8 May

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

‘Qaeda’ cleric Awlaqi escapes drone attack

Osama ‘may have lived in Pakistan for over 7 years’

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www.kuwaittimes.net

JAMADI ALTHANI 5, 1432 AH

Man City rocked by 2-1 loss at Everton

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Syrian forces rain gunfire on Banias

Max 39 Min 27 Low Tide 08:12 & 20:59 High Tide 03:22 & 13:20

Deadly raid on hotbed city; 3 women shot dead ‘Kafeel bill’ ready

By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The long-awaited legislation for the establishment of a state authority overseeing employment sponsorship issues is ready to be submitted to the National Assembly (parliament) for approval, said the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor yesterday. The minister, Mohammad Al-Afasi, said that he had not submitted the draft legislation to the parliament previously because, prior to the government’s mass resignation, he had been taken ill unexpectedly and had had to travel to London for medical treatment.

Passing this legislation “is a legal requirement and there is no choice about it, as stipulated in Law number 6 of 2010,” Al-Afasi stated, adding, “there should be an authority that’s responsible for this issue.” The organizational structure for such a body is already in place, said the minister, adding that there are plans in place already to implement the legislation as soon as it is approved.

Asked whether he had been offered the post of Deputy Premier for Legal Affairs in the next cabinet, Al-Afasi said, “Let’s wait for the decree [officially announcing the new cabinet lineup] to be issued so everyone will know where he stands.”

The minister added that it’s to be hoped that the new cabinet will include those who work to fulfill the ambitions of the country and its people.

Bahrain casts net for loyalty oaths online

MANAMA: A Bahraini man assists a man signing a book pledging loyalty to the ruling Al Khalifa family in the country’s main upscale shopping mall in Manama. — AP DUBAI: While Bahrain’s justice minister was making the latest accusations against alleged enemies of the state this time medical staff - other officials were busy organizing a patriotic blitz that encourages pledges of loyalty on Facebook and Twitter. These are the parallel worlds of one of Washington’s linchpin military allies in the Gulf. On one side is a grinding campaign to break the spirits of Shiite-led opponents whose pro-reform uprising was smothered by martial law.

On the other: An expanding PR offensive to portray the Sunni monarchy as firmly in charge, and Bahrain as a firewall against Iranian influence in the nation that hosts the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Bahrain’s current spin shifting from state media to the web - could appear as just more boosterism in a region where rulers are constantly bathed in state-sponsored praise. But there is a distinct undercurrent in the island kingdom: pumping up its own rhetoric to match Iran’s increasing barrage of criticism.

It serves as further recognition that Bahrain’s crisis doubles as a window into the region’s collective phobias - the mutual mistrust of Sunni Arab leaders and Shiite powerhouse Iran - as America effectively watches from the sidelines. “So many of the Gulf’s big issues are squeezed into this one tiny country,” said Shadi Hamid, director of research at The Brookings Doha Center in Qatar. Iran has relentlessly assailed Bahrain’s rulers for crackdowns against the country’s Shiite majority, which comprises 70 percent of the population but is denied key roles in government or security affairs.

Tehran’s statements took on an even harder edge after Bahrain’s monarchy declared military rule and was aided in March by a Gulf force dominated by Iran’s regional rival, Saudi Arabia. The Gulf Arab sheikhs and monarchs view Bahrain as a domino that cannot fall.

Any gains by Bahrain’s Shiites, in their minds, equates to a potential opening for greater Iranian footholds on Saudi Arabia’s doorstep.

Continued on Page 14

ABU DHABI: (From left to right) Gulf Cooperation Council secretary general Abdul Latif Al-Zayyani, Emirati Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Al-Tayer, Bahraini Finance Minister Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Emirati Finance and Industry Minister Hamdan bin Rashed Al-Maktoum, Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Qatari Finance Minister Yussef Hussein Kamal, Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa al-Shamali and secretary general of Oman’s finance ministry Darwish bin Ismail AlBalushi pose for a group picture during a meeting of finance ministers of oil-producing Gulf Cooperation Council monarchies yesterday. — AFP

GCC eyes customs union ABU DHABI: Gulf Arab countries plan to resolve all outstanding issues about their customs union over the next three years in order to have it fully operational by 2015, a top United Arab Emirates official said yesterday. “What we have agreed upon, that in the next three years, meaning 2011 to 2014, we should complete all the pending issues in regard to the customs union,” UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid Al-Tayer told a news conference.

“We hope...it becomes effective January 1, 2015,” he said after a Gulf finance ministers’ meeting in the United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi. The intro-

duction of the customs union in 2003 had been hailed by officials as a major achievement countering criticism that the Gulf Arab bloc would be unable to realize economic integration in the world’s top oil exporting region.

But differences have delayed an agreement on how to introduce a permanent system to distribute customs receipts among six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which besides the UAE also includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. In March, a top GCC official said the pending issues need to be resolved to reach a final deal on the Continued on Page 14

DAMASCUS: Syrian forces rained gunfire on Banias yesterday as they pushed ahead with an assault on the restive port and killed at least three protesters, activists said, as President Bashar Al-Assad’s opponents called for elections to end the crisis. Activists said dozens of tanks and armored vehicles entered Banias, on the Mediterranean coast, from three directions as electricity and communications were cut. Tanks also encircled the nearby town of Baida.

Residents of Banias formed human chains in a desperate bid to halt the military operation when it began around dawn, said activists reached by telephone from Nicosia. Heavy gunfire was heard in four neighborhoods, including the south of Banias, a seaside sector where most of the protesters live, while naval boats patrolled offshore, a witness and an activist said. “There are dead and wounded but we don’t know how many yet,” one source said.

Witnesses also reported that people took to the streets after calls for jihad (holy war) were launched from the minarets of mosques. A rights activist said security forces killed three women who were among around 150 people demonstrating on a road outside Banias calling for the release of dozens of people who had been arrested. “Members of the security forces asked them to leave and, when they refused to do so, they opened fire killing three of them and wounding five others who were hospitalized,” the activist said.

The military confirmed it conducted an operation in Banias. “Army units and security forces today pursued members of terrorist groups in and around Banias and neighborhoods of (the southern flashpoint town of ) Daraa to restore security and stability,” a military official said. “They arrested people and seized a quantity of weapons that these groups have used to attack the army and citizens and scare people.”

Meanwhile, an Internet-based Syrian opposition group suggested that the embattled president hold elections within six months in order to bring an end to the crisis that has engulfed his country for more than seven weeks. The Syrian Revolution 2011, a Facebook group that has been a motor of the protests, urged Assad to “stop shooting at demonstrators, allow peaceful demonstrations... release all political prisoners, allow political pluralism and free elections in six months.” “You will be the pride of contemporary Syria if you can transform Syria from a dictatorship into a democracy,” the group said in an Internet statement. Analysts said the offer comes as protests have failed to reach the level of a full-blown revolution.

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Saudi bars Libyan rebel FM from using airspace Troops destroy Misrata fuel tanks CAIRO: The acting foreign minister of Libya’s rebel government cancelled a trip to Qatar yesterday after Saudi Arabia refused to allow his plane to use its airspace, Cairo airport officials said. The officials said Ali Al-Isawi’s plane stopped in Cairo to refuel on its way from Rome when Saudi Arabia informed the crew that they would not be allowed to fly through its airspace.

Isawi returned to Benghazi, the rebel’s stronghold in eastern Libya, after waiting several hours in Cairo, they said. They did not explain why Saudi Arabia barred the plane. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are the only Arab countries that joined a NATO coalition in enforcing a UN sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya after

leader Muammar Gaddafi appeared poised to win back rebel controlled territories.

Meanwhile, Libyan government forces bombed large fuel storage tanks in the contested western city of Misrata, destroying the tanks and sparking a huge fire, rebels said yesterday. The bombardment came as artillery rounds fired by forces loyal to Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi fell in Tunisia in an escalation of fighting near the border between Libyan soldiers and anti-Gaddafi rebels.

Misrata is the last remaining city in the west under rebel control. The port city has been under siege for more than two months and has witnessed some of the Continued on Page 14

MISRATA: In this amateur video, a main fuel depot goes up in flames, in Misrata yesterday. — AP

KUWAIT: A number of MPs, Islamists and Kuwaitis gathered in Mubarak AlKabeer area to condemn an ‘insulting’ graffiti against the mother of believers, Aisha and Caliph Omar Ibnul Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them). — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Saudi reformers on trial after four-year detention DUBAI: Sixteen reform activists have been put on trial in Saudi Arabia on security and sedition charges after more than four years in detention, their lawyer said yesterday. The group of lawyers, professors, and activists were mostly detained in 2007 after they met in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah to discuss reform in the conservative Muslim kingdom, their lawyer Bassim Alim said by telephone from Jeddah.

The men were then held without charge for four years and interrogated without their lawyers, said Alim. They had now been charged with attempting to seize power, incitement against the king, financing terrorism, electronic crimes, money laundering and trying to set up a party in the country where polit-

ical groupings are banned, among other offences, Alim said.

Saudi Arabia, a major US ally and the world’s top oil exporter, is an absolute monarchy that does not tolerate any form of dissent. A justice ministry spokesman was not immediately available for comment. “Interrogations were done in secret. Lawyers were not allowed in. This is in violation of Saudi criminal procedures,” said Alim, the only lawyer allowed access to the hearing, adding that lawyers would present their cases this week.

A verdict is expected within six weeks, Alim said. The hearings took place in a villa outside Jeddah, guarded by security police in civilian clothes.

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SANAA: Supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh sit atop of poles holding his poster and waving their national flag, during a rally in his support. — AP

US releases seized bin Laden videos WASHINGTON: The United States yesterday released several videos seized during the Osama bin Laden raid, part of what US officials said was the largest trove of terrorism material ever collected. A senior intelligence official told reporters the material showed bin Laden had remained a key leader in Al-Qaeda before he was killed

by US commandos, and had overseen both strategy and operations from his secret compound in Pakistan. “He was far from a figurehead, he was an active player,” the official told a briefing at the Pentagon.

The large collection included digital, audio and video files, printed material, computer equipment, recording devices and handwritten documents, he said. “As a result of the raid, we have acquired the single largest collection of senior terrorist materials ever,” the official said. The official said the materials were already “proving valuable,” and that “we are disseminating intelligence across the US government based on what we found.”

Five videos-with the audio removed-were made public including an extraordinary one in which the AlQaeda chief is seen holding a remote and sitting with a blanket over him, watching images of himself on television in a spare-looking room. In that video, Bin Laden has a gray beard, but in other videos that were apparently meant for distribution as propaganda, his beard looks dyed black as he reads from a text.

“You can see that in this video Bin Laden has not colored or trimmed his beard, suggesting this practice is one he reserved for films he planned to distribute,” the official said as the videos were shown to reporters. “You can also see him gesturing to the person recording him, to focus on the image on television of Bin Laden firing a

Osama bin Laden is shown speaking in this undated image taken from video provided by the US Department of Defense and released yesterday. The videos show bin Laden watching himself on television and rehearsing for terrorist videos. — AP rifle,” he said. Another video is styled as a “message to the American people” and is believed to have been recorded in October or November, the official said. “This clearly was an Al-Qaeda leader who was very interested in his own image,” the official said. He “jealously guarded his image.”

The videos were seized during the daring raid last Sunday-Monday that killed bin Laden and ended the most elaborate manhunt in history. The tracking of the Al-Qaeda chief and the raid, in which more than 20 US Navy SEALs swooped on bin Laden’s residence in Abbottabad and shot him dead, represented an intelligence coup on a historic scale, the official said. “This is the greatest intelligence success perhaps of a generation,” the official said. — AFP

Saudi reformers on trial after...

Continued from Page 1 A soldier in a van told a reporter no one was allowed to enter. “This trial is invalid because its procedures violate regulations,” said Ahmad Al-Rashed, another Saudi lawyer. Activists say thousands are held in Saudi prisons without charge or access to lawyers despite a law that limits detention without trial to six months.

Last month, a group of Saudi activists posted a 10-

minute YouTube video protesting against the group’s imprisonment, attracting over 9,000 hits in less than 24 hours. Online activists called for a mass day of protest on March 11. Almost no one took part after Saudi security turned out in force and religious authorities issued an edict banning protests. A Human Rights Watch report in April said Saudi Arabia had arrested more than 160 activists since February. Activists say the arrests continue. — Reuters

Bahrain casts net for loyalty...

Continued from Page 1 And Gulf leaders have set aside their traditional opaque and meandering political discourses to make their point, warning Iran to stop “meddling.”

Last week in Abu Dhabi, Gulf interior ministers called Iran “provocative and irresponsible” after a senior military commander said the Gulf has always belonged to Iran. On Thursday, Bahrain’s chamber of commerce urged traders to shed Iranian investments and start a buy-Bahrain drive. “This patriotic duty is dictated by our conscience, allegiance to the leadership and loyalty to Bahrain,’ the group said. Such sound bites are becoming part of the new Gulf phrase book as rulers try to portray confidence during increasingly uncertain times.

Bahrain’s propaganda machine is revving the fastest by necessity. The uprising that began in February has left at least 30 people dead and carved up the tiny country along Sunni and Shiite lines - with divisions seeming to deepen as authorities shift into an us-orthem mode. Just moments after a closed-door security court issued four death sentences on April 28 for the slayings of two policemen, state authorities sent journalists the web links to two government-produced videos on the case that were posted on YouTube.

The attackers were described as “traitors” and “beasts without any mercy,” with no mention of the harsh measures used by security forces, including firing on crowds and widespread arrests. The UN’s top rights official, Navi Pillay, Thursday called for an independent probe into violence by Bahraini police and military against protests. But authorities are moving in a different direction, encouraging their backers to show support for their rule and actions. So-called “loyalty books” have been placed around the country for signatures and comments.

This week, a separate online campaign was launched called “We Are All Hamad” - a reference to Bahrain’s king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. It asks people to add portraits of the king on their social media pages and post messages on Facebook, Twitter and other sites to prove Bahrainis are “united in love and loyalty to their nation and its wise leadership.” Maysa Yussef, a supporter quoted by the state-run Bahrain News Agency, claimed more than 10,000 people had already posted photos of King Hamad before the start of the weeklong campaign, which ends Monday. It’s impossible to verify any figures on the campaign. But clearly some backers of the Bahrain’s monarchy heeded the call.

“Thank God Bahrain is back on track,” wrote one post.

GCC eyes customs union Continued from Page 1

Saudi bars Libyan rebel FM from using...

Continued from Page 1 war’s fiercest fighting between loyalists and rebels.

Rebels gave varying accounts of the Misrata bombardment but said the overnight attack, which hit fuel used for export as well as domestic consumption, came as a blow to their ability to withstand the siege.

“Four (fuel) tanks were totally destroyed and a huge fire erupted which spread now to the other four. We cannot extinguish it because we do not have the right tools,” rebel spokesman Ahmed Hassan told Reuters.

“Now the city will face a major problem. Those were the only sources of fuel for the city. These tanks could have kept the city for three months with enough fuel,” he said by telephone. Hassan said government forces used small planes normally used to spray pesticides for the overnight attack in Qasr Ahmed. He later told AlJazeera television that three helicopters bearing Red Crescent insignia conducted the attack.

Another rebel spokesman, who gave his name as Abdelsalam, said a government helicopter conducted a reconnaissance mission over the port and two hours later at around midnight local time government forces fired rockets that hit three fuel tanks belonging to the Brega Oil Company. Footage of the incident posted on YouTube by Libyan students in Misrata showed firefighters turning water hoses on a raging fire in a vain attempt to extinguish it. Rebels notified NATO about the planes before the attack but there was no response, Hassan said. Government forces last month flew at least one helicopter reconnaissance mission over Misrata, according to rebels.

Fighting has intensified in Libya’s Western Mountains region as Gaddafi loyalists and rebels, backed by NATO bombing, reached stalemate on other fronts in the civil war. Government forces surrounding the rebel-held

town of Zintan fired 300 rockets into the town on Saturday, said rebel spokesman Abdulrahman AlZintani, who gave no details of casualties in Zintan, which is largely empty of civilians. “NATO aircraft can be heard but there have been no air strikes,” Al-Zintani said.

In the Tunisian frontier town of Dehiba, schools were evacuated and residents scurried for safety as close to 100 mortars and missiles fell. The crackle of small arms fire as well as larger weapons could also be heard about 4 km inside Libya, a Reuters witness on the border said.

“We are very afraid. The missiles are falling right around us, we don’t know what to do,” said Tunisian Mohammed Naguez, a resident of Dehiba. “Our children are afraid. The Tunisian authorities have to stop this.” The town has been hit repeatedly by stray shells in recent weeks as the Libyan rivals fight for control of a nearby border crossing but the government on Saturday denied it targeted Tunisian soil deliberately. “We said this (shelling) was an error and we have apologized that this took place and have asked the military forces to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi told a news conference in Tripoli.

The battle is for control of the Dehiba-Wazzin border crossing, which gives the rebels a road from the outside world into strongholds in the Western Mountains region where they are fighting to end Gaddafi’s rule of more than four decades. Although the rebels hold the Dehiba-Wazzin border point, Gaddafi’s forces are in charge of a far bigger one to the north. Most of the people in the Western Mountains belong to the Berber ethnic group and are distinct from other Libyans. They rose up two months ago and say towns such as Zintan and Yafran are under repeated bombardment from Gaddafi’s forces, running short of food, water and medicine. — Agencies

Another wrote: “May the force be with you, King Hamad.” Bahrain’s foreign minister, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, added on his Twitter page: “Yes we can!” Jamal Fakhro, a state-appointed member of Bahrain’s parliament, said such pledges of loyalty hold great value in the tribal-based Gulf societies, particularly when a country “is going through a difficult time.” “Many people want to say they are against those calling for the regime change,” Fakhro said. “They have a voice, too, but rather than shouting their support on the streets they write it down.” But others see another potentially damaging blows to Bahrain’s fragile unity.

The state is increasingly trying to “enforce the official narrative” of the unrest, said Jane Kinninmont, a Gulf specialist at the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit. “There are only two positions to have in Bahrain now,” Kinninmont said. “It’s very much an ‘either you are with us or against us’ campaign.” On Tuesday, Bahrain’s justice minister, Khaled bin Ali Al Khalifa, said 23 doctors and 24 nurses would be the next to face charges that include attempts to topple the monarchy. Authorities also claim that Bahrain’s main state-run hospital, the Salmaniya Medical Complex, was turned into a base of operations for “saboteurs who sought to spread chaos, cause disruptions and trouble and create sedition.”

Bit by bit, meanwhile, officials are erasing symbols of the uprising. Some Shiite mosques have been bulldozed for apparently being built without permits. The main opposition paper, Al Wasat, will be forced to shut down next week and three of its former top editors are scheduled to on trial May 19. Cranes have toppled the towering monument in Pearl Square, the center of the protest in the capital Manama, and renamed the site the GCC Roundabout after the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which supported Bahrain’s embattled monarchy by sending in 1,500 troops.

“The rule that state’s might makes it right is still operative in Bahrain,” said Ehsan Ahrari, an analyst and commentator on regional affairs based in Alexandria, Virginia. US officials have struggled with this. They have stepped up criticism of Bahrain’s crackdowns, but are wary of pressing too hard. The 5th Fleet is the Pentagon’s main counterweight to Iran’s expanding military, and the Gulf leaders’ shared fears about Iran are a cornerstone of US policies in the region - even though there is little concern evidence of ties between Bahrain’s Shiites and Tehran. Earlier this week, State Department spokesman Mark Toner cautioned Bahrain on its tactics, saying: “There’s no security solution to resolve the challenges that Bahrain faces.” — AP

customs union in line with an agreed timetable this year. Customs duties were unified in 2003 at five percent and a common market in the Gulf, which seeks to emulate European economic integration, requires customs barriers to be removed.

Last year, GCC officials said the UAE, the region’s trade hub and the second-largest Arab economy, was unhappy with a quota of receipts proposed by the sec-

retariat but some said that a bigger issue would be to scrap red tape at border crossings.

Trucks transporting goods had been held up for days mainly at the border between Saudi Arabia and the UAE last year, casting doubts about the efficiency of the customs union plan. GCC officials see the current customs system as temporary as it is expensive to run. Tariffs are collected at the first entry point and the revenue is shared according to a final destination of the product.— Reuters

Syrian forces rain gunfire on Banias Continued from Page 1 “This statement shows that the flame is flickering. We have not reached the level of a (real) popular revolution, and there is no agreement so far on the means necessary to change things,” a Syrian human rights group chief said. The Facebook group had called for Friday’s “Day of Defiance” protests, which saw tens of thousands of people take to the streets calling for democratic reforms.

Rights groups said 26 protesters were shot dead by security forces on Friday while the military said 10 soldiers and policemen were killed in Homs by “armed terrorist groups.” Residents had expected the army to attack Banias and reported seeing dozens of armored vehicles, including tanks and troops reinforcements, deployed on the outskirts of the coastal city earlier this week. “It looks like they are preparing to attack the town, like they did in Daraa,” one activist said.

The army locked down Daraa for 10 days until they began pulling out on Thursday. Dozens of people were killed during the operation in Daraa, the epicenter of protests which erupted March 15 in Syria. General Riad Haddad, the military’s political department chief, said troops in Daraa “did not confront the protesters.” The army had entered Daraa at the request of residents to

help rid them of “armed gangs” responsible for a spate of killings and vandalism.

Human rights groups say more than 600 people have been killed and 8,000 jailed or gone missing in the crackdown on protesters since demonstrations erupted in mid-March. The Committee of the Martyrs of the 15 March Revolution, which has been keeping a tally of the dead, puts the death toll at 708.

The United States warned it would take “additional steps” against Syria if it continues its brutal crackdown on protesters, a week after imposing tough sanctions on the Arab nation. It also welcomed the European Union’s decision to impose sanctions on Syrian officials “responsible for human rights abuses.” The EU on Friday agreed to impose sanctions on 13 Syrian officials involved in the regime’s brutal crackdown on protests and will meet Monday to discuss whether to target Assad as well, diplomats said.

Meanwhile Human Rights Watch called on the UN General Assembly to strongly reject Syria’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council. “Syria’s candidacy is an affront to all those facing its brutal repression, and to human rights supporters everywhere, and should be decisively rejected,” said Peggy Hicks, global advocacy director at HRW. New members to the UN Human Rights Council are to be elected on May 20. — AFP

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SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

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local KUWAIT DIGEST

IOM presence in Kuwait

By Fawziya Al-Sabah

F

ollowing a cooperation agreement signed with the Kuwaiti government in 1994, the International Organization for Migration(IOM) office in Kuwait has carried out several commendable programs and activities, including providing urgent help to workers seeking to return home, especially victims of human trafficking.

The IOM office has also been successful in providing training to state employees by cooperating with several ministries such as the Interior and Social Affairs and Labor ministries, as well as human right organizations in Kuwait.

Through an elite group of employees, the IOM office in Kuwait has helped finalize travel procedures for hundreds of Asian workers who have violated residency regulations. Furthermore, it has held several workshops in cooperation with state departments to reinforce expatriate laborer management in the country.

While the Kuwaiti government has never hesitated to provide assistance whenever the IOM office needed it, I hope that it provides the office with even more support, especially since the IOM aims to turn its office in Kuwait into a regional hub that represents them in the Gulf region.

This move is being taken on the basis that Kuwait is the most democratically advanced state among other Gulf countries. Furthermore, Kuwait has always provided humanitarian aid to other countries, such as the incident in which the IOM office delivered aid from Kuwait to south Iraq.

As a human rights activist, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to the Head of IOM office in Kuwait activist Iman Uraiqat, for tirelessly helping others. — Al-Rai

MOI: No cooperation with ‘Bin Laden tribute’ calls Security tightened at mosques KUWAIT: Security personnel were put on high alert on Friday and stationed at a number of local mosques where rumors had suggested that citizens were planning to perform funeral prayers in tribute to the late Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. According to a security source, however, no citizens complied with the calls issued by a Kuwaiti Islamist activist online and in text messages to attend any memorial services eulogizing Bin Laden, and no suspicious activities were detected at any local mosques.

The activist, Mubarak Al-Bathali, has also invited the public to attend a “funeral prayer in tribute to Bin Laden’s soul” which he plans to hold at Sabhan Cemetery on Monday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the security insider indicated that the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs (MAIA) are coordinating closely to ensure that no imams at local mosques mention Bin Laden’s death in their khutba sermons.

The same source stressed that Kuwait has no Al-Qaeda members on its soil, although the interior ministry is closely monitoring the movements of around 350 individuals suspected of extremist ideology.

Staff at the country’s mosques have been instructed to prevent anyone from delivering unauthorized sermons following prayers, the security insider added.

With controversy still surrounding Bin Laden’s death, meanwhile, two Kuwaiti Islamist activists offered conflicting opinions regarding the Al Qaeda founder’s ideology.

One of the two was keen to highlight the differences between Bin Laden’s philosophy and “Islam’s peaceful approach”, whilst the other drew a clear connection between Al Qaeda’s call to fight the West and “Islam’s eternal call for jihad.”

“Jihad has been authorized in Islam to achieve certain goals, such as fighting a non-Muslim form of aggression,” said Dr. Wael Al-Hasawi, the dean of Kuwait University’s College of Technical Studies. In a recent interview broadcast by Al-Rai TV, Dr. Al-Hasawi insisted that by killing civilians, Bin Laden’s methods cannot be classified as jihad. “While his approach is based on fighting what he believes to be the American domination of Muslim states, Bin Laden ignores the fact that US troops were sent to the region based on mutual agreements with is countries, such as during the US-led war to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion,” Dr. Hasawi asserted.

Whilst he stressed that “attacks in which thousands of innocent civilians are killed contradict the basic meaning of Jihad”, Dr. Al-Hasawi noted that the Sept 11 attacks have given the United States an opportunity to launch destructive wars against two Muslim countries during which thousands of Muslims have died. On Al-Qaeda’s ideological justification for its actions, he was firm, however, insisting, “Al Qaeda’s approach is deviant [from Islamic law]; jihad cannot be waged against non-Muslims with whom Muslims have pacts.”

The distinguished academic added that even if Bin Laden’s intentions were noble - to liberate Muslim communities from an alleged Western injustice - his approach was damaging to Islam and in direct contradiction of the religion’s teachings. Dr. Hasawi voiced support for what he referred to as “peaceful jihad,” proselytizing to nonMuslims and teaching them about Islam through dialogue and other peaceful means, which he called “the true form of jihad.”

Others, however, disagree with this viewpoint, insisting that Bin Laden’s ideology is consistent with the form of Sharia (Islamic law) laid down by God. Fuhaid AlHailem, the Secretary of the Islamic Salafi Movement, was adamant that the Al-Qaeda founder’s death would not mean an end to jihad “because jihad will continue until Judgment Day as the call of God to his followers.”

Also interviewed on Al-Rai TV, Al-Hailem argued that there are insufficient reasons to label Bin Laden’s approach as being terrorist in nature, although he voiced opposition to killing innocent civilians.

“Once regarded as a hero after defeating the Soviets, Bin Laden continued a 30-year course of jihad whilst being labeled as a terrorist from the American standpoint, which regards the act of defending one’s land as an act of terrorism,” Al-Hailem asserted. The political activist voiced support for both the “jihadist idea of driving the

colonialists out of Muslim lands” and the peaceful form of jihad through proselytizing recommended by Dr. AlHasawi, but said that the academic’s approach should not be used to negate “Muslims’ right to fight for their causes.”

Al-Hailem’s viewpoint has not found widespread support, however, with speakers at a recent seminar held by the Islamic Heritage Revival Society entitled ‘Islam’s Message of Tolerance is Always Overlooked by Extremists’ condemning Bin Laden’s ideological viewpoint.

“The Salafi Movement does not call for murdering innocent civilians or fighting [those they regard as infidels],” said religious scholar Sheikh Faisal Qazzar.

Wahhabism was established to help protect societies from moral and ideological corruption, Sheikh Qazzar went on, emphasizing that this “does not include killing people based on their religious beliefs.”

The British Ambassador to Kuwait Frank Baker, meanwhile, called Bin Laden’s death “a positive and significant step towards eradicating terrorism,” expressing hope that all members of organizations which support global terrorism would be eliminated.

Ambassador Baker was speaking whilst attending a graduation ceremony held by the English School in Fahaheel when reporters raised the subjects of the former Al-Qaeda leader’s death.

“Bin Laden’s death is a great loss to Al Qaeda, which will cause a weakening of its ideological perspective which is based on killing”, he said, asserting that “the world has become a better place” with the late Al-Qaeda chief’s death.

Ambassador Baker asserted, however, that Al-Qaeda remains a threat following its leader’s death, saying, “Bin Laden was one of many terrorists who must be brought to justice so that the world can achieve peace and freedom.” — Agencies

Diving team frees marine species

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Diving Team removed fishing nets that were tangled undersea, located seven kilometers south east of Al-Khairan. It posed a serious threat to both sailors as well as the marine creatures. During the operation, Kuwaiti divers freed several creatures that were trapped in the nets, with some still alive, in addition to freeing coral reefs. Meanwhile, the diving team urged fishermen to avoid fishing in restricted zones, and to avoid disposing of nets.

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SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

local kuwait digest

Fingertip technology!

French- Kuwait conference highlights advanced treatment methods Experts hold presentations on latest breakthroughs

By Nawara Fattahova

By Mohammed Rashed

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hile driving peacefully, one may suddenly notice another driver steering his car towards yours, as if the two vehicles are about to embrace each other. With pessimistic thoughts about the possibility of the driver at the other vehicle’s helm slipping into deep coma, you can do little else but honk nervously to warn him only to learn that he or she was too busy keying in some mobile phone buttons.

Believe me, this is not a scene from a soap opera that will be telecast during next Ramadan. It is another daily happening seen across streets when such drivers miss out on an SMS message, e-mail even at the expense of other road users.

Some of my friends who had experienced neardeath crashes have said that they were toying with mobile phones. This proves that we, Arabs, surely misuse technology. Otherwise, how would one justify our excessive use of new services all the time? It is unreasonable that we let modern mobile phones control our lives that much. Some of us have become mobile phone addicts who cannot part with it at any time anywhere.

The most dangerous part is children becoming addicts to mobile phones even though modern scientific researches have proven that the use of mobiles for a few minutes by children might reduce their brain activity for approximately an hour. These studies have showed that children’s brain activity lessens within the next 50 minutes.

A neurologist at Oxford University warned that children are the most susceptible to using mobile phones. This is because their neurological systems are still immature.

In short, with people taking to the fast lane, life has become finger-controlled; be it in streets, hospitals, work or at diwaniyas. Everyone’s eyes are glued to mobile phone screens. I wonder what they are doing or looking at? — Aljarida

KUWAIT: The Dasman Diabetes Institute is currently hosting the FrenchKuwait Research Conference on Diabetes and Cancer in cooperation with the French Embassy in Kuwait and the Institut de Cancrologie Gustave Roussy at its premises on May 7 and 8, 2011. This event will help provide participants with a platform to discuss the latest issues, opportunities for networking and forming new partnerships. At least eleven specialists and experts from the field of diabetes and cancer from France, Italy, and Kuwait will participate in this conference. It addresses the concerns of doctors who specialize in this field, in addition to medical health practitioners, researchers, teachers, and students of medicine.

The Conference was launched yesterday with the welcome speech delivered by Dr Kazem Behbahani, Director General, Dasman Diabetes Institute. It was followed by introductory remarks made by Prof Alexander Eggermont, General Manager, lnstitut Gustave Roussy. Then Dr Talal Ashour, Consultant Diabetologist, Amiri hospital addressed the overview of the Kuwaiti Diabetes situation. Also Dr Ahmad AlAwadhi, Director, KCCC Kuwait Cancer Control Center presented an overview of the Kuwaiti cancer situation.Certain suggestions were put forward during the first day of the conference, “The Parliament should play a bigger role in setting and approving the laws related to preventing chronic diseases such

as cancer and diabetes. For instance, obligatory tests should be conducted so that the job seeker is not employed unless he passes a medical test,” noted Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi.

During the first day Prof Alexander Eggermont, General Director of the Cancer Institute Gustave Roussy at Villejuif / Paris, France held a presentation on

KUWAIT: Police are hunting for an unidentified man who abducted a woman in a street in Surra before taking her to an empty area near the gasworks in Dhahr and sexually assaulting her. The Ethiopian woman, who works as a maid, told police that after assaulting her, the man, who was wearing traditional Kuwaiti garb, gave her his phone number and asked her to meet him again. She

gave police the number and they are searching for the assailant.

Brawlers bruised Four expatriates were taken to hospital after sustaining injuries in a brawl in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh. Nine expatriates, most of them Syrian, were repor tedly involved in the punch-up.

Counterfeit cops A Bangladeshi expatriate told offi-

advancements made in cancer treatment.

Objectives of his presentation were: In cancer treatment, various disciplines are involved. The multi-

cers at Al-Salhiya police station that two men claiming to be detectives had stolen his bank card and KD120 in cash from him. An investigation has been launched.

Suspicious snappers Four Arab expatriates were arrested after police found them taking photographs of a VIP’s home in the Shuwaikh area. One of the men attempted to flee the scene, but was quickly apprehended.

Pakistani prez arrives in Kuwait

KUWAIT: The Kuwait Science Club recently concluded its 19th competition on automobile mechanism and traffic systems held annually in collaboration with the ministries of interior and education. Thirty-eight high schools took part in this year’s competition.

Kuwait residents urged to protect environment KUWAIT: Kuwait Environment Protection Society (KEPS) asserted yesterday that everyone in Kuwait are ought to protect the environment and wildlife in the country that is experiencing extinctions and disappearance of various types of plants because of the risks caused to the environment from unfair practices.

Secretary-General of the Society Wejdan Al-Oqab said in a press statement that the response of the Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar to the appeals of the society not to approve the extension of the camping season for another month until the end of May of each year is one of the positive trends that aim to protect the Kuwaiti environment.

She added that it is necessary to support specialists in environmental matters to contribute to the development of environment-related decisions within accurate scientific frameworks, emphasizing the need that everyone in charge of protecting the wildlife bear their responsibilities to protect the environment.

She stressed that camping is the most prominent causes of degradation.— KUNA

Electricity bills to be collected monthly KUWAIT: The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) recently announced it will now issue monthly utility bills per consumers. These will be sent to private, commercial residences including, chalets and farms in a bid to stop the accumulation of unpaid bills.

Senior MEW officials said that the Cabinet has urged the MEW minister to work toward collecting overdue power consumption bills by issuing monthly bills.

Consumers offices will be set up in various areas in order to collect a sum of KD 220 million, reported Aljarida.

The new consumers, applying to connect power to new units, will not receive any service unless overdue power and water bills are paid off.

Cancer Medicine. The challenges of such integrated medicine and medical research will be discussed.

Then Dr Suzette Delaloge, Head of the Breast Cancer Group, Institut Gustave Roussy held a presentation on Breast Cancer and Diabetes.

Objectives of the presentation: ‘Breast Cancer and Diabetes.’ This presentation highlighted the epidemiological and biological data

KUWAIT: The French Ambassador to Kuwait Nada Yafi (second left) and the Kuwait Minister of Health Hilal Al-Sayer during the opening ceremony yesterday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Police hunt for rapist

By Hanan Al-Saadoun

disciplinary approach involves pathologists, geneticists, surgeons, radiation therapists, medical oncologists, radiologists and supportive care specialists. This requires multidisciplinary tumor board meetings in which the treatment decisions for the patient are made. The era of the implementation of molecular medicine has begun. By molecular diagnostics the individual charac-

KUWAIT: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and his accompanying delegation arrived in the country yesterday for a twoday visit where he will be meeting with His Highness the Amir Sheik h Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Upon arrival, the Pakistani president was received by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber AlSabah, National Assembly Speaker Jassem Mohammad Al-Kharafi, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheik h Nasser AlMohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, high ranking officials including top military and National Guard officers.

The mission of honor accompanying Zardari is headed by Amiri Diwan Advisor Mohammad Abdullah Abul-Hasan.

The Pakistani presidential delegation included the Presidency Secretary General Salman Farouqi, Presidential Oil and Natural Resources Advisor, Senator Dr. Asim Hussain, and other high ranking officials.— KUNA

Charities urged to submit timely reports KUWAIT: The manager of Charities Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor, Ahmed Al-Sane warned all charitable organizations against delaying the submission of annual fiscal reports and a failure to update data.

“All charity organizations have to completely observe ministerial decision number 61/2005 that mandates all organizations to hold an annual general assembly meeting within a maximum of two months after the fiscal year ends,” stressed Al-Sane.

It urged all charities that have so far not submitted their fiscal and budget reports to do so before the holy month of Ramadan.

The reports must be audited by accredited auditors who are appointed with ministerial permission, reported Aljarida.

Furthermore, Al-Sane’ said that out of 80 charity organizations registered with the ministry, only ten had submitted their budget and fiscal reports and updated their data in a timely manner, “All charitable organizations are asked to contribute accordingly in a manner that elevates Kuwait’s image worldwide,” he said.

teristics of tumor and patient can be determined to allow for the best treatment choices for molecularly targeted drugs. This new development is also termed: Personalized

that is currently available as well as the links recently emphasized between obesity, diabetes mellitus, and breast cancer incidence. As well, the interaction between

molecular pathways implicated in both pathologies will be discussed, including their current and future potential implications in terms of treatment of breast cancer.

Finally Dr Franoise Clavel, Research Director at the French Institute for Health and Medical Research lnserm/lnstitut Gustave Roussy held a presentation on ‘Diabetes and Breast Cancer: Epidemiological studies.’ The presentation was made on the analysis of the relationship between diabetes and breast cancer risk. It will present the design of the E3N cohort, describe the main risk factors of breast cancer and of diabetes in the population, then present the relative risks for breast cancer among subjects with diabetes and among subjects using diabetic drugs.

Today (May 8) four presentations will be held: Metformin and cancer occurrence in insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients by Dr Ilaria Dicembrini (Researcher, Department of Pathophysiology, University of Florence, Italy) The epidemiology of diabetes and gynecological cancers by Dr Eva Negri (Chief of the Laboratory of Epidemiologic Methods at the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan, Italy) Food, obesity and cancer prevention by Dr Paule Latino-Martel (Head of the team Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies on nutrition and cancer, Inra Jouy-en-Josas, France), and Diabetes and malignant hemapathies by Prof Stphane de Botton (Head of Hematology, Department Institut Gustave Roussy).

Three undersecretaries interrogated KUWAIT: The Public Prosecutor’s Office summoned some senior officials from the Ministry of Information to testify in connection with some administrative and financial irregularities. These were detected in an Audit Bureau report that was submitted to the Parliament.

Three assistant undersecretaries and a number of directors and managers from various sectors were also summoned, “However, no charges have been pressed until the procedures were completed next week,”

remarked a PPO source.

Furthermore, officials highlighted that Undersecretary Sheikh Faisal Al-Malek urged the prosecuted officials to display complete cooperation and to provide them with all documents needed, reported Aljarida.

Notably, the Minister of Information and Minister of Oil Sheikh Ahmed Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah referred the report issued by the Audit Bureau to the Public Prosecution Department.

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KFH continues to build precautionary provisions KUWAIT: The CEO of Kuwait Finance House (KFH), Mohamed Suleiman Al-Omar said that in the first quarter of 2011, KFH continued its conservative policy of building a solid base of precautionary provisions to protect the KFH institution from any future negative repercussions. He stressed the paramount weight KFH attaches to staff role and value as the base for success as KFH views human resources as significant assets.

In his address delivered during the ceremony dedicated to honor KFH distinct employees, Al-Omar added, “We consider the awards that were continuously received as key success indicators and signs of excellence. These are notes of appreciation to every committed staff member in KFH. We stand proud and consider them to be the most important asset of KFH that is indispensable. We exert every effort possible to develop our employees’ professional skills to enable each and every one of them to provide service with best quality and manner to customers’ satisfaction which is our best award yet.”He said that honoring distinct employees that were nominated by various sectors is a core value adopted by KFH since inception. KFH will continue with this viewpoint that falls in harmony with the Sharia and professional principles. He explained that these core values contribute to the organizational performance and ensures sustainable leadership, given the growing competition in local and regional banking domain.

Al-Omar said that the large number of employees who receive excellent evaluation for five consecutive years confirms our employees’ devotion and KFH’s transparency in dealing with staff members. He confirmed that employees are the real assets behind KFH’s pride and a source of success and excellence.

Speaking of financial indicators, he said that the results of first quarter 2011 include several main positive pointers such as revenues, total assets, shareholders equity in addition to other indications of equal weight. In this regard, he confirmed that growth indicators reflect KFH’s institutional, strong financial position on one hand and the ability to achieve afresh the typical growth rates in all financial indicators in the near future. Al-Omar added, “While KFH seeks to reinforce its precautionary policy and support its financial positioning, it continues to provide innovative services and products to the market , and the required funding to individual and corporate customers available to spearhead the economy along the right track.

Iraqi MP accuses Kuwait of launching border attacks KUWAIT: An Iraqi MP threatened to reopen sensitive wounds on Thursday when she reportedly accused Kuwait of carrying out “repeated assaults” against Iraqi civilians and military personnel in the border region between the two countries, as well as insisting that Kuwait “should not be allowed to belittle Iraq.”

The MP, Aliya Nusaif, the official spokesperson of the White Iraqi National Movement Party, was quoted in a statement that was picked up by several Iraqi news outlets, as saying that the alleged Kuwaiti attacks against Iraqi civilians and military personnel “give the impression that [Kuwait] is trying to undermine the Iraqi government and people,” adding, “We can’t allow this to happen again.”

Nusaif’s inflammatory statement came only three days after a spokesman for the Iraqiya Coalition, Haidar Al-Mulla, accused Kuwait of not being serious about helping to excuse Iraq from the sanctions imposed under Chapter 7 of the UN resolution “for no reason but narrow-minded selfishness.” —Al-Rai

KUWAIT: Al-Omar is pictured amongst the employees being awarded.

Municipality working on faster commercial licensing system Bid to improve Kuwait’s business performance KUWAIT: Kuwait Municipality is working closely with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI), the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Public Authority for Civil Information (PACI) to simplify and expedite the issuing of commercial licenses, said a senior municipality official on Thursday. Ahmad AlManfouhi, the Assistant Director General of the municipality, said that the various government bodies are determined to improve Kuwait’s status in terms of business performance, adding that the country currently occupies an unenviable 141st place globally out of 180 nations in terms of business performance, according to figures issued by the World Bank for 2010.

The various concerned government bodies have already held several meetings to identify suitable mechanisms to expedite the issuing of commercial licenses in order to help turn Kuwaiti into a business and commercial center that will prove attractive to investors and entrepreneurs, Al-Manfouhi explained.

The various steps currently being taken by the government bodies should help to elevate Kuwait’s status in the World Bank’s next annual commercial activities report, the official added, explaining that the state bodies have already implemented a two-part policy to achieve this objective. The first part of this strategy involved the publication of a ministerial directive ordering all munic-

Information, communications security exhibition this month KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti company specializing in exhibitions yesterday announced that all its preparations to launch the 3rd information and communication security conference is underway.

The gathering will be held under the auspices of the Central Agency for Information Technology between May 25-26.

Coordinator of the conference in Promedia co. Nour Al-Mossa told reporters the event attracts high level expert speakers in information technology and methods of protection, adding

that the most important topics that will be discussed at the conference is how to secure the password, best practices to secure business environment and the use of fingerprints of the hand.

She stated that the conference will discuss the information security governance, performance measures of security and the challenges of the application of ISO, in addition to the holding of an additional workshop that offers a range of live per formances on piracy and defensive techniques used by modern hackers. —KUNA

ipality branches to ensure that all enquiries from the MCI on new commercial licenses will receive a response within three working days, so long as all the necessary documents are attached with the applications, the official explained.

He also revealed that municipality communications officers have been nominated to liaise regularly with MCI staff without the need for correspondence to ensure that delays and obstacles are minimized and dealt with as quickly as possible.

The second phase of the new policy sees the joint team of officials from the various bodies collating the available information on shops, offices and other commercial establishments, with the municipality’s information and development division set to establish an automatic license renewal system allowing business owners to renew their licenses without having to submit lengthy applications to the municipality offices. Once the design of the system is complete, the project will be submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs for approval before it is implemented.

It’s hoped that the new policy will see the time taken for commercial licenses to be issued being reduced by at least ten days, Al-Manfouhi revealed.

Meanwhile, delegates from Kuwait Municipality and a number of local council offices have participated in three recent regional and international confer-

ences organized by the Arab Towns Organization (ATO) in cooperation with its regional and international partners.

Municipality director Ahmad AlSubaih lauded the Kuwaiti delegates’ strong participation in the three events, saying that Kuwait’s involvement in such forums demonstrates the importance of cooperation and the exchange of expertise amongst municipal organizations globally, especially given the developmental, environmental, social and economic challenges faced by towns and cities in the modern age as they continue to grow and expand.

Staff from the municipality and a number of Kuwaiti ministries and other government bodies took part in a recent workshop on ‘Safety Priorities for Continuous Growth,’ which was organized by the UN Centre for Human Settlements (UN-HABITAT) in cooperation with the municipality and the ATO. The workshop focused on the link between urban growth and violence in society, looking at how expansion can adversely affect urban residents’ feelings of safety, Al-Subaih explained.

The municipality chief further revealed that he had headed a delegation of officials attending the second conference of the heads of Asian municipal organizations which took part in Istanbul between March 31 and April 4 this year. The Kuwaiti delegates benefited greatly from the opportunity to

exchange information with counterparts from other cities including Istanbul, Tehran, Seoul and Tokyo, said Al-Subaih, finding those officials’ experience of rapid urban population movements and continuously rising urban population numbers particularly informative.

The senior municipality official said that all those attending the event in Istanbul agreed that many urban problems, including unemployment and disorganized housing construction, put a large burden on municipal bodies and posed major potential challenges for the future.

Al-Subaih stressed that urban planning plays a central role in positively changing society through enlightened policies and international partnerships.

The Kuwait Municipality staff and personnel from the local council offices who attend events like these benefit greatly from the experience, said Al-Subaih, adding that another conference took place recently, the International Conference on Environmental Engineering and Technology in Agadir, Morocco, with all the delegates benefiting immensely from their attendance.

The ATO, which is set to mark the fortyfourth anniversary of its establishment on May 15, was established in 1967 with only 27 cities. Since then, it has expanded massively, with 550 Arab towns and cities now being members, and has formed partnerships with various regional and international bodies. — Agencies

Traffic Department conducts raids KUWAIT: The Traffic Department conducted a series of raids in six governorates over the weekend. At least 6,778 citations were issued and 403 vehicles, 40 motorcycles were impounded. Statistics show that 1,197 citations were issued and 73 vehicles seized in the Capital gover-

norate. The results of other governorates are as follows : In the Farwaniya governorate 1,003 citations issued and 106 vehicles seized. The most number of citations were issued in the Hawally governorate, with 2,017 citations, and 34 vehicles were seized. At least 456

citations were issued and two vehicles were detained in Ahmadi governorate.

In the Mubarak Al-Kabeer governorate, 66 citations were issued and 15 vehicles were impounded. At least 392 citations were issued in the Jahra governorate. The Traffic Department’s

Operation Department recorded the issuance of 1,607 citations. At least 173 vehicles and 40 motorcycles were impounded over the weekend at Kuwait the Airport. The Traffic Department urges drivers and vehicle owners to abide by traffic rules and regulations.

Security personnel at Disabled Affairs building KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior plans to station guards at fixed points surrounding the Public Authority for Disabled Citizens Affairs’ building. This is in order to prevent the incidence of violent attack that may take place at the premises. This decision was taken following a flood of complaints received by authorities. They were subjected to

attacks by some ‘reckless individuals’ who entered the building to follow up with their transactions. An official said that that verbal abuse cases have been on the rise, reported Al-Qabas. Officers will be in charge of regulating entry into the building and the arrest of any individual who attempts to verbally or physically attack an employee.

KUWAIT: Kuwaiti formative artist Khaled Al-Shatti will open his second personal art exhibition today at the Telal Art Gallery where he will display 25 of his paintings.

Sanjeev Kapoor launches Khazana food range at Lulu Hypermarket KUWAIT: Renowned Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor officially launched his Khazana Indian food range at Lulu Hypermarket’s Food Festival in Shuwaikh yesterday.

An excited crowd eagerly awaited the official launch at 5 pm, with many fans lining up to view Chef Kapoor’s cooking demonstrations and sample his appetizing Khazana products.

Throughout the afternoon Chef Kapoor presented well-wishers with autographed copies of his latest cookery book and signed hundreds of personalized photographs. Staff at Lulu also joined in the celebrations by wearing specially designed Khazana T-shirts.

Kapoor is the most celebrated face of Indian cuisine today. With his natural talent for cooking, Kapoor is internationally renowned for his enthusiastic screen persona - first through his cookery show KhanaKhazana that aired nonstop for 17 years plus - and now through his newly launched 24 X 7 cookery channel Foodfood, the first of its kind in whole of Southeast Asia.

Winner of numerous national and international culinar y awards Sanjeev Kapoor ’s ‘Khazana’ product range includes Spice Blends, 123 Ready to Cook Spice Mixes, Special Chutneys and a wide range of finger licking Pickles.

During the official press launch, Kapoor

commented, “I am delighted to launch my Khazana Food products as part of Lulu Hypermarket’s Food Festival and I look forward to giving access to the residents of Kuwait some of my finest products prepared specifically with my personally tried and trusted recipes.”

In response, Mohamed Haris (Regional Director, Lulu Hypermarkets) noted, “We are honored that Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

chose to launch his Khazana Indian Food range with Lulu at our Annual Food Festival.

The availability of this outstanding product is yet another reason for customers to shop at Lulu.”

Sanjeev Kapoor’ s Khazana Indian Food range is manufactured by Greenbowl Foods Pvt Ltd and imported by Alghanim Sons Group and distributed in Kuwait by Union Trading Company.

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Premier facing no pressure in changing final cabinet lineup Al-Sayer ‘an honest, competent minister’ KUWAIT: An official announcement on Cabinet formation is expected to be made in the near future, His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah is believed to have told close aides. He reportedly does not face any pressure in changing the final lineup that was reported in the press. A number of lawmakers are not opposed to the expected return of Dr Hilal Al-Sayer to the Ministry of Health. The general belief is that there are more MPs who support Al-Sayer. MP Abdurrahman Al-Anjari described him in a recent statement as “an honest and competent minister,” going as far as to hope that he could be a possible prime ministerial candidate.

The parliamentary committee in charge of citizens with special needs will convene today to discuss the latest updates concerning disabled citizens’ law. Officials revealed that the Popular Action Bloc(PAB) plans to include ‘the government’s failure in implementing disabled citizens’ law to the list of subjects. These will be addressed in an interpellation motion to be filed against HH the Prime Minister during the Cabinet’s swear-in session.

Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad AlSabah also faces another interpellation motion, which will be announced by the Development and Reform Bloc(DRB). The National Action Bloc has made it clear that it will file a grilling motion against Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad upon his return. An interpellation motion will also be filed against

Health Minister Dr Hilal Al-Sayer, reported Al-Qabas.

I n a re ce n t s t a te m e n t , M P Saleh Ashour stated that he was not optimistic about the rumored Ca b i n e t fo r m a t i o n . A gr i l l i n g motion was filed against Deputy Pr i m e M i n i s te r a n d Fo re i gn Minister Sheikh Dr Mohammad Al-Sabah. It can still be presented following the new Cabinet’s formation, reported Al-Rai. Meanwhile, MP Dr Mubarak AlWaalan said that his National Action Bloc will ‘closely follow up’ with the Kuwaiti - Iranian relations issue, calling for a “parliamentary coordination to reach a unified stance which supports the government ’s approach in protecting Kuwait’s security and sovereignty.”

MP Musallam Al-Barrak criticized the recent proposals to raise MPs’ salaries to KD 5,750. They

Kuwait envoy visits wounded Libyans TUNIS: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Tunisia Fahad AlAwadhi yesterday visited a number of injured Libyan civilians, including children, who are receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Tunis.

Ambassador Al-Awadhi was accompanied on his visit by Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) Envoy Yousef Al-Me’araj and the Secretary General of the Tunisian Red Crescent Society (TRCS), Al-Taher AlSheneti. A large number of Libyans who were injured in attacks by pro-Gaddafi forces in several Libyan cities have been taken to hospital in the neighboring country. The injured are mostly children and other young people whose ages mainly range between 10 and 25 years old. While touring the hospital, the Kuwaiti ambassador offered gifts and flowers to the injured Libyans, who in turn voiced their thanks to the Kuwaiti leadership, government and people for their medical and food aid to the Libyan people. —KUNA

insisted that a 150 percent increase to lawmakers’ pay is ‘unreasonable.’ Furthermore, an anti-government lawmaker insisted that the proposed financial disclosure draft law that MPs must commit to, should first be enforced before increasing lawmakers’ pay.

“We need to ensure that MPs do not engage in any other commercial activity before enforcing a pay rise that allegedly helps lawmakers cope with increasing living costs,” he added, reported Al-Qabas.

Separately, a news report quoting officials state that the Parliament’s health committee will make minor changes to its final report on the spoilt food investigation report, reported Al-Rai. In this manner, the M inistr y of Municipality Affairs will be held responsible for the incident.

Embassy participates in Australian business expo KUALA LUMPUR: Senior staff from the Kuwaiti Embassy in Australia participated in the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Expo held in Melbourne on Thursday and Friday.

In a phone inter view with KUNA, Kuwait ’s Ambassador to Australia Khalid Al-Shibani said that the exhibition aimed to promote and facilitate bilateral trade and investment between Australia and Arab nations.

The ambassador revealed that personnel from many Arab countries’ embassies, including those of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Tunisia, had taken part in the event, adding that a large number of senior Australian officials were also present, including Australia’s Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson.

Ambassador Al-Shibani lauded the effort put into holding the event, noting that a number of students from GCC countries, including four from Kuwait, also participated in the landmark exhibition. —KUNA

Kuwaiti aid supplies arrive in Benghazi CAIRO: The Libyan Red Crescent Society (LRCS) in Benghazi has received the third consignment of humanitarian aid provided by the State of Kuwait.

The aid consignment was delivered to the Libyan body by the Kuwait Red Crescent Society’s (KRCS) head of mission, Musaed Al-Enezi.

The director of the LRCS’ International Relations Department, Muftah Al-Tuwailib, expressed gratitude on behalf of the Libyan people to the State of Kuwait for its humanitarian assistance to them, adding that

such initiatives are “not unusual for the Kuwaiti leadership and people.”

Al-Tuwailib also praised the role played by the KRCS volunteers in delivering this aid shipment, as well as lauding the part played by KRCS president Barjes Humoud Al-Barjes.

The senior Libyan official revealed that the shipment included drugs and medical equipment bound for various hospitals in Benghazi and the surrounding areas. —KUNA

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Kuwaiti man stabs janitor for demanding to pay unpaid rent Two killed in accidents

Mexican official to visit Kuwait next week

MEXICO CITY: Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister Lourdes Aranda and Kuwaiti Ambassador Sameih Jawhar Hayat.

MEXICO CITY: Mexican Deputy Foreign Minister Lourdes Aranda will pay an official visit to the state of Kuwait next week to promote bilateral ties between the two countries in all domains, Kuwaiti ambassador to Mexico said yesterday.

This announcement was made during the Kuwaiti Ambassador Sameih Jawhar Hayat’s visit to Aranda’s office, where final preparations for her visit were made.

The upcoming visit would serve the purpose of deepening the exceptional bilateral relations between Kuwait and Mexico, in all fields.

Recently, the Kuwaiti diplomat has been meeting with many Mexican officials to enhance these ties and discuss several memorandums of understanding that were received well by the Mexican party. These MoU agreements are being under study and will be signed soon by the two governments. — KUNA

KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti man has been arrested after stabbing the janitor at the apartment building where he was living after the janitor demanded that he pay up six months’ unpaid rent on his flat in full before leaving. The Egyptian janitor had stopped the man on spotting him taking furniture out of the apartment whilst moving out, demanding that he pay the backdated rent in full, when the objectionable tenant pulled out a knife and stabbed him. The victim was taken to hospital and the assailant has been charged with attempted murder.

armed man was another security officer who had rushed to the hospital after learning that his mother had been taken there for treatment, forgetting to leave his gun at his workplace in his haste to be at her side. Meanwhile, a British engineer working for the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) was detained briefly for questioning after he was found taking photographs of vital installations at Ahmadi Port. The man was subsequently released after showing security personnel official authorization permitting him to carry a camera at the facility.

Fatal accidents A Kuwaiti man died of the injuries he sustained when he was knocked over by a hit-andrun driver in Jahra. The victim who had just parked his car in a street near the industrial zone there was hit by the other vehicle whilst crossing the road. Although paramedics rushed to the scene, he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. His body was removed for autopsy and police are hunting for the hit-andrun driver. In a separate case, a young motorcyclist died after losing control of his motorbike on the Gulf Road. The bike hit the pavement, throwing the rider off. He was pronounced dead at the scene and the body was removed for autopsy.

Forgery case Two Kuwaiti men were arrested after forging a rental contract for another citizen’s home and using it to fraudulently obtain a phone landline. Police also summoned a female Ministry of Communications (MoC) employee for questioning over the help that she provided to the two fraudsters.

Security alerts Security officers rushed to Mubarak AlKabeer Hospital after receiving reports from staff there of a gun-wielding man in the building. They subsequently discovered that the

Jail smuggler A 21-year-old Kuwaiti man who attempted to smuggle a BlackBerry phone into Central Prison for a relative currently imprisoned there may be joining his family member shortly after warders found the phone during a pre-visit search. The device set off the metal detector as the visitor was entering the reception area, with officers quickly finding it hidden in the young man’s clothes. On being questioned, he quickly admitted that he intended to give the contraband item to his incarcerated family member.

Alcohol possession A 58-year-old Asian taxi driver pulled over by police during a routine stop-and-search operation in Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh was taken into custody after officers found 15 bottles of liquor hidden in his vehicle. The officers also arrested two other Asian men, who had sold the alcohol to the taxi driver.

Addled addict A drug addict was arrested in the offices of a recruitment agency in the Liberation Tower after falling into a drug-induced deep sleep in the waiting room there. The man had apparently gone to the agenc y to attempt to engage the ser vices of two housemaids, but staff there rejected his application on the basis of his unmarried status. Although he attempted to escape on being woken up by the police, he was quickly caught and taken into custody, with drug paraphernalia being discovered in his car parked nearby.

Nasty ex Police have arrested a Kuwaiti man accused by his former wife, also Kuwaiti, of attempting to sexually assault her during a visit to her home in Saad Al-Abdullah to see their children. It was also revealed that the suspect is wanted in connection with the non-payment of an outstanding debt of KD6,000. The man has denied the attempted rape charge and an investigation has been launched into the case. — Al-Anba , Al-Rai

GCC states health committee holds meeting in Riyadh RIYADH: The 74th meeting of the Executive Committee of Ministers of Health for the GCC states was held yesterday, in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, to discuss many health-related issues.

Head of the Executive committee Dr Tawfiq Khoja said that the meeting aims at tackling many importance GCC health-related issues, including matters concerning the health information systems.

As for the health information systems, Khoja said, that the meeting will discuss means of electronically connecting all GCC countries’ health centers together as well as the application of the GCC smar t ID usage within health facilitates across the Gulf countries.

However, on a more technical matters, the meeting will focus on the quality of health care, the insurance of patients’ safety in health facilities, promoting more campaigns for fighting

cancer, diabetes and other non-contagious diseases, as well as spreading public health awareness through media outlets.

Khoja went on to say that having a free poliomyelitis, malaria and dengue fever Arab peninsula is one of the objectives of this meeting.

It will also aim at providing the best nursing care in all medical fields, establishing a joint pharmaceutical procurement and registry and launching a trust fund for medical and health researches.

The Saudi initiative of fighting and controlling AIDS in the GCC countries will be discussed in the meeting, Khoja noted.

In addition, the World Health Organization’s laws of medical practices and standards of hiring medical staff will be looked at as well. Lastly, the meeting will discuss the arrangements of the 71st GCC states Health Ministers’ conference, which will be in Geneva in May of 2011. — KUNA

EQUATE showcases environmental initiatives at schools

KUWAIT: EQUATE Petrochemical Company showcased world-class environmental initiatives and activities to schools in Farwaniya governorate.

Under the patronage of Governor Lieutenant-General (retired) Abdulhamid Al-Hajji, the event was attended by several Ministry of Education officials and administrators of the governorate’s schools who were acquainted with EQUATE’s environmental efforts aimed at Kuwait’s overall sustainability.

During the event, EQUATE employees highlighted the company’s environmental initiatives, especially the Middle East’s first Plant Water Recycle

Project and Kuwait’s first CO2 capture and re-use project.

Established in 1995, EQUATE is an international joint venture between Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Commencing production in 1997, EQUATE is the single operator of a fully integrated world-scale manufacturing facility that produces over five million tons annually of high-quality petrochemical products. These are marketed throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Europe.

More than 1500 staff attend NBK Open Day KUWAIT: The National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) organized a special Open Day for its staff, family members and friends at the Scientific Center. More than 1,500 were present to enjoy the big family day that was filled with all types of activities and entertainment. The weather was nice and excitement filled the air as children, and even parents, took part in many fun activities available at the Scientific Centre.

Kuwait envoy visits wounded Libyans TUNIS: Kuwait’s Ambassador to Tunisia Fahad Al-Awadhi yesterday visited a number of injured Libyan civilians, including children, who are receiving medical treatment at a hospital in Tunis.

Ambassador Al-Awadhi was accompanied on his visit by Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) Envoy Yousef Al-Me’araj and the Secretary General of the Tunisian Red Crescent Society (TRCS), AlTaher Al-Sheneti.

A large number of Libyans who were injured in attacks by proGaddafi forces in several Libyan cities have been taken to hospital in the neighboring country. The injured are mostly children and other young people whose ages mainly range between 10 and 25 years old.

While touring the hospital, the Kuwaiti ambassador offered gifts and flowers to the injured Libyans, who in turn voiced their thanks to the Kuwaiti leadership, government and people for their medical and food aid to the Libyan people.

The ambassador wished all the young patients a swift recovery and safe return to their homeland.

Speaking to KUNA, Ambassador Al-Awadhi explained that by visiting the wounded Libyans, he wanted to reiterate Kuwait’s official and unofficial support for the Libyan people. In this context, he pointed to his country’s medical aid to the Libyan people sent through the Tunisian and Egyptian borders. — KUNA

Kuwait taking part in postal meetings GENEVA: Kuwait is taking part in the 2011 session of the Postal Operations Council currently held at the headquarters of the Universal Postal Union in the Swiss capital Bern.

The Kuwaiti delegation is headed by the assistant undersecretary of the postal sector of the ministry of communication, Rashed Al-Lamee’, the director of the postal inspection department, Saeed Al-Muzaidi, the director of the department of services, Khaled Al-Gasbaa, and the director of the external affairs department, Walid Al-Jiran, as well as a delegation representing the postal sector.

Al-Lamee’ said that the meeting tackles various issues concerning postal services, and indicated at current preparations by the UPU for holding the international postal conference in Qatar in 2012.

The delegation is taking part in meetings of major and sub committees examining reports by other par ticipants in the event, as a prelude to issuing resolutions, intended to promote the service at a global level.

The POC, which is the operational apparatus of the UPU, comprises representatives of 40 states. Kuwait is a member of the POC and the UPU board.

The meeting of the POC, which started on April 26, is due to end on May 13. — KUNA

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

British referendum strain coalition

Thousands rally in Japan against nuclear power Page 12

Results are a ‘bitter blow’ for political reform

EDINBURGH: Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond (R) autographs the Scottish national flag at the Prestonfield Hotel in Edinburgh, Scotland. Scotland moved closer to a vote on independence after the party of nationalist First Minister Alex Salmond secured a historic majority Friday in elections for the Edinburgh parliament. — AFP LONDON: Britain’s year-old coalition insisted yesterday it would carr y on despite an electoral drubbing for the L i b e r a l D e m o c r a t s a n d a m i n i s te r ’s a t t a c k o n Pr i m e M i n i s te r D av i d Cameron’s “ruthless” Conservatives.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s Lib Dems suffered a double blow when vo te r s ove r w h e l m i n g l y re j e c te d a change to the electoral system in a referendum this week while the party was crushed in local elections.

Business S ecretar y Vince Cable, a Liberal Democrat cabinet member , lambasted the “ruthless, calculating and thoroughly tribal” Conser vatives and said their alliance in future would be more “businesslike”.

“But that doesn’t mean to say we can’t work with them. I think they have always been that way, but you have to be businesslike and professional and you have to work with people who aren’t your natural bedfellows,” he told the BBC. Cable warned however that the centrist Lib Dems would not accept any policies that went beyond the coalition agreement they made with the centreright Conservatives after general elections in May 2010.

Cameron was accused of betrayal after the campaign against changing to t h e A l te r n a t i ve Vo te (AV ) s ys te m favoured by the Lib Dems savaged Clegg fo r “ b ro k e n p ro m i s e s” - e ve n t h o u g h Clegg broke election pledges to support Conservative-led cuts.

Th e co a l i t i o n i s p u s h i n g t h ro u g h h a r s h a u s te r i t y m e a s u re s to t a c k l e Britain’s record deficit.

Clegg described the results as a “bitter blow” for political reform, as commentators predicted that the referendum had ended all hope for a generation of changing the way Britain elects its lawmakers.

“But the answer is clear and the wider job of the government and the Liberal Democrats in government will continueto repair the economy, to restore a sense of prosperity and jobs and optimism to the country,” he said.

Final results from Thursday’s referendum showed a total of 67.9 percent of voters — 13,013,123 — had rejected a move to AV, while just 32.1 percent sup-

ported the idea. Turnout was 42 percent.

The Lib Dems also had their worst results in local council elections for a quarter of a century.

The Conservatives, however, emerged largely unscathed in the local elections while Cameron had also backed the campaign against AV, which would have allowed voters to rank their preferences, as opposed to the current first past the post system.

Cameron said the campaign had been “difficult” for the government.

“I believe that what the British people want us to do now is to provide a good, strong, decisive government in the longterm national interest of this country, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats working together,” he said.

The elections were also good news for the Scottish National Party, which won the first overall majorit y in the devolved Edinburgh parliament since it was formed in 1999, paving the way for a referendum on independence.

First Minister Alex Salmond pledged to hold a referendum on breaking the 3 0 0 - ye a r - o l d b o n d w i t h t h e U n i te d Kingdom within the next four years.

E l e c t i o n s we re a l s o h e l d fo r t h e assemblies of Wales, where Labour fell just short of a majority, and Northern Ireland, where the Democratic Unionist Party and republicans Sinn Fein were set to continue their power-sharing.

Commentators agreed the elections had been disastrous for the fresh-faced Clegg but differed on what the results meant for the future of the coalition.

Th e m a in quest io n ap p ear s to b e whether a strengthened Cameron will try to prop up Clegg to keep the coalition afloat, for example by offering concessions on issues such as health reform, or to push for elections and a full majority. “It is hard not to see Cameron as the winner of Thursday ’s elec tion,” Tony Travers, a political expert at the London S c h o o l o f E co n o m i c s, w ro te i n t h e Guardian.

John Curtice, a professor of politics at Strathclyde University, wrote in The Independent that Clegg had already signalled that the Lib Dems would “adopt a more robust approach in their dealings with the Conservatives in the future”. — AFP

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Muslim clerics say barred from US flights WASHINGTON: Three imams including a US-born Muslim bound for a conference on Islamophobia were kicked off US domestic flights out of security fears, clerics and an airline said yesterday.

Two imams boarded a flight from Memphis, Tennessee to Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday only to have it return to the terminal so they could be put through “additional screening,” said a spokesman for Atlantic South Airlines (ASA), the Delta Connection airline operating the flight.

“We take security and safety very

seriously, and the event is currently under investigation,” said spokesman Jarek Beem, adding that the men were put on the next available flight.

ASA is investigating the incident, “and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused,” Beem said.

US-born imam Al-Amin AbdulLatif of Long Island was barred from boarding an American Airlines flight from New York to Charlotte late Friday and told to return to LaGuardia airpor t for a morning flight Saturday, only to be refused boarding again, without explanation,

his son said. “This morning we get to the airline, and the ticket agent told my father that the airline does not want him to fly. Those were her exact words,” Abu Bakr Abdul-Latif told AFP. “There was nothing he could do,” said the son, who traveled on to the Charlotte conference without his father.

Masudur Rahman, a permanent US resident from India and former Memphis imam who teaches Arabic at the University of Memphis, said he and another cleric, a US permanent resident from Egypt and dressed in a shoulder-to-ankle Islamic robe, were

pulled off ASA flight 5452 and cleared through new security checks.

“But when we went to re-enter the plane, the Delta super visor said ‘Sorry, the pilot is not allowing you to enter,’” Rahman told AFP. Delta negotiated at length with the pilot, noted Rahman, who said he was told that “some passengers might be uncomfortable” with their presence on the plane.

“I think they were obviously upset to the extent that they were inconvenienced, but, you know, they understand what’s going on in the world and particularly in the heightened

sensitivities after the death of Osama bin Laden,” Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations told CNN. Bin Laden, the Al-Qaeda chief who orchestrated the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States was killed Monday by US commandos in a daring raid deep inside Pakistan.

Al- Qaeda ack nowledged their leader ’s death, and has vowed revenge on America for the killing.

The imams were heading to the North American Imams Federation conference entitled “Islamophobia: Diagnosis and Treatment.” — AFP

Gunmen kill five in Iraq money exchange heist BAGHDAD: Gunmen killed five people during the robbery of an Iraqi money exchange in the city of Baquba yesterday and left behind a car bomb that injured seven others, security officials said.

The attackers stole 4 billion Iraqi dinar ($3.4 million) from the company, which has contracts with the Iraqi government to pay retirees’ pensions, and killed the owner, prominent businessman Adnan al-Mandalawi, a security official said.

Two security sources confirmed the toll and the robbery. An official earlier said the assault had taken place at a goldsmiths’ market and that the attack had killed six people and wounded 10. “ The gunmen stole 4 billion Iraqi dinars and they put a car bomb near the exchange company, which exploded when security forces got to the scene,” said a senior Diyala province security official who asked not to be named.

“It has the fingerprints of al Qaeda. It is clear from the planning of this terrorist

operation,” the official said.

The attack took place in central Baquba, the capital of troubled Diyala province, 65 miles (40 km) northeast of Baghdad.

Al Qaeda and other insurgents are still battling security forces in Diyala, where a volatile mix of Sunnis and Shi’ites, and Arabs and Kurds has made it difficult to restore peace.

Iraq’s police and army have been on high alert for revenge attacks since US commandos killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on Monday.

Iraq became a major battleground for the Islamist militant group after the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein.

On Thursday a suicide car bomber killed more than 20 people and wounded 80 at a police headquarters in the mainly Shi’ite city of Hilla. A deputy governor said al Qaeda was likely to have been behind the attack. — Reuters

SANAA: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh (R) pays a visit to a local hospital to visit a victim of clashes between Government forces and antigovernment protesters yesterday, in the capital Sanaa, days after Gulf mediators failed to get embattled President Saleh to sign the text on an agreement aimed to end the crisis in the country. — AFP

Yemen youth protest leaders want Gulf plan withdrawn BAGHDAD: A handout picture released yesterday by the Iraqi prime minister Nuri alMaliki’s office (PMO) shows him during a meeting with US Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi in Baghdad. US lawmakers, led by Pelosi arrived from Qatar where they discussed the previous day bilateral ties and regional security issues with the Gulf emirate’s crown prince. — AFP

Somalia’s al Shabaab vows to avenge bin Laden MOGADISHU: Somalia’s al Qaedalinked rebels vowed yesterday to avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden and said his death would not hurt their fight to topple the country’s Westernbacked government.

Analysts have said bin Laden’s death is unlikely to dampen the insurgency waged by Somalia’s al Shabaab militants, who are regrouping amid infighting among the country’s politicians after a recent government offensive. After news broke of bin Laden’s death in Pakistan some al Shabaab combatants in the Somali capital Mogadishu wore white as a sign of grief, residents said.

“We shall redouble our jihad and we shall overpower our enemies. Osama is not the first martyr, may God rest his soul,” al Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage told reporters yesterday. “We shall never divert from the path of Sheikh Osama and we shall continue the jihad till we taste the death our brother Osama faced, or achieve victory and rule the whole world,” he said in the capital Mogadishu.

Al Shabaab is battling to overthrow the government and impose its own harsh version of sharia law on the nation, although its predominately nationalist agenda is also coloured by clan rivalries and money-making rackets.

This week, the Somali government, which only controls parts of the capital, warned of al Shabaab revenge attacks.

Uganda and Kenya, countries that have suffered al Shabaab and al Qaeda attacks in the past, have urged people to be vigilant in case of reprisals for bin Laden’s death.

The presence of largely Westernfunded African peacekeeping troops in Somalia has helped the insurgents to champion a nationalist cause and recruit several hundred foreign fighters, some with a direct link to al Qaeda, analysts say.

On Thursday, al Shabaab killed a senior commander of the governmentallied Ahlu Sunna militia, and vowed to recapture the towns in the southern Gedo region it had lost in a recent government offensive. — Reuters

TEHRAN: Iranian women hold pictures of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a mass funeral for soldiers killed during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq in Tehran yesterday, after their remains were found by a searching team on the IranIraq border. — AFP

Awlaki not hurt in US drone attack SANAA: Yemeni youth groups leading mass protests to oust President Ali Abdullah Saleh called on Gulf Arab states yesterday to withdraw a plan that has failed so far to usher him out of power.

Yemen’s main opposition said on Friday the deal, proposed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to end months of unrest, had been modified to allow Saleh to sign as party leader rather than president, a condition that nearly derailed the deal last week.

“We call on the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council to stop any initiatives that result in alienating the Yemeni people,” said the groups, under the banner Youth Revolution.

“We call on the United States, the European Union and the permanent (UN) Security Council members to assume their moral responsibility and stop ... meddling directed against the will of the Yemeni people to ensure freedom and democracy,” the groups said in a statement.

Many of the demonstrators, who include students, tribesmen and activists, have vowed to stay in the

streets until Saleh steps down. They are not affiliated with opposition parties, comprised of Islamists, Arab nationalists and leftists who have cooperated with the authoritarian Saleh in the past.

The plan requires the Yemeni leader, until recently backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States as a bulwark against al Qaeda and regional instability, to resign 30 days after signing.

Critics saw Saleh’s refusal a week ago to sign the deal as president as a clear sign that the shrewd political survivor had no intention of stepping down quickly after 33 years in office. Sceptical opposition leaders said on Friday it appeared the GCC had acceded to demands by the ruling party.

But GCC Secretar y General Abdullatif al-Zayani denied on Saturday any change had been made to the plan.

Asked in Abu Dhabi if there were any changes to the initiative, Zayani said: “None whatsoever. It is the same GCC initiative. We added the names of people to sign the agreement.”

In continued unrest in south

Yemen, gunmen shot dead the director of a branch of a state-run cooperative bank on Saturday, state media said, adding that two of the suspected attackers were later killed in a shootout with troops.

A 16-year-old boy died after being shot by security forces at a demonstration demanding the postponement of school exams in the southern city of Taiz, a hospital official said. Ten other students were injured.

A Yemeni tribal source said yesterday that Anwar al-Awlaki, a USborn, prominent al Qaeda activist known for encouraging attacks on the United States, was not hit by a US drone aircraft attack that killed two mid-level al Qaeda militants in Yemen on Thursday.

“We believe they targeted him.

But he was not hurt,” the source, a kinsman of Awlaki, told Reuters by telephone from the cleric’s home province of Shabwa where the attack occurred.

Gulf Arab states including Saudi Arabia, Yemen’s neighbour, are eager to see peace return to Yemen, a poor state struggling to deal with internal rebellion and Al

Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which has made Yemen its base. The group has claimed responsibility for a foiled 2009 attempt to blow up a Detroitbound plane. It was also blamed for bombs found in cargo en route to the United States in 2010.

Many worry that Yemen could quickly descend into widespread internal conflict-half of its 23 million people own a gun.

Demonstrations for and against Saleh attracted large crowds in the capital on Friday. In cities throughout Yemen, anti-Saleh protesters were out in force.

Saleh has withstood three months of street unrest and on Friday called his opponents “outlaws” and “forces of terror”.

UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon vowed on Friday to continue pressing for change in Yemen, but sounded a note of exasperation at the slow progress.

“It is unfortunate and frustrating that all these agreements which were presented by the GCC and the international community have not been fully accepted and agreed and implemented.” — Reuters

Morocco cafe bomb suspect posed as hippie RABAT: The chief suspect in last week’s attack in Morocco’s top tourist destination disguised himself as a guitar-carrying hippie when he entered a cafe and planted two bombs, killing 16 people, an official source said on Friday.

“The man was identified as Adel al-Othmani. He walked into the cafe wearing a wig and carrying a guitar and the two bags where he hid the explosive devices,” the source told Reuters.

“He looked like a hippie.

“He ordered an orange juice before leaving the cafe and behind him the two bags. He used a mobile phone to detonate the bombs af ter wards,” added the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.

An Interior M inistr y spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

On Thursday, the ministr y announced the arrest of three Moroccans in connection with the April 28 attack in the bustling Jamaa el-Fna square in

Marrakesh. It said the chief suspec t showed “loyalty ” to al Qaeda.

The blasts killed 16 people, including eight French tourists, and was the deadliest such attack in Morocco since 12 suicide bombers killed 33 members of the public in coordinated attacks in Casablanca in 2003.

The Marrakesh attack adds to the challenges facing K ing Mohammed as he tries to prevent uprisings breaking out in Morocco similar to those elsewhere in the Arab world.

Morocco’s tourism industry looks likely to withstand the attack and will grow by 8 percent this year compared with 7 percent in 2010, Tourism M inister Yassir Znagui told Reuters. Tourism is the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner.

The kingdom is usually seen as a haven of stability in a volatile region, but it has faced demonstrations in recent weeks, joined by trade unions last

MARRAKESH: Young Morrocans hold a Moroccan flag and a banner reading “Terrorism Kills, Peace Brings Back to Life” as several hundred people attend a peaceful demonstration in the Djemaa El-Fna Square in Marrakesh yesterday at the site of the April 28 bombing in which 16 people were killed. — AFP

weekend, demanding a change of government and greater democratic freedom.

The government has offered a public sector pay rise, reform of the constitution and greater

independence for the judiciary.

Protesters have accused it of trying to use the bomb attack to raise fears of instability and dissuade people from taking to the streets. —Reuters

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Fear of crackdown haunts Tripoli Government cut off Internet access TRIPOLI: Green bunting and pictures of Muammar Gaddafi festoon a Tripoli district where two months ago protesters marched in the streets. Locals whisper on corners, youths avert their gaze. Men watch passersby from unmarked cars. The fear is palpable on Tripoli’s streets, fear of speaking out and fear of conscription as NATO air strikes hit Gaddafi’s forces and fighting rages in Misrata and the Western Mountains. More than two months after an uprising against Gaddafi’s 41-year rule saw rebels seize the eastern part of Libya, the army has crushed dissent in the capital and its crack down on opponents elsewhere in the west is spreading fear.

“No one wants him. If the people in Tripoli were not so scared they would rise up. They did in February, in Tajoura, in Fashloom, in Souq AlJumaa, but he crushed them,” said one shopkeeper, changing the subject when other customers came in. In the Fashloom district, a tent flanked by a big picture of Gaddafi stands a few metres from the charred offices of the local revolutionary council, set alight during the unrest that spread briefly in late February and early March before fizzling out.

Rubbish gathers in the alleys, unasphalted and bumpy off the main street, even in this vast oil-exporting country which has enough cash to provide infrastructure for its 7 million people.

Tripoli residents say activists have mounted sporadic night-time attacks on Gaddafi’s forces and hold gatherings after dark night in dissident areas, but most are too afraid to act after what many believe has been a spate of mass arrests.

Claims of arrests are almost impossible to verify.

The government has cut off Internet access across Tripoli, except in the closely-watched hotels hosting foreign journalists, making it difficult for young activists to organize protests or to post footage or pictures of their gatherings or attacks on the Internet. The only gatherings allowed are for Friday prayers and they are closely monitored. Libyans widely believe the government listens to their phone calls. Mobile phones do not send text messages, and the only way to speak freely is to meet in person. With informants everywhere, the risk of being followed or spotted is high. Foreign journalists, monitored closely by the government, are forbidden from visiting dissident areas alone and it is difficult to interview residents freely. Few will speak with government minders looking on and their four-wheel drive cars, with rear number plates often removed, inspire fear.

One Tripoli resident said families had been

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

TUNIS: Tunisian riot police clash with demonstrators on the central Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis during a demonstration organized by youths denouncing the transitional government and calling for “a new revolution”. Riot police used tear gas and truncheons to break up a protest in central Tunis by about 200 people, attacking reporters and photographers covering the event. — AFP warned that the army may call men between 18 and 40 years old to fight. The army has yet to enforce conscription, the resident said, but some families were already thinking of sending their sons abroad. “There are already volunteers and some of them are on the front lines. This is different. People are afraid. I know one man who is taking his son to Tunis,” said the resident, looking furtively around for potential eavesdroppers.

“People see this man’s time is over. They just want him to go and to spare them the war. If he left, then the NATO strikes would stop so why is he staying? Things are getting difficult for people. Prices are rising.” All over Tripoli, the economy has slowed. Work has stopped on a goldendomed mosque in the centre of town. The cranes that once worked busily during the capital’s building boom are still. Foreign investors have fled and so have foreign workers on whom bakeries, restaurants and hotels relied. The Turkish staff at the Rixos Hotel, where foreign journalists live, have left.

For weeks, petrol queues have snaked around corners as NATO-enforced sanctions bite. There is

no public transport in Tripoli and tempers are flaring as people are no longer able to get to work or to take their children to school. In the old medina of Tripoli, the Athar restaurant that overlooks a cluster of ruins is shut, its owner sitting with friends outside the cobbled alleys that once attracted tourists. “We had 40 staff and they have gone. Only four are left so we could not keep going. We are only doing takeaway,” said owner Mohammed Shams. “We have three restaurants. Only one is open.” At his one open restaurant, only two tables were occupied at lunch, one by foreign doctors, the other by foreign journalists. The Tripoli government says Libya needs a transition to a more transparent system. It says the sudden removal of Gaddafi would only turn Libya into another Iraq or Somalia, countries torn apart by years of violence. “You will have destruction and a lack of stability for years and years and years without the fruits of transparency and human rights,” said government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim. It is a fear shared by many Libyans, regardless of whether they support Gaddafi or not.—Reuters

Uganda protests ‘only the beginning’ NAIROBI: The Ugandan opposition leader who was temporarily blinded during a brutal arrest by security forces said yesterday that the political demonstrations sweeping Uganda are only the beginning and that demands for better government are growing.

Kizza Besigye spent his first full day out of the hospital on Saturday since security operatives in Uganda sprayed him with pepper spray or tear gas at

close range April 28 in the Ugandan capital. Besigye has been arrested five times while leading “walk to work” protests that were launched against government corruption and higher food and fuel prices.

He said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni is starting to realize that residents are demanding better government. “I consider that this is only the beginning,” he said. —AP

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Obama’s promised trip to Pakistan now uncertain ‘Pakistanis sitting atop a very volatile situation’

RIO DE JANEIRO: A police officer reviews guns that were collected on the first day of a national disarmament campaign, at a news conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, yesterday. The Brazilian government has begun a disarmament campaign officials hope will take more than 1 million guns off the streets by the end of the year. — AP

Alleged Serb drug gang swept up by Brazilian cops SAO PAULO: A crime gang allegedly led by Serbians was swept up by Brazilian police, shedding light on a growing problem for South America’s largest nation — foreign cartels increasingly using it as a corridor to export the continent’s cocaine to Europe and elsewhere. Security experts also said the existence of such criminal organizations across Latin America not only destabilizes the region, but could be dangerous for the US and other nations because of suspicions that groups financing terror can use trafficking in the lawless areas to raise funds. Sixteen suspected members of the Serbian gang were arrested between Sunday and Thursday across the country, federal police confirmed on Friday. Some were captured along Brazil’s remote Amazon border near Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina, and others in international transportation hubs such as Sao Paulo.

Brazilian police said that eight of those arrested were Serbian citizens and that the Serbian government has requested the extradition of the man suspected of leading the group.

Police in Brazil would not identify the suspects. But Serbia’s justice minister, Snezana Malovic, said they include Goran Nesic and Dejan Stojanovic, who are on that country’s most-wanted list. He said Serbia will seek their extradition.

Nesic was convicted of drug trafficking in Serbia and fled before he could serve his eight-year sentence, Malovic said.

Stojanovic, also known as Keka, is wanted for robbery. Serbian officials said they worked with Brazilian authorities and the US Drug Enforcement Administration on the case. The DEA’s office in Washington confirmed the agency assisted in the investigation, but provided no other details.

The crackdown concluded a two-year operation that resulted in 35 arrests, the seizure of 1,370 pounds (620 kilograms) of cocaine and the equivalent of $1.2 million.

Walter Maierovitch, Brazil’s former drug czar, said Serbian gangs have been operating in Brazil for at least a decade, as are oth-

er international criminal organizations.

“Brazil is used as a two-way corridor by drug traffickers who receive export-quality drugs from Colombia and Peru and ship it out to Africa for transshipment to Europe and Asia,” Maierovitch said. “Brazil is also the only country in Latin America that produces the chemicals needed to convert coca leaves into paste.” He added that Bolivia is a supplier of low-grade cocaine mainly for the Brazilian market, though U.S. officials have said foreign traffickers recently have set up more sophisticated labs there using Colombian technology. Three Serbs were killed in Bolivia last year while serving as bodyguards for a local trafficker.

Maierovitch said Brazil’s economic boom is drawing more foreign criminals.

“As its economy grows stronger and attracts more and more investments, it is also attracting more attention from international drug traffickers who launder the profits they make from drugs in Brazil,” he said. One way to hide drug profits is buying up real estate, Maierovitch said, and Brazil has become one of the Western Hemisphere’s hottest property markets.

Police said a federal court ordered the seizure of the suspects’ assets, which included 31 buildings, 15 luxury vehicles and three boats, with an estimated overall value of $16 million. The head of U.S. military’s Southern Command said Monday in Miami that the U.S. must recognize the increasing threat from transnational criminal organizations across Latin America.

“We have a key threat that we all need to focus on and that is transnational criminal organizations,” Gen. Douglas Fraser said at a conference organized by the University of Miami’s Center for Hemispheric Policy.

Fraser said the concern is not just drug trafficking but also weapons trade, money laundering and human trafficking. He said countries that don’t have the means or will to fight growing criminal enterprises within their borders could become spots where terrorist organizations can raise funds and organize. — AP

All kids, legal or not, entitled to school MIAMI: The US Depar tment of Education sent a letter to districts around the country Friday, reminding them that all students — legal or not — are entitled to a public education.

The letter comes amid reports that schools may be checking the immigration status of students trying to enroll, and reminds districts they are federally prohibited from barring elementary or secondary students on the basis of citizenship status.

“Moreover, districts may not request information with the purpose or result of denying access to public schools on the basis of race, color or national origin,” said the letter, which was signed by officials from the department’s Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Justice. “We put this letter out now because we know school districts are in the process of planning for the next school year, and wanted to make sure they had this in hand,” said Department of Education spokesman Justin Hamilton. “We were concerned about the number of repor ts that we’ve received and heard about, and felt it was necessary to make it clear that this has been the law of the land since Ronald Reagan was president.” A 1982 Supreme Court case, Plyer v. Doe, held that states cannot deny students access to public education, whether they are in the US legally or not. The court ruled that denying public education could impose a lifetime of hardship “on a discrete class of children not accountable for their disabling status.” The letter comes as the Office of Civil Rights investigates three complaints, and less than a week before the president is expected to deliver a speech on immigration during a visit to Texas.

The Office of Civil Rights is also currently evaluating a complaint filed last month by the Southern Poverty Law Center against schools in Durham County, North Carolina. The organization claims discrimination against Latino students. In one instance, a girl attempting to enroll in a district high school was asked for her passport and visa and was told that if she didn’t have one, she

must be an illegal alien, said attorney Gerri Katzerman. Ken Soo, a lawyer representing Durham Public Schools, said the district was looking into the complaint and would correct any problems found.

Katzerman said the issue has become increasingly common in the Deep South as demographics change and more Latino families move in.

“We hear from them a very similar experience, where they attempt to enroll and are asked about their immigration status, are asked for documents they don’t have, and they basically disappear back into the population without having the opportunity to participate in public education,” she said.

Civil rights officials are also investigating a complaint in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, where school officials considered requiring four proofs of residency for new students. The proposal has been changed, though some believe the requirements are still too onerous. Legislation has been introduced in a number of states this year that would authorize districts to inquire about immigration status when students enroll in the district. Republican Rep. Becky Nordgren, of Alabama, for example, sponsored a bill that would have required students and their parents to provide proof of citizenship to enroll. She said her district has seen a rise in the number of undocumented immigrants and that this has placed an undue cost on the local government.

“Quite frankly, I believe that these issues need to be addressed,” she said.

Nordgren said that her bill stalled after she learned about the 1982 Supreme Court case.

The letter Friday said districts can require students to provide proof of residency within a district, such as phone or water bills, but that immigration status would not be relevant. Districts can also require a birth certificate to confirm a student’s age, but cannot bar enrollment if the certificate is from another country. Nor can they deny enrollment if a student does not provide a social security number. — AP

WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama’s promised trip to Pakistan this year, once seen as a reward for a key ally in the fight against terrorism, is now a looming headache for the White House as it tries to determine whether the government in Islamabad was complicit in allowing Osama bin Laden to live for years within the country’s borders. Obama told Pakistani officials in the fall that he planned to travel there in 2011, in part to soothe concerns that the president was favoring Pakistan’s neighbor and archrival, India, by visiting there first. White House spokesmen questioned this week by The Associated Press refused to say whether Obama still planned to go. In the hours after bin Laden’s killing by a U.S. special forces team in Pakistan, John Brennan, Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser, left the topic open. “I’m not going to address the president’s schedule,” he said. “I think there’s a commitment that the president has made that he is intending to visit Pakistan. A lot depends on availability, scheduling.” The decision is of enormous strategic and symbolic importance to both countries. A presidential trip would signal a continued US commitment to its complicated, yet necessary, relationship with Pakistan, a country that is not only integral in dealing with terrorism,

but will also play a key role in the US troop drawdown in neighboring Afghanistan.

Canceling the visit could be seen as a sign of US mistrust of Pakistan’s handling of extremists within its borders — as underscored by the news that bin Laden lived in what Brennan himself called “plain sight” in a neighborhood home to many in the Pakistani military. Karl Inderfurth, a former assistant secretary of state who traveled to Pakistan with then President Bill Clinton, said the White House should hold off making any decisions about Obama’s travel until the tensions that have heightened since bin Laden’s death have eased.

“I don’t think that responsible officials on either side want to inject into that situation all that is required for a presidential visit, including safety and security, said Inderfurth, now a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The Pakistanis know they are sitting atop a very volatile situation.” Obama aides had never publicly set a date for the president’s visit to Pakistan, and it’s unlikely they will even if he does go there. Because of security concerns, Obama would probably travel unannounced and under heavy security, as Vice President Joe Biden did earlier this year. Obama

has traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan under similar circumstances.

The US has spent years and billions of dollars trying to coax Pakistan to be a more willing partner in the fight against terrorism, offering aid to its military and trying to bolster weak political leaders. But there have always been questions about how committed Pakistan is to that effort — questions that only increased after bin Laden’s death.

Some in Congress say the fact that bin Laden may have been hiding in a comfortable compound near Islamabad for up to six years is proof that Pakistan is an unreliable partner and are calling for ending or reducing the $1.3 billion in aid the US sends each year to Pakistan. For its part, Pakistan’s army has acknowledged the shortcomings in its efforts to find bin Laden but also threatened to review cooperation with Washington if the US forces continue to penetrate Pakistani airspace without permission.

Obama has canceled a foreign trip before, but under far different circumstances. In 2010, he twice postponed a planned visit to Indonesia and Australia to deal with pressing domestic issues.

He eventually made it to Indonesia, while Australia is still waiting for its visit. — AP

Mexican community takes on armed gangs CHERAN: Tension is palpable on the streets of Cheran, a town in the mountains of Michoacan state, western Mexico, where desperate residents have declared a state of siege.

After months of growing violence related to illegal logging, residents from the Purepecha community of some 17,000 people have had enough.

Three weeks ago, they blocked access to the town with stones and bonfires to try to keep out armed groups they say are protecting illegal loggers and spreading terror.

The last straw was when two of their neighbors were shot dead by loggers, on April 27, and government forces failed to step in.

“We have no security. We can’t move outside the city,” said one resident who declined to give his name or show his face for fear of retaliation.

“This group of alleged loggers-and I don’t think they are just loggers wanted to take control of our town,” said the man, who belongs to an informal, communal police force that is leading efforts to keep the illegal loggers out. Illegal logging has been an issue for years in this region, which is famed for forests which annually welcome millions of migrating monarch butter flies. But since December the loggers have come in greater numbers, leaving nearby mountains barren and scorched. An estimated 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) of forest have been destroyed in around six months. Michoacan is among the regions worst hit by violence blamed on drug gangs which has left more than 37,000 dead, according to media reports, since the launch of a government offensive on organized crime in December 2006. Residents say violence and intimidation in Cheran has risen along with the power of local drug gangs. “Those criminals kidnap us and threaten us saying we have to give them money. It’s not fair because the residents of Cheran have no jobs,” said one local, declining to be named. Insecurity is not the only concern for this rural community-the forest also provides one of their main sources of income. Locals have

CIUDAD VICTORIA: In this photo taken April 26, 2011, a bus driver adjusts the sign on a bus at the Ciudad Victoria’s bus station, Mexico. A total of 183 bodies have been found in mass graves near San Fernando, most of them were presumably people kidnapped from buses traveling between Ciudad Victoria and the border town of Matamoros, according to authorities. The sign reads in Spanish: “Good night”. — AP sold wood and resin for a living for generations.

Three weeks into the siege, residents are still trying to attract the attention of the federal government, while relying on community police patrols and 17 municipal police. There are also five state police stationed outside the town, “but they don’t guarantee anything, they never have,” according to the daughter of an indigenous rights activist killed three years ago.

Since 2008, nine residents have been killed and five others have disappeared. Local authorities agree federal help may be the only way out of the current situation, but so far their requests

for reinforcements have fallen on deaf ears. “The solution is for government or military authorities to have a permanent presence to protect the forest. This is what we’ve been asking for, for years now,” said deputy municipal president Artemio Adame Campanur. Rights group Amnesty International on Friday called for pressure on state and federal authorities to assist the embattled community. Cheran’s residents do not know how long they can keep up the blockade, but say they are determined to keep the town from following others in Mexico that have ended up in the hands of criminals. — AFP

Canadian woman missing since March found in Nevada ELKO: A Canadian woman who survived for seven weeks on water and trail mix after getting stranded in a remote part of Nevada was recovering yesterday as a search for her husband moves ahead. Hunters on Friday spotted the van of Albert and Rita Chretien on a logging road in Elko County in nor theastern Nevada, according to a statement by the Baker City, Oregon, police, who had searched for the couple. The Chretiens disappeared in late March during a trip to Las Vegas.

The 56-year- old woman told her son, Raymond Chretien, that her 59-year-old husband set off for help on foot a few days after their van got stuck in mud, while she stayed with the van. That was the last she saw of him.

“We’re stunned,” Raymond Chretien told The (Portland) Oregonian in a telephone interview.

“We haven’t fully digested it. This is a miracle.”

Officer Dan Moskaluk, spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in British Columbia, said Rita Chretien was at an Idaho hospital and reportedly walking around. “Her family said she lived off water and small amounts of trail mix,” losing 20-30 pounds (914 kilograms) during the ordeal, Moskaluk told The Associated Press. Raymond Chretien said the Elko sheriff’s office was searching for his father yesterday. The office told the Elko Daily Free Press that the couple’s vehicle was found in a ravine. The area is about a five-hour drive from Baker City.

The couple left their Penticton, British Columbia, home on March 19, and reached Baker City in eastern Oregon that afternoon, where they were captured on a store’s surveillance camera.

Raymond Chretien told The Oregonian they made it to Nevada later that day and were sightseeing on back roads when their van got stuck in mud. Three days later, Albert Chretien set out on foot.

“They got turned around off the main road

that they should have been on,” Moskaluk said.

Officials said weather over the past month in that area has included snow, rain and chilly temperatures. “I don’t believe they were prepared for winter weather,” Raymond Chretien said. “They don’t go camping.” The Chretiens were repor ted missing when they didn’t return home March 30.

The RCMP, Baker City police and other agencies mounted a search in April but failed

to turn up any sign. Moskaluk described it as an extensive search covering 3,000 square miles. Raymond Chretien said his mother doubts whether she would have made it three more days. She had been keeping a journal to let her family know what had happened. Her son says she immediately apologized for the anguish she caused him, his two brothers and other relatives. “She felt extremely bad for us all,” he said. — AP

QUITO: Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa casts his ballot during a referendum in Quito, Ecuador, yesterday. If approved the 10-question referendum proposed by Correa could affect press freedom and the judiciary’s independence among other things. — AP

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Musharraf slams US over bin Laden raid DUBAI: Former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf has slammed the United States for violating Islamabad’s sovereignty in carrying carry out the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, a media report said yesterday.

The former military strongman told the expatriate Pakistan community in Dubai that all “peace loving people” should be happy that bin Laden was killed, but no Pakistani accepted the violation of their sovereignty. “...no country will accept such a violation by the US, which undermines Pakistan’s sovereignty, army and intelli-

gence,” Musharraf was quoted as saying in The National daily.

“This is not acceptable to any Pakistani individual.” However, Musharraf insisted that Pakistan and the US must work together to eliminate terrorism and urged that there should not be a showdown between the two.

“The relationship between Pakistan and the US has not been at its best for a while now, but to defeat Al-Qaeda and the Taleban, which is now our biggest threat, this relationship should not develop into confrontation,” he said. Questions have been raised in the US

about Pakistan’s role in the sheltering of bin Laden at a milliondollar villa within a stone’s throw of a prestigious Pakistan military academy at Abbottabad, near the capital Islamabad. Musharraf said he did not believe that Pakistani government or military officials had knowledge of bin Laden’s presence or were harbouring him. “It is not unusual for blunders to occur,” he said. “Look at 9/11 (September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States)unfortunately those attacks did happen, so where was their [US] intelligence then?” In an

interview with the National Public Radio in the US, Musharraf had on Friday blamed incompetence by his country’s intelligence agencies for allowing Al-Qaeda leader to live undetected in Pakistan for years.

“One can draw only two conclusions,” Musharraf told NPR. “One is complicity from our intelligence agencies. The second is incompetence and I strongly believe in the latter,” Musharraf said.

“I cannot imagine that there was complicity.”

Pakistan has come under fire

for failing to track down the world’s most wanted man, who was shot dead in a raid by US commandos on May 2 in a heavily fortified compound not far from Islamabad.

Reports have said the architect of the September 11, 2011 attacks on the United States may have been living for five years in the town of Abbottabad, close to the homes of many retired Pakistani generals. Asked whether he was upset that he did not know that bin Laden had been sheltering in Pakistan during his presidency,

Musharraf said: “Frankly, yes.” “It is terrible,” he replied, adding he wanted to ask Pakistani intelligence officials “why the hell did you not know?”Musharraf, a former Pakistani military commando and army chief, resigned as president under pressure in 2008 after initially seizing power in a 1999 coup while returning from a visit to Sri Lanka.He now lives in self-imposed exile in London, but is wanted over the 2007 murder of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto, accused of failing to provide her with enough security. —AFP

Taleban launch string of attacks on key Afghan city Gunmen attack Afghan governor’s compound KANDAHAR: The Taleban unleashed a wave of attacks including six suicide bombings on government targets in the major southern Afghan city of Kandahar yesterday, leaving at least 30 people wounded. Militants with guns and rocket-propelled grenades attacked the governor’s office, and ten explosions including six suicide blasts rocked the city, the heartland of the Taleban, after violence began around 1:00 pm (0930 GMT).

NEW DELHI: Congress-led UPA government chairperson, Sonia Gandhi (R) releases ‘Rabindra Chitrawali’, a book of paintings by Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh looks on during the commemoration of the 150th Bir th Anniversar y of Rabindranath Tagore in New Delhi yesterday. —AFP

India launches Tagore 150th anniversary events NEW DELHI: India kicked off celebrations yesterday to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of iconic poet and playwright Rabindranath Tagore, the first Asian to win the Nobel Prize for literature.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched the festivities for the poet who won the Nobel in 1913 and is revered by the world’s 250 million Bengali speakers in India, neighbouring Bangladesh and elsewhere.

The events, planned over one year, aim to stir new interest among a wider audience in the Bengali writer’s novels, music, plays, poems and paintings, the government said.

“A number of commemoration events have (also) been planned abroad, particularly in countries with which Tagore had some association,” Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a speech in New Delhi.

Tagore, who established an open-air university in India’s West Bengal state, also penned the national anthems of both Bangladesh and India. He produced some 50 volumes of poetry including his acclaimed Gitanjali (Song Offerings).

Jorasanko Mansion in state capital Kolkata, the poet’s birthplace and also where he died in 1941, was bedecked with flowers for the occasion.

In New Delhi, Singh, addressing diplomats and fans from India and Bangladesh, also announced an award in the name of the poet, who was part of a national campaign for India’s independence from British colonial rule, granted in 1947.

“A jury headed by the prime minister will select each year a citizen of the world of outstanding public eminence who in his or her life and work epitomises the high universal ideals that Tagore stood for,” Singh said.

The award will “recognise his very distinguished contributions towards the promotion of international brotherhood and fraternity”, Singh said.

Tagore, who also spent time in what is now Bangladesh, renounced his British knighthood in protest over a massacre of hundreds of civilians by British-led troops in India’s Jallianwala town in 1919.

Several states including Meghalaya and Tripura in India’s remote northeast were also celebrating the event with seminars, plays and readings from Tagore’s voluminous works, which for many mirror India’s spiritual heritage.

Prime Minister Singh thanked his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, for jointly hosting the year-long celebrations.

He also released a digital collection of some of the poet’s paintings which were on display at an exhibition in New Delhi.

The exhibition forms part of a broader joint series of events to mark the anniversary, which was launched on Friday in Dhaka by Indian Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari and Sheikh Hasina.

“Some important archival materials on Tagore that are on celluloid have been restored and packaged, for national and international dissemination, after subtitling in English,” Singh said.

The Archaeological Survey of India has helped authorities of Tagore’s universityViswa Bharati-in the restoration of 27 heritage buildings while the government is planning to upgrade museums linked to the poet. Singh also said India’s culture ministry has begun the digitaliation of Tagore’s rare paintings and original manuscripts and books.

“But in the final analysis the future of Viswa Bharati depends not so much on official patronage or resources but the dreams and ambitions of its teachers, students and alumni,” the prime minister added.

Tagore, known as the “Bard of the East,” set up Vishwa Bharati in 1921 in the picturesque town of Shantiniketan near Kolkata from the prize money he received from the Nobel Foundation. —AFP

Boy suicide bomber recruits paraded KABUL: Afghan authorities paraded four young Afghan boys yesterday who they said had been recruited as suicide bombers from homes in neighbouring Pakistan and detained as they came back across the border on a mission to attack foreign troops.

The four boys, all under 13, giggled and smiled shyly at one another as they were led on to a stage before television cameras to tell how they were coerced by insurgent leaders into becoming unwitting suicide attackers.

“We were told to go and carry out a suicide attack in Logar province. I was told to press the detonating button and they said the (infidels) will be killed and you will live,” said 13-year-old Fazil Rahman, who was dressed in bright green Afghan shalwar kameez clothing.

Militants in Iraq often used child

bombers, some of them disabled, to bypass security checks as troops and police in the country ramped up inspections to counter increasing attacks. But the use of children and women bombers in Afghanistan has been relatively rare in the decade since US-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taleban government.

A 12-year-old child bomber detonated a vest packed with explosives in a bazaar in the Barmal district of Paktika province last Sunday at the start of the insurgents’ spring offensive, killing four civilians and wounding 12.

President Hamid K arzai condemned the bombing and said recruiting children who did not know the difference between right and wrong was “inhumane and against all Islamic principles”. —Reuters

Gunmen occupied a hotel near the local office of Afghanistan’s intelligence service, while suicide bombers tried to attack two police officers but were shot before they could reach their targets.

In chaotic scenes, an AFP reporter said gunfire was still ringing out as ambulances evacuated the wounded, who included five policemen, from the area.

“Small-arms fire is still going on. Two RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) have been fired onto the (governor’s) building so far,” provincial spokesman Zalmay Ayubi told AFP. “ The northern and eastern sides of the compound are under direct attack,” he said, also giving details of the other attacks.

It is believed that Kandahar governor Tooryalai Wesa was holed up in his compound.

A spokesman for Kandahar’s main hospital, Doctor Hashem, said that 30 people had been brought in with injuries, including five police.

The Taleban claimed responsibility for the attacks, with spokesman Yusuf Ahmadi claiming that “heavy casualties have been inflicted on the enemy”.

The militia had warned on Friday that this week’s killing of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden

by US forces in Pakistan would give “a new impetus” to their fight against foreign and Afghan forces.

But Ahmadi said the Kandahar attacks were planned for nearly three weeks and were part of the

KANDAHAR: An Afghan security officer stops and checks bikers at the empty street after gunmen launched an attack on the compound of the governor of Kandahar province in Kandahar, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, yesterday. —AP start of the Taleban’s annual spring offensive announced last week. He claimed they could last for hours and warned locals to stay indoors.

The assault against the heavily guarded governor’s compound was launched from two nearby buildings including a shopping mall which the attackers had ordered shopkeepers to leave shortly before the violence began.

There are around 130,000 international troops in

Afghanistan, two-thirds of them from the United States, battling the Taleban and other insurgents.

Limited withdrawals from seven relatively peaceful areas, only one of which is in southern Afghanistan, are due to start in July ahead of the planned end of foreign combat operations in 2014.

I nternational forces claim t ha t K a nd a ha r a nd t he s ur rounding area are now safer following months of intense fighting to clear traditional Taleban

strongholds.

But government officials and other targets are still frequently targeted by militants in the city, the biggest in Afghanistan’s south.

Nearly 500 Taleban prisoners escaped from Kandahar’s prison last month through a huge tunnel in a major embarrassment for the authorities.

Also in April, Kandahar’s police chief was killed by an attacker in a police uniform, while in January Wesa’s deputy was killed. —AFP

Bin Laden ‘may have lived in Pakistan for over 7 years’ ABBOTTABAD: Osama bin Laden may have lived in Pakistan for over seven years before being shot dead

by US forces, senior Pakistani security officials said yesterday, a disclosure that could further anger key ally Washington over the presence of enemy number one in the country.

One of bin Laden’s widows told Pakistani investigators that he stayed in a village for nearly two and a half years before moving to the nearby garrison town of Abbottabad, where he was killed on Monday.

The wife, Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, told investigators earlier that bin Laden and his family had spent five years in Abbottabad, where one of the most elaborate and expensive manhunts in history ended.

“Amal (bin Laden’s wife) told investigators that they lived in a village in Haripur district for nearly two and a half years before moving to Abbottabad at the end of 2005,” one of the security officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity.

Abdulfattah, along with two other wives and several children, were among 15-16 people detained by Pakistani authorities at the compound after the raid.

Pakistan, heavily dependent on billions of dollars of US aid, is under heavy pressure to explain how bin Laden could have spent so many years undetected a few hours drive from its intelligence headquarters in the capital. Suspicions have deepened that Pakistan’s pervasive Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency, which has a long history of contacts with militant groups, may have had ties with bin Laden-or that at least some of its agents did.

Pakistan has dismissed such suggestions and says it has paid the highest price in human life and money supporting the US war on militancy launched after bin Laden’s followers staged the September 11, 2001, attacks on America.

Security officials said Pakistan had launched an investigation into bin Laden’s presence in the South Asian country seen as critical to stabilising neighbouring Afghanistan. “It is very serious that bin Laden lived in cities (in Pakistan)... and we couldn’t nail it down fully,” said one of the officials.

Pakistani leaders were already facing staggering problems before revelations that bin Laden was in their backyard raised new questions about their commitment to fighting militancy.

ABBOTTABAD: Pakistani soldiers stand guard outside the hideout house of AlQaeda leader Osama bin Laden following his death by US Special Forces in a ground operation in Abbottabad yesterday. —AFP Al Qaeda-linked Taliban militants who seem to stage suicide bombings at will remain a major security threat despite several military offensives against their bases in the forbidding mountainous border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The economy is stagnant and the government must impose politically unpopular reforms to keep money from an $11 billion International Monetary Fund loan flowing to Pakistan.

Pakistanis are growing impatient with high food prices and poor services and an education system that is so flawed that many parents are forced to send their children to Islamic seminaries that spread hard-line ideologies that fuel militancy. Anger and suspicion between Washington and Islamabad over the raid in Abbottabad, 30 miles (50 km) from the Pakistani capital, showed no sign of abating.

The New York Times on Saturday quoted Pakistani officials as saying the Obama administration had demanded Pakistan disclose the identities of some of its top intelligence operatives as Washington seeks to find out whether they had contact with bin Laden or his agents before the raid on his compound.

The officials were providing details of what the Times called a tense discussion between Pakistani officials and a US envoy in Pakistan on Monday.

A Pakistani security official denied the report, which he called “untrue” and “malicious”.

Many in Washington suspect Pakistani authorities had been either grossly incompetent or playing a double game in the hunt for bin Laden and the two countries’ supposed partnership against violent Islamists. As it engages in damage control over bin Laden’s presence, Pakistan must prepare for the possibility that supporters angered by bin Laden’s death will hit back. Since al Qaeda has ties with the Pakistani Taliban, this country could make an easy target.

Al Qaeda has acknowledged that bin Laden is dead, dispelling doubts by some Muslims the militant group’s leader had really been killed by US forces, and vowed to mount more attacks on the West. The announcement on Friday by the Islamist militant organisation appeared intended to show its followers around the globe the group had survived as a functioning network. In a statement online, it said the blood of bin Laden, “is more precious to us and to every Muslim than to be wasted in vain.”

“It will remain, with permission from Allah the Almighty, a curse that hunts the Americans and their collaborators and chases them inside and outside their country.” —Reuters

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Philippine troops ‘played basketball’ with massacre suspects MANILA: Philippine soldiers were accused yesterday of playing basketball with suspects from the country’s worst political massacre, causing acute embarrassment to the military.

An inquiry is under way into allegations made by a relative of one of the 57 people murdered in the November 2009 attack, military spokesman Commodore Miguel Rodriguez said.

“The instructions are, if these people are indeed suspects, we should arrest

them, not play ball with them,” Rodriguez told AFP. “The chief of staff (armed forces chief General Eduardo Oban), was livid and ordered an investigation,” Rodriguez added. He said the governor of the southern province of Maguindanao-whose wife, sister, and several other relatives were among the massacre victims, had complained to the military over the alleged incident.

State prosecutors say the 2009 killings

were an attempt by a rival clan to stop Esmael Mangudadatu from running for the provincial governorship. He won the electoral contest six months after the attack. Six senior members of Maguindanao’s rival Ampatuan clan, including the patriarch Andal Ampatuan Snr, are detained along with 73 other suspects.

But more than 100 others, including three other members of the Ampatuan clan who were supposedly seen by

Mangudadatu followers playing basketball with soldiers in Maguindanao, are at large. The Ampatuans had ruled Maguindanao province for a decade under the patronage of former president Gloria Arroyo, who rights monitors said allowed the clan to keep a large private army as a proxy force against Muslim rebels. Rodriguez, the military spokesman, said taking part in sports activities was part of the Philippine military’s standard practice of winning the hearts and minds

of communities amid a decades-old fight against various insurgencies.

He said it was plausible that the soldiers in question were unaware that they were playing basketball against people who are fugitives from justice.

“If we play ball with them, we do not ask whether they are members of the Abu Sayyaf (a militant Islamist group blamed for the country’s worst terrorist attacks), or whether they are Ampatuans or Mangudadatus,” Rodriguez said. — AFP

Thousands rally in Japan against nuclear power ‘We want a shift in energy policy’

JAKARTA: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (C), accompanied by Foreign Minister Hor Namhong (L), speaks to journalists during a break in the 18th Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta yesterday. ASEAN leaders met in Indonesia for talks overshadowed by conflict on the Thai-Cambodia border and ongoing rights abuses in Myanmar. — AFP

Cambodia premier blasts Thailand at ASEAN summit JAKARTA: A summit of Southeast Asian leaders focusing on economic integration took a dramatic turn yesterday when Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen blasted his Thai counterpart over a bloody border dispute.

Hun Sen took the floor of the closed-door opening session of the two-day summit in Jakarta and accused Thailand of attacking its neighbour in a contested border area near an 11th-century Khmer temple, attendees said.

One foreign minister described the fiery Cambodian leader as “quite aggressive” and observers said the assembled Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders were surprised at the outburst.

“It became a little dramatic, but I think that’s just the way that Prime Minister Hun Sen delivers speeches,” Philippine presidential spokesman Ricky Carandang said.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva told reporters after the encounter: “We had a frank discussion this morning.”

“We need to resolve the problem because we don’t want this to be a problem that would affect ASEAN’s agenda on community building,” he added. The border spat was not on the formal agenda of the two-day summit but it is overshadowing discussions on ASEAN’s longterm efforts to create a closely integrated regional economic zone by 2015.

Other issues on the table include food and energy security, territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the scourge of human trafficking and East Timor’s membership bid.

But even before the presidents and prime ministers of the disparate 10-nation bloc sat

down in Jakarta’s cavernous convention centre, their discussions had been framed by negative news from troubled member states.

Myanmar stole the headlines on Friday when ASEAN officials announced that the military-led country-which is under Western sanctions for serial human rights abuses-had asked to chair the group in 2014.

US-based Human Rights Watch said ASEAN, already struggling for credibility, would become the “laughing stock of intergovernmental forums” if it granted the request. ASEAN leaders are meanwhile facing mounting pressure to help end the Thai-Cambodian conflict, which has claimed 18 lives and temporarily displaced 85,000 people in weeks of clashes.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono spoke of the dangers of rising food and energy prices, climate change and unrest in the Middle East during his opening remarks. But without mentioning the Thai-Cambodian row, he also reminded his fellow leaders that ASEAN could no longer use the bloc’s long-held principle of non-interference to shirk the need to resolve conflicts between member states.

“We realise that to ensure a peaceful and stable East Asia region, we must ensure stability and security in our region,” the ex-general said.

“If conflict occurs, ASEAN must be capable of facilitating a forum for diplomacy and open dialogue with the intent of attaining common peace.” ASEAN’s halting efforts to negotiate an end to the clashes are being closely watched as a litmus test of its soaring ambition to create an integrated regional community in just four years’ time. —AFP

TOKYO: Thousands of people rallied in Japan yesterday to demand a shift away from nuclear power after an earthquake and tsunami sparked the world’s worst atomic crisis since Chernobyl a quartercentury ago.

Braving spring drizzle, thousands of demonstrators gathered at a park in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, many holding hand-made banners reading: “Nuclear is old!” and “We want a shift in energy policy!”

The protest came a day after Prime Minister Naoto Kan called a halt to operations at a nuclear plant southwest of Tokyo because it is near a tectonic faultline, fearing a disaster like that which hit the Fukushima Daiichi plant in March.

“I’m happy to see the prime minister finally taking action,” said protester Manami Inoue, 28, who had a black and yellow “No” sign around her neck.

“But I want to know when the plant will really stop operations,” she said.

Fellow demonstrator Shinji Matsushita, 59, said: “I feel so frustrated because no politicians have made their stance clear-whether they are for nuclear or against nuclear. “ They keep saying nuclear is dangerous but never say they are against it.”

More than 10,000 people gathered for the demonstration, public broadcaster NHK said, after organisers spread the word through online social networks.

Kan said Friday he was ordering the suspension of operations at the Hamaoka plant 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the capital while a higher sea wall was built and other measures taken to guard against quake and tsunami damage.

Local media said the suspension would be for about two years.

Seismologists have long warned a major quake is overdue in the Tokai region where the ageing Hamaoka plant is located, while anti-nuclear campaigners argue the seismically unstable area makes Hamaoka the most dangerous

TOKYO: A protester raises a placard during an anti-nuclear power plant demonstration in Tokyo yesterday. Thousands of people rallied in Tokyo to demand a shift away from nuclear power after an earthquake and tsunami sparked the world’s worst atomic crisis since Chernobyl a quarter-century ago.— AFP atomic facility in the quake-prone archipelago.

Resource-poor Japan, highly dependent on Middle Eastern oil, meets about one third of its energy needs with nuclear power.

The ruling party has said it would review government energy policy after the stricken Fukushima plant leaked radiation into air, soil and sea and forced the evacuation of 85,000 people living near the plant.

But it said it would not abandon nuclear power.

Major Japanese newspapers largely welcomed the move by Kan, although he does not have a legally

binding power to stop a running nuclear reactor, urging the operator of the Hamaoka plant to accept his decision.

“It is difficult to explain to the international community why the Hamaoka plant, which is considered to be ‘the most dangerous’ continues operating,” said the liberal Asahi Shimbun newspaper in its Saturday editorial.

The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper also said: “We would like to see the government never to lower its vigilance also over other nuclear plants.”

The conser vative Yomiuri Shimbun daily said: “Chubu Electric

Power Co. should accept the prime minister’s request.”

But Chubu Electric Power, which held a board meeting on Saturday, put off its decision about what course of action it should take after Kan’s announcement.

The Nikkei business daily expressed concerns for a possible power shortage in the region, where major manufacturers are located, including Toyota.

“Can we keep the impact on the society and industry as small as possible? The government has the responsibility to explain to the citizens based on the actual condition of power supply,” it said. — AFP

Ruling party faces tough test as Singapore votes

KAIMANA: Relatives cry for their beloved one, a victim of a Merpati Nusantara passenger plane crash, in Kaimana yesterday. An MA-60 aircraft with around 25 passengers and crew crashed into the sea during a downpour yesterday in eastern Indonesia, killing everyone on board, a navy officer told local radio. — AFP

No survivors in Indonesia plane crash: Navy officer JAKARTA: A plane carrying about 25 passengers and crew crashed into the sea during a downpour yesterday in eastern Indonesia, killing everyone on board, a navy officer told local radio.

“I can confirm that all the passengers were killed when the plane exploded as it crashed into the sea,” a navy officer involved in the search told ElShinta radio. “The aircraft was smashed to pieces... We found 15 bodies floating on the water and the other passengers are trapped inside the wreckage.” A transport ministry spokesman earlier said there were 27 people — 21 passengers and six crew-on board the Merpati Nusantara airlines MA-60 aircraft.The twin turbo-prop plane took off from Sorong city in West Papua province for Kaimana district about 400 kilometres (250 miles) to the south, he said. The navy official, Gunawan, said that about 10 navy divers had tried to find other passengers inside the wreckage, which had sunk about six kilome-

tres deep.

“We had difficulties locating them due to strong currents and limited equipment,” he said, adding that the accident took place about 400 metres from the coastline.

Heavy rain was pouring down when the accident happened around midday, he said.

Airline officials were unable to comment on the chronology of the accident or the exact number of passengers.

“The weather was bad as there was heavy rainfall, which shortened the (pilot’s) range of vision. It was also very dark. Thus, the airplane did not reach the runway,” the director general at the Ministry of Air Transportation, Herry Bakti, was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Post. Those killed included two children and a baby, the Jakarta Globe reported. In 2009 a Twin Otter plane also operated by Merpati Nusantara crashed into the side of a mountain in remote Papua while on an internal flight, killing all 16 people on board. —AFP

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s ruling party faced its toughest challenge since independence in 1965 as voters in the Southeast Asian city-state went to the polls yesterday for parliamentary elections.

Leaders from the ruling People’s Action Party spent the last days of the nine-day official campaign apologizing for policy mistakes and perceived arrogance amid growing voter discontent over soaring housing costs and a surge of foreign workers.

“There are immediate problems on everyone’s minds, like the cost of living and housing,” Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a televised speech late Friday. “The PAP is dealing with them.” Voting, which is mandator y, ended at 8 pm and the Elections Department was expected to announce initial results within a few hours.

The PAP was expected to win a dominant majority of 87 seats and around 60 percent of the overall vote — results that would be considered great for most of the world’s parties but a potential blow for Singapore’s political establishment, which has enjoyed unrivaled power for five decades.

Opposition parties, bolstered by a crop of first-time candidates, have attracted up to 40,000 people at rallies during the last week, the biggest such crowds analysts can remember.

“In any government, there should be a strong alternative

voice,” said Chia Teck Shin, a 37year-old public relations executive who volunteered during the campaign for the Singapore Democratic Party. “It can’t be that the ruling party is the only deciding factor.” The opposition has never had more than four members of parliament and had just two in the last congress, but six parties were contesting the PAP in a record 82 seats — almost twice as many as the previous elections in 2006. In some past elections, the opposition failed to contest a majority of seats, ceding victory to the PAP even before the vote.

The PAP has traditionally campaigned on its record of strong economic growth and an efficient and corruption-free bureaucracy. However, this time it has appeared to have been caught off-guard by the level of resentment of middle-and workingclass voters who in recent years have seen stagnant wages amid higher living costs, and feel the government has not been responsive enough. Lee apologized earlier this week for government mistakes, such as failing to build enough public housing and not expanding the transportation network to accommodate a large increase in foreign workers. Housing prices on the island are up about 70 percent since 2006.

Singaporeans will be closely watching the results of Aljunied district, where the Workers Party fielded its strongest five-candidate team to take on the PAP,

SINGAPORE: This photo made available yesterday by the Straits Times shows opposition National Solidarity Party (NSP) candidate Nicole Seah (R) holding the hand of her 85year grandmother (C) while her mother Pat Lim (L), leads Nicole’s 90-year-old grandfather (2nd L) into the gates of the Opera Estate Primary School to vote under Joo Chiat SMC in Singapore.— AFP which is led there by Foreign Minister George Yeo. “I know many of us think the government is arrogant and high-handed,” Yeo said in a video posted on his Facebook page. “I will listen to what you have to say.” Yeo later said in a speech, “In your hearts, you know that Singapore needs the PAP. That without the PAP, there is no Singapore.” The campaign also revealed differences between the two most important figures in Singaporean politics _ Lee and his father, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The elder Lee, 87, is a senior Cabinet minister and is running unopposed in the Tanjong Pagar district he has represented since 1955. He began

the campaign threatening the voters of Aljunied that if the opposition won, government funds for public housing improvements would be withheld and residents would have “five years to live and repent.” Prime Minister Lee and Yeo distanced themselves from the comments of Lee Kuan Yew, who didn’t speak publicly during the second half of the campaign.

“It’s a difference in generation, between MM’s team and my team,” the prime minister said in a speech earlier this week, referring to Lee Kuan Yew as minister mentor, or MM. “We don’t try to do it MM’s style. We do it our way.” — AP

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SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

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Issues

Bin Laden death reignites debate over CIA tactics

By Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman he US government’s hunt for Osama bin Laden has left the country questioning whether the tactics used to interrogate suspected terrorists were successful and lawful. With his death, both sides of the debate have regrouped along familiar lines, claiming they were right all along. But America’s greatest counterterrorism success does not represent a victory for either camp. Rather, it paints a clearer picture of the CIA’s interrogation and detention program, revealing where it was successful and where its successes have been overstated.

At its core, the hunt for bin Laden evolved into a hunt for his couriers, the few men he trusted to pass his personal messages to his field commanders. After the attacks of Sept 11, 2001, detainees in the CIA’s secret prison network told interrogators about one of AlQaeda’s most important couriers, someone known only as Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti. He was a protege of AlQaeda’s No 3, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. In 2003, the CIA captured Mohammed, the group’s operational leader. Mohammed was interrogated using what the agency called “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as sleep deprivation and the simulated drowning technique known as waterboarding. Months after being waterboarded, Mohammed acknowledged knowing alKuwaiti, former officials say.

“So for those who say that waterboarding doesn’t work, to say that it should be stopped and never used again: We got vital information, which directly led us to bin Laden,” the Republican chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Peter King, said last week. But current and former officials directly involved in the interrogation program say that’s not the case.

Mohammed acknowledged knowing al-Kuwaiti after being waterboarded, but he also denied he was an AlQaeda figure or of any importance. It was a lie, much like the stories Mohammed said he made up about where bin Laden was hiding. Even after the CIA deemed him “compliant,” Mohammed never gave up al-Kuwaiti’s real name or his location, or acknowledged al-Kuwaiti’s importance in the terrorist network. But the detention program did play a crucial role in the search for bin Laden.

In 2004, top Al-Qaeda operative Hassan Ghul was captured in Iraq. In a secret CIA prison, Ghul confirmed to the CIA that al-Kuwaiti was an important courier. In particular, Ghul said, the courier was close to Faraj alLibi, who had replaced Mohammed as Al-Qaeda’s operational commander. The CIA had less success when it captured al-Libi. Al-Libi was not waterboarded. But he did get the full range of enhanced interrogation, including intense sleep deprivation, former officials recalled.

Despite those efforts, al-Libi adamantly denied knowing al-Kuwaiti. He acknowledged meeting with an important courier, but he provided a fake name.

Both he and Mohammed withheld or fabricated information, even after the agency’s toughest interrogations. That gave credence to what many longtime interrogators have maintained, that increasingly harsh questioning produces information but not necessarily reliable information.

Given what they knew from other detainees, CIA interrogators suspected that Al-Libi and Mohammed were lying about al-Kuwaiti and that it must be important if they were so committed to withholding this information. So they reasoned that, if they could find alKuwaiti, they might find bin Laden. Years later, thanks to help from other informants and an intercepted phone call involving al-Kuwaiti last year, the CIA was proved right. Kuwaiti unwittingly led the agency to bin Laden’s doorstep in Pakistan. “They used these enhanced interrogation techniques against some of these detainees,” CIA Director Leon Panetta said this past week.

“But I’m also saying that, you know, the debate about whether we would have gotten the same information through other approaches, I think is always going to be an open question.” The Obama administration has labeled waterboarding torture. While President Barack Obama has said he will not prosecute any officers who followed the rules laid out by CIA, White House and Justice Department lawyers, he has appointed a prosecutor to review cases in which detainees died. CIA officers involved in finding bin Laden said they are frustrated that the entire detention and interrogation program and the killing of bin Laden have been reduced to a debate over waterboarding. —AP

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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.

Repercussions of the Killing of Bin Laden Dr James J Zogby he killing of Osama bin Laden-a man who was responsible for numerous acts of mass murder-should have been the end of a story. I have no doubt that the essential elements of how he met his death are true: that he was tracked down by intelligence agencies; that with the President’s authorization, a meticulously planned operation was designed; and that after being presented with estimates as to the certainty of the target and prospects for success, the President dispatched a team to the site and in the process of carrying out the plan, bin Laden was killed.

That much, I believe, is clear. The rest is murky and potentially problematic.

First and foremost are the questions that have arisen because of the clumsy way the story was told. Confusion or contradictions regarding “mechanical difficulties”, “human shields”, “firefights”, “burial at sea”, etc have provided grist for the media mills here and in the Arab World. These have created distractions that have allowed the story to play out in ways that reflected the predisposition of the storytellers. For US conservatives, on television and talk radio programs, for example, the initial telling was best. In their fanciful flights, the coward bin Laden, living in a “multi-million dollar mansion”, “hid behind a woman”, etc. And they gloated and blustered in delight, some even embellishing the story further, to the delight of their listeners.

There were also those whose concern was heightened by the conflicting facts leading them to ask why the terrorist leader was not simply captured and brought to justice to answer for his many crimes against humanity.

Meanwhile, in the Middle East, some, already distrustful of the US, either saw the entire episode as fiction or picked out those parts of the story that fit their bias, using them to construct alternative narratives. In some versions, an unarmed bin Laden was willfully executed; while, in others, he and his band were seen as fighting a pitched battle in which they shot down a helicopter and held off their attackers during a prolonged shoot out.

And then there are still others, albeit a minority, who do not believe the story at all, dismissing it as a self-serving fabrication.

There were additional complications presented by the way the military disposed of bin Laden’s corpse. While attempting to adhere to religious requirements so as not to provoke undo concern, the details and justifications provided only served to raise more questions, generating a debate among some Muslim scholars who took issue with the description of the ritual or the very notion of appropriateness of the “burial at sea”.

As a result, instead of burying the story with bin Laden, questions continued to be asked on both sides of the divide with demands for more clarification and even calls for release off photographic evidence of bin Laden’s dead body. None of this, of course, points to any widespread support for bin Laden and his movement, or for the terrorism they utilized that took the lives of thousands of innocents in America, in ten Arab countries, and as many more in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Rather what it reveals is the troubling lack of trust that defines perceptions of the US across much of the Arab and Muslim Worlds.

And so this clumsy handling of the demise of bin Laden, which was to have provided closure, in the end, only exposed the depth of division and mistrust. At one point, the President was forced, I believe correctly, to shut the discussion down saying “no more” and insisting that no further explanations or pictures would be forthcoming. I say “correctly” because feeding the questioning media beast with more clarifications would never have sated its hunger, and releasing the pictures would have resolved nothing.

Not unlike the “birther” dispute here in the US, those inclined toward disbelief would most likely reject the photos anyway (recall how the video of bin Laden boasting about the Twin Towers was dismissed by some as a

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“Forrest Gump” like concoction). All that release of the photos would accomplish is to provide an iconic image of a bloodied facethis, like the original story itself, would have been interpreted through the biased lens of the interpreter. A second and deeply troubling aspect of this entire episode has been the much reported impact it will have on the US- Pakistan relationship and on internal Pakistani politics.

Questions are being asked about whether Pakistan knew about bin Laden’s presence in an obviously conspicuous compound located close to one of their military academies; and if they didn’t know, then equally disturbing questions are being asked about the competence of their intelligence capabilities. It is interesting to note that nearly identical concerns related to these issues are being raised in both the US Congress and the Pakistani Parliament - although for different reasons.

Congress wants to know whether or not Pakistan can continue to be trusted as an honest and effective ally deserving of the bil-

lions of dollars it receives in US military and economic aid.

On the Pakistani side, they want to know whether their military and intelligence services can be trusted to protect the country’s sovereignty from being violated either by the presence of bin Laden or from a US assault.

With that country reeling from a long war against the Taliban and other terrorists within their borders and deeply resentful of US drone missile attacks and the recent killing of Pakistanis by a US intelligence official-this assault against bin Laden has stirred an already simmering pot, placing the once respected Pakistani military establishment in a bind.

How this all plays out in Pakistan and in the US - Pakistan relationship will be critical for stability in that country and for the crossborder conflict in Afghanistan. Further erosion in trust or a breakdown in ties or a cut in much needed aid to a troubled Pakistani economy would make an already bad situation worse. For his part, the President has

handled the moment well. Instead of indulging in unbecoming displays of victory or “Mission Accomplished” celebrations, he has been tempered and thoughtful. While not providing closure, since nothing can, his quiet and respectful appearance at Ground Zero with families of victims and survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks was an appropriate and dignified act of remembrance.

What we are left with are the memories of pain and loss of that fateful day, and the knowledge that in the 10 years that have passed we have compounded that horror with two misguided and unfinished wars that have taken the lives of so many more, and behaviors, at home and abroad, that have tarnished our image and eroded our values. Given all this, it might have been too much to hope that the end of bin Laden would have brought at least a degree of finality, closing at least one chapter of this still unfolding tragic tale. Sadly, it might have, had the story not been handled so clumsily, raising more questions than it answered.

Protection fees, stolen arms extend Somali war

By Katharine Houreld mmunition intended for peacekeepers ends up in militant hands.

Humanitarian workers pay Somali Islamist rebels protection money. UN and Somali officials are accused of skimming from contracts. About $1 billion is poured into Somalia each year for humanitarian, development and security projects, but some of the aid that is wasted, stolen or diverted may be helping feed the 20-year-old conflict instead of ending it. During a recent trip to Somalia and in interviews in neighboring Kenya where UN officials and aid workers are based, The Associated Press learned about numerous cases of wasteful spending, corruption and dubious payoffs.

In order to carry out projects in central Somalia, staff working for the Danish Refugee Council paid protection money to Islamist insurgents who are battling the beleaguered government. - Bullets bought by international donors and intended for Somali soldiers were sold on open markets, becoming a “significant source of supply” for insurgents, according to a confidential report given to the UN Sanctions Committee this year and obtained by AP. - A $600,000 project by an international aid group was suspended after a government minister demanded a cut.

The problems facing foreign donors trying to rebuild a country wracked by an insurgency are not new: Both Iraq and Afghanistan have seen theft, waste and mismanagement on aid projects. Somalia receives less cash, but there is also far less oversight. Those who are supposed to ensure the aid is properly delivered can’t even enter the country because it’s too dangerous.

Some of the aid money provides food, shelter and medicine for desperate Somalis but a lot is wasted or stolen. How much, no one knows, but the anecdotal evidence is alarming. “The cases that are known are just the tip of the iceberg. This problem has been a major contributor to the Somali conflict,” said professor Stig Jarle Hansen, an expert in war economies working at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.

He said donors often paid to train and equip Somali police or soldiers, but then didn’t pay them, so the men preyed on the local population instead. “They don’t have much incentive to be transparent,” he said. One of the most startling examples of alleged graft occurred right under the noses of top UN officials in Nairobi, Kenya, where the world body’s office on Somalia is based along with many aid agencies.

A former member of the UN office there allegedly diverted millions of dollars over several years, including more than $188,000 earmarked for a Nairobi-based “security liai-

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son office” for the Somali government.

The money was disbursed but no office was ever built. The worker has since moved to a UN position elsewhere. The top UN official on Somalia declined to comment, citing an ongoing UN investigation. Last year a UN panel said that up to half of food aid intended for hungry Somalis was diverted by corrupt contractors or militias. The US withdrew more than $200 million in humanitarian aid

Foreigners are never seen on the streets since a wave of kidnappings hit the city three years ago. Flights, hotel rooms and payments for expenses to get Somali officials to Nairobi so they can meet with international donors eat up large chunks of budgets. On a recent flight from Mogadishu to Nairobi last month, 19 government workers, 12 members of parliament and four government ministers including the deputy prime minister were on

MOGADISHU: Somali women carry weapons during a demonstration in Suqa Holaha neighborhood in Mogadishu. — AP over concerns over diversion of aid.

Humanitarian agencies say they try to build safeguards into their programs but that some corruption is inevitable as they feed, treat and shelter millions in one of the world’s poorest and most violent countries.

In an interview, the top UN official on Somalia was blunt about the situation. “I don’t think there is oversight,” said envoy Augustine Mahiga. “We don’t have accountability because information is not shared.” He said both the international community and Somali government need to improve transparency. Hundreds of UN officials, aid workers and security specialists involved in Somalia are based in Nairobi, Kenya, not in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, complicating matters and making it easier for money, aid supplies and even military hardware to go astray. The Somali government wants the international community to relocate to Mogadishu, but diplomats say it’s too dangerous.

Staccato gunfire rings out every few minutes in Mogadishu, sometimes punctuated by the bang of a rocket- propelled grenade or mortar fire. Shops hang signs advising customers to leave their guns outside.

board, along with an AP reporter.

Government officials can make enough money from donors in this impoverished and anarchic country that the cash might be a disincentive for them to solve the country’s problems. As long as Somalia remains an apparently insolvable mess, the aid money including $600 monthly stipends and other perks for parliamentarians - keeps coming.

The salaries and travel perks may also be an incentive to linger in office. The government’s mandate expires in August but the political leaders wants their terms extended by a year, saying they need more time to provide basic services to Somalia. Parliament wants three more years. International backers are insisting that new elections be held.

For his part, Somalia’s prime minister blames the UN for the hemorrhaging of aid money. “We don’t see a lot of effort made by the UN agencies to come here and monitor whether they are doing things correctly,” Prime Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed said. He is lobbying for more money to come directly into government coffers.

Mohamed said he also wants to limit the amount of time Somali politicians spend abroad - “to 25 percent.” —AP

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

‘Qaeda’ cleric Awlaqi escapes drone attack

Osama ‘may have lived in Pakistan for over 7 years’

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By Abdellatif Sharaa KUWAIT: The long-awaited legislation for the establishment of a state authority overseeing employment sponsorship issues is ready to be submitted to the National Assembly (parliament) for approval, said the Minister of Social Affairs and Labor yesterday. The minister, Mohammad Al-Afasi, said that he had not submitted the draft legislation to the parliament previously because, prior to the government’s mass resignation, he had been taken ill unexpectedly and had had to travel to London for medical treatment.

Passing this legislation “is a legal requirement and there is no choice about it, as stipulated in Law number 6 of 2010,” Al-Afasi stated, adding, “there should be an authority that’s responsible for this issue.” The organizational structure for such a body is already in place, said the minister, adding that there are plans in place already to implement the legislation as soon as it is approved.

Asked whether he had been offered the post of Deputy Premier for Legal Affairs in the next cabinet, Al-Afasi said, “Let’s wait for the decree [officially announcing the new cabinet lineup] to be issued so everyone will know where he stands.”

The minister added that it’s to be hoped that the new cabinet will include those who work to fulfill the ambitions of the country and its people.

Bahrain casts net for loyalty oaths online

MANAMA: A Bahraini man assists a man signing a book pledging loyalty to the ruling Al Khalifa family in the country’s main upscale shopping mall in Manama. — AP DUBAI: While Bahrain’s justice minister was making the latest accusations against alleged enemies of the state this time medical staff - other officials were busy organizing a patriotic blitz that encourages pledges of loyalty on Facebook and Twitter. These are the parallel worlds of one of Washington’s linchpin military allies in the Gulf. On one side is a grinding campaign to break the spirits of Shiite-led opponents whose pro-reform uprising was smothered by martial law.

On the other: An expanding PR offensive to portray the Sunni monarchy as firmly in charge, and Bahrain as a firewall against Iranian influence in the nation that hosts the US Navy’s 5th Fleet. Bahrain’s current spin shifting from state media to the web - could appear as just more boosterism in a region where rulers are constantly bathed in state-sponsored praise. But there is a distinct undercurrent in the island kingdom: pumping up its own rhetoric to match Iran’s increasing barrage of criticism.

It serves as further recognition that Bahrain’s crisis doubles as a window into the region’s collective phobias - the mutual mistrust of Sunni Arab leaders and Shiite powerhouse Iran - as America effectively watches from the sidelines. “So many of the Gulf’s big issues are squeezed into this one tiny country,” said Shadi Hamid, director of research at The Brookings Doha Center in Qatar. Iran has relentlessly assailed Bahrain’s rulers for crackdowns against the country’s Shiite majority, which comprises 70 percent of the population but is denied key roles in government or security affairs.

Tehran’s statements took on an even harder edge after Bahrain’s monarchy declared military rule and was aided in March by a Gulf force dominated by Iran’s regional rival, Saudi Arabia. The Gulf Arab sheikhs and monarchs view Bahrain as a domino that cannot fall.

Any gains by Bahrain’s Shiites, in their minds, equates to a potential opening for greater Iranian footholds on Saudi Arabia’s doorstep.

Continued on Page 14

ABU DHABI: (From left to right) Gulf Cooperation Council secretary general Abdul Latif Al-Zayyani, Emirati Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Al-Tayer, Bahraini Finance Minister Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, Emirati Finance and Industry Minister Hamdan bin Rashed Al-Maktoum, Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Qatari Finance Minister Yussef Hussein Kamal, Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa al-Shamali and secretary general of Oman’s finance ministry Darwish bin Ismail AlBalushi pose for a group picture during a meeting of finance ministers of oil-producing Gulf Cooperation Council monarchies yesterday. — AFP

GCC eyes customs union ABU DHABI: Gulf Arab countries plan to resolve all outstanding issues about their customs union over the next three years in order to have it fully operational by 2015, a top United Arab Emirates official said yesterday. “What we have agreed upon, that in the next three years, meaning 2011 to 2014, we should complete all the pending issues in regard to the customs union,” UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid Al-Tayer told a news conference.

“We hope...it becomes effective January 1, 2015,” he said after a Gulf finance ministers’ meeting in the United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi. The intro-

duction of the customs union in 2003 had been hailed by officials as a major achievement countering criticism that the Gulf Arab bloc would be unable to realize economic integration in the world’s top oil exporting region.

But differences have delayed an agreement on how to introduce a permanent system to distribute customs receipts among six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which besides the UAE also includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. In March, a top GCC official said the pending issues need to be resolved to reach a final deal on the Continued on Page 14

DAMASCUS: Syrian forces rained gunfire on Banias yesterday as they pushed ahead with an assault on the restive port and killed at least three protesters, activists said, as President Bashar Al-Assad’s opponents called for elections to end the crisis. Activists said dozens of tanks and armored vehicles entered Banias, on the Mediterranean coast, from three directions as electricity and communications were cut. Tanks also encircled the nearby town of Baida.

Residents of Banias formed human chains in a desperate bid to halt the military operation when it began around dawn, said activists reached by telephone from Nicosia. Heavy gunfire was heard in four neighborhoods, including the south of Banias, a seaside sector where most of the protesters live, while naval boats patrolled offshore, a witness and an activist said. “There are dead and wounded but we don’t know how many yet,” one source said.

Witnesses also reported that people took to the streets after calls for jihad (holy war) were launched from the minarets of mosques. A rights activist said security forces killed three women who were among around 150 people demonstrating on a road outside Banias calling for the release of dozens of people who had been arrested. “Members of the security forces asked them to leave and, when they refused to do so, they opened fire killing three of them and wounding five others who were hospitalized,” the activist said.

The military confirmed it conducted an operation in Banias. “Army units and security forces today pursued members of terrorist groups in and around Banias and neighborhoods of (the southern flashpoint town of ) Daraa to restore security and stability,” a military official said. “They arrested people and seized a quantity of weapons that these groups have used to attack the army and citizens and scare people.”

Meanwhile, an Internet-based Syrian opposition group suggested that the embattled president hold elections within six months in order to bring an end to the crisis that has engulfed his country for more than seven weeks. The Syrian Revolution 2011, a Facebook group that has been a motor of the protests, urged Assad to “stop shooting at demonstrators, allow peaceful demonstrations... release all political prisoners, allow political pluralism and free elections in six months.” “You will be the pride of contemporary Syria if you can transform Syria from a dictatorship into a democracy,” the group said in an Internet statement. Analysts said the offer comes as protests have failed to reach the level of a full-blown revolution.

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Saudi bars Libyan rebel FM from using airspace Troops destroy Misrata fuel tanks CAIRO: The acting foreign minister of Libya’s rebel government cancelled a trip to Qatar yesterday after Saudi Arabia refused to allow his plane to use its airspace, Cairo airport officials said. The officials said Ali Al-Isawi’s plane stopped in Cairo to refuel on its way from Rome when Saudi Arabia informed the crew that they would not be allowed to fly through its airspace.

Isawi returned to Benghazi, the rebel’s stronghold in eastern Libya, after waiting several hours in Cairo, they said. They did not explain why Saudi Arabia barred the plane. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are the only Arab countries that joined a NATO coalition in enforcing a UN sanctioned no-fly zone over Libya after

leader Muammar Gaddafi appeared poised to win back rebel controlled territories.

Meanwhile, Libyan government forces bombed large fuel storage tanks in the contested western city of Misrata, destroying the tanks and sparking a huge fire, rebels said yesterday. The bombardment came as artillery rounds fired by forces loyal to Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi fell in Tunisia in an escalation of fighting near the border between Libyan soldiers and anti-Gaddafi rebels.

Misrata is the last remaining city in the west under rebel control. The port city has been under siege for more than two months and has witnessed some of the Continued on Page 14

MISRATA: In this amateur video, a main fuel depot goes up in flames, in Misrata yesterday. — AP

KUWAIT: A number of MPs, Islamists and Kuwaitis gathered in Mubarak AlKabeer area to condemn an ‘insulting’ graffiti against the mother of believers, Aisha and Caliph Omar Ibnul Khattab (May Allah be pleased with them). — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

Saudi reformers on trial after four-year detention DUBAI: Sixteen reform activists have been put on trial in Saudi Arabia on security and sedition charges after more than four years in detention, their lawyer said yesterday. The group of lawyers, professors, and activists were mostly detained in 2007 after they met in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah to discuss reform in the conservative Muslim kingdom, their lawyer Bassim Alim said by telephone from Jeddah.

The men were then held without charge for four years and interrogated without their lawyers, said Alim. They had now been charged with attempting to seize power, incitement against the king, financing terrorism, electronic crimes, money laundering and trying to set up a party in the country where polit-

ical groupings are banned, among other offences, Alim said.

Saudi Arabia, a major US ally and the world’s top oil exporter, is an absolute monarchy that does not tolerate any form of dissent. A justice ministry spokesman was not immediately available for comment. “Interrogations were done in secret. Lawyers were not allowed in. This is in violation of Saudi criminal procedures,” said Alim, the only lawyer allowed access to the hearing, adding that lawyers would present their cases this week.

A verdict is expected within six weeks, Alim said. The hearings took place in a villa outside Jeddah, guarded by security police in civilian clothes.

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SANAA: Supporters of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh sit atop of poles holding his poster and waving their national flag, during a rally in his support. — AP

US releases seized bin Laden videos WASHINGTON: The United States yesterday released several videos seized during the Osama bin Laden raid, part of what US officials said was the largest trove of terrorism material ever collected. A senior intelligence official told reporters the material showed bin Laden had remained a key leader in Al-Qaeda before he was killed

by US commandos, and had overseen both strategy and operations from his secret compound in Pakistan. “He was far from a figurehead, he was an active player,” the official told a briefing at the Pentagon.

The large collection included digital, audio and video files, printed material, computer equipment, recording devices and handwritten documents, he said. “As a result of the raid, we have acquired the single largest collection of senior terrorist materials ever,” the official said. The official said the materials were already “proving valuable,” and that “we are disseminating intelligence across the US government based on what we found.”

Five videos-with the audio removed-were made public including an extraordinary one in which the AlQaeda chief is seen holding a remote and sitting with a blanket over him, watching images of himself on television in a spare-looking room. In that video, Bin Laden has a gray beard, but in other videos that were apparently meant for distribution as propaganda, his beard looks dyed black as he reads from a text.

“You can see that in this video Bin Laden has not colored or trimmed his beard, suggesting this practice is one he reserved for films he planned to distribute,” the official said as the videos were shown to reporters. “You can also see him gesturing to the person recording him, to focus on the image on television of Bin Laden firing a

Osama bin Laden is shown speaking in this undated image taken from video provided by the US Department of Defense and released yesterday. The videos show bin Laden watching himself on television and rehearsing for terrorist videos. — AP rifle,” he said. Another video is styled as a “message to the American people” and is believed to have been recorded in October or November, the official said. “This clearly was an Al-Qaeda leader who was very interested in his own image,” the official said. He “jealously guarded his image.”

The videos were seized during the daring raid last Sunday-Monday that killed bin Laden and ended the most elaborate manhunt in history. The tracking of the Al-Qaeda chief and the raid, in which more than 20 US Navy SEALs swooped on bin Laden’s residence in Abbottabad and shot him dead, represented an intelligence coup on a historic scale, the official said. “This is the greatest intelligence success perhaps of a generation,” the official said. — AFP

Saudi reformers on trial after...

Continued from Page 1 A soldier in a van told a reporter no one was allowed to enter. “This trial is invalid because its procedures violate regulations,” said Ahmad Al-Rashed, another Saudi lawyer. Activists say thousands are held in Saudi prisons without charge or access to lawyers despite a law that limits detention without trial to six months.

Last month, a group of Saudi activists posted a 10-

minute YouTube video protesting against the group’s imprisonment, attracting over 9,000 hits in less than 24 hours. Online activists called for a mass day of protest on March 11. Almost no one took part after Saudi security turned out in force and religious authorities issued an edict banning protests. A Human Rights Watch report in April said Saudi Arabia had arrested more than 160 activists since February. Activists say the arrests continue. — Reuters

Bahrain casts net for loyalty...

Continued from Page 1 And Gulf leaders have set aside their traditional opaque and meandering political discourses to make their point, warning Iran to stop “meddling.”

Last week in Abu Dhabi, Gulf interior ministers called Iran “provocative and irresponsible” after a senior military commander said the Gulf has always belonged to Iran. On Thursday, Bahrain’s chamber of commerce urged traders to shed Iranian investments and start a buy-Bahrain drive. “This patriotic duty is dictated by our conscience, allegiance to the leadership and loyalty to Bahrain,’ the group said. Such sound bites are becoming part of the new Gulf phrase book as rulers try to portray confidence during increasingly uncertain times.

Bahrain’s propaganda machine is revving the fastest by necessity. The uprising that began in February has left at least 30 people dead and carved up the tiny country along Sunni and Shiite lines - with divisions seeming to deepen as authorities shift into an us-orthem mode. Just moments after a closed-door security court issued four death sentences on April 28 for the slayings of two policemen, state authorities sent journalists the web links to two government-produced videos on the case that were posted on YouTube.

The attackers were described as “traitors” and “beasts without any mercy,” with no mention of the harsh measures used by security forces, including firing on crowds and widespread arrests. The UN’s top rights official, Navi Pillay, Thursday called for an independent probe into violence by Bahraini police and military against protests. But authorities are moving in a different direction, encouraging their backers to show support for their rule and actions. So-called “loyalty books” have been placed around the country for signatures and comments.

This week, a separate online campaign was launched called “We Are All Hamad” - a reference to Bahrain’s king Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. It asks people to add portraits of the king on their social media pages and post messages on Facebook, Twitter and other sites to prove Bahrainis are “united in love and loyalty to their nation and its wise leadership.” Maysa Yussef, a supporter quoted by the state-run Bahrain News Agency, claimed more than 10,000 people had already posted photos of King Hamad before the start of the weeklong campaign, which ends Monday. It’s impossible to verify any figures on the campaign. But clearly some backers of the Bahrain’s monarchy heeded the call.

“Thank God Bahrain is back on track,” wrote one post.

GCC eyes customs union Continued from Page 1

Saudi bars Libyan rebel FM from using...

Continued from Page 1 war’s fiercest fighting between loyalists and rebels.

Rebels gave varying accounts of the Misrata bombardment but said the overnight attack, which hit fuel used for export as well as domestic consumption, came as a blow to their ability to withstand the siege.

“Four (fuel) tanks were totally destroyed and a huge fire erupted which spread now to the other four. We cannot extinguish it because we do not have the right tools,” rebel spokesman Ahmed Hassan told Reuters.

“Now the city will face a major problem. Those were the only sources of fuel for the city. These tanks could have kept the city for three months with enough fuel,” he said by telephone. Hassan said government forces used small planes normally used to spray pesticides for the overnight attack in Qasr Ahmed. He later told AlJazeera television that three helicopters bearing Red Crescent insignia conducted the attack.

Another rebel spokesman, who gave his name as Abdelsalam, said a government helicopter conducted a reconnaissance mission over the port and two hours later at around midnight local time government forces fired rockets that hit three fuel tanks belonging to the Brega Oil Company. Footage of the incident posted on YouTube by Libyan students in Misrata showed firefighters turning water hoses on a raging fire in a vain attempt to extinguish it. Rebels notified NATO about the planes before the attack but there was no response, Hassan said. Government forces last month flew at least one helicopter reconnaissance mission over Misrata, according to rebels.

Fighting has intensified in Libya’s Western Mountains region as Gaddafi loyalists and rebels, backed by NATO bombing, reached stalemate on other fronts in the civil war. Government forces surrounding the rebel-held

town of Zintan fired 300 rockets into the town on Saturday, said rebel spokesman Abdulrahman AlZintani, who gave no details of casualties in Zintan, which is largely empty of civilians. “NATO aircraft can be heard but there have been no air strikes,” Al-Zintani said.

In the Tunisian frontier town of Dehiba, schools were evacuated and residents scurried for safety as close to 100 mortars and missiles fell. The crackle of small arms fire as well as larger weapons could also be heard about 4 km inside Libya, a Reuters witness on the border said.

“We are very afraid. The missiles are falling right around us, we don’t know what to do,” said Tunisian Mohammed Naguez, a resident of Dehiba. “Our children are afraid. The Tunisian authorities have to stop this.” The town has been hit repeatedly by stray shells in recent weeks as the Libyan rivals fight for control of a nearby border crossing but the government on Saturday denied it targeted Tunisian soil deliberately. “We said this (shelling) was an error and we have apologized that this took place and have asked the military forces to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Libyan Prime Minister Al-Baghdadi Ali Al-Mahmoudi told a news conference in Tripoli.

The battle is for control of the Dehiba-Wazzin border crossing, which gives the rebels a road from the outside world into strongholds in the Western Mountains region where they are fighting to end Gaddafi’s rule of more than four decades. Although the rebels hold the Dehiba-Wazzin border point, Gaddafi’s forces are in charge of a far bigger one to the north. Most of the people in the Western Mountains belong to the Berber ethnic group and are distinct from other Libyans. They rose up two months ago and say towns such as Zintan and Yafran are under repeated bombardment from Gaddafi’s forces, running short of food, water and medicine. — Agencies

Another wrote: “May the force be with you, King Hamad.” Bahrain’s foreign minister, Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, added on his Twitter page: “Yes we can!” Jamal Fakhro, a state-appointed member of Bahrain’s parliament, said such pledges of loyalty hold great value in the tribal-based Gulf societies, particularly when a country “is going through a difficult time.” “Many people want to say they are against those calling for the regime change,” Fakhro said. “They have a voice, too, but rather than shouting their support on the streets they write it down.” But others see another potentially damaging blows to Bahrain’s fragile unity.

The state is increasingly trying to “enforce the official narrative” of the unrest, said Jane Kinninmont, a Gulf specialist at the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit. “There are only two positions to have in Bahrain now,” Kinninmont said. “It’s very much an ‘either you are with us or against us’ campaign.” On Tuesday, Bahrain’s justice minister, Khaled bin Ali Al Khalifa, said 23 doctors and 24 nurses would be the next to face charges that include attempts to topple the monarchy. Authorities also claim that Bahrain’s main state-run hospital, the Salmaniya Medical Complex, was turned into a base of operations for “saboteurs who sought to spread chaos, cause disruptions and trouble and create sedition.”

Bit by bit, meanwhile, officials are erasing symbols of the uprising. Some Shiite mosques have been bulldozed for apparently being built without permits. The main opposition paper, Al Wasat, will be forced to shut down next week and three of its former top editors are scheduled to on trial May 19. Cranes have toppled the towering monument in Pearl Square, the center of the protest in the capital Manama, and renamed the site the GCC Roundabout after the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, which supported Bahrain’s embattled monarchy by sending in 1,500 troops.

“The rule that state’s might makes it right is still operative in Bahrain,” said Ehsan Ahrari, an analyst and commentator on regional affairs based in Alexandria, Virginia. US officials have struggled with this. They have stepped up criticism of Bahrain’s crackdowns, but are wary of pressing too hard. The 5th Fleet is the Pentagon’s main counterweight to Iran’s expanding military, and the Gulf leaders’ shared fears about Iran are a cornerstone of US policies in the region - even though there is little concern evidence of ties between Bahrain’s Shiites and Tehran. Earlier this week, State Department spokesman Mark Toner cautioned Bahrain on its tactics, saying: “There’s no security solution to resolve the challenges that Bahrain faces.” — AP

customs union in line with an agreed timetable this year. Customs duties were unified in 2003 at five percent and a common market in the Gulf, which seeks to emulate European economic integration, requires customs barriers to be removed.

Last year, GCC officials said the UAE, the region’s trade hub and the second-largest Arab economy, was unhappy with a quota of receipts proposed by the sec-

retariat but some said that a bigger issue would be to scrap red tape at border crossings.

Trucks transporting goods had been held up for days mainly at the border between Saudi Arabia and the UAE last year, casting doubts about the efficiency of the customs union plan. GCC officials see the current customs system as temporary as it is expensive to run. Tariffs are collected at the first entry point and the revenue is shared according to a final destination of the product.— Reuters

Syrian forces rain gunfire on Banias Continued from Page 1 “This statement shows that the flame is flickering. We have not reached the level of a (real) popular revolution, and there is no agreement so far on the means necessary to change things,” a Syrian human rights group chief said. The Facebook group had called for Friday’s “Day of Defiance” protests, which saw tens of thousands of people take to the streets calling for democratic reforms.

Rights groups said 26 protesters were shot dead by security forces on Friday while the military said 10 soldiers and policemen were killed in Homs by “armed terrorist groups.” Residents had expected the army to attack Banias and reported seeing dozens of armored vehicles, including tanks and troops reinforcements, deployed on the outskirts of the coastal city earlier this week. “It looks like they are preparing to attack the town, like they did in Daraa,” one activist said.

The army locked down Daraa for 10 days until they began pulling out on Thursday. Dozens of people were killed during the operation in Daraa, the epicenter of protests which erupted March 15 in Syria. General Riad Haddad, the military’s political department chief, said troops in Daraa “did not confront the protesters.” The army had entered Daraa at the request of residents to

help rid them of “armed gangs” responsible for a spate of killings and vandalism.

Human rights groups say more than 600 people have been killed and 8,000 jailed or gone missing in the crackdown on protesters since demonstrations erupted in mid-March. The Committee of the Martyrs of the 15 March Revolution, which has been keeping a tally of the dead, puts the death toll at 708.

The United States warned it would take “additional steps” against Syria if it continues its brutal crackdown on protesters, a week after imposing tough sanctions on the Arab nation. It also welcomed the European Union’s decision to impose sanctions on Syrian officials “responsible for human rights abuses.” The EU on Friday agreed to impose sanctions on 13 Syrian officials involved in the regime’s brutal crackdown on protests and will meet Monday to discuss whether to target Assad as well, diplomats said.

Meanwhile Human Rights Watch called on the UN General Assembly to strongly reject Syria’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council. “Syria’s candidacy is an affront to all those facing its brutal repression, and to human rights supporters everywhere, and should be decisively rejected,” said Peggy Hicks, global advocacy director at HRW. New members to the UN Human Rights Council are to be elected on May 20. — AFP

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Prom leads in Thailand PATTAYA: Resurgent Prom Meesawat shot a four-under-par 68 to open up a three-shot lead over in-form Indonesian Rory Hie after the third round of the Singha Pattaya Open yesterday. The Thai, tipped for greatness after winning the SK Telecom Open as a 21-year-old in 2006, is bidding for his first title since that breakthrough after suffering an alarming dip in form.

He is on 16-under-par 200 with Hie leading the chasing pack after a grandstand finish, birdying the final two holes for a 67 at the Burapha Golf Club.

Thammanoon Sriroj of Thailand shot a 71 and is five strokes adrift of the leader with countryman Kwanchai Tannin, who also carded a 71, a further shot behind in fourth.

Prom, 26, holed a 15-foot birdie putt at the last to extend his lead to three shots and give himself added confidence going into the final round. “That birdie at the last could turn out to be very important,” he said. “I also had a good par putt on nine. —AFP

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

ROME: Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri admitted yesterday his future at the club is uncertain despite leading the club to their best season since the days of Diego Maradona.

Mazzarri is in his second season with the club having joined seven games into the start of last term.

He dragged them up from a poor start and took them into Europe while this season they were challenging for the title until the last couple of weeks and still look set to secure a top three finish and direct entry into next season’s Champions League group stages. But all is not well behind closed doors at the San Paolo. “I’ve told the club, my future is uncertain, I’ve informed the club about this and about the things that perplex me

about staying here,” he said.

“I’ll tell you at the end of the season (if I stay or go) but I won’t take the decision on my own because I have an on-going contract. “I find myself in a Kafkaesque situation where people try to twist the sense of my words.

“My honesty should be appreciated but instead it’s criticised. “I’ve told the club what I’m thinking, why I’m hesitating. “On a personal level I don’t have any problems with anyone but professional relationships are something else. “A coach is analysed for the development of his work and how long he stays with the team is relative.” Despite his problems with the powers that be, Mazzarri claims he is concentrating on matters on the pitch.—AFP

Kameda defends WBA title OSAKA: Japan’s Koki Kameda pulled off a technical knockout victory over Daniel Diaz of Nicaragua to defend his WBA bantamweight title yesterday. Kameda, who sent the challenger to the canvas with a left hook in the eighth round, was declared the winner when the referee stopped the fight before the final 12th round.

“It’s been my dream to fight a world title match in my home town in Osaka. It’s a great feeling to win it by a knockout,” said Kameda, 24.

“This is the opening chapter of my boxing world championship history. I will face tougher fights in the future.”

It was Kameda’s first defence since he won the vacant title, beating Alexander Munoz of Venezuela in December last year and stretched his

Braves thrash Phillies 5-0 pouring out of the dugout and delighted a roaring crowd that came to toast Mays on a chilly, breezy night alongside San Francisco Bay. Cody Ross led off the ninth with a double down the right-field line. Paulino struck out Aaron Rowand before Sanchez capped San Francisco’s comeback from a 3-0 deficit.

Nate Schierholtz tied it with a two-run double in the eighth.

Brian Wilson (1-1) pitched the ninth for the win. Troy Tulowitzki homered for the Rockies and Ubaldo Jimenez went six innings.

PHILADELPHIA: Derek Lowe took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and the Atlanta Braves won their sixth straight game, beating Philadelphia Phillies 5-0 on Friday night despite Cliff Lee’s 16 strikeouts for the Phillies.

Shane Victorino singled to start the seventh for the first hit off Lowe, and Placido Polanco followed with a double. The righthander then came out of the game with an apparent leg or foot injury.

Lowe (3-3) appeared to hurt himself in the top of the seventh after singling and going to second on Chipper Jones’ single.

Brian McCann had a pair of doubles and an RBI, and Alex Gonzalez had three hits and an RBI for the Braves. Lee (2-3) set the major league high for strikeouts this season, coming within one of the franchise record. The big league mark for a nine-inning game is 20.

Reds 5, Cubs 4 At Chicago, Jay Bruce hit a three-run homer and Brandon Phillips made some key defensive plays at second base as Cincinnati beat Chicago.

Edinson Volquez (3-1) labored through numerous jams in five-plus innings. He allowed six hits and four runs, walked four and threw a pair of wild pitches. Matt Garza (1-4), the Cubs’ biggest offseason acquisition, still has one win in his first seven starts and none in four outings at Wrigley Field.

He gave up six hits and five runs in six innings on a day of missed offensive opportunities for the Cubs, who left eight on base.

Francisco Cordero pitched the ninth for his fifth straight save.

Astros 3, Pirates 2 At Pittsburgh, Wandy Rodriguez (2-3) allowed two runs over seven innings to win his fourth consecutive start against Pittsburgh and Houston scored twice in the eighth to snap a two-game losing streak.

Houston managed only five hits over seven innings against Paul Maholm, but the first three batters of the eighth reached against a Pittsburgh bullpen that entered with the second-best ERA (2.63) in the National League.

Hunter Pence doubled in the tying run and Carlos Lee hit the leading shot in the eighth against Chris Resop (1-1). Neil Walker hit his fourth homer and Brandon Wood had two hits for the Pirates, who had won three of

PHILADELPHIA: Atlanta Braves’ Jason Heyward (22) steals to second base as Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Michael Martinez (19) is late with the tag during the ninth inning. — AP four. Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

Mets 6, Dodgers 3 At New York, Andre Ethier extended his hitting streak to 30 games, but Jason Pridie’s three-run homer in the sixth inning carried New York Mets past Los Angeles in the opener of a weekend series between baseball’s most financially troubled teams.

With the Mets trailing 3-2 on Friday, Pridie homered off a bullpen roof in right-center against Hiroki Kuroda (3-3) following an intentional walk to Ike Davis. Jose Reyes tripled twice in a game for the second time this season and then doubled in the ninth.

Davis homered for the Mets, who won for the third time in eight games following a sixgame winning streak.

Ryota Igarashi (2-0) got one out to win in relief of Jonathon Niese, and Taylor Buchholz, Jason Isringhausen and Francisco Rodriguez each followed with an inning of shutout relief.

A day after throwing 42 pitches, Rodriguez got his eighth save in nine chances.

Cardinals 6, Brewers 0 At St. Louis, Jaime Garcia carried a perfect

Chiefs outmuscle Highlanders WELLINGTON: The Waikato Chiefs prevailed in a physical battle of attrition to beat the high-flying Otago Highlanders 20-7 in Hamilton yesterday and keep alive their slim hopes of making the Super rugby playoffs.

Converted tries from Brendan Leonard and Liam Messum at either end of the second half and two Stephen Donald penalties in the first period proved sufficient to edge the Highlanders, who were held scoreless in the second half.

The match was decided at the breakdown, where the Chiefs’ pack won a tight contest to prevent the Highlanders, who were looking for their eighth win of the season, from building any sort of momentum after halftime.

“We really needed this one, it wasn’t pretty but thankfully we ended up on the right end of it,” Chiefs skipper Mils Muliaina said in a pitchside TV interview.

“It took us 40 minutes to get the physicality back in there and we came out, scored early and thankfully got the win.”

It will take a monumental effort for the Chiefs to make the post-season after registering just their fourth victory in 11 games this year but in the first half it looked like those faint hopes were about to be extinguished.

Highlanders flyhalf Lima Sopoaga produced one of the few moves of any real quality in the match to give the visi-

tors the lead after just eight minutes.

The promising youngster stepped off his left foot to break through the Chiefs line and, with the home defence in disarray, lofted the ball out to Jason Rutledge on the wing and the hooker crossed the line unmolested.

The Highlanders never managed to pull away, however, with fullback Robbie Robinson failing to convert two penalty attempts to add to his conversion and they held just a slender 7-6 lead at the break.

They were made to play for their profligacy when scrumhalf Leonard nipped over the line from close range three minutes after the break after a period of Chiefs pressure.

The Highlanders, who lost influential back-rower Adam Thomson with what looked like a rib injury at the break, were unable to create any real chances and Messum crashed over from close range just before the end to inflate the scoreline. “ We let ourselves down with a few too many mistakes, we wanted to build pressure and hold onto the ball but we just managed to turn the ball over too much,” said Highlanders skipper Jamie Mackintosh.

“They took it to us at in the rucks, which is part of the game we’ve been priding ourselves on, and you can’t win games if you don’t keep the ball.” — Reuters

game into the eighth inning and finished with a two-hitter, dominating punchless Milwaukee.

Garcia (4-0) issued a four-pitch walk to Casey McGehee with one out in the eighth.

On the next pitch, Yuniesky Betancourt grounded a solid single to left to end the nohit bid.

Garcia threw a four-hit shutout to beat the Padres in his first start, but hadn’t gone longer than six innings in any of his next five outings. This was his third career shutout.

Albert Pujols had a single, sacrifice fly and three RBIs for the Cardinals, who pounded a red-hot opposing pitcher for the second straight game. Randy Wolf (3-3) entered with an 0.65 ERA in his previous four games but gave up six runs in five innings while hitting three batters.

Giants 4, Rockies 3 At San Francisco, Freddy Sanchez singled home the winning run in the ninth inning to give the Giants a victory over Colorado on a night when San Francisco celebrated Willie Mays’ 80th birthday.

Sanchez ’s line drive up the middle against Felipe Paulino (0-2) sent the Giants

Nationals 3, Marlins 2 At Miami, Adam LaRoche hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th, before Washington escaped a jam in the bottom of the inning to break a three-game losing streak by beating Florida.

The Nationals won despite striking out 15 times. Florida had runners at the corners with none out in the 10th, but Drew Storen (2-1) got two outs and Sean Burnett retired Chris Coghlan on a flyout for his fourth save.

Washington beat Florida for only the third time in their past 15 meetings.

Jayson Werth walked for the third time in the 10th against Mike Dunn (2-2), then advanced to third when Laynce Nix hit a high-hopper over first base for a double.

LaRoche followed with his fly to deep left.

Florida starter Ricky Nolasco struck out 11 in seven innings.

Padres 4, D’backs 3 At San Diego, two innings after committing a crucial error, Chase Headley drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the 11th to give San Diego the win over Arizona. Bell allowed three runs in the ninth, squandering a chance at his 42nd straight save, a franchise record. The second and third runs that inning came in on Headley’s two-out throwing error from third base.

Bell was trying to move out of a tie with Trevor Hoffman and one-time Padres closer Rod Beck to take sole possession of fourth place on the all-time list for consecutive saves. Bell’s last blown save was May 26, 2010, against St. Louis. Chad Qualls (1-2) pitched two innings for the win. Sam Demel (1-2) took the loss. — AP

record to 25 wins, including 16 KOs, against one defeat. Diaz, 27 and ranked 14th in the WBA, saw his record reduced to 18 wins, including 13 KOs, against three defeats.

Kameda is the eldest of three boxing brothers, all of whom have bad-boy images in the media and among boxing fans.—AFP

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

Cincinnati 5, Chicago Cubs 4; Tampa Bay 6, Baltimore 2; Atlanta 5, Philadelphia 0; Houston 3, Pittsburgh 2; Toronto 7, Detroit 4; Minnesota 9, Boston 2; Washington 3, Florida 2 (10 innings); NY Mets 6, LA Dodgers 3; NY Yankees 4, Texas 1; Oakland 3, Kansas City 2; St. Louis 6, Milwaukee 0; San Diego 4, Arizona 3 (11 innings); LA Angels 2, Cleveland 1 (11 innings); Seattle 3, Chicago White Sox 2; San Francisco 4, Colorado 3.

American League Eastern Division W L NY Yankees 18 12 Tampa Bay 18 14 Toronto 15 17 Baltimore 14 17 Boston 14 18 Central Division Cleveland 21 10 Kansas City 17 15 Detroit 15 18 Minnesota 12 18 Chicago White Sox 11 22 Western Division LA Angels 19 14 Texas 17 16 Oakland 17 16 Seattle 16 17

Philadelphia Florida Atlanta Washington NY Mets St. Louis Cincinnati Pittsburgh Chicago Cubs Milwaukee Houston Colorado San Francisco LA Dodgers Arizona San Diego

National League Eastern Division 21 10 19 12 19 15 15 17 14 18 Central Division 19 14 17 15 15 17 14 17 13 19 13 19 Western Division 18 12 16 16 15 18 14 17 13 19

PCT .600 .563 .469 .452 .438

GB 1 4 4.5 5

.677 .531 .455 .400 .333

4.5 7 8.5 11

.576 .515 .515 .485

2 2 3

.677 .613 .559 .469 .438

2 3.5 6.5 7.5

.576 .531 .469 .452 .406 .406

1.5 3.5 4 5.5 5.5

.600 .500 .455 .452 .406

3 4.5 4.5 6

Yankees end losing streak ARLINGTON: Curtis Granderson hit two homers, rookie Ivan Nova limited the Texas Rangers to two singles up to the eighth inning, and the New York Yankees ended their season-worst three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory Friday night.

Even before Nova (3-2) threw his first pitch, Granderson put the Yankees ahead to stay.

His 433-foot (132 meter) drive into the second level of seats high above the Rangers’ bullpen in right-center made it 2-0 in the first. He hit his AL-leading 10th homer in the seventh, a towering solo shot closer to the rightfield line but still in the upper deck. Nova struck out one, walked one and gave up an unearned run.

Athletics 3, Royals 2 At Kansas City, Gio Gonzalez pitched seven effective innings as the Oakland Athletics ruined Eric Hosmer’s much-anticipated major league debut.

Gonzalez (4-2) settled down after allowing Alex Gordon’s homer in the first, holding Kansas City to two runs and four hits. Hosmer made his first start at first base for Kansas City after hitting .439 at Triple-A Omaha, the highest average of any minor league regular. He went 0 for 2 with two walks.

Sean O’Sullivan (1-2) was almost as good as Gonzalez, but Oakland got to him for three runs in the fifth. The right-hander still managed a career-high eight innings, allowing five hits and one walk.

Rays 6, Orioles 2 At Baltimore, James Shields gave up just three hits into the eighth inning and Brandon Guyer homered in his first big league at-bat.

Johnny Damon also connected for the Rays, who are 17-6 since a 1-8 start that included three straight losses to Baltimore to open the season.

Shields (3-1) gave up one run, struck out five and walked three while improving to 3-0 with a 1.12 ERA in his last five starts. The most glaring flaw in his performance was a homer by Derrek Lee in the sixth. In his previous three games against the Orioles, Shields was 0-3 with a 6.48 ERA. Guyer became the only player in Rays history to homer during his first plate appearance in his major league debut. Recalled from Triple-A Durham earlier in the day, Guyer drove a 3-1 pitch from rookie Zach Britton (5-2) into the left-field seats with a runner on to make it 3-0 in the second inning.

Twins 9, Red Sox 2 At Boston, Trevor Plouffe hit his first homer of the season and Scott Baker pitched eight strong innings.

Minnesota scored twice on balks and took advantage of a pair of errors by the Red Sox, who have allowed 21 runs in their last two games. Baker (2-2) allowed seven hits,

ARLINGTON: New York Yankees’ Russell Martin (55) is picked off at third base by Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre during the ninth inning. — AP struck out eight and walked one for the Twins, who have won three straight for just the second time this season.

J.D. Drew homered in the second and Adrian Gonzalez went deep in the fourth, but that was all the offense for Boston, which has lost three straight.

Red Sox manager Terry Francona was ejected in the second inning after Tim Wakefield (0-1) was called for a balk. Wakefield allowed eight runs, six earned, and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings.

Blue Jays 7, Tigers 4 At Toronto, Adam Lind homered and drove in two runs and Jesse Litsch struck out a career-high nine. Lind had an RBI single off Phil Coke (1-5) during a three-run first and added a solo drive to center in the eighth, his seventh of the season. Toronto’s first baseman extended his hitting streak to 11 games and is batting .477 (21 for 44) over that span.

Lind, who came in tied with three other players for the AL RBI lead, went 2 for 5 as the Blue Jays collected a season-high 15 hits. Lind has 27 RBIs. Litsch (3-2) won for the second time in three starts since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas on April 25. The right-hander allowed one run and four hits in 6 1-3 innings and walked three.

Angels 2, Indians 1 At Anaheim, California, Torii Hunter hit an RBI single

in the 11th inning to give the Angels a victory over Cleveland.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Hunter drove an 0-1 pitch from Justin Germano (0-1) into the left-field corner. Erick Aybar, Bobby Abreu and Maicer Izturis opened the inning with three consecutive singles. Tyler Chatwood pitched eight sparkling innings for the Angels, holding the surprising AL Central leaders to one run and two hits — both by Carlos Santana.

Fernando Rodney (1-1) worked the 11th inning to get the victory.

Mariners 3, White Sox 2 At Seattle, Brendan Ryan hit a game-ending RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to give Felix Hernandez and the Mariners the win.

Felix Hernandez (4-2) gave up five hits, struck out six and walked two in his second complete game of the season. Jack Cust started the ninth-inning rally with a one-out single off Matt Thornton (0-3) and Jack Wilson followed with another hit. Adam Kennedy came on as a pinch runner for Cust and Michael Saunders hit a flyball deep enough to move Kennedy to third.

Ryan then lined a 1-0 pitch past diving second baseman Gordon Beckham to score the winning run.

Chicago lost for the eighth time in nine games and wasted a performance by young right-hander Phil Humber that was nearly the equal of Hernandez. — AP

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

sports

Ballesteros a true hero for all ages BARCELONA: Although Seve was 12 years younger than me, he was my hero even as a 21-year-old at the Woburn club in 1978 when we first met.

Seve had a streaming cold but, although he could hardly speak English, he had time for everybody, including a timid reporter from the Milton Keynes Gazette.

British golf fans had taken him to their hearts after a brilliant swashbuckling display at Royal Birkdale during the 1976 British Open that nearly earned him the Claret Jug at the tender age of 19.

One of Seve’s endearing traits was that he never forgot a face, even if he struggled for a while to remember your name.

There was never any problem with talking oneto-one. He was a great self-publicist and not only befriended the press corps but used us to his advantage. We didn’t mind. A British newspaper was said to have advised one of its correspondents that, whatever they were writing about, the name

Severiano Ballesteros had to come in the introduction of their story.

His battles with the establishment were as famous as his miraculous golf. I asked him in Italy once, at a hastily convened news conference, had he really accused the European Tour’s executive director Ken Schofield of being a dictator?

There was no backing down. Warming to his task he concurred then compared tour officials with the Mafia. The Italians in the interview room understandably blanched just at the use of the word.

I did come in for some gentle chiding from Seve in South Africa once, though, over my book ‘How We Won the Ryder Cup’.

By then, Seve’s English was nigh perfect, so he knew exactly what caddies quoted in the book were talking about when they accused him of being “mean” and “tight”.

I was enjoying an al-fresco breakfast at Sun City

when Seve spotted me. He pulled up a chair and opened up his copy of the book with a flourish, pointing to the passages about his meanness. “I am never mean Norman, how dare they say this?” I gently pointed out that at least half a dozen caddies had said the same thing about his short arms and long pockets.

With that he called over the waiter, paid for my breakfast and strode off muttering: “Not as mean as (Bernhard) Langer, anyway.”

The last time I saw him face to face was 18 months before he was struck down with the terrible affliction that eventually took his life.

We’d arranged to meet at a hotel in London for him to give me his account of the 1976 British Open for my book ‘One Hand on the Claret Jug’.

Seve talked and talked, frustrating his daughter Carmen who wanted to get out and see the sights in London. After recording his 1976 story I then relied on our friendship to throw in a few questions

of what he would be doing in starting off his senior career. He gave me oodles of really good stuff that I used for the Daily Telegraph. A few weeks later he was in a news conference to talk about his plans and denied pretty well everything I’d written.

“But Seve you told me this in London,” I protested, “and I used your words in the Daily Telegraph”.

“Don’t believe everything you read in the papers,” Seve replied.

Seve was kind to me in so many ways but none more so than last year when I asked him if he would write to the son of friends who was also suffering from a brain tumor.

He advised Simon to “fight, fight, fight and never give in”. Regrettably Simon, another Seve heroworshipper, died a little while ago.

Simon did, though, fight to the end and I like to think Seve’s words gave him an extra few months.

There was no greater fighter of causes than Severiano Ballesteros.—Reuters

Spanish golf great Ballesteros dies

DALLAS: The Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant shoots past the Dallas Mavericks’ Tyson Chandler during the second half of Game 3 of a second-round NBA playoff basketball series. —AP

Mavericks rally to close in on series DALLAS: Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points, and Peja Stojakovic scored 11 of his 15 in the fourth quarter, to rally the Dallas Mavericks to a 98-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night, putting the two-time defending champions on the brink of elimination.

Dallas trailed by seven points with 5:05 left and was being dominated near the hoop by a new-look Lakers lineup featuring three big men. Then Nowitzki and Stojakovic hit 3-pointers, jump-starting an 18-6 rally that turned around the game and possibly seals the series.

The Mavericks lead 3-0, and no team in NBA history has ever lost after taking such a lead. Dallas will go for the sweep at home on Sunday.

Andrew Bynum had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers. Lamar Odom

scored 18 and Kobe Bryant added 17, only four in the final quarter.

Bulls 99, Hawks 82 At Atlanta, Derrick Rose looked every bit like the MVP, slicing up Atlanta for a career-high 44 points as Chicago seized control of the Eastern Conference semifinals with its best performance of the postseason.

The Bulls lead the series 2-1, putting Atlanta in must-win position heading into Game 4 Sunday night. Rose was dominant from the opening tip, driving into the lane for a basket that prompted Atlanta to call a time-out before the game was a minute old. He finished off the Hawks midway through the fourth with back-to-back 3pointers. Jeff Teague had 21 points for Atlanta.—AP

MADRID: Seve Ballesteros was a genius with a golf club in his hands, an inspiration to everyone who saw him create shots that didn’t seem possible. The Spaniard’s passion and pride revived European golf and made the Ryder Cup one of the game’s most compelling events.

Ballesteros, a five-time major champion whose incomparable imagination and fiery personality made him one of the most significant figures in modern golf, died Saturday from complications of a cancerous brain tumor. He was 54.

His career was defined not only by what he won, but how he won.

“He was the greatest show on ear th,” Nick Faldo said. Tiger Woods said on Twitter: “Seve was one of the most talented and excited golfers to ever play the game.

His creativity and inventiveness on the golf course may never be surpassed. His death came much too soon.”

A statement on Ballesteros’ website early yesterday said he died peacefully at 2:10 a.m. local time, surrounded by his family at his home in Pedrena. It was in this small Spanish town where Ballesteros first wrapped his hands around a crude 3-iron and began inventing shots that he would display on some of golf ’s grandest stages. He won the Masters at 23, leading by 10 shots at one point in the final round. He was a threetime winner of the British Open, no moment greater than his 1984 victor y at St. Andrews. He was as inspirational in Europe as Arnold Palmer was in America, a handsome figure who feared no shot and often played from where no golfer had ever been.

“Today, golf lost a great champion and a great friend. We also lost a great entertainer and ambassador for our sport,” Jack Nicklaus said.

“No matter the golf that particular

SPAIN: In this Sept. 28, 1997 file photo, European Ryder Cup team captain Seve Ballesteros holds the trophy in the rain after Europe beat the United States to win the Ryder Cup. —AP day, you always knew you were going to be entertained. Seve’s enthusiasm was just unmatched by anybody I think that ever played the game.”

In a long list of spectacular shots, perhaps the most memorable came from a parking lot next to the 16th fairway at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in the 1979 British Open. Leading by two in the final round, he drove his ball into the lot, had a car removed to get his free drop, then fired his second shot to 15 feet and made birdie on his way to his first major.

“He was a man who got into trouble. Only for Seve, there was no such thing as trouble,” Gary Player once said. Headlines such as “The Inventor of Spanish Golf” and “Life of a Legend” were splashed across Spanish media as athletes and other notable figures from around the world paid tribute Saturday.

“This is such a very sad day for

all who love golf,” European Tour chief executive George O’Grady said on the tour website. “Seve’s unique legacy must be the inspiration he has given to so many to watch, support and play golf, and finally to fight a cruel illness with equal flair, passion and fierce determination.

We have all been so blessed to live in his era.” Spanish golf federation president Gonzaga Escauriaza called Ballesteros an icon of Spanish golf, a “unique, unrepeatable person.” Lee Westwood, the No. 1 player in the world, said on Twitter: “Seve made European golf what it is today.” An emotional Jose Maria Olazabal played through tears at the Spanish Open yesterday, overcome by grief. Olazabal, who teamed with Ballesteros as the most successful pairing in Ryder Cup history, broke down as players honored Ballesteros with a minute’s silence.

“I just played the most difficult

Bruins shoot down Flyers

Canada sink US while Czechs defeat Slovaks

BOSTON: The Boston Bruins ended any chance of another historic comeback by the Philadelphia Flyers with a 5-1 win Friday night that completed a sweep of the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

In this round last year against Philadelphia, the Bruins became just the third NHL team to lose a series after winning the first three games. Boston even held a 3-0 lead at home in Game 7 before the Flyers rallied again for a 4-3 victory.

Kris Versteeg lifted Philadelphia into a 1-1 tie on Friday at 13:22 of the second period after Milan Lucic scored at 12:02 of the first. Boychuk put Boston ahead at 2:42 of the third, Lucic connected again at 15:03, and Brad Marchand and Daniel Paille added empty-net goals.

Tim Thomas stopped 22 shots for the win. The Bruins are in the conference finals for the first time since 1992 and will have home-ice advantage against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Philadelphia was swept 4-0 for the first time since losing to Detroit in the 1997 Stanley Cup finals.

Boston has won seven of eight games and is aiming for its first Stanley Cup title since 1972. Sergei Bobrovsky got the start over ineffective Philadelphia goalie Brian Boucher and made 22 saves.

Red Wings 4, Sharks 3 At Detroit, Darren Helm scored with 1:27 left in the third period, lifting Detroit to a 4-3 win over San Jose in Game 4, to keep alive its Western Conference semifinal series. The Sharks will take their 3-1 series lead back home with a chance to advance on Sunday night to the NHL’s final four.

Detroit is trying to become the fourth NHL team to win a series after trailing 3-0.

Veteran defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom scored twice in the first period to help the Red Wings take a three-goal lead that slipped away.

Logan Couture had a goal 15 seconds after Lidstrom’s second, Dan Boyle scored midway through the middle period to pull San Jose within 3-2, and Dany Heatley tied it early in the third.

Helm put Detroit back ahead for good, scoring from the left circle off a cross-ice pass from Patrick Eaves. Todd Bertuzzi also scored for Detroit, and Jimmy Howard made 25 saves for the win. San Jose’s Antti Niemi stopped 26 shots. —AP

round of my life. It was very tough to make it to the first tee and hit the first drive,” said Olazabal, who shot a 3-over 75. “I don’t think there will ever be another player like him. There can be others that are very good, but none will have his charisma.” Ballesteros’ last challenge came from an unbeatable foe: cancer.

He fainted in a Madrid airport while waiting to board a flight to Germany on Oct. 6, 2008, and was subsequently diagnosed with the brain tumor. He underwent four separate operations, including a 61/2-hour procedure to remove the tumor and reduce swelling around the brain. After leaving the hospital, his treatment continued with chemotherapy.

Ballesteros looked thin and pale while making several public appearances in 2009 after being given what he referred to as the “mulligan of my life.” But he rarely was seen in public after March 2010, when he fell off a golf cart and hit his head on the ground.

His few appearances or public statements were usually connected to his Seve Ballesteros Foundation to fight cancer.

He wanted but was unable to take part in a champions exhibition at St. Andrews for the British Open.

Ballesteros won a record 50 times on the European tour, his first victory as a 19-year-old in the Dutch Open, his last when he was 38 at the Spanish Open in 1995. That also was his last year playing in the Ryder Cup, where he had a 20-12-5 record in eight appearances.

Ballesteros was captain in 1997 when Europe won at Valderrama.

The funeral will be Wednesday in Pedrena with family and intimate friends attending the subsequent wake. Three days of official mourning will be held in Cantabria, regional government head Miguel Angel Revilla announced.—AP

DETROIT: Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard blocks a San Jose Sharks Patrick Marleau (12) shot during the third period in Game 4 of a second-round NHL Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series. —AP

HTC-Highroad wins first stage of Giro TURIN: HTC-Highroad won the first stage of the Giro d’Italia after finishing 10 seconds ahead of Radioshack in the team time trial yesterday.

Marco Pinotti took the leader’s pink jersey when he led the team home in the 19.3-kilometer (11.9mile) ride from Venaria Reale to Turin in a time of 19 minutes, 59 seconds.

“I’m delighted to have done this for the team,” Pinotti said. “ We are an excellent team and weren’t bothered about being made the favorite as we just used straight-

forward tactics. We had a plan and were able to execute it.”

With renowned sprinter M ark Cavendish also in the lineup, HTC was favored to take the stage and the riders didn’t disappoint with Cavendish leading the team off the last corner before Pinotti took over.

The time knocked early leader Omega Pharma-Lotto from top spot, and the win was confirmed when chief rival R adiobank failed to improve on the result.

Vincenzo N ibali ’s Liquigas-

Cannondale team was third, 22 seconds behind the winner, and Alberto Contador’s Saxo Bank team finished eighth, 30 seconds behind HTCHighroad. “It was a good start for the team,” Nibali said.

“We kept our shape, had a great stage and did particularly well on the cur ves. I t was a ver y quick course and we had to watch how we went.” Giro favorite Alber to Contador’s Saxo Bank team finished eighth, 30 seconds behind HTCHighroad. —AP

KOSICE: Canada edged past arch rivals United States 43 in a shootout at the world ice hockey championship on Friday and Finland also needed overtime to down Germany 5-4. Sweden crushed France 4-0 in Group F while Czech Republic, the holders, defeated hosts Slovakia 3-2 in Group E. Mike Komisarek of the Toronto Maple Leafs put the US ahead in their Group F qualifying-round game before Brent Burns levelled for Canada.

Jack Johnson gave the Americans a 2-1 advantage but John Tavares and Jason Spezza replied in the third period. Derek Stepan then squeezed a shot past netminder James Reimer to set up overtime.

Rick Nash and Jordan Eberle scored in the shootout while Reimer saved from Johnson and Blake Wheeler.

“We pushed the pace and that is exactly what we wanted to do,” Canada coach Ken Hitchcock told reporters.

“These are tough games to play for goalies and today Reimer played well. I was happy for him that he did so well in overtime.”

Canada lead Group F with seven points. They face Norway on Saturday while the Americans take on France. The Czechs narrowly beat Slovakia in a meeting of the two countries that formed a joint state until 1993. Minnesota Wild defenseman Marek Zidlicky opened the scoring after redirecting Patrick Elias’s slapshot in the first period before Ladislav Nagy levelled for Slovakia.

Martin Havlat and Patrik Elias put the Czechs 3-1 up before Tomas Surovy pulled one back for the home team with two minutes to go.

In Group E, Carolina Hurricanes left wing Tuomo Ruutu put Finland in front before Germany replied through Andre Rankel after 14 minutes.

Germany, who shocked Russia and Slovakia in the preliminary round, rallied to take a 3-1 lead thanks to Felix Schutz and Kai Hospelt before Janne Pesonen and Jarkko Immonen levelled the scores.

Patrick Reimer struck late in the second period to give Germany a 4-3 advantage before Ruutu scored his second late in the third to take the game into a scoreless overtime. Mikko Koivu then struck in the shootout to seal the win for Finland.—Reuters

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SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

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Brazil athlete comes out after homophobic slurs RIO DE JANEIRO: The deafening chants roared from the packed bleachers each time the volleyball player stood and focused on his serve: “Bicha! Bicha!” Michael dos Santos bounced the ball, sent it soaring and over the net. In one voice, the crowd called out again the homophobic slur: “Bicha! Bicha!” Santos didn’t flinch, despite the constant chanting of the Brazilian slang word for “faggot” during the playoff match in Brazil’s widely popular professional volleyball league. Four days after the game in early April between Santos’ team, Volei Futuro, and Sada Cruzeiro, the player took the rare step among sports figures anywhere and declared on the GloboEsporte website: “I am gay. Everyone here knows it.” That announcement stoked a national debate over homophobia in Brazil.

On Thursday, Brazil’s top court ruled that same-sex civil unions must be recognized. The nation has its first openly gay congressman. Even one of its beloved soap operas will feature its first televised gay kiss this month.

While Rio de Janeiro is routinely ranked as a top destination for gay tourists, watchdog groups say violence against gays is on the rise in Brazil, and the casual homophobia thrown in the face of Santos is an endemic problem, especially in sports and not only in Brazil.

Such controversies will resonate more widely now that Brazil is hosting both the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics, bringing new scrutiny of its society.

Santos’ team stood with him, asking the Brazilian Confederation of Volleyball for sanctions against Sada Cruzeiro, possibly a fine, loss of points in the championship or immediate expulsion from the league.

Few high-profile athletes anywhere have acknowledged they are gay, and most of those are women, such as Martina Navratilova in tennis, Sheryl Swoopes in the WNBA and Rosie Jones of the LPGA. In Europe, where gay marriage is legal in seven countries, there are only two active big-name male athletes who

have come out: Gareth Thomas, the former Wales rugby captain, and English cricket player Steve Davies.

There has yet to be an openly gay player in Major League Baseball, the NBA or NFL, and only a few have spoken publicly about their sexuality after retiring. Santos, 27, said he felt threatened by the insults, which were heard around the country because the match was televised.

Despite his stoic behavior during the match, Santos said the chants affected his play. Volei Futuro lost, 3-2.

“It really hurt me, and I think it should be discussed publicly so that it doesn’t happen anymore with anyone else,” Santos said in a statement after the match. Both teams and Santos declined interviews with The Associated Press, saying they had released statements containing all they wanted to disclose. But sports fans, TV commentators and bloggers across Brazil discussed the issue for weeks as the two teams faced off two more times in the semifinals. Santos and his team also became part a larger struggle by Brazilian

gays for respect.

Brazil’s first openly gay congressman, Jean Wyllys de Matos Santos, took office this year, making gay rights part of his platform. A popular prime-time soap opera broke stereotypes by including several gay characters and producers of another plan this month to air the genre’s first gay kiss, between women. Last year, 60,000 same-sex couples in Brazil identified themselves to the national census in results released last week. Thursday’s ruling by the Supreme Court on civil unions gives gays the same rights as heterosexual couples when it comes to alimony, retirement benefits of a partner who dies and inheritances, among other issues. Activist groups are encouraging people to come out. Thousands have responded to an online campaign asking Brazilians, including the congressman, to submit photos of themselves holding a sign saying, in Portuguese, “I am gay.” “Brazil is living a crucial moment, a moment of conflict,” Congressman Santos said. —AP

No go for Uncle Mo in Kentucky Derby

LAS VEGAS: Manny Pacquiao (left) and Shane Mosley pose for photos after weighing in. Pacquiao was to defend his WBO welterweight title against Mosley late yesterday. —AP

Pacquiao ready for Mosley LAS VEGAS: Ask Shane Mosley how he can beat Manny Pacquiao, and the answer is match his speed and don’t be afraid to trade punches with a fighter who loves to trade punches. Ask trainer Naazim Richardson how his fighter can beat the best boxer in the world, and the answer is slightly different.

“If he can be the best Sugar Shane Mosley there is, then Pacquiao has problems,” Richardson said. Unfortunately, Mosley hasn’t been his best for quite some time. And that could make for a rough night late yesterday when he tries to bounce back from a bad loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. against a fighter who lately has been beating up everyone put in front of him. The 39-year-old Mosley will try to resurrect his career with a signature win over Pacquiao, who once again is so confident of his chances that he has scheduled a post-fight concert on the Las Vegas Strip for all his loyal followers.

Mosley must not only battle Pacquiao, who has won 13 straight fights, but the perception that he is a shot fighter after one last big payday.

“It’s an opportunity to show people I’m not washed up,” Mosley said. “You don’t lose your power. They say you lose your speed, but I haven’t lost my speed either.” Pacquiao certainly hasn’t lost his, and is coming off an 8-week training camp that trainer Freddie Roach said was his best ever.

The Filipino sensation who travels with an entourage bigger than any Muhammad Ali had in his day, remains focused on boxing even while working a side job as a congressman back home and singing with his band. His real work, though, comes in the ring in big pay-per-view fights. And ever since he sent Oscar De La Hoya into retirement by giving him a brutal beating, Pacquiao has been the most exciting fighter of his time. “This is an important fight for me and millions of my fans,” Pacquiao said. “You cannot underestimate him. He’s strong, throws a lot of punches and moves fast.” The Mosley of old certainly did that. But after losing a lopsided decision to Mayweather and struggling in a draw against Sergio Mora last September, many in boxing simply consider Mosley to be old.

Oddsmakers agree, making Pacquiao a 6-1 favorite in a fight that has been sold out for weeks at the MGM Grand hotel arena. The scheduled 12-round fight is for the WBO version of the welterweight title that Pacquiao won against Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao weighed in at 145 pounds, while Mosley was at 147.

Pacquiao, returning to the same ring where he made his US debut 10 years ago, is coming off two fights at Cowboys Stadium in Texas. In his last fight there in November he gave a bigger Antonio Margarito such a beating that Margarito was hospitalized and had to have surgery on his eye socket.

But Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) was also on the receiving end of a lot of punches by Margarito, largely because he’s the kind of fighter unafraid of mixing it up. “When you like to exchange and you like to throw punches, you put yourself in harm’s way,” Roach said.

“That’s why Manny is the most exciting fighter in the world. I can’t take that away from him.

He’s always liked to throw combinations, and when you let your hands go you leave yourself open.” Mosley, who gave up his ownership share in De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Productions to get the fight, is eager to find out just how hittable Pacquiao might be. “I think it’s going to be an action fight from the beginning,” Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) said. “It’s going to get very interesting, very quick.”

Almost lost in the buildup has been talk about Pacquiao fighting Mayweather in what would likely be the richest fight in boxing history. Mayweather, who hasn’t fought in a year and is facing legal charges in three criminal cases, has given no indication he is serious about a fight with the man most in boxing say is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

“I don’t want to talk about Floyd Mayweather’s issues or anything like that,” Pacquiao said. “I’m the kind of person who doesn’t want to talk about someone behind his back.

He did his best in boxing. He contributed to the history of boxing.”

Part of that history, Mayweather supporters might argue, is that he softens up fighters for Pacquiao. Mayweather beat De La Hoya before Pacquiao fought him and knocked out Ricky Hatton before Pacquiao also stopped Hatton.

Now Pacquiao takes on Mosley, hoping to improve on the lopsided decision win that Mayweather scored against a fighter who has never been stopped.

“If the knockouts come, they come,” Pacquiao said. “What matters is the fight that we can give to the people and the fans. I want them to be happy and excited about our performance.”

Pacquiao is expected to make at least $20 million, while Mosley is guaranteed $5 million plus a percentage of pay-per-view sales.—AP

Qatar confident about winning 2017 worlds bid DOHA: Qatar is hoping its success in winning the 2022 World Cup bid will sway voters to support another ambitious proposal — the 2017 world athletics championships.

The Qatar Athletics Federation plans to employ a similar strategy as that for the World Cup bid, campaigning hard to dispel the notion that the tiny desert nation is too hot in the summer to host big sports events, federation president Abdulla Ahmed al-Zaini said yesterday.

It plans to air condition the main venue, Khalifa Stadium, using some of the same solarpowered, cooling technology planned for the 2022 World Cup. He said cool air would be piped throughout the stadium, enabling conditions inside to remain about 27 degrees C (81 F) even as they soar to well above 40 degrees in other parts of Doha.

“The issue with the World Cup was the heat and we face the same issue actually,” Al-Zaini said. “For the football and FIFA, the Qatar bid had a solution and convinced people there to vote for the bid. So we will use the same strategy.”

Doha, which hosted the Diamond League season opener on Friday, is the only one of five cities outside Europe bidding for the games. The other competitors including London, Berlin, Budapest and a Spanish city to be confirmed.

Formal bids must be submitted by Sept. 1.

Al-Zaini wouldn’t say how much the oil-and gas-

rich country plans to spend if it wins the bid but did say its proposal also includes expanding the 40,000-seat stadium and building a restaurant and training facility nearby. He said the government was firmly behind the bid and wants to use the event _ just as it did the World Cup bid _ to help raise the country’s profile.

“The government is trying to make sport here in Qatar as an issue for everyone, to use it to attract people to come to Qatar and make all the world focus on Qatar,” Al-Zaini said. “It’s the kind of strategy they are following now. Qatar is a developed country and has a lot of (money) from the oil and gas.

They (the government) need Qatar to be in the front.” He said the 2017 bid is part of a government campaign to boost funding of sports and education. “They want to make a healthy and educated generation,” he said.

“It’s better than building an army. An army is not a good investment in the people. People are more valuable than buying weapons and putting them into storage.” But Al-Zaini insisted he was realistic about winning the bid, considering many of the other countries have more established athletics cultures and top-notch facilities.

“We know our competitors are strong and it won’t be easy,” Al-Zaini said. “London, Spain have good reputations, good facilities.”—AP

LOUISVILLE: The pockmarked road to the Kentucky Derby claimed another victim Friday when Uncle Mo was scratched due to a mysterious stomach ailment, further dimming a race already short on star power and speed.

Uncle Mo’s defection also threw the Derby wide open. “You’re never safe until you put that saddle on because anything can happen,” Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert said.

Owner Mike Repole announced the decision to scratch second favorite Uncle Mo about 40 minutes before wagering opened for the 137th Derby, set for late yesterday. The colt has been bothered by a stomach problem, but vets couldn’t find a reason for his decreased appetite, energy and poor-looking coat.

“I’m actually relieved and now I’m really concerned and worried about Uncle Mo,” Repole said. “My hope is Uncle Mo gets healthy. He is a superstar.” Uncle Mo’s absence reduced the already less-than-dazzling field to 19 horses, with Dialed In as the 4-1 favorite for two time-winning trainer Nick Zito.

Already lost in one of the flukiest Triple Crown seasons in memory were Premier Pegasus, The Factor, Jaycito, To Honor and Serve and Toby’s Corner, among others. Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of Zito’s first Derby victory, when Strike the Gold came from off the pace in 1991.

Dialed In, who won his debut at Churchill Downs in November, shares a similar running style. “He’s a closer and that’s the way he needs to run,” Zito said. “There are four or five horses that look good, but you have to beat all of them.”

Dialed In won the Florida Derby in a woefully slow time — and that was no exception. The speed figures used to rate a horse’s past performance indicate this year’s crop of Derby contenders is lacking in zip.

“Slow, fast or in-between, as long as he gets the distance what do we care?” Zito said. “If he does what we ask him to do, what’s the difference really?”

Arkansas Derby winner Archarcharch posted the highest speed figure in the major Derby preps, but will have a difficult time duplicating that coming out of the troublesome No. 1 post on the inside rail. The uncertainty hovering over the race dovetails with a messy run-up that saw a slew of contenders sidelined by injuries and poor performances.

“There’s so much parity,” said Baffert, a three-time winner who will saddle Midnight Interlude, who will

LOUISVILLE: Steam rises off a horse as it gets a bath after a morning workout at Churchill Downs. —AP try to buck history to become the first horse since Apollo in 1882 to win without having raced as 2-yearold. “When you have a lot of equal horses and there’s no standout, everybody thinks, ‘Well, maybe it’s not that tough of a field,’ but I think it’s a tough field,” he said. Without Uncle Mo, Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher still have a shot at winning with Stay Thirsty, who will try to rebound after fading to seventh in the Florida Derby. Comma to the Top, Shackleford and Soldat figure to be among the early pacesetters.

Soldat could benefit most if the race-day forecast of a 60 percent chance of rain holds since he trained well over the sloppy dirt track earlier in the week.

“Soldat is going to be tough on the outside,” Baffert said. “He’s got me a little worried, along with the 18 others.” Nehro, who’s won once in five starts, will try to end trainer Steve Asmussen’s 0-for-9 skid. Animal Kingdom, Brilliant Speed, Comma to the Top, Derby

Kitten, Irish import Master of Hounds, and Twinspired are inexperienced on dirt, having mostly raced on synthetic surfaces or turf.

Calvin Borel, who has won the Derby three times in the last four years, will try to become the first jockey to win three in a row aboard Twice the Appeal.

Three women have a chance to make Derby history. Kathleen O’Connell, who oversees Watch Me Go, and heart transplant recipient Kathy Ritvo, who saddles Mucho Macho Man, will try to become the first female trainer to win. Rosie Napravnik, aboard Pants On Fire, will try to be the first female jockey to land in the winner’s circle.

With 19 horses set to start, the purse is $2,171,800, with the winner earning $1,411,800. Without Uncle Mo, who drew the No. 18 post, Nehro and Watch Me Go move one spot in the starting gate, leaving the No. 20 hole empty.—AP

The first three finalist teams share a group photo.

Al-Ahli Bank dominates Bowling Championship KUWAIT: Al-Ahli Bank of Kuwait dominated the 12th Banks Bowling Championship which was organized by the Kuwait Banks Club at the Cozmo bowling hall in Salmiya and ended recently in a closing event held under the patronage of KBC CEO Hesham Al-Bu’aijan.

The event was also attended by assistant secretary general Jassem AlHaidar, head of the sports committee Khalil Al-Bloushi, head of the social committee Reem Al-Wuqayan and assistant general manager Abbas AlBloushi.

On the teams’ competition, Al-Ahli Bank came first, followed by the Ahli United Bank and the national Bank of Kuwait who finished second and third respectively. Meanwhile, Al-Ahli Bank also won the triples competition following by the Ahli United Bank and the Gulf Bank, in addition to the doubles competition after finishing ahead of the Central Bank of Kuwait and the National Bank of Kuwait respectively.

Also, Al-Ahli Bank’s Muna Sadiq was crowned as the women’s competition champion after finishing ahead of the Gulf Bank’s Bashayer Al-Ajran, and Burgan Bank’s Sahar Palmer. And in the masters’ competition, Fred Gabriel of Al-Ahli Bank was crowned as champion after finishing ahead of the NBK’s Ahmad Al-Ujail, and Burgan Bank’s Abdulkareem Kooz.

Al-Ahli Bank’s Muna Sadiq and Fred Gabriel pose with their respective singles competitions’ trophies.

Badr Al-Khubaizi and Maitham Qassim from the Central Bank of Kuwait receive the ideal team trophy from Reem Al-Wuqaiyan.

Al-Ahli Bank team members receive their championship trophies.

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Vettel on pole in Turkey

DOHA: Qatar’s Moataz Essa Barsham Ahmed competes in the men’s high jump at the IAAF Diamond League. —AP

Felix clinches 400 at Diamond League “The reason I came here is to just see where I’m at. I feel good. I didn’t expect too much. I was happy with my performance and I’ll get a lot better as the season goes on.” In the shot put, last year’s winner Christian Cantwell of the US finished a disappointing fifth behind winner Dylan Armstrong of Canada who won with an effort of 21.38 meters (70.14 feet). Two other Americans — Reese Hoffa and Ryan Whiting — finished second and third.

Cantwell won his third indoor title in Doha last year with a throw of 21.82 meters (71.59 feet) and only lost twice in the 2010 outdoor season.

In the 100-meter hurdles, last year’s winner American Lolo Jones came in third behind winner Kellie Wells and Danielle Carruthers, both of the United States. Wells won the race in 12.58, .11 seconds faster than Jones and the fasted time this year in the event.

Jones, who won the gold in the 60meter hurdles at the 2010 world indoors, has struggled in recent months with a nerve injury. She admitted the nerve pain “was a concern” ahead of the race but said she was improving and that she wasn’t going to “beat herself up” over the race.

“It was good. A lot of people ask if I’m disappointed. You know, not really because I’m coming off an injury,” she said. “There is definitely huge room for improvements. In the third hurdle we were all kind of there. I was right in the mix. I got high over the fourth hurdle and everyone passed me so I had to play catch-up.” Teddy Tamgho of France wasn’t at his best but he still easily won the men’s triple jump. He landed a jump of 17.49 meters (57.38 feet) to easily beat second-place finisher Leevan DOHA: Allyson Felix of the US celebrates after Sands of the Bahamas by .40 winning the women’s 400m at the IAAF meters. The 21-year-old Tamgho said he had wanted to jump furDiamond League. —AP ther but he “had problems with “Now I have a place to work from. I felt his run-up.”

Still, the world indoor champion — who like we went out slow in the (first) 200. It was a little windy and it really forced us to has broken the indoor record three time in work home. I felt comfortable in this race the past year — said he was on track for his and I can definitely push myself a lot more.” goal of winning gold at the worlds. “I Olympic bronze medalist Dix got his expected a bit further jump but I achieved season going with a win in the 200, easily the win and that is the most important beating surprise second place finisher Femi which is the first since the Diamond Ogunode of Qatar in a time of 20.06 sec- League final last year,” he said.

The opener lacked some of the fireonds. Dix’s time was the fastest this year works of last year’s inaugural event, with and set a meet record.

“Walter Dix is reloaded,” he told some top stars pulling out injured and sevreporters. “I didn’t train in January and eral top Jamaicans and American athletes missed the indoor season but now I feel choosing to take part in a Jamaican invitavery strong. Everyone is beateable and tional that happens this weekend.

While there were 10 reigning world and everyone is on my list.” Earlier, Louis Van Zyl of South Africa won the 400-meter hurdles Olympic champions competing for in 48.11 seconds, beating compatriot $480,000 in prize money, the 16-event field Cornel Fredericks by .32 seconds with last missed 100-meter stars Usain Bolt, Tyson year’s winner, American Bershawn Jackson, Gay and Asafa Powell. Part of the reason coming in third. Jackson, a world champion may have been that the 100 was a nonin 2005, shrugged off the results saying it Diamond League event and in the end was was only his second race of the season. He canceled altogether.

The men’s 800 also lost some of its luster added that he is still aiming for gold at the worlds and eventually breaking the 47 sec- after world record-holder David Rudisha ond mark. “I just started training in January. pulled out due to injury and his biggest Them guys are sharp and ready,” he said of challenge Abubaker Kaki dropped out with a muscle injury. —AP the two South Africans who beat him.

DOHA: It was a tough night for American stars at the Diamond League opener Friday, with only triple world champion Allyson Felix and sprinter Walter Dix among the big names to come away with a victory. Felix edged out a hard-charging Amantle Montsho to win the 400 meters in 50.33 seconds at the season-opening Diamond League meet in Doha Friday.

She crossed the finish line first despite being made to work down the stretch by the Botswana runner, who finished .08 seconds behind. Patricia Hall of Jamaica was third. It was the 10th win for the American on Qatar soil, including the world indoor gold last year as part of the United States 4x400 relay team.

“It was decent,” said Felix, who won the Diamond League title last year in the 200 and 400 and is considering running both events at the worlds in August. “I wasn’t sure what to expect being it’s my first race,” she added.

Kolkata roll over Chennai KOLKATA: Kolkata Knight Riders beat the Chennai Super Kings by 10 runs to end the defending champion’s fourmatch winning streak in a rain-hit IPL match yesterday.

Play was called off because of rain when the Knight Riders were 61-2 at the end of 10 overs while confidently chasing 115 for victory on a sticky Eden Gardens pitch. They were declared winners on the Duckworth/Lewis method as they were ahead at the halfway stage of their innings. Opting to bat, Super Kings made 114-4 after the start was delayed by an hour due to rain.

Kolkata joined Mumbai Indians on top of the IPL standings, with Chennai two points behind. Mumbai had a chance to regain the sole lead against the Delhi Daredevils late yesterday.

A fighting 54 by Subramaniam

Badrinath helped Chennai pass 100 runs on a low, slow pitch following a controlled bowling display by Kolkata.

Badrinath struck the first boundary of the innings in the 10th over and put on 65 for the fourth wicket with Albie Morkel, who scored 30.

Chennai offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Kolkata’s Eoin Morgan for 5 and Gautam Gambhir for 16 but South African Jacques Kallis and in-form Manoj Tiwary were batting fluently on 21 and 15 when rain stopped the match. Kolkata left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla, who took 1-15 off four overs, was declared man of the match.

Kolkata Knight Riders 61-2 in 10 overs (Ravichandran Ashwin 2-12), def.

Chennai Super Kings 114-4 in 20 overs (Subramaniam Badrinath 54, Albie Morkel 30 not out) by 10 runs on D/L method. —AP

ISTANBUL: Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel celebrated his fifth successive pole position yesterday as Red Bull swept the front row with another dominant display in Turkey.

The German, so comfortable with his time that he was parked up in the garage and out of the car with a minute of the final session still to run, was joined at the front by Australian team mate Mark Webber. Vettel’s time of one minute 25.049 seconds, was 0.405 quicker than Webber.

It was Red Bull’s third Turkish pole in a row and, in a race that has always been won by a driver starting from the first two places, left the champions with high hopes of being third time luckyproviding they stay clear of each other.

Vettel and Webber, who was on pole in 2010, were heading for a one-two last year when they collided while fighting for the lead, handing the one-two to McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button instead.

“I am ver y happy and very pleased after the bad shunt yesterday and the work load I managed to give to all the mechanics,” grinned Vettel, who missed Friday’s second practice after crashing heavily in the morning.

“It was a pretty big hit. They did a very good job and I had a fantastic car today,” added the German, who showed he had also learned a lesson from the last Chinese Grand Prix by not going out for a final lap and saving a set of fresh tyres.

“We talked about it before the

TURKEY: Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany steers his car during the qualifying session at the Istanbul Park circuit racetrack. —AP qualifying,” the championship leader, winner of the first two races and second in the third, said of his decision to end the session early.

“Both of us after the first run had the feeling we might be safe...but in the end you never

know. If it works you are the hero but if it doesn’t you are not.”

The pole was the 19th of Vettel’s career, one more than Hamilton, and fourth in four races this season. He was also on pole in last year’s Abu Dhabi seasonender.

That left him just three short of equalling the late Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna’s record of eight in a row set in 1988/89.

Vettel leads the standings with 68 points after three races, with Hamilton on 47, Button on 38 and Webber 37.

Hamilton, who beat Vettel in Shanghai on strategy after saving a set of tyres and doing one more stop than the German, will start in fourth place and with Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg alongside.

“It’s not pole position but it’s better than nothing,” said Hamilton. “We’re starting on the dirty side, but we’re in the fight.

We don’t have an extra set (of tyres). We went out, whether that was right or not I don’t know,” added the 2008 champion.

“We’re not far away but now you see the Mercedes have picked up their pace and also the Ferraris have. I’m looking forward to a strong race. It’s a long one here but there are chances to overtake and it should be good.”

Ferrari’s double world champion Fernando Alonso qualified fifth with Button, winner in 2009 after Vettel had taken pole, back in sixth place. Russian Vitaly Petrov starts seventh for Renault, with Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher eighth.

Sauber ’s Japanese Kamui Kobayashi will have to do a lot of his famed overtaking moves to secure a point after he was left at the back of the grid due to a fuel system problem stopping the car on track without him setting a timed lap. —Reuters

Kahne sets lap record in NASCAR DARLINGTON: Kasey Kahne continued his strong showing this year at Darlington Raceway, following a Trucks victory in March with a record-setting NASCAR qualifying lap for the Southern 500 on Friday.

Kahne won his fourth career pole in nine starts at the track “Too Tough To Tame” with a lap of 181.254 mph (291.69 kph), surpassing the mark of 180.370 mph (290.26 kph) set by Jamie McMurray a year ago. Kahne was the marquee name in the Trucks event at Darlington two months ago while NASCAR’s top two series had the weekend off. So how much did taking the checkered flag then help Kahne on Friday?

“I don’t think that hurt us that all. We had a great truck that night, that whole day,” Kahne said. “Anytime you make laps on this track, it just builds on your confidence and builds on what you’re looking for in your car.”

Kahne will be joined on the front row late yesterday by Ryan Newman, who also bettered the previous record. Defending race champion Denny Hamlin was third, points leader Carl Edwards fourth and seven-time Darlington win-

ner Jeff Gordon fifth.

It was the fourth consecutive race since Darlington was repaved after the 2007 event that the qualifying record was broken. Greg Biffle did it in 2008 and Matt Kenseth followed in 2009. The top qualifying speed has improved by nearly 8 mph (13 kph) over Ward Burton’s record-setting lap of 173.797 mph (279.69 kph) from 1996 that stood 12 years.

Kahne’s previous qualifying success had come on Darlington’s old, abrasive, tire-chewing surface with poles at the track’s 2004 spring race — the last year it held two Sprint Cup weekends — and in 2005 and 2006. His best finish came after his last pole, finishing third behind Biffle five years back.

Kahne’s had his struggles since the repave, his best finish in the three races since a 20th last year. “I feel it’s taken me a little bit of time,” he said. “The cars handle a little bit different but we just keep working on it.”

Newman’s lap ended a turbulent day at Darlington when he and driver Juan Pablo Montoya talked with NASCAR about their spat

Emotional Nadal beats Federer MADRID: Rafael Nadal overcame Roger Federer 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the Madrid Masters final yesterday on an emotional rollercoaster of a day which had started with a tearful, emotional tribute to Seve Ballesteros.

World number one Nadal stood sideby-side with old rival Federer in a minute’s silence at the Caja Magica before a showreel of Ballesteros’s greatest moments played out on the giant screens.

“It’s a terrible day for Spain and the world. We lost a great champion, probably the greatest in the history of Spain,” said Nadal of the 54-year-old golfing legend who lost his brave fight against cancer.

Despite the sombre occasion, Nadal went on to thrill his fans and reach his third Madrid final in three years where he will face either world number two Novak Djokovic or Brazilian outsider Thomaz Bellucci.

World number one Nadal will be bidding for his third clay title of the spring after Monte Carlo and Barcelona. He has now beaten Federer in 11 of 13 meetings on clay and stands 16-8 overall in their epic series.

It was the third straight year the allstar pair had played in Madrid, with Federer winning the 2009 trophy and Nadal doing the same 12 months ago.

Nadal’s victory on Saturday was his 37th straight on clay, a streak dating back to the French Open in 2009.

“I’m glad to have have won, but it was not our best match. It was an emotional day for me and Spain,” added Nadal. Federer now heads to the Rome Masters with a 26-7 record on the season and one title from Doha having played his last final in Dubai in February.

The Swiss world number three started the match poorly, losing his first service game which was marred by a double-fault and an over-hit forehand.

The 16-time Grand Slam champion also failed to convert any of three break points in a lengthy fourth game, with Nadal eventually stretching his leading margin to 4-2 with a love game.

MADRID: Rafael Nadal from Spain celebrates after winning his match against Roger Federer from Switzerland during the semifinal in the Madrid Open. —AP But the Swiss worked his magic to get back to level-pegging, 4-4, and held in dramatic fashion after saving three break points in the 11th game for 6-5.

A sizzling Federer passing shot to the far reaches gave him a set point, which he finished cleanly with a down-theline winner, breaking Nadal for the second time and taking the early lead after 64 minutes after winning nine of the last 11 points.

But the Swiss suffered a reversal in the first game of the second set, with Nadal breaking on a controversial ball seen good by chair umpire Mohamed Layhani to the dismay of Federer, who argued the point before getting back to work.

Federer seethed quietly throughout the set as Nadal squared the match. In the decider, Federer went down a break 1-3 on a forehand called out by centimetres, then dropped serve in the nex t game. I t set the tone for the remainder, with Nadal scraping home on his first match point as Federer netted a backhand.—AFP

at Richmond a week ago. NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp acknowledged the meeting didn’t go as well as the governing body hoped.

Newman had wrecked Montoya early in the race and Montoya later retaliated.

“That was a private meeting, that’s why we met in the hauler,” Newman said. “I’m past all that. We’ll work on tomorrow’s race and everything else. That’s behind us.” Hamlin swept the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races here in 2010 and hopes to keep the momentum he gained from a second-place last week at Richmond.

Edwards strong lap continued a stellar week for the points leader. Wife, Kate, gave birth to the couple’s second child, Michael, last Wednesday. Edwards said mother and child are healthy and resting a home. Gordon is seeking his eighth Darlington victory. Only upcoming Hall of Fame inductee David Pearson with 10 and the late Dale Earnhardt with nine have won more often here. Marcos Ambrose will start sixth, followed by AJ Allmendinger and Brian Vickers. Tony Stewart and Brad Keselowski round out the top 10. —AP

Azaranka in Madrid final MADRID: World number five Victoria Azarenka ended Julia Goerges’s fine run on clay to claim a place in the final of the Madrid Open when she swept past the unseeded German 6-4 6-2 yesterday.

With torrential rain beating down on the Spanish capital and the sliding roof closed on the main court at the Magic Box stadium, Azarenka had too much aggression and power for the 27th-ranked German, winner in Stuttgart last month.

The Belarusian, who won back-to-back titles this year in Miami and Marbella, claimed one break of serve in the first set and two in the second and will play Petra Kvitova in today’s title match.

Czech 16th seed Kvitova upset an erratic Li Na of China 6-3 6-1 in yesterday’s second semi-final which was played out in front of thousands of empty seats in the futuristic, metallic-silver 12,500-capacity stadium.

Azarenka, who plays in the doubles final later yesterday, is projected to rise to number four when the WTA rankings are updated tomorrow and looks to be hitting a purple patch of form in time for the French Open later this month.

Speed had been the key to her victory over Goerges, against whom she was a set up in the second round in Stuttgart before being forced to withdraw with a shoulder injury, Azarenka said at a news conference.

“I have to be the one dominating the game and not her because she has really big shots and when she goes for it it’s tough to see where she’s going and it comes really fast,” the 21-year-old said. “The most important thing was for me to take time away from her,” she added.

Big-serving Goerges beat world number one Caroline Wozniacki in the Stuttgart final and followed up by knocking the Dane out in the third round in Madrid on Thursday.

She will likely join 15th-ranked compatriot Andrea Petkovic in the top 20 following her run to the last four in Madrid, the first time two German women have ranked among the 20 best in the world since January 1999.

“Honestly I have to say well done to Vika. She is a great player and deserved to win,” Goerges, who will compete in Rome next week, told a news conference.

“Even though my battery was empty I still had chances to take the first set. That was important for me to see.”

“Probably on Monday I will be in the top 20 for the first time and I want to keep my ranking and stay there for more than one week,” she added. Kvitova, who will break into the top 10 for the first time on Monday, will attempt to add to this year’s titles in Brisbane and Paris today.

“It’s good being in the top 10 but it’s only a number. I still want to be better,” the 21-year-old, who names 18-time grand slam singles champion Martina Navratilova as her childhood inspiration, told a news conference. —Reuters

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Blackpool dent Spurs hopes

Soccer results/standings English Premier League results Aston Villa 1 (Young 17) Wigan 1 (N’Zogbia 10); Bolton 1 (Klasnic 87) Sunderland 2 (Zenden 45, Knight 90-og); Everton 2 (Distin 65, Osman 72) Man City 1 (Toure 28); Newcastle 2 (Ameobi 36-pen, Taylor 43) Birmingham 1 (Bowyer 45); Tottenham 1 (Defoe 89) Blackpool 1 (Adam 76-pen); West Ham 1 (Hitzlsperger 78) Blackburn 1 (Roberts 12).

Playing today: Wolves v West Brom; Stoke v Arsenal; Man Utd v Chelsea.

Playing tomorrow: Fulham v Liverpool

Division One Bournemouth 1 Rochdale 2; Carlisle 0 Yeovil 2; Charlton 0 Hartlepool 0; Colchester 2 Bristol Rovers 1; Huddersfield 4 Brentford 4; Notts County 1 Brighton 1; Oldham 1 Milton Keynes Dons 2; Peterborough 5 Dagenham and Redbridge 0; Plymouth 1 Leyton Orient 4; Sheffield Wednesday 1 Exeter 2; Southampton 3 Walsall 1; Tranmere 0 Swindon 2.

Division Two Barnet 1 Port Vale 0; Bradford 1 Crewe 5; Burton 1 Accrington 1; Chesterfield 3 Gillingham 1; Lincoln 0 Aldershot 3; Macclesfield 1 Hereford 1; Morecambe 1 Northampton 2; Rotherham 3 Torquay 1; Shrewsbury 3 Oxford 0; Stevenage 3 Bury 3; Stockport 1 Cheltenham 1; Wycombe 3 Southend 1.

Scottish Premier League results Aberdeen 0 St Johnstone 2 (Smith 8-og, Adams 60); Dundee United 4 (Daly 36, 43, 49, Watson 88) Motherwell 0; Hamilton 1 (Hasselbaink 38) Hibernian 0; Inverness CT 1 (Rooney 85) St Mirren 0; Rangers 4 (Jelavic 23, Lafferty 40, Davis 44, Stevenson 84-og) Hearts 0.

Playing today: Kilmarnock v Celtic Scottish Football League results First Division Dunfermline 3 Falkirk 0; Partick 3 Raith 0; Queen Of The South 3 Dundee 0; Ross County 3 Cowdenbeath 0; Stirling 3 Morton 2.

English Premier League table English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Man Utd 35 21 10 4 71 33 73 Chelsea 35 21 7 7 66 28 70 Arsenal 35 19 10 6 68 36 67 Man City 35 18 8 9 54 33 62 Tottenham 35 14 14 7 51 44 56 Liverpool 35 16 7 12 54 39 55 Everton 36 12 15 9 50 44 51 Bolton 36 12 10 14 49 50 46 Fulham 35 10 15 10 43 36 45 Newcastle 36 11 11 14 51 52 44 Sunderland 36 11 11 14 41 53 44 Stoke 35 12 7 16 43 43 43 West Brom 35 11 10 14 51 65 43 Aston Villa 36 10 12 14 45 58 42 Blackburn 36 10 9 17 42 56 39 Birmingham 36 8 15 13 36 54 39 Blackpool 36 9 9 18 49 71 36 Wigan 36 7 15 14 36 59 36 Wolves 35 9 7 19 38 61 34 West Ham 36 7 12 17 41 64 33 English Football League tables Championship QPR 46 24 16 6 71 Norwich 46 23 15 8 83 Swansea 46 24 8 14 69 Cardiff 46 23 11 12 76 Reading 46 20 17 9 77 Nottingham 46 20 15 11 69 Leeds 46 19 15 12 81 Burnley 46 18 14 14 65 Millwall 46 18 13 15 62 Leicester 46 19 10 17 76 Hull 46 16 17 13 52 M’brough 46 17 11 18 68 Ipswich 46 18 8 20 62 Watford 46 16 13 17 77 Bristol City 46 17 9 20 62 Portsmouth 46 15 13 18 53 Barnsley 46 14 14 18 55 Coventry 46 14 13 19 54 Derby 46 13 10 23 58 Crystal Palace 46 12 12 22 44 Doncaster 46 11 15 20 55 Preston 46 10 12 24 54 Sheffield Utd 46 11 9 26 44 Scunthorpe 46 12 6 28 43

32 58 42 54 51 50 70 61 48 71 51 68 68 71 65 60 66 58 71 69 81 79 79 87

88 — champions 84 — promoted 80 — play-offs 80 — play-offs 77 — play-offs 75 — play-offs 72 68 67 67 65 62 62 61 60 58 56 55 49 48 48 42 — relegated 42 — relegated 42 — relegated

Division One Brighton 46 28 11 7 85 40 95 — champions Southampton 46 28 8 10 86 38 92 — promoted Huddersfield 46 25 12 9 77 48 87 — play-offs Peterborough 46 23 10 13 106 75 79 — play-offs Keynes Dons 46 23 8 15 67 60 77 — play-offs Bournemouth 46 19 14 13 75 54 71 — play-offs Leyton Orient 46 19 13 14 71 62 70 Exeter 46 20 10 16 66 73 70 Rochdale 46 18 14 14 63 55 68 Colchester 46 16 14 16 57 63 62 Brentford 46 17 10 19 55 62 61 Carlisle 46 16 11 19 60 62 59 Charlton 46 15 14 17 62 66 59 Yeovil 46 16 11 19 56 66 59 Sheffield 46 16 10 20 67 67 58 Hartlepool 46 15 12 19 47 65 57 Oldham 46 13 17 16 53 60 56 Tranmere 46 15 11 20 53 60 56 Notts County 46 14 8 24 46 60 50 Walsall 46 12 12 22 56 75 48 Dagenham 46 12 11 23 52 70 47 — relegated Bristol Rovers 46 11 12 23 48 82 45 — relegated Plymouth 46 15 7 24 51 74 42 — relegated Swindon 46 9 14 23 50 72 41 — relegated Note: Plymouth deducted 10 points for going into administration Division Two Chesterfield 46 24 14 8 85 51 86 — champions Bury 46 23 12 11 82 50 81 — promoted Wycombe 46 22 14 10 69 50 80 — promoted Shrewsbury 46 22 13 11 72 49 79 — play-offs Accrington 46 18 19 9 73 55 73 — play-offs Stevenage 46 18 15 13 62 45 69 — play-offs Torquay 46 17 18 11 74 53 68 — play-offs Gillingham 46 17 17 12 67 57 68 Rotherham 46 17 15 14 75 60 66 Crewe 46 18 11 17 87 65 65 Port Vale 46 17 14 15 54 49 65 Oxford Utd 46 17 12 17 58 60 63 Southend 46 16 13 17 62 56 61 Aldershot 46 14 19 13 54 54 61 Macclesfield 46 14 13 19 59 73 55 Northampton 46 11 19 16 63 71 52 Cheltenham 46 13 13 20 56 77 52 Bradford 46 15 7 24 43 68 52 Burton Albion 46 12 15 19 56 70 51 Morecambe 46 13 12 21 54 73 51 Hereford 46 12 17 17 50 66 50 Barnet 46 12 12 22 58 77 48 Lincoln City 46 13 8 25 45 81 47 — relegated Stockport 46 9 14 23 48 96 41 — relegated Note: Torquay deducted one point for fielding an ineligible player; Hereford deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player Scottish Premier League table Rangers 36 28 3 5 81 Celtic 35 26 5 4 76 Hearts 36 18 9 9 52 Dundee Utd 36 16 10 10 53

Second Division Airdrie 2 East Fife 2; Alloa 1 Livingston 3; Brechin 1 Ayr 0; Dumbarton 0 For far 0; Peterhead 0 Stenhousemuir 3.

Third Division Arbroath 3 Elgin City 5; Berwick 2 Albion 2; East Stirling 2 Annan Athletic 0; Queen’s Park 4 Montrose 1; Stranraer 3 Clyde 0.

Italian Serie A results Palermo 2 (Miccoli 40, Bovo 52) Bari 1 (Bentivoglio 2) Playing later Roma v AC Milan

English Football League results Championship Barnsley 1 Millwall 0; Bristol City 3 Hull 0; Burnley 1 Cardiff 1; Crystal Palace 0 Nottingham Forest 3; Leicester 4 Ipswich 2; Middlesbrough 3 Doncaster 0; Norwich 2 Coventry 2; Preston 3 Watford 1; QPR 1 Leeds 2; Reading 2 Derby 1; Scunthorpe 1 Portsmouth 1; Swansea 4 Sheffield Utd 0.

28 22 40 47

87 83 63 58

Playing today Bologna v Parma, Brescia v Catania, Cagliari v Cesena, Inter Milan v Fiorentina, Lecce v Napoli, Udinese v Lazio, Genoa v Sampdoria.

Playing tomorrow Juventus v Chievo Spanish League results Athletic Bilbao 3 (Toquero 30, David Lopez 47-pen, Llorente 64) Levante 2 (Stuani 78, Nano 85); Valencia 3 (Soldado 16, 37, Jonas 25) Real Sociedad 0; Getafe 2 (Colunga 5, Rios 53) Almeria 0; Sporting Gijon 2 (Ayoze 35-pen, Barral 90+6-pen) Deportivo La Coruna 2 (Lopez 9, 41); Hercules 2 (Sendoa 40, Gomes 43) Racing Santander 3 (Dos Santos 14, 41, Henrique 45+1).

Playing later Atletico Madrid v Malaga, Sevilla v Real Madrid Playing today Real Mallorca v Villarreal, Barcelona v Espanyol, Real Zaragoza v Osasuna German league results Schalke 04 1 (Huntelaar 47) Mainz 05 3 (Schuerrle 52, Holtby 82, Noveski 85); Werder Bremen 2 (Silvestre 6, Pizarro 64) Borussia Dortmund 0; Bayer Leverkusen 1 (Kiessling 54) Hamburg 1 ( Westermann 2); VfB Stuttgart 2 (Hajnal 58, Okazaki 61) Hanover 96 1 (Stindl 66); VfL Wolfsburg 1 ( Westermann 2) Kaiserslautern 2 (Lakic 25, Amedick 44); Eintracht Frankfurt 0 Cologne 2 (Chihi 24, Podolski 90pen); Borussia M’gladbach 2 (Hanke 80, Reus 82) Freiburg 0; Nuremberg 1 ( Wollscheid 16) Hoffenheim 2 (Roberto Firmino 40, Sigurdsson 87); St. Pauli 1 (Eger 78) Bayern Munich 8 (Gomez 10, 52, 86, Van Buyten 32, Robben 54, 84, Ribery 74, 88).

Kilmarnock Motherwell Inverness CT St Johnstone Hibernian Aberdeen St Mirren Hamilton

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

35 36 36 36 36 36 36 36

13 13 12 10 10 10 7 5

9 6 11 10 7 5 8 11

13 17 13 16 19 21 21 20

51 39 48 22 38 36 32 23

Scottish Football League tables First Division Dunfermline 36 20 10 6 66 Raith 36 17 9 10 47 Falkirk 36 17 7 12 57 Q of South 36 14 7 15 54 Partick 36 12 11 13 44 Dundee 36 19 12 5 54 Morton 36 11 10 15 39 Ross County 36 9 14 13 30 Cowdenbeath 36 9 8 19 41 Stirling 36 4 8 24 32 Note: Dundee deducted 25 points

47 55 43 43 56 57 57 56

48 45 47 40 37 35 29 26

31 35 41 53 39 34 43 34 72 82

70 — promoted 60 58 49 47 44 43 41 35 20 — relegated

Second Division Livingston 36 Ayr 36 Forfar 36 Brechin 36 East Fife 36 Airdrie Utd 36 Dumbarton 36 Stenhousemuir36 Alloa 36 Peterhead 36

25 18 17 15 14 13 11 10 9 5

7 5 8 12 10 9 7 8 9 11

4 13 11 9 12 14 18 18 18 20

79 62 50 63 77 52 52 46 49 47

33 55 48 45 60 60 70 59 71 76

82 — promoted 59 59 57 52 48 40 38 36 26 — relegated

Third Division Arbroath 36 Albion 36 Queens Park 36 Annan Athletic 36 Stranraer 36 Berwick 36 Elgin 36 Montrose 36 East Stirling 36 Clyde 36

20 17 18 16 15 12 13 10 10 8

6 10 5 11 12 13 6 7 4 8

10 9 13 9 9 11 17 19 22 20

80 56 57 58 72 62 53 47 33 37

61 40 43 45 57 56 63 61 62 67

66 — promoted 61 59 59 57 49 45 37 34 32

Tottenham 1

Blackpool 1 LONDON: Charlie Adam boosted Blackpool’s survival hopes by scoring a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur-just 70 seconds after seeing a spot-kick saved at White Hart Lane yesterday.

The point left Blackpool just above the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference with two games left to secure their top-flight status following promotion via the playoffs last season.

But a draw dealt a blow to Spurs’s hopes of catching Manchester City in the race for fourth place and the Champions League spot that comes with it.

To make matters worse for Spurs, star defender Gareth Bale was carried off on a stretcher as a result of a tackle

by Adam-who could have been sentoff for the challenge.

It looked as if Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes might be the undisputed man-of-the-match after a string of fine saves.

But the erratic Brazilian’s career in English football was summed up when, after brilliantly saving Adam’s first penalty, he fumbled a corner and then brought down Gary Taylor-Fletcher to set up the Tangerines’ 76th minute goal.

Tottenham only rescued a point thanks to Jermain Defoe’s equaliser a minute before normal time. Spurs’ next two games are away at City on Tuesday and then away at Liverpool on Sunday, May 15. Defeat at Eastlands would make a top-four finish mathematically impossible.

Tottenham, beaten by Real Madrid

LONDON: Blackpool’s English defender Alex Baptiste (left) vies with Tottenham Hotspur’s English striker Peter Crouch (right) during the English Premier League football match yesterday. —AFP in this season’s Champions League quarter-finals, had started impressively, however.

Michael Dawson, the captain, saw a shot from distance deflected just over before Bale forced Matthew Gilks, the Blackpool goalkeeper, into a diving save at the expense of another

corner.

Luka Modric, the Croatia midfielder, came close soon afterwards as Blackpool fought tenaciously to stay in the game.

Gomes had been a spectator for the first 20 minutes but was suddenly called into action when a shot from

Sergey Kornilenko, the Ukraine forward, was deflected into Adam’s path.

Tottenham had tried to buy the Scotland play-maker on deadline day in January and Adam showed why with a first-time effort Gomes did well to save.

Adam then forced Gomes into another save, with the Brazilian having to beat away a fierce drive from distance as the first half ended with Tottenham just about the better side but without a goal.

The introduc tion of Aaron Lennon, for Russia forward Roman Pavlyuchenko at the break, pepped Tottenham up and the England winger instantly set Rafael van der Vaart up for a chance he put over.

Bale did the same with the next one but was much closer with his next attempt, after David Vaughan had gone close for Blackpool at the other end.

The Wales international was hurt however in a challenge by Adam and needed lengthy treatment before being taken off, with Peter Crouch replacing him.

DJ Campbell missed a golden chance to fire Blackpool ahead only for Gomes to save before Spurs managed to give away two penalties in as many minutes. Dawson stuck out an arm to concede the first but Gomes denied Adam only to bring down Taylor-Fletcher straight away after he had failed to catch a cross-and this time Adam made no mistake.

Defeat would have been a huge setback for Spurs but a fine strike from Defoe with a minute to go ensured they collected a point.

The England international received the ball up 30 yards from goal and advanced before firing a right-footed shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net. —AFP

Wigan stay alive with draw at Villa Aston Villa 1

Wigan 1 BIRMINGHAM: Wigan climbed out of the bottom three on Saturday after a battling 1-1 draw away at Aston Villa. However, they can return to the bottom three later yesterday should Blackpool get a point at Spurs while Wolves can also go above them if they beat West Brom today.

Wigan grabbed an early lead through

Frenchman Charles N’Zogbia as he was found by Hugo Rodallega just inside the box and he rifled the ball home past Brad Friedel for his eighth goal of the season, seven of them in the league.

However, their lead lasted just seven minutes as in front of England boss Fabio Capello, Ashley Young scored a superb goal.

He touched a freekick to Bulgarian veteran Stiliyan Petrov, who passed back to him and the England striker beat Ali Al Habsi from 25 yards out for his seventh Premier League goal of the season.

Al Habsi then prevented his side from going behind as he pulled off a magnificent one-handed save from former England striker Emile Heskey’s close range volley.

Heskey then felt the aggrieved party as he had a shouting match with referee Mike Jones after the latter failed to penalise Steven Caldwell for his aerial challenge on the big striker - Jones booked Heskey instead for his protests.

Heskey was replaced at half-time by Marc Albrighton after the veteran striker had to be apparently restrained going down the tunnel at the break as he refused to let the matter drop.

An entertaining second-half saw both sides have their chances but in the end it was the impressive Al Habsi who saved his side again as he saved brilliantly from Darren Bent shortly before the final whistle and at least keep alive his side’s hopes of maintaining their top-flight status. —AFP

Matches on TV

West Ham 1

(Local Timings)

Spanish League table Barcelona 34 28 4 Real Madrid 34 25 5 Valencia 35 20 6 Villarreal 34 18 6 Athletic Bilbao35 17 3 Atletico Madrid34 15 7 Sevilla 34 15 7 Espanyol 34 15 3 Sporting Gijon35 10 13 Levante 35 12 7 Santander 35 11 10 Real Mallorca 34 12 6 Real Sociedad 35 13 2 Getafe 35 11 7 Real Zaragoza 34 10 9 Deportivo 35 9 12 Malaga 34 11 6 Osasuna 34 10 8 Hercules 35 9 6 Almeria 35 5 11

2 4 9 10 15 12 12 16 12 16 14 16 20 17 15 14 17 16 20 19

89 81 60 53 55 55 52 42 33 39 37 35 45 46 35 29 47 38 33 32

19 29 42 40 51 44 49 47 39 49 51 47 61 55 47 44 64 41 56 61

88 80 66 60 54 52 52 48 43 43 43 42 41 40 39 39 39 38 33 26 - relegated

Italian Serie A table AC Milan 35 23 8 4 61 23 77 Inter Milan 35 21 6 8 62 39 69 Napoli 35 21 5 9 55 34 68 Lazio 35 18 6 11 46 33 60 Udinese 35 18 5 12 61 42 59 Roma 35 17 8 10 55 49 59 Juventus 35 15 11 9 53 42 56 Palermo 36 16 5 15 55 59 53 Fiorentina 35 12 13 10 45 38 49 Genoa 35 12 9 14 38 40 45 Cagliari 35 12 8 15 42 44 44 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 36 4 9 23 23 54 21 Note: Bologna deducted three points for unpaid taxes and player salaries German League table Dortmund 33 22 6 Leverkusen 33 19 8 Munich 33 18 8 Hanover 33 18 3 Mainz 33 17 4 Nuremberg 33 13 8 Hamburg 33 12 8 Freiburg 33 13 5 Hoffenheim 33 11 10 Kaiserslautern 33 12 7 Stuttgart 33 12 6 Bremen 33 10 11 Cologne 33 12 5 Schalke 33 11 7 Wolfsburg 33 8 11 Borussia 33 10 5 Eintracht 33 9 7 St Pauli 33 8 5

5 6 7 12 12 12 13 15 12 14 15 12 16 15 14 18 17 20

64 63 79 46 50 46 45 41 49 45 59 45 45 37 40 47 30 34

21 44 39 44 38 42 51 49 47 49 57 58 61 42 47 64 46 66

72 — champions 65 62 57 55 47 44 44 43 43 42 41 41 40 35 35 34 29 — relegated

Blackburn 1

English Premier League Wolves v West Bromwich 14:00 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

Hammers get survival hope LONDON: Thomas Hitzlsperger kept West Ham United’s hopes of avoiding relegation alive with a 78th minute equaliser after Jason Roberts had given Blackburn Rovers an early lead in a 1-1 draw at Upton Park yesterday.

But the Hammers remain at the foot of the Premier League and had they failed to recover from Roberts’s goal, their fate would have been all but sealed.

However, with two games remaining, they still have a slim chance of breaking clear-although their chances would have been strengthened further if Robbie Keane had not missed a simple opportunity to score in the 87th minute.

Rovers, meanwhile, were left to count the cost of squandering two points that meant their own safety was still to be secured.

And with games against Manchester United and Wolves to come, they could yet get dragged back into the bottom three.

West Ham’s decline has gathered pace in recent weeks with Avram Grant’s side coming into this game on the back of five successive defeats.

The Londoners were forced to go into this game without Scott Parker, the inspirational midfielder and the English Football Writers’ Player of the Year.

They were also without Matthew Upson, the club captain who had been struggling with a thigh injury although his return to the line-up had been far from guaranteed.

Preparations had also been coloured by more public comments from the Hammers hierarchy. Co-owner David Gold admitted the London club could not expect to keep hold of its England internationals including Parker if they dropped into the Championship.

Grant, the manager, retorted the club should be looking to the long term and not considering stripping its best assets.

Blackburn who carved out the first opening with Roberts laying the ball off for Morten Gamst Pedersen who was allowed too much time to line up a shot he fired wastefully wide.

The home side responded quickly forcing a fifth minute corner that Manuel da Costa met with a header and was denied the opening goal by Pedersen’s goal-line clearance.—AFP

HAMBURG: Bayern Munich’s supporters wave flags during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC St. Pauli vs FC Bayern Munich yesterday —AFP

Stoke City v Arsenal Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

16:05

Eight-goal Bayern secure Champions League spot

Man United v Chelsea Abu Dhabi Sports HD 3 Abu Dhabi Sports HD 5

18:10

BERLIN: Bayern Munich secured Champions League qualification after an 8-1 goal-fest at St Pauli ensured they will finish at least third and relegated their Hamburg-based hosts yesterday.

Bayern’s rout closes the gap on second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who drew 1-1 at Hamburg, and means Bayern could now finish second when the season finishes next Saturday.

Bayern will need Leverkusen to lose at Freiburg next Saturday and pick up a win at home to VfB Stuttgart themselves to claim second, with only the top two teams qualifying for the Champions League automatically.

Third place in the Bundesliga means entry to the Champions League play-off round, the final stage before the group phase.

“We concentrated from the start, we got an early goal and took our chances to make it 2-0,” said Bayern’s caretaker coach, Andries Jonker.

“You could see how quick our players were when they had the necesssary space. We can now enjoy third place and maybe we can still finish a bit higher.”

Bayern striker Mario Gomez opened the scoring after 10 minutes for Bayern and then netted his second of the game with nearly an hour gone.

With St Pauli’s defence in tatters, Dutch winger Arjen Robben netted twice and set up Gomez for the simplest of tap-ins with time almost up to give the Germany star his 27th league goal of the season and 38th in all competitions.

Just before the final whistle, France winger Franck Ribery completed the rout with his second goal of the game.

A header by Marcel Eger on 78 minutes proved to be no more than a consolation goal as St Pauli were beaten for the 20th time this season.

Having only come up last term, the north German side will be back in the second Bundesliga as they suffered another relegation to go with their drops in 1978, 1991, 1997 and 2002.

While his team goes down, coach Holger Stanislawski is at least guaranteed top-flight football next season as he will take over as Hoffenheim coach.

“This is obviously a disappointing and depressing defeat,” said Stanislawski. “I’ll need a few days to get over this.” Fourthplaced Hanover’s 2-1 loss at Stuttgart means Bayern cannot finish lower than third, while 2007 champions Stuttgart moved up to 11th. —AFP

Italian League Inter v Florentina Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD

16:00

US Lecce v Napoli Al Jazeera Sport +4

16:00

Brescoa v Catania Al Jazeera Sport +5

16:00

Bologna v Parma Al Jazeera Sport +9

16:00

Udinese v Lazio Al Jazeera Sport +2

16:00

Genoa v Sampdoria Al Jazeera Sport +1

21:45

Spanish League Mallorca v Villarreal 13:00 Al Jazeera Sport +2 Al Jazeera Sport 2 HD Barcelona v Espanyol Al Jazeera Sport +2 Al Jazeera Sport +3 Al Jazeera Sport 2 HD

20:00

Zaragoza v Osasuna Al Jazeera Sport 1 HD

22:00

Spanish golf great Ballesteros dies

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

16

Vettel on pole in Turkey

18

Eight-goal Bayern secure Champions League spot Page 19

LONDON: Everton’s Victor Anichebe (top right) rises high to head the ball during the English Premier League soccer match against Manchester City at Goodison Park. —AP

Osman pegs back City’s CL push LIVERPOOL: Leon Osman continued Everton’s jinx over Everton 2 Manchester City as his second-half winner sealed a 2-1 comeback victory that dented the visitors’ push for a Man City 1 Champions League place.

Everton completed the double over their mega-rich opponents, and made it seven wins from their last eight games against them, after Osman capped the turnaround at Goodison Park here yesterday.

It looked as though Roberto Mancini’s side were heading for another win to edge even closer in their pursuit of a topfour finish thanks to Yaya Toure.

But they spurned a glut of chances to kill off Everton for good and were punished after the break. Sylvain Distin headed home Mikel Arteta’s 65th-minute free-kick before Osman timed his run to perfection to convert Phil Neville’s cross with a fine looping header.

It was a missed chance for City and left Tottenham and Liverpool with a chance of sneaking into the top-four positions.

City looked like a side bidding to finish the job in a hurry at the start. David Silva expertly took Vincent Kompany’s long pass out of the air before twisting his marker inside and out and driving inches wide in the 11th minute.

The Spaniard continued to threaten and three minutes later he created a chance that should have resulted in the opening goal.

Silva’s cushioned pass landed straight into the path of the on-rushing Patrick Vieira but the veteran Frenchman’s shot from five yards out sailed over the crossbar.

Everton, who have seen their European hopes all but extinguished, were performing like a side that had nothing but pride to play for. But the home crowd certainly had something to shout about in the shape of former Everton player Joleon Lescott.

The defender, returning to Goodison for the first time since his acrimonious £22 million ($36m) exit in 2009, was roundly jeered with every touch. However, Lescott saw his current side take a lead via Toure in the 28th minute.

Distin failed to cut out Nigel de Jong’s pass and Silva fed the Ivory Coast midfielder, who did the rest by lifting the ball over Everton’s United States international goalkeeper, Tim Howard.

It was no more than City deserved although their dominance only resulted in a one-goal margin at the break. Everton brought on striker Jermaine Beckford after half-time as they looked for a more positive approach. Yet the change opened up more space for City.

Toure, with his lung-busting runs from midfield, was denied a second goal by the giant frame of Howard in the 50th minute.

But Everton’s more competitive approach was illustrated when Jack Rodwell’s lunging tackle on de Jong sparked an eight-man shoving match as tempers threatened to boil over.

City were made to pay for spurning those chances, with Distin steering home Arteta’s free-kick as England goalkeeper Joe Hart failed to turn the defender’s header around the post.

It got worse for City as Osman headed home seven minutes later. This time Hart was left with no chance as the midfielder timed his run superbly to nod in Neville’s chipped cross.—AFP

Knight’s own goal gifts win to Sunderland Bolton 1

Sunderland 2

BOLTON: Bolton Wanderers’ English midfielder Matthew Taylor (left) vies with Sunderland’s Egyptian midfielder Ahmed Elmohamady (right) during the English Premier League football match . —AFP

Birmingham stay in trouble after defeat Newcastle 2

Birmingham 1 NEWCASTLE: Newcastle defender Steven Taylor got the winner as his side’s 2-1 victor y over 10-man Birmingham at St James’ Park kept the visitors dangerously close to the Premier League relegation zone yesterday.

Alan Pardew’s side took the lead after Birmingham defender Liam Ridgewell was sent off for deliberate handball and Shola Ameobi converted the resulting first-half penalty.

Taylor then powered home a second from Joey Barton’s corner before Lee Bowyer’s effort deflected in off Fabricio Coloccini to give Birmingham hope.

Alex McLeish’s team, who won the League Cup earlier this season, were unable to find an equaliser

and they are remain only four points above the bottom three with two matches to play.

Newcastle always looked the more threatening team and Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster got down well to turn away Barton’s skidding 30-yard drive in the early stages.

Birmingham fell behind in the 36th minute. Stephen Carr cleared Ameobi’s header off the line and Foster pulled off a fine save to keep out Coloccini’s follow-up.

Carr intervened again to deny Coloccini from the rebound but, as the ball fell towards Kevin Nolan, Ridgewell nudged it clear with his arm and referee Chris Foy pointed straight to the spot before producing a red card.

Ameobi waited patiently while Ridgewell protested and then calmly tucked the penalty into the bottom corner for his ninth goal of the season. Birmingham might have been dead and buried long before the break had Foster not made fine reaction saves to deny Peter

Lovenkrands and Nolan.

But there was nothing Foster could do to keep out Taylor’s towering 43rd-minute header, which Sebastian Larsson could only help into his own net.

Newcastle then gifted Birmingham a lifeline on the stroke of half-time when Coloccini misjudged a long clearance to allow Cameron Jerome in.

Jerome passed to Bowyer and the former Newcastle midfielder’s shot ended up in the back of the net via a deflection off Coloccini.

Jose Enrique fizzed a 35-yard drive just wide of Foster’s right post early in the second half as the Magpies attempted to kill off the game before Ameobi headed over when he might have done better.

But for Foster, the scoreline would have assumed ugly proportions for Birmingham and the former Manchester United keeper kept out Nolan’s goal-bound header and then made an even better save from substitute Nile Ranger three minutes later.—AFP

BOLTON: Bolton defender Zat Knight’s late own goal gifted Sunderland only their second win in 12 league games as the Black Cats snatched a 2-1 victory at the Reebok Stadium

yesterday.

Knight deflected in a shot from Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari in the 90th minute as Steve Bruce’s side finally ended their lingering relegation fears.

Stand-in captain Bolo Zenden put Sunderland ahead on the stroke of half-tme before Bolton substitute Ivan Klasnic appeared to have rescued a point with an equaliser three minutes from time.

Sunderland are now nine points clear of the bottom three and just two points behind eighth-placed Bolton.

Bolton came close to opening the scoring in the 11th minute when Kevin Davies set up Matt Taylor with a clever reverse ball.

It seemed Taylor had to score, only for goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to make a superb point-blank save. The Trotters swept forward again eight minutes later and Daniel Sturridge went down in the area following a challenge by John Mensah but referee Kevin Friend allowed play to continue.

Johan Elmander then dragged a free-kick wide of the post for Bolton before Phil Bardsley escaped his marker but headed wide after being set up by Jordan Henderson.

Owen Coyle’s team almost made the breakthrough when Sturridge’s effort came off Bardsley and rattled the bar.

Davies reacted quickly only for his effort to be turned around the post and the visitors breathed a sigh of relief.

Sunderland went ahead in first-half stoppage-time when Zenden skipped around Jussi Jaaskelainen to score his first goal of the season after being set up by Stephane Sessegnon.

The Black Cats almost extended their lead a minute into the second half as Sessegnon forced a good save from Jaaskelainen.

Bolton responded in the 50th minute with on-loan Chelsea striker Sturridge firing a shot narrowly wide of the post after being set by Ricardo Gardner.

Lee Chung-Yong should have equalised from close range after Bardsley had diverted Sturridge’s goalbound effort into his path.

It seemed that miss would not matter when Rodrigo Moreno delivered a superb ball to the back post in the 87th minute and Klasnic headed into the far corner of the net.

But, after Rodrigo nearly scored a stoppage-time winner for the hosts, Muntari was set up by Sessegnon and Knight deflected the shot into his own goal.—AFP

A

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Business Years

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

KSE stocks subdued amid profit-taking Page 22 Civilian job growth among Kuwaitis slowed in 2010 Page 23

KSE stocks bearish; investors cautious

Page 24

Markaz report Q1 2011 results Page 25

ABU DHABI: A general view shows a meeting of finance ministers of oil-producing Gulf Cooperation Council monarchies focusing on economic development projects in the region, in the Emirati capital Abu Dhabi yesterday. — AFP

Oil price drop not a worry: UAE Federal sovereign bond likely early in 2012 if needed: FM ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates’ finance ministry is not worried about a drop in oil prices and a first-ever federal sovereign bond will only be issued early next year if needed, a top official said yesterday.

US crude oil futures lost almost $17 over the past week, their biggest weekly drop since they began trading in 1983, on demand worries and a move by investors to slash commodities exposures. “Oil prices, they go up, they come down. We are fine, no issue right now,” Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid Al-Tayer told a news conference after a Gulf finance ministers’ meeting in the UAE capital.

Revolts sweeping the Arab world helped to drive benchmark US crude prices to more than two-and-half year highs of around $115 per barrel in recent weeks. They closed at $97.18 per barrel on Friday, well above break-even

prices for most Gulf exporters’ budgets. However, vulnerability to oil price swings in the Gulf is rising as governments boost spending to ease social tensions. Tayer also said the UAE, rated Aa2 by Moody’s, had no plans to issue a sovereign bond this year. “If it (a federal bond) is needed, any issuance will be only at the beginning of next year,” he said.

The world’s third-largest oil exporter had originally set its 2011 budget with a shortfall of some 3 billion dirhams ($817 million). So far, the Gulf Arab state has not issued bonds at a federal level, unlike the individual member emirates. Younis al-Khouri, undersecretary and director general at the ministry, told Reuters earlier on Saturday the authority will assess demands to raise federal budget spending at the end of May or in early June.

“We have been receiving some of the ministries’ and government entities’ requirements and we are studying

supporting them in the extra budget requirement,” he said.

The original 2011 budget was projecting expenditure of 41 billion dirhams, less than the 2010 plan.

Worried by regional unrest, the UAE has said it will spend $1.6 billion to improve infrastructure in less developed northern emirates, raised military pensions by 70 percent and introduced bread and rice subsidies. Sources have said plans to hike fuel prices were also delayed.

The UAE, which has avoided the turmoil challenging autocratic regimes in nearby Bahrain and Oman, did not say how it was planning to finance these new measures.

UAE’s relatively small native population enjoys one of the world’s largest incomes per capita at nearly $49,000. Fiscal policy is a key tool for UAE policymakers to steer the oilreliant economy, as the central bank’s flexibility is limited by the country’s currency peg to the dollar. — Reuters

Wataniya Telecom offers I-Move-To service to all new customers KUWAIT: For years Wataniya has sought to provide services that enhance customers’ communication experiences. I-Move-To service is another innovative example, created especially for all new customers. Through this service potential customers can ease the process of informing all their callers about their new Wataniya mobile number.

Most customers resist switching to a new number or another mobile operator because it’s a daunting task to inform all their contacts about changing their number.

Wataniya has taken an initiative to combat this drawback and introduced the “I-Move-To” service that will solve this problem for all those who are keen on joining Wataniya.

I-Move-To is a free of charge ser vice offered to all new Wataniya customers. This service will help them inform their callers about their new mobile number with complete ease and control, and without missing any calls.

Abdolaziz Al Balool, the Public Relations Director of Wataniya Telecom remarked: “We strive to make life and communication easy and convenient for all our customers. By introducing the IMove-To service, we have taken another step in this direction.”

It takes very little time to activate I-Move -To and new customers can use it even if their old

Abdolaziz Al Balool

number was a non-Wataniya number. The only thing a customer needs to do to activate IMove -To is send SUB to 1443 from their new number, then dial **21* new Wataniya number# from their old line. These simple commands will activate I-MoveTo and every time someone calls the customer’s old number, the caller will hear a voice prompt informing them about the new number plus an SMS will be sent to them with the new Wataniya number as well. The Wataniya customer will also receive an SMS informing them about the number that was tr ying to reach them...I-Move-To remains active

for a full 90 days and customers can renew it if they wish.

Al Balool also added, “ This unique service is one of a kind and we are proud to be the first to offer it to all our potential customers. We hope that I-Move-To will eliminate hesitancy about switching to Wataniya for all those who wanted to move but didn’t want to be bothered with the hassles of informing the world about their new number.”

Abdolaziz Al Balool further added, “Wataniya holds for all new and existing customers’ bundles of surprises and enticing offers designed to transform their telecom experience to a convenient and entertaining one.”

In addition to the convenience of the I-Move-To service, customers who want to switch to Wataniya will also be offered gold numbers bundled with affordable handsets and voice plans to make the move a more exciting and valuable one. Customers can book and buy their numbers from Wataniya’s website w w w. w a t a n i y a . c o m / m o ve.

Furthermore they will get their new numbers delivered to their doorstep making the move to Wataniya even more easy and convenient.

To learn more about the IMove-To service and the latest offers from Wataniya call customer care on 121 or visit www.wataniya.com/move.

Emaar to mull strategy as markets change DUBAI: Dubai’s Emaar Properties, builder of the world’s tallest tower, is creating a core management team to develop a new growth strategy, the developer said, following social and political upheaval in the region.

Emaar-the UAE’s largest listed developer and about 30 percent owned by Dubai’s government-was badly hit by the Gulf emirate’s property collapse and has little scope for growth in its home market. Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar, who heads the team, said in a statement that it would focus on “strengthening the resilience of the organization in the wake of recent social, political and economic changes in its regional and global markets”. The team will also work on “establishing a sustainable business model for the future and identifying and capitalizing on the growth opportunities”, the statement said yesterday.

The team will also focus on “creating a robust organizational and corporate governance framework that resonates with new market realities”, the statement said.

Citing sources, Reuters reported on Thursday that Emaar would conduct a strategic review of its foreign operations which may lead to a greater focus on its hospitality and retail resort business.

The review by McKinsey & Co. mainly relates to the developer’s property division as opposed to its thriving hospitality sector, said two of the sources. It will cover Emaar ’s overseas units which span the Middle East, Africa and Asia, in countries like India, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. — Reuters

Indonesia turns ASEAN focus to food, energy JAKARTA: Indonesia yesterday warned fellow Southeast Asian states that rising food and energy prices could drive more people into poverty and urged coordinated action to fight inflation.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at the start of the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit that the regional bloc must take steps to ease the surge in consumer prices. “We must give serious attention and take concrete measures to address the soaring of food prices and world energy, which in turn will negatively affect the prosperity of our people,” he said in his opening speech.

“History shows that the rise of food and energy prices... has always caused the increase in the number of people living in poverty, yet we know very well that decreasing the poverty level is not an easy task.”

Philippine Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said every leader who spoke at the plenary session mentioned high energy and food prices as among the most critical issues faced by the region. “It is common to all countries in Asia, in ASEAN countries particularly,” he said, adding that ministers like himself were under instruction by their leaders to work on mitigating the impact.

He said the Philippines was inviting oil companies to invest in storage infrastructure and retail distribution networks in the country in a bid to enhance competition that will hopefully lead to cheaper fuel. Oil prices soared to

their highest peaks in more than two years last month, driven largely by political turmoil in the crudeproducing Middle East and North Africa region.

The increase has sparked fears that inflation could slow down the recovery from the global recession in 2008/2009. ASEAN groups 10 disparate nations from oil-rich Brunei and high-tech Singapore to impoverished Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, as well as major rice producers Thailand and Vietnam and rice-importers like the Philippines.

Indonesia and Malaysia round up ASEAN’s 10 members. Commodities prices including oil and gold took a hammering on US markets Thursday due to a higher US dollar and the reweighing of risk by institutional investors, but analysts expect the upward price trend to resume.

On the same day, the United Nations said high food and oil prices could keep an additional 42 million people in poverty in the Asia-Pacific region and threaten economic growth.

The International Monetary Fund warned in a report last month that rising food and energy prices could start an inflationary spiral. The impact would be especially bad in the developing world where households spend larger shares of their incomes on food and energy compared to those in advanced economies. Several ASEAN members have already raised interest rates as part of efforts to fight inflation, at the risk of slowing down economic growth in a region that led the world out of the global financial crisis.—AFP

JAKARTA: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (second right) and his wife Kristiani greet Vietnamese Prime Minster Nguyen Tan Dung, second left, and his wife Tran Thanh Kiem, left, upon their arrival for a dinner at the 18th ASEAN Summit in Jakarta yesterday. — AP

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BUSINESS

KSE stocks subdued amid profit-taking GLOBAL WEEKLY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) reversed all its trends during the first week of May compared to the earlier week with declining sectors overweighing the gaining ones. The market saw a profit booking after reaching high levels by the end of last Thursday, however, institutional investors were seen away from the market. Corporate results are still coming with good performance seen on the large capitalization companies’ figures.

As measured by Global General Index, which is a market weighted index, the Kuwaiti market ended the first week of May down, shedding 0.72 percent from its value, closing at 205.69 point. On a year-to-date basis, the accumulated loss of the market reached 7.98 percent. On the other hand, Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) price index was also down with a marginal drop of 0.09 percent (5.70 points) and closed at 6,516 points (which is 6.32 percent decline on a year-to-date basis). Investors wealth dropped by KD243.6mn during the week as total market capitalization recoiled to KD33.73bn. Market breadth was tilted towards losers side with 70 stocks closing at lower price against 52 stocks advancing out of 143 shares traded.

Trading activity was also lower.

Investors may be waiting for the announcement of the new Cabinet which was expected on Wednesday.

However the sudden death of Sheikh Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the brother of HH the Amir and the former minister of the Amiri Diwan, delayed the announcement possibly to after the three-day mourning period. Total trading volume was marginally down by 0.18 percent compared to the week before with 1.25bn shares changing hands, at a total traded value of KD138.41mn (a 36.42 percent decrease compared to last week). Trading volume was the highest on the Investment sector, accounted for 33.29 percent (415.15mn shares) of the total market volume. International Financial Advisors (IFA) was the most traded stock in the sector with 98.40mn shares changing hands.

However Al-Safwa Group Holding topped the volume leaders list with 164.16mn shares changing hands.

The scrip was up by 21.21 percent by the end of the week to appear second on the gainers list. On the value side, the Services Sector came on top of the list, accounting for 28.32 percent (KD39.20mn) of the overall market traded value. Zain, the biggest listed equity in the market, was back to the top of the list with KD13.76mn traded on its share. The scrip ended the week down by 1.67 percent.

The downward trend dominated most of the market sectors. As measured by Global indices, heavy weighted. Banking sector shed 0.52 percent with its nine constituents equally divided between gainers, losers and flat, three for each side. The services sector was also a notable loser with a

1.13 percent drop in its value after most of its heavy weighted stocks ended the week at lower levels.

However, the Food sector was the biggest loser, being down by 1.86 percent with no gainer seen among the sectors’ constituents.

On the positive side, the only losing sectors last week became the sole gainers this time. The Investment sector managed to add 0.64 percent to its index value. Three investment companies took advanced places in the gainers list with Al-Qurain Holding Company being on the top of the list with 27.78 percent increase in its share price. The Insurance sector was the other gainer for the week, adding 2.66 percent to its value. Only two stocks were traded during the five sessions and both ended on a higher levels. Global’s special indices followed the main trend and were all seen lower. The Islamic companies, measured by Global Islamic Sharia

spending on a four-year, KD30bn development plan, which is aimed at diversifying the crude-reliant economy and increasing the role of the private sector. Revenue reached KD20.9bn in the year to March 31, more than double the KD9.7bn plan, preliminary data posted on the finance ministry’s website showed.

Kuwait had set its 2010/11 budget with a deficit of KD6.6bn, assuming that crude, its main revenue earner, would fetch $43 per barrel.

Benchmark US crude prices had been hovering between $64 and $107 a barrel during the 2010/11 fiscal year.

As a result, oil income soared to KD19.4bn, up from the original plan of KD8.6bn.

The Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) issued KD125mn worth of one-year treasury bonds on Wednesday, May 04, 2011, with a coupon rate of 1.25 percent. Bids for the bonds amounted to KD841.5mn, central bank data

oil in March, compared with 6 percent in the same month of last year and 5.6 percent in February, the Japanese Natural Resources and Energy Agency, a unit of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, said in a preliminary report. Japan is Kuwait’s largest oil buyer with accounting for roughly 20 percent of its total crude exports of 1.3-1.5mn bpd at any given time, according to the state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).

Official selling prices (OSPs) for June-loading Kuwaiti, Iranian & Iraqi crude oil heading to Asia will probably rise after Saudi Arabia increased the price of its rival Arab Light.

Kuwaiti crude is usually priced 30-40 cents below Arab Medium, while the correlation between Iraq’s Basra Light and Arabian Medium prices is more fluid, making the grade’s OSP less predictable. State oil company Saudi Aramco raised the premium of Arab Light by 50 cents to $2.15 over the

seek the experience and guidance of consultants from auditing bureaus and attorneys, to understand the decisions and implement them accordingly. The CMA has instructed companies that they should obtain its approval on agendas of general assembly if the agendas include decisions related to increasing or decreasing the capital or issuing Sukuk, bonds, or pertaining the creating or abolishing any activities related to securities.

Kuwait Stock Exchange Agility 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 large-scale projects, Agility developed a tailored solution for Arabi Enertech that allows for a successful transport of a training plane which is used for emergency evacuation drills

Index, dropped by 1.05 percent. Also Global Small Cap (Low 10) index and Global Large Cap (Top 10) index lost 0.98 percent and 0.85 percent from their values, respectively.

Macroeconomic news Kuwait’s net budget surplus increased to KD6.5bn ($23.5bn) in its 2010/11 fiscal year as oil income jumped, while spending remained trailing the original plan, preliminary data showed on Tuesday. The net figure is after a transfer of 10 percent of revenues to a fund for future generations, managed by the OPEC producer’s sovereign wealth fund. Before the transfer, the fiscal surplus reached KD8.5bn, or 23.1 percent of Kuwait’s gross domestic product (GDP), above market expectations and KD6.4bn seen in the previous fiscal year.

Analysts polled by Reuters in March forecast that the world’s fourth largest crude exporter would post a surplus of 19.8 percent of GDP. Expenditure came in at KD12.4bn in fiscal year 2010/11, which ended in March, well behind the original plan of KD16.3bn. The budget included

showed. The last issue was on April 27, for KD70mn, with 1.25 percent coupon, while bids for the bonds amounted to KD542.5mn.

Oil related news Price of Kuwaiti crude oil ended Wednesday, May 4, lower compared to the day earlier, reaching $114.7 per barrel (pb). The price was down by $1.71 compared to Tuesday, May 3 close of $116.41 per barrel (pb), as announced by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) is looking to sell 50,000 tons of naphtha in a tender for loading on May 23-24, traders said this week. The tender was due to close on Thursday, with the bids valid until Friday. KPC sold a total of nearly 150,000 tons of naphtha for May loading to Total and Marubeni in mid-April.

Kuwait’s crude oil exports to Japan fell 11.9 percent in March from a year earlier to 7.22mn barrels, or 233,000 barrels per day (bpd), for the third consecutive monthly drop, the latest government data showed. Kuwait supplied 6.2 percent of nation’s crude

Oman/Dubai average for June, surprising Asian refiners who had mostly expected prices to remain little changed or decrease. Aramco raised the price of Arab Medium crude for June by 25 cents to a discount of 75 cents a barrel to Oman/Dubai, which is expected to trigger similar gains in the prices of Iranian Heavy, Forozan Blend, Kuwaiti and Iraqi crude. Iranian Light is expected to jump to a premium of $2.43 a barrel to the Oman/Dubai average, up 50 cents from May, if the National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) follows the Saudis.

Other local news Sources have stated that investment companies have expressed concern over the Capital Market Authority’s (CMA) quick, consecutive decisions. This does not imply that companies are not cooperative but that they have inquiries about the completion of the administrative structure which can follow up with and check the abidance by new conditions. The investment companies have been surprised by the consecutive decisions and thus they began to

and fire fighting simulations.

Mushrif Trading & Contracting Company has received letter of award No 14/19/8877 from Central Tenders Committee for tender No. HS that was issued by Ministry of Public Works.

Under the KD27.88mn worth of deal, the contractor will construct and maintain the main sewage pipeline extending from Dawar Al-Omam till the junction at Kazimiya camps on Al Jahraa Road.

Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) announces that an auction was held on Tuesday, May 3, 2011, 12:30 pm at trading floor, to offload a total of 8,296,724 shares of International Finance Company (IFC), whose share is suspended from trading in the market.

Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) has signed a loan deal with Malawi, whereby the latter will get KD2.9mn ($10mn). The loan will be used in bankrolling the costs of a road project in Malawi, the KFAED said. It is the second loan to be extended by the KFAED to Malawi for the same purpose. The fist loan was

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

worth KWD6mn. A relevant loan agreement was hammered out between both sides in December 2004. It is the sixth loan to be extended by the Kuwaiti fund to Malawi. It had earlier given Malawi five loans worth a total of KD18.62mn for financing transport and communication projects, together with the single grant valued at KD303,000 for a settlement study.

Shuaiba Industrial Company has received a purchase order to supply Kuwait Flour Mills & Bakeries Company with small bags at a total value of KD0.22 over four months.

The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) announced on the ruling of the Ajman Court of Appeal with one of the banks against International Financial Advisors Company (IFA) and Gulf Group Holding Company concerning their joint project that amounted up to about $27mn ($6mn out of debt benefits of and $21mn from interest), noting that IFA owns approximately 99.5 percent of the Gulf Group Holding Company.

According to the company, the ruling has become implementable in Kuwait and is in accordance with the provisions of the Kuwaiti law. The company has allocated reserves amounting up to $25mn regarding this issue, and it is worth mentioning that this case was filed in 1993 at a time when the company was owned by the state.

Coast Investment and Development Company said that it has been careful throughout last year to tackle and deal with its debts and that it has now successfully paid off KD50mn which is the equivalent of 40 percent of its total debts. The remaining debt is in the region of KD82mn said the company’s Chairman, Sulaiman Al-Sahli.

Boubyan Bank announced the launch of an open-ended Kuwaiti Dinar money market fund that invests in Sharia-compliant short and medium-term instruments available in the financial markets. Saleh Ahmed AlAteeqi, Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Boubyan Capital, said that the Fund aims to offer competitive Sharia-compliant returns by increasing the value of its assets while offering a high level of liquidity to investors. Al-Ateeqi added that the Fund which is managed by Boubyan Bank is open to all investors with a minimum subscription of 30,000 Kuwaiti dinars and multiples of KD 1,000.

Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK) has renewed on April 27, 2011 its approval for Kuwait and Middle East Financial Investment Company to repurchase or sell 10 percent maximum of its issued shares for additional six months. The bank should comply with CBK’s buyback regulations and rules, in addition to provisions of Article No. 115 bis of Corporate Law. It should also abide by provisions of the Ministerial Decree No 10/1987 and its amendments, by virtue of the two Ministerial Decrees No. 11/1988 and 273/1999.

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

.2700000 .4500000 .4040000 .3150000 .2855300 .2950000 .0045000 .0020000 .0743470 .7243440 .3810000 .0700000 .7100870 .0040000 .0430000

.2800000 .4600000 .41300000 .3250000 .2940000 .3030000 .0072500 .0035000 .0750950 .7316240 .4010000 .0770000 .7172240 .0072000 .0470630

CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2738500 .2759500 .4524690 .4559380 .4069820 .4101030 .3174340 .3198680 .2873260 .2895290 .0545760 .0549950 .0453730 .0457210 .2976750 .2999580 .0352480 .0355180 .2229320 .2246420 .0033820 .0034080 .0000000 .0062360 .0000000 .0025200 .0000000 .0032850 .0000000 .0038060 .0745880 .0751600 .7265850 .7321570 .0000000 .3903110 .0730460 .0736060 .7114840 .7169390 .0000000 .0064780

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 3.419 6.180 3.261 2.503 3.870 224.240 35.435 3.759

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

6.408 9.162 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES 73.429 75.660 715.210 731.170 74.964

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 46.256 1.260 205.560 388.850 182.600 5.944 36.700

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 275.250 Euro 410.810 Sterling Pound 456.230 Canadian dollar 290.350 Turkish lire 179.620 Swiss Franc 320.920 Australian dollar 298.210 US Dollar Buying 274.050 GOLD 282.000 143.000 73.000

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 299.100 297.600 734.170 734.170 3.990 3.770 289.400 287.900 542.200 14.100 54.800 167.800 224.100 47.450 46.479 400.300 398.800 36.210 36.060 6.440 6.165

0.033 0.244 0.243 3.520 391.640 0.187 95.390 48.200 4.330 222.100 1.672 51.800 717.040 3.340 6.610 76.370 73.710 224.130 43.680 2.679 457.200 45.500 320.900 5.800 9.560 198.263 75.330 276.400 1.260

390.170 0.186 95.390 3.870 220.600

Sterling Pound US Dollar

319.400 5.800 9.340 74.230 276.000

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 455.200 276.000

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. 716.860 3.280 6.400 75.940 73.710 224.130 43.680 2.510 455.200

GOLD 1,542.310

10 Tola

Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees Malaysian Ringgit Malaysian Ringgit

Currency 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) 6.170 2.520 3.775 6.460 75.525 74.075 736.400 46.275 460.400 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 390.500 5.750 400.800 293.600

Al Mulla Exchange Currency Transfer Rate (Per 1000) US Dollar 274.450 Euro 410.000 Pound Sterling 456.000 Canadian Dollar 288.200 Japanese Yen 3.435 Indian Rupee 6.145 Egyptian Pound 46.255 Sri Lankan Rupee 2.499 Bangladesh Taka 3.730 Philippines Peso 6.375 Pakistan Rupee 3.255 Bahraini Dinar 730.900 UAE Dirham 74.880 Saudi Riyal 73.300 *Rates are subject to change

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business

flydubai secures financing for all 2011 aircraft KUWAIT: flydubai, Dubai’s first low cost airline, has secured financing worth $80 million, at list prices, with aircraft leasing company, MC Aviation Partners (MCAP), for the remaining B737-800NG aircraft the airline is due to receive this year.

The eight year sale and leaseback agreement is for flydubai’s 10th new Boeing 737-800NG aircraft, fitted with the new Boeing Sky Interior and the airline’s revolutionary new in-flight entertainment system, to be delivered in 2011. The new aircraft will support flydubai’s continued capacity and network growth and is due for delivery in December. flydubai will issue an RFP for the airline’s 2012 financing requirements in the near future.

Ghaith Al Ghaith, CEO of flydubai, said: “We are pleased to add MCAP to our existing group of leasing companies, both local and international. Like flydubai, MCAP is a young, ambitious and dynamic company and we look forward to developing a long and mutually beneficial relationship with them.

“The problems faced by this region in the past few months have been well documented, but the overwhelming response we received to our latest request for financing shows the confidence the international markets have in Dubai and flydubai has not been dented. flydubai has experienced tremendous growth since the start of our operations in June 2009. The UAE has also seen positive growth recently, taking the country out of the shadow of the global economic crisis.

Companies like MCAP, who have continued to show confidence in us and the UAE, are partly responsible for this and we thank them for their support.”

Tatsuo Sato, CEO of MC Aviation Partners Inc., said: “We are pleased to announce this transaction with flydubai, which has successfully laid the foundation for a valuable partnership. We are delighted to work with flydubai, the Gulf’s leading airline, and expect this transaction to enhance MCAP’s presence in the Middle East.”

In a related move, flydubai has taken delivery of its 17th aircraft on schedule from Boeing. At the same time the airline has taken the decision to retire the two aircraft it received in May 2009. This move ensures that a higher percentage of flydubai’s fleet will be fitted with the new Sky Interior from Boeing and the revolutionary new in-flight entertainment system from Lumexis, launched in November 2010. This move takes the percentage of the fleet fitted with the IFE to more than 50%, and ensures customers will have a greater chance of being able to enjoy the enhanced flydubai experience while on board. The move also ensures flydubai’s fleet remains one of the newest in the industry, with the oldest aircraft in the fleet being in service for just 22 months.

The next aircraft is due for delivery later this month, with the one after that due in June. flydubai has a simple model where customers only pay for services they want to receive. Fares are inclusive of all taxes plus one piece of hand luggage weighing up to 7kg and one small laptop bag or hand bag. Checked baggage starts at AED50 for 20kgs. A seat with extra legroom costs AED100. flydubai operates from the modernised Terminal 2 building on the north side of Dubai International Airport.

NBK GCC BRIEF

Civilian job growth among Kuwaitis slowed in 2010 Private sector still main source of job for Kuwaitis KUWAIT: Employment growth among Kuwaiti civilians slowed in 2010 and the number of new jobs fell to its lowest level in five years. Private sector job growth remained relatively strong, helped by ongoing Kuwaitization efforts; though even there growth continued to slow.

Aggregate wage income for civilian Kuwaitis saw steady growth during 2010. It is expected to see stronger growth in 2011 thanks to government sector pay raises.

For non-Kuwaitis, employment resumed its growth though the recovery was not yet visible in the private sector. Private employment (excluding domestic workers) continued to shrink indicating a still weak business environment.

about a third in the government sector, raising the share of private sector jobs.

The strong growth in private sector hiring of Kuwaitis has received substantial support over the last decade from the Kuwaitization program. The program sets quotas for Kuwaiti employment in various sectors and imposes fines for companies that fail to comply. It has also introduced social and child allowances for Kuwaitis working for private employers on a par with their government counterparts. These allowances are expected to amount to over KD 290 million in FY10/11.

private hiring.

We expect the private sector to continue to play an important role in the hiring of nationals especially with the implementation of the government’s five-year development plan. The plan includes several initiatives to establish private companies in the health, housing and power sectors. The privatization of existing state owned enterprises, albeit slow, should further enhance

eral pay raises for public sector workers, including teachers, oil sector workers, and engineers. Military personnel are also set to receive pay increases this year. Increases are mostly a response to a higher cost of living in the last two years which had put pressure on real wages. Consumer prices inflation averaged around 4% during the last two years.

Wage income Kuwaiti households’ total income from wages rose an estimated 5.7% in 2010, slipping from 6.7% in 2009. Growth was a rapid 11.8% in 2008 before easing in 2009 and 2010. Growth in the last two years appears to have been driven largely by employment growth and less by hikes in pay.

We expect pay increases in 2011 to provide a greater boost to total household wage income during the rest of the year.

The government has already approved sev-

Job growth There were 11,700 civilian jobs created among Kuwaitis during the year, the smallest figure in five years. Employment growth slowed to 5% from 6.2% the prior year, according to data for civilian jobs published by the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS).

In the last five years, upwards of 18,500 Kuwaitis entered the working age population each year. During this period, an average of 17,000 new civilian jobs was created each year, while around 3,000 retired annually. Jobs in the military and police, for which data is not available, have likely accounted for the remaining job growth.

Private sector The private sector remained the largest contributor to civilian job growth, providing nearly 8,000 new jobs to Kuwaiti nationals compared to over 3,500 government jobs and less than 200 jobs in the oil sector. Private employers provided over two-thirds of all new civilian jobs for nationals during the last three years versus

The government’s civilian wage bill, estimated to have grown by 5% in FY10/11, will likely grow twice as fast in FY11/12 as the result of pay hikes for both Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis, in addition to the growth in public sector employment.

Approved public sector pay hikes so far this year will add KD 700 million. Of this, KD 300 million is for military personnel, according to official reports.

Expatriate employment In 2010, the number of employed nonKuwaitis rose for the first time since the financial crisis. Total expatriate employment grew by 2.2% during the year to reach 1.76 million. Over 38,000 new expatriate jobs were created.

Domestic workers accounted for the bulk of the employment gains among nonKuwaitis in 2010, with their numbers rising by 50,000 or 9.7%. The increase took place in the first half of 2010, while the second half saw a decline. Employment in the private sector excluding domestic workers continued to see job losses, as employment fell by 1.5% and nearly 16,000 jobs were lost.

Public sector employment of expatriates has maintained a more steady growth rate compared to the private sector, avoiding the decline seen by the latter. Employment in this sector was up by 3.6%, accounting for over 4,000 new jobs.

We expect Kuwaiti employment growth to remain steady with the private sector retaining a dominant role. Salaries are expected to see somewhat stronger increases in 2011, which should give a boost to household income during the year. Expatriate hiring, particularly in the private sector, is expected to recover in 2011 as companies begin to see more solid business activity.

MARKAZ KSE Market Index

KSE index closed on negative note Open: 6,517, High: 6,531, Low: 6,485 Close: 6,516.

Wataniya awards April’s winner Nawaf Abdullah Al-Kanderi with a BMW KUWAIT: The winning experience with Wataniya Telecom has always been overwhelming, as Wataniya constantly believes that maintaining a loyal customer base is one of the surefire ways that can secure its success. Started back in April 2010, Wataniya Telecom has been granting customers whom numbers start with 6 the opportunity to win amazing prizes!

Thousands of Wataniya customers have been excitingly waiting for the results of this month as Wataniya announced 100 winners. Nawaf Abdullah Al-Kanderi won the grand prize, a 2011BMW 320 I Cab. The rewarding ceremony to deliver the car keys to Al-Kanderi took place at BMW Showroom with the presence of Abdolaziz AlBalool Public Relations Director at Wataniya.

On the occasion, Al-Balool thanked all cus-

tomers for making it a wonderful and exciting campaign. “Our monthly draws have always been a huge success and attracted a large number of participants and have thus encouraged us to provide our customers more surprises in the near future. I would like to congratulate all winners and wish the rest of our customers’ best of luck in winning prizes with Wataniya’s upcoming campaigns and competitions.”

Al-Kanderi, very excited to win the brand new BMW commented, “It feels great to have won the draw of the campaign and I would like to thank Wataniya for their creative and highly rewarding activities.” Wataniya Telecom promises its customers of more breathtaking surprises to award its customers with more valuable prizes while adding some excitement and thrill to their journey with Wataniya Telecom.

Kuwait oil prices exceeded $100pb in April KUWAIT: Kuwaiti oil prices kept on hitting the $100 mark for the 10th week in a row by the end of April, which is the first month of the current fiscal year, according to an economic report.

The monthly rate of Kuwaiti oil prices for April hit roughly $115.6 per barrel, Al Shall economic report showed here yesterday.

The highest rate for Kuwaiti oil prices during

April was $118.5 per barrel, an increase of $55.6 pb or 92.7 percent over the current budget’s new estimated price of $60 pb, the report said.

Comparatively, the monthly rate of Kuwaiti oil prices in April in the last fiscal year amounted to $81.3 pb, while the annual rate for the FY 20102011, which elapsed last March, had reached around $81.9 pb, the report added. —KUNA

KUWAIT: The KSE market weighted index closed on a negative note at 464 level, a loss of 0.7%, while the KSE market price index moved in narrow ranges and closed 0.1% lower at 6,516 level compared to last week. Mixed trend reported among sectoral indices as the Insurance and the Banking indices increased by 2.7% and 0.6% respectively, while the Food index was top loser by 2.4%.

The Real estate and the Industrial indices ended 0.7% and 0.5% lower respectively. The market sentiment was negative as 70 stocks declined against 48 stocks gained and 28 stocks closed at

same level as the previous week.

Among the large caps stocks the top losers were KFH -3.7%, GBK -3.5%, BURGAN -1.8%, ZAIN -1.7%, BPCC -1.7%, FOOD -1.3%, KPROJ -1.2%, AGLTY -1.2%, NMTC 1%, while the stocks of NBK , BOUBYAN, KIB, NINV and NIND remained unchanged compared to last week.

The KSE weighted index has downside support at 460 to 458 levels and upside it faces resistance at 468 level, While the KSE price index has upside resistance at 6,600 level and downside support remains at 6,475 level. The index may move in sideways ranges in coming sessions.

H&M launches cosmetics in UAE KUWAIT: On May 19th 2011 H&M the international design-driven clothing retailer will launch a new range of cosmetics in Kuwait. H&M will be launching its first ever makeup collection in the Middle East in Kuwait in The Avenues, Marina Mall and Salmiya High Street. The new collection offers a wide range of cosmetic products including eye shadow, eyeliners, powder, foundation, nail polish and lip gloss, all available in carefully coordinated colours that are updated each season and are coordinated with H&M’s women’s wear trends. Bodycare products and accessories are also part of the available collection.

The range collection also includes special ‘seasonal series’, offering products themed on popular comic characters such as Minnie Mouse and Hello Kitty as well as self-designed H&M packages that

follow seasonal trends in general.

The seasonal range contains makeup, body products and various accessories.

H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) was established in Sweden in 1947 and is synonymous with affordable as well as up-to-date and high quality fashion. H&M has a wide product range that is divid-

ed into a number of different concepts for women, men, teenagers, children and cosmetics. The company’s clothing collections are created by its own designers, pattern makers and buyers. H&M has around 87,000 employees and over 2200 H&M-stores in 39 countries.

For further information visit: www.hm.com

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KSE stocks bearish; investors cautious KUWAIT: Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) ended last week in the red zone, as both its main indices recorded losses. The price index ended last week with a decrease amounted to 0.09%, while the weighted index raised 0.56% compared to the closings of the week before. Furthermore, last week’s average daily turnover decreased by 36.42%, compared to the preceding week, reaching KD 27.68 million, whereas trading volume average was 249.44 million shares, recording increase of 0.18%.

KSE was affected by a caution state, as a result of waiting for the new government forming, in addition to the first quarter results, as only 47 listed companies announced their results until mid of Thursday, representing 21.65% only from the total number of listed companies. The traders have fears that this delay may cause some companies to be suspended from trading.

In addition, the main factor behind the market retreat during last week was profit taking operations, which was expected to appear on the shadow of the positive performance of the market indices, as they recorded gains for 5 continuous weeks. The speculation was also present in the market, and was represented by fast buying and selling operations with

BAYAN WEEKLY MARKET REPORT negative effect on the market. By the end of the week, the price index closed at 6,516.0 points, down by 0.09% from the week before closing, whereas the weighted index registered a 0.65% weekly loss after closing at 464.33 points.

Sectors’ Indices Five of KSE’s sectors ended last week in the red zone, while the other three recorded increases. The Food sector headed the losers list as its index declined by 2.37% to end the week’s activity at 4,378.1 points. The Real Estate sector was second on the losers’ list, which index declined by 0.72%, closing at 2,234.6 points, followed by the Industry sector, as its index closed at 4,724.3 points at a loss of 0.54%.

The Services sector was the least declining as its index closed at 14,488.3 points with a 0.04% decrease. On the other hand, last week’s highest gainer was the Insurance sector, achieving 2.67% growth rate as its index closed at 2,666.8 points.

Whereas, in the second place, the Banks sector’s index closed at 12,495.0 points recording 0.58%

increase. The Investment sector came in third as its index achieved 0.10% growth, ending the week at 4,337.6 points.

Sectors’ Activity The Investment sector dominated total trade volume during last week with 415.15 million shares changing hands, representing 33.29% of the total market trading volume. The Services sector was second in terms trading volume as the sector’s traded shares were 31.63% of last week’s total trading volume, with a total of 394.46 million shares. On the other hand, the Services sector’s stocks where the highest traded in terms of value; with a turnover of KD 39.20 million or 28.32% of last week’s total market trading value. The Banks sector took the second place as the sector’s last week turnover of KD 33.58 million represented 24.26% of the total market trading value.

Market Capitalization KSE total market capitalization declined by 0.67% during last week to reach KD 32.81 billion, as six of

KSE’s sectors recorded a decrease in their respective market capitalization, whereas the other two recorded increases. The Food sector headed the decliners list as its total market capitalization reached KD 737.21 million, decreasing by 1.86%. The Non Kuwaiti Companies sector was the second in terms of recorded decline with 1.66% decrease after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 2.03 billion. The third place was for the Industry sector, which total market capitalization reached KD 2.55 billion by the end of the week, recording a decline of 1.28%. The Real Estate sector was the least declining with 0.26% recorded decrease after its market capitalization amounted to KD 1.81 billion.

On the other hand, the Insurance sector headed the growing sectors as its total market capitalization reached KD 308.04 million, increasing by 2.66%. The Investment sector was the second in terms of recorded growth with 0.68% increase after the total value of its listed companies reached KD 2.70 billion.

For further details, please visit our web site: www.bayaninvest.com Prepared by the Studies & Research Department Bayan Investment Co. P.O.Box 104, Dasmah, 35151 Kuwait.

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

business How to keep yourself motivated at work Bayt.com repot

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t is well known that motivated employees are happier, more energetic, more enthusiastic, more productive, more driven and better performing than their unmotivated peers. Employers are always on the lookout for motivated employees and realize that motivation is often contagious and has positive spillover effects on the whole team. Even the most motivated of employees however, experience an occasional slump and need a boost to regain their normal motivation levels. Below, from the career experts at Bayt.com the Middle East’s #1 jobsite, are 7 methods to stay motivated at work and enhance performance when you are going through a period of low motivation.

1. Clarify your goals: Nothing is more demotivating than working haphazardly without having a clear vision, mission and set of objectives for your work.

Without a clear vision and knowledge of how your work impacts the big picture you may well end up spending a lot of time on urgent unimportant matters rather than tasks that positively impact the big picture. Clarify in no uncertain terms your vision, mission and objectives and focus on them beginning always with the end in mind. It is remarkable what you will achieve once you have honed in on your precise goals and can focus on them and visualize yourself achieving them.

2. Establish a clear game plan for achieving your goals: Once you have clarified your vision and goals, formulate a detailed strategy for getting there and chart your progress on a regular and ongoing basis.

Break down large complex projects into a series of manageable tasks that are interesting and achievable. Having a blueprint for success that is composed of clear, sensible milestones and achievable interesting tasks will greatly simplify and lend meaning to your daily routine and will also give you a feeling of control over your work and deadlines which largely boosts motivation. The more organized you are and can focus and adhere to accomplishing your goals according to your detailed blueprint for success, the more motivated you will be and the less likely you are to fall into a fit of panic or insecurity and lose confidence and motivation.

3. Ride the Wave of your Successes: Success is very stimulating. Work hard enough to achieve successful results and see how motivated you are to achieve further successes as you excel in your performance.

Work hard, aim to overachieve your goals and ride the momentum of each success to achieve further successes. Remind yourself that once your vision is clear and you have a set of well-defined, reasonable objectives and milestones to reach, the secret of success is hard work, creativity and perseverance. Aim to ride the wave of each success to further the next success and channel the positive energy to achieving similar superlative performance in your next task or project. It is not always that you can ride the wave of euphoria that arises from a sound success story so make sure you leverage and take advantage of these bursts of energy and motivation to the extent possible.

4. Reward yourself: Reward yourself as you achieve your objectives and/or reach specific important milestones. Plan ahead what forms this reward will take and what tasks/projects/results will be rewarded. This will give you something to look forward to, extra drive to get there and a surge of excitement and enthusiasm when you do attain your desired goals.

5. Keep Things in Perspective: It is important to keep things in perspective and always remind yourself of why you work. Beside the pay, it is often about realizing your potential, feeling alive and useful, feeling connected, making a difference in the world, expressing creativity, expanding your skills and abilities, helping others and contributing to the community. List the reasons you entered the field you are in and when times are tough remind yourself of why you do the work you do. Also remind yourself that work is work and that you have a life outside of work to look forward to, enjoy and make a difference in.

6. Maintain a healthy work/life balance: It is very easy to lose yourself at work and forget what awaits you outside of the work arena. Maintaining a healthy work/life balance is essential both for your general motivation level and your overall wellbeing. Make sure you take the time to do the things you like to do outside of work whether it be connecting with friends and family, exercising, reading, taking courses, shopping or other hobbies and activities that channel your creativity and energy. Having something to look forward to after work will see you through moments of drudgery at work when your motivation and energy levels are not as high as they could be and will also make you more productive at work.

7. Think positive: Negativity is a contagious affliction that drains you of energy, slows you down, saps your enthusiasm and blinds you to the reasons you work. Avoid negative feelings at all costs and concentrate on the positive. To do this, listen to motivational tapes, to music that particularly inspires you, read motivational books, talk to inspired or inspiring people, surround yourself with positive stimuli and concentrate on the reasons you work. Find things to laugh at as long as you are not laughing at your peers and count your blessings at every opportunity. Focus on positives regardless of how small or inconsequential they are whether it be a positive remark from a boss or peer, accomplishing your day’s goals earlier than usual, overachieving on a small deliverable, working well with people, a looming vacation, completing a difficult task or any other positive stimulus.

CHICAGO: Quasthoff’s Flowers delivery driver Ron Hitzler sorts floral arrangements at the Metro Chicago Florist Delivery Coop on Friday in Chicago. About 30 different flower shops meet at a centrally located warehouse to exchange deliveries so that shops from different areas don’t have to drive as far cutting expenses, especially with skyrocketing gas prices. —AP

Markaz report Q1 results CMA in good direction KUWAIT: Kuwait Financial Centre ‘Markaz’ reported its financial performance for the first quarter of fiscal 2011 at a net income loss of KD 759 thousands, or a 2 fils drop in earnings per share (EPS), compared to a net profit of KD 3.72 million, or 8 fils per share, for the same period in 2010, primarily due to volatility caused by the political tensions in the region, however Markaz risk management strategies paid off in limiting the loss.Markaz short-term debt totaled KD 12.54 million and total debt reached KD 42.11 million which represents 14.25% and 47.84% of total shareholders’ equity, respectively. Markaz assets under management reached KD 960 million.

Markaz Chairman and MD, Diraar Y. Alghanim, said, “Although Markaz had a limited exposure to politically troubled markets, it was nevertheless negatively affected by the indirect impact of the political crises on regional and international markets, and therefore we witnessed high volatility in the first quarter. We truly believe that all crises revolve around economic issues, and that a genuine and transparent Public Private Partnership policy is the ultimate approach to overcome the consequences of political and social crises.”

Alghanim added “On the local level, the financial sector, regardless of the challenges it faces, remains fundamental to a healthy solid economy. It’s a main funding source for large-scale projects and institutions, through its ability to develop and manage various sophisticated financial instruments such as equities, bonds, sukuk, and mezzanine financing. For a strong beginning, we believe the Kuwait Development Plan will only come to fruition when a clear policy for financial sector involvement has been articulated, and is underscored by clear, unwavering support, especially after the noticeable sorting procedures by the State’s regulatory bodies. The implementation of the new Capital Market Authority (CMA) rules is a step in the right direction, and we look forward to an effective dialogue among CMA and independent industry figures to support asset management and investment banking activities.”

Manaf Alhajeri, Chief Executive Officer at Markaz said “We have recently witnessed a slowdown in the non-energy sectors of the economy, as inflation in commodities overshadowed the sharp deflation in some dynamic economic sectors such as private sector lending, healthy operational assets in the investment segment, and low liquidity in KSE. All of which highlights the dire need for an organised bond market in Kuwait. It is our firm belief that the creation of an organized local debt market would go a long way towards supplementing traditional bank financing, especially when it comes to long-term, riskier infrastructure projects, which have specific funding needs. This would allow for the execution of projects according to the highest industry standards, and will further Kuwait’s ultimate goal to become a major financial centre in the region.”

MENA Equity MENA equity markets witnessed a highly volatile first quarter of the year, which though started on a positive note, slowly deteriorated due to geo-political tensions which initiated from Tunisia in North Africa and spread as far as Bahrain and Oman in GCC. Political tensions eventually subsided but enough damage was already done to the investor sentiment negatively affecting the equity markets in the region. The unrest however had two positive consequences for the region, one being the higher crude oil prices which moved above $110 per barrel, and another one being the additional spending and reform measures announced by the regional governments. It helped the regional markets to recover much of the losses, however S&P Pan Arab Composite Index still closed the quarter with a loss of -3.9%. Egypt was the worst performer losing 22.5% while Qatar and Saudi Arabia were the only two markets closing positive with a gain of 1.1% and 0.6% respectively for the quarter on the respective S&P country Indices. Apart from

• Public-private partnership crucial

Diraar Alghanim, Markaz Chairman and Managing Director. the geo-political tensions in the region, the cancellation of Zain-Etisalat deal also weighed heavily on the investor sentiment in Kuwait as severe selling pressure was seen on the leading blue chip shares in the Kuwait Stock Exchange taking the KIC Index down 10.7% for the quarter.

In a challenging and highly volatile environment for equities, Markaz funds continued to manage the risk inherited in equity markets efficiently to beat their benchmarks. Markaz flagship Kuwait focused funds ‘Mumtaz’ and ‘MIDAF’ closed with a loss of -9.8% and -8.8 % respectively for the quarter, while MENA focused ‘Markaz Arabian Fund’ closed with a loss of -5.4%.

‘Markaz Islamic Fund’ focused on the Kuwait market closed the quarter with a loss of -6.7% against the benchmark loss of -9.9%. ‘Forsa Financial Fund’, an option market maker, declined by -10.9% YTD. International Investments The year 2011 started off on a mixed note. While Energy and Precious metals sectors were performing better, the rest of the sectors didn’t quite do well. Inflation fears caused a bit of volatility across the markets, so much so that it prompted rate hikes even from central banks in certain developed markets. ECB gave in early April, increasing the key interest rate to 1.25%.

Stories of Chinese asset bubble fears continued. Euro area fiscal deficits remain a recurring theme, accompanied with down-

ues to undergo a significant transformation, with a pressing need for deleveraging and restructuring the debt of companies for better sustainability. Notwithstanding the political events in the region, there has been a strong appetite from regional and foreign financial institution to acquire distressed debt, and few transactions have taken place. This was encouraging as it provided the market with benchmarks to price credit default, and helped banks and creditors to agree on realistic debt restructuring plans.

Markaz continues to build strong capabilities in distressed debt and restructuring of creditors, which is helping us win asset management as well investment banking mandates in the distressed space. In particular, the Department is focusing on providing advisory services related to restructuring liabilities of companies, disposing noncore assets for clients, and raising fresh capital for local corporations.

The Kuwait Development Plan is making steady progress, with two projects currently being tendered, Al-Zour Water and Power Project and the Kuwait Health Assurance Company. Markaz believe that the success of these two projects will bring a strong stimulus to the capital market in Kuwait. In Q1, Markaz won the ‘Best Investment Bank’ in Kuwait award by Global Finance magazine, in its 2011 listing of the World’s Best Investment Banks.

Fixed Income The recent upheaval in regional countries had weakened investors’ sentiment and negatively impacted GCC countries’ CDS and rating during Q1 2011. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia CDS increased by 78.15% at 62.79% respectively, while Bahrain also faced a country rating downgrade by Fitch Ratings from A- to BBB. Total GCC bonds & sukuk issuance was USD 5.68 billion as of 31 March 2010, while HSBC/NASDAQ Dubai GCC US Dollar Sukuk/Bond Index recorded a slight decrease of 0.16%.

At the outset of the year, Markaz launched ‘Markaz Fixed Income Fund’ to provide investors with a venue for low volatility asset class. The Fund’s capital is variable from USD15-100 million, and aims at investing in high quality bonds and Sukuk issued by GCC government and private entities. Despite the regional upheaval, the Fund’s per formance

Alghanim: “All crises revolve around economic issues. A genuine and transparent Public Private Partnership policy is the ultimate approach to overcome the consequences of political and social crises.” grades of debt ratings.

For Q1 2011, Markaz International Investment Funds did quite well, the proprietar y book returned 3.22% in Q1.

Similarly, the themes based fund, ‘Atlas EMT Fund’, was up 3.02% in Q1. The ‘ETF program’, trading a slew of ETFs, has generated a return of 2.62%. ‘Markaz Creative Investment Program’, which is modeled on hedge fund style of investing, has returned 1.54% and the ‘Atlas diversified Fund’ posted a gain of 0.39%.

For the rest of the year, the outlook is reasonably optimistic on markets, with an improving macro situation for US and an easing of political turbulences in the emerging markets. But the inflationary pressures expected to gather pace in both emerging and developed countries could derail the markets from time to time.

Markaz will continue to keep a bullish stance on the commodity sector on the back of rising demand, dollar weakness and political unrest.

Private Equity The Private Equity industry has seen substantial progress through the Q1 2011.

PE exits are at a record high. ‘Markaz Private Equity portfolio’ year to date return was 2.55% as of the end of Q1 2011.

Corporate Finance Advisory The region’s business landscape contin-

remained stable and recorded decrease marginal decline in Q1 2010 of 0.2%, which reflects the high quality of the portfolio and its well diversification. The team continues to offer high net worth clients and large institutions with custom-made fixed income portfolio to assist them meet their financial targets and optimum level of diversification.

Structured Finance Markaz continues to be the only market maker for Options at the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) since 2005. Markaz is still trying to develop and activate the Options Market given its direct advantages to the Kuwaiti Market in general and the Derivatives Market in particular. The number of stocks traded in the Options Market at the Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) has decreased in Q1 due to a shortage in liquidity in the market, and a 9.47% YTD decline in the weighted index.

The total number of traded contracts in Q1 was 1,475 totaling KD 907,526, which represents a decline of 52.2% in traded contracts and a 73.6% decline in the value of contracts traded in comparison to Q1 2010. The total number of options contract shares traded within this period was 47.573 million shares, for the value of KD 11.602 million.

MENA Real Estate Markaz MENA Real Estate team manages investments across the region, including developing land, residential and commercial buildings as well as managing income generating real estate assets.

In Q1 2011, Kuwait real estate market showed mixed signs with the investment sector accelerating its recovery, while the commercial sector remaining stable and the office sector is still lurking on the week side. ‘Markaz Real Estate Fund’, with a low allocation to adversely affected commercial real estate, achieved a positive performance of 3.03% during Q1 2011, and continues to distribute a monthly cash dividend amounting to 7% annually.

On the development side, Markaz continues managing its investments in Lebanon, KSA, Jordan, Syria, Abu Dhabi and Qatar. During Q1 2011, progress has been made towards completing one of Markaz residential developments in Lebanon, while work continues for the remaining investments as planned, with efforts multiplied for exiting residential developments in Jordan and land development in KSA. In Q1 2011, the Saudi Market continued its positive momentum albeit at a poised pace with prices itching upward especially in the residential segment, Markaz is currently developing villas in the outskirt of the city of Al-Khobar.

International Real Estate Several factors in the last 18 months have contributed to the stabilization of commercial real estate values in the U.S; fundamentals have started to improve, driven by signs of an economic recovery led by Government stimulus and a stronger corporate sector. Notwithstanding the above, over $1.2 trillion of commercial real estate mortgages mature in the next four years, and leveraged borrowers and lenders will continue to face challenges going forward refinancing maturing debt.

Consistent with this outlook, the team has focused on the preservation of capital values for Markaz existing funds. Towards this, in the first quarter of 2011, Markaz successfully secured the extension of the mortgage loan for the Phoenix property in the Markaz U.S. Multifamily Realty Investment Unit - IV (fund IV). This concluded Markaz refinancing efforts and now each of Markaz three funds have mediumto long-term debt financing in place in order to allow organized sale efforts.

Markaz have also entered into a sale MOU for the properties in the Markaz U.S. Industrial Realty Investment Unit - I (fund I) at a value of $170 million (relative to the original cost of $157 million); the sale is expected to be concluded in the second quarter of this year.

Oil and Gas The Oil & Gas sector performance was mixed during Q1 2011. Oil prices rose more than 16% mainly driven by the turmoil in the Middle East and the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in Japan. In line with stronger oil prices, international energy equities performed well during the quarter. On the other hand, regional energy equities, declined during the period as a result of the regional turmoil. Markaz Energy Fund (MEF), was able to capitalize on the gains in the international markets through increasing its exposure to internationally listed energy equities to 12.6% of assets by the end of Q1 2011. MEF’s investments in international energy equities significantly supported the funds positive performance gaining 11.8% during Q1. MEF’s investment in Kuwait First Transportation Company (KFTC) continues to perform as scheduled. KFTC has recently completed a strategy development exercise conducted by a reputable international consultant to identify expansion opportunities. The recommendations are currently being considered for implementation, including exploring acquisition opportunities. Overall MEF gained approximately 1% in Q1, and continues to examine potential investment opportunities that that have considerable growth potential, in the drilling and oilfield services segments in the MENA region.

Could Renren be vulnerable in a Chinese crackdown?

NEW YORK: Imagine buying shares in a company that could be closed down overnight. That is in some ways what Renren, dubbed the Facebook of China, asked investors to do. Last week, investors complied: Renren raised $743.4 million in an initial public offering and its shares jumped 29 percent on their first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

But Renren’s operations, which include social networking, gaming and online commerce, walk a thin line of compliance with strict Chinese regulations around freedom of information-and if they cross the line, the consequences could be very severe. “People at any social network in China that is going to be successful are going to be very sensitive to playing the game by the rules.” said Dixon Doll, co-founder and general partner of venture capital firm DCM, which is an investor in Renren.

“You’re going to have to pay attention to the will of the Chinese government because they are going to... keep a very close look on the kinds of activities that go on.”

China’s rules for sharing information online have become stricter since authoritarian regimes across

North Africa and the Middle East have been toppled or challenged by protesters.

The Communist Party leadership is determined to stamp out even the hint of such protests immediately. It learned a harsh lesson in 1989 when mass demonstrations threatened its control and triggered a bloody military crackdown in Tiananmen Square.

“They may regard (Renren) as a friendly enterprise, but if an enterprise turns unfriendly, I think they would cut the cord,” said Donald Straszheim, senior managing director of China Research at International Strategy & Investment Group. China has already blocked social networking sites Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube, while Google Inc essentially pulled out of China in 2010 after run-ins with the government over censorship and hacking. The government routinely shuts sites down or more commonly blocks content it sees as a security risk-and recently, Chinese President Hu Jintao called for yet more oversight and “mechanisms to guide online public opinion.” But Beijing is also seeing social media as a valuable gauge of public sentiment and a way to show the

Chinese it is sensitive to what they want, said Michal Meidan, a China analyst at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group. In this peculiar environment, China-bred Internet ventures have adapted, learning to skillfully navigate the system. In the case of a company like Renren that means blocking whatever you are told to block by the authorities and also by self censoring, which means reading the political winds so that you block other material you fear could be controversial.

“It’s a constant game of cat and mouse,” Meidan said. Renren itself acknowledges the tenuousness of its position in the risk factors section of its IPO prospectus. While these disclosures are notorious for listing the most extreme risks, in this case they may well be worth a closer reading. The company says it is prohibited from allowing content that, among other things, “impairs the national dignity of China,” is “superstitious” or “socially destabilizing.” If Renren fails to comply, which would be determined by the authorities, the company says its business could be shut down. In the cases of more serious, or “material” violations, the penalties could include “a revocation of our operat-

ing licenses or a suspension or shutdown of our online operations, which would materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and reputation,” Renren said.

The social networking company said it is liable for all material posted on its websites, from advertisements-some of which must be vetted by government officials before being posted-to individual communications between users.

With that much responsibility, Renren said it may not always know what content could cause problems and may only find out about the violation after it has already happened. Renren’s structure also presents problems. For example, the fact that Renren is incorporated in the Cayman Islands puts it in danger of being subject to new limitations if foreign investment rules or their interpretation change.

Renren’s online gaming operations, which provided 45 percent of the company’s 2010 revenue, also could be affected by Beijing’s efforts to curb gaming addiction in minors.

All told, Renren used variations of the word “uncertain” nearly 70 times in its prospectus, and the

word, “regulation”, nearly 300 times.

By way of comparison, US Internet phone services provider, Skype, used “uncertain” about 60 times in its prospectus, but only used “regulation” about 170 times.

Many risks lie in the uncertain and changing nature of China’s Internet laws, which Renren said are enforced and interpreted in an “evolving” way, often are not published on a timely basis-or at all-and may be applied retroactively. The Chinese government has been wary of online content that stirs up the population for some time. In 2007, Chinese government officials struggled with what to do with China Central Television anchor Rui Chenggang’s blog call for the Forbidden City Palace Museum to evict Starbucks. It drew half a million signatures to an online petition and dozens of domestic newspaper articles, according to a February 2007 diplomatic cable sent from the US embassy in Beijing. The post was patriotic, but also showed just how a massive protest movement might emerge in the world’s biggest Internet market, according to the cable, which was obtained by Wikileaks and provided to Reuters by a third party.—Reuters

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BUSINESS

Commodities’ drop curbs risk appetite WALL STREET WEEKLY OUTLOOK NEW YORK: US stock investors head into next week with added worries about the sustainability of the recent rally and a desire to reduce risk, as shown by the stampede out of commodities yesterday. Stocks also will begin to lose the support they ’ve enjoyed from stronger-thanexpected earnings since the firstquarter reporting period is almost at an end. The drop in commodities this week spilled over into commodity-related stocks, which were among the top performers in the last two quarters.

The Standard & Poor’s energy index ended the week down 7 percent, its biggest weekly drop in a year, and the iShares Silver Trust suffered its worst week of outflows ever after heavy losses

in the precious metal. While the commodities rout may be done for now, it has left many investors worried about the ramifications.

“It’s hard to pinpoint the time when the bubble bursts and hard to go against the current, but when it bursts it’s precipitous usually,” said Natalie Trunow, senior vice president and chief investment officer of equities at Calvert Asset Management Company in Bethesda, Maryland, which manages about $14.8 billion in assets and is underweight energy.

With first-quarter earnings and also the Federal Reserve’s QE2 purchasing program coming to an end, the stock market could be vulnerable to some weakness in the short term, she said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a

somewhat softer summer or somewhat softer next couple of months,” said Trunow, who said she is still positive on the US market longer-term.

The S&P 500 suffered its worst week since March, even with Friday’s surprisingly strong jobs report that allowed the index to end a four-day losing streak. It is now just above critical support at 1,330. A close below that level could “turn the intermediateterm picture bearish,” according to a note from Larry McMillan, president of McMillan Analysis Corp.

Despite this week’s skittishness, sentiment for the market is positive longer term, and technical indicators do not suggest the market is overbought. “Our view is still unchanged; we still like the

market,” said Jeff Rubin, market strategist at Birinyi Associates in Westport, Connecticut.

Much of the fundamental picture remains bullish for stocks, said Hank Smith, chief investment officer at Haverford Trust Co in Philadelphia. “The economy and valuations remain attractive,” he said. “We remain bullish, but with any bull market, it’s healthy to have pullbacks.”

Friday’s Labor Department report, which showed US employment increase more than expected in April and US companies created jobs at the fastest pace in five years, gave evidence of the underlying strength in the economy, analysts said.

But labor has been among the weakest areas, and next week’s jobless benefits claims and retail

sales data will be watched for further clues on the jobs picture and health of consumer spending.

In earnings news, a number of retailers are expected to report next week, including Macy’s, Nordstrom and Kohl’s. Earnings estimates have risen since the start of the reporting period.

Profits for S&P 500 companies are now expected to have climbed 18 percent in the first quarter from the year before, up from an estimated 13 percent rise at the start of April, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Of the 438 S&P 500 companies that have reported so far, 69 percent have beaten analyst earnings expectations. That’s roughly in line with the high rate of beats seen in recent quarters.

Adding to nervousness, a

small group of European finance ministers were meeting to discuss the euro zone debt crisis, and Greece denied a media report speculating the country was considering leaving the euro-zone.

The speculation caused stocks to trim some of their gains on Friday. Friday marked the oneyear anniversary of Wall Street’s “flash crash” when prices suddenly plunged and nearly $1 trillion was wiped off US stocks’ value in a matter of minutes before the market bounced back.

Th e c r a s h s h o o k m a ny investors’ confidence, but the market regained steam and h a s r a l l i e d s i n ce a b o u t t h e star t of September. The S&P 5 0 0 i s u p a b o u t 2 8 p e rce n t since then. —Reuters

Greece’s catastrophic finances return to haunt Europe states Euro-zone faces up to boomerang debt chaos BRUSSELS: Europe faced the spectre of Greek calls for new financial aid yesterday as Athens’ “catastrophic” finances returned to haunt stressed eurozone states, despite efforts to prevent panic. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou urged yesterday “everyone, inside and outside Greece, in the EU in particular, to leave Greece in peace to do its job.”

LISBON: Juergen Kroeger (left), representative of the European Commission, and Poul Thomson (right), deputy director of the International Monetary Fund European department, listen to a question during a news conference in Lisbon.

Thomson and Kroeger announced details of the bailout package being provided to Portugal during a joint news conference with Rasmus Ruffer, of the European Central Bank. —AP

Papandreou: Let Greek government do its job ATHENS: Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou called a report that Greece is ready to quit the eurozone a provocation and scaremongering, saying Saturday the country’s government should be left alone to do its job.

Papandreou was responding to a report Friday on the website of German magazine Der Spiegel citing “knowledgeable sources” inside the German government that Greece is threatening to quit the euro-zone in order to pressure for a restructuring of its massive debt on favorable terms.

Analysts said Friday the Der Spiegel report was the main factor behind the euro tumbling over two cents against the dollar, to $1.4315 late Friday from $1.4530 late Thursday. “Some irresponsibly tried to sow fear for a variety of reasons, maybe speculative ones,” Papandreou told local authority officials on the western Greek island of Lefkada. “This rumor mongering has been very negative to the morale of the Greek people and ever y prospective Greek or foreign investor. I call on everyone to let (the Greek government) do its job,” he added.

Asked whether Papandreou included his European Union par tners among “ever yone,” government spokesman Giorgos Petalotis said that he didn’t.

“We do not accept, though, that this report was simply the result of a mistaken interpretation on the part of its author,” Petalotis told the Associated Press, adding that what Papandreou meant was that rumors about Greece defaulting on its debt or leaving the euro-zone were harmful had to stop.

Petalotis conceded that it was mainly up to the government to put an end to the rumors by sorting out its finances. “(They will stop) only when we do our job and, through our actions, provide evidence that we are getting results,” he said. Greece’s Finance Ministry and European Union officials dismissed the report Friday, but a sudden unannounced trip by Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou to a meeting of EU finance ministers in Luxembourg kept the rumors alive. Petalotis said the informal meeting, which was not called to deal specifically with the Greek situation, was kept secret at the request of Luxembourg Prime Minister and Eurogroup head Jean-Claude Juncker. “ There is nothing to be made public yet. The finance minister will make any announcement,” Petalotis said, without specifying when this would happen. —AP

SEOUL: National Assembly Speaker Park Hee-tae, center seated, is surrounded by parliament officials as he attempts to pass a bill to ratify the free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU) in a session at the National Assembly in Seoul. Labor Party lawmakers who tried to stop the passage held the banners reading “Oppose free-trade agreement between the EU and South Korea.” —AP

Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou also warned bailout bosses gathered for unscheduled G20eurozone talks in Luxembourg Friday that Athens needs “breathing space,” Greek media reported. But at the same time his country’s press and specialist financial reports were raising the possibility that the government may yet come calling for fresh European Union funds on top of the 110 billion euros ($160 billion) agreed a year ago.

The resurrection of the Greek debt conundrum comes days after a 78-billion aid package was agreed with Portugal and fresh from a 67.5-billion international rescue for Ireland.

Officials meanwhile denied the Luxembourg talks were a crisis meeting on Greece. Such meetings “take place at irregular intervals”, sometimes in person and sometimes in a conference call, a German government source told AFP. Greece was discussed on Friday but so was market regulation and the situation in Portugal, the source added. “ This was not a ‘crisis meeting on

Greece,’ as presented in some press reports,” Amadeu Altafaj, spokesman for European Union Economic Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn, also said.

Reports said ideas under discussion include postponing the maturity of 65 billion euros worth of Greek bonds this year and next, and pushing back deficit reduction-said to be unacceptable in Berlin.

The Greek public deficit for 2010 was recently revised upwards, from 9.4 percent of gross domestic product to 10.5 percent.

The Kathimerini daily said Athens would need “two to four years” more to meet a three-percent-of-GDP EU ceiling and that Greek bondholders could be offered higher rates in the long term in return for a two-year interest-free “grace period.”

“We think that Greece does need a further adjustment program,” said Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, who chairs the Eurogroup of finance ministers, after the Friday night talks in Luxembourg. “This has to be dis-

cussed in detail,” he said, indicating the issue will top the agenda at a two-day meeting of euro-zone and EU finance leaders in Brussels on May 16 and 17. A deeperthan-anticipated national recession has combined with brutal cuts in public spending to hack away at Greek tax revenue, with the country’s top crimebuster given new orders to focus on fiscal fraud.

Greece was already given eased terms

by EU leaders in the spring and a new rejig would leave the issue weighing on EU partners’ finances well into the next decade at least.

Athens already owes more than a year-and-a-half of its entire economic output, some 340 billion euros. The Luxembourg talks again “ruled out any restructuring of Greek debt,” Juncker added, while an exit for Greece from the euro-zone, essentially the nightmare scenario of default, “would be a stupid option,” he underlined. Greece was due to return to commercial borrowing markets next year, but with current yields on benchmark 10-

year bonds hitting 15 percent-junk level compared to Germany-”it is in a pretty catastrophic situation,” according to a source close to the talks.

Propping Athens up beyond 2012 “is a hypothesis on which we have to work, it’s blindingly obvious,” the source underlined, leaving the EU struggling to close off a sorry chapter at a late-June summit.

The Greek government said the idea it could withdraw or be kicked out was “completely untrue... provocative... (and) highly irresponsible.” “Commission staff, along with ECB and IMF staff, are currently in Athens to carry out the regular review of the implementation of the Greek program” of cuts and reforms in exchange for the bailout, and would report ahead of the euro-zone meeting in Brussels, he underlined. As well as Juncker, Papaconstantinou and Rehn, the Luxembourg talks brought together Germany’s Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, France’s Christine Lagarde, Italy’s Giulio Tremonti and Spain’s Elena Salgado, along with European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet. —AFP

Berkshire Hathaway profit falls on Japan NEW YORK: Warren Buffett’s conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway Inc reported a smaller profit for the first quarter, as reinsurance losses from the March 11 earthquake in Japan dragged down results.

But the company ’s quar terly report made no mention at all of David Sokol, the former Berkshire executive whose sudden resignation at the end of the quarter created a scandal for Berkshire and prompted an SEC probe. Buffett preannounced quarterly results at last Saturday’s annual meeting of Berkshire, the ice-cream-to-insurance giant the world’s third-richest man controls.

Berkshire reported a net profit of $1.51 billion, or $917 per Class A share, compared with a profit of $3.63 billion, or $2,272 per Class A share, a year earlier. The company took a provision of $1.7 billion in the first quarter for catastrophe losses, primarily for the Japan earthquake but also from a quake in New Zealand and flooding in Australia. Buffett last weekend said the first quarter was the second worst in the industry’s history.

Berkshire also recorded losses of $506 million in the first quarter for stocks where the company’s investment was in a loss position and that loss was not considered temporary.

The biggest share of the loss was an impairment on par t of Berkshire’s stake in Wells Fargo, and the rest came from an impairment on the stake in Kraft Foods.

Berkshire came under pressure from securities regulators last year over the way it accounted for losses on stocks in its portfolio, with the SEC pushing the company to recognize such losses more quickly.

Berkshire said March 30 that S okol, once presumed to be

Buffett’s successor, would resign.

At that time, in a letter, Buffett said S okol had bought a huge position in shares of Lubrizol Corp before pushing for Berkshire to acquire the company. That $9 billion deal was announced in midMarch.

Last week, Berkshire’s board released a scathing 18-page investigation by its audit committee that said Sokol had deliberately misled people about the nature of his Lubrizol investment and may have violated obligations he had to Berkshire under Delaware law.

Sokol’s lawyer has denied his

Buffett warned last weekend that Berkshire was likely to take an underwriting loss this year.

Within the insurance segment, though, auto insurer Geico grew profits in the first quarter as sales rose and the business retained more existing customers.

Berkshire’s railroad Burlington Northern grew revenue 17 percent, as it recorded stronger pricing and volumes across all of its segments. NetJets, a business Sokol has been credited with turning around from the brink of insolvency, reported lower profits in the quarter on fees to cancel plane

OMAHA: Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, gestures in Omaha, Nebraska. Berkshire Hathaway Inc released quarterly financial results on Friday. —AP client did anything wrong and has condemned Berkshire for trying to make a scapegoat of Sokol, who was chairman of Berkshire’s utility business MidAmerican and plane rental company NetJets.

On a segment basis, MidAmerican’s earnings grew in the first quar ter, as did all of Berkshire’s other businesses aside from the insurance operation.

purchases and impairment charges to get rid of other planes.

The conglomerate repor ted $41.18 billion in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the quarter. S ome investors expec t Berkshire will have more than $50 billion cash by year ’s end, an ample war chest for the large acquisitions Buffett has said of late he prefers. —Reuters

HELSINKI: Bank of Finland governor Erkki Liikanen (right), European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet (left), and European Central Bank Vice President Vitor Constancio, during a press conference for the Governing Council meeting of the European Central Bank (ECB) in Helsinki. —AP

Fannie Mae seeks $8.5bnmore in federal aid WASHINGTON: Fannie Mae asked the government on Friday for an additional $8.5 billion in aid after declining home prices caused more defaults on loans guaranteed by the mortgage giant. The company said it lost $8.7 billion in the first three months of the year. Those losses led Fannie to request more than three times the federal aid it sought in the previous quarter. The total cost of rescuing the government-controlled mortgage buyer is nearing $100 billion — the most expensive bailout of a single company. Combined with the bailout of sibling company Freddie Mac, the government expects their rescue to cost taxpayers about $259 billion. That money will cover the mortgage giants’ losses on soured loans made in the midst of the housing bubble.

Home prices declined on average 1.8 percent across the country during the January-March quarter, Fannie Mae said.

That led to more foreclosures and to homeowners abandoning houses that were worth less than they owed on their mortgages. “We expect our credit-related losses to remain elevated in 2011 as we continue to be negatively impacted by the prolonged decline in home prices,” President and CEO Michael Williams said in a statement. The losses incurred in the first three months of the year are related to loans that were extended before 2009, Fannie Mae said. The company expects to make money on home loans that it acquired since January 2010. The companies nearly toppled because of losses on risky mortgages that they purchased between 2005 and 2008. They tightened their lending standards after those loans started to go bad.

Fannie and Freddie buy home loans from banks and other lenders, package them into bonds with a guarantee against default and sell them to investors around the world. When property values drop, homeowners default — either because they are unable to afford the payments or because they owe more than the property is worth. Because of the guarantees, Fannie and Freddie must pay for the losses. —AP

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TECHNOLOGY

Shuttle launch slips again Managers to reassess repair progress CAPE CANAVERAL: The US space agency NASA on Friday delayed again, to no earlier than May 16, the date of shuttle Endeavour’s launch for a servicing mission to the International Space Station, officials said. The already-postponed flight, the next-to-last in the shuttle program, has been on hold since April 29 when a problem developed with one of the ship’s auxiliary power generators about four hours before the scheduled lift-off.

CHINA: In this file photo dated August 19, 2010 shows the logo of Lenovo is displayed at a computer center in Shanghai, China. — AFP

Fusion of work and play shapes Lenovo laptops SAN FRANCISCO: Chinese computer colossus Lenovo is infusing its leading business laptops with more fun features as Internet Age lifestyles blur lines between work and play. Lenovo was at the San Francisco headquarters of Dolby Laboratories this week to show off theater quality sound, rich viewing and quick graphics handling in a ThinkPad laptop computer line that has become a top choice for businesses. “We are adding elements that are more relevant and interesting to consumers,” ThinkPad marketing director Tom Butler said while demonstrating new features that included audio enhanced with Dolby Home Theater 4.

Long popular with big corporations, Lenovo recently launched ThinkPad models aimed at small businesses whose operators tend to shop for gear at retail shops and whose employees increasingly make work computers part of home lives. “We see a clear merger of consumer and business in the small business space,” Butler said. “At the same time workers are using systems 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he continued. “They are taking them home and checking personal email, searching the Web, playing music videos and other multimedia.” Dolby software added to freshly released ThinkPad laptop models dramatically ramps up the quality of any audio from film soundtracks or music to Internet conference calls.

“Even though you are listening over stereo speakers we are able to create a virtual surround-sound experience,” said Kevin Brennan of Dolby. “We are trying to re-create the immersive, cinematic experience that you enjoy at the movies, but on your personal computer,” he continued.

Lenovo is the first to put Dolby Home Theater 4 on a business computer, accord-

ing to Brennan. “Lenovo is walking the walk and talking the talk by incorporating new features,” he said. Digital lifestyle enhancements included game-speed graphics, vivid screens, and HDMI ports for routing films or other data-rich digital content to high-definition television screens or muscular speakers.

ThinkPad laptops had keys devoted to quickly launching multimedia and slotloading for DVDs. “There is going to be a coolness factor to Lenovo’s brand,” said Lenovo ‘ambassador’ Stephen Miller. “Like houses and phones, a computer says something about who you are,” he continued. “We understand there has to be this consumerization feel.” Lenovo is the world’s top seller of business laptops and the fourth largest computer company overall, according to Miller. Lenovo’s Bill Dominici provided an early look at an Edge 91Z allin-one desktop computer hitting the market. All the computing hardware was built into a sleek 2.5-inch thick black monitor with a 21.5-inch screen boasting high-definition imagery.

The starting price will be $699 with a “rich configuration” to be sold for $1,100. “It competes quite nicely against an Apple (computer),” Dominici said while showing a 91Z to AFP. “The business employee is really starting to drive the decision around what they are going to have on their desktop or what notebook they are going to carry, whereas IT managers used to rule the roost,” he added. The Lenovo team was mum about any plans to field a tablet computer in a market dominated by Apple’s coveted iPads. Butler said his company was tuned into the trend of tablets being woven into home and work life. “The tablet is absolutely going to be part of the experience and the market,” Butler said.— AFP

Workers replaced a faulty electronics box and are retesting the myriad of shuttle systems that draw power through it. NASA initially retargeted the flight for Sunday, but when the extent of the repair became apparent, managers postponed the launch to no earlier than Tuesday. That date, likewise, proved too optimistic. Engineers have been unable to determine the root cause of the box’s failure, and are replacing external wiring in case the problem originated from outside the device. The extra work led managers on Friday to reset the launch date for no earlier than May 16, NASA spokesman Kyle Herring said.

“There is still some uncertainty because we have to get past all the work. We’ll regroup on Monday and see how far they’ve gotten over the weekend, but the (May 16 launch date) looks pretty good right now,” Herring said. Managers also decided to add two days to Endeavour’s planned 14day flight. The shuttle will be carrying a $2 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer particle detector and spare parts to the space station. NASA will have until May 26 to launch Endeavour before other issues would delay the mission into June.

Endeavour’s mission is the next-to-last in NASA’s 30year-old shuttle program which is being phased out. A final supply run is planned by shuttle Atlantis this summer.

Military satellite launch also delayed In a separate development, the launch of an unmanned rocket carrying a next-generation US military missile-warning satellite was delayed on Friday because of cloudy skies at the Florida launch site. The launch of the rocket known as the Atlas 5 was pushed back to yesterday, said Don Spencer, launch commentator for United Space Alliance, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co .The rocket carries a $1.3 billion Space-Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Geo-1 spacecraft built by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Corp.

The satellite is the first of four planned for launch over the next five years in the $17.6 billion SBIRS program, which also includes sensors on other host spacecraft. The network is designed to give the military early notice of missile launches, and provide other reconnaissance services. The SBIRS network will eventually replace the Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites, which went into operation in 1970. The last of 23 DSP spacecraft was launched in 2007, although it failed in orbit. Northrop Grumman Space Technology, formerly TRW, built all 23 DSP satellites. — Reuters

CAPE CANAVERAL: This May 5, 1961 NASA file photo shows the liftoff of the Mercury-Redstone 3 carrying the Freedom 7 capsule with astronaut Alan Shepard from Cape Canaveral Florida. — AFP

Android smartphones widen lead in US market SAN FRANCISCO: Smartphones powered

by Google software widened their lead on BlackBerry handsets in the US market during the first three months of the year, industry tracker comScore reported on Friday. Android smartphones dethroned BlackBerry in January by capturing 31.2 percent of the US market and that share grew to 34.7 percent by the end of March, according to comScore.

BlackBerry handsets made by Canadabased Research In Motion (RIM) lost ground in the quarter, ending March with 27.1 percent of the US market. Apple was

close behind RIM with iPhone running on the California company’s mobile platform commanding 25.5 percent of the market, according to comScore. Samsung was the top handset manufacturer overall with a 24.5-percent share of the US market, comScore said, followed by LG with 20.9 percent, Motorola with 15.8 percent, RIM with 8.4 percent and Apple with 7.9 percent. According to comScore, 234 million Americans owned mobile devices at the end of March and the number of smartphones owned climbed 15 percent to 72.5 million.—AFP

US lawmakers plan ‘Do Not Track’ bills

TOKYO: This April 27, 2011 shows a customer as he watches a monitor of Sony’s videogame PlayStation 3 at an electric shop. — AFP

Sony removes data posted by hackers TOKYO: Sony said yesterday about 2,500 customers’ names and partial addresses stolen by hackers had been discovered posted online as it struggled to recover from the biggest-ever Internet security break-in. “The website was out-of-date and inactive when discovered as part of the continued attacks on Sony,” US-based Sony Electronics said in an online statement.

The data belonged customers, mostly Americans, who had entered a 2001 product sweepstake, the company said. The company “immediately took the website down, and we are aggressively removing any residual links to the list”, it said, without giving further details on the site. An attack by hackers last month resulted in the theft of names, email addresses and possibly credit card information from more than 100 million accounts using Sony’s online platforms.

The company later said its Sony Online Entertainment platform was also hit. Sony said it would offer US PlayStation Network and Qriocity users free membership for 12 months in a deal that would include a $1

million per user insurance policy against identity theft. It added that it was working to make similar programs available elsewhere. The breach is a blow for Sony as it focuses on pushing content such as games and music through hardware platforms including game consoles, smartphones and tablet computers amid competition from Apple’s iTunes and App store.

Sony in Japan also said yesterday that it is unlikely to meet its self-imposed deadline to restore the PlayStation Network and other online services. Sony shut down the network and the Qriocity music streaming service on April 20 to investigate the hack and secure them from future attacks, and said last Sunday that it would begin restoring them within a week. But it said yesterday: “The company is taking time to strengthen the protection and coding of data, in addition to building necessary surveillance functions for actualizing higher security. “The company will resume the services in stages in different regions after assuring the safety of customers,” it added in a statement. — AFP

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers announced plans on Friday to introduce “Do Not Track” legislation that would let Internet users block companies from gathering information about their online activities. Senator Jay Rockefeller, a Democrat from West Virginia, said his “Do Not Track Online Act of 2011” will offer a “simple, straightforward way for people to stop companies from tracking their every move on the Internet.”

“Consumers have a right to know when and how their personal and sensitive information is being used online-and most importantly to be able to say ‘no thanks’ when companies seek to gather that information without their approval,” Rockefeller said in a statement.

In the House of Representatives, Joe Barton, a Republican from Texas, and Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts, released a draft of a separate “Do Not Track” bill aimed at protecting children online. US senators John Kerry and John McCain introduced an online privacy bill last month that would require companies gathering data to allow a consumer to “opt-out” of having their information collected. The former Democratic and Republican presidential candidates said their bill seeks to strike a balance between protecting the personal information of Web users and the needs of businesses to conduct electronic commerce.

The flurry of legislation comes amid a series of high-profile data theft incidents, including the theft of personal information from more than 100 million Sony accounts, and controversy over tracking technology in Apple’s iPhone and in smartphones running Google’s Android software. Apple and Google are to attend a congressional hearing on privacy next week following claims the iPhone and Android devices regularly track a user’s location and stores the data. “We look forward to engaging with policymakers about how we protect our users’ mobile privacy,” Google said in an email to AFP. Google explained that people must opt-

in to use location-sharing on Android-powered smartphones and get to control how data is used. “Any location data that is sent back to Google location servers is anonymized and is not tied or traceable to a specific user,” the Mountain View, California-based Internet titan said. Apple vice president of software Guy Tribble was listed as representing the Cupertino, California-based iPhone, iPad and iPod maker at the hearing. Apple on Wednesday released updated software for iPhones to fix “bugs” that resulted in location data being unencrypted and stored for up to a year. The changes came in an iOS 4.3.3 software update.

Apple has denied tracking iPhone users, maintaining that locations of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers was used for services such as navigation or targeted ads.

Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, said his bill would create a “legal obligation” for all online companies to honor the choice of consumers who say they do not want to be tracked online. It would give the Federal Trade Commission the power to pursue any company that does not honor the request.

Barton and Markey, the co-chairmen of the Bi-Partisan Congressional Privacy Caucus, said their “Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011” establishes new protections for the personal information of children and teenagers.

“For millions of kids today, the Internet is their new 21st century playground,” Markey said in a statement. “But kids growing up in this online environment also need protection from the dangers that can lurk in cyberspace.” The bill would notably require online companies to obtain parental consent before collecting children’s personal information and prohibit them from using personal information of children and teens for targeted marketing.

It would also create an “Eraser Button” for parents and children that would allow users to eliminate publicly available personal information content “when technologically feasible.”— AFP

Artists switch from easels to touch-screens SAN FRANCISCO: Autodesk on Friday released a major update to SketchBook Pro software that has artists switching from pencils and paints to virtual canvasses on iPhones or iPad tablet computers.

SketchBook Pro software upgrades were crafted to take advantage of improved features in second-generation iPads recently unleashed on the world by California-based Apple. “This is the biggest release we’ve had since last year when the iPad launched,” SketchBook product line manager Chris Cheung said at a Digital Canvas exhibit of art made using the application. “It is more productive and, as a by-product, it is more fun as well.”

The software lets people blend and texture colors as they would with oil paints or other mediums.

Movements of fingers on gadget touch-screens are converted into virtual brush strokes.” This way, I have my whole art studio in my pocket,” said San Francisco artists Julia Kay, whose works were among those in the exhibit. “If I get bored I can lean against a wall and make drawings in full color, every texture, and I don’t have to clean-up afterward.” Works by 82 artists were featured in the Digital Canvas exhibit in the Autodesk Gallery in downtown San Francisco.Along with professional artists there were SketchBook users whose day jobs ranged from grade school student and farmer to surgeon and aerospace technician.

Matthew Hall of Britain described studied at Winchester School of Art and Chichester University but veered away from painting for a decade while he focused on video. The he saw artists working on iPads.”Now I take my iPad everywhere, using the SketchBook Pro app to capture what’s happening around me or what’s banging around in my head at the time,” Hall said in a description of his work on display at Digital Canvas. “Like the primal cave painters we are just creating lines on a surface with our finger,” he continued. “I haven’t enjoyed doodling this much since I was a child.”

Jay Shuster, art director for the “Cars” film sequel about to be released by Pixar Animation Studios, said he did almost all the character design using Sketchbook Pro and credited the software with enabling him to work fast. “Every day, ever hour counted,” Shuster said. “I think, in a way, going digital allowed us to finish ‘Cars 2’ in the time we did.” He worked with SketchBook software on a Pixar-supplied tablet made by Fujitsu. California-based Autodesk specilizes in 2-D and 3-D design software.

SketchBook Pro versions tailored for iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices were priced at $5 at Apple’s online App Store. Autodesk also upgraded a version of the software tailored for gadgets powered by Google-backed Android software, according to Cheung.—AFP

HANOVER: A visitor is seen drawing on a touch screen at the CeBIT IT fair in Germany. — AFP

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H E A LT H & S C I E NC E

Renewables major part of 2050 world energy mix PARIS: Renewable power from the Sun, wind, water and biomass can and should generate a major portion of the planet’s energy supply by 2050, according to a draft United Nations report obtained by AFP. Renewables have the potential to bring power to the world’s poorest regions, boost energy security for nations dependent on imports, and curb the CO2 emissions that fuel global warming, the draft said. The 30-page “summary for policy makers”-boiled down from 1,500 pages-is being vetted at a May 5-13 meeting of the 194-nation Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) in Abu Dhabi, and will be unveiled Monday.

“The final version is likely be substantially different in wording and perhaps somewhat in emphasis, but not a great deal in substance,” said an industry representative participating in talks. By far the most comprehensive UN assessment of

the status and potential for the clean energy sector, the report weighs 164 separate development scenarios. Six types of renewables accounted in 2008 for 12.9 percent of global energy supply: biomass (10.2 percent), hydropower (2.3), wind (0.2), solar (0.1), geothermal (0.1) and ocean (0.002). Once traditional use of firewood and animal dung for cooking and heating is set aside, however, that percentage drops to about seven. Coal, oil and gas together make up 85 percent, and nuclear energy two.

Boosted by some government policies, declining technology costs and rising fossil fuel prices, “deployment of renewable energy has been increasing rapidly in recent years,” the draft summary said. The sector contributed, for example, nearly half of the 300 gigawatts of new electricity generating capacity added worldwide in 2008 and 2009, with more than 50 percent

installed in developing countries. Coal accounted for most of the rest. The report says there is virtually unlimited technical potential for renewables, with much of it coming from solar energy. Drafted before the Fukushima plant meltdown in Japan undercut the so-called nuclear renaissance, the summary said renewables will likely make a higher contribution to lowcarbon energy supply by mid-century than nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) combined.

Overall, a majority of projections reviewed show a “substantial increase” ranging from 3-to-20 fold-”in the deployment of renewable energy by 2030, 2050 and beyond.” Many scenarios showed renewables reaching 200 to 400 exajoules (EJ ) a year by mid-century in a world where total primary energy supply is forecast to be about 1,000 EJ, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). An exa-

joule is a unit of measure for energy. Clean energy’s share of future supply varies hugely across different forecasts, with the most ambitious envisioning a world in which it covers three-quarters of all energy needs.

But the continuing growth of renewables is not inexorable and faces many barriers, ranging from vested political interests to inadequate incentive structures for developing new technology, and fossil fuel subsidies. “To achieve international climate mitigation targets that incorporate high shares of renewable energy, a structural shift in today’s energy systems will be required over the next few decades,” the report said.

It will also take a lot of money - 1.4 to 5.1 trillion dollars for the coming decade, and another 1.5 to 7.2 trillion dollars for the period 2021-2030. Clean sources of power must play a critical role if the UN-

backed goal of preventing average global temperatures from rising more than 2.0 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is to be met, the IPCC said.

Currently, use of fossil fuels in the energy system accounts for some 60 percent of all greenhouse gases. UN climate talks have remained largely stalemated since the near collapse of the 2009 climate summit in Copenhagen, even as scientists warn that climate change is accelerating.

“Renewable energy can help decouple development and rising emissions, contributing to sustainable development,” the draft summary said. Global cumulative CO2 “savings” between 2010 and 2050 will total 220 to 560 gigatonnes (Gt) off a projected accumulation from fossil fuel sources of 1,530 Gt over the same period, according to various scenarios. The IPCC meeting has set aside four days to review every line of text in the summary. — AFP

Proposed shark fin ban makes waves in California A recipe for controversy

FLORIDA: Workers rescue several pilot whales on Friday that have been stranded off the lower Florida Keys.

Rescuers tend to whales stranded off Florida Keys CUDJOE KEY: Rescuers workers treated and secured several pilot whales Friday that have been stranded off the lower Florida Keys. Rescuers gathered eight of the stranded whales in a temporary sea pen, where veterinarians examined them and performed medical tests. One whale’s condition deteriorated Friday, and the animal had to be euthanized. The whales were constantly supported in the water by volunteers standing alongside them.

Marine mammal experts deemed the whales in the sea pen were in stable, but guarded condition. “These guys are really weak now,” said Robert Lingenfelser, head of stranding operations for the Marine Mammal Conservancy. “They haven’t eaten in a while, so one of our jobs is to get them re-hydrated and ready for the next step of eating.” The pilot whales were found stranded in multiple areas in shallow Gulf of Mexico waters and mangroves near Cudjoe Key. Responders confirmed that 13

whales were dead. Necropsies are planned.

“We’re still in the process of rescuing the live marine mammals, trying to recover the dead ones so that we get good tissue samples for the scientists to investigate what’s going on here,” Lingenfelser said.

“Right now our operations are geared toward recovery of all the animals out there, and they’re spread out all over the place.” A few additional whales were spotted in Atlantic Ocean waters Friday, according to Karrie Carnes, communications manager for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Teams of officials were recovering living whales and relocating them to the sea pen. Officials said they were awaiting the arrival of additional personnel, transport vehicles and resources offered by other marine mammal organizations. They hope to transfer surviving pilot whales to rehabilitation facilities sometime within the next few days.— AP

US ratchets down radiation samples in milk, water SAN FRANCISCO: US Environmental Protection Agency officials say they’re ratcheting down the nation’s radiation monitoring program for rain, drinking water and milk because readings have been dropping consistently in the wake of the Japanese nuclear crisis. Extremely low levels of radiation linked to the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant showed up in milk in California and Washington state in late March. But the agency says the lev-

els both then and earlier this week were so miniscule they were not harmful to public health. A notice posted on the agency’s website Thursday says the EPA has resumed taking routine samples of water and milk every three months.

The agency also is weighing whether to keep operating additional air monitors sent out after the magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami struck the power plant on March 10.

RIVER PARK: A garbage dumpster is seen surrounded by floodwater as Mud Island River Park is seen in the background yesterday in Memphis.

Communities all along the banks of the Mississippi are keeping a close eye on the river’s rise with the crest in Memphis not expected until Wednesday. — AP

SAN FRANCISCO: A California proposal to outlaw the title ingredient in shark fin soup, a traditional Chinese delicacy, has turned into a recipe for controversy in San Francisco, a city that is nearly onethird Asian and home to the nation’s oldest Chinatown.

A bill moving through the state Legislature would ban the sale, distribution and possession of shark fins. State and federal laws prohibit shark finning in US waters but do not address the importation of fins from other countries. Supporters say shark finning is inhumane and a threat to the ocean ecosystem.

They say an estimated 73 million sharks a year are slaughtered, mainly for shark fin soup, which can sell for more than $80 a bowl and is often served at weddings and banquets. “The collapse of shark populations because of overfishing is a conservation issue of global concern, and the demand for fins drives overfishing of sharks,” said Mike Sutton, director of the Center for the Future of the Oceans at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, located about 115 miles (185 kilometers) south of San Francisco.

Alex Ong, chef at the Pan-Asian restaurant Betelnut in San Francisco’s Marina district, said the broth in shark fin soup is what provides most of the flavor, and the fins themselves can be easily substituted by other seafood or even creatively disguised starch. Ong said when he saw video footage of fisherman slicing off sharks’ fins and tossing the animals back into the ocean to die, the images hit him “right in the gut” and he vowed to work to stop the practice. But critics of the proposed ban say the consumption of shark fins is a cherished cultural tradition. In a statement issued Feb. 14, the day the legislation was introduced, state Sen. Leland Yee called the measure

“an unfair attack on Asian culture and cuisine.” Yee, who will officially kick off his campaign for mayor of San Francisco on Saturday, said efforts should be focused on strengthening conservation efforts and increasing penalties for illegally killing sharks. Besides local chefs and politicians, a few celebrities have jumped into the debate.

Chinese basketball star Yao Ming is loaning his celebrity to the antifinning movement, appearing on city buses and billboards urging

international conservation group WildAid. Shark fins also may prove an unexpected ingredient in this year’s mayoral race, which includes three prominent Asian-American candidates: Yee, Board of Supervisors President David Chiu and AssessorRecorder Phil Ting. San Francisco is home to the largest percentage of Asian-Americans of any county in the continental US. Political observers expect voter turnout from that community to be high in

Ting appeared at a news conference Friday organized by WildAid and expressed their support for a shark fin ban.

Afterward, Ting said the legislation presented an “important opportunity to talk about the importance of sustainability,” but that he didn’t think it was among Asian-American voters’ top concerns. “The economy, jobs, the city budget _ Chinese-American voters are focused on those issues,” he said. California’s proposed ban is

SAN FRANCISCO: NBA Basketball player Yao Ming sits near an inflatable shark during a break from filming a public service announcement about banning shark fin soup in Chinatown in San Francisco, California.—AP residents in Chinese and English to “Join me, say no to shark fin soup.”

The Houston Rockets center came to town Thursday to film a public ser vice announcement for the

November, following the momentum generated earlier this year by the appointment of Edwin Lee as interim mayor — the city’s first Asian-American leader. Chiu and

awaiting a hearing by the state Assembly. Hawaii has already adopted a ban, and similar legislation is advancing in Oregon and Washington state. — AP

Single adoptive mom counts herself lucky ROME: Ten Mother’s Days have passed since I adopted a girl as a single woman. And during those years I’ve occasionally been asked, if I could go back in time, would I do it all over again? Yes, I reply, without hesitation. I feel blessed. Lately, I must add: lucky. For in the last few years, nations have increasingly been shutting the doors of orphanages to unmarried foreigners. Among them is Ukraine, one of the world’s top countries for foreign adoptions, and the place where, in summer 2000, I found the nearly 7-year-old child who became my daughter.

By the time Kiev banned non-Ukrainian singles from adopting in 2008, Anjelica’s memories of her orphanage years had largely faded, although she still recalls, with delight, towering sunflowers reaching up to second-story windows, and, with a shiver, bladelike icicles hanging from eaves in each of her winters there. The orphanage is still there, full of lonely children facing precarious futures.

Another country is China, for the last two years the largest “source” nation for adoptions by Americans. Beijing recently reopened the door slightly - but only to single women willing to take “special needs” children, such as the ones who are older or disabled. In Italy, where I live, adoption law bans singles, reflecting powerful Vatican lobbying in favor of traditional families. I was able to adopt Anjelica because I’m a citizen of the United States, which allows single parent adoption.

The debate raging today in Italy over whether to lift restriction against singles sounds to my ears jarringly oblivious to reality. The head of Italy’s international adoption commission recently declared there was no need for singles to “jump the already endless line of properly married couples” waiting to adopt. But what about all the children waiting to be adopted, I thought? Excluding singles doesn’t help all the waiting children, especially those few people readily take. Throughout Italy’s debate, the sound bites of experts, ranging from psychologists to ethics specialists, has made the children seem like abstract creatures from another universe.

But I know at least one child, right here, who takes it out of the realm of the theoretical. My daughter shared school benches with Italians’ children, traded snacks with them at recess, kicked not

a few soccer balls back and forth with them, was invited to their birthday parties and invited them to hers. In fifth grade, Anjelica and her classmates played the Italian national anthem on the flute so well they won first prize in a nationwide contest.

Many of her classmates didn’t know she was adopted, or didn’t care. But their parents were sometimes perplexed that she had only one parent, not realizing that other countries like the United States did permit singles to adopt.

The difficulties being a single parent of an adopted child largely mirror those of singles bringing up biological children: affording reliable child care on one income, missing a partner to lean on when your child’s sick or troubled, or to rejoice with over her accomplishments. But it can be tougher for adoptive parents. Children who grew up in institutions are frequently traumatized, sometimes physically, almost certainly psychologically. With revolving door caretakers often the rule in orphanages, these children are reluctant to love, open up emotionally, trust. Being single means not being able to tap a spouse’s mental and emotional resources when yours run dry. But sometimes being a single adoptive parent can be an advantage. For orphanage children, the art of manipulation can be a survival tactic: the kid who does the cute curtsy, who has the prettier smile, might get that rare extra piece of candy when visitors drop by. Children, of course, are masters of pitting parent against parent to get what they want, or to bend house rules. But when there’s only one parent, it’s just you and your child, and that can make bonding more straightforward. Only a few days in her home, my daughter decided she would explore her new environment at will. Were there snacks to be found in the kitchen? Never-before seen appliances like dishwashers to be switched on and off?

It didn’t help that she would go on these expeditions at 1 or 2 a.m. So one night, armed with a book to keep me awake, I positioned myself like an unbudging drawbridge across the threshold to her room to make clear that late night wanderings were off limits.

She tried, and tried, to pass, until finally, yawning, she sat back down on her bed and toppled onto the blankets. I won that tug-of-war. But one of the early lessons of being a single mom was it

would require a lot of tough love. Anjelica laughs when I recount that story and swears she has no memory of it. But a few years ago, while we were watching the movie “The Miracle Worker” on TV, she was mesmerized by the tussling between Helen Keller and her stubbornly dedicated teacher Anne Sullivan. Anjelica cuddled up to me on the couch and wondered aloud how much of a struggle I must have had with her in our first years together.

On our way back from her village in Ukraine to our new life in Rome, a journey that took us to several cities over several weeks while paperwork was processed and stamped for approval, each time I opened the door to another hotel room, or an acquaintance’s apartment, or a relative’s home, my new daughter would plaintively ask: “Is this my home?” With each turn of the key, I wondered what this girl’s vision of a home was like. And what was mine. Both of us needed to figure out, day by day, just what makes a home. She even needed to figure out who was her mother. As with many other working single parents or married parents, for that matter - child care was crucial. The state lawyer assigned to represent Anjelica during the adoption hearing in Ukraine asked only one question: who would care for my child when I was at work?

My response convinced the judge: I’d find a livein nanny from Rome’s large eastern European immigrant community. The adoption was approved, bringing tears and hugs in the courtroom. Barely a few weeks into her life as my daughter, Anjelica scrutinized the new nanny, looked at me, then at the lady again and asked me, “Is this my new mother?” The words cut into my heart, a twist to the anguish countless new mothers feel when they head off to work and leave children with caregivers. In Italy, which has one of the lowest percentages of working women in Europe, I imagined stony stares from many stay-at-home mothers.

But some Italians gave welcome support, even championed me, including the nun who taught her for five elementary school grades and repeatedly reassured me in difficult moments that what I did was fine, that my daughter would be fine. A few Italians were wistful, even envious. One single woman told me she was sorry that as an Italian she couldn’t adopt. —AP

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H e a lt h & S c ie n c e

An insight into Europe’s giant elephants BONN: The Eurasian elephant, with its four-meter-high shoulders, is the largest exhibit in the “Elephant Empire” area of the LVRLandesMuseum in Bonn, Germany.

The life-sized skeleton model welcomes exhibition visitors in the stairway foyer with a raised trunk. The imposing animal, which would have weighted about 11 tons, offers a glimpse into life in central Europe some 200,000 years ago.

The find was discovered at a salt lake near Halle. In addition to the elephant skeleton, remains ranging from fish to insects as well as tools of pre-Neanderthals are among the objects exhibited until November 6.

Between 1985 and 1996, archaeologists recovered the treasures at the Neumark lignite strip mining site.

The elephants died at a lake which existed about 11,000 years ago and later silted up. The relics of an entire lake biotope were extremely well preserved as if in a time capsule. And the diversity of species found is oneof-a-kind. The skeleton remains of

nearly 70 elephants were discovered in the lignite coal mine. When the mine was operative, it was common for archaeologist Dietrich Mania to be called in the middle of the night and be told by the excavation operator: “If you are not here in the morning, the elephant is gone.” Every time, Mania would rush to the mine to rescue the find.

The exhibition organizers were able to construct a complete skeleton of an elephant with all the bone finds. Researchers estimate that between 20 and 30 elephants lived near the lake during that time. When one thinks that such a giant elephant would eat about 300 kilograms of forage per day, it’s easy to imagine the character of the landscape back then. During the interglacial period, some 200,000 years ago, there was a sub-continental climate with especially dry and warm summers and harsh winters. Mid-July temperatures would have been more than 20 degrees Celsius. The conditions proved perfect for oak forest steppe

and short grass steppe. In addition to elephants with their huge tusks, steppe rhinoceros, hyenas and fallow deer also lived in the region.

There are also tracks of man, the pre-Neanderthals. They knew that big prey could be had at water sites and salt-licks. They prepared themselves extensively for the hunt, watching and waiting in field camps 50 to 100 meters from the lakes.

Individual flintstones and leftovers suggested lengthy habitation. The small groups of hunters only stayed until they had captured enough meat and raw materials. Then they returned to their domiciles - which were often very far from the hunting grounds. There are no signs that they also hunted the giant ele phants, but they used their bones to prepare their tools. The exhibition shows one more thing. Mammoths also had tooth decay. One tooth of such a colossus on display shows two deep holes. “That was nearly a toothache,” said curator Christian Peitz. — DPA

Say bye to obesity

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W H AT ’ S O N

Announcements Ahmadi Music Group The Ahmadi Music Group, directed by Richard Bushman, is delighted to announce the forthcoming production of The Deser t Song by Siegmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein.

Fully-staged, with costumes, dancing, professional soloists, a cast of around fifty people and a full symphony orchestra, this will be a wonderful opportunity to experience an evening of musical theatre in the stunning new Performing Arts Centre at The English School Salmiya. Tuesday 31 May, Preview Performance for students. Wednesday 1 June, Black-tie Gala Opening Per formance followed by Buffet Supper. Thursday 2 June, Performance. Friday 3 June, Performance. All performances start at 7pm at The English School, Salmiya. Emailing invitations@ahmadimusicgroup.com

PGA players enjoy amazing premier league experience

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he Premier GOAL Academy, Kuwait’s Centre of Excellence, sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, enjoyed the real English Premier League experience when 24 selected players and their coaches Mike, Baker and Roman, along with several parents, visited the UK to compete in four prestigious international matches against UK teams. They visited several Premier League Clubs to enjoy live matches and stadium tours, met several Premier League footballers and trained with Everton Football Club coaches at their training complex.

The first match was Leeds United vs Reading in the English Championship, followed by the 1-1 draw between

Wolves and Fulham. Next was a visit to the impressive Reebok Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers to enjoy the Bolton vs Arsenal match which ended in a dramatic win for Bolton. A fun filled day of thrilling rides was enjoyed by all at Blackpool Pleasure Beach - the UK’s number one tourist attraction, in a break from the football action.

This was followed by the evening game between Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City. The following day the Academy players were guests of Stoke City FC at the Britannia Stadium where they witnessed an exciting 3-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in front of a 30,000 crowd. The next stadium visit was to the magnificent Old Trafford home of Manchester United FC

for a tour of the stadiums changing rooms, players lounge, pitchside and museum. There was also a stadium tour of Everton’s Goodison Park and a visit to Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC. The highlight of the trip for the players and coaches however was experiencing the training program at Everton FC’s state of the art Academy where they trained for two days alongside the Premier League Clubs professional and academy players under the expert guidance of Everton coaches Kieron and Colin. All the players showed tremendous improvement in performance and ability over the course of the tour and gained great experience which will be invaluable in their continued footballing development.

The matches against UK opposition, the live Premier League matches and stadium tours of Everton and Manchester United and the Everton Academy Training complex were all impressive locations on this dream trip which has provided many lasting memories for all the participating players, parents and staff of the Premier GOAL Academy. For details of the Porsche Premier GOAL Academy training program in association with Everton FC contact Academy Director Mike Finn on 99981327 or Baker Al Nazer, Executive Director on 66918666. Email; premier_fa_kuwait@yahoo.com. The final course of the season is taking place at Shaab Park, 0800-1000 on Fridays and Saturdays throughout May.

Thanima to present legend play Th a n i m a ( Th e H u m a n a n d N o s t a l gi c Interaction of Malayalees Abroad) is presenting of yet another unique cultural event to the Kuwait cultural spectrum by enacting ballads of the epic Vadak k an Pattuk al (Ballads of North Malabar) of medieval Kerala on stage.

‘Oru Vadakkan Veerakatha’, drama scope mega budget full length visual entertainer becomes a reality in the collective effort 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 Al-Jadeed School Auditorium 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 A r t i s t S u j a t h a n . E n t r y w i l l b e re s t r i c te d 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.

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.

ESF Middle School Jazz IT up!

Lion King at the BSK

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he British Academy of International Arts (BAIA) presents the much awaited Lion King at the BSK campus on Friday 06, Saturday 07, Thursday 12 and Friday 13. Tickets available on 60052087.

Kala-Kuwait bids farewell to Indian Ambassador

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ala Kuwait bid a warm farewell to Ajai Malhothra, who during his tenure as the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait had contributed a lot of his efforts in helping out the issues faced by Indians in Kuwait. Kala Kuwait expressed their gratitude towards the Indian Ambassador. Kala president Sam Painamood presented the memento to him as a token of love and appreciation.

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id you know that jazz was born in the United States?

Did you know that the drum set was invented by jazz musicians? Did you know that the word “cool” and “hip” were originally jazz terms? The English School Fahaheel recently present-

ed their annual production “All That Jazz” in the Lloyd Webber Theatre at ESF. The production was a tribute to the glory days of Jazz in thel93O s and 40’s. The art deco sets and stylish~ costumes were all a reflection of the age of Jazz. The parents and guests thoroughly

enjoyed the entertaining musical production. The new ESF Drama studio opened recently and classes and workshops are taking place.

The English School Fahaheel offers an IGSCE in Drama by the internationally recognized Cambridge Examinations Board, UK.

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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Embassy Information

Konni Nivasi Sangamam Annual Day

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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onni Nivasi Sangamam, Kuwait will celebrate 6th Annual Day on 13th May 2011 at United Indian School, Abbassiya from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm. The annual general body meeting and election of new office bearers for 2011-2012 year will also be conducted during the part of annual day. Variety of cultural programs, “GANAMELA” and lunch to all attendees will be the part of the program. All Konni Nivasi Sangamam members may kindly contact 66252930, 97277804, 67762857 for further details.

Kidney Federation of India chairman visits Kuwait

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r. Davis Chiramel and his kidney federation are now working on a novel idea of a Chain service of kidney donation.

Matching kidney would be made available to patients whose relations would ensure a kidney for another patient - Thus the chain is being extended from patient to patient.

It’s a kind of a bank. The noted industrialist and CEO of V-Guard Industries, Kochouseph Chittilappilly started the system by giving his kidney to Joy of Kottayam on the 23rd February 2011 and Joy giving her kidney to Jacob Mathew and Asha Jacob Mathew to John and John’s mother Jessy to another patient. The second chain is to extend to 10 patients starting with Mary Joshy whose husband Joshy has given his kidney to his brother Joy 4 months ago. This is probably the first couple in the world to donate kidneys of both of them. Gopinath, recipient of Fr. Davis kidney, after 3 months of operation is actively engaged in his trade as electrician. Fr. Davis Chiramel leads a very active life extensively traveling by now in India and abroad, attending meetings, meeting patients and their relations and going about speaking in hundreds of gathering about the joy of giving and the need for helping the sick. He now cherishes and works for another dream project of starting a Kidney Hospital (a Super Specialty Research Centre for renal diseases) in central Kerala. Another ambitions project underway is a transportation service for kidney patients to take them to hospitals for dialysis and back, to save them from physical and financial strains that are part of the routine dialyses. No one doubts about the realization of these dear dreams for, everybody knows that Fr Davis Chiramel is a man of action who can translate every dream of his into reality.

Pathanamthitta Association elects new office bearers

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athanamthitta District Association, Kuwait held its Annual General Body Meeting on Thursday 28th April 2011 and elected new Office Bearers and Executive Committee Members. The Meeting was presided over by the President, Jose Mannil, and speeches were made by Senior Committee Member Mohan Kaimal, and General Convenor Abraham Daniel. Annual Report was presented by the General Secretary Benny Pathanamthitta. Vice President Abraham Varghese read a Statement expressing the Association’s Concern, anxieties and protest over the continuous use of the killer pesticide “ENDOSULFAN” in the Kasargode, idukki and other areas of Kerala and it’s harmful effects on the residents in those areas. The meeting decided to constitute the various subcommittees at the Meeting of the newly formed Executive Committee Meeting in June 2011.

Farewell to India’s Ajai Malhotra

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he central co-ordination Committee of Overseas Indian Cultural congress (OICC) conducted a meeting to bid farewell to Ajai Malhotra, the Ambassador of India to Kuwait. The chairman M.A. Hilal presided over the function. OICC greatly appreciated his diplomatic excellences as the Ambassador of India during the past 2 years. There has been a significant improvement in diplomatic

relations and cultural exchange between India and Kuwait, timely interventions and diplomatic skill in solving the problems of Indian Community. In his reply speech Ajai Malhotra expressed his thanks and great admiration for the cooperation received from OICC. Chairman and Gen Convenor presented a momento as a token of love and appreciation to the outgoing ambassador.

A memorable Ice-cream day at India International School

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ce-cream Day was celebrated by the Kids of Class I&II on Thursday, 21st April, 2011 at the Auditorium of IIS. The children would never forget this day in their life time. They had music, dance, game and the ice-cream of many flavors- all at a time which they have not dreamed of. What a wonderful moment for these tiny tots which they cherish in their tender hearts forever.

All the children with their colorful costumes created an enchanting world wherein hundreds of colorful butterflies were happily flying around and looking for the nectar. Class II students joyfully played the ball game along with their teachers. Class I students danced in rhythm with the music. Moosa Koya, Director, colored the pic-

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Aware Arabic course

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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.

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 ■■■■■■■

ture of Ice-cream cone on the board , received the first scoop of ice-cream in a cone and declared open the grand ice-cream day.

F M Basheer Ahmed, Principal, Narinder Kaur, Vice-Principal, N Balasubramanian, Headmaster, Shifana, Head of the KG Dept, and Sophy, Class Coordinator, also colored the pictures of Icecream cones and wrote different messages for the tiny tots. All children screamed “ I scream; You scream; We scream; Ice-cream!” .All the children tasted many scoops of ice-cream. After hectic activities of playing and dancing under the scorching sun, tasting ice-cream was a sweet and soothing experience for these tiny tots. Hats off to the organizers of this event.

BASNIUM 2: Melodious Nite on May 12 asnium 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 Al-Jadeed 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.

Entry will be restricted through passes Organizers informed in a press release. For more details please contact 99594221 / 66131488 / 97253083.

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

Stage set for NAFO’s ‘Sangamam’

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he stage is set for ‘Sangamam,’ a spectacular cultural mega show to be presented by National Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait) at 6 pm on Friday, May 13, 2011 at the American International School auditorium, Maidan-Hawally.

Conceived and directed by the versatile celebrity and the founder of Soorya India Society Padmashree Dr Soorya Krishnamurthy, ‘Sangamam’ will present the cultural diversity of India and showcase the rich cultural heritage from all the different states from India. The show ‘Sangamam’ will be presented as ‘Rhythm of Art’ with an underling theme of national integration. Dubbed as a mega show with a difference, ‘Sangamam’ will depict the great dream of Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Unity in Diversity’ featuring more than 33 highly acclaimed performers from India.

Indian Embassy Charge d’Affaires Vidhu P Nair will inaugu-

rate the show. Dignitaries from the Kuwaiti community, diplomats from various embassies in Kuwait and prominent figures from Indian community are expected to witness the cultural extravaganza.

Addressing a press conference to announce the show, NAFO president and organizing committee chairman B S Pillai, said, “It will be a two-hour breath-taking show presenting a fusion of traditional and contemporary dance and music, Bhratanatyam, Odissi ensemble, Kathak, Manipuri, instrumental music and contemporary dance styles inspired by martial arts and ancient arts of India.

“The theme of the show is ‘Incredible India’ which will be adequately demonstrated by the glittering galaxy of versatile performers from all parts of India. No doubt, it will be an unforgettable cultural feast for all the art enthusiasts in Kuwait,” Pillai added. “We take this opportunity to thank the government of Kuwait and the

Indian embassy for giving permission to stage such an extraordinary cultural exchange program depicting the ‘incredible India’, said Murali S. Nair, program convener. Others who attended the press conference are NAFO general secretary and general convener C.G Manoj, O.N Suresh Kumar, vice-chairman and O.N. Nandakumar, program convener.

NAFO Kuwait, a non-profit and non-political organization and registered with the Indian embassy, has been active in Kuwait for the last six years serving the community. With a membership strength of around 400, NAFO is engaged in various charitable and social activities especially in the fields of welfare, education and culture. For more details of the show, contact, M S Nair 99591156, AR Subbaraman 66872372, Gopa Kumar 99960428), Anil Kumar 66408395.

The entry for the show will be restricted with invitations.

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 ■■■■■■■

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 today the 8th of May 2011.

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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.

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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

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Announcements Ahmadi Music Group The Ahmadi Music Group, directed by Richard Bushman, is delighted to announce the forthcoming production of The Deser t Song by Siegmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein.

Fully-staged, with costumes, dancing, professional soloists, a cast of around fifty people and a full symphony orchestra, this will be a wonderful opportunity to experience an evening of musical theatre in the stunning new Performing Arts Centre at The English School Salmiya. Tuesday 31 May, Preview Performance for students. Wednesday 1 June, Black-tie Gala Opening Per formance followed by Buffet Supper. Thursday 2 June, Performance. Friday 3 June, Performance. All performances start at 7pm at The English School, Salmiya. Emailing invitations@ahmadimusicgroup.com

PGA players enjoy amazing premier league experience

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he Premier GOAL Academy, Kuwait’s Centre of Excellence, sponsored by Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, enjoyed the real English Premier League experience when 24 selected players and their coaches Mike, Baker and Roman, along with several parents, visited the UK to compete in four prestigious international matches against UK teams. They visited several Premier League Clubs to enjoy live matches and stadium tours, met several Premier League footballers and trained with Everton Football Club coaches at their training complex.

The first match was Leeds United vs Reading in the English Championship, followed by the 1-1 draw between

Wolves and Fulham. Next was a visit to the impressive Reebok Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers to enjoy the Bolton vs Arsenal match which ended in a dramatic win for Bolton. A fun filled day of thrilling rides was enjoyed by all at Blackpool Pleasure Beach - the UK’s number one tourist attraction, in a break from the football action.

This was followed by the evening game between Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City. The following day the Academy players were guests of Stoke City FC at the Britannia Stadium where they witnessed an exciting 3-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in front of a 30,000 crowd. The next stadium visit was to the magnificent Old Trafford home of Manchester United FC

for a tour of the stadiums changing rooms, players lounge, pitchside and museum. There was also a stadium tour of Everton’s Goodison Park and a visit to Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC. The highlight of the trip for the players and coaches however was experiencing the training program at Everton FC’s state of the art Academy where they trained for two days alongside the Premier League Clubs professional and academy players under the expert guidance of Everton coaches Kieron and Colin. All the players showed tremendous improvement in performance and ability over the course of the tour and gained great experience which will be invaluable in their continued footballing development.

The matches against UK opposition, the live Premier League matches and stadium tours of Everton and Manchester United and the Everton Academy Training complex were all impressive locations on this dream trip which has provided many lasting memories for all the participating players, parents and staff of the Premier GOAL Academy. For details of the Porsche Premier GOAL Academy training program in association with Everton FC contact Academy Director Mike Finn on 99981327 or Baker Al Nazer, Executive Director on 66918666. Email; premier_fa_kuwait@yahoo.com. The final course of the season is taking place at Shaab Park, 0800-1000 on Fridays and Saturdays throughout May.

Thanima to present legend play Th a n i m a ( Th e H u m a n a n d N o s t a l gi c Interaction of Malayalees Abroad) is presenting of yet another unique cultural event to the Kuwait cultural spectrum by enacting ballads of the epic Vadak k an Pattuk al (Ballads of North Malabar) of medieval Kerala on stage.

‘Oru Vadakkan Veerakatha’, drama scope mega budget full length visual entertainer becomes a reality in the collective effort 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 Al-Jadeed School Auditorium 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 A r t i s t S u j a t h a n . E n t r y w i l l b e re s t r i c te d 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.

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.

ESF Middle School Jazz IT up!

Lion King at the BSK

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he British Academy of International Arts (BAIA) presents the much awaited Lion King at the BSK campus on Friday 06, Saturday 07, Thursday 12 and Friday 13. Tickets available on 60052087.

Kala-Kuwait bids farewell to Indian Ambassador

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ala Kuwait bid a warm farewell to Ajai Malhothra, who during his tenure as the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait had contributed a lot of his efforts in helping out the issues faced by Indians in Kuwait. Kala Kuwait expressed their gratitude towards the Indian Ambassador. Kala president Sam Painamood presented the memento to him as a token of love and appreciation.

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id you know that jazz was born in the United States?

Did you know that the drum set was invented by jazz musicians? Did you know that the word “cool” and “hip” were originally jazz terms? The English School Fahaheel recently present-

ed their annual production “All That Jazz” in the Lloyd Webber Theatre at ESF. The production was a tribute to the glory days of Jazz in thel93O s and 40’s. The art deco sets and stylish~ costumes were all a reflection of the age of Jazz. The parents and guests thoroughly

enjoyed the entertaining musical production. The new ESF Drama studio opened recently and classes and workshops are taking place.

The English School Fahaheel offers an IGSCE in Drama by the internationally recognized Cambridge Examinations Board, UK.

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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Embassy Information

Konni Nivasi Sangamam Annual Day

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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onni Nivasi Sangamam, Kuwait will celebrate 6th Annual Day on 13th May 2011 at United Indian School, Abbassiya from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm. The annual general body meeting and election of new office bearers for 2011-2012 year will also be conducted during the part of annual day. Variety of cultural programs, “GANAMELA” and lunch to all attendees will be the part of the program. All Konni Nivasi Sangamam members may kindly contact 66252930, 97277804, 67762857 for further details.

Kidney Federation of India chairman visits Kuwait

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r. Davis Chiramel and his kidney federation are now working on a novel idea of a Chain service of kidney donation.

Matching kidney would be made available to patients whose relations would ensure a kidney for another patient - Thus the chain is being extended from patient to patient.

It’s a kind of a bank. The noted industrialist and CEO of V-Guard Industries, Kochouseph Chittilappilly started the system by giving his kidney to Joy of Kottayam on the 23rd February 2011 and Joy giving her kidney to Jacob Mathew and Asha Jacob Mathew to John and John’s mother Jessy to another patient. The second chain is to extend to 10 patients starting with Mary Joshy whose husband Joshy has given his kidney to his brother Joy 4 months ago. This is probably the first couple in the world to donate kidneys of both of them. Gopinath, recipient of Fr. Davis kidney, after 3 months of operation is actively engaged in his trade as electrician. Fr. Davis Chiramel leads a very active life extensively traveling by now in India and abroad, attending meetings, meeting patients and their relations and going about speaking in hundreds of gathering about the joy of giving and the need for helping the sick. He now cherishes and works for another dream project of starting a Kidney Hospital (a Super Specialty Research Centre for renal diseases) in central Kerala. Another ambitions project underway is a transportation service for kidney patients to take them to hospitals for dialysis and back, to save them from physical and financial strains that are part of the routine dialyses. No one doubts about the realization of these dear dreams for, everybody knows that Fr Davis Chiramel is a man of action who can translate every dream of his into reality.

Pathanamthitta Association elects new office bearers

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athanamthitta District Association, Kuwait held its Annual General Body Meeting on Thursday 28th April 2011 and elected new Office Bearers and Executive Committee Members. The Meeting was presided over by the President, Jose Mannil, and speeches were made by Senior Committee Member Mohan Kaimal, and General Convenor Abraham Daniel. Annual Report was presented by the General Secretary Benny Pathanamthitta. Vice President Abraham Varghese read a Statement expressing the Association’s Concern, anxieties and protest over the continuous use of the killer pesticide “ENDOSULFAN” in the Kasargode, idukki and other areas of Kerala and it’s harmful effects on the residents in those areas. The meeting decided to constitute the various subcommittees at the Meeting of the newly formed Executive Committee Meeting in June 2011.

Farewell to India’s Ajai Malhotra

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he central co-ordination Committee of Overseas Indian Cultural congress (OICC) conducted a meeting to bid farewell to Ajai Malhotra, the Ambassador of India to Kuwait. The chairman M.A. Hilal presided over the function. OICC greatly appreciated his diplomatic excellences as the Ambassador of India during the past 2 years. There has been a significant improvement in diplomatic

relations and cultural exchange between India and Kuwait, timely interventions and diplomatic skill in solving the problems of Indian Community. In his reply speech Ajai Malhotra expressed his thanks and great admiration for the cooperation received from OICC. Chairman and Gen Convenor presented a momento as a token of love and appreciation to the outgoing ambassador.

A memorable Ice-cream day at India International School

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ce-cream Day was celebrated by the Kids of Class I&II on Thursday, 21st April, 2011 at the Auditorium of IIS. The children would never forget this day in their life time. They had music, dance, game and the ice-cream of many flavors- all at a time which they have not dreamed of. What a wonderful moment for these tiny tots which they cherish in their tender hearts forever.

All the children with their colorful costumes created an enchanting world wherein hundreds of colorful butterflies were happily flying around and looking for the nectar. Class II students joyfully played the ball game along with their teachers. Class I students danced in rhythm with the music. Moosa Koya, Director, colored the pic-

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Aware Arabic course

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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.

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 ■■■■■■■

ture of Ice-cream cone on the board , received the first scoop of ice-cream in a cone and declared open the grand ice-cream day.

F M Basheer Ahmed, Principal, Narinder Kaur, Vice-Principal, N Balasubramanian, Headmaster, Shifana, Head of the KG Dept, and Sophy, Class Coordinator, also colored the pictures of Icecream cones and wrote different messages for the tiny tots. All children screamed “ I scream; You scream; We scream; Ice-cream!” .All the children tasted many scoops of ice-cream. After hectic activities of playing and dancing under the scorching sun, tasting ice-cream was a sweet and soothing experience for these tiny tots. Hats off to the organizers of this event.

BASNIUM 2: Melodious Nite on May 12 asnium 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 Al-Jadeed 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.

Entry will be restricted through passes Organizers informed in a press release. For more details please contact 99594221 / 66131488 / 97253083.

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

Stage set for NAFO’s ‘Sangamam’

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he stage is set for ‘Sangamam,’ a spectacular cultural mega show to be presented by National Forum Kuwait (NAFO Kuwait) at 6 pm on Friday, May 13, 2011 at the American International School auditorium, Maidan-Hawally.

Conceived and directed by the versatile celebrity and the founder of Soorya India Society Padmashree Dr Soorya Krishnamurthy, ‘Sangamam’ will present the cultural diversity of India and showcase the rich cultural heritage from all the different states from India. The show ‘Sangamam’ will be presented as ‘Rhythm of Art’ with an underling theme of national integration. Dubbed as a mega show with a difference, ‘Sangamam’ will depict the great dream of Mahatma Gandhi’s ‘Unity in Diversity’ featuring more than 33 highly acclaimed performers from India.

Indian Embassy Charge d’Affaires Vidhu P Nair will inaugu-

rate the show. Dignitaries from the Kuwaiti community, diplomats from various embassies in Kuwait and prominent figures from Indian community are expected to witness the cultural extravaganza.

Addressing a press conference to announce the show, NAFO president and organizing committee chairman B S Pillai, said, “It will be a two-hour breath-taking show presenting a fusion of traditional and contemporary dance and music, Bhratanatyam, Odissi ensemble, Kathak, Manipuri, instrumental music and contemporary dance styles inspired by martial arts and ancient arts of India.

“The theme of the show is ‘Incredible India’ which will be adequately demonstrated by the glittering galaxy of versatile performers from all parts of India. No doubt, it will be an unforgettable cultural feast for all the art enthusiasts in Kuwait,” Pillai added. “We take this opportunity to thank the government of Kuwait and the

Indian embassy for giving permission to stage such an extraordinary cultural exchange program depicting the ‘incredible India’, said Murali S. Nair, program convener. Others who attended the press conference are NAFO general secretary and general convener C.G Manoj, O.N Suresh Kumar, vice-chairman and O.N. Nandakumar, program convener.

NAFO Kuwait, a non-profit and non-political organization and registered with the Indian embassy, has been active in Kuwait for the last six years serving the community. With a membership strength of around 400, NAFO is engaged in various charitable and social activities especially in the fields of welfare, education and culture. For more details of the show, contact, M S Nair 99591156, AR Subbaraman 66872372, Gopa Kumar 99960428), Anil Kumar 66408395.

The entry for the show will be restricted with invitations.

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 ■■■■■■■

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 today the 8th of May 2011.

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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.

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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

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00:45 Untamed And Uncut 01:40 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 02:35 Air Jaws 03:30 Air Jaws 2 04:25 Crime Scene Wild 05:20 Animal Cops South Africa 06:10 Cats 101 07:00 Meerkat Manor 07:25 Growing Up... Wolves 08:15 The Really Wild Show 08:40 Natural Born Hunters 09:10 Michaela’s Animal Road Trip 10:05 Must Love Cats 11:00 Animal Precinct 11:55 Wildlife SOS 12:20 E-Vets: The Interns 12:50 Life In The Undergrowth 14:40 Extraordinary Dogs 15:05 Project Puppy 15:35 Natural Born Hunters 16:30 Karina: Wild On Safari 17:25 Venom Hunter With Donald Schultz 18:20 Africa’s Outsiders 19:15 Wildest Africa 20:10 Dogs 101 21:05 Into The Lion’s Den 22:00 Great Savannah Race 22:55 Into The Pride 23:50 The Most Extreme

00:15 01:05 03:10 03:25 03:55 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 10:10 10:40 11:25 11:35 12:20 13:10 14:05 15:35 18:05 18:50 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:50 21:40 22:35 23:25

Robin Hood Strictly Come Dancing Doctor Who Confidential Beautiful People Green Green Grass 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 One Foot In The Grave Green Green Grass Robin Hood Doctor Who Confidential The Weakest Link Casualty Casualty The Weakest Link Doctors Robin Hood Doctor Who Confidential One Foot In The Grave Green Green Grass Full Circle With Michael Palin Monarch Of The Glen Paradox Conviction Freefall

00:15 Saturday Kitchen 00:40 Holmes On Homes 02:20 Come Dine With Me 06:30 Cash In The Attic 08:10 Come Dine With Me 12:15 New Scandinavian Cooking 16:10 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 16:40 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 17:25 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 17:50 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 18:45 Come Dine With Me 20:30 Perfect Day 20:55 Perfect Day 21:20 New Scandinavian Cooking 21:45 New Scandinavian Cooking 23:50 Come Dine With Me

00:00 00:10 01:00 01:30 02:00 02:10 02:30 03:00 03:10 03:30 04:30 05:00 05:10 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 08:30 09:00 09:30 10:00 10:10 10:30 11:10 11:30 12:00 12:10 12:30 13:00 13:10 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:10 15:30 16:00 16:15 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:10 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:15 21:30 22:00 23:10 23:30

BBC World News The World Debate BBC World News Middle East Business Report BBC World News World Features Newsnight BBC World News World Features BBC World News Dateline London BBC World News The World Debate BBC World News Click BBC World News Newsnight BBC World News India Business Report BBC World News Fast Track BBC World News World Features BBC World News World Features Dateline London BBC World News World Features Horizons BBC World News World Features Develop Or Die BBC World News Newsnight BBC World News World Features Extra Time BBC World News Sport Today Click BBC World News Earth Reporters BBC World News The World Debate BBC World News India Business Report BBC World News Develop Or Die BBC World News Sport Today Click BBC World News World Features Earth Reporters

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 Ed, Edd N Eddy 07:25 Chop Socky Chooks 07:50 Chowder 08:15 Ben 10: Alien Force 08:40 Bakugan: Gundalian Invaders 09:05 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 09:30 The Secret Saturdays 09:55 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 10:20 George Of The Jungle 10:30 Angelo Rules 10:55 Best Ed 11:20 Eliot Kid 11:45 Skunk Fu! 12:10 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 12:35 Bakugan: New Vestroia 13:00 Ben 10 13:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 13:50 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

TV PROGRAMS 14:15 The Life And Times Of Juniper Lee 14:40 George Of The Jungle 15:05 Cartoon Network Dance Club 15:15 Ed, Edd N Eddy 15:35 Chop Socky Chooks 16:00 Robotboy 16:25 Squirrel Boy 16:50 Chowder 17:15 The Secret Saturdays 17:40 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 18:05 Bakugan: New Vestroia 18:30 Angelo Rules 18:55 Best Ed 19:20 Adventure Time 19:45 Cow And Chicken 20:10 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 20:35 Courage The Cowardly Dog 21:00 The Powerpuff Girls 21:25 Ed, Edd N Eddy 21:50 Robotboy 22:00 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 22:25 Skunk Fu! 22:50 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 23:15 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 23:40 Chowder

00:40 Gold Rush: Alaska 02:30 Dual Survival 03:25 Worst-Case Scenario 04:20 How It’s Made 04:50 How Stuff’s Made 05:15 Brew Masters 06:05 Mythbusters 07:00 Mega Builders 07:50 Mighty Ships 08:45 Olympic Park Machines With Jonny Smith 09:40 Mythbusters 10:30 Gold Rush: Alaska 11:25 Brew Masters 12:20 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 17:50 How It’s Made 18:15 Gold Rush: Alaska 19:10 Brew Masters 20:05 James May’s Man Lab 21:00 Mythbusters 21:55 Get Out Alive 22:50 Dual Survival 23:45 Stunt Junkies

00:30 Nextworld 01:20 The Gadget Show 02:10 What’s That About?

03:00 Sci-Fi Science 03:50 How Stuff Works 04:45 Engineered 05:40 How Stuff’s Made 06:10 Superships 07:00 How The Universe Works 07:55 Brainiac 08:45 Head Rush 08:48 Sci-Fi Science 09:15 Weird Connections 09:45 Catch It Keep It 10:35 How Stuff Works 14:45 The Gadget Show 15:35 Patent Bending 16:00 Head Rush 16:03 How Stuff’s Made 16:30 How Does That Work?

17:00 Bang Goes The Theory 17:50 Sci-Trek 18:40 The Future Of...

19:30 Mighty Ships 20:20 The Gadget Show 20:45 The Gadget Show 21:10 Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman 22:00 The Future Of...

22:50 Bang Goes The Theory 23:40 Mega World

00:20 01:10 02:00 02:45 03:35 04:25

8 MILE ON OSN ACTION HD

Replacements Fairly Odd Parents A Kind Of Magic Stitch Kim Possible Emperors New School

04:50 05:15 06:00 06:25 06:45 07:10 07:35 08:00 08:25 08:50 09:00 10:30 12:00 12:25 12:50 13:15 13:40 14:00 14:25 14:50 15:15 15:35 16:00 16:25 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

Emperors New School Stitch Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Fish Hooks Sonny With A Chance Phineas And Ferb Have A Laugh The Princess Diaries Good Luck Charlie Fish Hooks Wizards Of Waverly Place Sonny With A Chance Hannah Montana Forever Stitch Shake It Up Fish Hooks Phineas And Ferb Good Luck Charlie Fairly Odd Parents Suite Life On Deck Hannah Montana Forever Wizards Of Waverly Place Shake It Up Fish Hooks Have A Laugh Hannah Montana Forever Good Luck Charlie Sonny With A Chance The Princess Diaries 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 Kid Vs Kat 06:20 Kick Buttowski 06:40 Pokemon 07:05 American Dragon 07:30 Next X 2011 Winter Edition Finale (Cema) 07:55 Phineas & Ferb 08:20 Suite Life On Deck S3 08:45 Pair Of Kings 09:10 Kid Vs Kat 09:25 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 09:50 New Spiderman 10:15 Zeke & Luther 10:40 I’m In The Band 11:05 The Super Hero Squad Show 11:30 Next X 2011 Winter Edition Finale (Cema) 12:00 Jumping Ship (Cema) 13:30 Phineas And Ferb 13:40 Pokemon 14:05 The Super Hero Squad Show 14:30 Kick Buttowski 14:55 Pair Of Kings 15:20 Phineas And Ferb 15:30 The Suite Life Of Zack & Cody 15:50 I’m In The Band 16:15 Zeke & Luther 17:05 The Super Hero Squad Show 17:30 Pokemon 17:55 Suite Life On Deck S3 18:45 Phineas & Ferb 19:10 The Avengers: Earths Mightiest Heroes 19:35 X Men 20:00 Kick Buttowski 20:25 Zeke & Luther 20:50 I’m In The Band 21:15 Next X 2011 Winter Edition Finale (Cema) 21:40 American Dragon 22:00 Pokemon

00:25 00:55 01:25 02:20 04:10 05:05 05:30 06:00 07:50 08:20 09:15 10:15 10:40 11:10 12:05 13:05 13:35 York 14:05 15:00 15:55 York 16:25 York 16:55 17:55 18:55 19:25 19:55 20:55 21:25 York 21:55 York 22:25 23:25 23:55

Fashion Police Chelsea Lately E!es E! Investigates Sexiest Reality Hell Wildest TV Show Moments THS Behind The Scenes E! News Extreme Close-Up Style Star Style Star Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane E! News Fashion Police Kourtney And Kim Take New THS Married To Rock Kourtney And Kim Take New Kourtney And Kim Take New Behind The Scenes E! News Kendra Holly’s World Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane Kendra Kourtney And Kim Take New Kourtney And Kim Take New E! News Fashion Police Chelsea Lately

00:15 Aiya TV 01:30 M1 Selection 2010 02:20 Dr Danger 03:35 Breitling Airsports 2009 04:00 Carpocalypse 04:50 Lucas Oil Motocross Championships 2009 06:30 iEX 2009 08:00 Ticket To Ride 2009/2010 09:40 LG Action Sports World...

11:20 Lucas Oil Motocross Championships 2009 13:00 Winter X Games 14 2010 13:50 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2009 14:40 Final Fu 16:45 Eds Up 17:10 Fight Girls 18:00 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2009 18:50 Lucas Oil Motocross Championships 2009 20:30 Winter X Games 14 2010 21:20 Fantasy Factory 22:10 Ride Guide Mountainbike 2009 23:00 Fight Girls 23:50 Aiya TV

00:30 01:20 02:10 03:00 03:50 04:45 05:15 06:10 07:00 07:50 08:40 09:30 10:20 11:10 12:00 12:50 13:40 14:30 15:20 16:10 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 21:10 21:35 22:50 23:40

A Haunting The Haunted Ghost Lab Mysterious Journeys A Haunting Crime Scene Psychics Murder Shift Mystery ER Forensic Detectives On The Run Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Fugitive Strike Force FBI Files Murder Shift Solved Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Fugitive Strike Force Forensic Detectives On The Run FBI Files Mystery ER Real Emergency Calls Murder Shift Who On Earth Did I Marry?

I Was Murdered On The Case With Paula Zahn I Almost Got Away With It

00:00 Banged Up Abroad 04:00 Exploring The Vine 04:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 05:00 Banged Up Abroad 10:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 10:30 Amazing Adventure of A Nobody 11:00 Meet The Amish 12:00 Long Way Down 13:00 Cruise Ship Diaries 14:00 Banged Up Abroad 15:00 Departures 16:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 16:30 Amazing Adventure of A Nobody 17:00 Meet The Amish 18:00 Long Way Down 19:00 Cruise Ship Diaries 20:00 Banged Up Abroad 21:00 Departures 22:00 Don’t Tell My Mother 22:30 Amazing Adventure of A Nobody 23:00 Meet The Amish

00:15 The Uninvited-18 02:00 Universal Soldier: Regeneration-PG15 04:00 8 Mile-18 06:00 State Of Play-PG15 08:15 Jesse Stone: No RemorsePG15 10:00 The One-PG15 11:45 Lost In Space-PG15 14:00 Jesse Stone: No RemorsePG15 16:00 Dragonball: Evolution-PG 17:30 Lost In Space-PG15 19:45 Se7en-18 22:00 Dead Presidents-PG15

01:00 The Sunset Limited-PG15 03:00 The Last Song-PG15 05:00 Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant-PG15 07:00 Good Hair-PG15 09:00 The Last Song-PG15 11:00 Disco-PG 13:00 Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant-PG15 15:00 MacHEADS-PG15 17:00 When In Rome-PG15 19:00 Echelon Conspiracy-PG15 21:00 The Bounty Hunter-PG15 23:00 The Greatest-PG15

00:30 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 01:00 The Colbert Report 01:30 South Park 02:00 Saturday Night Live 03:00 Friends 03:30 How I Met Your Mother 04:00 South Park 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 8 Simple Rules ...

08:30 Dharma And Greg 09:00 Friends 09:30 Malcolm In The Middle 10:00 Yes Dear 10:30 My Boys 11:00 The Drew Carey Show 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 Dharma And Greg 13:00 8 Simple Rules ...

13:30 Malcolm In The Middle 14:00 Yes Dear 14:30 How I Met Your Mother 15:00 My Boys 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 Two And A Half Men 20:30 Cougar Town 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart 21:30 The Colbert Report 22:00 Saturday Night Live 23:00 South Park 23:30 Two And A Half Men

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 08:30 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00

The Event Sons Of Anarchy The Ellen DeGeneres Show Persons Unknown The View Karen Sisco Good Morning America C.S.I. New York Emmerdale Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show Karen Sisco The View The Event

THE BOUNTY HUNTER ON OSN CINEMA 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:10

Persons Unknown Karen Sisco Live Good Morning America C.S.I. New York The Ellen DeGeneres Show Emmerdale Coronation Street Detroit 1-8-7 Law And Order Criminal Minds Boardwalk Empire C.S.I. New York

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 07:30 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 12:30 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 16:30 17:00 18:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Cold Case C.S.I. Sons Of Anarchy The Event Persons Unknown The Closer Cold Case The Office Coronation Street The Unit The Closer The Event Persons Unknown The Office Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show The Unit Cold Case The Office Coronation Street The Ellen DeGeneres Show American Idol Law And Order Criminal Minds C.S.I. The Closer

01:00 The Taking Of Pelham 123-18 03:00 8 Mile-18 05:00 Halloween 2-18 07:00 Appaloosa-PG15 09:00 Snake Eyes-PG15 10:45 Star Trek-PG 13:00 Lost Junction-PG15 15:00 Snake Eyes-PG15 17:00 The Cell 2-PG15 19:00 Mindhunters-18 21:00 Dead Presidents-PG15 23:00 The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations-18

00:00 Mr. Deeds-PG 02:00 Shorts-PG 04:00 A Simple Wish-FAM 05:30 Keeping The Faith-PG15 08:00 The Match-PG15 10:00 Green Card-PG15 12:00 My One And Only-PG15 14:00 Before You Say I Do-PG15 16:00 Mr. Deeds-PG 18:00 How To Go Out On A Date In Queens-PG15 20:00 Wake-PG15 22:00 Someone Like You-PG15

01:00 Linha De Passe-18 03:00 Hurricane Season-PG15 05:00 The Madness Of King GeorgePG 07:00 One Week-PG 09:00 A Shine Of Rainbows-PG15 11:00 Creation-PG15 13:00 Heaven On Earth-PG15 15:00 Capitalism: A Love Story-PG15 17:15 The Secret Lives Of Second Wives-PG15 19:00 Cabaret-PG15 21:00 Sexy Beast-18 23:00 I Love Your Work-18

01:00 Greenberg-18 03:00 Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea-FAM 05:00 Ghosts Of Girlfriends PastPG15 07:00 Michael Jackson’s This Is It-PG 09:00 Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The N.Y. Knicks-PG15 11:00 Easy Virtue-PG15 13:00 Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas-FAM 15:00 The Ramen Girl-PG15 17:00 Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The N.Y. Knicks-PG15

19:00 It’s Complicated-PG15 21:00 Dare-PG15 23:00 Wake-PG15

00:00 Monsters vs. Aliens-PG 02:00 War Of The Buttons-PG 04:00 Scooby-Doo Meets The Boo Brothers-FAM 06:00 Barbie: A Fairy Secret-FAM 08:00 Barney’s Great Adventure-FAM 10:00 Monsters vs. Aliens-PG 12:00 Gladiators: The TournamentPG 14:00 War Of The Buttons-PG 16:00 Up-FAM 18:00 Inspector Gadget’s Last Case: Claw’s...-FAM 20:00 Pete’s Dragon-PG 22:15 Gladiators: The TournamentPG

00:30 Don’t Look Up-PG15 02:30 Maneater: Part I-PG15 04:00 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time-PG15 06:00 Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel-PG15 08:00 Maneater: Part II-PG15 10:00 L’affaire Farewell-PG15 12:00 Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time-PG15 14:00 Not The Messiah: He’s A Very Naughty Boy-PG15 16:00 Maneater: Part II-PG15 17:30 Avatar-PG 20:15 Dare-PG15 22:15 Youth In Revolt-18

00:00 02:00 04:00 06:30 07:00 09:00 11:00 13:00 14:00 16:15 18:30 19:30 21:30 23:30

Super 15 Aviva Premiership AFL Premiership Futbol Mundial Live NRL Premiership Super 15 Scottish Premier League Trans World Sport Live Scottish Premier League Live Aviva Premiership Trans World Sport Super 15 Rugby League Challenge Cup NRL Premiership

01:30 03:30 07:00 11:30 12:00 14:00 14:30 18:30 20:30

Rugby League Challenge Cup Premier League Darts European PGA Tour Futbol Mundial Aviva Premiership European Tour Weekly Live European PGA Tour Scottish Premier League European PGA Tour

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 05:00 07:00 08:00 10:00 10:30 16:30 17:00 19:00 23:00

WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottom Line WWE NXT WWE SmackDown UFC Unleashed WWE Vintage Collection Live NRL Premiership V8 Supercars Extra Le Mans Series V8 Supercars Extra Live Rugby League UFC 129 UFC The Ultimate Fighter

00:00 Travel Notebook 01:00 Working Holiday 02:00 Globe Trekker 03:00 Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Travel Notebook 06:00 That Crazy French Woman 07:00 Globe Trekker 08:00 World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides 09:00 Glutton For Punishment 09:30 Angry Planet 10:00 Globe Trekker 11:00 Travel Today 11:30 The Big Fish

12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 23:00

Globe Trekker Indian Times Working Holiday Travel Notebook Globe Trekker Megalopolis Culinary Asia Globe Trekker Four Men and a Lady Cruise Today Distant Shores Glutton For Punishment Megalopolis Globe Trekker

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:25 03:20 04:15 05:10 05:35 06:05 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:25 09:55 10:50 19:25 20:20 20:45 21:15 22:10 23:05

Homes With Style Fashion Avenue Big Boutique How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Married Away Homes With Style Area Clean House Big Boutique Clean House Top 10 Top 10 Homes With Style Bridalplasty Clean House Fashion Police Clean House Comes Clean Giuliana And Bill Ruby Bridalplasty

01:05 02:45 04:25 05:55 07:15 09:20 10:45 12:55 14:25 16:00 16:15 18:45 20:15 22:00 23:25

River’s Edge Dead Of Winter Till The End Of The Night Summer Heat Asteroid It Runs In The Family Man Of LA Mancha Breakin’ Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo Big Screen 1 The Group The Spring Tune In Tomorrow 100 Films And A Funeral Cool Blue

01:20 02:10 03:00 03:55 04:50 05:40 07:20 08:10 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:40 13:20 14:10 15:00 15:55 16:50 17:40 19:20 20:10 21:00 21:55 22:50 23:40

America: The Story Of The Us Clash Of The Gods Deep Sea Detectives Deep Wreck Mysteries Deep Sea Salvage The Real Robin Hood America: The Story Of The Us Clash Of The Gods Deep Sea Detectives Deep Wreck Mysteries Deep Sea Salvage The Real Robin Hood America: The Story Of The Us Clash Of The Gods Deep Sea Detectives Deep Wreck Mysteries Deep Sea Salvage The Real Robin Hood America: The Story Of The Us Clash Of The Gods Ancient Wonders Battle Against Rome Egypt: Land Of The Gods Modern Marvels

01:25 03:20 05:10 07:00 08:40 10:15 12:10 13:40 15:20 17:00 18:35 20:05 22:00 23:35

Play Dirty-FAM Les Girls-FAM Kim-FAM To Have And Have Not-FAM Escape From Fort Bravo-FAM Gigi-FAM Flipper-FAM Rose Marie-FAM The Liquidator-FAM Pat And Mike-FAM Spinout-FAM The V.I.P.S-FAM Reckless-FAM Zabriskie Point-FAM

Classifieds SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Sharing accommodation available in Abbassiya near United Indian school and Apsara bazaar with Keralite Christian family in a C-A/C new building with two bedroom, two bathroom.

Working ladies or couples preferred.

Contact: 67731613. (C 3320) 8-5-2011 Sharing accommodation available for decent Keralite bachelor in Abbassiya near German clinic.

Call 66941892.

(C 3319) Sharing accommodation available for families or working women from June 1st onwards, in a new building with two room and two toilet, behind United Indian school, Abbassiya. Contact: 66772421, 66552412.

(C 3318) 7-4-2011 One big room with attached bath available for decent couple or single bachelor in Fintas 3 BR CA/C flat, near the London hospital and close to

Fahaheel highway. Please contact: 60020168.

(C 3317) 5-4-2011 Keralite family on vacation, flat available for 2 months (June - July). in Abbassiya Call 97121669. (C 3313) 4-5-2011 One bedroom available for Keralite couples or working lady in Abbassiya near Orma restaurant with a family. Contact: 99494671.

(C 3308) 3-5-2011 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 bed-

room, 2 bathroom, for family or bachelor with Indian couple. Contact: 99467432.

(C 3300) 28-4-2011

SITUATION WANTED

Indian male B.Com, 25 years Gulf experience (Kuwait & UAE) in management, procurement, sales, seeks senior position, experience in oil field materials, hard wares, power and hand tools, timber, steel, building materials etc. Contact: 66889375.

(C 3302) 4-5-2011 Housemaid urgently needed- preferably Sri Lanka, Indonesian and India. Call - 97785326 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

CHANGE OF NAME I, Shavaz, holder of Pakistan Passport No. KH048265, hereby change my name to Abdul Ahad Fayyaz. (C 3309) 3-5-2011

MISCELLANEOUS Required 2003 - 2004 model Honda Accord, full option or regular, 4 cylinder, in excellent condition.

Tel: 60005317, 99976051.

30-4-2011

LOST I, Nusheen Mustafa Kardame, Indian Passport holder No: G2641002, have lost my B.Com certificate and mark sheet a week ago at Al-Rai bus stop. Anybody who happens to find it please contact 66804400.

(C 3316) I, Nida Mustafa Kardame, Indian Passport holder No: G2640931 have lost my B.Com certificate and mark

sheet a week ago at Al-Rai bus stop. Anybody who happens to find it please contact 67761591. (C 3315) 4-5-2011

FOR SALE 2009 model Toyota Corolla, excellent condition, price KD 3450. Tel: 60951195.

(C 3307) SUV Envoy, model 2007, very good condition, price KD 3700. Tel: 66728911.

(C 3311) 3-5-2011

SITUATION VACANT Driver wanted urgently for a decent Kuwaiti family.

Indians with local experience preferred temporary for 3 months. Please contact 99006777 for immediate appointment. (C 3312)

for live -in maid. Call 65729276, 66104141.

(C 3310) American family in Salwa needs full time, live -in maid, start immediately.

Must speak English. Call 66838807 after 4pm.

(C 3306) 3-5-2011

American family looking

MATRIMONIAL Proposals invited for postgraduate (MBA) Kuwait employed, Orthodox girl 28/160, planning vacation May-June.

Contact: gegekutty@hotmail.com / palliyilus@yahoo.com (C 3314) 4-5-2011

No: 15082

PC Compaq Pentium 4, HD 20 GB, Ram 128 MB (expandable), Windows XP professional with 15â&#x20AC;? 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

DIAL 161 FOR AIRPORT INFORMATION In case you are not travelling, your proper cancellation of bookings will help other passengers to use seats Airlines RJA KAC JZR THY ETH UAE DHX ETD FDB GFA QTR JZR JZR FCX JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC IRA KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY IRA ETD GFA IRC FCX MEA JZR JZR JZR JZR RBG KAC MSR UAL RJA

Flt 319 544 267 772 620 853 370 305 67 211 138 207 223 201 555 412 157 206 382 615 302 332 53 678 352 284 855 132 125 603 301 213 6801 203 404 165 121 549 561 3553 672 610 982 640

Arrival Flights on Sunday 8/5/2011 Route AMMAN CAIRO BEIRUT ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA DAMASCUS ALEPPO DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MANILA / BANGKOK LONDON ISLAMABAD DELHI SHAHRE KORD MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DUBAI MUSCAT / DUBAI COCHIN DHAKA DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH SHIRAZ ABU DHABI BAHRAIN AHWAZ DUBAI BEIRUT DUBAI BAHRAIN ALEXANDRIA SOHAG ALEXANDRIA / SOHAG DUBAI CAIRO WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN

Time 0:05 0:30 0:35 1:15 1:45 2:25 2:55 2:55 3:10 3:15 3:20 3:55 5:20 5:25 6:10 6:15 6:30 7:15 7:20 7:35 7:50 7:55 7:55 8:00 8:05 8:10 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:25 9:30 9:35 10:15 10:30 10:55 11:10 11:15 11:20 12:30 12:55 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35

KAC SVA VOS KAC KAC JZR QTR ETD UAE GFA SVA JZR JZR ABY JZR JZR KAC KAC KAC KAC ALK KAC KAC JAI FDB OMA MEA KAC VOS DHX KAC UAE KAC GFA QTR UAL AFG AIC JZR JZR JZR DLH AXB KLM JZR PIA

774 500 77 788 746 257 134 303 857 215 510 777 239 127 213 177 166 542 618 786 227 102 674 572 61 647 402 552 81 372 512 859 172 217 136 981 405 981 135 787 185 636 389 447 481 205

RIYADH JEDDAH BAGHDAD JEDDAH ABU DHABI / DAMMAM BEIRUT DOHA ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH AMMAN SHARJAH DEIREZZOR DUBAI PARIS / ROME CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH COLOMBO NEW YORK / LONDON DUBAI MUMBAI DUBAI MUSCAT BEIRUT DAMASCUS BAGHDAD BAHRAIN TEHRAN DUBAI FRANKFURT BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN KABUL / DUBAI CHENNAI / AHMEDABAD BAHRAIN RIYADH DUBAI FRANKFURT KOZHIKODE / MANGALORE AMSTERDAM / BAHRAIN SABIHA LAHORE

13:40 14:30 15:00 15:00 15:05 15:10 15:15 16:50 16:55 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:35 17:40 17:50 18:00 18:40 18:50 18:55 19:00 19:00 19:25 19:25 19:35 20:00 20:10 20:15 20:15 20:15 21:00 21:00 21:15 21:20 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:35 23:00 23:10 23:35 23:50 23:55

Airlines AXB DLH DLH AIC BBC BBC THY ETH UAE FDB DHX ETD JZR QTR JZR RJA GFA VOS JZR BAW IRA FDB KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC UAE ABY KAC QTR ETD KAC GFA IRA IRC FCX MEA KAC JZR JZR JZR KAC

Flt 394 637 637 976 46 46 773 620 854 68 371 306 548 139 164 643 212 94 120 156 614 54 171 671 745 256 787 856 126 117 133 302 773 214 602 6802 204 405 541 776 212 238 103

Departure Flights on Sunday 8/5/2011 Route COCHIN / KOZHIKODE FRANKFURT FRANKFURT GOA / CHENNAI DHAKA DHAKA ISTANBUL BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA DUBAI DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI ALEXANDRIA DOHA DUBAI AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI / KANDAHAR BAHRAIN LONDON SHAHRE KORD DUBAI FRANKFURT DUBAI DAMMAM / ABU DHABI BEIRUT JEDDAH DUBAI SHARJAH NEW YORK DOHA ABU DHABI RIYADH BAHRAIN SHIRAZ AHWAZ DUBAI BEIRUT CAIRO JEDDAH DEIREZZOR AMMAN LONDON

Time 0:15 0:40 0:40 0:50 1:00 1:00 2:15 2:30 3:45 3:50 3:55 4:05 4:20 5:00 6:55 7:00 7:10 8:00 8:20 8:25 8:35 8:40 8:55 9:00 9:05 9:10 9:25 9:40 9:50 10:00 10:00 10:15 10:20 10:20 10:25 11:15 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:05 12:10 12:30

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

VOS KAC RBG JZR MSR RJA UAL KAC KAC SVA JZR QTR KAC ETD UAE GFA ABY JZR SVA JZR JZR JZR KAC ALK KAC JAI FDB KAC KAC OMA MEA DHX UAE GFA FCX QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR JZR UAL KAC KAC

78 785 3554 176 611 641 982 673 617 503 480 135 511 304 858 216 128 184 511 786 204 134 283 228 361 571 62 343 351 648 403 373 860 218 102 137 301 205 502 554 530 981 411 415

BAGHDAD JEDDAH ALEXANDRIA DUBAI CAIRO AMMAN BAHRAIN DUBAI DOHA MEDINAH / JEDDAH SABIHA DOHA TEHRAN ABU DHABI DUBAI BAHRAIN SHARJAH DUBAI RIYADH RIYADH DAMASCUS BAHRAIN DHAKA DUBAI / COLOMBO COLOMBO MUMBAI DUBAI CHENNAI COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT BAHRAIN DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD LUXOR ALEXANDRIA ASSIUT WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK / MANILA KUALA LUMPUR / JAKARTA

12:30 13:30 13:35 13:40 14:20 14:30 14:45 15:10 15:35 15:45 16:00 16:15 16:30 17:35 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:25 18:35 18:40 18:55 19:10 20:00 20:10 20:20 20:35 20:40 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 22:00 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:35 23:40 23:40 23:50

34

star CROSSWORD 311

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

s

STAR TRACK

CALVIN & HOBBES

Aries (March 21-April 19) Someone may put the damper on what you say or think in some way. You may feel that unimportant feeling that we all feel from time to time. Stop trying to be expressive and also, realize that your timing could be a little off. This other person has more of an urgent need to be heard and may need an understanding. When all is said and done, you may be surprised at how the conversation will change and deepen. Lovers, children and other people or things dear to your heart are emphasized now. Being appreciated and admired for your gifts and talents is a powerful need and friends and family show gratitude. Travel gets the green light now and if you are not traveling you could be planning for a trip very soon. New scenery can be programmed.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) You have a strong desire for beauty and harmony. Your creative abilities are heightened. Working with creative hobbies on the weekend helps to lighten your mood. There is a feeling of accomplishment and relaxation. It is much easier to come up with creative options if you are familiar with the creative side of your brain. If you are romantically available, there is the possibility that you will discover more good things about your sweetheart today. The good life, and all that is fine and luxurious, may be what you value just now. You may be the one that appreciates where the money is coming from and you are also the one to carefully find the right places to invest and save. You teach balance and you are a good mentor.

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. An impudent or insolent rejoinder.

5. A grant made by a law court.

10. The use of nuclear magnetic resonance of protons to produce proton density images.

13. A member of an Iroquoian people formerly living on the south shore of Lake Erie in northern Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania and western New York.

14. A clique that seeks power usually through intrigue.

15. Belonging to or on behalf of a specified person (especially yourself).

16. Formerly the basic unit of money in Hungary until it was replaced by the forint in 1946.

18. (of a young animal) Abandoned by its mother and raised by hand.

19. A federal agency that supervises carriers that transport goods and people between states.

20. Very spicy sauce made from tabasco peppers.

22. A flat wing-shaped process or winglike part of an organism.

25. Late time of life.

28. A rapid bustling commotion.

31. A Mid-Atlantic state.

33. A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal.

34. Half the width of an em.

35. A Chadic language spoken south of Lake Chad.

37. A barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports.

41. Jordan's port.

43. Reduce to lay status.

45. Large brownish-green New Zealand parrot.

47. South American armadillo with three bands of bony plates.

48. French soldier said to be fearless and chivalrous (14731524).

51. A light strong brittle gray toxic bivalent metallic element.

52. Long green edible beaked pods of the okra plant.

56. A federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

59. An associate degree in applied science.

60. Pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance.

63. A hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland that controls the degree of pigmentation in melanocytes.

64. The basic unit of money in Bangladesh.

65. Squash bugs.

66. Any of various primates with short tails or no tail at all.

DOWN 1. The month following August and preceding October.

2. A particular geographical region of indefinite boundary (usually serving some special purpose or distinguished by its people or culture or geography).

3. In the Arabian Nights a hero who tells of the fantastic adventures he had in his voyages.

4. United States sculptor (born in 1924).

5. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

6. A city in east central Texas.

7. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

8. Twist or braid together, interlace.

9. A chronic skin disease occurring primarily in women between the ages of 20 and 40.

10. South American plant cultivated for its large fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers.

11. Possessing material wealth.

12. A ruler of the Inca Empire (or a member of his family).

17. Port city on southern Honshu on Osaka Bay. 21. Before noon.

23. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

24. A port city in southwestern Turkey on the Gulf of Antalya.

26. An accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape.

27. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

29. United States labor organizer who ran for President as a socialist (1855-1926).

30. Belonging to some prior time.

32. A coffee cake flavored with orange rind and raisins and almonds.

36. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

38. A state in the southeastern United States on the Gulf of Mexico.

39. (Greek mythology) The Titan who was father of Atlas and Epimetheus and Prometheus in ancient mythology.

40. The branch of computer science that deal with writing computer programs that can solve problems creatively.

42. Characterized by lightness and insubstantiality.

44. Electronic equipment that provides visual images of varying electrical quantities.

46. A public promotion of some product or service.

49. The capital of Western Samoa.

50. Noisy talk.

51. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

53. God of love and erotic desire.

54. Uttering in an irritated tone.

55. United States tennis player who was the first Black to win United States and English singles championships (1943-1993).

57. A decree that prohibits something.

58. A constellation in the southern hemisphere near Telescopium and Norma.

61. (Akkadian) God of wisdom.

62. A silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You could find yourself mentally acute and in a problem-solving mood. However, there is a real possibility that the decisions you make today and the solutions you find may have to be redone tomorrow. To solve this problem try to eliminate the possibility of spreading yourself too thin. Your intuition is sharp and you may find some new insights today as you begin to pace yourself. These new ideas could be written down and saved for a day in which you have more time and space. You may find some good opportunities available in the financial sector of your personal life now. This could take form of an investment purchase. Make a promise to yourself to end your food consumption by sunset each evening. You will achieve weight goals and sleep better.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

Your mind may be very clear as you think about the next steps you want to take to improve or change your living surroundings. It will be easy to organize your thoughts and communication of all kinds is furthered.

Begin writing a book, taking a class or teaching a subject. Your thoughts count now, so use your mind and communicate. Friends, group projects and community concerns could play a key role in your day. Charity and humanitarian efforts can influence your life-path. This is a nice day that should just flow along well. You could feel real support and harmony at this time for circumstances and those around you. You think a lot about appearances—how things come across or might appear to others. Your analytical powers are superb and you find answers.

Leo (July 23-August 22) Practical decisions are easier when you find yourself working in a problem-solving situation this morning. You have the ability to focus on a particular subject in order to point out possible changes in some project and help instigate a change, if necessary. A shopping trip is successful. Your sense of taste and discrimination is excellent and you may find yourself purchasing a fine piece of art. Your problem-solving energy seems to carry through later this afternoon when you could become occupied with a friend. A friend may need to know the truth about a sensitive subject; however, now may not be the right time to reveal all of your knowledge. You will be looking for ways to entertain some co-worker friends this evening.

ZITS

Virgo (August 23-September 22) Some sort of temporary obstacle may appear this morning.

With your attention to the matter, the situation will gain little attention. The important thing is that your awareness is focused in the present so that you are able to be helpful to whatever situation needs your attention. Your ability to insert a sense of humor into some of the most frustrating situations is quite commendable.

You have a natural way of expressing yourself and can add light moments to other people’s lives. This afternoon gives way to entertainment with friends. The exchanging of information takes on emotional significance. Being involved with a variety of individuals gives you a variety of experiences—enhancing your life. You may find yourself as a guide for others today.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

You are ready to enjoy those cozy, instructive conversations with friends and loved ones. You and your friends may decide to camp or enjoy a day trip—perhaps photographing spring flowers.

You might be surprised at just how many plants are edible and can go into your next salad. You can be particularly witty and make stimulating company most any time—you are in a particularly generous and warm mood today.

You are quite popular in social circles and melt even the coldest heart. There is talk this afternoon of new places to visit and people that you may know from faraway places. There are extravagant gardens that may be the deciding point on future trips.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) Wherever you are today, you will find projects or activities move along in positive ways. There is a keen interest in what makes things tick and who or what, pulls the strings. Figuring out ways to make your nest egg grow can be a profitable preoccupation as well. You have the patience to wait before launching a plan. This is a wise move for you at this time, but may temporarily confuse others. Your energies are most positive. Friends are impressed by your ability to change the old and adapt to the new. Someone is graduating, getting married or embarking on some life experience and you may decide to do a bit of shopping for this person. Set the example and find a practical gift. Step outside the norm this evening and enjoy a little different entertainment.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) Your energy is high. Routine matters, however, may make you feel trapped. You will want to do things that you feel are more worthy of your attention this Saturday. This could result in more attention toward political issues, professional plans or personal projects. Perhaps a group needs to band together in order to help create an awareness of some housing problems or transportation needs for the elderly. Whatever the case this is the day people come together under your organized skill to successfully accomplish important things. You can also make your own cherished dreams come true this month—now is a good time to begin by creating a plan. After all, with a plan, the progress, change or fun can take its first steps.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19)

To

A feeling that anything is possible if you set your sights high enough characterizes the cycle you have just begun. There is optimism, faith and a tendency to take chances. This is a time of exploring your feelings, a kind of restlessness for new emotional experience: divine wanderlust.

You encourage others with your attitude. Love is here for the taking. All you have to do is reach out—better yet, create a romantic environment and enjoy the afternoon. Consider a picnic along the riverbanks or beside a lakeshore. There are shock waves when it comes to a sports game later today. A team that usually scores low is the winner today. Quiet time this evening, especially after this full day, is a great way to bring unsettled energies into balance.

Yesterday’s Solution Yester

Aquarius (January 20- February 18) You may have an increase in finances due to speculation or a contest today. However, you should avoid spending sprees.

Technological wonders catch your eye this afternoon and you make new discoveries. This is an easy, calm day that should find everything running in a smooth manner. Interaction with an older person in the family may be in the forecast later today. Listen to the stories and give this person some of your time—you can afford it! You will find yourself easily working with—rather than against—the flow of energy. You may enjoy some athletic or exercise activity such as, bike riding with young people or your friends. Close personal ties to other people are a focus for your feelings now. Romance is possible this evening.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Make sure both your expectations and your abilities are realistic before diving into something you may not be able to get out of without a great deal of frustrations. There is a collision of powerful energies spilling into your life now—in unpredictable ways. You may enjoy sharing turns to talk about some future goals with a close friend today. You may be ready for some changes and hearing your thoughts out loud helps to brings about a focus. You may also trade some newly learned problem-solving techniques with each other.

This is a good day to make changes that improve your feeling of safety in the home. This may mean installing a new smoke detector, handrail, or fixing the leak in the kitchen sink. Unexpected twists deepen a love relationship.

A

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Years

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 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

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

AIRLINES

PHARMACIES 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

Psychologists /Psychotherapists

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

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

25339330

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

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

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

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

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

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

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

Dr. Mohammad Zubaid MB, ChB, FRCPC, PACC Assistant Professor Of Medicine Head, Division of Cardiology Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Farida Al-Habib MD, PH.D, FACC Inaya German Medical Center Te: 2575077 Fax: 25723123

2611555-2622555

William Schuilenberg, RPC 2290-1677 Zaina Al Zabin, M.Sc. 2290-1677

Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antiga Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia Botswana Brazil Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands

0093 00355 00213 00376 00244 001264 001268 0054 00374 0061 0043 001242 00973 00880 001246 00375 0032 00501 00229 001441 00975 00591 00387 00267 0055 00673 00359 00226 00257 00855 00237 001 00238 001345

Central African Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Congo Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Cyprus (Northern) Czech Republic Denmark Diego Garcia Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador England (UK) Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia

00236 00235 0056 0086 0057 00269 00242 00682 00506 00385 0053 00357 0090392 00420 0045 00246 00253 001767 001809 00593 0020 00503 0044 00240 00291 00372 00251 00500 00298 00679 00358 0033 00594 00689

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

lifestyle

British style and elegance on display BBF-BLS charity fashion show raises funds

By Sawsan Kazak

KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Hilal Al-Sayer and his spouse.

KUWAIT: The British Business Forum (BBF) in collaboration with The British Ladies Society (BLS) organized a charity fashion show on Friday night. Held at the British Embassy, the garden was transformed for a night of high fashion, shopping and fun. Complete with a catwalk, the night showcased British style and design all for a good cause.

The doors opened at 5:00pm for some pre-show shopping. Vendors lined the entrance, offering items of clothing and accessories at unbeatable prices. The fashion show began at 7:00pm with the beautiful male and female models displaying outfits from British clothing brands. The audience of over 400 was treated to a spectacular one hour show of casual and formal attires. The designers showcased were Alice by Temperley, Jaeger, Karen Millen, Next, Shashika, Top Man, and Matthew Williamson.

The fashion show was then followed by a buffet dinner and an after party. A raffle draw was also held with prizes including airplane tickets and weekend stays in luxurious hotels in Kuwait courtesy of many sponsors.

The event was attended by the British Ambassador to Kuwait Frank Baker and his wife. The event was created as a fundraiser to raise money for well deserving charities. Any surplus money from the event will be donated to two charitable organizations; one in Kuwait and the other in the UK. The Kuwaiti charitable organization is the Bayt Abdullah Children’s Hospice. This organization aids in the care-taking of terminally ill children either at home or in the hospice. The UK charity benefiting from this fundraiser is the Breakthrough Breast Cancer charity. This organization is dedicated to eradicating breast cancer through research, campaigning and education.

For more information on these charities can be found on their websites: www.bachh.org and www.breakthrough.org.uk .

KUWAIT: British Ambassador to Kuwait Frank Baker and his spouse at the ceremony.

— Photos by Yasser Al Zayyat

Pagodon ‘40th birthday’ Exhibition

D

esigned by Antonio Marras for the Brand’s Anniversary, “40th Birthday” is a collection composed of unique pieces exclusively for the Middle East. “40th Birthday” represents a shimmering exposition of KENZO’s biodiversity, suggesting alternately the vegetable, animal or mineral world. For “40th Birthday Exhibition”, Pagodon - the iconic KENZO bag - reveals its finest attire : an array of ornaments and colors with shades from the paradise of KENZO For KENZO’s 40th Anniversary, Pagodon becomes a most precious object of desire.

The story of the KENZO Pagodon A true globe-trotter, the KENZO Pagodon was born at Place des Victoires, in the heart of Paris, in Spring 1998. Brought to distant cultures, every detail of Pagodon’s design sounds like a travel souvenir. Fixed by nickel ties shaped like a kimono collar, its flexible handle, covered in tightly-spiralled leather strips, evokes the handle of a teapot. The Pagodon’s

shape is inspired by South East Asian harvesting baskets. Like a real bundle, it closes with a small rope.

Finally, its name evokes a symbol of the Land of the Rising Sun where its creator, Kenzo Takada, was born. With the arrival of Antonio Marras as KENZO’s Artistic Director, since the Fall-Winter 2004 collection, the iconic Pagodon has appeared on the catwalk and expands its horizon through the creative travels and imagination of Antonio Marras.

A

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SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

Years

lifestyle

TAKREEM Arab Achievement Awards 2011 makes 350 million Arabs proud

DOHA: Under the auspices of His Highness, the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and in association with the Qatari Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, prominent Achievers were honored for their outstanding accomplishments, during an exclusive Ceremony held at the Cultural Village Katara, Qatar.

This memorable evening was hosted by Al Jazeera anchorwoman Leila Al-Shaikhli, and graced by the presence of five hundred distinguished Arab and International personalities.

The 2011 Award Ceremony, the second edition of the TAKREEM Arab Achievement Awards, is the culmination of a year of passionate and devoted endeavors, where the laureates in each award category are rewarded.

This year, a new honor, the Lifetime Achievement recognition was established to acknowledge two inspiring individuals whose pioneering spirit and lifelong dedication have had a significant impact on society: • Helen Thomas - Lebanon / United States of America • The late Hassib Sabbagh - Palestine, represented by his daughter Sana Sabbagh A press conference was organized afterwards on May 1st, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, where members of the media community and other personalities met with the

• The Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage of Qatar Supporter of Cultural Excellence Award • Salam International - Supporter of Outstanding Corporate Leader Award • Alsumaria - Supporter of Young Entrepreneur Award • Manaseer Group - Supporter of Innovation in Education Award • Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) Supporter of Scientific and Technological Achievement Award • Renault-Nissan Alliance - Supporter of the Arab Woman of the Year Award • Total - Supporter of the Environmental Development and Sustainability Award

The TAKREEM Award Categories: A renowned International Jury comprising Her Majesty Queen Noor Al Hussein, HE Dr. Lakhdar Brahimi, Dr Mohamed El Baradei, HE Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, Mr. Carlos Ghosn and Mr. Raja Sidawi, has been entrusted with conducting the second screening process, affirming the final selections in order to announce the 2011 laureates in their respective Awards Categories on the night of the Ceremony: • The TAKREEM Award for the Advancement of Peace: Arab Youth Movement in memor y of the late Mohamed Bouazizi, represented by his brother Salem Bouazizi.

• The TAKREEM Award for Philanthropy and Charitable Services: Suad Juffali — Kingdom of Saudi Arabia • The TAKREEM Arab Women of the Year Award: 2011 Award Laureates.

TAKREEM initiative was granted the active and valuable support of reputable organizations whose own practices in the area of corporate social responsibility reflect its own aspirations and help reinforce the prin-

Souhayr Belhassen — Tunis • The TAKREEM Award for Exceptional Contribution to Arab Society: George Galloway — United Kingdom • The TAKREEM Award for Innovation in Education: Elham Palestine Community — Palestine, represented by HE Lamis Alalami • The TAKREEM Young Entrepreneur Award: Samar Muhareb — Jordan • The TAKREEM Award for Environmental Development and Sustainability: Nature Iraq — Iraq, represented by Azzam Alwash • The TAKREEM Award for Science and Technological Achievement: Mujid Kazimi — Palestine • The TAKREEM Award for Cultural Excellence: Mohamad Ghani — Iraq • The TAKREEM Award for Outstanding Corporate Leader: Ghanim Bin Saad Al Saad — Qatar ciples it values. Supporting partners for the 2011 TAKREEM Arab Achievement Awards include: • Consolidated Contracting Company (CCC) - Supporter of Philanthropy and Charitable Services Award

The TAKREEM Arab Achievement Awards is committed to becoming an annual landmark that will shape a brighter perception of Arabs worldwide.

This truly exceptional initiative, envisioned by eminent media figure Ricardo Karam, the Chairman and CEO of TAKREEM, gives “distinction and merit” to prominent figures in society. By honoring Arab excellence and leadership around the world, TAKREEM Arab Achievement Awards wishes to contribute in creating role models and in inspiring present and future generations.

(From right ) Minister of Arts And Heritage Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari, Adana Al-Rashed Deputy Editor-inchief Alanbaa newspaper, Abd Al-Rahman Alyan Kuwait Times Editor-in-chief, Fareed Saloum Advertising Manager Al-Anbaa and Adnan Saad Markiting Manager Kuwait TImes.

Ricardo Karam Chairman and CEO of TAKREEM

(From left) Bob Debbas, Saida Benani-Smires and Ghada Mous

Samar Muhareb

Sana Hassib Sabbagh

Ghanim Bin Saad Al Saad

Mujid Kazimi

Lamis Al Alami

Azzam Alwash

Suad Juffali

Souhayr Belhassen

Mohamad Ghani

Helen Thomas

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

lifestyle

Fun, sun and

rafting at

Shaab club

KUWAIT: Honda team members celebrating the cup of the tournament in men’s category at the raft race yesterday. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

By Sawsan Kazak

Rafters team members pose with the cup of the second place.

Alcatel Lucent team members came at the third place at the raft race competition at Shaab Club.

KUWAIT: Hundreds gathered on Friday at the Shaab Club for an exciting day of competitions as well as fun on the beach. The Shaab Club beach was packed with people who enjoyed the great weather and sporting activities.

The sunny day began with exciting raft races that were held in three categories, which were followed by action-packed football matches. Kuwait Times and Seba med were among the main sponsors of the event.

The categories of raft racing were divided into three: Men’s, Ladies and Mixed. Trophies were awarded to the top three teams in each category. The first place winners in the men’s category were Honda, who clocked in a time of 5.35 minutes. Closely behind was the Grafters team who clocked in a time of

5.36 minutes. In third place was Alcatel that clocked in at 5.38 minutes.

In the Ladies category, Alcatel came in first finishing the race in 6.06 minutes.

The Honda team came in second with 6.39 minutes and in third was BSK with a time of 7.55 minutes. The Mixed category saw Honda emerge as winners with a time of 5.49 minutes and Alcatel was placed second with a time of six minutes.

Following the raft races, the audience took its place to watch the football match. The first prize winners were the Schlamberger team and in second place was Tecuovision/ Hungarians. The British School of Kuwait(BSK) won in the volleyball category. Other awards were given to the participating teams in Friday’s events. AUK took home the award for best dressed. The Grafters won for the most disciplined team.

Honda team members (Mixed) pose with medals of the second place in the raft race.

British School of Kuwait (BSK) team members (Mixed) celebrating their winning the third place.

Alcatel Lucent team members (Mixed ) pose with the medals of the first place in the raft race.

Men teams rowing out on starting the race.

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

lifestyle

Beautiful soft muscles striving to win the race.

SebaMedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ayman Al-Sharaa awarding a winner.

Drying up...

Children enjoying their time swimming.

.

ed team a in a mix

min r and sta ore powe

M

Refuge from the sun

ade it!

em Wow.....w

s cold. ater seem w .. .. .. r. rr

Brrrr

Fun Spring day at the Shaab Sea Cub

Al-Mutawwaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; watching the races.

e Part of th

Al-Sharaa awarding another winner.

Faster guys.........we can do it!

atches.

soccer m

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

lifestyle

Fun, sun and

rafting at

Shaab club

KUWAIT: Honda team members celebrating the cup of the tournament in men’s category at the raft race yesterday. —Photos by Joseph Shagra

By Sawsan Kazak

Rafters team members pose with the cup of the second place.

Alcatel Lucent team members came at the third place at the raft race competition at Shaab Club.

KUWAIT: Hundreds gathered on Friday at the Shaab Club for an exciting day of competitions as well as fun on the beach. The Shaab Club beach was packed with people who enjoyed the great weather and sporting activities.

The sunny day began with exciting raft races that were held in three categories, which were followed by action-packed football matches. Kuwait Times and Seba med were among the main sponsors of the event.

The categories of raft racing were divided into three: Men’s, Ladies and Mixed. Trophies were awarded to the top three teams in each category. The first place winners in the men’s category were Honda, who clocked in a time of 5.35 minutes. Closely behind was the Grafters team who clocked in a time of

5.36 minutes. In third place was Alcatel that clocked in at 5.38 minutes.

In the Ladies category, Alcatel came in first finishing the race in 6.06 minutes.

The Honda team came in second with 6.39 minutes and in third was BSK with a time of 7.55 minutes. The Mixed category saw Honda emerge as winners with a time of 5.49 minutes and Alcatel was placed second with a time of six minutes.

Following the raft races, the audience took its place to watch the football match. The first prize winners were the Schlamberger team and in second place was Tecuovision/ Hungarians. The British School of Kuwait(BSK) won in the volleyball category. Other awards were given to the participating teams in Friday’s events. AUK took home the award for best dressed. The Grafters won for the most disciplined team.

Honda team members (Mixed) pose with medals of the second place in the raft race.

British School of Kuwait (BSK) team members (Mixed) celebrating their winning the third place.

Alcatel Lucent team members (Mixed ) pose with the medals of the first place in the raft race.

Men teams rowing out on starting the race.

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

lifestyle

Beautiful soft muscles striving to win the race.

SebaMedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ayman Al-Sharaa awarding a winner.

Drying up...

Children enjoying their time swimming.

.

ed team a in a mix

min r and sta ore powe

M

Refuge from the sun

ade it!

em Wow.....w

s cold. ater seem w .. .. .. r. rr

Brrrr

Fun Spring day at the Shaab Sea Cub

Al-Mutawwaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; watching the races.

e Part of th

Al-Sharaa awarding another winner.

Faster guys.........we can do it!

atches.

soccer m

Fun, sun and rafting at Shaab club

SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2011

38 Paul McCartney to wed for third time

P

Members of China’s Circus Group of Henan Province perform during the Hi Seoul Festival 2011 in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, May 6, 2011. The performance features high-level artistic and acrobatic movements with Chinese martial arts.—AP

Free comics as publishers seek new readers I

t worked with ice cream so why wouldn’t it work with comics?

A decade after Joe Field saw people standing in line for free scoops of ice cream, the effort to lure new and lapsed readers by offering up free comic books has become an annual event embraced by publishers and comic book retailers eager for new customers. Field, who owns Flying Colors Comics in Conford, California, said that the idea for the event, now in its 10th year, was inspired by an ice cream shop. “I noticed a long line of people outside my store. The line was for Baskin Robbins ‘Free Scoop Night’ — and I thought to myself, ‘Comics are way cooler than ice cream! We should be able to do something bigger and better than Free Scoop Night.”‘ He wrote about the idea for an industry magazine and it took off from there.

“The first Free Comic Book Day featured just four publishers. This year, three dozen publishers are participating,” he said, including Marvel, DC Comics, Archie, Zenescope Entertainment, Image, Dark Horse and IDW. Geoff Johns, DC’s chief creative officer, called the event a way to celebrate “an American-born medium and educating and passing that passion off to other people.” Some 2.7 million copies of free comics are set to be handed out across America and in 40 other countries yesterday.

In Denmark, Morten Soendergaard is gearing up for his third such time hosting the event at the Fantask comic store in Copenhagen. “It is well-known among fans here but maybe not among a wider audience,” he said. Soendergaard said the shop

Joe Field poses with a Green Lantern comic book in his Flying Colors Comics shop Friday.—AP has ordered reprints of classic comic books, including Marvel, that will be “handed out for free on a first-come, first-served basis.”

In Germany, nine stores are participating in the event, including Berlin’s Grober Unfug.

A store salesman, Christoph Wienke said they received two boxes of free comics, or about 40 titles, including editions of Archie’s “Pep Comics Featuring Betty & Veronica,” DC’s “Green Lantern” and Bluewater Productions’ “The MisAdventures of Adam West,” a rollicking sto-

ry about the TV star who inadvertently becomes the man that saves the universe.

Michael “Mac” McEwen owns Mac’s Comics & Collectibles in Miami and he called Free Comic Book Day “the biggest day of the year” for stores to reach out to new fans.

He said that the summer slate of comics-oriented films isn’t hurting, either.

McEwen helped host a preview screening of “Thor” on Tuesday and handed out 700 flyers for Free Comic Day at the screening. T he first 1,000 people visited his store yesterday received a comic featuring Thor and Captain America, who also has a movie coming out this summer. A new “X-Men” will be released this season as well as “Green Lantern.” “With all the movies coming out, a lot of kids are picking it up, and then their parents are also getting involved,” he said.

Publishers have gravitated toward the event in increasing numbers every year, too, Field said. “Fortunately, Free Comic Book Day was never a case of herding cats — there has been a strong spirit of cooperation since the beginning,” he said. Tom Brevoort, Marvel’s senior vice president for publishing called it a chance to connect with readers of all backgrounds and ages.

“Free Comic Book Day is massively important to us, because it gives us the opportunity to reach out and hook the next generation of comic book readers, and to reconnect with lapsed readers of the past,” said Tom Brevoort, senior vice president at Marvel Comics. “And who doesn’t like free stuff?” The event features more than just comics, too. It’s also a chance for the artists and writers who pen the tales of superheroes, zombies, rodent

warriors and more to meet their readers and fans.

Joe Hill, the creator of IDW’s “Locke & Key” graphic novels likened the event to a “Geek Christmas” celebration. “Comic book stores are cathedrals built to pop culture, and Free Comic Book Day is a chance to convert as many folks to the faith as possible,” he said. “Stepping in to a great comic book store is like stepping into the shared imagination of America istelf, in all its giddy, bubblegum-colored glory. It’s a trip even non-comic book fans often find rewarding and Free Comic Book Day is the perfect excuse to make the pilgrimage.” Hill is taking part in the event for the first time and will be signing copies of his book at Jetpack Comics in Rochester, New Hampshire.

“It’s also a chance to spend an afternoon in a place that closely mirrors the inside of my own head. My brain is a lunch box packed with old comics, decoder rings and Bettie Page playing cards,” the writer said.

“Comic stores aren’t too terribly different.”

Dan Parent, who writes and draws Archie comics, said the event’s pull on new readers is palpable. “And even though all of them may not become avid comic readers, a portion of them will continue to read comics even on a casual basis,” he said.

“And for some kids who aren’t crazy about reading at a young age, this is a great way to get them started. I was one of those kids many years ago!”—AP

File: British musician Paul McCartney and his girlfriend Nancy Shevell as they watch Stella McCartney’s spring-summer 2011 ready to wear fashion collection show in Paris.—AP

Convicted Iranian film-makers to feature at Cannes

Seinfeld posts greatest hits on website

F

J

erry Seinfeld loves breakfast cereal, Superman and stand-up comedy. And on Friday he launched a website dedicated to one of those passions.

JerrySeinfeld.com will bring together highlights of the New York comedian’s 35 year stand-up career. It launched with three clips — including Seinfeld’s first appearance on “The Tonight Show” in 1981 — and another three videos will be posted every day. So what’s the deal? “When I was 10 years old, I started watching stand-up comedians on TV,” explained Seinfeld, 57, in a posting on the the website. “I fell in love with them and I’m just as fascinated with stand-up comedy today.” “... Somewhere out there are 10 year-olds just waiting to get hooked on this strange pursuit. This is for them.”

The new website will not feature dramatic episodes from Seinfeld’s most famous outing-the 1990s sitcom “Seinfeld” which is considered one of the most successful comedies on TV and which revolved around a fictionalized version of Seinfeld’s own life as a comedian.

But it will include stand-up segments that Seinfeld performed on the show. Seinfeld, a New York native, began his stand-up career in the late 1970s and continues to tour around the United States.—Reuters Jerry Seinfeld

aul McCartney is set to wed for the third time after proposing to his New York businesswoman girlfriend of four years, Nancy Shevell. The London-based spokesman for the former Beatle confirmed on Friday that McCartney and Shevell were engaged, but declined to give further details. “It’s true!”, said spokesman Stuart Bell, after People magazine broke news of the engagement. Shevell, 51, who is divorced, and the notoriously private McCartney, 68, are reported to have begun dating about four years ago, following the Fab Four singer’s bitter split with second wife, model Heather Mills.

They have been seen together frequently at celebrity events and on McCartney’s tours, and most recently posed for photos at a gala evening on Monday at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. A photo is displayed prominently on McCartney’s official website.

American celebrity magazine Us Weekly reported on Friday that the “Can’t Buy Me Love” singer popped the question last weekend “during a romantic candlelit dinner for two.”

People magazine said McCartney had given Shevell a ring, although she did not appear to be wearing it when the couple posed on the red carpet at Monday’s Museum event. “They have the right chemistry. They’re both cool, chilled out and optimistic,” People magazine quoted an unidentified source close to Shevell as saying. McCartney was happily married for 29 years to American photographer Linda Eastman until her death of breast cancer in 1998. He said at the time that he and Linda had spent just 11 nights apart during their marriage.

Ever the romantic, his second marriage just four years later in 2002 to British ex-model Heather Mills took observers by surprise. The relationship quickly turned sour, ending in divorce in 2008 and an acrimonious legal battle over money. About a year after separating from Mills in 2006, McCartney reportedly met and began dating Shevell, who sits on the board of New York’s transportation authority.

Famously tight-lipped about his personal life, McCartney said in 2008 of their relationship, “I just like being in love.” McCartney’s partnership with John Lennon in The Beatles in 1960s Britain produced some of the most famous and enduring pop songs of the past 50 years. Now formally known as Sir Paul McCartney after receiving a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, he is one of the wealthiest musicians in Britain, with an estimated fortune of 495 million pounds ($811 million), according to Britain’s Sunday Times newspaper. McCartney has five children-four from his marriage to Linda Eastman, and one from his brief union with Mills. Shevell has a teenage daughter.—Reuters

A file picture shows Iranian film director Jafar Panahi during an interview with AFP in Tehran.—AFP

ilms by two convicted Iranian directors, Jafar Panahi and Mohammad Rasoulof, made in “semi-clandestine conditions”, will be shown at this month’s Cannes film festival, organizers said yesterday. Panahi’s “In Film Nist” (“This is not a Film”), will be included in the official selection and screened on May 20, a statement said. Rasoulof’s “Be Omid e Didar” (“Goodbye”) will be shown on May 14 in the parallel Un Certain Regard section of the festival.

The organizers said the two films had only reached the festival “in recent days.” “Mohammad Rasoulof’s film and the conditions under which it was made, Jafar Panahi’s ‘diary’ of the days of his life as an artist not allowed to work, are by their very existence a resistance to the legal action which affects them,” said the statement. “That they send them to Cannes, at the same time, the same year, when they face the same fate, is an act of courage along with an incredible artistic message.”

“The reality of being alive and the dream of keeping cinema alive motivated us to go through the existing limitations in Iranian cinema,” the organizers quoted a letter from Panahi sent to the festival on May 5 as saying. “‘In Film Nist’ tells how, for months, Jafar Panahi waited for the verdict of his court appeal,” the statement said. “Through the depiction of a day in his life, Jafar Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb (a documentary filmmaker and former assistant director), we offer an overview of the current situation of Iranian cinema.” “Be Omid e Didar” a feature film with Leyla Zareh, Fereshteh Sadreorafai, Shahab Hoseini and Roya Teymorian, “is the story of a young lawyer in Tehran in search of a visa to leave the country, which is what Mohammad Rasoulof did during the winter of 2010-2011.”—AFP