Palestinian talks on a permanent peace agreement were revived in September but quickly fizzled after Netanyahu refused to extend a limited building moratorium in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, territory Palestinians want as part of a future state. Abbas has said he would return to negotiations only if construction in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas Israel captured in a 1967 war, was halted. Netanyahu has said that is an unacceptable precondition for talks. The tax transfers provide the PA, which exercises limited selfrule in the West Bank, with $1 billion to $1.4 billion annually. Saeb Erekat, a senior Palestinian official, said that by withholding the money, “Israel has started a war even before the formation of the government”. Steinitz noted that Israel had held back tax revenues in the past, during a Palestinian uprising that began in 2000.— Reuters

Iran leader backs down on political challenge Ahmadinejad attends cabinet after boycott rumors

RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saudi Al-Faisal (left) speaks with Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad Al-Khalifa, before the Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council ‘GCC’ meeting in Riyadh yesterday. — AP

Iran’s commander warns Saudi of domestic unrest TEHRAN: One of Iran’s top military commanders warned Saudi Arabia yesterday that its decision to send forces to Bahrain to quell protests by Shiite Muslims would spark unrest at home, a semiofficial Iranian news agency reported. Gen Hasan Firouzabadi, head of Iran’s joint chiefs of staff, didn’t offer any evidence to back up his claim. But his comments reflected growing tension between Shiite-majority Iran and Sunni-dominated countries in the Gulf like Saudi Arabia.

Iran has repeatedly denounced Gulf leaders for dispatching a Saudi-led military force in March to prop up Bahrain’s Sunni monarchy and try to quell the protests by Shiites, who comprise 70 percent of the population but are excluded from key government and security posts. “Unfair and unIslamic moves will hurt the honor of Muslims in Saudi Arabia, and it will threaten the security of Saudi Arabia,” Firouzabadi

was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.

Firouzabadi, who is known for his antiSaudi rhetoric, also lashed out at the United States, claiming Washington was behind Riyadh’s move into Bahrain so that it could preserve an American naval base there. “Washington ordered Saudi Arabia as its mercenary to thwart the Bahrainis’ popular revolution so that the US can maintain its base,” Firouzabadi was reported as saying. Again, he offered no evidence to back up his claim. Firouzabadi lashed out at Arab countries on Saturday as well, according to the official IRNA news agency. “The Arab dictatorial regimes in the Arabian Gulf are unable to contain the popular uprisings,” he was reported as saying. “The dictators should relinquish power, end their savage crimes and let the people determine their own future instead of ... opening an unworkable front against Iran.”— AP

Moroccan forces offer glimpse of bomb site MARRAKECH: A messy heap of Moroccan pastries sit in a shattered glass display case.

Twisted nails, strips of clothing and mobile phone parts have been collected and placed in rows of jars. Tourist maps and a charred Douglas Adams’ novel lie in clear plastic evidence bags, while the walls and floors bear the blood stains and nail-sized scars of a bomb blast that took the lives of 16 people days earlier. Investigators hosted journalists Saturday at the devastated remains of the Marrakech cafe where a terrorist detonated a

MARRAKECH: A crater is seen on the floor of a terrace of an Argana Marrakech cafe where a terrorist set off a nail-packed bomb in the Moroccan city of Marrakech. — AP

bomb on Thursday, killing mostly Western tourists and injuring more than two dozen more. Seven French, two Moroccans, a Dutch and a Briton and at least one Canadian have so far been identified as being among the dead.

Officials are still working to determine the nationalities of some of the victims, and conflicting reports from the Canadian and Moroccan governments have suggested two Canadians may have been killed. The attack has shaken the relatively peaceful North African country, that drew nearly 10 million tourists last year to its sandy beaches, desert and mountain landscapes, and historic sites.

A visibly shaken King Mohammed VI earlier emerged from a long convoy of black Mercedes sedans to pay a somber visit to the scene, underscoring the importance of tourism to Morocco’s economy. It came just weeks after he promised constitutional reforms to shepherd in more democracy amid a push across the Arab world.

As thousands of people cheered and waved his portrait, or the Moroccan flags distributed before his arrival, he denounced Thursday’s attack as “cowardly” and “criminal,” saying it would “only strengthen the Moroccan people’s will to stand up to whoever might attempt to derail the model that has been chosen for democratic (reforms) and development.” He also visited Ibn Tofail hospital, where two Moroccans and five French are receiving treatment, state news agency MAP reported. Five others - two French, two Dutch and a Moroccan - are being cared for at a Marrakech military hospital.

The Swiss foreign ministry said Saturday that two Swiss residents who were in the cafe at the time of the blast - one of them a Swiss citizen, the other Portuguese - are also missing. The two men were traveling with two female Swiss tourists it had said were seriously injured in the explosion. —AP

TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended his first cabinet meeting for more than a week yesterday, dismissing rumors of a damaging split with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, news agencies reported. Ahmadinejad’s close relationship with Khamenei-the senior cleric who has the last word in the Islamic Republic’s affairs-was strained two weeks ago, according to some analysts, over the president’s attempt to sack his intelligence minister, a move vetoed by the supreme leader.

Since then Ahmadinejad has missed two cabinet meetingssomething some foreign analysts said was akin to a boycott.

Speculation began to circulate that Ahmadinejad no longer enjoyed the unqualified suppor t of Khamenei, something the government denied. Khamenei had endorsed his re-election in June 2009 in a vote the opposition said was rigged. The Tehran Stock Exchange lost 6 percent in value over the last three trading days due to the political uncertainty.

Without the supreme leader’s support, any Iranian president risks becoming a lame duck. Ahead of cabinet meeting, the head of national broadcaster IRIB told news agencies that Ahmadinejad would express his allegiance to Khamenei.

“His speech to the cabinet today will foil all the plots of the enemies of Islam and the revolution and will show that enemies of the Iranian nation are not able to comprehend his father-son relation with the revolution leader (Khamenei),” the semi-official Fars news quoted Ezatollah Zarghami as saying.

Some members of parliament had called on Saturday for a closed ses-

sion to discuss Ahmadinejad’s apparent refusal to attend his own cabinet meetings.

On the Tehran bourse, where traders are used to seeing steadily increasing prices, the broad share index fell 2.5 percent yesterday.

Shares on that index have lost some 6 percent in the last three session, bourse data showed.

“When the president is not around

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Bahraini chamber urges boycott of Iranian goods DUBAI: Bahrain’s chamber of commerce called on Gulf Arab nationals to boycott Iranian goods and halt financial transactions with Tehran, accusing it of interfering in the country’s affairs, state media said. Bahrain has blamed Iran for stoking Shiite-led protests calling for democratic reforms and an end to sectarian discrimination in the Sunni-led island kingdom. “A call has gone out today to boycott Iranian goods, in retaliation to Tehran’s flagrant interference in Bahrain’s internal affairs and non-respect of its independence and sovereignty,” Bahrain’s state news agency reported.

“Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also urged all Gulf Cooperation Council nationals to follow suit and boycott Iranian merchants,” it added. Bahrain mainly imports food, including dry fruits, from Iran. The Chamber of Commerce could not be reached for comment yesterday, a public holiday. Relations

between Shiite Iran and Gulf Arab states have nosedived since Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sent troops into Bahrain, where a Sunni-led monarchy rules over a Shiite majority, to quash the demonstrations.

The chamber called on all Bahraini traders, businessmen and companies to boycott Iranian goods and stop import-export dealings with Iranian counterparts, said the news agency. It called for an end to transactions with Iranian banks and financial institutions and said Gulf and Arab chambers and trade unions should issue similar calls, the agency added. Bahrain, a US ally that hosts Washington’s Fifth Fleet, last month ordered the expulsion of an Iranian diplomat for alleged links to a spy ring in fellow Gulf Arab state Kuwait. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said in the past Iran may take “retaliatory measures”. Demonstrators in Bahrain have denied any link with Iran.— Reuters

Israel worried by Egypt’s decision JERUSALEM: Israel is “worried” by Egypt’s plan to imminently reopen the Rafah border crossing into the Gaza Strip, Israeli vice prime minister Silvan Shalom said yesterday. His comments came as Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was considering sending an envoy to Cairo for talks with Egypt’s interim leadership.

Israel has reacted with consternation to Egypt’s announcement earlier this week that it planned to fully reopen the Rafah crossing, effectively ending its cooperation with an Israeli siege imposed on the coastal strip. “It’s a worrying development... The reopening of the Rafah crossing could allow the passage of arms and terrorists and we must prepare for important changes both in Egypt and at the regional level,” Shalom told public radio. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Nabil Al-Arabi announced on Friday that Cairo planned to open the crossing in the next “few days,” ending what he called his country’s “shameful” cooperation in keeping the crossing closed.

The decision was reportedly made as Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas met to agree a reconciliation deal in Cairo. Under a

2005 deal, following Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip, the crossing was to remain open with the supervision of European Union monitors. But it has remained largely shut since June 2006 when Israel imposed a tight blockade on Gaza after militants snatched Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is still being held. At present it is open irregularly and passage is available mostly for Palestinians who can prove humanitarian need.

Israeli officials have made clear their concern about the reopening, couching it in terms of what they call a worrying shift in policy in Cairo after the February overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak. Israel is “troubled by the development in Egypt, by the voices calling for the annulling of the peace treaty, by the rapprochement between Egypt and Iran, and by the warming of ties between Egypt and Hamas,” a senior official said on condition of anonymity. The Israeli concerns have prompted Netanyahu to consider dispatching his special adviser Yitzhak Molho to Cairo to meet senior Egyptian officials including Arabi, Haaretz daily reported yesterday.

Netanyahu’s spokesman Mark Regev refused on comment on the report.—AFP

it’s something natural in any country,” one share dealer told Reuters on condition of anonymity, saying people were concerned about Ahmadinejad “not going to work”.

Fars news agency said the share slide was due to “day to day political issues and some other issues”.

Rifts between factions in the conservative elite that runs the Islamic Republic have become more apparent since mass opposition protests against Ahmadinejad’s reelection were stamped out by the end of 2009.

The president has many critics on the right who accuse him of seeking more power for himself at the expense of other state bodies such as parliament. Many conservative clerics have also criticized his closest aide, Esfandiar RahimMashaie, for promoting an “Iranian school” of Islam, which they consider a dangerous nationalistic stance.

The jostling for influence is happening less than one year before a parliamentary election set to be a battle among fellow conservatives.

Leading reformist candidates are unlikely to be allowed to stand if they are deemed too close to the opposition “Green” movement, which the establishment considers to be part of a foreign-backed conspiracy to overthrow the Islamic system.— Reuters

News

in brief

Policeman kills wife, 3 kids AMARA: An Iraqi policeman was arrested yesterday after gunning down his wife and three toddlers in a fit of rage, claiming that the infants were “not my children,” police and a doctor said. Ghalib Hamish Noayim killed his family inside their home at around 5:00 am (0200 GMT) yesterday before walking to a nearby police station in the southern city of Amara, Maysan province, to turn himself in. “He told police when he was arrested, ‘Those children are not my children’,” said police First Lieutenant Ali Hussein. He did not immediately give further details on the case. A police official who did not want to be named said Noayim was in hysterics when he gave himself up. Saadun Al-Alak, a doctor at Amara’s Al-Sadr general hospital said.

Thief hanged in public TEHRAN: Iran has publicly hanged a man convicted of repeated armed robbery and fighting police in a village in the central province of Markazi, the hardline Kayhan newspaper reported yesterday. Provincial judiciary chief Hekmat Ali Mozaffari said the man, whose name was not given, was executed on Saturday in Mousa Abad village where he had operated an armed gang, the paper reported. The man was also found guilty of “Moharebe” (waging war against God) through armed resistance to the security forces, Mozaffari said. The offence is punishable by death under Iran’s penal code. The website of Markazi’s judiciary department meanwhile also reported the hangings of two men found guilty of drug trafficking in the province.

Iraq violent deaths fall BAGHDAD: The number of civilians and soldiers killed in Iraqi violence fell in April, official figures showed yesterday, although attacks continued against security forces ahead of the withdrawal of US troops. The Health Ministry said 120 civilians were killed in bombings and other attacks last month compared with 136 in March. Iraq’s security forces continue to battle a weakened but lethal insurgency eight years after the US-led invasion. While violence has dropped sharply from the height of sectarian warfare in 2006-7, bombings and attacks still occur daily. Insurgents have stepped up attacks against Iraq’s army and police in recent months, seeking to undermine faith in the government as US troops prepare to withdraw fully by the end of the year.

The Health Ministry said 190 civilians were wounded in April, down from 215 in March. Fifty-six police officers were killed in April, up from 55 in March, while 35 soldiers were killed in April, down from 56, according to figures from the interior and defense ministries.

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

i n t e r n at i o n a l

Ten nations urge new push for nuke non-proliferation

Hutu rebel leaders due in dock in Germany BERLIN: Two senior Rwandan Hutu rebel leaders go on trial Wednesday accused of masterminding from Germany atrocities in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In the dock in the southwestern German city of Stuttgart are Ignace Murwanashyaka, 47, the head of the “terrorist” Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), and his deputy Straton Musoni, 49.

Before their arrest in Germany in November 2009, the two ordered mass killings and rapes from Germany together with a third man living in France who has been extradited to the International Criminal Court (ICC), prosecutors say.

They will face 26 counts of crimes against humanity and 39 counts of war crimes committed by militias under their command between January 2008 and the date of their arrest. Those crimes’ foundation in international law dates back to the Nuremberg trials of top Nazis after World War II. The United Nations hailed the trial as a breakthrough after repeated calls by the Security Council to bring FDLR commanders living abroad to justice and to bar them from unleashing further violence in the strife-wracked eastern DRC. “ This cooperative burden-sharing in prosecuting individuals for serious international crimes will greatly advance the fight against impunity,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in January.

“Legal action against FDLR leaders also reinforces efforts to demobilize and repatriate FDLR fighters, which would significantly contribute to stabilizing the eastern DRC.” A resident of Germany for two decades, Murwanashyaka studied in the western city of Bonn and was afforded asylum, settling in Mannheim in the southwest. He is married to a German woman. Musoni, his right-hand man since 2004, has lived in Germany since 1994. Prosecutors say Murwananshyaka ordered around 200 killings and “large numbers” of rapes by his militias, had them use civilians as “human shields” and sent child soldiers into battle in eastern DRC. “I am the president and... the supreme commander” of the FDLR, “I know exactly what is happening” on the ground, he told German media in interviews in 2008 and 2009.

A UN report counted 240 telephone calls between Murwananshyaka, known

‘It is urgent to reduce the danger’

Rwandan Hutu rebel Ignace Murwanashyaka as the “The Doctor” for his PhD in economics, and his officers during the same period. A protege of former DRC president Laurent-Desire Kabila, Murwananshyaka also paid occasional visits to his troops in the country’s dense forests, according to the UN. At the time of their arrest, the rebel group said that the two were “in no way involved in the atrocities committed against civilians in eastern DRC,” calling their detention “unfair and unjustified.” The trial is to run until at least July.

The FDLR was created by the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, who fled to neighboring DRC after President Paul Kagame took power. Its around 5,000 Hutu fighters are seen as a major source of instability in Africa’s resource -rich Great Lakes region.

Kagame has criticized Western countries in the past for not doing enough to bring FDLR leaders to justice, and the UN mission in DRC, known as MONUSCO, has called on other countries to follow the example set by France and Germany.

Murwanashyaka, head of the FDLR since 2001, was among 15 people whose assets were frozen by the Security Council in 2005 on suspicion of involvement in war crimes. He had been arrested but later released in Germany in 2006 due to a lack of witnesses for the prosecution. Germany declined a request to extradite him to Rwanda in 2008 but later launched another inquiry. Prosecutors said they questioned witnesses in Africa “in very difficult conditions” with the aid of the UN and non-governmental organizations.— AFP

BERLIN: Japan, Canada, Australia, Germany and six other nations have urged other countries in the international community to renew efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear material. The goal of their initiative is to “work toward achieving nuclear disarmament and a strengthening of the international non-proliferation regime,” the foreign ministers of the 10 countries said in a joint statement Saturday.

The group said it is urgent to reduce the “danger to humanity posed by the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons” and to achieve tangible results on the path toward a world free of nuclear weapons.

The produc tion of fissile material for nuclear weapons should be banned internationally “to curb the risk of future nuclear arms races and reduce the danger of non-state actors getting such material into their hands,” the ministers said.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle also told journalists in Berlin that the group agrees that the international treaty banning nuclear tests should be swiftly adopted by all countries.

In addition, nuclear weapon states should show greater transparency regarding their arsenal, he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd lamented that one year after the latest review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, “we have seen very little practical work done.”

The treaty, which came into force in 1970, is one of the international community’s main set of rules regarding nuclear disarmament and the prevention of proliferation. There are 190 states who are par ty to the treaty, but four nations that are known or believed to possess nuclear weapons - India,

Weapons, politics sustain Ivory Coast’s new regime ABIDJAN: Despite winning presidential polls, Ivory Coast’s new leader Alassane Ouattara could take power only with the help of fighters of his Prime Minister Guillaume Soro, seen by analysts as the regime’s pillar. Soro’s fighters backing Ouattara launched an offensive to overthrow Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent leader who had refused to accept defeat by his rival in the November 28 presidential run-off. “Alassane Ouattara won the presidential election ... but he was made king by the weapons of Guillaume Soro and France,” said Antoine Glaser, a regional observer.

Pro-Ouattara forces, backed by United Nations and French troops, seized Gbagbo on April 11 from a bunker in the presidential residence where he had been holed up. The 38year-old Soro was the leader of the New Forces rebels who ruled the northern half of Ivory Coast when the country was split into two, with Gbagbo wielding authority in the south. Following a 2007 peace deal with the government, he become Gbagbo’s prime minister, but later switched allegiance to Ouattara whom he backed with his fighters, renamed Republican Forces of Ivory Coast (FRCI), to drive out Gbagbo. “Alassane Ouattara chose a combatant as prime minister to respond to Laurent Gbagbo’s forces,” said Gilles Yabi, the

International Crisis Group’s west Africa region chief. “The political and social forces that helped Ouattara win elections had to give way to military forces that helped him effectively take power,” added Yabi. Ouattara continues to rely on the FRCI to restore security in the country, notably in the main city of Abidjan where hardline pro-Gbabo fighters are still operating and refuse to lay down arms. However, the FRCI this week eliminated militia leader Ibrahim Coulibaly who had settled in Abidjan’s northern Abobo district with his men.

Coulibaly was killed days after Ouattara threatened to use force to disarm militia still active in the city. A former coup-leader, Coulibaly was also seen as a threat to the fledgling Ivory Coast government, especially being a longtime rival of Soro who ousted him as the leader of their rebel group which tried to topple Gbagbo in 2002.

“In the recent weeks it seemed like preparations were under way for the night of the long knives. Ibrahim Coulibaly had political ambitions, but he was mostly suspected of being behind an attack on Guillaume Soro’s plane in 2007,” Glaser added.

Almost three weeks after Gbagbo was captured, the new regime is yet to fully secure Abidjan, where normal life is creeping back after civil servants resumed work and public service being restored. “As long as the situa-

ABIDJAN: A militiaman loyal to deposed president Laurent Gbagbo holds a gun and a rosary during a ceremony of disarmament in Abidjan. Diehard fighters of Ivory Coast’s deposed president Laurent Gbagbo began surrendering arms yesterday to the forces of the country’s new government. — AFP tion doesn’t return to normal in Ivory Coast and as long as there is insecurity, Guillaume Soro, the prime minister and minister for defense, will be the country’s strongman,” added Glaser. “All depends on Alassane Ouattara’s capacity to make the institutions work and unify the army. The more the country stabilizes the more powerful Ouattara will be.”—AFP

Tension escalates as navies and pirates take off gloves NAIROBI: The response to Somali piracy had so far seen a relatively codified game of cat-and-mouse play out in the Indian Ocean, but experts fear a dangerous escalation is under way. After pirate attacks surged four years ago, naval missions deployed under European, US and NATO flags fanned out across the commercially crucial Gulf of Aden but piracy morphed and grew around the obstacle.

Now Somalia’s sea bandits hold some 40 vessels and 700 seafarers to ransom but observers fear the international community is still shunning more holistic remedies and simply doubling the dose of gunpowder.

“You cannot just send more war-

ships... Simply increasing the volume and the tone will not ensure sustainable success,” said Michael Frodl, founder and head of C-level maritime risks consultancy. While deadly incidents did occur in previous years, the scenario was well rehearsed and unwritten rules appeared to prevent an escalation.

But navies have in recent weeks appeared to adopt a more muscular approach.

Warships have in particular targeted mother ships-previously hijacked vessels on which the pirates can take shelter before launching their attack skiffs-retaking or disabling close to 10 in barely a month. “Things are changing and the situation is not good these

days,” Abdi Yare, a top pirate commander in Hobyo said. “Allied forces thwarted several hijacking attempts and dozens of pirates have been arrested while several were also killed in the past few weeks. The circumstances will lead us to change our tactics again,” he said.

Ecoterra International, an environmental and human rights NGO monitoring maritime activity in the region, deplored the rise of aggressive operations. “The main gamechanger is a willingness to choose attacking hostage ships, as manifested in the case of the Beluga Nomination,” against which failed raids by the Seychelles and NATO left three crewmen dead, Ecoterra said.— AFP

BERLIN: (From front left) Australia’s Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, United Arab Emirates’ counterpart Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Germany’s Guido Westerwelle and his Japanese counterpart Takeaki Matsumoto, walk to a news conference during a ministerial meeting of the cross-regional group on non-proliferation and disarmament at the Foreign Ministry’s Villa Borsig guest house in Berlin. —AP

Pakistan, North Korea and Israel - have not endorsed it. The Comprehensive Nuclear-TestBan Treaty, or CTBT, in turn, has been ratified by 153 nations, but it has not yet taken effec t because several key countries those listed above and others refuse to sign and ratify the treaty.

“We call on all states which have not yet done so to sign and ratify the CTBT,” the ministers in Berlin said. “We believe that an effective end to nuclear testing will enhance and not weaken our national as well as global security and would significantly bolster the global non-prolifera-

tion and disarmament regime,” the statement added. Finally, the ministers’ group stressed the important role played by the UN’s nuclear agency, the IAEA, in verifying countries’ compliance with their nuclear non-proliferation obligations, which should be further strengthened. Japan’s foreign minister said he had briefed the group on the progress made in securing the crippled Fukushima Dai- Chi nuclear facility.

“In the area of nuclear power, a consensus has been reached to fur ther strengthen safety measures,” Takeaki Matsumoto said through a translator.

Germany hosted the disarmament talks that were also attended by the foreign ministers from Chile, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, Poland and Turkey.

Mexican Foreign M inister Patricia Espinosa stressed the importance of the group of 10 nations stretching across continents and political blocks, saying their joint effort reflects “the importance of this issue that has a direct impact of the future of humanity.”

The group’s next meeting is planned on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in September.— AP

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

I N T E R N AT I O N A L

Middle East politics at play in passport dispute WASHINGTON: Menachem Zivotofsky was born in a Jerusalem hospital in 2002. Two months later, his mother showed up at the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, to get a passport for her infant son. Menachem’s parents, Ari and Naomi, were born in the United States so there was no question that he was American, too. But when the mother asked that her son’s passport show he was born in Israel, US State Department officials refused, citing

longstanding US policy to refrain from expressing an official view about Jerusalem’s status. Israel has proclaimed the once-divided city as its capital; the US and most nations do not recognize Jerusalem as the capital.

A lawsuit followed. The dispute over Menachem’s passport, a mix of the thorny politics of the Middle East and a fight between Congress and the president over primacy in foreign policy, has landed at the US Supreme Court.

The justices could say today whether they will hear the case. Had Menachem been born in Tel Aviv, the State Department would have issued a passport listing his place of birth as Israel. The regular practice for recording the birth of a US citizen abroad is to list the countr y where it occurred. But the department’s guide tells consular officials, “For a person born in Jerusalem, write Jerusalem as the place of birth

in the passpor t.” Ever since US President Harr y S Truman recognized Israel upon its declaration of nationhood in 1948, no president has accepted permanent Israeli rule of the entirety of Jerusalem.

I n 1995, Congress essentially adopted the Israeli position, saying the US should recognize a united Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Shortly before Menachem’s birth, lawmakers passed new provisions urging the

president to take steps to move the embassy to Jerusalem and allowing Americans born in Jerusalem to have their place of birth listed as Israel.

The measures were part of a large foreign affairs bill that President George W Bush signed into law. But even as he did so, Bush issued a signing statement in which he said that “US policy regarding Jerusalem has not changed.” The case is Zivotofsky v. Clinton, 10-699.—AP

Obama lampoons birth row US president draws laughs by turning the tables on Trump WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama told jokes at the expense of US real estate mogul Donald Trump on Saturday night, mocking his possible presidential ambitions in remarks at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. With Trump in the hotel ballroom audience of celebrities, politicians and journalists, Obama zeroed in on talk fueled

by Trump that the president was not US-born.

Obama on Wednesday released a longer version of his birth certificate to answer some Republicans including Trump who claim he was not native born and therefore ineligible to be presi-

a Democrat, is running for re-election next year.

“Donald Trump is here tonight. And I know that he’s taken some flak lately. But no one is happier, no one is prouder to put

fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell?

And where are Biggie and Tupac?” Obama added, drawing laughs and applause, Roswell refers to an incident in the vicin-

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, wave as they arrive for the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington on Saturday, April 30, 2011. —AP dent, and blasted “carnival barkers” who refuse to let the issue die.

Trump has seized on the issue while testing the waters for a possible 2012 run for the Republican presidential nomination. Obama,

this birth certificate matter to rest than ‘The Donald,’” Obama said, using Trump’s nickname.

“And that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter. Like, did we

it y of Roswell, New Mexico, where, according to some theories, an object that crashed in 1947 was an extra-terrestrial spacecraft carrying alien occupants. Biggie Smalls and Tupac

Shakur were rap stars whose deaths are the subject of continuing controversy.

Obama suggested that Trump’s biggest decisions typically involve the trademark firings he routinely carries out on his reality television show “Celebrity Apprentice” such as when he dumped actor Gary Busey. “These are the kinds of decisions that would keep me up at night,” Obama deadpanned. “Well handled, sir. Well handled.” Trump grinned, pursing his lips and looking uncomfortable. “I think we all know about your credentials and breadth of experience,” Obama said of Trump, drawing laughs.

“Say what you want about Mr. Trump,” the president added. “He certainly would bring change to the White House.”

Big video screens in the ballroom then flashed an image of what was labeled “Trump, The White House,” spoofing the famed businessman’s practice of naming buildings after himself. It portrayed a hotel-casino-golf course with bikini-clad girls frolicking in the fountain that adorns a White House lawn and gold columns substituted at the front for white ones. Trump has made a series of controversial comments as he mulls a presidential campaign and ripped Obama and other US political leaders in a profanitylaced speech in Las Vegas last week, calling them “stupid.” Also coming in for ribbing from Obama were Tim Pawlenty, Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman-all potential Republican challengers for the White House in 2012. —Reuters

CIUDAD JUAREZ: An arsenal containing grenades, grenade launchers, assault rifles and other high-powered weapons are stored inside a basement warehouse in the city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. —AP

Hidden arsenal in Ciudad Juarez CIUDAD JUAREZ: Mexican federal police said Saturday they discovered a basement arsenal hidden behind the mirrors of a home gym that included three antiaircraft guns, dozens of grenades, a grenade launcher, AK-47s and other high-powered weapons. The neatly ordered stockpile found in an upscale neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, also contained several makes of machine guns, rifles, a shotgun and more than 26,000 ammunition cartridges, according to Raul Avila Ibarra, the federal police commissioner in charge of the city. Police say they discovered the weapons Friday while searching a house near the USMexico border. Avila said the police acted on an anonymous tip that there were kidnapping victims in the house, but no one was found.

US ex-envoy to China mulls White House run WASHINGTON: Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, after not quite two years as US President Barack Obama’s ambassador to China, has returned home to weigh whether to seek the White House for himself in 2012. But analysts warn that the 51year-old former diplomat will likely struggle to win over fellow Republicans, notably the right-wing “Tea Party” movement built on anger at Obama and therefore suspicious of Huntsman’s conservative credentials. “It’s an uphill battle,” said Matt Dickinson, a political science professor at elite Middlebury College in Vermont.

Dickinson said Huntsman’s service as the top US diplomat in Beijing-a critical diplomatic post held by at least one future president, George Bush-would be a “big handicap” in primaries dominated by core Republican voters.

Huntsman may say “I held my nose, I did it for the good of the country, particularly because so much our economic well-being is tied up in our relationship with China,” the professor said. “Some people will buy it, I suspect a lot of people will not,” he said.

Obama has repeatedly spotlighted their relationship, vowing recently “to make sure that every primary voter knows it” and joking at Huntsman’s expense during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Washington in January. “I’m sure he will be very successful in whatever endeavors he chooses in the future, and I’m sure that him having worked so well with me will be a great asset in any Republican primary,” Obama quipped. Huntsman, whose resignation is effective Saturday, is expected to decide in the next two months whether to run, but already a group of political operatives in Washington, many of them veterans of Republican John McCain’s White House bids, has done some of the organizational spadework to facilitate one. They have started a political action committee-HORIZON PAC, with the motto “Maybe Someday”-that will cultivate local politicians and is expected ultimately to provide a campaign framework should Huntsman decide to run.

Huntsman plans to give a university graduation speech on May 21 in New

Hampshire, which traditionally holds the first presidential primary, and will likely also hold low-key but campaign-style events, a supporter said. “They will be a chance for him to meet some New Hampshire people, and for New Hampshire people to meet him,” said Peter Spaulding, who chaired McCain’s campaign in the state in the 2000 and 2008 White House contests. “I think that he’s a fresh, new, conservative Republican face in the race,” Spaulding said by telephone, before dismissing the notion that Huntsman’s ambassadorship could hurt him. “I don’t think that’s a major problem,” said Spaulding. “In these types of non-partisan posts, you’re serving the country, regardless of your political leanings.”

Huntsman is well regarded in China, due to his fluent Mandarin and the fact that one of his seven children is a girl adopted from China. He is also known for preferring his bicycle to chauffeur-driven armored vehicles. He has helped Washington navigate a particularly thorny time in relations between the world’s top two economies, during which they have battled over everything from the yuan and trade to Taiwan and Internet freedom.

Among Republican voters, however, he is not well known. A mid-April poll by the respected Gallup organization found that just 21 percent of them knew his nameagainst 82 percent for possible rival and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

University of Utah political science professor Matthew Burbank said that “the problem that Huntsman has this time around” is that Romney, who like Huntsman is a Mormon, is a “more established” candidate with a similar profile.

When it comes to Mormon fundraisers and organizers, “Romney’s pretty well got them lined up,” depriving Huntsman of potentially important backers, Burbank said. In Utah, Huntsman cruised to election and then reelection as governor and won strong reviews for his careful husbanding of the state’s finances. “He proved himself to be a very capable governor,” said Burbank. —AFP

The mirrors of the gym opened at the touch of a button near the floor, allowing access to the secret shelter, which also held more than 50 military uniforms, as well as bulletproof vests and gas masks. Three money-counting machines were also found. No one was detained in the search. The police didn’t reveal the origin of the weapons found.

A turf war between the Sinaloa and Juarez drug cartels left more than 3,000 people dead last year in this city of 1.3 million people. The weapons had been stored in a neatly painted room decorated with a framed still from the 1983 movie “Scarface” depicting Al Pacino, as drug kingpin Tony Montana, wielding a machine gun. A jumbo-sized dollar bill featuring Montana’s face rested on a bookshelf lined with heavy weapon cartridges. —AP

Chavez defends decision to deport alleged rebel

WASHINGTON: Budget Director Jacob Lew (from right) and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner meet with the Deficit Commission in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington in this file photo. —AP

US lawmakers return to debt, Afghanistan fights WASHINGTON: US lawmakers return from a two-week break today to face political battles over raising the cashstrapped government’s debt limit and President Barack Obama’s strategy in the unpopular Afghan war. The Senate and House of Representatives were also sure to tangle over extending key spy powers of the Patriot Act and make war over soaring gasoline prices angering the public and threatening the fragile US recovery.

In an apparent effort to drain some of the partisan venom from polarized Washington, Obama plans to host Democratic and Republican leaders from both chambers at a White House dinner today. But with the president’s 2012 reelection campaign revving up, and top contenders for the Republican nomination to challenge him already vying for money and attention, the stage has been set for more nasty political skirmishes.

Analysts expected the marquee battle to be fought over legislation to raise the country’s debt ceiling-its ability to borrow more money at a time when the deficit is forecast to swell to $1.6 trillion (1 trillion euros) this year.

The Obama administration has cautioned that failure to approve the bill

could trigger a US default, with cataclysmic repercussions for the country’s economy even as it recovers haltingly from the worst downturn since the 1930s.

Spurred on by the archconservative “Tea Party” movement, Republicans have brushed off such warnings, saying they will reject the legislation unless paired with significant measures to rein in galloping US deficits and a swelling debt.

The Treasury Department estimates the government will max out its debt limit by May 16, but could juggle payments, giving it until around July 8 before it runs out of cash. The timing of a vote was unclear.

Democrats, notably a group of moderates facing a difficult 2012 reelection fight, have also said they want to see Washington tie belt-tightening measures to the bill. A new poll from the Gallup organization found Republicans enjoy a 48 percent to 36 percent edge over Democrats in public opinion about which party is better able to manage federal spending. Respondents in the survey favored Republicans 46-41 on the economy and by a narrow 45-43 margin on jobs, and 43-37 over Democrats on Afghanistan. —AFP

CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has defended his decision to deport to Colombia a man accused of being a leftist rebel after some of his left-wing supporters criticized the handover. In a speech Saturday night, Chavez dismissed a recent protest over the capture and deportation of Joaquin Perez. He referred to those who staged the small protest in Caracas as “ultra-leftists.”

Several dozen demonstrators, including members of the Bolivarian Continental Movement, protested outside the Foreign Ministry on Thursday and burned an effigy bearing photos of Chavez’s foreign minister and information minister, accusing them of betraying Chavez’s leftist ideals. “Don’t be burning my ministers,” Chavez said. “Burn me because I’m the one who gives the orders. I make the decisions and I assume my responsibilities.”

Perez’s deportation was the latest sign of a thaw in relations between US-allied Colombia and Chavez’s leftist government, a shift from the tensions of recent years as Colombian officials previously accused Venezuela of harboring leftist rebels.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said he personally called Chavez a week ago to inform him of Perez’s pending arrival on a flight from Germany and to request his arrest. Perez was deported to Colombia two days later. Colombian and Swedish officials say Perez is a Swedish citizen who renounced his Colombian citizenship years ago. Sweden has asked Venezuela to explain why it wasn’t informed before he was deported. “I lived up to my responsibility and we captured him,” Chavez said. “Those who now want to call me a traitor to the global Marxist-Leninist cause, well that’s fine.”

Santos has called Perez the most important operative in Europe of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Perez ran a Swedishbased website that serves as the leftist rebels’ news agency and regularly carries FARC statements.

However, Perez has denied belonging to the guerrilla group. Chavez said Perez was responsible for his own capture because he traveled to Venezuela while there was an international order for his arrest.

“One has to ask: why did they let him leave Sweden? ...Why didn’t they detain him in Germany?,” Chavez said. Without elaborating, he said he suspects “they planted him here to give us a hot potato.” —AP

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India, Bhutan hunt for missing official Copter carrying Indian Chief Minister vanishes GAUHATI: Police and rescue teams from India and Bhutan searched their mountainous border yesterday for a helicopter that vanished while transporting the chief minister of the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The singleengine helicopter was carrying Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, two other passengers and two pilots when it disappeared in bad weather Saturday just 20 minutes after taking off from the Himalayan Buddhist retreat of Tawang for the state capital, Itanagar.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH: In this file photo, Chief Minister of the north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, Dorjee Khandu (left) walks with officials as he visits the Yid-GhaChoezin prayer hall grounds in Tawang in the northwestern corner of Arunachal Pradesh. Mystery surrounded the fate of a helicopter carrying the chief minister of a northeastern Indian state which went missing on April 30, 2011 in bad weather. —AFP

“We are still hoping, but we are extremely worried because it has been a long time now since the helicopter disappeared over treacherous terrain in the high Himalayas,” Khandu’s aide Kiren Rijiju said. Temperatures overnight in the area were below freezing. About 2,400 Indian army troops fanned out yesterday to search the forests along the border, while two Indian air force fighter planes often used in mapping also searched from the air before air operations were called off at dark yesterday.

The aerial search is to resume today, and officials hope the weather will be clear enough for air force helicopters to join the effort. Beginning at dawn yesterday in eastern Bhutan, “police along with local villagers have set out to locate the helicopter at mountain tops and grazing grounds,” while Buddhist monks were praying for divine intervention to help in locating the miss-

ing aircraft, said the country’s Tashiyangtse district deputy commissioner Sangay Duba. The Indian Space Research Operation has assigned a satellite to take pictures over the Sella Pass area that might reveal the helicopter’s location.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sent two government ministers to supervise the search from Itanagar. Khandu, 56, is a former army intelligence official elected in 2007 as Arunachal Pradesh’s top official. There have been two helicopter crashes in the area in the past two weeks.

On April 19, an aircraft operated

by Indian state helicopter company Pawan Hans, which was also handling the chief minister’s aircraft on Saturday - crashed in the mountains of Tawang, killing 17 people on board. Three days later, an army helicopter went down in the neighboring state of Sikkim, killing four. Pawan Hans has suspended all services.—AP

11 die as Taleban renews offensive Child bomber stages suicide attack in southeast KABUL: Taleban-led insurgents killed at least 11 people across Afghanistan in a renewed springtime offensive yesterday despite a huge security clampdown, hours after the United Nations pleaded for all sides to avoid civilian casualties. The hardline Islamists have warned civilians to stay away from public gatherings, military bases and convoys, as well as government offices, because those sites would be the

of a long conflict,” de Mistura said. The vast majority of civilian casualties in Afghanistan are caused by insurgents, figures from the United Nations and other rights groups show, although there are still many caused by foreign hunting militants with air strikes and night raids. The increasingly sophisticated Taleban communication network quickly sought to counter de Mistura’s comments. Taleban

police and two civilians were killed in a gunfight after insurgents opened fire on a passing police vehicle in the province’s main city, police said. A bomb planted on a bicycle near Ghazni police headquarters wounded 13.

In the volatile south, the governor of Kandahar province, the bir thplace of the Taleban, ordered thousands of security forces onto high aler t, with police and Afghan soldiers man-

GHAZNI: A wounded policeman is seen at the hospital after being injured during a clash with militants in Ghazni province southwest of Kabul yesterday. —AP target of a wave of attacks beginning yesterday.

Both sides of the conflict have vowed to protect civilians the civilian toll hit record levels in 2010 - but more than half of those killed yesterday were ordinary Afghans. “Our mission is to make sure that civilians and Afghan people are not affected by now 11 years of conflict,” Staffan de Mistura, the UN chief in Afghanistan, told Reuters television in his heavily guarded compound in the capital, Kabul.

“What we are worried about, and I think every Afghan is worried about, is whether the Afghan people and the Afghan civilians will be again the victims

spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said foreign forces must also protect civilians and stop their “rising atrocities”.

CHILD BOMBER The new wave of attacks began early yesterday with what appeared to be a startling and rare tactic-the use of a child bomber in the dangerous southeastern province of Paktika. The bomber, wearing a vest packed with explosives, killed four civilians and wounded 12, a government spokesman said. A statement from the governor’s office in Paktika, near the Pakistan border, said the bomber was 12 years old. In neighboring Ghazni, two

ning check points on ever y roundabout in Kandahar city.

Gunmen on a motorbike killed an Afghan soldier in Kandahar. In Logar, south of Kabul, two members of a community police unit were killed by a roadside bomb, police officials said. Senior militar y commanders have been expecting a spike in violence with the start of the spring and summer “fighting season”, although the usual winter lull was not seen as US-led forces pressed their attacks against insurgents, particularly in the Taleban’s southern heartland.

Quelling violence has taken on even greater importance this year, with a gradual withdrawal

of foreign combat troops set to begin in July as part of a handover to Afghan security forces.

That withdrawal is set to be completed by the end of 2014.

Senior militar y officials say recent intelligence reports indicate the fresh campaign of violence will last about a week and be mounted by the Taleban, supported by the Al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network and other insurgents. Security has been increased at military bases and government offices across the countr y, while in Kabul extra police have been stationed at checkpoints known as “the ring of steel”.

The Taleban said on Saturday the targets of their attacks would be foreign forces, high-ranking officials of President Hamid K arzai’s government, as well companies work ing for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Washington and ISAF commanders believe they have made inroads against a growing insurgenc y since 30,000 extra US troops were sent to Afghanistan last year. Attacks across Afghanistan hit record levels in 2010, with civilian and military casualties the worst since USbacked Afghan forces toppled the Taleban government in late 2001. The United Nations has relocated some of its staff in Afghanistan after receiving what it said were credible threats of increased attacks in several locations around the country.

The United Nations has been targeted several times. Seven foreign staff were k illed last month when protesters overran a UN compound in the north. De Mistura said indiscriminate use of bombs by the Taleban in cities and elsewhere had caused huge numbers of civilian casualties, while air strikes by the NATO-led force had also caused many deaths. The number of civilians killed in Afghanistan in 2010 rose 15 percent from the previous year to 2,777, according to UN figures, with insurgents responsible for about three-quarters of those. “Afghan civilians have paid the price of war for too long,” de Mistura said. —Reuters

MALE: Maldivian police officers detain a journalist during a protest in Male, Maldives yesterday. —AP

Police break up Maldives anti-govt protest COLOMBO: Maldives police yesterday used tear gas and batons to break up a protest by opposition activists demanding President Mohammed Nasheed step down over the island nation’s worsening economic plight. Opposition spokesman Mohammed Shareef said dozens of people were injured at the early morning clashes that erupted after crowds gathered in the capital, Male, on Saturday.

“The demonstration was crushed brutally,” Shareef said by telephone. “At least 30 of our supporters were arrested including two parliamentarians, and scores of women supporters.” Police spokesman Ahmed Shiyam said officers had used tear gas and batons in selfdefense after coming under attack when trying to break up the protest. The government accused protesters of damaging shops and hurling bricks at the police.

“Peaceful political activity, such as the

right to protest, is legal and indeed welcome in the Maldives’ new democracy.

But there can be no excuse for needlessly causing violence in the streets,” Nasheed’s press secretary Mohamed Zuhair said.

Nasheed was elected president in the country’s first multi-party election in 2008, ending Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s 30-years of one-party rule, but the country has recently struggled with soaring food prices and unemployment. The opposition movement is led by Gayoom’s Dhivehi Raiyyithunge Party, which accuses the government of wasteful spending and financial mismanagement. The Maldives, a nation of 1,200 islands scattered in the Indian Ocean, is famous as a luxury holiday destination but is also home to a local population of 330,000 Sunni Muslims, many of whom live in poverty.—AFP

COLOMBO: Supporters of Sri Lanka’s ruling party United People’s Freedom Alliance carry portraits of President Mahinda Rajapakse and a defaced picture of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during a May Day rally in Colombo yesterday. —AP

Lankans reject UN war report COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government used May Day rallies yesterday to reject a United Nations report that alleged the military may have been guilty of atrocities during the island’s civil war. The UN report released last Monday highlighted “credible allegations” that both the Sri Lankan army and Tamil Tiger rebels had been involved in violations that could amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity.

The allegations referred to the final months of the government’s ultimately successful 2009 offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in which tens of thousands of civilians are estimated to have died. “The report violates the UN charter, undermines the fight against global terrorism, and hijacks Sri Lanka’s reconciliation process,” senior minister Nimal Siripala de Silva told public radio yesterday. He said the May Day theme was the “people’s power to protect the country”, adding that “the rallies are held to protest against (UN secretary general) Ban Ki-moon.”

Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to attend several demonstrations in Colombo, with President Mahinda Rajapakse due to address fol-

lowers of his United Peoples Freedom Alliance in the evening. Roads were decorated in the party colors of blue, red and maroon, while billboards were erected showing the president and recently-completed development work.

“We want to send a clear message to the international community that no imperialist interventions are possible in Sri Lanka,” said petroleum minister Susil Premajayantha, who is also the ruling party’s general secretary.

More 8,000 police officers and hundreds of army personnel were deployed around the capital to maintain security on May Day, which is traditionally a day of workers’ demonstrations across the world. Sri Lanka has repeatedly denied any rights violations and refused to allow the three-member UN panel of experts who wrote the report access to the countr y. The panel said the Sri Lankan military killed most of the tens of thousands of civilian victims of the offensive when it shelled Tamil territory between January and May of 2009. It also cited evidence that Tamil Tiger separatists had used civilians as a “human buffer” and shot people who tried to escape.—AFP

Fighting eases on Thai border BANGKOK: Fighting appeared to subside yesterday on the Thai-Cambodian border, allowing some evacuees to return home after more than a week of heavy clashes which left 17 people dead, officials said. There were some clashes overnight Saturday-Sunday involving grenades and mortar fire, in which one Cambodian soldier died, but the front line has been quiet since then, Cambodian defense ministry spokesman Chhum Socheat said.

The two neighbors have been exchanging artillery shells along their disputed jungle frontier in their bloodiest conflict in decades, forcing more than 85,000 civilians to flee on both sides. As a tentative calm returned to the border area, some of the more than 37,000 Cambodian civilians displaced by the violence were starting to go home. “Since the situation today is quiet, around 10 to 15 percent of the evacuees have returned home,” Nhim Vanda,

deputy president of Cambodia’s National Committee for Disaster Management said.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva described the easing of tensions as “a positive sign”. He added: “We will monitor the situation for the next couple of days, before allowing people to return home.” The two countries have come under increasing international pressure to stop the violence, but an attempted truce announced on Thursday after

local-level military negotiations proved short-lived. Ties between the neighbors have been strained since the 900-yearold temple Preah Vihear was granted UN World Heritage status in July 2008.

The World Court ruled in 1962 that the 900-year-old temple belonged to Cambodia, but both countries claim ownership of a 4.6-square-kilometre surrounding area. On Friday Cambodia said it had asked the World Court to clarify that ruling. The most recent deadly

clashes have been mainly centered around two temple complexes about 150 kilometers west of Preah Vihear.

Seven Thai troops and nine Cambodian soldiers have died since the fighting began on April 22, and Bangkok has said a Thai civilian was also killed. The border clash came at a sensitive political time for Thailand, with Abhisit preparing to dissolve the lower house of parliament for elections he has said will be held by early July.—AFP

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Thai army flexes muscles ahead of election BANGKOK: With elections looming, Thailand’s army is putting on a show of strength that has added to uncertainty about whether the vote will actually go ahead in the politically divided nation, experts say. Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is shortly expected to call an election to be held by early July, has insisted that a deadly border conflict between the Thai and Cambodian armies will not derail the poll.

But experts say the fighting could play into the hands of Thailand’s military-backed elites who want to prevent the political allies of fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra taking power. Some fear the border clashes could even be used as a reason to put off the parliamentary polls. “There is an undercurrent of attempts to create a crisis that could be used for delaying, or delaying permanently, an election,” said Thailand-based scholar and author Chris Baker. “The army is more and more out of control and beholden to itself and itself alone.”

Bangkok and Phnom Penh have blamed each other for starting the fighting, which has left at least 16 people dead and has caused tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes. Regardless of the exact origin of the latest clashes, some observers believe the conflict could boost support for Abhisit’s Democrat Party, while also increasing the influence of the military. The dispute “gives the military an excellent opportunity to remain in the political limelight,” said Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a Thailand expert at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

“It will be a win-win situation for the military and the government, because in this crisis they will show patriotism. The military has no intention to leave politics,” he said. Thailand remains deeply divided a year after opposition rallies by the “Red Shirt” movement, demanding snap elections, sparked violence which left

more than 90 people dead in clashes between protesters and armed troops in Bangkok. Many of the mainly rural, working class Reds are loyal to Thaksin, who was ousted as prime minister in a 2006 military coup. The

former telecoms tycoon lives in self-imposed exile overseas but is considered the de facto leader of the opposition Puea Thai party.

Thailand’s army chief General Prayut Chan-O-Cha, a

SURIN: Thai children play at a refugee center near the Thai-Cambodian frontline in Surin province, northeastern Thailand yesterday. Troops from Thailand and Cambodia have exchanged fire again yesterday at the countries’ disputed border as the conflict entered its 10th day. — AP

staunch royalist and critic of the Red Shirts, has pledged to abide by the results of what is expected to be a closely fought election. But that has not dampened speculation about possible military intervention in a country that has seen 18 actual or attempted coups since 1932, when it became a constitutional monarchy. “If the Democrats cannot cobble together a post-election coalition, technicalities to prevent Thaksin’s Puea Thai from taking power are likely, including the potential of an outright military coup as last resort,” said Thai political expert Thitinan Pongsudhirak.

The Reds view Abhisit’s government as undemocratic because it came to power in a 2008 parliamentary vote with army backing, after a court ruling threw out the previous elected administration. Thaksin is hailed by the Reds for his policies for the masses while in power, but he is seen by the ruling elite as corrupt and a threat to the revered monarchy. Some top Red Shirts have also been accused of disloyalty to the crown. On the instructions of its commander-in-chief, the military last month filed a complaint against three “Red Shirt” leaders for allegedly insulting the monarchy during rally speeches-a serious charge in Thailand.

In remarks that appeared to be aimed mainly at the Red Shirt leaders, General Prayut later warned political figures to keep the royals out of the election debate, saying the army “will do its duty to protect the monarchy”. Thaksin, who lives abroad to avoid a jail term imposed in absentia for graft, has urged his many followers to vote for Puea Thai, and experts say Abhisit’s party faces a tough poll battle. “If it takes place, the election will be a huge gamble for Abhisit” and his political allies, said Thitinan, a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. “They seem on top but may actually have their backs against the wall.”— AFP

‘Smooth criminals’ walk off with $1.0 million diamond Malaysia arrests two Iranians in latest drug haul KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police said yesterday they were investigating how “smooth criminals” walked off with over 3.0 million ringgit ($1.0 million) worth of diamond jewelry from a gem exhibition. Distric t police chief Arjunaidi Mohamed said that officers were probing the heist, which took place at the exhibition stand of famous local jeweler Habib at a suburban mall on Friday night. “We have obtained the CCTV footage from the scene and have also taken statements,” he said, declining to give further details as the investigation is ongoing.

Officials from the jewelry company said the robbers, three “foreign-looking men and a woman,” approached the stand at closing time when staff were

TONGHUA: Spectators look at a hotel after fire in Tonghua, northeast China’s Jilin province yesterday. The fire at the hotel in northeastern China killed at least 10 people and injured 35 others yesterday, while lightning sparked several forest fires in another part of the country. — AP

Hotel fire kills 10 in China’s northeast BEIJING: A fire at a hotel in northeastern China killed 10 people and injured 35 others yesterday, while lightning sparked several forest fires in another part of the country, a state news agency said. The official Xinhua News Agency said the fire at a hotel in Tonghua city in Jilin province was put out after half an hour. It did not say what caused the blaze. The hotel is owned by the Nasdaq-listed Chinese budget hotel chain Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc, the largest economy hotel operator in the country.

A staffer at the Tonghua city government’s office for emergencies confirmed the number of casualties but said he had no other details. He refused to give his name, as is common with Chinese officials. The injured, three of whom were seriously hurt, were sent to a hospital for treatment and firefighters were combing the site, Xinhua said. State broadcaster CCTV said 150 people were evacuated from the seven-story building and about 140 firefighters were deployed to the site. Xinhua said there was a karaoke bar and a restaurant on the first and second floors of the building, and that the Home Inns hotel was in the floors above.

The fire started on the first floor in a stairwell and spread to the second and third floors, covering an area of about 3,200 square feet and sending dense smoke up to the higher floors, CCTV said. The 10 who died were mostly on the fifth and seventh floors, and had choked to death, Xinhua said. Xinhua quoted the deputy president of the Tonghua City People’s Hospital, where the injured were taken, as saying that most suffered dizziness, nausea and sore throats. “We sucked out a lot of soot from the respiratory tract of a seriously injured child,” the report quoted Qiao Shuping as saying.

According to Home Inns’ website, the company operated 818 hotels as of the end of last year.

Building fires are common in China because of lax safety codes and unsafe construction work. In November, 58 people were killed in a Shanghai apartment fire that was blamed on welders ignoring safety precautions. Last week, an illegal garment shop in southern Beijing caught fire, killing 17 people. Also yesterday, thousands of firefighters in northern Shanxi province were trying to extinguish more than 10 fires in a forest bordering the cities of Jingzhong and Yangquan, Xinhua said. The blazes were sparked by lightning, it said. A staffer surnamed Li at the Shanxi provincial forest fire prevention headquarters said the fires were “under control” but not extinguished, and that no casualties had been reported.— AP

busy packing the gems away for storage, according to the Star daily. “While some of the men distracted the staff by asking questions, their accomplice sneaked to the back and stole one bag filled with diamond-studded jewelry,” the official told the paper. “You could say they were smooth criminals. The whole thing happened so fast that employees manning the counter only noticed the bag missing a few minutes after the thieves had left.” The jewelers were taking part in an annual weeklong exhibition at the mall, where gemstone jewelry, many pieces worth over 800,000 ringgit each, were on display.

Also, police said yesterday they shut down an international syndicate’s bid to distribute drugs in southern

Malaysia with the arrest of two Iranian smugglers and 4.5 kilos of methamphetamine. M ohammad M ok htar Mohamad Sharif, police chief in southern Johor state said the pair were arrested on arrival at the state’s international airport on Wednesday. “We believe that both men are part of an international drug syndicate from the Middle East trying to distribute drugs in southern Malaysia which we have stopped,” he said. “The drugs could be dealt out to at least 15,000 addicts in Johor,” he added. Mohammad Mokhtar did not identify the nationality of the couriers but state media said they were Iranians aged 22 and 27, and that the drugs were found hidden in a secret compartment of a trolley bag held by

one of them.

There has been a steep increase in the number of alleged Iranian drug traffickers caught in Malaysia, with 138 arrested from January to October last year compared with 16 in the whole of 2009. Iran’s ambassador to Malaysia has said international crime gangs are using Iranians to smuggle drugs into the country. The latest bust follows the arrest last month of nine Iranians and the seizure of more than 70 kilograms of methamphetamine as well as seven million ringgit ($2.3 million) in foreign currency in the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Police said the nine were believed to be using Malaysia as a base to supply drugs to Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.— Agencies

Couple jailed for enslaving mentally retarded workers BEIJING: A Chinese court has jailed a couple for forcing a group of mentally retarded people to work like slaves at a factory in the northwestern region of Xinjiang, the official Xinhua news agency said in a report seen yesterday. The Tuokexun county court sentenced Li Xinglin to four and a half years in prison on Saturday on charges of violating the labor law, Xinhua said. His wife, Li Yunhua, was given a two-year jail sentence suspended for three years. The two were fined 50,000 yuan ($7,690) each. The husband and wife were convicted of forcing 18 mentally handicapped people to work long hours without pay at their factory which makes construction materials since 2006, Xinhua said.

The defendants restricted the workers’ freedom and beating them. Last year one worker was accidentally killed, but Li Xinglin did not report the death to police. Incidents of forced labor have shocked China in the past, with slave bosses often preying on the mentally retarded. In 2007, more than 1,000 people were found working as slaves in brick kilns in the northern province of Shanxi, following a man’s search for his missing teenaged son. The government launched a nationwide crackdown on enslavement and child labor, but cases are occasionally reported by the media.— Reuters

FUKUSHIMA PREFECTURE: Combo photo shows before (top) and after (bottom) the March 11, 2011 tsunami triggered by a strong earthquake hitting the compound of the Fukushima Dai-chi nuclear power plant in Futaba town, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan.— AP

SINGAPORE: Commuters wait on the platform to board a train during peak hour in Singapore.

Singapore opposition parties are tapping into growing anti-immigrant sentiment among voters ahead of the May 7 general election, accusing foreigners of straining housing, transport and other services. —AFP

Singapore opposition taps anti-immigrant sentiment SINGAPORE: Singapore is a nation of immigrants but its opposition parties are tapping into growing anti-foreigner sentiment among voters to win more parliamentary seats in general elections on May 7. Foreigners are accused of stealing jobs, depressing wages and straining housing, transport, schools, hospitals and other public services, putting the ruling party on the defensive for easing immigration rules in recent years. The People’s Action Party (PAP), in power since 1959, is widely expected to secure a comfortable majority but its opponents are hoping to win far more than the two seats they held in the recently dissolved 84-member parliament. “Now every time I take the train, it feels like I’m in a different country,” 24-year-old opposition candidate Nicole Seah of the National Solidarity Party told a public rally on Thursday to boisterous cheers. “It is like taking a holiday. I don’t even need to bring my passport!” added Seah, an advertising professional who is the youngest candidate in the polls.

Singapore’s population numbered 4.03 million in 2000, with 760,000 foreigners and the rest citizens and permanent residents, according to government statistics. Last year, the population soared to 5.08 million with foreigners hitting an all-time high of 1.3 million.

Singapore has long had a steady

intake of foreigners but the government markedly liberalized the admission of immigrants during the economic boom from 2004-2007. With a birth rate far below what is needed to maintain population levels, Singaporeans were told they needed “foreign talent” and young immigrant families to keep the island economically competitive in the long term. Sentiment began to worsen when the global economy collapsed in 20082009, and not even the record 14.5 percent economic growth in 2010 was enough to assuage Singaporeans’ fears of being swamped by foreigners.

“They never asked us whether we wanted a huge increase in our population,” another opposition candidate, Vincent Wijeysingha of the Singapore Democratic Party, said at a rally on Thursday. “They never asked us if we expected such large numbers of people working for such low salaries so that your salaries will also be pulled down,” he added. It’s an ironic turn of events for a city-state founded on cheap immigrant labor during British colonial rule, with most families tracing their roots to China, India, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Reform Party secretary general Kenneth Jeyaretnam said the poorest Singaporeans were the most affected by the presence of cheaper foreign labor.

“The incomes of the poorest 20 per-

cent of the population have probably fallen by between 10 and 20 percent and this is all due to the fact that we have an open-door immigration policy with no minimum wage,” said Jeyaretnam, who was a London-based financial executive before plunging into politics. Eugene Tan, an assistant professor of law at the Singapore Management University, said it was not surprising that opposition parties were milking the immigration issue.

“It works up people very, very easily and it is something that you encounter on a daily basis,” he said. Kelvin Low, an assistant professor in the department of sociology at the National University of Singapore, said the anti-immigration card was not unique to Singapore in the age of globalization. “These are populist strategies undertaken to attract the attention of voters,” he said. In reaction to the backlash, the government slowed the intake of foreigners and reduced their social benefits, such as hospital and school fee subsidies, while insisting that Singapore can never survive without them. “By allowing in a controlled number of foreign workers, far from disadvantaging our own people, we have created more good jobs for Singaporeans and more opportunities in our economy,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said before the campaign began.— AFP

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Issues

Drug war ignites Mexican fury at US indifference

By Dave Graham he United States has spent over $1 trillion promoting democracy in far-flung Iraq and Afghanistan while friendly neighbor Mexico gets a fraction of that to fight drug gangs and prevent a slide into chaos.

Mexico’s frustration with the priority Washington grants to a shared crackdown on drug gangs has plunged ties between the two allies to their lowest ebb in years. Last year alone, the US-backed campaign launched in late 2006 by President Felipe Calderon claimed the lives of over 15,000 people in Mexico. That was more than double the combined civilian deaths reported in Afghanistan and Iraq, where the United States has spent over $1.2 trillion in the past decade.

In contrast, Washington has pledged just $1.3 billion under the so-called Merida Initiative to help Mexico fight the traffickers. “The Merida Initiative is almost an insult,” leading Mexican historian Enrique Krauze told Reuters. “America spends a trillion dollars in Iraq and a hundred million or so on Merida: Beautiful. Things aren’t moving forward and I have no hope they will. We’re looking at ten years of war in Mexico. On our own. The Obama administration has been a huge disappointment for us.” Despite quickly growing ties over the past two decades, investment and bilateral trade worth some $400 billion a year could suffer if the two sides cannot end the disputes that have dogged joint efforts to manage a conflict that some US lawmakers compare to the Iraq war. Mexico’s leaders argue the oil-rich nation is footing the bill for illegal US arms sales and the presence of the world’s biggest market for illicit drugs across the border. US attempts to set traps for arms traffickers and money launderers have backfired and Washington has treated Mexico like a “laboratory” for experiments in lawenforcement strategies, former foreign minister Rosario Green wrote in a newspaper column recently.

US officials counter such broadsides by saying Mexico has failed to address rampant corruption in the police and the judiciary, hampering efforts to improve on intelligence sharing. The fight against the cartels will be under the spotlight again when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets her Mexican counterpart Patricia Espinosa in Washington on Friday.

Tensions over the conflict, which has claimed over 37,000 lives in Mexico in the past four years, boiled over last month when US ambassador Carlos Pascual said he would step down after weeks of pressure from the Mexican government. “That a Mexican president can pick off the US ambassador is something new.” said Jonathan Fox, a political scientist and Mexico expert at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “That does suggest the US needed to throw Calderon a bone.”

Mindful of its sovereignty, Mexico has resisted US intervention on its turf, but Calderon insists Washington is not trying hard enough to fight demand for narcotics at home. White House data shows US federal spending on narcotics control dipped slightly last year to just over $15 billion, even as drug war deaths surged to a record high in Mexico. Texas Republican congressman Ted Poe refers to Mexico as the United States’ “third front” after Afghanistan and Iraq. There is little to suggest the situation is improving. This month, the worst mass graves of the drugs war have been found in the northern border state of Tamaulipas.

The killing tide has bogged Calderon down in a war of words with Washington over drug demand and exposed him to fire from domestic rivals who say he has compromised national sovereignty by letting US spy planes track cartels on Mexican territory. Calderon’s conservative National Action Party has also taken a hit, and its lags behind the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party in polls ahead of the next presidential election in 2012.

The elections could make it even harder to repair Mexico’s ties with the United States, said Mexico expert George W Grayson at the College of William and Mary in Virginia. “There’s too much electoral capital to gain by bashing Uncle Sam in the run-up to a presidential contest,” said Grayson. “I think they will deteriorate until then.” After humiliating defeats and land losses to its neighbor in the 1800s, Mexico’s politicians have long fed a myth that the United States is a “hungry wolf” bent on evil, said Krauze. In reality, years of cross-border migration, close business ties and the export of US popular culture had created strong bonds between the people of both nations, he added. Ordinary Mexicans are quick to criticize their own government for failing to work better with the United States. —Reuters

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

Palestinian unity deal is setback for US

By Lachlan Carmichael

bama administration moves to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have hit a new snag with a Palestinian unity deal, as US clout in the Arab world wanes, analysts said. The deal between the secularist Fatah and radical Islamist Hamas factions, due to be signed on Wednesday, has drawn Israeli ire and prompted US lawmakers to warn the Fatahled Palestinian Authority it risks losing US aid. Israel and the United States both consider Hamas to be a terrorist organization.

However, analysts said, rising popular pressure forced US-backed Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas to clinch a deal under which the bitter rivals agreed to form a transitional government ahead of elections within a year.

Palestinians, emboldened by prodemocracy revolutions sweeping the Arab world, have for weeks been demanding unity between Fatah, which dominates the West Bank, and Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip coastal enclave. “This (deal) really does cast the die in a way that reflects the almost irrelevance of America as an actor in their (Palestinian) issues,” according to Aaron David Miller, a former US Middle East peace negotiator.

Miller, now a public policy scholar with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, said Abbas is not thinking about how his actions play in Israel and the United States. Instead, Miller said, he is focused on “broadening and legitimizing his domestic base” and eventually winning recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September - a route to statehood opposed by Washington. “The Palestinians have gone and done something which really makes our position untenable. It’s even questionable whether we will be able to deal with a government in which Hamas ministers sit,” Miller told AFP. National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor warned last week that any Palestinian unity government must renounce violence, abide by past peace agreements, and recognize Israel’s right to exist. Hamas has long rejected those principles endorsed by the Quartet of the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations. The Palestinian move, Miller said, hands Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “major propaganda victory” before he visits Washington next month to address Congress.

And it makes it harder for President Barack Obama’s administration which relaunched peace talks last September only to see them grind to halt when a partial freeze on Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank ended. The rightwing Netanyahu will feel less pressure to make concessions to the Palestinians as he will be better able to portray Abbas as not serious about peace, he said. Meanwhile, he said, Obama, who is due to give a speech soon on Middle East policy, will be wary of proposing US ideas for a settlement on borders and Jerusalem, for example, that could be perceived as rewarding the Palestinians.

Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert at the University of Maryland, agreed that the reconcilition deal strengthened Netanyahu’s hand and “put the (Obama) administration in a bind.” It is indeed likely to change the content of their speeches, he added. However, he said events were still unfolding and it may be possible for a Palestinian unity government to be formed that continues to negotiate with Israel on the basis of accepting the Jewish state and renouncing terrorism. “That’s separate from

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what position that they (Hamas) may or not have as a party. I think that’s a little bit difficult for a lot of people to accept. It’s going to take a lot of diplomatic skill to manage it,” he said.

Telhami said US policy makers were contending with a new Arab reality. “The rise in the importance of public opinion makes governments in the Middle East somewhat less sensitive to the US and more sensitive to the public and in that sense it reduces the degree of immediate influence the US has,” he said. Analysts said Egypt, after president Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February, is also now steering a more independent diplomatic course by brokering the Palestinian deal, planning to open the border with Gaza and warming up to Iran.

Robert Danin, a former deputy assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs under president George W Bush, said Washington can no longer count on Egypt as the steadfast ally it was under Mubarak.

“A post-Mubarak Egypt is going to be much more independent...of the United States and more challenging to work with as a partner to advance the peace process,” Danin said. — AFP

A Palestinian resident of Jerusalem smokes a cigarette as others rally at the Damascus Gate outside Jerusalem’s old city on yesterday, welcoming reports that rival political movements Fatah and Hamas have reached a deal. Caricature shows a Hamas (right) and Fatah supporter hugging. — AFP Washington Watch

Deal should be supported

By Dr James J Zogby he Israeli response to news that Palestinian factions had achieved a unity agreement was predictably irritating. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu derided the agreement in stark terms, saying that the Palestinians had a choice of either “Peace with Israel or peace with Hamas”. His spokesperson reduced this bumper sticker rejection of Palestinian unity even further to “reconciliation or peace”. What is, of course, galling is the assumption implicit in the Prime Minister’s framing of the matter, namely, that peace with his government is a real possibility that the Palestinians have now rejected. In reality, the Netanyahu government has shown no interest in moving toward peace - unless on terms they dictate and the Palestinians accept.

While feigning disappointment at this Palestinian move, Netanyahu must privately be delighted. The pressure he was feeling to deliver some “concessions” to the Palestinians in his upcoming speech to the US Congress has now been relieved. He can now revert to old form, expressing a vague desire for peace while warning that there is now clear evidence that there is no Palestinian partner with whom he can work. For his part, Netanyahu will now feel free to accelerate tensions with Gaza, raids in the West Bank, home demolitions in Jerusalem and proceed with settlement construction, as he pleases. His allies in Congress will do the rest. They will denounce Palestinian reconciliation and claim that they have no choice but to take steps to suspend US assistance to the Palestinian Authority. Nevertheless, what Fateh and Hamas have done in achieving their accord is important and should be supported. But two cautionary notes are in order: 1) They have merely announced an engagement - the wedding is scheduled down the road and the marriage will be fragile and subject to negative interference from obstructionists who will work hard to break it up; 2) the US can be one of these home-wreckers (as we have been in the past) if the Administration puts too much pressure on the Palestinians and/or supports Congress’ efforts to deny them needed aid.

Because Palestine remains a captive nation, it is not the master of its fate. Prime Minister Salam Fayyed has done a brilliant job of reorganizing the P A’s ministries and security forces and putting the Palestinians’ financial house in order.But Gaza remains under a near total blockade; Jerusalem and its environs (once the Palestinian metropol - its religious, cultural, educational, economic and social hub) have been severed from the rest of the rest of the West Bank; and the West Bank, itself, has been separated into little cantons with no access or egress to the outside world. As a result no real or sustainable economy can develop, leaving Palestinians dependent on Israel and foreign aid. To punish a captive people by denying them aid would be cruel and most unhelpful.

Given this dire situation, to suggest that the Palestinians must choose reconciliation or peace, when peace has not been, and is not now, an option, is nothing more than a disingenuous and cruel taunt. What has been so very clear since the elections of 2006 was that the Palestinian polity had been fractured and was in disarray with everyone behaving badly. The US and Israel did not accept the

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outcome of the election (that the Bush Administration had pushed for).Israel took repressive measures (at one point holding in detention, without charge, the majority of the newly elected Hamas legislature, making it impossible for that body to function).Aid was cut and the US began to press the losing side, Fateh, to seek a confrontation. Hamas also behaved foolishly. Instead of assuming the role of a responsible government, and ignoring the many provocations against them, they continued their old violent behavior resorting to terror and picking fights they couldn’t win.The results were disastrous and for three years now the Palestinians were not only weak and occupied, but increasingly divided with two competing “governments” in two captive territories. This situation was both burdensome and unsustainable.

The Palestinians need this unity and, whether they know it or not, the US and the Israelis need the Palestinians to be unified.

Palestinian reconciliation is a precondition to any peace agreement and to stability in that region. Hamas (whose past behavior I deplore and whose politics I reject) is a real part of the Palestinian polity. The Bush Administration’s approach of working to deepen the internal Palestinian divide only aggravated the situation, creating more bitterness, and threatening to create a permanent rupture - a situation which would only benefit those who envision a long-term Israeli occupation and domination of a captive Palestinian people.

This effort at reconciliation may now provide Palestinians an opportunity to get their house in order and to move Hamas in a more constructive direction. Those in Israel and in the Congress who are hyperventilating over Hamas’ Charter ought to read LIKUD’sand/or read some of the choice religious pronouncements coming from Shas’ spiritual leader.

What should be of concern is Hamas’ behavior, and this reconciliation agreement may yet prove to be the best way to guarantee that Hamas will act responsibly. If the new government of technocrats is allowed to function and to continue on the path laid out

by Fayyed, and if Hamas and Fateh can continue to work out a modus operandi in their respective areas, leading to a new election later this year, Palestinians will have put themselves in an even stronger position to claim statehood.Bottom line: Palestinians shouldn’t be asked to choose “reconciliation or peace” especially when the party doing the asking is denying them the chance to have both. Palestinians need both reconciliation and peace.

They are working on the former. Now is the time for the US and Israel to make a real contribution to advancing the later. In the short term, should the US Congress suspend needed aid, it would be important for the Arab states and others to step up and sustain the PA, allowing the reconciliation plan time to work through elections and an expected UN vote in the fall. None of this, of course, will, by itself, result in a state. But a democratic and unified Palestinian Authority will make a stronger moral and legal case for recognition than Palestinians can make today living as they do divided and governed by entities of questionable legitimacy. Can this be why Israel is so hostile to the agreement?

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

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

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VATICAN CITY: This handout picture released yesterday by the Italian Polizia di Stato shows an aerial view of St Peter’s Square during Pope John Paul II,s beatification. — AFP

John Paul beatified before huge crowd Continued from Page 1 “Bless us now,” Benedict said. Many of the participants were from John Paul’s native Poland. Dozens of red and white Polish flags bobbed above the crowd and a cheer went up when a group of Poles released a large banner reading “Thank You, God”, held aloft by balloons. “We were at the funeral and we just had to be here to see him beatified,” said Janusc Skibinski, 40, who drove 29 hours with his family from their home near the border with Belarus.

A place of honour was reserved for Sister Marie SimonPierre Normand, a French nun who suffered from Parkinson’s disease but whose inexplicable cure has been attributed to John Paul’s intercession with God to perform a miracle, thus providing the grounds for his beatification.

After the proclamation, Normand held up a silver reliquary with a vial of blood taken from the pope in the last few days of his life in case it was needed for a transfusion.

The Vatican will have to attribute another miracle to John Paul’s intercession after the beatification in order for him to be declared a saint.

The pope was beatified on the day the Church celebrates the Feast of Divine Mercy, which this year fell on May 1, coinciding with the most important workers’ holiday in the communist world. The timing was ironic, given the role of the Polish pope in the fall of communism in his homeland and across eastern Europe. Former Polish President Lech Walesa, the Solidarnosc union leader who was jailed by the communists, was in the church.

Some 90 official delegations from around the world,

including members of five European royal families and 16 heads of state, attended the beatification. They included Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, who has been widely criticised for human rights abuses in his country.

Mugabe is banned from travelling to the European Union, but the Vatican - a sovereign state - is not a member of the bloc.

Pope John Paul’s coffin was exhumed on Friday from the crypts below St Peter’s Basilica and was placed in front of the main altar. It will remain there and the basilica will remain open until all visitors who want to view it have done so. Benedict was the first to pay respect before the coffin, which had a bible placed on it, followed by cardinals, royalty and heads of state. It will then be moved to a new crypt under an altar in a side chapel near Michelangelo’s statue of the Pieta. The marble slab that covered his first burial place will be sent to Poland.

John Paul’s beatification set a new speed record for modern times, taking place six years and one month after his death. While the overwhelming majority of Catholics welcome it, a minority are opposed, with some saying it happened too fast. Liberals in the church say John Paul was too harsh with theological dissenters who wanted to help the poor, particularly in Latin America. Some say he should be held responsible for sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Catholic church, because they occurred or came to light when he was in charge. Ultra-conservatives say he was too open towards other religions and that he allowed the liturgy to be “infected” by local cultures, such as African dancing, on his trips abroad. — Reuters

Gaddafi survives NATO air strikes, son killed Continued from Page 1 NATO denied targeting Gaddafi, or his family, but said in a statement it had launched air strikes on military targets in the same area of Tripoli as the bombed site seen by reporters. Ibrahim said Gaddafi’s youngest son, Seif al-Arab, was killed in the attack. Seif al-Arab, 29, is one of Gaddafi’s less prominent sons, with a limited role in the power structure. Ibrahim described him as a student who had studied in Germany. Al Arabiya yesterday broadcast footage taken from Libyan Jamahiriyah TV which it said were the bodies of Seif alArab and the three children - two 2-year-olds and a five-month-old. They were wrapped in green cloth with their faces covered in white.

Bishop Giovanni Martinelli, the top Catholic clergyman in Tripoli, said he was shown six bodies in a hospital in the capital yesterday. He said he was told that one of the bodies was that of Seif al-Arab, but that it was so badly disfigured that he could not make a positive identification. “We saw the body. The body was completely disfigured,” the bishop told AP. He said he was told that among the bodies were those of the three children. Footage broadcast on Libyan TV showed Martinelli and other clergymen speaking blessings in what appeared to be a morgue. Two of the bodies were covered by green Libyan flags, and a flower wreath leaned against a wall.

Neighbors said the complex bombed late Saturday had served as the Gaddafi family home for years. It contained two residences, each with two bedrooms, as well as a den, a large communal space and a separate kitchen. The kitchen clock, knocked from the wall, had stopped at 8:08 and 45 seconds, the time of the explosion. Cooking pots with leftover food, including stuffed peppers, noodles and a stew, had been covered with aluminum foil. In one of the living rooms, a pile of video games, including FIFA 10, lay scattered on a sofa.

The bombing demolished the ceiling of the main single-storey building and tore a hole into the ground, displaying what looked like a basement. What appeared to be an unexploded rocket lay on the ground, which was covered by twisted metal and pieces of concrete. Hours after the blast, onlookers were permitted onto the grounds, some chanting proGaddafi slogans.

“NATO continued its precision strikes against regime military installations in Tripoli overnight, including striking a known command and control building in the Bab Al-Aziziyah neighbourhood shortly after 1800 GMT Saturday,” NATO said. NATO’s commander of Libya operations, Canadian Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, said the target was part of a strategy to hit command centres that threaten civilians. “All NATO’s targets are military in nature ... We do not target individuals,” he said in a statement. “I am aware of unconfirmed media reports that some of Gaddafi’s family members may have been killed. We regret all loss of life.”

Any appearance of an assassination attempt against

Gaddafi is likely to lead to accusations that the Britishand French-led strikes are exceeding the provisions of the UN resolution to protect civilians. British Prime Minister David Cameron declined to comment on what he also called the “unconfirmed report”. But he told BBC television: “The targeting policy of NATO and the alliance is absolutely clear. It is in line with UN Resolution 1973 and it is about preventing a loss of civilian life by targeting Gaddafi’s war-making machine.

So that is obviously tanks and guns, rocket launchers, but also command and control as well.” The French Foreign Ministry said: “France is following its mandate from the UN Security Council and there is no question of regime change or targeting individuals in the resolution.” Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a long-time ally of Gaddafi, called the attack attempted murder.

Gaddafi, who seized power in a 1969 coup, is fighting an uprising by rebels who have seized much of eastern Libya. He describes the rebels as religious extremists and Western agents who seek to control Libya’s oil. Saturday night’s attack appeared to be the second NATO strike near to Gaddafi in 24 hours. A missile struck near a television station early on Saturday when the Libyan leader was making an address in which he said he would never step down and offered talks to rebels. The rebels say they cannot trust Gaddafi.

Gaddafi’s daughter was killed in a US air strike in 1986, ordered after a bomb attack on a West Berlin discotheque killed two US servicemen. Washington linked Tripoli to the attack. Tripoli has declared a sea blockade on the besieged western outpost of Misrata, potentially stopping the rebels from sending weapons and humanitarian supplies in from their eastern heartland.

An International Organisation for Migration ship, the Red Star One, was waiting offshore to deliver aid and evacuate migrants.

A rebel spokesman repor ted more shelling in Misrata. “The bombardment started last night. It is still going on,” the spokesman, called Reda, told Reuters by telephone. “The random bombardment targeted residential areas and the port area. I can hear explosions now.” Rebel spokesman Ahmed Hassan said later that the Libyan army was shelling where an aid ship was trying to unload. Libyan TV said government forces were trying to stop a NATO arms delivery to “armed criminal gangs”. A third rebel spokesman said government forces and rebels were fighting for control of the airport near Misrata.

Pockets of fighting continued elsewhere in the west.

Government forces were bombarding Zintan with rockets to try to advance on the rebel-held city southwest of Tripoli, and the rebels said NATO was bombing Libyan army positions nearby. Loyalists’ artillery fire also landed in the Tunisian border town of Dehiba after fighting on the Libyan side of the border. A rebel spokesman and an oil official said an air strike destroyed a Gaddafi convoy after his forces killed five civilians in fighting in the eastern towns of Jalu and Awlijah. — Agencies

Hundreds of thousands march in May Day...

Continued from Page 1 In France, the far-right National Front (FN) staged its traditional “Joan of Arc” May Day march with a new leader at the head imposing a new image: skinhead haircuts and jackboots had been banned. Marine Le Pen, who in January succeeded her father Jean-Marie Le Pen at the head of the party and has scored strongly in recent opinion polls, drew applause as she took her place at the head of the march.

France’s five major labour unions meanwhile planned around 200 marches across the country, including one in eastern Paris to call for measures to tackle the rising cost of living and to denounce racism. One union, the CGT, said more than 120,000 people had turned out: down on the 350,000 it said turned out last year.

Austria’s Social Democratic Chancellor Werner Faymann used a May Day rally in Vienna to denounce the banking sector before a crowd of about 100,000 people. “When everything’s going well they fill their pockets,” he said. “And when things are going badly, it’s the taxpayers who pay.

More than 420,000 thousand rallied across Germany, said union organisers, though that was down around 60,000 down on the previous year. Germany is recovering strongly from what was its worst post-war recession in 2009.

In Turkey, thousands of people gathered in the heart of the country’s biggest city, Istanbul, in the iconic Taksin Square, where dozens were gunned down at a rally 34 years ago. Waving colourful flags, dancing and chanting, the crowds marched in a rally organized by four trade union confederations. Until last year, the square had been off-limits because of 1977 May Day massacre when gunmen, believed to be far-right militants aided by members of the intelligence services, shot dead 33 people.

In Greece, some 15,000 according to police estimates marched in different cities against austerity measures imposed to fight the country’s economic crisis. Greek unions have called for a general strike on May 11, but socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou in his May Day

message called for “everyone to support the big changes that the country needs.” In Portugal, tens of thousands marched in protest at austerity measures expected to be imposed under the terms of a European Union and International Monetary Fund bailout plan. “Never has social protest been more important,” said Manuel Carvalho da Silva, the head of the CGTP union.

Tens of thousands turned out across Spain in cities including Barcelona, Valencia and the capital Madrid.

Trades union organisers, focussing on the spiralling unemployment figures, said there were “4.9 million more reasons” to take to the streets. Figures for the first quarter put the number of jobless at 4,910,200, or 21.29 percent: a 14-year high and the highest in the industrialised world.

At least 4,000 people marched in Hong Kong in a noisy procession calling for stronger labour laws, even as the city best known as a glitzy financial hub introduced the first ever minimum wage for its legions of low-paid workers. In Seoul at least 50,000 workers gathered to chant slogans calling for higher pay, better job security and to slam the conservative administration. “Our livelihood has been ruined by anti-labour policies, rising unemployment and a widening wealth gap for the past three years under (President) Lee Myung-Bak,” the Korean Federation of Trade Unions said in a statement. Protesters in Indonesia called for better social security, turning out in their thousands with some 10,000 security personnel in attendance.

Chinese holidaymakers flocked to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square to watch the daily flag-raising ceremony. In the Philippines, about 3,000 workers demanding higher wages held a protest in a Manila square that included setting alight the effigy of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III grinning in a luxury car. Aquino was criticized this year for buying a secondhand Porsche in a country where a third of people live on a dollar a day. In Taiwan, about 2,000 people rallied in Taipei to protest the widening income gap and to demand their government create better work conditions. — Agencies

Yemen deal teetering as Saleh fails to sign Continued from Page 1 Yemen’s opposition said it still hoped Gulf states would get Saleh’s signature. Both Saleh and the opposition, which includes both Islamists and leftists, had agreed the deal in principle. “The matter is now with the Gulf states. If they are able to persuade Saleh, that would be good,” Mohammed Basindwa, an opposition figure tipped as a possible interim prime minister, said late on Saturday.

Saleh, who spoke by phone yesterday with the Saudi and Bahraini kings, was reported to have told them he continued to welcome the Gulf initiative, Yemeni state media said.

A deal, if it is brought back on the table, would see Saleh appoint a

prime minister from the opposition to head a transitional government, which would set a presidential vote for 60 days after he leaves. It would also grant immunity from prosecution to Saleh, his family and aides. Protesters say they will stay on the streets until Saleh leaves. They also called for him to be put on trial for corruption and the deaths of the estimated 144 protesters.

In further violence, gunmen launched attacks with rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire yesterday against a government building in the southern province of Abyan, killing three soldiers guarding the site and wounding four others, a local official said. He blamed the attack on AlQaeda. In a separate attack further

east, three Yemeni soldiers were killed when an unidentified gunman opened fire at an army patrol in Hadramaut province, a local security source said.

Violence has escalated recently in south Yemen, where analysts say the government, which has been trying to contain separatists in the south and Shiite rebels in the north, fears secessionists may also be trying to take advantage of the leadership crisis to renew a push for separation. Analysts say a 30-day window for Saleh to resign would give plenty of time for disgruntled forces from the old guard to stir up trouble in Yemen, where half the population owns a gun and AlQaeda has gained a foothold in its mountainous regions. — Reuters

MPs slam Iran’s statements on Arabian Gulf Continued from Page 1 The speaker also expressed reservations that military leaders in Tehran are allowed to issue statements that can negatively impact political ties with the neighbours and called on “friends” in Tehran to introduce restrictions on such statements.

Head of the Arab parliament MP Ali Al-Deqbasi said that if Iranian leaders continue to issue provocative statements against Arab Gulf states, “this will not result in creating a suitable atmosphere for a serious ArabIranian dialogue”. Deqbasi called on the Arab League, Arab parliaments and the Organization of Islamic Conference to strongly stand against such Iranian provocative statements that have increased recently.

Other Kuwaiti MPs however called for tougher actions. Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash claimed that Iran is executing a serious plot against the Arab Gulf states and called on the government to be alert. Islamist MP Falah Al-Sawwagh said that the Assembly should hold an urgent special session after the Cabinet is formed to discuss the Iranian provocations. Shiite MP Hussein Al-Qallaf called on “wise men” in the Islamic Republic of Iran not to allow officials to issue provocative statements in order to preserve “what is left of bilateral relations” and to stop these statements from being exploited by those who incite sectarian strife. IranianKuwaiti relations and Iranian-Gulf ties have strained

over the discovery of an Iranian spy ring in Kuwait and also over the Shiite-led protests in Bahrain which Iran supported and Gulf states opposed.

In another developments, several MPs yesterday welcomed a report that the defense ministry has scrapped a controversial deal to purchase two transport planes from a local company for KD 131 million. The public funds protection committee has been investigating this issue amid allegations by opposition MPs that the deal was being made to serve the interests of an influential local investor at the expense of public funds.

MP Harbash welcomed the ministry decision, saying it was overdue and likened it to a similar decision by the ministry to halting the purchase of the French-made Rafale fighter jets. He said a decision like this will close confrontations between MPs and the government on defense issues. MP Sawwagh welcomed the cancellation but called for referring the issue to the Audit Bureau to investigate the deal.

Meanwhile, Qallaf said that he has received threats to his life through text messages over his position of supporting the Syrian regime against the Syrian people’s uprising. Several MPs have strongly condemned the threat and called on authorities to act. Qallaf and several Shiite MPs have issued statements in support of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, while the majority of MPs and the Kuwaiti people have expressed their staunch support of the Syrian people.

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

S P ORT S

Semenya wins third gold

Power takes pole position SAO PAULO: Will Power of Australia won his fourth consecutive IndyCar pole position and the 200th for Team Penske at the Sao Paulo 300 on Saturday. Power, winner of the inaugural Sao Paulo race last year, will start at the front in late yesterday’s race through the streets of South America’s biggest city after setting the track record with 1 minute, 21.896 seconds.

“Very good day with qualifying,” Power said. “I think it’s important to start up front, there is less chance of getting taken out on the start and maybe the first couple of restarts.” American driver Ryan HunterReay of Andretti Autosport will start second, 0.402 behind Power’s time on a hot Saturday afternoon at the 2.5-mile (4-kilometer), 11-turn Anhembi temporary circuit. HunterReay was runner-up to Power in last year’s race in Brazil and also in qualifying two weeks ago in Long Beach. “Congratulations to Will,” Hunter-Reay said. “Everybody else in the paddock is getting tired of it, but he is doing a great job.”

Scott Dixon of New Zealand was third after a lap of 1:22.362, and he was followed by Ryan Briscoe, Graham Rahal and series leader Dario Franchitti, the pole winner in Brazil a year ago.—AP

STELLENBOSCH: World champion Caster Semenya easily won the 800meters final at the South African University Championships on Saturday, earning her third gold of the meet and ending her domestic season unbeaten in the two-lap event.

The 20-year-old Semenya, formerly at the center of a gender-test controversy, added the 800 to the 400- and 1,500meter titles she won on the first day of the student championships on Friday.

Running in the colors of the University of Pretoria, Semenya led the field through the first lap and pulled away strongly to win in 2 minutes, 2.52 seconds, over two seconds ahead of the field. Semenya has won all four of her 800 races in South Africa this year, and

said she would now take a monthlong break before traveling overseas to continue her buildup to the world championships in August in Daegu, South Korea — where she hopes to defend her 800 title. Before the worlds, Semenya will run at the IAAF World Challenge in Dakar, Senegal, on May 28 and then at her first Diamond League meet of the season — the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on June 4. On Saturday, Semenya was comfortable throughout the 800 final, but was still a second slower than her season’s best of 2:01.77. She has yet to dip under 2 minutes this year in her favored event and is still some way off the South African-record 1:55.45 she recorded as an 18-year-old to win the 2009 world title in Berlin.—AP

Lee clinches Indian Open NEW DELHI: World number one Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia overcame a spirited challenge from Danish ace Peter Gade to clinch the Indian Open Super Series men’s singles title yesterday.

In the women’s singles, Thailand’s unseeded 19-year-old Porntip Buranaprasertsuk pulled off an upset 21-13, 21-16 victory over Korean third seed Youn Joo Bae for her first ever Super Series crown.

Top-seeded Lee was stretched to three games by the world number six before claiming a 21-12, 12-21, 21-15 win in an enthralling title clash at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. It was Lee’s 12th victory in 13 meetings with Gade in Open tournaments and eighth Super Series title overall.

The fierce contest was played out with a slew of smashes and fine net play, enthralling a sizeable crowd that had turned up despite no Indian being left in the fray. Gade, 34, fought back brilliantly in the second game but lost steam in the third after arguing with the chair umpire over a line call just when the match was poised on a knife’s edge.—AFP

Reds roll over Marlins

SWITZERLAND: The winner of the 65th Tour de Romandie, Australian Cadel Evans (center) of team BMC, smiles on the podium with second placed German Tony Martin from team HTC - Columbia (left) and third placed Kazakhstanís Alexandre Vinokourov of team Astana (right) after the 5th and last stage. —AP

Evans wins Tour de Romandie title GENEVA: Cadel Evans won his second Tour de Romandie yesterday and hailed the victory in his adopted country as a boost for his main goal of the season, the Tour de France. “It’s almost a home win for me. Switzerland is the place I picked when I decided to move to the northern hemisphere as a mountain biker in 1998 and I’ve lived here for the last 12 years,” the Australian 2009 road world champion said after the final, 164.6-km stage.

Evans, who won his first major stage event in Romandie five years ago, repeated the feat ahead of two other Tour de France contenders, up-and-coming German Tony Martin and veteran Kazakh Alexandre Vinokourov.

Thanks to his fine effort in the penultimate time trial at the Signal de Bougy park, the Australian finished 18 seconds ahead of Paris-Nice winner Martin overall and another second ahead of former Vuelta champion Vinokourov.

“Romandie was the first Pro Tour level race I won and we also rode past the village of Lugnorre in which I settled in 1998 as well as the Neuchatel headquarters of the company I signed with when I came to Europe,” said Evans, who became world champion two years ago in the Swiss town of Mendrisio.

Evans was sidelined for a month by a knee injury in March, after winning the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race, and said he was surprised to be back in form so early.

“It’s a pleasant surprise but it shows what good work my BMC team staff did to bring me back to shape,” he said.

Twice a Tour de France runner-up, the 34-year-old all rounder has often been hampered by the lack of a strong team to support him, but he said the current BMC line-up was probably the strongest he had known.

“We already had a strong team last year but unfortunately I broke my arm (on the Tour),” Evans said. “I definitely believe we have an even better team this year and races like this are ideal to get to know each other ahead of the Tour. I hope my victories in Tirreno and here will give my team mates that little bit of extra motivation for the rest of the season.”

The Tour de France runs from July 2 to 24. Evans was seldom attacked in Sunday’s final stage to Geneva, despite the presence of two first-category climbs on the course.

After several unsuccessful breaks, the bunch reached Geneva fully packed and the mass sprint was won by up-and-coming British sprinter Ben Swift, already winner of two stages in the Tour Down Under early in the season.

Swift, 23, beat three -times world champion Oscar Freire on the line after a great team effort by his Sky team mates.

“It’s a great honor to beat Oscar, he is the kind of rider I would like to develop into,” said Swift. —Reuters

US win, Czechs struggle World championship BRATISLAVA: The young United States squad began their ice hockey world championship with a 5-1 victory over Austria on Saturday but holders Czech Republic had to work hard to beat a stubborn Latvia team 4-2.

Finland enjoyed a revenge victory against Denmark, also by 5-1, while Norway won 5-4 in overtime against Sweden. Chris Kreider, drafted by the New York Rangers and named player of the match, celebrated his 20th birthday with the opening goal for the US af ter 14 minutes. Blake Wheeler extended the lead to 2-0 four minutes later.

Austria failed to take advantage of a five-on-three power play in the second period but shot a contact goal one minute later as Marco Pewal punished the Americans’ inability to convert several chances.

Yan Stastny, son of former NHL and Slovakian player Peter Stastny, took the US to 3-1 in the 39th minute and strikes by Kevin Shattenkirk and Craig Smith in the third period finished off the Group C victor y in the eastern Slovakian town of Kosice.

“We are satisfied; two more matches (in the group) are ahead of us and we have to play better in these nex t matches,” Stastny told reporters.

The Czechs had to battle for their victory after twice going behind to a

dangerous Latvia team in their Group D game. Lauris Darzins stunned the Czechs in the 10th minute but Tomas Rolinek levelled the scores before the Latvians went ahead again in the second period through Roberts Bukarts.

Patrik Elias got the Czechs back into the match in the 32nd and assisted Martin Havlat who made it 3-2 in the 42nd before Roman Cer venk a wrapped up the victory just before the hour.

In the other Group C game, Norway won 5-4 in overtime against a Sweden team that wasted the 3-1 lead built up

by Loui Eriksson and two goals from Patrik Berglund in the first period.

Norway’s Martin Roymark scored in the first period before Morten Ask and Marius Holtet found the net in the second to bring their team level at 3-3.

Eriksson put Sweden ahead again in the 50th minute but Anders Bastiansen secured a 4-4 draw, triggering a goalfree overtime and then a shootout in which Norway prevailed.

Jarkko Immonen put Finland ahead after 24 minutes against Denmark in the other Group D game on the second day of the championship. Juhamatti Aaltonen, in the second period, and Antti Pihlstrom, Janne Niskala and Tuomo Ruutu in the third, completed Finland’s revenge for an opening defeat by Denmark in last year’s tournament in Germany.—Reuters

CINCINNATI: Pinch-hitter Edgar Renteria singled with two outs in the 10th inning to lift the Cincinnati Reds to a 4-3 comeback win over the Florida Marlins in the National League on Saturday.

Marlins starter Josh Johnson left after seven innings, and reliever Randy Choate took over in the eighth with a 3-0 lead but Cincinnati scored three times to tie it. The Reds then loaded the bases with no outs in the 10th against rookie Michael Dunn (1-1). After a forceout and a pop up, Renteria singled into left field to win it.

Francisco Cordero (1-0) worked two scoreless innings for the Reds.

Phillies 2, Mets 1 In Philadelphia, Roy Halladay started the game by throwing 18 straight strikes and Philadelphia went on to set a club record with its 18th victory in April, beating New York. Halladay (4-1) allowed one run and walked only one while striking out eight to lead the Phillies to their third straight victory and a record better than the 17-5 April of 1993.

The NL Cy Young award winner didn’t toss a ball until the third inning. It was his seventh straight win over the Mets dating to the 2006 season. Mets starter Jonathon Niese (2-3) took the loss after Placido Polanco’s sacrifice fly in the seventh broke a 1-1 tie.

Cardinals 3, Braves 2 In Atlanta, Gerald Laird’s ninthinning triple capped a late rally to give St. Louis a win over Atlanta.

Backed by rookie Brandon Beachy’s seven scoreless innings to start the game, the Braves led 2-0 before St. Louis began its comeback.

David Freese tied the game with a two-run single in the eighth before Laird’s go-ahead triple drove in Matt Holliday. Atlanta closer

CINCINNATI: Reds’ Miguel Cairo (43) is safe at home as Florida Marlins catcher John Buck catches the late throw in the eighth inning of a Major League Baseball game. —AP Craig Kimbrel (0-1) couldn’t hold a 2-2 tie in the ninth. Miguel Batista (2-1) earned the win.

Rockies 4, Pirates 1 In Denver, Jason Hammel shook off a leadoff home run to pitch seven strong innings and steer Colorado over Pittsburgh.

Hammel (3-1) gave up Andrew McCutchen’s homer to start a game but kept the Pirates in check after that, striking out four. He also benefited from a Rockies defense that turned three double plays.

Chris Iannetta backed him with a three-run homer. Huston Street got the final three outs for his NLleading 10th save in 10 chances.

Pittsburgh starter Paul Maholm (14) allowed seven hits in seven innings.

Giants 2, Nationals 1 In Washington, taken out of the

starting lineup, Aubrey Huff drew a bases-loaded walk as a pinch hitter to force home the go-ahead run as San Francisco pipped Washington.

The Giants overcame Jonathan Sanchez ’s wild start and Brian Wilson’s wild finish.

Sanchez walked or hit seven of Washington’s first 10 batters but allowed just two hits in his five innings. Guillermo Mota (2-0) pitched a perfect sixth for the win, and four other relievers followed with hitless work. Still, Wilson made it interesting in the ninth. He walked two batters and hit another to load the bases with two outs, before striking out Adam LaRoche swinging for his eighth save.

Washington’s John Lannan (2-3) allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings.

Padres 5, Dodgers 2 In Los Angeles, Will Venable

scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning as San Diego downed error-ridden Los Angeles. The San Diego Padres got two other runs on dropped throws at home plate.

Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier extended his hitting streak to 26 games, a record for the month of April. He had two singles.

San Diego’s Luke Gregerson (11) got the win and Heath Bell the save; his 40th straight to put him one shy of Trevor Hoffman’s franchise record. Matt Guerrier (2-2) threw the costly wild pitch and took the loss.

Astros 2, Brewers 1 In Houston, Jason Bourgeois singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning to lift Houston over Milwaukee.

Kameron Loe (2-2) walked two batters with two outs. Bourgeois followed with his third hit, scoring pinch-runner Bill Hall.

Bourgeois also doubled and stole two bases. Milwaukee’s Prince Fielder had tied with a solo homer in the top of the ninth off Houston closer Brandon Lyon (3-1), who then got the two outs to end it.

Cubs 5, D’backs 3 In Phoenix, Darwin Barney singled up the middle to score Geovany Soto in the top of the ninth inning and Chicago beat Arizona. Alfonso Soriano hit his 10th home run, tying him with Ryan Braun for the National League lead, and Matt Garza threw eight solid innings for the Cubs.

Garza (1-3) scattered six hits with 10 strikeouts over a seasonbest eight innings for his first win with the Cubs. Carlos Marmol pitched a hitless ninth for his seventh save. JJ Putz (0-1) gave up two runs and three hits in the ninth for the Diamondbacks.—AP

Rays down Angels ST. PETERSBURG: Matt Joyce scored from third on a wild pitch with two outs in the 10th inning to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the American League on Saturday.

Joyce opened the 10th with a double off Fernando Rodney (0-1) and moved to third on a grounder.

Rodney then threw a pitch into the dirt that eluded catcher Hank Conge and Joyce raced home.

Tampa Bay’s James Shields took a shutout into the ninth before giving up a double to Torii Hunter to open the inning. Hunter later scored to tie it and force extra innings. Joyce also homered for the Rays, who have won six of seven.

Joel Peralta (1-0) took the win with a perfect 10th.

Indians 3, Tigers 2 In Cleveland, Orlando Cabrera lined an RBI single in the 13th inning that gave Cleveland victory over Detroit and its 12th straight home win. The Indians extended their best home streak since 1996.

Cabrera singled the winner to deep center with the bases loaded and one out. Tony Sipp (1-0) worked two scoreless innings to take the win for Cleveland, which won its fifth in a row and finished with its best April record ever at 18-8.

Brayan Villareal (1-1) took the loss for the Tigers, who lost their fifth straight.

Rangers 11, Athletics 2 In Oakland, Colby Lewis pitched eight strong innings to steer Texas to a big win over Oakland. Lewis (2-3) had a season-high six strikeouts to take a win after losing his previous three starts while getting one run or fewer of support.

Texas hit three home runs, including back-to-back shots by Nelson Cruz and Mike Napoli in the fourth. Michael Young hit his first homer of the season as the Rangers tagged A’s starter Brett Anderson (2-2) for seven runs in five innings.

Yankees 5, Blue Jays 4 In New York, Eric Chavez drove in a run and broke up a potential

ST PETERSBURG: Tampa Bay Rays’ Felipe Lopez (right) is tagged out

by Los Angeles Angels second baseman Alexi Amarista while trying to steal second base during the fifth inning. —AP double play that helped lead to three more as New York edged Toronto. Derek Jeter hit a sacrifice fly, and Curtis Granderson, Russell Martin and Brett Gardner also drove in runs for the Yankees, who

played small ball to perfection against Toronto. Yankees starter A.J. Burnett (4-1) scrapped his way through six innings, despite giving up nine hits and having to wiggle his way out of a jam in just about every

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

Tampa Bay 2, La Angels 1 (10 Innings); St. Louis 3, Atlanta 2; Philadelphia 2, NY Mets 1; NY Yankees 5, Toronto 4; San Francisco 2, Washington 1; Texas 11, Oakland 2; Cleveland 3, Detroit 2 (13 innings); Houston 2, Milwaukee 1; Baltimore 6, Chicago White Sox 2; Kansas City 11, Minnesota 2; Seattle 2, Boston 0; Cincinnati 4, Florida 3 (10 innings); Colorado 4, Pittsburgh 1; Chicago Cubs 5, Arizona 3; San Diego 5, LA Dodgers 2.

American League National League Eastern Division Eastern Division W L PCT GB Philadelphia 18 8 .692 Florida 16 9 .640 1.5 NY Yankees 15 9 .625 Atlanta 13 15 .464 6 Tampa Bay 15 12 .556 1.5 Washington 12 14 .462 6 Toronto 13 14 .481 3.5 NY Mets 11 16 .407 7.5 Baltimore 12 13 .480 3.5 Central Division Boston 11 15 .423 5 St. Louis 16 11 .593 Central Division Cincinnati 14 13 .519 2 Cleveland 18 8 .692 Milwaukee 13 13 .500 2.5 Kansas City 14 13 .519 4.5 Chicago Cubs12 14 .462 3.5 Detroit 12 15 .444 6.5 Pittsburgh 12 15 .444 4 Chicago 10 18 .357 9 Houston 10 17 .370 6 Minnesota 9 17 .346 9 Western Division Western Division Colorado 17 8 .680 Texas 16 11 .593 LA Dodgers 14 14 .500 4.5 LA Angels 15 12 .556 1 San Francisco 13 13 .500 4.5 Oakland 13 14 .481 3 Arizona 11 15 .423 6.5 Seattle 13 15 .464 3.5 San Diego 10 17 .370 8

one of them. Mariano Rivera pitched the ninth for his ninth save. Toronto’s Kyle Drabek (2-1) took the loss.

Mariners 2, Red Sox 0 In Boston, Doug Fister (2-3) worked out of trouble three times in 5 2-3 scoreless innings to lead Seattle over Boston and to a fifth straight win. Seattle’s Milton Bradley had an RBI double before being ejected a few minutes later and the Mariners’ bullpen pitched the final 3 1/3 innings. Seattle’s pen has held opponents scoreless for the last 13 1-3 innings. Red Sox starter John Lackey (2-3) gave up seven hits and walked four in six innings.

Royals 11, Twins 2 In Kansas City, Alex Gordon hit a three-run homer in an eight-run eighth inning that powered Kansas City over Minnesota.

The Royals sent 12 men to the plate in the eighth and scored all eight runs after two outs. Six of the runs were unearned after an error

by Twins first baseman Justin Morneau. Royals rookie Adcock (10), who had never pitched above Class A before this season, worked a scoreless seventh to take his first major leagues victory. Twins starter Brian Duensing (2-1) took the loss, giving up eight hits in seven innings. Minnesotat has lost five straight.

Orioles 6, White Sox 2 In Chicago, Robert Andino homered as Baltimore overcame slumping Chicago. Leading 2-1, the Orioles tacked on four runs in the eighth, an inning featuring a passed ball and error by Chicago catcher AJ Pierzynski and a two-run single by Vladimir Guerrero. Baltimore’s Chris Tillman (1-2) allowed a run in five innings, while reliever Mike Gonazalez doused a no-out basesladed situation. Chicago’s Phil Humber (2-3) had another solid outing, giving up two runs in seven innings. Suspended White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen missed the game and bench coach Joey Cora took over. —AP

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Westwood wins in Seoul Ballantine’s Championship SEOUL: Briton Lee Westwood clinched the Ballantine’s Championship by a stroke yesterday with a scorching final round that secured his second consecutive title in Asia and consolidated his world number one ranking.

The 38-year old Englishman, who won the

Indonesian Masters last week, hit a blemishfree five-under 67 at the Blackstone Golf Club near Seoul to finish with a 12-under total of 276, one better than Ryder Cup team mate Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain.

Park Sang-hyun of South Korea finished

SEOUL: Lee Westwood from England poses with a winner trophy during the Ballantine’s Championship at Blackstone Golf Club. —AP

third on 10-under in the European and Asian Tour co-sanctioned event after carding a final-round 69 with an eagle on the last hole.

Westwood, who wrested back the top ranking with his win in Indonesia, trailed the leaders by three strokes after the weather-hit third round finished on Sunday morning.

He holed two birdies on the front nine and finished with three more after the turn but had to endure an anxious wait in the clubhouse as overnight joint leader Jimenez finished his round.

“It feels great. I must admit it was nerveracking sitting there watching people play.

You never wish ill on anyone but I’m delighted to win,” Westwood said.

“I’ve won two weeks in a row before but it’s still very special. It’s tough to come down off a win and get yourself re-focused, but the more experience you get the easier it is to do it.”

The pony-tailed Jimenez needed just one birdie in the closing holes to force a play-off with Westwood but could manage only pars on the back nine.

“We had a nice bottle of red and after dinner I said ‘I’ll see you in the playoff tomorrow’ and it nearly went that way,” said Westwood, who dined with the Spaniard on Saturday before winning his 21st European Tour title.

“Billy (Foster, his caddie) said to me on the sixth or seventh that 11-under will have a chance so that was the figure we were aiming for. “It’s tricky out there. It’s a difficult course because it goes around the hills and it’s difficult to pick the wind up, it swirls a lot.” —Reuters

Busch denies Hamlin sweep at Richmond RICHMOND: Kyle Busch denied teammate Denny Hamlin a NASCAR weekend sweep at his home track by stretching his final tank of fuel 107 laps to win at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday.

Busch won the race at Richmond for the third consecutive year, needing only to make it to the checkered flag before his

Busch led the Joe Gibbs Racing sweep.

“It was important for me to have a smooth race and not have anything go wrong,” Hamlin said.

“Just got beat by my teammate.

He drove a great race. I thought he would burn his stuff up. Our cars were dead equal.

“It’s tough when you share notebooks,” Hamlin said. “Every

know, but we did a good job at doing what we needed to do.”

Kasey Kahne, fresh off surgery to repair a torn knee ligament, finished a season-best third to give Toyota the top three spots.

“We weren’t quite good enough as the Gibbs cars, they were really good tonight,” Kahne said. “But it’s still a good run. The guys did a good job and it’s nice

RICHMOND: Jeff Gordon (24) spins out in front of Bobby Labonte (47) and David Gilliland (back) during the NASCAR Sprint Cup auto race. —AP gas tank ran dry. Lurking behind him was Hamlin, ready to pounce for a victory that might have snapped his early season slump.

Hamlin had already won his charity race, held Thursday, and followed it with Friday’s win in the Nationwide Series race. But Busch’s car was just a tick better in the Sprint Cup Series race, and

trick in the book, you know they’ve got it, too.” The two have dominated at the track, combining to win the past five races here.

The last non-Gibbs driver to win at Richmond was Jimmie Johnson in 2008.

“I learned from Denny last fall, and I’m not going to say what I learned,” Busch said. “He might

to get a top-five.”

The leaders seemed to have an easy go of it, with most of the fireworks coming far behind them in the field. Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya were involved in two different on-track incidents. The first caused Montoya, the pole-sitter, to brush the wall.

His stop to repair the damage dropped him three laps off the pace. He later ran into the back of Newman, who was running eighth, and Newman vowed his payback would come after the race, but there was no confrontation. “I don’t know that you can have that,” Newman said. “ To retaliate the way he did just didn’t show much class.” There’s been some history between the two, including contact that led to a fiery crash for Montoya in his 2006 Sprint Cup debut at Homestead. Newman got a dig in when asked if he thought Montoya’s still mad about that accident. “I don’t know if he could even remember back that far,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kurt Busch completely lost his composure on his team radio several times during the race. Frustrated by an ill-handling car, he was pushed over the edge when he ran into Newman seconds after contact between Newman and Montoya brought out the caution.

And Martin Truex Jr., in position for a top-five finish, threatened over his team radio to fire his entire crew when he was penalized twice on his final pit stop. All that action made the actual finish fairly uneventful, and both Hamlin and Kahne shared a knowing smirk during the postrace news conference about all the in-race excitement.

“I watch the screen ... every time Montoya has damage, you see who did it, they usually end up getting wrecked,” Hamlin said.

“You usually know that’s coming.”—AP

NEW ORLEANS: Bubba Watson blasts from the trap guarding the 18th green during the third round of the PGA event at the Zurich Classic golf tournament. —AP

Watson, Simpson in tie for New Orleans lead NEW ORLEANS: Bubba Watson got up and down from a greenside bunker to birdie the last and hold a share of the lead with fellow American Webb Simpson after Saturday’s third round of the New Orleans Classic.

Left-hander Watson, who had been one stroke ahead overnight, splashed out to five feet at the par-five 18th and coolly sank the putt for a two-under-par 70 at the TPC Louisiana.

That gave the long-hitting American a 12-under total of 204, putting him level with Simpson who had reeled off five consecutive birdies from the par-three third on the way to a flawless 67.

At one point, Simpson led the field by two on another hot and breezy day in Louisiana but he failed to make any birdies on the back nine before being caught by Watson’s late surge.

American John Rollins carded a 69 to finish alone in third at 11 under, a stroke better than six players including his compatriot Steve Stricker (68), Australian Matt Jones (69) and South Korea’s K.J. Choi (67).

Britain’s Luke Donald, who could become world number one with victory this week, returned a 70 to end the third round five shots off the pace.

“I got off to a pretty good start with those five birdies in a row, and I even had a chance at eight for birdie,” Simpson, 25, said in a television interview.

“But the way the wind blows out here and the golf course is firming up, I knew pars were a good score on the back nine.

I wish I could have gotten more but, all in all, a solid day.”

Simpson will be bidding for his first PGA Tour title when he tees off in Sunday’s final round and plans to draw on his experience from last month’s Transitions Championship in Tampa Bay where he finished second.

“I have proved to myself, my caddie and everybody else that I can win,” Simpson said of his runner-up spot at Tampa Bay, just one stroke behind winner Gary Woodland.

“I was right there until the last hole so I will carry the confidence from that tournament into tomorrow. The only thing it will do is help me.”

In co-leader Watson, however, Simpson faces a much more experienced player who is seeking his third career victory on the US circuit.

“We are right in a good position,” said left-hander Watson, who clinched his second PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open in January.

“I must just stay focused on what I am doing, just play ‘Bubba’ golf. Don’t worry about what’s going on, don’t worry about what anyone else is doing.”

Conditions on Sunday are expected to mirror those of Saturday when tricky winds provided a daunting challenge on a course already playing fast and firm.

“The greens were getting pretty firm and pretty quick today,” said Watson. “It was tough. It was tough to make putts.

You were just trying to cosy it up there, or I was any way.” —Reuters

Pedrosa wins in Portugal LISBON: Spaniard Dani Pedrosa won the Portuguese Grand Prix for Honda yesterday and denied Yamaha’s MotoGP world champion and compatriot Jorge Lorenzo a fourth straight win at Estoril.

Australian Casey Stoner, struggling with back pain that almost forced him to pull up, finished a distant third for Honda.

Lorenzo had led from pole position for the first time this season with Pedrosa, still feeling the pain from recent shoulder surgery, lapping in the Majorcan’s slipstream until he hit the front with four laps to go and powered away.

The victory, in a time of 45 minutes 51.483 seconds, was his first of 2011 as well as first in Portugal. “It’s been very difficult for me lately and to be here after surgery is something incredible,” said Pedrosa, thanking his doctors for helping him to get back on top.

“The race was very tough and Jorge was at an amazing pace all the time, but at the end I was there with him and I did not want to be second again,” he told BBC television, wincing with pain on the podium.

Stoner was also suffering, after being seen tweaking his back during the race. “For about half a lap I couldn’t move,” the Australian said.

“I was contemplating pulling into the pits.

“Luckily it loosened up enough for me to be able to change direction and get from one side of the bike to the other. It’s just a relief, to be honest, to finish.”

Lorenzo, winner of the previous race at Jerez in Spain, remained top of the overall

standings after three rounds with 65 points to Pedrosa’s 61. Stoner, who won the Qatar season-opener in March, has 41 and nine-times

PORTUGAL: MotoGP rider Dani Pedrosa, from Spain, celebrates his victory as he holds up the trophy on the podium after winning the Portugal Motorcycling MotoGP. —AP world champion Valentino Rossi 31.

Lorenzo, who had won his last three races at Estoril from pole, tried to keep Pedrosa

behind him but could not hold him off as the two pulled away to fight their own Spanish duel.

“He stayed behind me during all the race, maybe I was more tired physically because I was pushing and pushing and he only had to follow me,” said the champion.

“But he has done a better race so he deserved the win. The important thing is that we finished the race, didn’t crash and we get some important points for the championship.”

Italian Andrea Dovizioso, riding a Honda, stole fourth place from compatriot Rossi on the final straight with the two separated by just two hundredths of a second as they crossed the line.

“Fighting with Valentino is always nice and always more important than with other riders,” said the Italian. “My strategy on the last lap was perfect.”

Compatriot Marco Simoncelli, who had started a career best second on the grid for the Gresini Honda team, was thrown off his bike on the opening lap.

Lorenzo and the Italian had traded angry words at the post-qualifying news conference, with the Spaniard accusing Simoncelli of overly-aggressive riding, but the crash ended track hostilities with the race barely started.

In the Moto2 category, Germany’s Stefan Bradl took his second win of the season to lead the championship with 61 points to Italian Andrea Iannone’s 48. Iannone charged from 17th to first and then crashed, finishing 13th. —Reuters

MILTON KEYNES: Northampton’s Roger Wilson (left) and Phil Dowson (right) tackle Perpignan’s Gavin Hume during their European Rugby Cup semi final rugby match. —AP

Saints beat Perpignan to reach European Cup final MILTON KEYNES: Northampton set up a European Cup final against Leinster after notching up a comfortable 23-7 victory over Perpignan yesterday.

The Saints will now face the Irish province, 32-23 winners over Toulouse on Saturday, in the final of European club rugby ’s showpiece event at Cardiff ’s Millennium Stadium on May 21.

Tries from England full-back Ben Foden and centre Jon Clarke, allied with three penalties and two conversions from outside-half Stephen Myler were enough to outclass Perpignan, for whom hooker Guilhem Guirado scored a try converted by Nicolas Laharrague.

After a frantic start, with both sides failing to convert their chances in a midfield battle, Myler sent a 14th minute penalty attempt wide.

But the Saints came roaring back, outstanding flanker Phil Dowson initially splitting the defence, and quick ball from Myler freeing up Foden to cross unmolested.

Myler hit the extras and followed that up with a penalty in the 26th minute. The

former league player then scuffed a third penalty chance.

Things went from bad to worse for the Catalan club after centre Clarke took a wide Myler pass and left David Marty for dead in midfield, skinning the France international to cross for a try Myler converted.

The visitors’ winger Julien Candelon was then sin-binned for dangerously taking out Saints scrum-half Lee Dickson when the latter jumped to claim an upand-under.

Dickson landed on his head after Candelon sent him spinning but after treatment was able to carry on, Candelon perhaps lucky not to have been sent straight off for his shocking challenge.

Myler then booted a penalty after the Perpignan front-row collapsed under pressure in front of their own posts.

But Perpignan gave themselves a lifeline before half-time, spurning an easy penalty kick to instead go for touch. From the take-and-drive, hooker Guirado was driven over for a try Laharrague converted to make it 20-7. —AFP

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Higgins battles back to lead Trump in final SHEFFIELD: Former champion John Higgins came from behind to take a 3-2 lead over Judd Trump in the opening session of the World Championship final yesterday.

Following a tribute to Ted Lowe after the famous snooker commentator’s death earlier on Sunday, Trump came out to deafening applause befitting his status as snooker’s new superstar.

The 21-year-old’s first-round win over last year’s champion Neil Robertson came as a surprise, but notable victories over 2006 champion Graeme Dott and reigning Masters champion Ding Junhui followed as the youngster advanced to his first Crucible final.

It is only seven weeks since China Open champion Trump won a qualifying match against David Gilbert to book his place in the World Championships.

And it looked like his fairytale run would continue as he took the first two frames, helped by breaks of 46 and 42, to edge ahead against three-time world champion Higgins.

But the Scot, who won the title in 1998, 2007 and 2009, hit back impressively. Higgins, famously suspended for six months in 2010, came from 38-13 behind to take the third frame and 54-0 down to pinch the next, before a run of 64 nudged him ahead for the first time.—AFP

Royals beat Warriors with 3 balls to spare JAIPUR: Ross Taylor hit 47 not out to guide Rajasthan Royals to a six-wicket victory over Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League yesterday with three balls to spare.

New Zealander Taylor smashed four boundaries and two sixes and put on 52 for the unbroken fifth wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (15 not out) to help Royals win their third successive match in the Twenty20 tournament. Former champions Royals finished at 144-4 after restricting Warriors, who lost their sixth straight match in the 10-team league, to 143-7 in 20 overs. “Fantastic win for us,” Royals captain Shane Warne said.

“We have a good environment in our team, not a tight leash but a very open leash and it helps the youngsters.” Robin Uthappa (35) and Manish Pandey (30) got Warriors off to a good start after the visitors were put in to bat. But the misfiring middle-order wobbled once Warne dismissed Uthappa caught behind while attempting to reverse-sweep the leg-spinner.

Yuvraj Singh was run out for 7 and pacer Siddharth Trivedi grabbed two wickets to apply the brakes on Warriors. In reply, legspinner Rahul Sharma caught and bowled Rahul Dravid for 18 and trapped Johan Botha leg before wicket for 12 as Royals stumbled to to 59-3 in 10.1 overs.

But Taylor turned it around, first putting on 33 for the fourth wicket with Ashok Menaria (29) and easing the pressure with 16 off left-arm spinner Murali Kartik that included two fours and a six.

“It is good to come to a new franchise and get a Man of the Match in a win,” said Taylor, who previously played for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Defending champions Chennai Super Kings play Deccan Chargers later yesterday.

Score: Rajasthan Royals 144-4 in 19.3 overs (Ross Taylor 47 not out, Rahul Sharma 3-13) def.

Pune Warriors 143-7 in 20 overs (Robin Uthappa 35, Siddharth Trivedi 2-28).—AP

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Royals batsman Ross Taylor bats against Pune Warriors during their Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match. —AP

Del Potro triumphs in Estoril Open ESTORIL: Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro won his first claycourt tournament in 22 months with a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Fernando Verdasco at the Estoril Open yesterday.

The victory was the second of the season for the 2009 US Open champion, who missed 10 months of 2010 as he recovered from surgery on his right wrist.

Del Potro last played on clay at the 2009 French Open but he showed that he had lost none of his touch on the surface.

He claimed his ninth title, from 12 final appearances, to improve his win-loss record for the season to 25-6 and become the first Argentine to win the Estoril title since David Nalbandian in 2006.

“This is a great victory, it’s unbelievable to win on clay. It’s something I never expected so soon,” said the champion.The big Argentine said that while his wrist is not yet at 100 percent, it is not a bother to him on court. “It’s almost fine, it’s getting better.

When the weather is humid I feel something, But the doctors say that’s normal. It’s getting better faster than we expected.

“I’ve stopped worrying about my injury.

It’s just a little pain, but it does not stop me wanting to win. That’s more important than any pain.”

Despite his loss, the week was also a success for Spain’s second-seeded Verdasco who had lost in four of his five previous tournaments in opening matches.

The Spaniard is fighting to rescue a ranking which dropped him from the Top 10 to 15th. Sunday’s loss left his record in finals at 5-10.Del Potro dominated in the opening set, winning it in 32 minutes after running away to a 5-1 start.

But Verdasco began to find his range in the second and despite starting it by going down a break managed to keep Del Potro at bay.

The Argentine was tested in the final game, with Verdasco saving a pair of match points and forcing his opponent to salvage a break point.

But del Potro finally took victory on his third winning chance. “He played better and that is why he beat me by the score line today,” said Verdasco.

“He played great. I didn’t have many chances to put him in trouble. It was hard, he was hitting the ball hard and deep. It was difficult to be offensive.I didn’t play my best.

“I hope to finish in the Top 10 at the end of this year. After Roland Garros I will have almost nothing to defend, so I hope to pick up points at Wimbledon and other tournaments.”

Both men will travel immediately to Madrid where the Masters 1000 has already started. Del Potro faces a first-round match with 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny while Verdasco plays as 15th seed with a start against Taiwan’sLu Yen-Hsun.—AFP

ESTORIL: Argentina’s Juan Martin Del Potro raises the trophy after his victory over Spain’s Fernando Verdasco during his men’s singles final of the Estoril Tennis Open. —AP

MOSCOW: Japan’s Ando Miki performs during the gala exhibition after ISU Figure Skating World championships.—AP

Ando upsets favorites to capture women’s gold MOSCOW: Japan’s Miki Ando upstaged Olympic champion Kim Yuna to strike gold at the world figure skating championships on Saturday and hoped she had lifted the spirits of her devastated nation.

Just seven weeks after the March 11 ear thquake and tsumani killed at least 13,000 people in Japan, an event which forced the world championships to be moved from the Asian nation, Ando showed her nerves of steel to clinch her second world title with a combined total of 195.79 points. Kim finished with 194.50.

“Maybe I was able to bring back a little smile to the people of Japan,” Ando, who had won her last world title on home ice in Tokyo in 2007, told reporters. I’m so happy to win this gold medal.

I did it for myself and for Japan.”

While Ando won an emotional gold, Meryl Davis and Charlie White produced a mesmerising per formance to waltz past Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Davis and White became the first American couple to capture the ice dancing crown.

Ando trailed Kim by less than

half a point after Friday’s short programme but was able to snatch gold after earning 130.21 points for her free skate.

Asked to compare her two titles, Ando said: “Four years ago I didn’t have any idea of any medal. I had a serious injury then and I didn’t skate for two weeks. I just did my job and won.”

The modest 23-year-old was also critical of her own performance.“I wasn’t perfect today, I had some small mistakes,” she said.

South Korea’s Kim had to settle for silver for the second year running following a shaky performance. Her combined total was almost 35 points adrift of the record score she posted during her gold-medal performance at last year’s Vancouver Games.

Kim, known as “Queen Yuna” to her legion of fans, tried to put a positive spin on her silver medal. “I’m very happy with this medal because I’ve had the hardest time in my life after the Olympics,” said the 20-year-old, who briefly considered retirement after being upstaged by Asada in Turin before changing her mind, and also fired her Canadian coach Brian Orser last August.

“I was thinking what to do next. Then I started skating again but mentally it was very difficult.

“Now, I can go home, relax and do my shows,” she added.

Italy’s 2010 European champion Carolina Kostner was rewarded for a difficult programme, moving up from sixth to take bronze.

Japan’s Mao Asada, who beat Kim to win gold at last year ’s worlds, had a day to forget, finishing a disappoiting sixth.

There was also changing of the guard in ice dancing, where Davis and White shocked Canada’s world and Olympic champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir to claim their first global title.

They also became the first American duo to win the ice dancing gold at a world championships since the competition began in 1952.

“It ’s been a long 15 years we’ve been together building for this moment, so we kind of knew it could happen eventually and we’re very proud to be the first American ice dancers to have won the gold medal,” White told a news conference.

Davis and White, who finished

second behind the Canadians in the world championships and the Olympics last year, came from behind to clinch the gold with a breathtaking free programme.

The Canadians, who have missed most of the season after Virtue underwent surgery on a leg injury last October, had to settle for silver. “We’re not disappointed, in fact we’re ver y pround what we’ve done here,” said Moir.

American siblings, Maia and Alex Shibutani, who were fourth after Friday’s short programme, leapfrogged Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France to snatch bronze by 0.25 of a point on their world championship debut. European champions Pechalat and Bourzat lost their chance for a medal when Bourzat slipped and fell during the diagonal step sequence midway through their routine.

“Our goal was just to be here, to make the team and winning a bronze is just unbelievable,” said 16-year-old Maia Shibutani, coached by US-based Russians Marina Zueva and Igor Shpilband, who also train the first two couples.—Reuters

Caroline, Sharapova off to winning starts in Madrid MADRID: Top seed Caroline Wozniacki began her campaign at the ATP-WTA Madrid Masters yesterday with a 6-2, 63 defeat of Japan’s Ayumi Morita while two Grand Slam champions, Maria Sharapova and Francesca Schiavone also went through. But while Wozniacki was doing all the right things, there was disaster for French title holder Aravane Rezai, who lost to Swedish qualifier Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Wozniacki is trying to break her duck at the Grand Slams after holding the top WTA ranking without the benefit of a title at one of the four majors with the French Open just three weeks ago.

“The first match is tricky, but I felt I played pretty well,” said Wozniacki. “I’ve had quite a lot of practice here.” French Open champion Francesca Schiavone won her first claycourt match of the season, defeating China’s Peng Shuai 75, 7-6 (7/2) to reach the second round.

The Italian third seed was beaten in her clay start last month in Stuttgart by Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska.But with her Roland Garros title defence starting on May 22, Schiavone got her game back on track in straight sets.

Schiavone spent two hours on court at the Caja Magica complex, facing only two break points from her 30th-ranked Chinese opponent who lost a semi-final on green clay in Charleston early in April. Eighth seed Maria Sharapova struggled in her first clay contest of the season, with the three-time Grand Slam champion coming through for a defeat of Alexandra Rus of the Netherlands 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The challenger saved a match point on her own serve before the Russian seed moved ahead into the second round on her second winning opportunity. “She started well and playing aggressive,” said the Russian, already training for a week in Madrid. “I was the

tentative one and she took advantage.

“But I’m happy I was able to turn it around. It was my first match on clay in some time (almost a year). I was in a similar situation here last year and I lost. I’m happy I came back for the win.”

Sharapova finished with a disappointing 37 unforced errors and just 14 winners on the high-altitude clay of the capital.

The eighth seed converted on seven of 14 break points against a teenaged opponent ranked 99th who lost in first round at Marbella and Fez. Sharapova is still hopeful of improving on her 2007 French Open semifinal placing when the second Grand Slam event of the year rolls around.

“I wasn’t even in my best shape when I did it. I’ve improved a lot in my game, I’m recovering better and I’ve improved my fitness. It all adds up.”

French 11th seed Marion Bartoli saw off Romanian qualifier Simona Halep 6-4, 6-1 while Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova advanced over Japan’s 40-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-3, 6-3.

Defending men’s champion Rafael Nadal said that while there is always pressure when he plays in Spain, it’s something he has got used to over his years of success in front of his adoring public.

“I had three days off with friends in Mallorca. I only did physical training, no tennis,” said the world number one, who has gone undefeated on clay for 34 matches dating to 2009.

“Playing in Spain creates so much pressure, but it is always there when you are playing in front of your people. “There is always the danger of losing. My draw is not that favourable, I’m in a hard quarter. But you have to play your best in tournaments at this level, they are never easy.”—AFP

Maria Sharapova plays a shot in this file photo

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Lampard’s goal re-ignites calls for technology LONDON: Almost a year after being denied a legitimate goal at the World Cup, another contentious strike from Frank Lampard has sparked fresh demands for the use of technology to assist referees in ruling on disputed goals.

A Lampard goal for Chelsea was allowed to stand on Saturday even though replays showed Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes just prevented the ball from fully crossing the line.

Chelsea went on to win 2-1 to keep its Premier League title hopes alive.

But while Lampard was the beneficiary on Saturday, he was the aggrieved party at last year’s World Cup when his goal was wrongly judged not to have crossed the line, and Germany went on to beat England in their round-of-16 clash.

FIFA’s embarrassed hierarchy responded with apologies for that decision and

reversed long-held opposition to technology becoming part of the game.

However referees are no closer to being able to use either goal-line technology or replays to aid their decision making.

“When Frank Lampard can hit a shot that goes two foot in the back of the goal and they don’t give a goal, it shows you it will continue to happen,” Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp said after Saturday’s match, referring to the World Cup strike. “It takes five seconds to get the right decision. What is wrong with getting the right decision?” Chelsea benefitted from another contentious decision later in the game, as Salomon Kalou netted the winner despite apparently being offside.

Those two decisions could yet prove financially disastrous for Tottenham, which is struggling to catch Manchester City in the race for fourth place and a

berth in the qualification rounds for next year’s lucrative Champions League.

“It could cost us 30 million pounds ($50 million),” Redknapp said. Even Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged the injustice.

“Looking at the goals on the television, we can say the decision was wrong but it was a very difficult decision,” Ancelotti said. “We have to accept this when things are good for us and also when things are against us.”

Redknapp scotched suggestions that technology would strip football of some of the disputed decision-making that promotes so much engagement and interest among fans. “How’s it the fun of the game getting wrong decisions and giving goals when they’re not goals or not giving a goal when it should be a goal? The game is about getting decisions right,” Redknapp said.

Making the right decision about which goal-line system to favor is proving tough for FIFA. Ten innovations were investigated before the 125th annual meeting in March of the sport’s rule-making body — the International Football Association Board — but their accuracy in a range of tests was unacceptable. Hawk-Eye, whose ball-tracking technology has already been successfully deployed in tennis and cricket, declined to participate but the Sony-owned company is hoping to test its system in a Premier League stadium next season. However the results would be kept secret to prevent the match-day referee’s call being undermined.

England’s Premier League has invested in Hawk-Eye’s tests, with chairman Dave Richards once telling Michel Platini, “You’re killing football,” in frustration at

the UEFA president’s strong resistance to technology. Instead, UEFA has been trialing the use of two additional referees’ assistants in European club competitions, and the five-official system will be deployed at the 2012 European Championship.

After the goals at Chelsea, Manchester United striker Michael Owen said it “shouldn’t take an incident like this to spark the authorities into action.” “(Technology) seems to enhance the entertainment in cricket, rugby etc. so I’m for it,” Owen wrote on his Twitter account.

“I’m for technology when it comes to determining definite decisions like offsides, ball over line etc. but let’s leave the ref to do the rest.

“I reckon it’s dangerous having technology for fouls/penalties. Even after 10 replays there can still be a difference of opinion. Then what?” —AP

Jung hands Lille title initiative, Lyon crash PARIS: A 77th-minute goal by South Korean substitute Jung Jo-Gook earned Auxerre a 1-1 draw at champions Marseille yesterday that shif ted the French title race momentum firmly in Lille’s favour.

Jung had only been on the pitch for eight minutes when he finished between the legs of Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda to cancel out Mathieu Valbuena’s 56th-minute opener.

Marseille had dominated proceedings at Stade Velodrome but now find themselves a point behind Lille-who returned to the summit by thrashing ArlesAvignon 5-0 on Saturday-with five matches of the season remaining. “ We did some ver y good things, but we weren’t rewarded and it ’s cruel,” said Marseille coach Didier Deschamps. “We had chances to make the game safe, but a defensive lapse cost us victory. We have five battles to fight, including an important one at Lyon (on May 8).”

Third-placed Lyon saw their nascent title ambitions effectively snuffed out at Toulouse, going down 2-0 and finishing the game with nine men af ter Michel Bastos and Aly Cissokho were both sent off in the second half.

Lyon are now seven points behind Lille and level on points with Paris Saint-Germain in the contest for the third and final Champions League qualifying place.

“Tonight we never managed to get into the match,” admitted Lyon coach Claude Puel. “We can see the title getting fur ther away, but there are five matches

FRANCE: Marseille’s French midfielder Mathieu Valbuena (left) challenges Auxerre’s French defender Cedric Hengbart during their Division One soccer match. —AP to go and we’ll have to give everything in them.”

Toulouse had not lost at home to Lyon in four previous encounters and they took the lead in the 28th minute when Argentine centre-back Mauro Cetto met Franck Tabanou’s freekick with a glancing header.

Lyon coach Claude Puel introduced striker Bafetimbi Gomis for midfielder Kim Kallstrom at

half-time but saw Brazil international Bastos dismissed in the 65th minute after two poorly timed challenges in the space of a minute.

Toulouse immediately capitalised via a comical own goal from Cissokho, who miscalculated an attempted clearance and succeeded only in lobbing goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Cissok ho’s afternoon then

ended in ugly circumstances, with the French left-back shown a straight red card for taking a swipe at Daniel Braaten.

At Marseille the hosts dominated the opening exchanges, with Olivier Sorin saving from Jordan Ayew, twice, and producing an acrobatic stop to deny Lucho Gonzalez just beyond the half hour.

Auxerre’s resistance finally crumbled after 12 minutes of the second half when Valbuena deftly dispatched a deflected Andre Ayew cross at the back post.

Seemingly cantering to victory, Marseille suffered a sucker punch with 13 minutes to play when Jung hared onto a long ball and beat Mandanda to claim his first goal for the club.

Jung’s goal took Auxerre to 14th, level on points with Valenciennes, Caen and Nice but just one point above the relegation zone.

“I don’t know if the result is deserved, but in our situation ever y point is welcome,” said Auxerre coach Jean Fernandez.

Caen gave their bid to avoid the drop a shot in the arm with a fine 4-0 win at Nice, who had Renato Civelli sent off on half-time.

Romain Hamouma claimed a brace, with Yohan Mollo and Youssef El Arabi also on target, as Franck Dumas’s team escaped the bottom three at the expense of Nancy.

Beaten League Cup finalists Montpellier were held to a 0-0 draw by visitors Brest to leave both sides in mid-table.

Yesterday’s late match sees Saint-Etienne, ninth, host 17thplaced Monaco, who go into the game above Nancy on goal difference alone. —AFP

Botswana, Guinea Bissau meet Guinea and Uganda play Eritrea or Kenya in other final-round ties in a regional competition restricted to under-23 footballers like the Olympics.

Nigeria are the most impressive African national team in this age group at present as they heeded the call of coach and former national team star Austin Eguavoen to be “ruthless”.

While competitive at home, Liberia travel poorly and the Benin City bashing came just a few weeks after a four-goal drubbing from Ivory Coast in a London Olympics qualifier switched from Abidjan to Accra because of unrest.

Caretaker coach Kinnah Phiri believed Malawi could overcome a 4-1 loss in South Africa, but he must have sensed it was not to be when Riaan Eugene equalised for the visitors on the stroke of half-time in Lilongwe.

Portugal-based Julio ‘Sami’ Leocisio was the toast of Guinea Bissau football as he scored twice within 18 minutes during the second half to leave Senegal needing three goals to qualify and they managed just one. Tanzania got a rude awakening after stunning Cameroon and it could have been even more embarrassing as Shabaan ‘Kado’ Hassan saved an early Emmanuel Okwi penalty before Juma scored twice inside seven minutes. —AFP

Velez crush Estudiantes 4-0 ASUNCION: M ini midfielder M axi Moralez scored twice as Velez Sarsfield stamped their authorit y on the Argentine Clausura championship with a 4-0 away win over title holders Estudiantes on Saturday.

Velez are top with 24 points from 12 matches, two more points than River Plate, who won 1-0 at Racing Club, and four ahead of Godoy Cruz who followed their 2-1 win at River last weekend with a 4-1 home defeat by Arsenal.

Estudiantes have 17 points.

August Fernandez scored his third goal in two matches to put Velez ahead in the 36th minute at the Ciudad de La Plata stadium, slipping through the defence to chest down Moralez’s chip and tap past keeper Agustin Orion.

Fernandez, who scored t wice against LDU Quito in the Libertadores Cup in midweek, returned the compliment five minutes later by steering the ball through to the 1.60-metre, 53kg Moralez, who lobbed over Orion into the top far corner.

Moralez scored his second from the penalty spot after striker Juan Manuel Martinez was brought down on the hour by Rodrigo Brana, whose second yellow card got him sent off. Substitute David Ramirez scored the fourth one minute from time.

River goalkeeper Juan Pablo Carrizo

picked up a bunch of keys an admirer threw into his penalty box after a brilliant performance locked up his goal at Racing’s Cilindro.

“I’m going to keep this as a souve ni r, i t ’s a n a m ul e t ,” Ca r r i zo tol d re p or te r s. S t r i ke r M a r i no Pavone scored the only goal with a first-half p e na l t y a f te r gi f te d te e na ge r E r i k Lamela was brought down by defender Matias Cahais following a brilliant run into the box.

C a r r i z o s t o o d i n R a c i n g’s w a y throughout a second half in which River were a man short after the dismissal of left back Juan Manuel Diaz j u s t b e fo r e h a l f t i m e fo r a s e c o n d booking.

“I feel really good, I’m the best. I’m very pleased with my form and I want to carry on like this,” said Carrizo, who has won back a place in Argentina coach Sergio Batista’s plans.

Carrizo, overlooked by World Cup coach Diego Maradona after conceding six goals in a 6-1 thrashing at high altitude in a qualifier away to Bolivia two years ago, won his 11th cap in a friendly for Batista’s B team against Ecuador last week.

River are attempting to buy back the 26-year-old, who they transferred to Lazio in 2008 and is back on loan. —Reuters

Sociedad loss real wake up call, says Guardiola

Nigerian goal rush continues JOHANNESBURG: Nigeria and South Africa cruised into the final qualifying round for the 2011 All-Africa Games football tournament this weekend while Guinea Bissau and Uganda sprang surprises.

The Nigerian ‘Dream Team’ made it 16 goals in four matches since late March when they came from behind to crush Liberia 6-1 at home with AC Milan starlet Nnamadi Oduamadi among the scorers.

A South African side lacking clubtied star striker Bongani ‘Drogba’ Ndulula fell 2-1 away to Malawi after conceding a late goal, but were comfortable aggregate winners having taken a three-goal lead to central Africa.

Guinea Bissau, among the weakest football nations in the west of the continent, trailed and led before forcing a 2-2 draw in Senegal, who lost the first leg two weeks ago.

Tanzania, shock conquerors of Cameroon in an Olympic Games qualifier last month, suffered a 3-1 home loss to arch rivals Uganda with Ibrahim ‘Saddam’ Juma bagging a brace.

Nigeria will face Ghana during June and July for a place at the September All-Africa Games in Mozambique where football and athletics are expected to be the main attractions at the quadrennial ‘African Olympics’.

South Africa face Zimbabwe or

BUENOS AIRES: River Plate’s Mariano Pavone celebrates after scoring during an Argentina’s league soccer match against Racing Club. —AP

Walter Ayovi celebrates in this file photo

Monterrey secure last-8 spot MEXICO CITY: Mexican title holders Monterrey, who in midweek won the Concacaf Champions League, qualified for the Clausura quarter-finals with a 3-2 away win over Guadalajara on Saturday.

Guadalajara also went through as one of two best third-placed teams despite going down to Ecuadorean substitute Walter Ayovi’s last-minute winner, a long range shot that took a deflection, for Monterrey.

The top two teams in each of the three groups plus the next two best-placed teams in the overall standings after the 17-match round-robin phase qualify for the last eight.

Guadalajara led for most of the first half at the Omnilife stadium after midfielder Marco Fabian de la Mora’s thirdminute opener.

Defender Ricardo Osorio equalised on the stroke of halftime and midfielder Jesus Zavala put Monterrey ahead in the 73rd minute only for De la Mora to score again and put the Chivas level seven minutes from time.

Monterrey qualified in second place in Group One, behind leaders Tigres UANL and one point ahead of thirdplaced Guadalajara.

Pumas UNAM and Morelia had already qualified from Group Three, in which Cruz Azul made sure of the other berth for a best third-placed team with a 0-0 draw at San Luis. —Reuters

MADRID: Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola said his side’s 2-1 loss at Real Sociedad was a timely wake up call ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League semi-final second leg match against arch rivals Real Madrid.

Sociedad came from behind to secure a surprise win and end Barcelona’s 32game unbeaten league record stretching back to mid-September, when they lost 2-0 at home to Hercules.

Barcelona sit eight points clear of Real in the league and need four points from their remaining four games to secure the league title, but the priority is reaching the Champions League final as they defend a 2-0 first-leg lead.

“What happened (against Sociedad) was a big lesson for us. We are a team that can win and lose,” said Guardiola.

“We were coming off the back of a difficult situation with a lot of players missing.

We didn’t control possession in the second half and we are a team who needs to control the game.

“After the break, we didn’t have that but I can’t reproach my players. There’s just four more points needed and we will go and try to get them wherever we can.

We will have to win them-we’ve talked about that.”

A fourth meeting in 18 days with old foes Real now awaits Barcelona, who hold a commanding 2-0 lead from the first leg in Madrid, but Guardiola anticipates a tough battle in the return leg at Camp Nou. “I t is the semi-final of the Champions League. It is always better to be winning but we will analyse this defeat. We must now prepare for

Tuesday’s game,” said Guardiola.

“I think it will be a very hard game in every sense, both in terms of football and emotions. We will need the fans’ supportwe need everyone to give us a hand. We will have to be very strong out on the pitch.”

Barcelona saw injuries to Argentine centre-back Gabriel Milito, out for a month with a muscle tear, and youngster Martin Montoya add to the growing list of absentees, which already includes Eric Abidal, Maxwell, Adriano, Andres Iniesta and Bojan Krkic.

“This leaves us a bit short-handed for the final run-in to the season,” admitted Guardiola. “But we are who we are and we can always call on the reserve team players. “It’s amazing that we have come this far and now we have to finish the job off.”

Three days after their 2-0 loss to Barcelona, Madrid fell to a shock 3-2 home defeat by strugglers Real Zaragoza, although coach Jose Mourinho denied his side had waved the white flag in the title race.

“I hope no-one thinks that we have given up on the title,” said Mourinho. “I am the only one to blame for this defeat because as a coach I wasn’t capable of motivating the team in the first half.”

Brazilian star Kaka said Madrid were lazy and needed to up their game to have any chance of getting past Barcelona.

“I think that we were really lazy in the first half and showed a lack of spirit,” said Kaka. “We were slack. It cannot happen again this season. “Madrid cannot stop fighting. We cannot go wrong on Tuesday the way we did against Zaragoza.” —AFP

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Milan on brink of title after Bologna victory

ITALY: Cagliari’s Davide Biondini (left) vies for the ball with Catania’s Pablo Alvarez, of Argentina, during a Serie A soccer match. —AP

Sevilla go fifth, Almeria stare relegation in face MADRID: Brazilian midfielder Renato scored a second half winner as Sevilla moved back up to fifth with a 1-0 win at 10-man Almeria yesterday.

Substitute Renato struck on 57 minutes to down strugglers Almeria and help Sevilla enhance their European hopes moving above Atletico Madrid courtesy of their superior head to head record.

Almeria reached the semi-finals of the Kings Cup for the first time in their history this season, but prop up the table and the Sevilla defeat leaves them on the brink of relegation with the club 11 points from safety with four games left.

The game hinged on the dismissal of Almeria’s Danish full back Michael Jakobsen for a crude challenge on Martin Caceres in the 52nd minute and the Uruguayan defender was stretchered off injured.

Five minutes later Renato headed in the opening goal for Sevilla who held on despite a late fightback from the hosts.

Elsewhere Malaga took a giant stride towards safety with a 3-1 home win over relegation rivals Hercules.

Malaga came from behind to record a third straight victory and move four points clear of the relegation zone, while Hercules stay second from bottom, four points from safety.

Paraguayan striker Nelson Valdes headed Hercules into a third minute lead, but Malaga responded with Brazilian Julio Baptista equalising 60 seconds later.

Jose Rondon put Malaga ahead on 72 minutes before former Real Madrid man Baptista grabbed his second three minutes later to wrap up the points.

Racing Santander moved onto five points

clear of the drop zone with a 2-0 home win over Real Mallorca thanks to first half goals from Markus Rosenberg and Kennedy Bakircioglu.

In other matches, Villarreal look to bounce back from their 5-1 rout by FC Porto in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final as they try to wrestle third place from Valencia.

Villarreal trail Valencia by six points with four games left making Sunday’s home match with Getafe a must-win game.

“It is going to be difficult to reach the (Europa League) final but anything is possible,” said Brazilian forward Nilmar. “Now we have to change our mentality and get focussed on the league.”

Valencia were thumped 6-3 at home by Real Madrid in their last league outing and hope to respond with three points at Osasuna.

Barcelona and Real Madrid, set to face each other in Tuesday’s Champions League semi final second leg at Camp Nou, both fell to surprise defeats on Saturday.

After going nine years without losing a league home match Real coach Jose Mourinho watched his side lose their second inside a month as Zaragoza triumphed 3-2 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Barcelona could have moved to within touching distance of the title with victory at Real Sociedad, but fell to a 2-1 loss as their 32game unbeaten league run came to an end.

Double champions Barcelona, eight points ahead of Madrid, need four points from the remaining four games to secure a third successive league title. “There’s just four more points needed and we will go and try to get them wherever we can,” said Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. “We will have to win them we’ve

Spanish League results/standings Played Saturday Real Madrid 2 (Ramos 62, Benzema 85) Real Zaragoza 3 (Lafita 41, 77, Gabi 54-pen); Real Sociedad 2 (Ifran 71, Prieto 81-pen) Barcelona 1 (Thiago 29); Deportivo La Coruna 0 Atletico Madrid 1 (Aguero 80).

Playing later Villarreal v Getafe, Osasuna v Valencia

Playing today Espanyol v Athletic Bilbao

28 25 19 17 15 15 16 14 12 10

4 5 6 6 7 7 3 3 7 12

2 4 8 10 12 12 14 16 15 12

89 81 57 51 52 55 51 40 37 31

19 29 41 39 49 44 47 46 46 37

88 80 63 57 52 52 51 45 43 42

Real Mallorca Real Sociedad Santander Real Zaragoza Malaga La Coruna Getafe Osasuna Hercules Almeria

34 34 34 34 34 34 33 33 34 34

12 13 10 10 11 9 10 9 9 5

6 2 10 9 6 11 7 8 6 11

16 19 14 15 17 14 16 16 19 18

35 45 34 35 47 27 43 37 31 32

47 58 49 47 64 42 53 41 53 59

42 41 40 39 39 38 37 35 33 26

Celtic reel in Rangers GLASGOW: Celtic moved to within a point of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premier League with a 4-1 win over Dundee United at Parkhead yesterday.

The Hoops laid siege to the United goal in a frenzied start and got the goal their pressure deserved when Gary Hooper poked home in the 23rd minute after a mistake from Garry Kenneth.

Israeli international Beram Kayal scored only his second goal for the club with a sensational strike in the 54th minute before United struck the post through substitute Johnny Russell.

Kris Commons made it 3-0 in the 85th minute before Russell pulled one back for United in the first minute of stoppage time but sub Daryl Murphy restored their three-goal

advantage with the last kick of the game.

Celtic could now move top with a win in their game in hand against Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Wednesday. Celtic coach Neil Lennon hailed his side’s performance.

“We were brilliant from start to finish. When the second goal came we never looked back,” Lennon said. “We’re disappointed with the goal we conceded but Daryl’s responded brilliantly.

Peter Houston said it had been his side’s worst defensive performance of the season. “I think Celtic got their goals easily. That’s not to take anything away from them,” the Dundee United manager said.

“We looked like we lack a bit of belief and I just don’t think we were anywhere near the standards we set ourselves.” —AFP

SPL results/standings Celtic 4 (Hooper 23, Kayal 54, Commons 85, Murphy 90) Dundee Utd 1 (Russell 90).

Played Saturday Aberdeen 1 (Pawlett 75) Inverness CT 0; Hibernian 1 (Sodje 23) St Johnstone 2 (Craig

74, Moon 90); Kilmarnock 2 (Fowler 55, Agard 86) Hearts 2 (Skacel 67, Pascali 76og); Motherwell 0 Rangers 5 (Lafferty 18, Davis 51, Jelavic 64, Naismith 76, 90).

Playing today St Mirren v Hamilton

Scottish Premier League table after yesterday’s match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Rangers Celtic Hearts Dundee Utd Kilmarnock Motherwell

35 34 35 35 35 35

27 26 18 15 13 13

3 5 9 10 9 6

5 3 8 10 13 16

77 74 52 49 51 39

28 19 36 47 47 51

84 83 63 55 48 45

Inverness CT Hibernian St Johnstone Aberdeen St Mirren Hamilton

34 35 35 35 34 34

10 10 9 10 7 3

11 7 10 5 8 11

Italian League results/standings AC Milan 1 (Flamini 8) Bologna 0; Catania 2 (Silvestre 78, Bergessio 82) Cagliari 0; Chievo 1 (Rigoni 58) Lecce 0; Fiorentina 5 (Vargas 9, D’Agostino 21, 51, Cerci 71, 86) Udinese 2 (Pinzo 29, Asamoah 57); Parma 3 (Dzemaili 2, Modesto 18, Candreva 89) Palermo 1 (Pastore 56); Sampdoria 3 (Pozzi 55, Tissone 63, Mannini 90) Brescia 3 (Eder 50, Caracciolo 57, 84).

Playing later Bari v Roma Playing today Lazio v Juventus Played Saturday Cesena 1 (Budan 56) Inter Milan 2 (Pazzini 90+1, 90+5); Napoli 1 (Hamsik 83) Genoa 0

Italian Serie A table ahead of yesterday’s late match (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): AC Milan Inter Milan Napoli Lazio Udinese Roma Juventus Palermo Fiorentina Genoa Cagliari

35 35 35 34 35 34 34 35 35 35 35

23 21 21 18 18 16 14 15 12 12 12

8 6 5 6 5 8 11 5 13 9 8

4 8 9 10 12 10 9 15 10 14 15

61 62 55 46 61 52 52 53 45 38 42

23 39 34 32 42 47 42 58 38 40 44

77 69 68 60 59 56 53 50 49 45 44

At the bottom an injury time goal from Daniele Mannini gave Sampdoria a 3-3 draw at home to Brescia, moving them a point clear of the relegation zone. Brescia missed the chance to close the gap as they remain

Chievo 35 10 12 13 33 35 42 Parma 35 10 11 14 37 46 41 Catania 35 10 10 15 35 47 40 Bologna 35 11 10 14 34 47 40 Cesena 35 9 10 16 33 47 37 Sampdoria 35 8 12 15 30 42 36 Lecce 35 9 8 18 40 61 35 Brescia 35 7 10 18 31 47 31 Bari 34 4 9 21 20 49 21 Note: Bologna deducted three points for unpaid taxes and player salaries

second bottom and five points from safety.

Bari, who host Roma later yesterday, are already relegated while Lecce, who lost 1-0 at Chievo, round out the bottom three. —AFP

Man City 2

West Ham 1

Spanish league table after yesterday’s early matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): 34 34 33 33 34 34 33 33 34 34

ITALY: Napoli’s Uruguayan striker Edinson Cavani (top) is tackled by Genoa’s Domenico Criscito during a Serie A soccer match. Napoli won 1-0. —AP

City go clear in fourth spot race

Levante 0 Sporting Gijon 0; Malaga 3 (Baptista 4, 75, Rondon 72) Hercules 1 (Valdes 3); Almeria 0 Sevilla 1 (Renato 57); Racing Santander 2 (Rosenberg 12, Kennedy 42) Real Mallorca 0.

Barcelona Real Madrid Valencia Villarreal Sevilla Atletico Athletic Bilbao Espanyol Levante Sporting Gijon

ROME: AC Milan need only one more point to secure a 19th league title after a 1-0 victory over Bologna yesterday put them on the brink of the scudetto crown.

If either Milan avoid defeat away to Roma next week or Inter Milan fail to beat Fiorentina, then the rossoneri will be Serie A champions. French midfielder Mathieu Flamini scored the only goal of the game early in the first period.

Milan would already be champions but for Giampaolo Pazzini’s two injury time goals on Saturday gave Inter a 2-1 win at Cesena.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri was happy to admit that the title race is now over.

“We’ll get one point from three games, we hope to do it as soon as possible but we’re in good shape,” he said. The former Cagliari boss admitted it hadn’t always been plain sailing against the San Siro visitors.

“It was a difficult game. Bologna made life difficult for us but we managed to score early in the game,” he added. Milan got the dream start they wanted after just eight minutes as Robinho slipped the ball forward to Flamini who played it one side of Miguel Britos and ran around the other leaving him face to face with goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.

The Frenchman’s first shot was straight at the keeper but it squirmed under his body and Flamini was first to the rebound to slide home into an empty net.

Thereafter it was all Milan as they proved especially effective on the counter attack.

Antonio Cassano should have done better when teed up by returning captain Massimo Ambrosini but could only shoot straight at Viviano.

Clarence Seedorf crossed for Flamini who shot wide and then on 37 minutes Robinho picked out Kevin-Prince Boateng six yards out but he got under his close-range header.

Flamini had another chance to extend the lead just before the break as he was teed up again by Robinho but his shot was too close to Viviano once more and this time the goalkeeper kicked the ball clear.

It was a similar story after the break as Milan remained dangerous on the counter and Robinho wasted a one-on-one with Viviano on the hour mark.

When Bologna substitute Francesco Della Rocca was sent off late on, any doubt about the final result followed him down the tunnel.

Udinese handed Lazio a big advantage in the race for four th place as they were thrashed 5-2 at Fiorentina, for whom both Gaetano D’Agostino and Alessio Cerci scored a brace.

It means if Lazio beat Juventus at home today they will be four points clear of their rivals with just three games to play.

13 18 16 20 19 20

44 38 20 36 32 21

41 55 43 55 55 56

41 37 37 35 29 20

LONDON: Nigel De Jong’s first goal for Manchester City helped his side pull clear in the race for four th place in the English Premier League with a 2-1 win over West Ham at Eastlands yesterday.

Netherlands midfielder De Jong opened the scoring early on and Pablo Zabaleta struck soon after to give City a commanding lead after just 15 minutes.

Demba Ba pulled one back for West Ham to set up a tense final hour, but four th-placed City held on for a victory that moves them seven points clear of Liverpool with three matches remaining.

West Ham’s fifth consecutive defeat leaves them bottom of the table, three points from safety with three matches left.

With on-loan Wayne Bridge ineligible against his parent club, West Ham manager Avram Grant was forced to field central defender Danny Gabbidon at lef t back and it did not take long for Cit y to expose that weakness.

Adam Johnson beat the Welshman with ease and pulled the ball back for David Silva to have a low effort deflected wide and Mario Balotelli headed wide from the corner that followed.

City took the lead with just 10 minutes gone when Aleksander Kolarov ’s corner flicked off Vincent Kompany and was only half cleared by Jonathan Spector.

De Jong hit the ball first time into the bottom corner of the net for his first goal since an

LONDON: Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli (center) attempts an acrobatic flick during his team’s 2-1 win over West Ham United in their English Premier League soccer match. —AP effort in Holland’s 2-1 win over Iceland in June 2009 and his first for City. Five minutes later the lead was doubled thanks to fine work down the City right by Zabaleta.

The Argentinian fed Silva and chased the Spaniard’s return pass into the area, where his cross-shot was prodded in off the bar by West Ham defender Lars Jacobsen.

The visitors’ cause suffered a further blow midway through the opening period when captain Matthew Upson limped off to be replaced by Manuel da Costa.

Their situation almost got even worse when Yaya Toure burst through the midfield and hit a drive just past a post.

But finally the visitors began to threaten and Robbie Keane should have pulled one back when he was sent through by Spec tor, but he could only shoot straight at Joe Hart.

However, West Ham did halve the deficit just after the halfhour mark .

Thomas Hitzlsperger’s cross glanced off Keane and hit Joleon Lescott’s hand but the referee played advantage to allow Ba to find the corner.

Johnson also had a longrange effort held by Green just before the interval, with James Milner replacing De Jong at the break.

Balotelli almost made the game safe shor tly af ter the restart when he was sent into

the area by Silva and thumped a shot against the bar.

City were sitting deeper and deeper and had a scare when Da Costa met Hitzlsperger’s corner with a powerful header that forced a fine save from Joe Hart.

But City should have made the same safe when Silva was sent clean through and committed Green before squaring to Toure, whose shot was cleared off the line by James Tomkins.

Ba flashed a shot wide of goal from 25 yards as West Ham grew increasingly desperate for an equaliser.

But they remain deep in relegation trouble ahead of next weekend’s crucial home game against fellow strugglers Blackburn. —AFP

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Milan on brink of title after Bologna victory

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Lampard’s goal re-ignites calls for technology Page 18 LONDON: Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, tackles Manchester United’s Patrice Evra in the penalty area during their English Premier League soccer match. —AP

Arsenal dent United’s title charge Arsenal 1

Man United 0

LONDON: Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey put a huge dent in Manchester United’s title charge and boosted Chelsea’s challenge as the Wales midfielder secured a 1-0 victory over the leaders at the Emirates Stadium yesterday.

United arrived in north London seeking the victor y that would restore their six-point advantage over second-placed Chelsea with three games remaining and put them within touching distance of a record 19th league title.

Instead they departed with the title race firmly back in the balance after Ramsey’s strike - his first for the Gunners since suffering a broken leg in Februar y 2010 ensured that Carlo Ancelotti ’s Chelsea will visit Old Trafford on May 8 knowing victory will take them to the top of the table on goal difference.

Victory also provided a lift to Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, who had fallen nine points off the pace after a miserable run.

While the chances of them overhauling United and Chelsea are slim, Wenger will insist Arsenal compete until the maths means they are destined to finish alsorans.

United believed they should have had an 88th minute penalty when Michael Owen appeared to be tripped by Gael Clichy.

However, Arsenal were denied a similar claim in the first half when United defender Nemanja Vidic appeared to handle and overall Sir Alex ferguson’s side could have few complaints after a strangely subdued display.

Arsenal were deprived of their skipper Cesc Fabregas after their captain was kicked on the thigh in training on Saturday.

But the home side quick ly shrugged off the loss of the Spain international, immediately taking

the game to United and carving out a succession of early chances that should have seen them establish an early advantage.

They were helped on their way

by Vidic whose poor clearance in the third minute fell to Jack Wilshere on the edge of the area and the young England midfielder should have done better than pull his shot wide.

Having been so impressive in winning at Schalke 04 last week, United looked disjointed as they attempted to re -establish their advantage at the head of the table.

Ferguson had selected a full strength line-up, even though his side face Schalke in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal at Old Trafford in midweek.

But they had to wait until the 21st minute before they made their first inroads against the Arsenal defence, with Gunners full back Bacary Sagna forced to react quickly to prevent Fabio Da Silva’s cross reaching Wayne Rooney.

That proved to be a fleeting moment of United pressure and, having regained control, Arsenal were convinced they should have been awarded a penalt y when Vidic’s hand took Walcott’s cross

away from the forehead of Robin van Persie.

Van Persie was just six yards out and would almost certainly had scored had Vidic not intervened but referee Chris Foy and his assistant failed to see the incident.

Arsenal have suffered this season because of their failure to build on promising star ts and Rooney’s free kick three minutes after the break, excellently saved

by Wojciech Szczesny, served as a reminder that could again be the case.

But Wenger’s side were playing like they had a point to prove and they deservedly forced the breakthrough just before the hour.

Van Persie worked his way down the right hand flank and with United backtracking, pulled the ball back for Ramsey who was lurking on the edge of the box.

Michael Carrick raced out to close the youngster down but was too late to prevent Ramsey shot arrowing into the corner of Edwin van der Sar’s goal.

The Gunners held on without too many alarms, although Szczesny had to save from Nani before United’s appeal for a penalty was rejected following Clichy’s challenge on Owen.—AFP

EPL results/standings Arsenal 1 (Ramsey 56) Man Utd 0; Birmingham 1 (Larsson 27) Wolves 1 (Fletcher 7pen); Liverpool 3 (Rodriguez 10, Kuyt 59-pen, Suarez 65) Newcastle 0; Man City 2 (De Jong 10, Zabaleta 15) West Ham 1 (Ba 33).

Played Saturday Blackburn 1 (Olsson 20) Bolton 0; Blackpool 0 Stoke 0; Chelsea 2 (Lampard 45, Kalou 89) Tottenham 1 (Sandro 19); Sunderland 0 Fulham 3 (Kakuta 33, Davies 61, 73); West Brom 2 (Odemwingie 60, Mulumbu 84) Aston Villa 1 (Meite 4-og); Wigan 1 (N’Zogbia 21) Everton 1 (Baines 78-pen).

Reds crush Newcastle Liverpool 3

Newcastle 0 LIVERPOOL: Goals from Maxi Rodriguez, Dirk Kuyt and Luis Suarez helped resurgent Liverpool move into fifth place in the Premier League after a crushing 3-0 win over Newcastle at Anfield yesterday.

The build up to this game was all about Liverpool striker Andy Carroll and whether he would start against his old club, but that issue was overshadowed by a brilliant performance from Kenny Dalglish’s team.

The victory never really seemed in doubt as the Reds jumped above Tottenham into fifth place on goal difference. They now hold the Europa League spot, although Spurs still have a game in hand against Manchester City. Carroll moved from Newcastle in a £35 million move at the end of the January transfer window, but he was not fit enough to start this encounter against his old side because of a knee injury picked up in the recent draw with Arsenal.

Newcastle have struggled for goals since Carroll left but have still done enough to avoid getting sucked into the perilous relegation battle that has affected so many sides in perhaps the tightest ever Premier League.

This was still not a good time for Newcastle to be visiting Anfield however as Alan Pardew’s men have won only one

Birmingham 1

35 35 35 34 35 34 35 35 35 35

21 21 19 18 16 14 11 12 10 12

10 7 10 8 7 13 15 10 15 7

4 7 6 8 12 7 9 13 10 16

71 66 68 53 54 50 48 48 43 43

33 28 36 31 39 43 43 48 36 43

73 70 67 62 55 55 48 46 45 43

West Brom 35 Newcastle 35 Aston Villa 35 Sunderland 35 Birmingham35 Blackburn 35 Blackpool 35 Wigan 35 W’hampton 35 West Ham 35

11 10 10 10 8 10 9 7 9 7

10 11 11 11 15 8 8 14 7 11

14 14 14 14 12 17 18 14 19 17

51 49 44 39 35 41 48 35 38 40

65 51 57 52 52 55 70 58 61 63

43 41 41 41 39 38 35 35 34 32

of their last seven away league matches and that was back in February against Birmingham. During that similar timeframe, Liverpool interim manager Dalglish has remained unbeaten at Anfield following his return to the club in January as Roy Hodgson’s temporary replacement.

A run that had brought 27 points from a possible 39 before this game means it is just a matter of time until Dalglish is rubberstamped as the permanent Liverpool manager. The rejuvenating affect he has had at Liverpool was again evident in this encounter as Rodriguez grabbed his fourth goal in just two games within 10 minutes of the opening.

Mike Williamson’s poor headed clear-

Birmingham keep Wolves at bay

English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd Chelsea Arsenal Man City Liverpool Tottenham Everton Bolton Fulham Stoke

LONDON: Liverpool’s Maxi Rodriguez celebrates after scoring a goal against Newcastle. —AP

ance landed at the midfielder’s feet and he rifled past Tim Krul, courtesy of a deflection off Danny Simpson.

The goal followed the hat-trick he scored against Birmingham last week as Rodriguez’s recent form mirrors the general improvement that has taken place at Anfield since Dalglish took the reins. A Shola Ameobi header was well blocked

by Dirk Kuyt as Liverpool defended in numbers, while a Kevin Nolan effort also flew over Pepe Reina’s crossbar as Pardew’s side struggled to find a decisive finish.

Straight after the interval, Joey Barton had Newcastle’s best chance to equalise when he was unmarked at the back post, but he sidefooted tamely wide. A Rodriguez cross ended up hitting the bar after 56 minutes but Krul’s blushes were saved as it bounced away to safety.

However, Liverpool soon benefitted thanks to some great vision from goalkeeper Reina and the hard work of Suarez. Reina banged a huge kick downfield which Suarez chased and although his efforts appeared to be in vain, he brilliantly wrestled the ball from Williamson who then fouled him in the box and that allowed Kuyt to convert from the penalty spot. Liverpool were not finished there either as Newcastle fell to pieces at the back just five minutes after Kuyt’s goal.

That allowed Suarez to grab a goal that his work-rate and enthusiasm deserved with a cool finish from Kuyt’s pass. Carroll then appeared from the bench and was repeatedly booed by his fans of his former club. But the manner of Liverpool’s victory gave Carroll the final bragging rights.— AFP

Wolves 1

LONDON: Ten-man Birmingham boosted their survival bid as they held on for a 1-1 draw in yesterday’s local derby against Wolves at St Andrew’s.

Alex McLeish’s team knew a defeat would plunge them firmly into the relegation dog-fight and they were up against it when Steven Fletcher’s penalty gave Wolves an early lead.

Sebastian Larsson equalised for League Cup winners Birmingham but the hosts’ task became a lot header when midfielder Craig Gardner was sent off for diving.

To Birmingham’s credit they managed to keep Wolves at bay and are now four points clear of the drop zone with three games to play, while things look bleaker for Mick McCarthy’s visitors, who remain second bottom and sit one point from safety.

McCarthy’s men made the perfect start as they took the lead through Fletcher’s seventh minute penalty. Ben Foster was at fault as his poor clearance fell straight to Matt Jarvis and the winger played in Stephen Ward.

Foster came off his line to block but only succeeded in bringing down Ward and referee Kevin Friend pointed to the spot before booking the Birmingham goalkeeper.

Fletcher sent Foster the wrong way from the penalty spot for his ninth goal of the season.

Blues midfielder Gardner was booked after squaring up to Jamie O’Hara, but the hosts almost equalised when Larsson’s free-kick crashed against the crossbar with Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessey well beaten.

Birmingham kept pressing and equalised in the 27th minute when Michael Mancienne made a hash of dealing with Foster’s punt.—AFP

Agility wins Arabi Enertech contract Page 22

KSE begins trading in May on subdued note Page 24 MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

India set for ninth rate hike to cool inflation

KIPCO reports KD 8.1m first quarter net profit

Page 25

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MOUNTAIN VIEW: Costco shoppers load the conveyer belt at the check-out counter at Costco in Mountain View, California. Americans saw their incomes rise in March and this spurred higher spending. —AP

DIFC Investments makes further loss; to sell assets Dubai Aerospace swings to 2010 profit DUBAI: DIFC Investments (DIFCI), the investment arm of the firm that runs Dubai’s financial free zone, posted a further loss yesterday, weighed on by its property portfolio, and said it plans to sell assets this year, including financial software firm SmartStream. But the company said losses narrowed last year to $272 million from $562 million in 2009, helped by a return to profit at Dubai Aerospace, in which DIFCI has a 23.3 percent stake.

The Dubai-based aircraft leasing firm made a profit of $10.4 million

after losing $21.1 million in 2009. “The loss in 2010 was mainly attributable to the devaluation of the real estate portfolio due to the market conditions,” Chairman Ahmed Humaid Al Tayer said in a statement. Among the assets the company plans to dispose of in 2011 is SmartStream Technologies, which it acquired in 2007 and helps investment banks and fund managers with the back and middle-office processing of stock, bond and derivative trades.

In October, Reuters reported that

DIFCI was looking for a buyer for SmartStream and had hired UBS to help with the sale. “Management expects that the disposal of D-Clear would be completed in 2011,” DIFCI said in its financial statement.

According to financial statements, DClear Europe is the holding company of SmartStream. DIFCI also plans to complete the sale of high-end Kuwaiti fashion retailer Villa Moda in 2011 having indicated its intention to sell the company in 2009.

“During 2010, certain circum-

stances arose which were considered unlikely and as a result, Villa Moda was not sold by the end of the current financial year,” it said, adding management expects a sale during 2011.

DIFCI has been grappling with a debt pile of more than $3 billion, hurt mainly by a fall in the value of its investments. Although assets sales will be welcomed, a lack of clarity on short term debt repayments could still worry investors. “It’s positive that they ’re tr ying to divest non-core assets,” said Abdulkadir Hussain, chief

executive of Mashreq Capital.

“Operating trends seem to be moving in the right direction, but in terms of the company’s financing capabilities, there are still questions to be answered.” Revenue slipped to $146.3 million last year, from $152.2 million in the prior-year period.

Its financial statements showed that it has extended repayment of two $500 million loans due to the government of Dubai. Repayment on one of the loans - split equally between May 2011 and May 2013 -

All Gulf Arab markets down, doubts persist

Boubyan Bank floats investment fund at KSE

MIDEAST STOCK MARKETS DUBAI: All of Gulf Arab markets ended lower yesterday with consolidation a key trend, while MSCI index inclusions worries troubled investors in the United Arab Emirates. Dubai and Abu Dhabi markets fell to a two-week low and concerns over the country’s inclusion in MSCI emerging market status index weighed after UAE bourses announced a delay on Thursday in implementing the new payment settlement system. The news Delivery Versus Payment (DvP) system is a pre-requisite for MSCI emerging market inclusion ahead of a review in June.

Analysts also expressed concerns that foreign ownership limitations in UAE and low liquidity may be greater issues than DvP. “ They (UAE) weren’t serious contentions to be involved,” said Robert McKinnon, ASAS Capital chief investment officer. “The anticipated impact on the market was exaggerated. I think it’s more than just a DvP issue.”

Dubai’s index retreated 0.4 percent to its lowest close since April 14.

Dubai Investment, down 2.8 percent, fell for second session after going ex-dividend. Abu Dhabi’s index fell 0.2 percent, also a two-week low, as bluechips weighed. Ahead of quarterly earnings, Dana Gas lost 1.5 percent and indebteddeveloper Aldar Properties dropped 0.7 percent. Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank fell 2.1 percent, declining for a second session since Wednesday’s 30-month peak. The lender’s shares had gained after its firstquarter profit more than doubled.

Saudi Arabia’s retail traders booked profits and weighed on the index with petrochemical stocks leading declines. The

benchmark ended 0.4 percent lower, declining for second day since Wednesday’s 14-week peak. It rose 2.3 percent in April. “We saw a resurgence in volumes that means the retail investors are heavy, so moves are more volatile,” said a Riyadh-based trader who spoke on condition of anonymity. “I would expect that trend to continue.” Analysts said the market must consolidate before it can move higher. The petrochemicals index slipped 0.6 percent. Heavyweights Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) and Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Co fell 0.5 and 2.1 percent respectively.

Saudi Kayan Petrochemicals dipped 0.8 percent. Elsewhere, Qatar Telecom (Qtel) weighed on the index, falling 1 percent after it said on Thursday its first-quarter net profit fell 36.5 percent.

Qatar’s index lost 0.09 percent, falling for four of past six sessions. It was up 1.1 percent in April.

“General sentiment is positive - we might be having a little bit of calm trading beginning of May but with earnings coming in towards the second quarter, there might be another upward rally,” said Samer al-Jaouni, General Manager of Middle East Financial Brokerage.

Omani Qatari Telecommunications Co fell 1.5 percent, weighing on Oman’s index The benchmark slipped 0.02 percent, down in past four of six sessions. Investors are bullish on the trend.”We believe a break above 6,350 points will help index to move towards 6,414 points,” said Osama Ibrahim al-Qinna, head of brokerage at Oman Arab Bank. Egypt and Bahrain bourses were closed on Sunday for Labour Day.— Reuters

has been deferred to 2014, while interest payments on the second loan, due 2013 in one installment, have been suspended for 18 months from March 2010. The firm, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, has a $1.25 billion Islamic bond, or sukuk, due in 2012. Dubai, famous for extravagant real estate projects like man-made islands in the shape of palms and a world map, has been digging itself out of a debt crisis in the wake of a property slump.— Reuters

MUMBAI: India’s national carrier Air India stand idle at the Mumbai International Airport in Mumbai. The strike by one of the carrier’s pilots union entered the third day leading to cancellation of dozens of flights including several international ones, according to local news reports. —AP

Air India cancels flights as pilots strike for pay NEW DELHI: Air India pilots demanding more pay are on strike for a fifth day in defiance of a court order to return to work and spare the airline from further losses.

The strike has forced India’s national carrier to stop taking new bookings and to cancel all but 40 of its scheduled 165 flights yesterday. It has forced after similar cancelations each day since the strike

started Wednesday. The airline is also coping by hiring chartered flights for some routes. It says the action is now costing around 12 million rupees ($2.67 million) a day. The Delhi High Court had ordered the 800 striking pilots last week to call off their “brazen” strike. It launched contempt of court proceedings Saturday when the pilots refused to go back to work.—AP

KUWAIT: Boubyan Bank announced yesterday that it floated an investment fund in Kuwaiti dinar at the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) with the aim of promoting investment in short and medium-term available financial derivatives which comply with the rules of Islamic Sharia. Saleh Al-Ateeqi, acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Boubyan Capital Investment Company, a subsidiary of Boubyan Bank, said in a statement yesterday, that the fund aims at providing competitive returns corresponding to the rules of Islamic Shariaa through increasing the net value of assets along with achieving a high level of liquidity.

Al-Ateeqi added that the fund, which is run by Boubyan Bank administration, is open to all investors to subscribe at a maximum of KD 30,000 starting from the multipliers of KD 1,000, noting that the fund will focus on investment in highquality and low-risk securities. On the method of joining and quitting the new fund, Al-Ateeqi made clear that both subscription and refunding are available on a weekly basis in what makes the current fund a distinctive one that meets high turnout among investors.

He added that the fund provides investors with flexibility like saving account with a weekly liquidity, expected competitive returns compared with returns from deposits. On the investment’s strategy, Al-Ateeqi said that the new fund seeks to invest in short and medium-term derivatives which comply with the Islamic Sharia and are available at stock markets like deposits. He also said that the fund will not invest in any financial tool that does run counter to the Islamic Sharia, adding that subscription applications are available at all branches of Boubyan Bank which are found all over Kuwait.

Boubyan Bank plans, through Boubyan Capital Company which the bank possesses hundred percent of its equities, to float several investment funds in line with the investors requirements who want to invest in accordance with the rules of Islamic Sharia, Al-Ateeqi made clear. He also said that the company’s activities revolve around two themes; the first is to run the investments and assets of Boubyan Bank through direct investments department, and real estate investments department, and the other theme covers offering the services of asset management, and electronic trading to clientele. — KUNA

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BUSINESS

Agility wins Arabi Enertech contract Agreement to move 367-ton airplane to Saudi by road KUWAIT: Agility, a leading global logistics provider, has been awarded a contract by Arabi Enertech, a contracting and trading company in Kuwait, to transfer a 367-ton airplane from Kuwait to Saudi Arabia using road transportation.

An expert in managing largescale projects, Agility developed a tailored solution for Arabi Enertech that allows for a successful transport of a training plane which is used for emergency evac-

“Agility is delighted to be awarded this contract by Arabi Enertech,” said Ali Mikail, Agility’s Senior Vice President, Kuwait and Levant, Global Integrated Logistics.

“We have a strong presence in both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and

uation drills and fire fighting simulations. Over the course of three days and 1,850 kilometers, Agility will move the plane using road transportation and specialized equipment, to include low-bed trucks designed to handle and sta-

our long-standing experience with large-scale, heavy-lift projects across the globe ideally positions us to deliver high-quality, professional service to our customers.”

From its roots in emerging mar-

bilize the oversized cargo.

Benefiting from Agility’s customized tracking and reporting infrastructure, Arabi Enertech is also in a position to track the transport in real-time.

NUQAT launches 2011 art workshops today KUWAIT: Prompted by the urgent need to an organized tackling manner to raise the creativity’s level in Kuwait and the region; the Organizing Committee of NUQAT will conduct the creative consortium of workshops today May 2, Sponsored by Abyat, at the historic building, Alqibliya School, in Kuwait city.

Nuqat, considered to be the first organization in Kuwait, that concerned to create awareness and to open a platform for creative’s. It dedicated its efforts to elevate the bar in creativity through education and creative interactions.

Following the distinctive success attained in Nuqat’s first initiative “Visual Pollution in the Arab World”, that took place at GUST University in October 2010, Nuqat team found it’s essential to continue their mission by preparing a set of workshops, which will endow creative with valuable specialized information by cream of the crop of local and regional professionals in this area .

Nuqat’s workshops this time, would last from 2 of May until the 18 of May as three workshops, vary in their artistic field to give participants a variety of

kets, Agility brings efficiency to supply chains in some of the globe’s most challenging environments, offering unmatched personal service, a global footprint and customized capabilities in developed countries and emerging economies alike. A publicly traded company, Agility is one of the world’s leading providers of integrated logistics with close to $6 billion in annual revenue and more than 25,000 employees in 550 offices across 100 countries.

Agility’s commercial business, Global Integrated Logistics (GIL), is headquartered in Switzerland.

Agility GIL provides supply chain solutions to meet complex and traditional customer needs. GIL offers air, sea and road freight forwarding, warehousing, distribution and specialized services in project logistics, fairs and events, fuels and chemicals.

Agility’s unique collection of portfolio businesses includes Agility Defense & Government Services, a logistics provider to governments, ministries of defense and international organizations. Agility’s Infrastructure group of companies manages commercial and industrial real estate and offers solutions in customs optimization and clearance, waste management and recycling, aviation services, remote infrastructure and life support.

IATA grants Jazeera IOSA certification Airline has world class operational standards

Qatar developer Barwa Q1 net profit surges DOHA: Barwa Real Estate’s quarterly profit more than doubled, as revenues surged on increased rentals and income from banking activities, the developer said in a statement yesterday.

Barwa had first-quarter net profit of 548.49 riyals ($150.6 million), compared with profit of 209.58 million riyals in the prior-year period. Its shares rose 2.26 percent on the Qatar index.

Revenues for the quarter increased, as rental income surged to 169.2 million riyals compared with 39.9 million riyals in the year-before period.

Income from banking activities grew to 127.89 million riyals. The company also gained from the sale of a subsidiary for 410.8 million riyals, it said in a statement to the Doha bourse. Total assets increased to 74.5 billion riyals.

The Qatari developer laid off nearly 90 employees last month amid a restructuring move being pushed through by its new chief executive. Barwa, like other Gulf Arab developers, was hit hard by the region-wide real estate slump.

Qatar helped key property firms weather the global crisis by pushing through defensive mergers and using its sovereign fund to invest in them.

Qatari Diar, the property arm of the Qatar Investment Authority, owns a 45 percent stake in Barwa. —Reuters

choices. The workshops would be open to all creative’s.

This year’s first workshop will include an Introduction to Calligraphy art, from May 2 until 5 from 5pm to 9pm. The workshop is conducted by Saleh AlShukairi, from Muscat Oman, who holds many awards in the Islamic art category.

The second week focuses on branding with the title “Creating Modern Arab Identities” conducted by Luma ShihabEldin, one of the leading creative directors of Wolf-Ollins Dubai branding firm.

Luma’s workshop will take place from the 8 of May until 11.

Lastly, a less corporate and more artistic course is Abdulrazzag Al Shamali’s Street Art: Digital Graffiti workshop, which focuses on creating graffiti into digital work through Adobe Photoshop.

All three workshops are open to all those interested both students and professionals. The Nuqat team has launched a blog for the purpose of covering the workshops, as well as finding more information about registration.www.nuqatblog.com and official website www.nuqatfoundation.com

IATA member airlines, pooling maintenance and engineering activities, and accessing certain markets limited to IATA member airlines.

There are currently 357 airlines registered in IOSA alongside Jazeera Airways.

IOSA’s quality audit principles are designed to conduct audits in a standardized manner and provide airlines with cost-effective benefits and the implementation of the best operational safety measures and practices.

IOSA certified Jazeera Airways after it complied and demonstrated full conformity with the following eight IOSA standards: Corporate Organization & Management, Flight Operations, Operational Control/Flight Dispatch, Aircraft Engineering & Maintenance, Cabin Operations, Aircraft Ground Handling, Cargo Operations and Operational Security.

Winner of Arabian Business Magazine’s ‘Best in Aviation 2010’ award and Gold Winner of Magnum Opus 2010 awards, Jazeera Airways operates to 17 destinations across the Middle East and North Africa.

KUWAIT: Award-winning Jazeera Airways yesterday announced that it passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), the airline industry’s benchmark operational safety audit, placing the airline on par with the best airlines in the world.

IOSA’s six-month evaluation of Jazeera Airways operational and control systems showed that the airline conforms and implements the international standards set by IOSA operational standards, in all operations sectors including airports, flight deck, cabins, and maintenance and engineering.

Jazeera Airways VP Maintenance and Engineering, Abdullah Al-Hudaid said: “Jazeera Airways has passed a significant milestone with this internationally-recognized accreditation. This is a testament that Jazeera Airways is up there with the best airlines in the world.”

Initiated in 2001, the IOSA audit is an international evaluation system precursor for airlines to become an IATA member. IATA provides an airline a wide-range of operational benefits and opportunities, including code sharing with other

Zimbabwe PM wants to create $100bn economy signs of recover y since President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed a power-sharing government in 2009 to end deadly political violence sparked by their presidential run-off election in 2008. But uncertainty over new elections tipped for this year has scared off new investors, who also worry about Mugabe’s threats to take over foreign firms.

Although no dates have been set for the polls, Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party have said elections should be held this year, while Tsvangirai and his MDC party want reforms to ensure a level playing field first.

Tsvangirai said an annual growth rate of ten percent would attract investors. “If we grow the economy by that margin every year, we will be creating jobs for our young people in the process,” he told the congress. “ We will begin to see investment in mining, infrastructure development, agriculture, health, education, in the hospitality industry and all other sectors.” —AFP

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said yesterday only his opposition Movement for Democratic Change can save the economy from “total demise” and grow it by 10 percent a year for 30 years.

The “vision is to create a $100 billion (68-billion-euro) economy in the next 30 years,” Tsvangirai told an MDC congress that confirmed his re-election as party leader late Saturday. “It is only an MDC government that has capacity and support to grow this economy by about 10 percent every year,” he said.

“Only an MDC government, which I am proud to lead, has the capacity to redeem this economy from total demise.” The southern African country suffered a decade of runaway prices amid hyperinflation.

The economy stabilized after the government abandoned the worthless local currency in 2009, allowing trade in US dollars and other major foreign currencies.

Zimbabwe’s economy has showed

EXCHANGE RATES Commercial Bank of Kuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds

.2695000 .455000 .4030000 .3150000 .2875000 .2980000 .0045000 .0020000 .0743200 .7240800 .3810000 .0700000 .7098280 .0045000 .0430000

.2795000 .46300000 .4120000 .3230000 .2960000 .3080000 .0071500 .0035000 .0750670 .7313570 .4010000 .0770000 .7169620 .0073000 .0550000

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2737500 .2758500 .4572580 .4607660 .4053140 .4084240 .3162180 .3186440 .2898210 .2920440 .0543510 .0547680 .0453240 .0456720 .3002350 .3025380 .0352480 .0355190 .2234690 .2251840 .0033720 .0033970 .0000000 .0062550 .0000000 .0025240 .0000000 .0032840 .0000000 .0038050 .0745610 .0751330 .7263200 .7319820 .0000000 .3901700 .0730190 .0735800 .7112240 .7166800 .0000000 .0064530

US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

Al-Muzaini Exchange Co.

Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka

ASIAN COUNTRIES 3.416 6.196 3.244 2.498 3.883 225.080 35.426 3.764

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

6.415 9.198 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 73.370 75.605 714.690 730.640 74.910

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

ARAB COUNTRIES 47.250 46.254 1.259 205.720 388.570 182.500 5.940 36.673

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 275.050 Euro 411.470 Sterling Pound 463.460 Canadian dollar 294.170 Turkish lire 181.190 Swiss Franc 322.870 Australian dollar 299.720 US Dollar Buying 273.850 GOLD 288.000 145.000 74.000

20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Bahrain Exchange Company COUNTRY Australian dollar Bahraini dinar Bangladeshi taka Canadian dollar Cyprus pound Czek koruna Danish krone Deutsche Mark Egyptian pound Euro Cash Hongkong dollar Indian rupees

SELL CASH SELL DRAFT 305.100 303.600 731.390 731.390 3.960 3.770 294.700 293.200 540.200 14.100 55.700 167.800 226.000 47.270 46.263 411.800 410.100 36.090 35.940 6.480 6.215

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

0.033 0.243 0.242 3.490 390.160 0.186 95.030 47.300 4.310 226.600 1.865 53.700 714.310 3.330 6.590 76.080 73.430 226.000 44.340 2.669 436.700 46.900 321.900 5.800 9.580 198.263 75.040 275.400 1.260

0.033

388.690 0.185 95.030 3.890 225.100

Sterling Pound US Dollar

320.400 5.800 9.410 74.940 275.000

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 461.700 275.000

Dollarco Exchange Co. Ltd Rate for Transfer US Dollar Canadian Dollar Sterling Pound Euro Swiss Frank Bahrain Dinar UAE Dirhams Qatari Riyals Saudi Riyals Jordanian Dinar Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupees Indian Rupees

Selling Rate 276.800 292.345 453.255 400.600 308.720 732.607 75.339 76.008 73.783 391.007 46.496 2.506 6.239

3.283 3.806 6.397 678.972 3.437 9.341 6.038 3.943 91.033 91.428

Kuwait Bahrain Intl Exchange Co. 714.130 3.265 6.430 75.650 73.430 226.000 44.340 2.499 461.700

GOLD 1,604.310

10 Tola

Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit Malaysian Ringgit

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

Rate per 1000 (Tran) 274.900 3.260 6.220 2.515 3.775 6.450 74.950 73.510 730.900 46.275 465.800 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 390.600 5.750 412.800 297.900

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 274.550 Euro 409.900 Pound Sterling 461.500 Canadian Dollar 293.000 Japanese Yen 3.400 Indian Rupee 6.202 Egyptian Pound 46.225 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.497 Bangladesh Taka 3.742 Philippines Peso 6.406 Pakistan Rupee 3.255 Bahraini Dinar 731.300 UAE Dirham 74.900 Saudi Riyal 73.400 *Rates are subject to change

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KIPCO reports KD 8.1m first quarter net profit KUWAIT: KIPCO - the Kuwait Projects Company - has announced a net profit of KD 8.1 million ($ 29.2 million), or 6.84 fils ($2.47 cents) for the first three months of 2011 - an increase of 300 per cent compared to the KD 2 million ($ 6.93 million) profit or 1.73 fils ($ 0.60 cents) per share, reported for the same period last year.

KIPCO’s total revenues for the first three months of 2011 increased by 18 per cent to KD 93.2 million ($ 336.2 million) from KD 78.8 million ($273 million) in the first quarter of 2010.

The company also reported a rise in operating profit to KD 18.2 million ($ 65.6 million) for the first quarter of 2011 - an increase of 22 per cent from the KD 14.9 million ($ 51.6 million) in the first quarter of 2010.

KIPCO’s consolidated assets decreased in the first quarter of 2011, to KD 5.52 billion ($19.9 billion) from KD 5.66 billion ($20.2 billion) for the year end 2010.

Masaud Hayat, KIPCO’s CEO Banking, said KIPCO’s first quarter results were in line with the expectations voiced by the company at its recent Investor’s Forum: “At our Shafafiyah Investor’s Forum in March, we highlighted some of the growth trends emerging from our core operating companies. These trends are now beginning to have a very positive effect on our results. If global, regional and local markets maintain their recovery from the financial crisis, we can expect to see further growth in our results. “Profitability from most of our operating companies has improved over the year and this growth is in line with

NIC records KD 4m net profit for 2010

By Nawara Fattahova

Masaud Hayat, KIPCO’s CEO Banking our expectations. We are confident that this growth curve will continue.”

The KIPCO Group is one of the biggest diversified holding companies in the Middle East and North Africa, with consolidated assets of $ 19.9 billion as at 31 March, 2011. The Group has significant ownership interests in a portfolio of over 60 companies operating across 26 countries. Its main sector focus is financial services, insurance and media. Through its core companies, subsidiaries and affiliates, KIPCO also has interests in the real estate, industrial, education and management advisory sectors.

Wataniya Telecom announces April draw winners KUWAIT: Started in April 2010, Wataniya Telecom is glad to announce the continuous success of its monthly draw, and recently revealed the winners of this month’s draw. For 12 consecutive months, Wataniya has abided by its promise and awarded hundreds of lucky winners with valuable prizes starting from BMW cars to Mini Coopers to Smart phones (BlackBerry, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson), free SMS as well as Free Wnet subscriptions.

All Wataniya customers had the opportunity to enter the draw, all what they had to do is to keep on using Wataniya’s numerous services and be part of the Wataniya family.

For April’s draw, the lucky winner to win the BMW was Nawaf Abdullah Al-Kandari.

PR Director of Wataniya Abdolaziz Al-Balool congratulated the winners of April’s draw and extended his appreciation to all Wataniya’s loyal customers by saying: “Our monthly draws have resulted in great success and attracted a magnificent number of customers during the past 12 months. The success of the draw is all attributed to our customers for their continuous support to our network.”

Al Balool also added: We look forward to reward our customers for their loyalty and bring them entertaining and long last experiences.”

Wataniya has always been keen to offer the best services to its customers, and has yet again highlighted its customer centric approach and its dedication to all its customers. To learn more about the Wataniya’s diverse range of services please call customer care at 121 or visit www.wataniya.com

Nawaf Abdullah Al-Kandari Ahmed Muhammad Sulaiman AL-Abbad Muhammad Ahmad Al-Sayed Muhammad Abdulmonem Sharaf Yousif Dal Bahador Bradhan Abdulrahman Mashaan Al-Resheedi Ebrahim Ebaisi Samya Muqeetef Al-Thefeeri Harry Lion Johnson Ali Abdulrahim Hamam Muhammad Manal Kaseb Rashed Thaher Faleh Thaher Al-Sowail Saqer Rashed Muhammad Ali Muna Abduljaleel Bahman Roy Penny Borayel Hameedi Thaher AL-Shameri Adel Abdulhadi Al-Najjar Dana Khaleefa Abdulrahman Nassar Alaa Mubarak Barrak Al-Watari Murad Naeem Khudur Sulaiman Easa Hassan Gholoum Abdulaziz Farhan Al-Rasheedi Saleh Mefleh Al-Rasheedi Zaid Raheel Wadi Al-Enezi Payana Tamang Lama Reyadh Abdullah Mansour Bandar Mansour Saadoun Abbas Bashar Nawal Nayef Ghazi Hadi Abdullah Jasem Muhammad Al-Kandari Abdulaziz Sayer Al-Thefeeri Yousif Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Rushood Hawra Ali Mukhtar Meshaal Muhammad Hamad Al-Azmi Nasser Hamza Hassan Ameen Jad Al-Shaikh Aamal Muhammad Ali Beshri Ayedh Al-Subeeie Duhairan Marmah Duhairan Abal-Khail Mishari Adel Abdullah

2011 would see a continuation of NIC’s success to date, along with further growth. “Product diversification, capacity increases, and Gulf markets expansion in terms of production and export will contribute to that end,” he said. “Furthermore, other factors which are expected to result in positive performance are: the ceramic factory in Kuwait, the lightweight bricks (AAC) factories in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman, plus the HDPE factory in the Sultanate of Oman. In addition, our company will benefit from recently declared promising Kuwaiti and Saudi development plans.”

Despite the economic crisis, NIC will continue with its regional

expansion plans through building plants in suppor t o its current activities, as well as entering into new industries, thus creating a balance between growth and dividend distribution, the company MD added.

Founded in Kuwait in 1960, NIC specializes in manufacturing and marketing building materials and infrastructure products in Kuwait.

NIC is a subsidiary of the National Industries Group (NIG), a holding group that owns several industrial and financial companies in the Middle East, Europe, and North America. The company works with various different products, including flooring, pipes and fittings, decorative goods, wall fittings, and other items.

The NIC’s chairman and managing director, Dr. Adel Al-Subaih, addresses the AGM.

GCC Monetary Union still looks for convergence KAMCO RESEARCH REPORT KUWAIT: The creation of a monetary union has been a primary objective among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members since the early 1980s and significant progress has already been made in regional economic integration. The GCC states have unrestricted intraregional mobility of goods, labor, and capital; regulation of the banking sectors is being harmonized; and in 2008 the countries established a common market.

Abdolaziz Al-Balool

Below are the first 40 winners of April’s draw Name

KUWAIT: The National Industries Company (NIC) held its fiftieth Annual General Assembly on Thursday at its headquarters in Shuwaikh. The event saw an 87 percent attendance rate, with all the scheduled clauses being approved.

During the AGM, the shareholders reviewed the board of directors’ report for the fiscal year ending on December 31, 2010, along with the audit report and general budget statement for the same period. The profits and losses balance sheet for the same period was also calculated during the event.

Those present also agreed during the AGM on the distribution of cash dividends at the rate of 8 fils per share of their nominal value for registered NIC shareholders. The board of directors was reauthorized to buy the company’s shares at the rate of 10 percent of their capital for the next 18 months, whilst the auditors for the 2011 period were unanimously appointed. On the subject of economically effective industries, the NIC’s chairman and managing director, Dr. Adel Al-Subaih, said that the company prefers to establish these outside Kuwait. “The biggest obstacle that we face is bureaucratic paperwork. We expend 70 percent of our efforts on surmounting this obstacle, and 30 percent on establishing a factory that meets international standards, such as the ceramic factory or the petroleum wellhead factory. This factory was completed in 2008, and is not operating yet because of the bureaucracy involved. Also the ceramic factory has been completed for around two years and is still

not operational, but hopefully it will start working within a few months.”

The NIC chairman said that although 2010 had been an extension of previous years in terms of the increase in the company ’s operational profits and growth, its financial assets had decreased during this period due to the residual aftermath of the global financial crisis. “Accordingly, the company achieved a net profit of KD 4 million, i.e. 188 fils per share, compared to a loss of KD 2.6 million last year,” he revealed. “Shareholders’ equity in 2010 grew to KD81 Million, i.e. 235 fils per share, in comparison to KD72 million in the previous year, achieving 12.4% growth.” Al-Subaih asserted that

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Convergence Criteria Most of the convergence criteria for entry into the monetary union have already been achieved. The GCC countries are probably the most homogeneous among the unions, sharing a common history, language, and culture. They are mainly oil exporters (with the exception of Bahrain), are very open to trade and imported labor, have very flexible labor markets, and have complete factor mobility (ease of movement of labor and capital) within the group. Overall the GCC meets the generally accepted criteria for a single currency among its members, namely proximity (geographically), size, fluctuations of output (mainly oil), trade structure (export based), and inflation performance.

A set of five convergence criteria similar to those used in the run-up to the European Monetary Union, has been agreed on in principle.

Although they are not preconditions for entry, by the end of 2008 the GCC countries had met almost all of the convergence criteria. The criteria are as follows: 1. Budget deficit lower than 3 percent of Nominal GDP, or 5 percent when oil prices are weak; 2. Public debt to GDP ratio lower than 60 percent; 3. Foreign Exchange Reserves in excess of four months imports; 4. Interest Rates not higher than 2 percent above the average of the lowest three countries rates; 5. Inflation not higher than 2 percent above the Average rate of the six states.

The exception was inflation, reflecting the higher inflation rates in Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE over the 2 years prior to the crisis. But recently these rates have sharply dropped on the back of weaker demand, consumer spending and property markets in the post global financial crisis period with the exception of Saudi Arabia and Oman where food prices have exerted a great deal of pressure and kept the price index at higher rates of 5.35 percent and 4.70 percent for

2010, respectively. But even in normal times, this inflation would not persist. In fact, the high inflation in these fast-growing economies is due to supply constraints arising from the rapid pace of implementing large spending programs and construction projects, and these pressures are expected to ease soon.

The recent crisis has forced GCC countries, along with many other countries across the world, to lower their discount rates in order to stimulate the stagnant credit markets and stimulate economic growth.

This has caused the benchmark for the discount rate (average of the lowest three countries rates) to drop exposing Qatar and the UAE as having higher than benchmark rates. This incompliance is due to temporary conditions and is expected to start scaling upwards in tandem with the regional recovery in credit markets. In addition, increased government spending has resulted in an increase in government projected deficits over the next few years but exposing only Bahrain with an estimated budget deficit of 5.4 percent of the country’s GDP. The GCC monetary union has so far faced its share of setbacks including Oman and UAE announcements that it would not join the union along with Kuwait’s announcement during May 2007 that it was changing its exclusive peg to the US dollar to an undisclosed peg to a currency basket, although it reaffirmed its commitment to join the GCC monetary union. Other key issues that need to be addressed for a successful launch of the union include: 1. In terms of monetary policy, there is a need for an institutional and governance framework to ensure smooth, transparent and effective monetary decisions; 2. GCC states will need to invest in building its statistical capacity in order to provide comparable, harmonized and timely economic and financial data; 3. Other areas that need investments are the development of financial infrastructure, including legal and regulatory platform.

The adoption of the GMU and single currency brings in a great deal of benefits to the single economies and the union as a whole. First, the elimination of transaction and accounting costs that are associated with bid-ask spreads and commission on foreign exchange transactions. Another benefit would be the removal of foreign exchange risk, which is consid-

ered a major obstacle to trade and cross border lending for any two economies; for the case of the GMU, this does not pose as a great benefit as it might in other unions since most of the currencies are pegged to the US dollar. Other benefits may include: * Bargaining power: after establishing a single currency, the GMU will have an additional incentive to pursue their negotiation with other monetary blocks and form a stronger bargaining power; * More intra-trade: given that all GCC member states have plans to diversify their economies and further develop the private sector along with the fact that the single currency would make GCC intratrading cheaper than other alternatives, the GMU member countries are more likely to trade with each other. Thus, increasing synchronization of business cycles; • Economies of scale: with more cross border trading, producers are likely to gain economies of scale along with the ease of price comparison brought by the single currency; • More potential investments: The GMU will make the GCC region economic prospects more promising for both domestic and foreign investors, by lowering search costs to find investment opportunities, administrative procedures and offering a bigger market. Another important factor, is the prospect for bringing GCC national funds held abroad back for investment in local economies;

• More integration: the integration of financial markets in the GCC countries, coupled with its positive effect at the level of monetary and fiscal policies will enhance transparency and financial discipline at the regional level, a necessary condition for financial stability in the region. These are all factors that help attract more investment from national, regional, and international investors to the GCC countries; • More disciplined economic policy: It also promises to offer more disciplined economic policy management by having members adopt appropriate policy measures that take the whole union into consideration.

But, at what cost? Besides the costs of forming a union, GMU member states will have to surrender its exchange rate and monetary policy instruments to a centralized union central bank. This is derived from the fact that when a member country relinquishes its national currency, it also relinquishes its ability to conduct a monetary policy.

Under a monetary union, national central banks are no longer allowed to unilaterally take the initiative of altering exchange rate of the single currency or change the interest rate.

Decisions of this type should be the responsibility of the newly established union-wide central bank.

Such a cost however would not be significant in the case of the GMU since monetary policy already has a narrow room for maneuvering under the current pegged exchange rate system.

Damas delays $163 million repayment DUBAI: Jeweler Damas International said yesterday that it has extended the payment date for 600 million dirhams ($163.4 million) owed by its founders, the Abdullah brothers, by another month. The deadline is now May 31, Damas said, adding that an agreement with the brothers to liquidate certain assets to repay the company had been approved by all but one bank creditor so far. Damas did not name the lender. Last month, the Dubai-based jeweler extended the payment date to April 30 to give more time for parties involved in the agreement to sign up. “The company believes that this final bank creditor is in the process of obtaining internal approval and will sign the Cascade Agreement shortly,” Damas said in the statement.

The jeweler said earlier this year that it reached a final agreement with all its lenders and completed the restructuring of its $872 million debt. An inquiry last year showed that the Abdullah brothers owed the company a total of 614 million dirhams ($167.2 million), that included 256 million dirhams worth of gold that the three brothers had withdrawn from the company. Damas is primarily involved in the business of trading in gold and gold jewelry, diamond jewelry, pearls, watches, silver and precious stones on a wholesale and retail basis. —Reuters

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KSE begins trading in May on subdued note GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) started the month of May on a subdued note as investors booked profits of banking stocks after impressive performance last week. Investors are a bit worried about the companies that did not release their 1Q2011 financial results which have 10 session left to announce, knowing that they will be suspended from trading after May 15, 2011. Global General Index (GGI), market weighted, ended the day down by 0.32 percent, at 206.51 point. Market capitalization was down for the day at KD33.86bn. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 6,501.3 point, shedding 13.40 points (0.21 percent) to its previous close.

Market breadth During the session, 107 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 35 equities advanced versus 34 that retreated. Yesterday’s performance was accompanied by diminishing trading activity with most of the trades conducted in the Investment sector. Total volume traded was down by 4.28 percent with 183.74mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD22.06mn (27.12 percent lower compared to the day before). The Investment Sector was the volume leader yesterday, accounting for 42.17 percent of total shares. The Banking sector was the value leader, with 37.50 percent of total traded value. National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) was the most active in terms of values of shares traded during Thursday session, with 1.94mn shares exchanged at an aggregate value of KD2.41mn.

Sector-wise On a sector-by-sector basis, Global non-Kuwaiti Index spearheaded decliners during the day, dipping by 1.28 percent. Egypt Kuwait Holding Company reduced 4.05 percent of its share value. Meanwhile, most of UAE

Dinar stable at 0.274 K UWA I T: E xc ha nge rate of t he Kuwaiti dinar remained stable at KD 0. 274 p e r d ol l a r Thur s d ay, a nd decreased against the euro, recording KD 0.406, the Central Bank of Kuwait said yesterday.

The Kuwaiti dinar ’s stabilized against the pound Sterling, 0.458, remaining at the same level against the Japanese yen, at KD 0.003, and recording a one fils rise to KD 0.316 against the Swiss franc, Kuwait’s

state monetary authority said in its daily bulletin.

The U S d ol l a r cont i nue s to decline against European trade to the lowest level in three years and investors fear implications of the US Federal Bank decision to extend the mitigation policy.

Moreover, economic data issued yesterday showed a slowdown in growth during the first quarter of this year. —KUNA

Saudi lifts April oil output to 8.5m bpd

cement stocks ended in the positive territory except Fujairah Cement Industries Company. The scrip closed down by 1.45 percent at KD0.068. At the same time, Ahli United Bank shed 0.92 percent, to close at KD0.216.

Industrial groups too were notable decliners. The sector as a whole, presented through the Global Industrial Index, pulled back by 0.79 percent.

Kuwait Cement Company dropped by 4.76 percent and closed at KD0.600.

In terms of advancers, Global Investment Index took the top spot with a 0.48 percent increase. Global Investment House the biggest advancers in the market, ended the day up 8.16 percent at KD0.053, its highest level since February 09, 2011.

Global’s special indices witnessed

similar performance to market sectors by ending on a mixed note. Global Islamic Index was the top gainer with a 0.47 percent gain backed by Boubyan Bank. Global Small Cap Index (Low 10) was the top decliner, down 0.45 percent. Pearl of Kuwait Real Estate Company contributed to the index’s decliner by ending the day down 9.09 percent and closed at KWD0.025. Also Global Large Cap Index (TOP 10) was down by 0.43 percent.

Corporate news Shares of Al- Massaleh Real Estate Company will be traded ex-dividends as of Monday May 02, 2011. The company will distribute a 5 percent cash dividend. Shares of Hilal Cement

Company will be traded ex-dividends as of Monday May 02, 2011. The company will distribute a 10 percent cash dividend. Shares of Kuwait Bahrain International Exchange Company will be traded ex-dividends as of Monday May 02, 2011. The company will distribute a 13 percent cash dividend.

YIACO Medical Company will start on Monday, May 02, 2011 paying cash dividend at 10 percent to shareholders of record on the general meeting date; April 25, 2011. The dividend payout will be effected via Kuwait Clearing Co Ahmed Tower.

The price of OPEC basket of twelve crudes stood at $120.90 a barrel on Thursday, compared with $119.35 the previous day, according to OPEC Secretariat calculations.

DUBAI/KHOBAR: Saudi Arabia’s crude oil output edged back up in April to around 8.5 million barrels per day (bpd) from roughly 8.3 million bpd in March as demand picks up, Saudi-based industry sources said yesterday.

The kingdom slashed output by 800,000 bpd in March, due to oversupply, oil minister Ali Al-Naimi said last month, adding that he expected production in April to be a little higher than M arch’s level.

“Production was around 8.5 (million bpd) in April and the reason we raised output is because there was higher demand,” said one Saudibased industry source, declining to comment on where demand had strengthened.

A second industry source said the 8.5 million bpd may not include production from the Neutral Zone, which Saudi shares with Kuwait.

Saudi crude exports were also higher in April from Februar y and March, said a trader without quantifying figures.

Since the start of the year consumers have urged the oil exporters to pump more crude to put a cap on oil prices, which surged to more than $127 a barrel

last month, its highest level in 2-1/2 years amid unrest in North Africa and the Middle East and a declining dollar exchange rate.

“But the key is, Saudi will only increase output if there is a supply gap in the market or to meet extra demand (and) not for any pricerelated reason because the price today is due to speculation,” said another Saudi-based source. Gulf oil exporters expect demand to go up in the coming months as European refiners return from their spring maintenance period and Japan scrambles to rebuild its earthquake-shattered electricity grid.

“I expect [Saudi] production to respond to market demand ...and I expect it to be around 9 million bpd towards end of M ay- early June,” said Sadad Al-Husseini, a former top executive at State oil giant Saudi Aramco.

A Gulf-based trader also said there is strong demand for lighter grades on the back of Japan’s requirements. The top OPEC producer had sold 2 million barrels of a special blend of crude to compensate for the high-quality Libyan barrels lost. —Reuters

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business

India set for ninth rate hike to cool inflation Concern over impact monetary tightening

OMAHA: Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and CEO Warren Buffett (center) is mobbed by journalists and shareholders as he stops by a model rail road while touring the exhibit floor where Berkshire subsidiaries display their products, in Omaha on Saturday. —AP

Buffett says mistakes were made in handling Sokol OMAHA, Nebraska: Berkshire Hathaway’s annual meeting on Saturday was dominated by somber topics, as Warren Buffett explained to roughly 40,000 shareholders how the company had been battered by a trusted former employee’s misdeeds and a string of natural disasters. Buffett assured the crowd at an Omaha convention center that Berkshire is strong enough to withstand both the David Sokol scandal and the estimated $1.7 billion in insurance losses that drove profits down 58 percent in the first quarter.

Buffett said he doesn’t think he will ever understand why Sokol bought stock in Lubrizol shortly before recommending that Berkshire buy the chemical company. Buffett said he believes Sokol clearly violated Berkshire’s ethics and insider trading policies. “It’s a situation that’s sad for Berkshire and sad for Dave,” Buffett said. Sokol has denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyer issued another statement Saturday taking issue with Buffett’s comments. “David Sokol is deeply saddened that Mr. Buffett, whom he considered a friend and mentor, would disparage him as he has done today,” Levine said.

Buffett acknowledged that he made a mistake by not asking Sokol more about his Lubrizol stock when they first discussed the company in January. Buffett said he had no reason to think Sokol had just bought the stock the week before.

Buffett previewed Berkshire’s earnings at the annual meeting, ahead of their scheduled release on Friday. He said the biggest factor in the earnings drop was roughly $1.7 billion in pretax losses related to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Australian floods and the New Zealand earthquake.

“We had probably the second-worst quarter for the insurance industry in terms of disasters around the globe,” Buffett said. Reinsurance companies, like Berkshire’s General Re and National Indemnity, sell backup insurance to primary insurers so the industry can cover big losses. Buffett estimates that Berkshire will report $1.5 billion in net income, down from $3.6 billion last year.

He did not offer earnings per-share figures.

Buffett and Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger spent nearly six hours answering questions at the annual meeting. One of the early questions asking why Buffett wasn’t tougher on Sokol drew mild applause from the audience because Buffett has always promised to be ruthless with anyone who hurts Berkshire’s reputation. Buffett said he didn’t have all the information about Sokol when he announced the former MidAmerican Energy chairman’s resignation in March. Buffett said he learned that Sokol had met with investment bankers about Lubrizol only after the deal was announced.

Buffett and Munger both acknowledged that the March 30 news release, which included a line where Buffett defended Sokol’s conduct as legal, was poorly written. Before his departure, Sokol had ser ved as chairman of Berkshire’s MidAmerican Energy, NetJets and Johns Manville units.

Levine said Sokol never tried to withhold information from Buffett or other Berkshire officials. But Berkshire’s board said Sokol’s disclosures about his Lubrizol investment were misleadingly incomplete. Buffett said part of the reason he finds Sokol’s actions inexplicable is that years before Sokol rejected a compensation plan that might have paid him a $50 million bonus. Instead he shared the bonus equally with one of his fellow managers at MidAmerican.

Jeff Matthews, a shareholder who wrote “Secrets in Plain Sight: Business & Investing Secrets of Warren Buffett” and another Buffett book, said that story about Sokol helps explain why Buffett was surprised by his actions. Matthews said he appreciated Buffett’s explanation and his willingness to take questions.

“I think he did exactly what he should have done,” Matthews said. “He didn’t duck anything.” Buffett said all of Berkshire’s policies on ethics and insider

trading will be reviewed to see if changes are needed, but he doesn’t think it makes sense to create a large compliance office to keep tabs on employees’ personal investments. Buffett said there are currently only three people at Berkshire authorized to make stock investments. Munger said he believes the greatest companies generally pick trustworthy people for important positions and then grant them significant responsibility. “Some of the ones with the biggest compliance departments have the most scandals,” Munger said.

Buffett has dealt with scandals before at Berkshire Hathaway, most notably at Salomon Inc. in 1992 and at General Re in 2005. He took the helm at Salomon after it was revealed that the company repeatedly submitted false bids during Treasury auctions.

When Berkshire-owned General Re was implicated in an accounting scheme at American International Group, Buffett fired the General Re executives involved.

He also testified before federal regulators.

Sokol’s roughly $10 million Lubrizol investment turned into about $13 million after Berkshire announced its $135 per share offer for the company. The $9 billion deal also includes Berkshire assuming about $700 million in Lubrizol debt.

Berkshire’s audit committee said Wednesday that the board may consider legal action against Sokol to recover his trading profits and compensate Berkshire for any damage it sustained.

Shareholder Kevin Gednalske said the report on Sokol’s actions was troubling, especially if he was acting on Berkshire’s behalf when he bought Lubrizol stock for himself. “Whether it was lawful or not, it wasn’t ethical,” Gednalske said. But Gednalske and other shareholders said the hands-off way Buffett runs Berkshire’s subsidiaries means that there will occasionally be problems within the company. Berkshire is highly decentralized with just 21 employees in Omaha to oversee about 260,000 employees worldwide.

Buffett tells shareholders that he and Munger “delegate almost to the point of abdication” and let the managers of Berkshire’s subsidiaries run their businesses. Buffett sends a letter to his managers every two years reminding them to “zealously guard Berkshire’s reputation.”

And Buffett encourages his managers to avoid any behavior that comes close to being unethical. Brad Kinstler, CEO of Berkshire subsidiary See’s Candy, said he doesn’t expect Berkshire to impose new controls on executives because of Sokol’s actions.

Kinstler said there is a level of trust required in any business. “You have to always have a watchful eye, but you can’t watch everything,” Kinstler said. Sokol’s departure has renewed speculation about Berkshire’s succession plan because Sokol was widely viewed as leading contender to eventually replace the 80-year-old Buffett as CEO. Buffett told shareholders Saturday that the company has strong candidates for the chief executive job, and the person he considers the leading contender also has strong ethics. He refused to name specific candidates. “The Bible says the meek will inherit the Earth. The question is whether they will remain meek,” Buffett said.

Berkshire plans to split Buffett’s job into three parts after he steps down — CEO, chairman and several investment managers. Buffett, however, has indicated that he has no plans to retire yet. He says he loves his work and remains in good health.

Buffett has recommended that his son Howard take over as chairman to ensure Berkshire’s culture is preserved. That decision will be made by Berkshire’s board. Howard Buffett is a member of the board. Buffett said having an independent chairman who controls a sizeable amount of stock would help protect the company if a mistake were made when the next CEO is chosen. Buffett said most of Berkshire’s companies continue to improve gradually along with the overall economy — except for those tied to residential construction. —AFP

NEW DELHI: India, which has the highest inflation of any large Asian economy, looks set this week to hike interest rates for a ninth time despite mounting concern over the impact of monetary tightening.

The central bank has raised rates eight times since March 2010, albeit in gradual, quarterpoint steps to minimize the impact on economic growth. But inflation has remained high and some economists expect Reserve Bank of India (RBI) policymakers to move more aggressively when they meet tomorrow.

“A 50-basis-point rate rise wouldn’t surprise me — inflation is proving stubbornly difficult to reduce,” Deepak Lalwani, head of London-based India investment consultancy Lalcap, told AFP. “It’s time to step it up,” agreed HSBC chief India economist Leif Eskesen. Others bet the bank will stick to its “slowly, slowly approach” and only hike by a quarter point as it seeks to balance growth and inflation concerns. The RBI meeting comes after data in April showed inflation had surged to nearly nine percent. The Asian Development Bank has said controlling inflation must be the Asian region’s top priority as strong growth, turmoil in the Middle East and Japan’s nuclear crisis drive up food and oil prices.

Asian economies from South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan to China are all battling inflationary pressures. But some economists are concerned that India’s central bank may push too hard on the brakes.

The benchmark repurchase, or repo rate, at which the bank lends to commercial banks, is

6.75 percent while the reverse repo, paid to banks for deposits, is 5.75 percent. “The bottom line is the central bank needs to act but it should not go overboard,” said CLSA economist Rajeev Malik. “It must avoid a repeat of the mid-1990s outcome of killing inflation by crippling growth.”

The government has said it expects the economy to expand by nine percent in the current fiscal year, returning to levels it reached before the global financial crisis. But there are already fears that Asia’s third-largest economy will undershoot the target because of interest rate increases.

Investment house Goldman Sachs has already slashed its growth forecast for the year to March 2012 to 7.8 percent from 8.7 percent. Credit Suisse economist Robert Prior-Wandesforde has trimmed his expansion forecast to 7.5 percent.

The economy is already showing signs of slowing with an 18 percent year-on-year drop in capital goods output in February, trimming industrial production growth to 3.6 percent.

Inflation, fed by food and fuel price rises, has been one of the biggest headaches for the Congress-led government headed by Premier Manmohan Singh, whose coalition is also reeling from a string of corruption scandals. Reducing prices is a political priority even as higher growth is seen as key to reducing crushing pover ty in the nation of 1.2 billion.

Poorer households, the backbone of the party’s support, have been especially hard hit by inflation, a traditional lightning rod for political discontent. “Inflation is

BEIJING: A Chinese man and a child eat bread at a compound of Forbidden City in Beijing. The World Bank raised its growth forecast for China and urged the government to tighten monetary policy to avert risks from inflation and its surging real estate market. — AP the most important short-term up in its anti-inflation fight-even if problem,” said Montek Singh it means slower growth. “Tell me Ahluwalia, deputy head of India’s any single period when we have influential economic Planning had higher growth and higher Commission, who has urged the inflation. It just does not happen central bank to use “all the flexibili- that way and it is a wrong policy. ty” at its disposal. Former central What we need is low inflation and bank governor Y V Reddy said the if it demands low growth, so be it,” Reserve Bank cannot afford any let Reddy said. — AFP

Next ECB rate hike may come soon FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank will keep its key interest rate at 1.25 percent this week, analysts say, but might signal a further hike amid climbing prices in the 17-nation eurozone.

Renewed fears of a Greek debt default will overshadow the meeting of ECB policymakers in Finland even though European Union (EU) leaders still reject speculation that financial markets now all but take for granted.

Economists expect the ECB governing council, gathering Thursday in Helsinki for one of two annual meetings away from the bank’s headquarters in Frankfurt, to hint at more rate hikes, with the first possibly as soon as June.

That could be signalled in an ECB statement if the council says it will maintain “strong vigilance” with respect to price pressures, a clear sign higher rates are on the way.

Away from monetary policy, questions about who will become the next ECB president later this year appear to have been all but settled with an expression of French support for Italian central bank governor Mario Draghi. If officially named by EU leaders in June, Draghi will face the task of leading 330 million people out of a debt crisis that has snared Greece, Ireland and Portugal and also threatened Spain.

He would be the third ECB president after the late Wim Duisenberg of the Netherlands and Jean-Claude Trichet of France, who steps down in October. Germany, which has yet to give Draghi its widely-tipped backing, expects the next ECB head to reinforce fiscal discipline and unwind unorthodox measures like public debt purchases that were taken to protect Greece from bankruptcy.

Most economists assume Athens will still need to restructure its debt, possibly by establishing a longer timeframe for reimbursement or by declaring that not all would be reimbursed, though the ECB and EU leaders still insist otherwise.

Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the Eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers, said Thursday that restructuring Athens’ debts was “not an option” because it would cause enormous problems.

Banks in France and Germany are particularly exposed to potential losses if Greece does not repay its debts, but politicians are also aware the public is getting tired of footing the bailout bill.

Meanwhile, climbing inflation has dented eurozone consumer confidence and resulted last month in the first ECB rate hike since July 2008.

Inflation stood at 2.8 percent in April according to an initial EU estimate, well above the ECB target of just below 2.0 percent, as higher energy and other commodity prices seep through to the wider economy.

Meanwhile unemployment remained below 10 percent for the second consecutive month.

Commenting on the bank’s benchmark lending rate, UniCredit economist Marco Valli said that “absent any meaningful constraint stemming from financial markets turbulence, in the ECB’s mind, 2.0 percent is probably a more plausible year-end target than 1.75 percent.”

In London, the Bank of England is expected to keep its main rate at a record low of 0.50 percent on Thursday owing to a weak economic outlook, while the US Federal Reserve should stick with its record low near zero for now.

Fed chairman Ben Bernanke signalled last week however that asset purchases by the US central bank would end in June, marking the beginning of the end of its long round of monetary easing.

That has seen the dollar decline in value to around 1.48 to the euro, which is the “last thing that the deeply uncompetitive peripheral economies need,” Jonathan Loynes at Capital Economics said in reference to Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

Austerity measures forced on Dublin and Lisbon to correct their finances have toppled governments there, as the eurozone struggles more generally with a fragile banking sector, sluggish growth and weak property markets. — AFP

Thousands march in Hong Kong despite new minimum wage HONG KONG: Some 8,000 Hong Kong and Macau activists hit the streets yesterday in May Day marches to protest over soaring rent and food prices in the southern Chinese territories.

The demonstrations came even as Hong Kong ushered in its first minimum wage at HK$28 ($3.60), which unions hailed as a step forward, but not enough for many low-income families struggling to make ends meet. The pay floor is a controversial measure that has divided labour and business groups for years.

Business leaders have warned that the law will lead to widespread job losses among poor workers in the densely populated city of seven million, often credited as having the freest economy in the world. Chanting slogans and banging drums and cymbals, activists staged a noisy procession in the heart of downtown Hong Kong to demand stronger labour laws, with their ranks swelling to 4,000 by organizers’ estimates. “Put an end to worker exploitation,” they called out in unison.

“Paid rest days, raise salaries, fight inflation, resume public housing.” Another 3,000 activists turned out for a separate protest later yesterday, marching with cardboard cut-outs of leaders and tycoons, including Hong Kong’s richest man, Li Ka-shing-defaced with devil horns and vampire fangs.

“Property developers are evil and have no conscience,” a group of banner-carrying demonstrators shouted. Cleaner Ah Shan said the city’s minimum wage was a good idea, but too low.

“It does not even cover basic living expenses,” she told AFP. “I am very disappointed. Hopefully, the government will review this level sometime soon in the future.” About one thousand people also marched through Macau, a neighbouring semi-autonomous Chinese territory and the world’s biggest gambling hub, with one protester arrested, a government spokesman said. Like Hong Kong, the former Portuguese colony has seen property prices soar as critics worry about its gambling-dependent economy.

Hong Kong’s government has pledged to sell off more public land in a bid to cool red-hot property prices which have put home ownership out of reach for many residents. Concern over Hong Kong’s growing income gap-which the UN Development Programme pegged in 2009 as the world’s biggest among wealthy economies-prompted the government to usher in the new wage floor. Many countries already have minimum wage legislation in place, with hourly rates in New York and London set between $7.25 and $9.90.

“We are in a new age-the implementation of the minimum wage is a big step forward for local labour rights,” said Pan Pey Chyou, a legislator and vice-chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions (FTU).

Hong Kong is famous for its free market economy and stunningly wealthy tycoons whose business empires span all sectors of the local economy and the world.

But the city is also home to hundreds of thousands of workers who live on hourly wages at times as low as $2 an hour. “Poverty is a very serious problem among our base-line workers and it is important for us to stand out and speak out today,” said Stanley Ng, the union’s chairman. The union said it worried employers would try to circumvent the law by changing staff contracts to cut benefits and paid rest days. —AFP

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BUSINESS

Europe’s carmakers rev up ambitions as profits soar

China’s manufacturing eases in April: Survey Govt effort to cool economy finds effect BEIJING: China’s manufacturing sector eased in April, a survey showed yesterday, suggesting that the government’s efforts to cool the economy may be having some effect.

The state -affiliated China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing reported that its purchasing managers index, or PMI, fell to 52.9 in April, down from 53.4 in March. The governmentsponsored survey quoted federation analyst Zhang Liqun as saying the decline of the index in April was in line with demand. “ The growth in demand slowed down, resulting in the adjustment of inventor y and increasing the possibility that the growth rate of the economy will fall,” Zhang was quoted as saying.

Indicators for new orders, production, new export orders and purchasing prices fell, the purchasing manager ’s sur vey showed. A second and competing sur vey by London-based HSBC said Friday that its China Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index remained 51.8 in April, matching its March level and just above a seven-month low of 51.7 in February. Figures above 50 signal expansion.

China’s economy expanded

BEIJING: Customers line up to get discount vegetables at a supermarket in Beijing, China. Surging inflation that helped trigger protests in Shanghai is prompting China’s leaders to turn to a tool they long resisted: Speeding up the rise of the country’s tightly controlled currency.—AP by a rapid 9.7 percent in the first quar ter of this year — little changed from the previous quarter’s 9.8 percent — despite government effor ts to steer growth to a sustainable level

following last year’s double-digit expansion.

Beijing has made taming inflation its priority. A doubledigit jump in food costs in March pushed inflation to a 32-month

high of 5.4 percent. That was despite four interest rate hikes since October, curbs on bank lending and government orders to producers to hold down price increases. —AP

Australia to flag 4.5% unemployment in budget SYDNEY: Australia’s upcoming budget will forecast 500,000 jobs to be created in two years as the country rides a mining boom, bringing unemployment down to 4.5 percent, Treasurer Wayne Swan said Sunday.

Swan said secure employment was the first responsibility of the Labor government of Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the budget to be delivered on May 10 would have that as its central emphasis. “What I can say about the budget is that we will see the creation of an additional 500,000 jobs in the next couple of years, with an unemployment rate coming down to 4.5 percent” from 4.9 percent, Swan told channel Ten’s “Meet the Press”.

“We are going to... get more Australians into work and we are going to spread the opportunities of the boom.”

Swan gave no details on how this would be achieved, but he added: “We are looking at a range of initiatives to lift workforce participation. With an unemployment rate coming

down at 4.5 percent we do not have a person to waste.”

The Treasurer acknowledged that despite the mining boom, joblessness was unacceptably high in some parts of the country and the government was looking at a range of incentives for employers to bring people into the workforce.

The government has warned that the upcoming budget will be tough as it attempts to bring it back into surplus by the 2012-2013 financial year.

Swan said cuts were necessary, particularly because of a short-term weakness in the economy caused mostly by natural disasters such as the devastating floods and destructive cyclone Yasi which struck earlier this year.

In his weekly economic note, he said the government had funded a stimulus package during the global financial crisis but now it was time to restrain spending.

“Just as we had to increase spending to support

the economy when the private sector was in retreat, we now have to step back as the private sector recovers,” he said.

“This means we need to restrain budget spending and build surpluses as the economy strengthens.”

Swan said the budget would attempt to balance the short-term challenge of the loss of tax revenue due to natural disasters as well as other weak areas in the economy against the rising price pressures caused by the mining boom.

Last week, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported a higher than expected annual inflation rate of 3.3 percent, fuelling speculation the central bank may hike interest rates above the current 4.75 percent on Tuesday.

Australia, the first major western economy to raise interest rates after the global slump, has raised the cash rate by 175 basis points since October 2009 after avoiding recession thanks in part to the Asia-driven mining boom. —AFP

PARIS: Two years after a world economic downturn all but wiped them out, European carmakers have bounced back to the spotlight with Volkswagen aiming to be the industry leader and Fiat carving out a global brand for itself.

Unfettered of their obligations to repay state aid and riding out the expiry of government “cash-for-clunkers” schemes that initially plunged their revenue, carmakers this week gave rosy outlooks for the rest of fiscal 2011.

Germany’s Volkswagen reported a three -fold profit leap in the three months from January through March to 1.71 billion euros ($2.5 billion), selling two million cars, a new milestone for Europe’s biggest automaker. The comparable figure for 2010 was 473 million euros. Finance director Dieter Poetsch said a cash pile worth 19.6 billion euros gave the group impetus to overtake General M otors and Toyota and become the leading global car maker by 2018.

With respec t to 2011, Chairman Martin Winterkorn, who has boosted VW’s fortunes since he took over in 2007 said: “Volkswagen shifted into the fast lane in 2010 and that’s exactly where we intend to stay this year.”

Fellow carmaker Daimler also posted stellar first-quarter net profit thanks to burgeoning demand in China, where an increasingly affluent middle class snapped up its luxury Mercedes-Benz cars and its heavy trucks met construction demands.

The automaker said net profit jumped to 1.18 billion euros ($1.75 billion) in the first quarter, from 612 million euros in the same period of 2010.

In one of the most noteworthy shakeups in the sector, Italy ’s Fiat took a step closer to joining the ranks of the world’s top automakers with a $1.3-billion deal to boost its stake in US unit Chrysler to 46 percent.

The carmaker, known more for its small city cars largely targeting the domestic market and niche -market Ferrari and Maserati sports car brands, has not shied away from displaying its ambitions under its chief S ergio Marchionne.

Fiat took over management of the iconic US company after it emerged from bankruptcy in 2009 and currently owns a 30-percent stake. Chrysler suffered from an implosion of auto sales in the United States. Fiat gave Chrysler

access to much-needed small-car technology and Chrysler offered dealership networks which the Italian manufacturer lacked, notably in the United States.

M archionne has also in recent months suggested moving Fiat’s headquarters from Turin to Detroit, drawing the ire of Italy’s politicians and labor unions.

Although carmakers are changing gears into the fast lane, speed bumps remain ahead, including potential shortages of critical components after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March hit Japanese components firms. Nearly all automakers source at least some vehicle parts from Japan.

France’s PSA Peugeot- Citroen and Sweden’s Volvo have either already, or plan, to slash production of thousands of vehicles in the United States and Europe due to worries about a shortage of key parts made in Japan.

Europe’s automakers will also face increasing competition from rivals in China that have long-held hopes of freeing the auto market-now the world’s largest-from domination by foreign brands.

Toward that goal, they are expanding aggressively, buying foreign automakers, acquiring technology and setting up factories and dealer networks across Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. “China has never made any secret of its ambition to have a great auto industry,” said industry analyst M ichael Dunne, president of research firm Dunne & Co. SAIC, the largest Chinese automaker by sales because of its joint ventures with General Motors and Volkswagen, earlier this month launched the first model of its Baojun brand, co-developed with GM and Wuling Motors, as part of a new breed of local brands which are increasingly seen as a new condition for international carmakers operating in China. The new policy reflects Beijing’s impatience at domestic companies’ slow progress in developing their own engine technology, Dunne said-the new brands mean Chinese companies co-own the cars’ intellectual property. No official directive behind the trend has been published, but Dunne said that anecdotally the message was that “the life of a joint venture company is going to be a lot smoother from a regulatory point of view-a lot smoother-if there’s a new brand”. —AFP

Swan Lake vs slums: Egypt faces housing challenge CAIRO: From the roof of the house in which he lives, Mohammed Hassan can see some of central Cairo’s most prized real estate. A five-star hotel sits in the distance to the right, the towering foreign ministry building seems close enough to touch, and the Nile is a straight shot ahead. The 27-year-old restaurant delivery driver shares the eight-room mud brick home with his mother and three siblings. And then there’s the seven other families that also live there, each in one of the rooms. All of the at least 70 residents share a toilet that’s basically a hole in the ground.

“You can call this a house, but you can’t say what we’re doing is living,” says Hassan, who makes 900 Egyptian pounds ($150) per month.

“I wish I could move out, but I can’t afford it...In Egypt, even dreams are expensive.” This is the math of Egypt’s revolution: Seventy people, sharing one toilet, in an eight-room house in a slum that has more residents than the combined population of Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

It reflects the kind of conditions that, over years, fueled a build-up of resentment that led to the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak in February.

As Egypt charts a course forward to what many hope will be a democratic nation, officials face the daunting task of keeping the economy stable while undoing a legacy of corruption and cronyism widely seen as favoring companies and a minority of businessmen at the expense of millions like Hassan. For many in the country, property developers are justified targets, in part because they secured state land at cut-rate costs and then resold developed lots at exorbitant prices. But some fear the companies - and the private sector in general - are becoming the victims of a witch hunt that will undercut growth and undermine the economy.

Beverly Hills, Allegria, Swan Lake: The suburban communities’ names offer a glimpse of the respite they promise from Cairo’s sardine can mash of humanity, in which 20 million people are crammed into a city designed for maybe a quarter of that. For years, ads for these communities filled the pages of Egypt’s newspapers.

Now the ads have quietly disappeared, as developers try to keep a low profile and distance themselves from links to former regime cronies, including two housing ministers under investigation for corruption. It’s easy to see why such firms are laying low in the new Egypt.

The anger against Mubarak crested on Jan. 25, morphing into a mass uprising that, in a matter of days, turned Egypt from a regional pillar of stability into a landscape of uncertainty. Tourists fled by the thousands. Production ground to a near halt. Exports fell by 40 percent, and foreign currency reserves dropped from $35 billion to $31 billion in two months. Inflation appeared

set to climb, and GDP growth projections of almost 6 percent were cut by two-thirds for the current fiscal year.

Egypt’s finance minister said recently that the economy contracted by 7 percent in the third fiscal quarter, and that the country was trying to secure $6.2 billion in soft loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. And those are just the short-term effects of the uprising. In the longer term, there are the years-old challenges that confront tens of millions of people like Hassan. While a select few in the nation of 80 million lived in luxury, the overwhelming majority struggled to make ends meet. Unable to afford an apartment, young men delayed

1 million pounds ($168,134) and increase exponentially. Meanwhile, Hassan and the others in the house pay 8 pounds ($1.35) per month rent for each family. A small two-room apartment in the Boulaq Abu el-Ela neighborhood in which Hassan lives can fetch 120,000 pounds ($20,176). It may as well cost 1 million, he says.

“There’s an element of mismatch,” acknowledged Ahmed Badrawi, business development director for SODIC, which is building the Allegria project that includes about 1,200 villas and townhouses surrounding a Norman-designed golf course. “The supply that’s available is not necessarily one that meets all the demand.”

SODIC, which is also developing Westown, a

CAIRO: In this April 19, 2011 photo, a gardener tends to a golf course at the SODIC Allegria housing project in Sheikh Zayed on the western outskirts of Cairo. —AP marriage and lived at home. Building a household or planning for the future were basics that seemed unattainable.

The gated communities in between Cairo and the desert became symbols of the Egypt that millions here viewed with the kind of resentment only envy can inspire. Stucco villas, townhouses and roomy apartments front golf courses, including one designed by Greg Norman. The superstructure of what could easily be called a small city is being placed in an area where, just 10 years ago, a flat tire meant motorists were stranded for hours. It’s just one of several mini-cities and mega-projects bankrolled by developers like Talaat Moustafa Group, Palm Hills Development, Amer Group and SODIC. Prices in many of these areas start from near

mini-city that boasts a downtown business district as well as luxury apartments and homes, has fared fairly well compared to other developers. The company quickly moved to clarify the stake held by Magdi Rasekh, its non-executive chairman and the father-in-law of one of Mubarak’s sons, who is under investigation. The company said Rasekh held only 649 shares.

Others have fared far worse. Palm Hills Development, which is linked with the family of former housing minister Ahmed Maghreby, had an earlier land sale contract recently annulled by a Cairo court but is expected to appeal.

Maghreby and his predecessor are both being held in jail pending investigations into allegations of corruption.

Talaat Moustafa Group, the country’s biggest publicly traded developer, allegedly bought land

for its sprawling 13-sq-mile, $3 billion Madinaty or My City project at a steep discount that critics argue cost the government billions in lost revenues. A government commission ordered the contract annulled and then eventually re-awarded the land to TMG, but the company still faces legal challenges. It was the latest hurdle for a real estate giant whose former chairman, a leading member of the formerly ruling but now dissolved National Democratic Party, is jailed for his role in the murder of his Lebanese diva girlfriend.

Then-prime minister Ahmed Nazif, who is also in jail pending corruption investigations, at the time likened the case against TMG to “economic suicide” because of its potential to scare off investors.

Another company, the Egyptian Resorts Company, had a preliminary land contract canceled by a government agency. Ex-board member Ibrahim Kamel, another former top NDP figure, is also in jail on allegations of involvement in attacks on protesters. Meanwhile, Amer Group said this week that it was ready to return land for its third phase of the Porto Marina Golf project in the north coast of Egypt, providing it was reimbursed the purchase price.

Similarly, the investment firm headed by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, which purchased desert land in the mega-agriculture Toshka project in upper Egypt, said recently it would return 75 percent of the 100,000 feddans (roughly 103,800 acres) it bought as a “gift” to Egypt. The company, which had been branded with the same iron of having bought land for next to nothing, earlier offered to return as much as 90 percent of the land, as long as it was reimbursed.

Adel Abdel-Moneim, a 25-year-old plumber, recalls fixing some leaking pipes in a villa in one of the gated compounds built by the developers. The rainforest shower head alone cost more than he could hope to make in six months.

After fixing the leak, he said the owners quibbled over the 120 pounds ($20) he wanted to charge them. For him, it’s poetic justice that several former officials and businessmen are locked up in Cairo’s notorious Tora prison, along with Mubarak’s two sons. “They robbed the country and left us living like animals,” he says.

But the problems go far beyond the companies, others say. “You’re trying to provide services for 20 million people in a place that can only support half that,” says Wael Ziada, head of research at the Cairo-based Mideast investment bank EFG-Hermes. “Anyway you slice it or dice it, it’s impossible.” SODIC, which has sold most of its Allegria homes, has steered clear of the lowincome housing market because it’s a high-volume, low-return endeavor with little wiggle room for error. Others have similarly focused on the upper income strata because of the high

returns. The housing ministry recently announced plans to build a million affordable homes in 22 cities across the country. To meet that goal, real estate consultancy Jones Long LaSalle estimates 550 homes will need to be completed every day for five years.

For millions in Egypt, even securing government-built housing has proven difficult. During the Mubarak era, the complaint was corruption, with apartments built under the Mubarak Youth Housing program said to often be allocated to those close to the NDP. In the days after Mubarak’s ouster, thousands in various Egyptian cities squatted in unfinished government-built apartments, in a frantic bid to finally claim a home they believed had been off limits because of nepotism or price or both.

Other projects were built so far from Cairo that it was impractical for young people to move there, unless they had jobs in those areas. Under a flawed plan embraced for years, the norm was to build housing first and then worry later about building commercial districts to create jobs.

Compounding the problem is the issue of home financing. Egypt around six years ago passed a mortgage law, but it has yet to make a dent in the market. Home financing through the country’s 36 approved lenders, however, has hit only about 4.4 billion pounds (about $740 million), less than 1 percent of GDP. Bank loan to deposit ratios stand at about 50 percent, indicating an unwillingness by institutions to loosen the purse strings. Interest rates for mortgages, meanwhile, are at about 13 percent. “The problems we face aren’t the product of today,” Prince Sami Mohammed, a 20-year-old business student, said as his friends nodded in agreement. “They’re problems from 30 or 40 years ago and the solution won’t come in a day or a year.”

So what is the solution? The first task is to develop the economy and restructure social and economic institutions, says EFG-Hermes’ Ziada, including bolstering the private sector. But it will be hard for authorities to take steps that are not popular with a newly-vociferous public. “I think the authorities, themselves ... are in a very difficult place,” said SODIC’s Badrawi. “When you have a minister that’s looking at his last two predecessors that are locked up, you can’t expect him really to take any brave decisions.” In any case, it’s unclear how long Egyptians are willing to wait to see results.

Plumber Abdel-Moneim says he wants to see the government’s efforts directed at recouping the billions of dollars believed to have been pilfered by officials and their supporters over the years. The people deserve the money and the land back, he says. “This was never a poor country,” says Abdel-Moneim. “It was just one full of poor people.” —AP

A

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27

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

TECHNOLOGY

Sony to resume some PlayStation services Executives apologise for causing ‘great unease’

SINGAPORE: This photo shows an Internet user surfing a group-buying online coupon website in Singapore. Innovative “group buying” sites offering bargains on everything from meals to travel packages are catching on in Asia as companies harness the power of social media to influence consumer behaviour. —AFP

Group buying sites boost e-commerce SINGAPORE: Innovative “group buying” sites offering bargains on everything from meals to travel packages are catching on in Asia as companies harness the power of social media to influence consumer behaviour.

International brands and local merchants alike are exploiting the business model, which offers attractive deals with a catch-they have to be purchased by a minimum number of consumers within a deadline. The discount sites take out advertisements on Facebook and portals, send out Twitter messages and blast emails to their target market to promote particular deals. Consumers in turn ask family members and friends to take up an offer-so that they can eat in a group or relax in a spa together-and at the end of a successful promotion, discount sites get a cut from the vendors.

“It is basically about creating experience for the user,” said Patrick Linden, chief executive of Singapore site deal.com.sg, who said his sales hit Sg$2 million ($1.6 million) in February from just Sg$20,000 in May 2010, its first month of operation. “Basically, social media powers our business,” said the 30year-old German entrepreneur who claims to have more than 300,000 email subscribers notified regularly about offers. “The whole viral marketing is enabled through social media.”

Financial services giant J.P. Morgan forecasts the Asia retail e-commerce market, excluding travel, to more than double from $156 billion in 2010 to $323 billion in 2013. According to the China Internet Network Information Center, there are nearly 20 million group-buying customers in China among the country’s 160 million e-commerce consumers.

“There is definitely an upward trend for social shopping,” said Elias Ghanem, Singapore-based general manager for Southeast Asia and India at payment solutions company PayPal. “When you combine the notion of social shopping with group buying, you get a very powerful experience that has the potential to appeal to millions of consumers,” he added.

“Many Asians are already connected with friends, family and colleagues on social networks, so it’s only natural that merchants of all sizes would follow them.” On a recent weekday, three different sites in Singapore offered deals such as Sg$1 (80 cents) for a chicken burger, Sg$5 for a nail service and Sg$48 for a traditional Chinese medicine package-all just a fraction of normal costs.

Global discount coupon giant Groupon is expanding its presence in

Asia, acquiring sites in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan and has initiated a joint venture in China.

Groupon Singapore, formerly known as Beeconomic, says it has overtaken eBay and Amazon to become Singapore’s 17th most visited website with 150,000 hits per day.

“I think this is a very sustainable business,” said Groupon Singapore’s chief executive Karl Chong, a 29-year-old Australian.

The company offers exclusive deals from international merchants such as fast-food chain Subway, ice-cream company Ben & Jerry’s and fashion retailer G2000.

A study by consumer research firm Nielsen, commissioned by PayPal, reported that Singapore’s online shopping market was worth Sg$1.1 billion ($889 million) in 2010 and expected to reach Sg$4.4 billion by 2015.

In a city-state with only five million people, Nielsen says there were 1.2 million shoppers aged 18 and above with an average online spending per head of Sg$1,492 ($1,206) in 2010.

Another local coupon site, bigdeal.sg, features deals from local small and medium enterprises which founder Daphne Teo, 25, said are not getting as much attention as multinational companies despite their quality services. About 20 online discount sites now operate in Singapore, one of the world’s most connected societies with virtually full web and mobile penetration.

“I was really hooked when it started because some of the deals were at least 50 percent less than what I used to pay,” said online shopper Peggy Lim, a 34year-old office administrative employee.

“It also gave me an excuse to try out some new things, like eyelash extension, bag spa and fitness class,” she said.

To stay ahead of the game, several coupon sites are extending their online services to mobile phones, providing customers with another way of clinching deals wherever they are, with locationbased services linked to shops in the immediate vicinity.

“Online offers a lot of benefits such as convenience, speed, time, a 24-hour opening, tremendous information on products and reviews,” said Hooi Den Huan, 56, director of Nanyang Technopreneurship Center, which helps Singapore businessmen exploit technology to boost sales. “In the Asia-Pacific region, more and more people are coming online, in places like Vietnam, China and India, so I think this trend will grow in the future,” he told AFP. — AFP

Infinite Monkeys makes smartphone ‘apps’ simple SAN FRANCISCO: The tribal head of the humans at startup Infinite Monkeys paused during a carbon-neutral road trip around the world to launch a service that lets community groups make their own “apps.”

Parked on the expo floor at an AppNation gathering of software entrepreneurs in San Francisco this week was the used-cooking-oil-powered “eco-roamer ” truck that Jay Shapiro has called his home for the past year.

Shapiro designed the mobile abode with three bedrooms, a composting bathroom, and a kitchen featuring cabinetry made of sustainable bamboo and faux-stone counter tops of recycled paper. Solar electric panels on the roof and a system that uses the truck motor to heat water for the kitchen and bathroom contributed to a zero carbon footprint for the vehicle where Shapiro, his wife and two young children have lived. “It’s home, corporate headquarters for the business and school for my two kids,” Shapiro said while giving AFP a glimpse inside the eco-roamer.

“We are 12 months into a five-year trip around the planet.”

Shapiro posted his design for the truck online as “open source” material for anyone to copy.

He wrapped the North America portion of his family ’s odyssey at AppNation, where he and his far-flung Infinite Monkeys team converged to launch a service that lets even software simpletons make mobile social network applications.

“Infinite Monkeys is allowing anybody who is passionate about some niche community, a children’s soccer team a church group or whatever, to create a mobile app to bring that community together,” the startup’s founder and chief continued.

“Rather than joining a huge Facebook where you invite all your friends, you get your own little walled garden that is for your community.”

The self-service system online at infinitemonkeys.mobi guides people through simple steps to creating applications tailored for Apple iPhones or smartphones powered by Googlebacked Android software. —AFP

TOKYO: Sony said it would resume some services on its PlayStation Network this week and offer incentives to customers to try to prevent them turning to competitors after the theft of personal information belonging to 78 million user accounts.

Top Sony executives apologised for the massive data breach at a news conference in Tokyo yesterday, the first public comments from senior management on the crisis.

“We apologise deeply for causing great unease and trouble to our users,” Kazuo Hirai, Sony’s number 2 and the frontrunner to succeed CEO Howard Stringer, said bowing deeply three times during a lengthy news conference. Stringer was not at the event.

Many PlayStation users around the world had been angered by the fact that the first warning of one of the largest Internet security break-ins ever came a week after Sony detected a problem with the network on April 19.

The warning that user credit card information might have been stolen also came just hours after Sony unveiled its first tablet computers at an event where executives made no mention of the PlayStation breach.

Yesterday’s news sparked thousands of comments on the official PlayStation fan page on Facebook, some of them from users who said they would switch to Microsoft’s Xbox Live games network.

Sony said it would offer some free content, including 30 days of free membership to a premium service to existing users and in some regions pay credit card renewal fees.

It said compensation would only be paid if users suffered damage. Sony did not elaborate except to say there was no evidence that credit card details had actually been stolen. It has confirmed the theft of names and addresses.

Since the breach, security has been boosted on Sony’s computer systems, the company said, adding that enhanced levels of data protection and encryption would be implemented. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation had been asked to probe the breach, Sony said.

“The negative impact on Sony is likely to be short-term, but the industry as a whole will suffer a longer-term impact,” said Kazutaka Oshima, president of Rakuten Investment Management.

“I think it will impact Amazon and other ecommerce businesses. Sony might have had some security problems but I don’t think they had a particularly big hole.”

Peppered with questions about accusations Sony was slow to inform users of the intrusion, a grim-faced Hirai said the company first wanted to know what kind of information had been stolen.

Hirai said he had known about the infiltration when he unveiled Sony’s first tablet computers on April 26.

“We made the announcement as soon as we could, which turned out to be the day after the launch,” said Hirai, Sony’s executive deputy president.

The breach could be a major setback for Sony. Although video game hardware and software sales have declined globally, the PlayStation Network is a key initiative for the electronics firm, which one analyst estimates brings in around $500 million in annual revenues.

TOKYO: Sony Computer Entertainment President and CEO Kazuo Hirai, center, speaks as Sony Corp.’s Senior Vice Presidents Shiro Kambe, left, and Shinji Hasejima, right, listen during a press conference at the Sony Corp. headquarters in Tokyo yesterday. The three executives bowed in apology for a security breach in the company’s PlayStation Network that caused the loss of personal data of some 77 million accounts on the online service. — AP

Sony PlayStation network users face password change TOKYO: Users of Sony ’s PlayStation Network will have to change their passwords, the Japanese entertainment and technology giant said yesterday as it looks to boost security after its system was hacked. Sony apologised for a security breach that compromised millions of users, In a statement yesterday, Sony said that it will soon issue a security software update for PlayStation 3 users.

“PS3 will have a system software update that will require all PS3 users to change their PlayStation Network and Qriocity account passwords,” it said in a statement.

Sony said it “will highly recommend users to review account statements and to monitor credit card purchase history to protect against possible identity theft or

Hirai said Sony could not yet assess the impact on earnings, but at this point saw no effect on the launch timing for its new handheld games device or its tablets.

“This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only on our consumers but our entire industry. These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber-security,” Hirai said in a separate statement.

“In addition, the organisation has worked around the clock to bring these services back on line and are doing so only after we had verified increased levels of security across our networks.”

The incident has sparked legal action and investigations by authorities in North America and Europe, home to almost 90 percent of the users of the network, which enables gamers to download software and compete with other members.

Sony shares tumbled 4.5 percent on

other financial loss”.

Launched in November 2006, the PlayStation Network has 77 million registered accounts worldwide, allowing gamers to compete against each other online and buy games, movies or music via the Internet. Sony executives bowed in apology and said the company would begin restoring its PlayStation Network and Qriocity online services in the next week and improve security measures after the breach. The PlayStation Network and Qriocity streaming music service were shut down on April 20 after what Sony described as an “external intrusion” and remain offline as the company upgrades security and works with US Federal Bureau of Investigation. —AFP

Thursday. Markets were closed on Friday.

It is unclear whether Hirai’s explanation will persuade users that the network is safe and investors that Sony’s strategy of exploiting synergies between hardware and content via online services, which he has expanded to include movies and music, is manageable.

Hirai told the news conference that Sony would continue to build its network-related businesses as a key strategy for the company.

Hirai was appointed to the No. 2 position in March after spearheading the development of networked businesses.

Sony is the latest Japanese company to come under fire for not disclosing bad news quickly.

Tokyo Electric Power Co was criticized for how it handled the nuclear crisis after the March 11 earthquake. Last year, Toyota Motor Corp was slammed for being less than forthright about problems over a massive vehicle recall. — Reuters

Android smartphones winning over ‘app’ makers SAN FRANCISCO: Google is the new darling of software wizards out to cash-in on the world’s love for customizing smartphones with fun, hip or functional applications.

Developers once obsessed with “apps” for Apple’s hot-selling iPhones are touting creations tailored for smartphones built on the Google-backed Android platform.

“In the past seven months, Android has become the de facto second platform out there that people are developing for,” AppNation chairman Drew Ianni told AFP during the gathering of software entrepreneurs this week in San Francisco.

“I think there is a general wait-and-see interest regarding platforms outside of Apple iOS and Android,” he added. Mobile platforms being watched by developers include BlackBerry, Microsoft Windows Phone 7 and Hewlett-Packard’s webOS. Ianni expected smartphones based on Microsoft or HP software to increase in allure as they gain traction in the market. “We need a third platform that is viable, otherwise it is going to be the Android show,” Urban Airship chief executive Scott Kveton said after taking part in an AppNation panel. “Android is growing at a phenomenal rate,” he continued. “I’m afraid it is going to be Android running away with it.” Urban Airship provides tools that help developers make money from smartphone programs. Early in April the Oregon-based company added a feature allowing people to make purchases inside Android applications. “Increasingly, people are finding it a good investment to build for Android and build for tablets and we are trying to support them,” Google director of mobile Americas Jason Spero said after an onstage chat at AppNation.

Android’s share of the US smartphone market has surged this year while BlackBerry’s sunk, according to recent figures from industry tracker comScore. Android commanded a third of the market, while BlackBerry ranked second with 29 percent and Apple third with 25 percent, comScore reported.

“Almost everyone developing for iPhone has moved on to Android,” said Mario Tapia, director of mobile products at application store GetJar and coordinator of a Mobile Mondays social group for developers in Silicon Valley. “At the end of the day, it is about distri-

bution,” he added. “You move to where the audience is.” Apple had slightly more that 333,000 iPhone applications in its App Store in March, but Google’s Android Market boasted 206,000 “apps” and was growing fast, according to figures from industry tracker Distimo.

“The Android Market is going to take over as biggest application store in terms of quantity of apps in about five months,” Distimo researchers concluded. Distimo predicted that Apple’s App Store would be relegated to second place, followed by Windows Phone 7 Marketplace and BlackBerry App World. —AFP

SINGAPORE: This photo taken on April 12, 2011 shows Patrick Linden, chief executive of Singapore site deal.com.sg, posing next to the company’s banner in Singapore. — AFP

28

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

health & science

Male doctors more likely to misbehave: Study SYDNEY: Male doctors are four times more likely to be disciplined for misconduct than female medics, according to a new Australian study which found the biggest cause of complaint was sexual misbehaviour.

Researchers at the University of Melbourne analysed 485 cases where doctors had been found guilty of misconduct and disciplined in Australia and New Zealand between 2000 and 2009.

They found that overall about six in every

10,000 doctors were disciplined in Australia and New Zealand each year by a tribunal with the power to deregister them, with male medics making up the overwhelming majority of cases.

When the figures were adjusted to take into account that there are fewer female doctors and they work fewer hours on average, male doctors were found to be four times more likely to be disciplined than their female counterparts.

Obstetrician-gynaecologists and psychiatrists had the highest rate of disciplinary action, fol-

lowed by general practitioners, the study published in the Medical Journal of Australia showed.

Doctors were most commonly cited for sexual misconduct (24 percent), followed by unethical or illegal prescribing (21 percent). Eight percent of cases related to the death of a patient.

Lead researcher Katie Elkin, from Melbourne’s School of Population Health and Law School, said she had been surprised at the gender difference. She said in the majority of cases, the

patient suffered no physical or diagnosed psychiatric harm.

“These findings indicate that boards and tribunals interpret their public protection role fairly broadly,” Elkin said. “They were often prepared to sanction doctors irrespective of whether or not the misconduct had resulted in harm to a patient. What this suggests is that regulators are not sitting back-they are trying to be proactive when professional misconduct poses risks to the community.” — AFP

Chinese farmers pay price for world’s rare earths addiction ‘We are victims. The tailings dam has contaminated us’

BEIJING: Men smoke on a street of Beijing, China, yesterday. China’s latest push to ban smoking in indoor public venues has come into effect, but the vaguely defined new rules are not expected to dramatically reduce the country’s heavy tobacco addiction. — AP

China’s smoking ban takes effect BEIJING: China’s latest push to ban smoking in indoor public venues came into effect Sunday, but the vaguely defined rules were not expected to dramatically reduce the country’s heavy tobacco addiction. Smoking, which is linked to the deaths of at least 1 million people in China every year, is one of the greatest health threats the country faces, government statistics show.

Nearly 30 percent of adults in China smoke — about 300 million people, a number roughly equal to the entire US population.

The Health Ministry in late March released amended guidelines on the management of public places that now ban smoking in more venues like hotels and restaurants, though still excluding workplaces. The rules were set for implementation on May 1.

But state media reports have cast doubt on the effectiveness of the ban, with the official Xinhua News Agency citing experts as saying that it is likely to be ignored by smokers and operators of public places because it fails to specify punishments for violators. China has already missed a Jan. 9, 2011, deadline to ban smoking at public indoor venues in accordance with a WHO-backed global anti-tobacco treaty. Experts say huge revenues from the state-owned tobacco monopoly hinder anti-smoking measures. Dr. Yang Gonghuan, director of

China’s National Office of Tobacco Control, said despite problems with the new rules, she remained hopeful they could raise awareness of tobacco control efforts. She said her office is not responsible for implementing the rules.

“I also acknowledge that there are imperfections in the Health Ministry’s current guidelines, and that preparations for carrying it out have also been insufficient,” Yang said. “But I think we should all come together to help push forward the regulation’s implementation.” The rules are part of the Health Ministry’s regulations on health management in public places — a set of rules that also covers areas including ventilation, use of disinfectants, air quality and pest control. Enforcement of such regulations is bound to be an issue in a society in which smoking is so entrenched that almost half of all male doctors smoke and cigarette cartons are commonly exchanged as gifts. People commonly light up in hospital waiting rooms, video game arcades and even on domestic flights, despite regulations from 1991 that prohibit smoking in such places.

The revised regulations call for no smoking signs to be put up in public places and require owners or managers of venues considered public places to allocate staff to stop patrons from smoking. — AP

BYU researchers hope twins unlock AIDS mysteries SALT LAKE CITY: Researchers at Brigham Young University are trying to unlock some of the mysteries surrounding the virus that causes AIDS with a trio of studies addressing unusual cases involving a set of twins, a failed vaccine and a protein “stop sign.” The twin identical baby boys received a tainted transfusion and both became HIV-positive a few years ago. Now, one of the twins has a near-normal immune system and pretty good health, while the other boy is five years behind him on the growth chart and has experienced a number of complications.

That provocative difference became the foundation of one of the studies, as researchers led by BYU biology department chairman Keith Crandall try to figure out how the virus changed in each twin. They’ve been joined in the study by scientists at the National Cancer Institute. Crandall said there are competing theories about the differences in their clinical outcomes. One theory is that natural selection drives it, so the results should be similar. The other holds that random genetics plays a role and it therefore cannot be predicted. A second study focuses on an HIV vaccine scientists in Thailand were trying to develop that proved ineffective. Crandall said they hope samples from that case will help them learn more about how the virus evolved and whether vaccinations to guard against HIV show promise. “I think the HIV community is still split in terms of how to pursue treatment against HIV infection,” Crandall told the Deseret News. “There is a strong camp that thinks vaccine is still the way to go. We need to do more intelligent vaccine design,” carefully considering everything they’ve learned in other attempts to create a vaccine that works. —AP

BAOTOU: Peasant farmer Wang Tao used to grow corn, potatoes and wheat within a stone’s throw of a dumping ground for rare earths waste until toxic chemicals leaked into the water supply and poisoned his land.

Farmers living near the 10-square-kilometre expanse in northern China say they have lost teeth and their hair has turned white while tests show the soil and water contain high levels of cancer-causing radioactive materials.

“We are victims. The tailings dam has contaminated us,” Wang, 60, told AFP at his home near Baotou city in Inner Mongolia, home to the world’s largest deposits of rare earths, which are vital in making many high-tech products.

“In this place, if you eat the contaminated food or drink the contaminated water it will harm your body,” Wang said, pointing towards lifeless fields now strewn with rubbish around Dalahai village, a few hundred metres from the dump.

China produces more than 95 percent of the world’s rare earths — 17 elements used in the manufacture of products ranging from iPods to flat-screen televisions and electric cars.

Two-thirds of that is processed in mineralrich Baotou on the edge of the Gobi desert.

Environmental groups have long criticised rare earths mining for spewing toxic chemicals and radioactive thorium and uranium into the air, water and soil, which can cause cancer and birth defects among residents and animals.

Beijing, keen to burnish its green credentials and tighten its grip over the highly sought-after metals, has started cleaning up the industry by closing illegal mines, setting tougher environmental standards and restricting exports.

But Wang and the other farmers in Dalahai blame state-owned giant Baogang Group, China’s largest producer of rare earths and a major iron ore miner and steel producer, for poisoning their fields and ruining their livelihoods.

Strong winds whip across the dump’s millions of tonnes of waste, blowing toxic and radioactive materials towards surrounding villages.

“It is the pollution from the tailings dam,” Wang Er, 52, told AFP, pointing a dirty finger at his spiky hair which started turning white 30 years ago.

Baogang, which has rare earths and iron ore refineries stretching for about seven kilometres along a road in the area, did not respond to AFP requests for comment.

But a 2006 study by local environment authorities showed levels of thorium, a byproduct of rare earths processing, in Dalahai’s soil were 36 times higher than other areas of Baotou, state media have reported.

BAOTOU: A glass container of murky water is displayed in a home near where corn, potatoes and wheat once grew within a stone’s throw of a dumping ground for rare earths waste until toxic chemicals leaked into the water supply and poisoned farmer’s land.

Farmers living near the tailings dam, a 10-square-kilometre expanse of toxic waste, say they have lost teeth and their hair has turned white while tests show the soil and water contain high levels of cancer-causing radioactive materials. — AFP “People are suffering severely,” the Chinese-language National Business Daily said in December, citing the official study.

Sixty-six villagers died of cancer between 1993 and 2005 while crop yields fell “substantially”.

“There is not one step of the rare earth mining process that is not disastrous to the environment,” Greenpeace China’s toxics campaign manager Jamie Choi said in a recent report.

Choi said the impact of the government crackdown depends on whether it is “implemented properly”.

But the environmental damage already caused by rare earths mining in China could be irreversible, according to Wang Guozhen, a former vice president of the governmentlinked China Nonferrous Engineering and Research Institute.

“The money we earned from selling rare earths is not enough for repairing the environment ... definitely not enough,” Wang told AFP. As demand for rare earths soars, China is slashing export quotas. Analysts say Beijing wants to drive up global prices and preserve the metals for its own burgeoning high-tech industries. The moves have prompted complaints from foreign high-tech producers while the United States and Australia have responded by developing or reopening mines shuttered when cheaper Chinese supplies

became available.

Several kilometres from the massive dumping ground is the privately-owned Baotou City Hong Tianyu Rare Earths Factory-one of dozens of operators processing rare earths, iron and coal in a dusty no-man’s land.

Workers wearing blue uniforms and army camouflage runners inhale toxic fumes as huge spinning steel pipes process tonnes of rare earths bound for high-tech manufacturers in China, Japan, the United States and elsewhere.

A production manager surnamed Wang told AFP the factory produces “several thousand tonnes of rare earths a year” and the toxic waste is piped to another dumping ground in the area.

The desolate fields around Wang’s village have been left fallow as farmers wait for government compensation. Some appear to have fled already, with empty houses and shops along dusty roads falling into disrepair.

Authorities have offered to pay farmers 60,000 yuan per mu ($9,200 per 0.067 hectares) so they can move to a new village four kilometres away. But they won’t have land to till and the farmers say the compensation is inadequate.

“People like us can only cultivate the land and raise animals. If we don’t have a regular job, where will our income come from, how will we live?” asked Wang Tao, his brown face creased with worry. — AFP

Mumbai’s morning walkers take to the mall MUMBAI: It’s 6:30 am and the Inorbit shopping mall in Mumbai has already been open for an hour and a half. But it’s not shoppers who are using the deserted aisles and the empty car park outside.

Every morning, groups of walkers and even the occasional runner descend on the 364,000 square feet (34,000 square metre) centre in the northern suburb of Malad to exercise before the rest of the city wakes up.

“The walk makes me feel energetic and sets me up for the day,” said Ravi Wikar, whose daily constitutional takes him on a circular route past shuttered shops and up and down the switched-off escalators.

“I walk every morning from 6:30 am and do about three kilometres (1.9 miles) on average,” the 37-year-old businessman, dressed in a white baseball cap, white t-shirt, red tracksuit bottoms and running shoes, told AFP. The concept of using a closed shopping centre as a place to exercise doesn’t seem strange to the 50 or so regular mall walkers of Malad, most of whom are senior citizens with ailments from arthritis to diabetes. It’s born out of necessity.

India’s financial and entertainment capital is chronically congested. Haphazard urban development has seen green spaces covered in concrete for apartment and office blocks, leaving those that remain packed even before dawn.

Roads and pavements are poorly maintained, while daily traffic gridlock combines with extreme heat and humidity to push up smog and pollution levels.

Add rash driving and exercising out-

doors becomes difficult or often impossible. In contrast, the smooth surfaces of the shopping centre aisles and flat, tarmac car park are less stressful on ageing joints than the often rutted, undulating tracks of nearby public parks.

“Someone can pick you up afterwards but if you go to the parks, they can’t,” said Ranjan Kar, a retired media executive who is Wikar’s walking partner.

The walkers also say that with lighting and security guards everywhere-anyone walking inside the centre still has to go

through a metal detecting arch and be searched-it’s also safer.

“Walking on the roads... there’s bad people also,” said Wikar, fingering the gold neck chain under his t-shirt. “It’s possible you can get mugged.”

“It’s calm and quiet and there’s no fumes from the cars,” added retired draftsman Prabhakar Kishambare, 70, who typically does three to four laps around the car park every morning.

“It’s an open space, nice and clean and the ambience is very good.” For Neera

MUMBAI: In this April 14, 2011 picture Indian men walk across the car parking area of the Inorbit Mall early morning in Mumbai. It’s 6:30 and the Inorbit shopping mall in Mumbai has already been open for an hour and a half. But it’s not shoppers who are using the deserted facilities — it’s residents seeking a little space to exercise in a congested megacity. — AFP

Punj, convenor of the Citizens’ Forum for the Protection of Public Spaces or CitiSpace, the emergence of mall-walking sums up the problems facing Mumbai. “ The state of the remaining open spaces is deplorable,” she said. “That’s why we’re getting to the point where we’re getting mall-walkers.” CitiSpace says that there are just 940 acres (380 hectares) of parks, recreation grounds and gardens for an official population of about 14 million. The unofficial population is thought to be over 18 millionmore than in The Netherlands as a whole.

In comparison, London, with nearly eight million people, has more than 10,000 acres of publicly-accessible open space while New York City has some 29,000 acres for about the same number of residents. “It’s miniscule compared to what the national building norms recommend,” said Punj. “It recommends four acres for every 1,000 people but what we have is 0.03 acres.

“Space isn’t a luxury. It’s absolutely mandatory and essential for a person’s well-being.” CitiSpace aren’t the only ones with concerns about disappearing open spaces and its effect on people’s health, fitness and well-being.

Global consultancy Ernst and Young said in a report published last year that the lack of space to play sports in India’s cities was a factor in the nation’s lack of international success in sports other than cricket. Less than five percent of the country’s vast population of 1.21 billion had access to sporting facilities and organised sports, the study said. —AFP

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How a stem-cell transplant altered 2 lives CHICAGO: The meeting between the 7-year-old boy and the 31-year-old man began awkwardly, as meetings of strangers often do. But then young Jacob Kowalik sized up the adult, and began to drop his guard. They played tic-tac-toe. They talked about hockey. Jacob and his parents invited Marshal Davis to their house for pizza, Jacob’s favorite meal.

There also was a gift, a husky dog stuffed animal, although it was not for young Jacob. It was FROM him, a small token of thanks to this man who had given Jacob a gift that the boy was too young to understand fully. Jacob’s parents knew what Davis had done for their son, but how would they convey the magnitude of their gratitude? “What do you say to someone who saves your child’s life?” Jennifer Kowalik later asked.

So she kept it simple.

“Thank you,” she said, reaching out to give Davis a hug. It all started with a swab of the cheek more than a decade ago, almost four years before Jacob was born.

Then a young collegiate fencer at the University of Florida with his sights set on law school, Davis saw that a bone marrow registry called Gift of Life was having a drive on campus. He and some friends offered their DNA samples; it seemed like the thing to do. He filled out the required paperwork and gave it little more thought. Then, in the summer of 2009, he received a phone call. A 5-year-old boy needed stem cells, and Davis was a match. This was his chance to save a little boy’s life. “Wow,” Davis thought. “How cool.”

He was excited, but he was scared, too, as he considered the seriousness of the commitment he faced.

There was medical risk to him, although generally manageable, he was told. Treatments before and during the cell harvest could be uncomfortable.

But if he did not do it, the chances of finding an equally good match, quickly, were slim.

For Jacob, this was the equivalent of winning the lottery. Doctors said the abnormalities in his marrow eventually would develop into acute leukemia without the transplant. Davis matched seven of eight of Jacob’s characteristics that are considered when pairing donors and recipients; even Jacob’s immediate family members were not nearly as good a match.

Davis knew he had to go through with it. “We found a donor!” Becki Maloney, a nurse at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital, told Jacob’s parents. They, too, were thrilled but, like Davis, initially hesitant.

At this point, Jacob was not showing any external signs that he was sick. In fact, he appeared to be the picture of health, a gregarious, sports-loving first-grader with a big smile and a mischievous glint in his eye.

For him, a stem cell transplant came with its own risks and challenges, among them a common, potentially fatal complication called graft-versus-host disease. But his parents also knew this had to be done. This donor, and his stem cells, represented Jacob’s best chance at life. In suburban Philadelphia where he lived with his wife Helen, Davis began treatments. As the stem cells

Caring your beauty

multiplied in his blood stream, he felt achy, almost as if he had the flu — an expected symptom.

In October 2009, when it was time to harvest the stem cells, he traveled with his parents to the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. There, he was hooked up to a machine that, for six hours, drew his blood and sifted out his stem cells before returning that blood to his body.

The stem cells were put on ice and flown to Chicago, where Jacob and his family were waiting.

At this point, the process was still anonymous and would remain so for a year, although the Kowaliks were able to send cards to Davis, who had returned to normal life as an attorney and as fencing coach at Swarthmore College. “Thank you for saving my brother,” Jacob’s older brother, Zach, said in a handmade card.

Finally, a year after the transplant, Davis and the Kowaliks were allowed to contact one another. They were in touch by email at first and shared details about their lives. Jacob, Davis learned, had indeed developed graft-versus-host disease.

He had lost his sandy brown hair and his skin had turned blotchy and red and is still sometimes so raw it bleeds. He also wears special glasses to protect his light-sensitive eyes. Typically, Jacob is very strong, his parents say. Occasionally, the tears flow. “He bottles it up,” says his dad, Michael Kowalik, a salesman in the semiconductor business. “So it’s a release. He needs to get it out.” Jacob also asks a lot of questions. “Why did I

get sick?” he sometimes asks his parents. “When will I get better?”

He is well aware that some of the other children he has met at the hospital have not made it. But increasingly, his parents feel confident that he will. His doctors do, too. “It is very favorable for him now. The biggest concern is if he gets an infection,” says Dr. Reggie Duerst, clinical director of the stem cell transplant unit at Children’s Memorial. Last month, Davis, his wife and his mother flew to Chicago for a national fencing championship and to meet Jacob and his family. Together, they visited the hospital where Jacob has been treated; a reporter and photographer were invited along. Jacob was shy. But his parents thought it important to share their story so that others might register to be donors.

“By telling your story, you could save another kid’s life,” Jacob’s mom told him, on the way from their home in Chicago’s suburbs. He stopped what he was doing.

“What?” he asked. “I think that’s when he truly got it,” his mom says. “The light bulb finally went off.”

Jacob goes to the hospital twice a week for photopheresis treatments; his blood is exposed to light and medicine to help the donor cells adapt to his body. He also is on steroids, though he is being weaned from them. During treatment, he played cards and joked around with Davis. Even after a single weekend together, there was a surprising comfort level there. The families already were planning their next visit together on the East Coast. —AP

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

Announcements

Mohammed Merchant, right, Mrs Merchant, Sr Maria Lytta, Maeesha Merchant, Sr Serena and Maeesha’s sister.

Maeesha Merchant, center, with Sr Maria Lytta, Sr Serena with staff members.

Maeesha with her family.

— Photos by Yasser Al Zayyat

Carmel School Vice Principal Sr Serena, Maeesha Merchant and Principal Sr Maria Lytta.

ClassConnection launched in Carmel School

By Abdullah Al-Qattan

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n April 30, 2011 more than 600 curious parents and students of Carmel School gathered at the auditorium for the parent and student orientation of the new program being launched in their school - ClassConnection. ClassConnection is a product created by Andromeda Solutions and is a premier online student information system (SIS) that improves student performance by connecting parents, students, teachers and administrators.

Carmel School Kuwait is a well renowned Indian school that was established in 1969 and has over 2500 students. Sr. Serena, the Vice Principal of Carmel School said “We at Carmel School strongly believe in providing the best education possible. We also highly value parental involvement and believe that the launch of ClassConnection will be very beneficial to the parents and students. As parents you will be able to keep track of your child’s progress and guide them in the right direction.”

Maeesha Merchant, the President of Andromeda Solutions, gave an insightful overview and demo of ClassConnection’s student and parent portals. She highlighted all the benefits of the product to the key

stakeholders: administrators will have access to everything that is going on in the school at their fingertips; teachers will have direct access to parents and will be able to focus on teaching and their students; parents will now be informed and therefore will be able to help their child succeed; and most importantly, the tech-savvy students of today will be more engaged and will be pushed to excel even further. Ms. Merchant said “ClassConnection’s mission is to create empowered educators, informed parents and successful students.”

Ms. Merchant has vast experience in large scale strategy and operations projects across the world, including New York, Washington DC, London, Qatar, India and Kuwait. She has

always been interested in the education space, even as a student of New English School where she was a topper and at the Ivy League University where she obtained three degrees in bioengineering, international relations and finance from Wharton, University of Pennsylvania.

But her true interest in education arose when she became a mother. Motherhood taught her the infinite love that a parent has for their child and the importance of education. She believes that a good education and parental involvement is probably the most important and priceless gift that you can give to your child.

From this strong interest in education, Andromeda Solutions was formed. The

cofounder of Andromeda, is none other than her husband, Gaurav who is from one of the best universities in India, IIT Delhi. He has over 10 years of experience leading multimillion dollar IT projects for the US government.

The Andromeda Solutions team is currently working on several different exciting products including Kuwaitischools.com and ClassConnection which they believe will improve education outcomes. Andromeda Solutions believes in partnering with schools to improve student and school performance.

“We believe in offering them a solution that matches the school’s needs and we realize that every school has its own requirements.

Our clients’ goals (which include the entire school community including parents and students) are our priorities.” said Ms. Merchant.

After the presentation several parents commended the school and ClassConnection. They were very excited about the prospects of the program. In fact some parents stated that they wished they could have this in other schools too. Ms. Merchant believes that the Carmel School administration has had great foresight to adopt this system. She believes that the reality is that a system like ClassConnection will soon become a necessity in every school.

Trishna Quiz Festival: KEA lifts overall championship

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erala Engineers Association (KEA) was declared the overall champions at the Quiz festival conducted by the National Institute of Technology Calicut Alumni Association (NITCAA) held on 29th April 2011 at Cambridge English School Mangaf. Named as “Trishna”, a Sanskrit word meaning quest, it was the 5th consecutive year that NITCAA Kuwait chapter conducted the Quiz festival.

Teams representing the eight Alumni Associations of Engineers of Kerala Origin participated in the competition. Competitions were held in three groups namely Junior, Senior and Family Rounds. The following are the winners in each group; Juniors: Aditya Ashok & Anand Krishnakumar of TECAA (First place), Niharika Sunil & Nikhil Varkey Varughese of KEA (Second place) and Rithika Cherukat & Nayanthara Suresh of NITCAA (Third place).

Seniors: Shreyas Lalu Nair & Saurabh Ravindranath of KEA (First place), Geethu Treesa Mattam & Cyriac

Aware diwaniya presentation

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he AWARE Center cordially invites you to its diwaniya presentation entitled, “Distinctions between culture and religion,” by By Iman Martin on Tuesday May 3rd, 2011. Scenario: You have just arrived at the Kuwait Int’l Airport and notice the wide array of costumes all around. A local gentleman wearing his traditional long white thobe and red and white checkered headgear and a group of women wearing the traditional long, black abaya, hijab and some with niqab or face veils. If one were to ask the man why he chose to dress as he did, he’d likely respond “It is my culture and traditional dress that dictates my clothing choice”. Yet, if the same question were addressed to the women, they might respond, “It is our religion which dictates the way we dress.” To better understand local practices of both culture and religion, please join us at AWARE. We welcome your questions on the topic on May 3rd, 2011 at 7 pm. For more information, call 25335260/80 or log onto: www.aware.com.kw or e-mail: Htaware.hassan@gmail.com Guided tour WARE Center announces Guided Tour & afternoon tea & sunset photo opportunity on the Balcony of

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Thomas Mattam of CETAA (Second place) and Sreerag Sreenath & Shanthi Roy Mathew of TECAA (Third place).

Family Round: Ramesh N. Athreya, Surya Murali & Varun Suresh of KEA (First place); Harikumar VV, Santhia

Sukumar & Shyam Harikumar of TECAA (Second Place); John Philipose V, Brighty Thomas & Nikhil Sasi Rajan of CETAA (Third place).

Conducted by the famous Indian Quiz Master Mr.Ochintya Sharma, the

program was enjoyed by the packed audience who also got ample opportunities to participate and win prizes.

The prizes were distributed to winners of the On-line Quiz which started months before and continued till the last week. Dr. Ravindranath of KEA and Mrs. Sabrina K.M of TKMCEA won the Mega prizes for Online Quiz.

Sankaran Nair, General Convenor of Kuwait Engineer’s Forum (KEF), Mr Jacob George, GC Elect of KEF and Mr. Varkey Monsi Kuruvila Ex-GC, KEF were the guests of honor. On behalf of NITCAA, the Program was managed by its President Mr. Moti David Kochakken, General Secretary Mr. K.Kannan and the Program Convenor Mr. Siby Joseph Aricatt.

This year’s Quiz festival was a memorable one as it had coincided with the Golden Jubilee celebrations of NITCAA’s parent Institution, the National Institute of Technology, Calicut. The inaugural program performed by the Children of NITCAA, choreographed by Mrs. Shanti Nair had a dig on the present education system of India.

the Dickson House, Friday, May 6, 4:30pm6:30pm. The Dickson House Cultural Center, as it is now known, once served as the official residence for a series of British Political Agents to Kuwait, with the most famous, Colonel Harold Dickson, who came to Kuwait in 1929 with his wife, Violet and two young children. The house was the scene of momentous occasions in Kuwait’s history and provided accommodation to a multitude of fascinating characters including royalty, statesmen, writers, oil prospectors, rebel leaders and explorers. Reservations required. Contact us on Tel: 2-5335280 - Fax : 2-5335230 E-mail: info@aware.com.kw Working Hours: Sunday to Thursday 9am - 1 pm and 5 pm - 9 pm Aware Arabic course he AWARE management is glad to inform those interested in learning Arabic that Summer 1 Arabic language courses will begin on April 24 and go on till June 2, 2011. AWARE Arabic language courses are designed with the expat in mind. The environment is relaxed and courses are designed for those wanting to learn Arabic for travel, cultural understanding, and conducting business or simply to become more involved in the community. We cater to teachers, travelers and those working in the private business sector.

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Kala bids farewell to Ajai Malhotra

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ala (Art) Kuwait leaders visited the Indian Embassy to bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador Ajai Malhotra. On behalf of Kala (Art) Kuwait, Sam Kutty Thomas, Treasurer, thanked the ambassador for his valued support and guidance in rendering its services and wished all success for his future endeavor.

The Ambassador’s tenure was very fertile for the Indian community. Further, a token of love to the outgoing ambassador, a memento was given to him by Sadik, General Secretary of Kala(Art) Kuwait. Jaison Joseph (Joint Secretary), Binu Sukumaran (Joint Secretary), Mukesh V. P. (Media Secretary) and Hassan Koya (Media Secretary) also were present on the occasion.

Thanima to present legend play Thanima (The Human and Nostalgic Interaction of Malayalees Abroad) is presenting of yet another unique cultural event to the Kuwait cultural spectrum by enacting ballads of the epic Vadakkan Pattukal (Ballads of North Malabar) of medieval Kerala on stage. ‘Oru Vadakkan Veerakatha’, drama scope mega budget full length visual entertainer becomes a realit y in the collec tive effor t of Malayalee expatriate community in Kuwait spearheaded by Thanima. The play will be staged at 4.30 pm and 8.30 pm on 20 May at Al-Jeel AlJadeed School Auditorium at Hawally. The drama combines both the legendary spirit of Vadakkan Pattu and the bravery of Kalaripayattu (martial art form of Kerala) and harmonizes with the technical excellence of silver screen. In 18 sets it will be on stage designed by acclaimed Artist Sujathan.

Entry will be restricted through passes.

Al Taalib Scholarship 2011 Al Taalib Scholarship is a financial aid scheme for the under privileged school students in Kuwait, sponsored by the Ministry of Awqaf in association with Islam Presentation Committee (IPC), Friday Forum and Pakistan Kuwait Welfare Association.

These scholarships were given to the needy students irrespective of their religion or nationality.

The process of Al Taalib Scholarship for the current academic year, 2011-12, has begun for all Indian and Pakistani Schools in Kuwait. In order to avail this scholarship, applicants are requested to collect the Application Form from Al Taalib Office located in CAMS, Ahmed Al Jaber Street, Darwaza, Near Warba Insurance Co., Int’l Islamic Charity Organization Building, 2nd Floor, Al Sharq. The duly filled application form shall be submitted to Al Taalib office on or before 10th May 2011 along with all supporting documents specified in the Application Form.

ABCK golf tournament The American Business Council of Kuwait is hosting its 10th annual Golf Tournament at the Sahara Golf Club on Friday, May 13th, 2011. It will be a Texas 4-man scramble and your participation is encouraged. Registration begins at 7.00am and shotgun at 8.00am. Event includes breakfast, lunch and raffle prizes. For details contact americanbusinesscouncil@gmail.com before May 10th.

NAFO to present Soorya’s ‘Sangamam’ National Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait) is all set to bringing a spectacular, well conceptualized, a jewel in crown super cultural show ‘Sangamam’ for the art lovers of Kuwait, according to a press release. Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra will inaugurate the first of its kind super show, scheduled for the evening of Friday, May 13, 2011 (6.00 PM) at the American International School Auditorium, Maidan-Hawalli.

Voice Kuwait 6th Anniversary Voice Kuwait is celebrating its 6th anniversary “VISWAKALA 2011” on May 20th Friday from 4 pm to 9 pm at Carmel School Khaitan.

Voice Kuwait is giving award to its member’s children who got highest mark in last S.S.L.C. either from Kuwait or from Kerala. The students those are eligible should give attested copy of their mark list to Area conveners or sent copy to voicekuwait2004@gmail.com For more information please contact 66950482,94419371.

BASNIUM 2: Melodious Nite on May 12 ‘Basnium 2’ a melodious nite with variety of stunning and amazing items, will be conducted on Thursday, 12th May 2011 at 6.00 PM at Al-Jeel AlJadeed Arabic School Auditorium, Hawally. Madhu Balakrishnan; versatile South Indian playback singer, Durga Viswanath; winner of Idea Star Singer 2007, youth heart throb singer Rehman and well known musicians in Kuwait will take part in the event which is being organized in the auspices of The Basil Arts, an Indian Embassy registered cultural organization in Kuwait, as part of its Charity. Prominent Indian personalities and invited guests will attend the musical extravaganza.

Entr y will be restric ted through passes Organizers informed in a press release. For more details please contact 99594221 / 66131488 / 97253083.

Balakalamela on MAY 13 The yearly event “Balakalamela” conducted by Kerala Art Lovers Association (Kala-Kuwait) for the students of all Indian Schools in Kuwait for attaining the Benji Benson EverRolling Trophy has been scheduled for May13th, Friday at Carmel School, Khaithan as informed by the Central Committee of Kala. The items that are included for the competition are Bharthnatyam, Mohiniyattam, Oppana, MargamKali, Folk Dance, Group Dance, Fancy Dress, Mappilapaattu, Monoact, Light Music (Malayalam, Hindi), Group Song (Malayalam, Hindi), Classical Song, Poetry Recitation(English, Hindi, Malayalam), Elocution (Malayalam, English), Essay Writing(English, Malayalam), Story Writing (English, Malayalam), Poetry Writing (English, Malayalam) and Drawing.

Participants are categorized as shown below: L.K.G & U.K.G( Kindergarten) Standard1 - Standard 4 (Sub Juniors) Standard 5 - Standard 8 (Juniors) Standard 9 - Standard 12 (Seniors) Registrations can be done via the respective schools or through Kala Centre. Registration forms can also be downloaded from the official website of Kala, www.kalaonweb.com and the filled forms should be mailed to the email address kalabalakalamela@gmail.com. For the success of the program a reception committee was formed in which K.vinod was selected as General Convenor .

Members who are in charge of various Sub Committees are as follows:- Sunil (Program), Bineesh.K.Babu (Registration), Binu Rani Albert(Reception), Sunny Saijesh (Stage), C.Krishnan (Food), Skaria John (Volunteer), K.Chandran (Publicity and Souvenir) and R.Ramesh (Finance) . For more details regarding the program contact 24317875 (Kala Centre), 66180229, 97817100 or 66656642

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W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy Information

Narjis Al-Shatti, wife of Spanish Ambassador Kertosha and Lviza, the wife of the Cuban Ambassador.

Sita, Alisa Al-Duaij, Erfinda Gusti Serafi, Mrs. Eva Adamhar

EMBASSY OF AUSTRALIA The Embassy encourages all Australians to register their presence in Kuwait through Smartraveller Online (see link below).

Australians who are registered are asked to update their details. The information provided will assist us in contacting you in an emergency. www.smartraveller.gov.au Kuwait citizens can apply for and receive visit visas to Australia online at www.immi.gov.au. This usually takes two working days.

All others visa applications are handled by the Australian Visa Application Centre Tel. 22971110.

Witnessing and certifying documents are by appointment only, please contact the Embassy on 2232 2422. The Australian Embassy is open from 8.00am to 4.00pm, Sunday to Thursday.

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EMBASSY OF BRITAIN The Visa Application Centre (VAC) will be closed on the same dates above. The opening hours of the Visa Application Centre are 0930 - 1630 Application forms remain available online from the UKBAs’ website: www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk or from the Visa Application Centre’s website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com.

And also, from the UK Visa Application Centre located at: 4B, First Floor, Al Banwan Building (Burgan Bank Branch Office Building), Al Qibla area, opposite Central Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait City. For any further inquiries, please contact the Visa Application Centre: Website: www.vfs-uk-kw.com E-mail:info@vfs-uk-kw.com Telephone:22971170.

The Consular Section will also be closed on the same dates. For information on the British Embassy services, visit the British Embassy website: www.ukinkuwait.fco.gov.uk ■■■■■■■

Mryna, Sevinj, Farideh

Vera Al-Mutawa, Julie Mallon, President of the British Ladies’ Society Dr. Hanan Al-Mutawa and Mrs Saad

Kuwait Women’s Association holds meeting The Kuwait Women’s Society held its monthly meeting yesterday (Sunday), which focused on oriental incenses. During the meeting, expert Abdurraheem Hassan gave a lecture which included demonstrations about various kinds of incenses, their origins as well as perfume formulas made from mixing different types together. — Photos by Joseph Shagra

EMBASSY OF GERMANY The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kuwait wishes to announce that as of 1 May 2011, the external service provider Al Qabas Assurex is operating a Visa Application Centre in support of the German Embassy. Short-term visa applications for travels to Germany (e.g. for tourism, visits, business) are to be submitted to the service provider Al Qabas who for your convenience will ensure that all relevant documents are included in your application.

Your personal appearance at the Application Centre is not required. Address of the Visa Application Centre: Al Qabas Assurex Sanabel Tower (Al-Babtain) Mezzanine (M3) opposite Sharq Mall Kuwait 22924444 Fax: 22924442 Further information are available on the following websites: www.kuwait.diplo.de www.qavisa.com ■■■■■■■

Sebella van Tonder and Julie Davies.

Abdulraheem Hassan

Raisa Kader and Phung (Vietnam)

Group photo

A workshop being conducted.

Abdulraheem presenting his oriental perfume

Nafo bids farewell to Indian ambassador

N

ational Forum Kuwait (Nafo Kuwait) officials visited the Indian Embassy to bid farewell to the outgoing Ambassador Ajai Malhotra. The Ambassador’s tenure, though short, was very fruitful for the Indian Community. During his stay, there has been significant improvement in diplomatic relations and cultural exchange between both Indian and Kuwait. He has contributed a lot for looking after the grievances of domestic labor by providing them homely atmosphere in the embassy authorized premises.

In short, his stay has benefited all walks of society. During the visit, the ambassador praised Nafo Kuwait for their continued social, welfare and cultural services. He further extended his

blessings and wishes for NAFO’s Mega Program “SANGAMAM”, scheduled for the evening of May 13, 2011, at the American International School, MaidanHawalli. On behalf of Nafo, B.S. Pillai, President, thanked the ambassador for his valued support and guidance in rendering its services and wished all success for his future endeavor.

Further, as a token of love and appreciation to the outgoing ambassador, a memento was presented to him.

Gopalakrishnan Nair (Advisory Board), O.N. Suresh Kumar (Vice-President) Anil Kumar (Joint Secretary), Krishnakumar (Joint Secretary) Uday Kumar (Joint Treasurer) Murali Nair (Progam Convener) Pradeep Kumar (Souvenir Convener), Sreekumar (Welfare) were present on the occasion.

EMBASSY OF CANADA The Embassy of Canada is located at Villa 24, Al-Mutawakel St., Block 4 in Da’aiyah.

Please visit our website at www.Kuwait.gc.ca.

Canada offers a registration service for all Canadians travelling or living abroad. This service is provided so that Consular Officials can contact and assist Canadians in an emergency in a foreign country, such as a natural disaster or civil unrest, or inform Canadians of a family emergency at home. The Embassy of Canada encourages all Canadian Citizens to register online through the Government of Canada Travel Website at www.voyage.gc.ca. The Canadian Embassy in Abu Dhabi provides visa and immigration services to residents of Kuwait. Individuals who are interested in visiting, working or immigrating to Canada are invited to visit the website of the Canadian Embassy to the UAE at www.UAE.gc.ca.

Effective January 15, 2011, the only Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) application form that will be accepted by CIC is the Application for Temporary Resident Visa Made Outside of Canada [IMM 5257] form. All previous Temporary Resident Visa application forms will no longer be accepted by CIC and instead will be returned to applicants. Should old applications be submitted prior to January 15, 2011 they will continue to be processed. To ensure that the most recent version of the Temporary Resident Visa application form is being utilized, applicants should refer to the CIC website. As of January 15, 2011, forms are to be filled in electronically. The Embassy of Canada is open from 07:30 to 15:30 Sunday through Thursday.

Consular Services for Canadian Citizens are provided from 09:00 until 12:00 on Sunday through Wednesday.

The forms are available on the internet at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/forms/IM M5257E.PDF. A guide explaining the process can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/kits/guides/5 256E.PDF. ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF FRANCE On the occasion of public holiday in France, the French Embassy in Kuwait will be closed 1st and Sunday the 8th of May 2011.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF GUYANA The Embassy of Guyana, recently established in Kuwait, announces that it is located at Block 3, Street 321, Villa 3, Mubarak Abdullah al Jabar, West Misrhef. The Embassy’s telephone numbers are 2539-7939 and 2539-4336; the fax number is 2539-3448. The Embassy can also be contacted by e-mail at Guyanaembassy.kuwait@gmail.com; its website address is www.guyana.org.

■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF NIGERIA The Nigerian embassy has moved its office to Mishref. Block 3, Street 7, House 4. For enquires please call 25379541. Fax25387719. Email- nigeriakuwait@yahoo.com or nigeriankuwait@yahoo.co.uk

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

00:45 Untamed And Uncut 01:40 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 02:35 Life In The Undergrowth 03:30 Life Of Mammals 04:25 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 05:20 The Most Extreme 06:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 07:00 Meerkat Manor 07:25 The Really Wild Show 07:50 Growing Up...: Polar Bear Orphan 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 Cats 101 10:05 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 11:00 Animal Precinct 11:55 Wildlife SOS 12:50 Animal Cops Houston 13:45 RSPCA: Have You Got What It Takes?

14:10 E-Vets: The Interns 14:40 The Most Extreme 15:30 Animal Battlegrounds 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Natural Born Hunters 17:00 All New Planet’s Funniest Animals 17:25 Animal Crackers 18:20 Sharkman 19:15 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 20:10 Dogs 101 21:05 The Animals’ Guide To Survival 22:00 Planet Earth 22:55 Maneaters 23:50 Uakari Secrets Of The English Monkey

04:30 04:50 05:10 05:35 05:45 06:05 06:25 06:50 07:05 07:25 07:45 08:10 08:20 08:40 09:00 09:25 09:40 10:40 11:25 12:20 12:50 13:20 14:10 14:40 15:10 15:45 16:35 17:20 17:50 18:20 19:10 20:00 20:45 21:15 21:45 22:40

00:40 01:30 02:20 03:45 04:10 06:35 07:20 07:55 08:20 09:10 09:55 10:40 11:30 14:45 17:00 17:25 18:10 19:00

Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies Charlie And Lola Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies Charlie And Lola Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies Charlie And Lola Me Too Tweenies Teletubbies Charlie And Lola My Family The Weakest Link Monarch Of The Glen Doctors Eastenders Full Circle With Michael Palin My Family My Family My Family Monarch Of The Glen The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Full Circle With Michael Palin Monarch Of The Glen The Weakest Link Doctors Eastenders Holby City Freefall

Come Dine With Me Antiques Roadshow Holmes On Homes Glamour Puds Daily Cooks Challenge Holmes On Homes Chuck’s Day Off Glamour Puds What Not To Wear Fantasy Homes In The City Cash In The Attic What Not To Wear Ching’s Kitchen Cash In The Attic Glamour Puds Eating With The Enemy Sweet Baby James Antiques Roadshow

19:50 20:35 21:20 22:10 23:00

Cash In The Attic Bargain Hunt Come Dine With Me Design Rules Come Dine With Me

00:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:10 02:30 03:00 03:10 03:30 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 07:45 08:00 08:30 08:45 09:00 09:30 09:45 10:00 10:30 10:45 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 12:45 13:00 13:30 13:45

BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News World Features Our World BBC World News World Features India Business Report BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today

00:10 The Hardy Boys 00:30 Inspector Gadget 01:00 Sabrina The Animated Series Marathon 06:00 Rescue Heroes 06:20 Dino Squad 06:45 Sonic Underground 07:10 Inspector Gadget 07:30 Boo And Me 07:35 Fat Dog Mendoza 08:00 Programmes Start At 8:00pm KSA 20:00 Sonic Underground 20:25 Rescue Heroes 20:50 Dino Squad 21:10 The Future Is Wild 21:35 Even Stevens 22:00 Even Stevens 22:25 Tales From The Crypt Keeper 22:45 Sonic Underground 23:10 Rescue Heroes 23:35 Dino Squad 23:55 The Future Is Wild

00:20 00:45 01:10 02:00 02:45 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:45 07:30 08:20 08:35 09:25 09:50 10:10 10:35 10:50 12:25 12:45 13:30 14:20 14:40 14:55 15:20

Replacements Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Stitch Kim Possible Emperors New School Stitch Phineas And Ferb Suite Life On Deck Wizards Of Waverly Place Fairly Odd Parents Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Imagination Movers Special Agent Oso Den Brother Shake It Up Hannah Montana Forever Sonny With A Chance Suite Life On Deck Have A Laugh Suite Life On Deck Fairly Odd Parents

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 15:40 16:25 16:45 17:10 17:35 18:00 18:25 18:45 20:25 20:50 21:12 21:15 21:35 22:00 22:25 22:50 23:15 23:35

Good Luck Charlie Hannah Montana Forever Jonas LA Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Hannah Montana Forever Hannah Montana Forever 16 Wishes Jake And Blake Hannah Montana Have A Laugh Phineas And Ferb Fairly Odd Parents Replacements Hannah Montana Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas

04:20 05:45 07:35 09:00 10:25 11:50 13:30 15:00 16:35 18:20 20:20 22:00

Black Mama, White Mama Criminal Law It Runs In The Family Breakin’ Sibling Rivalry Romantic Comedy

By Duty Bound The Defiant Ones Hannah And Her Sisters The Killer Elite Mr. Majestyk West Side Story

00:05 Cow And Chicken 00:30 Cramp Twins 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Adventure Time 01:45 Eliot Kid 02:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 02:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 03:00 The Powerpuff Girls 03:15 Chowder 03:40 The Secret Saturdays 04:05 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:30 Ben 10: Alien Force 04:55 Best Ed 05:20 Skunk Fu! 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 07:25 Cow And Chicken 07:50 Angelo Rules 08:05 Cartoon Network Dance Club 08:15 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 08:40 Ben 10: Alien Force 09:05 The Secret Saturdays 09:30 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 09:55 The Powerpuff Girls 10:20 Robotboy 10:55 Ben 10 11:20 Chowder 11:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 12:10 Camp Lazlo 12:35 George Of The Jungle 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 Ed, Edd N Eddy 16:00 Cow And Chicken 16:25 Chop Socky Chooks 16:50 Skunk Fu! 17:15 Chowder 17:40 Best Ed 18:05 Hero 108 18:30 Cartoon Network Dance Club 18:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 18:55 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 19:20 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:45 The Secret Saturdays 20:10 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 20:35 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 21:00 The Powerpuff Girls 21:25 Ed, Edd N Eddy 21:50 Robotboy 22:00 Camp Lazlo

ARMAGEDDON ON OSN ACTION HD

22:25 22:50 23:15 23:40

Hero 108 Ben 10 Bakugan Battle Brawlers Chowder

00:15 One Way Out 00:40 Destroyed In Seconds 01:35 Mythbusters 02:30 Weaponizers 03:25 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 04:20 How It’s Made 04:50 How Stuff’s Made 05:15 Destroyed In Seconds 06:05 X-Machines 07:00 Mega Builders 07:50 American Chopper 08:45 How Stuff’s Made 09:10 How It’s Made 09:40 Mythbusters 10:30 Cake Boss 10:55 Border Security 11:25 Street Customs 2008 12:20 Ultimate Survival 13:15 Mythbusters 14:10 LA Ink 15:05 Dirty Jobs 16:00 Street Customs 2008 16:55 Mythbusters 17:50 Extreme Fishing 18:45 Cake Boss 19:10 Border Security 19:40 Industrial Junkie 20:05 Sarah Palin’s Alaska 21:00 Gold Rush: Alaska 21:55 Brew Masters 22:50 License To Drill 23:45 Extreme Fishing

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 04:45 05:40 06:10 07:00 07:55 07:58 08:25 08:55 09:45 10:35 11:25 11:50 12:40 13:05 13:55 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:03 16:30 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 22:00 22:50 23:40

The Future Of...

The Gadget Show What’s That About?

The Colony Weird Or What?

How Stuff’s Made The Future Of...

Catch It Keep It Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Cosmic Collisions The Gadget Show How Stuff Works Mean Green Machines Catch It Keep It Patent Bending Engineered Nextworld Nyc: Inside Out The Gadget Show Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Brainiac Cosmic Collisions Mighty Ships Eco-Tech Sci-Fi Science How Does That Work?

The Gadget Show Mighty Ships Eco-Tech Building The Future

HD 00:05 Unwrapped 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 00:55 Unwrapped 01:45 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives Special 02:35 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 03:25 Guy’s Big Bite 04:15 Good Eats - Special 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 05:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 05:50 Paula’s Party 06:35 Barefoot Contessa 07:00 Chopped 07:50 Guy’s Big Bite 08:15 Boy Meets Grill 08:40 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 09:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Barefoot Contessa 10:20 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 10:45 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Paula’s Party 12:25 Good Eats - Special 12:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 13:15 Throwdown With Bobby Flay 13:40 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 14:55 Unwrapped 15:20 Boy Meets Grill 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Guy’s Big Bite 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 17:50 Ten Dollar Dinners 18:15 Paula’s Party 19:05 Good Eats - Special 19:30 Food Network Challenge

03:10 03:35 04:25 05:15 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:00 10:00 10:27 10:30 10:55 11:15 11:40 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:12 13:15 13:40 14:00 14:25 14:47 14:50 15:15 15:35 16:00 16:25

Stitch Kim Possible Emperors New School Stitch Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Fish Hooks Sonny With A Chance Sonny With A Chance Have A Laugh Stitch! The Movie Hannah Montana Forever Have A Laugh Hannah Montana Forever Good Luck Charlie Shake It Up Suite Life On Deck Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Have A Laugh Hannah Montana Forever Fairly Odd Parents Jonas LA Replacements Have A Laugh Phineas And Ferb Jonas LA Fairly Odd Parents Suite Life On Deck Hannah Montana Forever

16:45 17:10 17:30 17:57 18:00 18:20 18:45 19:10 20:40 20:57 21:00 21:25 21:50 22:15 22:40 23:05 23:30 23:55

Wizards Of Waverly Place Shake It Up Fish Hooks Have A Laugh Hannah Montana Forever Good Luck Charlie Sonny With A Chance Gotta Kick It Up Hannah Montana Forever Have A Laugh Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas LA Good Luck Charlie Sonny With A Chance Wizards Of Waverly Place Jonas Hannah Montana Kim Possible

06:00 American Dragon 06:20 Kid Vs Kat 07:05 Phineas & Ferb 07:30 Phineas And Ferb 07:40 Phineas & Ferb 08:05 Pokemon Movie: Arceus And The Jewel Of Life (Cema) 09:50 Suite Life On Deck S3 10:40 Kid Vs Kat 11:30 American Dragon 11:55 American Dragon 12:20 Phineas & Ferb 12:45 Phineas & Ferb 13:10 Kid Vs Kat 13:30 Kid Vs Kat 13:50 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 14:15 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 14:50 Pair Of Kings 15:05 Pair Of Kings 15:25 Next X 2011 Winter Edition (Cema) 15:35 Zeke & Luther 16:00 Pokemon Movie: Arceus And The Jewel Of Life (Cema) 17:40 Phineas & Ferb 18:05 Phineas & Ferb 18:30 Pokemon 18:55 Pokemon 19:20 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 19:45 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 20:05 Next X 2011 Winter Edition (Cema) 20:15 Kid Vs Kat 20:40 Kid Vs Kat 21:05 I’m In The Band 21:30 I’m In The Band 21:50 Phineas And Ferb 22:00 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 22:20 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes

00:25 Style Star 01:25 E!es 03:15 E! Investigates 04:10 Sexiest 05:05 Reality Hell 05:30 Wildest TV Show Moments 06:00 THS 07:50 Behind The Scenes 08:20 E! News 09:15 Giuliana And Bill 10:15 THS 12:05 Extreme Close-Up 12:35 Fashion Police 13:35 Kendra 14:05 Keeping Up With The Kardashians 14:35 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 17:55 Extreme Close-Up 18:55 Kendra 19:55 E!es 20:55 Chelsea Lately 21:25 Kourtney And Kim Take New York 22:25 Style Star 22:55 Fashion Police 23:55 Kourtney And Kim Take New York

00:15 Glutton For Punishment 01:05 Aiya TV 01:30 Fantasy Factory 02:20 Final Fu 04:50 Lucas Oil Motocross Championships 2009 06:30 iEX 2009 08:00 UCI Nissan Mountainbike World Cup 2008 08:25 FIM World Supermoto 2010 10:55 Eds Up 11:45 X-Traordinary 12:35 Fantasy Factory 13:25 Mantracker 14:15 World Combat League 15:05 Eds Up 15:55 X-Traordinary 16:45 UCI Nissan Mountainbike World Cup 2008 17:10 FIM World Supermoto 2010 19:40 X-Traordinary 20:30 Fantasy Factory 21:20 Dr Danger 22:10 World Combat League 23:00 Aiya TV 23:50 Fantasy Factory

00:30 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 01:20 I Was Murdered 01:45 Deadly Women: Face To Face 02:10 On The Case With Paula Zahn 03:00 I Almost Got Away With It 03:50 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 04:45 Crime Scene Psychics 05:15 Murder Shift 06:10 Mystery ER 07:00 Forensic Detectives 07:50 CSU 08:40 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 09:30 Real Emergency Calls 09:55 Real Emergency Calls 10:20 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed 11:10 FBI Files 12:00 Murder Shift 12:50 Who On Earth Did I Marry?

13:15 I Was Murdered 13:40 Life Or Death: Medical Mysteries 14:30 Real Emergency Calls 14:55 Real Emergency Calls 15:20 The Will: Family Secrets Revealed

ALONE IN THE DARK 2 ON OSN MOVIES ACTION

00:00 The Frankincense Trail 01:00 Cruise Ship Diaries 02:00 Banged Up Abroad 04:00 62 Days At Sea 05:00 Danger Men 06:00 The Frankincense Trail 07:00 Cruise Ship Diaries 08:00 Banged Up Abroad 10:00 Pressure Cook 10:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 11:00 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet 11:30 Exploring The Vine 12:00 Market Values 13:00 Departures 14:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 15:00 Long Way Down 16:00 Pressure Cook 16:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 17:00 Food Lovers Guide To The Planet 17:30 Exploring The Vine 18:00 Market Values 19:00 Departures 20:00 Don’t Tell My Mother

00:00 Halloween 2-18 02:00Battlestar Galactica: The Plan-18 04:00 Set It Off-18 06:00 Armageddon-PG15 08:30 Star Trek 10: Nemesis-PG15 10:30Beyond A Reasonable Doubt12:15 Obsessed-PG15 14:00 Star Trek 10: Nemesis-PG15 16:00 Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life-PG15 18:00 Obsessed-PG15 19:45 Bad Boys II-PG15

01:00 The Waiting City-PG15 03:00 The Cake Eaters-PG15 05:00 The Prince And Me 3: A Royal Honeymoon-PG15 07:00 The People Speak-PG15 09:00 Harold-PG15 11:00 Charlotte Gray-PG15 13:00 Home Run-PG15 15:00 Adventures Of Power-PG15 17:00 Flying By-PG15 18:45 The Boat That Rocked-PG15 21:00 Charlie And Boots-PG 23:00 She’s Out Of My League-18

00:00 Cougar Town 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 Family Guy 02:00 Saturday Night Live 03:00 Just Shoot Me 03:30 30 Rock 04:00 Family Guy 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 05:30 Malcolm In The Middle 06:00 Yes Dear 06:30 The Drew Carey Show 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 08:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 08:30 Dharma And Greg 09:00 Just Shoot Me 09:30 Malcolm In The Middle 10:00 Yes Dear 10:30 Seinfeld 11:00 The Drew Carey Show 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Dharma And Greg 13:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 13:30 Malcolm In The Middle 14:00 Yes Dear 14:30 30 Rock 15:00 Two And A Half Men 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 16:00 The Colbert Report 16:30 The Drew Carey Show 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 18:00 Just Shoot Me 18:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 19:00 Seinfeld 19:30 30 Rock 20:00 Hot In Cleveland 20:30 State Of The Union

01:00 Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen-PG15 03:30 Set It Off-18 05:30 Alone In The Dark 2-18 07:30 Wushu Warrior-PG15 09:00 Polar Storm-PG15 11:00 Mutant Chronicles-PG15 13:00 The Least Of These-PG15 15:00 Polar Storm-PG15 17:00 Along Came A Spider-PG15 19:00 Donnie Brasco-PG15 21:15 Nighthawks-18 23:00 Green Street 2: Stand Your Ground-18

00:00 The Ramen Girl-PG15 02:00 Mafia!-PG15 04:00 Ghosts Of Girlfriends PastPG15 06:00 That Thing You Do!-PG 08:00 Houseguest-PG15 10:00 One Fine Day-PG15 12:00 Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs-PG 14:00 The Fighting TemptationsPG15 16:00 The Ramen Girl-PG15 18:00 Moon Over Parador-PG15 20:00 Tucker Max-PG15 22:00 Van Wilder: Party Liaison-18

01:00 03:00 05:00 PG15 07:00 PG 09:00 11:00 13:00 15:00 17:00 19:00 21:00 23:00

Van Wilder: Freshman Year-R Anger Management-PG15 It’s A Wonderful Afterlife-

01:00 ICC Cricket World 01:30 NRL Premiership 05:30 Mobil 1 The Grid 06:00 Trans World Sport 07:00 Golfing World 08:00 European PGA Tour 12:30 Weber Cup Bowling 13:30 AFL Premiership 16:00 Live Snooker Championship 20:00 European PGA Highlights 21:00 Live Snooker Championship

00:00 03:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:30 10:00 13:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 21:00 22:00

World Tour World

V8 Supercars Championship UFC 129 WWE Bottom Line Superstock Powerboat Series City Centre Races Sports Adventure V8 Supercars Championship WWE SmackDown City Centre Races UFC 129 Prelims UFC 129 UFC The Ultimate Fighter UFC Unleashed

Where The Wild Things AreDelgo-FAM Maneater: Part I-PG15 Maneater: Part II-PG15 Dean Spanley-PG Delgo-FAM Vicky Cristina Barcelona-PG15 Tucker Max-PG15 Mr. Nice-PG15

00:00 Ramses Of Egypt-PG 02:00 Hua Mulan-PG 04:00 Scruff Cinderella’s CarnivalFAM 06:00 Wild Records!-PG 08:00 Pocahontas And The Spider Woman-PG 10:00 Hua Mulan-PG 12:00 Tom And Jerry: Blast Off To Mars-FAM 14:00 Wild Records!-PG 16:00 Rolie, Polie, Olie: The MovieFAM 18:00 Ice Age 3: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs-FAM 20:00 Winx: Secret Of The Lost Kingdom-PG 22:00 Tom And Jerry: Blast Off To Mars-FAM

00:00 2:37-R 02:00 Freestyle-PG15 04:00 National Security-PG15 06:00 End Of The Spear-PG15 08:00 Nativity!-PG 10:00 Saved!-PG15 12:00 Percy Jackson And The Lightning Thief-PG15 14:00 Paper Man-PG15 16:00 Nativity!-PG 18:00 Fantastic Mr. Fox-FAM 20:00 My Best Friend’s Girl-18 22:00 Wrong Turn 3: Left For DeadPG15

00:30 02:30 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 14:00

15:00 Golfing World 16:00 Futbol Mundial 16:30 Live Super League 19:00 ICC Cricket World 19:30 AFL Highlights 20:30 Trans World Sport 21:30 Scottish Premier League Highlights 22:00 NRL Premiership

Super 15 AFL Premiership Emirates Twenty20 Cricket ICC Cricket World Futbol Mundial Snooker Futbol Mundial NRL Full Time NRL Premiership Trans World Sport

00:00 Top 10 01:00 Fashion Avenue 01:55 Big Boutique 02:25 How Do I Look?

03:20 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

04:15 Married Away 05:10 Homes With Style 05:35 Area 06:05 Clean House 07:00 Big Boutique 08:00 Homes With Style 09:00 Fashion Avenue 09:55 How Do I Look?

10:50 Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

11:50 Clean House: Search For The Messiest...

12:50 Clean House 13:45 Top 10 14:15 Mel B: It’s A Scary World 14:45 Jerseylicious 15:40 Ruby 16:35 Giuliana And Bill 18:25 Ruby 19:25 Big Boutique 19:50 Fashion Avenue 20:20 Clean House 21:15 Top 10 22:10 Clean House Comes Clean 22:35 Clean House Comes Clean 23:05 Bridalplasty

00:30 Engineering Disasters 01:20 Dead Men’s Secrets 02:10 Ice Road Truckers 03:00 Barbarians 03:55 Russia: Land Of The Tsars 04:50 Japan Under American Occupation 05:40 Modern Marvels 06:30 Engineering Disasters 07:20 Dead Men’s Secrets 08:10 Ice Road Truckers 09:00 Barbarians 09:55 Russia: Land Of The Tsars 10:50 Japan Under American Occupation 11:40 Modern Marvels 12:30 Engineering Disasters 13:20 Dead Men’s Secrets 14:10 Ice Road Truckers 15:00 Barbarians 15:55 Russia: Land Of The Tsars 16:50 Japan Under American Occupation

Classifieds MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

A Hindu bachelor wants one bachelor/couple to share a complete 2 bedroom furnished flat near Holy sweet, Abbassiya, minimum rent KD 100. Tel: 66913938. (C 3302) 30-4-2011 Sharing accommodation available with Indian decent bachelor single bedroom flat. 1+1 basic, very good location in Salmiya, Amman street, Indian Community school-3, adjacent building. Contact: 99813483. (C 3299) Sharing accommodation in Salmiya C-A/C flat, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, for family or bachelor with Indian couple. Contact: 99467432.

(C 3300) 28-4-2011

FOR SALE

SITUATION WANTED

PC Compaq Pentium 4, HD 20 GB, Ram 128 MB (expandable), Windows XP professional with 15” LCD Neovo. All in excellent condition, price KD 40 only. Call 60477518 & 99337034.

(C 3305) 1-5-2011 2005 model Mitsubishi Nativa white color, running 96,000 km excellent condition, CD, remote, alloy wheel, single owner, accident free new 4 tires, price KD 2400.

Contact: 60797291. (C 3303) 30-4-2011 Toyota Corolla, model 2009, color sky blue, good condition. Tel: 60951195.

(C 3298) 28-4-2011

Accountant Indian (male) 9 years experience (2 years in Kuwait), B.Com, PG in Sociology, accounts up to finalization, bank reconciliation, inventory, cash, creditors and debtors management, good knowledge in Tally, Oracle, MS Office.

Tel: 65990299.

(C 3304) 1-5-2011

© 2009 00 M MCT CT

ACCOMMODATION

1

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Dip one index index finger in w water ater and shak shake e off e xtra w ater extra water

A thin glass can be musical made into a m usical instrument instrument if you you know know the trick. trric ick. k

You’ll Y ou’ll nneed eed Glass with thin sid sides, des, such as a wine glass gllass (get several several of them the em if possib le) possible)

2

MISCELLANEOUS Required 2003 - 2004 model Honda Accord, full option or regular, 4 cylinder, in excellent condition.

Tel: 60005317, 99976051.

30-4-2011

What happened?

Wassh your Wash your hands with plenty soap of so oap and dry dry them

Small bowl bowl of water wate er Source: Do Science Gr aphic: Helen Lee McCom mas, P aul T rap Graphic: McComas, Paul Trap

gla glas lass ass sss with w wiith wit th h Hold glass err hand h han ha a and an nd d and a an nd d other rub b index iin ind nde nd dex de ex finger fifing ffin inge ing nger nge rub gen ge g e ent en ntly ntl nt tly lyy around a aro ar rro rou ound oun ou gently th th he e top tto o op p of of glass the

Put a little water in the glass, and it will make a much different sound

R Ru u ub b ssl slowly llo at first Rub u un n ntttiiill glass g mak es a until makes ssound, so ound, then presss a llittle ittle harder

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines JZR THY ETH UAE DHX ETD FDB GFA QTR JZR FCX JZR KAC JZR BAW KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY ETD GFA MEA JZR IRC MSR RBG KAC KAC MSR UAL RJA FDB OMA SVA KNE

Flt 205 772 620 853 370 305 67 211 138 503 201 555 412 531 157 206 302 53 352 284 362 344 855 132 125 301 213 404 165 6521 623 3557 618 672 610 982 640 57 645 500 745

Arrival Flights on Monday 2/5/2011 Route DAMASCUS ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA LUXOR DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MANILA / BANGKOK ASSIUT LONDON ISLAMABAD MUMBAI DUBAI COCHIN DHAKA COLOMBO CHENNAI DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH ABU DHABI BAHRAIN BEIRUT DUBAI LAMERD SOHAG ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI CAIRO WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN DUBAI MUSCAT JEDDAH JEDDAH

Time 0:25 1:15 1:45 2:25 2:55 2:55 3:10 3:15 3:20 5:15 5:25 6:10 6:15 6:20 6:30 7:15 7:50 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:20 8:20 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:30 9:35 10:55 11:10 11:20 12:10 12:55 12:55 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:50 14:00 14:30 14:45

KAC JZR QTR KAC KAC KAC MLR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY JZR ALK KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC AIC JAI FDB OMA JZR VOS MEA KAC DHX KLM UAE GFA QTR UAL JZR TAR JZR DLH PIA

788 257 134 546 550 118 403 303 857 215 510 777 239 127 213 227 104 542 786 744 614 674 774 975 572 61 647 179 81 402 552 372 445 859 217 136 981 135 327 185 636 239

JEDDAH BEIRUT DOHA ALEXANDRIA SOHAG NEW YORK COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH DEIREZZOR COLOMBO / DUBAI LONDON CAIRO JEDDAH DAMMAM BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH CHENNAI / GOA MUMBAI DUBAI MUSCAT DUBAI BAGHDAD BEIRUT DAMASCUS BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN BAHRAIN TUNIS DUBAI FRANKFURT SIALKOT

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

Airlines AXB DLH KLM AIC PIA AFG THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD QTR JZR GFA BAW KAC FDB KAC JZR KAC KAC KAC UAE ABY QTR ETD GFA KAC MEA KAC JZR JZR JZR IRC KAC MSR KAC RBG MSR RJA

Flt 390 637 447 982 206 406 773 620 854 68 371 306 139 164 212 156 545 54 671 256 787 549 617 856 126 133 302 214 165 405 541 776 212 238 6522 103 624 785 3558 611 641

Departure Flights on Monday 2/5/2011 Route MANGALORE / KOZHIKODE FRANKFURT AMSTERDAM AHMEDABAD / CHENNAI PESHAWER / LAHORE KABUL ISTANBUL BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DOHA DUBAI BAHRAIN LONDON ALEXANDRIA DUBAI DUBAI BEIRUT JEDDAH SOHAG DOHA DUBAI SHARJAH DOHA ABU DHABI BAHRAIN ROME / PARIS BEIRUT CAIRO JEDDAH DEIREZZOR AMMAN LAMERD LONDON SOHAG JEDDAH SOHAG / ALEXANDRIA CAIRO AMMAN

Time 0:25 0:40 0:55 1:05 1:10 2:00 2:15 2:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 5:00 6:55 7:10 8:25 8:35 8:40 9:00 9:10 9:15 9:20 9:35 9:40 9:50 10:00 10:15 10:20 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:05 12:10 12:20 12:30 13:10 13:30 13:35 14:20 14:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

FDB UAL OMA KAC KAC KNE SVA JZR KAC QTR KAC KAC ETD MLR UAE GFA ABY JZR JZR SVA JZR ALK KAC JAI FDB JZR KAC KAC OMA MEA DHX KLM JZR UAE GFA FCX QTR KAC KAC TAR JZR JZR KAC

58 982 646 673 551 746 501 178 773 135 613 743 304 404 858 216 128 184 266 511 134 228 283 571 62 528 331 351 648 403 373 445 206 860 218 102 137 301 205 327 554 504 411

DUBAI BAHRAIN MUSCAT DUBAI DAMASCUS JEDDAH JEDDAH DUBAI RIYADH DOHA BAHRAIN DAMMAM ABU DHABI DUBAI / COLOMBO DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT RIYADH BAHRAIN DUBAI / COLOMBO DHAKA MUMBAI DUBAI ASSIUT TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT BAHRAIN BAHRAIN / AMSTERDAM DAMASCUS DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD DUBAI / TUNIS ALEXANDRIA LUXOR BANGKOK / MANILA

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

34

star CROSSWORD 305

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

s

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) You may be able to enjoy your surroundings and the people that are in your life. You are happy and feel good about your place in the world at this time. You may even be ready to take on additional work or a new family member or some type of volunteer work. Talking with your family, you may even discover they are ready to take on some volunteer work as a group. You enjoy talking about history, the past and nostalgia with your friends. You can demonstrate great understanding and sensitivity to the needs of others just now and you are in a good position to communicate concerning groups and society in general. You are driven to excel in any form of physical exercise or creative expression this evening— sports, theatrics, arts and crafts, etc.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You have a natural aptitude for describing the most sensitive areas of the human psyche, a practical psychologist of the first order. You can manage touchy issues that others would not go near. You communicate with accomplished skill and others will find it stimulating just being with you.

Your ambitions go hand-in-hand with communication and using the mind—the two should never be far apart. Your dreams have been quite clear lately—you may want to start a dream diary. It might be a good idea to write in this diary what you think might have inspired the dream as well as how your health was the day or evening before the dream. You may find some of your dreams are just fun and others are lesson dreams and full of spiritual insights.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. Tag the base runner to get him out.

4. Send a signal by waving a flag or a light according to a certain code.

10. A unit of force equal to the force exerted by gravity.

13. One of the most common of the five major classes of immunoglobulins.

14. Any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits.

15. A unit of absorbed ionizing radiation equal to 100 ergs per gram of irradiated material.

16. In favor of (an action or proposal etc.).

17. Showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness.

19. Having nine hinged bands of bony plates.

21. (Scotland) A slope or hillside.

22. A former copper coin of Pakistan.

23. Not only so, but.

24. In or of the month preceding the present one.

25. Someone who is morally reprehensible.

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

27. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

29. Rock that in its molten form (as magma) issues from volcanos.

32. A metric unit of length equal to one thousandth of a meter.

34. A small pellet fired from an air rifle or BB gun.

38. An informal term for a father.

39. Extremely pleasing.

40. Leaf or strip from a leaf of the talipot palm used in India for writing paper.

42. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

44. An intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores.

45. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

47. A form of address for a man.

48. A public promotion of some product or service.

51. Having undesirable or negative qualities.

53. A fraudulent business scheme.

55. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

57. A short labored intake of breath with the mouth open.

60. A clique that seeks power usually through intrigue.

64. Aircraft landing in bad weather in which the pilot is talked down by ground control using precision approach radar.

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

66. Small genus of evergreen trees of tropical America and western Africa.

68. A light touch or stroke.

69. The habitation of wild animals.

70. An Asian country under the control of China.

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

DOWN 1. Pleasantly cold and invigorating.

2. Be in accord.

3. African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread.

4. The compass point that is one point south of due west.

5. A metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables.

6. Something twisted and tight and swollen.

7. Straggling shrub with narrow leaves and conspicuous red flowers in dense globular racemes.

8. (prefix) In front of or before in space.

9. A rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element.

10. The father of your father or mother.

11. Earn on some commercial or business transaction.

12. Tropical starchy tuberous root.

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

20. According to the Old Testament he was a pagan king of Israel and husband of Jezebel (9th century BC).

28. Resinlike substance secreted by certain lac insects.

30. A Spanish unit of length (about a yard) having different values in different localities.

31. (Babylonian) God of storms and wind.

33. (British) A waterproof raincoat made of rubberized fabric.

35. A white native of Cape Province who is a descendant of Dutch settlers and who speaks Afrikaans.

36. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

37. A metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables.

41. A room equipped with toilet facilities.

43. (informal) Exceptionally good.

46. A Tibetan or Mongolian priest of Lamaism.

49. Hungarian choreographer who developed Labanotation (1879-1958).

50. (folklore) A corpse that rises at night to drink the blood of the living.

51. A brittle silver-white metalloid element that is related to selenium and sulfur.

52. (Irish) Chief god of the Tuatha De Danann.

53. A radioactive gaseous element formed by the disintegration of radium.

54. An enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals are kept.

56. An outlying farm building for storing grain or animal feed and housing farm animals.

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

59. A metabolic acid found in yeast and liver cells.

61. Lacking in rigor or strictness.

62. An edge tool used to cut and shape wood.

63. An ugly evil-looking old woman.

67. A hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You are intense, passionate and very personal today. You will find yourself rushing past the superficial right to the heart of any matter. Communication is high and you may enjoy some good solid conversation with neighbors this morning. Home, family and security have been on your mind lately and you may find yourself teaching young people about fairness, evenhandedness, goals, roots and the importance of family. An insight about your support system, your mother or other females may be important. You have clear-headed and practical insights for most anything you choose to do today. This is a time of good fortune when things open up in a very natural way. Tonight you may meet a student that you can help or tutor.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

There are opportunities for success with money now that were not previously available. Lady Luck may smile brightly on you during this time. Moving quickly is the secret to securing a tidy sum or gaining the end result of your desire. Perhaps you are going to a casting call or displaying your creative accomplishments. Whatever the case, you will be successful. Fun, a good sense of humor and the ability to get along with most folks puts a smile on everybody’s face.

There is a desire to understand a loved one’s psyche and there may also be an opportunity for a deep emotional talk this afternoon. Take the time to really listen to the one who needs you. There is an opportunity to take the time to show others how much they mean to you.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Your enthusiasm is contagious and before the day is over You may find yourself more than a little greedy today. Your current appreciation for just about everything may lead you to overspend or indulge too much. However, you will make some good choices as you seek a balance. You can expect some sort of major reevaluation of your likes and dislikes, how and what you enjoy or appreciate about yourself and life—your value system.

You may find that your appreciation for the quality of everything is stronger.

Reappraisal is in order. Breakthroughs regarding relationships and the social life in general may be possible now. Unconventional approaches to partnerships and lovers are possible. An important relationship, perhaps a younger person or someone in your near environment, may come into focus tonight.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) You will prosper by pursuing your ideals and most deep-seated dreams of how life could be. Don’t be afraid to project that image, create your path and make those dreams real. You will find that your mind and thoughts will be very intense just now. Keep your focus strong and you will see successful results. You can be very intuitive when it comes to expressing yourself and you will know just what to say. Periods of intense creativity allow you to go through changes and inner growth and give you time to think and plan. This creative intensity is good for music, poetry, art, etc. Your friends, partners and relationships mean a lot to you. They are a primary source of strength and you look to them for encouragement.

Enjoy your friends today.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

This is a good time to initiate a feeling or sense of easy going.

The need for security, however, may dominate that easy-going nature you yearn for just now. Finding a new place to live and becoming comfortable in a professional position will help to alleviate much of your anxiety. List three things you can do now that will help you feel more secure and work in that direction—do not stagnate. A volunteer service can be most beneficial in your life. This can also be a way to express your talents and help others. Some of the ways in which you could feel quite useful would be in a medical, counseling or clergy type of organization. You may be teaching someone techniques of a sensible diet today. You will be pleased with the results of your plans.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Don’t let a cranky person rule your morning; there may be more to his or her story than you know. Be attentive in your surroundings so that you catch any problems before they escalate. Keep your eye focused on new, renewed and better. Your statistical mind can be used to find better ways to improve, update or plan future goals that will help keep your family a strong unit. Today will certainly bring new inspiration. It is a good time to communicate. A new person will enter your life this afternoon and you may find some common beliefs or ideas that will promote a good friendship. You are warmly receptive and sympathetic toward particular causes and it may be the time to consider how you could help. Perhaps the family could work together as a group.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) There is a cornucopia of emotional vulnerabilities available for you to cope with today. Change is the easiest thing to do now.

Acknowledge, create a new and positive insight and then let the old and perhaps negative become a moth that flies away. Quick answers, great wit and a surplus of insights and solutions are at the ready. This is a good time to write and communicate with real originality. Insert your good sense of humor as a tool to get through some of the sensitive areas that may have formerly tripped you. This is a time of new beginnings in your life. There is an urge to strike out on your own in a new direction, to take on new challenges no matter what the risks. You can be bold—perhaps headstrong; you go where angels fear to tread.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

Your personality and your mode of living appear to change at a moment’s notice. Your attention is divided among many today and you should be careful in bending over backwards to help someone—you could feel your energies being drained. Others may challenge your authority or the direction you are taking just now. Maintain a right mental attitude—the attitude of patience, sincerity and good cheer. To think rightly contributes productive action. There is a chance to understand those around you and to have others understand you—family closeness. The time is right for unexpected changes in the normal routine of family life.

This evening there could be some special moments with someone you love. A sense of harmony creates a happy time.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) There may be temptations to overextend your budget as short distance travel is possible with friends today. Perhaps you will need to travel some distance to a popular entertainment attraction. Take time today to plan future time with your friends—it has been too long since you have been able to have long conversations and catch up on the news. Spending time with close, old friends can be rewarding. An outgoing and very expressive cycle of experience has begun for you. Now more than ever, you want to be admired by others, to do and create things that stir their hearts. This is child’s play; this is romance; this is taking a chance. Really enjoy your companion this evening without being afraid to speak your feelings. Music can be most relaxing.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

You should not let finances completely dominate your concerns today. This is a time when you can expect a little boost, some sort of extra support from a friend or family member. You may feel that you are in touch and in harmony with others; the lines of communications are open. Religious issues may dominate the morning—topics are fun and bring about stimulating conversation for some of the young people around you. Chores and errands take up most of the afternoon but a get-together with friends and neighbors for a social gathering in the evening may bring about new business ideas for next week. Take the opportunity to network—there could be big rewards. Lovers, children and other people or things dear to your heart are emphasized now.

A

y

e niv rsar n

Years

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22412284/5 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

25339330

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

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Years

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

lifestyle G O S S I P

Khloe Kardashian thinks her marriage was a ‘wake-up call’ for Kim

Hudson’s fiance doesn’t want her to lose any more weight

he singer-and-actress has dropped four dress sizes in less than two years after following a WeightWatchers plan and while both she and her long-term partner David Otunga are still adjusting to her transformation, it hasn’t been welcomed by everyone.

She said: “I haven’t actually caught up with how I look.

Some people don’t like it so much and tell me to stop. “My fiance tells me not to lose more - he likes me very basic, no make-up, no heels, no fuss. I think both of us are still struggling to come to terms with this new me. He’ll tell me not to dress up, but I tell him to get used to it.” Jennifer - who has a 20month-old son David with her fiance - insists she has no desire to lose any more weight as she is happy with her current frame. She added: “Honestly, I want to stay at this weight. I don’t want to lose any more. “I’m more concerned with not losing more (than gaining). If I stick with the Weight Watchers plan then I’ll have no problem. I think I’ll be this size for the rest of my life.”

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he 26-year-old socialite tied the knot with basketball star Lamar Odom 18 months ago and she thinks her nuptials made her older sibling reassess her life choices. She said: “I think it was hard for Kim when I got married. “It was a wake-up call for her. It wasn’t jealousy as such - it was more, ‘Oh my God, my little sister is getting married.’ I was in a place she wanted to get to. It made her reflect a lot.”

Khloe also insisted there is no rivalry between her

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in ker Jerry loodsuc la s s ic, in b g in lk c ta s sweet- t h e 1 9 8 5 c u lt or movie ctor play f rr he Irish a d a y re m a k e o next door to ho director n d s r n e e a v d o ), o e am ter m lchin nton Ye e role. H is charac which h ey Brewster (A only man for th s perfect. e Charl . It wa as the obsessiv spie says he w ky to get Colin There’s a danc le t’. il lu h G o ig s a very ere Craig ght N d: “We w character in ‘Fri charismatic. He’s these e in la p x e e he’s very mises th ire realm He epito ality to him and en in the vamp blood sucking u e a q gerous ion of what ’s b chance to play ep his charace rs e th v to g gle ke ean for sure dark shin m did strug lin is reli days.” Co ut admitted he pire magazine: “I ave conversah b I m e .

E ir le p ld ib vam oss e to o ‘What real as p vable. H t’ and I g ter belie make things as ouldn’t do tha ig and I have w Cra you try to myself : ‘Well he ’. I mean really? ow far not to. h h tions wit e’s 400 years old to push it and in audience’s r h ta , fa r k e * w c f* o a h e in th on is differox yg e n but this uments had arg ’ takes a lot of which is great ere’s not a lot t Th ce “‘ Twiligh nt. It has its pla e fairly bloody. e t h a n o n c e . e r b o m to e m oing li e d requir eve it’s g c e r t a in ly im p f levels.” li e b I t. o en plethora u t s e x is o f s e x b it will work on a y Hopefull

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perfect choice for Fright Night

Bowling for Soup surprised some

songs work acoustically T

he ‘Punk Rock 101’ rockers are famed for their loud and fast pop-punk sound, but are always astonished how good their tracks sound when stripped back to just voice and guitar. Vocalist Jaret Reddick - who has recently completed an acoustic tour of the UK with the band - told BANG Showbiz: “It’s always a nice surprise when you’re like, ‘That song would never work,’ then, weirdly, it does. “Then, it always kind of comes back to that same thing, I mean they’re all written on acoustic guitar, and one of the first rules I learned - and I can’t even remember who taught it to me - but if a song sounds good on acoustic guitar, it’s a good song.” The ‘1985’ hitmakers - which also include Chris Burney, Erik Chandler and Gary Wiseman - have been together 18 years in which time they have amassed a formidable back catalogue, but for anyone isn’t familiar with their back catalogue, Jaret had a few recommendations as to where to start. He said: “We’ve been together a long time, but for someone who’s just discovering us, they should run the spectrum of our career, so if we go for the big songs ‘Girl All The Bad Guys Want’, ‘1985’, ‘High School Never Ends’ - I mean in that, there’s seven years of stuff right there!” Bowling for Soup’s 11th album ‘Fishin’ For Woos’ is out now.

have facial treatments

he pair - who appear together in new movie ‘The Beaver’ - forged a strong bond after working together on 1994’s ‘Maverick’, which the actress believes is due to their shared disinterest in celebrity culture. She said: “We’re talkers, both of us. We have that touch with each other where it doesn’t matter how many years go by or what time of the morning it is, we can talk to each other. “He’s a really loyal and trustworthy person, just a really good friend and not full of s**t. He’s not a star, he’s not a celebrity. He’s a complicated person.

“I don’t have particular friendships with any other actors. There are some people I’ve known for years who I like, but not like this. This is a really deep friendship.” Shortly after work on the film finished, Mel was embroiled in a scandal when voicemail tapes were leaked of him allegedly threatening to attack former girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva, and Jodie believes her friend’s personal woes gave his performance in the film an even stronger edge. She told Psychologies magazine: “I’m so grateful for his performance that it’s hard for me to every feel anything but joy that he’s in the movie and him too - he really loves the film. “You see him struggling and it’s a window into him. That’s what he brings to this movie that nobody else could. He’s a man who’s suffered and you can see the strife etched on his face.”

Jennifer Lopez doesn’t

has a ‘deep friendship’ with Mel Gibson

Jodie Foster

Colin Farrell

and elder sisters Kim and Kourtney and she believes when they are successful and happy, it spurs her on to better herself. She explained: “The envy between my sisters and me is totally hyped up. “We all want each other to be happy and successful. We’re each other’s biggest fans. We’re tight. “As long as my sisters are happy and doing well it’ll only make me feel happier and do better because I don’t want to have to worry about them.”

he singer-and-actress insists she keeps her skincare regime to a minimum and credits her appearance to lots of sleep, drinking water and relaxing. She said: “I try to get enough good sleep, about seven or eight hours and I drink a lot of water. “I don’t have facials or treatments. I don’t like messing with my face or my skin too much. I don’t do scrubs or peels or anything like that, I just do the basics. I use moisture masks a lot though. “If I have a red-carpet event, I’ll do a face mask in the morning. And I’ll take a nice bath to relax myself because I think the better you feel, the better you look. Then I’ll have a coffee and take the day slow. I don’t like to rush.” Jennifer - who is married to Marc Anthony - also admitted she struggled to get back in the exercise habit following the birth of her twins Max and Emme, now three. She added to Company magazine: “After I had the babies, I wasn’t motivated at all. I did a triathlon, which was a goal I had set for myself before having them. I did it because I’d said I was going to do it and it was for charity. After that, I stopped exercising totally for a while. “I was tired, the babies were my life and I just wasn’t motivated. It took a lot of mental energy to get focused again.” —Bang Showbiz

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

Years

lifestyle

‘Kathakali’

dazzles art lovers The classical dance drama ‘Kalyanasougandhikam’ was a unique theatre experience for many who are not familiar with Kathakali art form as the performers led by Kalamandalam E Vasudevan and his troupe delineated a riveting episode from India’s epic ‘Mahabharata’ that narrates the story of Bhima’s thrilling encounter with Hanuman.

Sasikala S Vellodi and Kalamandaam Sreekumar — Photos by Sherif Ismail

By Sajeev K Peter

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spectacular Kathakali show presented by Arpan Kuwait turned out to be a memorable event for art lovers who gathered in the packed auditorium of the Indian Community School, Salmiya (Senior Girls) on Saturday evening. ‘Kalyanasougandhikam’, an exotic classical dance drama, regaled the audience that consisted of diplomats, dignitaries and Indian community representatives in addition to Arpan family members.

The show presented as a cross-cultural event was officially inaugurated by Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra and was watched by many dignitaries including diplomats from Jamaican embassy —Attache Finance and Administration, Glendon Drummond, W D S C Welliwatta, Counsellor, Labor, Sri Lankan Embassy and Australian Embassy official besides a host of guests like Lt-Col Jean-Pierre NAPOLI, Naval advisor/Conseiller Marine and media persons.

Ambassador Ajai Malhotra being honored during the inaugural session

Demonstration In the first segment the performers gave a 30-minute demo to introduce the art form which is more than 400 years old and originated in Kerala. In brilliant acting, the performers demonstrated exquisitely the nine expressions (nava rasas) according to Indian classical dance tradition before the spell-bound audience. Actors also enacted some of the theatrical situations through gestures (mudras) and acting.

The classical drama ‘Kalyanasougandhikam’ was a unique theatre experience for many who are not familiar with Kathakali art form. The performers led by Kalamandalam E Vasudevan and his troupe delineated a riveting episode from India’s epic ‘Mahabharata’ that narrates the story of Bhima’s encounter with Hanuman. The other actors Sasikala S Vellodi, Kalamandalam Sreekumar and Kalamandalam Sreekantan enamored the audience with their captivating performance.

Kalamandalm Vasudevan

Felicitation Earlier, the outgoing Indian Ambassador Ajai Malhotra was given a standing ovation and a rousing farewell during a brief felicitation session. He was honored with a ponnada by Arpan President Krishnan K Pillai and a memento by General Secretary and Program Committee Convener Sajeev K Peter.

Felicitation speeches were delivered by Ladies Wing Convener Rajeshwari Subbaraman, R C Suresh, E.D. Titus and Dr Sreekumar Nair. The ambassador in his address lauded Arpan’s initiative in introducing India’s rich classical art forms to the Kuwaiti art lovers. Advisory Board chairman P. A. Menon proposed a vote of thanks. After the show, performers were honored with ponnadas and mementos by Arpan office-bearers - P. A Menon, Vice president Mohandas Edappal, Treasurer Venkatakrishnan N, Joint Secretary Satheesh Prabhakaran, PRO Krishna Nagarajan, Cultural Secretary Sam C Vilanilam and Lady wing join conveners Kala Mohan and Soumya Venkatakrishnan.

Kalamandalam Sreekantan during the demo.

W D S C Welliwatta, Counsellor, Labor, Sri Lankan Embassy releases the souvenir

From the inaugural and felicitation ceremony.

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

lifestyle

A guest list that outdoes even the Royal Wedding

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Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, walk hand in hand from Buckingham Palace in London, before departing for their honeymoon on April 30, 2011. — AFP

William, Kate try to carve out some private time S

hunning an immediate overseas honeymoon and opting instead for a quiet weekend at a secret British location, Prince William and Kate Middleton have made it clear they want to carve out some space for themselves.

This fight for privacy is crucial if they are to avoid being hounded like William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, whose every move was tailed.

The royal newlyweds started Saturday by asking the media not to intrude this weekend and to leave them alone when they eventually start their honeymoon.

Separately, palace officials also asked the media not to reveal where the couple live near William’s Royal Air Force base in Wales. He will return to military duty there as a helicopter rescue pilot after the holiday weekend, which ends today. The request for privacy was in stark contrast to their accessibility to the public over the previous two days. On the eve of Friday’s wedding at Westminster Abbey, William greeted crowds on the streets outside his official residence in an impromptu gesture.

The royal couple also dazzled the masses on their wedding day with an open-topped carriage ride from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace and a pair of kisses on a palace balcony. They also emerged from the gates of the palace with the prince at the wheel of his father’s Aston Martin, which had balloons on the back and a “Just Wed” license plate.

William and Middleton, who have the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now seem determined not to let paparazzi armed with long-lensed cameras make it impossible for them to go about their business without constantly feeling they are being stalked.

The couple, walking hand in hand on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, boarded a helicopter Saturday morning to a secret location, then issued a statement asking to be left alone. “The couple have asked that their privacy be respected during the coming weekend and during their honeymoon,” according to a message posted on the official royal wedding website.

Previously, officials said William had scheduled two weeks of leave from his military duties amid indications that the honeymoon would begin a day or two after the wedding. But the couple said on the website that they would take an overseas honeymoon at a later date. The ultimate destination remains a closely-guarded secret, although a number of idyllic locations have been mentioned.

German media reports, which were not confirmed, suggested the couple planned to spend a honeymoon at a small private island in the Seychelles.

The reports were based on the comments of a German real estate agent who claimed to have rented the island to the British royals.

Privacy has long been the couple’s main concern while planning their honeymoon. They are thought to have considered private islands in the Caribbean , although photographers on boats could conceivably get pictures of them cavorting on a beach , and hideaways in Africa, where William has traveled extensively in the past. Another option, one they may be using this weekend, is Queen Elizabeth II’s Balmoral Estate in Scotland, which contains vast secluded areas where the couple would be likely left alone.

But the desire for privacy , something they enjoyed during their

university days because the usually voracious British media agreed to give the young prince some space , may become a dominant theme of their marriage, especially with the worldwide interest generated by their glamorous wedding.

The BBC said 17.5 million viewers watched Kate Middleton arrive at Westminster Abbey in her wedding gown. Sky News said 661,000 viewers watched her entrance, and around a million logged on to their website. Millions more watched around the world, and the images from the wedding will be reprinted for years.

Certainly, the Middletons and the royal family appeared to want to send out a clear signal that the wedding was definitely over.

Middleton’s parents, her brother and sister left their London hotel in the afternoon, smiled and waved at waiting photographers, and then drove back to their home in Bucklebury, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of London.

Royal commentator Dickie Arbiter said the couple is likely to be able to live normally when they return to the area around the military base in north Wales where William is based.

“They’ve been left alone there in the past and there’s no reason they won’t be left alone there now,” he said. Arbiter said that it will be relatively easy for the prince’s staff, which has wide experience in security and logistics, to set up the honeymoon so the couple would not be disturbed. The honeymoon is expected to be briefer than that of William’s parents, Prince Charles and Diana, who combined a twoweek Mediterranean cruise with several extended breaks in Britain.

William and Middleton celebrated their wedding in style Friday night and Saturday morning with a

dinner and dance party at Buckingham Palace hosted by Charles. Middleton wore a second gown designed by Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen fashion house, while William wore a double-breasted tuxedo.

Some of the prominent guests, including Middleton’s sister Pippa and Prince Harry’s sometimes girlfriend, Chelsy Davy, returned to their rooms at the Goring Hotel at about 3 am Saturday as the palace celebrations wound down. Harry had announced plans to make an early morning “fry up” breakfast for anyone with the constitution to stay awake through the night, but it is not known how many hungry partygoers he fed.

There was no fear about keeping quiet to avoid waking grandma , Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip had left the palace to the kids and retreated to another royal residence.

The often contentious British media pronounced the wedding day an unqualified success, filling special souvenir editions with dozens of photos from a day that saw an estimated 1 million people throng the streets and parks of London to celebrate.

Middleton’s bridal bouquet was laid on the tomb of the unknown warrior , a memorial in Westminster Abbey that holds the remains of a solider killed in World War I that is now a memorial for all war dead.

Queen Elizabeth II’s mother, the late Queen mother, began the tradition of laying royal bridal bouquets on the tomb when she left her own bouquet there after her wedding to the Duke of York, later George VI in 1923.—AP

ark Morris’ vision of Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice” has an even more distinguished guest list than the Royal Wedding.

There was Gandhi looking down at the great lovers. And Abraham Lincoln.

Albert Einstein, too. Need some royalty? Queen Elizabeth was on hand , Queen Elizabeth I. Morris’ whimsical and sometimesdistracting production returned to the Metropolitan Opera on Friday night, nearly three years after it first opened.

The action takes place in front of a three-tier amphitheater, with witnesses from various centuries wearing Isaac Mizrahi costumes watching, presumably to point out the timelessness of the story. At times, the audience’s attention wanders to trying to identify the dozens of characters in the chorus , the Met even held a contest when the production was new. Gluck’s opera opened in 1762 and was modern for its times with its interaction of music and dance. It wound up advancing the art form from Handel’s somewhat static works and paved the path for Mozart.

Performed without an intermission in 90 brisk minutes, Gluck portrays the myth of Orfeo descending to the underworld and retrieving his dead wife. Their love is so strong that Amore twice revives Euridice. Soprano Kate Royal sang powerfully and emotionally as Euridice in a winning Met debut, displaying a strong upper register. She earned robust applause for “Che fiero momento (What a proud moment).”

Countertenor David Daniels once

again was the star of the show, reprising his performance as Orfeo. The part was sung by the castrato Gaetano Guadagni at its premiere and also can be sung by a mezzo-soprano , Stephanie Blythe performed it at the Met two years ago.

Slimmed down and looking radiant with sparkles on his clothes and a guitar dangling from his back, Daniels commanded the stage, conveying his pain at not being allowed to look at Euridice. His liquid voice dazzled in “Che faro senza Euridice? (What shall I do without Euridice?)” Lisette Oropesa took over as Amore, the Cupid character who looks rather preppy in a pink polo shirt and tan trousers. The soprano provided energy and charm in her brief scenes.

Australian conductor Anthony Walker made his Met debut, leading a propulsive performance but one that was less frothy than James Levine’s version when the staging was new. Allen Moyer’s circular set was simple yet effective. The 22 dancers choreographed by Morris are captivating. In the most memorable image of the evening, Morris came on stage for curtain calls in a red jacket, pink scarf, white and gray shorts and red socks.

You don’t see that at the opera very often. There are four more performances through May 14.—AP

Kate readies for royal life with heir in mind W

hen Kate returns to north Wales with Prince William next week, she will begin married life with the knowledge that whatever roles she takes on, she has one definite responsibility-producing an heir. “If Kate is not pregnant in the next nine months, she will be defying 200 years of royal tradition,” said Andrew Morton, a biographer of William’s late mother Diana who has just written a book about the newlyweds.

After years of waiting for her prince to propose, the 29-year-old will be expected to move quickly to produce an heir for the second-in-line to the throne, to ensure there is no break in the line of succession. Her predecessors certainly wasted no time-William was born barely 11 months after his mother Diana married his father Prince Charles in 1981.

And Charles himself, the heir to the throne, was born almost exactly a year after his parents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip married in 1947.

Asked about his plans for children in an interview in November to mark his engagement, William said: “I think we’ll take it one step at a time. We’ll sort of get over the marriage first and then maybe look at the kids. “But obviously we want a family, so we’ll have to start thinking about that.” Having postponed their honeymoon, William and Kate spent the weekend at an undisclosed location in Britain before beginning married life on the isle of Anglesey in Wales, where the prince is a helicopter search and rescue pilot. He must serve another two years with the Royal Air Force (RAF) there, ensuring the newlyweds can start married life in rural seclusion. Reports suggest Kate’s public engagements will initially be light-a charity gala in London is expected to be one of only a few events before a tour to Canada from June 30 to July 8, the couple’s first as husband and wife. “The most important thing to remember is that he’s not heir to the

throne,” Paddy Harverson, Prince Charles’ communications secretary, told the BBC. “He’s second in line, and he’s not a fulltime royal, he’s a full-time pilot working a normal job for the RAF search and rescue.” Ever since he started his job in September, William has struck a balance between public engagements and his work-he has not neglected the former but he has worked just as many shifts as his non-royal colleagues. Despite being the new Duchess of Cambridge, Kate must ready herself for the life of a service wife, where her husband works 24-hour shifts and regularly completes dangerous rescue missions.

But she already has some experience, having spent much of the last few months living with him in Anglesey in the same cottage where they are expected to return. After graduating with a degree in art history from St Andrews university in Scotland, where she met her husband, Kate worked as an accessories buyer for a fashion chain and then for her parents’ party supplies company. But her career has been viewed in the media as underwhelming, and she is expected to embrace the charity work that comes with royal life. Palace aides are said to have given her some time to work out exactly what she wants to do. “I really hope I can make a difference, even in the smallest way,” Kate has said. Robert Jobson, who has written a book on the couple, reported in the News of the World yesterday that Kate has told friends she is in no rush to have a baby, saying “one thing at a time-we want to enjoy being together.” Royal historian Hugo Vickers said her duties were clear, however. “If I’m being brutal about it, Catherine’s duty is to make her husband happy and to produce an heir,” he said.

William’s marriage “makes it possible to have another generation of the House of Windsor in direct line to the throne-a boy who will automatically become king or a girl who might be queen”. —AFP

funeral topped royal wedding in US ratings

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lmost 23 million American TV viewers tuned in to watch live coverage of Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton on Friday despite the wedding taking place before dawn in much of the United States. But according to Nielsen ratings data released on Saturday, US TV viewing interest in the British royal nuptials in London was far below that of Princess Diana’s funeral in 1997.

Nielsen said 22.7 million Americans watched live coverage of the royal wedding on 11 US

networks. The US population is about 310 million people.

In comparison, 33.2 million tuned in to watch the funeral of Princess Diana in London in September 1997. Diana, the mother of Prince William, was killed in car crash at the age of 36. The Nielsen figures did not cover the millions more who watched Friday’s wedding ceremony on smaller US networks, nor online, where interest in the couple has rivaled coverage of superstar movie actresses

and pop singers in recent months.

E! Online alone reported a record 23.6 million page views on Friday thanks mostly to its coverage of the London nuptials and live streaming of the royal wedding ceremony.

Worldwide, other estimates put the global television and online audience for the wedding at 2.4 billion people-more than one in three of the global population if the figure is accurate.— Reuters

Cabin crews from Hong Kong Airlines practise Wing Chun, a concept-based Chinese martial art or Kung Fu, during a lesson in Hong Kong Saturday. A Hong Kong airline makes all its cabin crews to take Wing Chun lessons as helping them to build the team spirit and to learn self-defense. —AP

MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

lifestyle

Hyeres

Baltic

festival

Fashion Award

Models present creations by Swiss Emilie Meldem on Saturday at the international festival of fashion and photography in the southern city of Hyeres.

Models present fashion from the collections “Lost and found St Petersburg”

by German designer Isabel Vollrath in the Baltic Sea resort Heringsdorf.

A model presents fashion from the collection “Metropolis” by Polish designer Kamila Gawronska-Kasperska in the Baltic Sea resort Heringsdorf, northeastern Germany. The tenth “Baltic Fashion Award” is to be given during the “Usedom Baltic Fashion” event for fashion collections from countries around the Baltic Sea. —AFP photos

A model presents a creation by Dutch Oda Pausma on Saturday during the 26th edition of the International festival of fashion and photography in the southern city of Hyeres.

Vanessa Kelterborn, a store manager at ABS Clothing Collection Inc, arranges a knockoff design of the royal wedding gown worn by Kate Middleton at her wedding to Britain’s Prince William, in Santa Monica, Calif, Saturday.—AP

Fashion firms

rush to copy the royal gown

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econds after Kate Middleton emerged from her car outside Westminster Abbey in a ball gown with lace sleeves, designers around the US, glued to their TV sets, were sketching her look, setting in motion a mad rush for mass-produced versions that are expected to be in stores as early as late June.

For brides-to-be who can’t wait even four weeks, David’s Bridal, the largest US bridal chain, was already trumpeting a strapless look from Oleg Cassini, paired with a lacey bolero jacket, on its website as an already available stand-in as it scrambled to push out modified knockoffs of the real thing to stores by September. Meanwhile, the television homeshopping channel QVC said shoppers will be able to pre-order earrings inspired by the diamond drops worn by Middleton as early as yesterday night. The piece, which will sell for under $50 and was created by Kenneth Jay Lane, will be available to shoppers in two months.

Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, didn’t break new fashion trends on Friday, but fashion experts say her elegant understated look, which featured a V-neck intricate lace bodice, is expected to bring back a new era of classic wedding dressing that was just starting to re-emerge in designers’ collections.

In particular, her dress should spur a demand for lacey sleeves in all special-occasion wear and reverse the sexy strapless gowns that have been popular for several years. Many experts say that the Middleton’s gown, designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen’s fashion house, even paid homage to what film star Grace Kelly wore on her wed-

In an April 29, 2011 photo, a sketch and a photo of the royal wedding gown worn by Kate Middleton, is shown at Faviana fashion house, in New York. The sketch will be used to create a knockoff design of the popular wedding dress. — AP ding day to the Prince Rainier of Monaco more than 50 years ago.

More importantly, fashion industry experts like Brian Beitler, chief marketing officer of David’s Bridal, believe Middleton could reenergize the wedding industry, which has been hurt by the Great Recession as shoppers focused more on expense-cutting and less on the fairy tale. “I thought it was going to be over the top, but it was more about simplicity and elegance,” said Allen Schwartz, co-owner of A B S, which is known for pumping out copies of celebrity dresses. “This is Grace Kelly

revisited. This is iconic. She will have a huge impact in fashion. She will be the new ‘It’ girl.”

Schwartz, who started sketching as soon as the gown was revealed on TV, said his team arrived at 5:30 am at his Los Angeles showroom, ready to cut the pattern. He unveiled the gown at a charity gala on Friday night and on Saturday, one of his ABS stores in the area was expected to have a sample on display for customers. The gowns, which will be produced in local factories, should be in department stores by late June.

They will retail for $900. “Every bride wants

to look like her,” said Shala Moradi, lead designer for family-owned Faviana, a special occasion and wedding dress design company based in New York. “This is going to be the No 1 dress for the bridal line.” Faviana is expected to finish a prototype by yesterday and will either send the sample to one of its factories in China or have it made domestically. The company’s version will be in stores within the next eight to 10 weeks. Already, she said, a number of department stores have been calling about when they would receive shipments. Pumping out celebrity-inspired dresses isn’t new for companies like A B S, David’s Bridal or Faviana. They’re used to producing similar versions on tight deadlines of dresses spotlighted at the Oscars or the Emmys. But many say the pressure is much more intense given the enormous interest in the princess and her influence on fashion so far.

Hat companies like Serendipity Tiara have credited Middleton for helping to popularize the fascinator, a feathered hat worn perched on the side of the head. QVC reported it has sold 54,000 units of an affordable copy of Middleton’s sapphire ring since her engagement last November. It’s priced at just under $40. Technology has helped speed up the design process. Peter Brown, vice chairman of retail consulting firm Kurt Salmon, says it takes only about 12 hours from design to prototype because everything is digitized and people can communicate through email. Thirty years ago, when companies rushed to copy Princess Diana’s dress, it took a couple of weeks.

Designers can also instantaneously pull up photos of Middleton’s dress on their iPads,

enabling them to get a closer look of the details. That’s how Moradi’s son Omid, who is also a principal of Faviana, was able to see the details of the gown’s Chantilly lace. By 9:30 am Friday, the team was at a local lace supplier buying similar lace. Fashion companies interviewed said they’re not exactly copying every detail of Middleton’s gown, but taking elements of the design to make it more wearable, and of course more affordable.

Clearly, Middleton’s dress, which had a 9foot (2.7-meter)-train, compared to the late Princess Diana’s 25-foot (7.6-meter) train, is more easily interpreted for the masses.

Moderate-priced fashion companies are using polyester-based satin instead of the more expensive Duchess satin. But for the rest of the details, each company has a different take, though they are embracing the overall silhouette and the long lace sleeves. Shala Moradi said she would cut the train down to 3 feet (90 centimeters) and have no lace on the skirt to control the price. She will also modify the bustle in the back to slenderize the bride. The gown is expected to sell for anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000.

David’s Bridal’s design director Dan Rentillo said that the train would be trimmed some 2 feet (60 centimeters) to about 86 inches (2.1 meters), and it won’t feature as much lace on the skirt of the gown. The dress will be priced for under $1,000, he said. A B S’ Schwartz said that his version of the gown would have a mermaid train of about 4 feet (1.2 meters). He’s also trimming the bustle in the back. “I’m cleaning it up,” Schwartz said, “and putting my own spin.”—AP

‘Kathakali’ dazzles art lovers

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MONDAY, MAY 2, 2011

Residents look at sand sculptures at the Fulung beach in New Taipei City yesterday. There are 41 artists from eight countries taking part in this one month sand sculpture exhibition. A total of 4,500-ton of sand were used for sixteen pieces of sand works. —AFP

Nivea cream marks 100th birthday, wrinkle-free W

ith its distinctive smell, texture and iconic blue pot, Nivea cream turns 100 this year as a brand found in bathrooms in 200 countries that is nonetheless battling to keep up with copycat products. In 1911, a German named Oscar Troplowitz, head of pharmaceutical firm Beiersdorf, pioneered the use of the oil-in-water emulsifier “Eucerit” that proved to be an instant hit because it did not go rancid like its competitors.

He then added extract of orange, bergamot, lavender, rose, lilac and a touch of lily and christened his new invention “Nivea”, a name taken from the Latin word “niveus”, meaning snow-white.

The new cosmetic proved popular among the well-to-do but quickly took hold with the masses as well, to the point where today it is sold in more than 200 countries, with the most blue pots bought in the United Arab Emirates.

Last year, Beiersdorf sold 100 million pots. “Everyone has a blue pot at home,” said Anne Zavan, marketing director at Beiersdorf in France. It is the “mother of the brand,” said Jean WatinAugouard, an expert in branding.

“Nivea is a must-have.” Experts put its success down to a multitude of factors, chief among which is that it is seen as inexpensive for its quality. But unlike the cream, the road to success has not always been smooth for Beiersdorf. During the Nazi era, authorities classified Beiersdorf as a “Jewish enterprise” and its products were boycotted.

After World War II, the Allies seized its foreign subsidiaries as war reparations. It was not until the 1990s that it fully regained the trademarks over its wide variety of brands. Ironically, this has

actually helped the brand’s reputation, said Watin-Augouard. “In every country it is sold, people have the feeling that it is a native brand, a national treasure,” he told AFP. Another secret of the brand’s longevity has been its ability to adapt and transform itself into other products, said Danielle Rapoport, a consumer affairs expert.

Nivea has given its name to 14 other sub-categories, from deodorant to shower gel to suncream. “It was able to transfer its proven track record to other products,” said Watin-Augouard.

But this did not work when it came to branching out into the ultra competitive world of makeup. The Nivea brand was launched in 1997 but simply did not take off and is being gradual-

ly phased out.

“Nivea came up against pharmaceutical giants like L’Oreal and Bourgeois. It stepped out of its comfort zone, skin-care,” said Watin-Augouard. Times are tough for Nivea and its parent group Beiersdorf amid falling demand for cosmetics generally. The group’s net profit fell by 14 percent in 2010 owing to restructuring costs. It expects flat sales this year. Over the past year, Beiersdorf’s stock has risen a mere 1.84 percent, while the DAX-30 index of leading German shares has soared nearly 23 percent over the same period.

On Thursday, Beiersdorf announced it was discontinuing cosmetics production at its plant in Baden-Baden which employed 390 people. And the beloved

blue pot of Nivea cream-manufactured mainly in Hamburg in northern Germany but also in Asia and South America-makes up less and less of the brand’s bottom line, admitted Zavan.

Beiersdorf is now one of Germany’s biggest conglomerates, producing a huge range of products from cosmetics to adhesive tape. And Watin-Augouard put the cream’s contribution to the Nivea brand at “less than 10 percent of the total brand turnover.”— AFP

Mariah Carey gives birth to twins T

he 42-year-old singer and her husband Nick Cannon welcomed their first children into the world at 12.07pm Saturday - their third wedding anniversary - with their daughter arriving first, weighing 5lb 3oz, and her 5lb 6oz brother arriving shortly afterwards. Nick later tweeted his excitement about the new arrivals, whose names have not yet been released. He posted: “My wife just gave me the most incredible anniversary gift ever in life! I won’t ever be able to top this!” Mariah’s spokesperson Cindy Berger - who revealed the couple listened to the singer’s hit ‘We Belong Together’ as the babies arrived - said the star is doing “really well” and was completely calm throughout her labour - unlike Nick, who struggled to find his way to the maternity unit at the undisclosed Los Angeles hospital where his wife gave birth. Cindy said: “Nick was very nervous and Mariah was completely calm. Mariah thought it was another false labour and Nick was driving her to the hospital and she very calm and the music was blasting. “When they walked into the hospital, Nick was going the wrong way and they nurse redirected them to go the maternity ward, and I said to her, ‘That’s right out of ‘I Love Lucy’,’ and she laughed.”— Bang Showbiz

Picture taken on January 11, 2011 shows beauty products on display in a Nivea shop in Berlin. —AFP