16 Jun

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THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

US Congress opens hearings on Islam in prison

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Amir warns against chaos, calls for unity Sheikh Sabah slams wrangling MPs, urges respect of law from the editor’s desk

Amir touches right nerve

By Abd Al-Rahman Al-Alyan

myopinion@kuwaittimes.net

I

t’s refreshing to see the leadership of the country addressing the main concerns of the nation. I have to say that HH the Amir has placed his finger straight on the wound in the speech he made last night. The security of our nation must be on the forefront of every Kuwaiti agenda. HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah showed his concern over the recent events that have taken place in Kuwait’s political scene and warned of the threats it will cause to the unity of our nation. He went on to say what many of us have said before - that some politicians are now abusing democracy and the constitution to serve personal agendas, personal vendettas or just settle a personal score.

There is a sense of concern and dismay among many people in Kuwait over how this country has come to a standstill. We face a problem in every department and the infrastructure of this country needs heavy maintenance and we all know what the problem is and how to solve it. However, all these problems are never solved because of personal political disputes that halt every proposed development project.

In this parliament, our government is not valued by merit or achievement by our parliamentarians and that makes ministers’ jobs extremely difficult as they have to decide between serving the interests of the country and making many political enemies or pleasing MPs’ personal interests and allow the country to deteriorate the way it is now.

HH the Amir emphasized on the importance of the unity of this nation by stating that “our nation cannot withstand internal divisions and we have to be alert of the many dangers and challenges that face us in the wake of developments taking place in the region and its immediate reflections on our national security”. We are living in a very volatile region that never fully sleeps in peace. If it’s not wars, there are always tensions between countries in this region and many would try to play a role in destabilizing our beloved country to serve their own interests.

Kuwait is a small country and if we allow divisions and political disputes to destabilize our unity, then this country will not survive external dangers such as the one we faced in 1990. If it wasn’t for the stability and unity of this nation, and of course the great international relations Kuwait enjoyed, then we would still be under the occupation of Saddam’s regime. It seems that some of our parliamentarians have forgotten that and they have no problems causing internal divisions and even interfering in the internal issues of friendly nations, which eventually affects Kuwait’s international relations.

We are blessed with a healthy lifestyle that is a blessing from God. In a recent economic report, Kuwait was positioned in the 14th place in a list of the world’s richest countries. The report published by economic magazine Global Finance showed that Kuwait had an average income of $38,984 per person in 2010. Despite the nonmoving wheel of development, Kuwait is still in a strong healthy position and this nation enjoys riches and political freedoms that our constitution has bestowed on us. I add my voice to the Amir’s by saying it is our duty as Kuwaitis to protect the unity of our nation so we can continue to enjoy the lifestyle we are blessed with.

May God bless Kuwait and all those who live on its land.

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah addresses the nation yesterday.— KUNA

KUWAIT: HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah warned against chaos in a speech to the nation yesterday.

The Amir began by thanking citizens and expatriates in Kuwait for “the sincere feelings” they showed during and after his recent medical trip to London. “I’d like to express high appreciation for the impressive public welcome I’ve received upon my return to the dear homeland; this materializes the warm ties among us as members of the big Kuwaiti family. Let us renew our oath of allegiance to the homeland and remain steadfast in protecting the country’s safety and unity,” he said.

“Dear brothers, sisters and sons: Out of profound sense of responsibility I feel obliged to address you as father to sons and share with you the concerns over the ongoing events on the local and regional scales. The people of Kuwait have been living as one coherent family from generation to generation united by common destiny and love and dedication for the homeland. While handing down these values to the next generations, we proudly recall and pay tribute to the sacrifices made during the most bitter catastrophe in Kuwait’s modern history - the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. All Kuwaitis, men and women, old and young, stood valiantly as one in the face of the powers of destruction and sabotage. All of them were held in high esteem in the eyes of the whole

Max 43º Min 31º Low Tide 05:44 & 19:01 High Tide 00:42 & 23:07

world,” the Amir recalled.

“Dear brothers, sisters and sons: You may have followed the practices which took place at the National Assembly.

These are very serious and harmful practices that went beyond the parameters of the constitution and the national interests - they are after mere personal political gains. Some (MPs) overshot the controls set by the constitution to protect democracy and freedom and deviated from the genuine values of the Kuwait society such respect for the law and constitution and commitment to decency.

They went as far as to infringe on the dignity of others and offend sisterly and friendly countries. Yes, we as many other nations, have to admit that we have shortcomings in the employment sector and many other fields but we have to work together to find the best possible solutions. When could problems be solved by feuds or wrangling or chaos?” he asked.

“Dear brothers, sisters and sons: There’s room neither for feud nor wrangling nor chaos that could jeopardize the nation’s security, wealth and gains. Thank God, we enjoy true democracy, integrated constitution, free press and elected parliament. We have to shoulder our national responsibilities to protect these merits selflessly. I’d like to thank the security men who handled the recent demonstrations in Continued on Page 15

Speakers in rare clash as popular laws passed

By B Izzak KUWAIT: A rare intense clash between National Assembly Speaker Jassem Al-Khorafi and former three-time speaker Ahmad Al-Saadoun over a procedural decision forced Khorafi to adjourn the Assembly session abruptly. The clash began when Khorafi approved a government request to return a draft law stipulating salary increases for the military to the financial affairs committee to calculate the cost of the legislation.

At this point, Saadoun, the most veteran lawmaker and the leader of the opposition, objected to Khorafi’s action, insisting that it was a violation of the rules and regulations governing the assembly operation.

Khorafi insisted that it was the right decision and asked Saadoun to stop shouting and sit down. Saadoun refused and told Khorafi that he did not have the authority to take decisions on his own and “you can do these things at home not here”. Speaking without a mike, Saadoun told MPs that Khorafi’s total alliance with the government “has destroyed this parliament and greatly harmed you”. At this point, Saadoun’s fellow opposition MP Musallam Al-Barrak asked Khorafi to allow Saadoun to express his viewpoint through the mike. Khorafi refused and adjourned the session. This was not the only clash in an otherwise productive session.

Continued on Page 15

CIA air base in works for Gulf WASHINGTON: Preparing for a worstcase scenario in Yemen, the United States is building a secret CIA air base in the Arabian Gulf region to target AlQaeda terrorists there, in case antiAmerican factions win the current power struggle and shut US forces out, AP has learned. The White House has already increased the numbers of CIA officers in Yemen, in anticipation of that possibility. And it has stepped up the schedule to construct the base, from a two-year timetable to a rushed eight months. The AP has withheld the exact location of the base at the request of US officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because por-

tions of the military and CIA missions in Yemen are classified.

The current campaign is run by a military counterterrorism unit, the Joint Special Operations Command, with the CIA providing intelligence support. JSOC forces have been allowed by the Yemeni government of Ali Abdullah Saleh to conduct limited strikes there since 2009. Saleh loyalists have recently allowed expanded strikes by US armed drones and even war planes against Al-Qaeda targets who are taking advantage of civil unrest to grab power and territory in the country.

Continued on Page 15

DAMASCUS: Thousands of supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad carry a gigantic 2,500-m Syrian flag as they march along a highway during a demonstration to support their president yesterday. — AP

Syria launches media offensive, tanks roll JISR AL-SHUGHOUR, Syria: Syrian authorities launched a media offensive yesterday in the face of a mounting outcry over its deadly crackdown on dissent, taking journalists on an escorted tour of a key protest hub and staging a loyalist rally. Government minders showed a group of 20 journalists, including an AFP correspondent, a grave containing at least five corpses, buried near the flashpoint northern town of Jisr Al-Shughour.

The remains, which lay under a pile of rubbish, had been placed in yellow and orange body bags.

Bulldozers surrounded what state television identified as “a new mass grave,” unearthed after the army took control of the town yesterday. The official SANA news agency reported on Sunday that a

mass grave containing the bodies of security agents had been found in Jisr AlShughour. “Armed groups had mutilated the corpses which were removed from the mass grave,” SANA added, without specifying the number of bodies found.

Human rights activists say those killed are unarmed protesters and deny government reports of a massacre in Jisr AlShughur, saying bloodshed erupted during a mutiny by soldiers who refused to fire on the town’s residents. Members of the press were introduced to a man who identified himself as a “gunman who participated in a massacre at police headquarters” and said the victims were killed by “armed men” on June 6. The discovery of the mass grave comes 10 days after Continued on Page 15

KUWAIT: The Earth casts its shadow over the moon in a total lunar eclipse late yesterday. The skies were clear for the total lunar eclipse, the first of 2011 and the longest in nearly 11 years. The next total lunar eclipse is on Dec 10. The total lunar eclipse was visible in parts of Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. The 100minute period of totality yesterday was the longest since July 2000. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat

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Sulaibikhat beach facilities accessible free of charge KUWAIT: The Municipal Council’s technical committee rejected a proposed renovation project for Sulaibikhat beach to be constructed as per BuyTransfer-Operate (BOT) system.

Panel Chairman Abdullah Al-Enizi explained that members agreed to utilize the beach as an open location where playgrounds and public parks that can be set up for use without pay, while allowing commercial establishments such as restaurants and cafÈs to operate there.

Shayea Al-Shayea, Vice President of the Municipal Council appealed to the Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Municipality Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar, not to shut down the Qurain Market shops in Abu Ftaira so that investors can avoid financial loss or prosecution.

Al-Shayea’s statements were made at a time when the ministry has vowed to implement the law against violators following the expiration of a oneyear deadline given to shop owners to change their businesses. These will fall in accordance with licenses issued. The shop owners and tenants argued that they had no knowledge of the nature licenses issued, demanding that the Municipality rectify the mistake by issuing them with new licenses that matches with the trade conducted.

Municipal Council member Jassar Al-Jassar issued a statement applauding minister Safar’s decision to approve a proposal he put forward on utilizing vast tracts of desert through B-O-T investments.

“The decision will help improve the country’s urbanization especially in the touristic and economic sectors,” Al-Jassar said, explaining that opening unutilized lands for investors will encourage major investors to build projects in Kuwait. — Al-Qabas

Raw sewage being dumped in Gulf KUWAIT: Kuwait’s sea is polluted every day with tons of raw sewage and industrial waste poured through illegal piping connected to rainwater drainage networks, according to the Ministry of Public Works.

In a memorandum sent by a MPW official to a Municipal Council member, the official stated that approximately 120,000 square meters of raw sewage is dumped in the Gulf daily by the yet-to-reopen Mishref sewage processing plant.

The official sent the letter in response to an enquiry from the councilor, Dr. Abdulkarim Salim, about the total amounts of raw sewage disposed of in the Gulf daily.

The unnamed MPW official explained the ministry has been using basic treatment procedures to limit the negative impact created by dumping the human effluent from the troubled Mishref treatment plant into the Gulf. The Mishref plant is one of many facilities used by the ministry to treat and recycle liquid sewage to be used for irrigation. — Al-Rai

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

LOCAL

Kuwait champions cause of disabled in Gulf region Employment Fair held

KUWAIT: Sheikh Fahad Ahmad Al-Fahad launching the First Employment Fair for the Disabled at the Movenpick Hotel.

By Nawara Fattahova KUWAIT: With the aim of integrating the disabled into mainstream society, the Nokhba Allamia Voluntary Group held its first ‘Employment Fair for the Disabled’ on June 14 and.

The event was hosted at the Movenpick Hotel at the Free Trade Zone, under the patronage of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad AlSabah, former Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and State Minister for Housing and Development. His son, Sheikh Fahad Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah represented him at the event.

Around 42 public and private institutions made their presence felt. Pavilions were set up to display services and products. Lectures and symposiums discussing the problems faced by disabled people were held on the sidelines of the event.

During the inaugural ceremony held on Tuesday, Dr Hamad Al-Tuweijri owner of the Movenpick Hotel at the Free Trade Zone delivered a welcoming speech, “Caring for the disabled is a national duty.

We should work toward eliminating the obstacles they face. The disabled are not a burden to society. They can garner many achievements.”

He opined that different institutions should cooperate for their cause, “The responsibility of helping the disabled lies with the private sector, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO), and sport clubs.

Ideas should be exchanged and regulations be passed to serve the disabled. I am

sure they have the creativity and energy that cannot be ignored and should be exploited. We are proud of their sporting and scientific achievements,” he noted. To care about the category of the disabled was always the government’s priority, “The

of the disabled in the region by extending care and services. He also reviewed the local regulations related to the disabled including their rights, “The new law passed for the disabled has many benefits from all fields, especially since it offered benefits for non-

News

in brief

New investigator appointed KUWAIT: Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Sheikh Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and General Director of the Inspections Department of the Ministry of Interior Yousef Abdullah Al-Saudi, appointed a new investigator at the Department of Investigation, Mohammad Fahad Al-Ajmi. Al-Ajmi took an oath in the presence of Attorney General investigator Dr Faleh Al-Azab, and was appointed

by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Hamoud in (Class G) investigators, starting in July. Sheikh Ahmed Al-Hamoud congratulated Al-Ajmi on his new position; and in return he expressed appreciation for the minister.

Stricter food regulations KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti government will secure the safety of imported food for human consumption amid concerns regarding the E Coli bacteria scare while plans are currently underway to finish preparations before consumers brace themselves to start shopping for the holy month of Ramadan. Sources have said that the Cabinet assigned the Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Municipality Affairs Dr. Fadhel Safar to acquire special equipment for food testing to be installed at all outlets to ensure that all imported food be thoroughly inspected. The sources confirmed that the minister was given an “open budget” to use in purchasing this equipment.

Policemen returned to fill voids KUWAIT: Nearly 100 Ministry of Interior recruits who returned after resigning or dismissal will undergo rehabilitation programs as per a recent decision approved by undersecretary Lieutenant General Ghazi Al-Omar.According to a security source, the recruits will be taking courses at the Saad Al-Abdullah Police Academy starting from next month. They noted at the same time that this step comes as the ministry is looking to fill in voids in the security and traffic police forces.

Torture death trial postponed KUWAIT: Sheikh Fahad Ahmad Al-Fahad reviewing a publication of one of the participating booths. — Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat government founded the Noor School for the Blind in 1955, the first step in care for the disabled. Today, Kuwaitis are trained to deal with the disabled and support them.

We in the private sector also support these trainees,” concluded Al-Tuweijri.

Dr Ahmad Awaad, international interpreter and Arab expert in Special Education noted that Kuwait has pioneered the cause

Kuwaitis who are disabled from all nationalities,” he pointed out. “We need to increase media and community awareness in order to rehabilitate them in the development process. We should also provide psychological and educational advice for the disabled and their families. We should work toward integrating them with the community,” Awaad added.

KUWAIT: The Criminal Court has adjourned the trial of those accused of the torture and murder of Kuwaiti man Mohammad Al-Maimouni who died in police custody in January of this year, setting September 6 as the date for the resumption of the trial in order to obtain psychiatrists’ reports on the principal suspect’s mental condition.

A doctor at the Psychiatric Hospital testified during last Tuesday’s trial that the suspect in question was responsible for his actions, after initial reports suggested that he was psychologically unstable. In her testimony, the psychiatrist also provided details of the torture which Al-Maimouni was subjected to, which she said were reported to her by the accused whilst he was receiving treatment at the hospital. — Al-Rai

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

LOCAL

NA approves academic staff bonuses, student grants

Kuwait Digest

Similarities between revolutions

Increase in living expenses

By Waleed Al-Rujaib

I

KUWAIT: MP Hussain Al-Qallaf shares a smile with Speaker Jassem Al-Kharafi during yesterday’s National Assembly session.

KUWAIT: The parliament yesterday submitted two legislative bills concerned with further education to the government, after approving both. The first bill, concerning students at Kuwait University and the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training’s facilities, approved an increase in student grants for those in both groups. Forty-two members voted in favor of the draft law out of the 47 attending the session, while five objected.

Meanwhile, 39 members of the 48 parliamentarians present approved a suggestion to issue this draft law during an emergency session of parliament, in keeping with the constitution, although nine lawmakers objected to this motion.

The relevant constitutional article, number 65, stipulates that “the Amir has the right to suggest, ratify and issue laws. The issuance date should be effective within 30 days of its submission to the government by the National Assembly. However the duration can be reduced to seven days in case it is approved in an emergency vote by a parliamen-

tary majority. Official holidays are not included in the law’s issuance duration. The law is regarded to be ratified and should be issued within the prescribed period.”

The explanatory memorandum attached to the draft law noted that “According to the increase in living expenses in the country due to a respective rise of prices, the draft law stipulates an increase of the monthly allowance of married students to KD 350 instead of the current KD250,” as well as increase in social and incentive rewards for students of KD200 per month rather than KD100.

Beneficiaries of the bill will be determined according to their per formance and academic progress.

On the same day, the parliament also referred a legislative bill to grant larger allowances and bonuses to faculty members at Ministry of Education establishments to the government after it was approved by a majority of MPs during its second reading.

The bill was approved by 47 of the 58 MPs attending the parlia-

KUWAIT: MPs including Musallam Al-Barrak (second left standing) discuss an issue.

—Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat

mentar y session, with the remaining 11 voting against it.

If passed, the bill should be implemented as soon as possible in keeping with the 65th article of the Kuwaiti constitution.

The first section of the bill concerns granting faculty members bonuses rising according to rank, in addition to a monthly supervisory and monitoring allowance of KD150, with educational district instructors also being eligible for

the latter payment. Those faculty members teaching or lecturing in rarer, more esoteric subjects would also receive an additional KD200 monthly bonus.

The second article of the bill, meanwhile, concerns granting monthly bonuses according to the status of faculty members’ academic qualifications, with PhD graduates to be granted an additional KD400 and Masters-holders a further KD200 per month.

KUWAIT: In a show of solidarity, MP Mussallam Al-Barrak decided to sit with journalists for a while.

The bill’s third article would see the current maximum sum for the annual performance-related bonus for each faculty member raised to KD 1,500 each, whilst the four th concerns granting each faculty member an annual payment going up to a maximum of KD1,000 per year on training courses in coordination with the Civil Services Commission (CSC).

The fifth article will see all Kuwaiti male faculty members who have ser ved for over 30 years and female counterparts who have served over 25 years entitled to a bonus equivalent to up to one-and-a-half year’s annual salary as part of their retirement package, with those forced to retire early due to medical reasons also being eligible for this sum. The sixth article of the bill asserts that all faculty members should be eligible for all the relevant allowances and bonuses in accordance with their salaries, whilst the seventh and last article stresses that the bonuses and payments offered under the bill should be considered as wholly separate from any other bonuses for academic staff.

recently realized the similarities between the current events shaping the Arab World and the revolutions that took place in Europe in the eighteenth century and Latin America during the past century.

The French Revolution of 1789 took place against tyranny, poverty, unemployment and rising prices, and for democracy, human rights, freedom and equality. The success of the violent revolution resulted in the establishment of a constitutional monarchy and a bourgeois republic. Eventually, people suffering from similar tyranny in other European countries revolted against their kings, and the revolutions helped Europe evolve into full-fledged democratic countries that seek rules following centuries of monarchy dominance.

Despite many counter attempts to subdue revolutions, people eventually were able to achieve stability following a period in which the new systems needed to develop. Following the European revolutions, arts, literature, as well as social and philosophical ideologies evolved to advanced levels, and this success was accompanied by economic growth along the way.

Today, people in the Arab World are revolting against tyranny, corruption, poverty and unemployment, and seek democracy, freedom and equality. Some of these revolutions turned violent such as in Libya, Yemen and Syria, whereas desperate pacifying attempts through partial reforms failed to subdue people’s eagerness for freedom in Tunisia and Egypt.

In the meantime, the king of Jordan was wise enough to grant his people true reforms by moving to constitutional monarchy in which the Parliament takes over power duties, as did the king of Morocco.

The semi-radical reforms introduced in Jordan and Morocco will help regimes and people of both kingdoms to achieve stability and development. In the meantime, reform seeking peaceful revolutions will eventually topple Arab dictatorships that refuse to answer the just demands of their people. —Al-Rai

HP introduces ‘Hybrid Delivery Solutions’ in Kuwait

By Ben Garcia KUWAIT: US based-multinational information technology corporation HP held a seminar yesterday to introduce its new ‘HP IT Performance Switch’ with a particular focus on its ‘Hybrid Delivery Solutions’ package, a new software solution to help IT personnel to perform better and deliver maximum value to their respective firms.

The seminar at the Sheraton Hotel was attended by various HP customers and prospective clients.

Speaking with the Kuwait Times on the sidelines of the event, Tayfun Topkoc, the Middle East Regional Directors for HP Software Solutions, said that the objective of the seminar was to help IT people and organizations in Kuwait to perform better so that they can maximize the value delivered to their businesses.

The seminar was the first of its kind to be conducted by HP in Kuwait, Topkoc revealed. “This is part of our strategy in the Gulf region to get closer to our customers,” he told the Kuwait Times.

“We are investing heavily in local resources and we’ve hired two people in Kuwait to manage our business here. Actually, we are adding one more in the next few days so as to engage HP with our customers proactively.”

The introduction of the Hybrid Delivery Solution package is part of the new HP IT Performance Switch portfolio, with the package being an improved version of the traditional IT infrastructure, known as public and private cloud, explained the senior official.

The new hybrid type offers an improved sharing of public and private domains [system], Topkoc went on, saying, “Hybrid Deliver y Solutions is quite promising and it

will give companies a lot of leverage and advantage as it can reach and provide more services to many people here.”

HP is targeting Middle Eastern nations’ education, health and defense sectors to improved their productivity at a reduced cost, which could eventually provide additional revenues.

Hewlett-Packard is the only company that provides a ‘cloud system’ where hardware and software are essentially embedded in the package, explained the senior official. “As an example of hybrid delivery solutions we are the only company that can deliver services and automate at a certain level; we can automate the entire service and at the same time deliver the security that we all want,” Topkoc asserted, adding, “Security is an important factor in IT solutions and this is one thing we are proud of because we not only provide services and management but in addition we make sure that the solutions we provide are secure.”

Kuwait is the third largest software/hardware market in the GCC, after the UAE and Qatar, he revealed, adding HP is the leading software and hardware company dominating the Middle East market today.

“We are leading the market by far; in fact we enjoy a 44 percent market share in this region,” he pointed out. According to Topkoc, Kuwait has reportedly spent $750 million on IT solutions in recent years, and HP believes that Kuwait will continue to spend more in the coming years, especially on IT solutions. “ The software and hardware solutions services are getting bigger and bigger every year and the IT software market is expected to grow by seven to eight percent this year and see an annual average

Tayfun Topkoc

growth of eight percent. For us it’s really the right time to invest, we are looking forward to significant growth in this part of the world and we will continue to invest in this market because we believe in their economic plans.”

Asked whether the prevailing political unrest in the Arab world has in any way affected their business, Topkoc admitted that it had had an impact on business in some regional nations, but not in any of the GCC ones. In fact, he revealed, the GCC market seems to be getting stronger.

“We have witnessed a favorable environment,” the official continued.

“We recorded double digit growth up till the second quarter of 2011. I think the effect of the unrest on individual businesses is temporary.

In fact things are getting better now in Egypt. We are almost back to normal operations. Egypt is a big market for us and yes, we’ve observed slow business in Tunisia, Libya, Syria, Yemen and even Bahrain, but despite the unrest, HP in the GCC market has recorded significant double digit growth and it will continue to do so in years to come.”

Topkoc concluded by stating that HP plans to continue investing and adding more resources to areas needing its expertise and ensuring that commitments are met as promised.

Four injured in traffic accidents

By Hanan Al-Saadoun KUWAIT: A 45-year-old Egyptian fractured his ribs and bled from his nose and ears after falling from a height. He was admitted to Jahra Hospital. In another case, a 21-yearold citizen fractured his foot in a car accident that took place in Jahra. He was admitted to Jahra Hospital.

Also, a 52-year-old Indian fractured his left and right thigh bones, while another 30-year-old suffered a lacerated left foot in a car accident that took place between Ahmadi and Sabahiya bridge. He was admitted to Adan Hospital.

Car accident A 27-year-old Egyptian suffered

from a lacerated right shoulder in a car accident that took place in Sulaibiya. He was admitted to Farwaniya Hospital.

Street fight A 33-year-old Nepalese national sustained a head injury during a fight that took place in Jleeb. He was admitted to Farwaniya Hospital.

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

local

MoI urges holidaymakers to stay safe, plan ahead Safety, security guidelines KUWAIT: A senior Ministry of Interior official has called upon holidaymakers travelling overland during their vacations to ensure that their vehicles comply with the relevant safety and security guidelines before starting their journey in order to enjoy their trip whilst ensuring their and their family members’ wellbeing.

Lieutenant General Mohammad Idris Al-Dousari, the Director General of the ministry ’s Land Border Crossings Department, said that personnel at all Kuwait’s border crossing are fully prepared for the busy summer holiday period and ready to receive all travelers, including those accompanied by domestic staff, so long as they have the necessar y up-to-date documents, including passports and visas, and have no outstanding travel bans against them.

All travelers must ensure before departure that their vehicles are in good condition and meet the relevant safety requirements, said the official. He added that holidaymakers should be careful to avoid overloading their vehicles and check that their vehicle documents are valid, as well as ensuring that they are equipped with fire extinguishers and sufficient food and water for the journey, as well as making any other necessar y preparations beforehand.

Lt. Gen. Al-Dousari stressed that every traveler should check all the members of their party’s passports

whilst planning their holiday to ensure that they are valid and update any which are not. Those GCC citizens wishing to travel from Kuwait to other GCC states using their civil ID must ensure that their civil ID card and those of family members are of the most up-todate ‘smart card’ variety, adding that travelers should be consistent in using the same proof of identity, whether passport or civil ID card, on leaving the country. In the event of passports or civil ID cards being lost or stolen, holders should immediately report this to the concerned authorities, he added.

Concerning expatriates travelling overland, the senior MoI official said that the most important point for them to remember is, again, to ensure the validity of their and their family members’ passports and to check to make sure that the photographs used in the passports are valid and all young children in the party are added to their parents’ passports or have their own passports with valid residency visas.

Expatriate travelers must also make sure that they have valid visas, where required, for the countries which they are visiting, continued Lt. Gen. Al-Dousari, adding that the passports and visas of any servants accompanying them on their trip should also be checked beforehand to ensure that they are valid too.

The official warned that failure to comply with any of the above requirements would result in delays

and costly rescheduling of travel arrangements, with travelers having to return home to complete all the necessary formalities before setting out again.

Lt. Gen. Al-Dousari also urged drivers to stay within the speed limit and to take regular rests at the roadside in order to avoid becoming tired and distracted, which all too often leads to major and even fatal accidents.

The senior interior ministry official also urged travelers to ensure that the needs of any children in their traveling parties are properly considered and taken care of.

He urged drivers to be alert whilst driving and avoid taking any medication which could result in drowsiness, as well as instructing them to carry separate copies of all their and their family members’ important documents, including passports and civil ID cards, in case of the originals being stolen or mislaid. Lt. Gen. Al-Dousari said that all travelers who experience problems whilst abroad should refer to their own nation’s embassy in the country they are in.

The senior official concluded by advising travelers to abide by the rules and regulations in their destination country, adding that the MoI operations room is open around the clock and is ready to receive all reports and enquiries on relevant issues. The operations room can be contacted on: 2497 3413/16/17/18 or 19.

Cheaper internet subscription costs KUWAIT: The Ministry of Commerce(MoC) is currently studying alternatives to reduce internet subscription costs. It also seeks to improve service quality by withdrawing speed limits from accounts, so as to address the problems that most DSL internet users suffer from.

A ministry insider explained that Internet Service Providers (ISP) in Kuwait are unlicensed owing to the

lack of a legislation that organizes ISP work, similar to the one that organizes the work of telecommunication companies. Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity indicate that the ministry cannot keep a watchful eye on ISP companies without a communication authority providing controls to be followed by both telecommunication and ISP firms, reported Al-Qabas. One of the solu-

tions that the ministry has been contemplating over is to reduce monthly fees that ISP companies pay for.

Currently, the ministry collects KD 7,500 per month from each service provider, “This will help the ministry to curb internet prices until a government body is established,” the official said, explaining that the high fees that companies pay prompt them to increase subscription rates.

KUWAIT: Acting Director of Public Authority for Youth and Sports Jassem Yaqoub met with a group of youngsters who will represent Kuwait in the first GCC Youth Forum. It will be hosted by Bahrain between July 15 and 19 under the supervision of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s general secretariat youth committee.

Stage set for new demonstration KUWAIT: A Kuwaiti youth movement received calls from senior security officials urging it to coordinate during public rallies organized on Fridays. This was made amid rumors that tomorrow’s public demonstration will be the last to be held until further notice.

I n a statement made to the press, Secretar y General of the ‘K afi’ (Enough) Movement Mohammad Al-Buhailees said that the Ministry of Interior seeks cooperation from demonstrators to ensure safety and security at rally sites, mainly at the Safat Square where demonstration is banned,

“The movement will be very cooperative if the Safat Square is avoided for security reasons, he said, “but we definitely will not follow orders pertinent with selecting an alternative square.”

Al-Buhailees believes that the ministry contacted them directly because MPs and political groups failed to direct youth movements as per their agendas.

“The youth have become a part of their popular, political equation,” he said, expressing contentment at being able to “sit with security officials at a joint table of dialogue.”

An official anonymously con-

firmed that the coordination aims to help public demonstrations remain organized and safe from negative incidents, “Ministry officials are keen to help the youths express their opinion within the law,” officials said, acknowledging the cooperation expressed by ‘civilized and educated youth,’ reported Al-Rai. Members from the three main youth groups (Kafi, Nureed, Fifth Wall) in Kuwait reportedly agreed to hold tomorrow’s demonstration at the Kuwait Municipality ’s square, and that it would be the last one until further notice.

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LOCAL

Boubiyan port won’t affect Iraqi navigation

Kuwait Digest

They are not enemies

JEDDAH: Kuwait’s Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry Khalid Al-Jarallah affirmed that the planned launch of Mubarak Al-Kabeer port on Boubiyan island would not affect marine navigation of the Iraqi ports.

Al-Jarallah told the press here after his participation in the 119th session of the GCC Foreign Ministers’ Council, that ended here late Tuesday, that the Kuwaiti port, planned to be built on Boubiyan island, would be quite distant from the navigation routes of the Iraqi Umm Qasr port.

Docks of Mubarak Al-Kabeer ports will be located 1.5km away from the navigation channels, hence there are no justifications for the Iraqi concern, Al-Jarallah added. Al-Jarallah confirmed the port would be built on Kuwaiti territories and its navigation routes would be within the national territorial waters, and not within the Iraqi territorial waters.

Iraqi officials have been presented with all the details regarding the construction of the port. The sketches and designs explicitly show that the harbor would be far away from the navigational routes, and would certainly not hinder navigation to and from the Abdullah Creek of the neighboring country.

Iraqi officials recently voiced their concerns and they have expressed satisfaction at the detailed explanation, he concluded. — KUNA

By Dr Hanan Al-Hajri

“I

don’t trust him, because I read that he is an Arab.” This remark was made by an American woman during an electoral rally for American presidential candidate John McCain held in the state of Minnesota during his campaign in October 2008.

She remarked about McCain’s foe and eventual winner, United States President Barack Obama’s true loyalty to his country. McCain interrupted her (to a round of jeering from attendees) and defended Obama by saying, “He is a decent family man, a citizen who I just happen to have disagreements with.”

Regardless of the reactions to this incident and several analysis of McCain’s words, the stance which McCain took was special; it was different from earlier position on Obama that was based on organized personal attack.

Political foes usually focus on what characteristics that differentiate them from each other, leaving no room to address points of similarities and cooperation possibilities. The problem happens when respect to the foe - the main principle in civilized dialogue-is lost in the middle of the struggle. I find politicians who continuously slam those who express different opinions and regard them ‘evil.’

Personal attack is not meant to convince, but it only insults those who have an opinion that is different from what they believe as the unarguable truth.

In their attempt to defend their point, personal attackers regard different opinions as of no value, and people who believe in these opinions must be fought.

Waleed Al-Tabtabae, Faisal Al-Mislem, Mohammad Hayef, Jamaan Al-Harbash, and other Islamist lawmakers and activists are viewed at by many in Kuwait as being ‘enemies.’ But in reality, they are not. Personally, I do not see myself ever voting for any of the aforementioned lawmakers, but I totally understand that they are partners in building Kuwait, and that their opinions are based on principles shared by thousands of Kuwaitis who voted for them.

It is okay to have a different opinion. It is wrong to question their beliefs. We can argue with them, as long as we do not demean them. If we see them doing something that we believe is wrong, we can explain to them our point of view without criticizing them harshly. If we cannot even do that much, we are missing out on many good things. — Al-Qabas

KD 27 million sanitation line contract signed KUWAIT: The Minister of Public Works and Minister of State for Municipal Affairs Dr Fadhel Safar Ali Safar has signed a contract at a cost of KD 27.8 million to build sewer lines. The contract was signed to establish and maintain the main sanitation line in Jahra, stretching from the popularly known United Nations roundabout to Kathma intersection on Jahra way. It includes the establishment of a ‘deep’ line to connect the new Jahra pumping station, currently under construction, and remove the current pumping stations, as well as Jahra plant for water treatment. It also includes building new sanitation and linkage lines between the areas of AlJahra governorate on a main line at the length of 29 kilometers, and diameters that range from 300 mm to 2,200 mm at a depth of up to 28 meters. — KUNA

Body of American youth found in Mahboula Hunt on for human trafficker KUWAIT: Police have launched an investigation into the death of a 23year-old American man whose body was found in his flat in a Mahboula apartment block. The man’s body was discovered by a friend who came to wake him up in the morning since he was supposed to catch an early flight.

The body was removed for autopsy.

Fatal crash A Kuwaiti man died shortly after his car overturned in an accident on Adaira Road. Although paramedics rushed to the accident location, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation is underway into the cause of the accident.

Sibling trouble A Kuwaiti woman filed charges of verbal assault at Shuwaikh police station against her brother and sister, telling officers that they had subjected her to a series of insults and death threats. The accused siblings have been summoned for questioning.

Child molester A man was arrested in Maidan Hawally af ter his repeated sexual assaults of an eight-year-old girl was discovered by her mother. The Egyptian woman grew concerned when her daughter became scared of going to

the local corner shop to buy groceries.

When she asked her daughter about the reason for her trepidation, the girl told her that the Iranian shopkeeper had sexually assaulted her on a number of occasions. The woman immediately went to the local police station to report the abuse, and the accused man was arrested shortly afterwards, admitting during questioning that he had been sexually abusing the child. He is being held in custody pending trial.

Egyptian cheated Police are hunting for a 50-year-old Kuwaiti man suspected of involve ment in human trafficking. An investigation was launched after an Egyptian expatriate resident told officers at Salhiya police station that the Kuwaiti man had brought him to Kuwait after taking KD700 from him for a visitor’s visa, with the promise that he would help the expatriate to obtain a work permit through a company he owns.

On arriving in Kuwait, however, the Egyptian man found that he had been lied to, with his ‘sponsor’ nowhere to be found and no work permit or job materializing. The deceived expat told officers that after doing everything he could to find the man, he eventually decided, with only a week remaining on his visitor’s visa, to contact police and report the fraudster. On looking into

the case, police found that the citizen has faced several similar accusations previously.

Domestic ‘abduction’ Police returned a 19-year-old woman to her father shortly after he reported that she had been ‘abducted’ by his exwife. The father headed to Mubarak AlKabeer police station shortly after his housemaid told him that his daughter had gone to stay with her mother when he couldn’t find her. After trying and failing to contact his ex-wife via phone, the man located his daughter via her car’s GPS system at her mother’s home, at which point the police went there, arresting both the mother and daughter, and returning the young woman to her father’s custody. The mother was detained for questioning.

Suicide attempt Emergency personnel managed to resuscitate a teenage boy after he took an overdose of tablets. On finding the 17-year-old boy unconscious at the family’s apartment in Farwaniya after taking a large quantity of unidentified tablets, his mother immediately called the emergency ser vices, with paramedics’ speedy response saving his life. The boy is currently recovering in Farwaniya Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Ambassador meets Kuwaiti students in Brisbane KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwaiti Ambassador to Australia Khalid Al-Shaibani met Kuwaiti students in Brisbane, Queensland, encouraging them to work hard for seeking knowledge to contribute in developing the homeland.

He said that the meeting was part of his scheduled program to follow up on conditions of the Kuwaiti students studying KUALA LUMPUR: Kuwaiti Ambassador Khalid Alin Australia. Al-Shaibani Shaibani pictured with the Kuwaiti students in called on them to abide by Brisbane.

Islamic teachings and respect laws of the host country to portray a positive image about Kuwait and the natives of the country abroad.

The Kuwaiti embassy in Australia and the cultural office will offer all possible support to them, accepting all recommendations and complaints, the diplomat stated.

He hailed the efforts of the cultural office in serving the students, thanking all employees, especially their director, Dr Ahmad Al-Atheri.

Dr Al-Atheri attended the meeting, and delivered a speech expressing his satisfaction at the cordial occasion of interacting with the students.

The students, during the meeting with the Kuwaiti diplomats and representatives, raised a number of issues including health insurance, masters’ programs, high cost of living, living facilities, travel and financial allocations and transfer between universities. — KUNA

Thief caught Police have arrested a man accused of stealing KD18,000 in cash from an unattended vehicle. On discovering the theft, the victim, an Asian expatriate, immediately repor ted the crime at Nugra police station, explaining that he had briefly left a case with the money, which belonged to his employers, in his car, which was still running, whilst he popped into a grocery store in the area.

Detec tives investigating the thef t quickly traced an Indian man living in the apartment building adjacent to the crime location, who admitted when questioned to the theft. He is currently awaiting trial.

Inspectors annoyed Police are currently questioning building site workers accused of locking six municipality inspectors inside the Ministry of Electricity and Water building site which the laborers were working on. The Jahra municipality inspectors were carrying out a routine inspection when they found themselves trapped after workers locked the gates of a project site soon after they entered the facility. The workers told police during an interview that they were protecting the premises from intruders, but the inspectors argued with this claim, insisting that they showed their official ID papers when they entered the site.

—Al-Rai, Al Anba, Al-Watan, Al-Qabas

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Kuwait, KSA coordinate to ensure better Hajj for bedoons KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti government is working to remove obstacles facing bedoon (stateless) residents wishing to carry out the Hajj pilgrimage, applying for a number of visas especially for members of this group.

Dr. Mutlaq Al-Qarawi, the Assistant Undersecretary for Hajj and Foreign Relations Affairs at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, stated in a press release issued on Tuesday that the delays suffered by bedoon pilgrims last year were primarily the fault of the Hajj travel firms which failed to make the necessary preparations beforehand.

Dr. Al-Qarawi also blamed the Ministry of Interior, however, for the bureaucratic procedures which delayed

the issuing of the temporary passports issued to bedoon people in certain situations, including for Hajj.

The senior MAIA official indicated that Kuwaiti authorities are currently coordinating with their Saudi counterparts to help further improve the visaissuing procedures for bedoon pilgrims, which will help avoid similar problems to those experienced last years. Dr AlQarawi also further urged non-Kuwaiti and non-bedoon people wishing to make the Hajj pilgrimage this year to apply as soon as possible, with the limited number of places available for pilgrims rapidly decreasing on a daily basis since the Saudi embassy began receiving applications. —Al-Qabas

Brothers charged with stepmother’s murder KUWAIT: Two brothers who shot their stepmother dead earlier this week have admitted to police that their crime was premeditated. During questioning, the siblings told police officers that they had planned and carried out the killing of their stepmother in an act of revenge over a family dispute.

The victim, a Syrian national, sustained four fatal gunshot wounds at an Abu Halifa apartment on Monday. Her Kuwaiti husband’s two sons from a previous marriage were later arrested and charged with first degree murder after they admitted to the killing. On Tuesday, the suspects re-

enacted the circumstances that led up to the murder, leading Ahmadi investigators to a remote location in Al-Adan desert where they had disposed of the murder weapon and the masks they used to disguise themselves when committing it after ensuring that their victim was dead.

Both killers were referred to the Public Prosecution Depar tment on Tuesday morning, reported Al-Rai. The victim was reportedly alone in the fourth floor apartment of an Abu Halifa building when the masked brothers knocked on the door repeatedly, opening fire at her as soon as she opened it.

Kuwait commemorates World Blood Donor Day KUWAIT: The Kuwait Central Blood Bank (KCBB) held a ceremony yesterday to commemorate World Blood Donor Day. Dr. Qais Al-Duwairi, the Ministry of Health (MoH) Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Services, addressed the guests at the ceremony on behalf of health minister Dr Helal Al-Sayer, as well as presenting awards to regular blood donors who have been donating for over 10 years and blood donation campaigners.

“The preparations for this occasion started in Kuwait on June 7,” the senior official revealed, continuing, “Thalassemia patients have been asked to create a fresco of the names of regular blood donors to encourage others to follow suit.” He went on, “In collaboration with the Kuwait

Amateur Radio Society (KARS) we have launched a campaign aiming to communicate worldwide and get the voice of Kuwait heard in such humanitarian issues globally.”

Dr. Al-Duwairi praised the contributions from staff at Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), the Avenues Mall and EQUATE Petrochemical Company for the blood donation campaigns over the last year. In her speech at the ceremony, KCBB director Dr Reem Al-Radhwan spoke highly of the support from the health ministry’s department of blood transportation service in backing the KCBB’s efforts to implement the standards of blood donation recognized by the World Health Organization. — KUNA

Emirates Holidays offers ‘World of Choice’ to Kuwaitis

By Lisa Conrad KUWAIT: Emirates Holidays has released its A World of Choice 2011-2012 brochure in Kuwait. If you’re in need of a vacation (who isn’t?) and, especially, inspiration, then grab a copy and revel in the beauty of their countless holiday destinations. From sumptuously luxurious spa resorts to weird and wonder ful once -in-a-lifetime experiences, there’s something for everyone.

First released in Dubai in May, the brochure has now hit Kuwait and will, officially, make your workdays seem considerably longer until you’re jetting off to (insert dream location here). At over 500 pages, it provides as much excitement for travel enthusiasts as kids experience in a candy shop. The photography alone makes it well worth picking up, with shots of the most luxurious hotels, beautiful scenery and aweinspiring landmarks. If you haven’t decided where you’re going on vacation yet, get inspired.

The difference here, however, is that while the hotels and services are all wonderful, new activities have also been incorporated into the packages. From safaris to cruises and even trans-European train journeys, options for tailormade, different holidays are no longer limited, except by your imagination, of course. What are vacations for if not to enjoy the best?

Living in the Middle East has the somewhat peculiar effect of making you want things in a certain, specific way. As with any product or service, context is a vital consideration. It’s laid back here, life is for living and many wealthier residents become accustomed to a certain standard of living and witness their expectations of what they want and how they want it rise. Therefore, for this increasingly selective market, tailored products are becoming more popular, for example, suits that fit exactly right, and dishes that have that little something

OFID chief lauds Kuwait’s support VIENNA: The Director-General of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) Suleiman AlHerbish yesterday lauded Kuwait’s continuing support for the fund’s projects and strategies to alleviate worldwide poverty.

Speaking during the final preparations for the upcoming OFID Ministerial Conference, which begins today, Al-Herbish said, “The strong support begun by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries

last week will positively reflect on the upcoming conference.” Explaining that he regards the state of Kuwait as a key supporter of the fund, Al-Herbish said it has also been “enthusiastic” about implementing the Saudi king’s idea of providing energy to those less fortunate. GCC countries have always been supportive of worldwide development, Al-Herbish noted, drawing attention to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait’s invitation to hold the 2009 economic summit in Kuwait, as well

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

as his (HH the Amir’s) suggestion of the establishment of a fund for financing small to medium-sized projects, which was well received by the Saudi King. Amongst the subjects on the agenda of the upcoming ministerial conference, Al-Herbish said, “the OFID’s financial ministers will discuss the fund’s general policies, the annual activities of the fund for the year of 2011 and the global economic crisis and its effects on the fund’s resources.” — KUNA

extra added to make them particularly sumptuous. This is what makes the Kuwaiti market especially profitable, but also challenging as the various requirements need to be met to a high standard.

When it comes to your allotted time off, not the weekends or evenings, but the precious vacations taken to travel, explore and relax, even higher attention is paid to detail so that every minute away can be savored and enjoyed to the fullest. The Kuwait Times met with an official from Emirates Holidays to discuss how the firm takes on the task of tailoring one of the most costly products of all: vacations.

Flicking through the Emirates Holidays brochure, the amount of detail and specificity throughout certainly stands out. It’s vital to understand your market and their demands in order to satisfy them.

And, even more importantly, how does one reach a specific market by meeting all of their needs?

Given that one market may have general needs, with each individual within that market having their own set of expectations, it’s no mean feat to offer a product or service that encompasses all of them. Dina Al-Herais, Emirates Holidays’ Vice President of Commercial Operations, explained that the Kuwait market is a particularly interesting one: “Kuwaitis travel a lot, taking on average around three international trips a year. That’s excluding the even more frequent regional flights. It’s a really important market, and is worth 12 percent of our revenues.”

Al-Herais went on to explain that there are also specific requirements in the local market, which Emirates Holidays work tirelessly to meet. “For example, Kuwaitis have very high expectations of accommodation, which is why we only pick the best. Emirates Holidays sources the hotels, and visits them personally, to ensure they meet the requirements of our customers,” she said.

Al-Herais stressed that Emirates Holidays starts by offering exten-

KUWAIT: Dina Al-Herais, (left) Emirates Holidays’ Vice President of Commercial Operations at the press conference.

— Photo by Joseph Shagra sive choice: the brochure spans 504 pages, covering Asia, Australasia, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and the Americas. There are 550 hotels included, with pictures, and descriptions of their services. The brochures also provide specific symbols indicating a range of factors from whether hotels are childfriendly, whether they offer halal food, if they have spas, if they’re good for honeymooners and even if they’re environmentally friendly.

Again, spanning all the requirements of a particular market increases the likelihood that individual needs are catered to.

As well as expanding the range of services it provides, Emirates Holidays is also diversifying the variety of activities on offer to clients. In Kuwait, exciting new destinations are often embraced enthusiastically. “Kuwaitis are adventurous; they really appreciate new and interesting ways to see the world, which is why we’re sure to provide them with the latest, and best in travel,” Dina said.

“New products introduced to Kuwait succeed and grow because of their interests in travel. The destination is a key element, of course, but so are the comfort and relaxation they enjoy both en route and while there. We pick the

finest hotels in the best destinations, and then source the most exciting new activities. It’s allencompassing.”

Tailor-made vacations are, undeniably, a great way to travel.

While the prices are competitive, the hotels are in the four or fivestar range, so they’re competitive within that range. For a week in the Seychelles, however, would any less be worth it? The Seychelles is just one option amongst those offered by the firm, and Dina has a few more of her favorites for those who can afford it to add to their travel todo list: “A combination trip between Mauritius and Cape Town is wonder ful, it’s such a superb destination. I’m really hoping to go to Spain for our historical tour, which I haven’t had the chance to do yet.”

The Emirates Holidays official is keen to try more of the company’s holidays for herself. “A safari is on my list too, but I’m waiting for my daughter to be old enough so we can go as a family,” she explained.

“The main thing on my mind now, though, are the cruises. There are enough to cover your vacations for years and still not have repeated the same route. It’s a great way to see multiple destinations on one trip.”

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

Army chief urges Thais not to repeat past choices

UN, US condemn Sudan border bombings Page 10

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Rebels make advances on Tripoli road

MISRATA: Libyan rebels bury the body of an alleged Gaddafi soldier in a cemetery for Gaddafi troops with over 500 graves in Misrata, Libya yesterday. —AP TRIPOLI: Libyan rebels captured three western villages on the road to Tripoli yesterday, as NATO insisted it could complete its mission without putting soldiers on the ground against strongman Muammar Gaddafi. The Western military alliance which has carried out 10 weeks of air strikes against Gaddafi’s forces can see out its mission without ground troops, its operations commander said in a briefing on an Italian aircraft carrier.

Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard also said that the military situation in western Libya, where there has been an upsurge in fighting between regime loyalists and rebel forces, was developing “very positively.” “I do believe we can complete the mission without bringing in ground troops,” the Canadian general told reporters off Libyan shores on the Garibaldi. “We are receiving adequate assets to complete the mission and carry out our mandate.”

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen was to meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron and Foreign Secretary William Hague later yesterday for talks on the operation. Senior military officials from Britain and France, key players in the NATO campaign, have expressed concerns about how to maintain the NATO operation, which has been extended for a second three-month period from June 27.

Anti-Gaddafi rebels, meanwhile, seized three villages as they sought control of a key junction connecting the towns of Yefren and Zintan, west of Tripoli, an AFP correspondent reported. Rebels were seen patrolling the streets of Zawit Bagoul, 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) from Zintan. ProGaddafi positions on the outskirts of Zawit Bagoul were deserted and loy-

alists left behind clothes, shoes and ammunition.

The correspondent said the rebels later also moved into Lawania, about seven kilometers away, and then Ghanymma, less than 10 kilometers from Yefren, as NATO aircraft were heard overhead. Libyan authorities organized a visit Wednesday for Tripoli-based foreign journalists to Gharyan, 100 kilometers south of the capital and 30 kilometers from hotlydisputed Yefren, to show the situation in the town was calm.

Anti-regime graffiti on the walls had been painted over and activity in Gharyan appeared normal. In its latest operational update, NATO said it struck several targets including a truck-mounted gun near Yefren on Tuesday. Rasmussen’s talks in London come after the rebels won more diplomatic recognition and seized AlRayayna village, east of the heavily fought-over hilltown of Zintan.

Cameron insisted ahead of the talks that Britain could sustain its Libya operation long-term, after Britain’s navy chief warned of tough choices if the campaign lasts more than six months.

The premier said he had met First Sea Lord Admiral Mark Stanhope, the head of the Royal Navy, following his comments. “I had a meeting with the first sea lord yesterday and he agreed that we can sustain this mission for as long as we need to,” he said. “Time is on our side. We have got NATO, the United Nations, the Arab League. We have right on our side.”

And following a three-day pause in NATO strikes on Tripoli, powerful explosions rocked the Libyan capital late on Tuesday, with black smoke rising from a site close to downtown.

Tripoli and its suburbs have been the target of almost daily NATO air raids

since it started its military operation on March 31, a month after Gaddafi’s forces began a bloody crackdown on pro-reform protests.

In its operational update, NATO said yesterday it had also struck an air defense support facility in Tripoli and two surface-to-air missile launchers in the vicinity of the city. But US politicians have been growing impatient with the pace of operations.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner gave President Barack Obama until Friday to ask Congress to authorize military action “or withdraws all US troops and resources from the mission.” The White House vowed later to answer critics of the conflict. “We are in the final stages of preparing extensive information for the House and Senate that will address a whole host of issues about our ongoing efforts in Libya,” national security spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement. The rebels gained diplomatically on Tuesday when Canada and Panama recognized them as the legitimate representative of Libya’s people, while Tunisia declared itself ready to follow suit. Liberia broke diplomatic ties with Libya one day after US Secretary of State Hillar y Clinton pressed African states to demand Gaddafi step down and take tougher action against his regime. But South African President Jacob Zuma said NATO’s air campaign abused a UN resolution to protect Libyan civilians for regime change and “political assassinations”.

“We strongly believe that the resolution is being abused for regime change, political assassinations and foreign military occupation,” Zuma said in a speech to parliament. He added NATO’s actions undermined African Union efforts to find a solution.—AFP

Lebanese prez defends new govt BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president defended the country’s long-delayed new government yesterday against accusations that it gives foreign powers Syria and Iran far too much sway. The Lebanese government is dominated by the militant group Hezbollah and its allies.

Hezbollah, which has the strong backing of Syria and Iran, has risen over decades from a resistance group against Israeli to Lebanon’s most powerful military and political force.

The new Cabinet was announced Monday, five months after Hezbollah forced the collapse of the previous, Western-backed government. “This government is 100 percent Lebanese, with a 100 percent Lebanese agenda,” President Michel Suleiman said during

the Cabinet’s first meeting yesterday.

Opponents of Hezbollah , which the US considers a terrorist organization , say having it in control of Lebanon’s government could lead to international isolation. The tortuous process of forming a government is a reflection of the country’s political dysfunction with outside powers backing rival sides , a legacy of years of civil war when Lebanon became a proxy battleground for other nations.

The most recent political crisis started in January, when ministers from Hezbollah and its allies walked out of the government over fears the militant group would be indicted in the killing of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Hariri was a billionaire businessman

and political leader who had been trying to limit Syria’s domination of Lebanon in the months before his death. Syria denied any involvement in his killing and called the UN -backed tribunal investigating the murder a conspiracy by its enemies in the US and Israel.

Hariri’s son, Saad, who was prime minister in January, refused to denounce the tribunal or cut off Lebanon’s 49 percent share of the funding for it, which prompted the walkout.

His coalition has now refused to take part in a government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who was Hezbollah’s favored candidate for the post. — AP

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

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

Afghanistan is world’s most dangerous nation for women Pakistan, India, Somalia ranked 3rd, 4th, 5th respectively LONDON: Violence, dismal healthcare and brutal poverty make Afghanistan the world’s most dangerous country for women, with Congo a close second due to horrific levels of rape, a Thomson Reuters Foundation expert poll said yesterday.

Pakistan, India and Somalia ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in the global survey of perceptions of threats ranging from domestic abuse and economic discrimination to female foeticide, genital mutilation and acid attacks.

“Ongoing conflict, NATO airstrikes and cultural practices combined make Afghanistan a very dangerous place for women,” said Antonella Notari, head of Women Change Makers, a group that supports women social entrepreneurs around the world. “In addition, women who do attempt to speak out or take on public roles that challenge ingrained gender stereotypes of what’s acceptable for women to do or not, such as working as policewomen or news broadcasters, are often intimidated or killed.”

The poll by TrustLaw (www.trust.org/trustlaw), a legal news service run by Thomson Reuters Foundation, marked the launch of its new TrustLaw Women section, a global hub of news and information on women’s legal rights. TrustLaw asked 213 gender experts from five continents to rank coun-

tries by overall perceptions of danger as well as by six risks. The risks were health threats, sexual violence, non-sexual violence, cultural or religious factors, lack of access to resources and trafficking.

Some experts said the poll showed that subtle dangers such as discrimination that don’t grab headlines are sometimes just as significant risks for women as bombs, bullets, stonings and systematic rape in conflict zones. “I think you have to look at all the dangers to women, all the risks women and girls face,” said Elisabeth Roesch, who works on gender-based violence for the International Rescue Committee in Washington. “If a woman can’t access healthcare because her healthcare isn’t prioritised, that can be a very dangerous situation as well.”

LITANY OF PERILS Afghanistan emerged as the most dangerous country for women overall and worst in three of the six risk categories: health, non-sexual violence and lack of access to economic resources. Respondents cited sky-high maternal mortality rates, limited access to doctors and a near total lack of economic rights. Afghan women have a one in 11 chance of dying in childbirth, according to UNICEF. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), still reeling from a 1998-2003 war and accompanying humani-

tarian disaster that killed 5.4 million people, came second mainly due to staggering levels of sexual violence in the lawless east. More than 400,000 women are raped in the country each year, according to a recent study by US researchers. The United Nations has called Congo the rape capital of the world.

“Statistics from DRC are very revealing on this: ongoing war, use of rape as a weapon, recruitment of females as soldiers who are also used as sex slaves,” said Clementina Cantoni, a Pakistan-based aid worker with ECHO, the European Commission’s humanitarian aid department. “The fact that the government is corrupt and that female rights are very low on the agenda means that there is little or no recourse to justice.” Rights activists say militia groups and soldiers target all ages, including girls as young as three and elderly women. They are gang-raped, raped with bayonets and have guns shot into their vaginas.

Pakistan ranked third largely on the basis of cultural, tribal and religious practices harmful to women. These include acid attacks, child and forced marriage and punishment or retribution by stoning or other physical abuse. “Pakistan has some of the highest rates of dowry murder, so-called honour killings and early marriage,” said Divya

Bajpai, reproductive health advisor at the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. Some 1,000 women and girls die in honour killings annually, according to Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission.

TRAFFICKING India ranked fourth primarily due to female foeticide, infanticide and human trafficking. In 2009, India’s then-Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta estimated that 100 million people, mostly women and girls, were involved in trafficking in India that year. “The practice is common but lucrative so it goes untouched by government and police,” said Cristi Hegranes, founder of the Global Press institute, which trains women in developing countries to be journalists.

India’s Central Bureau of Investigation estimated that in 2009 about 90 percent of trafficking took place within the country and that there were some 3 million prostitutes, of which about 40 percent were children. In addition to sex slavery, other forms of trafficking include forced labour and forced marriage, according to a US State Department report on trafficking in 2010. The report also found slow progress in criminal prosecutions of traffickers. Up to 50 million girls are thought to be “missing” over the past century due

Cradle of Arab Spring still awaiting change SIDI BOUZID: Six months after a 26-year-old Tunisian fruit seller triggered a wave of protests across the Arab world, little has changed in the town where he was driven by despair to set himself on fire. In Sidi Bouzid, Mohamed Bouazizi’s one-man protest on December 17 sparked the riots that eventually toppled the country’s autocratic leader Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. Six months later many people in the town 270 kilometers southwest of Tunis are proud of the movement that started in their town but are still waiting to see progress brought about by the revolt.

“For months, journalists the world over have been coming here and yet my situation hasn’t changed,” said Youssef, a seller of vegetables, to

the approval of several other youths. “Before, I made 100 dinars (50 euros, 70 dollars) a week,” he said. “Since the revolution, about 20,” he added. “They say it’s raining billions on Sidi Bouzid,” said another seller wryly. “I haven’t seen a penny of it.” Hounded by Tunisian officialdom because he did not have a permit for his street stall, Bouazizi doused himself in petrol and set himself on fire in front of the local government headquarters.

Nearby, at a local meeting hall for young people, three members of the Al-Karama association-Arabic for dignity-are trying to figure out how to ensure that his protest was not in vain.

Their 36-year-old teacher Hichem Daly, in post-

SIDI BOUZID: Tunisians smoke the chichi in a cafe yesterday in the center of Sidi Bouzid. Six months after a 26-year-old Tunisian fruit seller triggered a wave of protests across the Arab world, little has changed in the town where he was driven by despair to set himself on fire. — AFP

Militants seize parts of Yemeni southern city SANAA: Islamic militants emboldened by months of turmoil in Yemen launched a surprise dawn attack yesterday on a southern city, seizing entire neighborhoods for nearly 12 hours before withdrawing to farmlands on the outskirts, security officials said. They said one soldier was killed and three were wounded in fighting between the militants and government troops in Houta, provincial capital of Lahj province. The militants, believed to number between 150 and 200 and to include Al-Qaeda members, controlled several neighborhoods in the southern part of Houta before they pulled out, the officials said.

There was no explanation immediately available for their pullback, but residents reached in the city suggested that the attack could have been meant as a show of force. The attack came a day after a senior U.S. official said Washington was worried that the ongoing unrest in Yemen could fuel connections between Al-Qaeda-linked militants in the Arab nation and alShabab insurgents in Somalia. Witnesses in Houta said some of yesterday’s attackers had Somali features and did not speak Arabic. Lahj is home to a refugee camp housing several thousand Somalis who escaped the violence in their country across the Red Sea in the Horn of Africa.

Daniel Benjamin, the State Department’s counterterrorism coordinator, also said insurgents in Yemen were now operating more in the open and have been able to acquire and hold more territory. The Yemeni security officials also said that bands of militants drove through some neighborhoods in the southern port city of Aden yesterday, opening fire on security forces. They had no more details. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Islamic militants, taking advantage of more than four months of political upheaval in Yemen, attacked and seized two other southern cities in Abyan province in late May. In a statement obtained yesterday, an Al-Qaeda-linked group thought to have been be involved the capture of the Abyan cities listed 12 air force and army officers it intended to kill them. Last week, warplanes bombed militants’ positions in and near the Abyan towns of Zinjibar and Jaar, and an army expeditionary force has been battling the militants on the outskirts of the two towns.—AP

revolution Tunisia criticism is only valid if you have solutions to propose. Their group wants state representatives, local authorities and activists to thrash out together what the region’s priorities should be, he says.

What is crucial, he says, is that the people who face the problems should get involved, “so they can resolve it themselves.” Post-revolution euphoria took a knock however with the recent visit of eight ministers from the provisional government. “They came to announce mega-projects without consulting” local people. “It’s a betrayal,” Hichem said bitterly. There is a sense among many people that change is not coming fast enough. But a poll from the Sigma Institute nevertheless indicated that more than 70 percent of Tunisians were confident in the future.

“Political life has restarted, with the creation of numerous parties,” said Pierre Vermeren, a historian specializing in the region. “The country hasn’t tipped over into civil war or an excessive level of violence.” And people feel a great sense of national pride that their uprising was the start of what is now known as the Arab Spring, added Vermeren, who lectures at Paris’ Sorbonne University. The country’s interim administration has finally settled on October 23 as the date of elections to an assembly whose job it will be to draw up a new constitution. But the political scene remains fragmented, with more than 90 parties and their leaders, many of them little known to the average Tunisian, fighting for attention.

For the moment, no leading contender has emerged, although the Islamist Ennahda movement, banned under the Ben Ali regime, appears to be relatively well organized. Tunisia’s economic problems remain a real cause of concern, with the country struggling to revive one of its main earners, the tourism industry. And the civil war across the border in Libya has also cast its shadow over the countr y: about half a million refugees have fled to Tunisia to escape the fighting. But with all the obstacles the country still has to overcome, blogger Lina Ben Mhenni sums up what for many is the most important fruit of the revolution. “We got rid of the fear.”— AFP

to female infanticide and foeticide, the UN Population Fund says.

Some experts said the world’s largest democracy was relatively forthcoming about describing its problems, possibly casting it in a darker light than if other countries were equally transparent about trafficking. Somalia ranked fifth due to a catalogue of dangers including high maternal mortality, rape and female genital mutilation, along with limited access to education, healthcare and economic resources. “I’m completely surprised because I thought Somalia would be first on the list, not fifth,” Somali women’s minister Maryan Qasim told TrustLaw. “The most dangerous thing a woman in Somalia can do is to become pregnant. When a woman becomes pregnant her life is 50-50 because there is no antenatal care at all. There are no hospitals, no healthcare, no nothing. “Add to that the rape cases that happen on a daily basis, the female genital mutilation that is being done to every single girl in Somalia. Add to that the famine and the drought. Add to that the fighting (which means) you can die any minute, any day.” Poll respondents included aid professionals, academics, health workers, policymakers, journalists and development specialists. — Reuters

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

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

Romania’s ethnic Hungarians threaten to quit government BUCHAREST: An ethnic Hungarian party is threatening to topple the Romanian government by withdrawing from the coalition if a plan to reconstitute the country into regions isn’t revised. A dispute over how Romania should be divided has flared up over the past week, after President Traian Basescu failed to back proposals to create a new region incorporating a mainly Hungarian area in central Romania. Last Friday, Basescu said he wanted to divide Romania into eight regions rather than 41 counties and the capital, to give the regions more administrative autonomy from Bucharest.

Ethnic Hungarians want a region, called

Szeklerland, cut along ethnic lines in central Romania, uniting three counties where they are in the majority , a desire that Basescu failed to satisfy. Critics have warned that the creation of a Hungarian-dominated enclave in the heart of Romania could lead to demands for territorial autonomy in a part of the world that is already home to several separatist movements from Moldova to Bosnia.

Basescu’s plan prompted the Union of Democratic Hungarians in Romania, the party that represents Romania’s 1.4 million ethnic Hungarians , in a total population of 22 million , to threaten to quit the government

unless Szeklerland is included in the plan.

“It must be clear that there will be no support from us on such a project,” said party leader Kelemen Hunor, who is also Romania’s culture minister. “If (the project) goes forward without our support, it means we’ll have a problem in Parliament, there will not be a majority.” That could lead to the collapse of the government since the two opposition parties, the Liberals and Social Democrats, are bitterly opposed to Basescu, who has been president since 2004, and his Prime Minister Emil Boc. Another Hungarian leader Sandor Tamas, told online newspaper Gandul.info that Hungarian churches and

others were preparing for “civic disobedience” if the region is not recognized. “If this cannot be solved politically, we will be forced to turn to civic disobedience....More precisely, this means we will stage a peaceful protest.... And if that does not solve it, we’ll see,” he added.

Romania’s Hungarian community mainly live in Transylvania region in central and west Romania and enjoy broad minority rights. Since 2001, they have been allowed to use their native tongue in local administration in areas where they are more than 20 percent of the local population. Since six people died in 1990 during ethnic clashes in

the year after the revolution, relations between the two groups have been smooth especially since both Romania and Hungary are now members of the European Union and NATO. However, an economic downturn, a weak government in Bucharest which needs the support of the ethnic Hungarian party to survive, and upcoming elections have led to friction between Romanian and ethnic Hungarian politicians. Romanian opposition parties say the government has made too many concessions to the Hungarians, while the ethnic Hungarians want more concessions.— AP

UN, US condemn Sudan border bombings Obama urges immediate ceasefire

PARIS: Nelson Marinho, president of Brazil’s association of victims’ families, answers reporters’ questions in Paris, yesterday. —AP

Air France crash families meeting investigators PARIS: Relatives of the victims of a crashed Air France flight met with investigators yesterday to work out what will happen to the victims’ remains, retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean floor two years after the crash. All 228 people died when Air France Flight 447 dived into the sea in 2009, and investigators are still trying to determine what went wrong. In a long-awaited discovery, underwater robots located the plane’s black box flight recorders and several bodies in April. The remains still must be identified, likely via DNA testing. A ship carrying the bodies and aircraft parts is scheduled to arrive in the French port of Bayonne today.

Representatives from Brazilian, French, Italian and German associations of victims’ families sat down with investigators from France’s accident investigation bureau BEA yesterday to review the latest information on the crash. “We’re seeking the truth. We lost relatives and we need to take advantage of this to make aviation safer so other families don’t have to suffer what we’re suffering,” Nelson Marinho, president of Brazil’s association of victims’ families, told The Associated Press ahead of the meeting.

“This meeting is only to deal with the delivery of the bodies to their respective families,” he said. Marinho said he hoped the French investigators would work with Brazilian federal police to compare data to make the identification quicker and easier. Based on initial information from the flight recorders, investigators say the pilots, confronted with faulty instrument readings and alarms going off in the cockpit, struggled to tame the aircraft as it went into an aerodynamic stall, rolled, and finally plunged 38,000 feet in just 3 1/2 minutes.

A brief, highly technical report released by the BEA last month contains only selective remarks from the cockpit recorder, offers no analysis and assigns no blame. A fuller report is expected in July. The plane’s external speed sensors, called Pitot tubes, have long been considered a likely culprit in the disaster, with experts suggesting they may have been iced over.

The BEA investigators also found that two sets of instruments on the plane gave different speed readings. Since the accident, Air France has replaced the speed monitors on all its Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft. — AP

Rights groups challenge Rwandan’s S African asylum PRETORIA: Refugee rights groups want a court to strip a Rwandan general of asylum status in South Africa, saying he has been linked to mass human rights abuses in East Africa.

In a statement issued this week after filing the suit against the South African government earlier this month, Nicole Fritz of the Southern African Litigation Center said the case of Gen. Faustin K ayumba Nyamwasa could “send a signal to war criminals the world over that they will find a safe haven here.

Indeed, a haven where they might be actively protected as refugees.”

The Southern African Litigation Center and the Consor tium of Refugees and Migrant Rights South Africa filed the suit. A spokesman for Nyamwasa said yesterday the general denies involvement in human rights violations, and fears the refugee group’s suit will distract attention from an upcoming trial that Rwandan dissidents hope will focus on their president’s activities.

Since coming to South Africa in early 2010, Nyamwasa has been a sharp critic of Rwandan President Paul Kagame. Nyamwasa was shot and wounded in Johannesburg last year, and dissidents accuse Kagame of involvement in what they call an assassination attempt. Kagame’s government has denied involvement in the shooting, and accuses Nyamwasa of trying to destabilize Rwanda.

The trial over Nyamwasa’s shooting is scheduled to start later this month in Johannesburg. Frank Ntwali, who is Nyamwasa’s brotherin-law and spokesman, said the refugee group’s case, for which no date for hearings has been set, could be a distraction, but that the general

would cooperate. “ This is South Africa, you are allowed to go to court with your evidence and present your case,” said Ntwali, a lawyer in South Africa. “He will be ready to defend himself. He’s ready whenever he’s called upon to come and answer any allegations.”

Ronnie Mamoepa of the South African government’s immigration department said the government would not comment on a case before the courts. In the lawsuit, the refugee and rights groups acknowledge it might not be safe for Nyamwasa to return to Rwanda. The groups suggest instead he be tried in South Africa. “Any country can prosecute serious international crimes,” Alan Wallis of the Southern African Litigation Center said in an interview. “The first step is just to have his refugee status revoked,” A Spanish judge in 2008 charged Nyamwasa and 39 other members of the Rwandan military with the mass killings of civilians after they seized power in Rwanda. Rwandan Hutus in 1994 killed more than 500,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in a genocide. Nyamwasa and other senior Tutsis are accused of waging a subsequent extermination campaign against Hutus.

Spanish cour ts can prosecute human rights crimes even if they are alleged to have occurred in other countries so long as there is a clear link to Spain. Three Spanish aid workers were killed East Africa in 1997 , homicides for which Nyamwasa has also been charged in Spain. A U.N. report last year echoed the 2008 Spanish charges, accusing invading Rwandan troops of killing tens of thousands of Hutus in 1996 and 1997. — AP

KHARTOUM: The UN expressed alarm yesterday at Sudan’s intensified bombing of a troubled border state and US President Barack Obama urged an immediate ceasefire as clerics and activists alleged ethnic cleansing. Obama said there was no military solution to the conflict in South Kordofan, and urged the leaders of north and south Sudan to live up to their responsibilities.

“The government of Sudan must prevent a further escalation of this crisis by ceasing its military actions immediately, including aerial bombardments, forced displacements and campaigns of intimidation,” Obama said in an message recorded late on Tuesday for a US broadcasting network. After a wave of air strikes on Tuesday, allegedly targeting rebel positions in the Nuba Mountains, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Sudan (UNMIS) said the situation in South Kordofan remained “extremely volatile and tense.”

Earlier, a UN report said the Sudan Red Crecent Society had collected 25 dead bodies in the state capital Kadugli, which has witnessed some of the fiercest fighting, and cited local sources indicating that 64 people had been killed in aerial bombardments since the clashes first erupted. “There is a growing sense of panic among some of the displaced populations who find themselves trapped by the ongoing violence and the ethnic fault lines,” the UN humanitarian office reported.

Heavy fighting between the northern Sudanese Armed Forces and allied militiamen against fighters aligned to southern former rebel group the Sudan People’s Liberation Army has raged across the state since June 5.

The international Catholic charity Caritas said more than 60,000 people had fled their homes. Caritas said that more than 70 percent of the population of Kadugli had fled the city, with over 27,000 people fleeing to Kauda and that “an unknown number of people” were believed to be hiding in the Nuba Mountains.

On Tuesday, the SAF appeared to step up its air strikes on former rebel strongholds, where the indigenous Nuba peoples fought with the SPLA during the devastating 19832005 civil war between north and south.

UNMIS said jet fighters dropped 11 bombs around the town of Kauda on Tuesday morning, as part of its ongoing bombing campaign that was causing “huge suffering” to the civilian population.

The SAF denied it was targeting civilians, saying it was battling a rebellion in South

KORDOFAN: A hugh explosion near a United Nations compound in South Kordofan state, Tuesday. The fighting in Abyei comes as air bombardments have taken place in the northsouth border region of South Kordofan. —AP Kordofan, while a ruling party official at the information ministry insisted the Sudanese government treated all ethnic groups equally.

“Saying that the army is targeting the Nuba is false information (from the rebels), to show the world that they are suffering from marginalisation,” Rabie Abdel Ati told AFP. “This is due to the failure of Abdelaziz alHilu in the elections (for state governor last month),” he added. A Sudanese human rights group reported this week that Antonov bombers had killed more than 65 people in air strikes in South Kordofan since the start of fighting. The Sudan Democracy First Group, in a six-page report, accused the SAF of pursuing a genocidal campaign against the Nuba in South Kordofan, supported by a feared civil war militia that now forms part of the northern army.The accusations were echoed by opposition MPs in Khartoum. “( The government) want to pursue their Arab-Islamic state and anyone who opposes that will be eliminated. And the Nuba have the loudest voice in that, saying they are proud to be Nuba,” Ahmed Saeed, a Nuba

Mandela charity ex-chief innocent in diamond case JOHANNESBURG: A prominent South African businessman to whom supermodel Naomi Campbell testified she gave gems was found not guilty yesterday in a “blood diamonds” case. Jeremy Ractliffe, former chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, had been charged with violating laws against possessing uncut diamonds. It is illegal in South Africa to possess a rough diamond because of its possible links to funding fighters in African civil wars, money laundering and other crimes.

“Mr Ractliffe, you are not guilty and discharged,” Magistrate Renier Boshoff said after hearing just a half day of testimony. Ractliffe had been accompanied to court yesterday by his wife and five daughters, who embraced after hearing the verdict.

Ractliffe has said he kept the stones and did not report them to authorities in a bid to protect the reputations of Mandela, Campbell and the charity, of which he was a founder. “I did what I did for what I felt were totally valid reasons,” Ractliffe told reporters outside the courtroom after the verdict was read. “I have always thought I was innocent and it was very nice to have this proven.” Ractliffe was chief executive in 1997 of the Mandela charity when Campbell said she received uncut diamonds after a fundraiser also attended by Liberia’s then President Charles Taylor. Taylor was believed to be the source of the diamonds. He is being tried in The Hague for trading in illegal diamonds.

Campbell testified during Taylor’s war crimes trial at the Hague she received the diamonds from three men who came to her hotel room after the fundraising dinner. Campbell said that she did not know the source of the diamonds, but other witnesses said she bragged about

getting them from Taylor. Campbell said she gave Ractliffe the diamonds the morning after she received them, as a donation to Mandela’s charity. Ractliffe said he didn’t tell the foundation about the diamonds, and kept the stones in a safe for 13 years until he handed them over to police after Campbell’s August 2010 testimony. Ractliffe had already stepped down as chief executive by last August. He resigned as a trustee after the diamond scandal broke. — AP

activist and MP for South Kordofan, told AFP. Daniel Deng Bul, who as the Episcopal Archbishop of Sudan is the country’s senior Anglican clergyman, also accused Khartoum of pursuing a policy of “ethnic cleansing” in South Kordofan, in a statement on Tuesday.

The UN refugee agency, meanwhile, has appealed to the Sudanese authorities to provide air and road access for humanitarian agencies to South Kordofan, where UN offices and warehouses have been looted. Planes have been refused permission to land and roadblocks were hampering access by land, spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said.

Reports are also emerging of alleged extra-judicial killings carried out by the armed forces on Sudanese UN staff and on civilians, during house-to-house searches for suspected SPLA sympathisers. The United States has threatened to halt the normalisation of its ties with Sudan, warning the government it faced deeper international isolation if it did not halt the violence, which threatens to cast a pall over the run-up to southern independence next month. —AFP

Irish government seeks inquiry into abuse claims LONDON: The Irish government has announced an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding reported abuses at Catholic-run laundries.

The government said yesterday the committee will be chaired by an independent person and will chronicle any interaction that has taken place between the government and the so-called Magdalene Laundries. The laundries were a network of 10 workhouses that operated in Ireland from the 1920s to the mid-1990s. Human rights groups say young women were abused after being sent to the laundries. Many of the victims were teenagers who arrived as punishment for petty crimes or for becoming pregnant out of wedlock.

The Irish government also said that ministers would meet with representatives of the victims.

James M. Smith, a spokesman for the group Justice for Magdalenes, said yesterday the group welcomes the government’s decision but believes an apology should be made immediately, especially because many of the victims are becoming elderly.

“It’s another important step and we are willing to participate,” he said. “But it doesn’t offer an apology and all the members of our group feel an apology should have come out front, as a signal that restorative justice is important.”— AP

German MEP stripped of doctorate for plagiarism

BERLIN: A new sculpture is seen at the former death strip at Bernauer Strasse in Berlin yesterday. The artwork shows a scene from Aug. 17, 1962 when dying Peter Fechter was carried away by East German border guards who shot him down when he tried to cross the Berlin wall and became the first person who was killed there. —AP

BERLIN: A European Parliament member yesterday became the latest public figure in Germany to be stripped of her doctorate for plagiarism after the defence minister was forced to quit earlier this year.

Heidelberg University in western Germany said it had withdrawn Silvana Koch-Mehrin’s academic title after an enquiry found that “substantial parts” of her 2000 doctoral thesis were copied from others.

Koch-Mehrin, 40, was once seen as a rising star of the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), Chancellor Angela Merkel’s junior coalition partners, but her popularity had already waned before plagiarism allegations surfaced in May. — AFP

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Congress opens hearings on Islam in prison Hearing draws protests, criticism from Democrats WASHINGTON: Islamic radicalization in prisons continues to be a concern among law enforcement officials across the US, and countering it should not be a partisan issue, the top Republican on the House Homeland Security said yesterday. Rep Peter King led the second in what he has promised to be a series of hearings on violent Islamic radicalization in the US The first hearing, held in March, broadly looked at Islamic radicalization around the country and what the Muslim community is doing to combat it. That hearing drew days of protests and criticism from Democrats who said that King and the Republicans were unfairly singling out Islam.

“I would urge my Democratic colleagues to rise above partisan talking points,” King said during his opening remarks. But the top Democrat on the committee, Bennie Thompson, said there are few instances of Islamic radicalization in prisons, the subject of yesterday’s hearing. Thompson said the vetting process of incoming mail and prison chaplains ensures that Islam , the fastest growing religion among prisoners in the US , does not inspire violence. The majority of the recent terror plots against the US have involved people espousing a radical and violent

view of Islam, making it difficult to ignore the role religion plays in this particular threat. But critics say focusing too closely on Islam and the religious motives of those who have attempted terror attacks threatens to alienate an entire community.

To King, the purpose of these hearings is clear: “It’s to show and remind people that the threat is here.” Law enforcement officials from New York and California who have handled cases of prison radicalization are slated to testify yesterday.

King said he can’t blame people in the Muslim community for

a person adopting a violent interpretation of their religion. But, he said, he can place blame if someone in the community knows of such a radical , for example, a prison chaplain who preaches a violent brand of Islam to impressionable inmates , and fails to point that person out to law enforcement or community leaders. The White House, which pushed a message of religious tolerance ahead of King’s initial hearing on Islamic radicalization, had no comment this time around. For years, law enforcement officials have said the prison atmosphere is ripe for

recruitment for any extremist cause, from violent Islamist extremism to white supremacist and Latino gangs.

Adopting the Islamic faith while in prison is not a new phenomenon. Islam took hold in US prisons in the 1940s, when members of the Nation of Islam were held for refusing to fight in World War II. Malcolm X was one of their most famous prison recruits. Many chaplains and corrections officials credit the faith, when taught properly, with being a stabilizing force that can help inmates turn their lives around. —AP

Mexican gambling magnate wins 2nd release TIJUANA: A flamboyant former Tijuana mayor won two rounds against Mexican authorities on Tuesday as separate judges dismissed federal weapons charges against him, then later refused to back state prosecutors’ attempts to detain him in a murder investigation. The circus surrounding Jorge Hank Rhon , who was freed at dawn from a federal facility, held by state prosecutors in the afternoon and home safe by dinner , dealt a stinging blow to Mexico’s attempts to fight organized crime and fueled claims that the 10-day ordeal to prosecute the popular gambling magnate was politically motivated. “I’m free, I’m in my house with my family,” Hank Rhon, 55, said late Tuesday through his spokesman, Francisco Ramirez, flashing a three-fingered victory sign upon his release.

The man US authorities have long suspected of ties with money laundering had supporters demonstrating in the streets for his freedom, and Roman Catholic bishops calling for his speedy release. He has strenuously denied ties to organized crime.

“If they were going to make a political strike on this scale, why didn’t they do it right?” said Jose Antonio Crespo, a political analyst at Mexico City’s Center for Investigation and Economic Research.

“They didn’t lack evidence; they just needed to follow procedures and do things right.” Federal prosecutors said they would appeal the judge’s ruling, while the state said it would continue the investigation into his possible links to three homicides, including that he ordered the 2009 killing of his son’s former girlfriend.

Assistant Attorney General Patricia Bugarin said that on June 8, the judge had ruled the arrests were legal. “I don’t know what reasons she had to change her mind,” Bugarin told Milenio television. “I don’t think the evidence was adequately analyzed.” Hank Rhon was Tijuana’s mayor from 2004 to 2007, when he staged a failed run for governor. He has long figured large on the national political scene, and not

TIJUANA: This file August 5, 2007 file photo shows Jorge HankRhon casting his ballot during elections in Tijuana, Mexico. —AFP only because of the wealth amassed from his Caliente gambling empire. His father was one of Mexico’s best-known politicians, leader of faction in the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, that ruled Mexico from 1929 until 2000. National polls indicate that the man with the best chance to oust Calderon’s National Action Party and recover the presidency in 2012 is Enrique Pena Nieto, who has political ties to Hank Rhon.

The seeming collapse of the case echoed a 2009 strike against mayors from President Felipe Calderon’s home state of Michoacan, most of them from opposition parties, who were accused by the Calderon administration of protecting drug traffickers. All were eventually released for lack of evidence.

Federal Judge Blanca Evelia Parra Meza ruled early Tuesday there wasn’t enough evidence to order Hank Rhon and eight others to stand trial on charges of possessing weapons restricted to military use, according to a statement from the court office. Parra said that the story told by soldiers about the predawn raid in which they found weapons at Hank Rhon’s home didn’t hold up. Soldiers raided his elaborate compound, which includes a racetrack, a casino and a private zoo in the early morning of June 4, seizing 88 weapons and nearly 10,000 rounds of ammunition during the raid.

Federal prosecutors said only 10 were licensed and two were traced to two other Tijuana murders, of a security guard in December 2009 and an alleged car thief in June 2010. Hank Rhon’s lawyers said raid was illegal because soldiers didn’t have a search warrant. The army had said the soldiers didn’t need a search warrant to enter the house because they got a tip about weapons being stored there, saw armed men at the residence and followed them inside, arresting Hank Rhon and eight other men.

But Parra, the federal judge, said, “There was evidence of several inconsistencies, in regard to the times, distances and places referred to in the soldiers’ report,” according to the statement.

Hank Rhon was then turned over to state prosecutors, who announced they were investigating his link to the August 2009 killing of 24-year-old Angelica Munoz after the assassin testified that he acted under orders from Hank Rhon. A state judge then refused to order him held for 40 days without charges while prosecutors completed the investigation. —AP

Florida looms as epicenter of 2012 battle MIAMI: Florida is already becoming a pivotal skirmish in President Barack Obama’s reelection bid, with maneuvering worthy of its rich history of political chicanery and disputed cliffhanger elections. Seventeen months before election day, the Sunshine State offers clues to the forces shaping nationwide Republican and Democratic 2012 campaigns, no more so than with its crawl out of economic malaise.

Both sides understand just how important Florida is. In 2012, the state has a precious 29 of the 270 electoral votes a candidate needs to be president-the highest number of any of a dozen or so swing states. “The maths are pretty simple. It is very difficult in any scenario that the Republicans don’t carry Florida but win the White House,” said Peter Brown of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

Obama could lose midwestern bastions Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota, plus New Hampshire and still cling to the White House if he wins Florida and locks in the rest of his 2008 electoral map. State polling shows a disgruntled electorate, lashing out at Obama and new Republican governor Rick Scott over a state unemployment rate of 10.8 percent and a home foreclosure mess.

Obama got a “bounce” after the killing of Osama bin Laden-capturing a 51 percent approval rating in the latest Quinnipiac Florida survey in late May, though has little breathing room. The key question for next year may be whether Obama can drive voters enthused by his calls for hope and change back to the polls, despite their dashed dreams of the new politics he vowed to forge. Obama launched his Florida campaign in Miami on Monday, mentoring youthful supporters.

“I know the conversation you guys are having... ‘I’m not feeling as hopeful as I was,’” the president said. “But I never said this was going to be easy. This is a democracy... and our political process is messy.” Obama turned out 1.1 million African Americans in Florida in 2008, inspired by the thought of one of their own in the White House. “Getting that key demographic to turn out again is going to be exceedingly difficult because the change that was promised hasn’t been delivered for many of them,” said Professor Daniel Smith, a Florida University elections expert.

Obama also won 60 percent of Latino men, and 55 percent of Latino women, a vital demographic nationwide. The Hispanic vote was one reason Obama flew to Puerto Rico on Tuesday, seeking to win favor with former islanders who are US citizens and live in Florida. The Puerto Rican diaspora is especially prominent in central Florida, an area which Obama split 50-50 with Republican John McCain in 2008. —AFP

Chile volcano could get worse, as travel woes grow SANTIAGO: A Chilean volcano spewing dangerous ash high into the sky, sowing air travel havoc from South America to Australia for the past week, could have even more intense eruptions in the days to come, government geologists warned.

“It is possible there will be a return to increased eruptive activity” of the Puyehue volcano in southern Chile’s Andes mountains, which started belching fumes on June 4, Chile’s National Geological and Mines Service said late Tuesday.

It said it was detecting no let-up in the volcano’s emissions, which were towering eight kilometers (five miles) into the troposhpere. It maintained its alert level at “moderate eruption.” That was bad news for airlines flying into or over Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, southern Brazil, and-half a world away-Australia.

Passengers in those regions have had to ditch aircraft for travel by boat or overland, or cancel plans entirely.

The chaos recalled the massive paralysis of air travel over Europe in 2010 when an Icelandic volcano erupted.

Among the millions of passengers affected was UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who on Tuesday had to take a

slow boat from Argentina to Uruguay as he pursued a Latin America tour to secure support for his bid for another five-year term.

From the Uruguayan capital Montevideo, Ban was scheduled to go on to the Brazilian capital Brasilia. But a UN official speaking in New York on condition of anonymity said: “At the moment, we have no idea how he will get there.” On Monday, Ban’s plane from Colombia was forced to land in the Argentine city of Cordoba, and he had to travel the 645 kilometers (400 miles) to Buenos Aires by bus on the day he celebrated his 67th birthday.

Peru’s president-elect, Ollanta Humala, had to make the same sea voyage in reverse for a Tuesday meeting with Argentine President Cristina Kirchner. Uruguay, which lies across a river from Buenos Aires, did resume some air traffic by Tuesday afternoon, although 70 flights were cancelled during the day. Buenos Aires airports have suspended domestic and international flights for several days now, and Chile’s meteorological service said prevailing winds would continue to blow the ash into Argentina.—AFP

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Australian fliers vent anger as volcano vents ash SYDNEY: Stuart and Tina Gunn should be with their daughter by now. She is waiting for them in New Zealand, due to give birth to her first child at any moment. Instead, the English couple remained stuck at a Sydney hotel for a second day yesterday, waiting for ash spewing from a Chilean volcano to clear, and waiting to hear something, anything, from Qantas, the Australian carrier that was supposed to take them on the last leg of their journey.

The Gunns are among tens of thousands of passengers grounded in Australia who have become increasingly frustrated at Qantas and other airlines. Many are having a tough time understanding why some airlines are choosing to cancel flights, while others aren’t. The ash, which can damage jet engines, has crossed the Pacific from Chile, where a volcano has been erupting since June 4. More than 70,000 passengers

in Australia and New Zealand have been at least temporarily stranded since the weekend.

Chilean officials said a thick column of ash continued to boil into the atmosphere more than 5 miles (8 kilometers) above the Cordon Caulle volcano on Tuesday, though weather conditions made it impossible to determine the size of the ash cloud yesterday.

It has been drifting east toward Argentina and Uruguay, though airports in their capitals were able to reopen yesterday.

The closures had forced Peruvian presidentelect Ollanta Humala to take a boat across the Rio de la Plata from Uruguay to Buenos Aires, where he met with Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Tuesday.

Soccer officials, meanwhile, were worried that the ash could delay the July 1 start of the Copa America, South America’s champi-

onship. “We hope that within five or six days the problems with the ash will not exist,” Argentine Football Association President Julio Grondona told Argentine broadcaster Radio 10.

In Sydney, the Gunns have booked tickets on another airline and will use them if Qantas doesn’t fly them out Thursday. They said they have spent four hours over two days on hold with Qantas, but have yet to get through. “You listen to that message until you lose the will to live,” said Tina Gunn. She said her daughter, Jacqueline Burt, is due to give birth Friday but has already been feeling pains and is getting “very stressed.” Yesterday brought mixed news: Qantas and its Jetstar subsidiary announced they were resuming flights to Tasmania on Thursday after four days of cancellations, but it and several other airlines said they were canceling flights to and

from the gateway western Australian city of Perth. Air travel out of the southern cities of Melbourne and Adelaide has been restored, but Qantas service between Australia and New Zealand remains suspended, as it has been since the weekend.

Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand have avoided canceling many flights by changing flight paths, a step Qantas and some other airlines have been unwilling to take. Qantas spokesman Tom Woodward said he couldn’t comment on other airlines’ safety procedures, but that when it comes to thick ash clouds, Qantas would not fly through them, under them or around them.

He said Qantas was doing everything possible by providing hotel rooms for stranded passengers and allowing them to rebook or collect refunds for their tickets.

Qantas was also trying to reach out to passengers with text messages and by posting

regular updates on its website, Woodward said. “There’s no denying the fact that this is a major disruption and it’s put a lot of pressure on our call centers,” Woodward said. He said two- or three-hour waits on the phone are “the reality of our situation, unfortunately.” Australia’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre has warned that flights could be affected for several days. Even when all routes are finally cleared for flights, extra days would be needed to relieve the backlog.

Justin and Yoko Smith and their 19month-old son, Subaru, were facing a fifth day stuck at the Mercure hotel near the Sydney airport. Justin Smith, a mechanic, said the family had booked a flight home to New Zealand on Jetstar. He said he has no money to rebook on another airline, so he will sit it out until Jetstar gets him home.

“My boss has gone nuts,” he said. “I was supposed to be back on Monday.”— AP

Nine North Koreans defect to South by boat Actions might fuel cross-border tensions

BANGKOK: Yingluck Shinawatra, center, opposition Pheu Thai Party’s candidate for prime minister and sister of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, is greeted by her supporters during an election campaign for her party in Ubonratchathani province, northeast of Bangkok, Thailand yesterday.—AP

Army chief urges Thais not to repeat past choices BANGKOK: Thailand’s powerful army chief, who helped oust former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has urged voters not to repeat the outcome of past elections in next month’s balloting _ an apparent warning against supporting Thaksin’s allies. Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha delivered his advice Tuesday night in a special broadcast on the country’s two army-owned television networks, as polls indicated that pro-Thaksin forces are again headed for victory in the July 3 general elections.

Thaksin was deposed in a 2006 military coup after being accused of corruption and disrespect to King Bhumibol Adulyadej. A sharp split between Thaksin’s supporters and opponents has left Thailand in political turmoil since the coup, culminating in street protests in Bangkok last year that deteriorated into violence, leaving 91 people dead and more than 1,800 hurt.

Prayuth, an outspoken defender of the monarchy, said offenses against the royal institution had been increasing and voters should chose “good people” with good morals “who know what is right and wrong.” By bracketing his remarks about voting with the blast at critics of the monarchy, Prayuth implied that voters who respect the king should not support the pro-Thaksin Pheu Thai party.

Thaksin’s youngest sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, is the party’s candidate for

prime minister. Prayuth said if the same people voted the same way as before, the results would be the same, an apparent reference to the string of victories by pro-Thaksin parties.

Despite those victories, the rival Democrat Party of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was able to take power in 2008 after controversial legal rulings and defections by lawmakers from smaller parties in Parliament. King Bhumibol has long been a unifying figure, but at 83 and in poor health, there are serious concerns about the future of the monarchy because Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn doesn’t command as much popular respect. Royalists suspect that Thaksin sought to usurp the king’s authority and don’t want him to return from exile overseas, where he fled to escape a jail sentence for corruption. Thai army chiefs have a history of being powerful political figures. The country has gone through 18 coups or attempted coups since becoming a constitutional monarchy in the 1930s. Pheu Thai spokesman Prompong Nopparit said yesterday he saw Prayuth’s comments as simply urging Thai people to vote in large numbers. “We don’t see that he is in favor of any particular party or against any other party,” he said. “Pheu Thai is not worried about it. ... It is the people who will determine the future of the country. Nobody can manipulate them.”— AP

Indonesia braces for verdict in cleric case JAKARTA: Indonesia’s capital will be secured by more than 3,000 police and soldiers for the verdict today in the terrorism trial of radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, officials said. Bashir is accused of helping to organize and fund a jihadi training camp in westernmost Aceh province that involved members of almost ever y known Indonesian extremist group. If found guilty, he faces up to life in prison. Bashir, 72, denies involvement with the training camp but repeatedly defends it as legal under Islam. “He is ready to face the heaviest punishment though, because he believes the verdict is deliberately designed to stop his dakwah (religious outreach),” Bashir ’s spokesman Hasyim Adbullah said yesterday.

Jakarta police chief Sutarman said nearly 3,200 security personnel including 335 soldiers will secure the court and surrounding area. Threats of a bombing campaign in 36 locations across Indonesia to coincide with the verdict have been spread by Twitter and text messages. Judges in the case also received the bomb threat text messages, said Ida Bagus Dwiyantara, a spokesman for the district court in south Jakarta, where the verdict will be announced.

The Aceh camp was raided in February last year resulting in the arrests of more than 120 suspected terrorists over several months. They allegedly planned attacks on foreigners and assassinations of moderate

Muslim leaders such as Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Some terrorism experts say the camp’s organizers envisaged it as a vehicle for radicalizing the Acehnese people and as the nucleus of a future Islamic state.

Despite the camp’s failure, it may have provided lessons that will help future attempts to bring extremist groups together under one umbrella.

Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, was thrust into the front lines of the battle against terrorism by the 2002 bombings on the tourist island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreigners. Since then, the government has had some notable successes, killing key terrorist leaders, arresting hundreds of foot soldiers, and limiting the capacity of violent extremist groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah to strike at government and Western targets within Indonesia.

But prisons are proving to be a failing in Indonesia’s counter-terrorism strategy with some released militants rejoining their networks and commiting new acts of terror. Ordinary prisoners, meanwhile, are at risk of being radicalized by imprisoned extremists.

It’s not the first time Bashir has faced terrorism charges or spent time in detention. He was arrested almost immediately after the Bali bombings, but prosecutors were unable to prove a string of terrorism-related allegations and reduced his four-year prison sentence to 18 months for immigration violations. — AP

SEOUL: Nine North Koreans have defected to South Korea by boat across the tense Yellow Sea frontier, Seoul’s defence ministry said yesterday, potentially fuelling cross-border tensions. The nine arrived on Saturday in an “engineless boat” at the tiny island of Udo, east of the frontier island of Yeonpyeong, Yonhap news agency said.

A ministr y spokesman confirmed the Yonhap report but gave no further details.

Yonhap said there were three men, two women, two boys and two girls aboard, some of whom were members of one family. “They were waving their hands as a way to express a wish to defect when their boat was spotted,” it quoted a military source as saying.

Police, along with military and intelligence officials, were interrogating the nine about their route and motives. It was the first such known incident since February, when a boatload of North Koreans drifted across the Yellow Sea border in thick fog, sparking weeks of acrimony.

Seoul returned 27 of the 31 people on board but refused to hand over the other four, saying they had freely chosen to stay in the South. Pyongyang complained that the four had been pressured to stay and publicised appeals from their relatives for them to come home. Yang Moo-Jin, professor at Seoul’s University of North Korean Studies, said the North would react less strongly than last time as the nine people had clearly meant to defect rather than ending up in the South by accident.

“This case underscores the worsening food shortages in the North,” Yang also told AFP. Kim Yong-Hyun, a North Korea expert at Dongguk University, agreed on the economic dimension, noting to Yonhap that the incident came after food-deprived North Korea had been making new international appeals for aid.

After a few months of relative calm, the North has been using harsher rhetoric against the South’s conservative government since late May-describing it as a US puppet bent on

HWASEONG: South Korean Marines salute during the establishment ceremony of the Northwest Islands Defense Command at the Marines headquarters in Hwaseong, South Korea, near the tense disputed Yellow Sea border with the North, yesterday. —AP fuelling confrontation. It announced it would have no further dealings with the administration and poured scorn on what it said were secret approaches by Seoul for summit talks.

The North’s military has also threatened retaliation unless Seoul punishes troops who used pictures of Pyongyang’s ruling dynasty as rifle-range targets. The practice has been halted.

Cross-border ties worsened after South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak came to power in February 2008 and linked major aid to his neighbor ’s nuclear disarmament.

Relations turned icy after the South accused the North of sinking one of its warships near the disputed Yellow Sea border in March 2010 with the loss of 46 lives. The North denies involvement in the sinking. But it shelled

Villagers flee as Myanmar rebel clash spreads BANGKOK: Deadly clashes between Myanmar troops and ethnic minority rebels near the Chinese border have spread with hundreds, possibly thousands, of people fleeing their homes, reports said yesterday. Heavy fighting around a large hydropower project being built in northern Kachin state to provide power to China has erupted sporadically for almost a week after soldiers tried to push back Kachin Independence Army (KIA) troops.

Reports from the Kachin News Group (KNG), which has close contact with the rebels, suggested fighting had also broken out in northern parts of nearby Shan state late Tuesday. KNG editor Lahpai Naw Din, who is based in Thailand, told AFP that more than 1,000 refugees had fled the fighting in Kachin and massed in rebel-held areas near the border between China and Myanmar, also known as Burma.

“They are in fear of being made porters for the Burmese troops,” he said, citing local sources. He said Tuesday’s fighting marked the first day of “civil war” between the KIA and the military, with rebels vowing to destroy any government infrastructure. In the first confirmation from the Myanmar government’s side, an official said yesterday that some bridges were destroyed in the fighting in Kachin.

Myanmar has been plagued by decades of civil war between the regime and armed ethnic rebels since independence in 1948. The KIA, thought to have at least several thousand fighters, used to be one of the most powerful rebel groups but signed a ceasefire with the junta in 1994 and was until recently considered to be open to dialogue.

The mainly Baptist and Catholic Kachin account for about seven percent of Myanmar ’s population.

Hundreds of government soldiers opened fire on a KIA outpost near the hydropower project last Thursday, said Aung Din, of the US Campaign for Burma. He said about 16 state soldiers were thought to have been killed and more than 80 wounded, while four KIA troops died, including one who was allegedly tortured by government troops. The regime gave no information about casualties. More than 1,800 villagers have fled into China’s Longchun district, Aung Din said. A Chinese official in the area gave a different figure, saying more than 100 refugees had crossed over.

According to the US Campaign for Burma, 28 Chinese engineers and technicians stuck in Kachin were allowed to return to their country on Tuesday night after negotiations between the army and Chinese authorities. Rights groups accuse the army, which has doubled to 400,000 personnel over the past two decades, of waging a brutal counter-insurgency campaign in areas where civil war continues involving the rape, torture and murder of villagers.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which campaigns for religious freedoms, said it had received reports that villagers in some areas were being forced to carry weapons and ammunition for the state troops in the current Kachin fighting. “If the conflict continues to escalate the humanitarian consequences will be dire,” said East Asia team leader Benedict Rogers.

Fears of renewed conflict rose last year over government attempts to make former rebels give up their weapons or come under state control ahead of the November 2010 election.

Several local Kachin parties were refused permission to contest the vote, dashing long-held hopes for greater self rule. — AFP

Yeonpyeong island last November, killing two marines and two civilians, in what it called retaliation for a South Korean firing drill.

President Lee said yesterday the South’s military must retaliate “strongly and thoroughly” if North Korea attacks again.

He made the remarks as the South launched a new military command to bolster defences on islands near the disputed sea border. Some 21,000 North Koreans have come south since the end of the 1950-1953 war, the vast majority in recent years. Most cross into China, hide out and then move to another country before seeking resettlement in South Korea. China, in a policy strongly criticised by rights groups, repatriates those refugees it catches as economic migrants rather than giving them refugee status.— AFP

Japan’s mega-quake struck in small zone of fault: Study PARIS: The deadly 9.0-magnitude quake that struck off northeastern Japan on March 11 ruptured a relatively small part of a notorious fault that straddles the Pacific seabed, Japanese scientists reported yesterday. The earthquake occurred in part of the so-called Japan Trench, where the Pacific plate dives beneath the Okhotsk plate on which the Japanese archipelago lies.

Data supplied by a network of Global Positioning System (GPS) stations, dotted across Japan and called GeoNet, have helped unlock details of where the quake took place and what happened. Modeling of the stresses and strains placed upon Honshu island as the fault was torn apart indicates the epicenter was about 200 kilometers (120 miles) east of Sendai, at the heart of an extraordinarily compact, lozenge-shaped area of ocean floor.

Only a handful of earthquakes measuring 9.0 magnitude or more have ever been recorded, and they can rip open the sea floor over many hundreds of kilometers (miles). The biggest quake ever detected, a 9.5-magnitude event that occurred off southern Chile in 1960, ruptured the plate boundary for more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles).

The March 11 quake, though, points to a slippage zone that measures 400 kms (250 miles) by 200 kms (120 miles) wide. But what it lacked in size it more than compensated in terms of movement, for the energy release occurred less than 20 kms (12 miles) below the ocean floor.The sea bottom at the epicenter shifted by an astonishing 27 meters (88 feet), inflicting a water displacement which explains why the tsunami was so great. The GeoNet system uses positioning sensors to provide mill metric mapping of land movements. In the 15 years preceding the March 11 quake, the system showed a slow buildup of strain across Honshu as the mighty Pacific plate squeezed and dragged on the island’s eastern flank.

The technology could be useful in monitoring faults where a massive quake occurs at gaps spanning centuries or even longer, after pent-up strain builds to breaking point. Geological evidence from the distant past had suggested that the Japanese Trench was prone to massive, but very rare, tsunami-generating quakes.

But with the possible exception of a quake in AD 869, there was no documented evidence to support this suspicion, and so the risk was downplayed or ignored, says the study. — AFP

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international

Bombs kill 11 Afghans Shellnarrowly misses VP MAIDAN SHAR: Suicide bombings near an Afghan governor’s office and an administrative building killed 11 people yesterday, while a mortar shell narrowly missed one of the country’s vice presidents at a police training center outside the capital. Attacks by Taleban-led insurgents are increasingly killing, wounding or narrowly missing senior Afghan government and NATO officials. Yesterday’s gathering near Kabul, to celebrate the opening of the training center, was also attended by the interior minister, who is in charge of police forces nationwide.

KARACHI: Pakistani policemen escort arrested paramilitary soldiers - their faces covered - as they arrive for a court appearance in Karachi yesterday. —AFP

Pakistan to seek murder charges over shock killing KARACHI: A Pakistani prosecutor said yesterday he would seek murder charges against six soldiers and a civilian remanded over the killing of an unarmed man in a public park that shocked the nation.

Paramilitary Rangers shot dead Sarfaraz Shah, 22, in Karachi last yesterday after he was accused of robbery, but his family has demanded justice, insisting he was an innocent student. The killing was filmed by a television cameraman.

Public prosecutor Arshad Iqbal Cheema told AFP that the accused were brought before an anti-terrorism court yesterday.

“Police said they required more time (for investigation) on which the judge extended the remand until Friday,” he said. “The accused will be brought before the court after two days and a charge sheet against them for murder will be presented,” Cheema said.

In an earlier court hearing, two witnesses identified the seven men in the dock as hav-

ing been present at the time of the killing and one of the Rangers as having shot Shah, a court official told AFP. The witnesses were cameraman Abdul Salam Soomro and park official Abdul Rashid, the official said.

Cheema said that the witnesses “in an explicit manner narrated how the murder took place”. Pakistan on Tuesday removed from their jobs the heads of police and Rangers in Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital.

Widely aired footage of the killing showed a clean-shaven man, wearing black trousers and a navy shirt pleading for his life as a soldier cocked his rifle at his neck, then shot him twice in the hand and thigh. As his blood poured onto the ground, the man begged for help from soldiers who appeared to do nothing but watch-until he fell unconscious. Similar killings last month of five unarmed Chechens, one of them a pregnant woman, in the city of Quetta are also under investigation. —AFP

Pakistan denies army major’s arrest for CIA links ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani army denied yesterday that one of its majors was among a group of Pakistanis who Western officials say were arrested for feeding the CIA information before the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The New York Times, which first reported the arrests of five Pakistani informants Tuesday, said an army major was detained who copied license plates of cars visiting the Al-Qaeda chief ’s compound in Pakistan in the weeks before the raid.

A Western official in Pakistan confirmed that five Pakistanis who fed information to the CIA before the May 2 operation were arrested by Pakistan’s top intelligence service. But Pakistani army spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas denied an army major was arrested, saying the report was “false and totally baseless.”

Neither the army nor Pakistan’s spy agency would confirm or deny the overall report about the detentions.

The group of detained Pakistanis included the owner of a safe house rented to the CIA to observe bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, an army town not far from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, a U.S. official said. The owner was detained along with a “handful” of other Pakistanis, said the official.

The Western officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. The fate of the purported CIA informants who were arrested was unclear, but American officials told the Times that CIA Director Leon Panetta raised the issue when he visited Islamabad last week to meet with Pakistani military and intelligence officers.

U.S.-Pakistani relations have been strained over the raid by Navy SEALs on Pakistani territory, which embarrassed Pakistan’s military, and other issues. One of the issues that has caused tension between the two countries is U.S. drone missile strikes targeting militants in Pakistan’s tribal region near the Afghan border. A pair of attacks targeted a suspected militant compound and a vehicle

in the South Waziristan tribal area yesterday, killing at least 10 alleged insurgents, according to Pakistani intelligence officials. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, said the vehicle that was hit turned out to be empty. Pakistani officials often denounce the strikes in public, even though many are believed to support them in private. But that support has been strained in the wake of the bin Laden raid, especially since the strikes are very unpopular with the Pakistani public.

Officials said the arrests of the suspected informants was just the latest evidence of the fractured relationship between the two nations. The Times said that at a closed briefing last week, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee asked Michael Morell, the deputy CIA director, to rate Pakistan’s cooperation with the United States on counterterrorism operations, on a scale of 1 to 10.

“Three,” Morell replied, according to officials familiar with the exchange, the newspaper said. American officials speaking to the Times cautioned that Morell’s comment was a snapshot of the current relationship and did not represent the Obama administration’s overall assessment.

“We have a strong relationship with our Pakistani counterparts and work through issues when they arise,” Marie Harf, a CIA spokeswoman, told the newspaper. “Director Panetta had productive meetings last week in Islamabad. It’s a crucial partnership, and we will continue to work together in the fight against AlQaeda and other terrorist groups who threaten our country and theirs.” Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, said in an interview with the Times that the CIA and the Pakistani spy agency “are working out mutually acceptable terms for their cooperation in fighting the menace of terrorism. It is not appropriate for us to get into the details at this stage.”— AP

Indian activist dies after four-month fast DEHRADUN: An Indian holy man and social activist has died after a fourmonth fast to highlight corruption and rising pollution in the Ganges river, doctors said yesterday. Swami Nigamananda, who began his action on February 19, died on Monday in hospital in the northern hilltown of Dehradun where he had been treated since early May for complications arising from his fast.

India has witnessed a spate of fasting protests in recent months, mostly focused on corruption and a series of fraud scandals surrounding the government.

The day before Nigamananda died, a popular television yoga guru, Baba Ramdev, called off a fast aimed at highlighting the issue of “black money”-cash from bribes or other illegal transactions that is stored in overseas accounts.

Hospital superintendent RL Jethani

said Nigamananda, 34, had been put on an intravenous drip but had otherwise taken no sustenance since being admitted. Nigamananda had specifically demanded a halt to illegal mining in the northern state of Uttarakhand and controls to curb rising pollution in the Ganges, which is sacred to Hindus.

Uttarakhand is ruled by India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has spearheaded protests against the scandal-tainted coalition government led by the Congress party. Congress reacted to Nigamananda’s death by hitting back at the BJP. “Nigamananda was being treated in the same hospital in which Ramdev was admitted (and) the state government had all the information but it did not pay attention,” Congress spokesman Janardan Dwivedi said in New Delhi. —AFP

In the northeast, a suicide bomber exploded about 220 yards (200 meters) from the office of Governor Azizul Rahman Tawab, killing four police officers and four civilians, said provincial spokesman Halim Ayar. The Interior Ministry gave a slightly different toll, putting the number of dead at seven, five of them were policemen. The government ministry called the attack cowardly but said it would not “weaken the determination of the Afghan National Police.” Another suicide bomber killed three civilians, including a 13-year-old boy, in an attack against an administrative building in Paktia province, a restive area of eastern Afghanistan.

The bomber was wearing an explosives vest and blew himself up just outside the front gate of a district headquarters near the border with Pakistan, said Allah Gul Ahmadzai, chief of the Sayed Karam district. The mortar strike in central Wardak province, near the capital of Kabul, did not cause casualties, but it crashed down just next to a building where Afghanistan’s second vice president, Mohammed Karim Khalili, and Interior Minister Bismullah Khan Mohammadi where attending a police ceremony along with NATO officials.

They were celebrating the opening of the flagship center of a multibillion dollar NATO program to train Afghan national security forces before a planned withdrawal of US-led coalition forces at the end of 2014. The deafening blast shook the building and more than 500 police recruits ducked for cover. Gunshots rang out after the attack.

Bodyguards rushed Afghan and NATO officials into a hardened

KAPISA: An Afghan doctor checks body of a suicide attack victim at the hospital in Kapisa northeast of Kabul, Afghanistan yesterday. A suicide bomber killed eight people and wounded four in a strike Wednesday on a governor’s office in the northeast. —AP shelter before evacuating them on helicopters. The area has seen increasing attacks by insurgents as the Taleban press a spring campaign against Afghan and NATO forces. It was unclear if Khalili, who was born in Wardak, was the intended target of the attack, but the mortar shell seemed to have been aimed at the building where he had just finished delivering an address.

The $106 million facility currently houses 725 recruits but will expand to 3,000, making it the largest facility of its kind in the country. A mostly US funded program set aside $10 billion a year for 2010 and 2011 alone to train, equip and build infrastructure for a range of Afghan forces, including

police, soldiers and an air force.

That program calls for increasing the number of Afghan police to 134,000 by October from the 81,509 of two years ago. US Maj. Gen. James Mallory told The Associated Press that NATO would be able to properly train and support an estimated 157,000 police officers before the coalition’s planned withdrawal in 2014.

However, he acknowledged there would be long-term legacy costs that the international community would need to bear for the country as it struggles economically, especially as 86 percent of incoming recruits cannot read or write. “We’re dealing with a lost generation,” Mallory said. He spoke at the training center just before

the mortar attack. Also yesterday, in the southern province of Kandahar, NATO and Afghan troops killed 14 armed insurgents, the governor’s office said. Nine were killed after crossing the Pakistani border, while five were killed while trying to plant roadside bombs, the governor’s office said. A rocket attack in Kandahar city wounded four civilians in the Aymo Mina district, provincial police chief Gen. Abdul Raziq said.

A NATO service member died yesterday in a bomb attack in southern Afghanistan, the coalition announced. Twenty-eight international service members have died in Afghanistan so far in June. A total of 234 have been killed this year. —AP

US won’t leave Afghanistan: Mullen

COLOMBO: This file handout picture received from the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence on May 18, 2009 is said to be of troops walking amongst debris inside the war zone on May 17, when they helped evacuate the last of the Tamil civilians from the area.—AFP

Britain demands Lanka probe, sets time line COLOMBO: The British government said yesterday it is shocked by a documentary that purportedly shows Sri Lankan troops committing war crimes, and warned that it will back international action unless the island nation shows progress with an investigation this year. Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt said he was “shocked by the horrific scenes” in the documentary aired by Britain’s Channel 4 television late Tuesday. “Since the end of the conflict, the UK has called for an independent, thorough and credible investigation of the allegations that war crimes were committed during the hostilities, and the UK government expects to see progress by the end of the year,” Burt said in a statement.

“If the Sri Lankan government does not respond we will support the international community in revisiting all options available to press the Sri Lankan government to fulfill its obligations,” he said.

The documentary appears to show civilian deaths and prisoner executions in the last stages of the country’s civil war, which ended in May 2009. It shows screaming civilians running for cover during a shelling attack, and dead men, women and children lying on a road and inside makeshift hospitals that came under attack.

It also shows three people who appear to be young female rebel fighters sitting on the ground blindfolded with their hands tied behind them. A man gives instructions and another man who appears to be a soldier shoots at their heads, and they slump down.

Channel 4 said the video was obtained from ethnic Tamil civilians and Sri Lankan soldiers, and last month a UN expert said

it showed “definitive war crimes.” Sri Lanka’s government says the video is fake. “As far as the Channel 4 video clip is concerned, at the very outset we had experts brought in and in accordance with their analysis the authenticity of the footage was in serious doubt,” Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told The Associated Press. “This kind of manipulation will not be taken lightly,” he said, without explaining what action the government would take. He also criticized Britain’s “unilateral” decision to set a time frame in asking Sri Lanka to show progress in its investigation.

Sri Lanka’s embassy in London said the film “has the potential to incite hatred amongst different communities in Sri Lanka, including future generations, and thereby, adversely affect the ongoing national reconciliation process.” In a statement, it called the allegations regarding army conduct “malicious,” but said if they are proven to be true the governmentappointed Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission would take legal action. A UN experts panel reported in April that there are credible reports that both the government and Tamil Tiger rebels committed serious human rights violations , including possible war crimes and crimes against humanity , in the last months of the decades-long war.

It said tens of thousands of civilians may have been killed, and called for an independent international investigation. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said he can initiate an investigation only with the approval of the UN General Assembly, Security Council or Human Rights Council. —AP

WASHINGTON: The top US military officer is vowing long-term commitment to Afghanistan, touting progress in the war against the Taliban and its Al-Qaeda allies ahead of an American drawdown. Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on the “Charlie Rose” television interview show Tuesday that although some troops would be withdrawn, a continued US presence was assured.

“Since I’ve been out there in the last three and a half, four years, it’s still the leading question is, ‘You left us before, are you going to leave us again?’” he said. “A couple years ago I got to the point where they’re only going to believe we’re going to be there if we’re there... and certainly there will be some troops that come out this summer... and yet that isn’t a message that we’re leaving.”

President Barack Obama is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether or how many of the 100,000 US troops to withdraw from Afghanistan starting next month, the first stage of a drawdown he initially promised in mid-2009 but later de-emphasized. Authority is due to be turned to the Afghans in full in 2014. In 1989, the United States essentially turned its back on Afghanistan after CIA-backed insurgents beat out Soviet forces toward the end of the Cold War. A civil war ensued and the Taliban eventually gained control.

But Mullen insisted America would not repeat its past mistakes. While hailing the fragile progress made in the 18 months since Obama announced a troop surge to push back the Taliban and buy time for Afghan political and security development, Mullen declined to indicate just how many troops may return home initially.

“We’re not picking any numbers yet,” Mullen said.

“Whatever that number is from a standpoint of the overall campaign, I’m comfortable we’ve made enough progress where we can take out a number and continue to make progress in the campaign, and move to 2014 in transition.”

He pointed to a “very aggressive agenda to turn the security over by the end of 2014 and to have the governance process and the development process enough in support so that the country can be secure.” The Pentagon, led by outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates, seeks only a cautious drawdown from a war that has killed around 1,500 US troops. —AP

UN to ease Taleban sanctions to boost reconciliation UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council will consider tomorrow removing about 20 former senior Taleban commanders from an international sanctions list to boost reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan, diplomats said. In another sign that the international coalition in Afghanistan wants a negotiated peace, the council will also divide the UN sanctions list between Al-Qaeda and the Taleban to draw a distinction between them.

The United States is driving the new diplomatic campaign to entice the militant group it is fighting a war against in Afghanistan into talks, diplomats said.

President Barack Obama has set July as the target date to begin reducing the 100,000 US troops in Afghanistan, while Defense Secretary Robert Gates said this month there could be talks with the Taleban before the end of the year. —AFP

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issues

NATO first to blink in Gaddafi war of nerves

By David Brunnstrom or a man who has been under Western bombardment for more than three months, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has not appeared unduly worried. His appearance playing chess at the weekend with the Russian head of the World Chess Federation, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, was a piece of psychological theatre worthy of a veteran campaigner. While Gaddafi has seemed to keep his cool, despite a relentless bombing onslaught launched in March, it is his powerful opponents in NATO who have appeared to lose theirs.

Reflecting frustration at NATO’s inability to achieve quick results in a campaign some had forecast would be over in days or weeks, the US defense secretary rounded on European allies last week for failing to back the mission the alliance took over in late March. “The mightiest military alliance in history is only 11 weeks into an operation against a poorly armed regime in a sparsely populated country,” Robert Gates said, “yet many allies are beginning to run short of munitions, requiring the US, once more, to make up the difference”.

Now it’s not only bombs, but the planes to deliver them that NATO risks running short of, with no sign of any new commitments to sustain the mission despite dire warnings from Gates about the very future of NATO and direct appeals to defence ministers from alliance Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. While Rasmussen has expressed his hope that the Libya mission can be concluded before the end of a second 90-day operations cycle in late September, many analysts consider this wishful thinking, given Gaddafi’s resilience.

A mission that drags on beyond that date could present major problems, with some allies already stretched in their commitment and the United States reluctant to get dragged back into a leading role in the conflict as President Barack Obama faces criticism for the mission in the US Congress. Only eight of the 28 NATO states have provided planes for strike missions in Libya and pressure

by Gates on others with available resources to do so, such as Spain, the Netherlands, Turkey and Germany, appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

Already Norway has announced it will have to scale back its contribution of strike aircraft this month and end their role in August, while European NATO stalwart Britain has said continuing the mission beyond September could be a challenge that could require diversion of resources from elsewhere. Analysts say this could mean from NATO’s war in Afghanistan, still termed the alliance’s number-one priority. Worse looms over the horizon, with France indicating it will need in the autumn to withdraw the Libyan mission’s only aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, on virtually continuous operations since last year - with no replacement in the offing.

“The elephant in the room is the imminent departure of the French carrier, given it has been flying 30-40 percent of all NATO strike sorties,” said Tim Ripley, of Jane’s Defence Weekly. “It’s a looming problem, so sustaining this operation, particularly if it’s going to grind past September or October, is going to be a problem.” In the absence of other allies coming forward with strike aircraft that could be flown from land bases - which would necessitate a fleet of refuelling tankers only the United States could provide - one radical solution would be for Britain to redeploy decommissioned Harrier aircraft to its carrier HMS Illustrious, which was designated for conversion into a helicopter ship in Britain’s defence review.

However, even if such a tricky political decision were taken by British Prime Minister David Cameron, it would be up to four months before the ship was ready for action, Ripley said. A senior NATO commander conceded the extent of the worry on Tuesday. French General Stephane Abrial said the Libyan crisis had come as “a surprise” and if it were to last a long time “the resources issue will become critical”.

Douglas Barrie, a military aviation specialist at London’s International Institute of Strategic Studies, said that when Western powers launched the war in March, they appeared to be anticipating a quick mission. “There may have been the view they would be pushing on an open door, but as the campaign has developed, it’s become apparent that Gaddafi is not simply going to hang up his hat and leave the country,” Barrie said. “There was this aspiration that the mission would lead to the collapse of the regime and Gaddafi’s removal but it wasn’t structured to deliver that. —Reuters

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A vision for the Arab Nation

By Seyed Abdul Cader Mohamed Zuhyle he Arab youth have awoken. They have awoken the rest of the world as well. They have created history.

Generations to come will remember this with respect and regard. The so called political ‘leaders’ of the Arab world sacrificed their national interests and opted to serve the western masters. This is fast changing, thanks to the courage and determination of the Arab masses. But the task is not over. Much more needs to be accomplished. There is the possibility of the success being hijacked and derailed. There is also a need to ensure that the political structure is in place so that future leaders will not abuse their power and commit the mistakes others did in the past.

Economic Potential The future poses even greater challenges. There is an urgent need to liberalize the economy and mobilize resources to develop the ‘Arab Nation.’

There is an unimaginable level of potential to transform the economy of the region. It is a larger task than that of the political changes taking place. The economy of the region had been modelled to the benefit of the other nations ignoring the national interest. Now it is time to develop strategies to build up an economy of an extremely large magnitude. This concept was not possible three months ago. Now it is a definite possibility.

The geographical extent of the Arab nation starting from Morocco in the Atlantic Ocean and stretching up to the UAE in the Arabian sea encompasses 21 countries with a land mass of over 14 million sq km and a population of over 375 million people of whom a very large percentage are youth. Although these countries are divided by boundaries and different political entities it needs to be considered as one economic block. One needs to examine the economic potential of the region as a whole and not as separate countries limited by boundaries. One has to think jointly and focus on possible partners and not as competitors.

Amazingly this region, in comparison is much larger than the United States of America which is 9.6 million sq. km, Canada 10 million sq km, Europe 10.6 million sq km, and China which is 9.6 million sq km. (India is much smaller with 3.2.million sq km.) This region is well over 50%-60% more than any of these land masses. The region has approximately 60% of the world’s oil reserve and 45% of the gas reserve and plenty of other minerals and raw materials, favourable climatic conditions, abundance of fertile land and water sources. All countries except Chad have sea ports. Some of them are in the main sea routes such as Aden and Suez Canal while others have direct access to impor tant seas such as the Mediterranean and Red Sea. The economic model could be somewhat similar to the European Union.

Learning from the European experience

T

it could be improved and adopted.

Politically different countries but united in economic affairs with one common objective. Once the focus is on with the right thinking in place it is no difficult task to achieve the big goal of developing the region as the leading economic zone. The Economist had been forecasting India and China and a few African and Latin American countries as fast growing economies. But considering the potential and the resources available in Arab counties as one unit, it could grow faster than them all in a relatively short period of time.

Unique Opportunity Looking at the region’s geographical size, no other modern nation has had such facilities and opportunities. China and India have an enormous amount of problems when it comes to high population, poverty and shortage of finance for development. The GCC countries alone have a GDP of over $1.1 trillion.

All Arab countries together have in the region a GDP of approximately $2 trillion. In addition there are large volumes of sovereign funds and developmental funds. It is no way a problem for the region to invest over a trillion dollars without sacrificing any of the comforts enjoyed. This is by any measure a large amount and could bring in huge benefits to the people of the region.

One of the most important factors is the youthful population. The world’s youth today stands at approximately 20%. It is estimated that the region has a youth population of over 65% which is an amazing reality. The labour, the innovative ideas, initiative to move forward, the aggressiveness needed to go forward etc. comes from this group. The enthusiasm created by the success in the political arena provides tremendous positive energy, commitment and dedication. It is this driving force which will make it work and ensure its success.

What is required is to envision the future and develop strategies accordingly and implement them to a plan.

Think positively, inclusively and strategically. Success will certainly come.

No other country or region in history has ever had so much in terms of combination of resources such as this. The opportunity is immense. It is up to the Arabs, particularly the Economists, Financiers, Bankers and Entrepreneurs to harness the energies and convert this opportunity to development.

Some of the experiments conducted

by Arab countries have been immensely successful. Within the past 20 years some of the Arabian Air lines have proved to be the best in the world.

Similarly a few other industries such as dairy, wheat etc. have proven to be success stories. However, there is still a belief that a ‘seal’ from western countries is much more appreciated. These certainly don’t help the economy of the nations concerned, but promotes other economies. Think prudently.

Raw Materials Where to start? It is important to pri-

oritise and be selective; one must be prepared to face challenges. The region needs to ensure that it has its own primary source of raw materials. It is vital to consider setting up steel mills, cement factories and fertilizer factories to facilitate the construction, industrial and agriculture base. It must be self sufficient in the supply of all these basic materials. Continue the development process with agriculture, motor vehicle manufacture, ship building, boat building, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, fisheries, textile mills, fabric mill and the list continues to include every possible product to be manufactured ‘locally’.

Logistics One of the principal factors is physical communication to facilitate transportation of men and material within the region. A comprehensive internal logistical network needs to be developed. One major undertaking should be to establish a Trans-Regional Rail Network by establishing a link from Morocco to UAE by a ‘Fast Rail’ network reaching out to all cities. This would facilitate internal transportation of men and materials and facilitate growth.

Human Resources There is a need to upgrade universities and technical institutions teaching management, technical studies, financial studies, marketing, human resource development etc. to develop men and women who could conceptualise, develop and manage the industries visualised to emerge in the new economy.

Finance Banking and Financial services must be upgraded and perfected to have competitive advantage.

Investment One word of caution. The investors must be from the region and not from the west. One may get technical inputs but the ownership must be by the people or the state in the region. After 15 years one may open out to other multinationals, but not at the initial stages.

Opening at the initial stages dilutes national ownership resulting in undesirable forces coming into play which will certainly not be to the benefit of the region and its people. However, it may be wise to obtain inputs from countries such as Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and certain other African countries depending on the availability of expertise.

Future With the correct focus and within a period of 12-15 years, the region will be one of the most advanced economies. It sounds like a dream. Yes, it is a dream. But it could be achieved with dedication and commitment.

Countries like India, China and some African and Latin American countries are developing their economies according to a plan and achieving high economic growth. Europe and USA

have virtually completed their development and are manipulating third world countries, particularly the Arab world for their own gain. Arab leaders have fallen easy prey to their schemes and designs. These mistakes must not be repeated.

Arab Nation The fundamental requirement is the belief in the possibility of achieving. It is important to harness the resources.

The region must think as one people and not as divided by religions, sects, tribes, colour etc. The objective must be to build up a ‘Nation of Arabs’. The big question is Can it be achieved? Yes it can by the concerted efforts on the part of the youth. It is the youth who will have to make the nation - and make it work. There is enormous energy and it needs to he harnessed to achieve a common goal for the collective good of the people and the region. It is important to be mindful that it is the external forces which divide nations and exploit the differences to their benefit and not at all for the benefit of the people.

The people in the region have learnt that lesson and lost out from the past glor y of their great civilization in almost every aspect of life. You cannot make the mistake of your ancestors and your so-called leaders. The leaders who believed those foreign powers could save them forever have been dropped like ‘hot potatoes’; now they are in jail and others on their way to it.

It is a lesson for all leaders who trusted the ‘friend’ outside and failed to recognise their own people. It is now very important, at this critical juncture in histor y, not to depend on external forces and foreign advisors. It must be accomplished internally by the people within. The only assistance that could be obtained from these sources must be restricted to technical inputs and not ownership. In other words, adopt a ‘do it yourself’ attitude.

Motivation My motivation to write this piece came from what I thought of as a miracle, namely, the bringing about of a political revolution by way of the Arab Spring.

Why me? One may wonder why a nonArab should conceptualise this aspect.

Being of Arab ancestry I have been watching with sadness the weak political leadership of the Arabs in not understanding the potential and initiating action in the right direction for the benefit of their people, but rather opting to serve other nations. I was also saddened by the manipulation from external forces.

Arabic One last point one must bear in mind is to improve and maintain the quality and character of the Arabic language as it is the language of the Holy Quran and of our beloved Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). May Allah bless you all.

NOTE: The writer is the former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

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Saudi women to break driving ban en masse RIYADH: Unfazed by fear of being arrested, Saudi female activists are preparing to test a traditional ban on women driving by getting behind the wheel, despite stern warnings. Their Facebook campaign, dubbed Women2drive, says the action will start tomorrow and keep going “until a royal decree allowing women to drive is issued” in the ultra-conservative kingdom - the only country where women face such a ban. Saudi Arabia has been largely spared the spillover effect of uprisings across the Arab world, after two calls for protests in March went unanswered. But now “it seems that women, who are the main victims of suppression, will carry the banner of change in the Saudi society,” said columnist and novelist Badriya Al-Bishr.

There is no law banning women from driving in the oil-rich kingdom, but the interior ministry imposes regulations based on a religious edict stipulating women should not be permitted to drive. Women in Saudi Arabia face a plethora of constraints, ranging from having to cover from head to toe in public, and needing authorisation from a male guardian to travel, to having restricted access to jobs due to strict rules of segregation. Due to the ban, women end up having to hire foreign drivers whose wages eat into their salaries. If they cannot afford a driver, they have to rely on male members of their immediate families to give them a lift.

“The political leadership should take a decision to allow women to drive,” said Bishr. “The Saudi society has changed. Sixty percent of the people are young who are ready to live in a modern way,” she said. Authorities cite vehement objection by conservatives to letting women operate their own vehicles, as evidenced by a countercampaign on Facebook that urged men to “beat” their women if they spot them breaking the ban on June 17.

But conservatives have always rejected measures embracing aspects of modernity that they deem conflict with tradition. “The introduction of radio, television, and schools for girls have all faced opposition from soci-

ety in the past, but were imposed by royal decrees,” said one activist requesting anonymity. Some women did not wait for the date set for the protest and took to the road, and they have since paid the price. Manal AlSherif, a 32-year-old mother, found herself behind bars for two weeks last month after defying the ban more than once and posting a video on the Internet showing her driving around Eastern Province.

King Abdullah was petitioned by some 3,345 people to intervene on her behalf, while some 24,000 people expressed support on a Facebook page set up to call for her release. Sharif’s action came a few days after another Saudi woman, Najla Al-Hariri, drove in the western region of Jeddah over a few days, insisting on her right to drive. Six other women were detained for hours last week after being caught learning to drive in an empty plot in north Riyadh. They were released after their male guardians were called in by police and signed pledges not to drive.

A group of women defied the ban in Nov 1990, stunning Saudi men by driving around Riyadh in 15 cars before being arrested. The 47 women who took part in that protest were severely punished, with authorities suspending many from public sector jobs and reprimanding their male guardians. In 2008, activist Wajiha Huwaidar posted a video on YouTube showing her driving in Eastern Province. She escaped arrest by not bumping into a police patrol.

Activists this time insist they are not planning a demonstration. The call is for women to act individually, wherever they are. In a series of instructions posted on Facebook, organisers called on participants to raise the Saudi flag and posters of King Abdullah. They are also requested to make sure they wear the Islamic veil.

Among the advice is to have a male guardian, known as “mahram” “If you get arrested, do not be scared. You will only be asked to sign a pledge” not to drive, the recommendations said. — AFP

Iran launches new satellite into space TEHRAN: Iran successfully launched its Rassad-1 satellite into space yesterday, the country’s Arabic-language television channel Al-Alam said. “It was launched by the Safir rocket and put into orbit 260 kilometres above the Earth,” the television said. “It is capable of photographing the Earth.” The report said Rassad-1 (Obser vation-1) can revolve 15 times around the Earth every 24 hours, and that it has a two-month life cycle. Iran, which has outlined an ambitious space program in the face of Western concerns, put a satellite into orbit in 2009 and sent small animals into space in 2010.

Western powers fear that Tehran could develop a missile capability

under cover of its space program which could be used to deliver nuclear warheads. Iran denies it has any ambition to develop an atomic bomb and insists both its space and nuclear programs are entirely peaceful. Originally scheduled to launch in Aug 2010, Rassad was constructed by Malek Ashtar University in Tehran, which is linked to Iran’s elite Revolutionar y Guards.In Februar y, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled four new prototypes of home-built satellites Iran hopes to launch before March 2012. Iran in February unveiled what it said were prototypes of four new home-built satellites - Rassad, Fajr (Dawn), Zafar (Victory) and Amir Kabir-1 and also

the engines of a Safir-B1 (Ambassador-B1) rocket, news reports said. The country does not have an operational satellite of its own but Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced in December that two satellites, Fajr and Rassad-1, would be launched by the end of the current Iranian year to March 20.

Tehran says it aims to send an Iranian into space by 2020.

Fajr is a reconnaissance satellite constructed by the defence ministry, while Amir Kabir-1, details of which were unavailable, is built by Tehran’s Amir Kabir university.

Iranian media reports have said the Safir-B1 rocket can carry a satellite weighing 50 kg into an elliptical orbit of 300 to 450 km. — AFP

Speakers in rare clash as popular laws passed Continued from Page 1 As the Assembly was preparing to vote on a law calling to increase university students’ monthly stipends, MP Barrak saw State Minister for Cabinet Affairs Ali AlRashed leaving the chamber and asked him to stay, resulting in an exchange of harsh words between the two.

During the shortened session however, MPs overwhelmingly passed a law stipulating major pay rises for Kuwaiti teachers at schools and another law stipulating raising the monthly stipends of Kuwaiti university students. The Assembly also agreed that the government should implement the law within one week as a precautionary measure in case the Cabinet rejects the two laws.

This will give MPs enough time to override the govern-

ment’s rejection in a fresh vote before the current term comes to a close early next month.

Commenting on the Assembly moves, Minister of Oil and State Minister for National Assembly Affairs Mohammad Al-Busairi told reporters that the government has its constitutional tools to deal with the laws.

He also said that Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah will win the vote on the non-cooperation motion filed by opposition MPs following a grilling on Tuesday. Voting on the motion is on June 23. But Busairi warned that too many grillings will make this key constitutional tool lose its importance, charging that some of the grillings have become personal in nature. Busairi’s warning comes after MP Barrak said on Tuesday that the Popular Action Bloc plans to file a fresh grilling against the prime minister within days.

Amir warns against chaos, calls for unity Continued from Page 1 wisdom, patience and selfrestraint. Meanwhile, I’d like to remind you that we all have a shared responsibility to protect the stability and safety of the country.

“I’ve asked the minister of interior to adopt all necessary measures to protect the safety and stability of the country and never compromise with anyone who attempts to destabilize the country or infringe on our national fundamentals. To preserve the rule of law is a common responsibility not only for the law-enforcers but for all citizens; we expect all of them to abide by the law and show an even deeper sense of responsibility.

“I’ve said once and again I’m keen on protecting the constitution and I will not allow anybody to tamper with it. The constitution is the real guarantee for the stability of our political system and the main support to the country’s security. I have full confidence in our democratic approach and will not replace it with any other one. Democracy is deeply rooted in Kuwaiti people.

They inherited and protected it generation after generation. “ We have to do our best to secure the core democratic values and to make freedom, enshrined by democracy, a mean for working, building and making achievements that strengthens the state not

weakens and divides it. All have to make Kuwait’s interests the top priority and its service the main goal.

We know that Kuwait does not bear cleavages and divisions, so we have to be aware of the several and huge dangers and challenges that Kuwait faces in light of the recent developments in the region and whole world and its direct impacts on our national security, gains and potential. This forces us to be vigilant and not to give a chance to those who jeopardize our unity and security.

“We have to turn the loyalty to our country from slogans to clear practices to citizenship rights that add to the country and raise its position and to keep our national unity. When we talk about Kuwait’s security and future, we should stress that our youth are the real guarantee of security and guardians of its future. Youth represent the renewable resource and the generating power for Kuwait at present and in the future. If their minds are not filled with positive and constructive ideas, they would be filled with vague and destructive ideas. This is a great responsibility that should be born and given due care by families, schools, mosques, clubs and other societal institutions.

“The burdens and responsibilities of the present and its repercussions on the future are bigger and more difficult than what we used to

face and the efforts we exerted before. We are facing long path and huge responsibilities and this forces us to adhere to wisdom, constructive dialogue and cooperation and to truly believe that our national unity is the solid ground from which Kuwaitis, from different sects and all walks of life, moved to make heroic achievements that added to our history the most brilliant and wonderful chapters.

“I am sure that we are able to face all these challenges with great determination and respect to law, system while cheering and enjoying our freedom. I am sure Kuwaitis will rebuff all calls for division, extremism and sedition and to live up to the great responsibility we shoulder. We have to learn lessons from what others have experienced, so we have to work hand in hand to make Kuwait and its interests our top priority. This is a national awakening call, particularly to youth, to help protect national unity that guarantee for Kuwait security and constants.

“I urge you to focus on building the future of Kuwait and spreading hope and optimism and to concentrate your efforts on making all what add to our country. We have nothing to do other than achieving success in this mission. This is our joint responsibility and I am sure we can do it,” Sheikh Sabah said. — KUNA

RIYADH: Saudi women get into the backseat of a car on Tuesday, days before a June 17 nationwide campaign by Saudi women who are planning to take the wheel in protest against a driving ban. — AFP

Syria launches media offensive, tanks roll Continued from Page 1 authorities reported the massacre of 120 policemen by armed gangs in the flashpoint town, a hotbed of hostility to the government of President Bashar Al-Assad.

Jisr Al-Shughour has been the focus of military operations since Friday.

Syrian troops seized the town on Sunday after battling with “armed gangs” in Jisr Al-Shughour and “purging” the state hospital of armed groups, state television reported. On the outskirts of the capital, a large crowd of supporters of President Bashar Al-Assad’s government demonstrated yesterday waving national flags. The demonstrators lined a highway leading to the posh west Damascus residential suburb of Mezze where a huge flag measuring 2.3 km was unfurled, state television footage showed.

Meanwhile, thousands of Syrians fled the historic town of Maarat AlNumaan yesterday to escape troops and tanks pushing into the north in a widening military campaign to crush protests against Assad. In the tribal east, where Syria’s 380,000 barrels per day of oil is produced, tanks and armoured vehicles deployed in the city of Deir Al-Zor and around Albu Kamal on the border with Iraq, a week after tens of thousands of people took to the streets there demanding an end to Assad’s autocratic rule.

Farther south, tens of thousands took to the streets in the central city of Hama to show solidarity with victims of the military crackdown.

Hama was the site of a 1982 mas-

sacre by the government of Assad’s father and predecessor, Hafez AlAssad, whose forces shelled the city to crush a Sunni Muslim uprising.

“Cars are continuing to stream out of Maarat Al-Numaan in all directions,” one witness told Reuters by phone. “People are loading them with everything: blankets, mattresses on roofs.”

The media offensive by the government came as it faced mounting diplomatic pressure to halt its crackdown on three months of protests that have swept through much of the country. Neighbouring Turkey, which cultivated close ties with the Syrian government over the past decade, renewed calls for an end to military operations against protest hubs as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan prepared to hold talks with Assad envoy Hassan Turkmani.

The army assault on Jisr AlShughour and other towns and villages in Idlib province has sent thousands of people fleeing over the border into Turkey. Witnesses said security forces were preventing residents from leaving the province, and reported they were shooting at people who attempted to avoid military checkpoints. Protesters have described the operation in the northern mountains as a scorchedearth campaign, while Syrian soldiers who deserted to Turkey have alleged they were forced to commit atrocities there. According to a toll released by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Tuesday, the violence has claimed the lives of 1,297 civilians and 340 security force members in Syria since the

unrest erupted mid-March.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu travelled to the border region to monitor first-hand the humanitarian operation under way.

He was seen visiting tents and chatting with refugees as he toured a fenced camp in Yayladagi town, kept off limits to the media.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Davutoglu denied speculation that Turkey would stop accepting refugees once their number hits the 10,000-mark, but warned that escalated violence would worsen the exodus which officials say has already topped 8,500 people. “We will in no way close our doors to our Syrian brothers... but we wish that a (reform) process that would prevent a continued and growing wave of refugees is launched in the shortest possible time,” he said in Ankara.

Some 200 more Syrians crossed the border yesterday near Guvecci village, an AFP reporter witnessed, as several thousands more remained on the other side, still undecided whether to cross. The UN Human Rights Council piled pressure on Damascus to allow its investigators in to examine the situation inside Syria. Speaking on behalf of 54 countries, Canada said: “We reiterate our call on the Syrian Arab Republic to immediately allow the mission of the High Commissioner unfettered access to investigate and establish the facts and circumstances surrounding all violations and abuses of international human rights law.” UN investigators are currently collecting information from outside Syria, with a team in southern Turkey interviewing refugees.— Agencies

CIA air base in works for Gulf Continued from Page 1 CIA Director Leon Panetta said last week that agency officers were working in Yemen together with JSOC, as well as other areas where Al-Qaeda is active. But the CIA would not confirm the White House decision to build the CIA base or expand the agency’s operations in Yemen. The new base suggests a long-term US commitment to fighting Al-Qaeda in the region, along the lines of the model used in Pakistan, where CIA drones hunt militants with tacit, though not public, Pakistani government approval.

Drones like Reapers and Predators are unmanned aircraft that can be flown from remote locations and hover over a target before firing a missile. Yemeni officials have indicated their preference toward drones, versus allowing US counterterror strike teams on Yemeni soil, saying they are less apt to incense the local population.

But the new base would enable continued operations without Yemeni approval.

If the Yemenis halt cooperation with US counterterrorist forces that would also likely mean a shift to putting the CIA in charge of the Al-Qaeda hunting mission in Yemen, senior US officials said. While that policy debate plays out in Washington, US special operations forces based just outside Yemen are taking aim almost daily at a greater array of targets that have been flushed into view by the unrest. US forces have stepped up their targeting as well, because of the besieged Yemeni government’s new willingness to allow US forces to use all tools available - from armed drones to war planes - against AlQaeda as a way to stay in power, the US officials said.

The US needs to keep the pressure on, to break AlQaeda’s momentum there, the State Department’s counterterror coordinator, Daniel Benjamin, said yesterday.

There are growing concerns that AQAP will use the chaos to acquire more weapons, and also to fuel connections between Al-Qaeda-linked militants there and Al-Shabab insurgents in Somalia, he added. The Obama administration has been working for months in concert with the mediation efforts of Yemen’s Gulf neighbors to persuade Saleh to transfer power. Saleh was evacuated for emergency medical treatment in Saudi Arabia after being injured more than a week ago. US experts believe he was hit by explosive devices planted in the presidential mosque, while the Yemenis say he was struck in a rocket attack.

The US has continued to press for a deal in the hope that a political solution could pre-empt any plan by the Yemeni leader of 33 years to return. That, officials fear,

could lead to further instability. Benjamin said he is hopeful that counterterrorism efforts will continue in Yemen, as the political transition moves along and a new government takes hold. But another US official said Yemeni opposition groups have voiced criticism of the US counterterror program and vowed to stop it, should they take power.

Since 2009, Yemen has allowed JSOC to employ a mixture of armed and unarmed drones, ship-fired missiles, small special operations teams working with Yemenis, and occasional war plane bombing runs, Yemeni and US officials say. But permission was on a case-by-case basis, and waxed and waned depending on the mood of the mercurial Yemeni president.

With Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula essentially in control of large swaths of Yemeni territory, the Yemeni government now hopes US targeting will remove some of the enemies threatening the Saleh regime. That new target-at-will attitude was reinforced after the attempt on Saleh’s life, both US and Yemeni officials say. The US forces are also taking advantage of the fact that more Al-Qaeda operatives are exposing themselves as they move from their hideouts across the country to command troops challenging the government.

That has led to the arrests of Al-Qaeda operatives by Yemeni forces, guided by US intelligence intercepts, and those operatives are talking under joint US-Yemeni interrogation, providing key information on Al-Qaeda operations and locations, US officials said. That in turn led to the best opportunity in more than a year to hit US-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki in early May. A host of technical difficulties meant three separate attempts, by two types of unmanned armed drone-craft and war planes all failed, prompting some grousing among intelligence agencies that CIA-led strikes might net better results.

But the CIA has neither the drones nor the personnel to take the lead in the operation at present, two officials say. Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had long urged Al-Qaeda not to directly challenge Saleh but to keep Yemen as a haven from which to launch attacks against the United States, while AQAP leaders argued that they should overthrow with Yemeni government. A record of that debate between bin Laden and the Yemeni AlQaeda leadership was found among the records at the compound in Pakistan where bin Laden was killed by US forces May 2. US Bin Laden warned the Yemeni offshoot that its leaders would be targeted more aggressively and easily if they tried to take power, just as they are now, the officials said. — AP

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

sp orts Fabregas happy at Arsenal MADRID: Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas said yesterday he was happy at the Premier League club and no decision had been made about a possible move. “I am an Arsenal player. I have been very happy for eight years and I am very happy,” Fabregas said at a promotional event, when asked about the prospect of a return to Barcelona.

“I am not thinking about football right now, just about my holidays,” the 24-year-old Spain midfielder said, adding that questions about his future should be directed to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, to whom he had not spoken for six weeks. “There have been no decisions. The truth is that it doesn’t always depend on the player and at the moment I don’t know anything,” he added.

“I am very happy where I am. Anything else would be speculation that is untrue. You can never say never in this life as so many things happen that you can never predict.”

Spanish media have reported that European champions Barca would have to pay around 40 million euros ($57.5 million) to secure Fabregas’s services for next season. —Reuters

Ralph to plug injury gap SYDNEY: The Queensland Reds have plumbed the depths of club rugby to replenish their injury-depleted side and plucked out 33-year-old former All Black winger Caleb Ralph for Saturday’s final round match against the Chiefs.

Outside back Ralph, who has been plying his trade with Queensland’s Sunshine Coast Stingrays for the past two years at the lower club level, has been named as a replacement against the Chiefs in Hamilton as the Reds seek to stitch up top spot for a favourable run in the playoffs.

Should Ralph take the field at Waikato Stadium, he would equal former Wallabies flyhalf George Gregan as the second-most capped Super rugby

player with 136 games. Former Red Sean Hardman holds the record with 148. A try would also see Ralph join retired Blues back Doug Howlett as the most prolific try-scorer in the southern hemisphere provincial tournament with 59.

With a torn hamstring putting winger Luke Morahan on a bloated injury list with Digby Ioane, Anthony Faingaa and Ben Lucas, Reds coach Ewen McKenzie said the 14-test All Black could provide the Reds with some steel against the New Zealand side.“ At this stage of our campaign we are looking for an experienced outside back and Caleb fits the bill,’ McKenzie said on the Reds’ website (www.redsrugby.com.au). — Reuters

Bekele eyes another title RALEIGH: Ethiopian world record holder Kenenisa Bekele plans to return from a year-long calf injury in time to defend his 10,000 metres world championship in July, his manager said on Tuesday. The multiple Olympic and world gold medallist has not raced since January 2010 because of a ruptured muscle in his right calf but expects to run two or three tune-up races next month before seeking his fifth consecutive 10,000m world title at the August world championships in Daegu, South Korea. “He will run the 10,000 at Daegu, that is for sure unless something happens,” Jos Hermens, told Reuters in a telephone from the Netherlands. The decision puts on the line a remarkable streak for Bekele, who has never lost a 10,000 metres race on the track and is considered one of the all-time great distance runners.

His 12 victories at the distance since 2003 include two Olympic and four world titles.

He also holds the world record at both 5,000 and 10,000 metres. If he wins at Daegu, the 29-year-old would also become the first runner at any distance to win five consecutive outdoor world championships. —Reuters

Nationals defeat Cardinals

DETROIT: Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (left) is congratulated by Don Kelly after pitching a complete game two-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in a baseball game. —AP

Tigers maul Indians DETROIT: Justin Verlander almost pitched another no-hitter, taking his latest bid into the eighth inning to lead the Detroit Tigers past the Cleveland Indians 4-0 Tuesday and into first place in the American League Central.

With two no-hitters already on his resume, including one in Toronto last month, Verlander (8-3) struck out a season-high 12 and dominated the slumping Indians until Orlando Cabrera lined a clean single to center with one out in the eighth for his 2,001st career hit.

The hard-throwing right-hander finished with a two-hitter, giving Detroit sole possession of the division lead for the first time this year. He walked one, hit a batter with a pitch and has won six straight decisions. Andy Dirks drove in two runs for the Tigers, who have won 12 of 16.

Yankees left hander Jim Abbott was the last pitcher to hold Cleveland hitless on Sept. 4, 1993, in New York.

Rays 4, Red Sox 0 At St. Petersburg, Florida, James Shields pitched his AL-leading third shutout for Tampa Bay to end first-place Boston’s nine-game winning streak.

In addition to cutting into their deficit in the AL East standings, the third-place Rays ruined a Tropicana Field homecoming for Carl Crawford, who signed a $142 million, seven-year contract with Boston after helping Tampa Bay win the division two of the past three seasons.

Crawford went 0 for 3 with one strikeout against Shields (6-4), who allowed five hits, walked three and struck out five en route to his AL-best four th complete game. Justin Ruggiano homered off knuckleballer Tim Wakefield (3-2) in the fifth and Tampa Bay added an unearned run without getting a hit in the sixth, when Evan Longoria scored on catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s second passed ball of the inning.

Yankees 12, Rangers 4 At New York, Curtis Granderson homered and drove in four runs, and Eduardo Nunez — filling in for an injured Derek Jeter — sparked a six-run second inning with an RBI single and New York beat Texas.

Robinson Cano and Nick Swisher also connected in the Yankees’ first game since

Jeter was placed on the 15-day disabled list for the first time since 2003 because of a strained right calf.

Brett Gardner scored three of the four times he reached base, had an RBI single among three hits and stole his 100th base batting in Jeter ’s leadoff spot. Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run double for an efficient offense that scored 12 runs on 14 hits, two walks and a hit batter.

Granderson singled in two runs and Mark Teixeira had a two-run double in the second when New York batted around and knocked out Alexi Ogando, his second rough outing in the Bronx.

Blue Jays 6, Orioles 5 At Toronto, Adam Lind homered to lead off the 11th inning and give Toronto a victory over Baltimore that snapped a fourgame losing streak. The Blue Jays have won 15 straight at home against Baltimore since Aug. 7, 2009.

Lind connected against Koji Uehara (11) and finished with two RBIs. Aaron Hill also homered for the Blue Jays and Shawn Camp (1-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Matt Wieters’ two-run homer off Toronto reliever Marc Rzepczynski in the eighth tied it at 5. J.J. Hardy had three hits for the Orioles.

Angels 4, Mariners 0 At Seattle, Jered Weaver allowed just five hits for his second shutout of the season and finally got some run support on the road thanks to a four-run first inning as Los Angeles beat Seattle.

The Angels took advantage of one awful inning from Mariners starter Doug Fister (3-8) and Weaver made that one outburst stand up to give the Angels franchise its 4,000th win. Weaver (8-4) allowed four singles and Ichiro Suzuki’s ninthinning double in his third complete game of the year. He struck out six and walked one. Torii Hunter, Howie Kendrick, Russell Branyan and Peter Bourjos all had runscoring hits in the first as Los Angeles sent nine batters to the plate.

Royals 7, Athletics 4 At Oakland, California, Alcides Escobar had three hits and two RBIs, and Danny Duffy pitched six innings for his first major league win as Kansas City beat Oakland to spoil the home debut of Athletics interim manager Bob Melvin. —AP

WASHINGTON: Ryan Zimmerman hit a runscoring double in his return from the disabled list to spark a six-run seventh-inning as the Washington Nationals beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-6 on Tuesday.

Zimmerman had missed 58 games because of an injured abdominal muscle. He doubled down the right-field line to drive in the Nationals’ first run of the seventh. Washington’s last four runs in the inning scored with two outs.

The tying run scored on a wild pitch and the Nationals took the lead on a bases-loaded walk.

The six-run inning matched the Nationals’ best this season, and extended their winning streak to four games, also tying their season best.

Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman hit home runs for St. Louis, which has lost a season-high four straight games.

Mets 4, Braves 3 At Atlanta, Jose Reyes had three hits, two steals, an RBI and scored two runs to lead New York past Atlanta. Jair Jurrjens (8-3), who began the night with the best ERA in the majors at 1.82, set season highs with five walks while allowing eight hits and four runs in 5 1-3 innings. Reyes’ 34th multi hit game — tops in the majors — helped Jonathon Niese (6-5) win his third straight decision. Niese allowed two runs, five hits and no walks in 6 1-3 innings. Dan Uggla’s homer off Jason Isringhausen in the eighth cut the Mets’ lead to 4-3.

Phillies 9, Marlins 1 At Philadelphia, Cole Hamels pitched seven dominant innings to become the National League’s second nine -game winner and Domonic Brown hit two of Philadelphia’s season-high five homers.

Hamels (9-2) allowed one run and three hits to tie teammate Roy Halladay and Boston’s Jon Lester for most wins in the majors. He struck out six and walked one. Hamels left the game in the eighth with tightness in the middle of his back.

Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins hit two-run homers, and Brown had two solo shots to help Philadelphia win its fourth straight game.

Pirates 1, Astros 0 At Houston, Jeff Karstens allowed three hits into the seventh inning and five relievers finished Pittsburgh’s four-hitter. Garrett Jones drove in the game’s only run with a single to right field in the second inning.

Karstens (4-4) struck out three and walked none in 6 2-3 innings. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 0.44 ERA in three starts in June and is working on a scoreless streak of 14 2-3 innings.

Joel Hanrahan pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save. Bud Norris (4-5) struck out nine batters in seven innings, yielding one run and six hits.

Rockies 6, Padres 3 At Denver, Juan Nicasio had a career-high nine strikeouts in six innings and Chris Iannetta hit a three-run homer as Colorado ended a three-game losing streak. Nicasio (2-1) gave up a leadoff homer to Chris Denorfia, but settled down and allowed six hits and walked one in his fourth start since being called up from minor league Double-A Tulsa.

Iannetta broke open a 3-2 game in the sixth by hitting his ninth homer of the season off reliever Pat Neshek.

Giants 6, D’backs 5 At Phoenix, Cody Ross had a two-run double and scored on a double steal in the fifth inning to help San Francisco build a five-run lead over Arizona. The Giants took advantage of an off-kilter Josh Collmenter (4-2) to lead 5-0 after five innings, but starter Matt Cain (6-4) nearly gave it all back over the next two. Miguel Montero hit a three-run homer off the San Francisco right-hander in the sixth inning to make it 5-4 before Nate Schierholtz gave the Giants the extra cushion they needed with an RBI double in the seventh.

Closer Brian Wilson walked two and had a wild pitch with two outs in the ninth, but struck

Hushovd grabs first win of year HUTTWIL: Thor Hushovd had barely raised his arms to salute Tuesday’s fourth-stage victory in the Tour of Switzerland before he pointed repeatedly at the rainbow colored stripes of ‘world champion’ on his jersey.

The Garmin-Cervelo rider from Norway’s uphill sprint triumph over Monday’s stage winner, Peter Sagan of Slovakia, was his first since landing the world road race title in Australia in September.

Italy’s Damiano Cunego remained the overall leader for the second successive stage. “It was a quiet day,” Cunego told reporters. “Not too many attacks and I only had to work hard in the last 20-km when the pace really picked up.”

The Lampre-ISD rider should have few problems defending his 54-second advantage over Colombian Mauricio Soler in late yesterday’s

204-km stage through rolling terrain from Huttwil to Tobel-Tagersen.

Sagan led the dash for the line on Tuesday and gained a few metres on a stretched-out peloton before Hushovd closed the gap and then took the stage by less than a bike length. Italy’s Marco Marcato was third.

After a lacklustre classics campaign, the winner of the Tour de France’s points competition in 2005 and 2009 said he was proud to claim victory in the world champion’s jersey.

“It was all about positioning in the last few hundred metres and making the right decisions in a split second,” the 33-year-old Hushovd said.

“I was under a lot of pressure to get this first victory as world champion. There was never any doubt about my condition so now I’ve got the win I feel much more relaxed.”

Thor Hushovd celebrates in this file photo.

Hushovd said he would not be trying for a third victory in next month’s Tour de France’s points event-a competition involving the most consistent finishers over each stage of the race.

WASHINGTON: Nationals’ Ian Desmond (bottom) upends St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Skip Schumaker (55) after being forced out at second base during the fifth inning. —AP out Stephen Drew to close out his 19th save.

Reds 3, Dodgers 2 At Los Angeles, Johnny Cueto pitched seven sharp innings and Joey Votto hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth as Cincinnati edged Los Angeles. Cueto (4-2) limited the Dodgers to an unearned run and five hits in beating them for the first time in five starts. Logan Ondrusek pitched a scoreless eighth and Francisco Cordero

got three outs for his 14th save in 16 chances and the 304th of his career, tying Jeff Montgomery for 19th place.

Cordero walked NL home run leader Matt Kemp with one out, then threw over to first base six times before Kemp stole second and scored on James Loney’s single. But pinch-hitter Casey Blake struck out and Rod Barajas popped out with the potential tying run at second. — AP

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

NY Yankees 12, Texas 4; Detroit 4, Cleveland 0; Washington 8, St. Louis 6; Philadelphia 9, Florida 1; Toronto 6, Baltimore 5 (11 innings); Tampa Bay 4, Boston 0; NY Mets 4, Atlanta 3; Chicago Cubs 5, Milwaukee 4 (10 innings); Pittsburgh 1, Houston 0; Colorado 6, San Diego 3; San Francisco 6, Arizona 5; Kansas City 7, Oakland 4; Cincinnati 3, LA Dodgers 2; LA Angels 4, Seattle 0; Minnesota V Chicago White Sox (postponed).

American League Eastern Division W L PCT Boston 39 27 .591 NY Yankees 37 28 .569 Tampa Bay 36 31 .537 Toronto 33 34 .493 Baltimore 30 34 .469 Central Division Detroit 37 30 .552 Cleveland 35 30 .538 Chicago White Sox 33 35 .485 Kansas City 30 37 .448 Minnesota 26 39 .400 Western Division Texas 36 32 .529 Seattle 34 34 .500 LA Angels 33 36 .478 Oakland 28 40 .412

GB 1.5 3.5 6.5 8 1 4.5 7 10 2 3.5 8

National League Eastern Division Philadelphia 41 26 .612 Atlanta 38 30 .559 NY Mets 33 34 .493 Florida 32 34 .485 Washington 31 36 .463 Central Division St. Louis 38 30 .559 Milwaukee 38 30 .559 Cincinnati 36 33 .522 Pittsburgh 33 33 .500 Chicago Cubs 27 39 .409 Houston 25 43 .368 Western Division San Francisco 38 29 .567 Arizona 37 31 .544 Colorado 32 35 .478 LA Dodgers 31 38 .449 San Diego 30 39 .435

3.5 8 8.5 10 2.5 4 10 13 1.5 6 8 9

WADA pondering changes to rules on clenbuterol ROME: World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) officials could consider proposing changes to rules regarding the banned anabolic clenbuterol at a meeting in Montreal next week, WADA science director Olivier Rabin said on Tuesday.

Spain’s Tour de France champion Alberto Contador tested positive for clenbuterol in last year’s race but said he had inadvertently consumed the substance in contaminated meat.

Five Mexico players also tested positive for clenbuterol this month but the country’s soccer federation has attributed the results to meat eaten on a training camp in Mexico ahead of the Gold Cup tournament being hosted by the United States.

Speaking ahead of a symposium on doping detection, Rabin said officials may have found “a way forward” allowing “context” to be considered

before an automatic two-year ban was imposed on athletes testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug.

“There are very few cases of clenbuterol so it’s not impossible to handle on a case-by-case basis,” Rabin said. “We could make recommendations to the WADA executive committee to say over some level it’s definitely doping, and at another level it could be further consideration in a context of previous results or future results of the athlete.

The WADA board would have to approve any changes at its meeting in September but proposals could be firmed up at a WADA Laboratory Expert Group Meeting in Montreal next week.

“The fear of meat contamination by doping substances is nothing new. Before it was testosterone and

now we are facing clenbuterol. With a limited number of countries there is the risk that meat can be contaminated by clenbuterol, something which is in the scientific literature,” said Rabin.

“We have to be careful because the concentration is not always the same order of magnitude,” said Rabin. “We have take into account the context. We are reviewing the data and may make recommendations to the executive committee, who could make an adjustment to the rules, if needed, or they could say we want it to remain at the same level.” Three-time Tour de France champion Contador had been suspended from cycling in September after traces of clenbuterol were found in his urine and he was initially handed a one -year ban by the Spanish cycling federation (RFEC). —Reuters

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THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

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Canucks, Bruins ready to finish off epic finals VANCOUVER: The past two weeks are likely to be a vivid blur in the memories of Tim Thomas, Roberto Luongo and the players who staggered off their final cross-continent flights on Tuesday to put a merciful end to the Stanley Cup finals.

The Vancouver Canucks have traded home victories of increasing intensity with the Boston Bruins for six games, with their veteran goalies dueling before a backdrop of bites, taunts, dangerous injuries and gut-wrenching road losses. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Canucks and the profoundly resilient Bruins will play their 107th and final game when their draining seasons finally end in Game 7 late yesterday. Both teams are ready to

enjoy their drastically shortened summers, but nobody can bear the thought of coming this far without drinking from the Stanley Cup. “Everything in the past is in the past,” Vancouver center Ryan Kesler said.

“If we win tomorrow, we become legends.” Although they’ve lost three of their last four to the surging Bruins, the Canucks are ready to reap their reward for grinding out the NHL’s best regular-season record. They get to play Game 7 at home — and home-ice advantage means more than anybody expected in a series that’s otherwise been utterly unpredictable.

The home team has won every game to date, but Boston has done it better than the

favored Canucks. While the Bruins blew out Vancouver by a combined 17-3, the Canucks eked out three one-goal victories.

The Canucks still can win their first NHL title after flopping in their first attempt on Monday in Boston, while the Bruins are closing strong in their attempt to end a 39-year Stanley Cup drought.

“When we’re in the garage or driveway playing as a kid and you’re fantasizing ... you’re saying to yourself, ‘Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals,”‘ said Thomas, the likely Conn Smythe Trophy winner after allowing just eight Vancouver goals in six games.

“You’re not saying Game 6, you know? So this is really what

every kid dreams about.” Thomas and the Bruins will attempt to become the first team in NHL history to win a Game 7 three times in the same postseason after beating Montreal and Tampa Bay earlier. The Original Six franchise has never played a Game 7 in the finals, not even while losing its last five trips to the championship round since 1972.

Vancouver was stretched to the limit by defending champion Chicago in the first round. The Canucks were here in 1994, when Mark Messier’s New York Rangers beat them 3-2 in Game 7 — and Vancouver hadn’t been back to the finals since.

Both teams have played under playoff stress this spring, but it won’t match the intensity

of a close third period in Game 7 of the finals, when one superb play or a single mistake can change a player’s reputation forever. Anybody who fears that scenario didn’t show it after Tuesday’s workouts at Rogers Arena.

“This is playoff hockey at its finest,” Vancouver center Manny Malhotra said. “No one wants to budge on home ice. This entire series has been a full playoff experience, filled with a lot of different types of games.” And nobody exemplifies this series’ strange duality better than Luongo. Vancouver’s enigmatic goalie has been outstanding at home, allowing just two goals in three games while posting two 1-0 shutouts, but the Canucks’

$10 million man was horrific in Boston, giving up 15 goals in slightly more than four periods while getting pulled twice, including from Game 6.

Perhaps after one final headclearing walk on the Vancouver seawall, his meditation of choice before two key victories this postseason, he’ll get his last chance at redemption on the same ice where he led Canada to Olympic gold last year.

“We’re going to put what happened (in Game 6) behind us as soon as possible, and get ready for obviously what is going to be a dream, playing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals,” Luongo said this week. “I’ve been in those situations before. I know how to handle it. I’ll be ready for it.”—AP

Mickelson eyes Open win after previous close calls

LONDON: Jockey Frankie Dettori rides ëRewildingí home to win the Prince of Walesís Stakes, his 45th Royal Ascot victory, ahead of ëSo You Thinkî, ridden by Ryan Moore (left) on the second day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting.—AP

Dettori and Rewilding triumph Royal Ascot showpiece LONDON: Rewilding, ridden by Frankie Dettori, upset hot favourite So You Think to win the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, the feature race on the second day of Royal Ascot yesterday.

So You Think, a Group One winner and top middle distance performer in Australia before joining Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien in a multi-million pound deal at the end of last year, was sent off as the 4-11 favourite but was worn down in the final strides by Dettori and Rewilding (17-2) who won by a neck. Rewilding is trained in Newmarket by Mahmood Al

Zarooni for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin stable. “It was a tremendous battle with two great horses.

When I got past him it was a sheer joy,” said Italian Dettori.

“When you see two great horses battle it out like this it’s a sheer joy to be in a race like this. “Rewilding doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. He’s a very good horse and he showed his true colours today.”

O’Brien blamed himself for So You Think’s defeat, saying he had misjudged the five -year-old’s preparation. “It was trainer error. He had a long blow after the race and I

don’t think I had him fit enough,” he said.

The big-striding and imposing So You Think has amassed over three million pounds ($4.90 million) in prize money and was third when favourite for the Melbourne Cup in November.

Trainer Richard Hannon and sonin-law jockey Richard Hughes, successful with Canford Cliffs in the Queen Anne Stakes on Tuesday, had another memorable day.

The pair teamed up to win the Jersey Stakes with Strong Suit (111) and later the Queen Mary Stakes with Best Terms (12-1).—Reuters

Force fail to keep O’Connor MELBOURNE: The Melbourne Rebels are expected to announce the signing of Wallabies utility back James O’Connor yesterday after Perth-based Super rugby side Western Force said they had failed to retain their key playmaker.

“It is with a great deal of regret that we will farewell James, however we can be certain that we did everything we could to retain his services and that our offer was fair and reasonable and in the best interests of the ... Western Force and rugby in WA ( Western Australia),” Force CEO Vern Reid said in a statement.

The race to sign the 20-year-old, who is out of contract with the Force at the end of the season, has been a protracted tug-of-war between four of the five sides in the Australian conference of the southern hemisphere’s provincial tournament.

Local media reported last week that O’Connor had elected to stay with the Force, but by the end of the week no announcement had been made, fuelling speculation the Rebels had made a late play for the signature of Australia’s hottest young talent.

The club declined to comment on reports linking the Rebels with O’Connor but were expected to make an announcement regarding the player later yesterday, an official told Reuters.

O’Connor’s signing would be the Rebels’ second major recruiting coup in their debut season after poaching Kurtley Beale from the New South Wales Waratahs earlier this year.

In partnership with fellow utility back Beale, O’Connor, who is capable of playing all across the backline, would transform the Rebels’ attack into the strongest in the Australian conference and one of the most formidable in the competition.—Reuters

BETHESDA: Early on in his career, Phil ‘ The Thrill’ Mickelson was widely regarded as too daring with his dazzling shot-making to flourish at US Opens where a patient approach and pars are always at a premium.

While yet to win his national open after 20 attempts, Mickelson has finished second five times and he believes the 1995 edition at Shinnecock Hills helped him first understand the recipe for success in the toughest major to win.

“I learned a lot from the loss at Shinnecock,” the American left-hander told reporters at Congressional Country Club on Tuesday. “Corey Pavin won, and a lot of people don’t even know I really was in it.

“I ended up finishing fourth, and I played the 16th hole in six over par. It ended up costing me the tournament.

I learned a lot about how to play a US Open that week.

“A lot of times par-fives, which I normally think of as birdie holes, are the toughest pars at U.S. Opens.

(Shinnecock) changed my thought process about being overly aggressive in the par fives.”

Mickelson closed with a 74 at the 1995 US Open. Four years later, he finished second at Pinehurst where his wife Amy was expecting their first child and fellow American Payne Stewart ended up winning the title by one shot.

“So it took me six, seven, eight years to really get into contention and have a great opportunity to win,” world number five Mickelson said with a smile. “Since then, I’ve kind of figured out how to manage myself around, control my misses and salvage pars the hard way.

“I’m not going to play perfect golf, I’m not going to hit every fairway but there are times I can manage it ... and that’s allowed me to be in contention a number of times.”

BETHESDA: Bennett Blakeman (eft) works on his swing on the practice green before a practice round for the US Open Championship golf tournament.—AP A four-times major champion who with fellow American Dustin Johnson lifted his third green jacket at last and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy year’s Masters, Mickelson feels that for the first two rounds at putting is the one attribute of his Congressional, said he would try to game that has held him back this sea- focus on the process rather than the result this week. son.

“When I was trying to win my first He claimed his 39th PGA Tour title at the Houston Open in April but that major championship, if you focus so was his only top-10 in 12 starts on the much on the result, so much on winning, sometimes you can get in your U.S. circuit this year.

“I’m playing some good golf; ball- own way,” he added.

“And so I’m trying not to think striking wise I think it’s the best it’s ever been in the last three or four or about winning as much as I am trying five months,” said the 40-year-old to enjoy the challenge that lies ahead, Californian who is renowned for his because I know that the next 72 holes of golf, starting on Thursday, are magical short game.

“And I feel I’m right on the cusp of going to be very difficult.

“I’m tr ying to think about the getting my confidence back with the putter because I’m rolling the ball bet- process of playing the type of golf I ter than I have but I’m not making want to play around this course. them (putts). “There’s a small differ- Having been in contention so many ence there getting the right speed for times through the years, I really believe that I can win this tournathe line, but I’m close.”

Mickelson, who has been grouped ment.”—Reuters

The ‘Big Easy’ aims to end hard times at Congressional BETHESDA: Ernie Els has endured a frustrating 2011 campaign but, just as he did 14 years ago, is looking to regain form on the welcome turf of Congressional Country Club at this week’s US Open.

In 1997, South African Els arrived at Congressional after missing the cut in his previous tournament before ending that week on an unexpected high with a second US Open title to his name.

This season, he has struggled on the US PGA Tour without a single top-10 in 11 starts and once again he is hoping to reignite his game on the tree-lined layout on the outskirts of the nation’s capital.

“I t ’s a long time ago,” Els told reporters on Tuesday as he reflected on his one -stroke victor y over Britain’s Colin Montgomerie at Congressional in 1997.

“I came here last week and played a couple of rounds in the heat. It was about 102 (degrees) but just playing the course ... brings back great memories. “I got myself familiar with the course again and got obviously great vibes. I’ve got a nice draw so I’m looking forward to a good week.”

Els, a three-times major winner who is popularly known as the ‘Big Easy’ because of his smooth swing and generally laidback demeanour, has vivid memories of how his US Open week steadily improved in 1997.

“I didn’t come in here with a lot of form ... so I was a little bit on shaky ground,” the 41-year- old South African said. “But the weekend before the US Open started, I did a lot of work here at the course.

“I just loved what I saw and through the practice days, I really found my game, I found my swing and found my putting stroke.

“From having no confidence that week going into Thursday, I had a little bit of hope. I didn’t screw up too bad here in the first round and then it started happening for me.” Els’ victory at Congressional paved the way for a year in which he triumphed twice on the PGA Tour and won four other titles worldwide.

“I went on the next week to Westchester, which is one of my favourite places ... and I think I won that tournament by eight shots,” he said, referring to the Buick Classic. “It

was a big turnaround in my year, and it just shows you what a major championship can do.

“My sense of urgency is still very much there. I’m putting a lot of work into my game and I need to basically find a way of letting it happen. I am waiting for that week for it to happen, so maybe this week.”

A year ago, Els came close to winning a third US Open title after tying for the lead early in the final round at Pebble Beach before slipping back into third place, two strokes behind winner Graeme McDowell of Britain. “ When I look back at Pebble Beach, I played such wonderful golf from tee to green,” Els said. “I really found my swing that week, and I wasn’t even that bad on the greens.

“It was just that back nine (in the final round). I just kept missing (putts) inside eight feet almost on every hole. I was really, really very disappointed after that. I was just as flat as I’ve ever been in my life. “ Yo u ’ v e g o t t o g i v e c r e d i t t o Graeme McDowell, the way he played but, from my point of view, I felt like I let one slip away there.”—Reuters

Dream demolish Liberty

Australia’s James O’Conno.

NEWARK: Angel McCoughtry scored 18 points and the Atlanta Dream used three big runs to cruise to a 79-58 victory over the New York Liberty in the WNBA on Tuesday.

Erika DeSouza had 12 points and Sancho Lyttle added 10 for Atlanta’s first win of the season.

Essence Carson scored 21 points and Kia Vaughn had 16 for the Liberty, which has lost consecutive games at Prudential Center — their home for the next three seasons — after opening with two road wins.

New York, which had a 94-88 overtime win at Atlanta in the season opener on June 5, was held to its lowest scoring output after averaging 85 points in its first three games.

Fever 82, Shock 74 At Indianapolis, Katie Douglas had 22 points and seven rebounds to lead the Fever to the victory.

Jessica Davenport scored 10 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter for Indiana. Briann January had 12 points and Erin Phillips finished with

10. Ivory Latta scored 19 points and Jennifer Lacy had 14 for Detroit, which dropped its fifth straight game to start the season. Kayla Pedersen scored 13 and Andrea Riley had 10. Douglas tied a career high with six 3-pointers, also matching the franchise record.

The Shock played without Elizabeth Cambage, who suffered a concussion during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s loss to Connecticut.

She’s averaging 15.5 points and 7.8 rebounds. —Reuters

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THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

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Euro 2012 frontline in battle with racism

KANSAS: Clint Dempsey of USA (top) jumps over a sliding Stephane Zubar of Guadeloupe (botttom) during the 2011 Concacaf Gold Cup Group C match. —AFP

Panama, US advance to Gold Cup q-finals KANSAS CITY: Panama and the United States advanced to the Gold Cup quarterfinals Tuesday as the top-two finishers from Group C. Luis Tejada scored an equalizer in the first minute of stoppage as Panama escaped with a 1-1 draw against Canada to top the group, while Jozy Altidore scored in the ninth minute as United States edged Guadeloupe 1-0.

Panama finished the group stage with seven points, one ahead of the United States and three clear of Canada, which was eliminated after the US win.

Guadeloupe, a surprise semifinalist four years ago, was winless in three games. “Our goal before the start of this tournament was to come out on top of our group,” Panama coach Julio Dely Valdes said. “Now that we have done that, our goal is to go as far as possible in the Gold Cup and essentially win the whole thing.”

Dwayne De Rosario converted a penalty in the 62nd minute for Canada, which would have secured a quarterfinal berth had it been able to hold on for the victory. Panama, which played back and counterattacked for the first 60 minutes, turned up the pressure late in the match and missed several good chances before finally forcing the draw.

Tejada’s goal, from a scramble in front of goal, was originally credited to Blas Perez, but regional governing body Concacaf later amended the scoresheet.

“I don’t think we did a good enough job of keeping the ball and making them work to get it,” Canada coach Stephen

Hart said. “They were throwing numbers forward and we just couldn’t get a hold of the ball for any period of time.

Unfortunately, what happened, happened.” The United States needed only a draw to advance after Panama-Canada draw, but that didn’t stop Altidore scoring his second goal of the tournament with a 25-yard strike. “I was just able to get a little space,” Altidore said.”It was a good goal.”

The U.S. had several chances to extend the lead, but was unable to convert any of them. Clint Dempsey had the best opportunity from close range in the 76th minute, but Julien Ictoi took advantage of Dempsey’s momentary hesitation and managed to pass safely to Guadeloupe goalkeeper Franck Grandel.

“This was a game where at the end, we certainly feel we should have finished (off ) the game earlier,” US coach Bob Bradley said. “We had good chances to get that second goal. Still, there were positives and now we get ready to move forward.”

The tiny island of Guadeloupe is a French possession in the Caribbean and not a member of FIFA, making it ineligible to take part in World Cup qualification. “We cannot keep playing that way and not have something to look forward to,” said midfielder Stephane Auvray, who plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.

“It’s frustrating because now we have to go home and in two years start up with the same problems we have now.”—AP

KANSAS: Julian De Guzman of Canada (left), Luis Henriquez of Panama (center) and Simeon Jackson of Canada (right) vie for the ball during their 2011 Concacaf Gold Cup Group C match. —AFP

WARSAW: With just a year left until Euro 2012 kicks off in Poland, authorities and campaigners say they are determined to use the football showpiece to stamp out stadium racism. “ We’re treating the European Championship as a chance to make things civilised,” tournament security chief Adam Rapacki told anti-racism campaigners, who wrapped up a two-day meeting in the capital Warsaw yesterday.

The former commander of the police antigang squad, Rapacki is also overseeing a crackdown on hooliganism, which has long afflicted club football here. Racial abuse carries a jail sentence of up to three years in Poland.

Rapacki said around 100 probes are launched every year. “But we’re aware that the real numbers are shadowy, as a lot goes unreported,” he added. To redress that, 20,000 police officers have received special training.

Authorities are also tapping English expertise to improve stewarding. European football’s governing body UEFA has the issue firmly in its sights.

“For us, racism as such is a phenomenon of society, which plays itself out in and around football,” Patrick Gasser, in charge of the issue at UEFA, told AFP. “We have taken this on in order to make a positive contribution to society but also, obviously, to eradicate it from the football scene,” he added.

Starting on June 8 next year in Warsaw and ending three weeks later in Kiev, capital of cohosts Ukraine, Euro 2012 marks the first time the continent’s top international tournament will be held behind the old Iron Curtain. That ups the ante, said Piara Powar, the British head of Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE).

“This is about the legacy, not just Euro 2012, but about how football in Poland, Ukraine and the region will benefit,” he said.

Since the collapse of communist rule two decades ago, far-right groups have fed on and stoked social and ethnic tensions across the region.

They flourish among fans who worship

England’s once-notorious hooligan ‘firms’ (gangs) — a hardcore of 3,000-5,000 in Poland, a nation of 38 million, Rapacki estimates.

Besides abusing black players, far-right fans also chant anti-Semitic slogans or brandish neo-Nazi banners. That is notably shocking given the region’s World War II history, when millions perished at the hands of the occupying Germans, including the overwhelming majority of its Jews.

“You rarely see a Ukrainian Premier League match without a display of racist, right-wing slogans. Unfortunately, it’s a discourse that’s embedded in the Ukrainian football scene,” said Pavel Klymenko, of Kiev-based Football Against Prejudice. Ukrainian authorities have failed to wake up, he claimed.

“Recognition of the real extent of the problem is the first step to fighting it,” he added.

Whereas West European campaigners have long worked directly with fan groups, the farright’s hold makes that harder in the ex-com-

Leonardo set to leave Inter MILAN: Inter Milan coach Leonardo may leave and former Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa has been contacted about possibly replacing him, the Serie A club’s president Massimo Moratti said yesterday.

Leonardo, who only took over at Inter in December before his side missed out on a sixth straight Serie A title when ex-club AC Milan won the scudetto, has been linked in the media with a sporting director job at another former team Paris St Germain.

“I believe there has been a first contact with Bielsa, but not by me,” Moratti told reporters having denied the rumors on Tuesday. “Leonardo has coached with a lot of desire and passion but his aspirations for the future are not certain.

“It suits him to follow his dream and for us to look for a new coach. But it could well be that Leonardo changes his mind and we do too.”

Brazilian Leonardo led Milan to third place in Serie A in the 2009/10 season in his first job as a coach having been a director at the Rossoneri.

He left after clashing with Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi over tactics while there were also reports he wanted to spend more time with his children in Brazil.

Italian football was stunned when he suddenly reappeared as coach of Milan’s great rivals Inter in December after Rafael Benitez was sacked after just half a season in charge.

Inter, who won the treble under Jose Mourinho in 2010, struggled with Benitez as boss and improved under Leonardo but his tactics were criticised when losing to Milan in Serie A and Schalke in the Champions League quarter-finals as holders.

Argentine Bielsa has been out of work since leaving as Chile coach in February. The 55-yearold, whose unconventional methods have found fame, bossed Argentina from 1998 to 2004 but failed to win a major trophy.

His only experience in Europe was a short spell with Spain’s Espanyol in 1998. PSG, where Leonardo played in 1996-97, were recently bought

by Qatari investors and reports in France have said Leonardo has held talks about reviving their fortunes as a sporting director. —Reuters

Neymar looks to emulate Pele in Libertadores Cup BUENOS AIRES: Santos are pinning their hopes on Neymar, widely regarded as the team’s modern-day Pele, to revive the glory days of the 1960s when they meet Penarol in late yesterday’s Libertadores Cup final first leg. The teenage forward has been the inspiration behind Santos’s run to the final, the club having started as tournament outsiders in February.

Not even the ash spewing from a Chilean volcano that has disrupted air travel in the southern cone of South America for more than a week has upset the Brazilian team’s resolve.

“There was anxiety over not knowing how we were going to get there but nothing will stop our will to be champions,” Neymar told reporters as the squad left for the game in Montevideo (0050 GMT Thursday).

“The match is going ahead,” said Nestor Benitez,

POLAND: A train goes over an illuminated bridge in front of the National Stadium during an event marking the one year countdown to the start of Euro 2012, in Warsaw in the file photo. The 2012 European Soccer Championships will open at this stadium. —AP

spokesman for the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol).

“Santos are flying to Montevideo where the airport has been opened, and so are the match officials. Let’s hope it’s a great occasion after so much uncertainty,” Benitez told Reuters.

Pele, who helped Santos win South America’s equivalent of the European Champions League in 1962 and 1963, told the Uruguayan daily El Pais: “I love Santos and want them to be champions but in this match there are no favorites and any of the two can win”.

The former Brazil great said that playing a Uruguayan team “is very difficult because they are warriors and they battle up to the last minute in or outside Uruguay.” — Reuters

munist bloc, noted Rafal Pankowski, who runs FARE’s regional operations.

One solution is to get respected ex-players onside. Iconic 1980s Poland striker Dariusz Dziekanowski is leading the way.

“It’s important to use former national team players to help minimise this problem. We can’t cut it off completely, but we can minimise it,” said Dziekanowski, who has had campaigners address his youth-coaching programme.

The Polish football association can punish clubs that fail to stamp out the problem, although the penalties look paltry in West European terms.

A starkly anti-Semitic banner at a seconddivision match in May 2010 earned the guilty club a 2,500-zloty (635-euro, $918) fine.

This month, however, a 20-year-old fan involved in the incident was jailed for six months. Fans can also be hit with stadium bans, but critics point to slack enforcement. —AFP

Switzerland win again, Denmark beat Belarus COPENHAGEN: Switzerland’s Fabian Frei and Innocent Emeghara struck first-half goals in a 2-0 win over Iceland as the Swiss moved three points clear at the top of Group A in the European Under-21 championship on Tuesday.

Denmark responded to their opening loss to Switzerland with goals from exciting teenager Christian Eriksen and Nicolai Jorgensen securing a 2-1 victory over Belarus that put the hosts into second place level on three points with their opponents.

The Swiss got off to a flying start in Aalborg with Frei netting in the first minute after latching on to a ball over the top of the defence and striking it first time.

They had several more chances before Emeghara added a second in the 40th, his left-footed effort bouncing over the line despite a touch from goalkeeper

Haraldur Bjornsson. The Danes were seeking to get their tournament back on track in Aarhus but again fell behind when Belarus’s Dmitri Baga coolly rounded goalkeeper Mikkel Andersen for a simple finish.

A minute later the Danes were level after forward Jorgensen was blocked and the referee gave a penalty. Eriksen’s spotkick was saved but the ball rebounded into his path and the relieved young playmaker gratefully rolled it home for the equaliser. Jorgensen got on the scoresheet himself in the second half when he drifted in from the left wing past several defenders before curling the ball in at the far post after 71 minutes.

Switzerland have six points ahead of Denmark and Belarus on three with Iceland bottom after two defeats. The Swiss face Belarus on Saturday when Denmark play Iceland. —Reuters

DENMARK: Christian Eriksen (left) of Denmark fights for the ball with Aleksandr Perepechko (right) of Belarus during their UEFA Under-21 European Championships football Group A match. —AFP

Argentina in search of Messi double BUENOS AIRES: Gonzalo Higuain is training for a similar role to Lionel Messi’s in the Argentina team in preparation for matches when the Barcelona forward is not playing, coach Sergio Batista said on Tuesday.

Messi is first choice as the central striker in Batista’s tactics for next month’s Copa America even though the coach has classic centre forwards in his squad, like Real Madrid’s Higuain and Diego Milito of Inter Milan.

“The idea is to see who can take Messi’s place. We have a number nine like Higuain, we’re training him to be not just an area nine,” Batista told a news conference at Argentina’s training base outside the capital. “He won’t be the same because they are (players with) different characteristics but (I

want) all to know we play this way if Messi’s missing,” he said referring to his penchant for a possession game.

“Our idea is to maintain a game plan with four (defenders), the three in the middle and the three forwards and not change, maybe (at times) a linkman, but that’s the idea without disregarding our rivals.”

Argentina began preparing last week to host the tournament kicking off on July 1 when they meet Bolivia in the opening match in Group A in La Plata. They also face Colombia and Costa Rica in their group. Batista is sure Messi will shine in the tournament, as he did all season at Barcelona, when Argentina look to win a first major trophy since they won the Copa America in

Ecuador in 1993. “I’m confident he’ll have a very good Copa America because of his desire and the commitment he has with the national team,” said Batista, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 1986.

Messi has denied feeling pressure from fans to deliver the trophy and Batista said playing at home was a great opportunity for Argentina after losing the last two finals to Brazil. “We have the obligation of winning the tournament,” he said. The South American Football Confederation announced it was extending to 23 the number of players in Copa America squads, as in FIFA’s World Cup, provided they include three goalkeepers.

The permitted number has previously been 22. —Reuters

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

S P ORT S

Mavs savoring title, reloading talk on hold DALLAS: Dirk Nowitzki was talking about the NBA championship capping his career wish list and how much it meant after all the heartbreaks along the way. In a somber voice, he wondered aloud about trying to find something else that could push him to continue a work ethic that routinely includes returning to the gym for nighttime shooting drills.

Then he stopped, laughed, and said, “I’m not going to retire or anything if that’s what you think.”

While the Mavericks know they’ll have the finals Most Valuable Player back next season, it remains to be seen who will be part of Nowitzki’s supporting cast.

Starting center Tyson Chandler, valuable guard JJ Barea, injured scorer Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson, Brian Cardinal and Peja Stojakovic are all free agents. The NBA’s uncertain labor status further complicates things.

So instead of looking ahead, the Mavs are focused on savoring the first title in franchise history _ especially the free agents-to-be.

“If I get focused on that (contract) stuff, I can’t enjoy it,” Chandler said. “I’ll probably go home and Slip ‘n Slide. ... Just run up and down and slide on the front lawn. Any kids are welcome to join me.”

That was the tone at the team’s annual exit interviews Tuesday: fun, loose, relaxed.

Since none of the players had ever won a championship, it was the best season wrapup they’d

ever been through. The team’s PR staff even got in the spirit, too; the daily email with the team’s schedule read, “ The World Champion Dallas Mavericks ...” Interviews were held on the team’s downstairs practice court at the arena.

Jason Terry stole the show by strutting down the stairs in a white terry cloth robe, sunglasses and a baseball cap, carrying a fat, unlit cigar and his invitation to the ESPY awards for the Mavericks’ nomination as Team of the Year.

The glory of winning a championship comes in many forms. For team owner Mark Cuban, it was walking into his kitchen Tuesday morning and seeing the Larry O’Brien Trophy on top of a counter.

For Barea, it’s planning to take the championship trophy to his native Puerto Rico. President Obama was in his native land on Tuesday and said of the tiny guard: “That guy can play.” For Donnie Nelson, the team’s president of basketball operations, it’s a congratulatory text from his dad, Don Nelson, who started the Mavericks down the path to a title when he took over the club in the late 1990s.

The elder Nelson won five titles as a player, but none in a long, distinguished career as a coach and executive. For Carlisle, it’s the satisfaction of making champions out of guys who’d made millions and been All-Stars but had never won it all.

“There’s a big difference between success and

fulfillment,” Carlisle said. “These guys have had incredible success in the league. You go right down the list of guys, Dirk, Jet, Kidd, Marion, Stojakovic, Chandler, all these guys. But the thing that’s eluded them and myself on the coaching side of it has been the fulfillment of achieving the ultimate dream. ... Once you’re an NBA champion and you have the ring, you’re a made man in NBA circles.”

Nowitzki and Carlisle emphasized the importance of the way Dallas won, with a “strength in numbers” approach best evidenced by Terry and the supporting cast pulling them through the clincher while Nowitzki struggled. “They needed each other to be successful,” Carlisle said.

“A lot of people are going to reference back to the 2011 Dallas Mavericks as the team that ... found a way collectively to achieve the highest achievement.” That achievement usually is marked by championship rings. Cuban is considering another kind of jewelry, but is being strongly urged to stick with tradition.

“You win an NBA championship, you’ve got to have a ring,” Carlisle said. Laughing, he added, “I don’t know what he’s thinking.” Nowitzki spoke for the locker room when he said, “We know he always wants to do something different, something bigger. But the ring is just so classic. ... I mean, I’m a man. I don’t know how I’d feel about a bracelet. I’d rather go with a ring.”

A parade through downtown is planned for Thursday, with 250,000 people expected. Cuban has offered to pick up the tab, so it should be a doozy of a party, especially after the way he celebrated Sunday night in Miami. He footed the bill at a chic club on South Beach; there was talk of a single, oversized bottle of champagne that cost $90,000.

“Mark understands the importance of this moment, not only to him and to the league but to this city,” Carlisle said. On Monday night, Cuban, Nowitzki and several others took the trophy to a favorite watering hole.

The celebration including a rendition of “We Are The Champions.” Cuban even tweeted a link to a YouTube video of it. They better enjoy being champions for as long as they can because come next season, it will be used against them by every team they face. Carlisle called it “another challenge that we’ll embrace.” Another, similar challenge is dealing with talk of whether they can repeat as champions.

“The lockout is the only thing holding this team back,” Terry said. “Hey, you know what? If they lock us out ‘til January, it would be a shorter journey.

But I know nobody is going to pick us again next year. ... But we’ll love it. We like the underdog role. I believe if we have the same team coming back next year, we’re going to be tough to beat.”—AP

England face selection dilemma for final Test Gary Kirsten

Kirsten sees Twenty20 as a domestic product SINGAPORE: Twenty20 cricket should be played less at international level to stop it diluting Test and one-day matches and more in domestic leagues to increase attendances, World Cup winning coach Gary Kirsten has told Reuters.

Kirsten, who stepped down as India coach to take charge of his native South Africa after leading the south Asians to 50-over World Cup success in April, was full of praise for the shortest form of the game but questioned it’s use.

“I have always had a view that it is a great domestic product,” Kirsten told Reuters in Singapore yesterday. “Maybe you can look at the platform soccer works off, where they play mainly domestic soccer through the year and then they have a major tournament at a countr y level, maybe that’s what Twenty20 can do.

“I think international cricket does really well with Test cricket and the 50-over format of the game and I feel Twenty20 cricket will dilute those products a little bit.

“I think it (Twenty20) is a great product, there are going to be teething problems as we go along as it’s a new product to world viewership and world sporting entertainment, but it’s done remarkably well over a short period of time.”

Twenty20 cricket has been a big hit since its conception in 2003 in England but attempting to find space for it in an already crowded international calendar has proved difficult and extended tours to fit in matches have proved unpopular.

Kirsten, speaking on the sidelines of the Nomura Asia Equity Forum, believes something has to give.

“The future tours programme doesn’t allow for that much Twenty20 cricket, they are trying to fit them in schedules and trying to find a space for them here or there,” the former test opening batsman said.

He said the International Cricket Council’s only alternative would be to play more Twenty20 cricket at the expense of the 50-over game.

“You can’t extend tours longer than six weeks and that has been an almost unwritten thing now that they want to keep tours as short as possible,” he said.

The multi-billion dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) is the most successful domestic Twenty20 tournament.

Beginning in 2008 and featuring an auction for the world’s best players to come and play for one of now 10 franchises, Kirsten believes it’s success demonstrates his point that Twenty20 is a great domestic product.

“I know Australia are trying that now (creating a domestic Twenty20 league), England are trying that, South Africa have their own Twenty20 thing and there is great interest in it and it brings crowds to the game in the domestic format that other forms of the game don’t. “ There is ver y little support for domestic four-day cricket and domestic 50-over cricket, so I think its great for the local game,” said Kirsten. — Reuters

SOUTHAMPTON: England face a tricky selection dilemma ahead of today’s third and final Test against Sri Lanka at the Rose Bowl.

Paceman James Anderson has recovered from a side strain and will come back to lead the attack after missing the second-test draw at Lord’s, meaning Steven Finn, Stuart Broad or Chris Tremlett must stand down.

“I’ve felt fine for a couple of weeks now. I felt fine before the Lord’s test,” Anderson told reporters. “It would have been a risk to play in that game and I’ve had plenty of time to recover, get stronger, do a lot of bowling, so I’m feeling pretty comfortable.”

The likelihood is that the 22-year-old Finn will make way as he was the fast bowler who originally came in for Anderson. Broad has taken just 13 wickets in six tests but his allrounder status should help his cause.

Surrey quickie Tremlett is hoping to return to the venue where he used to play with Hampshire. England, who are 1-0 up against Sri Lanka, are looking to claim a fifth straight series win. Captain Andrew Strauss’s team last failed to win a test series when they drew 1-1 in South Africa in 2009-10. England have since beaten Bangladesh twice, Pakistan and Australia. Their last test series defeat was a 1-0 reverse in West Indies in early 2009.

Sri Lanka have been forced to change their captain as Tillakaratne Dilshan will not risk his broken thumb. He will be replaced by predecessor Kumar Sangakkara.

“The main reason we’ve kept him out of this test is that had he played and got another blow while fielding he might have been out for the rest of the tour,” said team manager Anura Tennakoon referring to the one-day internationals that follow.

“As a precautionary measure we have kept him out.” Left-handed opener Lahiru Thirimanne, 21, is likely to replace Dilshan at the top of the order after scoring 104 against Essex. It will be the Rose Bowl’s maiden test although the southcoast ground has previously hosted 12 one-day and two Twenty20 internationals. — Reuters

LONDON: England’s Graeme Swann (fourth from left) smiles as Andrew Strauss (back left) speaks to the England bowlers during a net practice at the Rose Bowl cricket ground. — AP

Strauss targets ton after barren streak SOUTHAMPTON: England captain Andrew Strauss’ record of one test century in just under two years is not good enough, the left-handed opener admitted yesterday.

England, 1-0 up after winning in Cardiff, face Sri Lanka at The Rose Bowl in the third and final test on Thursday and are targeting a fifth consecutive series win. While the team is playing well, Strauss has managed 24 runs in his three innings and, although there is no serious threat of him losing his place, he is aware he needs to reach three figures more often.

“I was frustrated with my returns at Lord’s, but that’s the nature of the beast as an opening bats-

man, sometimes you get a couple of good balls early,” Strauss told reporters.

“I just have to make sure I do all I can to get back in the runs. “I’ve scored a lot of fifties without getting many hundreds and that’s something I am determined to change. It has been one of my strengths - if you can get big hundreds it does set the side up pretty well and that’s the challenge for me.” Strauss was twice dismissed lbw by left-arm pace bowler Chanaka Welegedera at Lord’s and he admitted he has worked hard in the nets on countering that line of attack. While his fellow left-handed opening partner Alastair Cook has plundered six

centuries in nine tests, Strauss has watched enviously and is keen to better his numbers.

“There is always pressure on you to score runs - I don’t think that ever changes and nor should it because it’s test cricket and there are hundreds of guys playing county cricket that want your job,” Strauss added. “You’ve got to do everything you can and ride the blows.... because you are not going to score runs every time you bat.

“Over the last couple of years in both forms of the game my form has been pretty good as captain.

You can over-analyse these things but I’m not going to fall into that trap.” — Reuters

Hamilton: Daring, not dangerous PARIS: Administered the last rites after his fiery crash in 1976, Niki Lauda will always be more qualified than most to talk about the dangers of motor-racing. His scars are permanent reminders of how close he came to giving his life to the sport.

Still, on the subject of whether Lewis Hamilton represents a menace to himself and to others, the three-time Formula One world champion is wrong.

“You can’t drive like that, someone can die,” Lauda reportedly said after the 2008 champion again played bumper-cars with his sleek McLaren, this time at last weekend’s epic Canadian Grand Prix.

“At some point, it’s not funny anymore,” the German TV broadcaster he now commentates for quoted Lauda as saying. Well, Mr. Lauda, you’re right that taking silly risks at 200 kilometers per hour is no laughing matter.

But there is a big difference being daring and being dangerous. It is to the good of Formula One that Hamilton is one of the most daring drivers out there. The Briton at least tries to provide spectacle in a sport that can’t thrive without it.

So at Monaco, a track so boring that a dash of recklessness from drivers can be forgiven, Hamilton thought he saw a gap to pass Ferrari’s Felipe Massa on the turn 6 hairpin and dived in.

Turned out he was wrong. The gap vanished, their cars came together.

Hamilton’s crash-bang pass of Pastor Maldonado that nudged the Williams of the Venezuelan into the street circuit’s barriers was similarly overoptimistic.

So, too, was his attempt to squeeze past teammate Jenson Button in Canada that ended Hamilton’s race by damaging his car. Hamilton

should have ceded when Button edged him ever closer to a wall, but he didn’t and suffered the consequences.

But, hey, who doesn’t make mistakes? As long as we are thrilled when sports heroes compete as close to the ragged edge as possible, then such outcomes will be inevitable. That means football players like Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard who are admired for their thumping tackles will on occasion get their timing all wrong and clatter too hard into opponents.Likewise, derring-do drivers like Hamilton who take high-risk decisions at high speed and in split-seconds are

Lewis Hamilton in action in this file photo

sometimes going to crash or cause crashes.

The alternative — athletes who always play it safe — simply isn’t as entertaining. Fact is, accidents in F1 are part of the job. “Of course, I could go and drive around and not overtake anyone and just stay in position,” Hamilton said last October in Japan when he was again being questioned about his approach.

“That’s easy enough, but that’s not me. So that definitely won’t be happening.” Good for him. That Hamilton shies from taking his foot off the gas doesn’t make him a menace. He takes risks but isn’t deliberately trying to put other

people in danger. But while his guts are admirable, Hamilton’s mouth and temperament let him down.

To be taken seriously, he shouldn’t have joked to a BBC interviewer in Monaco that “maybe it’s because I’m black” that he is hauled so often before race stewards to explain his on-track behavior.

Nor should he have been so quick to call Massa and Maldonado “ridiculous” and “stupid” for blocking his way. In both collisions, the stewards faulted Hamilton. Fooling around in a sports car on a street in Australia last year, burning tire-rubber and being pulled over by police, was stupid of Hamilton, too.

Stuff like that makes the 26-year-old look like a hothead. Maybe the impression is false. But even so, it can fuel the doubts about whether Hamilton is mature enough, responsible enough to be treading that finest of lines between being brave and courting unnecessary danger. In other words, would a more levelheaded Hamilton be winning more and crashing less?

Perhaps. But Hamilton’s biggest problem is that his McLaren hasn’t been as fast as he would like, certainly not quick enough compared to the Red Bull of runaway championship leader Sebastian Vettel, whom he’s beaten just once in seven races this season. That, undoubtedly, is pushing Hamilton to take more risks than he otherwise might.

In an interview with Lauda in 2009, Hamilton explained how demoralizing it is to drive a car that can’t compete. “Lots and lots and lots of sleepless nights,” he said. So Hamilton shouldn’t be faulted now for pushing as hard as he can, perhaps too hard at times.

Better for the spectacle of F1 that he’s trying, rather than not trying at all. — AP

Dettori and Rewilding triumph

17

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

Panama, US advance to Gold Cup q-finals

18

Canucks, Bruins ready to finish off epic finals Page 17 EASTBOURNE: Ana Ivanovic of Serbia returns the ball during her match against Venus Williams of the United States on the fourth day of the Aegon International tennis tournament.—AP

Wickmayer wins after taking ball in the face DEN BOSCH: Third-seeded Yanina Wickmayer recovered from being hit in the face by a tennis ball to beat Arantxa Parra Santonja 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 7-5 in the second round of the Unicef Open yesterday. Also, second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova reached the quarterfinals after rallying from a set down to beat Sara Errani of Italy 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1.

Wickmayer was leading 2-1 in the second when a ball ricocheted off her racket’s frame and hit her in the face, close to her left eye, as

she attempted a backhand service return. The Belgian looked shaken and sat in her chair for several minutes, holding a bottle of water to her face, before resuming the match.

After losing the second-set tiebreaker, Wickmayer fought back to break the Spaniard twice in the third. Wickmayer said it took her a few games to recover from the hit, “but by the third set I was fine.”

Kuznetsova saved six break points in the eighth game of the second set, but still lost the

game when Errani powered a backhand pass down the line. However, the Russian managed to break back immediately and went on to easily win the tiebreaker and the third set.

“I have confidence in myself and my game,” she said. “I knew if I could turn it on I could win it from any score.” In the men’s draw of the grass-court Wimbledon warmup, another thirdseeded Belgian, Xavier Malisse, had an easier second-round match, beating Dutch wildcard Jesse Huta Galung 7-6 (2), 6-4.-—AP

Zvonareva ends Serena’s comeback EASTBOURNE: Serena Williams’ comeback ran out of steam at Eastbourne yesterday as she lost 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 to top-seeded Vera Zvonareva in the second round.

Zvonareva came through a tense tussle in 3 hours, 12 minutes for only her second win in eight matches against the 13-time Grand Slam champion.

“I know I can do better,” Williams said. “I can improve and I’m so close to being there, it’s good.” The No. 3-ranked Russian gained a measure of revenge for her 6-3, 6-2 loss in last year’s Wimbledon final that turned out to be Williams’ last match for almost a year as she recovered from a cut on her foot which led to blood clots on her lungs.

Williams drew on her trademark fighting spirit in the deciding set as she came back from 5-2 down to make it 5-5, saving three match points at 5-4. But Zvonareva immediately broke again and a tiring Williams couldn’t muster another fightback.

On the day she was awarded a Wimbledon seeding of seventh, 19 places above her world ranking, Williams was beaten on grass for the first time since she lost the 2008 final at the All England Club to her sister Venus.

However, the four-time Wimbledon winner said she was happy with her preparations for the defense of her title — and even happier that the foot injury was no longer troubling her. “It was a good two matches for me,” Serena said. “I couldn’t be happier with the amount of tennis I played so it’s good, just keep going.

“I haven’t played in almost a year so I’m a little sore. But it’s good that I’m sore now because hopefully next week I won’t be as sore. (The foot) is holding up really well and I’m just really excited about that.”

Returning from her own injury layoff, Venus Williams had earlier reached the quarterfinals with a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Ana Ivanovic, and her younger sister looked set to join her in the last eight when she served for the match at 5-4 in the second set.

But when facing a break point, Serena double-faulted and Zvonareva suddenly

rediscovered her confidence. Leading 6-5 in the tiebreaker, the Russian drove a forehand into the corner, with Serena on her backside after slipping on the baseline.

Trailing 5-4 in the decider, Serena hopped on one foot and looked surprised and relieved as a bold backhand winner looped onto the line to save a second match point.

She went on to break back with another brutal backhand winner.

But Serena was broken in the next game and Zvonareva wouldn’t be denied again. She moved into a 40-0 lead and then powered a forehand winner onto the baseline to claim victory on her fourth match point.

“It’s never easy against Serena,” Zvonareva said. “She’s a great fighter and she came up with some great shots at the very important moments. I kept fighting and I’m really happy I won it.” Venus, playing her second match following a five-month layoff, will face Daniela Hantuchova in the quarterfinals after easing past Ivanovic. The five-time Wimbledon champion didn’t face a single break point in the first set while breaking Ivanovic twice.

Ivanovic had her only break point at 1-0 in the second set but Venus sent down a 196 kph (122 mph) first serve to save it before breaking twice more and improving her record against Ivanovic to 7-1.

“Right now I feel that I’m playing very tough and I’m playing well on the big points,” Venus said. “These matches have been huge and crucial for me to just get back in the swing of things. Hantuchova knocked out Li Na 7-6 (7), 6-3. Li, playing her first tournament since winning the French Open, held five set points in the tiebreaker and led 3-1 in the second set before losing the last five games.

“I’m still happy I play two matches in here,” Li said. “Still have three days until Wimbledon, so of course now hard working and prepare (to get) ready for Wimbledon.”

Defending champion Ekaterina Makarova of Russia lost 7-6 (8), 7-6 (4) to fifth-seeded Czech Petra Kvitova after holding three set points in the first-set tiebreaker and a set point at 6-5 in the second set. -—AP

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ATHENS: Protestors shout as they march towards riot police during massive clashes at the central Athens Syntagma square yesterday. — AFP

Anti-austerity strike rocks Greece Trouble brews over second Greece bailout ATHENS: Stone-throwing Greeks clashed with police and tens of thousands of protesters marched on parliament yesterday to oppose government efforts to pass new austerity measures for the debt-stricken euro zone state. Unions representing half the five-million-strong workforce also launched a nationwide strike, shutting ports, schools and other basic services in the Mediterranean state. Prime Minister George Papandreou must push through a new five-year campaign of tax hikes, spending cuts and sell-offs of state property to continue receiving aid from the European Union and International Monetary Fund and avoid default.

He not only faces public protests and resistance from a conservative opposition that has surpassed his Socialist party in opinion polls, but a few backbenchers in his own parliamentary grouping are also threatening to reject the plan. Political analysts said he would be able to push through the package with support from his PASOK party and possibly a handful of opposition deputies, but that protests had introduced some uncertainty. One PASOK deputy defected on Tuesday, reducing the party’s number of seats in parliament to 155 out of 300.

Thousands of activists and unionists converged on the central Syntagma square on the parliament’s front steps to try to stop lawmakers from entering to debate the bill they hope to pass by the end of the month.

“Thieves, traitors!” many chanted. “Where did the money go?” “These measures are not taking us anywhere.

They only lead to unemployment, hunger and poverty,” said Panayotis Dounis a 60-year-old pensioner. “We wouldn’t be here if the politicians had made sacrifices as well. We are absolutely disappointed.”

About 1,500 police closed a large part of the city centre and erected two-meter metal barricades in front of the assembly, creating a corridor to hold back protesters as lawmakers drove up to the building in official limousines. Riot police fired several rounds of tear gas at dozens of masked youths who pelted them with rocks and a few petrol bombs. Several activists also hurled oranges at Papandreou’s car as he drove past, a police official said. Several groups in the protest clashed

between themselves. Police said one person was injured and they detained 40 people.

‘CRUEL AS A TIGER’ The new austerity package foresees 6.5 billion euros ($9.4 billion) in tax hikes and spending cuts this year, doubling measures agreed with bailout lenders that have pushed unemployment to a record 16.2 percent and extended a deep recession into its third year. The plan includes: new luxury taxes; a crackdown on tax evasion; tax hikes on soft-drinks, swimming pools, restaurant bills and real estate; and cutting the Mediterranean state’s 750,000-strong public work force by a fifth. With those and other measures worth total savings of 28 billion euros through 2015, it also aims to raise 50 billion euros by selling off state-owned firms.

Papandreou appealed for national consensus on the laws, on which hang the EU and IMF release of a further 12 billion euros in aid next month that Athens needs to pay off maturing debt or face default.

“We are at a historically crucial moment ... and I believe that national consensus is important for the country’s interest,” Papandreou told President Karolos Papoulias during a meeting. “We will proceed with the responsibility for the necessary decisions to see the country exit the crisis.” Papandreou was planning to talk to party leaders later on Wednesday and then make a statement, a government official said. On Tuesday, euro zone finance ministers failed to reach agreement on how private holders of Greek debt should share the cost of a new bailout for Athens worth an estimated 120 billion euros before a June 23-24 summit.

Meanwhile, trouble is brewing over plans for a second bailout of Greece, as a bid to press money markets into contributing with European governments dramatically raised the odds of a default. As the eurozone battle to avoid Athens going bankrupt hurtles towards an early-July repayments crunch, six-and-a-half hours of talks in Brussels ended in stalemate with ministers called to try again on Sunday in Luxembourg. “The larger the private involvement, the bigger the risks of contagion,” said Ivan Miklos of Slovakia as he left tbe late-night Tuesday talks in Brussels. — Agencies

ATHENS: Protesters clash with riot police yesterday during a demonstration near Syntagma square in the center of Athens. — AFP

Dubai tempts, but dangers still lurk Business deals, tourism, construction picking up again DUBAI: Dubai is back in business, or at least on its way to repairing an image devastated by a debt crisis. Less than three years ago foreign investors turned their backs on Dubai, the tiny desert city-state with grand ambitions built on massive debt, after state-conglomerate Dubai World announced it would restructure about $25 billion in debt.

But now, Dubai’s flagship airline has successfully marketed a $1 billion bond, hotels have attracted thousands more guests and unrest across the Middle East has persuaded some businesses to move some their OFFICES? to the more stable emirate. “At one point I had investors tell me they didn’t want Dubai at all in their portfolios,” said a banker.

But the success of Emirates bond this month, attracting orders of over $6 billion, is one of the clearest signs yet of returning confidence and served to show the airline’s importance to Dubai’s economy and international image.

“Being able to get any airline debt away in a world with $100 plus crude oil prices, the biggest component of an airline’s costs, is impressive,” said Daniel Broby, chief investment officer of UK based asset manager Silk Invest. “The fact that it was a Dubai-based airline is even more impressive.”

Emirates priced its bond on the same day that global ports operator DP World, another of Dubai’s prized possessions, made its debut on the London Stock Exchange. “The DP World listing and Emirates bond are the sort of instruments to show that Dubai has returned,” said Saj Ahmad, analyst at FBE Aerospace in London.

Appetite for Dubai debt has been rising in recent months, and CDS levels have sunk back to pre-2009 crisis levels.

Not only is the Dubai government planning to issue new bonds this week after a London investor roadshow, but it recently announced an extension of its bond program to $5 billion. The pick-up in sentiment is a far cry from November 2009, when Dubai World’s plan to restructure about $25 billion in debt sent investors fleeing practically overnight and translated into negative growth for the once high-flying economy.

TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT There is also an unavoidable sense of optimism. In 2010, Dubai’s GDP per capita was just under $42,000, one of the highest in the world. Driven by trade, financial services and tourism, Dubai’s economy recovered in 2010 with 2.4 percent growth and is projected to expand by another 3 to 3.5 percent this year. In contrast, the World Bank expects 1.9 percent growth in the Middle East and North Africa in 2011.

Cranes are purring back to life and tourists are flocking back to Dubai’s delights such as a ski slope in the deser t, one of the world’s largest shopping malls and its tallest tower. In the first quarter, hotel guests numbered more than 1.8 million, a 14 percent increase compared with the same period last year, according to the Dubai Statistics Center. “With the socalled Arab Spring shutting down other major tourists markets in the region, notably Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, tourists flocked to Dubai,” said Guy Wilkinson, managing partner at Viability Managements Consultants, a hospitality consultancy based in Dubai.

Businesses and capital inflows into Dubai-though hard to quantify accurately-have also increased largely because of political uncertainty in Bahrain, a well established financial hub in the region, money managers and bank executives say. Many companies have shifted offices or staff to the city, while UAE bank deposits climbed to their highest level in at least more than two years in April. “Companies are physically moving to Dubai-for some, the regional unrest is an opportunity to have a reasonably large presence in Dubai,” said Ghanem Nuseibeh, founder of Cornerstone Global Associates and senior analyst at Political Capital.

Nuseibeh said it was too soon to gauge whether the liquidity at banks and people moving to Dubai would have any impact on a recovery in the real estate sector-one of the worst affected by the crisis. But he said between 30 and 50 percent of businesses which relocate to Dubai would

remain on a permanent or semi-permanent basis. On Dubai’s streets, conversations once more centre on eating out at the latest restaurant and watching pop acts like Usher, Macy Gray and Joe Cocker who have all played to packed houses.

A LONG WAY TO GO But Dubai has been accused of storing up its troubles by postponing debt payments rather than resolving them.

Dubai World’s 2010 debt deal delays repayment to after five and eight years, and no Dubai asset sales have yet been announced. The emirate faces about $30 billion in redemptions over the coming two years and refinancing risk remains one of the biggest investor concerns. Issues of creditors taking over assets and enforceability are extremely politically sensitive.

“A lot of debt restructuring was for five years or seven to eight years,” said Monica Malik, chief economist at EFGHermes. “ While this gave a sort of breathing space in the shorter term, you still have the issue to try to reduce these debts in the medium term.”

Despite a recovery in global trade and more stability in the banking and property sectors, Dubai’s economic expansion is far behind growth rates seen during the oil and property-fuelled boom years before the global credit crunch struck in 2008.

The size of the emirate’s economy shrunk by 14 percent in 2009, and the overall debt load of Dubai and its companies is estimated at $115 billion or 140 percent of its economic output, not far below 143 percent for debt-troubled Greece. UAE private sector credit growth has been anemic, at a mere 2.0 percent in February, compared with annual rates of well over 50 percent in 2008, when a construction frenzy peaked. Increased deposits have so far failed to kick-start lending. But Dubai’s saving grace-once again-may prove to be the widely-help assumption that neighboring Abu Dhabi, the wealthiest of the seven emirates, will be ready to shoulder the burden if, and when, required.— Reuters

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b u s i ne s s

Tehran bolsters rial

Burgan Bank’s Al Mass Awards enters its 10th consecutive year KUWAIT: Burgan Bank yesterday announced that its largest special needs program, Al Mass Awards, has entered its 10th consecutive year. The program, which aims at reiterating the bank’s commitment to the wider community, has been designed to honor and recognize outstanding special needs patients across various activities.

The bank’s program has been, throughout the years, rewarding numerous special needs by acknowledging their abilities to overcome their everyday challenge. Al Mass Awards are divided into three categories, each to include the different disabilities that special needs patients face. The Blue Diamond Award rewards those with mental disabilities, the Yellow Diamond Award recognizes physically disabled individuals, and the White Diamond Award honors patients with sensory disabilities.

Bashir Jaber, Burgan Bank’s Acting Chief Marketing Officer - General Manager said: “Our aim is to document the legacy we have created across the community. We are pleased to announce that Burgan Bank will organize a special event this year to celebrate a decade of social success, and to shed light on the bank’s continued commitment and dedication towards the Kuwaiti society.”

Over the years, the Al Mass Awards has witnessed a significant development. The awards ceremony, which began as a simple idea, is now one of Kuwait’s truly dedicated events that recognize special needs accomplishments.

The bank has introduced and applied

Iraninjects dollars intomarket TEHRAN: Iran’s central bank said yesterday it would take further steps to support the rial currency including raising domestic interest rates after it upped injections of hard currency into the market earlier this week. Governor Mahmoud Bahmani said Iran would increase b a n k a cco u n t i n te re s t r a te s, i s s u e m o re bonds and abolish a recently introduced sales tax on gold to make other investments more appealing to Iranians who have rushed to buy dollars in recent weeks, depressing the value of the rial.

“We have used (only) one of our tools to

haven for their wealth.

Many economists believe the rial, which is loosely pegged to major world currencies under a “managed floating exchange rate”, has not been allowed to devalue in line with inflation and is over valued by between 30 and 50 percent. In the last six months, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad started phasing out the $100 billion annual subsidies that had held down prices of essentials like food and fuel.

The official inflation rate crept up to 14.2 percent last month but many Iranians believe the real figure is much higher. — Reuters

Kuwait’s firms sign deals with international companies via GBI Bashir Jaber new themes as well as ideas to further enhance this annual event. Amongst the organizations across Kuwait that solely continue to cater for special needs, are now included in this yearly event.

“The Al Mass Awards Ceremony is not a matter of an event, it’s an ongoing commitment to continue assisting individuals as well as organizations in the country by providing a range of equipment that helps facilitate their daily activities,” added Jaber.

Al Mass Awards today is an integral component of Burgan Bank’s corporate social responsibility framework, and echoes the bank’s efforts to establishing a social footprint across the local community.

Regional firms ‘performing well’ despite Mideast unrest KUWAIT: Amwal AlKhaleej, a leading regional alternative investment firm in the MENA region, headquartered in Riyadh with offices in Dubai and Cairo, recently gave their unique insights into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) turmoil and its effect on the economic and private equity (PE) sectors in the short-term. The economic sector has been strongly impacted following the political unrest that began in Tunisia in December 2010 and consequently spread through the Middle East and North Africa. According to Fadi Arbid, CEO of Amwal AlKhaleej, from a business perspective, companies in the MENA region are still performing well despite the unrest.

However, private equity firms have been impacted by the situation. Arbid commented, “re -emergence of private equity depends on the success of the exit returns of today’s funds, most of which were raised and deployed between 2004 and 2007.” We saw many opportunities presented in certain countries after the initial unrest, but PE firms couldn’t take advantage of them,” he added. A substantial amount of investors in the region are maintaining high levels of liquidity as a result of the emergence of new windows of opportunities across various asset classes such as fixed income plays back in 2009.

Moreover, Arbid emphasizes that the company is expecting a substantial recovery with regards to political reforms and progress in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and potentially on a longer term in Bahrain and

control the market,” Bahmani told state T V news. “We are going to use all of our tools to create a balanced market.” Bahmani announced earlier this week that Iran would inject between $1.5 billion and $3 billion into the market every week to stop the rial sliding further after the central bank devalued the currency by more than 10 percent a week earlier. The price of dollars in Iran has increased sharply over recent weeks due to several factors: rising inflation, a reduction in bank interest for savers and a new value-added tax on gold coins, all of which pushed Iranians to seek hard currency as a safe

Egypt. Arbid indicates that it may still be too early to judge the ramifications of the political unrest which began back in January 2011, as the implications of the economic crisis of 2008 are just being witnessed now. Despite earnings growth being led by positive business momentum on a sector-by-sector and country-by-country basis, valuations remain relatively low.

“People are still cautious,” Arbid says, explaining depressed valuations.

The private equity firm also gives some sage advice on what private equity investors are to do until the long-term effects become evident. One option may be branching out into other, more opportunistic asset classes as well as exploring different routes of exit. As Arbid explains, “The environment and market conditions were more prone to PE in the past, but the current environment brought in new paradigm shifts and instilled new investment realities” he says, mentioning that the firm has previously done opportunistic deals such as pre-IPO and greenfield transactions. “Exit opportunities were there - IPOs were coming online and you had an exit route that was put in place. However, with the current market realities, it is much more challenging,” he concluded.

Supporting Arbid’s comments and highlighting the firm’s outlook, Amwal AlKhaleej’s Senior Vice President, Samer Sarraf, recently addressed the Annual Middle East Conference at the London Business School.

KUWAIT: The National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC), a subsidiary of the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), has announced that a number of local companies and Kuwaiti entrepreneurs have signed five partnership agreements with international companies in the environment, renewable energy, and life sciences sectors through NTEC’s Global Bridge Initiative (GBI). The announcement was made during an event held recently by NTEC and attended by representatives from local companies, government institutions and officials from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin. The event, which took place at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was reviewing the achievements of the GBI program, since its launch in January 2011.

Anas Meerza, General Manager for NTEC, said: “These partnerships were made because international companies were convinced that Kuwait is a promising market with local professionals capable of handling and transferring high technology. This will serve as a focal point for diversifying the national economy, transferring technologies to Kuwait, creating new jobs, in addition to attracting foreign capital and enticing investments.

“The GBI program is working at a high speed and has completed many activities and programs in only six months instead of 12 months, as was originally scheduled. This success is a result of the effective interaction between various national partners and the demands of the local market for advanced technologies in sectors such as renewable energy and life sciences, as well as the ongoing collaboration between NTEC and UT at Austin” added Meerza.

NTEC also reported that it had also been very successful in attracting and transferring new technologies to Kuwait, achieving one of the major goals of the GBI program. To date, 18 new technologies from three different sectors related to life sciences, information systems and renewable energy have been introduced for the first time into Kuwait through the program.

The GBI team presented the 18 new technologies to participants, emphasizing that the new innovations will be developed in Kuwait, ensuring that their development will be optimized to meet national and local needs and requirements. The team also added that further progress would require the involvement of local investors and partners to develop and commercialize these new technologies, thus increasing investment and economic activities in Kuwait and creating new job opportunities in the economy.

Providing an update on training, the GBI team said that 24 Kuwaiti professionals have been trained through the GBI program during the past six months. Eight of these have com-

pleted their training at the University of Texas, at Austin, and 16 received advanced training in Kuwait. The GBI team explained that training provided through the program has several objectives. These include empowering national professionals by widening their experience and improving their skills in high technology sectors; ensuring the availability of highly qualified professionals in Kuwait to transfer new innovations and technologies to serve the national and regional work sectors; and helping foster a climate in which professionals and entrepreneurs can contribute and take part in new projects based on transferred and newly developed innovations. Paul Zukowski, Vice-President of the University of Texas at Austin’s IC≤ and Global Commercialization Group, a partner in the GBI program, said: “It is pleasing that NTEC has exceeded expectations and these are heartening results. NTEC has been able to accomplish unprecedented achievements in record time,

actively contributing to the success of the GBI program in Kuwait and the completion of its targets”. During the meeting, Training Completion Certificates were distributed to all 16 trainees who participated in the training in Kuwait.

Trainees were from a number of government sectors including Kuwait University and the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR).

The GBI program is an international initiative that NTEC successfully launched and jointly developed the Kuwaiti version with the University of Texas at Austin. The program was launched, in Kuwait, in January following three years of close collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin’s IC≤ and Global Commercialization Group. NTEC is currently the representative of the GBI program, its local partner and regional commercialization center, making Kuwait the first country in the Arab and Gulf region and the ninth in the world to adopt this initiative.

IKEA ranked one of the top 20 retail brands KUWAIT: IKEA, the global home furnishing company has been ranked at no 10 as one of the top 20 retail brands in the world by a report released by WPP’s BrandZ. The BrandZ report focuses on market-facing brands that generate revenue and profits through the sale of goods and services directly to consumers or business customers, establishing

the value of the brand. IKEA has been ranked at No 19 as a global 20 risers brands in the world securing extra ordinary brand value growth over last year. The brand value of IKEA for 2010 stands at a whooping US $7.293 billion. The report indicates that the improvement in the housing sector helped push IKEA brand value by 28 percent.

EXCHANGE RATES CommercialBankofKuwait US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian Dollar Australian DLR Indian rupees Sri Lanka Rupee UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi riyals Omani riyals Philippine peso Egyptian pounds US Dollar/KD GB Pound/KD Euro Swiss francs Canadian dollars Danish Kroner Swedish Kroner Australian dlr Hong Kong dlr Singapore dlr Japanese yen Indian Rs/KD Sri Lanka rupee Pakistan rupee Bangladesh taka UAE dirhams Bahraini dinars Jordanian dinar Saudi Riyal/KD Omani riyals Philippine Peso

.2721760 .4126810 .3892940 .3198870 .2810290 .2906020 .0061310 .0024930 .0741320 .7221440 .3849730 .0725990 .7071350 .0063000 .0461310 CUSTOMER TRANSFER RATES .2728500 .4437770 .3902570 .3206790 .2817240 .0523170 .0426650 .2913220 .0350360 .2210740 .0033790 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0000000 .0743160 .7239320 .0000000 .0727790 .7088850 .0000000

.2774230 .4512150 .3967990 .3260540 .2864470 .2962050 .0062490 .0025410 .0755620 .7360660 .3923950 .0739990 .7207670 .0064220 .0470210 .2764500 .4496320 .3954060 .3249100 .2854410 .0530070 .0432280 .2951660 .0354990 .2239910 .0034240 .0062260 .0025320 .0032330 .0037610 .0752960 .7334840 .3910180 .0737400 .7182390 .0063990

Al-MuzainiExchange Co. ASIAN COUNTRIES Japanese Yen Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Srilankan Rupees Nepali Rupees Singapore Dollar Hongkong Dollar Bangladesh Taka

3.437 6.144 3.203 2.507 3.850 223.490 35.338 3.694

Philippine Peso Thai Baht Irani Riyal - Transfer Irani Riyal - Cash

6.336 9.024 0.271 0.273 GCC COUNTRIES

Saudi Riyal Qatari Riyal Omani Riyal Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham

73.363 75.591 714.560 730.510 74.869 ARAB COUNTRIES

Egyptian Pound - Cash Egyptian Pound - Transfer Yemen Riyal Tunisian Dinar Jordanian Dinar Lebanese Lira Syrian Lier Morocco Dirham

48.500 46.230 1.259 201.980 388.500 182.500 5.937 35.576

EUROPEAN & AMERICAN COUNTRIES US Dollar Transfer 275.000 Euro 397.790 Sterling Pound 4513280 Canadian dollar 285.270 Turkish lire 173.830 Swiss Franc 326.990 Australian dollar 293.430 US Dollar Buying 273.800

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

0.034 0.233 0.241 3.510 389.810 0.186 93.130 47.400 4.310 227.600 1.864 51.900 713.930 3.300 6.560 76.040 73.390 224.420 43.690 2.644 453.600 44.300 328.900 5.700 9.430 198.263 74.940 275.200 1.230

10 Tola

GOLD 1,571.580

0.033

388.480 0.185 93.130 3.860 226.100

282.000 142.000 73.000

327.400 5.700 9.220 74.840 274.800

SELL CASH 297.300 730.990 3.960 287.200 539.900 14.100 54.100 167.800 48.340 400.000 36.010 6.310

SELL DRAFT 295.800 730.990 3.700 285.700

224.400 46.315 398.500 35.860 6.150

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

Currency

Rate per 1000 (Tran)

US Dollar Pak Rupees Indian Rupees Sri Lankan Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso UAE Dirhams Saudi Riyals Bahraini Dinars Egyptian Pounds Pound Sterling Indonesian Rupiah Nepali rupee Yemeni Riyal Jordanian Dinars Syrian Pounds Euro Canadian Dollars

274.800 3.220 6.160 2.530 3.720 6.380 74.920 73.500 730.600 46.225 456.300 0.00003280 3.910 1.550 390.400 5.750 402.000 290.500

AlMulla Exchange

DollarcoExchange Co. Ltd

BahrainExchange 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

TRAVELLER’S CHEQUE 451.600 274.800

Sterling Pound US Dollar

6.155 3.216 3.714 6.340 674.549 3.522 9.112 5.782 3.931

KuwaitBahrainIntlExchange Co. 713.750 3.215 6.360 75.610 73.390 224.420 43.690 2.507 451.600

GOLD 20 Gram 10 Gram 5 Gram

Indian Rupees Pakistani Rupees Bangladesh Taka Philippines Pesso Cyprus pound Japanese Yen Thai Bhat Syrian Pound Nepalese Rupees

Selling Rate 275.000 284.490 447.975 396.910 326.395 728.413 74.848 75.485 73.293 387.092 46.291 2.506

Currency US Dollar Euro Pound Sterling Canadian Dollar Japanese Yen Indian Rupee Egyptian Pound Sri Lankan Rupee Bangladesh Taka Philippines Peso Pakistan Rupee Bahraini Dinar UAE Dirham Saudi Riyal

Transfer Rate (Per 1000) 274.250 398.600 452.600 283.300 3.445 6.139 46.200 2.505 3.680 6.330 3.208 730.500 74.800 73.300 *Rates are subject to change

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BUSINESS

Australia shoots down China hard landing concern SYDNEY: Australia’s central bank shot down concerns that China’s economy is heading for a hard landing, arguing that consumers are driving a permanent and long-term increase in demand. Global miner Rio Tinto also signaled it expects healthy long-term demand from the world’s second-biggest economy by announcing it will speed up a massive expansion program of its iron ore operations. The upbeat remarks contrast with others, such as economist Nouriel Roubini, who say the world’s fastest-growing major economy is in fact heading for a slump.

They say years of rapid investment can’t be sustained and sluggish activity in the major exports markets of Europe, Japan and the United States, will drag on the emerging giant. But Glenn Stevens, governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, said the emergence of hundreds of millions of new Chinese consumers was driving a lasting increase in demand for commodities from Australia’s biggest single export market. “This means they are moving towards a more energy and steel-intensive way of life

Rio Tinto speeds up expansion, China a big customer and a more protein-rich diet. That fact is fundamentally changing the shape of the world economy,” he said in a speech in Brisbane.

China’s data has shown that the economy is slowing down, although Stevens brushed aside concerns this was evidence of an impending hard landing. “Even if China’s growth rate moderates this year, as it seems to be doing, these structural forces almost certainly will continue,” he said.

Australia’s commodity expor ts, which include iron ore, coal and wheat, have been a major driver of the island’s growth and so impact the central bank’s policy decisions.

Glencore Chief Executive Ivan Glasenberg made similar comments on Tuesday. “We see a pullback in China and it will continue,” he said during a post-earnings call with reporters. “The underlying fundamentals still remain. We continue to believe the underlying fundamental growth in China will remain with slightly pullbacks at various times.” Financial mar-

Adel Jeragh wins KD125,000 NBK’s top Al-Jawhara prize KUWAIT: National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) recently announced the names of the AlJawhara Draw prize winners for the month of June 2011 which was conducted at NBK’s Head Office. The first prize of KD 125,000 went to ADEL ABDULLAH JERAGH ABBAS, while the second place winner YOUSEF ABDULWAHAB HASAN ALQATTAN received KD 7,500. The third winner LAILA SAYED MOUSA SAYED ISSA was awarded KD 3,000 and the remaining 97 winners were awarded KD 400 each.

About Al-Jawhara Al-Jawhara account offers numerous benefits to NBK customers. It is not only an interest-free account with regular deposit and withdrawal privileges, but also automatically entitles account holders to enter the monthly Al-Jawhara draw.

Each KD 50 in an Al-Jawhara account entitles the customer to one chance at winning any one of the 100 prizes allocated for each draw. All prizes are automatically credited to the winners’ accounts the day after the draw. The more money held in your Al-Jawhara account, the greater your chances of winning. Al-Jawhara accounts are available for both Kuwaitis and non-Kuwaitis and can be opened at any one of NBK’s branches around Kuwait. For further information kindly visit www.nbk.com, or call Hala Watani at 1801801.

kets have fretted that China’s economy may be heading for a hard landing because data has pointed to a slow down in growth this year just as the central bank has been tightening monetary policy to quell inflationary pressures.

Markets feared the combination could tip the economy into a steeper slowdown or an economic slump. A flurry of China data on Tuesday, including for industrial output, was broadly in line with expectations and showed further signs that growth was slowing down, but global stocks rallied on relief the figures had not been worse.

“Based on the data overnight, the odds are favoring a soft landing,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief portfolio strategist at Wells Fargo Funds Management in the United States. It oversees $400 billion in assets.

“Sometimes, no bad news is good news,” he said.

HARD LANDING? China’s economy expanded 10.3 percent last year and growth has averaged 10.1 per-

cent a year since 1978. Roubini, who predicted the global financial crisis, argues that China is heading for a hard landing after 2013 because it will struggle to keep up the heady pace of fixed-asset investment that has been the main driver of economic growth.Investment growth has averaged 24 percent over the past 10 years, China data shows. “There is a meaningful probability of a hard landing in China after 2013,” he told a financial conference in Singapore on Monday. Sixty years of data had shown that over-investment led to hard landings. He cited the example of a high-speed rail line between Shanghai and Hangzhou that sits parallel to a new highway and an airport for flights between the two cities. “There is no rationale for a country at that level of economic development to have not just duplication but triplication of those infrastructure projects,” Roubini said. The rapid industrialization of China, India and other emerging economies has led to a surge in demand for raw materials,

which miners are struggling to meet. Rio Tinto, the world’s second-biggest iron ore producer, signaled it sees demand growth in place for some years to come by announcing it will speed up a massive expansion program for digging out the primary material used to make steel. The company, whose biggest customers are China and Japan, will expand production by 50 percent to 333 million tons a year by the first half of 2015, six months ahead of its previous target, the company said. Its optimism in the future is reflected more broadly in the resource sector, which has benefited from China’s huge demand. Resource companies in a Reuters survey of business sentiment for April-June were also overwhelmingly positive.

RISKS To be sure, China’s economy faces others risks. Most analysts see asset bubbles, including in property, as the biggest risk after an unprecedented surge of bank credit in the past two years, driven by the government’s 4 trillion yuan ($620 billion) stimulus during the global financial crisis. — Reuters

Saudi family backs down in bank spat Algosaibi family drops defense against UK banks LONDON: The Saudi Algosaibi family, which has been locked in drawn-out legal battles over who should pay a debt pile estimated at $22 billion, is conceding it owes five international banks millions of dollars In a London court case yesterday, the Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi & Brothers (AHAB) family partnership said it was dropping its defense against claims by banks including UK-based HSBC

Holdings and France’s Credit Agricole.

The case, which also involves Bahrainbased Arab Banking Corporation (ABC) and London-based British Arab Commercial Bank (BACB), is among several lawsuits triggered by one of the biggest corporate failures of the financial crisis. The collapse of two Bahraini banks in 2009 - one owned by the Algosaibis and the other by Saudi businessman Maan Al-

Sanea - has split the family and left some of the world’s biggest banks nursing billions of dollars of losses.

The Algosaibis alledge that Al-Sanea, who married into the family 30 years ago and was put in charge of the family business, siphoned off billions of dollars in a massive Ponzi scheme. Al-Sanea has categorically denied the allegations. — Reuters

GM rice spreads, prompts debate

HEFEI: A Chinese vendor wait for customers at a food market in Hefei, east China’s Anhui province. China’s politically sensitive inflation rate hit its highest level in nearly three years last month, the government said, despite persistent official efforts to tame food and property costs. — AFP

Faced with unrest, wary China govt flexes muscle BEIJING: China has put on a display of force to quell recent violent bouts of unrest-events that analysts say highlight resentment towards an unresponsive government grappling with economic and social strife. Protests against local authorities have erupted over everything from social injustices to ethnic tensions, compounding the jitters of a stabilityobsessed government already wary about inflation’s potential to spark Arabstyle unrest. “There are so many social groups that have become angry. There’s a general feeling of tension between the government and people,” said Zheng Yongnian, director of the National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute.

For more than 30 years, communist China has focused on growth, lifting millions out of poverty and becoming the world’s second-largest economy in the process. But analysts say social and political reforms have not followed suit, sparking a litany of problems such as corruption, government abuses, illegal land seizures, a growing rich-poor divide and pollution. Inflation, with its historic potential for sparking unrest in the world’s most populous nation, has exacerbated the issue. China said Tuesday the inflation rate jumped to its highest level in nearly three years in May. “Local issues tend to blow up because of increasing concern about other matters, like inflation,” Russell Leigh-Moses, a Beijing-based political analyst said. On top of this, people do not trust China’s judicial system, which pushes them to resort to violence instead of taking their disputes to the courts, Zheng said. In the latest bout of unrest, hundreds of people including migrant workers rioted in the southern province of Guangdong over the weekend after rumors spread online that police had beaten a street hawker to death.

Hundreds of officers and military tanks have since been deployed in the affected district of Guangzhou, and the rumored victim was even brought to a press conference organized by the gov-

ernment Sunday to show he was alright.

An employee in the Xinming hotel, located in the restive Xintang area of Guangzhou near Hong Kong, said yesterday that a tense calm had returned, but that armed police were still on patrol.

The unrest followed another major protest in central China, where 1,500 people clashed with riot squads in Hubei province’s Lichuan city following the alleged death in police custody of a local legislator. Earlier last week, hundreds of people battled police and destroyed cars in another incident in Guangdong, after a factory worker was wounded in a knife attack over a wage dispute. Late last month, thousands of ethnic Mongols protested in northern China for several days after the killing of a herder laid bare simmering anger over what some perceive as Chinese oppression.

And disgruntled individuals have recently carried out several bomb attacks in different parts of the country, some of them deadly. China’s Communist Party under President Hu Jintao lays great emphasis on the need for stability and social harmony, and analysts say its paramount concern is to be seen to be able to manage unrest-wherever it may occur.

Wary of the possibility of protests similar to those that have swept the Arab world since the start of the year, it is already in the midst of a nationwide clampdown on dissent, with many activists and lawyers detained. Any bout of unrest is rapidly squelched.

But there is still rising concern about China’s underlying social tensions, as exemplified by comments made last year

by Premier Wen Jiabao. “Wen has repeatedly emphasized the importance of political reform, but there’s no action,” Zheng said. “China is still in a transitional period, so street demonstrations and protests are normal-they’re a way for people to express themselves,” he added.

“But once you put stability as the highest priority, then government officials will use all kind of methods, including violence, against protests. That will make things worse.” — AFP

BEIJING: Genetically modified rice has been spreading illegally for years in China, officials have admitted, triggering a debate on a sensitive aspect of the food security plan in the world’s most populous nation. Two strains of GM rice were approved for open-field experiments but not commercial sale in 2009. In January, the agriculture ministry said “no genetically modified cereals are being grown in China” outside the test sites. But in April, an environment ministry official told the weekly Nanfang Zhoumo that a joint investigation by four government departments had found that “illegal GM seeds are present in several provinces because of weak management”.

The agriculture ministry did not respond to an AFP request for clarification. According to the website for the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, European countries found foodstuffs from China containing GM rice 115 times between 2006 and May this year. The campaign group Greenpeace says GM rice seeds have been in China since 2005, and were found at markets in Hubei, Hunan and Jiangxi provinces last year, Fang Lifeng, a Chinese agriculture specialist with the group said.

Beijing is pro-biotechnology and has already allowed several GM crops to be grown, including cotton, peppers, tomatoes and papayas, and has authorized imports of GM soya and corn for the food industry. But rice-the key staple in the diet of the country’s more than 1.3 billion people-is a much more sensitive question. “Two-thirds of Chinese eat rice every day,” said Tong Pingya, a highly respected agronomist who blasted Chinese scientists for “treating the people like guinea pigs” at a conference in May chaired by Vice-Premier Li Keqiang. “China does not need this genetically modified rice, as it produces enough and even exports a bit,” Tong said.

When the National People’s Congress, China’s rubber-stamp parliament, met last year, around 100 researchers wrote to deputies asking them to revoke authorizations for the use of experimental GM grains, including a strain of corn as well as the two rice types. They also demanded a public debate and clear labeling of products containing genetically modified organisms.

Backers of GM rice argue that it is more drought-resistant, offers better yield, and-in the case of the variety containing the Bt geneallows pesticide use to be dramatically cut.

“It should be possible to authorize commercialization around 2012-2013, but the state will probably not allow them to be used on a wide scale” in the near future, said Ma Wenfeng, a grain market analyst with the consultancy CNagri, which has links to the agriculture ministry. According to Ma, the new varieties represent “an advance in biotechnology” and will ultimately be accepted. For their part, environmentalists and some Chinese scientists warn against the as-yet unknown long-term consequences of using GM rice for biodiversity and human health.

Whether using them is in farmers’ interests is an open question, according to Greenpeace’s Fang, because “GM seeds cost two to five times more than ordinary seeds” and “in terms of yield, there isn’t really a difference”. GM rice strains developed in Chinese laboratories also raise questions about intellectual property. The Bt gene is patented by the US agribusiness giant Monsanto, which could demand royalties and compensation from China if that variety is commercialized. — AFP

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KSE Price Index closes at 6,346 point GLOBAL DAILY MARKET REPORT KUWAIT: Kuwait’s stocks ended yesterday’s session modestly higher, as pivotal companies and the market staged a latesession broad-based rally. Zain was the major mover of the indices during the session after saying that it expects due diligence on its $950 million sale of a quarterstakein affiliate Zain-Saudi to be completed by the end of August 2011. The scrip closed up by 1.92 percent at KD1.060.

Market Indices Global General Index (GGI), market weighted, ended the day up by 0.28 percent, at 196.66 point. Market Capitalization was up for the day at KD32.19 billion. On the other hand, KSE Price Index closed at 6,346 point, adding 15.60 points (0.25 percent) to its previous close.

Market Breadth During the session, 96 companies were traded. Market breadth was skewed towards advancers as 35 equities advanced versus 21 that retreated.

Daily Trading Activity Trading activity was up this session. The trades conducted in the services sector.

Total volume traded was up by 19.43 percent with 131.82mn shares changing hands at a total value of KD20.65mn (25.40 percent higher compared to the day before). The services sector was the volume leader today, accounting for 34.95 percent of total shares. The same sector was the value leader, with 42.52 percent of total traded value. Oula Fuel Marketing Co was the most active in terms of volume and values traded during yesterday session, with 11.27mn shares exchanged at an aggregate value of KD4mn.

Top Gainers and Biggest Decliners In terms of top gainers, United Food Industrial Group took the top spot for the day, adding 19.61 percent and closed at KD0.305. On the other hand, Pearl of Kuwait Real Estate Company shed 9.09 percent and closed at KD0.020, making it the biggest decliner in the market.

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

Sectors-Wise Among sectoral indices, Global Services Index witnessed the highest advance, adding 1.04 percent in daily gains. Al-Safat TEC Holding Company topped sector gainers’ list, adding 3.85 percent to its share value, to close at KD0.054. Stock price of Aref Energy Holding Company and Mashaer Holding Company were also up by 3.57 percent and 1.16 percent, respectively.. Global Investment Index was also a notable gainer, adding 0.67 percent to its value.

Gulf North Africa Holding Company and Coast Investment & Development Company topped sector gainers list, being up by 8.16 percent and 2.74 percent, respectively. On the other hands, food stocks recoiled by 0.27 percent, on the back of a 5.17 percent loss posted by Livestock Transport & Trading Company.

Banking sector followed, shedding 0.18 percent backed by a sole loser in the sec-

tor. Gulf Bank closed down by 1.79 percent at KWD0.550.

Corporate New The board of Saudi Zain met on, Tuesday, June 14, 2011, regarding the joint purchase offer received from Kingdom Holding Company (KHC) and Bahrain’s Batelco and gave a nod to opening the books for due diligence, upon the request of Zain Group, in light of the joint bid. The due diligence is expected to be completed

by August-end, 2011.

Oil News The Kuwaiti crude oil price increased 14 cents per barrel in Tuesday’s trading, hitting the level of $110.57pb compared to $110.43pb on Monday, said the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) yesterday.

The increase of oil prices is due to reports indicating recovery of the Chinese economy that reflects on oil prices.

Oil slips on stronger dollar LONDON: Oil fell yesterday as the dollar rose against the euro on worries over the health of the European economy and as doubts grew over the outlook for fuel demand in the United States. US stockpiles of gasoline are rising, industry data showed on Tuesday, and investors awaited figures later yesterday from the US government for more evidence of consumption in the world’s top oil consumer.

North Sea Brent crude oil futures for July, due to expire at the close of trade yesterday, fell $1.68 per barrel to a low of $118.48 before recovering to around $118.70 by 1150 GMT. July US crude futures slipped 50 cents to $98.87.

Euro zone ministers failed on Tuesday to reach agreement on how private holders of Greek debt should share the costs of a new bailout, putting the onus on the leaders of Germany and France to forge a deal later this week. The euro fell 1 percent against the dollar yesterday, extended losses and bringing it close to Monday’s low of $1.4285. “The dollar is stronger, the euro weaker and the Greek problems are hanging over the market,” said Olivier Jakob at energy consultants Petromatrix in Zug, Switzerland.

BRENT-WTI US gasoline inventories rose by 1.1 million barrels last week, industry group American Petroleum Institute said, their sixth consecutive gain and in line with forecasts. That moderated the bullish effect of a drop in crude

stockpiles, which fell 3 million barrels, twice as much as expected. Brent’s premium over US benchmark crude slipped below $20 per barrel, down from Tuesday’s record of $22.79 a barrel. Traders attributed the fall to selling ahead of the expiry of the July Brent contract and said the spread could widen again later.

Barclays Capital’s technical team said it expected the Brent-WTI spread to widen to as much as $24 per barrel in what it suggested was a bullish market for the North Sea contract. “We look for the W TI/Brent spread to extend widening towards our target near $24 before easing toward the $19 area,” it said. Brent reached a fiveweek high on Tuesday while US crude rose more than 2 percent as data from top oil consumers the United States and China eased concerns about the global economy and the threat to oil demand.

US retail gasoline demand climbed slightly last week from a year earlier, by 0.2 percent, a second consecutive rise as pump prices continue to ease, a report by MasterCard Advisors’ SpendingPulse showed on Tuesday.

Gasoline demand broke a near twomonth long slump in the first week of June with data that included the Memorial Day weekend, marking the start of the summer driving season, showing demand rising 0.5 percent from a year ago. But over the latest four weeks, average US gasoline consumption was down 1 percent from year-earlier levels. — Reuters

Dubai’s Dodsal to build pipeline at Iraqi oilfield BAGHDAD: Iraq and its partners Royal Dutch Shell and Malaysia’s Petronas have awarded Dubai-based Dodsal Group a $106 million contract to lay a pipeline at the Majnoon oilfield, an Iraqi oil official said. Under the deal, Dodsal Group will build a 79-km pipeline to carry oil from the supergiant Majnoon oilfield to a crude storage depot near Zubair in southern Iraq. The existing 28-inch

Majnoon pipeline is outdated and cannot cope with the projected increase, the official, who asked not to be identified, said yesterday.

“Majnoon’s current output is around 63,000 barrels per day, and it’s expected to hit 175,000 bpd in 2012, which requires building a new pipeline to handle the output increase,” he told Reuters. — Reuters

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BUSINESS

British unemployment data paints mixed picture LONDON: Britain’s jobless total fell by the biggest amount in more than a decade, but the claimant count experienced the largest gain in almost two years, according to mixed official data published yesterday.

The number of unemployed tumbled by 88,000 to 2.43 million people in the three months to April, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said in a statement. That was the greatest decline since the three months to August 2000.

At the same time, however, the number of people claiming benefits rose by 19,600

between April and May to 1.49 million-which marked the biggest increase since July 2009 and was the third successive monthly jump.

Expectations had been for an increase of just 5,000 in the claimant count, according to analysts polled by Dow Jones Newswires. However, the figure was inflated by major changes to the benefits system. Economists also questioned whether the fall in unemployment can be sustained as the economy buckles under the weight of publicsector spending cuts and the

prospect of future job losses set to spark industrial action later this month. “ The labor market is currently showing resilience in the face of a struggling economy, but the key question is can it last?” said economist Howard Archer at IHS Global Insight research group.

“We have serious doubts about this and suspect that unemployment will head up in the second half of the year as public sector jobs are increasingly pared and private sector companies become more cautious in the face of persistently

sluggish growth.” However the ONS added on Tuesday that private-sector employment increased by 104,000 to 23 million in the first three months of 2011, while employment in the public sector sank 24,000 to 6.2 million. The news was welcomed by British Prime Minister David Cameron’s coalition government, which hopes that the private sector will create enough jobs to replace the 330,000 job cuts that are planned by 2015.

Nida Ali, economic advisor to the Ernst & Young ITEM Club, said that the sharp drop

in unemployment was due to a time lag in the data releases.

“The fall in unemployment is mainly the lagged data catching up with the stronger claimant count figures seen earlier this year, and is nothing to be too excited about,” said Ali. “However, more notable is the steep rise in the claimant count in May. This is a more accurate reflection of the scale of weakness in the UK labor market and, as the pace of the public sector spending cuts accelerates, this trend is expected to continue over the coming year.”

The ONS added yesterday that the unemployment rate stood at 7.7 percent in the three months to the end of April. That was unchanged from the rate for the three months to March, but marked a drop from 7.9 percent in the t hre e m ont hs to J a nua r y.

Meanwhile, trade unions representing public sector workers are threatening to hold large-scale strikes later this month, possibly on June 30, to protest against job cuts in the coalition government’s deficit-slashing austerity program.—AFP

French inflation dips Moody’s may downgrade Frenchbanks overGreece PARIS: French 12-month inflation dipped to 2.0 percent last month, from 2.1 percent in April, as energy costs eased for the first time in eight months, the national statistics agency INSEE said yesterday. Prices were nearly stable month-on-month, rising just 0.1 percent following a 0.3 percent gain in April, with hikes in food prices cancelling out lower energy prices for consumers, INSEE added. Using the European Union’s harmonized index of consumer prices (HCIP), the European Central Bank’s inflation yardstick, French 12-month consumer price inflation held steady at 2.2 percent.

LOMME: A person with a trolley walks past checkouts at a French retailer Carrefour supermarket yesterday in Lomme, a neighboring town of the French northern city of Lille. Carrefour has been fined 3.66 millions euros ($5,23 millions) by a French court for failing to pay some of its staff the legal minimum wage. —AFP

EFSF prepares bond sale to aid Portugal PARIS: The European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) launched a bond issue yesterday to raise five billion euros ($7.6 billion) for crisis-hit Portugal, two market sources said. The fund, the main bailout mechanism for the 17-nation monetary union at the heart of Europe, said on Friday that it was organising two offers in the coming weeks to help Portugal as part of a joint EU-IMF rescue plan.

The first sale will be for ten years and is to raise five billion euros. A second offer for three billion euros with a fiveyear maturity will take place before the summer holidays, the fund said. In its successful first issuance in January, the EFSF raised five billion euros ($6.8 billion) to help Ireland with bids totaling nearly nine times the amount on offer.

Meanwhile yesterday Portugal announced it raised one billion euros in short term debt at lower interest rates

than recent similar operations. The state debt management agency, IGCP, placed 612 million euros in 3-month treasury bonds at a median rate of 4.86 percent (down from 4.97 percent on June 1) and 388 million euros in 6-month treasury bonds with a median rate of 4.95 percent (down from 5.53 percent on April 20).

Demand for the debt was high, reaching 2.4 times the offer for the threemonth bonds and 3.8 times for the sixmonth offer. “The only news of the day is that the Portuguese state continues to finance itself on the markets, though the price is high,” said Filipe Silva, fixedincome strategist at Carregosa bank.

Portugal also reimbursed 6.77 billion euros in short term debt that had reached maturity, a repayment made using the the first tranche of the 78 billion euro rescue plan from the EU and the IMF.—AFP

Britain set to shelter retail from investment banking Barclays, RBS, HSBCshares fall LONDON: Britain’s top banks will have to protect their retail business from investment banking activities after the government backed a plan to overhaul the industry and shield taxpayers from future losses. Finance minister George Osborne will yesterday throw his weight behind the ring-fencing proposal, Treasury sources said, in a move aimed at showing the public the coalition government is fulfilling its promise to be tough on the banks. “This is a regressive and costly outcome for UK banks, although perhaps a more palatable option than full break-up,” said Mike Trippitt, analyst at Oriel Securities.

The reforms go further than measures being proposed by other countries, although the capital requirements are not likely to be as harsh as in Switzerland. But full details of the plan, which aims to shield retail depositors and ensure taxpayers are not required to bail-out the industry in any future crisis by creating much larger capital cushions, have not yet been finalized. It is likely to see domestic banking become a low-risk utility service, while riskier investment banking-dubbed “casino banking” — will face higher funding costs, potentially forcing some firms to shrink or reshape.

While a blow to the banks, some had expected the proposals to be more severe. As now proposed they are unlikely to prompt banks to follow through on threats to leave Britain in favor of lighter touch regulatory regimes, industry analysts said. Shares in HSBC, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland, those most affected, all fell by more than 1 percent after the news that Osborne would use the annual Mansion House speech in the City of London to endorse the plan. “It’s yet more regulation that they’re going to have to deal with which will impact their profitability,” said Ion-Marc Valahu, fund man-

ager at Geneva-based ClairInvest, which owns bonds in Barclays.

Osborne is backing the central plank of proposals put forward by Britain’s Independent Commission on Banking (ICB) to ring-fence UK retail banking operations. He will not provide details of what assets should be ring-fenced nor capital levels, but will make clear the separation should allow retail to keep functioning if investment banking operations were wound down, a Treasury source said.

Banking sources said they were surprised Osborne was endorsing the ICB’s proposals three months before the full report is released and there is more clarity.

Full details of the plan will not be released by the ICB until September 12, and banks and analysts said more details are needed to assess the impact and cost.

The ICB, which has stopped short of recommending a full break-up, expects the ring-fence to be introduced alongside other reforms, such as detailed plans to allow an orderly wind-down of a lender when it hits trouble.

Banks should hold a minimum core Tier 1 capital ratio of 10 percent for the UK retail operations, which may be near to overseas rivals as big global banks face a top-up requirement over the current 7 percent global minimum standard. Critics say the proposals wouldn’t have stopped the collapse of UK mortgage lenders Northern Rock or Bradford & Bingley. The plan represents a compromise, allowing the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition to appease public anger against the banks by showing taxpayers that the banks are being reformed, while not harming Britain’s competitive position.

The ICB said the costs of the process “may be material” but would fall far short of one estimate of 12 billion pounds. The top banks are split over how ring-fencing would work. —Reuters

Analysts at HSBC bank said the reading was broadly in line with expectations, with the rise in food prices reflecting the increased commodity costs of producers. “On our calculation, the past rise in commodity price inflationary pressure should continue until the end of Q3 11,” said HSBC. “Therefore, the pick-up in non fresh food price is not over, which could drive French inflation up,” although it added if energy prices dropped further it would likely help moderate a drop in household consumption.

IMF ups France forecast The International Monetary Fund sharply raised its growth forecast for France to two percent this year and next, from 1.6 and 1.8 percent respectively, the French economy minister said yesterday. Minister Christine Lagarde unveiled an embargoed IMF report in which the global lender brought its forecast into line with France’s own 2011 target of two percent growth. The repor t by the global lender warned the French government to be “realistic” in its budget plans despite the stronger forecast, however.

Lagarde’s ministry has forecast GDP growth of two percent this year, rising to 2.25 percent in 2012 and 2.5 percent in 2013 and 2014. The IMF’s previous forecast figures were released in April. “ The (government ’s) official growth forecasts for 2012 and the years following are higher than the consensus of economists and of the IMF,” wrote the authors of the fund’s yearly country monitoring report. “ The growth forecasts and other key measures on which

PARIS: People walk past the logo of the French bank Societe General at la Defense business district yesterday. Credit rating agency Moody’s says it may downgrade its ratings of France’s three largest banks as the widening Greek financial crisis spreads its contagion across Europe. —AP next year’s budget will be based must be realistic and not underestimate the need for future adjustments,” said the report, due for official publication. It called on France to set up an independent agency to produce growth estimates which could “strengthen the credibility of the budgetary process.” Data from the Bank of France last week showed the French economy had suddenly slowed down in the second quarter of 2011 but was still creating jobs as it fights to recover from the economic slowdown. In a statement accompanying the pre-released IMF report, Lagarde

News

in brief

Draghi en route to ECB throne BRUSSELS: A key European Parliament committee announced its backing yesterday for appointing Italian central bank governor Mario Draghi’s as the new head of the European Central Bank (ECB). The vote by the parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee, which followed a US-style confirmation hearing on Tuesday in Brussels, saw 33 in favor, two against and four abstentions. The full parliament will now be called on to ratify the decision on June 23 the same day European Union leaders open a summit at which they are to give their final endorsement. Draghi if endorsed would succeed Frenchman Jean-Claude Trichet in the autumn-taking the reins at a critical time for the 17nation eurozone, with possible default for debt-laden Greece despite renewed bailout efforts.

hailed the forecast as “a positive judgment on the state of the French economy.”

Meanwhile, ratings agency Moody ’s warned yesterday it may downgrade the rating of French banks Credit Agricole, BNP Paribas and Societe Generale because of their exposure to Greek debt. Moody’s said it would review their exposure “to Greek government debt and the Greek private sector and the potential for inconsistenc y between the impact of a possible Greek default or restructuring and current rating levels.” “ Today ’s ac tions reflec t

Spain making a ‘slow recovery’ MADRID: Spain’s beleaguered economy should maintain a “slow recovery” although doubts remain over deficit-reduction targets and the government must stick to its reform program, the central bank said yesterday.

“The perspective for 2011 sees a slow recovery on the horizon which is not exempt from certain notable uncertainties,” the Bank of Spain said in its annual report. This recovery is “very dependent on the capacity to benefit from the dynamism in the rest of the world ... to allow exterior demand to supply the necessary increase in activity and employment.”

“The recovery of domestic demand is conditioned by the level of debt in the private sec-

Iceland holds rate at 4.25% REYKJAVIK: Iceland’s central bank held the benchmark interest unchanged at 4.25 percent yesterday, though it said accelerating inflation was becoming a concern. The bank said the inflation outlook had “deteriorated” in the previous month and that real central bank interest rates had fallen. “Headline inflation has increased for four consecutive months, reaching 3.4 percent in May, and will likely remain elevated through next year,” the bank said in a statement. The bank added that to reduce the risk of inflation, “tighter monetary policy may become warranted in the near term”. At the height of Iceland’s economic crisis in 2008, brought on by the collapse of its main banks, the bank dramatically hiked its rate to 18 percent. It has gradually cut the rate since then until reaching the current rate in February.

Lockheed Martin to cut 1,200 jobs DENVER: Aerospace and defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp plans to cut 1,200 employees in its space systems equipment division. The company said Tuesday that the cuts will be nationwide in America and trim the division’s 16,000-person work force by nearly 8 percent. The company said middle management will be reduced by 25 percent. The cuts will most heavily affect areas where Lockheed Martin is winding down its contract work, such as Sunnyvale, California, the Delaware Valley region of Pennsylvania, and Denver.

Moody’s concerns about these banks’ exposures to the Greek economy,....” the statement added. “ The magnitude and composition of these exposures differ substantially across these bank ing groups,” it said. The announcement came as European leaders failed to agree on the terms of a possible second bail-out for Greece after talks in Brussels late Tuesday.

Already on June 3, Moody ’s downgraded the deposit and senior debt ratings of eight Greek banks, having downgrade Greece’s sovereign ratings just days earlier.—Agencies

BARCELONA: Protesters demonstrate outside the Ciudadela park where they planned to camp in Barcelona yesterday. Tens of thousands of mostly young people have set up around-the-clock protest camps in cities and town across Spain since May 15 to complain about the government’s handling of the economic crisis. —AP

tor,” it said. This was subject to “huge uncertainties and possible risk, with tensions on the big financial markets.”

The Spanish economy slumped into recession during the second half of 2008 as the global financial meltdown compounded the collapse of a property bubble. It stabilized in 2010 and has shown slow growth in early 2011. It posted 0.3 percent growth in the first quarter, based largely on exports while domestic demand remained sluggish.

The crisis has sent the unemployment rate soaring to 21.29 percent in the first quarter of 2011, the highest in the industrialized world, and has whipped up nationwide demonstrations against the government’s austerity measures.

For 2011 and 2012, “there exists some risk of upwards drift in the deficit objectives” if the recovery is weaker that expected, the central bank said. It said these objectives should therefore be priorities for the government, which has predicted the public deficit will fall to 6.0 percent of output in 2011 and to within the eurozone limit of 3.0 percent in 2013, from 9.24 percent in 2010. “In this context, the response of the economic policy is decisive and the role of structural reforms is central to be able to correct imbalances,” the central bank said. “The future economic trajectory of the Spanish economy depends on the degree to which these reforms are carried out.”

The Bank of Spain noted the reforms implemented in 2010 “in the restructuring and recapitalization of the financial system, in terms of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms (of pensions and the labor market.)”

Spain, with an economy the size of the Greek, Irish and Portuguese economies combined, has been battling to convince markets that it should not be lumped together with the three lame ducks now under EU and IMF rescue programs. The government has enacted measures to strengthen bank balance sheets, cut state spending, raise the retirement age, liberalize the labor market and sell off assets.—AFP

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business

US debt limit row risks confidence, Fed warns WASHINGTON: Failure to raise the US debt ceiling in a timely manner could sink investors’ confidence in the economy, Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke warned yesterday. The Fed chairman called the impasse in Congress over raising the $14.29 trillion borrowing cap understandable but ill-advised. “I fully understand the desire to use the debt limit deadline to force some necessary and difficult fiscal policy adjustments, but the debt limit is the wrong tool for that important job,” Bernanke said in a speech in Washington.

“Failing to raise the debt ceiling in a timely way would be selfdefeating if the objective is to chart a course toward a better fiscal situation for our nation.”

The United States has never defaulted on its debt but is edging dangerously close. The government will run out of room to spend more on August 2 unless Congress bumps up the debt ceiling. But Republican lawmakers, especially in the House of Representatives, are refusing to support such a move until the White House agrees on huge cuts to spending.

Bernanke said that putting in place sustainable fiscal policies was a “daunting” challenge “crucial for our nation.” “History makes clear that failure to put our fiscal house in order will erode the vitality of our economy, reduce the standard of living in the United States, and increase the risk of economic and finan-

cial instability.” However, he said, “In debating critical fiscal issues, we should avoid unnecessary actions or threats that risk shaking the confidence of investors in the ability and willingness of the US government to pay its bills.”

President Barack Obama earlier Tuesday warned of a new economic meltdown if the ceiling is not lifted in time.

“We could actually have a reprise of a financial crisis, if we play this too close to the line,” Obama told NBC television Tuesday. “We’re going be working hard over the next month.

My expectation is we’re going get it done in a sensible way.

That’s what the American people expect.” Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner met with

Republican and Democratic lawmakers Tuesday to try to find an exit to the impasse.

Republicans back trillions of dollars in spending cuts and oppose tax increases to put the economy on a sustainable track after the worst recession in decades resulted in ballooning budget deficits and public debt.

Obama’s Democrats are open to spending cuts as long as they do not harm the social safety net, such as social security and Medicare programs, and keep on track the weak economic recovery. Bernanke hit out at recent suggestions that the Treasury could avoid a technical default by juggling principal and interest payments on debt outstanding.

“Even a short suspension of pay-

ments on principal or interest on the Treasury’s debt obligations could cause severe disruptions in financial markets and the payments system, induce ratings downgrades of US government debt, create fundamental doubts about the creditworthiness of the United States, and damage the special role of the dollar and Treasury securities in global markets in the longer term.” He said interest rates would likely rise, slowing the recovery and deepening the deficit problem by increasing required interest payments on debt. The Treasury estimates that a financial crisis resulting from a default would have catastrophic economic consequences and could potentially cost millions of American jobs, at

a time of high unemployment that hit 9.1 percent last month.

Fitch Ratings last week warned the United States could lose its gold-plated credit rating if it fails to raise its debt ceiling to avoid defaulting on loans. Similar alarms have come from Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. China, by far the top holder of US debt, has expressed concern that the massive US stimulus effort launched to revive the economy has led to mushrooming debt that erodes the value of the dollar and its Treasury holdings. China cut its holdings of US Treasury securities in March for the fifth month in a row, to $1.145 trillion, a 2.6 percent decline from an October peak, US data showed last month.—AFP

Euro dips on Greek wrangling World stocks retreat; European banks under pressure

GENEVA: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (left) meets Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Rey prior to bilateral talks on the sideline of the 100th annual conference of the International Labor Organization (ILO) at the United Nations Offices yesterday. — AFP

Switzerland moves to toughen bank rules ZURICH: Swiss legislators have moved to drastically toughen capital requirements on big banks Credit Suisse and UBS amid concerns their failure in a crisis could drag down the Alpine country’s economy. Lawmakers in the upper chamber of parliament, the Council of States, approved the measures expected to cost each bank $90 billion in a preliminary vote late on Tuesday and were due to cast a final vote today. The measures would require the banks to hike their high-quality core common equity to 10 percent of assets plus hold another nine percent in bonds that could be converted into equity if needed.

The measures are considerably tougher than the Basel III international standards under which banks are to raise their high-quality core common equity to 7.0 percent of assets from the current 2.0 percent. UBS has criticized the measures which it says will put it at a competitive disadvantage. Credit Suisse meanwhile has voiced support for the regulations, with its chief executive Brady Dougan declaring that the bank is an “early adopter” of more stringent rules. In February, the bank raised $6 billion by issuing convertible bonds to Qatar Holding and Saudi Arabia’s Olayan Group, in order to get ahead with meeting the new capital requirements. “The capital requirements are strict but will be achievable for the bank,” a Credit Suisse spokesman said yesterday.

The lower house of parliament will not take up the government-proposed bill until after the summer break, according to a spokesman. The measures were proposed by experts last year after a government rescue of UBS during the 2008 financial crisis. Last year a commission of

experts advised the government to adopt measures tougher than the Basel III standards as Credit Suisse and UBS are regarded as “too big too fail” because of their size and influence on the Swiss economy. Beyond tougher capital rules, the government also wants oversight on the remuneration policies of large banks that have to be bailed out using federal funds.

Under the proposed bill, banks which require state aid could be subject to adjustments on their wage policies, including a complete ban on bonuses or other forms of variable remuneration.

UBS had to be shored up during the financial crisis by a multi-billion dollar state rescue package. The measures would also require the two banks to keep a 30-day liquidity reserve on hand in case markets seize up as happened during the financial crisis, and prove they would be able to keep vital services running in case of bankruptcy. In case the banks take state aid in the future they will not be able to pay bonuses without government approval.

The Swiss central bank estimated last year the measures, which would come into force by 2019, would cost each bank around 76 billion Swiss francs ($90 billion, 60 billion euros). “The new regulations are not excessive,” the central bank’s Vice President Thomas Jordan said in an interview with the Neue Zuercher Zeitung last month. “I am convinced that the competitiveness of Swiss banks is not being threatened,” he added. In Britain, finance minister George Osborne was expected to endorse yesterday a call for British banks to ring-fence retail operations from their investment arms to avoid another financial crisis.— AFP

Finland: Debt crisis top threat to the economy HELSINKI: The European debt crisis is the greatest external threat to Finland’s economy, the head of the Nordic country’s central bank said a day after EU ministers failed to devise plans for a second Greek bailout. “One risk is that the debt crisis will spread, affecting European and potentially even global financial markets,” Bank of Finland governor Erkki Liikanen told reporters in Helsinki, adding the crisis was the “biggest external factor” affecting Finland’s economy. Liikanen, who had called the news conference to present his bank’s economic outlook for coming years, said he expected Finland’s gross domestic product (GDP) to increase by nearly 4.0 percent this year, with growth slowing to around 2.5 percent for 2012 and 2013.

He cautioned however that this growth was threatened by the risk that wage hikes could outpace inflation, the lack of a long-term measures to stabilize public spending, and above all the danger of the EU debt crisis spreading.

“We call for the avoidance of any credit

events or selective defaults” by Greece, Liikanen said, echoing the position voiced by European Central Bank head Jean-Claude Trichet last week. EU finance ministers were unable to reach an agreement on how to structure a second Greek bailout at a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday.

Liikanen nonetheless voiced optimism that the issue could be resolved.

“I believe the people in responsible positions will be strong when the moment comes to make decisions,” he said.

Liikanen however cautioned that Finnish domestic policy needed to be tightened to rein in the deficit and stabilize public spending if the country and its rapidly aging population is to overcome the financial challenges ahead. “Two things will not change: Finland’s public debt is increasing every day, and Finland is getting older every day,” he said, adding that without prompt policy and structural changes, the financial risks would be “significant.” — AFP

LONDON: European equities and the euro fell yesterday and safehaven government bonds rose as divisions between euro zone officials over a new aid plan for debtladen Greece curbed appetite for risky assets. Worry about lack of substantive progress towards a blueprint for tackling the euro zone debt crisis kept investors on edge, pushing Greek, Portuguese and Irish bond yields to their highest levels since the introduction of the euro in 1999.

Striking Greeks raged against a new wave of austerity after euro zone finance ministers failed to agree how to make private creditors contribute to a second bailout for their indebted country. This put the onus on the leaders of Germany and France to forge a deal later this week.

Selling pressure on the euro also increased after Moody’s put BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale on review for a possible downgrade, citing the French banks’ holdings of Greek public and private debt.

That warning depressed European banking stocks, pushing the FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares 0.2 percent lower. “At some stage they (EU politicians) are going to have to grasp the nettle (on Greece). A lot of that is dependent on the banks being strong enough to take the hit,” said Justin Urquhart Stewart, director at Seven Investment Management. “ The euro is damaged-the people operating it don’t want to change it.” The euro fell nearly one percent against the dollar, sending it close to a recent low of $1.4285 hit on trading platform EBS. It was last 0.9 percent down at $1.4312, breaking below its 21day moving average with traders

LONG AN PROVINCE: Vo Thi Quan, 44, buys vegetables at a market near Thuan Thanh, Long An province, Vietnam. — AP cited selling from leveraged and in safe-haven US and German the periphery at the moment,” real money accounts. “The market government bond prices, push- said Commerzbank strategist is definitely getting jittery about ing 10-year T-note yields about David Schnautz.

Dollar strength against a basGreece, and rating agencies look- two basis points lower to 3.082 ing at European bank exposure to percent with equivalent Bund ket of currencies pushed oil Athens is not going to help,” a yields down one bp at 3.01 per- prices lower, with Brent crude oil for August delivery down more London-based trader said. The cent.

The yield premiums of Greek, than 1 percent at $118.11 a bareuro also inched back towards a record low against the Swiss Portuguese and Irish bonds over rel. Oil was also on the back-foot franc, hit on Friday and below 1.2 benchmark German Bunds hit on rising gasoline stockpiles in euro-era peaks and the cost of top consumer the United States, euro. insuring the debt scaled record which signaled fuel demand was SOUR MOOD World stocks as measured by highs on a lack of political con- stalling. Gold slipped as a MSCI fell 0.4 percent, with some sensus on how to resolve Greece’s stronger dollar prompted some selling but the euro zone soverstrategists saying more weakness debt problems.

“Hopes get dashed more and eign debt concern curbed further could be in store for European shares. “The easiest way for mar- more that we won’t get a water- falls. Spot gold was last 0.3 perkets to deal with uncertainty is to proof solution by the end of next cent down at $1,518.46, having go down,” said Philip Isherwood, week. This is placing another big risen to $1,530 an ounce earlier European equities strategist at layer of uncertainty over every- on inflation fears triggered by Evolution Securities. The sour thing and it sounds like you don’t recent strong Chinese economic mood in equities prompted gains want to be that much invested in data.— Reuters

Qatar’s Islamic lenders struggle to lure deposits

SILIGURI: Indian boys use a rail cart to transport drinking water collected from a waterfall at Tindharia Hills some 30 kms from Siliguri yesterday. — AFP

India’s handicraft makers go online for new clients NEW DELHI: India’s handicraft workers have begun to move beyond traditional markets and government-backed shops to sell their wares, hoping that the increasing take-up of e-commerce can help boost sales. A number of artisans have started selling via the website nethaat.com, which was launched earlier this year with the aim of providing a new outlet for makers of items such as textiles, metal and wooden goods and jewelry.

Rakesh Sonava, who co-founded the portal, whose name translates as “net marketplace”, said he was inspired by his family’s experience and their struggle to sell goods. “My uncle used to go from place to place selling hand-printed cushion covers and bed linen. He could sell what he carried with him but nothing more,” the 42year-old said. “I wanted to set up a permanent platform for people like him to sell his goods.” The handicraft industry is one of India’s biggest employers and a mainstay for the rural economy. The All India Artisans

and Craftworkers Welfare Association estimates that 13 million people work in the sector.

Sales of Indian handicrafts amounted to 87.2 billion rupees ($1.9 billion) in 2009-10, according to the government-backed Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts.

But while many shops have gone online to sell traditional goods in recent years, Nethaat is the first to allow craftsmen and women to sell directly to consumers via the Internet. Since January, Sonava and his partner Roshan Agarwal, 31, plus a network of representatives, have been helping artisans to create and manage their own stores, providing help in areas like packaging and customer service.

Some, like 35-year-old paper-maker Fajuddin Saifi, from the northern city of Agra, even bought their first computer after hearing about the venture. Artisans can stock up to 25 items on the website for free, with 3.5 percent of sales revenues going to Nethaat. — AFP

DUBAI: Four months after Qatar’s controversial order for conventional banks to close their Islamic units, the decision may be proving less positive than expected for purely Islamic lenders. Despite February’s ruling from the Qatar central bank, it seems many customers remain unconvinced of the advantages of moving away from deposit accounts managed by non-Islamic institutions and are instead staying loyal to conventional lenders.

“One of the concerns that depositors have is whether they will have the same level of customer service and conveniences available at established conventional banks,” said Mahin Dissanayake, director at Fitch Ratings. “It still may be a bit early to say definitively, but it’s definitely possible that Islamic banks will see less of a benefit than they thought in February.” In its surprise order, the Qatar central bank told conventional banks to close their Islamic operations amid worries of an overlap between the two types of business. Lenders were given until Dec 31 to comply.

Islamic banks such as Masraf Al Rayan and Qatar Islamic Bank saw their shares surge following the announcement on anticipation of a blanket rollover of Islamic liquidity into sharia-compliant institutions. Banks seen as possibly negatively affected by the move included Doha Bank, Commercial Bank of Qatar, Al Ahli Commercial Bank and International Bank of Qatar. Ratings firm Moody’s predicted in February that conventional banks would lose between 8 percent and 16 percent of their deposit base, total assets and profits to Islamic institutions as a result of the central bank’s decision.

Yet conventional banks have responded by offering customers the option of converting Islamic deposits into conventional accounts and have seen some success. “At this point, we’ll speak with our customers. It’s an issue of customer choice and if they choose to maintain their relationship with HSBC on the conventional side, then we’ll help them with this,” said Razi Fakih, deputy chief executive of HSBC Amanah, the Islamic arm of HSBC.—Reuters

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TECHNOLOGY

Google cranks up search speeds with images, voice SAN FRANCISCO: Google up Internet search speeds by letting people use speech or images to express what they want faster. Google engineers also shaved precious seconds off the time it takes for Web pages to display after links are clicked on in search results.

“We at Google will not be happy until we make the Web as easy to flip through as a magazine,” Google fellow Amit Singhal said at an “Inside Search” event in San Francisco.

“We measure every millisecond,” he said. “The time it takes Google to return a result is negligible compared to how long it takes the user to enter the query.”

On the other end of the search, it takes an average of five seconds for a Web page to load once a person has clicked on a link listed in query results, according to Singhal.

Members of Google’s search team rolled out the California-based firm’s latest innovations crafted to deliver the knowledge being sought “in the blink of an

eye.” Google enhancements spanned all gadgets from desktops using Chrome software to browse the Internet to the latest Android-powered smartphones or tablet computers.

“In mobile, we are always thinking about how we can make the process of getting those results easier,” said Google mobile engineering director Scott Huffman. Google added icons to the bottom of mobile search pages that let people do common searches such as for restaurants, cafes, or bars with a single click instead of having to type in queries.

Google also began letting people build queries with simple “plus” buttons and providing instant previews of search results pages that could be glimpsed with simple swipes of a finger on a touchscreen.

Huffman announced that a Google Goggles feature allowing people with mobile devices to search using pictures now translates languages in photos of text, with Russian added to the list.

Google was taking innovations in mobile and applying them to desktop computers with the addition of voice and image search capabilities, according to search director of product management Johanna Wright. “Mobile has opened a world of possibilities,” Wright said.

The option to speak searches was represented by a microphone icon on the Google search page.

Spoken search queries on Google-powered mobile gadgets have grown six-fold in the past year, according to Mike Cohen, manager of the California firm’s speech technology team. “We are trying to change the user’s mental model to make speaking search a basic habit,” Cohen said. “Accuracy, ubiquity...it needs to be in every language, on every device.”

A camera icon could be clicked to trigger image searches and pictures “dropped and dragged” into search boxes, Cohen said. Google was also rolling out an “Instant Pages” feature crafted to predict which link

a searcher is likely to chose and have that Web page pre-loaded for display as soon as it is clicked.

“Sometimes, when you click on a result the page will be just there instantaneously,” Singhal said of the feature. “This is amazing.” Google also extended its “Instant” results to image search, making pages of pictures available as fast as one could type. Google already provides instant results for standard searches.

“Search is what we are good at,” said Alan Eustace, whose new role at Google is director of knowledge.

Co-founder and chief executive Larry Page sees online search as a quest for knowledge instead of a simple hunt for data, according to Eustace.

“He thinks Google should understand how things are related,” Eustace said of Page, who took the reins of the company early this year. “He wants us to know more rather than just find better,” Eustace continued. “I think his view is Google should be much better at understanding the world.” — AFP

Quiet China giant embodies technology aspirations ‘Huawei viewed as their main competitor’

SHENZHEN: In this photo taken Friday, June 10, 2011, the screen of a mobilephone is tested at the Huawei Technologies Co. headquarters in Shenzhen, southern Chinese city bordering Hong Kong. — AP

Google expands spoken search to desktop computers SAN FRANCISCO: Google is introducing more technological tricks to simplify Internet searching and give people another reason to surf the Web on its Chrome browser.

The features unveiled include an option that will allow people to speak their search requests in English while sitting in front of their office and home computers. It’s something they can already do on smartphones running on Google Inc.’s Android software. The new features serve as another reminder that search remains Google’s backbone even as the company branches into mobile devices, browsers, computer software, music and even television.

By continually coming up with new ways to simplify search requests, Google hopes to extend its dominance in what so far has been Internet’s most lucrative market: steering people to the information they want as quickly as possible. Spurring more search requests provides Google with more opportunities to shows the ads that generate most of its revenue.

For now, the spoken-request option for desktop computers will be offered only on Google’s Chrome browser. It will be activated by clicking on a microphone icon inside Google’s search box. Chrome’s users will get the new feature within the next few days.

Google hopes to eventually make all the features available through Microsoft Corp.’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox browsers, both which have wider audiences than Chrome. Eventually, people will be able to speak requests in other languages, too.

The speech-recognition technology draws upon a database of more than 230 billion words that Google has built while processing spoken requests on phones for the past two and a half years.

Another innovation is designed to load Web pages more quickly after users click on the top search result. The “Instant Pages” option, which also requires Chrome, builds upon a 9-month old feature in which search results automatically appear after typing in a few characters into a

search box. The results change as more letters are typed in to complete the search query.

Google is hoping its browser gets another boost Wednesday. That’s when a new line of laptop computers running on an operating system based on Chrome will go on sale. The Chrome laptops from Acer Inc. and Samsung Electronics will cost $349 to $499 and require Internet connections to run most programs because they will have limited storage capacity, not hard drives.

Not all of Google’s latest search options will require Chrome. Among them is a new tool that allows users to drag images into Google’s search results to get a list of results about what’s in the photograph. For instance, a photo from a family vacation years ago could be dragged into the search box to get information about the location. This image-recognition technology can identify people, but Google so far has decided not to use it for that purpose.

Google executives also said the photos entered into the search box won’t be made available to the general public. Google, which is based in Mountain View, currently processes nearly two out of every three Internet search requests in the US — an advantage that has held firm for several years.

Microsoft and Yahoo Inc. have invested billions of dollars in search during the past eight years with little to show for it. After deciding it would be better off funneling money into other projects, Yahoo began to rely on Microsoft for most of its search results last year.

Microsoft’s Bing search engine has been getting more usage during the past two years, but it hasn’t been able to reverse the huge losses in Microsoft’s online division.

Although Google appears well entrenched as the Internet search leader, it has struggled to counter the threat posed by the success of Facebook. Its popularity poses a problem for Google because most of its content can’t be indexed by Google’s search engine. None of the features introduced Tuesday addressed the Facebook challenge. — AP

TOKYO: Japanese electronics giant Toshiba employee displays the new 19-inch sized LCD television set “Regza 19P2”, equipped with Li-ion battery for three hours backup when power cut at the company’s headquarters in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP

SHENZHEN: China’s quietest multibillion-dollar Chinese success story began when a former soldier founded a company in the 1980s to sell imported phone switches.

As sales rose, Huawei Technologies Co. invested to develop its own products, a radical step for a private company in the first decade of China’s reforms to open its economy. But it paid off: Today, Huawei has grown into a major equipment supplier to phone carriers across Asia, Europe and Africa, with $28 billion in sales last year and 110,000 employees. Now, this giant the public has barely heard of wants to become a consumer and business brand, moving into markets dominated by Apple Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. It is marketing its own mobile phones and tablet computer and is expanding in the United States, backed by a global network of 20 research and development labs from Moscow to Silicon Valley.

“The consumer market, and especially the midrange, is something we certainly will get into with our own brand,” said Song Liuping, a Huawei vice president, in an interview at its tree-lined research campus in this southern Chinese city bordering Hong Kong.

In a country known as a cheap, anonymous factory, Huawei is a leader of an emerging group of Chinese companies that are creating brandname technology in fields from telecoms to clean energy to medical equipment and starting to compete with Western industry leaders. The newcomers can draw on a low-cost Chinese talent pool of engineers and scientists and support from a communist leadership that is pushing to transform this nation of farmers and factory workers into a creator of profitable technologies.

Chinese companies are climbing the technology ladder faster than Japan and South Korea did in past decades, said Oded Shenkar, a professor at Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business who studies Chinese companies. “In 10 to 15 years, China could be where South Korea is now, as far as having a number of global champions,” Shenkar said.

Rising Chinese competition could hamper hopes by the United States and other Western governments to spur growth and create jobs by boosting high-tech exports. Huawei has graduated from selling sturdy, low-cost gear to developing countries in Asia and Africa to supplying top global carriers. That is adding to pressure on Nok ia Siemens Net works, Cisco, Sweden’s Ericsson AB and France’s Alcatel-Lucent SA. “Many view Huawei as their main competitor over the next few years,” said Mark Koh, an analyst for Frost & Sullivan, in an e-mail.

Huawei has grown at explosive speed but has to cope with complaints it copied rivals’ products and suspicions it is controlled by the Communist Party or is a front for China’s military. In February, a US government security panel rejected its purchase of a California computer company, 3Leaf Systems.

Huawei denies it is a security threat and invited Washington to investigate it after the failure of the 3Leaf acquisition. The company was founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, a former military engineer and one of China’s most enigmatic business figures.

In a society where founders of Internet, retail and other companies far smaller than Huawei are celebrities, Ren never appears in public or talks to reporters. Forbes magazine estimated his wealth last year at $1.1 billion. Huawei says it is owned by its employees but has released few details about who controls it, fueling questions abroad.

“The place where they have the greatest trouble is the West, where they face a lot of suspicion about their origins. It’s clearly a handicap,” said Tarun Khanna, a professor at Harvard Business School. Ren started the company after his engineering unit was disbanded and he left the army, according to Huawei’s February statement. He started with 21,000 yuan ($5,500 at the time) from his savings and a deal to sell phone switches supplied by a Hong Kong company. Demand boomed

SHENZHEN: In this photo taken Friday, June 10, 2011, mobilephones are displayed in the exhibition room of the Huawei Technologies Co. headquarters in Shenzhen, southern Chinese city bordering Hong Kong. As sales rose, Huawei Technologies Co. invested to develop its own products, a radical step for a private company in the first decade of China’s reforms. — AP as Chinese carriers upgraded decrepit equipment at the start of reforms that would ignite China’s economic boom. Song said Huawei got into developing its own products almost by accident, launching a research arm only after its Hong Kong supplier was acquired by a state-owned company in 1990.

Early gear targeted rural Chinese phone companies and included a switching unit in 1994 marketed as “mouse-proof” for carriers that suffered from gnawed cables. “Our main goal was survival,” Song said. Huawei spent a decade selling in China’s countryside and developing countries in Asia and Africa, then moving into Chinese cities. It made its first sale in Europe in 2004 to a Dutch mobile phone carrier.

Today, Huawei works with 45 of the 50 biggest phone carriers. On the consumer front, Huawei’s latest gadget is the “MiFi” — a portable wireless modem the size of a deck of cards that creates a local area network for a half-dozen laptop computers. As it expands in the U.S., Huawei is also looking at opportunities in fields from finance and government to health, transportation and “smart grid” management of power networks.

The company’s research-and-development staff has grown to 50,000 people and research spending is set at about 10 percent of sales, or $2.5 billion last year. It operates 12 joint development centers with partners including Vodafone Group, Deutsche Telekom, Japan’s NTT Docomo and Egypt’s Etisalat and has research ventures with Microsoft Corp., IBM Corp. and others.

Its corporate campus is a cluster of sleek, glassand-steel buildings on a 325-acre (130-hectare) campus with an artificial lake. A training center where new employees spend six months was designed by star architect Norman Foster.

“They’re generally a pretty impressive story,” said Duncan Clark, managing director of BDA China Ltd., a Beijing research firm, who has followed the company for a decade.

“Some people in the United States see them as a creature of the government. But that’s unfair, because if you look at how they’ve grown, it’s almost despite the government, not because of them,” he said. “They get export credits and other things, but it’s wrong to dismiss them as a knockoff shop or a product of the army.” In contrast to major Chinese state-owned companies, which do most of their business in China and benefit from monopolies and other official favors, Huawei says it made 70 percent of its sales abroad last year. In another break with tradition, Huawei also looks abroad for senior managers. Its chief technology officer was recruited from BT in 2009. The former CTO of Canada’s Nortel Networks Corp. was hired last year to run research and development in

North America. “You have Chinese people based in Sweden and Western people based in Shenzhen. It’s become a very globalized process,” said Richard Brennan, a Californian who has worked for Huawei since 2007 and is deputy director of industrial standards.

Other Chinese companies also are starting to make a name for themselves as technology creators. Mindray Medical International Ltd., also based in Shenzhen, competes with General Electric Co. and Germany’s Siemens AG to sell Xray machines and other medical devices in the United States and Europe.

ZTE Corp., a Huawei rival also based in Shenzhen, sells switching equipment, mobile phone base stations and handsets.

Shenzhen’s success as a center for technology and finance has propelled its growth from a fishing village of about 30,000 people in 1980 before it was declared China’s first “special economic zone” into a skyscraper-filled metropolis of more than 14 million.

Beijing urgently wants to nurture more such innovators to reduce reliance on foreign technology and create higher-paid jobs. It has promised grants, tax breaks and other support to promote “strategic industries” including clean energy, environmental and information technology, biotech and high-end manufacturing. Some of its tactics have irritated its trading partners. The government is pressing global companies to hand over wind power, computer encryption and other technologies as the price of market access. Business groups complain Beijing’s efforts to nurture local suppliers by favoring them in government purchases of computers and other technology violates the spirit of its free-trade commitments.

Chinese officials respond to some of the criticism by pointing out that US, European and Japanese companies also receive tax breaks, export subsidies and other help from their governments.

Song, the Huawei vice president, rejected suggestions its success is based on government support. He said it comes instead from market-driven decisions and a corporate culture that motivates employees with stock and quick promotions.

Huawei’s February statement said some customers receive financing from China’s stateowned banks. But Song said that while it gets some government grants, Huawei pays for most of its research out of its own sales.

“In the 1980s, there were hundreds of stateowned companies in the telecoms industry with Huawei, but they did not survive,” he said. “If the state or military connection were the key to success, they should have developed very well, but they no longer exist.” — AFP

Kaspersky signs five year deal with BASF Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, announces that it is providing security solutions to BASF, the largest global chemical company operating in more than 80 countries.

Kaspersky Lab security software will provide global protection for endpoints connected to the company’s business network.

The deal resulted from a long-term global evaluation of different IT security vendors and their products conducted by BASF in which Kaspersky Lab demonstrated the most efficient software for protecting corporate IT infrastructure and were thus chosen as BASF’s preferred supplier. A total of 100 thousand BASF endpoints will be protected by Kaspersky

Work Space Security. “We are very proud to have BASF as our new global client”, says Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and co-founder of Kaspersky Lab. “As with any other major international corporation, BASF require constant and reliable protection for their corporate IT infrastructure and we’re very glad that they have chosen Kaspersky Lab as their global partner in this business-critical area”.

Kaspersky Work Space Security will provide comprehensive protection against all types of threats for BASF’s endpoints. In addition to protecting against malware, phishing and hacking attacks, the security software provides a firewall, secure email forwarding and control over the usage of peripherals such as

USB flash drives and external storage and I/O devices. Individual Maintenance Ser vice Agreements (MSAs) have also been drawn up between BASF and Kaspersky Lab to ensure that BASF employees receive the very best global support.

“Ensuring worldwide standardized and scalable asset protection and reporting is one of the IT security fundamentals in our organization. We rely on Kaspersky Lab to assist us with this and are delighted with the scanning performance and flexible, central management capabilities provided by the K aspersky Administration Kit”, said Oliver Jaeckel-Bender, Senior Specialist for IT Security within Information Services BASF Group.

TAOYUAN CITY: Cher Wang (L), chairwoman of Taiwan’s leading smartphone maker HTC, chats with Peter Chou president and CEO during an annual general shareholder meeting held in the northern Taoyuan city yesterday. The company’s revenues more than doubled in the five months to May to Tw$183.51 billion ($6.42 billion). — AFP

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H E A LT H & S C I E N C E

TV time tied to diabetes, death NEW YORK: People who spend more hours in front of the television are at greater risk of dying, or developing diabetes and heart disease, with even two hours of television a day having a marked effect, according to a US study.

Every day, US residents spend an average of 5 hours watching television, while Australians and some Europeans log 3.5 to 4 hours a day, said researchers led by Frank Hu, at the Harvard School of Public Health. “The message is simple. Cutting back on TV watching is an important way to reduce sedentary behaviors and decrease risk of diabetes and heart disease,” Hu said.

People who sit in front of the television are not only exercising less, they are likely eating unhealthy foods, he added.

“The combination of a sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet and obesity creates a ‘perfect breeding ground’ for type 2 diabetes and heart disease.”

This is not the first study to associate TV time with ill effects. Many studies have found a strong link to obesity, and one 2007 report found that more TV time was associated with higher blood pressure in obese children. Another study that same year found that overweight children who watch food advertisements tend to double their food intake.

For the new study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Hu and his team reviewed 8 studies examining the link between television time and diseases, that in total followed more than 200,000 people, for an average of 7 to

10 years. Hu and his colleagues found that for every two hours of daily television that people watched, their risk of diabetes increased by 20 percent, while their risk of heart disease rose by 15 percent. Each two hours of television per day increased the risk of dying by 13 percent.

Based on those results, Hu and his team estimated that, among a group of 100,000 people, reducing daily television time by 2 hours could prevent 176 new cases of diabetes, 38 cases of fatal cardiovascular disease, and 104 premature deaths-every year.

All of the studies in the analysis made sure that participants didn’t have a chronic disease, because people who were generally less well might be more likely both to watch many hours of TV and to

experience diabetes, heart disease or premature death. But Hu and his team cautioned that it’s possible some people had undetected forms of disease at the start of the studies, influencing the findings. The study cannot prove that TV watching alone raises the disease risk, nor can it identify what about TV watching might have an impact.

“It’s true that people who watch a lot of TV differ from those who watch less, especially in terms of diet and physical activity levels,” Hu said.

He added that people who watch a lot of television are more likely to eat junk food. But unhealthy diet and inactivity are also consequences of prolonged television watching, so they explain some of the adverse effects of the sedentary behavior. - Reuters

Lead-poisoned Chinese children denied care: HRW ‘Lead poisoning cannot be addressed by garlic’

NEW DELHI: An Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patient (R) talks with a doctor and counselor at the Ashraya Holistic Care centre in New Delhi on November 30, 2009. More than 60 million people around the world have been infected with HIV since 1981, according to a UNAIDS report last year based on 2009 figures. — AFP

India sees cut in new HIV cases but battle not over NEW DELHI: Radhe Shyam looks every inch the family man as he cradles his chubby, four-month-old baby in his arms and glances lovingly at his wife and two other daughters.

Shyam, his wife and one of his three daughters, however, are HIV positive. The couple’s youngest is also likely to be carrying the virus, although that will be confirmed only when she is tested once she is 18 months old.

The 42-year-old and his family are among the estimated 2.3 million people in India living with HIV. Daily life for people with the virus is hard, particularly due to the stigma it still carries in the socially conservative country.

“I was working as a cook and doing well for myself but my life changed for ever in 2008 when I was found to be HIV positive,” said Shyam, who lives in the east of India’s capital, New Delhi.

“I lost my job and still can’t find another one because the moment people come to know about my disease, they step back. My wife is illiterate and we have three children to take care of,” he told AFP, fighting back tears. “ The government does take care of our medical expenses but we need to have some source of livelihood. I don’t know when our life clock will stop ticking. I shudder to think what will happen to our children.”

More than 60 million people around the world have been infected with HIV since 1981, according to a UNAIDS report last year based on 2009 figures. Nearly half of them have died from AIDS-related causes.

In India, there has been a 50 percent decrease in new infections between 2001 and 2009, the report said.

So-called “first-line” antiretroviral therapy (ART) — a cocktail of drugs to slow the effects of the virus on the body’s immune system-have been widely available and free of cost in India’s public health system since 2004.

More expensive “second-line” ART is also free of charge, although access to it is limited to just a few centres across the country.

Indian pharmaceutical companies have helped to drive down the cost of life-saving

generic drugs to treat people with HIV in developing countries.

But UNAIDS coordinator in India, Charles Gilks, said that while the authorities should be commended for tackling the problem, the country had not yet won the battle.

“Fifty percent reduction (in new infections) is a very good figure. The challenge now is to ensure that the progress and momentum are maintained,” he said.

“There should be no reduction in political commitment otherwise the epidemic will rebound.”

Shyam and his family’s predicament is a stark reminder of the work to be done.

Activists warn that children with HIV are often abandoned by their parents or excluded from the society, while adolescents injecting drugs are being left out of the fight against the illness.

A lack of awareness and testing could mean many more HIV cases are undiagnosed while the cost of affordable, Indianmade generic drugs could go up if a proposed trade agreement with the European Union goes through.

“Children cannot access information or treatment on their own, which makes it very difficult,” said Anuradha Mukherjee, programmes manager at the charity Naz Foundation, which works exclusively with AIDS victims.

“They need the right knowledge and proper sex education, which is often not forthcoming, be it from parents, school or society in general. In such a scenario it is tough for the child to know what is right and wrong.

“Also, the young often do not know the problem of drug-related issues and HIV. They might be using the same syringe in a party not knowing the possible consequences.” More awareness across all age groups and every section of society is now needed, Mukherjee added.

“You come across people who say mosquito bites cause AIDS. So there needs to be more awareness through media campaigns, more pre-natal check-ups and sex education classes for children. “It’s a war out there and everyone must chip in.” — AFP

MERRITT ISLAND: In this March 13, 2010 photo released by the Long family, Matthew Long of Merritt Island, Fl., holds four-year-old Vietnamese girl Ava Thuy he and his wife are trying to adopt at the Bac Lieu Orphanage in Bac Lieu, Vietnam. The Long are one of 16 US families who have been waiting three years to adopt children caught in limbo in Vietnam after an adoption agreement expired in 2008 amid broad allegations of wrongdoing. A senator has blocked the nominee for US ambassador to Vietnam to pressure the State Department to help resolve the cases. — AP

HONG KONG: Chinese officials in provinces with heavy industrial pollution are restricting access to lead testing or even falsifying test results, and denying children treatment, a US rights group said yesterday.

Human Rights Watch accused officials in four provinces-Henan, Yunnan, Shaanxi and Hunan-of trying to cover up the extent of lead poisoning among local children, including limiting their access to blood tests.

“Local authorities are ignoring the urgent and long-term health consequences of a generation of children continuously exposed to life-threatening levels of lead,” said the study, entitled: “My Children Have Been Poisoned: A Public Health Crisis in Four Chinese Provinces.”

Excessive levels of lead in the blood are considered hazardous, particularly to children, who can experience stunted growth and mental retardation. “But there is not a real recognition of the fact that lead poisoning causes lifelong disability,” Joe Amon, director of the group’s health and human rights division, told a news briefing in Hong Kong.

“This is creating a generation of kids... who will be less able to drive the economic growth that China is counting on.” The report estimated that “hundreds of thousands” of children, mainly in poor rural villages with nearby factories, were suffering from lead poisoning.

Despite Beijing’s promises of reform, many local and provincial officials were conflicted over their mandate to drive economic growth while enforcing environmental standards on factories, Amon added. Rapid industrialisation over the past 30 years which has driven China’s rise to become the number two economy has left it with some of the world’s worst water and air pollution, stoking widespread environmental damage and public-health scares.

HRW said test results were sometimes withheld from victims and their families, while children with high lead levels in their blood were denied care or simply instructed to eat “cleans-

WUGANG: Two Chinese children hold up their blood test results indicating high lead content at a clinic in Wugang, in central China’s Hunan province on August 22, 2009. Chinese officials in provinces with heavy industrial pollution are restricting access to lead testing or even falsifying test results, and denying children treatment, a US rights group said yesterday. — AFP

ing” foods such as apples, garlic, milk and eggs.

“The bottom line is that lead (poisoning) cannot be addressed by garlic,” Amon said.

Family members and journalists seeking information about the problem are intimidated, harassed and ultimately silenced, the report added. Earlier this month, more than 600 people, including 103 children, in east China’s Zhejiang province were found with high and sometimes dangerous levels of lead in their blood, according to local health authorities.

The poisonings were linked to tinfoil processing plants in Shaoxing county and reportedly prompted protests on June 8 and 9, with villagers demanding that workshops violating health and environmental standards be shut down. In May, authorities in Zhejiang detained

74 people and suspended work at hundreds of factories after 172 people, including 53 children, fell ill due to lead.

Nearly 1,000 children tested positive for lead poisoning in the central province of Henan in 2009 with local smelting plants found to be responsible. The Chinese government has enforced environmental regulations aimed at curbing pollution and protecting public health in recent years. But enforcement has been uneven and little has been done to reduce lead levels in villages that are already heavily contaminated, HRW said. According to Xinhua news agency, the government has pledged to crack down on the industry and ensure that those suffering from lead poisoning receive proper health care and subsidies. — AFP

Minister courted tobacco executives SYDNEY: Australian health minister Nicola Roxon admitted yesterday she once courted tobacco executives for donations, but vowed to keep up her battle for plain cigarette packaging.

Roxon said inviting three Philip Morris executives to a fundraising dinner in 2005, a year after her Labor Party banned political donations from tobacco companies, was a “big mistake”.

“The invitations were sent and that was wrong,” she told Macquarie Radio. Roxon, who was an opposition member of parliament at the time, said she had checked her records and none of the executives attended the dinner or made donations.

She said it was an embarrassing revelation as she pursues the government’s plans to have all cigarettes are sold in bland, olive-green packaging and contain graphic health warnings in a bid to reduce smoking rates. “Of course that’s embarrassing, when I’m prosecuting what is a world first, in terms of introducing plain packaging for tobacco,” she said.

“But clearly they (tobacco companies) are going to try and fight us in every way, that’s fair enough, but our government’s very determined to press ahead with that, and this won’t change our determination.”

Roxon, who has previously admitted accepting seats to the Australian Open tennis tournament from Philip Morris in 1999, said the revelations did not blunt her attack on the opposition for accepting donations from tobacco firms.

Australia already forces stores to hide cigarette packets for sale, and the plain packaging laws will be the strictest in the world.

Under the proposal, all logos will be removed from cigarette packaging from 2012 and tobacco companies must print their brand name in a specific font.

The plan has enraged the tobacco giants, who say it will reduce their profits and see counterfeit products flood the market because plain packaging is much easier to reproduce.

Seven powerful United States business groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce, added their objections Wednesday, saying the move could place Australia in breach of its international trade obligations. But Roxon said the proposed legislation was not illegal and Australia was entitled to make laws to protect the health of its community.

“Ultimately, international organisations can have views, but we have to be the masters of our own destiny,” she said. — AFP

MANILA: In this photo taken Thursday, June 9, 2011, a Filipino mother sits beside the bed of his son at the pedia dengue ward at San Lazaro Hospital in Manila, Philippines. ASEAN health ministers have designated yesterday as ASEAN Dengue Day in a bid to raise public awareness on dengue prevention and control at the regional and national level. — AP

Malaysia seals drug firm over radiation KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s nuclear energy regulator has sealed off a pharmaceutical company following a radiation leak earlier this month, a minister said yesterday.

Science, technology and innovation minister Maximus Ongkili told AFP the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) sealed off the company after four of its employees set off radiation monitors when visiting the AELB’s office on June 2.

“The radiation reading on one of the workers exceeded more than 400 times the normal reading (of 0.5 microsieverts per hour),” he said.

Ongkili said the AELB checked the company’s premises in central Selangor state on the same day, finding the contamination there at 100 times the normal reading and sealed off the area to “ensure the radiation did not spread and prevent any radioactive particles from leaving the place.”

He said three of the four went through a decontamination process at the National Radiological Emergency Centre, while the fourth worker with the high radiation exposure as a result of being “directly

involved in the radiopharmaceutical leakage,” was treated at the Malaysian Nuclear Agency.

“In this case, the radioactivity has a half life of two hours, therefore after 20 hours, the background reading at the company returned back to normal,” Ongkili said.

“However, the company has been temporarily closed pending an assessment by the AELB on the firm’s new radiation protection programme,” he added, but declined to identify the company or the source of radiation that was leaked.

Although it does not have any nuclear power plants yet, Malaysia is home to several pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies that rely on radioactive materials to make their products.

Last December, the government said it was looking to build two 1,000 megawatt nuclear power plants by 2022 to counter an “imbalance” in its energy supplies.

The plan has been attacked by environmental activists who say the government has not thoroughly considered other forms of energy generation such as solar, hydroelectric and wind power. — AFP

H E A LT H

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

Medical errors don’t just happen at hospitals NEW YORK: Malpractice claims for medical errors are common outside hospitals, according to a US study that highlights safety problems at doctors’ offices as well.

Previous studies have focused mainly on hospitals, some of which now have checklists in place to help prevent mistakes.

But researchers led by Tara Bishop, at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, found that about half of all US malpractice payments from 2009 involved patients seen outside the hospital.

With “invasive and high-technology diagnostic and therapeutic procedures... increasingly being performed in the outpatient setting,” Bishop and her team decided to compare the number and seriousness of adverse events in inpatient and outpatient settings, as reflected by malpractice claims.

What they found, that the number of malpractice claims would be virtually the same for hospitals and doctors’ offices, was unexpected.

“We were actually very surprised

by that finding,” Bishop said of their report, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“I hope it’s a wake-up call for the medical community and for patients, so we can start working on ways to solve these problems.”

The researchers analyzed malpractice claim payments from the National Practitioner Data Bank from 2005 to 2009. Overall, the number of payments dropped slightly for patients treated both inside and outside hospitals.

But in 2009, the last year of the study, there were 4,910 payments due to inpatient errors, 4,448 due to outpatient errors, and 966 involving both settings.

Together, these payments were worth more than $3.3 billion. “These weren’t trivial errors-death and major injuries were the most common reason for malpractice claims,” said Bishop. “It’s nice to see this trend coming down, but we still don’t know if it’s due to better patient safety.

According to the report, there

were 30 times as many outpatient visits as hospital discharges every year.

Bishop said the most common errors were different, with surgical mistakes dominating the claim for hospitalized patients and misdiagnosis being the biggest problem at the doctor’s office.

That means fixing problems outside hospitals will take separate efforts, such as training doctors to communicate better with patients.

Other experts said that the malpractice claims were probably only a small part of medical errors and that, unfortunately, a good program for controlling the risk of outpatient errors doesn’t yet exist.

Bishop said patients can help lower the chance their doctor will make a mistake by learning about the tests and medications they get, and keeping their doctor up to speed about what’s happened between visits.

“I do hope that patients will realize that it’s important to take control of what happens in their healthcare,” she said. — Reuters

Canada blasted over asbestos exports OTTAWA: Canada’s opposition blasted the government for ignoring its own scientists’ advice to stop the mining and exporting of asbestos, one week before a major UN conference on dangerous products.

New Democratic Par t y MPs also accused the Conservative government of blocking the UN listing of chrysotile asbestos as toxic so that it would be strictly regulated.

The MPs, backed by more than 200 scientists and health organizations from around the world who signed a letter urging the government to act, said internal government emails revealed Health Canada pressed Ottawa to recognize the product mined in Quebec as dangerous.

Ottawa refused.

New Democratic Party MP Pat Martin said: “It’s appalling, it’s a disgrace, it’s an international shame and it gives a big black eye to Canada’s boy-scout image around the world if we’re dumping this carcinogen into unsuspecting developing nations.”

India, Indonesia and the Philippines, among others, are major importers of Canadian asbestos.

Industry Minister Christian Paradis countered that “Canada has promoted the safe and secure use of chrysotile asbestos for 30 years both nationwide and internationally.”

He pointed to scientific reviews that found it can be used under controlled conditions.

The Rotterda m Convention’s 7 3 s igna tories, including Canada, agreed to ban or severely restrict pesticides and industrial chemicals for health and environmental reasons. The fifth meeting of the parties is to be held in Geneva on June 20-24.

According to the New Democrats, Canada exported 750,000 tonnes of asbestos in 2006, the last year figures were available.

The fibrous crystal mineral is primarily used as building insulation for its sound absorption and resistance to fire, heat and electrical damage but exposure to it can cause lung inflammation and cancer. — AFP

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THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

W H AT ’ S O N Announcements KUVBS 2011 Mar Thoma Sunday School, Kuwait is organizing the Vacation Bible School (KUVBS 2011) for Students from 17th June - 01st July 2011 at the National Evangelical Church, Kuwait (NECK).

Students of age 4 to 17 are participating in the program which is filled with music, activities and learning. Rev. A.Y. Varughese, Vicar of St. James Mar Thoma Church, Kuwait will be the Director. Rev. Genil Abraham and Rev. Chacko Thomas officiate as Superintendent and Patron respectively. For more details please contact 99489150/ 99006163/99081015.

BAIA Summer Camp now open for registrations 2011 ON STAGE summer camp from 19 June to 06 July. Last year High School Musical, this year Camp Rock, Tangled, Cars...many more! From Page to Stage in just 3 weeks, through costume design, technicals, acting, singing, dance, music, make-up, film and lighting. Create a fabulous performance ON STAGE. Discounts available if registered before 01 June. Call 60052087 or mail administrator@baia.com.kw. Full details of all events and courses are available on www.baia.com.kw Hoppin’ John String Band The Hoppin’ John String Band, a Bluegrass group, will be in Kuwait as part of a US Embassy sponsored visit and they’ll be conducting public performances in several locations. All public performances will open to the public and free of charge. No tickets or seat reservations will be required. Here are the details: The US Embassy Kuwait In cooperation with the National Council for Culture, Arts & Letters presents: The Hoppin’ John String Band Date: June 16, 2011 Time: 9:00am to 10:00am Location: Live on Sabah Al-Watan (Al-Watan Television) Date: June 16, 2011 Time: 8:30pm to 9:30pm Location: The Higher Institute for Musical Arts Date: June 18, 2011 Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm Location: Live on Raykum Shabab (Al-Rai Television) Date: June 19, 2011 Time: 7:15pm to 8:30pm Location: The Al-Babtain Central Library for Arabic Poetry.

Summer music festival The National Council of Culture, Arts and Letters in Kuwait proudly presents the Summer Music Festival 2011. The weeklong festival will feature live performances by artists, groups and bands from across the world as well as special workshops. All of the events are free of charge and will be held at the Abdulaziz Hussein Center in Mishref, Kuwait.

The Hoppin’ John String Band performs and teaches music deeply rooted in the ballads, fiddle tunes, and traditions of the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. Comprised of two fiddles, guitar, banjo and bass, this band is sure to bring you to your feet and inspire you to sing along.

Thursday June 16 - Iraqi Maqam workshop 10:00 am, Traditional Music Night by Ma’youf Traditional Band - 8:30 pm The maqam workshop will take place in the auditorium of the National Museum. The traditional music night will feature the Ma’youf band, the popular traditional Kuwaiti group and will be held in the space in front of the Kuwaiti Maritime Museum.

Friday June 17 - Closing ceremony: Wa’ad Al Bahry band - 8:30

Graduates

US Ambassador Deborah Jones The owner of the school Sheikh Ali Al-Jaber Al-Sabah handing in Wael Abdul Ghafoor and Sheikh Ali- Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. the diploma to one of the graduates.

Some of the graduates.

ASK celebrates graduation day

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he American School of Kuwait celebrated the 45th graduation Class of 109 students. The graduation ceremony took place at Courtyard-JW Marriott AlRaya Ballroom on Wednesday June 8 with the presence of the Ambassador of the United States of America in Kuwait, the capital governor Sheikh Ali Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah and the owner of the American School of Kuwait Wael Abdul Ghafoor.

KES summer school

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ince 1980, KES have had the pleasure of offering an integrated programme of English Language teaching, swimming, games, art, music, drama, and computer studies.

This year there will be even more opportunities for the children to enjoy visits to many of the exciting attractions now available in Kuwait.The Summer School staff are fully qualified and experienced KES teachers and the 4 week course of activities has always been a very popular and worthwhile way for children aged 3-12 years to spend the first few weeks of the long, hot summer. Courses start on June 19. For details E-mail keschool@qualitynet.net

Infunity presents summer ‘Blank Camp’

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re you looking to keep your kids busy this summer? The family entertainment center “Infunity” presents its first summer “Blank Camp”, which offers a great experience, fun and adventures for young campers ages 5 to 12 years old. The “Blank Camp” which is managed by Blank Hunts, offers a variety of activities including arts, crafts, reading, theater, sports and treasure hunt. The camp will be running from June 19 to July 14 at “Infunity”, 360 Mall, Level 3 and will be conducted from 9 am to 1:30 pm. In this camp, kids will have the opportunity to learn new skills, gain knowledge, enhance self-confidence and build character and self-esteem. In addition, build up new friendships and unforgettable experiences that last a lifetime. “Infunity” aims through this camp to offer kids the opportunity to express their capabilities, try new things, stimulate challenge, work in teams and improve their skills. Moreover, all activities are chosen and designed carefully to entrain young campers in a healthy and safe environment. It is worthy to mention that the family entertainment center “Infunity” is one of the latest entertainment centers in Kuwait and it is the right place for the families who are seeking to spend enjoyable and pleasant times since its games are the most recent in Kuwait and combines education and entertainment. Invest your kid’s time and call on 99091277 to register.

Telugu Lalithakala Samithi mega annual cultural extravaganza

T Write to us Send to What’s On upcoming events, birthdays or celebrations by email: local@kuwaittimes.net Fax: 24835619 / 20

he mega annual cultural extravaganza of Telugu Lalithakala Samithi (TLKS) was held on 10 June, Friday at Carmel School. Indian Embassy Charge d’ Affairs Vidhu P. Nair inaugurated the event by lighting the lamp. During his inaugural address, he greeted the Telugu Lalithakala Samithi and wished them all the very best in their endeavours. A souvenir was also released on this occasion.

Famous film personalities, great cine mimicry artiste Shiva Reddy, actress Abinaya Sree, Anuradha, playback singer Vijaya Lakshmi and noted famous TV anchor Indu were invited for this event as star attractions and their performance

spell-bounded the audience. Besides the visiting guests performances, the Fusion Dance Group members have presented spectacular dance program. The whole event was a mega success with huge gathering and the unique cultural programs have enthralled and captivated the Telugu audience till the end.

The members of Mahatma Gandhi Telugu Youth Association Mani and members, Srikrishna Dhal Ramana Raju & Surendra Reddy and Gulfwide Nandamurifans members, have performed volunteer services for this smooth conduct of the program.

The President of the LalithaKala

Samithi, Mohan Babu presented the activities of the Samithi and highlighted the achievements made by the Samithi since its inception.

Chandrasekhar Raju, General Secretary addressed the gathering and explained the charitable activities conducted by the Samithi.

TLKS Executive Committee Honorary President: K Koteswara Rao;; Vice President(S): A Prabhakar Reddy & R Lakshmi pathi Naidu; Genereal Secretary: Chandrasekhar Raju; JS & Welfare coordinator: Giri Babu, Treasurer: Subramanyam Raju ( Bala); Programme Coordinator: K Lingam Naidu ( Gajendra)

ware organized this mega programme.

During this meeting, an Indian woman, who was in financial distress, was presented with a ticket to return home under the Amnesty Scheme. It was also highlighted that the circular instructions given by the Kuwait Government under the Amnesty Scheme were translated into Telugu language and circulated in prominent places so that people who do not understand English can understand and take advantage of the Scheme.

The cultural meeting concluded with the distribution of mementos to the chief guests.

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W H AT ’ S O N

Embassy

Movenpick celebrates Earth Day by planting 60 trees

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he Movenpick Hotel Kuwait - Free trade Zone celebrated the 2011 Earth Day by planting 60 trees in the hotel’s sidewalk areas connecting its two restaurants - Al Dente and Cuts in relation with supporting Kuwait to have a greener environment.

Ms Maricar Canasa - Learning and Development Manager has declared that within the hotel’s Sustainability program this year of involving more the employees in its drive towards achievement of the company’s Sustainability approach, the hotel has undergone this voluntary task where it is considered one of the most meaningful and strategic efforts that the employees of Movenpick Hotel Kuwait has done this year.

Maricar has also added that the tree planting was based around the concept of this year’s Earth Day theme of ‘A Billion Acts of Green’ and in support of the hotel’s continuing program that started in 2010 called ‘Tree Planting and An Invitation To Make A Memory’ wherein our employees are planting their own trees in the hotel’s Sustainability Garden.

Here you will find Marco Saxer the General Manager of the hotel along side with the hotel’s executives and employees planting the trees happily.

Information EMBASSY OF ARGENTINA In order to inform that 23rd of October 2011, will be Argentine national election where all Argentinean citizen residents permanently in Kuwait can vote only if they are registered at the Electoral Register of the Argentine Embassy. The procedure of inscription ended on 25 of April 2011. To register it is necessary that Argentinean citizens should come personally at the Argentinean Embassy (Block 6, street 42, villa 57, Mishref) and present the DNI and four personal photos (size 4x4, face should be front on white background). For further information, contact us on 25379211.

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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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GUST student chosen to attend Youth Science Forum

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he Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) has recently been informed by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) that one of its students, Mohammad Al-Aslawi, was chosen to attend the LondonInternational Youth Science Forum (LIYSF), being held in London between July 27 and August 10, 2011.

The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), in their efforts to promote academically successful Kuwaiti youth in the fields of scientific research, had reviewed six candidates from GUST that were nominated by

the University. Among the criteria that were used to assess the six candidates are: the level of English proficiency, age between 17 and 22, a minimum of 50 completed credits and for the student to have a clear interest in science. KFAS contacted all six candidates for an interview and the successful candidate was Mohammed Al-Aslawi, a Kuwaiti National with a cumulative GPA of 3.79 and is now entering his Junior Year at GUST starting in the Fall of 2011. The successful candidates’ travel and accommodation will by fully sponsored by KFAS, which encourages Kuwaiti youth to be active in

scientific research both locally and internationally.

Mohammed has expressed his genuine gratitudeGUST

and KFAS for the opportunity to represent GUST at this prestigious forum. This occasion is an honor for Mohammed as well as for GUST.LIYSF is a two week residential event held at Imperial College London, one of the highest ranked universities, with lectures and demonstrations from leading scientists, visits to industrial sites, research centers, scientific institutions and organizations, including world class laboratories and universities.

LIYSF attracts over 300 of the world’s leading young scientists from more than 50 participating countries. There is an active social calendar with events designed to enable

those from around the world to learn about different cultures.LIYSF 2011 will explore the future developments in the sciences, with lecture demonstrations, specialist seminars and debates led by a team of scientists and experts and scientific visits. LIYSF 2011 will have an underlying theme, “The Science of the Seas”, which will be addressed throughout LIYSF, including an in depth specialist study day.”

GUST wishes their student Mohammed Al-Aslawi the best of luck and to take advantage of opportunities like this throughout his academic career.

Indian Embassy rendering excellent services under amnesty

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IEAS continues its winning streak

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he anxiety of many STD X students at Indian English Academy School, (IEAS) Salmiya, turned into a big accomplishment with the announcement of the CBSE results. Once again, the students did us proud by outperforming at the 2011 CBSE examination held this year.

A total of 98 students appeared for the Class 10 exams, out of which, 44 secured distinctions and 25 first-class in five major subjects.

Not only was the overall performance excellent but the individual performance in different sub-

jects was overwhelming. More than 50% of STD X students achieved a Grand Grade Point of 8.00 to 10.00.

The number of students with a Grade Point of 10 is: English -12, Hindi / French- 8, Maths-19, Science -14 and Social Studies-11and with a Grade Point of 9 and above is: English -16, Hindi / French- 18, Maths-18, Science -17 and Social Studies-13 IEASians have once again proved that they continue to excel in academics while at the same time honing their skills, talents and personality through multifaceted co-curricu-

lar and extracurricular activities that the school provides.

“Success doesn’t come to you?

You go to it...”, is believed by every student at IEAS. Having scaled through with fervor, the students, staff and management applaud the brilliant success. Three cheers to IEAS!!!!!

IEAS whole heartedly congratulates all the top achievers on their success and wishes one and all the very best in their future endeavors’.

nder the Amnesty announced by the Kuwait government with effect from March 1, 2011, the Embassy of India, Kuwait has, till June 14, 2011, extended services to 12,825 Indian nationals and has delivered Emergency Certificates (EC) to 8,478 of them for their travel to India.

Embassy has been providing free air tickets to destitute Indians in need, who wish to avail of Amnesty, for their journey back home.

Quoting the data provided by Kuwait Ministry of Interior, Charge d’ Affaires of the Indian Embassy, Vidhu P. Nair informed that 5,026 Indians have left Kuwait under Amnesty till May 9, 2011. This includes 3,413 persons working in the domestic sector, 959 on visit/temporary visa, 616 in the private sector, 36 on dependent visa and 2 in the government sector. Cd’A conveyed that the number of Indian nationals visiting the Embassy for various Amnesty related services has picked up during the last few days. Pointing out that Amnesty would end on June 30, 2011, he urged all Indian nationals who have not yet regularized their residency in Kuwait to do so at the earliest or to avail themselves of Amnesty to return to India.

Guidelines for Indian nationals on Amnesty 2011 were widely circulated by the Indian Embassy on March 1, 2011, and are available on Embassy web-site in Hindi, English, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. Forms for Emergency Certificates are available for free at the Embassy, or could be downloaded/completed online from the Embassy website (www.indembkwt.org). The Embassy is also providing free in-house service to fill up EC forms to all the applicants. Further, Embassy has arranged conveyance to and accompanied around 330 Indians having no documents to the Kuwait Department of Immigration for undergoing fingerprinting in order to obtain their details. Other services offered by the Embassy in connection with Amnesty include free photocopying facility, provision of photographer for taking photos for EC, contacting Indian authorities to verify consular status, extension of validity of passport, coordination with Kuwaiti authorities for assisting Indian nationals etc.

Cd’A Vidhu P. Nair thanked all Indian associations and organizations for rendering invaluable support to the Embassy in disseminating information regarding Amnesty in various Indian languages as well as in assisting the Embassy in repatriation of Indian nationals. He also expressed his gratitude to the Government of the State of Kuwait for cooperating with the Embassy by facilitating its various Amnesty-related activities.

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-ukkw.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 ■■■■■■■

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.

■■■■■■■

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 KENYA The Embassy of the Republic of Kenya wishes to request all Kenyans resident in or training through Kuwait to register with the Embassy. We are updating our database. This information is necessary in order to facilitate quick assistance and advise in times of emergency. Kindly visit in person or register through our website www.kenyaembkuwait.com. The Embassy is located in: Surra Area - Block 6 - Street 9 Villa 3 Tel: 25353362 - 25353314; Fax: 25353316.

■■■■■■■

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 ■■■■■■■

EMBASSY OF PERU With the growing interest shown by Kuwaiti citizens and/or foreign residents in Kuwait for going for vacation and tourism to Peru and/or with the purpose of doing business over there, The Embassy of Peru in Kuwait did the effort and obtained as a temporary and immediate solution - till the opening of the consular section of Diplomatic Mission of Peru in Kuwait City - that the consular section of the Embassy of Peru in Qatar will attend those requests of granting such visas. Working hours: 9 am till 2 pm or call +974-4491-5944, Fax: +974-4491-5940 E-mail: info@peruembassy.com.qa

E E t e w in o M

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Years

00:45 Cats 101 01:40 Untamed And Uncut 02:35 Austin Stevens Adventures 03:30 Speed Of Life 04:25 Buggin’ With Ruud 05:20 Animal Cops Phoenix 06:10 Dogs/Cats/Pets 101 07:00 Meerkat Manor 07:25 The Really Wild Show 07:50 The Planet’s Funniest Animals 08:40 Breed All About It 09:10 Extraordinary Dogs 09:35 Project Puppy 10:05 Cats 101 11:00 Animal Cops Houston 11:55 SSPCA: On The Wildside 12:20 Wildlife SOS 12:50 Animal ER 13:45 Animal Cops Phoenix 14:40 Chimps: A Whisper Away From Us 15:30 Echo And The Elephants Of Amboseli 16:00 The Really Wild Show 16:30 Crocodile Hunter 17:25 My Cat From Hell 18:20 Breed All About It 18:45 Planet Wild 19:15 Daniel And Our Cats 20:10 Dogs 101 21:05 Cheetah Kingdom 22:00 Max’s Big Tracks 22:55 I Was Bitten 23:50 Daniel And Our Cats

00:00 Last Of The Summer Wine 00:30 The Weakest Link 01:15 Casualty 02:10 Desperate Romantics 03:00 Eastenders 03:30 Doctors 04:00 Last Of The Summer Wine 04:35 Fimbles 04:55 Balamory 05:15 Teletubbies 05:40 Gigglebiz 05:55 Fimbles 06:15 Balamory 06:35 Teletubbies 07:00 Fimbles 07:20 Balamory 07:40 Teletubbies 08:05 Gigglebiz 08:20 Fimbles 08:40 Balamory 09:00 Teletubbies 09:25 Gigglebiz 09:40 Last Of The Summer Wine 10:40 The Weakest Link 11:25 Doctor Who 12:10 Doctors 12:40 Eastenders 13:10 Casualty 14:00 Last Of The Summer Wine 15:30 Doctor Who 16:15 Doctor Who Confidential 16:30 The Weakest Link 17:15 Doctors 17:45 Eastenders 18:15 Casualty 19:05 Doctor Who 19:50 Doctor Who Confidential 20:00 The Weakest Link 20:45 Doctors 21:15 Eastenders 21:45 Casualty 22:40 Ray Mears’ Northern Wilderness

00:30 Come Dine With Me 01:20 The Home Show 02:05 Design Star 03:35 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 04:25 Daily Cooks Challenge 06:20 Design Star 07:15 Daily Cooks Challenge 08:55 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 09:45 Antiques Roadshow 10:40 Design Star

11:20 Design Star 12:05 New Scandinavian Cooking 12:55 Antiques Roadshow 13:50 Cash In The Attic 14:35 Bargain Hunt 15:20 Come Dine With Me 16:10 Design Star 17:40 Indian Food Made Easy 18:10 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 18:35 New Scandinavian Cooking With Andreas Viestad 19:00 Antiques Roadshow 19:50 Cash In The Attic 20:35 Bargain Hunt 21:20 Come Dine With Me

00:00 00:30 00:45 01:00 01:30 01:45 02:00 02:30 02:45 03:00 03:30 03:45 04:00 04:30 04:45 05:00 05:30 05:45 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 07:45 08:00 08:30 08:45 09:30 09:45 10:00 10:30 10:45 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 12:45 13:00 13:30 13:45 14:00 15:00 15:30 15:45 16:00 17:30 17:45 18:00 18:30

BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News America Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Asia Business Report Asia Today BBC World News Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News BBC World News World Business Report BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Hardtalk BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today GMT With George Alagiah BBC World News World Business Report Sport Today Impact With Mishal Husain World Business Report Sport Today BBC World News Hardtalk

00:00 00:30 01:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 06:30 07:00 07:30 08:00 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 13:00 13:30 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 18:30 19:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 22:00 23:00

Backstory World Sport World Report World Business Today Piers Morgan Tonight Anderson Cooper 360 World Sport Talk Asia World Report Backstory World Report World Sport Ireport For CNN World Business Today World One World Sport Mainsail Piers Morgan Tonight News Stream World Business Today International Desk The Brief World Sport Prism International Desk Mainsail Quest Means Business Piers Morgan Tonight Connect The World

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

TV PROGRAMS

00:00 Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey 01:00 Hollywood and Vines 01:30 Distant Shores 02:00 Inside Luxury Travel-Varun Sharma 03:00 Essential Specials 04:00 Globe Trekker 05:00 Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey 06:00 Destination Art 06:30 48 Hours In 07:00 Globe Trekker Special 08:00 Megalopolis 09:00 Travel Notebook 10:00 Julian and Camilla’s World Odyssey 11:00 Croissants In The Jungle 11:30 Riding Route 66 12:00 Globe Trekker 13:00 Distant Shores 13:30 Sophie Grigson In The Orient 14:00 Cruise Today 14:30 Megalopolis 15:30 Travel Today 16:00 Globe Trekker

00:05 Cow And Chicken 00:30 Cramp Twins 00:55 George Of The Jungle 01:20 Courage The Cowardly Dog 01:45 Eliot Kid 02:10 Ed, Edd N Eddy 02:35 Ben 10: Alien Force 03:00 The Powerpuff Girls 03:15 Chowder 03:40 The Secret Saturdays 04:05 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 04:30 Ben 10: Alien Force 04:55 Best Ed 05:20 Skunk Fu! 05:45 Cramp Twins 06:10 Eliot Kid 06:35 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 07:00 Codename: Kids Next Door 07:25 Cow And Chicken 07:50 Angelo Rules 08:05 Cartoon Network Dance Club 08:15 Adventure Time 08:40 Ben 10: Ultimate Alien 09:05 The Secret Saturdays 09:30 Batman: The Brave And The Bold 09:55 The Powerpuff Girls 10:20 Robotboy 10:30 Hero 108 10:55 Ben 10 11:20 Chowder 11:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 12:10 Camp Lazlo 12:35 George Of The Jungle 13:00 Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends 13:25 Codename: Kids Next Door 13:50 Ben 10 14:15 My Gym Partner’s A Monkey 14:40 Squirrel Boy 15:05 Eliot Kid 15:35 Ed, Edd N Eddy 16:00 Cow And Chicken 16:25 Chop Socky Chooks 16:50 Skunk Fu! 17:15 Chowder 17:40 Best Ed 18:05 Hero 108 18:30 Cartoon Network Dance Club 18:45 The Marvelous Misadventures Of Flapjack 18:55 Star Wars: The Clone Wars 19:20 Ben 10: Alien Force 19:45 The Secret Saturdays 20:10 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 20:35 Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes 21:00 The Powerpuff Girls 21:25 Ed, Edd N Eddy 21:50 Robotboy 22:00 Adventure Time 22:25 Hero 108 22:50 Ben 10 23:15 Bakugan Battle Brawlers 23:40 Chowder

FAST AND FURIOUS ON OSN ACTION HD

00:40 Dirty Jobs 01:35 Science Of The Movies 02:30 Ultimate Survival 03:25 Ultimate Car Build-Off 04:20 Mythbusters 05:15 How It’s Made 05:40 How Machines Work 06:05 Dirty Jobs 07:00 Ultimate Car Build-Off 07:50 American Chopper: Senior vs Junior 08:45 How It’s Made 09:10 Mythbusters 10:05 Cake Boss 10:30 Border Security 10:55 Time Warp 11:25 Science Of The Movies 12:20 The Future Of...

13:15 Ultimate Survival 14:10 LA Ink 15:05 Dirty Jobs 16:00 Ultimate Car Build-Off 16:55 Mythbusters 17:50 Extreme Fishing 18:45 Cake Boss 19:10 Border Security 19:40 Time Warp 20:05 How Machines Work 20:35 How It’s Made 21:00 Surviving The Cut 21:55 Sons Of Guns 22:50 Frontline Battle Machines...

00:30 00:55 01:45 02:35 03:25 03:50 04:45 05:40 06:10 07:00 07:55 07:58 08:25 08:55 09:45 10:35 11:25 11:50 12:40 13:05 13:55 14:45 15:35 16:00 16:03 16:30 17:00 17:50 18:40 19:30 20:20 20:45 21:10 22:00

The Gadget Show Mega World How It’s Made How Stuff Works How Stuff’s Made Thunder Races Science Of The Movies One Step Beyond Engineered Catch It Keep It Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Sci-Fi Saved My Life The Gadget Show What’s That About?

Mean Green Machines Catch It Keep It One Step Beyond How Stuff Works Eco-Tech Mega World The Gadget Show Head Rush Sci-Fi Science Weird Connections Brainiac Bad Universe Bang Goes The Theory The Future Of...

Sci-Fi Science How Does That Work?

The Gadget Show Bang Goes The Theory

00:05 Unwrapped 00:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 00:55 Paula’s Best Dishes 01:45 Unwrapped 02:35 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 03:25 Chopped 04:15 Good Eats - Special 04:40 Unwrapped 05:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 05:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 05:50 Paula’s Party 06:35 Barefoot Contessa 07:00 Chopped 07:50 Guy’s Big Bite 08:15 Boy Meets Grill 08:40 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 09:05 Ten Dollar Dinners 09:30 Paula’s Best Dishes 09:55 Barefoot Contessa 10:20 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 10:45 Boy Meets Grill 11:10 Unwrapped 11:35 Paula’s Party 12:25 Good Eats - Special 12:50 Paula’s Best Dishes 13:15 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 13:40 Ultimate Recipe Showdown 14:30 Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives 14:55 Unwrapped 15:20 Boy Meets Grill 15:45 Chopped 16:35 Guy’s Big Bite 17:00 Barefoot Contessa 17:25 Good Deal With Dave Lieberman 17:50 Ten Dollar Dinners 18:15 Paula’s Party 19:05 Boy Meets Grill

00:20 00:45 01:10 01:30 01:55 02:20 02:45 03:10 03:30 03:55 04:20 04:45 05:10 05:35 06:00 06:25 06:50 07:15 07:40 08:00 08:10 08:20 08:30 08:45 09:10 09:20 09:30 09:55 10:05 10:25 11:15 11:35 12:00 12:10 12:35 13:00 13:25 13:40 14:05

Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Jo Jo’s Circus Jungle Junction Special Agent Oso Little Einsteins Higglytown Heroes Special Agent Oso Special Agent Oso Jungle Junction Jungle Junction Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Timmy Time Handy Manny Jake & The Neverland Pirates The Hive Handy Manny Mickey Mouse Clubhouse The Little Mermaid Little Einsteins Jungle Junction Lazytown Imagination Movers Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Jake & The Neverland Pirates Jungle Junction Timmy Time

14:15 The Hive 14:25 Little Einsteins 14:50 The Little Mermaid 15:15 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 16:05 Handy Manny 16:30 The Hive 16:40 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 16:55 Imagination Movers 17:20 Lazytown 17:45 Jungle Junction 17:55 Special Agent Oso 18:05 The Hive 18:15 Little Einsteins 18:35 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 19:00 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 19:20 The Little Mermaid 19:45 Handy Manny 19:55 Timmy Time 20:05 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 20:50 Jake & The Neverland Pirates 21:10 The Hive 21:20 Handy Manny 21:30 The Little Mermaid 21:55 Little Einsteins 22:20 Handy Manny 22:35 The Hive 22:45 Jungle Junction23:00 The Little Mermaid 23:20 Timmy Time 23:30 Jo Jo’s Circus 23:55 Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

06:00 Kid vs Kat 06:20 Kick Buttowski 06:40 Pokemon Dp: Sinnoh League Victors 07:05 Phineas And Ferb 08:05 American Dragon 08:30 Kick Buttowski 08:50 Kid vs Kat 09:00 Pokemon 11:30 Pokemon: Giratina And The Sky Warrior 13:10 Phineas And Ferb 13:20 Kid vs Kat 13:30 Pokemon 14:40 Zeke And Luther 15:05 Kick Buttowski 15:25 Kid vs Kat 15:35 Pokemon Dp: Sinnoh League Victors 16:00 I’m In The Band 16:25 Suite Life On Deck 16:50 Zeke And Luther 17:40 Phineas And Ferb 18:30 Pokemon: Giratina And The Sky Warrior 20:10 Phineas And Ferb 20:15 Kid vs Kat 20:40 Phineas And Ferb 21:05 I’m In The Band 21:30 Zeke And Luther 21:50 Phineas And Ferb 22:00 The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody 22:20 The Super Hero Squad Show 23:00 Programmes Start At 6:00am KSA

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF- BLOOD PRINCE ON OSN MOVIES ACTION 19:30 20:20 Jones 21:10 22:00 Cases 22:50 23:40

Real Emergency Calls True Crime With Aphrodite FBI Case Files Autopsy: Most Shocking True Crime Scene Dr G: Medical Examiner

00:30 Banged Up Abroad 01:30 Madventures 02:30 Banged Up Abroad 03:30 The Best Job In The World 04:00 Bondi Rescue 04:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 05:00 Exploring The Vine 05:30 Cruise Ship Diaries 06:30 Banged Up Abroad 07:30 Madventures 00:25 Kendra 08:30 Banged Up Abroad 00:55 Then And Now 01:25 25 Celebrity Near Death 09:30 The Best Job In The World 10:00 Bondi Rescue Experiences 10:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 03:15 25 Most Stylish 11:00 Exploring The Vine 04:10 Sexiest 11:30 Surfer’s Journal 05:05 Extreme Hollywood 12:30 Bondi Rescue 06:00 THS 13:30 Nomads 07:50 Behind The Scenes 14:30 Banged Up Abroad 08:20 E! News 15:30 The Best Job In The World 09:15 Khloe And Lamar 16:00 Bondi Rescue 10:15 THS 12:05 E! News 16:30 David Rocco’s Dolce Vita 13:05 Fashion Police 17:00 Exploring The Vine 13:35 Extreme Close-Up 17:30 Surfer’s Journal 14:05 Kourtney And Kim Take New 18:30 Bondi Rescue York 19:30 Nomads 14:35 THS 20:30 Banged Up Abroad 15:30 E!es 16:25 Behind The Scenes 16:55 Holly’s World 17:55 E! News 01:00 The Descent 2-18 18:55 Kimora: Life In The Fab Lane 02:45 Shanghai Knights-PG15 19:55 E!es 04:45 Brotherhood-PG15 20:55 Chelsea Lately 06:15 Transformers: Revenge Of The 21:25 Khloe And Lamar Fallen-PG15 22:25 E! News 08:45 Fast And Furious-PG15 23:25 Chelsea Lately 23:55 Keeping Up With The 10:30 Shanghai Knights-PG15 12:30 The Taking Of Pelham 123-18 Kardashians 14:15 Fast And Furious-PG15 16:15 Signs-PG15 18:00 The Taking Of Pelham 123-18 20:00 Watchmen-18 22:45 The Cottage-18 00:15 Untracked 00:40 BMX Megatour 01:30 World Combat League 02:20 Untracked 03:10 Aiya TV 00:30 The Daily Show With Jon 04:00 I’ll Do Anything Stewart 04:50 BMX Megatour 01:00 The Colbert Report 05:40 World Combat League 01:30 South Park 06:30 FIA European Drag Racing 02:00 The Big C 2008 02:30 Weeds 08:00 Quattro Events 2009 03:00 Rita Rocks 08:25 X Games Heroes 03:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 09:15 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross...

03:30 Weeds 10:55 Eds Up 04:00 South Park 11:45 Fantasy Factory 04:30 The Tonight Show With Jay 12:35 Untracked Leno 13:25 BMX Megatour 05:30 Will And Grace 14:15 World Combat League 06:00 According To Jim 15:05 Eds Up 06:30 Family Biz 15:55 Fantasy Factory 07:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 16:45 Quattro Events 2009 08:00 Parks And Recreation 17:10 X Games Heroes 08:30 The New Adventures Of Old 18:00 Lucas Oil Ama Motocross...

Christine 19:40 BMX Megatour 09:00 Rita Rocks 20:30 Untracked 09:30 Will And Grace 21:20 FIM World Motocross MX3 10:00 According To Jim Championships...

10:30 Parks And Recreation 22:10 World Combat League 11:00 Family Biz 23:00 Aiya TV 11:30 The Tonight Show With Jay Leno 12:30 The New Adventures Of Old Christine 00:30 The Haunted 13:00 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 01:20 Psychic Witness 13:30 Will And Grace 02:10 I Almost Got Away With It 14:00 According To Jim 03:50 Dr G: Medical Examiner 14:30 The Simpsons 04:45 Amsterdam Vice 15:00 Parks And Recreation 05:15 The Haunted 15:30 The Daily Show With Jon 06:10 Mystery Diagnosis Stewart 07:00 Forensic Detectives 16:00 The Colbert Report 07:50 Murder Shift 16:30 Family Biz 08:40 Mystery Diagnosis 17:00 Late Night With Jimmy Fallon 09:30 Real Emergency Calls 18:00 Rita Rocks 10:20 Solved 18:30 Tyler Perry’s House Of Payne 11:10 FBI Files 19:00 Happy Endings 12:00 True Crime With Aphrodite 19:30 Community Jones 20:00 The Tonight Show With Jay 12:50 FBI Case Files Leno 13:40 Mystery Diagnosis 21:00 The Daily Show With Jon 14:30 Real Emergency Calls Stewart 15:20 Solved 21:30 The Colbert Report 16:10 Forensic Detectives 22:00 The Ricky Gervais Show 17:00 Murder Shift 22:30 Weeds 17:50 FBI Files 23:00 South Park 18:40 Mystery Diagnosis

01:00 John Carpenter’s Ghosts Of Mars-PG15 03:00 Bitch Slap-18 05:00 The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations-18 06:45 The Hunt For Red October 09:00 Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story 11:00 Harry Potter And The HalfBlood Prince-PG15 13:30 Star Trek 10: Nemesis-PG15 15:30 Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story 17:30 No Escape-PG15 19:30The Manchurian Candidate-18 21:45 District 13: Ultimatum-18 23:30 Fear Island-PG15

00:00 02:00 04:00 05:45 PG15 08:00 10:00 12:15 14:00 16:00 18:00 20:00 22:00

Brassed Off-PG15 Palo Alto-PG15 Bitter Suite-PG15 He’s Just Not That Into YouWag The Dog-PG Keeping The Faith-PG15 The Ramen Girl-PG15 Born Yesterday-PG15 Brassed Off-PG15 Mr. Baseball-PG I Love You, Man-18 The Elder Son-PG15

01:15 Jack Goes Boating-PG15 03:00 Mr. Deeds-PG 05:00 It’s A Wonderful Afterlife 07:00 Not The Messiah: He’s A Very Naughty Boy-PG15 09:00 Gasland-PG15 11:00How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days 13:00 Avatar-PG 15:45 Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea-FAM 17:30 Gasland-PG15 19:15 It’s Complicated-PG15 21:15 The Losers-PG15

00:00 Yogi And The Invasion Of The Space Bears-FAM 02:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 04:00 Tutenstein: Clash Of The Pharaohs-PG 06:00 Scooby-Doo And The Reluctant Werewolf-FAM 08:00 The Three Musketeers-FAM 10:00 Dr. Dolittle 2-PG 12:00 Rolie, Polie, Olie: The MovieFAM 14:00 Arthur And The Revenge Of Maltazard-PG 16:00 Cars-PG 18:00 Monsters vs. Aliens-PG 20:00 Scooby-Doo And The Loch Ness Monster-FAM

00:00 2:37-R 02:00 You Again-PG15 04:00 L’affaire Farewell-PG15 06:00 My Son, My Son, What Have You Done?-PG15 08:00 Passing Strange-PG 10:15 The Building-PG15 12:00 You Again-PG15 14:00 Hachiko: A Dog’s Story-PG15 15:45 Passing Strange-PG 18:00 The Blind Side-PG15 20:15 The Private Lives Of Pippa LeePG15 22:00 The Joneses-PG15

00:30 01:00 07:00 09:00 09:30 10:30 12:30 13:00 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 23:30

Futbol Mundial Rugby Union State Of Origin NRL Full Time Trans World Sport ATP Tennis ICC Cricket World Live Test Cricket European Tour Weekly Futbol Mundial NRL Full Time Live Northern Rail Cup Total Rugby

00:00 NRL Full Time 00:30 State of Origin

02:30 03:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 12:00 12:30 13:30 14:00 15:00 17:00 18:00 20:00 20:30 21:30 22:30 23:30

Mobil 1 The Grid Masters Football Weber Cup Bowling Golfing World Rugby Union IRB Nations Cup Total Rugby Super Rugby Highlights European Tour Weekly Weber Cup Bowling State of Origin Trans World Sports Rugby Union IRB Nations Cup Total Rugby Super Rugby Highlights Golfing World Trans World Sport State of Origin

00:00 03:00 06:00 07:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 11:30 12:00 13:00 16:00 19:00 20:00 21:00

UFC 131 Prizefighter UFC Unleashed WWE SmackDown WWE Bottom Line UAE National Race Day Series City Centre Races City Centre Races WWE Vintage Collection WWE Bottom Line Prizefighter WWE NXT UFC 131 Prelims UFC 131

00:00 01:00 01:55 02:25 03:20 05:10 05:35 06:05 07:00 08:00 09:00 09:55 10:50 11:50 13:45 14:15 14:45 15:40 16:35 17:30 18:25 19:25 19:50 20:20 21:15 22:10

Jerseylicious Fashion Avenue Big Boutique How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Homes With Style Area Clean House Big Boutique Homes With Style Fashion Avenue How Do I Look?

Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Clean House Top 10 Mel B: It’s A Scary World Jerseylicious Ruby Giuliana & Bill Ruby How Do I Look?

Big Boutique Fashion Avenue Clean House Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?

Giuliana & Bill

00:00 01:00 02:00 03:00 04:00 05:00 06:00 07:00 08:00 09:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00

Last Voices Of World War I Ice Road Truckers Ax Men Patton 360 Nato’s Secret Armies Dead Men’s Secrets Last Voices Of World War I Ice Road Truckers Ax Men Patton 360 Nato’s Secret Armies Dead Men’s Secrets Last Voices Of World War I Ice Road Truckers Ax Men Patton 360 Nato’s Secret Armies Dead Men’s Secrets Last Voices Of World War I Ice Road Truckers Ax Men Sliced Tunnellers World War II: Lost Films

01:30 03:20 05:05 07:00 08:30 10:00 11:20 13:00 14:40 16:35 18:00 19:50 22:00

The Haunting Cat On A Hot Tin Roof Captain Blood 42nd Street Crazy From The Heart Across The Wide Missouri The Unfinished Dance Casablanca The Tender Trap The Strip Young Bess The Unsinkable Molly Brown Fame

Classifieds THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

ACCOMMODATION Separate room available for Indian bachelors in old Riggae. Sector-1, St.-1, Jadda-3.

Contact: 97525930. (C 3447) 16-6-2011 Sharing accommodation with Kerala family from July 4, for decent couples or working ladies, near Ruchi Restaurant, Abbassiya.

Contact: 99487601.

(C 3440) Sharing accommodation available for Keralite family, working ladies or couples, Abbassiya.

Contact: 97769931. (C 3441) Fully furnished flat of 1 bed, hall available from June 20, 2011, to share a practicing Muslim person or family, located in

Abbasiya near German Clinic. Contact: 99430379.

(C 3445) Sharing furnished accommodation available in Salmiya behind Hadi Hospital, preferred nurses, lady doctor, teacher or working in saloon. Contact: 66373409.

15-6-2011 Sharing available (bath attached) for family in a double bedroom + hall flat - Abbasiya, opp. Garden Variety Store near Asianet building.

Contact: 97213877 / 50202206.

(C 3438) 14-6-2011 Sharing accommodation available in Salimya opposite Eddie Store for Indian bachelors.

Contact: 97947562. (C 3437) 13-6-2011

FOR SALE PC Compaq Pentium 4, RAM 256MB, HD 40 GB, DVD-CD Writer, Windows XP Professional with 15” LCD Neovo, excellent condition. Price KD 45. Call: 99322585/ 99337034.

(C 3448) 16-6-2011 Chevrolet Optra, model 2006, silver while color, 4 cylinder, insurance up to June 2013, price KD 1300/-.

Contact: 97124858.

(C 3439) Expat family selling furniture items (sofa sets, bed sets, tables, carpets, no electronics).

Contact: 66042205.

Also see tiny.cc//lpa36 (C 3442) For sale wooden bedroom furniture (except wardrobe), wooden dining table with four chairs, all Center Point, Panasonic 42” Plasma and JVC hi-fi system with 5 DVD players, and more. All used for 1 year.

Contact: 66603401.

Toyota Corolla 2002, silver color, 100,000km, excellent condition, KD 1500.

Contact: 66729295.

(C 3435) 13-6-2011

MATRIMONIAL Tamil Muslim girl, MCA, 25 yrs from Tamil Nadu, seeks alliance from professionally qualified, Tamil Muslim boys working in Kuwait.

Contact Email: sha_kwt@yahoo.com (C 3446) 15-6-2011 Keralite Christian Anglo Indian boy B.E, 27 yrs, 175cms, working with MNC Bangalore invites suitable proposals (caste no bar).

Contact Email: shinestoncorreya@gmail.com (C 3432) 11-6-2011 SITUATION VACANT Required live-in Filipina maid. Call: 99601906.

(C 3443) Required live-in maid, any nationality. Call: 99601906.

(C 3444) 15-6-2011 Required English speaking live -in maid / nanny.

Contact: 99824597.

(C 3436) 13-6-2011

Urgently required an experienced cook for a Kuwaiti family. Attractive salary + food & accommodation will be provided. Candidates with transferable Iqama.

Contact: 94064401.

(C 3434) 11-6-2011

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 JZR JZR MEA THY ETH UAE DHX ETD MSR FDB GFA QTR THY JZR FCX JZR KAC BAW KAC KAC IRA KAC KAC FDB KAC KAC KAC UAE QTR ABY ETD GFA MEA JZR SVA MSR JZR KAC MSR UAL RJA MSR FDB OMA JZR KAC KAC SVA KAC KNE SYR

Flt 642 205 267 406 772 620 853 371 305 614 67 211 138 770 503 201 555 412 157 206 382 605 302 332 53 352 284 362 855 132 125 301 213 404 165 9431 623 561 672 610 982 640 621 57 645 357 562 546 500 788 745 341

Arrival Flights on Thursday 16/6/2011 Route AMMAN DAMASCUS BEIRUT BEIRUT ISTANBUL ADDIS ABABA DUBAI BAHRAIN ABU DHABI CAIRO DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA ISTANBUL LUXOR DUBAI ALEXANDRIA MANILA / BANGKOK LONDON ISLAMABAD DELHI ISFAHAN MUMBAI TRIVANDRUM DUBAI COCHIN DHAKA COLOMBO DUBAI DOHA SHARJAH ABU DHABI BAHRAIN BEIRUT DUBAI JEDDAH SOHAG SOHAG DUBAI CAIRO WASHINGTON DC DULLES AMMAN ASSIUT DUBAI MUSCAT MASHAD AMMAN ALEXANDRIA JEDDAH JEDDAH JEDDAH DAMASCUS

Time 0:05 0:25 0:35 0:45 1:15 1:45 2:25 2:45 2:55 3:05 3:10 3:15 3:20 4:10 5:15 5:25 6:10 6:15 6:30 7:15 7:20 7:40 7:50 7:55 7:55 8:05 8:10 8:20 8:25 9:00 9:10 9:30 9:35 10:55 11:10 11:30 12:10 12:30 13:15 13:20 13:30 13:35 13:40 13:50 14:00 14:10 14:20 14:30 14:30 14:40 14:45 14:55

JZR QTR JZR KNE KAC MLR ETD UAE KAC GFA SVA JZR TAR JZR ABY ALK JZR RBG KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC KAC JAI SIA IRA FDB VOS OMA JZR MEA KAC MSR DHX KLM UAE GFA QTR UAL AIC JZR JZR JZR MSR MSR DLH LZB AXB JZR PIA

257 134 535 789 118 403 303 857 154 215 510 777 327 239 127 227 177 3555 104 502 542 618 786 614 674 774 572 458 617 61 93 647 179 402 178 618 372 445 859 217 136 981 981 135 513 185 606 612 636 7787 389 539 205

BEIRUT DOHA CAIRO JEDDAH NEW YORK COLOMBO / DUBAI ABU DHABI DUBAI ISTANBUL BAHRAIN RIYADH JEDDAH TUNIS / DUBAI AMMAN SHARJAH COLOMBO / DUBAI DUBAI ALEXANDRIA LONDON BEIRUT CAIRO DOHA JEDDAH BAHRAIN DUBAI RIYADH MUMBAI SINGAPORE / ABU DHABI AHWAZ DUBAI KANDAHAR / DUBAI MUSCAT DUBAI BEIRUT GENEVA / FRANKFURT ALEXANDRIA BAHRAIN AMSTERDAM DUBAI BAHRAIN DOHA BAHRAIN CHENNAI / AHMEDABAD BAHRAIN SHARM EL SHEIKH DUBAI LUXOR CAIRO FRANKFURT SOFIA KOZHIKODE / MANGALORE CAIRO LAHORE

15:10 15:15 15:50 16:00 16:15 16:40 16:50 16:55 17:00 17:15 17:20 17:25 17:30 17:35 17:40 18:00 18:00 18:05 18:35 18:45 18:50 18:55 19:00 19:20 19:25 19:25 19:35 19:35 19:45 20:00 20:00 20:10 20:10 20:15 20:45 20:55 21:00 21:05 21:15 21:25 21:35 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:35 22:45 22:50 23:00 23:05 23:10 23:30 23:55

Airlines AXB DLH AIC KLM PIA MEA THY ETH UAE FDB ETD MSR QTR THY JZR JZR RJA GFA KAC JZR BAW IRA FDB JZR KAC KAC KAC JZR KAC UAE ABY KAC QTR ETD GFA KAC MEA JZR KAC JZR SVA KAC MSR KAC JZR MSR RJA FDB MSR UAL OMA KAC

Depurture Flights on Thursday 16/6/2011 Flt Route 394 COCHIN / KOZHIKODE 637 FRANKFURT 576 GOA / CHENNAI 447 AMSTERDAM 216 KARACHI 407 BEIRUT 773 ISTANBUL 620 BAHRAIN / ADDIS ABABA 854 DUBAI 68 DUBAI 306 ABU DHABI 615 CAIRO 139 DOHA 771 ISTANBUL 560 SOHAG 164 DUBAI 643 AMMAN 212 BAHRAIN 545 ALEXANDRIA 356 MASHAD 156 LONDON 606 MASHAD 54 DUBAI 534 CAIRO 787 JEDDAH 153 ISTANBUL 671 DUBAI 256 BEIRUT 561 AMMAN 856 DUBAI 126 SHARJAH 101 LONDON / NEW YORK 133 DOHA 302 ABU DHABI 214 BAHRAIN 165 ROME / PARIS 405 BEIRUT 776 JEDDAH 541 CAIRO 238 AMMAN 2431 JEDDAH 501 BEIRUT 624 SOHAG 785 JEDDAH 176 DUBAI 611 CAIRO 641 AMMAN 58 DUBAI 622 ASSIUT 982 BAHRAIN 646 MUSCAT 673 DUBAI

Time 0:15 0:40 0:50 0:55 1:10 1:45 2:15 2:30 3:45 3:50 4:05 4:05 5:00 5:10 5:55 6:55 7:00 7:10 7:40 8:20 8:25 8:40 8:40 8:50 8:55 8:55 9:00 9:10 9:15 9:40 9:50 9:55 10:00 10:15 10:20 11:45 11:55 12:00 12:00 12:10 13:00 13:00 13:10 13:30 13:40 14:20 14:30 14:35 14:40 14:45 15:00 15:10

Directorate General of Civil Aviation Home Page (www.kuwait-airport.com.kw)

KNE KAC SYR SVA JZR KAC JZR QTR KAC JZR KNE VOS ETD MLR UAE GFA TAR ABY JZR JZR SVA RBG ALK JZR KAC KAC JAI FDB IRA KAC KAC OMA MEA SIA MSR KAC DHX KLM KAC JZR UAE GFA FCX QTR KAC KAC JZR JZR UAL KAC MSR MSR KAC

746 617 342 505 178 773 512 135 613 538 790 82 304 404 858 216 328 128 184 266 511 3556 228 134 283 361 571 62 616 331 351 648 403 457 619 543 373 445 677 206 860 218 102 137 301 205 502 554 981 411 607 613 415

JEDDAH DOHA DAMASCUS JEDDAH DUBAI RIYADH SHARM EL SHEIKH DOHA BAHRAIN CAIRO JEDDAH BAGHDAD ABU DHABI DUBAI / COLOMBO DUBAI BAHRAIN TUNIS SHARJAH DUBAI BEIRUT RIYADH ALEXANDRIA DUBAI / COLOMBO BAHRAIN DHAKA COLOMBO MUMBAI DUBAI AHWAZ TRIVANDRUM COCHIN MUSCAT BEIRUT ABU DHABI / SINGAPORE ALEXANDRIA CAIRO BAHRAIN BAHRAIN / AMSTERDAM DUBAI / MUSCAT DAMASCUS DUBAI BAHRAIN BAHRAIN DOHA MUMBAI ISLAMABAD LUXOR ALEXANDRIA WASHINGTON DC DULLES BANGKOK / MANILA LUXOR CAIRO KUALA LUMPUR / JAKARTA

15:30 15:35 15:55 16:00 16:00 16:05 16:10 16:15 16:20 16:40 16:45 17:00 17:35 17:40 18:05 18:15 18:20 18:20 18:25 18:30 18:35 18:45 19:10 19:10 20:00 20:20 20:35 20:40 20:45 21:00 21:05 21:10 21:15 21:20 21:55 21:55 22:00 22:05 22:10 22:20 22:25 22:30 22:30 22:35 22:45 22:55 23:05 23:10 23:40 23:40 23:45 23:50 23:50

34

stars CROSSWORD 350

CALVIN & HOBBES

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

STAR TRACK Aries (March 21-April 19) Much can be accomplished today. You may enjoy involvement in any mental efforts or like forms of discipline. You could present or teach religious and philosophical ideas, anything where substance and content are at issue. You have such an outpouring of insights—having a conversation with you can be a real experience. Your mind works like lightning; words and thoughts sort of shoot out, illuminating whatever subject is at hand. You really do have very different ideas and ways of expressing them. A born coach or teacher, you are at home in the physical and productive areas of life. You are an inspiration and driving force in the lives of others—do not be afraid to participate in the care and education of the young.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

POOCH CAFE ACROSS 1. The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on.

5. Greek mythology.

10. A benevolent aspect of Devi.

13. An elaborate song for solo voice.

14. A condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people.

15. A local computer network for communication between computers.

16. A period of 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday.

17. Person who does no work.

18. (British) Your grandmother.

19. A compartment in front of a motor vehicle where driver sits.

21. A member of the Caddo people who formerly lived in the Dakotas west of the Missouri river.

23. In bed.

25. The granite-like rocks that form the outermost layer of the earth's crust.

26. A blind god.

29. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

33. A colorless and odorless inert gas.

34. (Old Testament) The second patriarch.

38. A river in north central Switzerland that runs northeast into the Rhine.

39. A white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily.

40. A gradual decline (in size or strength or power or number).

42. A federal agency established to regulate the release of new foods and health-related products.

44. Made of or resembling lace.

46. A decree that prohibits something.

47. An informal term for a father.

51. Large burrowing rodent of South and Central America.

53. A scholar who specializes in Arab languages and culture.

56. (of complexion) Blemished by imperfections of the skin.

60. Big-eyed scad.

61. An officer who acts as military assistant to a more senior officer.

64. Title for a civil or military leader (especially in Turkey).

65. Being one more than two.

66. A port city in southwestern Iran.

68. God of the underworld.

69. (Irish) Mother of the ancient Irish gods.

70. West Indian tree having racemes of fragrant white flowers and yielding a durable timber and resinous juice.

71. The residue that remains when something is burned.

DOWN 1. A fine grained mineral having a soft soapy feel and consisting of hydrated magnesium silicate.

2. The chief solid component of mammalian urine.

3. In the Arabian Nights a hero who tells of the fantastic adventures he had in his voyages.

4. Headdress that protects the head from bad weather.

5. Submerged aquatic plant having narrow leaves and small flowers.

6. A condition (mostly in boys) characterized by behavioral and learning disorders.

7. East Indian tree bearing a profusion of intense vermilion velvet-textured blooms and yielding a yellow dye.

8. Small genus of dioecious tropical aquatic plants.

9. In or belonging to the air or operating (for or by means of aircraft or elevated cables) in the air.

10. The inner and longer of the two bones of the human forearm.

11. A flat-bottomed volcanic crater that was formed by an explosion.

12. A former copper coin of Pakistan.

20. A Mid-Atlantic state.

22. Being ten more than one hundred forty.

24. Soft creamy white cheese.

27. Toward the mouth or oral region.

28. The syllable naming the fourth (subdominant) note of the diatonic scale in solmization.

30. A metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables.

31. Fallow deer.

32. A port city in northwestern Algeria and the country's 2nd largest city.

35. A metallic element having four allotropic forms.

36. The blood group whose red cells carry both the A and B antigens.

37. A boy or man.

41. Type genus of the Lycaenidae.

43. A port city in southwestern Turkey on the Gulf of Antalya.

44. A highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series).

45. A white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light.

48. A loose sleeveless outer garment made from aba cloth.

49. English theoretical physicist who applied relativity theory to quantum mechanics and predicted the existence of antimatter and the positron (1902-1984).

50. A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms.

52. A radioactive element of the actinide series.

54. One of a pair of long straps (usually connected to the bit or the headpiece) used to control a horse.

55. An official language of the Republic of South Africa.

56. A very poisonous metallic element that has three allotropic forms.

57. A quantity of no importance.

58. Armor plate that protects the chest.

59. Distinctive and stylish elegance.

62. An agency of the United Nations affiliated with the World Bank.

63. A light touch or stroke.

64. A silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite.

67. A soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group.

Yesterday’s Solution

Your feelings need to be stirred before you can throw yourself wholeheartedly into any venture just now. Love, ideals and a strong sense of your own worth are vital to your well-being and ability to function. You enjoy life and you value gusto and enthusiasm in those around you. Feelings are something you express with ease and you appreciate others doing the same.

Emotional drama is valued rather than avoided today and you may perceive these actions as learning experiences. Sports, outdoor activities and everything physical are high on your list of favorites. Romance is, no doubt, also important this evening. A love relationship can be strengthened now. There is optimism, faith and a tendency to take emotional chances.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) You may find yourself very active today. You have a wonderful way of working with others, helping them to sense and feel the unity of life. Your love of the spiritual and the eternal is clear to all who meet you. You love to solve the problems of the world, at least in words and images; and when you tell it, all are enchanted. You will be sharing stories with friends this afternoon. Your dreams and ideals are very important to you as you methodically go about putting them into practice. You may enjoy entertaining this evening. You are never more at home than when entertaining and carrying on in front of a group. Many people sense that you have an interest in their welfare when they are with you and you enjoy entertaining others.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

NON SEQUITUR

You are optimistic and not afraid to be friendly and inquisitive to those around you. Others may follow your lead. You feel an appreciation for responsibilities. Problems are valued for the lessons they represent, rather than perceived as a block. When you say yes to too many people and have too many projects going at once, it is easy to work at cross-purposes to your own best interests.

This is a good time to step back and reevaluate your aims and goals. Give yourself some time on this. The rebel in you likes to ignore dreams and ideals and just let come what may. You relish your freedom and independence and pursue it even at the expense of future plans. The romantic in you may struggle against the frontier spirit that often moves you to action—balance.

Leo (July 23-August 22)

ZITS

There are insights into your dreams today. This is a good time to reshape and renew your philosophy or religion, during which your imagination is at full tilt. Breakthroughs in compassion and unity are possible.

Getting your message across to others takes little time or explanation just now, because others seem to understand just what you mean. You are spontaneous and know just what to say when in difficult or less than positive situations. Your good management abilities are in high gear. You will not be moved by the pretend emotions of another. You prefer concrete subjects to grand ideas and flights of fancy. Your love of groups and the social scene may find you more interested in relationships this evening.

Virgo (August 23-September 22) When you love, you love with energy and passion. You value personal contact, cutting through all the externals and getting to the heart of things. You understand and appreciate vulnerability and have no qualms about presenting your own sensitive spots to others. You enjoy working behind the scenes, getting at any secrets and hidden areas of the mind and psyche. There could possibly be the beginning of some positive changes and transforming experiences with loved ones today—an understanding. Your feelings need to be stirred before you can throw yourself whole-heartedly into any activity, but you will be encouraged to become involved in some healing work today. Love, ideals and a strong sense of your own worth are vital to your well-being.

Libra (September 23-October 22)

MOTHER GOOSE AND GRIMM

The feeling that, anything is possible if you set your sights high enough, characterizes the cycle you have just begun. You have a lot of faith and trust in your fellow human . . . this may be the best way to enjoy life. Be open to the suggestions of others. This is a time of exploring your feelings, a kind of restlessness for new challenges. Your most essential quality has to do with the very real love and compassion you radiate. Your sense of values and sheer appreciation for life are communicated to all who come to know you. People value you for your warmth and dynamic qualities as much as for your ideas. You may be able to help in some community effort or organize a block party this evening or for next weekend.

You can relate to most people with ease.

Scorpio (October 23-November 21) This morning is a good time for making amends, making peace with the past and meditating. Someone needs caring for today.

Relationships and fairness take on a special importance to you. True friendships or partnership means commitment and being responsible to the other person—a lesson that takes on greater importance as this cycle progresses. Your mind and thoughts always gravitate to what is lasting, true or of the essence. Your ideas are to the point and candid, never superficial. You are expert at working with words that communicate mystical and mythological ideas. You can always manage to bring otherworldly ideas into the practical realm. This afternoon you may enjoy coaching young people in outdoor sports.

Sagittarius (November 22-December 21) You naturally are a giving person, sacrificing your own interests for the sake of an inner vision—what you feel is right. A born psychologist, you may find yourself counseling and caring for the mental needs of others. It may be difficult just now for you to coordinate your ambitions with your actual actions and feelings. Your lack of seriousness may undermine any valid attempts to form a base and become involved with new projects. At these times your nonconformity and refusal to go along may work against your own best interests—resulting in difficulties to get ahead. You can sense and understand the moods and feelings of others and you seem to always land on your feet. You have a natural sense of just what is needed; tune into those signals.

Capricorn (December 22-January 19) Your close ties with home and family, plus your career interest, may be cutting into your social life now. Others may find you somewhat preoccupied and lacking in the social graces. You may feel some regret or tension from this situation today. There is a sense of emotional coolness or detachment at the personal level, combined with an emphasis on philosophy. It is ideas that count for you now, more than narrowly personal concerns. Despite whatever problems you find, there are areas of life where you have clear insight—natural ability. When it comes to matters of assessment and finding solutions, your judgment is sharp and you always manage to take charge. You have a knack of working hard and accomplishing things without too much difficulty.

Yesterday’s Solution Aquarius (January 20- February 18) Relationships are very important during this time and can have a very strong influence on your career and workplace. You may find that a more detached attitude is the key. You will make career gains by your ability to sense quality and choose accordingly. It may be necessary to cut through the fluff and get down to your most practical for the day. If you are working overtime, it may end soon. If there have been errors or carelessness in your financial dealings, or the way you work with numbers, it will easily be corrected now. Avoid unfamiliar places and strange situations tonight. Follow your instincts. Relying on others could be mind-boggling—but if someone else takes the lead, you will be able to observe the events and enjoy.

Pisces (February 19-March 20)

Word Sleuth Solution

Don’t be surprised if you are not in top mental gear just now. You could find yourself struggling to communicate. This day would be best spent with your head down and a steady period of concentration in order to accomplish what is before you. There are some prosperous endeavors ahead and you will want to have your work as up-to-date as possible. This afternoon you may decide to catch up on your chores and find ways in which you can relax and enjoy the company of your loved ones. Work in the yard or with plants, art and all forms of relaxation are beneficial to your mental and physical health. A strong need for nurturing is a bigger than usual element in your life. Romance is possible this evening.

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

i n f o r m at i o n

FIRE BRIGADE

112

Al-Madena

22418714

Al-Shohada’a

22545171

Al-Shuwaikh

24810598

Al-Nuzha

22545171

Sabhan

24742838

Al-Helaly

22434853

Al-Fayhaa

22545051

Al-Farwaniya

24711433

Al-Sulaibikhat

24316983

Al-Fahaheel

23927002

Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh

24316983

Ahmadi

23980088

Al-Mangaf

23711183

Al-Shuaiba

23262845

24812000

Al-Jahra

25610011

Amiri Hospital

22450005

Al-Salmiya

25616368

Maternity Hospital

24843100

Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital

25312700

Chest Hospital

24849400

Farwaniya Hospital

24892010

Adan Hospital

23940620

Ibn Sina Hospital

24840300

Al-Razi Hospital

24846000

Physiotherapy Hospital

24874330/9

Ministry of Interior website: www.moi.gov.kw For labor-related inquiries and complaints: Call MSAL hotline 128

Hospitals Sabah Hospital

POLICE STATION Al-Madena Police Station Al-Murqab Police Station Al-Daiya Police Station Al-Fayha’a Police Station Al-Qadissiya Police Station Al-Nugra Police Station Al-Salmiya Police Station Al-Dasma Police Station

Clinics Rabiya

4732263

Roudha

22517733

Adhaliya

22517144

Khaldiya

24848075

Keifan

24849807

Shamiya

24848913

Shuwaikh

24814507

Abdullah Salim

22549134

Al-Nuzha

22526804

Industrial Shuwaikh

24814764

Al-Khadissiya

22515088

Dasmah

22532265

Bneid Al-Ghar

22531908

Al-Shaab

22518752

Al-Kibla

22459381

Ayoun Al-Kibla

22451082

Al-Mirqab

22456536

Sharq

22465401

Salmiya

25746401

Jabriya

25316254

Maidan Hawally

25623444

Bayan

25388462

Mishref

25381200

W.Hawally

22630786

Sabah

24810221

Jahra

24770319

New Jahra

24575755

West Jahra

24772608

South Jahra

24775066

North Jahra

24775992

North Jleeb

24311795

Al-Ardhiya

24884079

Firdous

24892674

Al-Omariya

24719048

N.Kheitan

24710044

Fintas

3900322

22434064 22435865 22544200 22547133 22515277 22616662 25714406 22530801

THE PUBLIC AUTHORITY FOR CIVIL INFORMATION Automated enquiry about the Civil ID card is 1889988

PHARMACIES

AIRLINES

ON 24 HRS DUTY GOVERNORATE

PHARMACY

ADDRESS

PHONE

Ahmadi

Sama Safwan Abu Halaifa Danat Al-Sultan

Fahaeel Makka St Abu Halaifa-Coastal Rd Mahboula Block 1, Coastal Rd

23915883 23715414 23726558

Jahra

Modern Jahra Madina Munawara

Jahra-Block 3 Lot 1 Jahra-Block 92

24575518 24566622

Capital

Ahlam Khaldiya Coop

Fahad Al-Salem St Khaldiya Coop

22436184 24833967

Farwaniya

New Shifa Ferdous Coop Modern Safwan

Farwaniya Block 40 Ferdous Coop Old Kheitan Block 11

24734000 24881201 24726638

Hawally

Tariq Hana Ikhlas Hawally & Rawdha Ghadeer Kindy Ibn Al-Nafis Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Salmiya-Amman St Hawally-Beirut St Hawally & Rawdha Coop Jabriya-Block 1A Jabriya-Block 3B Salmiya-Hamad Mubarak St Mishrif Coop Salwa Coop

25726265 25647075 22625999 22564549 25340559 25326554 25721264 25380581 25628241

Kuwait Airways Jazeera Airways Jet Airways FlyDubai Qatar Airways KLM Air Slovakia Olympic Airways Royal Jordanian Reservation British Airways Air France Emirates Air India Sri Lanka Airlines Egypt Air Swiss Air Saudia Middle East Airlines Lufthansa PIA Alitalia Balkan Airlines Bangladesh Airlines Czech Airlines Indian Airlines Oman Air Turkish Airlines Aeroflot

22433377 177 22924455 22414400 22423888 22425747 22434940 22420002/9 22418064/5/6 22433388 22425635 22430224 22425566 22438184 22424444 22421578 22421516 22426306 22423073 22422493 22421044 22414427 22416474 22452977/8 22417901/ 2433141 22456700 22958787 22453820/1 22404838/9

PRIVATE CLINICS Ophthalmologists Dr. Abidallah Al-Mansoor 25622444 Dr. Samy Al-Rabeea 25752222 Dr. Masoma Habeeb 25321171 Dr. Mubarak Al-Ajmy 25739999 Dr. Mohsen Abel 25757700 Dr Adnan Hasan Alwayl 25732223 Dr. Abdallah Al-Baghly 25732223 Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Dr. Ahmed Fouad Mouner 24555050 Ext 510 Dr. Abdallah Al-Ali 25644660 Dr. Abd Al-Hameed Al-Taweel 25646478 Dr. Sanad Al-Fathalah 25311996 Dr. Mohammad Al-Daaory 25731988 Dr. Ismail Al-Fodary 22620166 Dr. Mahmoud Al-Booz 25651426 General Practitioners Dr. Mohamme Y Majidi 24555050 Ext 123 Dr. Yousef Al-Omar 24719312 Dr. Tarek Al-Mikhazeem 23926920 Dr. Kathem Maarafi 25730465 Dr. Abdallah Ahmad Eyadah 25655528 Dr. Nabeel Al-Ayoobi 24577781 Dr. Dina Abidallah Al-Refae 25333501 Urologists Dr. Ali Naser Al-Serfy 22641534 Dr. Fawzi Taher Abul 22639955 Dr. Khaleel Abidallah Al-Awadi 22616660 Dr. Adel Al-Hunayan FRCS (C) 25313120 Dr. Leons Joseph 66703427 Psychologists /Psychotherapists

Paediatricians

Plastic Surgeons Dr. Mohammad Al-Khalaf

22547272

Dr. Abd Al-Aziz Al-Rashed

Dr. Abdal-Redha Lari

22617700

Dr. Zahra Qabazard

Dr. Abdel Quttainah

25625030/60

Family Doctor Dr Divya Damodar

23729596/23729581

Psychiatrists Dr. Esam Al-Ansari

22635047

Dr Eisa M. Al-Balhan

INTERNATIONAL CALLS

22613623/0

Gynaecologists & Obstetricians DrAdrian arbe

23729596/23729581

Dr. Verginia s.Marin

2572-6666 ext 8321

Endocrinologist 25340300

25710444

Dr. Sohail Qamar

22621099

Dr. Snaa Maaroof

25713514

Dr. Pradip Gujare

23713100

Dr. Zacharias Mathew

24334282

(1) Ear, Nose and Throat (2) Plastic Surgeon Dr. Abdul Mohsin Jafar, FRCS (Canada)

Dr Anil Thomas

3729596/3729581 22641071/2

22655539

Dr. Majeda Khalefa Aliytami

25343406

Dr. Anesah Al-Rasheed

22562226

Dr. Ahmad Al-Khooly

25739272

Dr. Abidallah Al-Amer

22561444

Dr. Salem soso

22618787

Dr. Faysal Al-Fozan

22619557

Dr. Abdallateef Al-Katrash

22525888

Dr. Amer Zawaz Al-Amer

22610044

Dr. Abidallah Al-Duweisan

25653755

Dr. Mohammad Yousef Basher

25327148

Dr. Bader Al-Ansari

25620111

Neurologists

Dr. Adnan Ebil

22639939

Dr. Sohal Najem Al-Shemeri

25633324

Dr. Mousa Khadada

22666300

Dr. Jasem Mola Hassan

25345875

Gastrologists

25728004

Dr. Nadem Al-Ghabra

25355515

Dr. Sami Aman

22636464

Dr. Mobarak Aldoub

24726446

Dr. Mohammad Al-Shamaly

25322030

Dr Nasser Behbehani

25654300/3

Dr. Foad Abidallah Al-Ali

22633135

Soor Center Tel: 2290-1677 Fax: 2290 1688

info@soorcenter.com www.soorcenter.com

Dr. Kamal Al-Shomr 25329924 Physiotherapists & VD Dr. Deyaa Shehab

25722291 22666288

Rheumatologists:

Dr. Fozeya Ali Al-Qatan

Dr. Latefa Al-Duweisan

Dr. Ahmad Al-Ansari 25658888

Dr. Musaed Faraj Khamees

Dentists

Internists, Chest & Heart

25339330

25655535

Dr. Shamah Al-Matar

General Surgeons

Dr. Abd Al-Naser Al-Othman

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, Ph.D. 2290-1677 Susannah-Joy Schuilenberg, M.A. 2290-1677

Dr. Adel Al-Awadi

25330060

Dr. Khaled Al-Jarallah

25722290

Internist, Chest & Heart DR.Mohammes Akkad

24555050 Ext 210

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

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THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

li fe s ty le M U S I C

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Natalie Portman gives birth to a baby boy

Patrick Page, right, Jennifer Damiano and Reeve Carney appear onstage at the curtain call for the opening night performance of the Broadway musical ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark’ in New York, Tuesday. — AP

Two held over plot to murder soul star Stone

ritish police said yesterday they had arrested two men near the home of soul singer Joss Stone on suspicion of conspiracy to murder and rob. Officers detained the men, aged 30 and 33, in Cullompton, southwest England, at 10:00 am (0900 GMT) Tuesday near the star’s isolated country home and reportedly found them in possession of swords, rope and a body bag.

Stone, whose hits include “Super Duper Love” and “Fell In Love With A Boy”, insisted she was “absolutely fine” after police informed her of the alleged plot. “I’d like to thank everyone for their concern but I’m absolutely fine and getting on with life as normal while the police continue with their enquiries,” said the 24-year-old. The arrested men had detailed maps and aerial photos of Stone’s property, the Sun newspaper reported.

The arrests came after neighbors spotted two men driving slowly round remote country lanes in Cullompton and reported them to police, said the paper. “Police attended an address in Cullompton yesterday morning after alert residents notified officers about a suspicious-looking vehicle,” said a local police spokesman. “Officers attended the area at around 10:00 am and subsequently arrested the occupants of a red Fiat Punto.” Stone has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide and has worked with music legends including Rolling Stone Mick Jagger and the late US soul superstar James Brown.

She is estimated to have a personal fortune of £9 million (10.2 million euros, $14.7 million), according to a list of Britain’s wealthiest people published by the Sunday Times last month. Stone is a friend of Prince William and attended his wedding to Catherine Middleton on April 29.—AFP

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File photo shows British pop singer Joss Stone performing on stage at Wembley stadium in north London, as 60 000 revelers join Princes William and Harry for the six-hour long extravaganza in memory of their late mother Diana.—AFP

hristina Aguilera and Adam Levine of NBC’s talent show “The Voice” are putting their voices together on a new Maroon 5 single. Aguilera is featured with Levine and his band on the tune “Moves Like Jagger,” which will be released next week on iTunes. They’ll perform the song on the June 21 episode of “The Voice.” The studio version will be available to buy online following the show, NBC announced Tuesday during this week’s episode.

The track was recorded last month in Los Angeles, Levine said in a statement, adding that it was “great” getting to work with Aguilera. The song was described as quintessential Maroon 5 power pop, with an upbeat tune. Aguilera called the collaboration a “wonderful opportunity.” Levine and Aguilera, along with Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton, are coaches on “The Voice,” which awards the winning singer a record contract and a $100,000 prize. Levine won’t be idle for long after the June 29 season finale: Maroon 5 is co-headlining a North American summer tour with Train that begins July 22 in California. — AP

Aguilera joins Maroon 5 on new single

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File: Natalie Portman poses backstage with the Oscar for best performance by an actress in a leading role for ‘Black Swan’. —AP

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atalie Portman has a baby boy to go along with her Oscar. The actress gave birth to her first child with fiancÈ Benjamin Millepied, the choreographer of “Black Swan,” People magazine reported.

The magazine gave no details. A publicist for Portman did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday. The 30-year-old actress and Millepied, a well-regarded ballet dancer and choreographer, met during the making of “Black Swan,” Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller that stars Portman as a ballet dancer. Portman won the best actress Academy Award in Februar y for her per formance in the movie.—AP

Elizabeth Hurley divorces

After all-day meetings, Cage settles case with ex ttorneys say they have settled a case involving Nicolas Cage and his ex-girlfriend after an all-day series of meetings with a judge. The actor did not speak to reporters as he left a Los Angeles courthouse after more than five hours of settlement discussions.

Cage faced off with his ex-girlfriend Christina Fulton throughout the day, walking past her when he arrived Tuesday morning and both were apparently present for a final meeting with Superior Court Judge Teresa SanchezGordon that solidified the deal. The judge met privately with each side several times before the confidential agreement was reached. Fulton sued the Oscar winner in December 2009, claiming he owed her $13 million and broke a promise to give her a house for her and their son. — AP

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File: Actress Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala in New York. — AP

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Nicolas Cage arrives at the premiere of the feature film ‘Drive Angry’ in Los Angeles.

(File).

ritish actress and model Elizabeth Hurley’s fouryear marriage to Indian businessman Arun Nayar ended in divorce yesterday. The couple was granted the divorce by a district judge at the High Court’s Family Division in London, according to the Press Association.

Hurley, 46, married the textile heir at Sudeley Castle in western England in 2007 and had a traditional Hindu wedding in Jodhpur, India. Hurley dated British actor Hugh Grant for more than a decade and has a child from a relationship with film producer Steve Bing. — Reuters

Hugh Hefnerʼs 25-year-old fiancee calls off wedding ugh Hefner’s 25-year-old fiancee, Crystal Harris, has called off their California nuptials, the 85-year-old founder of Playboy has announced in a Twitter posting. “The wedding is off,” Hefner tweeted Tuesday. “Crystal has had a change of heart.” Hefner had asked Harris to marry him during a party last Christmas Eve. A ceremony had been planned for Saturday at Hefner’s Playboy Mansion, a luxurious Gothic-style mansion in Beverly Hills.

The wedding would have been Hefner’s third. Harris did not explain why she dumped Hefner, except to say on her Twitter account that the decision came after “much deep reflection and thought” and that she continues to have the “utmost respect for Hef.”Harris’s initial Twitter comment on the breakup was more enigmatic: “There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth,” she tweeted. “Not going all the way, and not starting.”

According to the gossip website TMZ.com, anonymous sources at the Playboy Mansion said the couple had argued on the phone over the weekend and that Harris was no longer living in the house. Harris also tweeted that she hoped the media would give the formerly betrothed couple the “privacy we deserve during this time.” — AFP

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File: Judges for the television competition series ‘The Voice,’ Adam Levine and Christina Aguilera pose at Los Angeles Center Studios. —AP

File: Hugh Hefner and Crystal Harris arrives at the premiere of ‘Iron Man 2’ at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. — AP

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THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

li f e s ty le Fashion

Brown acts as a bridge in men’s footwear ook down, see brown. A trendier, more casual brown shoe might be becoming the standard in men’s footwear, as men-even those wearing suitslook to replace their black wingtips. The shift is being fueled by changes in fashion, the economy and lifestyle, says Paul Grangaard, CEO of Allen Edmonds.

Men, most of whom are not serial shoppers, put a high priority on function, he says, so if a shoe can be worn with both gray flannel trousers and jeans, that’s the one they want.

(And, yes, it is OK to wear brown with gray and even with black, say the experts.)

Shoe designer Alejandro Ingelmo says he wears the same brown lace-up brogues with their perforated decoration almost every day, switching up into sneakers for running and a dress-casual boot for winter and weekends. He’s experimenting with lighter sand shades for men, and he’d also like to see a shift from the very square toe to a rounder shape. It took years, though, for the collective eye to transition from black to brown, so any other changes might take some time to catch on.

“With a lot of men, probably most men, when they hear about a trend change, they get nervous,” says David Lawrence, director of merchandise for the national retailer Men’s Wearhouse. “They need to see something an awful lot before they feel that they want to wear it. Most men don’t want to feel like they are on the cutting edge.” Brown has probably been in their closets for years, it just wasn’t the go-to color, but it’s not jarring, Lawrence says. It is an earth tone, after all.

Movies back in the ‘50s embraced the brown shoegray trouser look, especially on dapper dressers Cary Grant and Fred Astaire, notes Grangaard. The political and cultural climate changed in the ‘60s, though, and

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This product image courtesy of Allen Edmonds shows their McTavish shoe in natural wax.

This product image courtesy of Allen Edmonds shows their McAllister shoe in merlot.

men in business adopted the more serious black shoe as part of the uniform, perhaps to further separate them from the more rebellious hippies, he says. When workplaces went to business casual in the late ‘90s, many office workers didn’t know how to adapt. “We didn’t get business casual quite right,” Grangaard says.

“It was people valuing their work, they wanted to show their loyalty, they wanted to make a long-term impression, but they didn’t know how to do it without suits and wingtips.” He adds, “I used to joke that men ended up dressing-especially in warmer climates-like they were going golfing at any time during the day, or going off to play tennis.” The recent recession forced men to go back to their wardrobe and use it as a statement of tradition and dedication, and that meant moving toward a dressier style, but probably not to the three-piece suit and shiny black lace-ups on a daily basis, either.

Brown works as a bridge, agrees Marcia Kilgore, founder of the FitFlop brand, which has expanded from beach to work shoes-still with its signature thicker-at-the-heel soles. She says brown shoes sell well when men are trying to move away from a stiff, strict office culture without going too far to the other side in sneakers.

At first men tried to adapt what they already had from the late ‘90s into the new business world, but as household budgets loosened a little, Grangaard says men eyed a “sharper-but-not-over-the-top style.” The blazer with refined denim or khaki bottoms with a brogue style is the new normal in many industries and locations across the country, he observes, although some offices still expect men to wear suits.

Whether it’s with jeans or a blue pinstripe, a walnut shade of brown is the most complementary footwear color, Grangaard says, while gray looks best with a darker chocolate color. For his most important meetings, he’ll wear a reddish cordovan color with a black suit. Light brown, he says, is more fashion-forward, but probably the most versatile because it’s a work-toweekend color.

For the sandal guy-and that’s not everyone-the color to have is a medium brown, according to Kilgore.

Brown isn’t any harder to wear than black, and it doesn’t require a hipster to pull off, she says, “but taste definitely goes a long way.” Men don’t usually make a habit

of following trends from runways or red carpets, adds Men’s Wearhouse’s Lawrence. Instead they are looking at athletes, especially NBA stars, and sportscasters. You often can’t see their shoes but it gets men thinking about this hybrid dressy-casual look that seems a natural complement for brown leather shoes, he says.

File photo shows shoe designer Alejandro Ingelmo as he gestures during an interview with the Associated Press in New York.

The workhorse shoe will be a lace-up, probably with a cap toe, but a slip-on has its place for men with a more relaxed style. However, a man might not know his own style, and in stores, Lawrence says he often sees men seeking out the opinion of a woman-a wife, co-worker or a saleswoman. “Probably having women like a new men’s fashion trend is more important than men liking it.”—AP

Do not take heat for shorts at work: Dress them up s it OK to wear shorts to the office on days with record-setting temperatures? Designer runways might have you think so. Short suits were a trend in women’s wear collections for the first half of the year. They also are showing up in late-year and resort collections. Seen on models, with their perfect spray tans, long legs and high heels, shorts offer little to quibble with. They appear polished, stylish and appropriate-and that is what everyone should strive for with this look, according to experts.

“Shorts can really replace a skirtthey’re actually easier to move in,” says Colleen Sherin, senior fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue. “What’s the difference between shorts and a skirt, even if they’re the same length? It’s that shorts are perceived as casual by nature, something that children wear, something we wear on weekends. That perception is changing.” But pick your ensemble carefully to make sure your look is not too casual.

Sherin likes to see women heading into the office wearing knee-length shorts that are either slim and tapered or wider with a cuff, made of cotton poplin or gabardine. Linen will keep you cool, but may end up rumpled, she warns. Pair the shorts with a crisp button-down shirt and a cropped blazer, she says. The strappy sandal is a must-do accessory, too, and a chunky platform version in a neutral color will elongate the appearance of the leg, according to Sherin. An espadrille is an acceptable alternative.

However, flip-flops really don’t ever belong at the office, and the casualness of those items are exaggerated by shorts, Sherin says. Style commentator Mary Alice Stephenson treats her weekday shorts as if they were dresses, and that can mean pairing them with jewelry and pumps. With a heel, though, be aware of the length of the shorts.

Stephenson advises: “Keep them long. ...

Think Bermuda.” She adds, “Cargo shorts, denim shorts and Daisy Dukes cannot come out to play at work. Keep your shorts classy and stick to a more demure short.”

Pleats are OK, and so is a high waist, she says, but anything too showy or too beachy is not. How do you know if shorts are acceptable at your office? If starched shirts are the norm, then maybe you should save your shorts for the weekend. But if women are walking around in sleeveless dresses or miniskirts, the office culture might be trendy enough for shorts. Maybe start with shorts on a casual Friday and gauge that reaction before wearing them to a Monday morning presentation, says Stephenson, who styles celebrities, runway collections and magazine photo shoots. If it is hot enough, the rules might be relaxed.

Elayne Seligman, a parent coordinator at a public school in the Bronx, typically wears a suit to work. On Thursday, when temperatures soared into the 90s (30s

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Celsius) in New York City, Seligman wore black linen walking shorts. “I really never wear shorts to work, but I am today because it’s so hot,” Seligman said.

“Today everyone is quite dressed downeven the principal is in flats, and she always wears heels. Some teachers are in long shorts.” At the Manhattan public relations firm where 24-year-old Esther Akutekha works, there is no strict uniform, but there is a line-that just-abovethe-knee line _ that should not be crossed. “You don’t want to be too sexy regardless of how casual we are here,” she says. Designer Jason Wu says shorts can be worn anywhere, but they have to be worn as a total look, and that look has to be dressed up. He stepped up black shorts worn by a model at a runway show Monday by complementing them with a tweed jacket with leather trim and a tuxedo-style shirt. “The new short goes from beach to cocktails,” he says.

The look is easier for women to experiment with than for men.

“I don’t sanction men wearing them to the office in any way, shape or form,” says trend analyst Tom Julian, president of Tom Julian Group. The problem for most men is that the rest of their closet cannot support dressier shorts; they have neither the right shoes (driving moccasins, boat shoes or clean, canvas sneakers) nor the right shirt (a safari style or a polo, not a T-shirt or a tank). He makes the exception for an office-sponsored field trip to the ballpark or golf course.

But not everyone likes the shorts-forwork look. Kimberly Shepherd, a 25-yearold interactive coordinator for Univision, does not want to see shorts anywhere, on anyone, near her Miami office building. She saw someone wearing them with tights when the weather was a little cooler, and she was not crazy about that look, either. “It was not inappropriate, but it was still odd.” “The alternative for a woman is a skirt. You can always wear a nice summer dress, even a sundress can be dressed up,” Shepherd says. “A dress keeps you much cooler than shorts, anyway.” Designer L’Wren Scott says she can appreciate the look on others, but when it comes to her professional wardrobe, shorts are only for days off. “I wear those on the beach,” she says. “I’m not a shorts person in the city.”—AP

ummer time is back and everyone is geared up for all the excitement it has to offer. This season, revamp your entire wardrobe with the must have a la mode pieces introduced by Bossini’s stirring 2011 summer collection. Aspire to the lavish bright colors this summer and explore the tribal patterns and intense embroidery with the dash of lace for a real change. Bright blue, rose pink, sunny orange and capturing gold are all in this season; reach over for the all over printed slip and knitted dresses and beautiful floral blouses if you aim for a striking feminine look. And for a fab style on the beach, Bossini’s white denim capris, hot pants, and check tanks are perfectly tailored to your fashion trend this season.

Match your summer shorts with the jersey tank tops and cotton shirts with the delightful polka dots and flora prints. For a complete ravishing look, choose your happy tote bag from a selection of six striking colors with different fun statements. Don’t miss the tapered skinny and super skinny jeans with the printed long-body, slim fit top to add to your shopping basket this summer.

For your most looking-forward-to summer vacation, Bossini offers you a line of comfortable, but chic wear for a relaxing travelling experience. Nature colors like cool grey, khaki, marine blue, and coral red in the form of water print and dazzling patterns are perfect for your sleeveless dresses, smart casual shorts, burn out pattern tees, and drapery neck printed stripe blouses.

Opt for the pretty foggy rose, sea blue and indigo shades to brighten up your summer shopping spree at Bossini. Men’s summer fashion by Bossini this year is all about great taste inspired from military style, ethnic patterns, and animal print. Key garments include eth-

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nic pattern shirts, water color print stripe tees, and pin tuck low shirts with floral and washed-out cargo shorts.

Colors are booming this season with magenta, pale banana, off-white, coal, khaki, and navy accent to name a few. What’s more, catchy graphic shapes and designs of the surfer’s style combined with a hippie’s statement is a must add to the shopping cart at Bossini.

Artsy tops are totally in with rainbow color prints, natural beach colors, and tropical shades. And to reflect the playful mood this summer, Bossini brings you multi-color plaid and rainbow color shorts to compliment the fun experience at the beach. Match your cargo shorts with a cotton polo or light shirt that come in a variety of stripes, shapes, and bright to relaxing colors.

Must haves this season are Bossini’s fun and comfy

print tees that come in eleven different styles and colors.

Kids are promised a happy, fun and joyful summer with the delightful clothing line by Bossini this season.

Children will love the new rainbow palette of colors that include happy yellow shades, striking blues, with a hint of red to compliment the summer energy. Pretty artsy dresses with cute accessories will draw a smile on your little ones, while boys will match their dads’ style with the line of cotton tops and cargo pants all sizzling with beach colors, relaxing tropical shades, and comfy denims, just to add to the inspiring cartoon tops to wrap it all. Visit Bossini at Hawally, Fahaheel, Farwaniya, Khaldiya Co-op and Qortuba Co-op to experience a whole lot of summer fun!

Models wear creations by Iodice during the Sao Paulo Fashion Week Summer 2012 collection in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Tuesday. —AP photos

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

lifestyle F E A T U R E S

Croatian exhibition spotlights Tito’s iconic Galeb yacht

Visitors exploring an exhibition inside of late Yugoslav communist leader Tito’s famous ship Galeb (Seagull) .

File: A couple pass by late Yugoslav communist leader Tito’s famous ship Galeb (Seagull) in Croatian main harbor of Rijeka. —AFP photos

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local exhibition showcasing artworks banned by 20th century totatitarian regimes has lifted out of oblivion a powerful symbol of socialist glamour: former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito’s famous presidential yacht Galeb. “We were looking for an attractive space to be a counterpoint to the art that we represent,” said Branko Franceschi, the curator of the “At A Standstill” exhibition aboard the 117-meter (383-feet) Galeb (Seagull in Croatian) ship.

“We realized that the Galeb was perfect.

Built in 1938 in (fascist leader Benito) Mussolini’s Italy, in a totalitarian society that marked the first half of the century, it gained world fame as the ‘sailing office of Marshall Tito’, in another totalitarian regime,” he added. Some 200 multi-media items-photos, posters, books, magazines, video and audio footage-of around 60 artists mainly from the former Yugoslavia, but also from central European countries, the former Soviet Union and Japan, are exhibited on three of the yacht’s five decks.

The exhibition, which opened June 4 and runs through this weekend, covers the period from the 1909 founding of Futurism - an international art movement that rejected romanti-

A visitor taking a photograph of an exhibition inside late Yugoslav communist leader Tito’s famous ship Galeb.

A visitor looking around an exhibition inside ship Galeb (Seagull).

cism and celebrated technology-to the 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall. The works, from the private avantgarde art Collection Marinko Sudac, were “actually created as opposition to totalitarian regimes, notably those social and political systems that Galeb represents,” Franceschi noted.

For the occasion, The “Peace Ship”, as the Galeb was called during Tito’s time, was towed to the port of this northern Croatian town from a nearby shipyard where it had been languishing for decades. It has not fared well since its heyday. Once used to entertain more than 100 world leaders such as Nikita Khrushchev, Moamer Kadhafi and Indira Gandhi or movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the Galeb is now a rusty hulk. The yacht first came to world attention in 1953 when Tito sailed up the Thames in it to meet Winston Churchill on the first visit to Britain of a communist head of state. The late leader also used it to visit several nonaligned countries around the world.

“Visitors are more interested in the ship but they like the whole concept. They want to know what will happen to the Galeb,” said volunteer Ivana Galeb, an art student. Part of the exhibition is dedicated to the yacht itself

showing footages of Tito and plaques made for visits by world leaders. “This ship was something,” said its captain Zeljko Matejcic. “It has a fantastic line, engines that still work. It’s pity that it is being eaten away by rust. It has a history, not only because of Tito.”

Some sections of the yacht are open to visitors, including the bedrooms used by Tito and his wife Jovanka, a conference room and guests’ cabins. Originally built to transport bananas, the Galeb was converted to an auxiliary cruiser by the Germans during World War II. Sunk in the allies’ bombing in Rijeka in 1944, it was later salvaged and repaired to become Tito’s presidential yacht. After the collapse of the former Yugoslavia, a Greek American businessman brought it from Montenegro to Rijeka.

The city bought it in 2009 after it was proclaimed part of Croatia’s cultural heritage.

Tito, whose death in 1980 heralded the bloody breakup of the Yugoslav federation a decade later, remains a controversial figure in Croatia. Those nostalgic of the Yugoslav era adore him and give him credit for bringing prosperity to the federation and keeping it independent from the Soviet Union. But others revile him as a dictator. —AFP

How to make your

dog’s days of summer R

Photo shows animal groomer Ana Sondall as she gives her client Bodie a summer cut at Petco in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles. — AP photos

Photo shows a mixed breed dog getting a cooling shower.

eady for your dog’s days of summer? Everybody seems to have a list of tips. Most are no-brainers.

Don’t leave dogs in hot cars or let them walk on hot asphalt, play too hard or get too much sun. Apply flea and tick repellents, and if you’re in a mosquito-prone area, talk to your vet about heartworm prevention pills. Take dogs on walks early or late to avoid midday heat and provide ample drinking water.

But there are other risks that come with heat, vacations and outdoor play.

Here are some ways to keep dogs healthy and comfortable this summer, with tips from veterinarian Louise Murray, vice president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital in New York City.

Grooming: A dog’s coat is like insulation, warding off cold in the winter and heat in the summer. Trim, but don’t give your dog a crew cut or such a close shave that it takes away that protection. Dogs get sunburn and skin cancer, so never cut fur shorter than an inch. (In some breeds, even an inch is too short.) Dogs shed more in summer, so brush to get rid of extra fur along with fur that’s matted from water play.

Heat relief: Most pets find cool, shady spots to lie down, but some, especially animals that are overweight or can’t tolerate heat, might benefit from cooling beds, mats or vests. The mats get filled with water, which mixes with a high-tech gel to create a cool, waterbed-like cushion.

Consumer reviews are generally positive but caution that some beds spring leaks (or are chewed by dogs).

Food: No food will keep your dog cooler, but food helps keep body temperature up, so dogs may not need to eat as much in the summer. If your dog stays at a dog-friendly hotel with you or at a kennel, consider bringing food from home. A change in diet can cause diarrhea. Barbecues and picnics are a veterinarian’s nightmare.

Keep pets in the house or on a leash to prevent them from being fed or lapping up things that are bad for them, whether it’s spilled alcohol or onion dip. Onions, garlic, grapes, raisins and chocolate are the most toxic foods for dogs.

Vacations: Dogs can get carsick if they’re not used to driving, so go for small trips before a road trip. On boats, consider a doggie life vest. Protect the dog from gasoline and other toxic products. At the beach, provide drinking water so the dog does not drink salt water. On planes, if your pet is small enough, keep it in the cabin with you. Call ahead because some airlines limit animals per flight. Be prepared to pay a

Photo shows animal groomer Ana Sondall, right, as she gives her client Caramel, a golden retriever, a summer cut.

fee and check on necessary paperwork. If your dog must fly as cargo, note that the U.S. Department of Transportation says short-faced breeds like pugs and bulldogs die during air transport at much higher rates than other breeds. If you’re boarding your dog, remember that many kennels require proof of vaccines such as rabies and kennel cough.

Lawns: Some lawn products are toxic to dogs and cats. Weed killers and herbicides are the worst - some cause cancer. Some fertilizers are also toxic. All a dog or cat has to do is walk on the lawn and lick its paws to be exposed. In 2010, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center received more than 4,000 calls related to garden toxins. These include herbicides, plants (hydrangea, tulips, azaleas, lilies), insecticides, mushrooms, fertilizers and cocoa mulch.

Overheating: Recognize overheating if you see it excessive panting, difficulty breathing,

increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, seizures, and elevated body temperatures over 104 degrees.

“A lot of dogs will just keep running until they drop because they have so much heart and so much energy,” said Murray. “You have to be proactive.”

Animals with flat faces, like pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. Sponge the animal with lukewarm water and seek veterinary care if you suspect overheating.

Windows: Murray’s clinic sees two or three pets a week that have fallen or jumped from apartment windows, roofs, balconies or fire escapes. Multiple limb fractures or potentially deadly internal or brain injuries often result. Use window screens, open windows from the top instead of the bottom, consider child-safety window guards. —AP

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

lifestyle

Destination

Missoni Kuwait

Kuwait finally has a boutique hotel to be proud of

I

tw was as tha thatt time t of the yyear ear onc once e again!

An occasion thatt I onc once A n oc casion tha e fforgot, orgot, but a smartt man nev never mis-smar er makes the same mis take again. IItt was wedding anniversary! was a our w edding anniv ersary!

I knew knew I had to to plan something special ffor or this year year to to make e up ffor or the ‘crime’ ‘crime’ I commitcommitted was ted last year. year. My My dilemma, though, w as the children. children. I have have a two-year-old two-year-old and a breast breast feeding eight-month-old baby.

Myy wif wife feeding eigh t-m month-old bab y. M e has never before.

Dubai never traveled traveled without w them bef ore. D ubai was myy agen agenda. was on m nda.

However, Howeverr, I knew kne ew this could could backfire. backfire. I could myy wife way could foresee foresee m wife crying crying all the w ay to to the airport, airport, and an nd then crying crying the whole way board tilll D Dubai!

The trip way on boar d til ubai! T he rrest est of the tr ip would spentt talk talking would probably probably be spen ing about the kids making kids and mak ing g phone calls tto o my my mothermotherin-law in-law asking asking how ho ow the kids kids were. were. Then Then I remembered remembered the e Missoni Missoni hotel. hotel. Needless to to say, say, it turned turned out ou ut to to be a decision I would would not regret. regret.

I booked a suite, suite, I believe believe it was was called Grandiosa. we were abroad Grandiosa. I rreally eally ffelt elt like w ew ere abr oad somewhere we somewhere in Italy, Italy t y, just as long as w e did not look outside window e the windo w because the

sandstorm sandstorm that that weekend weekend would would have have been a quick reminder reminder of where where we we were. were.

The New The hotel hotel is located located aatt the Ne ew SSymphony ymphony Centre.

Centre. IItt ccomprises omprises of 18 floors floors and has 63 suites. suites. Designed Designed by

by Rosita Rosita Missoni Misssoni who crecreated exhilarating sensoryy e experience, ated an e xhilarating sensor x ience, the xper rooms rooms are are all rich rich in color color and texture. texture. They They all have Arabian Gulf.. have a great great view of the A rabian a Gulf We We started started our afternoon afternoon at at Choco Choco Café.

Café. If If you this place you love love chocolate chocolate or ccoffee, offee, th his is the plac e to to meet. meet.

It It is not the place place to to be for for you you if you you are are dieting! The The phrase phrase rrich ich in ccolor olo or and ttexture exture keeps finding its way article, way in this ar t , one ticle would would need to to visit the hotel hotel to to understand why.

Miswhy. Wherever Wherever you you find yourself yourse elf at at the M is soni, you you will subconsciously subconsciously be b staring stari at a wall piece furniture wall or a piec e of fur niture in admiration. ad Dinner was Cucina, was aatt C ucina cin the Italian lian an rrestauestaurant heartt of the M Missoni. rant and the hear isso oni. IItalian talia food, food, made by

by Italians Italians and served served byy Italians.

Italians.

That’s Cucina!

You That’s all I can ssay about bout C ucin ! Y ou o need tto o try try it yourself. yourself

We friends We invited invited some s friends over over to to spend the rest at suite. was rest of the evening evening e at the suit e. IItt w as not the largest largest suite suite I have have stayed stayed in, but this is a boutique hotel. ho otel. It It faced faced the Arabian Arabian Gulf with a great The suite was great view vview.. T he suit ew as ‘‘pimped pimped out’ out’ with Bang Bang & Olufsen Olufsen systems systems everyeverywhere where including including the TV T V in the bathroom bathroom mirror! third mirror! The The bathroom, baathroom, which was was a thir d the size experience size of the suite suite was was an e xperience in its of own Great great design own right. right. Gr e t ccolors, ea olors, g reat desig n with a massive middle.. massive bathtub bathtub t in the middle I am sure sure many man m y are are wondering wondering about the cost. way.

Missoni cost. LLet et me put p it this w ay. FFor or a M isso hotel, hotel, the final finaal bill was was rreasonable. easonable At the end of the day, day, you you get what wh you payy ffor. or.

So who want a br brief Milan So for for those people peop p ief M ilan experience without leaving expe i ving the country, country I advise you to Miso spend a weekend weekend at at the M issoni oni Kuwait.

Kuwait.

-By -B By our special special correspondent corrreespondentt

e niv rsar n

y

A

Croatian exhibition spotlights Tito’s iconic Galeb yacht Years

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2011

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t took an MD and a PhD to come up with “The Art of Roughhousing,” a new parenting guide to good oldfashioned horseplay complete with ultra simple diagrams for a safe “raucous pillow fight” or round of “human cannonball.” Can the helicopter parents handle it? You could break an arm, put an eye out! The writers, both dads, think that they can. They consider it crucial, in fact, to kids’ self-esteem and physical development that parents unplug the family, loosen up and let fly.

“Play looks a lot different now. There’s this huge kind of obsession with safety. Nobody’s playing at night anymore. Technology has taken over playtime,” said coauthor Lawrence Cohen, a psychologist in Boston. No dummies, publisher Quirk Books embraces the realities of parenting today with a big fat legal disclaimer in bold blue print on the book’s first page that concludes: “We urge you to obey the law and the dictates of common sense at all times.” Roughhousing, after all, is “rowdy, but not dangerous,” the book encourages.

It also “flows with spontaneity, improvisation and joy,” but — done right — requires mattresses be hauled out or couch cushions laid on the floor so kids as young as 3 can jump safely from on high. How did parenting come

to this, a manual for the most natural of urges? “Parents usually aren’t doing it exactly the right way, or the most healthy way,” said the other co-author, gastroenterologist Anthony DeBenedet in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “They also don’t allow for that wind-down period after because, understandably, they have things to do. Get dinner done or get ready for bed.” Roughhousing, they said, need not leave kids revved up or promote violence. It can actually make kids smarter, emotionally intelligent, likable — even lovable, according to the book released May 27.

“In other words,” the two wrote, “when we roughhouse with our kids, we model for them how someone bigger and stronger holds back. We teach them selfcontrol, fairness and empathy. We let them win, which gives them confidence and demonstrates that winning isn’t everything.” With their guide, DeBenedet and Cohen have tapped into the “take back childhood” movement, a backlash to the heavy scheduling and academic pressure that has some in the field of child-rearing warning of an entire generation that can take tests nicely but likely won’t have the freedom of mind to run the world one day.

The two are downright pied pipers, conducting workshops on how to roughhouse at community events and schools in their areas. Cohen already had a reputation from his previous book, “Playful Parenting,” which is now in its 11th printing. “There are some who come in and think it’s bad territory, that my job is to tell them to stop,” Cohen said. “We don’t think that safety comes from not doing roughhousing but that safety comes from doing it in a safe way.” Consider twirling. “The key to twirling is to establish a solid anchor,” the book instructs.

Is “suspension” more your style? “You can incorporate suspension into almost any flight move; just make sure it causes delight, not panic.” Does the notion of spotting confuse? “You don’t have to be a gymnastics coach to understand the basics of spotting. To spot is to keep a person free from injury by gently helping her to a safe landing or guiding her through the completion of a move.” Each activity in the guide is accompanied by a ‘50s-style visual aid and written in an easy-to-follow format offering the ages of kids it can benefit, the level of difficulty and the essential skills it offers.

Take the Raucous Pillow Fight. Such a thing is good

This undated sketch courtesy of Quirk Books shows a diagram of the Underdog activity from “The Art of Roughhousing”. — AP photos

A diagram of the Spanish Steps activity from “The Art of Roughhousing”.

A diagram of the “Sasuke!” activity from “The Art of Roughhousing”.

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all decals have quickly become the fast food of home decorating. Inexpensive and easy to install, these peel-and-stick pieces of vinyl are popping up on walls in every room of the house. From pithy sayings and motivational phrases to bold graphics and even wallsize murals, decals come in every shape and size. The convenience is obvious: They add a dash of color and graphic punch with practically no commitment. Bored with one?

Peel it off and move it elsewhere. Or, assuming it cost you only a few dollars, throw it away when you’re ready for something new.

Do decals pass the style test? We asked three designers for the scoop on how, where and whether to decorate with this new generation of decals. “Those old-fashioned, ‘Home Is Where the Heart Is’ kind of sayings in that script, I think those are a little cheesy,” says designer and TV host Sabrina Soto, a guest designer on HGTV’s new series “HGTV’d.” Still, Soto, Betsy Burnham of Los Angeles’ Burnham Design and Brian Patrick Flynn of decordemon.com all agree there are ways decals can work well especially if they are used with a dose of irony and humor.

“For the right person, and it’s usually a young person, I have no problem with any of this. I think it’s decorative, it’s whimsical, it’s kitsch,” Burnham says. “But I’m going to be the devil’s advocate here and say I don’t want it in my clients’ living rooms.” In traditionally decorated homes, decals can look tacky. But in homes already decorated with a modern sensibility, decals definitely have their place.

Small spaces In a spare room or an awkward space that is difficult to decorate, try a single, graphic image decal. “It gives depth to a room and gives some interest to the architecture,” Burnham says. Many retailers offer black silhouettes depicting things like lamps or chandeliers that add interest to an otherwise blank wall. (Just remember, Soto says, that adding a lighting fixture like this does not actually add any light to the room!) In small bedrooms, a headboard decal is “a great way to have fun without taking up any space,” Soto says. Decals also can depict chairs or other furniture.

“Having one object like that is kind of cool, especially if you have a space in a room that you just don’t know what to do

with,” Soto explains. “It’s kind of the same thing as wallpapering an accent wall. This is just a lot easier.”

Cool kids’ rooms If you avoid the licensed-character decals depicting popular cartoon characters, you can actually bring some style and sophistication to kids’ rooms with decals. Try oversize images of the outdoors (Target.com offers a wallsize close-up of a patch of bamboo) or letters and words (but not those excessively heartwarming ones). To evoke cartoons without putting actual cartoon characters on the walls, Scribbleoneverything.com offers words like “Bam,” “Pow” and “Kaboom!!!” in decal form. They also offer customized “thought bubbles” that can be printed to say anything you can dream up.

Dorms and first apartments Decals are “excellent for dorms because they’re trendy in spaces where you can’t actually paint anyway,” Flynn says.

With little expense, young adults with rental homes can get creative with images and colors. Their options for indulging

This book cover image courtesy of Quirk Books shows the cover of “The Art of Roughhousing”.

for children 4 and up. Its difficulty is “easy” and it teaches “losing and winning.” The best pillows for whacking are the big, fluffy kind rather than the small, hard sofa kind.

“When battling your opponent,” the book cautions, “always hold the zippered part of the pillow and whack with the other end to prevent injuries like eyeball lacerations.” CHECK! Audrey Brashich, 40, has two boys, ages 4 and 2. It’s not really about her physical play with the kids, but how they play with each other that worries her.

“All they do is roughhousing. They’re physically incapable of not doing it,” said Brashich, who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. “I find it stressful, dangerous for them and the interior of my home, which is taking a beating, too.” What does she do instead? “We don’t hang out at home,” she said. “I would rather make up errands on rainy days. Anything is better than keeping them at home, trying to play games or do Play-Doh. Everyone is happier and safer if we get out and are busy.” Would she find a guide on how to safely roughhouse with her kids helpful? “Hmmm. Most likely not,” Brashich said.

In Costa Mesa, California, Alissa Circle, 31, has a 3year-old daughter and an 18-month-old son. It’s their wrestling, chasing, jumping on furniture and running in the house the second she turns her back that most concerns her. “I’d love to find ways to organize the craziness to make it fun for them, but not make me constantly feel like I’m saying ‘Stop, don’t do that!”‘ What, specifically, are they doing? “Sometimes I feel like I run to the bathroom and when I come back they’ve taken all of the pillows off the playroom couch and are jumping off the couch onto them,” she said. No worries, Alissa, they might have got it right on their own.—AP

in irony and sarcasm are endless (those customizable thought bubbles, above, are just one example). And if short attention spans prevail, it’s simple to move designs around the space as often as you wish. “In rental spaces,” Burnham says, “it’s such a better idea than having to paint and then paint it back” again before you move out.

Creative work spaces Flynn likes the whimsy of decals in spaces where someone wants to think creatively. They’re perfect, he says, for a space “where an interior designer might be doing their design plans, or artists might be doing their paintings or a graphic designer might be putting together their stuff.” But whatever your line of work, “it’s a really affordable and quick way to take the seriousness out of a space that’s dedicated to some kind of commerce,” Flynn says. “You can add graphic pattern and shape, breaking up otherwise just really boring painted walls.”—AP

This product image courtesy of Scribbleoneverythi ng.com shows their Make Your Own Thought Bubble decal which can be customized with a phrase or name.

This undated photo courtesy of Sarah Dorio shows a room designed by Brian Patrick Flynn/Decor Demon.

—AP photos

This file product image released by ToysRus shows the Little Boutique Wall Decal of a tree.